The Duozhi Mountain is divided into five layers, with the third-layer medicinal fields located near the mountaintop, under the protection of a specialized array to prevent outsiders from unknowingly entering.
Compared to the first two layers, the ownership of high-altitude medicinal fields rarely changes hands.
Officially, the medicinal fields can be fought over, but in reality, the profits of the various shops were already allocated when Duozhi Mountain first opened.
The stationed cultivators in the third layer fields are spokespersons chosen by the shop managers.
The Golden Toad Daoist Temple resides in the northeastern corner, situated on the backside of Duozhi Mountain. The nutrients in its medicinal field are somewhat lower compared to others at the same altitude.
Nonetheless, the sustenance of the third-layer medicinal fields remains nearly inexhaustible.
Strangely, despite the Golden Toad Daoist Temple possessing a field capable of producing abundant spiritual materials, it only grows a dense array of "Copper Root Grass."
While Copper Root Grass can cultivate spiritual materials, it produces a low-grade spiritual material known as "Copper Concentrate," which seems like an extravagant waste of the field’s resources.
Hundreds of farmers toil busily among the fields.
Most of them have cultivations barely entering the childhood stage, dressed in vestments to shield themselves from the wind and sand, with some farmers scraped and scarred by the elements.
Copper Concentrates tainted with flesh and blood pile up in wooden crates, which are carried by guards into the Golden Toad Daoist Temple.
Inside the temple, over a dozen furnaces burn continuously, forging copper coins, their blazing heat causing the walls to emit wisps of white smoke.
The guards place the Copper Concentrates down, then haul away the freshly minted copper coins.
The copper coins in the wooden crates constantly clatter against one another, their crisp sounds echoing through the dark and empty passageways, producing an unsettling atmosphere.
They proceed to the end of the corridor, facing a heavy iron door.
An acrid, metallic stench of copper wafts through the door’s cracks, and faint traces of flesh and blood manifest on the floor, adding to the eerie impression.
A guard knocks on the iron door.
"Golden Toad Upper Immortal, the freshly produced Copper Concentrates have all been forged into copper coins."
The room remains dead silent, until, after a long pause, a hoarse and deep, ghastly voice emerges: "Come in, bring the copper coins inside, hurry, hurry..."
Golden Toad seems to be enduring pain, his voice forced out through gritted teeth.
The guards tremble all over and open the iron door in haste, revealing an indescribable lump of rotting flesh, causing them to gasp in horror.
Golden Toad is no longer human.
His form now resembles soft sludge, with rusty mottled skin, melted bones, and barely discernible distorted facial features.
A long, narrow tongue immediately pierces through a guard.
"Golden Toad Upper Immortal, please don’t kill me! I have served you for nearly twenty years..."
Before the guard can finish speaking, Golden Toad swallows him whole. The cracking of his bones and chewing sounds fill the air, as the other guards break out in cold sweat.
They dare not look further at Golden Toad, quickly dumping the copper coins into his mouth.
Golden Toad devours the copper coins, his aura gradually strengthening as copper bones formed from the Copper Concentrates attempt to regrow.
He relies entirely on his main cultivation technique to absorb copper coins and repair his injuries, though it seems futile as the bones eventually liquefy into a gelatinous substance.
Golden Toad flies into a rage, "Not enough! The quantity of Copper Concentrates falls far short! I need more Copper Concentrates to mend my wounds!"
His gaze turns to the other guards. "I asked you to monitor the Mountain and Sea Daoist Temple. Is there any news of Li Mo? Speak quickly."
One guard takes a deep breath and replies hesitantly, "As per your instructions, we released information about the third-layer cultivators. The Mountain and Sea Hermit is likely to target other medicinal fields for contention."
He quickly adds, "Currently, the stationed cultivator at the Mountain and Sea Daoist Temple is just an ordinary loose cultivator, posing no threat to you, sir."
The guard dares not disclose that the Futu Hermit has late teenage cultivation level, as he fears it would lead to the entire temple’s demise by Golden Toad.
Since Golden Toad began cultivating Multi-limb Technique and deviated into madness, he has been forced to consume vast amounts of copper coins daily to suppress his abnormal transformations; otherwise, an irreversible beastification into a Deceit Beast would occur.
