Li Mo stared fixedly at the Glass Jar, immediately drawing Han Cai's attention. He could not help introducing it: "This is Haze Mist Spiritual Qi. It is similar to Cloud Mist Spiritual Energy, but it is corrosive."
As he spoke, Han Cai took down the Glass Jar containing the Haze Mist Spiritual Energy and placed it before Li Mo.
Li Mo carefully observed the changes produced by the Haze Mist Spiritual Energy. The curiosity in his eyes deepened, and he could not resist confirming it again and again.
Haze mist seemed much the same as cloud mist, yet there was a fundamental difference between them.
Cloud mist was made of water vapor, but haze mist consisted of tiny grains of dust, causing Haze Mist Spiritual Energy to lie somewhere between reality and illusion.
It had to be said that Haze Mist Spiritual Energy truly possessed ever-changing qualities. It could attack and defend alike, perfectly matching Li Mo's needs.
Han Cai held the Haze Mist Spiritual Energy by his ear and gave it a gentle shake.
"Only, what a pity..."
"What is a pity?"
"The Haze Mist Spiritual Energy in this area is simply too scarce. Cultivating it is difficult. Even all of this old man's reserves would not be enough to see you through the Childhood Stage."
Li Mo looked somewhat helpless. In terms of versatility, Haze Mist Spiritual Energy was undoubtedly the most suitable for him, but the trouble was indeed as Han Cai had said.
He had learned from the Bone Scroll that although Spiritual Veins still existed seven thousand years later, the Spirit Stones mined from them were mixed with all kinds of variant auras and could not be directly used to aid cultivation.
Hundreds of different kinds of spiritual energy were mixed into the air, so they had to be gathered beforehand for cultivation, or painstakingly separated bit by bit.
Han Cai's Variant Spiritual Energy had all been collected from various environments.
Lava Spiritual Energy came from volcanic craters, Swamp Poison Spiritual Energy from marshlands, and Haze Mist Spiritual Energy was usually found in damp places with plenty of dust.
The more extreme the environment, the fewer kinds of spiritual energy filled it.
The reason Han Cai recommended Mountain Spiritual Energy was also because Smelting Town was surrounded by mountains, making its cultivation efficiency far greater than that of ordinary Variant Spiritual Energy.
Li Mo subconsciously looked toward the Mountain Spiritual Energy, and Han Cai began introducing it again.
"So long as you spend some Spirit Stones, you can learn a spell from this old man. It is called the Mountain Tendon Changing Spell..."
Not wanting Han Cai to keep rambling, Li Mo hurriedly cut him off. "Doctor Han, I appreciate your kindness, but I'll take the Haze Mist Spiritual Energy."
"That works too."
Han Cai could only agree.
Li Mo was not stubborn to the bone. He simply knew that before Variant Spiritual Energy affected the Dantian, it could actually be dispersed.
Even if his Dantian were assimilated by spiritual energy, Han Cai could provide surgery to replace it.
Li Mo's confidence lay entirely in the Book of Fortune. Once he imprinted the Middle Dantian, the Divine Ability he obtained would most likely be able to help with cultivation.
"Since that is the case, this old man will not stop you."
Han Cai scratched his head, then extended four arms and began rummaging around.
He moved a half-meter-tall porcelain bottle from beside the cabinet. It was filled with shriveled, withered internal organs, all of them Corpse Spirit Roots devoid of any life.
While Li Mo was still stunned, Han Cai skillfully picked out a Corpse Spirit Root containing Haze Mist Spiritual Energy.
"The Childhood Stage mainly involves transforming your five viscera into Corpse Spirit Roots. This old man can implant the Corpse Spirit Roots of predecessors into your five viscera. Cultivation will naturally yield twice the result with half the effort."
"But..."
"Do not worry. Once you break through to the Coming-of-Age Stage, simply come back and have the attached Corpse Spirit Roots removed. You only need to bear a tiny bit of risk. As for the Spirit Stones, Hu Wen will cover all of them."
Han Cai emphasized once more, "Of course, Hu Wen is covering the Spirit Stones for the implantation. You will have to pay for the removal yourself."
Li Mo waved him off.
He had only just set foot on the path of cultivation. He had no desire to saddle himself with a body full of debts.
Li Mo reached out to push aside the Corpse Spirit Root, only for the Book of Fortune to unexpectedly react subtly. A phantom image of the Corpse Spirit Root appeared on the Blank Pages.
With a mere thought from him, the Corpse Spirit Root would be imprinted upon them.
This showed that the Book of Fortune also had the ability to fuse external organs into his body. Whether his body could withstand a Corpse Spirit Root, however, was another matter entirely.
