Longevity Strange Immortal-Chapter 571 - 5: Exiled Immortal? I See Nothing But a Dead Thing

Chapter 571: Chapter 5: Exiled Immortal? I See Nothing But a Dead Thing

The fate of the Qingcheng Sect’s downfall did not change because of Li Mo’s arrival. Twenty mere years in the mortal world could be likened to a drop in the vast ocean.

Li Mo had indeed considered taking control of a large sect. Perhaps it could become a useful pawn when contending with the upheaval of heaven and earth.

Yet, no matter how he calculated, it was nearly impossible for the Qingcheng Sect to survive for ten thousand years.

Li Mo completely ceased to focus on the Qingcheng Sect.

The condensation of the Three Souls proved to be more troublesome than he had imagined. Not only did it require refining the false soul consciousness, but also prolonged nourishment from the Seven Spirits.

In a sense, he was essentially using the Mud Pill Palace to simulate the birth of an infant.

For anyone else, even with a false soul consciousness, it would be unattainable—solely because Li Mo possessed a vast reserve of Innate Essence for trial and error.

"Jie jie jie."

"Four hundred years will suffice; I’ll take the opportunity to advance to the Transcendence Tribulation Stage. A thousand years should be enough for me to attain immortality, though the Eighth Tribulation White Life Period Death Disease will likely follow closely behind..."

Li Mo forcibly suppressed his distracting thoughts and continued to immerse himself in secluded cultivation.

Time flowed on.

The Qingcheng Sect’s initial fervor toward the exiled immortal quickly transformed into profound despair, given that there had been no progress for over a century.

Even if Luo Qiuzi repeatedly claimed to have grasped some profound insights, in the eyes of the Mountain Continent Taoist, all of it was but delusions of a dying man.

The Mountain Continent Taoist had to consider the long-term implications of the only Land Immortal’s death and began to gradually adjust the sect’s policies.

First and foremost, disciples were forbidden from visualizing the exiled immortal.

To him, it was a sheer waste of time. How could mortals comprehend immortality? Even Land Immortals were powerless before exiled immortals.

Second, the Qingcheng Sect was to rehearse a large-scale sword array every ten years.

This was to ensure preparedness in the event of external attacks.

The Mountain Continent Taoist instructed Luo Qiuzi to occasionally appear in public, hoping to create the illusion that his lifespan was still abundant, dragging on as long as possible.

As long as a new Land Immortal emerged before Luo Qiuzi’s demise, the sect’s Taoist inheritance would remain secure; otherwise, catastrophe awaited.

By Li Mo’s two-hundredth year residing in the Qingcheng Sect, the back mountain had already turned into a forbidden zone.

Only Luo Qiuzi visited daily, murmuring obsessively as though in a craze. His body and soul both weakened with each passing day.

"Oh immortal, immortal, why does time leave no trace upon you?"

"Why, oh why!"

"Is the chasm between mortal and immortal truly as vast as clouds and mud? I... I cannot even comprehend a fraction of your profundity!"

"Hahaha, the Great Dao, the Great Dao!"

Luo Qiuzi tilted his head back and howled with laughter, fresh blood spraying from his mouth.

How could he not know that the Great Dao was beyond his reach? Yet, trapped in the Body Integration Realm with no way forward, he could only pin his hopes on the exiled immortal, and all it brought was mounting distractions.

"It would’ve been better... better to invest the time into passing the teachings to disciples, sigh..."

Sitting cross-legged at Li Mo’s feet, Luo Qiuzi’s emaciated body resembled a lamp without oil, as if his lifeforce could extinguish at any moment.

"Martial Uncle, why do you insist so?"

A faint sigh echoed, and the Mountain Continent Taoist arrived alone at the back mountain, dressed entirely in white, clearly prepared to bid Luo Qiuzi farewell for the last time.

Luo Qiuzi sized up the Mountain Continent Taoist, a strange glint appearing in his eyes.

"To think, the disciple who once had the most mediocre talent has now reached the Middle Stage of Divinity Separation. Advancing to the Void Refining Stage is just a matter of time."

"Martial Uncle, your heart demon has taken root."

The Mountain Continent Taoist’s Divine Sense detected Luo Qiuzi’s vitality slowly unraveling. With a tinge of helplessness, he said, "Martial Uncle, for so long I failed to understand the meaning behind the immortal radiance exuded by the immortal."

