Chapter 218: Chapter 78: Small World in the Palm
After the transformation of Corpse Mountain, its aura became more restrained, but anyone who laid eyes on it would feel that this entity was far from ordinary.
The Five Elements and Yin-Yang Spirit Patterns had fused within the Magical Treasure, becoming completely tranquil, to the extent that even Divine Sense could hardly detect them.
Li Mo, however, relied solely on his photographic memory to remember them.
The most ingenious aspect of this Divine Skill was that he could recall every detail of the Spirit Patterns, and even brain injuries wouldn’t affect his memory.
"Huff."
Li Mo let out a long breath, causing the temperature in the Artifact Refining Room to soar above fifty degrees, while his own body temperature plummeted dramatically.
He continued pouring water over his head; the rapid swelling of his brain had already made an unpleasant brain marrow liquid flow from his nasal cavity.
If he persisted any longer, his skull might suffer damage.
Once his body stabilized, Li Mo closed his eyes and immersed himself in the profundity of the Spirit Patterns, allowing the Dao Rhythms on the surface of his two Golden Cores to start flowing.
"What a tremendous profit..."
These Spirit Patterns likely weren’t merely intended for crafting Magical Treasures; they might connect to a higher plane.
For someone in the Core Formation Stage like Li Mo to forcibly master two top-grade Spirit Patterns, the benefits were beyond description, leaving him ecstatic.
Nonetheless, with his current level of understanding, he couldn’t yet discern the true essence of the Spirit Patterns.
He had no choice but to let it rest for now.
Li Mo shifted his attention back to Corpse Mountain. A low-grade Magical Treasure was enough to serve as the Taoist inheritance of a mid-sized sect, while small sects wouldn’t dare touch Magical Treasures.
Possession begets guilt, as the saying goes.
Without exaggeration, the value of Corpse Mountain vastly surpassed that of the Heart Beast Sect.
The Spirit Patterns embedded within Corpse Mountain were superior—the top-grade "Five Elements" and "Yin-Yang" patterns—even capable of provoking contention among cultivators in the Divine Separation Stage.
Although Li Mo cherished it dearly, he understood that Corpse Mountain could only remain a prized possession for dire emergencies; not even danger could justify casual use.
Of course, with his current cultivation level, he was unable to wield Corpse Mountain effectively anyway.
Li Mo belatedly turned his attention to examine Corpse Mountain.
His first impression was shock and awe.
Previously, Corpse Mountain was covered in vegetation and wildlife, with the Sun and Moon cycling, but to Li Mo, it felt more like an elaborate bonsai simulation.
In essence, during its Magic Artifact stage, Corpse Mountain’s ecological environment relied entirely on its own balance.
Now, with the Spirit Patterns complete, Corpse Mountain exuded a sense of natural perfection. Its environment remained intricate yet showed no trace of discord.
Its flora had undergone hundreds of cycles of birth and decay, becoming extraordinarily adaptive to the environment.
The most striking aspect was the majestic grandeur surrounding Corpse Mountain, akin to the imposing presence of famous peaks—a heaviness born only from the sedimentation of time.
Although Li Mo had been refining Corpse Mountain for decades, this was the first moment he truly felt like he was presiding over a miniature world.
"In a mustard seed lies Sumeru; Sumeru, vast and lofty, mustard seed, infinitesimally small—how could a Sumeru Mountain fit within a mustard seed..."
Li Mo scrutinized Corpse Mountain with exquisite detail, an expression of faint wonder appearing on his face.
Just after its ascent to a Magical Treasure, the living beings within Corpse Mountain began rudimentary cultivation, with its first "cultivator" being no more than an ordinary spiritual material.
The shadow of an overhanging Yin Moon spilled faint moonlight on the land, eliciting faint rustlings echoing from within the mountainscape.
"Hm."
A low-grade spiritual material resembling a human head—the He Shouwu—emerged from the soil.
The He Shouwu’s thickest roots had transformed into limbs, while its remaining tendrils resembled facial hair, resembling the gruesome visage of a middle-aged man’s head.
Compelled by instinct, it hid atop a tree branch, mouth agape, greedily absorbing streams of Yin Attribute Spiritual Energy.
Under the cleansing of Yin Spiritual Energy, the medicinal potency of the He Shouwu steadily increased, with its root-like limbs showing signs of transitioning into human-like hands.
Meanwhile, the He Shouwu emitted a faint, burgeoning spiritual power.
"Fascinating."
