Longevity Strange Immortal
Chapter 172 - 32: There is a beast with 4 legs, born in the Mountain and Sea

Chapter 172: Chapter 32: There is a beast with 4 legs, born in the Mountain and Sea

The storm surrounding the Alchemy Competition has come to a temporary conclusion.

Half a day passed, and the destroyed buildings at the port were completely restored. In the highly productive Cultivation World, reconstruction is effortless.

Once again, the port fell back into a bustling scene, with Li Mo’s two shops reaping the rewards.

The daily quantity of Meat Limb Magical Artifacts is limited, rendering visits from any number of cultivators futile. However, Qingshan Tavern took advantage of the situation to rake in substantial profits.

Originally, the patrons assumed that the tavern would face a temporary shortage of Corpse Wine.

But the Corpse Wine continued to appear on the shelves without interruption, and the cultivators began to realize the truth: a new batch of Dan cultivator corpses had been added for brewing.

That was indeed the case.

When Jing Su’s corpse entered Corpse Mountain, it transformed into a gigantic burial mound spanning twenty meters.

Just one corpse could produce as much Corpse Wine as dozens of previous ones, barely meeting the growing demand.

After Li Mo’s wounds fully healed, he began feverishly absorbing the thirty-plus elixirs he had on hand.

Terrifying medicinal potency surged into Corpse Mountain, causing the entire mountain range to tremble. The top-grade magical artifact voraciously absorbed the nutrients being poured into it.

A new sub-peak began to rise.

Motivated by the surge, Li Mo quickly utilized the nourishing medicinal power of the Nourishing Yuan Fruit to supplement the process. Once all the elixirs were depleted, the transformation was smoothly completed.

The sub-peak of the Desolate Mountain had yet to fuse with a magical artifact and lacked a spirit attribute.

Li Mo was in no rush for Corpse Mountain’s transformation. He opened his mouth and swallowed the elixirs entirely, causing the Tao Seed to become intensely active.

The Mist Fog Golden Core spun rapidly, its surface revealing countless intricate lines of mystical design.

To his disappointment, due to overlapping information from the Magic in the Dan cultivator’s memories, the effects were less outstanding than anticipated.

Li Mo spent more than half a month completely digesting the elixirs, but one-third of the second crack on the Mist Fog Golden Core still remained.

Without obtaining the complete inheritance of the Dan Ghost Sect, hunting Dan cultivators held little significance.

Li Mo shook his head lightly.

The only relief was the prolonged process of cultivating through the Thirty Years Old Stage. As long as he could enhance the quality of the Mist Fog Golden Core to flawless before advancing to the Uncertainty Nascent Soul, there was still hope.

Li Mo glanced at the Magic Dao Collection of Dome Mountain. Unfortunately, his cheap master’s fate—whether dead or alive—was unknown, making it unwise to rashly break the seals.

"Let’s perfect Hui Qingyi first," he thought.

Li Mo already had clues about the tattoo markings on his chest. Once he expanded the tattoos on both shoulders, he could immediately proceed with crafting the Beast Head Tattoo on the central position.

With Hui Qingyi perfected, he could engrave the Life-gathering Beast Body as an Innate Taoist Body.

It was clear to him now that his Tattooed Beast was ultimately the most reliable ally, especially given the unimaginable resources poured into it.

While refining Hui Qingyi, Li Mo nurtured the deceit beast that would form part of the central tattoo.

A fortunate coincidence: the large amount of bird and beast scale armor he gathered at Corpse Mountain was sufficient to meet the criteria, saving him the trouble of purchasing materials on the port market.

He used Evergreen Tree Fruit to select among these deceit beasts, picking the beast blood most suited for tattoo crafting.

Li Mo entered a cycle of routine life. In the Sub-Device Sect, where there were no distinct seasons, time felt nonexistent, like in a neon-lit ancient capital.

It wasn’t clear how much time had passed, but when the walls were filled with various blueprints and Li Mo felt confident, he began to refine the tattoo designs for both shoulders.

The modifications to the shoulder tattoos involved intricate adjustments to blood vessels and meridians.

Although the Life-gathering Beast Body and the Hundred Beasts Blood Body complemented each other, they didn’t entirely eliminate conflicts, necessitating careful and gradual exploration.

Muffled sounds would occasionally come from the Seclusion Room.

