"Spiritual Seed, Spiritual Seed, is this Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed really just a seed?"

Now he could only water and fertilize it, offering unilateral support. To actually reap something from it, he would have to wait until it blossomed and bore fruit, which would take a lifetime.

Tsk!

"This Heavenly Demon really is a lame Demon God, and that Cloud Mirage Celestial Demon is probably just as feeble," Chen Mu grumbled with frustration.

What a letdown.

"At the very least, it can help you accelerate the cultivation of Safe Heart Sutra, can’t it?" Shi Dechun reassured with a chuckle.

That’s about the only use for it, then.

Chen Mu sighed.

Shi Dechun then snickered, "How about you teach me another Flight of Flame Scripture?"

Hooked on taking advantage, aren’t you?

"Get lost!"

One day later.

After repeatedly testing the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed’s effects, Chen Mu began to ponder how best to utilize it.

"Are you sure the more people there are, the more effective the Three Paths Curse becomes?" he asked, eyeing Shen Yan.

He had tried it the day before; with Shi Dechun’s assistance, indeed a bit more weak water was drawn during cultivation—well... just a smidge more.

There was an effect, but it wasn’t significant, leading him to suspect that Shen Yan had been bluffing him all along.

"Ah... There is such a saying, that multiple people casting it at the same time will form a cluster, and the effect can increase exponentially," Shen Yan replied languidly.

This was a perfect opportunity to convince Chen Mu to gather Yin Spirits, but every time he thought of Shi Dechun’s behavior the day before, his mind became somewhat distracted.

And Chen Mu’s undisguised action of revealing his True Form of Heavenly Demon only further diminished his enthusiasm.

He knew that the more he understood, the less likely he would be able to leave Thousand Lanterns City, and all his plans would come to naught.

"How about we first recruit the Yi Third Banner into Thousand Lanterns City?" suggested Shi Dechun eagerly.

Inside, there are many old comrades; the thought of bringing them all into Thousand Lanterns City and picturing their shocked faces excited him.

Chen Mu also felt a stirring of excitement.

He had previously hesitated to recruit people into Thousand Lanterns City, fearing the leak of information due to the crowd, but now with the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed, there was no longer fear of leaks. řаΝŏᛒĚś

The Spiritual Seed transformed Chen Mu into a human form of Soul-Departing Soup, which also made those implanted with it identify with Chen Mu. It was as if a stamp had been imprinted on their subconscious, preventing them from betraying Chen Mu.

Combined with the Yama Emperor’s Command, as long as it wasn’t someone like Shen Yan, who was a three-hundred-year-old ghost, anyone brought in could immediately become one of his own.

"If we recruit a large group of people, with the power of the Three Paths Curse stacking up, wouldn’t the speed of the Divine Fetus’s origin tracing be so fast it could ascend on the spot?!"

"What is this? This is like a cheat for grinding experience!" Chen Mu was immediately tempted.

Shen Yan, having heard but half of it, couldn’t help but interject, "I suggest that you prioritize the Crafting Department."

"The people there have mastery of various Dharma and excel at casting spells together."

"They have rich experience in cultivating Secret Techniques, can quickly master the Three Paths Curse, and are more adept at drawing on the power of the River of Oblivion when working together."

Hearing this, Chen Mu nodded, "That makes sense."

Of course, it made sense!

Shen Yan remained expressionless.

This had been his carefully considered plan. Being able to cast the Three Paths Curse together meant they could also cast Secret Techniques to help him take back Ghost Gate. Sadly, it now seemed that this plan might go awry.

"It’s decided!" Chen Mu resolved firmly in his mind: "Tonight, I’ll go to the Cai Yuan Department to recruit!"

Wait, Cai Yuan Department?

"No, did you even listen carefully!" Shen Yan was somewhat frantic.

"The Cai Yuan Department now is filled with new Yin Spirits, with weak Divine Power, hardly capable of quickly learning the Three Paths Curse!"

"Choose the Crafting Department instead."

"Those people in the Crafting Department have abundant experience with symbols and can get up to speed faster!"

Quickly learning the Three Paths Curse? Can it be faster than transmitting Secret Techniques through the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed?

Chen Mu and Shi Dechun exchanged a knowing smile.

This old ghost couldn’t have the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed implanted and naturally didn’t know its exquisite utility.

"We’ll go to the Cai Yuan Department!"

Even if you don’t choose the Crafting Department, the Flame Moving Division would be fine. Why choose those new Yin Spirits with only a few years of Ghost Age? Are you deliberately opposing me?

At that moment, Shen Yan felt as if he was choking on a breath, stifled and uncomfortable.

At dusk, on the northwestern edge of the Hai Character Camp, a large expanse of low earthen barracks lay neatly on the ground.

Upon closer inspection, it was evident that these barracks were not only low but also their doors and windows were thoroughly see-through with no cover.

Each barrack looked like a long box with three holes dug into it: one door the width of a person in the form of a rectangular ground-level opening, and two holes the size of watermelons serving as windows. The rooms inside were dark and lightless; at night, the cold wind would howl through, causing a mournful sound and an inescapable chill.

This was the site of the Cai Yuan Department’s camp.

At the moment, the camp was eerily silent, as if devoid of life, but in reality, the lack of provisions had forced the inhabitants to hide in their rooms and lie flat to reduce consumption.

On the farthest western edge, the camp of the Geng Sixth Banner.

The Yin Spirits that should have been lying in the rooms were now all gathered together. Outside the barracks, in an open space, more than a dozen Soul-Attracting Lamps had been brought together, illuminating the area with bright and clear light.

