Chapter 224: Chapter 84: Heavenly Person 5 Declines and Heavenly Person 7 Orifices
The drawbacks of the Heavenly Five Decays are evident, and the Five Phase Souls gradually produce negative effects.
If the Heavenly Five Decays are acquired after birth, Ashen would have died prematurely from birth defects. Innate Taoist Body, however, would not harm itself.
But the ones who suffer are naturally Ashen’s close friends and relatives.
If Ashen had a Spirit Root, as long as he started cultivating, he could control the Heavenly Five Decays at will. Unfortunately, at that time, he wasn’t even a Five Spirits Root.
Originally thought he could gain the protection of the Immortal Sect, but ended up with the fate of a scattered soul.
After Li Mo imprinted the Heavenly Five Decays, an anomaly emerged in the somewhat barren Mud Pill Palace—different from the usual Three Souls and Seven Spirits, the "Five Phase Souls" began to take shape.
By observing the Heavenly Five Decays, he quickly understood the role of the Taoist Body.
The Five Phase Souls were composed of five types of "Decaying Souls," and their appearances were diverse.
They are:
The [Spirit Decline Soul], which drains Spiritual Power, resembling barnacles clinging to a reef.
The [Body Decline Soul], which decays the flesh, resembling lumps swelling on corpse skin.
The [Qiao Decline Soul], which closes pores, resembling an eyeball without pupils.
The [Soul Decline Soul], which scatters souls, resembling smoke formed by countless mouths.
The [Desire Waning Soul], which unbalances desires, resembling a heap of severed human heads shaped into an artificial mountain.
The Five Phase Souls are bizarre, but when Li Mo considered his own strange and inexplicable Three Souls and Seven Spirits, he didn’t find the Five Phase Souls overly exaggerated.
"Sigh..."
Logically, the Heavenly Five Decays should be infinitely useful, yet he couldn’t help but sigh.
In ancient cultivation civilizations, the Heavenly Five Decays was indeed a superior Taoist Body, capable of eliminating opponents without leaving a trace. However, after the cosmic upheaval experienced by the later cultivation world, the paradigm shifted.
Leakless Body is an example—something that used to prolong life and enhance cultivation efficiency but now feels somewhat obsolete.
The same applies to the Heavenly Five Decays.
Against post-apocalyptic cultivators ravaged by Death Disease, where even their souls don’t belong to themselves, the Decaying Souls’ erosion proves significantly weaker.
For instance, some Artifact Cultivators, even if their bodies were rotten, as long as the Melting Furnace endured, it mattered little.
With Da Ai Mi Tian by his side, Li Mo could silently deploy the Heavenly Five Decays, yet its effectiveness might not even surpass a straightforward punch.
His expression revealed mixed emotions.
Fortunately, the integration of the Heavenly Five Decays with the Heavenly Human Seven Apertures Taoist Body allowed the Golden Core Nascent Soul to devour the Five Phase Souls, achieving significant transformation.
However, its exact mysteries would only become apparent during the Nascent Soul Stage.
The Heavenly Human Seven Apertures refer to the Mud Pill Palace, the Lower Dantian, and five Middle Dantians.
Li Mo currently possessed Multiple Dantians and a Melting Furnace. To complete the three remaining Middle Dantians would allow him to transform into a Heavenly Human Seven Apertures.
Each Middle Dantian aligns perfectly with one Decaying Soul.
"It’s hard to imagine what kind of Externalized Dharma Body might emerge during the Divine Separation Stage..."
The Five Phase Souls would take another half year to fully form, at which point they could integrate with the Taoist Body.
As for the fact that Li Mo had not yet transformed into a Heavenly Human Seven Apertures, it was of little concern; he could gradually increase the number of Middle Dantians to complete the Taoist Body over time.
Li Mo tried to withdraw his hand, but something felt off—the flesh wall began actively encasing him, affecting his Five Senses.
His mind inevitably grew a bit disoriented.
The sound of birds chirping arose; the bloodstained scent in his nostrils dissipated, replaced by the fragrance of sandalwood.
