Li Mo fixed his gaze on the Que Yin Soul, feeling an increasing sense of unfamiliarity.
He secretly rejoiced that the remaining blank pages were sufficient to brand the Three Spirits of the Weak Crown Stage. Otherwise, who knew what hidden flaws might arise?
On the eleventh page, the faint shadow of the Que Yin Soul emerged, yet it still retained the form of a statue.
Under the wash of Mist Fog Spiritual Power, the Que Yin Soul, resembling rocky material, began to show barely noticeable cracks spreading along its surface.
An inexplicable tension rose in Li Mo’s chest.
It was as if an indescribable monster lurked within the Que Yin Soul, waiting for its outer layer to fully erode before bursting forth.
In the manuals on cultivation techniques, there were few mentions of Soul Spirit Light, only vague notes stating that the Three Spirits influence the quality of the Golden Core’s condensation.
After the Creation Book branded the Que Yin Soul, its surface showed no visible changes.
Yet Li Mo still needed to grind away at its layers with painstaking Mist Fog Spiritual Power refinement. The process, however, had noticeably sped up.
"Where is the Divine Skill?"
Li Mo murmured in confusion.
Just then, the Tao Seed within his Middle Dantian began actively absorbing the Que Yin Soul, causing a slight disturbance in the latter before it quickly calmed again.
It was unclear how much time passed before the Que Yin Soul reappeared intact, tucked securely within the Tao Seed.
Li Mo’s eyebrows lifted as he noticed the Tao Seed had become a cage for the Que Yin Soul, with countless inscriptions binding it like shackles.
Though branding the Que Yin Soul had yet to push him into the Middle Weak Crown Stage, the mere fact that the Tao Seed could prevent the Soul from losing control was already enough.
It would likely be only when the Que Yin Soul was completely subdued that a Divine Skill would be born.
Li Mo even suspected that after advancing to the Thirty Years Old Stage, the Tao Seed might merge with his Golden Core to form a Blood and Flesh Golden Core.
"What a pity—grinding down the outer layer of the Soul takes so much time and energy."
Suppressing his stray thoughts, Li Mo steadied his mind.
Having only been in the Foundation Establishment Stage for four or five years and without the aid of Corpse Oil Wax, advancing to the Middle Weak Crown Stage too quickly would undoubtedly draw Tian Changwen’s attention—an unnecessary risk.
Li Mo resumed his meditation. Recent days saw fewer cultivators coming for his healing services; this likely meant Tian Changwen’s probing of the Beast Calamity situation was nearing its conclusion.
In the following days, the movements of the Calligraphy and Painting Hall became more frequent, seemingly heading towards Cai Market.
The Human Bear Demonic Beast at Cai Market inflicted primarily slashing injuries.
Previous groups of cultivators sent to scout had mostly returned unharmed, yet the true body of the Human Bear Demonic Beast remained elusive.
Li Mo had heard this from Ma Weigong but had no further specifics.
On his way to Cai Market, he decided to mull over the refinement of Corpse Mountain, but he soon noticed something was amiss.
The Calligraphy and Painting Hall should not be far from Cai Market—otherwise, sending in injured cultivators from time to time would be far too inconvenient.
Yet, after walking for over ten minutes, could it be they had strayed from the predetermined route?
Without letting his thoughts show, Li Mo maintained a calm, meditative posture. Meanwhile, the Ghost Tiger silently emerged from his skin and slithered into the shadows to keep watch.
The Poison Bees reversed their Insectification, transforming into barely visible motes of Micro Dust.
The Calligraphy and Painting Hall began to decelerate, striking and shattering several massive rocks along the way before coming to a standstill in an endless expanse of thick fog, where silence reigned.
The motes of Micro Dust floated with the wind.
It felt as though eyes hidden in the darkness were persistently scrutinizing the Calligraphy and Painting Hall.
Li Mo’s muscles tensed. The moment he sensed the gaze falling on him, he pressed his arms against the ground and leapt into the air without hesitation.
A drop of blood hovered mid-air, soon giving rise to growing chunks of flesh and tissue.
In less than half a breath, two ashen, grotesque arms, each over two meters long, took shape, covered in bulging veins and exuding the pungent stench of lime.
