CHAPTER 348: CHAPTER 94: SPIRIT ROOT WORM? HEAVENLY DAO WORM!

The wind roared.

Han Cai closed his eyes and activated the Circulation Cycle. Spiritual Power surged into his middle dantian, which resembled an insect nest, causing his scarred, battered golden core to stir faintly.

With a muffled sound, the golden core broke through the limits of the Core Formation stage and formally stepped into the Nascent Crying stage.

"Finally succeeded."

Han Cai had long resided at the port, earning a considerable number of Spirit Stones through his medical expertise, coupled with the covert support from Li Mo, ensuring sufficient resources for his cultivation.

Yet even so, he felt that every small breakthrough was akin to climbing a mountain ridge.

Han Cai exhausted every means, even going so far as to modify his middle dantian, but the Perfect Core Formation phase of the Nascent Crying stage still seemed like an unattainable dream.

Now, with his breakthrough into the Nascent Crying stage, he finally gained the opportunity to approach the Nascent Soul stage.

Han Cai vaguely sensed an unnerving quietness around him. Yin Qi crawled into his pores, seemingly related to the environment dominated by the Toad Poison Beast.

He didn’t immediately interrupt his closed cultivation, spending over a dozen days stabilizing his progression.

When the last trace of spiritual power returned to the golden core within his meridians, Han Cai came back to his senses, hearing Li Mo’s voice beside him.

"Congratulations, Master Han. The Great Dao is promising."

"Enough, this old man feels embarrassed even hearing that,"

Han Cai shook his head with a bitter smile. If not for Li Mo as his disciple, reaching Core Formation and becoming an Infant would likely remain a pipe dream in another lifetime.

He glanced around and saw Li Mo perched atop a tree branch, gazing toward the south.

The Huangmu Taoist was bound by vines at his waist, his body curled, rising and falling amidst the Gang Wind with great effort, using Spiritual Power to fight against the wind and gradually refine the steps to ascend to the Nascent Soul stage.

"This..."

Han Cai noticed the sights outside and couldn’t help but show an expression of shock.

Li Mo muttered softly, "Ever since the Toad Poison Beast traveled deep into the south, spanning over ten thousand miles, the environment has grown increasingly dire."

Han Cai looked up and saw that the lush green forests had no trace of verdant beauty. They were filled with twisted, dried black-brown malformed trees.

The mountain bodies were decayed, with rivers carrying clumps of what resembled hair-like weeds.

On closer inspection, the so-called weeds were clusters of near-mutated corpses, their bloated, pale flesh prompting Han Cai to gasp in astonishment.

The usually docile salamanders had become aggressively restless.

Suddenly, an eagle’s cry sounded.

The salamander flung forth its vine, directly penetrating the source of the commotion—a vulture-like deceitful beast with its internal organs and skeleton exposed.

Han Cai crouched down to examine it, finding the deceitful beast’s body packed full of feathers.

Meanwhile, he observed that the Toad Poison Beast was maintaining its speed but inexplicably moving in a circular route around the Blessed Land Cave Heaven.

The journey, which originally should have taken six months, might now stretch over ten years.

Li Mo explained, "The Blessed Land Cave Heaven the Poison Beast is headed towards next is extraordinarily dangerous. Along the way, it has already encountered its fifth deceitful beast."

Han Cai did not offer any comment.

"What exactly is happening with Qinghong Workshop? I’ve heard it involves the Twelve Immortals?"

"I’m not entirely sure of the details myself."

Li Mo’s gaze deepened. "Rest assured, Master Han. Should calamity arise, I’m well prepared to withdraw entirely from Qinghong Workshop."

In truth, Qinghong Workshop is highly likely linked to the No-Life Mother.

The appearance of Poison Beasts has endured several decades, yet the sects remain unflinching, with Li Mo even suspecting that they’re actively abetting the Twelve Immortals’ schemes.

Who knows what the Twelve Immortals are plotting?

"As long as you’re prepared."

Han Cai let out a breath and began addressing the traces of Death Disease that had emerged after breaking through his bottleneck.

Having not overcome the Thirty Years Old Death Disease, the Death Disease, which clung like a bone-infesting plague, would immediately corrode his flesh and bones if any flaw appeared in his body.

One careless mistake could reduce Han Cai to mere sustenance for the Death Disease.

Fortunately, he was well-versed in medical techniques and had a thorough understanding of his physical condition. Otherwise, he wouldn’t dare to dream of breaking his golden core to become an infant; survival itself would be challenging enough.