"What the hell?!!"
The grotesque flesh-melting cave before Li Mo’s eyes warped madly.
Vibrant greenery came into view, with buildings formed from Daoist temples situated atop mountain ridges. The dazzling sunlight poured down on him.
From the crowd’s chatter to the sight of Taoists bustling between temples, Li Mo comprehended: it was the work of the Mother Furnace.
"An illusionary realm?"
"The Mother Furnace’s illusionary realm!!!"
Li Mo immediately recognized the surrounding architecture; it perfectly mirrored Zone 10, including structures like "Doushuai Temple," "Collection Hall," and "Artifact Hall."
Li Mo noticed he had shrunk in stature, his left hand brushing his features; he realized he had taken Ashen’s identity as a servant disciple.
The illusionary realm before him resembled the true Eleventh District.
Mother Furnace had recreated the history of the ancient Sub-Device Sect within the illusion—an era predating the sect’s move to the Outer Heaven Meteorite Crater.
Li Mo even spotted the figure of Luo Chen Daoist, confirming that Great Mothers could live within this fabricated world.
A fleeting panic struck him.
A mental transmission from Mu Daoist urged Li Mo not to reveal himself, indicating Mu Daoist was likewise deep within the illusion, hidden among the Taoists.
However, Li Mo quickly realized how he might escape the illusion.
Li Mo recollected his experience at the Heart Beast Black Market involving the "Iron Cauldron Secret Realm."
While the Iron Cauldron Secret Realm differed from the Eleventh District, its essence lay in influencing the Five Senses to draw individuals inside.
Li Mo couldn’t comprehend why the Sub-Device Sect had created such a secret realm, nor why the key to entering was Metal Poison.
In hindsight.
The Iron Cauldron Secret Realm might have been devised by certain Nascent Soul Great Powers seeking to crack the Eleventh District, releasing the secret realm across various black markets for experimentation.
"Wait..."
Li Mo’s brow furrowed. Could the top-grade Spirit Stone discovered in the Iron Cauldron Secret Realm also have been a scheme?
After all, Artifact Cultivators couldn’t escape Mother Furnace’s influence and would inevitably search for escape methods.
Holding the top-grade Spirit Stone, the rebellious Penglai Old Taoist—by seizing possession of certain insects and leveraging the Spirit Stone’s power—barely managed to escape Mother Furnace’s control.
Subsequent Artifact Cultivator investigations into the Iron Cauldron Secret Realm weren’t for the Spirit Stone’s value at all, but to determine whether Penglai Old Taoist was still alive.
Li Mo felt a pang of embarrassment.
But possession-seizing certainly wasn’t viable; achieving Great Mother status was even more ridiculous. The Sub-Device Sect was already trapped in deep mud.
"Heaven and Earth Profound Sect, Primordial Qi, cultivating throughout infinite calamities, affirming my Divine Skills."
"Beyond the Three Realms, only the Dao reigns supreme, the body shines with Golden Light..."
The morning sun hung high.
During the ancient Sub-Device Sect’s morning lessons, the Daoist children’s chants came in waves.
Using his peripheral vision, Li Mo scanned his surroundings, recognizing common features between the Taoists here and the faces embedded in the flesh walls outside.
Some Taoists observed the servant disciple-attired Li Mo standing motionless, directing puzzled glances toward him.
Li Mo didn’t know the consequences of revealing himself within the illusion and preferred avoiding trouble.
He lowered his head and blended into the crowd, hastily weaving through various Daoist temples using Creation Book’s memories until he reached a secluded spot by the mountain gate.
Li Mo picked up a fragment of stone and covertly activated Paoxiao Swallowing Body.
Back in the Iron Cauldron Secret Realm, he had escaped by neutralizing Metal Poison. While the Eleventh District posed greater challenges, Paoxiao Swallowing Body was considerably more potent now.
"Hiss..."
Li Mo felt an unfamiliar pain spreading from his arm. Within moments, the illusion vanished, returning him to the cold melting cave.
