Li Mo, while waiting for the Creation Book to nurture the blank page, secretly observed the temple.
He discovered that the temple was surprisingly made from the secretions of Gold-eating Worms, even the grass and trees inside bore traces of maggot residue.
Clearly, the Gold-eating Worm swarm was mimicking the Sub-Device Sect.
From this, it could be inferred that the Sub-Device Sect did indeed have an inexplicable "Human Pig" worship, or perhaps the disciples of the Sub-Device Sect were naturally born without limbs?
Li Mo remained nonchalant.
Comparing his memories of the ancient Immortal Sect, he could perceive that the civilization of cultivation derived from the Sub-Device Sect’s inheritance after encountering immortality far surpassed what the Heart Beast Sect could compare to.
Even the Gold-eating Worms, which relied on the Sub-Device Sect to survive, had become so bizarre.
If the Gold-eating Worms were allowed to continue developing, they might form a force within the Corpse Mountain that couldn’t be underestimated.
During his leisure time, Li Mo cultivated in the courtyard; the smog spiritual energy here was denser than that of the outside world, barely qualifying as a treasure land for him.
The elder of the Gold-eating Worms recited the contents of the Armament Covering Spell day after day.
Actually, from the creation of the Sub-Device Sect by the Golden Light Wanderer, it could be seen that the Armament Covering Spell was somewhat related to the Golden Light Spell from Li Mo’s previous life.
Over time, Li Mo noticed that as long as he revealed the aura of his Primordial Postnatal Dao Body, the elder of the Gold-eating Worms showed no trace of malice whatsoever.
He decided to head to the main hall to delve into the secrets of the Armament Covering Spell.
Just as Li Mo approached the side wall, the hundreds of statues opened their eyes, their expressions varying greatly, reminiscent of the myriad Buddhas in a Buddhist temple.
The base of each statue was inscribed with nameplates bearing their Daoist titles.
The statues, seeing Li Mo move unimpeded, couldn’t help but regard him with a higher level of respect.
Huangmu Taoist was positioned at the very top of the side wall, likely one of the earlier loose cultivators trapped in the temple, his cultivation stuck in the perfected stage of childhood.
Meeting Li Mo’s scrutinizing gaze, he couldn’t resist pleading, "Upper Immortal, we have comprehended the Dao for decades, we only seek to transcend the mundane through Immortal Law."
"Upper Immortal, this humble one has cultivated the Armament Covering Spell and is unafraid of the Death Disease, but I am only one step away from Foundation Establishment, just one step away..."
After Huangmu Taoist spoke, the other statues also began to plead for mercy in succession.
Were it not for the side wall restraining them, they would likely have knelt down instantly; dignity held no weight before achieving immortality.
Relying on the Armament Covering Spell, their cultivation unknowingly rose to the perfected stage of childhood, but tragically lacked the cultivation technique for Foundation Establishment.
Li Mo’s lips curled into a mocking smile.
Already reduced to limbless metal statues, how could they still see themselves as normal cultivators? They likely couldn’t even be considered human anymore.
Li Mo rubbed his chin, his expression becoming contemplative.
The plaque of the temple bore the name "Creation Furnace," an ancient location of the Sub-Device Sect for cultivating spells as well as passing down ordinary spells.
Under countless venomous gazes, he touched the nearest statue, and as expected, received a memory feedback from the Creation Book.
According to the information from the Creation Book, the statue before him functioned as a Jade Scroll for recording spells.
Li Mo’s lips twitched; the Heart Beast Sect’s bone scrolls made from human bones were barely comprehensible, but how did the Sub-Device Sect use living people to refine them into "Jade Scrolls"?
He activated the Desert Map.
Amid the curses of the statues, he began probing alongside the Desert Map, even knocking on them as he went.
Although the statues were transformed from cultivators, their interiors were completely hollow.
After cultivating the Armament Covering Spell, their entire bodies had been reduced to a thin metallic human skin, with all flesh, blood, and bones within rotted away.
