The rumors surrounding the Mountain and Sea Hermit had spiraled out of control, growing increasingly exaggerated.
Some cultivators confidently claimed to have witnessed Li Mo eliminating over ten individuals of the same level, suppressing the Fifth Layer of Duozhi Mountain single-handedly, and even, in the midst of casual laughter, slaying several Deceit Beasts equivalent to Weak Crown Perfection.
The facts were grossly inflated. Li Mo knew explaining was futile; in truth, he’d barely made a move on Duozhi Mountain, and the Golden Toad was left half-crippled.
By now, no one cared about the truth of the rumors—only one certainty remained.
Li Mo was undeniably ruthless, with the backing of a Manager, enough to publicly tear Wang Rongshan to pieces before all cultivators.
Such a figure, summoned back to Rong Town by the pawn shop, clearly had a very specific purpose.
It was preparation for the impending Beast Calamity.
Some cultivators began to realize that Li Mo might have received orders from the upper echelons of the pawn shop, granting him the authority to act against Wang Rongshan—signaling the overwhelming momentum of Beast Cultivators.
The antagonism between Puppet and Beast Cultivators would only intensify, with no possibility of reconciliation.
Before considering changing cultivation techniques, one would have to weigh the attitudes of shop leaders—pick the wrong side, and they’d face an impossible predicament.
Li Mo enjoyed the resources of the Sky-level Seclusion Room without guilt.
He ignored external opinions, for mere matters of profit he did not mind erasing a few petty nuisances.
Li Mo was very pleased with the Sky-level Seclusion Room.
Initially, he thought his cultivation progress might suffer after returning to Rong Town, given the town’s lack of dense smog-like Spiritual Energy.
However, Li Mo discovered that the Sky-level Seclusion Room’s assistance far surpassed that of the human-level rooms.
The pawn shop had evidently poured abundant resources into the Sky-level chambers, so much so that Spirit Stones required for maintenance weren’t even provided by cultivators.
Li Mo examined the meditation cushion, noting its extraordinary value.
Woven from rare Mid-grade spiritual material known as Qingxin Vine, the cushion could maintain a cultivator’s mind in a state of intense focus.
The walls were inscribed with intricate Spirit Gathering Arrays, boosting Spiritual Energy concentration to quintuple that of the outside world.
At the center of the Spirit Gathering Array was embedded a pure white eye. If Li Mo injected smog-like Spiritual Power into the eye, the array would specifically absorb compatible Spiritual Energy.
With his pre-stocked jar of smog-like Spiritual Energy and over ten thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones, it was enough to support his promotion to Weak Crown Middle Stage.
Li Mo’s current progress in the Weak Crown Period was fairly ideal—his Dantian’s smog-like Spiritual Power had unknowingly reached three-fifths capacity.
The Spiritual Power, like floodwaters bursting through a dam, flowed through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and Five Internal Organs in Circulation, nourishing five insectified Magic Artifacts along the way.
Once his Dantian filled completely, he could attempt to tame one soul.
Corpse Mountain’s integration and refining could remain unspoken—for use as a trump card, it was more than sufficient, though its exact potency was uncertain.
His strength was currently stuck in a bottleneck.
Hui Qingyi’s Blood Dripping Water Grinding Technique was slow to progress, and refining Corpse Mountain to Twenty Refinements was unrealistic. Continuing to craft Mid-grade Magical Artifacts was excessively time-consuming and inefficient.
Li Mo used his secluded cultivation to stabilize his foundation, occasionally keeping an eye on external developments.
He could clearly sense Rong Town growing increasingly fortified—no one could determine when the Beast Calamity would occur.
Shops diligently arranged Arrays and gathered all available manpower, underscoring the terrifying threat of the Beast Calamity.
For this reason, Jin Li mentioned to Li Mo that he would soon leave for Rong Town.
Qingming Daozi’s intentions remained unclear; she could have used the Medicine Field as an excuse to avoid the troubles of the Beast Calamity.
The streets, however, remained lively. When heavy snow blanketed the mountaintops, bright red new year lanterns hung from the eaves of houses.
Children frolicked and laughed, the only serious expressions belonging to the patrolling constables.
After two months of seclusion, Li Mo’s cultivation had steadily advanced toward Weak Crown Middle Stage, though the resources he accumulated dwindled visibly.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
A knock echoed against the door.
