Longevity Strange Immortal-Chapter 570 - 4: Pretending to be the Ancestor in Qingcheng Sect
Zu Xiuyun once mentioned wanting to stay by Li Mo’s side as a disciple.
But Li Mo did not wish to interfere with Zu Xiuyun’s path; even if she were to grow wildly amidst the upheaval of heaven and earth, she would still attain the status of a Land Immortal.
Since Zu Xiuyun has already comprehended the Twelve True Words, the other eleven immortals will eventually emerge.
"Heh heh heh, most of the senior sisters are probably still lying in their graves, aren’t they? Born thousands of years too early, they’ve already perished from expended lifespans."
Li Mo took several steps forward, arriving at a corner of the western part of the city.
A dozen Dart Masters were clustered around the Baolai Trading Group, preparing to leave Huangde City and purchase rare treasures on the outskirts of the Endless Star Sea.
Kong Yong stood by the carriage.
After thirty years without seeing each other, he was now in his early seventies, an age quite rare among ancient mortals.
"Shopkeeper, you’re... you’re already so advanced in age—why insist on going out in person? Besides, the demon beasts around the Endless Star Sea are rampant..."
Upon hearing the advice of the nearby attendant, Kong Yong raised his eyebrows and said, "Rampant? Aren’t there demon beasts in the mountains and rivers just outside the city? It’s impossible to give up simply because of uncertain dangers."
"Cough, cough, cough."
Covering his mouth, he coughed heavily, muttering to himself, "One more trip, the last trip; the islands on the outskirts of the Endless Star Sea are inhabited by mortals and cultivators alike—perhaps there’s a chance..."
The attendant privately sighed at Kong Yong’s vigor and determination. Despite having a household full of descendants, Kong Yong always personally braved the Endless Star Sea.
Little did they know, Kong Yong had always ventured to the Endless Star Sea for Li Mo, quietly gathering clues related to the Cultivation World.
Even though Li Mo had not explicitly requested this for over a decade, Kong Yong had never ceased his efforts.
Kong Yong had tested his Spirit Root early on—it was of poor quality, and entering the Tao was nothing more than a pipe dream. So, he shifted all his hopes onto Li Mo.
Unfortunately, thirty years had passed, yet he hadn’t even obtained a Lifespan Extension Pill, let alone embarked on the Taoist path.
Kong Yong, however, harbored no resentment.
"Perhaps my fleeting mortal life is but a blink of an eye to an immortal, yet it doesn’t matter; at least I’ve seen an exiled immortal descend to this realm."
Kong Yong’s coughing grew harsher, while his murky gaze radiated a sense of peace.
"Shopkeeper? Shopkeeper! Stop forcing yourself to move—I’ll go find a doctor right now!"
He was aware that his life was nearing its end. His bloodstained hand grabbed the attendant beside him tightly as he spoke with an impassioned voice: "Do you understand? I’ve witnessed things you couldn’t possibly imagine."
"I know, I know! Old Qiu, go get a doctor!!"
The Baolai Trading Group descended into chaos, with their protective Dart Masters looking just as flustered. Yet Kong Yong continued to mumble loudly to himself.
"You don’t understand!!"
"I’ve seen stars falling into the mortal world amidst thunderstorms! Magnificent, otherworldly immortals! True Dragons flashing across the Endless Star Sea..."
Kong Yong’s voice grew weaker, and traces of blood foamed from his teeth.
At the brink of death, he suddenly saw an immortal approaching him, the latter enveloped in dazzling phosphorescent light of myriad colors.
"Kong Yong, do you wish to enter the Tao?"
"I do."
Kong Yong replied in a trembling voice, "I beg the immortal... to grant this humble man Immortal Fate."
Li Mo, with notably less concern for Kong Yong compared to Zu Xiuyun, merely nourished his Spirit Root to a cultivable state using several Bodhi Fruits and fed him a twenty-year Lifespan Extension Pill.
"Your current aptitude is sufficient to step onto the Taoist path, but whether you can cultivate depends on your future opportunities. There’s no need for you to gather further information for me; go and seek your Immortal Path."
"Thank you, immortal. This humble man dares not harbor any other ambitions."
Kong Yong’s soul kowtowed repeatedly within his Mud Pill Palace. Just before Li Mo disappeared, he uttered a baffling phrase:
"How interesting."
"In my thirty years of practicing medicine, this is the first time I’ve seen such a condition..."
Kong Yong’s ears echoed with the incredulous exclamation of a doctor.
