Life span plundered, I became a detective and achieved immortality

Chapter 1183 You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub.

The Primordial Immortal Realm, the Primordial World, deep within the Primordial Immortal Palace.

This was not the magnificent palace one might expect, but a chaotic space permeated with an intensely dense, primordial purple aura. As the purple aura swirled, it sometimes transformed into illusory dragons and phoenixes, their roars and cries echoing through the void; at other times, it condensed into fragments of a galaxy, within which countless stars were born and died, their mysteries profound and unfathomable. Only at the center, a colossal lotus reaching for the heavens bloomed silently, like the first glimmer of life born at the dawn of chaos, piercing the void and radiating a gentle warmth.

Su Mo sat cross-legged on the lotus platform, which was entirely emerald green, as if carved from the heart of jade nurtured for millions of years. The leaves were layered upon each other, with exactly thirty-six petals. Each petal had a faint golden edge, as if formed from the condensation of the laws of the Great Dao. The veins on the surface of the leaves were clear like a spider web, and upon closer inspection, they resembled the trajectory of an ancient path through time and space, winding and intersecting, flowing with a warm and gentle green light.

This lotus is called the Azure Lotus of the Great Void. It is a fourth-grade quasi-immortal king artifact. It was originally a treasured possession of the Celestial Lord of the Vault of Heaven. It not only has the ability to temper the immortal soul and cleanse impurities, but also can draw upon the origin of chaos to assist in enlightenment. Even for a sixth-order quasi-immortal king, it can be considered an invaluable aid.

At this moment, wisps of azure light rose from between the petals of the Azure Lotus of the Void, swirling like the finest sandalwood smoke, or fluttering like nimble gossamer threads, weaving a faint net of light around Su Mo.

The azure light was not dazzling; instead, it carried a gentle and soothing quality. Wherever it passed, even the primordial purple energy flowing in the air was tinged with a faint azure, as if the entire chaotic space had transformed into a calm and peaceful azure ocean.

Su Mo's eyes were lightly closed, his body radiating Daoist energy as he used the power of the Azure Lotus to comprehend the profound mysteries of the Immortal Dao. Suddenly, his brow twitched slightly, as if sensing a subtle fluctuation emanating from the depths of chaos. His tightly closed eyes slowly opened. Those eyes, as deep as the ancient starry sky, were now piercing through layers of spatial barriers, gazing towards the direction of the Taiyuan Star Abyss. A barely concealed fervor flashed in their depths, like a hunter who had been lying in wait for a long time finally spotting his desired prey.

"So you want to use the Five Elements Ancestor as bait to lure the Eighteenth Prince into your trap..." Su Mo lightly flicked his fingers, a wisp of green light flowing between them, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips, "The reinforcements that are about to arrive must be of high cultivation!"

The Five Elements Ancestor is a perfected third-tier Quasi-Immortal King, and his combat power should not be underestimated. Even ordinary fourth-tier Quasi-Immortal Kings would not be entirely confident of completely subduing him; only fifth-tier or higher Quasi-Immortal Kings would have a guaranteed victory. Since the Thirteenth Prince dared to set up this trap, the reinforcements he sent must be capable of suppressing fifth-tier Quasi-Immortal Kings—at least sixth-tier Quasi-Immortal Kings, and even seventh, eighth, or ninth-tier Quasi-Immortal Kings are not impossible.

"If we could capture this reinforcement..."

The light in Su Mo's eyes grew even more intense, and the immortal power within his body fluctuated slightly because of this thought. At that time, by absorbing its immortal true spirit, his cultivation would definitely break through to the eighth-grade perfect Golden Immortal; if he was lucky enough, it wouldn't be impossible for him to advance to the ninth-grade Golden Immortal.

Once one reaches the ninth-grade Golden Immortal realm, and is further aided by 1,800 illusory spirit bodies, their overall combat strength would likely not be much weaker than some newly broken-through Eternal Immortal Kings.

At that time, he will be able to truly join the ranks of the strongest in the Yuanjin Immortal Kingdom, and even in the entire Ancient Immortal Realm, he will be an indisputable top expert.

Thinking of this, the azure light around Su Mo suddenly accelerated, and the thirty-six petals of the Taixu Azure Lotus unfolded at the same time, with the azure light cascading down like a waterfall, completely enveloping him, as if echoing the wild ambition churning in his heart, and his aura rose steadily.

"Just to be on the safe side, those immortal arrays outside the Hongmeng Immortal Realm need to be reinforced further."

Su Mo lightly tapped the blue lotus in front of his knee with his fingertips, his gaze falling into the void, his tone carrying an unquestionable determination.

After defeating Ziyuan Daojun and Qionggao Immortal Lord, his wealth increased more than tenfold, enough for him to completely revamp the many immortal arrays around him and elevate their power to a whole new level.

"Especially those hidden immortal arrays on the outer perimeter, they are of paramount importance." He frowned slightly, carefully calculating. The hidden arrays currently in place were more than enough to deceive a fifth-tier Quasi-Immortal King, and even a sixth-tier Quasi-Immortal King would need to expend considerable effort to see through them. However, if the visitor was a seventh-tier Quasi-Immortal King, the chances of deceiving their senses would be no more than 30%; as for eighth-tier and ninth-tier Quasi-Immortal Kings, a single glance would likely pierce through all disguises. Strengthening himself was urgent; he absolutely could not allow the other party to detect anything amiss beforehand.

