Longevity Strange Immortal-Chapter 575 - 9: Transcendance Tribulation Stage, Meteorite Fall

Chapter 575: Chapter 9: Transcendance Tribulation Stage, Meteorite Fall

After Li Mo ascended to the Tribulation stage, he vaguely sensed four cultivators at the same realm, far more than he had initially imagined.

Among them, he recognized one—Kong Dongzi, who survived his tribulation but was left with only his Externalized Dharma Body.

Li Mo attempted to approach Kong Dongzi several times, but the latter remained highly vigilant, withdrawing even when ordinary mortals deliberately drew near.

After all, Kong Dongzi had fallen to the realm of a Ghost Immortal, with barely a tenth of his original strength.

Perhaps even a typical Mahayana cultivator could easily overwhelm him.

Li Mo initially wanted to exploit Kong Dongzi by enticing him with the Fake Immortal Technique to accomplish several tasks, but he was unable to locate him and had to give up.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a major setback.

Cultivators in the Tribulation stage are dreadfully afraid of being drawn into calamities and typically avoid participating in the first World Upheaval, yielding very little influence on the grand chessboard.

As for the second World Upheaval, although they may appear then, Li Mo should have enough power to dominate Tribulation-stage cultivators by that time.

Having finalized his plan, Li Mo headed toward the Endless Star Sea.

Uncertain whether he could achieve Immortal Ascension before the World Upheaval, he chose to retreat to an isolated location in the depths of the vast ocean.

The only significant threat to Li Mo was the Dragon Clan, but they would soon be preoccupied with their own troubles.

After traveling for half a year, the boundless azure sea emerged into his view, vibrant and brimming with vitality—a stark contrast to the stagnant desolation seen in later eras.

Li Mo observed the ebb and flow of tides, the rising and setting of the sun and moon, engraving these scenes deep in his memory.

"Who would have guessed that the eternal and unchanging Endless Star Sea would fall in as little as eight or nine hundred years, consumed by the mortals’ Word-to-law declaration?"

Li Mo bowed his head and continued his journey, reaching the outskirts filled with scattered islands.

In the Endless Star Sea, due to the lack of fresh water, spiritual materials were difficult to cultivate, so resources were primarily harvested from the sea’s demon beasts.

Li Mo saw cultivators laboring like fishermen, assisted by mortals who crewed the boats.

Most of them maintained close kinship ties.

It was amidst the Endless Star Sea that the close-knit cultivation family system began to emerge.

Li Mo locked onto the location of the cancer cells, transforming into tunneling light, vanishing in an instant.

......

The Dragon Clan maintained a courteous relationship with cultivation families across the Endless Star Sea, specifically designating safe island zones—on the condition that each island must display divine statues of the Four Seas Dragon Kings.

Beyond these zones lay the perilous Desolate Sea, teeming with demon beasts.

Larger merchant caravans often ventured into the Desolate Sea, hunting demon beasts using large-scale magic artifacts mounted on their ships.

Roaring waves surged, accompanied by eerie and continuous beastly cries.

A colossal shark, over a hundred meters long, breached the surface, releasing demon energy equivalent to that of a Core Formation demon beast. Its massive head repeatedly collided with the hull of a nearby ship.

The ship, made entirely from low-grade spirit materials and protected by two mid-grade magic artifacts, barely endured the shark’s relentless attacks.

"Turn back, turn back!"

The leading cultivator, though at Core Formation stage, was utterly ineffectual against the equivalent-level demon beast.

Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.

Several explosive charms attached to crossbows were fired in succession, but they failed to harm the demon beast, merely enraging it further.

Cracks spread across the deck, and all cultivators prepared to abandon ship and flee.

In the ensuing chaos, a few lucky survivors might escape, while the demon beast would mainly target the Core Formation cultivator.

"Damn it,"

Kong Yong cursed under his breath. As a late Foundation Establishment crew member, he was like a fly treading a razor’s edge when faced with the Core Formation demon beast.

He frantically raised and lowered the sails, praying the rising sea breeze would propel the ship forward.

Yet the demon energy clinged to the vessel, turning the surrounding seawater into a crushing weight of thousands of kilograms. Kong Yong seemed destined to witness the ship’s destruction.

"Originally, I thought this voyage might go smoothly enough to retreat and break through into Core Formation stage."

