CHAPTER 390: CHAPTER 17 DIVINE SEPARATION STAGE [SUNLIGHT DHARMA BODY]

The sound of wriggling came from underground, as two Daoist temples collided together.

Bang, bang, bang.

When the courtyard walls collapsed, the soil revealed a mass of vein-like structures that gathered together, forcing the two Daoist temples to merge into one.

The veins extended outward, performing rudimentary repairs to the buildings.

The extra open space was filled by a viscous substance secreted from the ends of the veins, which solidified over time, forming a crude prototype of a Daoist temple.

The unique ecological chain of the Sword Tomb revolved entirely around the sealed flying swords.

Some sword cultivators noticed the anomaly near Zhi Mountain Temple and realized that the Cocoon Sword had undergone a transformation into a Little Night Wander, their faces showing a trace of schadenfreude.

(Let’s make it easier to remember: Night Wander breaks down into Little Night Wander, Big Night Wander, and Night Patrol Deity.)

With Li Mo’s cultivation at the Nascent Soul Stage, he couldn’t possibly face a Little Night Wander with strength rivaling the Divine Separation Stage. One misstep, and he would face death and the dissolution of his Dao.

After all, taboos are unpredictable and unfathomable.

There were countless taboos, both of the Little and Big Night Wanderers, that hadn’t been understood for hundreds of years. Often, people wouldn’t even notice the warning signs before inexplicably becoming prey.

In their eyes, if Li Mo wanted to survive, he either had to relocate to another temple or avoid contact with the outside world until the taboos became clear.

And just as others predicted, after moving into the temple, Li Mo remained in closed-door seclusion.

However, this behavior caused disciples of the Purple Sun Palace to look down on him even more. Despite his unparalleled talent and comprehension, his temperament seemed lacking.

"Heh, the Inner Sect is intertwined with blessings and disasters. If he avoids seeking resources, he might as well stay among the Sword Ghosts at the Sword Tomb of the Outer Disciple."

Gradually, the prying eyes fixed on Zhi Mountain Temple subsided.

Li Mo was pleased to see this development.

When the Sunlight Bodhisattva was breaking through its bottleneck, he had already decided to keep a low profile. After all, the Nascent Soul involved connections to the Buddhist Sect that had vanished for seven or eight thousand years.

Li Mo himself found it baffling; the Nine Nether Buddha Light Illuminating Scripture clearly originated from the True Word Sect, a subordinate Devil Sect of Leiyin Temple.

Yet somehow, the True Word Sect’s cultivation technique, as part of the Devil Sect’s heritage, caused the Sunlight Bodhisattva to increasingly resemble a Buddha.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, the Sunlight Bodhisattva refrained from showing itself outside the Heavenly Sword Sect and, upon completing its promotion, immediately focused on nourishing the Ground Lying Demon Infant.

Li Mo decided to use the Corpse Immortal Finger as the Foundation Spiritual Object for the Ground Lying Demon Infant. He had continuously nourished the Corpse Immortal Finger with innate essence.

The Corpse Immortal Finger was standing atop the peak of the Corpse Mountain Mini World, connected to Yin Attribute Spirit Stone Veins.

From its outward appearance, the Corpse Immortal Finger had nearly lost all semblance of a finger, resembling instead a jelly-white jade pillar stained with blood.

The Corpse Dissolution Immortal Body, an Upper Realm Dao Body, had already begun to reveal its mysteries within the Corpse Immortal Finger.

Li Mo didn’t plan to let the Ground Lying Demon Infant directly refine it but hoped to first discover the technique for crafting Foundation Spiritual Objects after his promotion to the Divine Separation Stage.

"Waaa... waaa... waaa..."

The cry of a baby echoed.

As the Buddha Embryo Skill neared completion, the Fake Buddha became increasingly unstable.

The Fake Buddha, resembling a lotus lamp, now had withered stems and petals edged with decay, its surface crisscrossed with purplish-red veins.

The baby had merged into the depths of the flower’s core, continuously emanating Great Sun Spiritual Power outward.

The Fake Buddha, already at the Divine Separation Stage, instinctively resisted as the Sunlight Bodhisattva attempted to usurp its nutrients.

Fortunately, with the branding of the Creation Book, Li Mo managed to suppress it forcefully.

If the Fake Buddha were to lose control, with the taboo of the flying sword Guiyi Shengling, even Li Mo might not be able to withstand the repercussions.

Li Mo was wholly focused.

Occasionally, strange rustling noises came from the adjacent area. After the Cocoon Sword advanced to the Little Night Wander, it sporadically caused violent outbursts.