From Li Mo’s Core Formation perspective, although the spiritual power from He Shouwu had only barely reached the initial stage of Qi Cultivation, it could definitely be classified as First Level of Puberty.
The He Shouwu seemed aware of its ongoing transformation, its root-like "arms" waving joyfully.
Yet it remained oblivious to the slow approach of a vibrantly colorful venomous snake, which extended its blood vessel-shaped tongue from within its mouth.
Being fundamentally fragile as a spiritual material, the addition of spiritual power could not strengthen its feeble physical body, leaving it as little more than a feast for mundane predators.
Should the venomous snake devour the He Shouwu, Corpse Mountain’s initial cultivator would lose its place immediately.
"My intent was not to intervene in Corpse Mountain’s natural order, but since fate has intertwined our paths..."
Li Mo drew the He Shouwu out into the external world, where it fell into the stifling heat of the Artifact Refining Room, its stems and leaves wilting almost instantly.
"Hm."
The He Shouwu scurried about the room in panic until it spotted Li Mo meditating cross-legged. It immediately cupped its two stubby "hands," bowing and pleading for mercy.
Li Mo noticed that spiritual materials possessing spiritual power could briefly exist in the outside world, albeit at the cost of continuously draining their spiritual energy.
Once the spiritual energy was exhausted, the He Shouwu would revert to lifeless matter devoid of spiritual wisdom.
"You’re a sprightly little thing, so let me give you a stroke of fortune."
Li Mo laughed heartily.
Though the He Shouwu’s appearance was decidedly grotesque, the more he gazed at it, the more endearing it seemed, inspiring him to help extend its lifespan.
Li Mo generously imbued the He Shouwu with ten years’ worth of Nourishing Yuan Fruit medicinal efficacy.
Ravines textured its rudimentary face, its teeth sharpened noticeably, and its wiry roots thickened, resembling the arms of a newborn infant.
In an instant, it had ascended from being a low-grade spiritual material to a mid-grade spiritual material.
Bear in mind, He Shouwu itself was an exceptionally common herb; rising to the status of a low-grade spiritual material under Corpse Mountain’s nurture was already a remarkable stroke of luck.
Only someone like Li Mo would squander Innate Essence to nurture it—a decision that bordered on reckless extravagance.
After absorbing the medicinal efficacy of the Nourishing Yuan Fruit, the He Shouwu prostrated itself before Li Mo, knocking its "head" against the ground in a frenzy of gratitude.
"It is said that Zhang Guo, one of the Eight Immortals, consumed a millennium-old He Shouwu to ascend to immortality."
"Hence, I shall name you Zhang Guo."
Though the He Shouwu couldn’t understand Li Mo’s words, the name "Zhang Guo" was etched within its consciousness through telepathic transmission.
Li Mo returned the He Shouwu to Corpse Mountain; whether it survived from then on would depend entirely on its own fate.
After all, the medicinal potency of the Nourishing Yuan Fruit enhanced its potential but did little to bolster its combat abilities.
In merely the brief moments it took Li Mo to impart fortune upon the He Shouwu within Corpse Mountain, dozens of spiritual materials and animals had already embarked on their path of cultivation.
Unfortunately, these cultivators within Corpse Mountain’s limited realm would quickly lose their cultivation upon entering the external world.
Li Mo also realized that spiritual materials absorbing spiritual energy became grotesque, but the animals followed a similar pattern.
Through cultivation, the beasts transformed directly into Deceit Beasts.
Li Mo could only shake his head in resignation.
"Who knows how many corpses Corpse Mountain has devoured? A touch of eerie aesthetic is only natural."
Watching Zhang Guo slip cautiously into the jungle, suddenly overcome with clarity and ready to seek a better location for absorbing spiritual energy, Li Mo mused.
This microcosmic realm of Corpse Mountain—who among its denizens would eventually rise above the rest?
Li Mo ceased paying further attention to Corpse Mountain. His Primordial Dao Seed had fully processed its gains, and the Hammer Anvil artifact creation technique had greatly benefited from the fusion of Dual Spirit Patterns.
Drawing upon his own moisture reserves, Li Mo activated the Hammer Anvil technique to its fullest extent, aiming to determine if it could produce the Magic Artifact Catalog essential for crafting Magical Treasures.
As his body’s water content dwindled at an alarming rate, his frame shriveled and dried like a desiccated husk.
[Soul Spirit Patterns]
[Using human blood as ink, human bone as a pen, and human soul as a medium, one can engrave Soul Spirit Patterns onto corresponding Hundred Refinements Magic Artifacts.]