Li Mo opened his eyes, his first instinct being that some tactless cultivator was here to stir trouble—instinctively, a savage, beast-like aura radiated from him.
With a wave of his hand, the door swung open. Spotting the figures outside, Li Mo immediately retracted his aura—it was Li Qingfang and her brother.
The two froze in place, their clothes drenched in sweat as if they had narrowly escaped death.
Only after some time did Li Zhuang recover, gulping nervously as he stammered, "Li... Senior Brother, do you still remember us siblings?"
Li Mo’s gaze swept over the cultivators covertly observing from the doorway. The palpable pressure unsettled them, making them shift restlessly.
Even cultivators of higher levels than Li Mo felt uneasy, their hearts leaping with trepidation.
To them, it seemed as though Li Mo harbored several man-eating beasts within his body. They couldn’t help but believe most of the wild rumors circulating Rong Town.
"Come inside to talk."
Li Mo invited the two in.
As Li Zhuang stepped into the Seclusion Room, his gaze froze upon the hundreds of Spirit Stones littering the floor, his face growing red as he quickly turned away.
Li Qingfang appeared lost and bewildered, her expression overtly vacant.
Even Li Mo struggled to recognize them.
Time indeed changed all things—even the once-honest and straightforward Zhao Zhu, after years of struggling in Mountain and Sea Market, began to exude the crassness characteristic of the Futu Hermit merchants.
"Senior Brother Li, it has been over ten years, yet you remain unchanged."
Li Qingfang’s face was meticulously made-up, yet failed to cover the growing black spots. Her complexion bore the pallor of a corpse’s grayish hue.
"Chao Wen Dao, Xi Die Ke Yi—knowledge of the Dao can triumph over decay."
Li Qingfang seemed on the verge of saying more, but was interrupted by Li Zhuang. "My sister and I owe our Inner Sect entry entirely to Senior Brother Li’s help. No matter how much time passes, we’ll never forget your kindness."
"Hmm. Why have you come to see me? Speak plainly."
Li Mo turned his back to them, exposing a shoulder on which a Three-legged Golden Toad perched, its crimson eyes apparently fixed on the siblings.
Li Zhuang dragged Li Qingfang to her knees, bowing his head as he said, "Senior Brother Li, we’ve heard the Beast Calamity is imminent. My sister and I wish to leave Rong Town."
Li Mo questioned, "If it’s safe outside the town, why would cultivators return to Rong Town?"
While Duozhi Mountain seemed less impacted, internal chaos would surely spread there, and Futu Hermit might not possess the strength to protect others.
Not to mention two Third Layer Childhood Beast Cultivators venturing to Duozhi Mountain—it would certainly mean death.
Li Mo conveyed the risks to them, leaving the decision to stay or leave up to the siblings. After all, Tian Changwen wouldn’t concern himself with low-level cultivators.
The siblings immediately argued—Li Zhuang was determined to leave Rong Town and head to Zhao Zhu’s Duozhi Mountain, while Li Qingfang refused to take the risk.
Li Mo ignored their debate and approached the window.
Opening it, a wave of Rong Town’s bustling sounds filled the room—the early market teemed with people amidst the approaching Lunar New Year celebrations.
Li Mo murmured, "Forget about leaving the town—just stay in the inner chambers."
"The Beast Calamity is here."
He shoved the siblings out and leapt onto the rooftop, scanning the morning market, already catching panicked screams.
The sky appeared clear above.
Twisted, grotesque corpses fell from nowhere—the air was thick with blood.
The bodies resembled donkeys and horses, though their chest cavities were hollowed out, and their heads were forcibly reshaped into horrific equine forms.
Li Mo quickly checked the spiritual tablet records, discovering that mortals had been disappearing nightly during the midnight and Choushi hours.
Rumors said that before vanishing, some mortals were seen fleeing panic-stricken toward the Government Office.
The numbers of missing mortals were small—insignificant amid a population of nearly sixty thousand in Rong Town—so the Government Office hadn’t dispatched cultivators to investigate.
However, once the Government Office realized ties to the Beast Calamity, they did not send cultivators to address the problem—instead issuing a peculiar prohibition.
Outwardly concerned for the people’s safety, the prohibition subtly suggested the protection of Inner Sect Deceit Beasts.
[No outings during midnight and Choushi hours; Rong Town has no headless horse sightings.]