Lu Yuan's head hovered mid-air, a faint trace of consciousness causing his eyelids to tremble slightly.

Through the stomach of the Yang Niu, he could return to the present world at any moment. Duke of Thunder and Chi Baicheng were not overly worried and waited patiently on the side.

Chi Baicheng glanced at Chang Yi and said, "The Taoist inheritance from the Grave Mound is indeed a shortcut for sword cultivators, as it frees the body from dependency on the Lifebound Flying Sword. However, it's too extreme."

"Take the Lamenting Ghost Sword Body for example—if carelessly cultivated, one's flesh and blood could mutate. But it allows the use of [Self-Consumption] to enhance one's cultivation."

Duke of Thunder chuckled dryly, "The Lamenting Ghost Sword Body seems compatible with most other Sword Bodies, except for those of the Thunder Residence and Great Sun."

The two were clearly giving hints to Li Mo and Chang Yi.

Chang Yi found himself lost in thought. If he leveraged the Lamenting Ghost Sword Intent to break through to a Taoist Body, perhaps it would give him a better chance of competing with Li Mo.

As for Li Mo, his focus was entirely detached from the Taoist inheritance of the Grave Mound.

His expression was subtle as he stared at the sacrificial platform. The Cave God's Eye was pushed to its limit, trying to discern the appearance of the Grave Mound's disciple at the end of the ladder.

Li Mo thought inwardly, "The Immortal Ladder of the Grave Mound Sword Tomb is merely a derivative of taboos, but eight thousand years ago, Immortals indeed descended upon Shaquan Town…"

"And not just once."

Li Mo's Cave God's Eye rotated, and the silhouette at the end of the ladder grew increasingly familiar.

He spoke without hesitation, "Dear seniors, why do these many disciples from the Grave Mound appear somewhat similar in form to me?"

Chi Baicheng was momentarily stunned; he hadn't expected Li Mo to take an interest in the disciples of the Grave Mound.

Thunder Residence answered with a smile, "The disciples of the Grave Mound, being puppets of the Sword Tomb, naturally have bodies reshaped by it. Nearly identical, they might even have connections to ancient…"

Realizing he had misspoken, he diverted the topic, "You'll inevitably reach the Void Refining Stage someday, and you'll have plenty of chances to return to the Grave Mound."

Thunder Residence briefly envied the Great Sun Sword Tomb for having secured Li Mo. Both he and Yu Xiao were considered Innate Immortal Seeds, yet Yu Xiao's treatment from the elders was akin to a mere Taoist child guarding a cauldron in the Alchemy Room.

The irony was, none dared to offend them.

"Thank you, Elder."

Li Mo expressed his gratitude once more, though his mind lingered on the memories recorded in the Creation Book.

When mortals used blood offerings to summon Immortal Ladders across the realm, the heavens indeed responded, as sixteen silhouettes descended from the ladder's end.

What shocked Li Mo the most was that the figures who came down to the Mortal World all resembled Chunyangzi.

Yes, not only did they share Chunyangzi's appearance, but their expressions were identical, exuding an unsettling aura that filled Li Mo with dread.

The mortals' eyes were fanatical, yet they betrayed irrepressible greed, as though looking at livestock they had long since prepared for slaughter.

"Chunyangzi truly ascended to immortality…"

The timing of Shaquan Town's Sacrificial Festival aligned with the beheading of twenty-eight Immortals.

Apparently, Chunyangzi utilized certain methods to return to the Mortal World after slaying Immortals. It seemed there were still unresolved matters tethering him here.

Once he stepped beyond the Immortal Ladder, Chunyangzi began coughing violently.

The immortal energy emanating from their bodies was rapidly dissipating. Their faces turned cherry red, their urgent breaths hinted at some poisonous element within the air.

In a mere dozen breaths, eight of the sixteen Chunyangzi fell dead. Of the remaining, five perished soon after due to organ failures.

The last three Chunyangzi reverted to frail, elderly mortals.

Li Mo suspected that Chunyangzi was using these incarnations as a way to adapt to the Mortal World, but he couldn't ascertain the hierarchy or priority among the sixteen bodies.

Mortals crowded around the Chunyangzi, who were now utterly powerless.

"Fortunate to receive the grace of the Immortal, we are unworthy servants and can only… only by consuming you entirely can our hearts align with yours," the lead organizer of the blood sacrifice muttered repeatedly.

