As Lu Yuan’s voice fell, it seemed to herald the fall of the Grave Mound Sword Tomb.
In a sense, chaos was the main theme of the Twenty-Eight Sword Tombs, and the Grave Mound Sword Tomb, too, required periodic upheaval to consume the ever-growing number of Sword Ghosts.
The clouds fully obscured the sunlight, and the sound of clashing bones echoed continuously.
"Damn it, could the scene at the Grave Mound Sword Tomb also be a reflection of the upheaval of the world? And entirely different from the catastrophe of the Fire Spirit Hall?"
Just a moment ago, a dustpan sitting in the corner of the courtyard suddenly transformed into white bone in the next instant, morphing into a grotesque and hideous Deceitful Object in the blink of an eye.
The stones piled along the roadside cracked open, brain matter oozing from within, with growing blood vessels serving as limbs propelling them swiftly forward.
A bird’s nest sprouted sharp and dense fangs, devouring the returning swallows in one bite.
Every house was filled with chaotic noises; furniture tore into each other, blood and flesh splattered everywhere, and grotesque Sword Ghosts were being born one after another.
Not long ago, the crowd on the streets had scattered in panic.
But as their clothing and ornaments began to transform into flesh and blood, the massacre turned one-sided, with few, if any, survivors.
Only those kneeling beside the altar were spared as prey for the Sword Ghosts.
They recited scriptures fervently while engaging in self-mutilation, causing a mountain of flesh and blood to pile up on the altar, filling the air with an overpowering stench of decay.
Li Mo squinted his eyes, gleaning a sliver of insight from the memories within the Creation Book.
In the ancient Cultivation World, Shaquan Town was a mundane town under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Sword Sect, much smaller in scale compared to Wumen City.
Yet, due to its unique spring water, which could temper metal, Shaquan Town had long been a vital hub for traveling merchants, famed for its iron production.
The fragmented memories of the Creation Book indicated that the "Doomsday" before his eyes was no illusion.
Li Mo drew a sharp breath; the scattered fragments of memory were far too incomplete.
He only saw how the once-prosperous Shaquan Town had plunged into peril without any warning. Everything lifeless in the town had come to life, with malevolent spirits running rampant, and the cries of women and children never ceasing.
"Why would the world-shaking phenomena differ so much between Wumen City and Shaquan Town, separated by barely two or three hundred li?"
Li Mo’s face was filled with doubt, but his train of thought was quickly interrupted by the Sword Ghosts.
A human head slammed heavily against the main door, with an attached spine allowing the Sword Ghost to slither like a python, attempting to break through the protective Array Li Mo had set up.
In the backyard, over a dozen Sword Ghosts had gathered; in no time, their count had surged to two or three hundred.
The Sword Ghosts threw themselves against the courtyard like moths to a flame. Most were Cocoon Swords comparable to those of the Nascent Soul Stage, with a few Little Night Wanderers mixed in. Content originally comes from NovєlFіre.net
Fortunately, the Grave Mound Sword Tomb possessed unique rules.
The taboos of the Sword Ghosts were suppressed to their lowest point, such that Li Mo acutely felt no discernible threat.
Sword sounds rang out throughout the town as over a dozen Sword Cultivators within the Grave Mound Sword Tomb unleashed Sword Qi, slaying one Sword Ghost after another.
However, the scent of blood inevitably attracted even more Sword Ghosts.
In the southwest, a Heavenly Palace Stage Sword Cultivator from the Thunder Residence Sword Tomb unleashed his power. The mere fact that he had survived Yu Xiao’s sword was testament to his extraordinary strength.
Thunder surged skyward, and with a sweep of his sword light, over a dozen Sword Ghosts instantly turned to ash.
The Qiu Shuang Sword Cultivators were unwilling to fall behind.
Their Sword Intent, leaning toward the Yin Water Element, allowed them to thrive within the Grave Mound Sword Tomb.
"Sigh, I might as well obediently play the role of a tool."
Li Mo immediately realized that Lu Yuan’s purpose in coming to the Grave Mound Sword Tomb wasn’t merely to recruit disciples. They also needed help clearing out a portion of the Sword Ghosts.
To maintain the balance of the Grave Mound Sword Tomb, periodic cleanups were likely necessary.
Lu Yuan’s murderous aura directed at the other Sword Tomb disciples was clearly intended for Li Mo to witness. It subtly conveyed a heavy sense of threat toward him.