"Now, it seems even survival is uncertain."

Unwilling to accept his fate, Kong Yong, having seen the fall of immortals to the mortal world, naturally balked at dying a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Desolate Sea.

Bang!

The ship’s timber fractured audibly, and two cultivators were caught unaware and torn into pieces by the colossal shark.

Kong Yong scanned his surroundings, identified an escape route, then stealthily distanced himself from the group. Extracting a sky-controlling magical artifact, he waited anxiously.

At that moment, the demon beast’s roar abruptly ceased. The cultivators stopped screaming, and the surging waves froze mid-air.

Kong Yong, stunned, noticed that everything around him seemed to halt in time.

"Kong Yong."

He froze for a moment before incredulously turning his head. Sure enough, Li Mo stood amidst the waves, gazing at him from not far away.

"Im... Immortal."

Kong Yong fell to his knees, pounding his head on the ground in fervent reverence.

If not for Li Mo’s guidance years ago, he wouldn’t have survived close to three hundred years at Foundation Establishment stage without expending his lifespan.

Li Mo pointed at the demon beast, sending blood energy surging into its body.

The demon beast instantly perished, and its body was stored into his Storage Bag before being casually tossed to Kong Yong.

"With this demon beast’s corpse, you should have enough resources to break through to Core Formation stage. Take ten years at most to clear that bottleneck."

Instead of fear, Kong Yong felt pure joy, cradling the Storage Bag. "Immortal, if there is anything you need from me, I would gladly walk through fire and climb knives for you."

"Do you know Liu Shan Island?"

"Yes, it’s home to the largest cultivation family hosting the Group of Immortals, rumored to have tens of thousands of members."

"Once you achieve Core Formation stage, by any means necessary, infiltrate Liu Shan Island. My disciple Zu Xiuyun will arrive there in twenty years; assist her in stealing the family’s Corpse Array Eye."

"Understood."

Li Mo had gleaned Zu Xiuyun’s fate using the Creation Book. She had already reached Core Formation stage but encountered a Heart Demon in her attempt to break through to Nascent Soul stage.

Zu Xiuyun went to Liu Shan Island to obtain "It Corpse"—specifically utilizing the blood of the Corpse Resolving Immortal Body to aid her cultivation. She discovered "It Corpse" eerily aligned to the Twelve True Words, an event that led to years spent robbing graves.

The Corpse Resolving Immortal Body emanated Immortal Light that drove away cultivators, preventing anyone from nearing it within half a meter until the World Upheaval extinguished the glow.

Zu Xiuyun wasted seventy to eighty years on Liu Shan Island.

Li Mo calculated that with Kong Yong’s cooperation, two to three decades would suffice.

The subsequent grave-robbing also required an adept assistant, allowing Zu Xiuyun to save hundreds of years while altering Kong Yong’s trajectory.

Li Mo delved deeper into the Desolate Sea. As the Cosmic Furnace expanded, the hidden thousand-mile radius reverted.

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances upon noticing the disappearance of the shark demon beast, now curiously abandoning its attack. The ship’s captain rejoiced at the unexpected reprieve.

Kong Yong remained silent, pondering how to use the demon beast’s corpse effectively.

He watched Li Mo’s departing figure, whose tunneling light crossed thousands of miles in mere breaths, unsure when they might meet again.

......

Li Mo’s search for a retreat spot followed a discernible pattern.

He carefully avoided locations near Dragon Palaces and steered clear of the yet-to-form Returning Ruins to prevent unforeseen complications during the World Upheaval.

With the protection of Spirit Root Worms, Li Mo traversed the Desolate Sea as if walking on solid ground.

After six to seven years, he finally discovered a remote island surrounded by sparse spiritual energy, limiting the presence of demon beasts in the vicinity.

During this period, Li Mo noticed two small Spirit Veins attached to the island.

He transplanted the Spirit Veins into the Corpse Mountain Mini World. There, ancient alien spirit energy settled underground, while pure spiritual energy floated skyward.

The Immortal Patterns on Corpse Mountain steadily became more complete.

Li Mo realized the ancient Spirit Veins were the key to Corpse Mountain’s promotion to Immortal Artifact status; otherwise, relying solely on gathering corpses might require billions of occupants.

While setting up an Array, Li Mo summoned the Kun Whale to the outer world.