He didn't want to let this opportunity slip away!

The next second...

"Whoosh..."

With a wave of his hand, Su Mo's azure light suddenly surged, like a blazing azure sun. Simultaneously, the thirty-six petals of the Azure Lotus trembled violently, scattering countless points of light. Wherever the points of light landed, 1,800 illusory spirit bodies appeared out of thin air, densely packed around the lotus, completely surrounding it; as far as the eye could see, there was no end in sight.

These avatars were either clad in golden armor, their armor inscribed with killing array runes, gleaming with a chilling killing intent; or they rode on auspicious clouds, their bodies surrounded by lightning and crackling sounds; or they were hidden in the shadows, their aura ethereal and unpredictable, as if they had merged into the void... Each of them possessed a different aura, bearing almost no resemblance to Su Mo's true form, yet all exuded a formidable pressure.

"Now, I entrust this task to you all." Su Mo's voice was calm, yet carried the authority of a commander-in-chief, like a strategist in charge. "All resources are at your disposal. There is no need to be stingy. Make sure that the power of each immortal formation is maximized, and there must be no mistakes!"

"Yes, we will obey the decree of our Lord!"

Eighteen hundred illusory spirit bodies responded in unison, their voices like thunderclaps, causing the chaotic space to tremble slightly and even the primordial purple energy to ripple. Before their voices had even finished, they moved simultaneously, transforming into streaks of light that rushed out of the Primordial Immortal Palace, passing through the barrier of the Immortal Realm like a well-trained flock of geese, and disappearing into the vast chaotic void.

Deep within the chaos, the foundations of countless immortal arrays flickered in and out of existence in the void. The once-dormant runes began to glow faintly with the arrival of the illusory spirits. Each of these illusory spirits performed its function: some carefully inserted spatial crystals left behind by Daoist Ziyuan into the array's core to expand its domain; others crushed fragments of the Celestial Pearl of the Celestial Lord Qionggao and incorporated them into the array patterns, making the defense even more stellar; still others drew upon the Primordial Purple Qi, using their own immortal essence as a catalyst to reforge the core runes of the concealment array, adding further spatial illusion to the mist…

In an instant, light flashed in the chaotic void, runes flew like a tide, and various laws intertwined and collided, emitting a sizzling sound. The originally silent Immortal Array began to emit an even stronger aura, even stirring up the surrounding chaotic air currents, forming invisible vortexes that spun endlessly.

......

Time flies, and millions of years pass in the blink of an eye in the silent flow of chaos.

"Whoosh..."

As a condensed azure light pierced through the void of the Hongmeng Immortal Palace, it merged into Su Mo's body like swallows returning to their nests. All eight hundred illusory spirit bodies returned to Su Mo's natal immortal domain without missing a single one.

At this point, every single immortal array set up outside the Hongmeng Immortal Realm was thoroughly strengthened.

Su Mo slowly opened his eyes, his divine sense sweeping across the outer perimeter of the Immortal Realm like a searchlight. His gaze pierced through layers of space, landing on the great formations hidden within the chaotic currents. Looking at the newly formed formations, their power surging, a satisfied smile curved his lips—after millions of years of refinement, the power of all the Immortal Formations had increased by at least one major realm. The runes flowing within the attack formations carried the power of a cosmic abyss; the light walls of the defensive formations were as solid as primordial rocks, difficult even for a mid-stage fifth-tier Quasi-Immortal King like the Celestial Lord of the Azure Sky to shake; not to mention the intricately linked killing formations—once fully unleashed, even a ninth-tier Quasi-Immortal King caught within would face considerable danger.

The outer concealment array has been significantly improved, enough to deceive even a seventh-tier quasi-immortal king. Even if an eighth-tier quasi-immortal king were to arrive, it would be difficult to find the slightest clue in this chaos without expending considerable effort to investigate.

"It's just a bit expensive."

Su Mo's lips twitched slightly, a pang of heartache rising in his heart. This large-scale enhancement had almost emptied all the wealth he had accumulated over the years; immortal materials, crystals, fragments of origin, and immortal artifacts had all been squandered.

Now, not to mention compared with other quasi-immortal kings, even compared with some wealthy seventh- or eighth-rank golden immortals, he looks shabby, practically bankrupt.

......

After a few breaths.

"Hmph... Oh well, you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub." Su Mo took a deep breath, suppressing the regret in his heart, and a sharp light rekindled in his eyes. "As long as we can secure the next reinforcements, this loss is all worth it."

"I wonder when the thirteenth prince's reinforcements will arrive?"

......

Time passed year after year in Su Mo's anticipation. The azure light on the lotus platform flowed endlessly. Soon, another thirteen million years passed. The chaotic void remained silent, yet it faintly exuded a sense of oppressive tension, as if a storm was brewing.

"They're here! They're so fast!"

......