Longevity Strange Immortal-Chapter 573 - 7 Layout, Each Link in the Chain

Not long after Li Mo disappeared, Shanzhou Daoist found himself bitterly amused when several Immortal Sects suddenly arrived to support the Qingcheng Sect.

They acted as if they had barely made it in time to help, aiding in eradicating the remaining disciples of the Blood Demon Sect. Their attitudes shifted, and they spoke with righteous fervor about how everyone must eliminate the Blood Demon Sect.

Afterward, they even invited the Qingcheng Sect to join forces in wiping out the remnants of Blood Demon Sect’s influence, subtly probing Li Mo’s identity in their words.

Shanzhou Daoist felt utterly exhausted—both in body and spirit.

Not long after, Qinglian Taoist passed away, his Dao dissipating. A once grand sect now only had a single Divine Separation Stage Sect Master, leaving Shanzhou Daoist full of lament.

After rejecting all their overtures, Shanzhou Daoist decisively declared the seclusion of the Qingcheng Sect’s mountain, vowing only to re-emerge after achieving the level of Land Immortal.

"Ah..."

Shanzhou Daoist understood that his karmic ties with the exiled immortal had ended. Borrowing another’s aura of power would never last, and the Qingcheng Sect’s decline was an undeniable reality.

After losing the Immortal Bone, the spiritual energy within the sect waned by thirty or forty percent.

Yet, regardless of everything, the Taoist inheritance still persisted.

As the Mountain Protection Array was fully restored, dense mist once again enveloped the mountain gate.

......

Li Mo moved forward step by step.

At first, each step caused the ground to tremble, but as his strength became more restrained, only the flickering of his afterimage could be seen flashing through the mountains and rivers.

"My physical body has already adapted to the ancient Cultivation World’s environment. Now, only the Dharma Body remains."

During his seclusion at Qingcheng Sect, Li Mo had deduced a technique for refining the Dharma Body through spiritual energy. He named it [Innate Great Yuan Heart Scripture].

In simple terms, it utilized the pure spiritual energy of ancient times to temper the Three Dharma Bodies while supplementing with spiritual materials until the spiritual energies of past and present no longer conflicted.

Once completed, Li Mo’s Three Dharma Bodies would naturally reach the Transcendence Tribulation Stage.

Originally, everything seemed set to proceed smoothly—after all, his various Spirit Roots had been undergoing transformations—but to his surprise, the Brain Buddha Spirit Root showed no reaction to external spiritual energies.

Relying on the subtle transformations induced by the Great Wilderness Immortal Body on the Buddha Spirit Root could take who knows how many eons.

Li Mo felt slightly helpless.

The Buddha Spirit Root was critical to the Buddha Demon Body. Without its transformation, the Buddha Demon Body would inevitably fall short of perfection and could even hinder his path to immortality.

Scanning his body with his Divine Sense, he saw all his Spirit Roots radiating brilliant light—except for the Buddha Spirit Root, which remained lifeless and bleak.

"It seems I must make a trip to the Buddhist Sect? So be it. If I wish to strategize for the world upheaval, making a move within the Buddhist Sect is a necessity."

Li Mo needed to obtain Shariputra imbued with Buddha Qi from the Buddhist Sect to stimulate his Buddha Spirit Root.

"Leiyin Temple?"

"No, Leiyin Temple is the most crucial piece on the board. I must avoid disrupting its progression. Let me think this through carefully."

Li Mo slowed his pace, closed his eyes, and contemplated the various factions within the Buddhist Sect.

Suddenly, he remembered a certain Buddhist temple.

[Futuo Temple]

Futuo Temple was a unique austere branch within the Buddhist Sect, holding that all earthly suffering was a necessary step toward attaining Buddhahood. Thus, when the world upheaval descended, they chose to integrate themselves into the mortal realm to endure the tribulations.

However, like a pebble thrown into a lake, they caused no ripples.

As a medium-sized temple, they were completely annihilated within half a year of the world upheaval, regardless of interventions, and would not affect Leiyin Temple’s course.

"They’ll do."

Li Mo exerted his legs, striding off toward the location of Futuo Temple.

The hundred miles around Futuo Temple lacked any townships; the mountain gate was built atop a cliffside, accessible only by ascending a thousand-meter rock wall on foot.

They did not proactively recruit disciples—any who stepped foot through the gate could begin their cultivation journey in the temple.