"Look at our dilapidated barracks and think about what we’ve gone through; I’m sure everyone is already fully aware that we have been completely abandoned by the Hai Character Camp," Hong Xiu said grimly, standing in the center of the crowd, his voice low and somber.

"Without Jade Dew Pearls to fill our stomachs, without Divine Concealing Mist for protection, and without Yin Soldiers to defend us, here in the perilous Beyond Heaven, just one attack from a Red-Eyed Water Ape could leave us devastated with heavy casualties!"

"Thinking about our bleak future that seems almost visible to the naked eye, are you content with that?"

The crowd stared at the flickering flames within the Soul-Attracting Lamps, their eyes restless.

Hong Xiu’s expression grew even colder, "I’m not content!"

"I barely crawled out of the River of Oblivion, barely started a second life—how could I die here, so meaninglessly? My life should be under my own control!"

"But we are just newly born Yin Spirits, only knowing a failed Dew Harvesting Spell, struggling to survive, let alone control our own fate," someone in the crowd retorted with bloodshot eyes and a face filled with anger, voicing everyone’s thoughts.

"Well said!" Hong Xiu’s voice rose, "We are all newly born Yin Spirits, individually weak, but together we can build a towering inferno from gathered twigs."

"Alone we cannot defeat the water apes, yet together, ten of us might escape. If a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand of us unite, that power will be enough to keep us alive in this dangerous land Beyond Heaven!"

"I have a Secret Technique, named the ’Mountain-Carrying Scripture’, capable of twisting everyone’s scattered Yin Spirit Divine Power into a single rope."

"As long as we stand united, with thousands of Yin Spirits working together, even those high-and-mighty generals from the Flame Moving Division and the Crafting Department will have to take notice!"

"With that power in hand, they’ll have to obediently return the materials they snatched to us!" Hong Xiu clenched his right fist and swung it fiercely.

The hearts of the Yin Spirits, already restless from the blood-colored sun’s influence, grew even more turbulent.

Hong Xiu took out a brown beast skin scroll and raised it above his head, "Who dares to gamble their life with me?"

"Count us in!"

After a brief lull, echoes of assent rose from the crowd, one after another.

The corners of Hong Xiu’s mouth curved up slightly in a satisfied smirk.

Success!

He immediately handed the beast skin scroll to his confidant to circulate among the crowd for memorizing.

Hong Xiu sat down slowly by the lamplight, looking at the blood-red-eyed and excited Yin Spirits nearby. He couldn’t help but feel his own blood boil.

"Flame Moving Division, Crafting Department... You condescending fools, just you wait!"

"First you ignore my voluntary submission, but once I rally these tens of thousands of Yin Spirits from the Cai Yuan Department... hmph!"

He was brimming with fiery zeal.

Suddenly, he noticed that the previously bustling crowd had become eerily silent.

He abruptly looked up to see that the people who had been moving around the camp were now frozen in place, as if encased in amber.

He clearly saw the panicked and helpless terror on their faces.

What’s happening? Could it be that those bastards from the Crafting Department have learned of my plans and have come to root me out?!

He immediately stood up to flee.

But before he could straighten his back, a familiar oppressive force engulfed him.

And then, with a slap, he was thrown to the ground.

"Old Cow, long time no see." A mockingly casual voice suddenly rang out beside his ear.

That bastard again?!

Fuck!

Hong Xiu was completely flabbergasted.

No, I didn’t really offend you back then, did I? Why are you still chasing me all the way to the Cai Yuan Department?

You must be sick!

...

Late at night, in Thousand Lanterns City, a brightly lit courtyard.

Chen Mu sat at a stone table.

A short, pot-bellied Yin Spirit in grey clothes, his face full of fear and resistance, still involuntarily approached Chen Mu and swallowed a grain-sized pearl that emitted a pale white glow.

Before long, the terror on his face turned into surprise and joy.

Chen Mu, feeling the connection gradually forming, waved him off, "Go and level the ground outside."

Shen Yan, with practiced ease, lit a white-leathered lantern and handed it to him.

The dumpy figure took the Soul-Attracting Lamp and walked out of the courtyard with joy.

At that moment, the courtyard was surrounded by several mounds of earth, each about two people tall.

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Specks of lantern light scattered all around, and the Yin Spirits were using mud shovels to transfer and spread the soil from the mounds, covering the black, void-like ground beneath, and tamping it down to form a solid base.

And so, the three hundred-plus Yin Spirits of Cai Yuan Department under the Geng Six Banner were successively implanted with the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed, leaving Hong Xiu alone at the end.

He looked at Shen Yan, recognized his identity, and a trace of shock flashed across his eyes.

Then, with a complicated gaze, he turned to Chen Mu. Even after several encounters, this was the first time he had seen Chen Mu’s True Form.

"Just where did I offend you to make someone like you chase after me relentlessly?"

Hong Xiu couldn’t help but recall their past interactions, but no matter how he saw it, he felt like he was always the victim.

Offend me?

Does charging me a road fee count?

As for this time...

Chen Mu touched his nose, "If I told you it was a coincidence, would you believe me?"

Hong Xiu stared expressionlessly at Chen Mu.

"Truly, just a coincidence." Chen Mu shrugged helplessly.

"Who asked you to have such a secluded camp and gather everyone together in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

His Yama Emperor’s Command was a skill with area-of-effect control. With so many people gathered together, it made it easy for him to catch everyone in one swoop.

Hong Xiu’s face tightened.

Secluded?

If it wasn’t secluded, how could I slowly eat away at the Cai Yuan Department while keeping the news under wraps?

Gathering people?

If I don’t gather them together, should I go and motivate them one by one?

Watching the luminescent dust appear once more at Chen Mu’s fingertips, Hong Xiu couldn’t help but sigh in resignation.

Fate!

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