Li Mo often sustained injuries to his flesh and skin, with the pain spreading down to his spine. Only the medicinal strength of the Nourishing Yuan Fruit kept these setbacks from affecting the Tattooed Beast.

He felt immense gratitude for choosing the Golden Toad.

The small creature’s temperament was calm and steady, remaining composed throughout the process and even assisting Li Mo, much like an immovable ancient stone.

Had he chosen a Mountain Demon instead, it would likely have grown restless and disruptive by now.

Ultimately, the process was dangerous but without mishaps.

The Golden Toad Tattoo, after its expansion, covered nearly half of his back, with the three-legged Golden Toad appearing vivid and lifelike, exuding an intimidating aura.

Li Mo continued the procedure for the Mountain Demon Tattoo.

The Seclusion Room became increasingly noisy, as the Mountain Demon occasionally acted theatrically and caused disturbances loud enough to echo into the main hall of the Artifact Refining Shop.

The cultivators assumed that Li Mo was taking advantage of downtime to create new Beast Head Meat Limbs.

It seemed to them that, for Daoist Qing Tian, whether refining artifacts or brewing wine only required a portion of his energy, without sacrificing his cultivation practice.

The commotion persisted for six months.

It wasn’t until Qingqiu Taoist confirmed that Li Mo had dealt with his tasks that he rang the bronze bell.

"Enter," Li Mo said.

Qingqiu Taoist entered the Seclusion Room, and the dense smoke inside dispersed. Li Mo stood shirtless, his back covered in menacing tattoos.

Only his chest area remained untouched, with tattoos covering 80% of his entire body.

"Qingqiu, what is it?"

Qingqiu Taoist paused for a few moments before lowering his head and replying, "There’s news from the Heart Beast Black Market. That loose cultivator is willing to make the trip."

"But he wants authorization to sell Bear Liver Wine on the bottom level of the port market."

"Are you sure he’s been to the Heart Beast Black Market?"

"I’m certain."

"Fine. After completing the commission, allocate half of Qingshan Tavern’s Bear Liver Wine supply to him. This matter must remain confidential."

Qingqiu Taoist immediately nodded in agreement. Since such lucrative interests were at stake, having the loose cultivator swear a Heart Demon Oath was perfectly reasonable.

Li Mo tossed a Bone Scroll to Qingqiu Taoist and said, "Give this to the Futu Hermit at Qinghong Flower Tower. You should know whom I’m referring to."

The text on the Bone Scroll was scrambled, but by referencing the meridian pathways of the Hundred Beasts Blood Body, one could decipher its full content.

The Bone Scroll not only supplemented the Hundred Beasts Blood Body but also contained a cultivation technique.

[Five Gods Heart Scripture]

The Five Gods Heart Scripture was a simplified version of the Five Poison Five Gods Heart Sutra, possessing only 60% of its power, roughly matching the level of ordinary cultivation techniques in the Sub-Device Sect.

Still, it was the best option available, as the original Five Poison Five Gods Heart Sutra could only be perfected using the Primordial Dao Seed, which uniquely matched Li Mo’s physique.

The Five Gods Heart Scripture was suitable for Beast Cultivators, allowing them to progress to Perfect Core Formation without drawbacks. Puppet Cultivators could also switch to the scripture without detriments.

Qingqiu Taoist trembled all over.

Though he had suspected as much, verifying the truth left him deeply shaken.

Li Mo touched Qingqiu Taoist’s forehead, transmitting the contents of the Five Gods Heart Scripture to his Mud Pill Palace before gesturing for him to leave the Seclusion Room.

For Li Mo, the strengthening of the Heart Beast Sect held immeasurable benefits.

Once a faction reached a sufficient scale, it would generate vast quantities of resources, much like the various branches of Daoist inheritance within the Sub-Device Sect.

The Heart Beast Sect could emulate the Dan Ghost Sect, becoming merchants between the sects, helping Li Mo collect Taoist inheritance.

Moreover, Han Cai and the others had shown kindness to Li Mo.

Li Mo resumed his closed-door cultivation.

To accelerate the perfection of Hui Qingyi, he even resorted to self-surgery, cutting open the flesh of his chest to observe the blood vessels and meridians within.

Just as he organized his thoughts and prepared to craft the tattoo, he received a message from the Old Earth True Monarch.

According to the Old Earth True Monarch, Li Mo was to return to the mountain gate before breaking through the Fake Core Stage, while also preparing for the upcoming Golden Cauldron Sect gathering.