The Kun Whale could freely traverse between Corpse Mountain Mini World and reality, making it ideal for gathering Spirit Veins. With its help, Corpse Mountain might achieve transformation before the World Upheaval.

"Hehehe, once Da Ai Mi Tian ascends through the Three Dharma Bodies to Immortal Artifact status, I will have three Immortal Artifacts in my possession."

The Doulu Tripod, on the other hand, required offerings from believers to gradually restore its Immortal Patterns.

Li Mo lacked the energy to manage the Doulu Tripod, as Buddhist Spiritual Treasures involved mortals’ collective willpower and could backfire if mishandled.

Spirit Root Worms parasitized the island, which soon disappeared from the surface of the sea.

Li Mo focused entirely on cultivation.

Every two to three years, the Kun Whale would return with small Spirit Veins, integrating them into the Corpse Mountain Mini World, steadily increasing the content of pure spiritual energy.

Li Mo’s cultivation efficiency soared, giving him the confidence to advance within three hundred years.

The Tribulation stage is divided into three realms:

[Peeping Tribulation Realm]

During this realm, the Externalized Dharma Body begins disconnecting from Heavenly Dao, causing cultivators to suffer the soul-tearing agony of Body and Soul. Overcoming this pain allows the Dharma Body to fully sever ties with Heavenly Dao.

[Tribulation Realm]

Cultivators in this realm experience a Minor Thunder Tribulation every thousand years, representing mortal Heavenly Dao’s rejection of their existence.

In future generations, Minor Thunder Tribulations vanish but are instead replaced by Void Realm Tribulations, where cultivators endure the erosion of a Death Disease targeting their Dharma Body.

[Ascending Immortal Realm]

Tribulations become increasingly frequent—one Minor Thunder Tribulation or Void Realm Tribulation every five hundred years, along with one Major Thunder Tribulation or Dharma Body Tribulation every thousand years.

Failing a tribulation results either in death and Dao collapse or the path to Ghost Immortal cultivation.

However, in the Ascending Immortal Realm, ancient cultivators could perceive the Immortal Ladder and attempt ascension to the Immortal Realm; modern cultivators would be restricted to the Fake Immortal path.

Li Mo, however, planned to use the Fake Immortal Technique to achieve True Immortal cultivation.

Indeed, after the World Upheaval brings numerous True Immortals down to the mortal realm, he wouldn’t hesitate to refine a few Immortal corpses to aid his ascension.

For strategic planning purposes and considering the dangers of the Immortal Realm, ascending alongside the Twelve Immortals during the second World Upheaval would be the optimal choice.

"I will select Shaquan Town, where mortals hunt fallen immortals for their bodies, making it relatively easier to obtain corpses."

Li Mo also intended to leverage that opportunity to approach Chunyangzi, who played a crucial role in his grand scheme.

As he contemplated, the Three Dharma Bodies exhibited peculiar changes, voraciously absorbing spiritual energy, deepening the soul-tearing pain of the Peeping Tribulation Realm.

"Hiss..."

"No wonder Tribulation-stage cultivators are so scarce. If I couldn’t see any hope of Immortal Ascension, I too would likely choose to become a Ghost Immortal."

Li Mo grimaced as the profound agony exceeded even transformative rebirth.

Fortunately, once he entered a state of absolute focus, his attention zeroed in on the Three Dharma Bodies.

A century of isolation passed.

The Corpse Mountain Mini World’s pure Spirit Vein expanded to large-scale proportions; its spiritual treasure showed increasingly evident signs of promoting to Immortal Artifact. The Kun Whale caused Spirit Veins to vanish within a thousand-mile radius, leaving the area barren of demon beasts.

Time flew like a fleeting steed, and two hundred years passed in a blink.

The torture of the Peeping Tribulation Realm began subsiding.

Li Mo knew the Tribulation Realm was within his grasp and began energetically attacking the bottleneck.

Suddenly.

The Endless Star Sea churned up waves towering a thousand meters high.

Li Mo opened his Cave God’s Eye.

Amid the darkness, a shimmering, multicolored meteor plummeted from the heavens, its trajectory distorting light and shadow until vanishing upon nearing the mortal world.

Li Mo’s expression turned grave as he witnessed the Nine Nether Immortal Light clinging to the meteor. At closer inspection, the meteor’s outer appearance strongly resembled... insect eggs?