Beside him, someone pounced eagerly onto Chunyangzi's corpse, the sound of chewing filling the air.

Chunyangzi said nothing, instead scanning the area with a pitiful gaze.

The mortals failed to notice that they had already transformed into Heavenly Persons. Amidst the squalor, their presence appeared startlingly incongruous, an absurd contrast of purity rising from filth.

Bang, bang, bang.

Muffled noises echoed as the mortals who consumed the bodies began to convulse uncontrollably.

Pus flowed from their mouths and noses; their internal organs had completely decayed. Stomachs ruptured in an instant, spilling viscera as flesh shredded through the air.

One by one, the remaining mortals knelt on the ground, succumbing to the same fate.

The lead organizer, shocked into realization, pointed accusingly at Chunyangzi, stammering, "You… you stole our… mortal forms, you…"

Bang.

Shaquan Town fell into silence.

The last memory left was Chunyangzi's cold, emotionless expression as he departed the town, heading in different directions.

"First, Chunyangzi evidently anticipated the events at Shaquan Town. Even as an Immortal, he exhibited a considerable sense of caution, bestowing a form of Creation upon the mortals before descending to the Mortal World."

"This Creation transformed mortals into Heavenly Persons, ostensibly removing some latent danger."

In memories tied to the upheaval of heaven and earth, mortals appeared as paradoxes.

On one hand, they were victims of calamities. The Mortal World was left desolate, with nine of every ten homes emptied, most people dying in the tides before they could even resist.

On the other hand, they were perpetrators of disaster.

The Sacrificial Festival in Shaquan Town was clearly not an act of praying for Immortals to save them. After combing through the memories, Li Mo arrived at one singular conclusion.

[In Shaquan Town, mortals hunted.]

The weak mortals, driven to complete madness, turned Immortals into livestock, summoned them to the Mortal World, and barbarically consumed them.

The mortals' attitude toward Chunyangzi made it evident—they had conducted several Sacrificial Festivals before.

Li Mo couldn't understand what the mortals counted on. How had they managed to destroy the Heavenly Sword Sect, to the extent that Immortals were now filled with dread at the thought of them?

At least, the mortals in the memories didn't appear to have any special qualities.

The truth behind the upheaval of heaven and earth was incredibly close, as if separated by only a thin screen of paper.

The Immortal Realm at the time must have been in utter chaos too, with many Immortals likely descending to the Lower Realm to escape danger, leading to the frequent success of Sacrificial Festivals.

Clang.

A soft sword hum rang out.

Lu Yuan's head opened its eyes, and fine ox-like hairs began to sprout.

As his head morphed into the shape of a Yang Niu's head, a flash of sword light passed through his mouth.

"The depths of the Grave Mound remain the same—difficult to navigate. Collecting the entirety of the Taoist inheritance here is no easy task. Chi Baicheng, you owe me a favor."

Lu Yuan revealed himself, clutching a string of suspended human brains in his hand. It was evident they served as Sword Scrolls preserving Taoist inheritance; brain matter trickled slowly downwards.

He tossed the Lamenting Ghost Sword Body's Sword Scroll to Chi Baicheng, leaving the rest for Li Mo.

"Spare me the pleasantries. Before coming to the Grave Mound Sword Tomb, I said I'd help you obtain the Taoist inheritance here."

Li Mo said nothing, storing the scrolls into his personal Storage Bag.

Chi Baicheng nodded and added, "Taiyi, I'll deliver the Taoist inheritance of Qiushuang at a later date. However, I do have a small favor to ask."

"Please, Elder, speak."

"The Qiushuang Sword Tomb has a Sword Body named [Frost Freeze], which aligns perfectly with the Grave Mound's Lamenting Ghost Sword Body. However, it lacks a specific progression technique. If you uncover any connection, I ask that you let me know."

Chi Baicheng's tone was gentle; he understood that with Li Mo's talent, achieving the Void Refining Stage was only a matter of time, and crafting a new Magic Technique would not be difficult for him.

"Master, you…"

Chang Yi trailed off, letting out a deep sigh.

"It's no trouble."

With Chi Baicheng's promise, Li Mo now possessed five of the Twenty-Eight Sword Tombs.

