CHAPTER 341: CHAPTER 87: ALL IS BUT A MERE ILLUSION

"At most half a day remains, I wonder if this is fortune or disaster."

Li Mo narrowed his eyes, watching the Lizard Poison Beast slowly approach.

Compared to the Toad Poison Beast, although the Lizard Poison Beast was much larger in size, its movement was eerily silent.

If it weren’t for Li Mo’s Divine Sense being far superior to the ordinary, it would be nearly impossible to detect the Lizard Poison Beast’s presence.

The Lizard Poison Beast was targeting the Toad Poison Beast, its greed palpable, as though it intended to devour the Toad Poison Beast completely.

"Merge?"

Li Mo murmured softly.

He had gathered limited information from various channels, only knowing that Qinghong Workshop was not static and seemed to experience occasional mergers.

"What exactly are the Twelve Immortals up to?"

A sense of urgency rose in Li Mo’s heart, though he had no intention of intervening with the Poison Beasts.

The clouds churned as he deliberately performed the Kun Whale Tattoo Beastification, a three-hundred-meter-long head emerging from within, radiating unparalleled intimidation.

"Quick battle."

The Kun Whale Tattoo Beastification spread azure-purple scales across his face, elongated draconic whiskers extending from his cheeks, and his indifferent pupils glowed with killing intent.

Li Mo resembled a Dragon King perched atop the clouds; merely revealing his aura was enough to drive the Beast Cultivators mad, their incessant slaughter filling the air.

The Breath Sealing Sect fell into complete despair.

Their Mental Realms shifted entirely, leaving only the thought of escape in their minds.

The Beast Cultivators, however, seemed invigorated, their bodies swelling several times larger as if transformed into giant beasts rampaging across the open ground.

The residents of Qinghong Workshop appeared confused and overwhelmed.

To them, Li Mo was indistinguishable from the Immortal Gods worshiped in temples, causing some to fall to their knees in terror and incessantly recite the Dragon King’s name.

"Nascent Soul..."

Li Baoquan, simultaneously terrified, muttered loudly to himself, "He is Elder Qing Shan, the power behind the Four Seas Commerce, and an exceptional Nascent Soul Great Power."

"No wonder, his prominence is unparalleled, possessing the potential of an Immortal God."

"I’ve long heard of Qing Shan’s renowned title; today’s sight confirms his boundless Immortal Energy."

......

Independent Practitioner forces began offering words of goodwill, realizing the unfathomable scale of the Four Seas Commerce.

For most Independent Practitioner Families, producing a single Core Formation cultivator was already the pinnacle; their years of fluctuating fortunes naturally led to yearning for Immortal Sect affiliation.

Many smaller Immortal Sects benefited from family clans attaching themselves to them as well.

It was mutually beneficial by nature.

Roar!!!

A leading Beast Cultivator, known as Huang Mu Daoist, whose Lifebound Spirit Beast was a Beast Bone Tiger, had already reached the Dan Formation Stage, making him a standout among the new generation of Heart Beast Sect disciples.

Huang Mu Daoist’s lower body transformed into a giant tiger, ambushing and killing several people as he darted through the battlefield.

Li Mo had once heard information about Huang Mu from Tian Changwen’s mouth.

Huang Mu Daoist possessed the Innate Tao Body Mountain Monarch Bone Body combined with the Acquired Hundred Beasts Blood Body, allowing him to form a near top-grade Golden Core.

He raised his gaze to the clouds, his eyes brimming with fanaticism.

Huang Mu Daoist faced the Heart Beast Sect’s first Nascent Soul cultivator with undeniable excitement, his ferocity completely unleashed, even harboring thoughts of targeting Gao Cai.

However, he prioritized the bigger picture, choosing to coordinate with his fellow disciples on the battlefield.

The scent of blood filled the air.

Li Mo sighed slightly, "The older generation of Beast Cultivators either attempt Breaking the Golden Core and becoming an Infant, or retreat to supportive roles within the sects; the new blood among Beast Cultivators has become barely recognizable at this point."

The Beast Cultivators cut off the retreat paths; a slip from the Qi Cultivators would lead to falling into the beasts’ siege.

"No..."

Gao Cai’s face was filled with despair.

