Li Mu glanced at the trophy in his hand, an Eternal Dried Wood Staff refined from the core of Withered and Flourishing Wood spanning tens of thousands of years.

Li Mu took a liking to this demoted Dao Artifact, and moreover, to Venerable Kumu’s Divine Technique—Withering Domain, with an instant of withering and flourishing.

Under the innate divine techniques, the attributes of the Ancient Wood Staff were displayed on the character panel.

[Eternal Dried Wood Staff (Damaged)]

[Grade: Tier Seven Dao Artifact (Demoted by one tier)]

[Attributes: Coexistence of Withering and Flourishing, Withered and Flourishing Body, Instant Withering and Flourishing, Withered and Flourishing Dharma Aspect, Withered Finger.]

[Status: Artifact master deceased, artifact body damaged, artifact spirit hidden]

[Refined from Tier Seven Ancient Wood Core and Tier Seven Celestial Wood Spirit Pearl, this Age Wood Inheritance Dao Artifact suffered injuries, and being incomplete for a long time, was demoted to a Tier Six Spirit Treasure. Finding the staff core of the Ten Thousand Years Wooden Staff—the Celestial Wood Spirit Pearl could aid in restoring its artifact attribute, returning it to a Tier Seven Dao Artifact. Its spirit pattern is attached to a fragment of a Saint Level inheritance cultivation technique—Ten Thousand Withering Years Scripture (Upper Chapter); assembling this artifact can yield a complete inheritance.]

The inheritance attached to this artifact undeniably reached the Saint Tier level. However, Li Mu had no intention to cultivate it. Presumably, the power would be greater when practiced with single cultivation and Five Elements and Yin Yang cultivation.

Venerable Kumu possessed Void Refining cultivation and practiced the unique Withering Domain but was ultimately countered by the Five Elements Array set by five Tier Six and Seven beast tamers. This alone was enough to prove the power of Five Elements and Yin Yang cultivation.

What Li Mu valued was the characteristic of the Eternal Dried Wood Staff—instant withering and flourishing, a divine secret technique that generally affects spirit plants by consuming vast quantities of Wood Primordial Qi and the Power of Time to activate this divine technique, allowing spirit plants to pass through ages in an instant, transitioning from the juvenile stage to the mature stage, fruiting period, or even the fruit drop period.

This was sufficient for Li Mu to obtain spirit seeds at the high-tier spirit plant’s fruit drop period.

Of course, using such techniques to nurture spirit seeds also comes with certain side effects. For instance, spirit seeds induced by instant withering and flourishing cannot bear fruit after being planted, the medicinal efficacy of high-tier spirit plants declines, and the consumption of Wood Spirit Qi and the Power of Time increases significantly when surpassing high-tier spirit plants, among many negative effects.

Ultimately, it can be a case of losing more than gaining.

However, Li Mu’s purpose for planting spirit plants wasn’t to harvest their bounty but to absorb the Spirit Plant Light Group or spirit plant attributes to aid in cultivation and other aspects.

A lack of high-tier spirit seeds has been a long-standing issue for him.

Previously, while refining the Time Fortune Spirit Turtle, it possessed this ability. However, it primarily contained the Power of Time, mainly used for divination and peeping at the River of Time, no longer satisfying Li Mu’s needs for nurturing spirit seeds.

This Eternal Dried Wood Staff is different, with a strong focus. If provided with an endless supply of Wood Essence Qi and the Power of Time, Li Mu would never lack high-tier spirit seeds again.

This Eternal Dried Wood Staff, combined with the innate divine technique—Plant Spirit Absorption, is a perfect match, and that is the main reason Li Mu isn’t afraid of the Ji Family’s lurking threats. Despite Venerable Kun Ling’s prohibitions, he insists on demanding this spirit treasure from Venerable Kumu.

Other reasons are secondary, such as seeking revenge on Venerable Kumu and discouraging Kun Family, Taiyi Sect, and Profound Celestial Sword Sect from interfering.

Even daring to kill the Void Refining Great Power from the Ji Family, these forces would have to reconsider their approach in confronting such a bold character.

...

Li Mu swiftly cleaned up the battlefield and flew beside the Two-Horned Cyan Moon Flood Dragon, forming techniques with his hands, ready to release its Spirit Taming Contract Seal.

Previously, to deal with Venerable Kumu by setting up the Five Elements Array, Li Mu had no choice but also set a contract seal on the Two-Horned Cyan Moon Flood Dragon.

"Master, don’t be in a hurry to release the contract seal. Without the artifact seal suppressing my divine soul, devouring the body of this Void Refining Great Power might not be enough to suppress the cultivation, possibly triggering the thunder tribulation." The Two-Horned Cyan Moon Flood Dragon urgently stopped Li Mu, indicating.

"Alright! This Void Refining physique, can it help advance your Spirit Devouring Health Technique?" Li Mu nodded, asking with concern.

"Should be fine. If there’s nothing else, I wish to return to the Treasure Mansion for closed-door cultivation!" The Two-Horned Cyan Moon Flood Dragon nodded at Li Mu, seeking permission.

Li Mu understood and waved his hand, storing the Two-Horned Cyan Moon Flood Dragon and the other four beast tamers into the Painting Realm Treasure Mansion.

Li Mu flew towards the Earth Element Spirit Ship, tidied it up, and rode the spirit ship swiftly northward, soon disappearing at the horizon.

Desolate Ancient City, Ji Family’s residence.

"Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened! Elder Ku’s soul lamp extinguished!"

A hysterical scream suddenly rang out, shattering the tranquility of Desolate Ancient City. The sound came from a spacious courtyard within the Ji Family’s residence.

In the courtyard, a group of Ji Family cultivators sprang into action, gathering from all directions instantly. Their expressions were anxious, one person even shouting out, "Ji Chen, explain clearly! Whose soul lamp extinguished?"

The cultivator known as Ji Chen, a young member of the Ji Family, was currently pale-faced and full of horror in his eyes: "It’s true, I saw it with my own eyes! Elder Ku’s soul lamp extinguished!"

"What!" A gasp of surprise came from the crowd.

"Who did it?" Another asked.

Upon hearing, the crowd rushed into the soul lamp’s altar location.

Looking at the extinguished soul lamp in the front row, the Ji Family members collectively sucked in a cold breath,

"How could this be, Elder Ku really perished!" A Ji Family Divinity Transformation cultivator said with a trembling voice: "Was it the Kun Family?"

"Not necessarily, although the Kun Family holds grudges against us, they don’t have the guts to strike us!" Another person shook their head and said.

Elder Kumu was one of the Supreme Elders of the Ji Family, a Void Refining Great Power with unfathomable cultivation, and the soul lamp was refined from cultivators’ divine souls. When a soul lamp extinguishes, it signifies the destruction of its owner’s divine soul, fallen without possibility of resurrection.