I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 198 Taking stock of the spoils, the Rakshasa Mother's gaze!
As soon as Chen Mo gave the order, the original essence on the panel quickly dropped from 560,000 to 160,000.

Immediately afterwards, the essence of the lost original solution transformed into some kind of magical power, which rushed into Chen Mo's natal incense burner in his sea of ​​consciousness and began to modify Chen Mo's natal incense burner.

Because the changes were so drastic, Chen Mo dared not be careless for a moment. On one hand, he instructed his second brother to keep a close eye on the battle situation outside, so that if anything went wrong, they would have to rely on their godmother.

On the other hand, Chen Mo was intently watching the changes in his sea of ​​consciousness.

As a sharp, piercing pain shot through him, the natal incense burner began to undergo some kind of change...

Click!

My natal incense burner suddenly developed a crack.

Then, with a few more "crackling" sounds, more and more cracks appeared...

Chen Mo suddenly felt a bit uneasy, thinking to himself: This revision is a bit drastic...

For any ghost, its natal incense burner and natal incense are its foundation. Once broken, it means the loss of its spiritual power, rendering it useless.

Only Chen Mo possesses a mysterious and unpredictable modification function, capable of repairing even when broken.

Of course, this requires a pre-prepared modification plan from the original essence. If Chen Mo's natal ghost incense is shattered by external force, his cultivation will also vanish instantly.

Even so, Chen Mo couldn't help but feel a bit nervous as he watched his natal incense burner shatter.

As the cracks in the natal incense burner multiplied, it finally shattered completely with a loud "boom".

suddenly--

The blood jade on Zhuang Xiaoyue's corpse suddenly began to vibrate with a "buzzing" sound, as if it resonated with his own sea of ​​consciousness.

Chen Mo couldn't help but feel curious: In the past, when modifying compatibility, he would modify it first and then think about compatibility.

This time... the order of procedures is different?

Should they be done simultaneously?
Buzz!
The blood jade vibrated more and more violently, emitting bursts of red light that enveloped Zhuang Xiaoyue's corpse. It seemed to have merged with Zhuang Xiaoyue's original soul.

As the tremors continued, the blood jade shattered inch by inch, turning into a cloud of red blood mist.

Boom!

In an instant, a surge of resentment erupted from the red blood mist, transforming into roaring gusts of wind that swept and swept in all directions toward the ancestral hall.

"This is... Zhuang Xiaoyue's resentment! It's much stronger than when she completed the resentment amplification. Could it be because she fused with the original soul?" Chen Mo was secretly surprised.

The concepts of "original soul" and "original body" are similar.

When a person's physical body dies, it leaves behind the original corpse.

When a person dies, their original soul remains.

Of course, the concept of a "primordial soul" only exists at the level of a "Azure Demon." Golden Fiends do not possess this concept.

Boom! !
The cracked blood jade suddenly erupted with an even more powerful red resentment, sweeping across all directions.

Even Chen Mo's spirit was greatly impacted, as if he were about to succumb to it and transform into a vengeful ghost filled with resentment.

Such powerful resentment is enough to annihilate any golden ghost at close range.

The reason Chen Mo didn't die is probably because of his cheat ability.

It did indeed consume 400,000 units of original solution essence.

Just then——

Boom!

The crimson resentment suddenly enveloped Chen Mo's entire body, then flowed into his sea of ​​consciousness through his brow.

"what!!"

A surge of resentment, like a tidal wave, instantly seemed to shatter Chen Mo's spirit, causing him to let out a shrill roar.

At the same time, a terrible storm of resentment burst out of the ancestral hall and swept in all directions.

The entire old house was shaking violently.

Su Yuqing and the two cloaked men fighting outside the ancestral hall were also forced back by this terrifying resentment, each ceasing their attacks and turning back to look in the direction of the ancestral hall. They saw the red resentment frantically pouring into Chen Mo's mind.

"hateful!"

