Longevity Strange Immortal

"Junior Brother Qing Tian, it's such a pity you aren't at the Void Refining Stage."

Yu Xiao's voice suddenly echoed, neither joyful nor sorrowful, carrying an inexplicable sense of eeriness.

"Fifth Senior Sister, why didn't you inform your junior brother beforehand?"

Li Mo's hair stood on end.

The instant his Divine Sense detected Yu Xiao's figure, it was as though he'd encountered a Night Patrol Deity radiating malice. His mind spontaneously conjured countless illusions.

Piles of corpses stacked high, rivers of blood streaming across the ground.

"Killing intent..."

To be precise, it was the terrifying Sha energy Yu Xiao had honed over ten thousand years through the lives of others.

A typical cultivator would have long succumbed to deviation because of it, yet Yu Xiao remained unaffected, even managing to silently infiltrate Zhi Mountain Temple.

Li Mo had felt an unbearable depth when facing Zu Xiuyun but found it far less terrifying compared to Yu Xiao.

"Hiss."

The Great Wilderness Immortal Body began to generate solid Scale Armor as a defense against Yu Xiao's oppressive aura.

"Interesting. Junior Brother Qing Tian, your beast-like Taoist Body is fascinating. Eleventh Junior Sister will surely be intrigued when she sees it."

"Fifth Senior Sister, you're joking. It's merely a self-preservation method for your junior brother."

Li Mo suppressed the Great Wilderness Immortal Body, as the accumulated scales had caused his frame to expand to a point where his movements were hindered.

The Great Wilderness Immortal Body had devoured over four hundred beast-related Taoist Bodies.

Although they were all mid to lower rank, these Taoist Bodies encompassed countless aspects, allowing the Great Wilderness Immortal Body to reach the peak limit of a Mortal Body.

The Great Wilderness Immortal Body had yet to transcend mortality, likely due to its connection with the Ghost Tiger and Candle Dragon.

The current intricacies of the Great Wilderness Immortal Body primarily lay in its unparalleled adaptability to the environment. No matter how perilous the surroundings became, the Taoist Body would allow Li Mo to acclimate within a short time.

Yu Xiao smiled faintly, fixating on Li Mo, who had transformed into a humanoid pangolin.

"Junior Brother, you clearly have extraordinary Sword Dao talent, yet your Sword Dao is so impure."

"This isn't good."

Li Mo instinctively gripped the Illusion Fish Sword, nearly activating the Nine Curves Chain Formation.

Yu Xiao's smile faded as she leaned on a Willow Leaf Thunder Sword, over three feet long, which seemed like an extension of her arm. The Flying Sword was often overlooked by Li Mo.

Compared to the diverse Flying Swords within the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Thunder Sword appeared far too ordinary.

But Li Mo knew.

Yu Xiao's Thunder Sword was the true Lifebound Flying Sword. Even when her Body Soul Transformation spiraled out of control, the Thunder Sword retained its presence within the Mud Pill Palace in the form of Thunder Light.

Fifth Senior Sister, after a thorough metamorphosis, no longer resembled the non-human monster she had once been.

Her appearance bore eighty percent similarity to what it had been ten thousand years ago.

Slender and toned, her limbs were long. Her face, at a glance, resembled that of an aristocratic lady.

But upon a second look, it became clear how utterly unique Yu Xiao was. Her prominent sword-shaped brows exuded an unmatched heroic spirit while starlight swirled within her pupils.

Li Mo now understood why, despite Yu Xiao's ruthless efficiency in slaughter during the ancient Heavenly Sword Sect, she still managed to captivate a large number of cultivators.

Because Yu Xiao was simply too singular.

She resembled nothing human but rather an ancestral artifact that could pass through the ages.

After all, what else is a treasured sword born for if not to harm?

The twelve senior sisters, regardless of their cultivation realms during life, were all extraordinarily remarkable women, capable of creating No-Life Mother.

"Fifth Senior Sister, the Sword Shuttle has already been refined. Your junior brother used an entire piece of Thunder Yin Wood as the dragon bone material, tempering it to become lightning-filled throughout."

Upon hearing Li Mo's explanation of the Sword Shuttle, a hint of impatience flickered in Yu Xiao's eyes.

Yu Xiao spoke with indifference: "You shouldn't have. If you hadn't been distracted, your Sword Intent might have already surpassed the Mahayana stage."

"Reaching the 'As Dao' realm."

Li Mo silently cursed under his breath, wondering if his Fifth Senior Sister had a screw loose.