Though he should’ve been a dying old man, his pulse had inexplicably rejuvenated to the strength it held during his forties or fifties, like a thriving tree amidst death.
Kong Yong awoke to find the roots of his snow-white hair turning black.
He bowed nine times in the direction of the city, refused his attendant’s suggestion to rest, and prepared to follow through with his plan to enter the Endless Star Sea.
The outskirts of the Endless Star Sea harbored numerous Loose Cultivators, and Kong Yong, endowed with connections, would find obtaining a Qi Cultivation Stage cultivation technique relatively straightforward.
"It truly starts to resemble the hand of fate moving among the masses."
After altering Kong Yong’s destiny, the Creation Book suddenly fed Li Mo memories associated with Kong Yong, revealing that the latter eventually cultivated to the Core Formation Stage.
Had he not perished in the upheaval of heaven and earth, Kong Yong might’ve progressed even further.
"How fascinating. When I regain complete mobility, I may enlighten Kong Yong again, and see if he can reach the Land Immortal stage. Heh heh heh."
Li Mo watched as the setting sun painted the heavens red, and instructed his Corpse Dog Soul to return to his own body.
His purpose in the ancient era had become clear, dispelling the confusion in his heart. Taking advantage of Mountain Continent Taoist’s slumber, he continued refining the Fake Soul Consciousness.
Due to Li Mo’s limited control over the Spirit Root Worm, he spent over ten days modifying Mountain Continent Taoist’s memories, and the latter eventually awoke, groggily.
Mountain Continent Taoist, still shaken, fixed his gaze on Li Mo with lingering fear before swallowing hard and saying, "This exiled immortal is far too uncanny—I nearly fell into Deviation."
"Fortunately, my Tao Heart is steady—or else the consequences would’ve been disastrous."
Mountain Continent Taoist immediately pulled out a Spirit Talisman to contact his sect over a thousand miles away.
Preventing any external commotion would require more than just his Nascent Soul stage; even Qingcheng Sect’s Land Immortal might have to intervene.
Li Mo focused on completing his soul, paying minimal attention to external matters.
Over the next half-year, Qingcheng Sect cultivators gradually arrived in Huangde City, all shocked to encounter a suspected exiled immortal like Li Mo.
Every day, Li Mo could overhear their praises circulating around him. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞
Among them was a Core Formation stage Sword Cultivator named Luo Qiuzi, whose lifespan was nearing its end—proof that Qingcheng Sect was beginning to struggle in terms of generational succession.
"Generational struggles, though unfortunate, may just be an opportunity for them to lean on me as a lifeline."
Li Mo was enclosed within an aura-concealing Magic Treasure and transported to Qingcheng Sect’s mountain gate under Luo Qiuzi’s lead, experiencing a relatively smooth journey along the way.
Despite its decline, Qingcheng Sect, as a major sect, remained a force to be reckoned with.
Approaching the mountain gate, Li Mo sensed extraordinarily concentrated Spiritual Energy—the sect had at least six medium-sized Spirit Stone Veins buried beneath the base.
The Spirit Veins formed the Mountain Protection Array with remarkable precision, ensuring no Spiritual Energy escaped.
"No wonder Demon Cultivators mock the Taoist sects as ’thieving sects’—their Spirit Veins are forcibly extracted using Moving Mountain techniques, a practice that truly harms others for selfish gain."
The ancient Cultivation World displayed an even more pronounced hierarchy—major sects monopolized resources to an extreme degree.
By relocating Spirit Veins continuously, their mountain gates gradually transformed into Blessed Lands and Cave Heavens, while environments for mortal residents became increasingly dire.
Add to this the regular ascensions of Land Immortals, which siphoned Spiritual Energy into the Immortal Realm, and it was inevitable that the world would eventually enter the End of Dharma era.
Li Mo scanned the sect—Qingcheng Sect housed a total of 736 disciples.
Over 500 were at the Qi Cultivation Stage, more than 100 at the Foundation Establishment Stage, 36 at the Core Formation Stage, seven at the Nascent Soul Stage, one at the Divine Separation Stage, and one at the Body Integration Realm.
"Qingcheng Sect’s downfall likely stems 80% from Luo Qiuzi’s death due to exhaustion of his lifespan. If they were willing to relinquish some Spirit Veins and rebrand as a medium-sized sect, they might survive until the upheaval of heaven and earth."
Li Mo followed Luo Qiuzi into Qingcheng Sect’s rear mountain, which was also the central point of the Mountain Protection Array, saturated with copious Spiritual Energy.
