Li Mo headed towards the Daoist temple, noticing that the mountain was covered in gravestones, which were used as containers to cultivate spiritual materials, though the materials were buried deep underground.
The temple was enveloped in mist, and it seemed there were numerous cultivators within, inhaling and exhaling spiritual energy.
Under the erosion of the spiritual power leaking from artifact refiners, the hills slowly rose, increasing in height by about two meters each year. If a cultivator were to achieve Core Formation and Nascent Soul here, the elevation increase would become even more pronounced.
The other branches must be taking full advantage of the characteristics of artifact refinement to construct their own Blessed Lands Cave Heavens.
Li Mo didn’t need to put in any effort at all; merely choosing to undergo Core Formation and Nascent Soul in the Chaotic Burial Furnace would be a great creation for the sect’s inheritance itself.
The fellow disciples considered Li Mo a Plague God, fleeing in panic and leaving only four newly admitted members to proceed towards the main hall.
Li Mo immediately observed that the buildings of the Chaotic Burial Furnace were lower than expected. Despite being constructed with metal materials, the structures were predominantly flat layers.
He made no effort to conceal his examination of the Daoist temple, drawing innumerable glances towards the group of four—glances filled with hostility, envy, resentment...
Even the Core Formation artifact refiners simultaneously turned to watch Li Mo’s arrival.
The Corpse Altar Taoist stood amidst the crowd, coldly observing the commotion within the temple, while the half-exposed portion of his brain emitted waves of heat.
"Hua Fu Zhenjun, what do you make of this future chief with the Five Dao Body?"
He emphasized the word "chief" with a particular bitterness, clearly displeased.
Beside him stood a shriveled old Taoist, short in stature, whose most notable feature was the beehive-like external organs on his back.
"What’s there to make of a Five Dao Body? In a few decades, he’ll likely achieve Core Formation and Nascent Soul. So, my advice to you is not to overthink it."
The two belonged to the ranks of veteran Core Formation cultivators in the Chaotic Burial Furnace, but due to their reluctance to relinquish the resources of the Outer Sect, they had not joined the Golden Cauldron Sect.
In the midst of the Core Formation artifact refiners’ discussions, Yan Lin and the other two felt immense pressure, but Li Mo remained utterly composed, his demeanor calm and collected.
This stirred admiration among them.
They thought that if they were in Li Mo’s position, maintaining such a tranquil mental realm would be impossible. Truly, Li Mo lived up to his innate destiny as a Nascent Soul artifact seed.
Passing through the temple’s many pavilions, the central main hall finally came into view.
The imposing atmosphere was awe-inspiring, and the main hall was filled with densely packed ancient bronze statues that reminded Li Mo of the temple in the Iron Cauldron Secret Realm, where the Penglai Old Taoist had displayed countless mud sculptures.
The Corpse Altar Taoist continued to lock his gaze on Li Mo.
Within the main hall were mud sculptures of the inner sect disciples and Nascent Soul artifact refiner predecessors of the Chaotic Burial Furnace, each imbued with a sliver of divine consciousness.
This inevitably caused spiritual energy to overflow, which was why the main hall had been fortified with the refined mid-grade spiritual material "Corpse Parasol."
New disciples who set foot in the main hall would often suffer violent outbursts of spiritual power within their bodies if they were even slightly careless, resulting in severe injuries that were not uncommon.
The Corpse Altar Taoist’s face twisted into a delighted expression.
He had inquired with others and learned that Li Mo had completed a task with perfect results in the time it took to drink a cup of tea. Though astonished, he was convinced that Li Mo’s spiritual power was unstable.
If Li Mo were to stumble, now that would be entertaining.
The Corpse Altar Taoist watched intently as Li Mo and the other three entered the main hall. When he noticed Li Mo’s body suddenly freezing, his expression grew even more exaggerated.
Li Mo and the other three felt an overwhelming surge of mixed spiritual power rush towards them.
Low whispers echoed in their ears, and the statues within the main hall seemed to come alive, their sharp eyes scrutinizing them.
Li Mo’s pupils dilated as he realized the statues possessed a unique magnetic field that disrupted the circulation of his Ash Spirit Power.
Yan Lin and the other two also looked disoriented, stumbling about like drunken individuals.