He maintained his posture, fingers still brushing the flesh wall.
The flesh wall extended tendrils, stabbing into his arm’s pores, turning his skin a purplish-red marked with acne-like bumps.
When Paoxiao Swallowing Body took effect, the tendrils retracted automatically.
Li Mo shook his arm, the numb pain creeping up to his shoulder before Da Ai Mi Tian intervened to wash the discomfort away.
Ghost Tiger nervously eyed Li Mo; had Li Mo delayed his awakening any longer, it would have forcibly pulled him from Zone 10.
"It’s okay."
Li Mo reassured Ghost Tiger while opening his palm.
What he saw was the stone he had picked up in the illusionary realm.
Only the stone was now made of flesh, emitting weak phosphorescence, writhing faintly.
Li Mo’s expression fluctuated wildly, his gaze fixed on the stone. Despite whispers from Three Mountains and the restlessness of Human Face due to his exposed presence, he remained still.
"Damn it, looks like I’ll have to make a trip to the Eleventh District?"
If he could extract the Taoist Body out of the illusionary realm, he might obtain a complete corpse.
Immortal Body Mortal, Six Qi Devouring, Body of No Life...
Li Mo didn’t want to pass up this treasure trove. Who knew how many heinous deeds Chen Tiangang committed back then to collect Taoist Bodies? Today, opportunities like this were nearly impossible to come by.
After all, the modern cultivation world didn’t require Spirit Roots; for Immortal Sects, Taoist Bodies were simply resources.
"I’ll give it a try. As long as I resist the illusionary realm’s control, there shouldn’t be too much risk."
Determined, Li Mo once again placed his hand against the flesh wall and dropped into the illusionary realm.
This time, however, the Eleventh District was shrouded in night, indicating a significant time disparity. Time within the illusion advanced at least ten times faster than outside.
Li Mo sought a hidden spot to meditate and immerse in sensations.
He discovered he couldn’t access Spiritual Power but could still use his Taoist Body and manipulate Da Ai Mi Tian, his innate fake magical treasure.
Though troublesome, self-defense wasn’t an issue.
"Ashen, it’s already midnight. What are you doing outside the servants’ quarters?"
An older Taoist approached Li Mo, his horsetail whisk emitting a faint glow characteristic of a Magic Artifact.
Through Creation Book’s memories, Li Mo recognized the Taoist’s identity and feigned panic as he replied, "Elder Songpo, this disciple was... answering nature’s call at night..."
Li Mo deliberately chose the quarters used by servants when entering the illusion, minimizing any inconsistencies in his conduct.
Elder Songpo wasn’t suspicious and didn’t delve into the matter of Li Mo relieving himself, "Alright, if there’s nothing else, return to the quarters."
With a flick of his horsetail whisk, Elder Songpo headed off toward the secluded Supreme Furnace for meditation.
Li Mo stood before the servant quarters, noticing two or three dozen servant disciples fast asleep on the communal bedding, nearly all possessing Acquired Dao Bodies.
He silently waited outside.
A moment later, without invoking Paoxiao Swallowing Body, the fog of unconsciousness enveloped him once more. Upon reopening his eyes, he found himself back in the melting cave.
He had set a predetermined time for Red Fox to interrupt the process and pull him out, thus ensuring dual safeguards against being trapped in the illusionary realm. At worst, he could simply sacrifice his arm.
Simultaneously, he realized that while immersed in the illusionary realm, he could accelerate the formation of the Heavenly Five Decays.
Li Mo’s mind raced.
To prevent the flesh wall from excessively corroding his body, he would periodically need to leave the realm, making it impossible to maintain his servant disciple’s identity.
Li Mo murmured, "I need to extricate myself somehow. Perhaps hiding within a statue, like I did back at Black Wind Ridge, might work."
Unfortunately, the Taoists in the illusion were far from the mindless Deceit Beasts, leaving very little room for manipulation.
As Li Mo pondered deeply, a peculiar idea suddenly dawned upon him. He unconsciously licked his lips, his expression becoming increasingly strange.