It wasn't as if it was his first time Artifact Refining. The Mountain Spider was once a key player in the Twelve Immortals' reincarnation, and now she suddenly had a problem with his hobbies?

"Fifth Senior Sister, I only use Artifact Refining to calm my mental state in ordinary times."

"If I were to immerse myself in Sword Dao entirely, how could my mental realm remain stable?"

Yu Xiao lightly shook her head, her fingertips gathering the superior Sword Intent, "Thunderclap," which she released directly without waiting for Li Mo to say more.

Rumble.

A flash of Thunder Light streaked by.

The instant Li Mo heard the resounding roar, both ears were pierced by the thunder, his hearing temporarily stripped away by the Sword Intent, leaving him in a deafening quiet.

The Great Wilderness Immortal Body instinctively began beastification.

Fine beast fur grew across Li Mo's skin, while his leg muscles and veins transformed into a silvery-white.

The thunder was guided into the earth, blasting a crater into the soil. Using the reaction force, Li Mo closed the distance between himself and Yu Xiao to half a meter.

He realized that unless he gained Yu Xiao's recognition, she would always view him with disdain.

Clang.

Yu Xiao gripped the Thunder Sword. "You're finally showing signs of being a Sword Cultivator. Remember, when your mental realm is disrupted, don't overthink—simply strike back."

Li Mo suddenly felt a twinge of toothache.

Yu Xiao's seriousness and apparent earnest guidance resembled that of an elder offering wisdom, yet her advice seemed applicable only to herself.

Li Mo erupted with Yin Yang Sword Intent, turning all of Zhi Mountain Temple into shades of black and white.

He refrained from summoning an Externalized Dharma Body, instead focusing his mind entirely on the Yin Yang Sword Intent. The Illusion Fish Sword transformed endlessly amidst alternating extreme day and extreme night.

Clink, clink, clink.

"Impressive. Your Yin Yang Sword Intent has captured three-tenths of its essence."

Yu Xiao parried Li Mo's strikes completely, her wrist turning as the Thunder Sword sliced toward his neck at an angle that verged on insidious.

Li Mo's pupils dilated as his Cave God's Eye pushed to its limits, allowing him to discover the flaw in Yu Xiao's swordplay, yet he remained incapable of countering it.

The Thunder Sword moved neither too slow nor too fast, providing him ample time to react.

With his body's physical strength, he had every opportunity to evade, but his instincts assured him escape was impossible.

Xia Dao Palace abandoned its effort to deduce cultivation techniques, instead attempting to calculate an escape route.

Although Yu Xiao's strike seemed simple, it contained innumerable transformations, escalating into a contest between Tao Hearts, impossible to fathom.

No matter how Li Mo strategized his evasion, it led only to his head separating from his body.

"Damn it."

His only chance was to disregard the Thunder Sword and attack head-on, betting on survival.

Li Mo trusted his judgment, continuing to close in on Yu Xiao. He allowed the Thunder Sword to fall upon his neck, countering her moves and aiming directly at her internal organs.

Yu Xiao released the Thunder Sword, its hilt knocking away the Illusion Fish Sword.

The Thunder Sword immediately switched from defense to offense, piercing through Li Mo's jaw, severing his tongue and sealing off his sense of taste again.

Li Mo felt an epiphany. He used his skull to withstand the Thunder Sword, locking its blade between his spinal joints.

The Illusion Fish Sword trembled into a shadow.

Clink.

Yu Xiao didn't pull the Thunder Sword back; instead, she quietly wiped away Li Mo's sight.

"What a pity."

Without moving a step, the Illusion Fish Sword brushed past her.

Li Mo's expression turned peculiar. An inexplicable sense welled up inside him, as if Yu Xiao were deliberately "feeding" him her sword, teaching him the primal contest of swordsmen.

"Fifth Senior Sister, as a Sword Cultivator, may very well be the only true Sword Cultivator in this world."

To Li Mo, Sword Intent was merely a tool to release his power.

But Yu Xiao was different. Every strike embodied her comprehension of the Sword Dao; she aimed not just to destroy the physical body but the Tao Heart as well.

She wielded her sword with forthrightness.

The moment Li Mo dodged… the subsequent attacks would become increasingly aggressive, leaving no retreat until his Tao Heart was utterly broken.

"No wonder the Yu Xiao in my memories always achieved victory within three strikes. I thought it was due to some Taoist Divine Skill influencing the mind."

Li Mo's ribcage grew twelve arms.