With no limbs to maintain balance and unable to utilize Mist Fog Spiritual Power, Li Mo instinctively tensed his muscles, his shoulder unintentionally brushing against the threshold.
With a muffled sound, the metal threshold became distorted, despite Li Mo restraining the majority of his strength.
The watching cultivators gasped in astonishment, exchanging bewildered looks.
"Mid-grade spiritual material, Corpse Parasol..."
The Corpse Altar Taoist muttered to himself, his expression filled with disbelief. He realized just how terrifying Li Mo’s Paoxiao Swallowing Body truly was.
Only then did he understand why Dome Mountain hadn’t explicitly clarified Li Mo’s status in the Chaotic Burial Furnace.
It simply wasn’t necessary. With the addition of the Five Dao Body’s complementary enhancements, Li Mo’s cultivation efficiency would reach terrifying heights, posing no genuine threat to the Core Formation artifact refiners within the furnace.
It was likely that in merely twenty or thirty years, Li Mo would have already formed his Golden Core.
His promotion to the Inner Sect would be effortless, while the Corpse Altar Taoist, still struggling at the Core Formation stage after decades, would find that Li Mo had long reached Nascent Soul.
The Corpse Altar Taoist lowered his head in defeat, turning away from the crowd.
The main hall doors slammed shut, and the disciples gradually dispersed. Many Core Formation artifact refiners, merely witnessing the residual power of Paoxiao Swallowing Body, were already awed by Li Mo’s stunning talent.
Li Mo surveyed the main hall, discovering that the Chaotic Burial Furnace had nearly seventy inner sect disciples, while there were five Nascent Soul artifact refiners.
The sculptures were distorted and terrifying, indicating that the Chaotic Burial Furnace predominantly focused on Gold and Fire attributes.
This barely aligned with the Gold, Fire, and Wood attributes of his Ash Spirit Power.
Apart from Dome Mountain, the other four Nascent Soul artifact refiners exhibited chimney-like bodily features, continually emitting foul-smelling gases.
Their consciousness had not descended upon the main hall; instead, the attention of a large number of inner sect disciples was fixed on Li Mo.
However, their attitudes were ambiguous, for the threat posed by the Five Dao Body was too great, and some even secretly harbored a sense of dread.
Dome Mountain’s consciousness arrived slightly late, but not beyond two days.
When the clay puppet entered the main hall, the ceremony of entering Tao was about to begin.
Dome Mountain solemnly declared, "The profound Dao exists in Heaven’s Jade Capital; ancient clay and white soil reveal its true interpretation."
"Today, the Three Obstructions Road opens, and the genuine path of cultivation reveals itself."
"May the Mother Furnace bear witness."
Li Mo could sense his consciousness gradually connecting to the main hall, his name faintly appearing on the corner wall.
The puppet dressed the four of them in Daoist robes and Daoist hairpins, while they recited the sect’s rules before the statues.
The process was exceedingly tedious; in comparison, the Heart Beast Sect merely required the sect manager to select apprentices without even checking their background.
Li Mo followed the puppet, completing the ritual.
Simultaneously, memories poured from the Creation Book within his mind, all related to the ceremony of entering Tao.
It was clear that despite spanning tens of thousands of years, the Child Device Sect still preserved Taoist traditions—something that the artifact people had already been informed of by the Mother Furnace.
Li Mo silently breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that the Chaotic Burial Furnace had formally recorded his name, solidifying his identity as a Child Device Sect disciple.
Dome Mountain was in high spirits.
He bent down and asked, "Li Mo, would you be willing to apprentice under me and obtain the true teachings of the Chaotic Burial Furnace?"
"Master above, your disciple bows in respect."
Li Mo respectfully saluted, and Dome Mountain laughed heartily, looking immensely gratified. He even considered awakening his Nascent Soul peers to showcase the wonder of the Five Dao Body.
"I shall bestow you a Taoist title, my disciple."
"Li Mo, your most exceptional Taoist Body is neither the Primordial Dao Body nor the Paoxiao Swallowing Body, but the incomplete Heavenly Human Seven Apertures. If it can be fully restored in the future, your achievements will be unimaginable."
"Remaining steadfast in the sect, you shall be called ’Heavenly Person.’"
