Longevity Strange Immortal

After returning to Zhi Mountain Temple, Li Mo integrated the Ascetic Monk into the sword platform of the main hall, while Pig House was placed in a side hall.

The number of vacant sword platforms was dwindling, but it was inevitable that the Daoist temples of both the Ascetic Monk and Pig House would merge into Zhi Mountain Temple, making a few more halls available.

The glow of candlelight around Zhi Mountain Temple expanded dramatically, and the temple's area continued to grow.

This brought about an additional hidden benefit—within this extended range, the Yang Attribute Spiritual Energy increased significantly, and some grass and wood began to evolve into spiritual materials.

However, as far as Li Mo was concerned, this was merely better than nothing.

The Yang Attribute Spiritual Energy within the Great Sun Sword Tomb was too impure. He had long since grown accustomed to obtaining it directly from the Corpse Mountain Mini World, which contained a Yang Attribute Spirit Stone Vein.

The deity statue of Pig House, a pig-headed human, constantly fed, birthing piglets—but unfortunately, livestock could not serve as tenants of Corpse Mountain.

Pig House's taboo was that wounds must not be exposed—once a Sword Ghost targeted an injury too severe, it would gradually mutate into a mindless piglet.

The deity statue formed from the Ascetic Monk's transformation was made of white bone material and bore five faces.

These represented the Eight Precepts of the Buddhist Sect—abstinence from killing, stealing, sexual desires, false speech, drinking alcohol, hoarding wealth, dressing up, and eating.

Even in ancient times, enlightened monks of the Buddhist Sect often failed to uphold the strict precepts, yet after death for ten thousand years, the Sword Ghost still remembered them unwaveringly.

During his life, the Ascetic Monk must have journeyed hundreds of miles daily; otherwise, his corpse wouldn't have appeared in such an unrelated place as the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Li Mo discovered a point—the Ascetic Monk's taboo was well-suited for combining with an Illusion Array.

Inducing a Sword Cultivator to break a precept wasn't difficult, of course. He wasn't referring to sexual desires—not everyone possessed the ravenous appetites of Ye Zhuo Daoist.

Instead, it was killing. A Sword Cultivator's temperament often leaned toward madness, and an Illusion Array could very easily trigger their killing intent.

With ten days remaining before the Teaching Daoist Temple opened, Li Mo dared not waste time. He immediately began refining the Illusion Array, replacing its Array Eye with a corpse infused with the Illusion Spirit Root.

The uprooted White Bone Bodhi Tree was not wasted either and was planted in the courtyard.

With a stable source of skulls, Li Mo grew increasingly eager to promote the Ground Lying Demon Infant to the Divine Separation Stage—it all depended on the coming harvest.

Since entering Tao, this was the first time Li Mo felt the poverty of his own methods.

The Sunlight Dharma Body could not be externalized, and his Lifebound Flying Sword was still at the Nascent Soul Stage. The Tattooed Beast had yet to advance to the Divine Separation Stage.

It seemed he had only his physical body against strong enemies and his still somewhat impressive Bright Day Sword Intent.

It was truly unworthy of the identity of a Sword Cultivator.

Fortunately, the Mountain Demon broke through its bottleneck three days later, causing turmoil within the Corpse Mountain Mini World.

The other Tattooed Beasts stood on high ground, as the sky was enveloped by a pungent toxic mist, with acidic rain drenching over a dozen mountain peaks.

"Roar, roar, roar."

The Mountain Demon howled excitedly into the sky, its ribs mutating into numerous arms that pounded furiously against its chest.

Several Deceit Beasts quivered in fear.

Within the Corpse Mountain Mini World, the Tattooed Beast was undoubtedly at the top of the food chain and was considered an Immortal Beast under Li Mo's command in the eyes of Plant and Tree Cultivators.

The rivers surged, and one Deceit Beast, with an island on its back, was visibly uneasy—it was only through He Guo's diligent efforts to pacify it that harmony was restored.

The island, dotted with rudimentary pavilions, towers, and chambers, was now the residence of Plant and Tree Cultivators.

Evidently, they had successfully domesticated the Deceit Beast via parasitic root systems, and their strength had vastly improved.

"What realm is this? Absolutely incomprehensible."

He Guo muttered to himself, his expression filled with indescribable astonishment.

Even with his former Nascent Soul Stage perspective, he dared not look directly—many Plant and Tree Cultivators were even unable to continue standing upright.

