Chapter 271: Chapter 37: As One of the 13 Immortals, It’s Normal to Buy in Bulk
As the Enlightenment Conference began,
the Nascent Soul Demon Cultivators hadn’t even placed auction items onto the platform when the branches were already laden with an abundance of fruits.
The vast majority were ordinary auction items, but among them were three Glazed Fruits, their value enough to make Nascent Soul cultivators covet.
The Glazed Fruits rested at the higher reaches of the Silver Tree, radiating blazing brilliance.
This also caused the Nascent Soul Demon Cultivators present to reveal expressions of greed.
Li Mo’s gaze swept over the Silver Tree and noticed that the Glazed Fruits encased High-Grade Magical Artifacts. However, the artifacts themselves were exceptionally eerie.
Two of the Glazed Fruits contained Forty Refinements High-Grade Magical Artifacts called *Beautiful Heads*, starting at a price of over a thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones—not particularly expensive.
The artifact at the very top, however, was the *Physical Body Lotus*, reaching Hundred Refinements in grade.
The *Physical Body Lotus* was entirely composed of countless naked women pieced together, their consciousnesses apparently lingering, writhing instinctively in desperate struggle.
"The *Physical Body Lotus*, it really has connections to the Buddhist Sect."
Li Mo scrutinized the artifact and deduced that its crafting dated back an extraordinarily long time. Perhaps it was truly obtained from a Secret Realm related to the Buddhist Sect?
Furthermore, the women comprising the *Physical Body Lotus* all bore identical appearances.
Twin birth was unlikely; it was more probable that the ancient Buddhist Sect possessed some technique to mass-produce mindless mortals for the purpose of Artifact Refining.
The Bone Desolate Taoist, no longer indifferent, began introducing the auction item in detail.
"The *Physical Body Lotus* was forged using a thousand women born on a Yin Year, Yin Month, and Yin Day. It has already birthed Spiritual Wisdom. If nourished with women’s *Kwei Blood* for three to four hundred years, it has a slight chance of advancing into a Fake Magical Treasure."
"Starting price: three thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones."
"Three thousand five."
A Nascent Soul Demon Cultivator with four legs spoke.
"Three thousand seven."
"Four thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones!"
......
From the perspective of an Artifact Refiner, Li Mo judged the likelihood of the *Physical Body Lotus* advancing to a Fake Magical Treasure as negligible—less than even the *Blood Sea*.
After all, the primary determinant of a Magic Treasure’s birth is the Spirit Pattern.
The *Physical Body Lotus* lacked any trace of Spirit Patterns, and its main materials were not top-quality. Its Hundred Refinements grade was entirely due to generation after generation of owners nurturing it.
Li Mo made a probing bid, intending to analyze the Buddhist Sect’s *Magic Artifact Catalog* through the End-of-the-World Dao Seed, but his bid was quickly drowned out.
He did not press further. The White Bone Sect’s subsequent auction items were bound to include more Buddhist Sect artifacts, so he could afford to wait.
In the end, Perfected Zao Yao purchased the *Physical Body Lotus*.
"Supreme Qingtian, this *Physical Body Lotus* is truly profound!"
Perfected Zao Yao’s action had some connection to Li Mo, his gaze openly hostile, murmuring provocative remarks under his breath.
The other Demon Cultivators recognized the tension between the two and wisely refrained from interfering.
Even the Blood Daoist, who had initially harbored hostile intentions toward Li Mo, reconsidered after witnessing the temple’s strange phenomena, knowing better than to provoke him.
Li Mo sneered coldly.
He ignored Perfected Zao Yao and began displaying his boundless wealth, bidding on any resource that might be of use.
"High-Grade Spiritual Material: *Hundred-Eye Palm Grass*, with medicinal potency lasting five hundred years. Its consumption aids the cultivation of Pupil Skills and is suitable for Alchemy."
"Eighty Refinements High-Grade Magical Artifact: *Poison Blood Pearl*, with a superior embryo quality..."
Perfected Zao Yao bid for a long while before he was finally shocked to realize something.
Supreme Qingtian’s bidding on resources was not done haphazardly but followed a discernible pattern, indicating he had genuinely come to the Enlightenment Conference to acquire resources.
"If it’s not for the Divine Separation Stage, then why is he here in the White Bone Cave?"
Perfected Zao Yao felt wavering doubts. Watching Li Mo, whose Spirit Stones seemed to flow endlessly, he was forced to suppress the notion of competing any further.
