Longevity Strange Immortal
Chapter 165 - 25: The storyteller speaks no words

Chapter 165: Chapter 25: The storyteller speaks no words

Here is the translated text:

Industrial waste gas surged between the buildings, and as the monthly rain season approached on the fifteenth, visibility in the lower port area grew increasingly poor.

The lanterns in front of the shop doors were supplemented with large quantities of mineral powder, whose dazzling neon light made the air twist and distort.

The scattered cultivators running street stalls placed their booths on higher ground along the roads.

This was mainly to avoid the rain season. If caught off guard by the highly corrosive rainwater, it could injure the body and damage magic artifacts.

Passersby were sparse, and cultivators performing arts to make a living were even rarer.

On the surface, everything at the port appeared normal, but no one knew how many pill cultivators were lurking in the dark shadows, amplifying the oppressive atmosphere invisibly.

Figures shifted and scattered within the teahouse.

There were only three or four teahouses in the lower port area, which were quite different from their mundane counterparts; entry required several Low Grade Spirit Stones.

The teahouse was filled with a pungent medicinal fragrance, and pots of brewing tea bubbled on stoves.

All the tea guests shared the same expression.

Compared to the Heart Beast Sect’s habit of adding spicy seasonings, the port preferred inexpensive and bitter wood attribute spiritual material roots, whose flavor brought a cleansing sensation to the taste buds upon swallowing.

At the center of the hall sat an elder over five or six hundred years old.

The elder had cultivation at the Weak Crown stage but chose to serve as a storyteller in the teahouse. However, his tales were not mystical tales of gods and ghosts.

Instead, they mainly focused on common magic techniques.

"You have all entered the Xing Tan and must strive for education, for learning breeds virtue."

"Today, we’ll first discuss ’Universal Skillful Hand for Firewood Shielding,’ derived from the spell Universal Skillful Hand, encompassing meridians..."

The storyteller spoke of the most common magic techniques, ones that newly arrived loose cultivators relied on to make a living in the lower port.

The importance of Universal Skillful Hand was evident from the numerous notices on the streets about purchasing meat limbs.

Loose cultivators who implanted ordinary meat limbs could nurture them with their spiritual power for half a year and then sell them at shops for a good price.

The tea guests appeared wholly focused, but their necks occasionally twitched; all wore sinister, mockingly smiling expressions that sent shivers down the spine.

In unison, they shouted.

"Chi Chengzi, I’ve come to discuss Core Formation with you."

The tea guests collectively leaned backward onto their seats as pale green medicinal vapor escaped from their mouths and noses, forming a faint silhouette in midair.

As the silhouette emerged, the flesh of the tea guests began to shrivel, while their heads expanded threefold. It was clear this technique originated from the Dan Ghost Sect.

The storyteller continued muttering to himself, but a lump bulged on his back.

"Urgh... urgh... urgh..."

Crack.

The storyteller’s spine snapped as the lump sprouted countless tender blood flesh buds. His spine extended, and the buds transformed into vines wrapping around the vertebrae.

In the blink of an eye, a gourd vine grew, but its stem carried a suspended head.

The head opened its mouth and said, "Bai Shan, Outer Elixir is not as concealed as your Inner Elixir. I’ve already told you not to come looking for me so easily."

The difference between the Inner Core Lineage and the Outer Elixir Lineage was clear.

Inner Core cultivators refined their soul to become medicinal vapor, allowing possession in an invisible, intangible state. Outer Elixir cultivators created corporeal entities—whether insects or plants—parasitizing blood, flesh, and bone to extract nutrients.

"Hahaha, Chi Chengzi, you’re nearing the Fake Core stage, no need to fear a mere Weak Crown Middle Stage Daoist Qingtian, right?"

Bai Shan laughed loudly as a dozen bodies simultaneously seeped blood from their pores, showing the severe impact of the medicinal vapor extraction.

"Heh, is Late Teenage enough to matter?"

Chi Chengzi sighed, "The Chaotic Burial Furnace has Core Formation Artifact Refiner watching over the Four Seas Refining Shop, not to mention the Alchemy Competition has only just begun."

