After the Qingming Taoist Temple moved to the second floor, it suddenly disappeared from public sight.
In the medicine field, a dozen figures bustled about. They were all Loose Cultivators who had pledged allegiance to Qingming Daozi, their eyes trembling with fear as they glanced toward the courtyard.
The corners of the walls were piled high with white bones, and corpses were occasionally tossed out from within.
Ever since Qingming Daozi seized the medicine field, two fellow practitioners had come for a gathering.
Anyone who ventured too close to the courtyard met a fate where not even bones remained. The entire Qingming Taoist Temple was shrouded in dread during this time.
Little did they know, inside the courtyard walls was a scene resembling an immortal’s sanctuary.
White cranes stretched their wings, surrounded by groves of green bamboo and artificial mountains, while the ground was wrapped in a faint white mist. A gentle breeze swept through, causing the bamboo forest to rustle with a soothing sound.
In a place devoid of birds and beasts, the value of the white cranes was self-evident.
At the center of the courtyard stood a newly built pavilion, where two figures were seated by a stove, discussing Daoist doctrines.
Except for Qingming Daozi, who stood outside the pavilion with her head lowered, lost in thought.
Since achieving promotion to the Weak Crown Period, the yin/yang distinction of her body had become increasingly pronounced, as though she were a conjoined twin, with her consciousness showing signs of splitting.
"Qingming, what do you think we should plant in the medicine field?"
Qingming Daozi let out a cold snort and stepped into the pavilion.
The two old Daoists seated in the pavilion had most of their flesh and skin rotted away. They lacked even a shred of the immortal’s grace and instead exuded a sinister aura.
What was roasting atop the stove was not tea snacks but a pile of hearts and livers.
Qingming Daozi outwardly nodded in agreement to their words, but a deep disgust flashed in her eyes. However, in order to survive in Duozhi Mountain, she had no choice but to align herself with the forces tied to the Melt Town Store.
She originated from the Mixed Grain Shop. Seizing the medicine field was easy, but without support from the cultivators of the Mixed Grain Shop lineage, holding onto it was an entirely different matter.
"Don’t let the shop servants’ age fool you. Their hearts and livers still taste quite decent."
The old Daoist chewed slowly, wiping his mouth with a silk cloth in a manner feigning elegance.
Though they gave the appearance of discussing Daoist teachings, the conversation revolved solely around the distribution of the medicine field’s profits. Unable to reach a consensus, they lingered in Qingming Taoist Temple without leaving.
Suppressing her revulsion, Qingming Daozi said, "Elder Ziyang, if you wish to satisfy another craving in the future, do notify this junior in advance."
The two represented the Mixed Grain Shop. Unless she turned hostile, she had no choice but to endure them.
"Hahaha, well said, well said."
Ziyang Taoist burst into laughter, his breath exhaling a pungent, unbearable stench that attracted countless flies, which buzzed frantically throughout the pavilion.
"Enough about Qingming’s medicine field for now. Tihu, what is your take on the Mountain and Sea Hermit?"
"Elder Han Cai has a remarkable reputation. His disciple, Mountain and Sea, surely has a pure Tao Heart. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have achieved Foundation Establishment within just a few short years."
Tihu Taoist smiled, waving a hand to summon a Water Mirror within the pavilion.
The Water Mirror immediately displayed the scene of the Mountain and Sea Daoist Temple. A scaled-up market had already taken shape, with rows of shops lining both sides of the street.
Greed glimmered in their eyes, and their heavy breathing was uncontrollable.
The two-year deadline had passed by three days, yet no cultivators had shown up to claim it. Thus, there was still no trace of Li Mo.
Stroking his beard, Ziyang Taoist chuckled. "Mountain and Sea has had it too smooth. Although he’s remarkably gifted, one must endure setbacks to truly grow."
Qingming Daozi smirked mockingly. Did they really think Li Mo was an easy target?
Ziyang Taoist and Tihu Taoist were, at best, Early Weak Crown Stage Practitioners. If not for representing the Mixed Grain Shop, she wouldn’t have let them encroach on the medicine field in the first place. Now, they even dared to set their sights on the Mountain and Sea Daoist Temple.
"It’s no small feat for the younger generation to build their industries. Tihu, both sentimentally and rationally, we ought to help Elder Han Cai reclaim the Mountain and Sea Daoist Temple. Don’t you agree?"
"Ziyang, you are truly righteous."
