CHAPTER 371: CHAPTER 117 WHAT IS AT THE END OF THE IMMORTAL LADDER

Amidst the shifting silhouettes, quite a few eyes lingered on the Thirteen Palace. Their gazes carried a hint of playfulness, though the meaning behind it remained unclear.

Li Mo did not panic as a result—he knew the exposure of the Fake Buddha was inevitable.

Ensuring the safety of his true body was all that mattered.

Furthermore, he had taken precautions in advance—cancer cells invisibly influenced the Palace, causing the aura of the Thirteen Palace to become restrained.

The Thirteen Palace had never matched the grandeur of the previous twelve Palaces to begin with, and with the added chaos from the cancer cells, its outward appearance hardly drew much attention.

The situation was in complete turmoil.

Not only was there a fierce battle to seize the Twelve Immortals, but the ground was littered with dismembered limbs and fragments, along with dozens of Deceitful Objects mistakenly wandering into the fray.

By comparison, the Thirteen Palace appeared utterly unremarkable.

Of course, unexpected occurrences were not absent—some Sword Cultivators from the Heavenly Sword Sect seemed to be observing the Fake Buddha from the shadows, their Divine Sense sweeping over it from time to time.

Perhaps the Fake Buddha, crafted during the True Word Sect’s Secret Realm, still wasn’t deemed significant enough for the Heavenly Sword Sect’s concern.

But after nourishing it with nearly two thousand years of Innate Essence and birthing the Universal Illumination Sword Intent, the Fake Buddha could now be considered a top-grade flying sword.

"Usurping the magpie’s nest truly feels like treading on thin ice."

Meanwhile, Li Mo was busy relocating his Cave Mansion, deliberately placing the No-Life God Statue to distance himself as much as possible from the remains of the No-Life Mother.

Even a span of ten thousand miles offered insufficient security.

He dared not amplify his own presence—attending to the Fake Buddha was the wisest course of action.

The struggle between the Twelve Immortals and the Dao-Demon factions reached a level far beyond what Li Mo, still in the Nascent Soul Stage, could approach.

Time passed.

The Fake Buddha had by now expanded to over ten meters in size, its Buddha Head Treasure Lotus Lamp becoming increasingly lifelike. Especially noticeable were the blood vessels and veins, visibly coursing through the flesh forming the petals.

Li Mo immersed himself in the Fake Buddha’s growth, faintly hearing the Twelve Immortals’ commotion gradually abating.

Soon after, the sound of flesh and bone proliferating rang out, though murmurs from Gui Qiong and the others abruptly ceased.

Crack... crack...

Fissures formed across the surface of the Fake Buddha, resembling a python about to shed its skin.

The Universal Illumination Sword Intent accidentally leaked, leaving scars on the Thirteen Palace—with streams of blood trickling out, emitting an overwhelmingly acrid stench.

Fortunately, the Fake Buddha’s newly birthed Sword Intent lacked the power to catch the attention of the Dao-Demon factions.

Li Mo privately rejoiced that he hadn’t aligned with the Thirteen Palace, reflecting, "But... should the Fake Buddha break through to the Divine Separation Stage, the Sword Intent might become uncontrollable."

"Perhaps it’d be wiser to delay the Fake Buddha’s promotion and utilize the Nearby Array to exit the Palace outright?"

Li Mo was slightly distressed, though no regret stirred within him.

After all, should the Sunlight Bodhisattva parasitize the Fake Buddha upon its entry into the Divine Separation Stage, the Externalized Dharma Body that might be born could exceed his expectations.

Li Mo had no choice but to plan meticulously for immortality—each cultivation realm had to be fortified, as only beyond the Ninth Realm could he possess the foundation to transcend the mortal world.

"Wait, perhaps I could flip the script entirely."

Li Mo began to form a vague plan.

When the Fake Buddha’s old shell fractured into pieces, its level would naturally reach Nascent Soul perfection, and the Universal Illumination Sword Intent would begin its slow transformation.

Li Mo intentionally decelerated this transformation, quietly waiting for the Twelve Immortals.

The proliferating flesh and bone did not cease, and though he couldn’t afford to divert his attention from the Twelve Immortals, he could still sense an incredibly terrifying aura.

It felt strangely familiar, as though he’d once stumbled upon it by chance.

"Immortal Energy?!!"

"Yes, it definitely is Immortal Energy!!!"

Li Mo’s pupils widened in shock—it was identical to the aura that had suffused the Ascension Ladder summoned by Chen Tiangang in the Ziqi Sect Inner Sect.