Upon seeing this, the short, cloaked man immediately became agitated: "This fiend has begun absorbing the vengeful spirit of the Azure Demon King. We cannot let this fiend succeed. I'm going to fight that woman."

After saying that, the short, cloaked man took a step towards Su Yuqing, releasing his aura in a powerful burst, which caused everyone in the room to lower their heads and feel suffocated.

Clearly, the short, cloaked man was prepared to fight to the death.

Su Yuqing was not to be outdone. She took a step forward, her aura surging, showing no intention of retreating. "Young Master is at a critical moment. No one is allowed to disturb him!"

Boom!

The two storms of power collided violently, causing the surrounding ground to shatter and sending shockwaves sweeping in all directions.

Just as the battle was about to escalate further, the tall, cloaked man stopped the shorter one, saying, "Enough. Things have come to this point; there's no point in forcing it. It's not worth risking your life."

The short, cloaked man was quite willing: "But... there's only one Ghost King in Nanzhou. Back then, that Rakshasa Mother was able to advance so rapidly and become the greatest evil in Nanzhou because she obtained the Ghost King's essence blood."

If this fiend were to obtain the vengeful spirit of the Azure Demon King, wouldn't our Southern Continent then have yet another great evil king?

The tall man gripped the short man's arm tightly, his deep eyes fixed on Chen Mo, who was screaming in agony in the ancestral hall. He sighed, "The vengeful spirit of the Qing Ghost King has begun to enter this fiend's body. He has the upper hand; we have no chance."

The short man watched for a moment, then finally stopped, letting out a long sigh. "This Fiend is just a golden ghost with only a stick of cultivation. To rashly absorb the soaring vengeful spirit of the Azure Ghost King is nothing but courting death. He has wasted such a golden opportunity."

Seeing that the other party had stopped attacking, Su Yuqing breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at the ancestral hall. There she saw Chen Mo lying beside the coffin, letting out heart-wrenching screams.

Hearing the shrill screams, Su Yuqing felt a pang of sorrow, and her eyes glistened with tears.

Looking back on the journey she had taken with the young master, Su Yuqing knew... that the young master had really had a tough time.

He was just an ordinary rich young master who wanted to live a peaceful life.

Later on... we encountered so many difficulties, and things became this tough.

This world is driving people crazy.

The young master's attempt to absorb the vengeful spirit of the Azure Demon King is an extremely dangerous undertaking.

Buzz!
A series of soaring red resentments continued to flow into Chen Mo's brow.

Every wisp of resentment that entered Chen Mo's sea of ​​consciousness caused unimaginable pain to his body. And the mental anguish was inescapable; all Chen Mo could do was grit his teeth and endure it.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Mo's mind was clearly overloaded, and his brain became muddled.

Fortunately, these soaring resentments, after entering Chen Mo's sea of ​​consciousness, did not bombard his spirit, but instead flowed into his natal incense burner, causing the shattered burner to gradually reform.

Click!

A brand new personal incense burner has appeared.

It was mostly gold, but with a hint of blood mixed in.

The golden incense sticks, once again placed in the incense burner, shone brightly.

The pain disappeared.

His mental state has returned to normal.

call!
Chen Mo breathed a long sigh of relief.

"This process is a bit strange. But this modification function is really amazing. It actually fused the cultivation and vengeful spirit of the Qing Ghost King into my natal incense burner, giving me room to gradually integrate. If I had directly injected my natal incense... I'm afraid I would have died instantly."

If we compare the incense sticks of one's birth year to one's spiritual practice, then the incense burner of one's birth year is the foundation of that practice, much like the foundation of a house.

The house may not withstand the impact of strong winds and heavy rain, but the foundation can.

Chen Mo sat on the ground, exhausted, panting heavily. Recalling everything that had just happened, he still felt a lingering fear.

It's unimaginable that such terrifying resentment from the Qing Ghost King could be injected into his natal incense burner.

"Hmm? Why hasn't the modification function shown that the modification is complete yet?"

This is not right.

There was always a notification when the modifications were finished.

