As his cultivation deepened, Li Mo’s mental realm became as calm as still water.
The act of absorbing and exhaling spiritual energy became instinctive.
The meridians that carried spiritual power had, under the refinement of Buddha Light Body Refining, transformed into a glass-like material, remaining as steady as a rock no matter how the three streams of spiritual power surged through them.
When the fake soul consciousness was born anew, the Sunlight Monk’s Taoist Body finally took shape.
Li Mo suddenly opened his eyes, and as the halo behind his head flickered, a Seven Treasures Ore Vein instantly emerged deep beneath the grounds of the cave mansion.
Even a random piece of Dog Head Gold from the vein would be immensely valuable in the mortal world.
The Sunlight Monk, still devoid of spiritual wisdom, had nevertheless learned to recite basic scriptures.
Its exterior was Buddha-like, yet within, it harbored demonic nature.
Draped in a pure white kasaya, the Sunlight Monk sat cross-legged on a throne of neural tissue, with a vividly real seven-colored sun suspended above its head.
Li Mo had yet to study the Taoist Body of the Sunlight Monk when his entire body suddenly crackled and popped.
His physique instantly expanded to over three meters, and his flesh and organs, already transformed into spiritual materials, began to retract as a new aura formed—part immortal, part demon, part Buddha.
Li Mo closed his eyes, sensing his body and soul.
His Divine Sense increased by a full thirty percent, while his physique nearly doubled in strength.
Any single organ of his now possessed the quality of top-grade spiritual materials, and if he reached the level of Land Immortals, those organs he had marked might even elevate to Heaven and Earth Spiritual Materials.
"Even Tang Seng couldn’t compare to this," Li Mo remarked with satisfaction, nodding slightly. The organs transmuted into Seven Treasures no longer caused conflict among his Taoist Bodies; instead, connections arose between them.
"If I keep refining my body to the extreme, will all my Taoist Bodies eventually merge into one?"
The Sunlight Monk tirelessly emitted Buddha Light, already showing signs of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage.
Its Taoist Body, named the "Great Light True Body," was referred to as the Reincarnated Buddha by ancient Buddhist sects.
"It seems that, while entering the Tao through Buddhist magic is easy, achieving true success demands even greater talent than the Taoist sects require."
The Sunlight Monk was a perfect example—its efficiency rivaled even the Soul Devouring Demon Child.
In ancient Buddhist sects, the Great Light True Body would have likely caused even believers to lament: such a fine Buddha, and yet it reincarnated as someone else’s Nascent Soul.
The Great Light True Body had a straightforward function:
Buddha Light refined one’s own body while converting others through spiritual conversion.
Li Mo willed the Sunlight Monk into the Corpse Mountain Mini World. The sun behind its head shone over a hundred miles, drawing the attention of countless Plant and Tree Cultivators.
With a compassionate expression, the Sunlight Monk pointed toward a Deceit Beast in the mountains.
The Seven Treasures Sun shone with overwhelming brilliance, sweeping away the beast’s ferocious nature. It bent its forelegs, prostrating on the ground as if worshipping the Buddha.
Under the universal illumination of the Buddha Light, the beast mutated uncontrollably within moments.
Its flesh, blood, and bones began to transmute into Seven Treasures Spiritual Materials.
The Deceit Beast transformed into a Seven Treasures statue, causing the Plant and Tree Cultivators to erupt in cheers.
The sunlight behind the Sunlight Monk’s head distorted as the Seven Treasures statue suddenly moved, rampaging with its Seven Treasures spiritual material body.
Only when Li Mo recalled the Sunlight Monk did the Seven Treasures statue collapse, scattering mid-grade Seven Treasures Spiritual Materials all across the ground.
"Ah, as expected, the Buddhist sects sure love to use their believers as expendables."
Compared to body refinement, it was clear at a glance that the Sunlight Monk’s spiritual conversion stemmed from Buddhist doctrines.
Li Mo decided not to use the Sunlight Monk recklessly in case it caused unnecessary misunderstandings with Taoist and Demonic forces, relegating it to a hidden trump card for the future.
Fortunately, the Sunlight Monk’s spirit-nourishing and body-refining capabilities alone were worth all the resources spent in creating it.
The Sunlight Monk returned to the Mud Pill Palace, continuing to absorb and digest the Great Sun Spiritual Energy.
After fifteen years of seclusion.
The Sunlight Monk naturally broke through to the Nascent Soul Stage, its cultivation stabilizing. Its Nascent Soul form saw little change, save for the addition of a magnificent kasaya made of Seven Treasures material.