Li Mo noticed the pale arms were riddled with intricate slashing wounds, indicating the caster had recently been to Cai Market.
Or perhaps... they were still there at this very moment?
The pale arms clapped together in a fierce strike aimed at Li Mo, unleashing a furious gust of wind.
Li Mo’s face darkened, yet he deftly dodged as though forewarned. Simultaneously, he used his spiritual tablet to communicate with An Gang, wary of a potential Puppet Cultivator ambush.
The Ghost Tiger seized the opportunity to lunge from the shadows, its saber-like teeth sinking into one of the pale arms. Under its frenzied gnawing, the left arm snapped into three segments.
The remaining right arm ceased holding back, its skin bubbling with cysts that rapidly decayed before exploding into a slurry of flesh.
A sharp hand bone shot through the meat slurry.
The speed was so tremendous that Li Mo could only manage to catch a faint afterimage.
"I’ve marked you. Don’t think for a moment that you can escape."
Li Mo’s eyes gleamed with cold determination as golden-hued scale armor covered his raised right arm, exuding the unique Sha energy of the Golden Toad.
His right arm’s muscles swelled, transforming into a scaled-down version of the Golden Toad’s limbs.
Rather than dodging, Li Mo boldly seized the incoming hand bone, enduring the attack head-on before redirecting the leftover force to slam the ground.
The ground caved in, reducing the furnishings of the Calligraphy and Painting Hall to splinters.
From the force of his punch alone, the Hall sank three inches into the stone wall, a testament to the incredible strength bestowed by the Paoxiao Swallowing Body.
Waves of energy rippled outward, suspending countless fragments mid-air as they coalesced into a tornado with each of Li Mo’s breaths.
The stealthy tactic clearly indicated the Puppet Cultivator wasn’t even near the Calligraphy and Painting Hall.
Li Mo stashed the hand bone into the Evergreen Tree and squinted as he scanned his surroundings.
The spiritual tablet continued buzzing with updates. An Gang instructed Li Mo to buy time and prioritize his own safety, while also identifying the assailant.
Li Mo dismissed the Hui Qingyi form.
He strode into the courtyard and gazed up at one side of the eaves. Though seemingly empty, he was certain someone was watching him silently.
"Master Duomu, is it? This isn’t over. I’ll be coming for you."
Master Duomu was a Daoist of the Mixed Grain Shop. Recently, he’d risen to the position of Manager by killing the previous Manager.
His cultivation had reached the Middle Weak Crown Stage, and he was once renowned for his Eye Magic. However, after transitioning to Multi-limb Techniques, he hadn’t made a public move since.
Li Mo sensed the gaze fade. Clearly, Master Duomu’s techniques had significant limitations and couldn’t be deployed repeatedly in a short span.
Still, Li Mo suspected the Puppet Cultivators had placed a bounty on his head.
The specifics were unknown, but the reward was undoubtedly tempting; otherwise, Master Duomu wouldn’t have acted so recklessly.
Tian Changwen was juggling the control of thousands of pawns while also planning subsequent moves—he couldn’t possibly pay constant attention to the Calligraphy and Painting Hall.
Li Mo’s right arm ached subtly, the mixture of blood, flesh, and metallic spiritual power gradually being filtered by his multi-layered Dantian.
It was also Li Mo’s first attempt to integrate a Tattooed Beast into his body. While it did allow him to borrow some of its strength, the blood and flesh consumption was immense.
Moreover, the embedded location required a Beast Head Tattoo as a medium.
Put simply, only his four limbs and left shoulder were viable for Tattoo Beastification. Nonetheless, the Golden Toad Transformation proved invaluable in dire situations.
Yet Tattooed Beasts instinctively fed on the flesh of their host. Were it not for the protection of his three Innate Taoist Bodies, he might not have withstood the rapid blood and flesh loss.
A trembling sensation reached him as the Government Office’s structures encircled the Calligraphy and Painting Hall.
"Li Mo, you alright?"
An Gang was startled by the near-destruction of the Calligraphy and Painting Hall but relaxed upon seeing Li Mo safe and sound.
He couldn’t help but be struck with awe—Li Mo’s aura seemed transformed yet again. Upon close scrutiny, it held a menacing Sha energy that struck unease.
