Within the Calligraphy and Painting Hall, chaotic noises erupted. Through the window paper, one could glimpse a figure with eight arms busily at work.
The Low Grade Spirit Materials were neatly arranged. After Li Mo memorized their positions with his photographic memory, he began to display his proficiency in batch Artifact Refining.
During his seclusion at Duozhi Mountain, Li Mo had maintained a similar practice, effortlessly satisfying the daily demands of the Hongxing Refining Shop in his spare time.
Mid-grade Magical Artifacts required some additional effort, but Low Grade Magical Artifacts? Those could be crafted with ease, given just his hands.
Li Mo didn’t even bother opening his eyes. His Eight-Armed Spine Nerve extended and contracted continuously, precisely procuring the necessary spiritual materials. His arms interweaved in a dazzling display of dexterity.
He simultaneously crafted eight Magic Artifacts while maintaining his Circulation Cycle.
One could say he was demonstrating his talent to the fullest.
Li Mo’s mastery of Mist Fog Spiritual Power ensured zero wastage of spiritual materials—something that other Artifact Refiners could only dream of achieving.
In no time, one Low Grade Magical Artifact Daoist robe after another took shape.
In the process of the robes’ Three Refinements, Li Mo focused on enhancing their resistance to Illusion Techniques since most Deceit Beasts could beguile the human mind.
For instance... the Mountain Lord Strange Beast.
These Daoist robes were distributed freely to cultivators. Naturally, Li Mo wouldn’t incur a loss by contributing spiritual materials, preferring instead to optimize existing resources to the best possible standard.
As Li Mo focused on Artifact Refining, another tremor shook the Calligraphy and Painting Hall.
Pull one string, and the whole system responds. Since Tian Changwen had already placed Li Mo as a vital "supply piece," Shi Ji certainly wouldn’t idly watch Beast Cultivators grow in strength.
Their battle of wits unfolded in the shadows.
Li Mo estimated that he was currently near the center of the Eastern District, surrounded by chess pieces such as Hu Wen, ensuring his artifact refining would remain undisturbed.
At the front door of the Calligraphy and Painting Hall, a woodpile house appeared again. The wooden doors looked hastily patched, with reinforcement arrays covering the walls.
The spiritual tablet carried a thought from Tian Changwen: "Retrieve thirty Magic Artifacts first."
Li Mo split off two arms to pick up thirty Daoist robes, leaning out of the Calligraphy and Painting Hall while his other arms continued refining without pause.
As he placed the robes on a shelf, the woodpile house vanished into the dense mist.
Li Mo frowned slightly, noticing a mass of bloodied flesh tentacles at the base of the woodpile house. The energy they exuded was eerily similar to the Hundred Beasts Blood Body.
Tian Changwen’s ruthlessness was evident—even though he had already achieved Core Formation, he still took the risk of transplanting the Hundred Beasts Blood Body for this Beast Cultivator chess match.
There’s no turning back after drawing the bow.
Li Mo let out a long sigh. The tremors across the Eastern District were unrelenting. Tian Changwen was likely preparing to make a move against the Inner Sect Beast.
The first wave of chess pieces, however, served mainly as a probe to test Shi Ji’s reaction and gauge the Inner Sect Beast’s true strength. They weren’t likely to be overwhelmingly powerful.
Li Mo leaned back into the Calligraphy and Painting Hall, receiving a thought from Li Zhuang via the spiritual tablet.
"Senior Brother Li, save me..."
Li Zhuang’s hand trembled as he clutched his spiritual tablet, fear having completely shattered his Mental Realm.
According to Tian Changwen’s directive, he was to proceed to the Pear Garden Theater in two days and remain there for twelve hours. Based on the information collected about the Deceit Beast, contribution points would then be allocated.
Among the childhood-stage resources publicly announced by the Government Office, the most valuable was undoubtedly the Induction Fate, worth five thousand resource points.
Fortunately, Li Qingfang wasn’t included in the list for the Pear Garden Theater. Otherwise, their mutual hindrance would have almost ensured certain death.
Li Mo couldn’t help but ponder while simultaneously using the spiritual tablet to soothe Li Zhuang’s anxiety, offering advice on precautions against the Deceit Beast.
As a versatile chess piece, Li Mo inevitably had to interact with other cultivators. If properly utilized, he could even influence the course of the game to some extent.
"For you, the Beast Calamity is also an opportunity. Even if obtaining the Induction Fate proves too difficult, gaining some childhood-stage cultivation resources would still be worthwhile."