Its true name: "Sunlight Seven Treasures Arhat."
According to Buddhist texts, the hierarchy of true Buddhas ranked as Arhat, Bodhisattva, and Buddha.
Li Mo’s goal was to achieve an Externalized Dharma Body with the Great Sun Nascent Soul and secure the fixed title containing the word "Buddha."
Only then could his foundation for becoming an Immortal be considered complete.
"The Buddha Embryo Skill leaves no room for error; the Nascent Soul must undergo a perfect transformation, or all prior efforts will be for naught."
[Buddha Embryo Skill]
[Using the Sunlight Arhat as the core and powdered Seven Treasures Spiritual Materials, this technique refines an embryo. When implanted in a living being, it matures after thirty-three days, paving the way for promotion to the Divine Separation Stage.]
The Buddha Embryo Skill seemed rather bizarre, but it stemmed from a perfected Tao Seed and thus served as a legitimate breakthrough method.
Li Mo had learned that the higher the host’s cultivation level for the implanted embryo, the greater the chances of success in reaching the Divine Separation Stage. Ideally, the host should reach the Nascent Soul Stage.
During his seclusion, he had pondered over the details of the Buddha Embryo Skill.
Several feasible methods came to mind, each requiring the support of various Divine Skills, although they would ultimately have to wait until the Great Sun Nascent Soul progressed to the Nascent Soul Perfection Stage for experimentation.
With the Corpse Mountain Mini World at his disposal, Li Mo could even cultivate hosts himself, aiming for them to achieve Nascent Soul Perfection.
As for targeting the Divine Separation Stage, that seemed unrealistic for now.
A shrill cry from the Soul Devouring Demon Child interrupted his thoughts, followed by the Mystic Magnetic Treasure Taoist Child.
Through his awareness, Li Mo observed that both had begun the transformations leading to the Nascent Soul Stage, manifesting a host of miraculous visions within his Dantian.
The Taasu Beast Infant, noticing this, redoubled its efforts to flush the dual Nascent Souls with spiritual power.
The Soul Devouring Demon Child’s aura turned corporeal, breaking through its bottleneck first.
Over a hundred headlamps made of skulls hovered around it, emitting sharp and eerie laughs, while the temple serving as its Dantian became even more lifelike.
Its limbs grew elongated and covered with countless mouths of varying sizes.
Its Daoist robe morphed into an awkwardly styled official’s robe, resembling a grotesque underworld spirit clutching a Netherworld Lamp newly formed from its main head.
Black smoke wafted from the Soul Devouring Demon Child, forming a massive mouth as if it connected directly to the Yellow Springs.
Its true name: "Fudi Swallowing Sky Taoist," abbreviated as "Ground Lying Demon Infant."
"Fudi Swallowing Sky? Such overwhelming demonic nature!"
The Ground Lying Demon Infant seemed to respond to Li Mo’s remark, vanishing from its spot only to reappear, emerging from the mouths of several headlamps.
Li Mo sensed its eagerness to acquire Foundation Spiritual Objects, although unlike the Taasu Beast Infant, the Demon Infant seemed to already have a target in mind.
His expression grew complicated as his Divine Sense locked onto an object within the Corpse Mountain Mini World.
"You’re eyeing the Corpse Immortal Finger as your Foundation Spiritual Object?"
Gazing at the Corpse Immortal Finger, which had remained untouched and free of decay ever since its placement within the Corpse Mountain Mini World, Li Mo hesitated.
Twelfth Senior Sister Ta Shi possessed a Divine Separation Stage cultivation and the unique Corpse Dissolution Immortal Body. Even a Land Immortal would struggle to offer a better alternative than the Corpse Immortal Finger.
"Let’s see how things unfold for my twelve Senior Sisters first."
Juggling both Taoist and Demonic forces, it seemed inevitable that Zu Xiuyun would ultimately lose, yet Li Mo couldn’t shake the feeling that there was an indescribable scheme in play.
Who knows? The Twelve Immortals might still have a chance for a comeback.
As Li Mo’s thoughts wandered, the Mystic Magnetic Treasure Taoist Child silently ascended, magnetic light covering its entire body, a profound pattern emerging between its brows as its limbs underwent unpredictable transformations.
Its true name: "Mystic Magnetic Treasure Taoist," abbreviated as "Profound Magnetic Infant."
Claiming the title of "Treasure" in its true name reminded Li Mo of the Three Taoist Ancestors of his past life, though the Profound Magnetic Infant had earned its designation purely from its ability to transform its limbs into Magic Artifacts.