"Let’s leave here first."
Li Mo nodded at An Gang, who immediately contacted Tian Changwen.
The Government Office’s fortified structures shielded the Calligraphy and Painting Hall, traversing the jagged mountain paths with ease as they moved toward Cai Market.
Before long, Cai Market’s silhouette began to emerge faintly through the dense fog.
The once-pristine gate of gray stone was now smeared with decayed flesh and blood, its inscription painted in blood-red strokes that exuded a chilling air.
From a distance, Li Mo could see changes in the execution racks within the market.
But the thick fog, laced with an unknown spiritual power, made it impossible to discern the true state of the Beast Calamity within Cai Market.
Tian Changwen had clearly shifted his focus to Cai Market, where structures were arranged in an orderly fashion.
The Calligraphy and Painting Hall was placed at the central hub, reflecting the almost Fake Core Stage-level treatment Li Mo received from the Beast Cultivators.
"Li Mo, how exactly did Master Duomu target you?"
An Gang hurried into the Calligraphy and Painting Hall alongside Xu Hu, searching for signs of Master Duomu. However, all the destruction led back to Li Mo.
Cai Market was guarded by An Gang, a Fake Core Stage practitioner, and Xu Hu, the fully Perfect Weak Crown Stage Manager of the Miscellaneous Hall.
Hu Wen should be handling a tougher Inner Sect Beast alongside Qingfang Taoist elsewhere since the disruptions caused by the Human Bear Demonic Beast at Cai Market were relatively mild, estimated at a Middle Weak Crown Stage threat.
"I’m not entirely sure..."
Li Mo shared his suspicions with the two of them, suggesting that Master Duomu might very well be hiding somewhere in Cai Market, utilizing a method for long-distance spellcasting.
"Most likely, I’ll personally go into Cai Market. You can accompany me—inside, it’s actually safer than outside in some ways."
Li Mo hesitated before responding. Instead, he tactfully probed for more information about the situation inside Cai Market while inviting injured cultivators into the yard for treatment.
The wounded cultivators seemed hesitant at first, mainly because the ominous energy surrounding Li Mo had not yet dissipated. His eyes retained a glint of murderous resolve directed toward Master Duomu.
Even with his face devoid of expression, to the cultivators, he resembled a butcher wielding a cleaver, ready to break them down like livestock.
For a moment, no one stepped into the Calligraphy and Painting Hall. The atmosphere fell into silence.
"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist of Mountain and Sea."
Finally, Qingming Daozi pushed through the crowd. Her chest and abdomen bore several open slash wounds, wherein twisted earthworms wriggled visibly.
She had chosen not to stay behind at Duozhi Mountain. Though engaging with the Beast Calamity appeared more perilous, it revealed her deeper insight compared to ordinary cultivators.
"It’s nothing serious."
In just a few deft movements, Li Mo mended Qingming Daozi’s injuries.
Seeing this, the other cultivators finally dared to step forward, all of whom Li Mo treated without rejection, relying on his Eight-Armed Spine Nerve to handle multiple patients simultaneously.
The contribution points practically flowed in free of effort.
Through subtle inquiry, he learned that yet another batch of Weak Crown Stage cultivators had entered Cai Market. Whether or not they could find the true body of the Demonic Beast, An Gang would lead a team into the market to clear out the Beast Calamity.
"Senior An, don’t you think a few Mid-grade Magic Artifacts or extra defensive Daoist robes would come in handy? Facing Demonic Beasts directly is far too risky otherwise."
Seeing Li Mo’s opportunistic tone, An Gang reluctantly nodded and said, "Four Mid-grade defensive-type Magic Artifacts, refined to the Three Refinements level."
"No problem! I’ll have them ready within five days."
Li Mo calculated his contribution points, realizing he was close to being able to exchange for Corpse Oil Wax.
Apparently, Corpse Oil Wax was extremely effective at wearing away the outer layer of the soul, though it carried risks of damaging oneself and could only be used once every five years.
While refining artifacts, Li Mo also gathered extensive information about Cai Market.
"It seems... what An Gang said might actually be true—inside is indeed safer than outside."