Could it be... that something is still unfinished?
Just in time——

Boom!

Chen Mo's body suddenly trembled violently as the stiffness marks detached from his natal ghost incense once more, unable to enter the incense burner. They then returned to Chen Mo's bloodline.

A line of text then appeared:
[Note: The modified natal incense burner incorporates the resentment and cultivation of the Azure Demon King. The resentment in the natal incense burner is too strong, and your golden zombie pattern cannot fuse with the natal incense.]

really……

The condition for the fusion of the stiff pattern and the natal ghost fragrance is that the difference in their cultivation levels is not significant.

Although his natal incense stick is now a golden one, the incense burner has changed and can no longer accommodate the stiff patterns.

Let's break up then. It's not a big deal anyway.

Chen Mo thought to himself.

However... the modification still didn't show a completion message.

This made Chen Mo puzzled once again.

Is there any step that hasn't been completed?
"Could it be..."

hum!
In an instant, Chen Mo's muscles, bones, and blood vessels all underwent changes.

The cultivation level of the Celestial Realm began to disappear and wither.

"A person's moral character..."

Chen Mo instinctively wanted to stop him, but found that... it was no use.

Immediately, Chen Mo realized something, completely gave up resisting, and watched helplessly as his Celestial Realm cultivation disappeared inch by inch.

Then... the person's blood vessels and bones begin to peel away, and they die.

Chen Mo clearly felt... his human body was dying little by little.

It was as if a towering tree that I had painstakingly nurtured was disappearing little by little before my eyes.

Having traveled through time, the most familiar part of me... has vanished.

This process was extremely painful and uncomfortable.

[Note: Your human body was too weak to withstand the impact of the vengeful spirit of the Azure Demon King, and has withered and died. However, your zombie body is immortal and can survive. If you don't find a way to increase the strength of your immortality, even your zombie immortality will slowly be corroded by the resentment and eventually wither and die.]

[Edited successfully]

[The vengeful spirit of the Demon King has been infused into your natal incense burner. As your cultivation level increases, the degree of fusion will gradually rise. With each increase in fusion, your mind will face the risk of spiraling out of control.]

[Note: So-called mental loss of control is not the complete loss of the ability to think, but rather the loss of your human conscience, humanity, kindness, compassion, and mercy. If you completely degenerate into an evil spirit, your core thinking will be based on ghostly beings, rather than recognizing yourself as a human being, and certainly not seeing others as your fellow human beings.]

[Fusion rate of the Azure Demon King: 5/100]

ended……

Chen Mo slumped down beside the coffin, lost in thought.

I wasn't as happy as I had imagined.

Because he felt he had lost something very important.

From that moment on, he was a zombie and a ghost.

Without a human body.

Even though Chen Mo had prepared himself mentally beforehand, he still felt an indescribable sense of loss when he actually faced it all.

Chen Mo usually had "inhuman" on his lips.

He also told Xiaoye that he was no longer a person.

They even used this to scare Qin Luoxi.

But now... he's no longer human.

"So be it, this is the path I chose, there's nothing to regret. All I need to do is maintain the humanity in my heart. That's the bottom line that cannot be crossed."

Having cleared his mind of distractions, Chen Mo sat down cross-legged and savored the fragrance of his natal incense.

It was still a stick of golden incense, but because the incense burner had changed and the fusion level had reached 5 points, the power of the incense that erupted was much stronger than before.

Having become familiar with and adapted to the new power of his cultivation, Chen Mo then stopped practicing.

"You have to give up something to gain something; it's very fair."

Isn't it just that you no longer have a human body?

My own mod is not meant to make me a better person.

Besides, I have the immortality of a zombie. So what if I don't have body temperature and my aura is a bit cold... other than that, I'm no different from a human in appearance.

This decision was correct.

Yes, that's correct.

For an ordinary golden ghost to cultivate into a Qing Ghost, it requires more than a hundred years of accumulation.

Now that I possess the original soul of the Azure Demon, all I need to do is increase the fusion rate. Once the fusion rate approaches 100%, I will naturally become the Azure Demon King.

