Longevity Strange Immortal-Chapter 596 - 30: Kill Chunyangzi

"Three thousand paths of the Great Dao, Heaven evolves through forty-nine, leaving out the one."

"If mere deduction cannot grasp the one."

"Then..."

Li Mo took a deep breath. Back then, his Three Souls and Seven Spirits were each linked to cultivation techniques, but his Heavenly Soul Divine Power had remained vacant until now.

"Heavenly Soul Divine Power—Divination!!!"

At the moment Li Mo confirmed it, an influx of divination knowledge surged into the Tao Seed within his mind.

Divination was considered a minor and unconventional practice, yet throughout history, several Divine Calculators had emerged. Among them, the founder of Zhibai Dao was held in the highest esteem.

His Dao title was All-Knowing True Monarch, but he perished on the eve of the first Heaven and Earth transformation.

He divined the causal relationship of the Heaven and Earth upheaval, but the disparity between him and the Master of Time proved insurmountable, leading to the dispersal of All-Knowing True Monarch’s soul.

The aura radiating from Li Mo grew increasingly profound, with the Cave God’s Eye shimmering faintly.

Zu Xiuyun, upon seeing the reinvigorated Li Mo, couldn’t help but smile.

"Master, Heaven evolves through forty-nine—you are the one that was left out, aren’t you?"

Boom!!!

Tangible Dao Intent of ’Time’ erupted from Li Mo’s body, forcibly creating a true void within the Endless Void that even Gang Wind could not disturb.

Li Mo stood in midair, one finger pointing to the heavens, the other to the earth.

"Above the heavens and beneath the earth, none can rival me."

"Fellow Daoists, lend me your strength."

The Creation Book suddenly flipped open, and the lingering spirits of Li Mo from various lifetimes seemed to awaken, letting out anguished howls as a sea of information surged forth.

......

Dressed as a scholar, Li Mo moved down the street, supporting the dying All-Knowing True Monarch while observing the mortal world and its bustling fireworks.

"Alas."

All-Knowing True Monarch let out a deep sigh.

"My disciple, what is the use of divining across time, spanning ancient and modern eras? What is the use of cultivation reaching the realm of Land Immortals? Unable to comprehend the ultimate truth of the Dao, I am destined to die in a foreign land—oh, how laughable!"

All-Knowing True Monarch, having divined a single reading on the Heaven and Earth upheaval, had already lost his vitality.

"The mortal realm is beyond saving. Li Mo, find an opportunity to ascend to the upper realm—perhaps, alas, perhaps there’s still a glimmer of hope."

"Huh?"

All-Knowing True Monarch suddenly sensed something peculiar and turned his head to glance at Li Mo.

Li Mo’s aura of body and soul subtly shifted; it suddenly seemed as though he had become someone else, his eyes gleaming with sharpness that even the True Monarch couldn’t ignore.

"Who are you? Dare to seize his body—"

"Master."

Li Mo said with a smile, "I am him, and he is me."

"I want to ask you one thing: how does one calculate Heaven’s mechanism?"

"You... he... I see it now, I understand—Heaven evolves through forty-nine, leaving out the one!"

"Hahaha!!!"

All-Knowing True Monarch laughed until his face turned red, then stumbled toward a wall and picked up a discarded charcoal pen left by a child.

"Listen carefully! All things have a destiny—even Heaven itself is no exception!"

As he spoke, All-Knowing True Monarch spat blood. Even as his soul scattered, he struggled to convey his insights on divination to Li Mo.

......

In a town in the south, the second Heaven and Earth transformation quietly descended.

Men, women, and children gathered outside a manor, where the cries of a newborn echoed from within.

"That old widow of the Chen family is four hundred years old, half is rotted away—and yet she’s pregnant for ten months? Could this not be the birth of a demon?"

The Time Sword emerged from the courtyard, erasing the memories of the crowd as he passed, followed by San Sheng.

Turning to San Sheng, he said, "The Heaven and Earth upheaval has already begun to reveal its signs. You and I must act swiftly and secure the opportunity to ascend to immortality."