Li Mo’s expression turned peculiar, as news from various sources indicated that multiple Daoist inheritances from Zone 8 had recently witnessed Core Formation among Artifact Cultivators.

The Old Earth True Monarch intended to have him advance to the Fake Core Stage, likely to deter rivals and consolidate the sect’s reputation.

Rumor had it that all the mountain gates under the Sub-Device Sect would convene in Zone 9 for the Golden Cauldron Sect gathering, where the strength of disciples represented the sect’s influence.

Outstanding performance could elevate the tier of their small world.

The Chaotic Burial Furnace was once a top-grade inheritance in Zone 9 but was demoted to Zone 8 due to subpar performance at the Golden Cauldron Sect gathering, possibly because its disciples preferred agricultural lifestyles.

"How could I suppress all the zone’s Core Formation Artifact Cultivators?"

Li Mo clicked his tongue. The Old Earth True Monarch seemed to treat him as if he alone were worth ten fighters, aiming for him to face numerous opponents by himself.

He temporarily disregarded the Old Earth True Monarch’s summons and proceeded with refining Hui Qingyi.

As for the tattoo centerpiece—

The choice of the Candle Dragon, with its roles of opening eyes for day and closing them for night, was undoubtedly ideal. It matched his black-and-white dual eyes and Cave God Eye.

Ancient texts described: "The God of Zhong Mountain is named the Candle Dragon. Its gaze creates day, its sleep forms night, its breath spawns winter, its exhale produces summer, and its respiration creates wind."

......

Heart Beast Black Market.

The Heart Beast Black Market was much more desolate compared to before the Sub-Device Sect’s arrival.

The streets were sparsely populated, mostly by fervent Sub-Device Sect believers muttering about the advent of Artifact Cultivators.

Previously, with the protection of Rong Town, the Heart Beast Black Market was somewhat prosperous.

Now, Tian Changwen struggled to manage, busy gathering the remaining Beast Cultivators while coercing Puppet Cultivators to align themselves with Rong Town.

Loose cultivators inevitably sought alternatives, and many took risks to leave the Heart Beast Territory.

Rushing through the streets, Ma Xun quickened his pace upon witnessing the numerous closed black market stores.

Were it not for Daoist Qing Tian’s commission, he would never have come to the Heart Beast Black Market—a wretched place where earnings in impure Spirit Stones were heavily devalued.

At the corner of the black market, the dilapidated Qinghong Flower Tower appeared in his sight.

Its signboard had fallen to the ground, and the songbirds and swallows that once filled the establishment were long gone, leaving only faintly glowing lanterns at the entrance.

Ma Xun pushed open the door, immediately hit by the thick smell of mildew.

"Anyone here?"

Just as he spoke, a sheet of human skin lunged toward him from behind. Had he not been quick to react, the skin might have burrowed into his Five Internal Organs.

"Hold on, I mean no harm. I’m looking for a Futu Hermit."

"What business?"

The figure of the Futu Hermit emerged from the second floor of the Qinghong Flower Tower, his expression somewhat manic, his body riddled with rotting scars of varying depths, his eyes darting wildly as he stared at Ma Xun.

After confirming the identity through Daoist Qingqiu’s description, Ma Xun cursed under his breath, handed over the Bone Scroll, and left without staying a moment longer in the Heart Beast Black Market.

The Futu Hermit took the Bone Scroll and began coughing erratically.

His nose and mouth spewed writhing maggots, signaling his body was nearing collapse under the relentless erosion of the Death Disease.

"The Great Thief is endless; the Great Dao is endless; the Great Thief is endless..."

Futu Hermit started laughing hysterically. Ever since his Core Formation failed, he had surrendered to the Death Disease, allowing his body to decay unimpeded.

Hu Wen was still battling the Death Disease in seclusion, while Han Cai tinkered with the Hundred Beasts Blood Body. Rong Town clung tenuously to its existence.

Upon seeing the Bone Scroll, however, the hermit felt an inexplicable pull.

As soon as his consciousness touched the scroll, the manic expression on his face dissipated, replaced by something indescribable.

The opening line of the scroll, incomprehensible to others, filled him with uncontrollable joy:

"A beast of four legs, born in the Mountain and Sea."

He recalled Han Cai’s words: "Once Li Mo ascends to immortality, he will never forget those of us in the mire."

"The Heart Beast Sect will return..."