Li Mo stared in stunned silence as a flood of information about Soul Spirit Patterns surged through his mind, along with the techniques to inscribe them.
He was both thrilled and astonished, but quickly noticed that the Soul Spirit Pattern he had fostered was merely one-third complete.
Magical Treasure Spirit Patterns fell into two categories. The first type, like those of Corpse Mountain, are innately manifested and can be nourished by external forces. The second type are refined post-creation by an Artifact Refiner and cannot be supplemented even with the Nourishing Yuan Fruit’s efficacy.
Li Mo’s incomplete Soul Spirit Pattern could at best fabricate Quasi-Magical Treasures; it would require manual completion as a post-creation Spirit Pattern.
Realizing this, Li Mo discerned the connection between the Hammer Anvil technique and his memories. The Soul Spirit Pattern stemmed from the Soul Banner.
Due to his limited understanding of the Soul Banner, the Spirit Pattern remained incomplete. He acknowledged he could construct it fully in the future by slaying more Demon Cultivators.
It appeared that Soul Spirit Patterns were exclusively tied to artifacts associated with the Soul Banner lineage.
For instance, artifacts like the Multi-Armed Spider Demon Spine Bone.
The Soul Spirit Pattern, while not classified as top-quality, still warranted a position in the mid-to-lower category.
After replenishing his moisture reserves, Li Mo impatiently applied the Hammer Anvil technique once more, birthing another Spirit Pattern even more incomplete than before:
[Blood Flesh Spirit Patterns]
[Using the blood of young children as ink, fresh spines as a pen, and the blood of thousand-year-old elders as a medium, one can engrave Blood Flesh Spirit Patterns onto corresponding Hundred Refinements Magic Artifacts.]
The Blood Flesh Spirit Pattern had clearly derived from Da Ai Mi Tian, falling under the category of low-grade Spirit Patterns.
While Spirit Patterns directly influenced a Magical Treasure’s power, its potential remained unaffected. Even low-grade Spirit Patterns used in crafting Magical Treasures could spark pursuits from Divine Separation Stage cultivators.
Interestingly, the broad applicability of Blood Flesh Spirit Patterns made it more versatile.
Virtually any Hundred Refinements Magic Artifact constructed from blood and flesh could host these engravings, indicating that the higher the quality of Spirit Patterns, the greater the difficulty of meeting the engraving requirements.
Of course, at Li Mo’s current cultivation level, attempting Spirit Pattern engraving was premature.
He estimated he’d need to achieve the Nascent Crying Stage before making progress.
After a brief respite, Li Mo attempted activating the Hammer Anvil technique again, but it failed to produce any new Spirit Patterns.
Despite over a century of Artifact Refining experience and extensive study of texts, Li Mo had only managed to piece together two incomplete mid-to-lower tier Spirit Patterns.
The path of Artifact Refining seemed like an endless ocean, while he was but a single drop of water within it.
With about two years left in the confines of the Artifact Refining Room, Li Mo delved into the further refinement of the Multi-Armed Spider Demon Spine Bone.
Considering the artifact’s potential to ascend into a Quasi-Magical Treasure, it was undoubtedly worth conducting Hundred Refinements.
Fortunately, the aftermath of Corpse Mountain’s evolution had produced a batch of top-grade spiritual materials, more than sufficient for Hundred Refinements.
Li Mo’s understanding of Spirit Patterns had elevated his craft considerably, allowing him to execute Hundred Refinements with ease.
What would have normally taken two years to complete, he accomplished with half a month of spare time left.
Through Hundred Refinements, the Multi-Armed Spider Demon Spine Bone gained the ability to indefinitely divide its limbs, with human-like eyes embedded within the palms of its extensions.
Whether for combat or as an auxiliary tool for Artifact Refining, this artifact now stood as a rare, top-quality Magic Artifact.
After ten years of seclusion, the massive statue showed faint hints of life, though it still lingered between death and survival, drawing devout Artifact Cultivators to kneel and worship it incessantly.
Without a hint of lingering sentiment, Li Mo summoned the Taiyin Law Heaven and departed the Doushuai Temple.
He navigated his cavern toward the source of the Phosphor Special Page, while casually scanning Zone 10 for any concentration of corpses.
Though Li Mo harbored fears concerning Phosphorescence, he had already tasted the spoils from the Raiding Page. Worst-case scenario, he could maintain his distance and slowly piece together the Special Page.
What sort of marvels might the Phosphorescence birthed from Outer Heaven yield in the Special Page?