Chapter 102: The Loss in Transformation

The people before him were clearly all the discarded followers of the Wood Dragon—insufficiently cultivated, most of them lacking any treasured artifacts.

Upon noticing Shen Bingxue's sidelong glance and learning the location of the Wood Dragon, and seeing that everything was verified without deception, Li Mu forgave these individuals.

However, the consequence was that these people had to swallow three top-grade Ji Xu pills.

The top-grade Ji Xu pill causes those in the Post-Spiritual Foundation stage to be unable to cultivate as usual for over a year; three pills would mean three years. Given the vast expanse of the Great Wolf Plain and their cultivation levels, they would be unable to practice during this time, likely causing their cultivation ranks to drop to lower levels—essentially becoming no different from ordinary mortals.

Such a penalty was much better than death, many times over.

“We must hurry. If the Wood Dragon reaches the late Refined Vein stage, or even the so-called Pill Consolidation stage, we’ll have almost no chance to escape,” Li Mu said with unprecedented solemnity.

“If I can break through to the late Post-Spiritual Foundation stage by tomorrow, Li Shopkeeper, what will you do then?” Shen Bingxue, having already taken the beast pill, was in the process of enhancing her cultivation.

Li Mu nodded. “Now that the Flowing Radiance Barrier is in place, the Wood Dragon cannot reach here, so there’s no threat to life. I plan to go out for a while to hunt some spirit beasts and gather beast pills.”

“Good, very good,” Shen Bingxue approved.

“These two top-grade Red Pomegranate seeds are for Sun Qi and Sun Sanjiu to reach the Post-Spiritual Foundation stage. Their bodies and minds should be among the best of the second tier. My little sister—when she reaches the Post-Spiritual Foundation stage, I can return,” Li Mu said. After giving his instructions, he set off immediately.

Within the miasma of the stone mountain, Li Mu saw countless corpses scattered across the ground—all disciples of the Wood Ancestor. Many had perished here since their arrival.

Riding his flying shuttle, Li Mu simultaneously directed his spiritual awareness into the spirit tower.

Such a technique of dividing one’s spirit was something he could never have accomplished before. Time and again, he entered the spirit tower, casting aside all other matters, focusing solely on cultivation and progression.

But within that jade talisman, he discovered a method of dividing the spirit. After practicing it, he could hold two hearts and operate simultaneously.

For Li Mu, who was accustomed to concentrating on a single matter, this was extremely difficult. After a few days of practice, he was barely able to perform it adequately.

What concerned him was that this technique was not the spirit division method used by cultivators. That method was far deeper—it allowed the original spirit to split into multiple spiritual fragments. The spiritual awareness was essentially a body of spiritual power, capable of controlling puppets or others, and even remotely manipulating their spiritual power to annihilate enemies.

But this dividing spirit technique was merely a splitting of concentration, a division of focus.

It was hardly a technique at all, more a form of mental cultivation. Yet for Li Mu, it proved to be immensely useful.

What this meant was that for some time, Li Mu could control the spirit tower to alter functions, enhance and refine without sacrificing other activities such as cultivation.

With this dividing spirit method, his cultivation advanced in ways he had never imagined and found very practical.

Still, he had to spend time transforming materials; he intended to forge exceedingly powerful treasured artifacts.

After hearing from the discarded followers, Li Mu made a firm decision: he must stop the Wood Dragon from advancing to the late Refined Vein stage. If the Wood Dragon reached that level, rivaling the height of Ye Yibai, he would be unbeatable.

Originally, it should have been the group advancing to their goal first, but now the situation forced them to prevent the Wood Dragon from cultivating ahead of them. Time was pressing.

How to stop the Wood Dragon?

Battles among cultivators depended on cultivation strength, treasured artifacts, talismans, formation arrays, and pills.

At present, the only advantage Li Mu could rely on was pills, but they were insufficient.

To enhance cultivation strength, he relied on training and beast pills, to which he devoted all efforts. He had no talismans, and formations on others’ mountains put him at a disadvantage.

The only way to improve rapidly was through treasured artifacts.

Transforming superior materials would allow forging third-tier top-grade treasured artifacts and fourth-tier artifacts, which could be the key to victory.

He must hurry. If fortune favored him, even if he exhausted all remaining lower-grade spirit crystals in his stockpile, he was determined to forge third or fourth-tier artifacts.

With no tigers in the mountain, Li Mu pressed forward swiftly.

Before him lay sandstorm formations and sandstorm blades. Even against third-tier spirit beasts, without special tactics, he still had chances of victory.

He transformed materials and slew spirit beasts continuously, living this way for nearly a month.

The Great Wolf Plain, untouched by any cultivator, was vast. Sweeping through it, Li Mu gathered about two hundred beast pills—many first-tier, and six third-tier.

“My first goal is achieved. With these beast pills, I can cultivate safely to the late Post-Spiritual Foundation stage and then transform materials. Why is it so difficult?”

In recent days, Li Mu ceased transforming materials. Yet it was certain that every one of his lower-grade spirit crystals was used up, leaving only a scant few tower points.

It was clear that the outcomes were two different matters.

Transforming materials was easy at first, but became increasingly difficult later.

The four types of materials needed for the experiments were almost impossible to transform now; it was like ascending to the heavens.

Seeing so many usable materials but unable to forge a single treasured artifact—what could be more heartbreaking?

The fourth-tier Divine Rhinoceros Ring could be freely altered and could defend against the strongest attacks of late Refined Vein cultivators. Li Mu had several of the required materials but lacked a single third-tier Pure Lotus Stone.

The third-tier Spirit-Breaking Treasure had a unique spirit-breaking technique; unlike fourth-tier defensive artifacts, touching a Spirit-Breaking Treasure could dissipate spiritual power, reducing it to worthless junk for a period. A top-grade Spirit-Breaking Treasure could even shatter fourth-tier artifacts. With this, Li Mu could find highly suitable combat treasures. Among the needed materials, he was only missing one—Moon Lotus Jade.

There were also fourth-tier Heart-Confusing Treasures and third-tier Mourning Departure Devices...

Looking over these coveted treasures, all missing one or two materials, Li Mu grew increasingly vexed.

“Truly ill-fated. I must consider other possibilities,” he muttered, frowning.

He ceased using his spiritual awareness, briefly stepping away from the spirit tower. Without lower-grade spirit crystals, there was no tower value; without tower value, the spirit tower was useless.

Standing on his flying shuttle, beneath him flowed a wide river.

This nameless river had been seen once before. Now, a yellow-mustached colored salamander drifted on its surface.

Not long ago, since killing aquatic spirit beasts was troublesome, he had not attacked it. But now, his mind restless, he let himself fall fully, intending to capture it to quell his frustration.

The Yellow-Mustached Colored Salamander was a third-tier spirit beast. Like many aquatic spirit beasts, it was large—about twenty meters long. It was said to carry the blood of ancient dragons, evident in its few yellow whiskers.

Li Mu piloted the flying shuttle, patrolling above the river. He understood the salamander’s habits—it surfaced every several hours.

This was the moment to capture it.

Fortune favored him this time. Soon, waves rippled across the water, as a crimson-backed figure rose slowly to the surface.