Longevity Strange Immortal
Chapter 176 - 36: Detoxification Spirit Divine Skills [Hammer Anvil]

Chapter 176: Chapter 36: Detoxification Spirit Divine Skills [Hammer Anvil]

After Daoist Qingtian advanced to the Fake Core Stage, the Chaotic Burial Furnace grew increasingly lively, especially within a ten-mile radius around the mountain gate.

The once desolate wilderness, barren of even a single blade of grass, suddenly saw the emergence of small, scale-armored creatures.

These small creatures were clearly puppets used by various factions to spy on the Chaotic Burial Furnace. The factions made no effort to hide their intentions, deploying their informants openly and brazenly.

Any disturbances would immediately be reported to the Taoist inheritances of each sect.

Occasionally, Artifact Cultivators could be seen flying overhead, boldly utilizing Eye Magic to try to peer into the Practice Hall.

Li Mo’s presence evidently had an impact on the various Taoist forces, large and small, within the Sub-Device Sect.

Even though Artifact Cultivators above the Dan Formation Stage didn’t consider Li Mo a threat—after all, the gap in cultivation was not something that could easily be bridged by a Taoist Body—they still couldn’t ignore the attention of Nascent Soul Great Powers.

Even those Nascent Soul Great Powers believed that Li Mo would become a strong competitor against the Golden Cauldron Sect.

From Li Mo’s perspective, the actions of the Nascent Soul Great Powers seemed somewhat like a form of "killing with praise," deliberately setting him up against others.

As a result, Core Formation Artifact Refiners inevitably started viewing Li Mo as a stepping stone.

They had secluded themselves in cultivation for hundreds of years. Despite their profound strength, their reputations might not even compare to Daoist Qingqiu of the Four Seas Refining Shop.

Feeling somewhat helpless, Li Mo realized that Old Earth True Monarch had clearly pinned all hopes on him; otherwise, the Chaotic Burial Furnace might end up relegated to Zone 7.

Over the past few days of observation, Li Mo found few among his fellow Artifact Cultivators in the sect who were reliable.

The "Three Mountains" represented a Three Path Body composed of Three Postnatal Dao Bodies. Although their cultivation efficiency was decent, the inherent instability of the Dao Bodies resulted in their Golden Cores barely reaching Mid Grade.

Their chances of advancing to the Inner Sect were slim.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Li Mo muttered to himself, "Overthinking won’t help. The priority is to subdue the fourth spirit and then deal with the trouble of the Death Disease."

He closed his eyes and began operating the Circulation Cycle. Within his Multiple Dantians, vortices had already formed.

To ensure his energy remained undetected, his Leakless Body tightly sealed the fluctuations of his Spiritual Power, while the Paoxiao Swallowing Body technique reached its peak operation.

When Artifact Cultivators passed by the Practice Hall, they could hear the unending rush of water and the oppressive, drum-like sound of a heartbeat, causing their scalps to tingle.

Throughout the Sub-Device Sect, only Daoist Qingtian cultivated with such forceful commotion.

But Li Mo had no choice.

Openly speaking, there were thousands of informants monitoring every movement of the Practice Hall, not to mention the covert operations. It was even possible that members of the Chaotic Burial Furnace had been bribed.

Li Mo tried reaching out to Old Earth True Monarch, but the latter refused to intervene.

According to Old Earth True Monarch, "The darkest place beneath the lamp is the easiest to hide one’s power, sparing you from others constantly scheming against you."

In retrospect, that made sense. Testing Li Mo over twenty to thirty years would be effortless.

Li Mo couldn’t possibly remain vigilant indefinitely. The approach suggested by Old Earth True Monarch was undeniably optimal, but it inevitably made him a target for all.

"Sigh."

He did his best to speed up the vortex’s rotation, as his Mist Fog Golden Core continuously absorbed and expelled Spiritual Power.

Currently, there were still four spirits left to subdue, namely "Corpse Dog" representing perception, "Nonpoisonous" representing poison resistance, "Detoxification" representing cleansing, and "Stinky Lung" representing respiration.

The three spirits Li Mo had previously subdued addressed his spirit, energy, and essence. For the next four spirits, he planned to prioritize those with practical value for awakening Divine Skills.

From every angle he considered, Detoxification Spirit seemed the most closely related to Artifact Refining.

After all, Artifact Refining inherently required the removal of impurities from spiritual materials, polishing the Magic Artifact Embryo to perfection.

Li Mo hesitated no longer and directed a portion of his Mist Fog Golden Core’s Spiritual Power to the Mud Pill Palace, attempting to guide the Detoxification Spirit back into his Multiple Dantians.

The Detoxification Spirit, resembling a statue, allowed the Spiritual Power to continually wash over its outer layer.