He understood that the Breath Sealing Sect had been reduced to a stepping stone, though he still harbored a faint sense of unwillingness.

Gao Cai’s Divine Sense scanned his surroundings; currently, the Nascent Soul cultivator showed no intention of intervening. If he could just escape, then maybe...

Li Mo saw through Gao Cai’s plan, channeling Spiritual Power into the Mountain Demon’s body.

"Uh uh uh uh..."

The Mountain Demon began madly pounding its chest; its originally Core Formation Stage cultivation began to soar, while its body underwent numerous bizarre and eerie changes.

Mist-like traits manifested all over its body, rendering its form increasingly unstable.

This phenomenon was induced by Mist Fog Spiritual Power, forcibly elevating the Mountain Demon’s strength to the Corpse Infant Stage, though it was challenging to wield it proficiently.

"Zha!!"

A swing of the White Bone Stick sent dust clouds swirling.

"Ah, Demon Monkey!"

Caught off guard, Gao Cai was struck heavily on the head by the White Bone Stick, feeling an agonizing swelling in his skull and pus seeping from his facial features.

He tried summoning his Nascent Soul for a desperate fight, but the Mountain Demon attacked his Middle Dantian directly with precise blows.

Gao Cai suffered bitterly, spitting blood in frustration as he retreated several steps, only to be clawed savagely on his back by Huang Mu Daoist.

The defeat was absolute.

Small Immortal Sects like the Breath Sealing Sect relied on time to produce a single Nascent Soul cultivator; the death of that Nascent Soul would immediately plunge them into decline.

Li Mo kept an eye on the Lizard Poison Beast while awaiting the conclusion of the event.

The Beast Cultivators did not disappoint him.

In less than two hours, the Breath Sealing Sect met complete annihilation. The Beast Cultivators thoroughly scavenged the battlefield, storing the corpses in Storage Magical Artifacts.

Afterwards, they wasted no time heading toward Poison Clothes Qinghong Workshop to assemble their belongings.

Following Li Mo’s advice, the Toad Poison Beast faced potential danger, requiring the gathering point to be relocated to the southern side of the Blessed Land Cave Heaven.

Li Mo sat cross-legged atop the clouds.

Huang Mu Daoist piloted a Magic Artifact to approach him, respectfully presenting the corpse-filled Storage Bag.

"Junior Huang Mu greets Elder Qing Shan. These are the battle spoils."

Li Mo accepted the offering with a slight nod, leaving Huang Mu Daoist feeling a bit regretful, wishing he could engage the elder in conversation but finding no opportunity.

"Huang Mu, something on your mind?"

"Um... Junior takes his leave."

Huang Mu Daoist turned back reluctantly every few steps, as if trying to memorize Li Mo’s appearance.

Li Mo paid no mind to Huang Mu Daoist. With a slap to the clouds, he disappeared from the spot, spending over two hours to reach the Poison Beast.

The Lizard Poison Beast reeked of a vile stench.

The number of graves at Chaotic Burial Mound was at least seventy to eighty thousand.

Li Mo’s Divine Sense penetrated the Poison Beast’s flesh, observing the corpses buried deep within; surprisingly, he discovered that these bodies were indeed cultivators when alive.

Perhaps when they hadn’t died, some of these corpses were even Core Formation or Nascent Soul level powerhouses.

But now, buried underground, Li Mo could see no trace of vitality—any cultivation they once had had long dissipated.

"What the hell, even if it’s Corpse Cultivation, shouldn’t there be some infusion of Spiritual Power?"

"Or is it that the postmodern Cultivation World’s understanding of Corpse Cultivation defies my imagination, and my Divine Sense can’t differentiate between truth and illusion at surface level?!!"

The ancient Cultivation World did indeed have Corpse Cultivators, considered an offshoot of the Devil Sect, typically life forms birthed from corpses that absorbed Spiritual Energy to cultivate.

But the problem was, nowadays, Immortal and Mortal alike were striving for Longevity; there should theoretically be no scope for Corpse Cultivation.

"I refuse to believe this rubbish."

Li Mo activated the Cave God’s Eye with the aid of the Mountain Spider.

Every minute detail of the Lizard Poison Beast became evident; yet, the corpses revealed no further secrets—they were simply decaying with remarkable slowness.

