Chapter 416: Chapter 41: Following the 13 Immortals, There Is Meat to Eat
Li Mo, utilizing Da Ai Mi Tian, meticulously inspected Daoist Bai Shuo’s body.
Aside from the pit in his right arm, he only discovered the erosion of Sword Intent and its subsequent mutation—merely the dark injuries accumulated by Daoist Bai Shuo over the years.
As for the source of the scars, Li Mo could only confirm their connection to some Taboo.
Li Mo pointed the tip of his Illusion Fish Sword at Bai Shuo’s forehead, and the Dark Moon Sword Intent surged. The latter’s consciousness quickly fell into dormancy.
As his emotions calmed, the scar vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Hiss..."
Daoist Ye Zhuo drew a sharp breath.
Previously, when he was in seclusion, he had encountered Daoist Bai Shuo.
Though Bai Shuo’s condition seemed unstable, it was far from spiraling out of control.
This shows that as the rain intensified, the harmful effects driven by unknown Taboo continued to deepen, and the fall of Purple Sun Palace was inevitable sooner or later.
"Wait."
"Senior Brother Taiyi, surely Bai Shuo isn’t the only Sword Cultivator at Purple Sun Palace exposed to the rain?"
Li Mo squinted his eyes and replied solemnly, "What do you think? When the raindrops first appeared, hardly anyone had the presence of mind to react."
"Then wouldn’t that mean..." Daoist Ye Zhuo swallowed hard, his breathing turning rapid.
Li Mo stood upright. "That’s correct. Once the rain clears and the Daoist Temple lifts the ban on all Sword Cultivators, there will likely be over a hundred who descend into madness."
"Ye Zhuo, don’t forget—Purple Sun Palace harbors more Sword Ghosts than Sword Cultivators."
He suspected that Sword Ghosts exposed to the rain might react violently upon encountering living humans. Bai Shuo’s situation was likely not unique.
Daoist Ye Zhuo’s entire body trembled.
Two or three hundred thousand Sword Ghosts—if they all rioted simultaneously, even those at the Void Refining Stage would perish, their Dao extinguished. As for the two Divine Separation Stage cultivators, they couldn’t possibly withstand it.
Perhaps when the rain first appeared, it was merely a threat to the survivors.
But now?
Each Daoist Temple seemed like a prison housing evil spirits, and the caretakers had, in their quest for self-preservation, effectively locked themselves inside the cages.
Li Mo shook his head: "I even suspect that Heavenly Sword Sect hasn’t resolved the Taboo’s origin in Fire Spirit Hall because they’re wary of the situation worsening once the rain ends."
"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!"
Ye Zhuo Daoist’s face turned beet red as he cursed hysterically. Nothing was more suffocating than the constant looming threat of plunging into peril.
Amid his fear, he also felt a pang of relief.
"Good thing I chose the right moment to enter seclusion."
Per Ye Zhuo Daoist’s habits, had he been out of seclusion, he would likely have visited various Daoist Temples to exploit opportunities, making it near-certain he would fall prey to Taboo.
"Senior Brother, you’re on good terms with Elder Luoyang. He’ll surely come to save us, right?"
Li Mo ignored him and began pulling out a large quantity of spiritual materials.
The spiritual materials were whole logs of ancient wood, most of which had grown for centuries. Some even had moist soil clinging to their roots.
Ye Zhuo Daoist had no clue where Li Mo had sourced the spiritual materials but wisely refrained from asking.
Li Mo’s left eye transformed into the Taiyin Star as Dark Moon Sword Intent spread outward, enveloping hundreds of spiritual logs.
Ye Zhuo Daoist couldn’t help but marvel at Li Mo’s mastery over Sword Intent.
"Senior Brother Taiyi, have you completed your Sword Heart?"
"More or less."
Li Mo had planned to complete the "Sword Scripture Sword Meridian Circulation Method" Four Gates cultivation before emerging from his retreat but was interrupted by the episode with Daoist Bai Shuo.
Indeed, his Sword Heart had been forged not long ago, albeit with some variations.
The "Nourishing Yuan Sword Heart Regeneration Skill" involved recreating a Peiyuan Sword Heart within oneself, used to nurture one’s Lifebound Flying Sword while also supplementing the Sword Body.
But given Li Mo’s Lifebound Flying Sword was either single-use or fused with his Dharma Body, the Peiyuan Sword Heart’s utility was minimal.
