The Suru Stone had a silver-white hue, its surface etched with folds resembling brain convolutions, and it emitted a faint putrid stench.
Li Mo was unsure of the Suru Stone’s origin, but it was said that the higher the quality, the more its appearance mimicked a brain.
The one he purchased was of relatively inferior quality, yet its price was several tis that of ordinary low-grade spiritual materials.
When drawing, Li Mo was extrely cautious. Spiritual power enveloped the Suru Stone powder as he intricately etched profound patterns onto the iron cage.
The First Refinent required precise control of spiritual power, a skill in which he excelled.
Under the influence of the Suru Stone, the internal space of the Caged Bird expanded to about five cubic ters and gained the ability to seal living creatures.
After completing the First Refinent of the Caged Bird, Li Mo let out a long sigh of relief.
Due to the poor quality of the magic artifact embryo, this Caged Bird would likely only reach the Third Refinent at most, which was sufficient for Li Mo’s needs.
Storing large beasts was unrealistic, but small rodents or scaled reptiles posed no issue. Unfortunately, only mid-grade magical artifacts could be housed in the middle dantian; the Caged Bird had to be carried on his person.
Li Mo placed the Caged Bird aside and imdiately began ditating to replenish his spiritual power.
The days that followed beca monotonous and repetitive, consisting solely of cultivation and artifact refining, with the occasional interlude of painting.
Painting was a way to stabilize his ntal state and improve seclusion efficiency.
Once a month, Li Mo would temporarily leave the inn to set up a stall selling magical artifacts and restock depleted resources.
After half a year in seclusion, his liver’s spirit root transformation had exceeded thirty percent, steadily advancing toward the fourth layer of the Childhood Stage, laying an exceptionally solid foundation.
Li Mo didn’t blindly pursue a breakthrough in cultivation levels.
He understood the significance of the Childhood Stage—everything accumulated during this period would serve as a foundation for subsequent advancents.
......
In the black market, the change of seasons felt frozen, as if isolated from the world.
Li Mo circulated his spiritual power through his body’s ridians in a weekly cycle. Mist Fog Spiritual Power flowed through the Eight Extraordinary ridians, while thick blood surged through his vessels and organs.
At that mont, the paperman on the wooden table suddenly moved.
Li Mo paused his cultivation, a smile of delight spreading across his face as he unfolded the paperman to read the blood-red text written inside.
After reading it, the paperman let out an ear-piercing scream before disintegrating into ash.
This thod of communication, commonly used by loose cultivators, had very limited range and couldn’t be reused, making it sowhat of a novelty but impractical.
Nonetheless, Li Mo imdiately understood that his entrusted task had been completed.
He stood up, left the inn, and walked into the bustling streets of the black market, where the presence of low-level loose cultivators had noticeably increased.
The main reason was the Iron Cauldron Secret Realm; loose cultivators had flocked to the black market to sell spiritual materials more conveniently.
Li Mo’s appearance drew the attention of so keen observers.
However, he paid no mind and headed straight to the entrance of the Qingye Liquor Store, where Song Liang had been waiting for a long ti. Upon seeing Li Mo, Song Liang visibly relaxed.
As the Head of Escort for the Hongxing Escort Agency, Song Liang had more than ten dart masters under him, which ant his demand for low-grade magical artifacts was substantial. During Li Mo’s stall days, Song Liang frequently purchased the Golden Sand Map from him.
Over ti, the two had grown acquainted.
Song Liang shook his head with a wry smile. "Salamanders aren’t easy to find. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have agreed to catch them for you on my way. Do you know how many mountain ridges I climbed in Xinji Ridge before I finally found them?"
"Thank you, Brother Song."
Li Mo took out a small pouch of Spirit Stones, intending to hand it to Song Liang, but the latter waved it off urgently, declining, "No need, really. It was on my way anyway; I can’t possibly accept this from you."
"Then allow to treat you to so wine."
When Li Mo opened the cloth bag, he found over a dozen salamanders in hibernation. Overjoyed, he led Song Liang into the tavern.
Li Mo had been prepared to abandon the idea of drawing salamander tattoos and settle for creatures like geckos or turtles that were easier to find.
