Chapter 272: Chapter 38: Spiritual Heat Achievement Technique
"Alright."
When Bone Desolate Taoist agreed, Perfected Zao Yao immediately revealed a blissful smile and started muttering the word "marriage" repeatedly.
"Marriage?"
The Demon Cultivators all wore expressions of confusion, unable to deduce the meaning behind Perfected Zao Yao’s words.
Only Li Mo seemed to be in deep thought.
Although the temples in the mortal world he interacted with were few, he still occasionally received prayers from believers. Most of them revolved around...
Seeking children, marriage, safety, and wealth.
Aside from the No-Life Sect, it was likely the Buddhist Sect that engaged in spreading followers and prayers—could the incoming Divine Separation Stage cultivator be a Buddhist Practitioner?
Li Mo didn’t show his thoughts, but his spirit involuntarily grew tense.
The Brain-Eating Demon wore a terrified expression. Noticing the other Demon Cultivators were captivated by Perfected Zao Yao, he quietly retreated toward the auction house’s exit.
"Damn it, there really is a Divine Separation Stage coming to the Enlightenment Conference."
He had participated in many Enlightenment Conferences, and three hundred years ago witnessed the appearance of a Divine Separation Stage cultivator.
The impression left on the Brain-Eating Demon was indescribably eerie; the sight was impossible to directly gaze upon, evoking a sense of mutated chaos and loss of control.
"Zao Yao must be insane; as a disciple of the Sky Demon Sect, what can’t he have? Why risk gambling with Divine Separation Stage Magic Scroll Fragments for luck?!"
The Brain-Eating Demon faintly remembered, three hundred years ago, a Demon Cultivator named Guan Qiong intentionally took out a Top-Grade Spirit Stone to summon the Divine Separation Stage.
What Guan Qiong Daoist sought was safety.
"Hiss..."
The Brain-Eating Demon sucked in a cold breath; images of Guan Qiong Daoist’s state flashed in his mind. Back then, due to his Death Disease, the latter was already on the edge of collapse.
Before praying for safety, Guan Qiong Daoist was barely recognizable as human.
His flesh and bones distorted hideously, entirely relying on the Divine Separation Stage to suppress the Death Disease.
The Brain-Eating Demon recalled his experiences from three hundred years ago. It seemed that, at the moment of the Divine Separation Stage’s arrival, his consciousness fell into a blank void.
In his fragmented memories, the only thing audible was Guan Qiong Daoist’s pitiful shrieks.
When the Brain-Eating Demon regained awareness, nearly half of the participating Demon Cultivators had died or suffered grievously, with severed limbs and mangled flesh carpeting the ground, the stench of blood overwhelming.
The surviving Demon Cultivators, including himself, were all prostrated in worship.
Guan Qiong Daoist stood in the center; while the uncontrollable Death Disease was indeed suppressed, his mind had descended into a chilling madness.
His abdomen had been cut open, and he cradled his Nascent Soul in both hands, his expression filled with sheer delight.
The Brain-Eating Demon furrowed his brow deeply; ever since the conclusion of that Enlightenment Conference, he hadn’t seen Guan Qiong Daoist again.
It was as if Guan Qiong Daoist had vanished into thin air, his fate unknown.
"Truly wicked—praying for safety nearly wiped out the conference. If someone prays for marriage, what would happen? He’s rushing toward disaster at death’s door."
The Brain-Eating Demon muttered under his breath, and just as he was about to step out of the auction house, his steps paused slightly as Bone Desolate Taoist’s voice reached him.
"Spiritual Heat Achievement Technique, an exceptionally rare dual-cultivation Nascent Soul magic, already at the Divine Separation Stage—alas, slightly incomplete."
"However, with a first-rate Furnace, practicing the Spiritual Heat Achievement Technique can strengthen the foundations of the Nascent Soul. It’s just that..."
"One must be incredibly cautious, or risk self-destruction."
Bone Desolate Taoist tossed the Magic Scroll Fragment onto the branches of the Silver Tree.
The auction item transformed into a Deep Red Agate, causing the Silver Tree to radiate a dazzling glow that became almost overwhelming.
The Demon Cultivators were captivated by the radiant brilliance, their expressions turning dazed and intoxicated.
