The Corpse Worm Eggs are as small as micro dust, and without the Creation Book, no cultivators could possibly detect such things within their souls.
As for why the souls of later generations have been replaced by Corpse Worm Eggs, it might not be unveiled until Li Mo attains immortality and enlightenment.
The cultivation journey is laced with peculiarity, the Nine Tribulation Death Disease that symbolizes immortality—does it eventually lead to the immortal path, or is it an unspoken dead end?
Li Mo gazed at the Creation Book for a moment, noticing that the Corpse Worm Eggs were starting to show signs of hatching.
Simultaneously, the Mist Fog Spiritual Power in the Middle Dantian continued to transform, commencing a new cycle of liquefaction, creating vast emptiness in the Middle Dantian.
Li Mo exhaled deeply.
As a Cultivator at the Weak Crown Middle Stage, pondering over the secrets of body and soul was less urgent than figuring out how to solve the predicament at Cai Market.
He closed his eyes to perceive the changes following his promotion.
The most notable difference was that the Mist Fog Spiritual Power, after further compression, had reduced consumption when casting spells, making the use of Mid-grade Magic Artifacts easier.
Li Mo could even plan the subsequent refinement of the Corpse Mountain.
The Corpse Worm Eggs were slowly hatching, and as the outer shell shed, a crystalline worm emerged with mysterious characters identical to those of the Tao Seed appearing on its body.
The Divine Skills of the Sparrow Yin Soul were being nurtured.
[Prosperity Through Grain]
Li Mo did not have time to thoroughly investigate the usefulness of Prosperity Through Grain, as his attention shifted back to cultivation advancement, with the Three Path Body performing a thorough cleansing of his own flesh and bones.
This illustrates the difference between having a Taoist Body and not having one.
Perhaps it’s not apparent at lower realms, but as cultivation advances, the foundation shaped by a Taoist Body will only grow stronger.
The Creation Book granted Li Mo unlimited possibilities.
He exhaled a breath of turbid air, a joyful expression on his face, as the relationship of the Sparrow Yin Soul in charge of Essence made the two Nourishing Spirit Branches condensed by the Paoxiao Swallowing Body transform into three.
The new Spirit Branch had yet to nurture the Nourishing Yuan Fruit, while the Nourishing Yuan Fruits on the other two branches had centuries of medicinal potency, significantly speeding up the accumulation of medicinal power.
Li Mo patiently stabilized his cultivation level before examining the function of the Divine Skills Prosperity Through Grain.
The so-called Prosperity Through Grain pertains to the theories of Taoism from a previous lifetime.
Taoism believes that grains are the best way to replenish Essence, which is why they emphasized the principle "Prosperity Through Grain, Perish Without Grain."
However, Li Mo’s Prosperity Through Grain has nothing to do with replenishing Essence; instead, the use of this Divine Skill requires consuming Essence.
Prosperity Through Grain is closely related to the Primordial Dao Seed as its Divine Skills.
As a Divine Skill of the Tao Seed, the Primordial Dao Seed can absorb various cultivation techniques, increasing its depths while helping to perfect the main cultivation technique.
Prosperity Through Grain holds a similar tune.
The Sparrow Yin Soul might be more appropriately called "Bookworm," able to nurture Magic Techniques as long as Li Mo provides enough Essence.
However, the Magic Techniques nurtured by Prosperity Through Grain are limited to Elixir Recipes.
Li Mo couldn’t help but feel intrigued, drawing some medicinal power from the Nourishing Yuan Fruit.
Even though the Sparrow Yin Soul is invisible to the naked eye, the medicinal power was indeed slowly disappearing once it entered the Tao Seed, with text appearing on the Tao Seed’s surface.
[Fen Gan Zhu Jiu Pill]
[Using Fungus Brown Grass as a medicinal guide, the effects clear lungs and brighten eyes.]
Li Mo frowned slightly, unconvinced as he continued to stimulate Prosperity Through Grain.
[Bone Strengthening and Brain Nourishing Pill]
[The effects open the wisdom of children and promote bone growth.]
Li Mo’s lips twitched.
The Elixir Recipes nurtured by the Sparrow Yin Soul were worlds apart from the pills he had encountered, the former resembling odd remedies with effects only on mortals, adversely aiding cultivation.
Li Mo quickly realized that Prosperity Through Grain couldn’t create Elixir Recipes from thin air; it derived entirely from the content recorded in the Tao Seed.
To nurture useful Elixir Recipes, he’d have to infuse the Tao Seed with vast knowledge of alchemy.
Li Mo had never encountered the distinctive alchemy of later generations, only knowing that it seemed to involve Gu Worms and was extremely intricate.
He felt no regret over Prosperity Through Grain.
The other Six Spirits would awaken with Divine Skills analogous to Prosperity Through Grain after imprinting.
Among Corpse Dog, Hidden Arrow, Swallowing Thief, Nonpoisonous, Chuhui, Stinky Lung, there must be one Spirit connected to Artifact Refining. If Li Mo could imprint it, his Artifact Refining skills would surely soar.
Perhaps even touching upon the rumored Magic Treasures.
Li Mo’s thoughts were countless, and he adjusted his posture in the cell to continue meditating, treating Cai Market like the Four-legged Taoist Temple of Duozhi Mountain.
He had no idea how much time had passed when the Prison Guard Monster approached once more.
"Tomorrow, execution at 5:45 AM!!"
Li Mo squinted his eyes, then controlled a speck of micro dust to adhere to the shoulder of the Prison Guard Monster, quietly following the latter out of the Qing Room.
The Ghost Tiger snuck back into the cell, rubbing its head against Li Mo’s thigh.
