Tang Wu had no time to question as the surroundings were suddenly engulfed in dim shadows without warning.
An eerie rustling sound arose, and it was clear something was approaching. The rancid stench of poison spread through the air.
Tang Wu’s heart sank. Although Chen You was merely in the Late Teenage stage of cultivation, his lifebound spirit beast was the Red Crowned Snake, capable of sensing the aura of living beings within a ten-mile radius.
The caravan’s safe journey for over half a year was precisely thanks to Chen You’s ability.
Chen You had been inexplicably severely wounded, and the formation had scattered due to the elder’s presence, immediately attracting the attention of lurking Demon Cultivators in the shadows.
The group of Beast Cultivators were all desperate to locate the source of the strange noise, leading to even greater chaos.
"Do not panic, Zhou Qingyuan, protect the perimeter, I..."
Tang Wu tried to stabilize the situation, but a stabbing pain suddenly shot up from his feet—something like roots pierced into his flesh, rendering his lower body numb.
"Poison! It’s a Poison Cultivator!"
His expression twisted with anguish. Poison Cultivators weren’t troublesome to face directly, but this one had clearly been lying in ambush for quite some time, making survival extremely unlikely.
"Damn it, after staying safely in the Heart Beast Sect for so long, I’ve actually let my guard down in the outside world."
"It’s a pity, though—twenty highly talented Beast Cultivators. If they all end up falling to a Poison Cultivator, I won’t be able to face Tian Changwen."
Tang Wu’s thoughts raced as the poison crept up to his waist.
Thanks to the protection of his Corpse Spirit Root, he hadn’t already dissolved into a pool of pus within just a few breaths.
His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground but forced himself to leap up with one arm propping him. Black-gray fur quickly sprouted all over his body, and a dog’s head grew from his back.
Tang Wu’s lifebound spirit beast, the Crying Dog, was particularly suited to sound-element Spiritual Energy.
The dog’s head let out a bellow, and within a hundred-meter radius of the caravan, everything shattered. Massive trees toppled instantly, though the Demon Cultivator remained nowhere to be seen.
"You all leave first. Once you’ve reached Wumiao Town, you should be safe."
Several continuous howls from the dog drowned out the responses of the Beast Cultivators as the ground within a kilometer shook violently.
Tang Wu spat out dark blood as the poison had reached his kidneys. The Poison Cultivator still showed no intention of revealing themselves, merely waiting for their prey to succumb to the poison and die.
Realizing he didn’t have much time left, Tang Wu widened his eyes, desperately trying to locate the Poison Cultivator.
The old man Tang Wu had ignored earlier stepped out of the crowd, his head lifting to glance at the clouds above as his right hand began to mutate uncontrollably.
In the blink of an eye, his right hand transformed into a five-meter-tall tiger beast.
The tiger beast shifted from physical to intangible form, diving deep into the ground. A horrifying sound followed—one of teeth grinding against bones.
"Ghost Tiger, stop eating all sorts of random things."
Li Mo cursed softly. After his right hand reverted from Tattoo Beastification, he flung the Poison Cultivator’s mangled corpse into a Melting Furnace, incinerating it completely.
Fresh out of seclusion, he’d already reaped a reward—a Core Formation-stage Poison Cultivation Technique, the "Green Blood Toad Heart Technique."
"Elder Tang, long time no see."
Li Mo caught Tang Wu as cancer cells drained the deadly poison directly from his body.
Tang Wu had a brief moment of perplexity before realizing who stood before him, noticing the reverent demeanor of the surrounding Beast Cultivators.
It was glaringly obvious that his reaction was a beat slower than it should’ve been.
Tang Wu chuckled wryly.
He’d only met Li Mo once in passing—at a distance—while leaving the slaughterhouse taken over by the Mountain Goat Demon Beast.
At the time, he’d merely thought Li Mo’s talent was extraordinary and that he would eventually reach the Golden Core stage.
Yet, after Tang Wu buried himself underground and emerged once more, he’d learned that Li Mo had ascended to Nascent Soul Great Power, surpassing even Tian Chenzi from seven thousand years ago.
Tang Wu opened his mouth but didn’t know how to address him.
"Elder Tang, just call me Qing Shan."
Li Mo walked over to Chen You, and the surrounding Beast Cultivators instinctively made way for him, lowering their heads in awe.
Those who had been sent to Wumiao Town were all sworn by Heart Demon Oaths under Tian Changwen’s supervision.
They more or less knew some rumors of Li Mo. Before meeting him, they hadn’t dared believe there could be a Cultivator who left the Heart Beast Sect and advanced to Nascent Soul.
Tian Changwen’s measures were meant to ensure that Li Mo’s identity remained hidden.
In the Cultivation World, the gossip around Li Mo was endless—titles like Supreme Qingtian, Daoist Qingtian, and one of the Thirteen Immortals of the No-Life Sect...
Without a Heart Demon Oath, any discovery of such secrets in the outside world would likely spell exposure.
After a few silent breaths, Tang Wu hesitantly spoke, "Senior Qing Shan, should some disciples escort Chen You back?"
"No need; staying within the Five Hidden Sword’s range should be safe."
Li Mo fed a sip of Corpse Wine to Chen You. Chen You’s internal organs had all been transplanted; whether he could survive would depend on his own destiny.
"If I’m not mistaken, the fire ignited within Chen You is a form of Sword Qi."
Li Mo furrowed his brow and continued with certainty, "The Sword Qi is purging evil."
Li Mo inspected Chen You’s still sunken body. "He accidentally contracted an Evil Spirit in the Secret Realm, though it has remained dormant."
"Without the Sword Qi purging it, he would’ve succumbed within a few years."
He gazed at the unending mountains. Fragmented memories from the Creation Book surfaced—gruesome scenes from ancient Buddhist sects.
Some Buddhist Practitioners had hollowed out mortals’ internal organs while keeping their consciousness intact to refine them into Human Boats, attempting to find a way across the boundless bitter sea.
As for what the boundless bitter sea was, the Creation Book held too little information.
"The body as a boat, the True Word Secret Realm."
Li Mo signaled the Beast Cultivators to carry Chen You, and the caravan continued toward Wuzang Town.
Li Mo did not retreat into the True Void Hometown but instead donned a mixture of new and old skin, deliberately masking his cultivation level as Weak Crown stage, staying at the rear of the group.
Within the Five Hidden Sword’s range, there should be no Heavenly Demon spies, but to be cautious, Li Mo decided to remain vigilant.
After traveling another hundred miles, the outline of Wumiao Town came into view.