Li Mo knew well that one could not allow others to disturb one’s slumber, especially near their dwelling. However, lacking the strength to act, he could only take things step by step for now.

Luckily, several days passed without the Little Night Wander leaving its temple.

However, over a dozen White Bone Bodhi Trees grew within the courtyard.

Zhi Mountain Temple was now shrouded in thick mist. Li Mo sat at the center of the main hall, a seven-colored halo formed from a lotus floating faintly behind his head.

The baby now manifested twenty-seven forms, its mouth slightly open, reciting scripture.

The Dharma sound resounded clearly and could be heard from far and near.

Thanks to the illusion array centered on the Illusion Fish Sword, all anomalies were concealed. However, with the Sunlight Bodhisattva imminent, the Illusion Fish Sword was already struggling to suppress the auras of both entities.

The array, known as the Sandalwood Illusion Array, marked the current pinnacle of Array Dao Divine Powers.

Li Mo’s expression grew solemn as a Spirit Root Worm slowly crawled out from his mouth.

Planted into the thirty thousand corpses at the Three Suns Sword Tomb, the Spirit Root Worm had already developed ninety-three spirit patterns, yet it seemed increasingly sluggish in recent days.

"Go."

The Spirit Root Worm attached itself to the Illusion Fish Sword, instantly amplifying the array’s effects.

The obscuring mist scattered outward, revealing the main hall of Zhi Mountain Temple to every sword cultivator while erasing all traces of the anomalies caused by Li Mo.

The Spirit Root Worm’s illusory effects, indistinguishable from reality, could even deceive divine senses.

If Li Mo were to release all forty-three thousand Corpse Mountain tenants, the Spirit Root Worm’s illusion could encompass the entire Purple Sun Palace, elevating it to a high-grade magical treasure.

Li Mo relaxed and continued his seclusion, only scaling back at night.

The withering of the Fake Buddha spread; its root and stem had completely vanished, and the petals had turned black.

Even though Li Mo expended innate essence, it was to no avail. The Fake Buddha was about to be consumed entirely by the Sunlight Bodhisattva, becoming a part of it and losing its agency.

The only dissatisfaction Li Mo had was that the Sunlight Bodhisattva’s sacred figure still lacked three forms.

Only the Thousand Spoke Wheel, Flat Square Appearance, and Foot High and Full Appearance were missing.

But beyond twenty-five forms, advancing further became exceedingly challenging, no matter how many resources were consumed.

Li Mo left no stone unturned in his efforts, but perhaps the Sunlight Bodhisattva’s foundation had its limits. Still, he believed there was hope to complete it in the future.

He couldn’t afford regret, focusing instead on suppressing the Fake Buddha with all his might.

The Sunlight Bodhisattva clasped its hands together, and spiritual power naturally broke through the shackles of the Nascent Soul Stage, its size visibly expanding by the moment.

The Fake Buddha rotted away, a stark contrast to the flourishing Sunlight Bodhisattva.

"The mundane world reeks of stench and filth; the Buddha emerges as distinct, born from the right side. Although birthed from the right flank, it is as if rising from clouds; the mother remains serene, free from suffering."

The Great Sun Spiritual Power compressed at the Sunlight Bodhisattva’s brow, its quality a hundredfold that of the Nascent Soul Stage.

The seven-colored halo behind Li Mo’s head coalesced into a hazy shadow of a Buddha, illuminating a half-meter perimeter around him.

In the darkness outside the light’s reach, flesh and filth proliferated obscenely.

"If I were to release this anomaly, it might mirror the records of the True Word Sect."

"Light shines radiantly, illuminating all realms, shaking sixfold, and heralding the emergence of the Externalized Dharma Body across the entire Great Sun Sword Tomb."

Li Mo took a deep breath and wrapped himself with the pre-prepared magic robes, minimizing the anomaly’s impact on the outside world to prevent an accident.

The process was relatively peril-free.

As long as Li Mo’s aura didn’t extend beyond the temple, and with the Spirit Root Worm masking the anomalies, it was nearly impossible to provoke a taboo.

After an indeterminate period, the surging spiritual power in the Mud Pill Palace subsided.

Li Mo gradually lifted the seals, allowing the fatigued Spirit Root Worm to crawl back into the Mud Pill Palace to absorb Void Spiritual Power from the Corpse Mountain Mini World for recovery.

Having the Spirit Root Worm manage the array was indeed strenuous.