Once the dual Nascent Souls stabilized their cultivation, Li Mo immediately shifted his focus to having the three Nascent Souls assist the Sunlight Arhat.
The spiritual power of the three Nascent Souls, under the influence of his innate saintly nature, transmuted into Great Sun Spiritual Power, allowing the Sunlight Arhat’s cultivation to progress at a breakneck pace.
After seventeen more years in seclusion, the Sunlight Arhat finally caught up to the three Nascent Souls in terms of progress.
Upon reaching the Nascent Soul Perfection, the Sunlight Arhat gained exquisite and opulent accessories, radiating a jewel-like brilliance, though its appearance remained largely unchanged.
Its true name: "Sunlight Seven Treasures Bodhisattva."
Li Mo brought the Sunlight Bodhisattva to the Corpse Mountain Mini World.
The Fake Buddha transformed into a beam of sword light, landing in the Bodhisattva’s palm. A vast amount of Great Sun Spiritual Power poured into the Fake Buddha, nourishing the sword embryo both inside and out.
A clear sword sound reverberated, shaking the entire Corpse Mountain Mini World.
The sword embryo’s form transformed, taking on the appearance of a Lotus Lamp as it rested in the Sunlight Bodhisattva’s hand, the Great Sun Spiritual Power circulating seamlessly between them.
Li Mo, being inherently connected to his Nascent Soul, instantly became aware of his ability to freely control the flying sword the moment the Sunlight Bodhisattva took hold of the Fake Buddha.
The Fake Buddha was originally a sword embryo, and now it was partially refined.
Although the Sunlight Bodhisattva had only just begun integrating the Foundation Spiritual Object, truly merging it into one would have to wait until promotion to the Divine Separation Stage.
Just as Li Mo was about to retract the Sunlight Bodhisattva into his Mud Pill Palace, he suddenly noticed something peculiar about the Fake Buddha and couldn’t help but smile wryly.
"It seems the Heavenly Sword Sect might actually accept the Fake Buddha..."
Without any warning, the Fake Buddha exhibited a strong and inexplicable desire. Unsurprisingly, this turned out to be the unique taboo of a newly birthed flying sword.
After closely observing the Fake Buddha, Li Mo finally understood its taboo.
[Conversion Affinity]: Every hundred days, the Fake Buddha must spiritually convert one living being into a believer.
By blending the traits of the Great Light True Body, the Fake Buddha’s sword aura now gleamed with radiant Seven Treasures hues.
Li Mo directed the Fake Buddha to release a stream of sword aura, slashing deep into one corner of the Corpse Mountain Mini World.
In that area, spiritual materials unique to the True Word Sect were planted. When the aura from the Fake Buddha’s sword passed through, the oddly shaped materials began to tremble.
A single spiritual material sprouted from the soil.
The newly born Plant Cultivator had a bald head and a simple smile on its face as it toddled into the nearby grass, its legs shaped like roots.
Soon, hundreds of Plant Monks emerged in succession.
The Fake Buddha transmitted a sense of satisfaction, its own aura slightly increasing. Evidently, the flying sword’s taboo had some subtle benefits as well.
Li Mo casually unleashed a few more streams of sword aura.
When the number of Plant Monks exceeded a thousand, the Fake Buddha gained no further improvement in return.
Li Mo sent a message to He Guo, informing him about the Plant Monks and instructing him to explore whether they could be guided to enter the Tao.
He Guo readily agreed, all the while marveling at where Li Mo had acquired this Buddhist technique.
Li Mo then turned his attention back to the Buddha Embryo Skill, activating the Spirit Root Worm to transform Xia Dao Palace into a Buddhist temple, thereby simulating the process of Nascent Soul parasitism.
For now, the Dao Body fusion could wait; the Divine Separation Stage took precedence.
What Li Mo failed to notice, however, was the faint mist quietly enveloping the mountain range, as massive deceitful objects glided silently around him.
One particularly colossal mountain had thirteen peaks resembling a woman’s palace chambers.
Li Mo realized that his surroundings had shifted entirely—he had returned to the remains of the No-Life Mother.
Startled, he scrutinized his environment, noticing countless figures of himself climbing across the thirteenth mountain peak.
On the peripheral mountains, a dozen towering figures stood over a hundred meters tall, with the Ten Desires Forest Boxed People prominently among them.
A woman’s soft murmur reached Li Mo’s ears. Her voice was unmistakably Zu Xiuyun’s, sending chills coursing through him. "Little Junior Brother, if not now, when will you bow before the No-Life Mother?"