Longevity Strange Immortal
Chapter 213 - 73 Cultivation Technique Promotion, Great Worm Heart God Skill

Chapter 213: Chapter 73 Cultivation Technique Promotion, Great Worm Heart God Skill

Li Mo squinted his eyes.

He had vaguely guessed the truth hidden within the Sub-Device Sect, yet the connection between Chen Tiangang and the Mother Furnace remained a mystery.

If nothing unexpected occurred, venturing deeper into the Outer Heaven Meteorite Crater should enable him to thoroughly understand the current state of the Sub-Device Sect.

"I’ll enter seclusion first. I need to push my cultivation to the Perfect Core Formation Stage as soon as possible."

Li Mo stowed away the Ghost Tiger and headed fearlessly toward the cauldron. Scattered around the areas of the metallic pillars, he noticed over a dozen artifact cultivators engrossed in meditation.

They occupied intact Amber Containers, which allowed them to draw on the spiritual energy provided by the Mother Furnace through the remnants of power within the metallic pillars.

It was strikingly similar to the state of artifact beings when first created.

Li Mo had previously gathered indirect insights from artifact cultivators like those of the Three Mountains and discovered that they lacked memories from their time within the Amber Containers.

More accurately, their memories from before their "birth" were fragmented, dreamlike visuals without coherence.

The artifact cultivators within the Amber Containers simultaneously opened their eyes. As they saw the unfamiliar figure, they fixed cautious and vigilant gazes on Li Mo.

"Daoist Qingtian?"

Soon, one of them recognized Li Mo. The signature Yin-Yang Fish mark at his brow was simply too distinct to ignore.

Of course, Li Mo’s fame within Zone 10 owed much to his extraordinary performance in the Collection Hall, where he inherited Taoist techniques.

The feat of comprehending an entire cultivation method within three breaths had been nothing short of astonishing, with the resulting phenomena spreading his name far and wide across Zone 10.

As Li Mo’s peripheral vision swept across the group, he was certain that one of them had to be a Great Mother.

However, ever since he had slain several Great Mothers in front of the Collection Hall, they seemed to have stopped relentlessly hounding him as they once did.

Li Mo’s thoughts turned slightly, and the Mother Furnace transmitted information about the Supreme Furnace directly into his mind.

The Amber Containers of the Supreme Furnace were, essentially, seclusion chambers, each meant for one-time use only.

Inner Sect Disciples would be assigned a seclusion chamber from the Mother Furnace approximately once every century, with a typical usage period of about twenty years.

Li Mo’s seclusion chamber was located deep within the Supreme Furnace. As he made his way to the Amber Container, he carefully studied the metallic pillars along the way.

He noticed a clear distinction between old and new metallic pillars. The newer ones more visibly displayed signs of flesh and blood, resembling piles of discarded refuse in the Falling Abyss.

The surfaces of the metallic pillars were also marred with rot-like traces of Death Disease.

Ignoring the apprehension of others, Li Mo observed the artifact cultivators occupying the seclusion chambers, who appeared tense, fearing he might suddenly turn violent.

Recalling his initial arrival at the Sub-Device Sect, Li Mo quickly relocated his original Amber Container.

Quietly, he summoned the Blood Sea. Invisible specks of fine dust dispersed and swiftly ascertained the exact number of metallic pillars.

Within the Supreme Furnace, there were a total of seventy metallic pillars, arranged in batches of ten, with century-long intervals between them—aligning perfectly with the gestational patterns of artifact beings.

As for why there were no metallic pillars from eight hundred years ago, even Li Mo was uncertain.

But he speculated that when the Sub-Device Sect reached the thousand-year milestone, some incomprehensible calamity would inevitably occur.

This would explain the ruins of the ancient Taoist Mountain Sect scattered from thousands of years ago. Perhaps the Chaotic Burial Furnace at that time had been destroyed for the same reason.

It was highly likely that the Millennium Catastrophe was intricately tied to the Mother Furnace.

Li Mo took a deep breath. Three hundred years may not seem too long, but it was not short either—he needed to prepare in advance.

He wasn’t overly concerned about the Heart Beast Sect.