San Sheng cautioned, "There’s someone!"

Footsteps drew closer as a monk holding a shattered bowl approached.

His patched kasaya bore numerous mends, and as he passed, his innate essence nourished the townsfolk suffering under the plague of death, though his own steps grew heavier.

The Time Sword narrowed his eyes, staring at the monk. "I’ve heard of the Savior Monk from the fallen Buddhist Sect—walking among mortals. Truly, his reputation precedes him."

"Savior Monk Li Mo, huh. The Heaven and Earth transformation is inevitable; you cannot stop it. You cannot kill or destroy—so what is your purpose in coming?"

"Amitabha Buddha."

Li Mo’s expression radiated compassion as he bowed deeply toward the townsfolk within the city.

"Foolishness."

Time Sword turned and walked away.

Suddenly, Li Mo’s soul aura shifted; the Dao Intent of ’Time’ scattered, a branch in hand, and his tattered kasaya disintegrated into ashes.

The Time Sword was stunned. "You... You’re not him!!!"

"Senior Brother, I seek insight into the path of divination, and yearn to glimpse your Dao Intent ’Time’. Senior Brother... would you be so kind as to reveal it?"

Swoosh.

Li Mo vanished from where he stood, his eyes filled with an intent to kill.

The Time Sword drew his blade to block, but time froze. Within two short breaths, his severed head fell, while his body still maintained posture.

"Year after year."

The Time Sword manifested half a meter away, his original body reduced to that of a child.

Sacrificing his seven-year-old self barely preserved his life, but his cultivation had dropped half a realm, and the Dao Intent ’Time’ had been lost.

"Damn you—who are you?!"

......

In the Endless Star Sea.

Kong Dongzi reclined lazily on a cloud, fishing amidst his tribulation, his body riddled with wounds.

Though he was at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, his cultivation base had long been severed during his tribulation, reducing the once-proud Land Immortal to fishing in the deep sea to survive.

Reeling in his rod languidly, Kong Dongzi’s line pulled in a half-dragon, half-fish Exotic Beast.

"Heh heh, another dragon seed—its flavor is surely delicious."

"Off I go—I’d better leave before the South Sea Dragon King comes looking for me. It’s just a few of his dragon offspring; is he really that petty?"

Kong Dongzi sealed the dragon seed, planning to escape to the neighboring West Sea.

At that moment.

Dark clouds blanketed the sky, heavily dense spiritual energy converging upon Kong Dongzi, lightning crackling, fish scattering away in panic.

"Tribulation lightning? No—it’s a True Dragon."

"Good grief! All the dragon seeds I’ve eaten were foolish creatures, with no hope of transformation. Why is the Dragon King set on pursuing me?!" 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Kong Dongzi pulled out his magical treasure, but escape was no longer possible.

Bam.

Massive ocean waves surged.

A gargantuan True Dragon, over a thousand meters long, emerged from the waters. Its scales were adorned with Dao Rhythms, resembling not a True Dragon but more akin to an Ancestor Dragon.

"You... You..."

"Junior South Sea Dragon Son-in-law Li Mo greets Senior Kong Dongzi."

Kong Dongzi saw that Li Mo displayed no malice and cautiously asked, "You’ve clearly transformed into a True Dragon—why are you like those stiff old dragons? Pseudo-dragons are left untouched, taking up precious resources for nothing. I’m consuming them for your own good."

Li Mo responded with a silent smile.

Kong Dongzi muttered inwardly, "I’ve observed this person from afar once before—no more than five hundred years ago. Why does his soul aura feel different now?"

"Senior, how do you manage to fish rare spiritual materials and treasures without relying on magical items or consuming spiritual power?"

"What do you want? That is the ancient and lost Karma Divine Ability—you wouldn’t be able to learn it."

Kong Dongzi eyed Li Mo vigilantly.

"I have a method to spare you the torment of tribulation lightning. I’d like to exchange it for your fishing technique."

Kong Dongzi’s eyes brightened, "Is it the Dragon Transformation technique? Once my physical body strengthens, perhaps even tribulation lightning won’t harm me. Who knows—I might just become a son-in-law for the Dragon Clan myself."