Li Mo had initially thought that after Core Formation, subduing spirits would be relatively easy. However, he quickly realized that under the influence of Mist Fog Spiritual Power, the outer layers of spirits were unusually fragile.

If he wasn’t careful, he might accidentally damage the Detoxification Spirit.

After a moment of contemplation, he decided to use Ash Spirit Power to erode the spirit’s exterior, avoiding any potential harm to his Mist Fog Golden Core’s quality.

The Ash Spirit Power enveloped the Detoxification Spirit, immediately producing crackling sounds.

The numerous Artifact Cultivators at the Chaotic Burial Furnace were perplexed and uneasy as Li Mo’s cultivation process became increasingly intense over time.

To those unaware, it seemed as though the Practice Hall was hosting a fierce battle between Cultivators.

Soon, under Li Mo’s deliberate manipulation, the mist surrounding the Practice Hall turned a deep crimson, akin to the fiery clouds seen at sunset.

This phenomenon lasted for over half a month before the fiery clouds finally dissipated.

After eroding the spirit’s outer layer, Li Mo promptly succeeded in imprinting the Detoxification Spirit. The illustration on the page revealed the image of a vein-like serpent.

The Detoxification Spirit quickly burrowed into the Mist Fog Golden Core, causing its hue to deepen gradually.

Li Mo needed to use a steady, patient approach to nourish the Mist Fog Golden Core until the Detoxification Spirit fully integrated, allowing him to transition naturally into the Condensation Stage.

By his initial estimation, this process would take at least ten years.

Cultivation at the Established Stage allowed no room for carelessness. The Golden Core, akin to a womb nurturing a fetus, directly influenced the potential of the Uncertainty Nascent Soul.

From this perspective, even with the gifted talent of a Five Dao Body, the cultivation path would only grow longer, inevitably measured in centuries or millennia.

Li Mo meditated, waiting for the awakening of his Divine Skills.

He couldn’t help but feel uneasy. If the ability wasn’t related to Artifact Refining, it would delay the progress of his Life-bound Magical Artifact, essentially costing him a valuable trump card.

The Creation Book glimmered faintly.

When Li Mo finally saw the awakened Divine Skill, he couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief.

[Hammer Anvil]

Hammer and Anvil, symbolic of forging, clearly confirmed Li Mo’s speculation. The Divine Skill of the Detoxification Spirit was indeed intricately linked to Artifact Refining.

Before Li Mo could react further, intricate patterns emerged on the surface of the Mist Fog Golden Core.

Li Mo felt a surge of Artifact Refining-related memories flooding into his consciousness, nourishing his Primordial Tao Seed.

At the same time, the cracks on the Golden Core’s surface began healing visibly.

At the age of forty-three, Li Mo had already been dedicated to Artifact Refining for nearly thirty years. Even as a fetus gestating within an Artifact People container, he spent his idle moments studying various Magic Artifact Catalogs.

His level of understanding when it came to Artifact Refining far surpassed that of ordinary Taoist lineages.

Even within the Artifact-focused Sub-Device Sect, apart from the Nascent Soul Great Powers, few Artifact Cultivators were capable of refining High Grade Magical Artifacts, to say nothing of complex techniques like the Great Miao’s Tumor and Divine Fetus Technique.

The second crack on the Mist Fog Golden Core healed entirely in due course.

The third crack, too, gradually mended, evidence of Li Mo’s profound comprehension of Artifact Refining.

Li Mo examined the Mist Fog Golden Core closely. Ignoring the flaws represented by the cracks, he could feel an indescribable sense of the mystical contained within.

"A palace-like meteor... Just what kind of Nascent Soul will this thing produce?"

To ascend to the Uncertainty Nascent Soul Stage, one had to merge with their Three Souls. The next step, the Fate-Knowing Divinity Separation Stage, would transform the Nascent Soul into something akin to an Externalized Dharma Body.

Li Mo’s Mist Fog Outer Body was composed of Three Souls and Seven Spirits. Unless something unexpected occurred, it should give rise to a Soul-Spirit-based Innate Taoist Body.

The Creation Book lived up to the weight of the word "Creation," certifying itself as a key to Li Mo’s ascension.

The most elite Great Immortal Sects might possess techniques surpassing those of the Sub-Device Sect, and their disciples might be blessed with extraordinary talent. Yet none could rival Li Mo, who wielded the Creation Book.

Once the Primordial Tao Seed stabilized fully, Li Mo immediately employed the Hammer Anvil Divine Skill, consuming the moisture from his body in the process.