The Sub-Device Sect’s port had remained stable and operational for millennia, and the anomalies of the Mother Furnace likely wouldn’t affect it.

If necessary, Han Cai and the others could temporarily retreat to the Heart Beast Territory to avoid the storm.

Lost in thought, Li Mo arrived at the seclusion chamber. Inside the murky Amber Container, a few unidentifiable metallic insects were scuttling around.

As he approached, the upper part of the Amber Container split open, releasing a pungent metallic stench that assailed his senses.

Stooping, Li Mo slipped into the seclusion chamber, prompting the observing artifact cultivators to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Though unwilling to admit it, Li Mo, who had not even reached the Dan Formation Stage, exerted a pressure far exceeding that of the Nascent Crying Stage.

Once inside the seclusion chamber, a steady stream of spiritual energy surged in from the base of the metallic pillar into the Amber Container.

The Dual Golden Cores within him voraciously absorbed the influx of energy.

"Heh."

Li Mo could still sense the lingering covert gazes fixated on him, vaguely laced with ill intent.

His left leg detached.

The Salamander appeared, and from its crown, trees extended an array of roots and tendrils, thoroughly wrapping around the Amber Container.

Curious, it looked around before quietly settling beside Li Mo, not daring to disrupt his cultivation in the slightest.

Besides protecting Li Mo during his seclusion, the Salamander also ensured that no spiritual energy leaked into the outside world.

As time passed, the roots began to spread more aggressively, soon enveloping a majority of the metallic pillar.

Li Mo split his attention to monitor the dispersed Blood Sea Dust throughout the Supreme Furnace. Any external disturbance would be detected immediately.

A constant influx of spiritual energy was being funneled into Li Mo’s body.

Although the spiritual energy was somewhat mixed, Ash Spirit Qi and Smog Spirit Qi formed a significant proportion.

Immersed in his Circulation Cycle, Li Mo continued to refine his cultivation, while the Five Poison Five God Heart Sutra evolved, appearing to draw from the transformation of the Five Internal Organs into Corpse Spirit Roots.

The enclosed environment of the Supreme Furnace, as long as one’s safety was assured, was undoubtedly an excellent site for cultivation.

However, Li Mo was fully aware that his arrival at the Supreme Furnace had likely already been reported across Zone 10.

Clack, clack, clack.

The Ash Golden Core emitted soft, rustling noises. His breakthrough to the Dan Formation Stage seemed separated by only the thinnest of veils, requiring only a continued application of spiritual energy to pierce through.

But Li Mo wasn’t in a hurry.

He resolved to perfect his cultivation technique first before considering advancement to the Dan Formation Stage.

Six months later, the Smog Golden Core also neared its bottleneck at the Condensation Stage.

While refining spiritual energy, Li Mo separated the Smog and Ash Spirit Qi, storing them in Liu Li jars for future use after leaving the Supreme Furnace.

"Wah."

The Salamander raised its head warily and approached the Amber Container’s wall, uneasily peering out into the external world.

A moment passed before it returned to its docile demeanor and resumed its position beside Li Mo without moving.

Li Mo glanced at the Salamander. By now, the tendrils it had extended had completely ensnared the metallic pillar, enabling it to sense subtle anomalies deep below.

Communicating with the Salamander’s consciousness, Li Mo, though aware of its limited intelligence, could interpret its basic intentions.

The Salamander’s uneasiness stemmed from faint tremors emanating from the underground, though they lasted only a few minutes.

Initially, Li Mo thought it was the Mother Furnace’s routine cyclical reaction, but the tremors were unusually consistent, occurring approximately every twenty days.

He dismissed it without concern but instructed the Salamander to remain vigilant.

Artifact cultivators came and went in the Supreme Furnace, their activity discernable only to Li Mo through tracking the days and nights mirrored atop the Corpse Mountain.

Perfecting the Five Poison Five God Heart Sutra alone took Li Mo two full years to complete.

The reformed cultivation technique had become entirely different—mysterious and unknown.

Li Mo was slightly apprehensive, primarily fearing that the Five Poison Five God Heart Sutra might deviate from its "Beast Cultivation" essence.

After meticulously reviewing it, he found the Five Poison Five God Heart Sutra to be more refined than before.