The Fake Buddha twitched slightly, and an eye opened on the Buddha Head’s forehead.

A fleeting glance was all it took.

Gui Qiong and the others had already transformed into grotesque, twisted abominations—blood and flesh fused together, with the remnants of the Flying Sword Mother at their core.

Their consciousnesses were dulled, their mouths muttering unintelligible sounds.

Their intestines intertwined, creating a stair-like structure that extended for nearly a hundred meters, faintly suffused with Immortal Energy.

At the top of the stairs lay twelve female infant embryos.

Gui Qiong and the others were not merely hijacked forms derived from parasitic Mountain Spiders—they had become dumping grounds for the Twelve Immortals to offload mutated impurities.

Although the embryos had yet to achieve Immortal Bodies, their talents far surpassed ordinary cultivators, enveloped by faint and mysterious phenomena.

The Dao-Demon factions refrained from intervening, seemingly indulging in the spectacle.

Li Mo swiftly caught on.

Ancient cultivators surviving in secrecy likely found little favor within their factions—the act of exploiting Zu Xiuyun to eliminate them aligned with factional interests.

"But... isn’t this a bit excessive? Virtually no Spiritual Power remains."

The Twelve Immortals’ methods ensured their new bodies were impeccably pure, yet this purity came at the cost of severely depleted cultivation, leaving them as vulnerable as newly-born mortal babies.

The present onlookers breathed heavily—who wouldn’t covet ascension and immortality?

"No, no, no."

Gui Qiong muttered like a man illuminated by fleeting lucidity, his gaze fixated on the Ascension Ladder.

Moments ago, immortality had dominated his thoughts. Now it had morphed into a profound fear, as if he had glimpsed the true face of the Immortal Realm.

Gui Qiong’s upper body strained to peel away from the Ascension Ladder.

"So that’s how it is, ha-ha, even the Immortal Realm isn’t spared. Look at the calamity wrought by mortal greed—immortality is just the beginning."

The Dao-Demon factions paid no heed to Gui Qiong’s crazed ramblings, instead channeling their Spiritual Powers outward to shield the Twelve Immortals, wary of an unpredictable rampage on his part.

Clearly, they already saw the Twelve Immortals as their path to ascension and immortality.

Zu Xiuyun’s aspirations were too tempting.

Intentionally or not, Zu Xiuyun had proven that the Twelve Immortals could unlock the Ascension Ladder.

"Hahaha..."

Gui Qiong gestured wildly, his expression full of mockery and ridicule, mixed with an incomprehensible schadenfreude.

His figure crumbled, providing unreserved nourishment to the Twelve Immortals.

Gui Qiong clearly had the strength to contend with the Twelve Immortals, yet he chose self-destruction. After witnessing the Immortal Realm, despair overtook his countenance.

Li Mo grasped the truth in Gui Qiong’s words.

The Immortal Realm was no paradise—otherwise, Chen Tiangang, too, wouldn’t have fought desperately to leave. Li Mo had to prepare adequately in the mortal world before seeking ascension.

The Ascension Ladder collapsed with a thunderous crash, leaving only twelve embryos behind.

The embryos absorbed Gui Qiong’s nourishment, growing to the size of typical infants. Even so, they lacked the means to defend themselves, their lives dependent on the whims of others.

Li Mo overheard discussions from above the clouds, followed by the unanimous response of countless factions.

"Approved."

Brilliant spirit lights descended abruptly.

They tugged at the twelve infants of the Twelve Immortals, guiding them toward different directions in the sky.

It came as no surprise—the Twelve Immortals would undoubtedly become core disciples in the major sects, their purpose being to pave the way for ascension.

Zu Xiuyun had gambled correctly.

Li Mo recalled the full sequence of events and suddenly felt that Zu Xiuyun had long since grasped human nature—failure was never in her equation.

"If I had aligned with the Thirteen Palace, the number of embryos beneath the Ascension Ladder might have reached thirteen. Senior Sister Si Rui hadn’t deceived me."

Though Li Mo avoided the calamity of mutation and loss of control, he could have, through the Palace, reconstructed his body with the No-Life Mother’s flesh. This undeniably constituted his induction into her sect.

Moreover, the title "Buddha Mother" hinted at the No-Life Mother’s feats extending far beyond mere ascension.

Li Mo did not wallow in regret.

In truth, even knowing the Thirteen Palace represented disciples of the No-Life Mother, Li Mo would have chosen the Fake Buddha’s parasitism without hesitation.

