“And that Spirit Staff! Hand it over too.”
Li Mu reached out, collecting all the storage Magical Artifacts, then looked at the ancient wooden Magical Artifact in Venerable Fallenwood’s hand, not forgetting to remind him.
“No! This is my Life Magical Artifact, and the very Foundation of my cultivation! I absolutely cannot give this to you!” Venerable Fallenwood’s Face changed dramatically, and he glared at Li Mu, flatly refusing.
“Your life, or the Magical Artifact? I’ll give you ten breaths to think it over!”
Li Mu’s attitude was resolute, and he spoke coldly.
“Don’t push your luck!”
Venerable Fallenwood was filled with grief and indignation, almost collapsing. He was a dignified Refining Void Great Power, a figure who could shake the world, and countless Soul Transformation Cultivators would tremble at a mere stomp of his foot. Yet, now he was being so humiliated by a Nascent Soul brat.
However, facing Li Mu’s unyielding attitude, Venerable Fallenwood, trapped within the Five Elements Grand Formation, found his Law Domain restricted by the Five Elements Formation power, unable to escape.
Otherwise, he would have wished to break out of the Formation and smash this bastard to death with a staff.
“Daoist Kun Ling, why don’t you say something?!” Watching time tick by, Venerable Fallenwood clutched his ancient wooden Magic Staff tightly, looking at Celestial Venerable Kun Ling, and pleaded helplessly.
Seeing Venerable Fallenwood in such a predicament, Celestial Venerable Kun Ling was naturally overjoyed, but he couldn’t be too ruthless in this matter.
“Little Friend Li!” Celestial Venerable Kun Ling looked at Li Mu and was about to offer some advice.
“Senior Kun, you don’t need to persuade me on this matter. For the Kun Family’s sake, I’m giving this old dog a chance to live. If he doesn’t cherish it, I truly don’t mind taking action. At that time, if the Ji Family implicates the Kun Family, you can just push all the blame onto me!” Li Mu interrupted Celestial Venerable Kun Ling, speaking resolutely.
“Why go to such trouble! Alas!” Celestial Venerable Kun Ling gave a bitter laugh, looked at Venerable Fallenwood, and gestured: “Old ghost, Little Friend Li’s attitude is clear. Quickly hand over the Magical Artifact!”
“Kun Ling, you know the significance of this Magical Artifact to me. Is that even possible?!” Venerable Fallenwood’s Face showed a sinister, hawkish expression, and he responded fiercely.
Hearing this, Celestial Venerable Kun Ling couldn’t help but feel a headache. He naturally knew the significance of that ancient wooden Magical Artifact to Fallenwood—it was the Legacy of his Depletion Domain Cultivation Technique, and also the key to his advancement to Void Refining. Losing this item would cause Venerable Fallenwood to lose fifty percent of his combat power; that ancient wooden Magical Artifact was his very lifeblood.
“Little Friend Li!” Celestial Venerable Kun Ling still wanted to persuade him further.
“You have five breaths left! 5, 4,” Li Mu ignored Celestial Venerable Kun Ling’s words, staring coldly at Venerable Fallenwood, his killing intent palpable.
The Five Elements Grand Formation continued to operate, the surrounding ocean churning, the sound of waves like the tolling of a death knell, ringing for his fate.
“Kun Ling! Help me!” Venerable Fallenwood, filled with unwillingness and despair, cried out to Celestial Venerable Kun Ling for help.
Time was slipping away, and Venerable Fallenwood’s heart was filled with struggle and contradiction. He clearly understood his situation and Li Mu’s determination, yet, did he have any other choice? Could he abandon his Life Magical Artifact and the item that was his Foundation?
Absolutely not! Even if it cost him his life, he could not hand over this item.
Venerable Fallenwood pleaded with Celestial Venerable Kun Ling, hoping that he would help him escape, considering they were both from the Eight Great Families of the Central Plains and had thousands of Years of friendship.
“Time’s up. This is the choice you made yourself!”
As soon as the words fell, Li Mu stretched out his hand, and five six-tier Five Elements Spirit Swords materialized out of thin air, radiating heaven-piercing Sword Intent, instantly disappearing.
The five six-tier Flying Swords instantly entered the Five Elements Grand Formation, merging into one, transforming into a Five Elements Spirit Sword that went straight for Venerable Fallenwood in the center of the Formation.
“Little Friend Li, have mercy!” Celestial Venerable Kun Ling cried out in alarm.
“I’ll give it!” Venerable Fallenwood looked at the Flying Sword charging at him in disbelief, shouting in despair.
However, the Flying Sword was like a shuttle, several times faster than his words. Before he could finish speaking, the Five Elements Flying Sword instantly pierced through his chest, and the sharp Sword Intent directly destroyed the Divine Sense of the Refining Void Great Power.