The effect wouldn’t have been as exceptional as that of salamanders, but it would have been a practical substitute.
Now that Song Liang had managed to secure them, Li Mo didn’t push the matter further. Salamanders were crucial to his cultivation of the Green Robe skill, and even the Caged Bird had been crafted for this purpose.
The two sat down in the tavern, where the drinks were mixed with spices, creating a blend of spiciness, bitterness, and sweetness.
Li Mo wasn’t fond of it, but he still drank a few cups with Song Liang and casually chatted about the Hongxing Escort Agency’s recent exploits.
"Don’t even ntion it. The outskirts of Xinji Ridge barely have any beasts. We had to venture ten miles deep to find a few hibernating human-faced bears."
"Sigh..."
For an escort agency, hunting beasts in Xinji Ridge during winter was the most reliable way to make money, though it also depended sowhat on luck.
Song Liang, slightly tipsy, began talking more.
"You know, on our return, we took the southwestern official road. From Fushan Slope, you can see Fuan Town..."
"Rong Town has been dealing with the aftermath for years, but at Mountain is still a thousand ters tall, with a pile of white bones at its base the size of a hill—all rotting severed limbs!"
"Troubled tis indeed."
Li Mo shook his head. He had always kept an eye on Fuan Town and had inquired with Jin Li in the past. He understood the grim reality of the Multiple Limb Syndro epidemic there.
"Even without casualties, at Mountain..."
Song Liang had already drunken himself into a stupor, but his reaction to passing through Fuan Town revealed the profound horror it left in his heart.
The Golden Sand Map extended a strip of fabric that pierced the back of Song Liang’s head.
A few breaths later, Song Liang sobered up entirely, the alcohol in his system drained by the Golden Sand Map. Li Mo had already left the tavern.
Li Mo purchased so resources from the black market and returned to his room.
He took out the Caged Bird and, relying on mories from his past life, began constructing an ecological box to raise the salamanders, ensuring a steady supply of beast blood.
The so-called ecological box referred to a sealed container that simulated natural conditions such as temperature and humidity to sustain small creatures.
Li Mo only had a general recollection of how to construct an ecological box.
However, with his Mist Fog Spiritual Power, supplented by occasional infusions of spiritual power into the Caged Bird, maintaining stability in temperature and humidity wasn’t too challenging.
Within just five days, the Caged Bird transford into a small-scale ecological box, dense with shrubs and centered around a crystal-clear water pond, where a few strands of aquatic grass floated.
Li Mo placed the salamanders into the Caged Bird and sprinkled so powder.
Over a dozen salamanders woke up imdiately. Out of fear, they dove into the water pond, but gradually adapted after Li Mo threw in so worms and other food.
Li Mo didn’t stop there and began the Second Refinent of the Caged Bird.
His artifact refining skill had beco well-practiced, eliminating the possibility of failure in the Second Refinent.
He wrapped the iron cage in Hot Lizard Bone Powder, and a radiant glow erged within the Caged Bird.
The Second Refinent primarily aid to enhance the artifact’s durability while adding light control, ensuring ecological stability for the salamanders.
Li Mo was quite satisfied. Once he could refine mid-grade magical artifacts, he could consider raising foxes or mountain lords—Kun Whales, however... were out of the question.
He monitored the salamanders’ condition, extracting blood as needed.
When Li Mo had collected enough blood for tattoo drawing, the salamanders remained as lively as ever within the Caged Bird.
"It’s ti to complete the final auxiliary position."
Li Mo furrowed his brows, his gaze settling on the small black dots across the brain-like surface.
With the enhancent of four tattooed beasts, he was confident in his ability to explore the Iron Cauldron Secret Realm.
He then focused on drawing tattoos while simultaneously contemplating the Primordial Postnatal Dao Body.
The more he explored the Primordial Postnatal Dao Body, the more he realized its extraordinary potential, even complenting the Leakless Body perfectly.
He had thought of an innovative way to get started, having gathered all the necessary spiritual materials, though he expected it to cause quite a commotion. He decided to attempt it within the Iron Cauldron Secret Realm instead.
As Li Mo deftly completed the tattoos, the Salamander Beast Head took shape.
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