Li Mo deemed his own foundation flawless—the reconstruction of his body would only waste the Creation Book Pages.

Besides.

With the Substitute Dao Page in hand, he was confident he could one day replace and become the No-Life Mother herself—coveting the Buddhist Sect’s opportunities was unnecessary.

"Clang..."

A resounding Sword Sound echoed within Li Mo’s mind; the Fake Buddha had undergone its final transformation and could no longer conceal its residual might from the Divine Separation Stage.

Even the Sunlight Bodhisattva, strengthened by the Fake Buddha’s feedback, had ascended to Nascent Soul perfection.

Li Mo took a deep breath—the cancer cells enveloped the Fake Buddha while the Nearby Array surged, waiting only for the Dao-Demon factions to depart.

"Let the forces set their sights on the Twelve Immortals—it will only ensure the Fake Buddha remains ignored."

Silhouettes flickered and vanished into the dense fog; the partitioning of the twelve embryos proceeded without disturbance.

The twelve senior sisters had diverse origins, each embodying one of the Twelve True Words—they were destined to disperse between the Dao and Demon factions.

Li Mo anticipated joining the Heavenly Sword Sect, where he’d likely encounter Fifth Senior Sister Yu Xiao, notorious for her ruthless and volatile disposition.

As the fog settled into tranquility.

Li Mo immediately activated the Nearby Array, while the Fake Buddha broke free of the Palace’s entangled blood vessels.

Just as the Fake Buddha was about to escape, a gale suddenly swept through, unveiling an enormous head that emerged from the thick fog, spanning over a hundred meters.

"Fascinating—another stray Flying Sword from the Heavenly Sword Sect."

The head spoke as flakes of skin scattered with its movements, its body composed of layered skin, exuding an aura far steadier than Gui Qiong’s.

A surging vitality filled the air—it might well have originated from a Body Refining Immortal Sect.

Boom.

With the flick of its tongue, the Nearby Array was obliterated.

Li Mo inadvertently swallowed hard, squeezing three words through clenched teeth: "Void Refining Stage..."

He had anticipated as much, yet facing the pressure of a Void Refining Stage existence directly proved far more suffocating than expected—it took him several breaths to forcibly compose himself.

Li Mo immediately released his hold on the Fake Buddha’s suppression, allowing its fragmented shell to crumble into powder.

The Sword Intent surged violently.

The Thirteen Palace dissolved into putrid pus, while the tangible Universal Illumination Sword Intent radiated omnipresently, resembling the boundless beams of sunlight.

Li Mo harbored no intention of confronting the Void Refining Stage entity—the Universal Illumination Sword Qi soared toward the clouds.

"Fascinating, truly fascinating..."

The colossal head nodded repeatedly, the heat expelled from its mouth setting the mountain aflame, even stirring volcanic eruptions from the depths below.

One breath caused the ground to rise into a volcanic crater.

Li Mo closed his eyes tightly, his true body striking a sword-wielding pose.

Sword Dao Divine Power infused his heart; Sword Dao Sun filled his intent.

Li Mo was immersed in the ocean of Universal Illumination Sword Intent, pushing his comprehension of the sword forward into an incomprehensible realm.

"Universal Illumination."

His true body swung the sword.

The clouds opened across a thousand miles—it seemed like night, yet no moon was visible.

Soon afterward, a blazing sun hung in the sky.

The glow of Universal Illumination shone for thousands of miles—all the way to the ends of the horizon, its Sword Intent manifest.

"Fine for picking my teeth."

The colossal head snatched the Fake Buddha, casually tossing it into its maw lined with serrated teeth.

But before its jaws could fully close, flames crackled, igniting a searing explosion that engulfed the head—a One Sword Cultivator chuckled as he caught the Fake Buddha.

"Dragon Head Residence—this sword was forged by my sect disciple. Heh, what audacity for a Sword Holder to nurture weapons under the Upper Sect’s nose."

The Sword Cultivator’s skin was charred and blackened, yet his towering figure of over two meters carried an intimidating presence.

The Dragon Head Residence turned and left.

The Charcoal Sword Cultivator toyed with the Fake Buddha, muttering with a faint smile, "Since its Sword Holder is nowhere to be found, let it be presented during the Cocoon Sword Meeting."

Li Mo exhaled in relief.

His gamble had paid off—the Heavenly Sword Sect indeed treated Flying Swords like coveted treasures, selecting their Sword Slaves with reverence.

"Just wait until I retrieve it—I’ve no doubt the Cocoon Sword Meeting will be perilous."