Bai Shan sneered wickedly, "You and I have not yet achieved Fake Cores. If we want to advance to the Inner Sect, we must take risks."

"Look at that unparalleled Daoist Qingtian. The Artifact Sect reveres him greatly. Collaborating to devour him may be our only hope."

"Heh."

Chi Chengzi smirked coldly, showing no wavering over Bai Shan’s words as the vine gradually withdrew into the storyteller’s spine.

"Wait."

Bai Shan quickly stopped Chi Chengzi, "Many in the Dan Ghost Sect want to act against Daoist Qingtian. There’s no harm in stirring the waters."

"The problem lies only in his leakless body. Though unpossessable, it doesn’t mean he’s unbeatable."

Chi Chengzi glanced at Bai Shan, saying one word at a time, "Collaboration is impossible. I won’t let myself end up like Du Yong in the Bone Forging Pill Dao Lineage, becoming your pawn to probe Daoist Qingtian."

Bai Shan’s tone deepened, "Why would I? I’d never use magic techniques to deceive you. You and I sharing Daoist Qingtian’s flesh and blood would suffice."

He couldn’t help but mutter to himself, "I’ve seen Daoist Qingtian from afar. His body and soul foundation are unimaginably robust—delicious, indeed."

Chi Chengzi shook his head slightly, "Trying won’t hurt, but Outer Elixir Lineage’s Dao Child might also be interested in Daoist Qingtian; he reached the Fake Core stage five years ago..."

His words were cut off as Bai Shan suddenly turned pale, interrupting, "Du Yong has infiltrated Four Seas Refining Shop ahead of the rain season—why so rash?"

Chi Chengzi mocked, "Bai Shan, you truly have skillful methods. Better avoid letting Daoist Qingtian sense danger and return to his mountain gate."

"Utter folly. I’ll check on this."

Bai Shan furrowed his brow tightly, swiftly retracting the medicinal vapor back into the bodies of the tea guests.

Chi Chengzi ceased his display as well. Inside the teahouse, the storyteller’s lecture sounded again, while the tea guests mindlessly staggered out.

The teahouse was not far from the staircase leading to the second level of the port.

Bai Shan’s avatar soon arrived at the entrance of Four Seas Refining Shop, feigning to browse spiritual materials as he slowly stepped into the bustling refining shop.

Artifact cultivators, being better informed, understood the dangers of the Alchemy Competition.

To protect their lives, they sought out meat limb magical artifacts, forcing artifact refining apprentices to assist in receiving customers.

Du Yong possessed a Weak Crown stage loose cultivator, subtly controlling his actions and idly chatting with acquaintances inside the shop.

Bone Forging Pills belonged to the Outer Elixir Lineage, exerting greater influence on their hosts.

When Bai Shan observed Du Yong closely, he noticed something amiss—his mental state seemed warped by external factors.

Du Yong glanced repeatedly at one of the Artifact Refining apprentices.

Although he tried to conceal it, he occasionally swallowed hard and unconsciously moved closer.

Bai Shan realized Du Yong couldn’t suppress his primal instincts and silently cursed multiple times.

Afraid Du Yong might expose them, Bai Shan quickly turned to exit the refining shop. Just then, the sound of bones clashing reached his ears, accompanied by a surge of medicinal fragrance.

Du Yong’s limbs twisted as his bones grew rapidly, transforming into a massive centipede.

The overwhelming medicinal fragrance caused nearby cultivators’ bones to feel numb.

They hadn’t the time to react before the giant centipede lunged for its prey, its blood-red eyes brimming with uninhibited greed.

Bai Shan was dumbfounded.

Though he had interfered with Du Yong’s thoughts, why had he changed his target at the last moment?

Bai Shan fled the refining shop as sounds of combat erupted from behind the door.

Oddly, the fight lasted mere moments before the Four Seas Refining Shop returned to silence, not even drawing the attention of passersby.

Bai Shan frowned deeply, an inexplicable sense of danger welling within him.

