The Choice of Variant Spiritual Energy

Li Mo stared at the glass jars containing Spiritual Roots and Spiritual Qi, his head faintly swelling from the fragments of memories pouring forth from the Book of Fortune.

As he digested the memories, he learned much information about Spiritual Qi.

More precisely, it was the Spiritual Qi of the Ancient Immortal Cultivation World.

Seven thousand years ago, Spiritual Qi had been colorless and invisible, an extremely pure form of energy. Only once its concentration reached a certain level would it take on the appearance of cloud and mist.

Spiritual Qi existed in every corner between heaven and earth.

Cultivators of that era had been unable to bind Spiritual Qi. Even with the aid of a Spirit Gathering Array, they could only make its concentration slightly higher.

Only naturally formed Spiritual Veins could yield crystalline Spirit Stones.

Immortal Sects were generally built around Spiritual Veins as well, using large Spirit Gathering Arrays to gather the Spiritual Qi leaking from them and form Blessed Land Cave Heavens.

Based on the concentration of Spiritual Qi, Spirit Stones were divided into Low-grade Spirit Stones, Mid-grade Spirit Stones, High-grade Spirit Stones, and Top-grade Spirit Stones.

Li Mo viewed it from the perspective of the Heart Beast Sect.

The entire system of the Ancient Immortal Cultivation World had been built upon Spiritual Qi, whose traits consisted solely of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

Spiritual Roots, meanwhile, were the organs cultivators used to absorb Spiritual Qi. They were mainly Five Elements Spiritual Roots and were equivalent to aptitude.

A cultivator's Spiritual Root was located in the Numinous Palace and resembled a plant root.

The purer the Spiritual Root, the greater the cultivation efficiency. A Single Spiritual Root was known as an innate Dao seed, with no bottlenecks before the Golden Core Stage, while a Mixed Five Elements Spiritual Root could scarcely even break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Li Mo looked at the many glass jars before him.

In one glass jar, the Spiritual Qi was actually purple and viscous. The Five Viscera Spirit Root soaking within had a surface covered in a coral-like horny layer.

There were more than sixty jars in the room. Nearly none of their Spiritual Qi varieties were the same; some resembled magma or shaved ice, while the strangest consisted of vast quantities of wriggling worms.

Clack, clack, clack, clack...

The sound of metal striking metal came from upstairs, as though some colossal creature were slowly crawling over.

Li Mo knocked on the wall. Though its exterior was covered with wooden planks, the interior had been smelted from metal ore, making it extraordinarily sturdy.

The mountains near Smelting Town were not known for producing iron ore. Yet the Medical Hall had used several tons of metal to construct a house—could it really be solely to contain Spiritual Qi?

Li Mo swallowed.

He had the constant feeling that the glass jars containing Spiritual Qi were exceptionally dangerous, as if each held a droplet of liquid explosive on the verge of detonation.

"Cough, cough, cough."

"Little one, who told you to seek this old man out?"

"Steward Hu told me to choose a Cultivation Method..."

An aged yet sonorous male voice echoed through the stairwell. Then, a body fully three to four meters tall appeared, supported by eight arms resembling spider limbs.

Li Mo retreated several steps, and the door behind him suddenly closed on its own.

At the same time, the hundreds of candle lamps in the room lit up one after another. The glass jars hanging from the ceiling became like dazzling Constellations in the night.

"Interesting, interesting!!"

Han Cai's head emerged. He looked like an ordinary middle-aged old man, his untrimmed beard hanging down to his chest.

Yet his body was at least two meters tall, an eerie, bizarre oval supported by eight long, gaunt human arms.

Han Cai had only an upper body. He wore a tattered Daoist Robe that concealed his bloated torso.

Spiders the size of palms constantly crawled out from beneath his Daoist Robe.

Li Mo's scalp tingled. Could cultivating too many Spells turn one into an inhuman monster like Han Cai?

More than a dozen physicians anxiously chased after Han Cai, evidently because there was still surgery left unfinished.

"You all go back upstairs first. This old man will come over naturally when the time comes."

The leading One-eyed Physician hesitated before saying, "Doctor Han, but the time..."

Han Cai glanced at them. The physicians hurried back to the second floor, leaving Li Mo alone to bear the suffocating pressure.