"Backed by the No-Life Mother—how can I possibly compete?"
With Perfected Zao Yao no longer interfering, Li Mo’s spree of resource acquisition became even more unrestrained, even bidding on Mid to Lower Grade Spiritual Materials. This unnoticeably inflated prices, leaving Core Formation Demon Cultivators miserable.
He had already instructed the Futu Hermit to convert three thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones in various black markets beforehand.
If not for the fact that the Sub-Device Sect’s Spirit Stones were attuned to Golden Earth Elements, Li Mo’s financial resources would have been even more astonishing.
Within the Corpse Mountain Mini World, a medium-sized Spirit Stone Vein remained buried.
In terms of Spirit Stones, even Divine Separation Stage cultivators might fall short compared to Li Mo.
Of course, in the eyes of other Demon Cultivators, Li Mo’s Spirit Stones undoubtedly stemmed from the No-Life Sect—perhaps just the tip of the iceberg of the Twelve Immortals’ millennial accumulation.
The Blood Daoist swallowed nervously, silently regretting his earlier stance against Li Mo.
"Representing the No-Life Sect and supported by the Twelve Immortals—how could he possibly lack life-saving measures? Perhaps he..."
"Auction item now on the platform."
The Brain-eating Demon withdrew an ornate box from his chest, briefly opened a crack to reveal its contents—a shriveled, green-tinged wooden Nascent Soul.
He directed the box toward Li Mo, allowing him a longer look before placing it onto the auction platform.
"A Nascent Soul belonging to a disciple of the One Qi Sect—its value needs no explanation."
The One Qi Sect, slightly stronger in stature than the Heart Beast Sect, primarily excelled in Qi Cultivation. It likely had but one Nascent Soul cultivator within its Sect structure.
Alongside auctioning off the Nascent Soul, the Brain-eating Demon released the news of the One Qi Sect being leaderless, subtly instigating chaos for his own gain.
"Starting price: ten thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones."
Before the other Demon Cultivators could bid, Li Mo directly offered, "Twenty thousand."
The others exchanged bitter smiles and refrained. Did the True Void Hometown truly harbor a large Spirit Stone Vein? This newly-ascended Nascent Soul cultivator, Supreme Qingtian, displayed wealth that even Nascent Soul veterans couldn’t hope to match.
The Bone Desolate Taoist, meanwhile, continued tossing one Glazed Fruit after another to build up the fervor of the Enlightenment Conference, drawing a frenzy of bids among the Nascent Soul Demon Cultivators.
Skeletons wandered the auction hall, carrying additional items for even more bids.
Luo Kai, impoverished, could only offer a few High-Grade Spiritual Materials acquired from the Skywell Inn and naturally failed to attract the Bone Desolate Taoist’s attention.
Feeling forced, he glanced toward Li Mo, only to see the latter still "killing madly."
Just as his earlier restraint showed signs of holding, the White Bone Sect introduced a trove of Nascent Soul Techniques, and Li Mo resumed his rampant acquisition spree.
Was Li Mo at a loss? No. The Qi Cultivation Nascent Soul alone was worth recovering a third of his investment, not to mention its immeasurable contribution to Spirit Stone Veins.
Moreover, he had yet to auction anything himself to recoup Spirit Stones.
"Three-in-One Nascent Soul Eye Formation, a Nascent Soul Stage Technique that uses the pupil to feed and nurture a Nascent Soul, causing it to grow multiple eyes..."
The Bone Desolate Taoist hadn’t even finished describing the item when Li Mo declared, "Five thousand."
"Five thousand five hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones!"
This time, Perfected Zao Yao wasn’t bidding to provoke but genuinely intrigued by the Three-in-One Nascent Soul Eye Formation.
Yet Li Mo gave him no chance.
"Six thousand."
Without batting an eye over the escalating cost, Li Mo shifted attention to another Nascent Soul Technique.
Caring little for compatibility, he purchased them all indiscriminately. If need be, the Primordial Dao Seed could absorb their value while deciphering frameworks for techniques exclusive to his Three Nascent Souls.
A brief glint of ferocity flashed in Perfected Zao Yao’s eyes.
Once Li Mo acquired a Magic Technique, he reviewed it on the spot with Divine Separation.
He noticed an advantage of such auctions held by Devil Sects: the items came from diverse Taoist inheritances, encompassing an array of unique cultivation systems.
The Primordial Dao Seed quickly digested the knowledge, activating Li Mo’s Three Nascent Souls.