Therefore, he chose to have his bone marrow fulfill the Peiyuan Sword Heart’s functions.
He sacrificed the nurturing role for the Lifebound Flying Sword but retained the benefits to the Taiyi Sword Bone.
After countless experiments, he transformed his spinal cord from a liquid to a gelatinous state, allowing it to absorb spiritual power, gradually nourishing his bones.
The fusion between Taiyi Sword Body and White Bone Treasure Body grew ever more intimate.
With ease, Li Mo manipulated Dark Moon Sword Intent to test the properties of various spiritual woods, murmuring to himself.
"Yin Chen Wood is decent at storing Sword Intent but inherently poisonous; Suojiang Wood is slightly inferior in quality but extremely durable..."
Li Mo deliberated for a while before picking up a log as black as iron.
"Yin Erosion Wood will do. It complements Dark Moon Sword Intent, is reasonably lightweight, and its fragrance helps suppress mutation."
Li Mo opened his mouth and exhaled a wooden Flying Sword with a lifebound attribute.
The Flying Sword resembled a carp, its tail swishing as it swam in mid-air, albeit still carrying numerous deformities and unnecessary organs.
Once branded with the "Dragon Fish Nascent Soul Sword Cultivation Scripture," the Flying Sword’s aesthetic would likely become closer to that of a carp.
"Go."
As the Flying Sword swam back and forth, the Yin Erosion Wood transformed into a sturdy coffin.
Li Mo didn’t wait for the coffin to fully take shape before beginning its refinement with Divine Separation.
By the time Ye Zhuo Daoist realized anything, the spiritual logs had already been transformed into a High Grade Magical Artifact of the Hundred Refinements in mere moments.
"Senior Brother, what is this..."
Ye Zhuo Daoist’s eyelid twitched fervently, dreading the possibility that Li Mo had prepared this for him.
"If you want to die, isn’t it simple? Just lie down somewhere."
As Li Mo spoke, he meticulously inscribed Fire Spirit Patterns within the coffin. The Hundred Refinement Magical Artifact instantly transformed into a sealing-type Fake Magical Treasure.
Ye Zhuo Daoist froze in place.
Though he knew Li Mo’s artifact refining skill far exceeded the norm, he never anticipated that Li Mo could casually forge a Fake Magical Treasure.
The complex Spirit Patterns inscribed on the coffin’s surface induced dizziness after mere moments of observation.
The level of intricacy was beyond comprehension.
What left Ye Zhuo Daoist most astonished was Li Mo’s casual demeanor, which implied that even forging a Magic Treasure wouldn’t pose much of a challenge for him.
In Ye Zhuo Daoist’s understanding, Artifact Refiners capable of forging Magic Treasures were exceedingly rare.
Li Mo had only recently entered the Divine Separation Stage. It was highly likely that he had dabbled in Magic Treasure crafting back in the Nascent Soul Stage. His talent for artifact refinement was even more terrifying than his aptitude for cultivation.
Ye Zhuo Daoist stroked the coffin lightly, unable to hold back a remark of admiration: "If I must die and my Dao disappear, dying inside a Magic Treasure coffin would make it worthwhile."
"Ye Zhuo, get ready. Today, we’ll evacuate Zhi Mountain Temple."
"Alright."
Ye Zhuo Daoist nodded repeatedly.
Uncertain of the situation in Fire Spirit Hall, staying at Purple Sun Palace clearly wasn’t a long-term solution, nor was relying on Heavenly Sword Sect realistic.
Li Mo packed Bai Shuo Daoist into the Fake Magical Treasure and casually tossed it to Ye Zhuo Daoist.
"The Fake Magical Treasure ’Black Coffin’ is yours to refine, but remember this: under no circumstances should you open the lid in response to any act Bai Shuo might perform inside."
"Senior Brother, even if the Black Coffin contained a Deceitful Object, I’d accept it."
Ye Zhuo Daoist clutched the Black Coffin tightly, practically overcome with gratitude.
Heavenly Sword Sect revered Lifebound Flying Swords above all else. To ensure disciples devoted themselves to the Sword Dao, even the Inner Sect contained few Fake Magical Treasures.
Ye Zhuo Daoist wasn’t proficient in the Sword Dao. His survival relied heavily on his understanding of Taboos.
With the Black Coffin in hand, his chances of emerging unscathed amidst Taboos increased by thirty percent. More notably, the Black Coffin also showed potential to ascend into a full-fledged Magic Treasure.