Only Zhang Guo remained carefree, raising his hands to cheer jubilantly.

He Guo contemplated a possibility. "Could it be the Divine Separation Stage? Truly… unbelievable."

The Lifebound Spirit Beast advancing to the Divine Separation Stage represented that Li Mo had already stepped into the Fifth Stage of Immortality.

"How many years has it been? Not even a thousand years yet. Absolutely, he must be a reincarnated Immortal—it's the only explanation!"

With each syllable, He Guo's breath grew heavier. Those simple-minded Plant and Tree Cultivators couldn't possibly grasp the significance of this.

He drew in a sharp breath, his expression brimming with fervent zeal.

He Guo disregarded the raging waters, screaming like a madman, "Immortality! I, He Guo, shall ascend to heaven alongside them! I knew I made the right choice! Hahaha!!"

He willingly chose to restart his cultivation for a colossal opportunity, hoping to see the realization of this possibility within tens of thousands of years—and yet, scarcely a few hundred years had passed, and Li Mo had already reached the Divine Separation Stage.

He Guo frenziedly banged his head against the ground, his cultivation subtly nudging toward the threshold of Core Formation Stage.

Finally, Spiritual Power backlash and the ensuing agony restored his clarity. Without hesitation, he turned to Zhang Guo, "Good senior brother, let your junior help you achieve Core Formation."

Zhang Guo tilted his head, puzzled by He Guo's mutterings.

"Just let it happen,"

Zhang Guo scratched at the sparse roots atop his head, forcibly dragged into the Seclusion Room by He Guo.

Plant and Tree Cultivators, formed from spiritual materials, possessed distinctly unique bodies capable of converting Spiritual Power into medicinal energy to aid their peers' cultivation.

In fact, this process wouldn't harm their own foundations.

Some Plant and Tree Cultivators, limited by their talent, proactively infused their medicinal energy into descendants, ensuring the continuation of their race.

He Guo understood one principle.

As long as Plant and Tree Cultivators rallied around Zhang Guo, his position would remain steadfast, and internal discord among the Plant and Tree Cultivators could be avoided.

Bolstering the collective value of the Plant and Tree Cultivators was of utmost importance.

Should He Guo surpass Core Formation Stage first, he risked challenging Zhang Guo's status, potentially inciting division among the Plant and Tree Cultivators.

Such a scenario was absolutely unacceptable.

Compared to heaven's ascension, delaying Core Formation was a trivial matter.

The external storms grew increasingly turbulent.

"Roar, roar, roar."

The Mountain Demon's head touched the clouds, its fur standing on end, and its blood and bones fluctuated in perpetual instability.

Other than the Candle Dragon, the remaining Tattooed Beasts opted to lay low temporarily.

Toxic Spirit Energy surged toward the Mountain Demon.

Li Mo noticed and gave it a push, infusing a hundred years' worth of Innate Essence into the Mountain Demon while monitoring the Tattooed Beast's transformations.

"Hmm? The Tattooed Beast advancing to the Divine Separation Stage—its body shifts toward the Externalized Dharma Body?"

The Tattooed Beast was both a Lifebound Spirit Beast and part of the Great Wilderness Immortal Body—essentially an extension of Li Mo's organs.

Would that mean the Mountain Demon could be regarded as a pseudo-Dharma Body?

Li Mo studied the Mountain Demon, genuinely sensing the illusion of his own breakthrough to the Divine Separation Stage.

"No, I can truly benefit from this."

Da Ai Mi Tian was digesting the surplus offered by the Mountain Demon, its Spirit Patterns rapidly increasing to eighty, rivaling the Spirit Root Worm.

"Ha!!!"

The Mountain Demon hammered forcefully, scattering its fur outward.

The Mid-level Sword Intent, known as **Evil**, clung to its fur—as it swept through, plant life yellowed, and mushrooms proliferated rapidly.

Initially, the Mountain Demon's sword intent wasn't of the **Evil** sort; after advancing to the Divine Separation Stage, it connected to the Poison Element.

Li Mo reacted swiftly, collecting all the fur into his Dantian via the sword pouch.

The plague didn't spread, but numerous Plant and Tree Cultivators resembling decaying flesh emerged from the mushrooms.

Li Mo was about to summon the Mountain Demon but noticed the creature had entered a state of enlightenment.

The Mountain Demon drew out the White Bone Stick and began swinging it on the peak of the main mountain, integrating mortal martial skills into an increasingly intricate whole.