The rear mountain housed the tombs of Qingcheng Sect’s high-ranking ancestors.
"Perfect—by implanting Illusion Spirit Roots into the corpses using the Spirit Root Worm, I can acquire Qingcheng Sect’s direct-line Taoist inheritance."
In the ancient Cultivation World, Qingcheng Sect ranked alongside Sword Sects, flourishing at its peak until it rivaled the Heavenly Sword Sect.
They merely lacked someone like Chunyangzi—ah, and were still short of Yu Xiao.
"Immortal signs!!!"
As soon as Luo Qiuzi placed Li Mo within a hollow at the rear mountain, the resplendent Immortal Light emanating from Li Mo became even more radiant, illuminating the entire mountain.
Not just Luo Qiuzi—all Sword Cultivators nearby were captivated.
In truth, the dazzling light was entirely composed of cancer cells, stealthily infiltrating the corpses beneath the tombs and seizing control of the Mud Pill Palace within moments.
"Uncle Master, does this mean Qingcheng Sect has hope?"
The current Sect Master, Ji Ke Taoist, revealed a gleeful expression and made several attempts to approach Li Mo, only to retreat repeatedly under the Immortal Light’s glow.
"It’s hard to say."
Luo Qiuzi, overjoyed, solemnly said, "The immortal’s mysteries are boundless—I cannot discern them at the moment, but given time, we will certainly glean insight into the Tao from this exiled immortal."
Seeing Luo Qiuzi’s certainty nearly made Li Mo believe it himself.
Li Mo was adamant about not leaving behind any tangible Taoist inheritance in the ancient era, lest it exacerbate the turmoil during the upheaval of heaven and earth. The Immortal Light was purely a facade.
"The ancient Cultivation World’s method of centralizing Spirit Veins has some merit—the speed at which the Great Wilderness Immortal Body is transforming has notably increased. Even without actively modifying the Spirit Roots, it may only take three or four hundred years."
"Heavenly Sword Sect emphasizes Sword Intent, while Qingcheng Sect revolves around Sword Qi."
"With a bit of refinement, this could work nicely."
Li Mo sensed another one of his spirits beginning to stir.
The Sword Cultivators of Qingcheng Sect decided after much deliberation to take turns meditating on the exiled immortal every five years, bound by a Heart Demon Oath never to divulge their observations.
Seeing their cooperation, Li Mo refrained from deploying the Spirit Root Worm to interfere with their thoughts.
Qingcheng Sect began thriving again, with signs of a bright future for the sect. Luo Qiuzi frequently uttered cryptic remarks in jubilation, seemingly having gained significant insight from Li Mo.
Twenty years later.
Li Mo’s Seven Spirits had fully coalesced, and his awareness of his physical body was gradually returning.
Progress within the Spirit Root transformation was slow—Six out of Five Organs Corpse Spirit Roots had undergone transformation, allowing him to sense the world’s purified Spiritual Energy.
Nonetheless, Li Mo refrained from absorbing the Spiritual Energy, as mastering the Three Dharma Bodies remained key to his path to becoming an Immortal.
Another eighty years passed.
"Returning to the realm of life?"
Li Mo intently focused on the Five Organs Corpse Spirit Roots, which, despite adapting to the ancient environment, were beginning to exhibit signs of vitality.
However, the Corpse Spirit Roots remained distinct from the innate Spirit Roots of ancient cultivators.
It felt as if they were suspended between the boundaries of life and death.
"The entire body contains eight associated Spirit Roots marked by Tattooed Beasts, in addition to the Brain Buddha Spirit Root. Once all Spirit Roots have transformed, I’ll consider absorbing Spiritual Energy."
Spirit Root transformation required meticulous effort; meanwhile, the Three Souls needed to be completed swiftly.
Li Mo predicted that once the Three Souls were consolidated, his physical body might ascend to the Transcendence Tribulation Stage.
"Hmm?"
Through his Divine Sense, Li Mo discreetly scanned the rear mountain and noticed an elderly Qingcheng Sect Elder nearing the end of his lifespan, smiling as he sat cross-legged and passed away at his feet.
"Another one gone, ha! And in contrast, Mountain Continent Taoist has achieved the Divine Separation Stage and now serves as Qingcheng Sect’s current Sect Master."
"Let’s see... with this new variable of Mountain Continent Taoist, Qingcheng Sect’s demise will be delayed by twenty years compared to its original history..."