"Master Han, these are the resources necessary for advancing to the Nascent Soul stage. Get ready as soon as possible."

Li Mo handed over a storage bag to Han Cai.

Han Cai took it, unable to suppress the sharp intake of cold air.

At last, Han Cai understood why Li Mo had urged him to break his golden core to advance—it was clear from the resources in the storage bag alone that the odds had increased by thirty percent.

The resources included more than a dozen jars of canned spiritual energy; Breaking Infant Wine to wear down the golden core’s shell; a Purple Sandalwood Meditation Mat that kept one’s consciousness perpetually lucid; and the Soul-locking Chain magic artifact to suppress Nascent Soul consciousness...

Han Cai’s arm trembled slightly. The opportunity to break through to the Nascent Infant stage seemed tantalizingly close.

However, he soon regained his composure. External resources are ultimately just external aids; reaching the Nascent Soul stage cannot rely solely on piling up materials.

"Master Han, these resources are more than sufficient for you alone. Spare some for Huangmu."

Han Cai nodded in understanding.

After all, Huangmu was far too young. If given an excessive amount of resources directly, he might develop anxiety and hesitation. It was better to use portions strategically to complement his weaknesses.

Li Mo did not continue to disturb Han Cai, turning back to dissolve into the Gang Wind.

Although the Toad Poison Beast seemed close to the Blessed Land Cave Heaven, in truth, with its current circular trajectory, it would likely take thirty to forty years.

He hoped to seize the opportunity to elevate the Soul-devouring Demon Infant to the Nascent Soul stage of Qi.

In doing so, the Demon Infant would support the cultivation of dual Nascent Souls, making it easier to break through bottlenecks.

Li Mo fully activated the Floating Island Circulation Buddha Hand.

A layered Seven Treasures Buddha Light radiated around him.

His skin gleamed like Conch, his flesh like Coral, his pupils like Red Pearl, his hair like Glass, his organs like Agate, his bones like Silver, and his brain like Gold.

For now, Li Mo’s body only demonstrated the traits of the Seven Treasures; it hadn’t yet been transformed using spiritual materials, leaving his body refinement unable to progress profoundly.

The main reason was the inability to imprint the Floating Island Circulation Buddha Hand as a Taoist Body.

While refining the body, it inevitably impacted the operation of other Taoist Bodies. However, Li Mo managed to keep the drawbacks of body refinement within a reasonable scope.

Slowing down the Great Sun Spiritual Power, the halo behind Li Mo’s head instantly retracted substantially.

"I always feel that continuing to cultivate the Floating Island Circulation Buddha Hand might lead to the birth of a Buddhist sect’s Acquired Dao Body."

He was content with his current physical strength, believing that after tattoo beastification, he could fully unleash the power of the Great Wilderness Immortal Body.

Considering the Great Wilderness Immortal Body, Li Mo inevitably looked toward the Corpse Mountain Mini World.

The tattooed beasts that inherited cultivation techniques had reached the Weak Crown Period. The disparities among tattooed beasts were clearly widening over time.

The Candle Dragon, Ghost Tiger, and Golden Toad, relying solely on their instincts to absorb spiritual energy, remained stuck at the Perfect Childhood stage, unable to advance to Foundation Establishment anytime soon.

Li Mo could see that the young creatures’ mental realms were visibly affected.

If they were not allowed to cultivate, they would inevitably grow despondent once the other tattooed beasts advanced to the Nascent Soul stage.

Li Mo pinned his hopes on Xia Dao Palace, and indeed, it paid off.

The Xia Dao practitioners had already devised an abridged version of the Supreme Three Corpses Nine Worms Technique, which didn’t require seizing an Ascaris Body, though it necessitated refining a single Illusion Spirit Root.

After obtaining the cultivation technique, Li Mo named it the Yellow Millet Dream Heart Sutra, supplementing its content for the Weak Crown Period toward the Nascent Soul stage using a Tao Seed.

The Yellow Millet Dream Heart Sutra could only be practiced within the Corpse Mountain Mini World, leveraging the spiritual energy emitted by residents to absorb Void Spirit Qi through the Illusion Spirit Roots.

If the Illusion Spirit Roots were lost, all cultivation would instantly vanish.

To Li Mo’s surprise, after mastering the Yellow Millet Dream Heart Sutra, the tattooed beasts could briefly leave the Corpse Mountain Mini World, though the Illusion Spirit Roots within their brows would die after half a day or so.

"For now, it’ll suffice. Once I find a suitable legacy cultivation technique, I’ll make the switch."