How convenient is that?
Moreover, zombies are immortal. As long as the zombie aura is maintained, they can live forever.

Isn't that great?

The emperor is dead, for crying out loud.

How many people still seek the elixir of immortality?

I have everything I need now, I should be content, right?
The only thing to be careful about is not losing control of your mind; a zombie cannot wither and die without dying.

After such comforting words, I felt completely at peace.

"Jie Jie Jie~"

Chen Mo let out a sinister smile, then his aura suddenly turned chilling and gloomy, as he completely accepted the fact that he was no longer human.

She turned back to look at the corpse of the Qing Ghost King in the coffin and found that the corpse had turned into a skeleton, leaving only a red robe.

Having had her original essence and blood taken by Rakshasa Mother first, and now having her original soul absorbed by Chen Mo... naturally she couldn't hold on any longer.

Chen Mo couldn't help but sigh: even a powerful being like the Azure Ghost King had ultimately turned into withered bones in a tomb; it was truly lamentable. From now on, I absolutely cannot attempt any kind of metamorphosis. That's too unreliable. I need to find other ways to grow stronger.

"Owner!!"

Just then, a shrill voice rang out.

But then Zhuang Xiaoyue's little ghost rushed in, pounced on the coffin, and screamed in agony.

Chen Mo carefully examined the brat.

She was a little girl about the same age as Juan'er, and very cute. Moreover, her cultivation level had reached an astonishing two-stick golden level.

"It's you, it's all you!"

After crying for a while, the little devil raised his head and glared angrily at Chen Mo, baring his teeth as if he wanted to devour Chen Mo.

"I will avenge my master!"

The little devil yelled and pounced towards Chen Mo.

Fortunately, Su Yuqing had sealed the little devil's powers, so it didn't pose any threat to Chen Mo. It was just like a child, clinging to Chen Mo and punching and kicking him, tearing at his sleeves. Before long, it had torn several holes in Chen Mo's robe.

Chen Mo pulled the little girl up and left her aside.

"Waaah! You killed my master! I'll avenge him!" The little girl lunged at Chen Mo again, but he kicked her away, sending her crashing to the ground, coughing up blood and trembling uncontrollably. She couldn't get up and could only sob sadly.

Chen Mo ignored the brat and rushed out of the ancestral hall, only to find that the two cloaked men had disappeared.

Su Yuqing then stepped forward and said, "Young Master, those two cloaked men were no match for you. Seeing that you had absorbed the vengeful spirit of the Azure Ghost King, they ran away. I was concerned for your safety, so I didn't stop them."

Chen Mo looked at the gate ahead and said in a deep voice, "These two are quite skilled. Let them go if they've escaped. If they stayed, they'd only cause trouble. Xiao Yu, are you hurt?"

Su Yuqing shook her head: "I am fine. Young master, after absorbing the vengeful spirit of the Azure Ghost King, do you feel any discomfort?"

Chen Mo shook his head: "I'm fine."

Just then, Qin Luoxi and the others ran up, looking at Chen Mo with great surprise, their eyes filled with disbelief. They seemed unable to believe that Chen Mo, a mere novice in the Golden Realm, could absorb the vengeful spirit of the Azure Ghost King.

Qin Luoxi circled Chen Mo, looking slightly nervous: "Young Master, are you... even human?"

Chen Mo pretended to grin and say, "I'm a zombie, ah, I'll eat you."

Qin Luoxi shrank her neck, pouted, and snorted: "Young Master just knows how to scare people for no reason."

Although she said that, she was actually quite happy inside. She figured that if the young master could joke, he must be a decent person.

Li Huabai, Li Qing'er, Juan'er, and Yuanfang also came up to inquire about Chen Mo's well-being. Seeing that Chen Mo was talkative and cheerful, they were all relieved.

Su Yuqing breathed a sigh of relief: "This matter is settled. But what about this brat... what does Young Master intend to do with him?"