When Li Mo arrived at the base of Futuo Mountain, a crowd of hundreds of common folk knelt around him, repeatedly prostrating toward the mountain temple.

"Buddha, please bless my young son, who has been a soldier for five years, to safely return."

"Buddha, I’m over thirty with no heir yet. Please let my family’s incense lineage continue."

"Cough, cough... Buddha, grant me a few more years to live."

Li Mo swept his gaze around; the devotees appeared deeply devout, a testament to Futuo Temple’s renown.

If not for the temple’s lofty position, its daily incense offerings might rival those of a large temple—likely linked to their hands-on engagement with mortal life.

Li Mo also noticed several figures climbing the steep cliffside.

These were mortals with unwavering faith. Upon hearing the temple’s legends, they sought to join its ranks. Yet the dried bloodstains at the foot of the mountain made it clear how many had fallen to their deaths in the attempt.

"Does dying because of Futuo Temple count as the temple’s sin of killing?"

"Such a rigid faction within the Buddhist Sect will be easy to bend to my will. Heh, as long as I am the Reincarnated Buddha, they will follow me with absolute loyalty."

Li Mo did not rush to ascend the mountain but stood at its base, closing his eyes.

As he stood there, subtle changes began appearing in his features. He now bore the serene visage of a statue-like True Buddha depicted in murals, bringing salvation to the suffering.

The nearby crowd cast him sidelong looks.

Li Mo made no effort to conceal his presence, inevitably exuding an aura of profound mystery.

The Buddha Demon Body silently chanted scriptures, drawing countless Buddhas from his Purgatory Pure Land to join in. For a moment, seven-colored Buddha Light enveloped his Mud Pill Palace.

"Young master, are you a monk from Futuo Temple as well?"

A devotee approached to inquire about Li Mo’s identity. Seeing Li Mo unresponsive, they retreated awkwardly, not daring to disturb his prayers to Futuo Temple.

Then—

"Help! Save me!"

An elderly man attempting to enter the temple lost his footing and plummeted from the cliffside.

A muffled thud followed as the elder lay flat on the ground, blood gushing from his mouth. Not only were his bones shattered, but his internal organs were also ruptured.

The only thing keeping him alive was the inferior-quality Heavenly Mountain Ginseng clutched between his teeth.

"Ah... ah..."

Even the elder hadn’t anticipated that the very spiritual material intended to replenish his stamina would prolong his suffering in the face of death.

"Amitabha Buddha. Benefactor, why journey into this sea of suffering?"

A resonant murmur echoed from Futuo Temple.

Abbot [De’en Old Monk] emerged from the main hall, walking across the perilous cliffside as if on level ground, hurrying toward the elder.

Buddhist Practitioners channel their spiritual power into Shariputra, and De’en Old Monk happened to be at the Divine Separation Stage.

While Buddhist Practitioners’ lifespans resembled those of regular mortals, reaching the Divine Separation Stage would require at least thirteen lifetimes of reincarnation, placing De’en Old Monk’s age above a millennium.

Arriving beside the old man, he prepared to chant sutras to ease his pain.

"Why not save him?"

De’en Old Monk jolted in alarm and looked up to find Li Mo standing less than half a meter away. For some reason, the Shariputra in his Upper Dantian reacted inexplicably.

Yet no matter how hard he scrutinized, Li Mo appeared to be an ordinary mortal.

But there was an inexplicable sense of dread.

He recalled the restless state of his Mental Realm when he first visualized the Buddha upon taking vows and entering the Dao. Now, in Li Mo’s presence, he was left speechless.

"Why not save him?" Li Mo repeated the question.

De’en Old Monk grew increasingly agitated under Li Mo’s inquiry, his mind unknowingly influenced by the Spirit Root Worm as the Illusion Spirit Root was implanted.

"I..."

Li Mo shook his head faintly, his expression one of disappointment as he softly remarked, "You’re afraid that failing to save him will lead to unnecessary killing, violating Futuo Temple’s teachings, aren’t you?"

De’en Old Monk’s breathing grew labored as he succumbed entirely to the Spirit Root Worm’s corruption.

With palms together, Li Mo softly recited,

"Amitabha Buddha. All the evil karma I have created in the past arises from beginningless greed, hatred, and delusion. It is born from my body, speech, and mind. For this, I now repent wholeheartedly..."