Ziyang Taoist’s true intent was to wait until the medicine field changed hands so he could retake ownership, returning the Artifact Refining Shop to Li Mo while currying favor with Han Cai.
Leaning forward impatiently, Tihu Taoist muttered, "They’ve arrived."
At the gates of the Mountain and Sea Daoist Temple, a burly figure with the head of a tiger and the body of a man appeared.
Maggots crawled out from the sunken sockets of his eyes, and two additional pairs of arms extended from beneath his ribs.
The market fell silent.
All Loose Cultivators turned their eyes toward the Mountain and Sea Daoist Temple in unison.
Over two years, rumors had quietly spread across Duozhi Mountain, suggesting the Mountain and Sea Hermit had damaged his foundation during Foundation Establishment.
Otherwise, given the hermit’s temperament, he wouldn’t have remained absent for so long.
"I, Wang Hunshou, have come for the medicine field. I ask that the Four-legged True Man show himself promptly."
As Wang Hunshou spoke, the flesh on his back split open, and countless baby arms extended outward, radiating the aura of the Weak Crown Period.
Jin Li weaved through the crowd with a grim expression, standing opposite Wang Hunshou.
"Wait a moment longer."
Having dealt with countless Loose Cultivators, Jin Li immediately recognized Wang Hunshou before him.
Though Wang Hunshou had a low profile, half a year ago, he was still stuck at the Perfect Childhood stage. Who could have expected him to have had a fortuitous encounter and be promoted to the Weak Crown Period?
He specialized in the eerie "Mountain Supporting Thousand Feet Strength" technique.
Jin Li couldn’t help but worry for Li Mo.
While he dismissed the rumors about damaged foundations as mere nonsense, the upcoming struggle would inevitably draw Weak Crown Practitioners in droves to compete for the Mountain and Sea Daoist Temple’s medicine field.
Impatient, Wang Hunshou took a step toward the temple gates. "There’s no time to waste waiting. If the Four-legged True Man refuses to appear, I’ll enter the temple myself to find him."
Just as Jin Li braced himself to intervene, Li Mo emerged silently from the side.
"That won’t be necessary."
Under the effects of Paoxiao Swallowing Body, Li Mo’s frame reached over two meters tall. Though his skin was covered in Desert Map patterns, Jin Li could still smell the decay of the Death Disease.
A sinking feeling gripped Jin Li’s heart. Li Mo, eroded by the Childhood Death Disease, posed a volatile threat—this could turn into a brutal clash.
Ignoring Wang Hunshou, Li Mo turned to ask Jin Li, "What are the rules regarding the medicine field?"
"Challenges must be spaced thirty days apart. If the resident cultivator refuses challenges for an extended period, it’s considered a forfeiture, and the medicine field..."
As Jin Li spoke, he noticed Wang Hunshou’s sinister expression. The strength coiled in his legs, while the baby arms on his back writhed grotesquely.
The eccentric nature of the Multi-limb Technique left its mark on all who had seen it.
Wang Hunshou raised his right arm, and under his skin, countless baby arms surged upward, concentrating in his raised limb. The grotesque sound made spectators’ scalps tingle.
It was evident that his flesh had entirely transformed into an array of baby arms, amplifying his strength continuously. Cracks spread outward from the ground beneath him.
Wang Hunshou’s body shrank to fetal size, while his right arm swelled to over two meters. With massive force, his five fingers clawed towards Li Mo.
"Watch out," Jin Li called in warning.
All the cultivators held their breaths, expecting to witness a fierce, evenly matched battle.
Yet, unexpectedly, Li Mo merely formed a Fox Head hand sign.
A shadow ten meters wide enveloped the ground before the gates. As Wang Hunshou breached its edge, a sharp cry of a fox pierced the air.
A mountainous fox head erupted from the ground, bearing signs of rot—clearly affected by Li Mo’s Death Disease, extending its decay to the Tattooed Beast.
Wang Hunshou barely had time to react before the enormous jaws clamped down, gnashing through his resilient flesh while sulfurous flames seared him.
Screams echoed endlessly.
Li Mo walked toward the temple gates, his face wearing an enigmatic smile, one that now suffocated anyone who looked.
When the Red Fox disappeared, all that remained was a pool of flesh and blood.
Li Mo’s expression turned contemplative. As he walked, he tapped his spiritual tablet with a finger, receiving a message from Qingming Daozi.
Glancing upward at the sky, his figure abruptly vanished into thin air.