"The little one has not even reached Entry Level. It is rare indeed for Hu Wen to send you over."

"The Childhood Stage is the process of nourishing the five viscera with Variant Spiritual Energy, transforming them into a Corpse Spirit Root. Choose your own Spiritual Energy."

Li Mo steadied himself. He did not know why the Spiritual Qi of later generations had become so bizarre, but the ancient Cultivation Methods were clearly no longer suitable.

He cupped his hands and said, "Doctor Han, please enlighten me as to the merits and flaws of these Spiritual Energies."

"Hahahaha, you know how to read the situation."

"The varieties of Spiritual Energy this old man has collected are the most numerous even in all of Smelting Town."

Han Cai stretched out an arm. His joints actually made strange bang bang sounds, then extended several meters as he rummaged through a cabinet by the wall.

"Found it."

Han Cai took out a Bone Scroll.

"Thank you for your trouble, Doctor Han." Li Mo accepted the Bone Scroll and placed it against his brow.

Over seven thousand years of seas turning into mulberry fields, not only had the vegetation and mountains changed, but even Spiritual Qi had undergone inexplicable transformations.

Spiritual Qi was no longer pure, giving rise to a vast number of Variant Spiritual Energies with unusual traits.

Clouds and mist, swamps, volcanoes, thunderbolts, plants, and skeletons... all could nurture Variant Spiritual Energy.

The Cultivation Methods of today used Variant Spiritual Energy as their foundation.

Xiantian Spiritual Roots no longer existed, so the Childhood Stage required the five viscera to be transformed into Corpse Spirit Roots.

Corpse Spirit Roots inherited the traits of Variant Spiritual Energy, which was why they came in such varied forms.

No wonder they cultivated both arts and methods.

Spells had to match the Variant Spiritual Energy, or else it would be difficult to unleash their full power.

Han Cai selected a bottle of Spiritual Energy interwoven with red and yellow from the glass jars. The five viscera within were also made of rock, their surfaces covered in cracks.

"This is Mountain Spiritual Energy. This old man excavated it from the depths of an earth vein. Its characteristic is that it suits all defensive Spells."

"Doctor Han, it does not suit me."

Li Mo hesitated for a few breaths before refusing.

Paint Green Clothes had been a body-protecting Spell in ancient times, so Mountain Spiritual Energy should have been fairly compatible with it.

But given how highly Steward Hu regarded it, Paint Green Clothes could not possibly be so ordinary.

Li Mo wanted a more versatile Variant Spiritual Energy, one without obvious shortcomings or drawbacks and capable of accommodating the vast majority of Spells.

"Mm."

"How about Nectar Spiritual Energy?"

He picked up a jar of milk-like Spiritual Energy.

"Nectar Spiritual Energy is drawn from the heartwood of a thousand-year Ancient Tree. After refining it, it protects the vitality of the five viscera. For Death Sickness in the Coming-of-Age Stage, Nectar Spiritual Energy can delay it by at least fifteen years."

"Or this Filth Spiritual Energy. Its origin... cough, its origin shall not be mentioned for now."

"Filth Spiritual Energy is not difficult to find. Cultivation efficiency will certainly be guaranteed, and there is no need to mention its power. The Spiritual Energy itself is highly toxic."

While humoring Han Cai, Li Mo paid attention to the various types of Variant Spiritual Energy himself.

For him, with the Book of Fortune, he certainly would not refine only one type of Spiritual Energy in the future. By imprinting multiple organs, he could increase the number of Dantians.

For his first refined Spiritual Energy, it was better to be cautious.

Han Cai kept chattering away beside him, while Li Mo fully employed his formidable thinking ability, pushing divided attention to its limit.

From time to time, Li Mo asked Han Cai questions, trying his best to understand the traits of every jar of Spiritual Energy.

His gaze settled on a dust-like Variant aura, then shifted away.

Cloud Mist Spiritual Energy fit Li Mo's idea of versatility fairly well, but unfortunately it was suited to Illusion Art-type Spells. Otherwise, both offense and defense would be inferior.

"Doctor Han, this is..."

Li Mo pointed toward a corner. There was another jar of cloud-like Spiritual Energy, except it was pale yellow. The Corpse Spirit Root within resembled that of Swamp Poison Spiritual Energy, both looking like internal organs soaked in wax oil.