"Fellow Daoist, what are you searching for?"

Footsteps echoed from within the refining shop. Bai Shan instinctively stepped back. He found a familiar Artifact Cultivator standing at its entrance, watching him.

The cultivator was tall and seemed to have just emerged from secluded cultivation, not wearing the long robes he usually did.

The tattoos on his four limbs were exposed, emitting a palpable pressure that left Bai Shan frozen in place.

Red Fox, Ghost Tiger, Salamander, and Kun Whale swam across the surface of his skin.

Upon seeing this, passersby hurriedly distanced themselves; they knew better than to provoke Daoist Qingtian. One misstep could lead to death and the Dao vanishing.

"Fellow Daoist, take a look—do you recognize this person?"

Li Mo held a bloody centipede head wrapped in spiritual power, preventing the Pill Cultivator hiding within from escaping.

He hadn’t expected it would be so easy to draw out the Bone Forging Pill; all he had done was let an Artifact Refining apprentice consume Ice and Fire Twin Birth Wine, which accumulated significant medicinal properties in their bones, attracting an impatient Pill Cultivator.

"Daoist Qingtian, I mean no harm."

Bai Shan realized he had drastically underestimated his opponent; Daoist Qingtian’s strength far surpassed the limits of the Weak Crown Middle Stage. Truly, the child prodigy of the Sub-Device Sect’s Five Dao Body lineage boasted unimaginable potential.

Still, Bai Shan remained calm, certain he was in an invincible position.

With a smile, Bai Shan said, "Your reputation precedes you, Daoist Qingtian. I had simply planned to visit Four Seas Refining Shop to make your acquaintance."

Li Mo cut him off without giving him a chance to speak nonsense, crushing the centipede’s head in his right hand and grabbing a fist-sized Bone Forging Pill.

The Bone Forging Pill was semi-transparent; at its center squirmed a finger-thick maggot, struggling desperately.

"You... dare!!"

Before Bai Shan could utter more, Li Mo instantly appeared before him, pressing a finger against Bai Shan’s forehead.

Li Mo whispered softly, "Don’t worry; I’ll come for you later."

Bang.

A muffled noise echoed.

The cultivator Bai Shan was possessing collapsed onto his knees, his brain completely hollowed out, his head shattering to pieces that released a flood of medicinal vapor.

Without hesitation, Li Mo swept the vapor into his Magical Artifact, the Corpse Mountain flashing briefly in his palm before suppressing it within the Wood Element Sub-Peak.

Playing idly with the Bone Forging Pill, Li Mo turned back into the Four Seas Refining Shop.

The Bone Forging Pill was the Body and Soul of an Outer Elixir cultivator. Once swallowed by a cultivator, they would be effortlessly seized and possessed.

Correspondingly, an Outer Elixir cultivator’s memories were also stored within their elixir pill.

As Li Mo examined the Bone Forging Pill, his Tao Seed stirred, seeming eager to absorb the Dan Ghost Sect’s magic inheritance.

Old Earth True Monarch had mentioned methods for extracting the memories of Pill Cultivators.

Yet Li Mo felt such measures were unnecessary; by completely unleashing Paoxiao Swallowing Body, the pores in his palm ravaged the medicinal properties of the Bone Forging Pill.

Against his Mist Fog Golden Core, the late teenage-stage Bone Forging Pill was utterly defenseless.

To ensure safety, Li Mo had Corpse Mountain absorb all the pill’s medicinal properties, leaving the maggot within lifeless.

....

In the teahouse hall, the guests had long since dispersed.

Chi Chengzi slapped the storyteller’s gavel upon discovering the incident at the refining shop. Despite Bai Shan’s misfortune, his expression revealed a hint of joy.

"Daoist Qingtian, a mere Weak Crown Middle Stage, dares to seize the initiative against me. I demand your help to condense a High Grade Golden Core."

Bai Shan made no reply; he didn’t believe Li Mo could uncover the Pill Cultivators hidden deep in the shadows but couldn’t help feeling a lingering fear.