Venerable Fallenwood’s eyes were wide open, unable to believe that he would fall here.
Celestial Venerable Kun Ling was stunned. He looked at Li Mu with a complex expression, never expecting Li Mu to be so audacious as to kill Venerable Fallenwood with a single sword. Was he truly not afraid of the Ji Family?!
“Little Friend Li, you, this, alas!” Celestial Venerable Kun Ling looked at Li Mu, speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say to him.
Li Mu reached out and drew Venerable Fallenwood’s ancient wooden Magic Staff before him, his gaze fixed on Venerable Fallenwood’s corpse, a hint of coldness flashing across his Face.
What a cunning old fox. If it weren’t for the Heavenly Talent—Identifying Myriad Spirits, he might have truly been fooled by Venerable Fallenwood’s feigned death technique.
Venerable Fallenwood’s Depletion Yi Wood Cultivation Technique was indeed quite special. When depletion and witheredness reached their extreme, new vitality could be born, seeking life in death.
However, Li Mu would not stand by and watch Venerable Fallenwood resurrect. This Refining Void Great Power’s body contained extremely powerful Spiritual Qi, and it couldn’t be wasted.
Through the Spirit Control Contract Seal, accepting Li Mu’s command, the Double-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon flew over, opened its large mouth, and swallowed Venerable Fallenwood’s remains in one gulp.
“Senior, if the Ji Family seeks trouble with the Kun Family, you can just push this matter onto me. I will bear the consequences of my actions alone and will never implicate the Kun Family.” Li Mu looked at Celestial Venerable Kun Ling, who had a complex expression and seemed about to say something, and solemnly assured him.
“Alas! Little Friend Li, take care of yourself!” Celestial Venerable Kun Ling sighed, gave Li Mu a meaningful glance, and then his figure transformed into a gust of wind, instantly disappearing.
Watching Celestial Venerable Kun Ling’s departing figure, Li Mu frowned, pondering something. However, he did not regret killing Venerable Fallenwood. Killing Venerable Fallenwood, aside from the potential retaliation from the Ji Family, could directly and indirectly yield many benefits.
Li Mu glanced at the spoils of war in his hand, an ancient withered wood staff refined from the core of a withered glory year wood that was tens of thousands of Years old.
Li Mu coveted this downgraded Dao Artifact, and even more so, Venerable Fallenwood’s Divine Ability—Depletion Domain, Withered Glory in an Instant.
Under the Heavenly Talent, the attributes of the ancient wooden Magic Staff appeared on the character panel.
【Ancient Withered Wood Staff (Damaged)】
【Rank: seven-rank dao tool (downgraded one rank)】
【Properties: Withered Glory Compatibility, Withered Glory Integration, Withered Glory in an Instant, Withered Glory Law Manifestation, Depletion Finger.】
【Status: Artifact Master dead, Artifact body damaged, Artifact Spirit hidden.】
【A Legacy Dao Artifact of Year Wood, refined from a seven-rank Ancient Year Wood Core, a seven-rank Heavenly Wood Spirit Pearl, and the spirits of myriad woods. This artifact has suffered damage, and its long-term integrity is compromised, downgrading it to a six-tier spirit treasure. Finding the staff core of the Ancient Wood Staff—the Heavenly Wood Spirit Pearl—can help it restore its artifact nature and return to a seven-rank dao tool. This artifact’s spirit runes are attached to a Saint-Grade Legacy Cultivation Technique remnant—the Upper Scroll of the Myriad Withered Years Sutra. Completing this artifact will grant the full Legacy.】
Although the Legacy attached to this artifact reached the Saint-Grade level, Li Mu had no intention of Cultivating it. He believed that compared to a single Cultivation lineage, the combined cultivation of Five Elements and Yin and Yang would lead to greater power in the future.
Venerable Fallenwood possessed a Void Refining cultivation and practiced the unique Withered Glory Depletion Domain, yet he was ultimately restrained by the Five Elements Grand Formation set up by five six-seven-tier Spirit Beasts. This alone was enough to prove the power of cultivating both Five Elements and Yin and Yang.
What Li Mu valued was the Ancient Withered Wood Staff’s characteristic—Withered Glory in an Instant. This Divine Ability secret technique generally applies to spirit plants, consuming a large amount of Yi Wood Origin Qi and Years power. Activating this Divine Ability can make spirit plants instantly pass through long Years, from the juvenile stage to the mature stage, fruiting stage, and even the fruit-dropping stage.
This was enough for Li Mu to obtain high-tier spirit plant seeds during the fruit-dropping stage.
Of course, spirit seeds cultivated using this technique also had certain side effects. For example: spirit seeds cultivated through Withered Glory in an Instant could not bear fruit again after planting, the medicinal efficacy of high-tier spirit plants would decrease, and the higher the tier of the spirit plant, the more Yi Wood Spiritual Qi and Years power would be consumed, and so on, numerous negative effects.
