Listen, the Cry of a Deer

After returning to the pawnshop, Li Mo could have gone to rest in the Inner Room, but due to the injuries on his hands, he made do with his original quarters for two nights.

As his injuries healed, he gradually began to sense the presence of the Magic Finger.

Excruciating pain was certainly unavoidable, but at least he no longer had to worry about the risk of infection—it was all thanks to the Eternal Life constitution holding him together.

Li Mo felt that if Han Cai were placed in his past life, he would absolutely have his medical license revoked; performing surgery was essentially a form of torture.

Still, the unique method of spell inheritance at the Medical Hall left him thoroughly impressed.

After two long days passed, the searing pain in Li Mo's hands truly vanished without a trace, and the Magic Finger felt as natural as if it had been born with him, with no sense of unfamiliarity.

He could also confirm from the Book of Fortune that the Magic Finger had already become part of his body.

Li Mo's consciousness opened the Book of Fortune, and on a blank page, he imagined his right arm. The page then manifested a faint image of the right arm, clearly showing six fingers.

He carefully unwrapped the bandages and examined his palms.

He didn't know what method Han Cai had used, but there were almost no traces of stitching—only the skin of the Magic Finger was slightly pale in color, which should become completely unnoticeable after some time.

Li Mo ran a few simple tests.

He found that his grip strength had significantly improved, and his dominant hand was no longer limited to the right; his dexterity had greatly increased.

Li Mo looked forward to seeing what changes Universal Skill would bring once he began his cultivation technique.

He pondered the contents of Universal Skill and, upon noticing the cultivation steps for the Coming-of-Age Stage again, felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him.

[Tendinosis], [Multiple Hands], [Grouting], [Hollowing].

Aside from "Tendinosis," which he could attempt, the remaining cultivation steps were far too extreme.

"Tendinosis" refers to extending the nerves of the Magic Finger to the other fingers, allowing the six fingers to undergo a complete transformation and gain a pair of Magic Palms.

"Multiple Hands," as the name implies, involves transplanting arms onto the ribs.

The reason Han Cai could handle a large number of surgeries simultaneously was due to "Multiple Hands," and one could also see that his arms had undergone "Hollowing" modifications.

After "Hollowing" the bones, they become similar to the structure of an umbrella handle from his past life.

Han Cai's bones overlapped each other, allowing him to instantly extend or shorten them.

The final step, "Grouting," was the only modification in Universal Skill meant for combat. It required removing one's own bones and wrapping them in molten metal to make the bone structure more solid.

Overall, Universal Skill was indeed a supplementary spell.

Li Mo had no further content and didn't know what bizarre and uncanny changes Universal Skill would bring upon breaking through the Coming-of-Age Stage to reach the Establishment Stage, which rivaled the Golden Core Stage.

He packed up his Four Treasures of the Study and casually stored them in his Storage Bag.

Li Mo sighed inwardly.

As he drew closer to the Immortal Cultivation World, the commonalities between the ancient and the modern were increasing.

He didn't linger in the Calligraphy and Painting Hall. With light steps, he walked through the corridor, where the painter apprentices were still repeating their daily drawings.

A middle-aged man had taken Liu Qin's place, overseeing the Calligraphy and Painting Hall.

Li Mo nodded to the man in greeting and then walked out the door of the Calligraphy and Painting Hall.

It suddenly dawned on him why the pawnshop screened children—it was mainly because the threshold for cultivation in later generations was far too low.

Even spiritual roots were formed postnatally, and Spiritual Qi was everywhere.

If everyone tried to cultivate, the resources of the Immortal Cultivation World would surely become scarce.

As Li Mo pondered, he had already ventured deep into the pawnshop. He encountered noticeably more cultivators, but all of them were in a hurry.

Something must have caused chaos in the pawnshop, otherwise, there wouldn't be such a commotion.