While he lacked a pure Sword Dao, there were no superior or inferior methods—only winners and losers, life and death as the ultimate truth of the world.

Li Mo stopped suppressing his Taoist Body.

Bam, bam, bam...

The sound of bones colliding echoed as Li Mo's body expanded over twenty meters, bolstered by the Ten Thousand Sword Immortal Bone.

A thousand Lifebound Flying Swords revolved around him as hundreds of Sword Intents surged forth.

"Little Junior Brother, I'll be waiting for you at the Void Refining Stage."

Yu Xiao's tone lost some of its unfamiliarity, expressing sincere relief at Li Mo's newfound courage.

"It's not time yet. If Little Junior Brother can advance to the Void Refining Stage within five hundred years, we'll have the chance to truly duel. Now is too early."

Unwilling to ruin her hidden anticipation, Yu Xiao swung her Thunder Sword with force.

Li Mo's twelve arms were neatly sliced off.

"Combining all those Magic Techniques into Sword Dao, Junior Brother Qing Tian has paved a great path."

"That's enough for now."

Yu Xiao withdrew the Thunder Sword, steadying herself in place.

Li Mo hadn't managed to sheath his swords in time.

Soon after, he once again perceived Yu Xiao's terrifying killing intent.

If Yu Xiao, unwilling to fight further, were provoked into action, what awaited Li Mo would be an unstoppable slaughter.

"Thank you, Fifth Senior Sister. Your junior brother has gained much."

Li Mo promptly restrained his Lifebound Flying Swords, causing the aura of his Taoist Body to disperse. His injuries healed instantly.

After their duel had concluded, he suddenly realized the Fifth Senior Sister wasn't as hard to deal with as he had feared. Her principles were, in fact, easily understood.

As long as Li Mo refrained from provoking Yu Xiao, it didn't even matter if he used her name for bragging and deception.

After all, in Yu Xiao's eyes, creating enemies wasn't a bad thing.

"Hand it over."

Yu Xiao stretched out her palm, making a gesture to demand.

"Fifth Senior Sister, this mid-grade Magic Treasure is known as [Thunder Residence Sword Shuttle]. It was crafted as per your request, using Five Elements Heavenly Thunder for Body Refinement."

Li Mo hurriedly handed over the Sword Shuttle.

Yu Xiao toyed with the Sword Shuttle for a moment, refining it with her Divine Sense before scanning the treasure.

"Not bad. You've put effort into it."

Li Mo once again discovered another endearing trait of Yu Xiao—her poor memory. Not long ago, she had criticized Artifact Refining as a distraction, yet now it was forgotten.

"I maintain cordial relations with the lineages of Earth Qian and Heavenly Zhe, so I've acquired their Taoist inheritance."

Yu Xiao retrieved a bundle of Sword Scrolls, which Li Mo hastily accepted.

Li Mo noticed that Thunder Residence Sword Cultivators seemed to enjoy emphasizing their popularity.

In reality, however, Thunder Residence Sword Cultivators' extreme temperaments rendered them shunned by other Sword Cultivators—though they remained blissfully unaware of this.

Li Mo could guarantee that Earth Qian and Heavenly Zhe weren't eager to part with their Taoist inheritances.

"Little Junior Brother, Luo Fu mentioned to me recently that the Great Sun Sword Tomb is stationed at the entrance of the Demon Cave. If you get the chance, go suppress those devil pups' arrogance—they believe the Heavenly Sword Sect is devoid of warriors."

"Of course."

Luo Fu belonged to the main lineage of the Ten Thousand Demon Dao and likely held a status no lower than Yu Xiao's. It seemed impossible for her to venture into the Heavenly Sword Sect's core territory.

Li Mo suspected that the Twelve Immortals had a subtle connection between their minds, enabling them to communicate across vast distances.

No wonder the Twelve Immortals progressed in cultivation so rapidly—they served as each other's "Elder Medicine," while benefiting from the wisdom of three lifetimes.

Zu Xiuyun had played an ingenious move.

Not only did the Twelve Immortals infiltrate the Taoist inheritances of twelve major Immortal Sects, but once they matured, they held significant authority within their respective sects.

Zu Xiuyun had the ability to rule over the Twelve Immortals, and if she had been willing to sacrifice the other senior sisters to further herself, it was possible she would have already ascended during daytime.

But from beginning to end, the eldest sister adhered to the Twelve-Term Immortality Doctrine.

Li Mo thought that someone like Zu Xiuyun was utterly terrifying—possessing all the qualities for success, yet being eerily insane.