In the end, it was somewhat not worth the gain.
However, Li Mu’s purpose in planting spirit plants was not to obtain the fruits after a bountiful harvest, but rather to absorb the spirit plant light clusters, or perhaps the spirit plant attributes, which could aid in increasing Cultivation and other benefits.
The lack of high-tier spirit seeds had always troubled him.
Previously, the Time Luck Spirit Turtle also had this ability, but it contained more Years power, mainly used for divination and peering into the river of Years, and could no longer satisfy Li Mu’s need to Cultivate spirit seeds with it.
This ancient withered wood staff was different. It was extremely targeted. If there was a continuous supply of Yi Wood essence Qi and Years power, Li Mu would never lack high-tier spirit seeds in the future.
This ancient withered wood staff and the Heavenly Talent—Plant Spirit Absorption were a perfect match. This was also the main reason why Li Mu, unafraid of the Ji Family’s potential threat and ignoring Celestial Venerable Kun Ling’s attempts to stop him, insisted on obtaining this Spirit Treasure from Venerable Fallenwood.
As for other reasons, they were secondary, such as: retaliating against Venerable Fallenwood, making forces like the Kun Family, Taiyi Sect, and Xuantian Sword Sect retreat in the Face of difficulty.
If he dared to kill a Refining Void Great Power from the Ji Family, these forces would probably have to weigh the consequences of recruiting such a reckless person.
...
Li Mu quickly cleaned up the battlefield and flew to the Double-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon, forming a hand seal, preparing to unseal its Spirit Control Contract Seal.
Previously, in order to deal with Venerable Fallenwood and set up the Five Elements Grand Formation, Li Mu had no choice but to place another Contract Seal on the Double-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon.
“Master, don’t rush to remove the Contract Seal. If there’s no seal suppressing my Divine Soul after devouring this Refining Void Great Power’s body, I’m afraid I won’t be able to suppress my Cultivation, and I’ll attract a Lightning Tribulation.” The Double-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon quickly stopped Li Mu, gesturing.
“Alright! Can this Refining Void body allow your Spirit Devouring Life Nurturing Art to advance?” Li Mu nodded, asking with concern.
“It should be no problem. If there’s nothing else, I’ll return to the Treasure Mansion to enter seclusion!” The Double-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon nodded to Li Mu, asking for permission.
Li Mu understood, waved his hand, and brought the Double-Horned Azure Moon Flood Dragon and the other four Spirit Beasts into the Painting World Treasure Mansion.
Li Mu flew towards the Earth Element Spirit Ship, tidied it up, and piloted the Spirit Ship rapidly towards the northern sea, quickly disappearing into the horizon.
Barren Ancient City, Ji Family Residence.
“Oh no! Oh no! Elder Ku’s soul lamp is extinguished!”
A hysterical scream suddenly rang out, breaking the tranquility of Barren Ancient City. The sound came from a spacious courtyard within the Ji Family Residence.
Inside the courtyard, a group of Ji Family Cultivators moved at the sound, instantly gathering from all directions. Their Faces were anxious, and one of them cried out in alarm: “Ji Chen, explain yourself! Whose soul lamp is extinguished?”
The Cultivator called Ji Chen was a young member of the Ji Family. At this moment, his Face was pale, and his eyes were filled with terror: “It’s true, I saw it with my own eyes! Elder Ku’s soul lamp is extinguished!”
“What?!” An exclamation came from the crowd.
“Who did it?” another person asked.
Hearing this, everyone rushed into the place where the soul lamps were kept.
Looking at the extinguished soul lamp in the front row, all the Ji Family members gasped in unison.
“How could this be? Elder Ku has truly fallen!” A Ji Family Soul Transformation Cultivator said with a trembling voice: “Is it the Kun Family?”
“Not necessarily. Although the Kun Family has a grudge against us, they don’t have the guts to attack us!” Another person shook his head and said.
Elder Ku was one of the Grand Elders of the Ji Family, a Refining Void Great Power, whose Cultivation was unfathomable. A soul lamp was refined by a Cultivator’s Divine Soul. When a soul lamp extinguished, it meant that the Divine Soul of its owner was destroyed, falling on the spot, with no possibility of survival.
“Although the Ji Family and Kun Family have conflicts, it’s not to the extent of such a cruel hand! It must be the work of other forces!” Another person speculated.
Everyone discussed animatedly, and an atmosphere of terror permeated the courtyard.
At this moment, a figure rushed over from a distance. This was a middle-aged man with a dignified Face, precisely Ji Hongli, the Family Head of the Ji Family’s branch in Barren Ancient City, with a Cultivation in the Refining Void Middle Stage, and Elder Ku’s younger brother.