Moreover, it had already mastered the flexible use of **Evil Sword Intent**.

With a single blow of its fur, concentrated **Sword Qi** surged forth.

The other Tattooed Beasts gave the Mountain Demon a deep glance before retreating to secluded cultivation, seeking their own breakthroughs into the Divine Separation Stage.

Da Ai Mi Tian's Spirit Patterns ultimately stabilized at eighty-seven.

Good news arrived one after the other.

Upon entering the sword pouch, the **Evil Sword Intent** wasn't completely dissolved by the Ten Thousand Transformation Sword Infant; instead, it engraved markings onto the Sword Infant's surface.

Once Li Mo noticed, the Sword Infant had already acquired a twisted, dark green sword scar.

Clang, clang, clang.

Over a dozen Poison Attribute Flying Swords emerged, floating alongside the **Evil Sword Intent**, encircled by threads of sword intent that replicated and imprinted the sword scar onto them.

"A production line for Lifebound Flying Swords?"

"Materials and spirit attributes could be altered, and sword intents could even be replicated exactly."

However, much to Li Mo's disappointment, the dozen flying swords couldn't withstand the Mid-level Sword Intent and quickly disintegrated during the imprinting process.

"I understand. The Nascent Soul Technique for the Ten Thousand Transformation Sword Infant should aim in this direction."

"Embody infinite sword intents, nurturing countless supreme flying swords."

Li Mo silently solidified his resolve, though he still lacked the Sword Dao techniques needed to support the framework—his understanding of sword intents and **Sword Qi** was simply too shallow.

As he pondered, seventy or eighty Poison Attribute Flying Swords lined up to take their turns.

Li Mo hurriedly halted the replication of sword intent.

"Wait, this..."

Among them was a single flying sword that had only imprinted thirty percent of the **Evil Sword Intent**. Its blade was covered in cracks, yet it hadn't entirely perished.

Li Mo's eyes lit up, pouring a decade's worth of Innate Essence into nurturing the damaged sword.

The damaged sword couldn't handle the Innate Essence, but its scars gradually began to mend—threads of Poison Attribute **Sword Qi** spilled within the Dantian.

Bam!

Just as the sword scars reached an incomplete state, the damaged sword exploded.

The murky sword intent merged into the Ten Thousand Transformation Sword Infant, forming a simpler structure beneath the **Evil Sword Intent**, creating a lower-grade sword intent:

**Exhaustion**

Li Mo scanned the sword pouch, directing two remaining Poison Attribute Flying Swords to imprint the **Exhaustion Sword Intent**.

The Poison Attribute Flying Swords didn't immediately perish, having been nurtured within the sword pouch for years—they were likely capable of resisting the lower-grade sword intent.

Once the flying swords adapted to **Exhaustion Sword Intent**, it was possible to proceed with imprinting the **Evil Sword Intent**.

Li Mo licked his lips—perhaps the Creation Book would forge links between Divine Skills and Nascent Soul, as the Ten Thousand Transformation Sword Infant clearly had Tao Seed-like features.

He continued flushing the Ten Thousand Transformation Sword Infant with Spiritual Energy.

As the Teaching Daoist Temple's opening approached, the nighttime grew much noisier, with many Sword Cultivators from the Purple Sun Palace preparing to act.

Li Mo regretted that within the ten days, he couldn't manage to promote the Ten Thousand Transformation Sword Infant to the Corpse Infant Stage.

He shut his eyes and reached out to Da Ai Mi Tian.

Familiarity with the Great Sun Sword Tomb restored some of Li Mo's courage—he tried observing the streets at dusk by releasing cancer cells.

What entered his sight was bizarre and chaotic.

Although the Sword Ghost hadn't yet manifested, strange occurrences had already appeared on the walls.

It was as if actors had projected vibrant shadow puppets onto the surfaces.

Countless shadow puppets darted around, absurdly reenacting street scenes. The characters bore arched brows, phoenix eyes, tightly shut red lips, and their movements resembled paintings come alive.

"Hiss..."

Li Mo inhaled sharply—the Creation Book echoed massive memories.

The imagery clearly came from before the world's upheaval—within the recollections, cultivators bore no signs of decay.

The environment resembled a sealed town, with the sky blocked by Magic Treasures—all mortals had been reduced to living shadow puppets who gathered in familial clusters.

Four elders of the Heavenly Sword Sect filtered disciples from these shadow puppets for initiation into the sect.