Li Mo's consciousness withdrew from the Book of Fortune. If he imprinted a Corpse Spirit Root right in front of Han Cai, he would probably end up packed inside some Glass Jar.
"What a bore."
Han Cai's expression gradually cooled. His eight arms twisted open the Glass Bottle, and a burst of azure spiritual energy erupted, suppressing the Haze Mist Spiritual Energy within the Glass Bottle.
He separated one-tenth of the Haze Mist Spiritual Energy into an empty jar.
"The Haze Mist Spiritual Energy in a Glass Jar can be preserved for ten years at most. Little brat, absorb it as soon as possible. As for a cultivation method, let me look..."
Han Cai felt around on the ceiling, muttering incessantly, then stuffed a Bone Scroll containing a cultivation method together with the Glass Jar into a cloth bag.
The cloth bag was only palm-sized, yet it easily swallowed the Glass Jar. It was clearly some kind of magical artifact.
"The Nourishing Origin Fundamental Scripture is not bad. Though it only contains the Childhood Stage, switching to another cultivation method later will not damage your foundation."
"I'll give you a Storage Bag for free. You little brat, oil and salt won't seep in. Go on, go on."
"Um..."
Li Mo put away the Storage Bag, gripping the stone bead in his fingers. "Doctor Han, Steward Hu asked me to give this to you. He said it could be exchanged for a spell, Universal Skill."
Han Cai raised a brow, snatched the stone bead, and shook off the stone dust covering its surface, revealing a living Double Pupil Eye.
"At least he put some thought into it."
He handed the Double Pupil Eye to Little Spider, grabbed Li Mo, and headed toward the second floor. At the same time, he pressed a Bone Scroll he had found somewhere against Li Mo's forehead.
The contents of "Universal Skill" poured into Li Mo's mind.
Because Han Cai had never imagined that Li Mo possessed the Divine Ability of Eidetic Memory, the Bone Scroll contained material for both the Childhood Stage and the Coming-of-Age Stage.
Li Mo swallowed, then hurriedly committed every word to memory.
The Childhood Stage version of Universal Skill was called six fingers. It mainly involved transplantation, giving a cultivator an additional mysterious magic finger.
Not only could the magic finger move as freely as one's own arm and finger, it could also produce exquisitely marvelous transformations when driven by Spiritual Qi. It was said to be capable of imitating all kinds of tools.
Li Mo was very interested in Universal Skill, but only in its Childhood Stage portion.
That was because Universal Skill at the Coming-of-Age Stage required four steps of bodily modification in total: extra hands, hollowing, grouting, and tendinosis.
One look at Han Cai was the best explanation of Universal Skill.
The walls of Miraculous Hands Medical Hall's second floor were covered with all kinds of human tissues, while several cultivators with their chests and bellies split open lay in the spacious room.
The most severely injured was a Fat Taoist lying face-down, his spine already cut open.
When One-Eyed Doctor saw Han Cai, he anxiously said, "Doctor Han, you're here. Xu Dahui's meridians have all been destroyed. We cannot delay any longer."
"And Jin Li—he paid quite a few Spirit Stones to master the Protective Mystical Method. He is only thirty-five Qianqiu Seeds short of completing his Spinal Implantation."
Han Cai impatiently said, "Do them together. Once we are done, I'm resting for Three Moons. No matter who comes, do not open the door for me."
"Wait..."
One-Eyed Doctor sucked in a cold breath as Han Cai's eight arms nimbly darted between the cultivators.
Miserable screams rang out without end.
Li Mo unfortunately became one of them. Before he could resist, Spiritual Qi bound him in place, and Han Cai's fingers pierced straight into his abdomen.
A small portion of the ends of his ribs was cut off, and Han Cai instantly stitched the wound shut again.
He then began modifying the ribs in a dazzling blur. In only a moment, they had become the shape of finger bones.
Han Cai sliced open Li Mo's palm along the way and transplanted the magic finger beside his little finger. The nerves, flesh, and blood connected in only a few breaths.
"At your age, both hands will recover in two days. The ribs will take three months at most."
Li Mo felt a burst of agonizing pain, yet before ten minutes had passed, he was shoved downstairs.
Looking at his hands, which trembled uncontrollably, he did not want to remain in Miraculous Hands Medical Hall for even a moment. In a blind panic, he fled the Medical Hall.
Thanks to Cold Cold Cold Cold Cold Cold Cold, Da Da Da Da Da Guai Guai, Lone Cloud Flying Peak, Yang Yang, Newbie Little Author, Have and Lose, Liu Yi'ao, and Lu Bao Ventures into the Martial World for their rewards.
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