"Now I do. It’s the ultimate mystery of tempering the mind—only by resisting the allure of immortal radiance can the Tao Heart be firmly established."

"You..."

Luo Qiuzi’s eyes widened as he stared at the Mountain Continent Taoist in disbelief.

"You’ve spent decades in Huangde City contemplating the exiled immortal, haven’t you? Mountain Continent, you actually dared to maintain contact for so long. Unbelievable..."

Luo Qiuzi’s breathing quickened as he suddenly realized something. "Impossible! It’s impossible for anyone with a Tao Heart to break free from the immortal’s allure. No cultivator can resist the temptation of the Great Dao."

"Martial Uncle, nothing is impossible."

The Mountain Continent Taoist thought Luo Qiuzi beyond saving. "I succeeded, and for two centuries, my cultivation has advanced smoothly. If you had let go of the notion of the exiled immortal earlier, you might have had a chance to reach the Mahayana Realm."

Other cultivators only regained their mental equilibrium after being forcibly made to stay away from Li Mo.

"Nonsense!!!"

Swallowing the blood rising in his throat, Luo Qiuzi pointed at Li Mo and accused, "He is an immortal, the embodiment of the Great Dao’s mystery. Only if your Tao Heart were already destroyed could you escape its influence."

"I... I understand."

With a gaze filled with unfathomable sorrow and absurdity, Luo Qiuzi stared at Li Mo and laughed bitterly. "Immortal, it was you who interfered with the Mountain Continent, wasn’t it?"

"Then why not save me? Why! Why won’t you lift me up!!!"

Luo Qiuzi wailed openly.

The Mountain Continent Taoist ignored Luo Qiuzi’s outbursts, merely lamenting his Martial Uncle’s obsession, a mind that had already succumbed to deviation.

This so-called immortal might just be a statue from the Upper Realm.

A statue meant to temper the mind.

"Immortal!!!"

Luo Qiuzi clutched his head as Spiritual Power surged into his Mud Pill Palace.

In an instant, infinite Divine Sense erupted outward as Luo Qiuzi burned through his remaining lifespan to empower his Divine Sense.

"Martial Uncle..."

The Mountain Continent Taoist attempted to intervene, but the pressure of Luo Qiuzi’s Divine Sense was overwhelming.

He subtly activated the Mountain Protection Array. Even if Luo Qiuzi perished and his Tao dissipated, the news could not be leaked to the outside world.

BOOM.

Luo Qiuzi’s Heavenly Spirit Cover disintegrated as his Divine Sense enveloped his Three Souls and Seven Spirits, detached from his body.

He looked at Li Mo with ferocity, his twisted expression softening into an unparalleled serenity. Reverence filled his gaze, masking his despair. His soul knelt to the ground.

From Luo Qiuzi’s perspective, the immortal radiance emanating from Li Mo shot to the heavens.

Moreover, within Li Mo’s Mud Pill Palace resided a complete town, teeming with countless beings.

Though Luo Qiuzi did not glimpse Li Mo’s Externalized Dharma Body, he witnessed the process of a Human Soul’s birth.

A speck of starlight descended above the Mud Pill Palace, vast Innate Essence forming a vortex to nourish the starlight, and seven identical Daoists radiated Divine Sense, refining the starlight.

At last, an infant emerged from the starlight, and all the phenomena came to an end.

"To think a soul could be nurtured in such a manner. Truly the inheritance of the Immortal Realm. I die with no regrets, no regrets at all... hahaha."

Glancing at the Qingcheng Sect with lingering attachment, Luo Qiuzi noticed that the Mountain Continent Taoist remained oblivious to his soul and turned to repeatedly kowtow to Li Mo.

"Immortal, oh immortal, can you ensure the longevity of the Qingcheng Sect’s Taoist inheritance..."

Li Mo remained unresponsive. With the Human Soul seated within the Mud Pill Palace, he could now move freely, regaining about sixty percent control of his physical body.

"I am willing to exchange a great destiny for one act of your intervention, Immortal."

Luo Qiuzi continued speaking to himself, "The reason the Qingcheng Sect rose to prominence lies in the immortal bone our ancestors stumbled upon."

"The immortal bone lies buried beneath the mountain gate. When the Mountain Protection Array weakens, it will naturally reveal itself. I beg you, immortal..."

Before Luo Qiuzi could finish, his soul began to disintegrate into ashes.