The medicinal field’s output alone is insufficient to sustain Golden Toad’s recovery.
Golden Toad pins his hopes on seizing the Mountain and Sea Market, using loose cultivators to help forge copper coins, breaking free from his half-human, half-demonic beast state.
Golden Toad breathes a sigh of relief, while continuing to devour copper coins, muttering to himself, "Li Mo will undoubtedly be injured during the medicinal field battle. Once he’s recovering, I’ll strike and seize the Mountain and Sea Daoist Temple..."
"Junior Li Mo, I’ve long admired the senior Golden Toad Upper Immortal, and have come seeking a spar."
Before Golden Toad can finish his sentence, his expression freezes in shock. Murderous intent gleams in his eyes as he scans his surroundings, his tongue ready to strike.
"Upper Immortal, don’t..."
Golden Toad’s tongue lashes out, turning the interior into a bloody mess, followed by bursts of toad croaks.
Li Mo stands before the Golden Toad Daoist Temple, sensing multiple gazes upon him despite the protective array surrounding the high-altitude temple.
Loose cultivators in the Mountain and Sea Market needn’t be described further.
Even with their cultivation levels unable to reach the Golden Toad Temple, they still gather along the streets, speculating whether Li Mo could succeed.
Li Mo waits for a moment.
Then, suddenly, his hair stands on end. He exerts force in his legs and leaps back dozens of meters.
A deep pit is left where Li Mo stood, as a giant, rotting, three-legged toad beast crashes down from above, an overwhelming stench of copper filling the air.
"What in the world..."
Li Mo’s Eight-Armed Spine Nerve unfurls, pulling him ten meters away from Golden Toad.
However, before he can steady himself, his shoulder is instantly pierced by Golden Toad’s tongue, with venom visibly corroding the surrounding flesh.
Activating Paoxiao Swallowing Body, the venom is neutralized in an instant.
Golden Toad mumbles incoherently before retracting his tongue, his bulk leaping towards Li Mo in attack.
Li Mo’s pupils shrink as he sidesteps Golden Toad’s assault.
A piercing fox cry echoes.
The Red Fox emerges from the tattoo on Li Mo’s left arm, its beastly claw burning with demon fire as it severed Golden Toad’s tongue before pouncing onto him, heat waves surging forth.
Li Mo frowns. Golden Toad’s current state is clearly abnormal.
Although the Red Fox is entangling Golden Toad, the latter’s size continues to grow, reaching over ten meters in mere moments.
Their struggle shakes the earth, rocks crashing down the cliffs.
"Wait, is this a transformation into a Deceit Beast?"
Li Mo summons the Ghost Tiger to join the fray, while True Word Sect’s Secret Bone protects him as he maneuvers within a hundred-meter radius of Golden Toad.
Theoretically, Golden Toad should now be in his weakest state.
After all, Deceit Beastification renders his magic unusable, and his spiritual wisdom muddled. If Li Mo wanted, killing him wouldn’t be difficult.
Golden Toad continues to swell, causing the Copper Concentrates in the medicinal field to hover mid-air and transform into copper coins, inciting panic among the farmers as they flee.
Li Mo inhales deeply, and the ten-meter Kun Whale forms behind him.
Its tail sweeps with ferocity, joining the siege against Golden Toad. Fine rain blankets the cliffs, permeated by bone-chilling poison.
In truth, sustaining three tattooed beasts drains too much spiritual power flesh, hindering Hui Qingyi’s might. However, Li Mo has no intention of quickly striking down Golden Toad.
Li Mo glances towards the mountain peak.
Since Manager Tian guarantees safety, why not play a bigger game?
Li Mo plans to create a Beast Head Tattoo, and Golden Toad perfectly fits the requirements.
With the Earth Attribute and a tough exterior resembling myths of the three-legged Golden Toad, the tattoo would capture its essence.
There’s no need to wait for Golden Toad to fully transform into a Deceit Beast; as long as he’s near the brink of transformation, a drop of heart blood will suffice to craft the Beast Head Tattoo.
However, caution is paramount.
The Deceit Beast that Golden Toad might transform into wouldn’t match the inherited Moose from the inner sect, but it would be far more formidable than any Fake Beast.