The essence of Beast Cultivation was based on the transformation of the Five Internal Organs into Corpse Spirit Roots, wherein these roots gradually reshaped the body to become a suitable host for spirit beasts.

This was also why Beast Cultivators could incorporate organs and limbs into spirit beasts without suffering backlash.

Yet, from Li Mo’s perspective, the flaws remained apparent in Beast Cultivation techniques, even after previous refinements using the Primordial Dao Seed.

Beast Cultivation relied on nurturing spirit beasts with the host’s body, yet it lacked a complementary synergy, leaving an unfilled gap.

The new Five Poison Five God Heart Sutra had effectively resolved this issue.

Li Mo’s face lit with interest. The revised cultivation technique incorporated certain elements from artifact cultivation. Upon reaching Foundation Establishment, the heart would continue its mechanical rhythm even if deprived of vitality.

This rhythmic pulsation autonomously drew spiritual energy to nourish spirit beasts, enabling them to, in turn, refine the cultivator’s spiritual energy.

The cultivation technique’s foundational trait, "Beast Heart," had transformed into "Human Face."

"It isn’t suitable to call it the Five Poison Five God Heart Sutra anymore."

After long contemplation, Li Mo decided to rename it the Great Worm Heart God Skill.

In ancient times, the term "worm" broadly referred to all creatures and divided them into five categories:

Feathered Insects, symbolizing birds; Fur Worms, representing beasts; Beetles, connected to shells; Scaled Insects, indicative of snakes and lizards; and Naked Insects, resembling humans.

The Great Worm Heart God Skill’s characteristic [Activation], which allowed magic artifacts to transform into insect-beasts, evolved into [Five Worms].

Beast Cultivators could channel the Five Worms to imbue their magic artifacts with one of these five forms—a choice that, once made, could not be reverted.

The [Five Poison] characteristic had further transformed into [Five Gods].

The Five Gods not only endowed the magic artifact insect-beasts with potent toxicity but also imbued spirit beasts with poison, forging an invisible chain between them and the cultivator.

With the Lordship of the Five Gods, spirit beasts were rendered reliant on their host for survival, eliminating fears of a retaliatory backlash.

A fourth unique characteristic—[Beast Brain]—had also emerged.

This allowed the Beast Cultivator to implant their consciousness into a spirit beast when summoning it. In the event of severe injuries to the body, survival could persist through the beast’s form.

The additional characteristic [Cancer Transformation] from Da Ai Mi Tian was extraneous to the Great Worm Heart God Skill.

"A four-trait technique, heh."

Li Mo broke into a grin. Even within the Sub-Device Sect, a four-trait cultivation technique was extraordinarily rare, typically restricted to certain direct inheritances.

From childhood, Li Mo had been refining the Great Worm Heart God Skill, gradually channeling Smog Spiritual Power throughout his Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

His Five Internal Spirit Roots had begun to exhibit indescribable transformations under the effects of the new technique, also benefiting his seven Tattooed Beasts immensely.

As his heart autonomously nourished the Tattooed Beasts, Li Mo had already progressed the Great Worm Heart God Skill to the Weak Crown Period, significantly expediting his retraining.

In just seven days, his Smog Spiritual Power had returned to the Core Formation Stage.

The Dao Rhythm lines etched on the surface of the Smog Golden Core became orderly, resembling the feathers of a bird, as well as the markings on a beast’s fur...

Thump, thump.

A strange sound emitted from the Smog Golden Core, as if a fetus was nearing its birth, signaling the natural advancement of his cultivation to the Dan Formation Stage.

Li Mo chose the "Non-poison Soul" from his Mud Pill Palace, a feature enhancing resistance to toxins.

The Creation Book subsequently embedded the Non-poison Soul.

The Non-poison Soul resembled a snowflake, endlessly cycling through growth and dissolution.

The Blank Page was sufficient to sustain the Dual Golden Cores until they reached the Nascent Soul stage, leaving the Spirit Root Page unused for now.

The aftermath of Li Mo’s breakthrough caused significant vibrations within the Supreme Furnace, raising a cloud of dust.

All the artifact cultivators instinctively directed their gazes toward Li Mo’s position, with several figures already preparing to act.