Li Zhuang calmed down and nodded repeatedly in the dim shop.
He committed Li Mo’s words to memory, then hastily sought advice from cultivators of the same level, checking if anyone else planned to head for the Pear Garden Theater.
The spiritual tablet fluctuated with an unusual sensation.
Li Zhuang pressed it against his forehead anxiously. Li Mo’s words came through like a lifeline.
"Before heading to the Pear Garden, Low Grade Magical Artifacts will be distributed."
"On the third row of the shelf, the Daoist robes at the far right prioritize defense and are of the highest quality. Those in the middle of the first row focus on breaking Illusions..."
Li Zhuang swallowed hard and kowtowed deeply in gratitude.
Before he could respond, a woodpile house materialized in the dense mist at the storefront. Tian Changwen’s voice rang in his ears inexplicably.
"Choose one Artifact and refine it at will."
After Li Zhuang entered the woodpile house, Li Mo lost all spiritual tablet connection to him.
Outside the window, roars of spectral beasts echoed, intermingled with the earth-shaking movement of chess pieces. A siege on the Piglet Beast could begin at any moment.
Li Mo had no time to concern himself with Li Zhuang because there was no way he could remain safe from harm.
As a Daoist emerging from Duozhi Mountain, Li Mo’s importance far surpassed that of an ordinary Weak Crown Stage Practitioner. Fortunately, his double expertise in Artifact Refining and Medicine made him too valuable to be discarded as mere cannon fodder.
After finishing the refinement of all Low Grade Magical Artifacts, Li Mo sat down and closed his eyes for meditation.
Uncertainty about when trouble might strike required him to maintain peak condition while also honing the Mist Fog Spiritual Power within his Middle Dantian.
The beastly roars grew increasingly intense, accompanied by the sound of musical instruments playing melodies.
An ominous silence loomed over Rong Town.
About ten days later, just as Li Mo sensed a tremor, a pungent smell of blood wafted into the Calligraphy and Painting Hall from outside the courtyard.
Supported by his Eight-Armed Spine Nerve, Li Mo approached the courtyard. Looking up, he saw the remains of a Pear Garden Theater building, where over a dozen grievously wounded Low-level cultivators hung suspended from the ceiling.
Li Zhuang was among them. Most had missing limbs, their Daoist robes in tatters, and exposed skin charred black with burn marks.
It was as if they had just been roasted inside a furnace.
Li Mo frowned as he lowered them and began performing surgeries directly in the courtyard, conveniently using the spare limbs he had obtained from Han Cai.
Although their injuries appeared severe, the promise of Longevity ensured that as long as they were breathing, they could be saved—though their foundations would inevitably suffer.
Tian Changwen had entrusted Li Mo with their treatment precisely because the Medical Hall was too crowded and conspicuous.
For every childhood-stage cultivator he saved, Li Mo earned twenty contribution points.
With practiced expertise, Li Mo transplanted limbs and replaced lost flesh. However, a few had sustained damage to their Corpse Spirit Root, requiring an extended recovery period.
Once the Low-level cultivators gradually regained consciousness, none dared meet Li Mo’s eyes directly, fearing his infamous reputation. They quietly rested and recovered within the courtyard.
After their conditions stabilized, they were sent back to their assigned guard posts.
When Li Zhuang regained consciousness, Li Mo pressed a finger to his forehead. "Did you encounter a Deceit Beast?"
A cool stream of energy flowed into Li Zhuang’s mind, bringing his pupils into focus. "Yes... yes, Senior Brother Li. However, the Deceit Beast never revealed itself. Most of our time was spent evading puppet assassins."
"If not for the puppet cultivators, there wouldn’t have been any casualties," supplemented a cultivator named Fan Ge with a tone full of resentment.
Their attempts to deal with the puppet cultivators had left them exposed to the Piglet Beast. Before they could react, they were dragged into a blazing furnace.
Of the twenty participants, eight were burned to death. The survivors relied solely on their spiritual power and Magic Artifacts to endure.
Still shaken, Li Zhuang added, "Senior Brother Li, the appearance of the Deceit Beast seemed to coincide with the sound of singing. It... it created incredibly lifelike illusions."
Li Mo didn’t comment, turning back toward the Calligraphy and Painting Hall. "Don’t dwell on it too much. For now, focus on resting."
The tremors persisted as the Calligraphy and Painting Hall slowly moved onward.