"No—the Ghost Immortal technique."

......

The Creation Book snapped shut.

Its cover grew dull, appearing lifeless and dispirited from excessive consumption.

Li Mo opened his eyes as countless memories surged within him. Though only a single moment had passed in reality, he had conversed with countless fellow Daoists.

[Divine Calculator Li Mo], [Savior Monk Li Mo], [Dragon Son-in-law Li Mo], [Blood Demon Li Mo], [Mother Furnace Li Mo], [Corpse Taoist Li Mo], [Gu True Man Li Mo]...

Li Mo bowed solemnly before them.

"Thank you, fellow Daoists. Even though the path ahead is treacherous, I will carve out my own road!!!"

The Heavenly Soul Divine Power had finally manifested.

[One of the nine hundred and ninety-nine], consuming one’s vitality to deduce Heaven’s mechanism.

Li Mo gestured for Zu Xiuyun to step back, then, without hesitation, activated One of the nine hundred and ninety-nine, pouring his innate essence into the Tao Seed.

"Master, you—"

Zu Xiuyun’s pupils contracted as the sight of Li Mo became increasingly ethereal.

"Whew."

Li Mo’s movements seemed exaggerated, his limbs swinging wildly, resembling a mortal shaman performing a ritual dance for blessings. Yet, upon closer inspection, his posture and gestures subtly contained profound truths, mysterious and unfathomable.

"Dingsi Divination, the sun emerges; Dingsi Divination, the sun sets."

Li Mo’s expression grew increasingly absorbed, unknowingly expending over 200,000 years’ worth of intrinsic vitality. His dance accelerated, blending into a whirlwind of residual images.

Then Zu Xiuyun noticed something unusual.

The residual images morphed into countless incarnations of Li Mo, each with a different appearance, all performing the divination dance in unison.

Time flowed by, and the shadows multiplied exponentially.

The cultivators remained silent, feeling as though they were gazing upon the Heavenly Dao itself, their hearts filled with unspoken reverence for Li Mo.

"I found it—Heaven evolves through forty-nine, leaving out the one!!!"

Li Mo’s face distorted with fury, his pores beginning to bleed.

The burdens of divination were terrifyingly immense. Each time his movements threatened to distort, a shadow would voluntarily meld back into his body.

Li Mo panted heavily, raising his middle finger toward the mortal realm.

"Master."

"There’s no time left. I must tell you two things: If we succeed, Heaven and Earth will reverse; if we fail, we will perish completely. Are you afraid?"

"Yes, but I will see it through."

Li Mo sent a private message to Zu Xiuyun, then began to peel the ridges from the Corpse Mountain Immortal Device, disregarding his injuries as he ascended Jianmu alone.

Moments later.

None of the cultivators knew when the divination had ended.

When they came to their senses, Zu Xiuyun had already returned to the Corpse Mountain.

Ye Zhuo Daoist looked around and spoke, "Where is Master? His transformation is growing severe; he must enter seclusion immediately."

Da Hua Taoist nodded and added, "Indeed. Still, since Jianmu remains undisturbed, we may rest in the Endless Void for a century."

"Or perhaps near the Immortal Realm. That way, retreat remains an option."

Zu Xiuyun interrupted, "We have no time! Master has instructed us to immediately venture into the depths of the Taoist sect’s territories to retrieve three items."

"What items?"

"The remnants left behind in the Three Pure Ones Hall after the Three Taoist Ancestors lost control and succumbed to their transformation."

"Gasp."

The cultivators collectively inhaled sharply but voiced no dissent.

Whatever the case, Li Mo had made his decision—and their resolve to follow was unwavering.

Zu Xiuyun refined the mountain ridges and gazed toward the Jianmu summit, shrouded by dense mist, faintly stained with blood trailing all the way to the Immortal Realm.

Of the two matters Li Mo had entrusted, one was retrieving the remnants of the Three Taoist Ancestors.

As for the second, Zu Xiuyun remained puzzled.

"Why did Master instruct me to..."

"Kill Chunyangzi?"