Li Mo transmitted the content of the Yellow Millet Dream Heart Sutra to the three tattooed beasts, their exhilarated roars clearly audible.

The Illusion Spirit Roots embedded themselves into the brows of the tattooed beasts, instantly connecting them to the pervasive Void Spirit Qi.

While not without limitations, the Yellow Millet Dream Heart Sutra would allow the tattooed beasts to master future cultivation techniques with fewer detours.

Li Mo patiently guided the three tattooed beasts through their initiation. His spiritual sinews swelled slightly, further aligning with the Great Wilderness Immortal Body.

He withdrew his consciousness, noting that Xia Dao Palace continued its relentless efforts to refine cultivation techniques.

The Yellow Millet Dream Heart Sutra was sufficient for the tattooed beasts to cultivate. Continuing to refine it became somewhat futile, prompting Li Mo to suggest changing focus.

"Let’s explore Nascent Soul techniques instead."

Li Mo covertly manipulated the Spirit Root Worms, and ten Daoists distinguished themselves within Xia Dao Palace.

After breathing a few mouthfuls of illusory Immortal Energy, their cultivation realms were propelled into the Nascent Soul stage, while nearly a hundred others formed illusory Distant Dao Golden Cores.

"Divide into ten Taoistic inheritances and each focus on developing Nascent Soul techniques in different directions."

The Spirit Root Worms altered the illusion realm with effortless ease.

Li Mo watched the illusion realm intently—it resembled a miniature sandbox—and soon the Nascent Soul cultivators began forming grudges among themselves.

The petty conflicts erupted into warfare, only to conclude within two or three days.

The Daoist temples were razed to the ground, and the inheritors reconstructed their Taoistic systems atop the ruins, with their cultivation ideologies diverging starkly.

Since Li Mo was refining the Nascent Soul techniques of Chaos Beast Infants, Xia Dao Palace began leaning toward Beast Cultivation.

The process was smooth.

Even when Xia Dao practitioners died suddenly, they could be revived in the blink of an eye.

Li Mo muttered in awe, "What Spirit Root Worms? They’re Heavenly Dao Worms, through and through."

He estimated that Xia Dao Palace would take about ten years to achieve tangible progress. Once the framework for Nascent Soul techniques was built, integrating Fake Soul Consciousness would yield results twice as fast.

Li Mo shifted his focus back to absorbing spiritual energy.

Ripple upon ripple of Fetal Heart Wine was poured into the temple, immersing the Soul-devouring Demon Infant directly within the Corpse Wine, as it voraciously devoured Turbid Blood Spirit Qi.

Compared to other Nascent Soul entities, the Demon Infant’s efficiency in absorbing spiritual energy was far superior.

Li Mo felt as though only a moment had passed while meditating, yet the Illusory Spirit Patterns of the Spirit Root Worm had unknowingly been completed, signifying that two years had quietly elapsed.

The Spirit Root Worms still resembled roots and emitted dazzlingly multi-colored light. At first glance, the light seemed to carry the residual rhythms of various Daoistic truths.

Unfortunately, the Daoistic rhythms were superficial at best, providing Li Mo no enlightenment about the spirit patterns.

The Xia Dao Palace had expanded to twice its original size. High-realm Xia Dao practitioners could now speak coherently, although their vocabulary remained confined to simple phrases.

Most importantly, the Spirit Root Worms significantly accelerated the gestation of Illusion Spirit Roots.

Every day saw the birth of three to four hundred Illusion Spirit Roots.

Li Mo had a premonition that once Illusion Spirit Roots were implanted in all thirty thousand residents of the Corpse Mountain Mini World, Xia Dao Palace might engulf the entire Mud Pill Palace.

"Looking at Xia Dao Sect’s history, it seems improbable that anyone has ever controlled thirty thousand corpses before."

Li Mo planned to return to the Sub-Device Sect and recover all the Corpse Mountain-related remains within Falling Abyss.

"Qing Mountain elder, there’s... a well?"

The Huangmu Taoist interrupted Li Mo’s thoughts.

Li Mo returned to his senses, observing the Blessed Land Cave Heaven, now faintly discernible—it turned out to be an enormous well, with exposed walls towering thousands of meters high.

Near the well loitered several Poison Beasts, conspicuously larger than the Toad Poison Beast. However, they remained too distant to ascertain their true forms.

"Don’t panic. Thirty-plus years still remain before any confrontation."

Inside Li Mo, the Soul-devouring Demon Infant let out a sinister laugh, seemingly eager to unleash carnage.