"Bai Shuo is heavily afflicted by Taboo. The closer we get to the source, the more severe his condition becomes. We can leverage this advantage to avoid disaster."
Li Mo withheld one other fact.
If the Taboo continued to spread, everyone would inevitably be affected.
And the Great Sun Sword Tomb was effectively a planetary-scale small world. Without Void Refining Stage capabilities, escaping the Sword Tomb’s domain was nearly impossible.
If all eight regions are stricken, then maintaining distance from the source will become crucial.
Ye Zhuo Daoist slung the Black Coffin on his back and returned to the side hall to retrieve his cultivation resources, while Li Mo resumed refining other Magic Artifacts.
Li Mo considered that, regardless of how severe the Taboo gets, the damage likely would be contained within the Great Sun Sword Tomb. It wasn’t at the point of crippling the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Obtaining sufficient gains amidst the calamity was critical to his cultivation progress.
Li Mo silently activated his Artifact Refining Divine Power.
"Trapped Sword Platform."
"Using blood, flesh, and bones from the Innate Sword Body as raw materials, supplemented by Quenching Stone Powder and Muddy Spirit Wine Dregs, and refined into form using Void Spiritual Power."
The Trapped Sword Platform was modeled after the Sword Platform from Daoist Temples. It could not maintain long-term sealing and, without Spirit Patterns, did not qualify as a Fake Magical Treasure. Its effectiveness was limited to Sword Ghosts weaker than the Little Night Wander stage.
However, taking advantage of the torrential rain allowed an opportunity to capture a suitable batch of Sword Ghosts.
"Heh heh heh..."
Li Mo’s ribcage sprouted more than a dozen arms as he feverishly crafted Trapped Sword Platforms.
The Trapped Sword Platform resembled a spiritual shrine in appearance. Upon its completion, the side hall’s Sword Ghosts reacted collectively.
Li Mo forged ten Trapped Sword Platforms before halting and made his way to the main hall.
The Trapped Sword Platforms hovered in mid-air.
Without hesitation, Li Mo unleashed his sword, directly destroying the Turbid Candle’s Sword Platform, causing the Sword Ghost to transform from a divine statue into a blob of indescribable oily essence.
The Turbid Candle immediately attempted to seize the spiritual shrine of other Sword Ghosts.
Witnessing this, Li Mo signaled the Tattooed Beast to withdraw its Sword Intent. Moments later, rainwater fell from the eaves, and the stench of corpses from the rain permeated the hall.
The Turbid Candle squirmed restlessly, eventually hesitating before slipping into the Trapped Sword Platform.
Li Mo deftly poured Sword Washing Wine into the Trapped Sword Platform. The Turbid Candle gradually transformed into a miniature divine statue, albeit sustaining damage in the process.
He noticed tiny cracks forming at the Trapped Sword Platform’s base. "In about twenty years, the Trapped Sword Platform will completely break down."
Li Mo placed the remaining Sword Ghosts into separate Trapped Sword Platforms.
Buzz.
The Kun Whale descended.
Li Mo intentionally restricted the Kun Whale’s size to just over two hundred meters to facilitate concealment. The Trapped Sword Platforms were securely planted on its back.
Ye Zhuo Daoist watched the entire spectacle, utterly speechless with awe, before realizing Li Mo was exploiting the Sword Ghosts amidst chaos.
No—how could this be considered exploitation?
Leaving the Sword Ghosts in the Daoist Temples meant certain doom for them.
"But... Heavenly Sword Sect doesn’t have sealing methods for Sword Ghosts registered in its Magic Artifact Catalog, does it?"
Ye Zhuo Daoist’s mouth twitched. Once again, he realized he had severely underestimated Li Mo’s artifact refinement expertise, which could easily warrant an entire sect’s establishment.
The No-Life Sect’s Thirteen Immortals—each and every one of them defied mortal comprehension.
"Why are you just standing there?"
Li Mo leaped into the air, prompting Ye Zhuo Daoist to hurriedly follow, the Black Coffin in tow. The two landed beside the Trapped Sword Platforms.
"Let’s go."
The Kun Whale exhaled sprays of mist, concealing its massive frame in the downpour.
The Red Fox and Mountain Demon returned to the Corpse Mountain Mini World.
Zhi Mountain Temple, exposed to the rain, emitted creaks of strain before its side hall collapsed into rubble, attracting the attention of numerous Sword Cultivators.
However, the Array remained intact, and they couldn’t see inside.