Li Mo quickened his pace and spotted a Taoist temple on a slope not far ahead, with a plaque inscribed with the words "Inner Room."

From the memories surging from the Book of Fortune, the Inner Room was a Quiet Cultivation Room used by disciples of the Outer Artifact Workshop for secluded cultivation.

Li Mo ducked his head and entered the Inner Room.

The passing cultivators noticed he was a child just over ten years old and cast curious glances his way, prompting Li Mo to speed up.

He surveyed the main hall of the Inner Room and saw a portrait hanging in the center.

The portrait depicted an elderly man with an immortal air.

The old man wore a purple Taoist robe, held a fly whisk in his left hand, had an exotic Golden Silk Phoenix Tail Sparrow perched on his right shoulder, and stood on multicolored auspicious clouds at his feet.

Li Mo was stunned for a few breaths.

He immediately recognized the old man—it was the founding patriarch of the Heart Beast Sect, and at the time, the only Golden Core Stage cultivator in the sect.

[Tian Chenzi]

"Sure enough, it's the Heart Beast Sect. Seven thousand years have passed, and there's still a portrait of Tian Chenzi."

Li Mo studied it for a moment, then, to avoid causing unnecessary trouble, walked into the spacious circular corridor to find his own quarters.

The pawnshop seemed to divide the rooms into three categories: Heaven, Earth, and Human.

Li Mo's Room Ren No. 4 was in a rather remote location, with the side entrance right next door.

He took out his Spirit Tablet and brought it close to the door. The door opened automatically, revealing an elegantly decorated interior with a copper bell hanging on the wall.

The bed was clean and tidy, and the desk along with other furniture were all present.

Li Mo's gaze fell on the wall, where he saw an altar used for offerings. Behind the incense burner placed on it stood a rolled-up painting.

The painting also depicted Tian Chenzi.

After closing the door, Li Mo let out a long breath.

He had learned from Steward Hu that once he moved into the Inner Room, he wouldn't need to handle trivial matters himself anymore.

By ringing the bell, a servant would immediately come to the Inner Room.

Li Mo ate some dry rations, then carefully inspected the room to make sure nothing was overlooked before officially beginning his seclusion.

Under normal circumstances, entering the path of cultivation took at least half a year.

Li Mo didn't have to worry about anyone disturbing him for a short time, and now was indeed the best moment to imprint his organs.

He sat cross-legged on the cushion.

His consciousness entered his mind, where the familiar Book of Fortune floated.

Li Mo had long decided which organs to imprint. The second and third pages immediately revealed the phantom outlines of the organs, and a mysterious resonance rose in his heart.

The phantom outlines gradually deepened. A sharp pain suddenly pricked Li Mo's skin, followed by a suffocating sensation in his chest.

He opened the Book of Fortune again. The first page was still the pattern of the brain.

The second page showed a Middle Dantian the size of a ping-pong ball, like a fleshy tumor.

The Middle Dantian carried the spiritual energy refined by the cultivation technique and was one of the most important organs in the human body.

The third page was a lifelike, complete Human Skin.

Paint Green Clothes required the use of skin. To be safe, it was better to wait until he had mastered a Spell before using repeated imprinting to nurture a second Human Skin.

A muffled groan squeezed through Li Mo's teeth. His whole body trembled uncontrollably, even affecting his still-unhealed ribs.

To save time, he had imprinted the skin and the Middle Dantian all at once.

No matter what divine ability the skin awakened, Li Mo could accept it.

But the Middle Dantian was different. If the ability gained couldn't aid cultivation, he might have to consider giving up on the Misty Spiritual Energy.

Because the pain was unbearable, Li Mo tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.

"Da da da da... wa wa wa..."

The strange cry of a Wild Beast came faintly from outside the door, seeming very close to the Inner Room.

This time, Li Mo heard it clearly. It sounded somewhat like a deer's call, but soon the pain seized his attention, and in a daze, the deer-like cry vanished.