By casting the *Mayfly Dream* and utilizing Fake Soul Consciousness to simulate frameworks, the Primordial Dao Seed could perfect them entirely.
Once mastered by the Nascent Souls, the power of the Five Decaying Souls would be greatly amplified.
Yet, the Enlightenment Conference harbored its own dangers.
The Silver Tree’s brilliance had grown almost blinding, requiring repeated expansion of the auction venue. It might even eventually draw Divine Separation Stage cultivators.
"Why does it feel like bait?"
Li Mo narrowed his eyes. As for Perfected Zao Yao and other Nascent Soul Demon Cultivators, they posed no existential threat to him.
Having swept through the Nascent Soul Techniques, Li Mo showed little interest in other items.
Stretching lazily, he instructed, "Display the auction items."
The Demon Cultivators turned their attention to him, curious about what he would present.
A skeleton moved to stand before him, and Li Mo began retrieving Magical Artifacts from his Storage Bag—High-Grade Magical Artifacts forged in his spare time.
The designs, derived from the Hammer Anvil technique, bore occasional imperfections, with the most exceptional examples retained in his private collection.
The crowd soon noticed most artifacts bore only Twenty or Thirty Refinements, prompting mild disappointment. It seemed unworthy of someone with Li Mo’s level of resources.
For Core Formation Demon Cultivators, though, they were more than sufficient. The artifacts were swiftly swept away, sparking visible competition within the group.
Conflict inevitably ensued.
The overarching theme of the Devil Sect was Evil; betrayal and backstabbing were commonplace. Reaching Core Formation and Nascent Soul levels typically required seizing resources by any means.
Li Mo cast a glance at the Silver Tree as its brilliance blanketed the auction venue.
The imbalanced treasure aura destabilized the mental states of the Demonic crowd.
Under normal conditions, Demon Cultivators—even risking the ire of the White Bone Sect—would typically retreat immediately upon acquiring significant items.
A skeleton holding a porcelain tray prepared to depart.
"Hold on. There’s more."
Li Mo continued extracting Magical Artifacts—fifteen in total—all of Hundred Refinements grade. The crowd collectively inhaled sharply.
The artifacts took the form of Divine Statues, their textures seemingly blending flesh and stone, exuding an uncanny vitality.
Even the Bone Desolate Taoist hesitated, muttering, "This..."
"*No-Life Meat Elixir Field*. If the Middle Dantian is damaged, it can be refined to serve as a replacement without hindering future Nascent Soul cultivation."
The crowd’s expressions immediately shifted. If Li Mo’s claim held, the *No-Life Meat Elixir Field* provided a tangible opportunity to reconstruct one’s foundation.
At the stage of Core Formation to Nascent Soul, organ replacement—except in cases like Artifact People with unique constitutions—carried immense drawbacks.
Still, involving the No-Life Sect caused hesitation for many.
The Bone Desolate Taoist examined the *No-Life Meat Elixir Field* using the Silver Tree, seeking any hidden traps within the artifact.
Li Mo outwardly projected calmness, yet inwardly he prepared for escape should the Silver Tree detect the presence of a No-Life God Statue.
After a few moments, the Bone Desolate Taoist confidently stated, "No trickery. The *No-Life Meat Elixir Field* does indeed function as a substitute for the Middle Dantian."
Only then did the crowd begin bidding.
Even if they harbored doubts about the Bone Desolate Taoist’s appraisal, it mattered little. So long as the artifact performed as stated, reselling it could still yield vast profits.
The Bone Desolate Taoist maintained an inscrutable smile, leaving Li Mo filled with unease.
Li Mo sensed goodwill from the Bone Desolate Taoist, though any connection between the White Bone Sect and the Buddhist Sect suggested they must have noticed the No-Life God Statue.
Perfected Zao Yao visibly relaxed as Li Mo presented no further auction items.
"Auction item, onto the platform."
"A fragment pertaining to a Divine Separation Stage technique."
Perfected Zao Yao’s eyes lit with fervor. He bowed awkwardly, performing a gesture of forced respect. "Your junior, Perfected Zao Yao, humbly calls for the senior to step forth."
He carefully produced a Human Skin Book fragment, personally delivering it to the Bone Desolate Taoist.
The Bone Desolate Taoist scrutinized the fragment for a few breaths before responding, "That’s sufficient. You know the rules of the Enlightenment Conference. State your request."
Perfected Zao Yao greedily replied, "Your junior wishes to ask for..."
"A marriage bond."