"Let your Taoist title be ’Qing Tian.’"
"Qing Tian corresponds to the Metal attribute within the Five Elements. With Metal energy descending to partners Yin and Yang, their fusion generates Metal fortune, subtly complementing your Primordial Dao Body—very suitable."
Li Mo’s mouth hung agape, feeling as though Dome Mountain was deliberately inciting animosity towards him. A mere childhood-stage cultivator granted a Taoist title as grand as "Qing Tian."
It was even more striking than his "Mountain and Sea" title from the Heart Beast Sect.
"Thank you, Master, for the bestowed title."
Li Mo reluctantly accepted it, subtly glancing at Yan Lin and the other two, implying with his expression that he didn’t want the title to be spread.
The trio showed bitter expressions; how could a future Nascent Soul not feel ashamed to trouble them?
Dome Mountain continually murmured, radiating spiritual light as he seemingly arranged something within the temple. Then he announced, "You may leave the main hall for now. I have matters to discuss with Qing Tian alone."
Yan Lin and the others quickly departed, and the statues of the inner sect disciples returned to their original state.
"Qing Tian, your cultivation methods differ from ordinary artifact refiners. You should go to my Practice Hall. Within, the Daoist Collection is available for your perusal."
"In the Practice Hall, there is also a magic artifact left behind. Consider it a welcome gift from me."
Li Mo’s emotions surged; if a Nascent Soul artifact refiner referred to it as a magic artifact, it was unlikely to be mid-grade—likely a top-grade artifact.
However, the Child Device Sect’s magic artifacts were related to meat limbs and might not necessarily align with his needs.
He was more focused on the Daoist Collection; if he could supplement the Five Poison Five God Heart Sutra to the Core Formation stage, forming a Golden Core within five years would be inevitable.
He might even gain insights into the differing tiers of Golden Cores from the records.
Li Mo naturally aimed to form a high-grade Golden Core; otherwise, it would waste the talent of the Five Dao Body. Proper planning was essential.
As he pondered, the candles within the main hall dimmed.
Dome Mountain’s voice became intermittent.
Li Mo suddenly sensed something amiss and instinctively raised his head towards the statues.
The surface of the ancient bronze statues was riddled with cracks, releasing dazzling phosphorescence that was neither entirely real nor entirely illusory, resembling moving clouds of smoke and dust.
The strange phosphorescence instilled Li Mo with an intense sense of danger.
His body began to itch inexplicably as the phosphorescence infiltrated his flesh, bones, and skin through his pores. Even his leakless body offered no resistance.
"What the hell is this?"
Li Mo retreated several meters, distancing himself from Dome Mountain’s statue while feeling as though the phosphorescence were extracting threads from his body.
He felt as if needles were pricking his back, realizing that his organs were exhibiting signs of peculiar adhesion.
The corrosive nature of the phosphorescence exceeded expectations, yet it seemed unrelated to Dome Mountain’s magic. Instead, it resembled the ominous signs prior to the outbreak of Death Disease with Qingjingzi.
Could Dome Mountain be nearing Death Disease?
Just as Li Mo thought about fleeing the main hall, the phosphorescence lasted only half a second before abruptly vanishing.
His body was riddled with wounds, large and small, where his flesh had been cut through.
Dome Mountain appeared utterly exhausted, shaking his head and saying, "An anomaly deep within the Child Device Sect suddenly occurred, but fortunately, Qing Tian, your life remained unharmed."
"There’s no need to say more. In the Practice Hall, there is a connection to my statue. Should you encounter difficulties in cultivation, use this to contact me..."
Before he could finish, his consciousness departed from the statue.
Li Mo felt unease; since the phosphorescence wasn’t caused by Dome Mountain, yet involved a small world beyond ten layers, could it be...
Outer Heaven Meteorite Iron?
Li Mo’s expression darkened, as his Salamander Tattoo emanated waves of vitality, rapidly healing his wounds.
The Child Device Sect had existed for ten millennia and had likely never ceased excavating from the crater. If it were the Blue Star of his previous life, it would have been mined through long ago.
"Outer Heaven Meteorite, Tian Chenzi’s ascension, the Mother Furnace..."
What exactly happened during the cosmic upheaval?