His role as the chief of the Sword Tombs undeniably eased his acquisition of Magic Techniques. Adding his Innate Immortal Body into the mix, achieving the Ten Thousand Sword Immortal Bone was only a matter of time.

"Much time has already been wasted. Let's not delay further."

Duke of Thunder showed no intention of lingering, releasing bursts of thunder light that cleansed the sacrificial platforms in the town. A stench of charred flesh filled the air.

With the traces of the altar erased, the town began to evaporate into nothingness.

Certain alleyways and parts of the streets turned into a Chaotic Burial Mound, scenes of corpses strewn about painted the landscape.

"Taiyi, you can take another ten thousand corpses, but no more—even a bit over will disrupt future disciple recruitment a hundred years later."

Hearing this, Lu Yuan's annoyed tone softened as he added with a chuckle, "If Taiyi needs them, waiting half a day is no issue."

The Thunder Residence Sword Cultivators, having rarely seen Duke of Thunder relent, gazed at him in astonishment.

"No need for half a day. Half an incense stick's time will be enough."

The shadows beneath Li Mo's feet expanded outward.

Once again, everyone witnessed the eerie and unpredictable methods of one of the Thirteen Immortals. This was hardly the work of a sword cultivator; it was imbued with an extensive blend of Devil Sect magic.

The Ghost Tiger Illusion, as deep as an abyss, roamed freely throughout the town.

Moments later, ten thousand corpses lay neatly arranged in the Corpse Mountain Mini World, becoming a part of its intricate system of operations.

In truth, Li Mo had greatly restrained himself.

If he had used the Earth Prostrating Dharma Body to devour everything, clearing out the entire pile of bodies would have been effortless.

Lu Yuan clutched the Yang Niu Head, grumbling, "There's still the matter of settling the Outer Disciples. Each branch will undoubtedly argue endlessly again—truly bothersome."

The sword cultivators summoned their Lifebound Flying Swords, preparing to levitate away from the Grave Mound Sword Tomb.

Only Li Mo infused spiritual power into the Sword Shuttle, which expanded to a size of four to five hundred meters, revealing an entrance leading to its interior.

Duke of Thunder noticed the intricately layered rooms inside the Sword Shuttle, clicking his tongue in astonishment.

Signs on the doors read "Seclusion Room," "Alchemy Room," "Artifact Refining Room"...

"Why don't the esteemed seniors and fellow Daoists rest inside the Sword Shuttle for a moment? At least you'll have ten days' reprieve on the journey to the Outer Disciple area."

Li Mo's invitation was not without ulterior motives, aimed at preventing interference by hidden forces.

Duke of Thunder shrank his form to two meters, asking, "Where did you get this? I remember the Four Seas Commerce once sold similar Magic Artifacts, but they were far inferior in capacity to your Sword Shuttle."

"Elder, this junior patterned it after the Sword Shuttle sold by the Four Seas Commerce and refined it myself."

Duke of Thunder was left speechless, entering the Shuttle with Lu Yuan.

The remaining sword cultivators followed closely behind.

Even Chang Yi found himself gradually accustomed to Li Mo's display of talent. From Array Tao to Artifact Refining, an Innate Immortal Seed was indeed beyond the comprehension of mere mortals.

As the Sword Shuttle sailed smoothly out of the Sword Tomb, the sword cultivators marveled at the convenience of a fake Magic Treasure, which seemed like a mobile Blessed Land Cave Heaven.

Only then did Lu Yuan blurt out, "That Yang Niu fake Magic Treasure acquired earlier must have been one of yours, Taiyi?"

"The Trapped Sword Platform, mainly utilized for temporarily sealing Sword Ghosts."

"If I get the chance, I'll show the Trapped Sword Platform to the elders of each Sword Tomb. Perhaps the Magic Artifact Catalog could be traded for a few Taoist inheritances."

The Divine Separation Stage sword cultivators gazed longingly at the Sword Shuttle.

Yet, their relations with Li Mo were tenuous at best, and they were all too impoverished to broach the topic of its value with any dignity.

Li Mo naturally hoped Lu Yuan would vouch for him in acquiring Taoist inheritances. "Elder, surely you require a Magic Treasure for travel?"

"Sword cultivators rarely rely on external items. Sword control itself is a form of tempering…"

"Elder, the prow houses a room suitable for sword practice, capable of simulating the crushing pressures of the deep sea."

"Oh, well... alright."

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