The Brain-Eating Demon laughed as he turned back, walking slowly to his original position and sitting cross-legged, a flash of resignation in his eyes.
He could feel his Nascent Soul greedily yearning to absorb the treasure’s glow, a faint pain swelling at the back of his head.
While the Brain-Eating Demon could forcefully leave, he was constrained by the fact that his Nascent Soul had descended in White Bone Cave; with one wrong move, his Nascent Soul might mutiny.
The only consolation was that the treasure’s glow did possess subtle effects—it nourished the soul.
The other Nascent Soul Demon Cultivators were in similar states; their Nascent Souls were eager to absorb the glow, resulting in their reluctant entrapment within the auction house.
The Brain-Eating Demon surveyed his surroundings, noting Li Mo’s calm demeanor amidst the chaos in the auction house. His mind filled with disbelief.
Li Mo’s body had unconsciously expanded beyond ten meters to resist the treasure’s radiance, and the Soul-devouring Demon Infant had climbed onto the shoulder of the temple structure.
Compared to the other restless Nascent Souls, the Soul-devouring Demon Infant was docile like a lamb.
Despite being in the most unstable Dead Baby Stage, the Soul-devouring Demon Infant willingly helped Li Mo resist the treasure’s glow without stepping out of line.
"What kind of Taoist Body is this?"
The Brain-Eating Demon took another sharp breath—Taishang Qingtian’s terrifying talent was visible to the naked eye, even causing jealousy in a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator like himself.
A cultivator fully controlling their Nascent Soul signified that Promotion to Nascent Soul Stage was merely a matter of time.
"No wonder the No-Life Mother accepted Taishang Qingtian as her disciple. As long as he doesn’t meet an untimely end, his chances of advancing to the Divine Separation Stage in the future are exceedingly high."
The other Demon Cultivators shared similar views as the Brain-Eating Demon; they became even more cautious of Li Mo.
Perfected Zao Yao remained immersed in his fantasy of the Divine Separation Stage’s arrival. Noticing the Soul-devouring Demon Infant’s aura, he belatedly turned his head to look.
His expression twisted, his heart seething with hatred, contorting his features.
Bone Desolate Taoist paused to gaze at the Soul-devouring Demon Infant perched on Li Mo’s shoulder before speaking admiringly, "Spiritual Heat Achievement Technique—starting bid: twenty thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones. Please place your offers."
"The Spirit Stones will be used to summon the Divine Separation Stage."
"Fellow cultivators, bear witness today to the ultimate Bone Dao."
Li Mo’s heartbeat raced violently, his thoughts centered on the use of the Corpse Immortal Finger. Even if the emerging Divine Separation Stage sought him through the temple structure, he’d have ample time to retreat to the True Void Hometown.
He could sacrifice the temple structure—it didn’t matter.
As long as Li Mo’s true body survived, the temple structure could be resurrected through the No-Life God Statue, and the same went for the Soul-devouring Demon Infant, albeit with weakened foundations.
RUMBLE RUMBLE...
White Bone Cave trembled faintly as the winds churned in midair.
It seemed that the inexplicable Divine Separation Stage was gradually approaching White Bone Cave, and the Demon Cultivators couldn’t help but exhibit fear.
Li Mo manifested his survival trump cards and bid confidently, "Twenty thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones!"
In truth, the Spiritual Heat Achievement Technique wasn’t particularly suited for his Three Nascent Souls.
Given the presence of the Innate Saint, the Nascent Souls mutually complemented each other, their three streams of spiritual power inherently promoting cultivation synergy—dual-cultivation was somewhat redundant.
Li Mo’s primary reason for spending twenty thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones was the technique’s association with the Divine Separation Stage.
The Primordial Dao Seed had a unique characteristic; while it could endlessly digest magic of the same realm, it couldn’t inherently evolve into higher-realm techniques.
However, as long as the Primordial Dao Seed absorbed even a sliver of nourishment from Divine Separation Stage magic, it could leverage its vast accumulation to infer upwards.
The process resembled artificial intelligence from his previous life, making the name "Dao Seed" far from hyperbolic.
Li Mo couldn’t guarantee the Spiritual Heat Achievement Method would enable his Primordial Dao Seed to give rise to Divine Separation Stage magic, but he was sure it would push it further.
Bone Desolate Taoist repeated, "Taishang Qingtian bids twenty thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones."