[Great Sun Pearl]

[A Magic Artifact Embryo refined using Mid-grade spiritual material Flame Burning Jade, supplemented by Crying Age Root Powder, Star Fire Stone Powder, and tempered with Fire Attribute Spiritual Power.]

After digesting the information about the Great Sun Pearl, Li Mo’s expression grew increasingly intrigued.

The Hammer Anvil Divine Skill didn’t just offer the Magic Artifact Recipe for the Great Sun Pearl; it even suggested the subsequent refinement paths.

Li Mo activated the Hammer Anvil Divine Skill once more. This time, he directed the remaining moisture in his body to flow into the Mist Fog Golden Core. His flesh gradually withered and shriveled.

Until the Divine Skill reached its upper limit.

[Taihao Sky Dome Qi]

[A Magic Artifact Embryo refined using top-grade spiritual material Demon Grain Wood, supplemented by Ice Cold Stone and Cuiqing Seed, and tempered with Wood Attribute Spiritual Power.]

Li Mo eagerly examined the Magic Artifact Catalog entry for Taihao Sky Dome Qi.

As expected, it indeed qualified as a High Grade Magical Artifact.

However, Li Mo’s limited experience with High Grade Magical Artifacts resulted in vague imperfections in the artifact. Its overall quality likely wouldn’t exceed sixty refinements.

He reached out to Old Earth True Monarch spiritually. Upon hearing that Li Mo sought a High Grade blueprint related to blood and flesh artifacts, the True Monarch gave a few words of caution before promptly agreeing.

Soon after.

The True Monarch used a Storage Talisman to transfer three human slips to Li Mo.

Li Mo understood that Old Earth True Monarch, fearing he might delay his Core Formation process, would offer only three or four blueprints at most. Li Mo chose not to press further.

The blueprints provided by Old Earth True Monarch were not only blood and flesh-related artifacts but also connected to internal organs, suggesting the True Monarch had guessed Li Mo’s intentions to prepare for the further refinement of his Life-bound Magical Artifact.

After the Primordial Tao Seed absorbed them, it yielded a refined Magic Artifact Catalog related to blood and flesh, labeled under the Hundred Refinements process.

Confirming there were no omissions, Li Mo began employing Divine Skills to enhance his Life-bound Magical Artifact.

[Blood Cancer Demon]

[Refined from an artifact embryo called "Cancer Artifact," supplemented with refined golden copper for bones, blood stone for blood, and Sumeru Stone for the brain.]

The Blood Cancer Demon didn’t meet Li Mo’s expectations. The artifact seemed more like a puppet; once refined, much of the Cancer Artifact’s mutated characteristics would be rendered ineffective.

Resting briefly, Li Mo continued employing the Hammer Anvil Divine Skill.

[Bone Marrow Nailing Cancer]

[Refined from an artifact embryo called "Cancer Artifact," supplemented with one hundred jin of bone marrow from Weak Crown Stage Practitioners and thirteen jin from Childhood Cultivators.]

The Bone Marrow Nailing Cancer was akin to a concealed weapon, capable of silently transferring mutations to adversaries.

[Lung Heart Cancer Void]

[Refined from an artifact embryo called "Cancer Artifact," supplemented with thirty-six pairs of lungs corrupted by Death Disease and one thousand jin of refined gold stone.]

Li Mo’s expression became complicated. The Lung Heart Cancer Void relied on the Cancer Artifact to form a Meat Sword Cocoon, capable of commanding constructs like Bone Cancer or Blood Cancer into flying sword formations.

Although it had the most potential among the three Life-bound Magical Artifact options, he ultimately decided to abandon it, as it didn’t align with his cultivation system.

While replenishing his body’s moisture, Li Mo kept activating the Hammer Anvil Divine Skill.

Until...

[Da Ai Mi Tian (Cancer Overwhelms All)]

[Refined from an artifact embryo called "Cancer Artifact," supplemented entirely with a Cultivator’s own blood, flesh, and bones, after one hundred and thirty-nine days of refinement.]

"Da Ai Mi Tian, what an eerie and enigmatic artifact..."

Upon seeing Da Ai Mi Tian, Li Mo cast aside the other Life-bound Magical Artifact designs.

Even though refining Da Ai Mi Tian was extraordinarily complex, requiring blood, flesh, and bone as auxiliary materials while potentially wasting a significant amount of Nourishing Yuan Fruit Medicine Power, it captivated him.

Examining Da Ai Mi Tian carefully, he held his Life-bound Magical Artifact in the palm of his hand, scrutinizing it intensely.

The commotion in the Practice Hall subsided somewhat, leaving the various factions’ informants increasingly baffled.

Before they could investigate further, they noticed that the outer walls of the Practice Hall had begun to transform into flesh and blood, sprouting grotesque cancerous tumors.