If Li Mo was outshone by others, he might as well give up his position as the chief of the Great Sun Sword Tomb.
"Thunder Residence and Qiu Shuang likely have Void Refining Stage Elders in the shadows, biding their time to recruit disciples at the opportune moment."
"I wonder if Shaquan Town will reveal more secrets about the upheaval of the world."
Li Mo pulled out the Illusion Fish Sword from his waist, his gaze sweeping over the bizarrely shaped Sword Ghosts before him. He swung his sword with a flash of light.
The Bright Sun Sword Qi streaked past.
The head of one Sword Ghost fell, and its body was immediately swallowed by the shadow beneath Li Mo’s feet.
All Sword Ghosts stemmed from hollow shells. Even if they lacked a humanoid form, they could still be integrated as tenants of the Corpse Mountain Mini World. Li Mo’s eyes lit up with excitement.
"Kehehe, I’ve hit the jackpot."
Li Mo opened his mouth and spat out twenty or thirty Lifebound Flying Swords.
The most distinguishing feature of a Lifebound Flying Sword at the Divine Separation Stage was its Dragon Ball. That’s right—Flying Swords ranking above Hui Dragon all contained Dragon Balls.
Dragon Balls, embodying Sword Intent, significantly enhanced the power of Lifebound Flying Swords.
"Hui Dragon is sufficient for now. Let’s clear out the Sword Ghosts within a kilometer of this courtyard first."
Who knows how long this Sword Ghost outbreak will last?
Even at the Divine Separation Stage, Lifebound Flying Swords remained consumables; their taboos would lead to destruction after a maximum of fifteen days.
Li Mo activated the Ten Thousand Sword Immortal Bone. The exposed aura transformed into a Yang Lei Sword Body, and each Hui Dragon Flying Sword became enveloped in a faint sheen of thunder light.
The piercing sound of their flight filled the air.
Even though the Middle Level Sword Intent imbued in the Lifebound Flying Swords, they still cut through the Sword Ghosts like slicing melons.
Li Mo’s mastery of Sword Intent was incomparable to before. Against the Cocoon Swords that made up the bulk of the Sword Ghosts, he wasted no extra Spiritual Power.
Sword Ghosts rained down into the Corpse Mountain Mini World like a storm.
Li Mo continued deploying more Lifebound Flying Swords when needed, emphasizing caution and steadiness.
He even intentionally directed a hundred Illusionary Lifebound Flying Swords to snatch Sword Ghost corpses from the hands of other Sword Cultivators.
"So far, only Little Night Wanderers have surfaced. The Big Night Wanderers and Night Patrol Deities haven’t appeared yet. Let’s let them attract attention for now."
Within half a day, Li Mo had already harvested twenty thousand corpses.
Taking advantage of the chaos was his specialty.
Li Mo estimated he could add two to three hundred thousand tenants to the Corpse Mountain Mini World in the Grave Mound Sword Tomb.
The situation at the Grave Mound Sword Tomb proceeded as expected. After ten days, the ratio of Little Night Wanderers among the Sword Ghosts had already surpassed that of the Cocoon Swords.
Each Sword Cultivator fought desperately with Sword Control, while some had even employed their Externalized Dharma Bodies.
Li Mo alone remained at ease.
During this period, Divine Senses from Void Refining Stage cultivators scanned the courtyard multiple times, some carrying mocking glances.
Li Mo paid them no mind, as this allowed him to maximize his gains.
Until Lu Yuan finally lost patience.
Li Mo sat leisurely inside his residence, his Earth Infiltrated Golden Core on the verge of breaking through to the Transformation Core Stage. Meanwhile, the planting of trees in the Corpse Mountain Mini World continued uninterrupted.
Yang Niu’s head surfaced from the ground as Lu Yuan, enraged to the point of laughter, said, "Taiyi, I told you to kill all the Sword Ghosts in the Grave Mound, didn’t I?"
"Kill now, or do you no longer want the Taoist Inheritance of the Grave Mound Sword Tomb?"
With that, Yang Niu’s head vanished back underground.
Li Mo froze for a moment. "Does the number of Sword Ghosts killed relate to disciple recruitment?"
"You really think highly of me, don’t you? Thunder Residence and Qiu Shuang both brought along a dozen Sword Cultivators. Yet you expect me, a mere Five Qi Period cultivator, to face them all alone."
Li Mo sighed helplessly, pressing his forefinger against his brow.