Chapter 157 Defeating the Tiger <TOC> Chapter 159 Mr. Russell's Friend
Translator: SumTLMan
After leaving the bar, Li Mu shook off all those tailing him and entered a deserted alley.
He checked his loot, which included a large bag of coins and three books: 《White Tiger Breathing Technique》, 《Seven Fungi Manipulation Technique Manual》, and an experimental data manual on human body modification.
The White Tiger Breathing Technique was the method practiced by Agustia. It could only be practiced by animals with four limbs, warm-blooded characteristics, and thirteen sections in their thoracic vertebrae. The closer the body size is to four meters, the easier it is to practice. If the size is greater than six meters or smaller than one and a half meters, it is almost impossible to practice.
The 《Seven Fungi Manipulation Technique Manual》 is a secret book for manipulation practitioners. Its content is both sinister and extremely powerful, not inferior to the Ouroboros Five-Eyed Race secret technique previously acquired by Li Mu.
This technique mainly describes how to cultivate seven different types of fungi using one’s psychic power. By infecting, performing surgery, psychic puncturing, and other means, the fungi can be implanted into the subject’s body, allowing complete control over them, turning them into fungal slaves or even resurrecting and manipulating corpses.
This is only the most basic application of the Seven Fungi Manipulation Technique.
The various methods and examples recorded in the book are extremely bizarre and cruel. To cultivate the fungi, one not only needs to feed them with their psychic power but also plant them into various humans, animals, and even plants, allowing the fungi to record different genetic information and adapt to various internal environments.
Once the seven fungi are cultivated, they can not only modify the body structure of the controlled fungal slaves, significantly increasing their combat power but also provide various enhancements and strengthen the manipulator.
If the seven fungi are cultivated to an extremely powerful level, they can even survive decapitation and dismemberment, manipulating the fungi to grow new organs.
The book in Li Mu’s hands is only a part of the “Seven Fungi Manipulation Technique Manual,” describing how to implant the fungi and modify the target, while only briefly mentioning other content.
The experimental data manual contains a large number of modification records for Agustia.
On the surface, Agustia appears to be a psychic creature, but in reality, it has many fungi implanted within its body. Some of these fungi parasitize its bones and internal organs, assisting in the circulation of psychic energy, while others reside in its skin and fur, enhancing its defenses.
Li Mu was shocked. No wonder Agustia’s defenses were so strong. Even when he struck it with a psychic energy-imbued attack, it only pierced through the skin and fur, lodging in the muscles of the shoulder blade.
He immediately removed his clothes and took out the Blade of Annihilation, burning them completely. Only then did he use the False Face Mask to change his appearance and body shape.
Although he had always been cautious, maintaining psychic energy scales to completely isolate the fungi, his clothes were inevitably contaminated.
He didn’t know whether Agustia’s master could locate him through the fungi, but it was always better to be cautious.
After changing into new clothes from his Exile Realm, Li Mu left the alley from another exit. He quietly activated his Divine Eye Technique, discreetly observing the pedestrians on the street, and found that many people were searching for something within the crowd.
He remained composed and naturally chose another bar to enter.
Many of the patrons were discussing Agustia’s defeat by a stranger, as the news had clearly spread.
Li Mu took a seat at the bar.
“Pour me a glass of apple cider.”
After ordering his drink, he asked:
“What happened? I heard them talking about a tiger.”
Despite being competitors, the bartender not only waived the fee but also excitedly recounted the tale of Agustia’s defeat.
Li Mu picked up the glass and took a sip.
“Interesting. It’s a pity I didn’t witness the scene. Recently, I’ve been acquiring a batch of high-purity heavy metals. Do you have any leads?”
As he spoke, he pulled out a glittering gold coin and placed it on the bar.
The bartender’s eyes lit up; this was no small sum. He leaned in, lowering his voice:
“Do you see the middle-aged man in the gray plaid suit at the corner table? The one with the slicked-back hair? His name is Russell, a highly resourceful individual. You can approach him for anything you need in Raginbeard.”
Li Mu glanced at Russell and flicked the gold coin, watching the bartender fumble to catch it.
He picked up his drink and slowly approached Russell.
Two bodyguards immediately rose from the neighboring table, blocking Li Mu and preventing him from getting any closer.
Li Mu spread his arms, signaling that he was unarmed and meant no harm.
“Let him come.”
Russell, with a knife and fork in hand, was enjoying a juicy steak. He had a typical Anglo-Saxon appearance, meticulously dressed, with only a slight bald spot.
Li Mu placed his drink on the table, snapped his fingers, and called for a waitress.
“Bring me a steak as well.”
Russell wiped his mouth with a napkin.
“What do you want, young man?”
Those who sought him out were usually after wealth, some sought revenge, and others craved power.
The reason he thrived in Raginbeard was his ability to discern human nature with keen insight.
“I desire a batch of heavy metals – silver, platinum, lead, tungsten, molybdenum, copper, and mercury – with at least five hundred kilograms of each,” said Li Mu after taking a sip of apple cider.
Russell’s hand holding the knife and fork paused.
“Are you planning to construct a psychic energy pathway?”
Ordinary people would only need a hundred kilograms for concocting a large elixir, but the amount Li Mu requested was five times that.
“Indeed.”
Li Mu’s steak was ready, and he skillfully cut and placed a piece into his mouth using his knife and fork.
The success rate of transforming heavy metals into psychic metals through psychic energy infusion is extremely low. One kilogram of heavy metal can only produce about five milligrams of psychic metal after being infused.
And those metals that did not successfully transform can only be infused again after a full cycle, which takes as long as one hundred and twenty years.
“That’s a considerable sum of money,” Russell remarked.
“Money is not an issue,” Li Mu replied, finishing the steak on his plate quickly.
“If it were one hundred kilograms, I could buy it for you now, but not five hundred kilograms,” Russell said, “I don’t want these materials to flow into Eastern Xia.”
“Then let’s go with one hundred kilograms,” Li Mu conceded. If needed, he could change his appearance and make multiple trips. Moreover, the psychic energy pathway could be built in stages, with no necessity to complete it all at once.
Russell hesitated, seeming to hold back, and after a while, he agreed, “Alright, follow him to the warehouse.”
A bodyguard stood behind Li Mu, gesturing for him to follow.
Li Mu took out a few silver taka coins and placed them on the edge of the plate to cover the meal expenses.
Chapter 157 Defeating the Tiger <TOC> Chapter 159 Mr. Russell's Friend