“What exactly happened?” Ji Hongli appeared in the courtyard, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
Ji Chen quickly stepped forward to report. After listening, Ji Hongli’s Face changed dramatically, and after confirming the soul lamp, his Face was so gloomy it could drip water.
“How audacious! To dare to attack our Ji Family! Immediately send someone to inform the main family, and immediately begin investigating this matter!” Ji Hongli said in a deep voice.
Everyone responded in unison: “Yes!”
“Who knows Elder Ku’s last whereabouts?” Ji Hongli scanned everyone present.
“I know. Elder Ku went after ‘Great Master Li’ to seize the Sky Puppet Spirit Token…” Ji Yan quickly stepped forward and reported voluminously.
“Very good! Dig out all information about this person. A mere Nascent Soul Middle Stage is not necessarily the reason for Elder Ku’s fall. There must be other forces involved.” A hint of ferocity flashed in Ji Hongli’s eyes, and he instructed.
“Family Head, this is this person’s detailed intelligence. He is not a simple Nascent Soul cultivator. This person is a Grandmaster Refiner, quite famous in Barren Ancient City. The Kun Family, Xuantian Sword Sect, Taiyi Sect, and Wanbao Pavilion are all on good terms with him, wishing to recruit him. In addition, the Nine Demon Sect has even placed a bounty on him at the Tianji Pavilion, worth five hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones.” Ji Yan took out a Jade Slip and respectfully handed it to Ji Hongli, introducing it.
Hearing this, Ji Hongli took the Jade Slip, and with a sweep of his Divine Sense, quickly browsed through it.
“Good, good! That old fellow Ku Mu is truly audacious. To provoke such a person, truly, truly…” Ji Hongli understood Li Mu’s intelligence and was so angry he couldn’t speak.
...
Kun Family, Celestial Venerable Kun Ling rushed back to Tianshang Honored One’s rear Divine Garden in a hurry.
“Kun Ling, why are you so flustered? Did something happen to Little Friend Li?” Tianshang Honored One frowned, put down his work, and asked Celestial Venerable Kun Ling, who was somewhat disheveled, in confusion.
Hearing this, Celestial Venerable Kun Ling gave a bitter smile, not knowing how to explain.
“Little Friend Li has extraordinary means. He managed to persuade a seven-tier Azure Jade Ginseng King, gathered five high-tier Five Elements Spirit Beasts, and refined Life Spirit Treasures for them. At the same time, he controls the five Spirit Beasts like his own limbs, effortlessly setting up Five Elements Grand Formations.” Celestial Venerable Kun Ling took a deep breath, regained his composure, and introduced.
“Hmm?” Tianshang Honored One was slightly startled, not understanding his meaning.
However, through Celestial Venerable Kun Ling’s description, Tianshang Honored One immediately realized that if he were to Face the Five Elements Grand Formation set up by five high-tier Five Elements Yao Beasts, he would probably also have to put in some effort.
“Fallenwood has fallen! He fell into Little Friend Li’s hands. Perhaps the previous two Refining Void Old Ancestors of the Nine Demon Sect—Xue Ming and Yin Jiong—were also his doing. We truly underestimated this Little Friend’s abilities!” Celestial Venerable Kun Ling gave a bitter smile, saying with emotion.
“What?! Fallenwood has fallen?!” Tianshang Honored One thought he had misheard and asked for confirmation.
“Yes! The Ji Family has suffered a great loss this time!”
Celestial Venerable Kun Ling nodded in confirmation, laughing somewhat gleefully.
“How could this be? Why didn’t you stop him? With Fallenwood’s death, he has completely offended the Ji Family. Little Friend Li has caused a huge disaster, alas!” Tianshang Honored One was slightly stunned, his Face changing dramatically.
“I couldn’t stop him, absolutely couldn’t stop him. I already tried to ease the situation. It’s all that old bastard Fallenwood’s fault, valuing his Magical Artifact more than his own life. He must have been relying on some life-saving Divine Ability, right? Who knew, Little Friend Li saw through it with a glance, and his corpse even fell into the mouth of a Spirit Beast!” Celestial Venerable Kun Ling sighed helplessly, explaining.
After speaking, Celestial Venerable Kun Ling recounted to him in detail the scene he witnessed, how Li Mu killed Venerable Fallenwood.
...
After listening to Celestial Venerable Kun Ling’s detailed explanation, Tianshang Honored One was speechless for a long time. He never expected that Venerable Fallenwood, his peer and lifelong rival, would actually fall into the hands of a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Cultivator. It was simply the biggest joke in the world!
However, Li Mu killing Venerable Fallenwood meant he had completely offended the Ji Family. Now, the idea of bringing him into the Kun Family was probably going to fall through. (End of Chapter)