Li Mo suspected that all the skills and magic mastered by the cultivators during their lives had been etched into the insides of the statues, and breaking them open would reveal these secrets one by one.
This unconventional form of inheritance made his scalp tingle.
At this moment, a twin-headed statue emitted a sharp screech, "I recognize him, I recognize him! He’s no Upper Immortal!"
"He’s the Golden Sand Taoist from the Heart Beast Black Market, here to obstruct our exploration of the Immortal Dao!!!"
The statue’s face twisted, slamming its head against the wall and shrieking hysterically, "Kill him! Kill him! Only by killing him can we achieve immortality, only by becoming Immortal!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!!!"
The statues’ cries instantly drowned out the elder of the Gold-eating Worms, who remained entirely unresponsive.
The elder of the Gold-eating Worms continued to sit cross-legged, muttering the contents of the Armament Covering Spell. Since Li Mo’s arrival, the dazed look in his eyes seemed to grow ever deeper.
Li Mo, on the other hand, felt that the statues were merely thrashing about in impotent rage, while he weighed whether to obtain their skills and magic. Even using them as nourishment for the Primordial Dao Seed seemed worthwhile.
After inspecting the statues, he noticed each of them had a red rope tied around their necks, with the rest of their bodies entirely unbound.
Li Mo realized that he could sever the red ropes and immediately release the statues.
He hesitated briefly before suppressing his reckless thoughts—better to wait until the Creation Book’s tenth blank page was fully nurtured.
"Old Master, may I utilize the temple’s inheritance?"
Li Mo ignored the deafening clamor of the statues and casually asked as he stepped out of the temple, expecting the elder to repeat his usual response.
Instead, the elder of the Gold-eating Worms struggled to his feet.
His entire skin writhed, with decaying flesh squeezing out from the gaps in his back, radiating an aura akin to an elderly man nearing his end.
With a sing-song tone, the elder of the Gold-eating Worms began chanting, "The Saints of the Three Teachings have always had masters; emperors of the ages have never been without masters..."
Li Mo retreated several steps, reaching the temple’s doorway.
The surrounding mud sculptures froze in place, remaining motionless no matter how much Li Mo blinked.
Soon, the sound of maggots gnawing filled the temple.
The elder of the Gold-eating Worms called out loudly, "Disciple of Penglai, Outer Disciple of the Ziqi Sect’s 386th generation, I seek an opportunity to enter the sect, willing to swear an oath before Ancestor Golden Light Wanderer."
As he spoke, the temple began collapsing, and an enormous swarm of Gold-eating Worms emerged from its structure. In an instant, the temple vanished entirely, leaving nothing but chaos.
Li Mo’s muscles tensed; Tea Poison could be deployed at any moment.
But the problem was that the tenth page had already been nurtured one-third of the way—a departure now would make locating another temple deep within the Corpse Mountain like searching for a needle in the ocean.
The Penglai Old Taoist, with solemn dignity, proclaimed, "Master Ancestor Golden Light, at this moment of universal salvation, listen to this disciple’s plea: virtuous and righteous."
"On an auspicious day, this disciple recommends themselves."
As the Penglai Old Taoist spoke, the Gold-eating Worms secreted a milky-white liquid, intertwining to form the embryonic shape of a building.
At the center was a massive platform.
Layer upon layer of small mountain-like structures surrounded it, atop which stood numerous mud sculptures, their clothes transforming into green and purple Daoist robes.
Many of the mud sculptures lacked limbs or stood precariously on single stumps.
As for the statues transformed from cultivators, they hung midair, tethered by red ropes.
Soon, the Gold-eating Worms spat out multi-colored liquids, adding specks of color to the construction. In moments, the temple morphed into an arena for spell duels.
Named "Entry Device Gate," this platform had been the sole avenue for servant disciples to join the outer sect during ancient times in the Sub-Device Sect, symbolizing the Immortal Path.
Li Mo’s eye twitched as he stood dazed in the platform’s center.
The Penglai Old Taoist roared madly, "I beseech the Master Ancestor to let me enter the sect; if I violate the rules, I willingly accept punishment!"