No one counter-offered; twenty thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones weren’t an amount Nascent Soul Demon Cultivators could casually produce—this sum was roughly the annual income of a mid-sized Demon Sect.
More importantly, none of them wanted to antagonize Taishang Qingtian.
The sheer physical presence of Li Mo’s ten-meter frame, emanating tangible pressure, vividly illustrated the gap in strength felt by the Demon Cultivators.
If the No-Life Sect rose in prominence within the Demon Sect, it was likely that No-Life Mother wouldn’t actively intervene, while the Twelve Immortals would remain securely in True Void Hometown.
This meant Taishang Qingtian would be unequivocally designated as the No-Life Sect Master.
All the Demon Cultivators feared retaliation from the No-Life Sect, watching as Li Mo scooped up a mound of Spirit Stones and claimed the Spiritual Heat Achievement Technique.
Bone Desolate Taoist placed the Spirit Stones at the base of the Silver Tree.
Under the nourishment of spiritual energy, the Silver Tree flourished while White Bone Cave’s vibrations intensified, and a fissure opened at the auction house’s summit.
Li Mo immediately memorized the Spiritual Heat Achievement Technique, wasting no time in tossing the fragment to the Soul-devouring Demon Infant.
The fragment’s content was filled with cryptic ramblings.
If Li Mo were to decipher it himself, he would need to contemplate the profound nuances of the Spiritual Heat Achievement Technique; with the Primordial Dao Seed, however, it took only half a breath.
"Hehehe."
The Soul-devouring Demon Infant let out a piercing laugh, gnashing its needle-like teeth to shred the fragment under the horrified gazes of the Demon Cultivators.
Elder Hua She instinctively felt a flicker of greed, but the fragment was already obliterated.
"Taishang Qingtian, aren’t you afraid of misinterpreting the content?"
Even the simplest Nascent Soul Stage techniques were deeply complex, requiring extensive study. Memorization carried the risk of miscomprehension.
Magic Scroll Fragments were single copies; there wasn’t a second one in existence. How much confidence did Taishang Qingtian have in his own comprehension?
"You..."
Perfected Zao Yao’s twisted face showed disbelief over Li Mo’s destruction of the fragment.
"Perfected Early Death, what—were you planning to get it back?"
Li Mo glanced at Perfected Zao Yao and continued to memorize the techniques he had acquired, ensuring nothing was wasted even if escape became necessary.
He understood Perfected Zao Yao’s intentions—praying for marriage clearly meant attempting to cultivate the Spiritual Heat Achievement Technique. Now, the question was whether the Divine Separation Stage would grant his wish.
If Perfected Zao Yao successfully mastered the Spiritual Heat Achievement Technique, Li Mo was prepared with Fake Magical Treasures.
"You dare—it’s unforgivable!!"
Perfected Zao Yao staggered to his feet, driving his Magic Artifact to approach Li Mo.
At that moment.
The ceiling of the auction house began collapsing, revealing a massive crack. The gray-white sky of the small world spilled into view.
Before anyone could react, a seven-hundred-meter head descended into White Bone Cave.
The Demon Cultivators were consumed by terror—even Li Mo had to strive to resist the overpowering presence of the Divine Separation Stage, catching sight of the visitor through the Candle Dragon.
They bowed involuntarily, falling into prostration.
"Silver..."
Li Mo fought off the compulsion to bow, his thoughts becoming a haze.
No matter how he looked toward the skies, his memory held no images of the Divine Separation Stage.
Whenever he tried to think of it, a single word inexplicably surfaced.
[Silver]
"It seems it really is the Buddhist Sect."
Li Mo closed his eyes tightly. Through his cursory understanding of the Buddhist Sect, he was familiar with a handful of well-known Buddha Bodhisattva names but had a faint recognition of the relevance of Silver.
Silver appeared to be connected to the Buddhist Sect’s Seven Treasures.
Gold, silver, glass, coral, conch, red pearl, agate.
"What do you wish for?"
From overhead, an unctuous voice radiating warmth asked.
Li Mo, however, felt intensely uncomfortable—it reminded him of badly acted TV dramas from his previous life, where male and female characters theatrically exaggerated their dialogues.
"Senior, I only ask for marriage, and mastery of that Spiritual Heat Achievement Technique..."