Moreover, the Spiritual Energy fluctuations within the Chaotic Burial Mound were highly erratic.

While predominantly Yin Attribute Spiritual Energy, there was a peculiar semi-real semi-illusory energy never encountered by Li Mo before.

"Like a bubble, neither true nor false—this must be some sort of goddamned enigma."

With a thought, Li Mo released the Mountain Lord Strange Beast from his small world, dropping it into the Chaotic Burial Mound. What followed made one’s skin crawl.

The Mountain Lord Strange Beast became visibly frightened, staggering across the graves.

Suddenly.

A deep wound appeared on its side, bones visible, evidently caused by a blade—but the Burial Mound showed no signs of human presence.

Li Mo definitively felt faint traces of Spell fluctuations, but it remained bound to that same illusory energy.

The Mountain Lord Strange Beast scanned its surroundings anxiously before its neck abruptly snapped, internal organs bursting into pulp.

It quickly fell silent in death.

Li Mo gasped in shock. What kind of Taoist inheritance could be so unnerving?

The Mountain Lord Strange Beast’s corpse started to vanish inexplicably, as if being surgically dismantled. Blood, flesh, and bones were stripped away swiftly, leaving only residual fragments on the ground.

From beginning to end, Li Mo never caught a glimpse of the cultivators dealing with the Strange Beast.

"Master Han, ensure no cultivators approach within a kilometer of the Poison Beasts. I’ll handle the matters at Qinghong Workshop; you focus on the Blessed Land Cave Heaven."

Li Mo hastily warned Han Cai, who responded with concern, "Master, there’s no need—if necessary, we should just abandon Qinghong Workshop."

"Mm, leave it to me."

Li Mo conducted several experiments, confirming that any Strange Beast entering the Burial Mound would succumb to inexplicable attacks and die.

When he released Ghost Tigers or Tattooed Beasts that concealed themselves, they were unharmed.

But the moment a Ghost Tiger revealed itself, it would immediately suffer unknown strikes, sustaining severe injuries as though the assailant was in another dimension.

"What kind of strange Magic is this?"

Li Mo deployed the Blood Soul to bind a corpse from the Burial Mound, intending to use the Melting Furnace to examine its true nature.

The Chaotic Burial Mound began to quake.

Some imperceptible Spells targeted the Blood Soul, severely damaging the Fake Magical Treasure.

Li Mo also realized that the Burial Mound concealed some mysterious entities, seemingly piloting Magic Artifacts toward his position.

"Wait, so it seems their influence requires proximity to the Burial Mound or physical contact with its objects?"

He maintained his grip on the Blood Soul, gradually deepening its connection to the Burial Mound.

In the blink of an eye.

Li Mo witnessed a scene that made his scalp tingle.

The Lizard Poison Beast’s back faintly revealed a Daoist Temple, inhabited by tens of thousands of cultivators formed entirely of mist.

"Ghost Cultivation? But no—it’s not even Ghost Attribute Spiritual Energy."

The corpse-bound Blood Soul was on the verge of snapping, but the Daoist Temple grew increasingly vivid, countless Taoists soaring through the air.

Each figure exuded a sacred glow, not only showing no signs of decay but radiating an enigmatic Dao Rhythm.

Among them, at least twenty had achieved Nascent Soul Stage Cultivation.

Li Mo noticed their wrathful expressions, their mouths moving as if speaking, yet he could not discern a single word.

Snap.

The Blood Soul broke apart.

The majestic Daoist Temple and countless Taoists dissolved into illusions and vanished.

Li Mo braced defensively, yet only a gentle breeze brushed past him, leaving everything he had just seen seemingly as nothing more than a dream.

He hovered tensely mid-air, as the Blood Soul seeped back into his Five Internal Organs, gradually repairing itself.

"That Spiritual Energy holds the key—I can’t shake the sense that it feels familiar."

For starters, the corpses must be the actual bodies of those malevolent spirits; otherwise, their response upon seeing Li Mo collect and examine them wouldn’t have been so intense.

"The myriad realms teem with unfathomable wonders; it’s a shame the Creation Book didn’t provide any insights, or I’d know exactly which mysterious force this belongs to."