A seven-colored halo of Buddha Light emerged behind his head, illuminating the hundreds of people present. Everyone fell to their knees in awe, bowing in trembling reverence.

"The Reincarnated Buddha..."

De’en Old Monk stood bewildered, his memories subtly reshaped by the Spirit Root Worm.

The fortuitous encounters he’d experienced across his thousand-year cultivation now seemed intrinsically linked to Li Mo, as if Li Mo had been the one to enlighten him all along.

"De’en, follow me up the mountain."

"This disciple understands."

With every step, lotuses bloomed under Li Mo’s feet, transforming the path into a Pure Land of the Buddhist Sect.

The elder’s injuries healed completely. Having faced death, he abandoned his plans to join the Buddhist Sect, opting instead to live out his years peacefully at home.

The Spirit Root Worm took root in Futuo Mountain. Its tendrils spread wildly through the mountain’s core, forming a giant Illusion Array encasing the entire mountain range in a matter of moments.

People’s memories of Li Mo gradually faded.

Dong, dong, dong.

The bell of Futuo Temple rang out.

By the time Li Mo arrived at the temple, all the monks had already accepted his identity as the Reincarnated Buddha, gazing at him in reverence.

Rumble.

The vague shadow of the Buddha Demon Body manifested behind Li Mo, and heavenly clouds shifted as countless Buddhas looked down upon the temple.

The temple’s statues opened their eyes and nodded solemnly toward Li Mo. The monks stood frozen, overwhelmed with both fear and awe.

"De’en, are you aware that calamity will soon ravage the world?"

"This disciple does not know."

Li Mo extended a finger, pressing it to De’en’s forehead. Scenes of cataclysmic upheaval flashed through the monk’s mind, leaving him visibly shaken.

"A thousand years from now, disaster will inevitably descend. The world will be plunged into devastation, and even the Buddhist Sect will be powerless against the upheaval."

"Buddha, what must I do?"

De’en Old Monk’s expression was one of confusion and apprehension, his mind reeling from the scenes of world upheaval’s lingering reverberations.

Li Mo gave no direct answer, his gaze sweeping across the monks. Outwardly, he seemed contemplative, but inwardly, he was playing out countless possible futures for Futuo Temple.

"Leiyin Temple."

"What?"

"Futuo Temple must remain secluded. Fifteen hundred years later, you will send your disciple Cheng Hua to Leiyin Temple."

De’en Old Monk hesitated, asking, "Buddha, what meaning lies in going to Leiyin Temple?"

"Cultivation."

"If Futuo Temple seeks to save the world, it must first submit itself to Leiyin Temple."

"But..."

"Only by surviving can you await the right opportunity."

Li Mo could not provide De’en Old Monk with exact details, as everything was based on his deductions and might contain errors.

Each move on the board needed to be interconnected to breathe life into the game.

While De’en Old Monk remained in a daze, Li Mo vanished without a trace. The strange heavenly phenomena across the mountain ended abruptly, leaving only the sound of the wind howling through Futuo Temple.

Except for De’en Old Monk, none of the other monks remembered Li Mo’s presence.

Li Mo arrived at the ancient pagoda of Futuo Temple, where the relics of past abbots were enshrined. The strong Buddha Qi emanating from the Shariputra enriched the aura of the place.

The Buddha Spirit Root began devouring the Buddha Qi in an overwhelming manner. The visible flow of Buddha Qi surged into his brain.

The Great Wilderness Immortal Body activated to its fullest, adapting the Buddha Spirit Root to the influx of Buddha Qi. Intricate Buddhist scriptures materialized inside and outside his brain.

In the cycle of reincarnation for Buddhist Practitioners, relics from previous lives are inevitably absorbed upon reincarnation.

Li Mo refrained from taking everything. Once the Buddha Spirit Root’s transformation was complete, he only absorbed masterless Shariputra. Those affiliated to Buddhist Practitioners had long since perished.

Futuo Temple fell into tranquility once more.

Li Mo cast a long, profound glance back at the temple before turning to leave Futuo Mountain. Over the next two hundred years, there were countless places he needed to visit.

Many strategies might ultimately prove futile, but neglecting them could jeopardize the grander scheme.

"If all goes well..."

Li Mo lifted his gaze to the heavens. "I will seize the fortunes of heaven and earth."