It must be noted that the Spirit Root Worm’s ninety-three spirit patterns were derived from Rootless Water, born from forty-three thousand corpses. Left exposed for too long, it risked regressing into an artifact embryo.

Li Mo felt his body and soul glowing with vitality, his physique ringing with crackling sounds.

The Great Sun Spiritual Power, now at the level of the Divine Separation Stage, furiously nourished his flesh and bones, and even some organs began to exhibit the characteristics of Seven Treasures Spiritual Materials.

Most prominently, his eyes.

Though one remained Yin and the other Yang, their composition had transformed into solid spiritual materials, glimmering with a seven-colored radiance under sunlight.

Li Mo’s divine sense expanded tenfold, causing his Lifebound Magical Treasure to thrive alongside it.

The Da Ai Mi Tian artifact flourished in return, increasing its spirit patterns to seventy-two. Once his five Nascent Souls coalesced into a Dharma Body, achieving a high-grade magical treasure would be a certainty.

Li Mo didn’t interrupt the Great Light True Body’s body refinement.

The refinement would continue until his physical body ascended fully to the Divine Separation Stage level, further benefiting his various Dao Bodies.

Once he acclimated to the body refinement, his consciousness descended into the Mud Pill Palace.

What greeted him was his Externalized Dharma Body.

[Sunlight Seven Treasures Bodhisattva Dharma Body]

"Only one step away from becoming a Buddha—ah, the Dharma Body’s thirty-two forms just lack the Thousand Spoke Wheel. Here’s hoping the No-Life Mother can complete it."

The Sunlight Dharma Body stood tall, occupying one-third of the Mud Pill Palace. If summoned to the external world, its size would approximate two thousand meters.

The Dharma Body was constructed of flawless white jade, with four arms, eight legs, and fine cracks covering its surface, dressed in an extravagant Seven Treasures Kasaya.

Behind its head radiated a seven-colored halo, and Buddha Light filled the Mud Pill Palace.

Judging from the appearance of the Sunlight Dharma Body alone, it was nearly indistinguishable from the True Buddha found in ancient records, even more awe-inspiring than the Buddhist practitioners of old Leiyin Temple.

What truly stunned Li Mo was the lotus throne beneath the Dharma Body’s feet.

The lotus throne had been formed from the remnants of the Fake Buddha.

On the side where the Dharma Body sat cross-legged, the petals cradled fragrant Treasure Trees. These trees were adorned with nets of precious jewels, blooming lotuses of dazzling light and pure brilliance.

On the opposite side of the lotus throne, heaps of bleached bones formed a mountain, festering flesh giving rise to bizarre fungi sprouting across jagged stones.

"Its nature remains that of duality, Buddha and demon in one. But... is the back of the lotus throne incomplete without a cross-legged demon?"

As soon as this thought crossed Li Mo’s mind, the Ground Lying Demon Infant began to stir restlessly.

Evidently, not only sword infants and beast infants shared commonalities; the Ground Lying Demon Infant and the Sunlight Dharma Body also hinted at the possibility of integration.

This connection ran even deeper than that of sword and beast infants.

Perhaps when the Spirit Root Worm ascends to high-grade magical treasure, some clues might emerge.

Li Mo examined the Sunlight Dharma Body, noticing that all four of its hands were empty. From what he recalled of statues in past temples, most Buddhas wielded artifacts.

"Wait a moment—doesn’t it still possess the One Sword Intent?"

At this thought, Bright Day Sword Intent surged out of its sword pouch, entering the Mud Pill Palace.

The Sunlight Dharma Body instinctively extended a hand to grasp it. As Great Sun Spiritual Power flooded it, a portion of the lotus petals detached and enveloped the Sword Intent.

A porcelain bottle gradually materialized, its surface graced by intricate Great Sun Spirit Patterns, entirely forged from the Fake Buddha’s remains.

[Sunshine Treasure Bottle]

In the Heavenly Sword Sect, a flying sword imbued with sufficiently pure Sword Intent and reaching the Divine Separation Stage was considered to have entered the realm of Little Sun Trip.

The Sunshine Treasure Bottle was more akin to an extension of the Sunlight Dharma Body’s organs, serving as a vessel to channel the Bright Day Sword Intent. Even so, it counted as a Little Sun Trip.

In ordinary cases, an Externalized Dharma Body – if its Nascent Soul technique has been perfected – had a minimal chance of birthing [Dharma Body Artifacts].

[Dharma Body Artifacts] are the manifestation of magic techniques elevating to Dao.

Li Mo’s Sunlight Dharma Body still had three empty arms, showcasing its remarkable potential.