In his waning consciousness, he saw the exiled immortal before him suddenly open his eyes, seemingly nodding faintly at him.

Luo Qiuzi’s lifeless body knelt where it fell, a faint smile frozen on his face.

"Alas, Martial Uncle, why go to such lengths..."

"Even if your body and soul are completely burnt out, what difference does it make? Without a response, what you worship is merely a dead object. How could it be an immortal? It’s but a statue."

The Mountain Continent Taoist sighed deeply and then set about handling Luo Qiuzi’s remains.

Luo Qiuzi was buried alongside Qingchengzi and the other Land Immortals of past generations. Unfortunately, as the matter could not be disclosed, their graves bore no names or inscriptions.

"As for the statue of the immortal, forget it. Leaving it here will eventually bring disaster."

The Mountain Continent Taoist feared that those senior disciples who had once glimpsed Li Mo might lose their mental balance and sneak into the back mountain to visualize the exiled immortal.

Abandoning the exiled immortal was not an option.

The exiled immortal was like a searing hot potato. Should its existence be exposed, the Taoist, Buddhist, and Demon factions alike would undoubtedly be alerted. It could only be quietly kept hidden within the mountain gate.

He decided to hide it within an ancient millennium-old tree on a mountaintop.

Li Mo was content with the tranquility.

Now, with the experience of condensing the Human Soul, the refinement of the Heavenly and Earthly Souls felt significantly more straightforward, requiring perhaps less than half the time.

His Spirit Root also continued to transform, heralding signs of the long-slumbering Tattooed Beast’s awakening.

By Li Mo’s three-hundredth year in the Qingcheng Sect, his Three Souls and Seven Spirits were finally complete. Instantly, ten beams of towering light erupted within the Mud Pill Palace.

The Purgatory Pure Land spread across the Mud Pill Palace, while Xia Dao Palace stood tall within the Void Realm.

At the summit, a star formed from the false soul consciousness glimmered, while Three Souls and Seven Spirits manifested as ten colossal figures standing firm within the Mud Pill Palace.

"Using the body as a foundation was ultimately flawed."

"The body and soul are indispensable; the Dharma Body is merely an auxiliary tool for achieving the Dao."

Li Mo fully regained control of his body. His Spiritual Power stirred with the vitality of resurrection, though the Three Dharma Bodies conveyed a discomfort so profound it defied description.

This did not trouble him; instead, he was overjoyed. Sensation within the Three Dharma Bodies, however faint, was preferable to none at all.

"I must swiftly derive the ancient Spirit Energy refinement method for the Three Dharma Bodies. The fleshly body’s transformation and Tribulation Crossing must be completed within the next century."

Li Mo began communicating with the Spirit Root Worm. Simultaneously, the stars of the false soul consciousness extinguished one by one, transforming into life forms within Xia Dao Palace, aiding in the derivation of techniques.

With his soul complete, the Corpse Mountain no longer flickered transiently. His small world now fully manifested before him, its inhabitants numbering over forty million.

The Grass and Wood Cultivators carefully preserved mature spiritual materials, while mountains of Corpse Wine had been accumulated from their brewing efforts.

"What a pity. For now, the Artifact Pill Body remains unusable."

Li Mo swallowed various spiritual materials, his Great Wilderness Immortal Body digesting the nutrients to spur his body’s transformation, with each organ ravenous for the sustenance.

Cheers resounded from the Corpse Mountain Mini World.

Since losing contact with Li Mo and the absence of He Guo and Zhang Guo’s effects, the Grass and Wood Cultivators had grown increasingly uneasy. Li Mo resuming his collection of spiritual materials signaled that they had once again found their anchor.

"It seems it’ll proceed faster than anticipated."

The breakthrough of the fleshly body propelled the Spirit Root along with it, and the immortal radiance emanating from Li Mo grew increasingly dazzling.

As time passed, however, fewer and fewer people spoke of the exiled immortal, especially as the Qingcheng Sect’s only Void Refining cultivator suffered severe injuries upon completing his breakthrough to Perfection. The sect became too preoccupied to concern itself with the exiled immortal.

The outside world could see plainly: the Qingcheng Sect was desperate for a new Land Immortal.

Even as faint laughter from Luo Qiuzi occasionally echoed from the back mountain, the rumors and scorn could no longer be stopped. Their downfall seemed inevitable.