After searching the Qing Room for days, it hadn’t found a trace of Master Duomu, but instead located An Gang and the others in different positions.
Most other cells were empty, but the remaining dry bones indicated that people had previously been imprisoned here.
Fearing the beast calamity might mutate, Li Mo didn’t contact the others.
Smoothing the Ghost Tiger’s head, Li Mo checked its memories to see if there were any signs of Master Duomu.
No matter the cost, this person had to be killed.
Li Mo discreetly asked Han Cai, learning that the Puppet Cultivation faction indeed posted a bounty for him, worth a full five hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones.
"Five hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones, worth the price?"
The bounty had already been accepted by Master Duomu, ensuring that before the deadline, no one would take over the assignment.
He doubted that Master Duomu’s main purpose was to visit Cai Market, making it likely that assassinating him was just an incidental act.
Li Mo was soon assured that his suspicion was accurate.
The Ghost Tiger, through Master Duomu’s bone powder, detected a similar aura within one of the cells, albeit very faint.
This indicated that Master Duomu had also been imprisoned in the Qing Room, escaping by some means.
In Cai Market, Li Mo was unable to utilize his spiritual tablet; otherwise, he could inform An Gang and the others. Now, he must wait for the execution to proceed.
Leaning against the wall, he closed his eyes to nourish his spirit, while time slowly ticked by with the sound of water dripping.
As footsteps approached again, the sound of a blade dragging across the ground could also be heard, and the Prison Guard Monster unlocked the sealed cell door.
"The time has come, send him to Cai Market for execution."
Li Mo allowed the Prison Guard Monster to bind his limbs with chains.
If anyone acted in the Qing Room, it would trigger a chain reaction, leading to a flood of Prison Guard Monsters, making any attempt to break through futile.
The most troublesome aspect of Cai Market’s Prison Guard Monsters was their ability to resurrect within the Qing Room upon death, even growing stronger.
Li Mo discreetly followed behind the Prison Guard Monster.
When he touched the chains, the Creation Scholar book emitted an anomaly, with dried, blackened veins revealed on the ninth blank page.
Li Mo carefully inspected the chains, unable to discern with the naked eye if they were flesh transformed.
"Perhaps, the entire Cai Market is made of flesh?"
An Gang walked parallel with Li Mo from a forked path. Their eyes exchanged a knowing glance, followed by Qiao Wu and Qingming Daozi behind them.
Qiao Wu deliberately paused, testing the Prison Guard Monster.
The Prison Guard Monster lashed out with an iron whip, immediately leaving multiple cuts on Qiao Wu’s right leg, the Corrosive Blood Spiritual Power clinging to the wounds, inhibiting recovery.
Qiao Wu groaned, continuing to walk with his head down.
Li Mo turned back with curiosity, scrutinizing the dim passages lined with cells, a foul breeze blowing past from the end.
"Parade for execution."
The Prison Guard Monster shouted, and the four finally arrived at the market.
The market was originally a place for selling daily goods, now appearing exceptionally deserted in the absence of vendors.
Only a few passersby were on the street, all were half-human, half-bear Deceit Beasts.
Li Mo squinted, surveying the passersby, noticing that most Deceit Beasts had vacant expressions, devoid of Spiritual Wisdom.
Suddenly, he noticed a Deceit Beast making a back-stepping move.
Licking his lips, Li Mo emitted a tangible wild beast aura, staring at the Deceit Beast intently.
The Deceit Beast appeared normal on the surface, but its breathing became heavy.
"I said I would come for you, Master Duomu."
Li Mo resisted an iron whip strike, observing the Deceit Beast while disclosing to An Gang and the others that Master Duomu was hiding in Cai Market.
Qiao Wu stared in disbelief at Li Mo’s arm whip mark.
He could only slowly dissipate the Corrosive Blood Spiritual Power from his wound, while Li Mo’s whip mark healed in an instant, the Corrosive Blood Spiritual Power unable to harm his skin.
Deserving of the Dual Dao Body.
The Deceit Beast retreated several steps, muttering faintly.
"How is that possible..."
Li Mo heard every word clearly through the micro dust scattered along the street, indicating Master Duomu was hiding within the Deceit Beast, to which he smiled.
Master Duomu shivered with cold throughout.
He was nestled within the Deceit Beast’s stomach, signs of mutation increasing, especially on his eyeball-covered arms.
Nobody was more familiar than Master Duomu with the preparations made to deal with Li Mo.
The result was Li Mo not only easily resisted, but even counterattacked nearly instantly, and now he truly came to Cai Market to hunt him down?
Malice flickered in Master Duomu’s eyes.
"Li Mo doesn’t dare act in Cai Market, breaking the rules of the Beast Calamity would ignite a mass surge from the Prison Guard Monsters."
"I must relocate quickly; only... only Shi Ji can save me."
The eyeballs on Master Duomu’s arms gleamed with a ghostly green light, controlling the Deceit Beast he was attached to as it leisurely made its way towards the exit route.
Li Mo and the others walked in the opposite direction, arriving at the edge of a massive wooden platform.
Four execution racks were placed on the platform, and eight Prison Guard Monsters wielded cleavers, their blades rusted and covered in bits of flesh.
According to An Gang, as long as they survived the cleaver strikes from the Prison Guard Monsters, they wouldn’t trigger another surge of Deceit Beasts.
Li Mo suddenly asked, "Chief An, if I don’t partake in the execution, it shouldn’t affect you, right?"
An Gang was momentarily startled, looking at the whipped and battered Li Mo, "It wouldn’t, but doing so is extremely dangerous for you..."
Li Mo grinned fiercely, breaking open the chains and ignoring the iron whips striking his body.
"No way, I feel that Master Duomu must be up to something."
"I must personally beat him to death."