Chen Mo looked at the pitiful little girl lying on the ground, convulsing, and asked, "Xiao Yu, what are your thoughts?"

Su Yuqing said, "This is a little ghost raised by the Ghost King Sheqing. It was loyal to the Ghost King Sheqing until its death. Now that the Ghost King Sheqing's cultivation and resentment have been absorbed by you, young master, this little ghost should naturally follow you and be loyal to you as well. You might as well keep this little ghost. After all, it has the cultivation of two sticks of gold."

Chen Mo frowned: "Then why is the Ghost King of Qing, whose cultivation is so high, only raising two golden incense sticks as his little ghosts?"

Su Yuqing said, "The Demon King of Qing has been trapped in his own web for over a hundred years, during which time he has essentially entered a state of hibernation. Naturally, the little ghost's cultivation will also wither along with it. This should be the time when the little ghost is at its weakest."

Chen Mo's eyes immediately gleamed: "You mean, if the Azure Demon King completes his metamorphosis, this brat's cultivation will also be revived?"

Su Yuqing: "That's how it is. This little brat's peak cultivation level could reach nine golden ingots. She's a rare breed. It's just that she didn't live to see her master complete her metamorphosis. So her cultivation level couldn't be revived."

Chen Mo nodded slightly, finding it quite reasonable.

Juan'er's cultivation level was initially very low, but as Chen Mo's cultivation level improved, Juan'er's cultivation level also recovered.

If my fusion with the Azure Demon King continues to improve, this little ghost's cultivation will also recover. It can be a great help.

Moreover, this brat has seen Rakshasa Mother before... who knows, he might even be able to get some information about Rakshasa Mother out of him.

"But this kid holds a lot of grudge against me now."

Su Yuqing said, "That's alright. Young Master has already absorbed the original soul of the Azure Ghost King. You just need to drip your blood into her mouth and eat it, and she will recognize you."

Chen Mo recalled the process of Old Tang redoing Juan'er back in Honghe County. He felt that what Su Yuqing said was probably feasible.

"I'll give it a try." Without further hesitation, Chen Mo stepped forward, grabbed the little ghost's chin, and dripped his own blood into her mouth, making her eat it. *Buzz!*
The little girl drank Chen Mo's blood and was immediately struck dumb, frozen in place as if by lightning.

Seeing this, everyone gathered around and stared at the little girl.

Yuan Fang, in particular, leaned closer to the little girl to take a look, secretly marveling, "A fierce ghost with the cultivation of two golden incense sticks. This is an extraordinary existence. Even the Buddha and his parents don't have this ability. If you, young master, could take this little girl as your ghost... it would be incredible."

Just then, the little girl stirred again, looking around blankly, as if she didn't know who she was.

After a while, the little girl saw Chen Mo and suddenly smiled happily: "Master."

hiss!
Everyone gasped, their expressions filled with utter astonishment.

Yuan Fang exclaimed, "Wow, that's really impressive! This kid has the cultivation level of two golden ingots! He'll be following you from now on, Young Master. You've struck it rich this time!"

Li Huabai glared at Yuan Fang: "How about you raise this brat?"

Yuan Fang shrank back: "I dare not provoke a little devil with two golden cultivation levels. If something goes wrong... what if this little devil gets angry and eats me? It's not that I'm afraid of dying, but I'm afraid that if I die, Hua Bai will be all alone."

Even at this moment, Yuanfang still couldn't resist giving it a lick.

Humph.

Li Huabai snorted softly: "You should mind your own business. You don't need to worry about other people's affairs."

Yuanfang: "..."

Chen Mo ignored Yuan Fang, that sycophant, and walked up to the little girl, gently patting her head: "What's your name?"

The little girl didn't reject Chen Mo's patting of her head; on the contrary, she enjoyed it and pressed her head close to Chen Mo's palm. She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said, "My previous owner called me... Xiaoxiao. If the new owner doesn't like it, they can change Xiaoxiao's name."

Zhuang Xiaoyue... Xiaoxiao.

It seems that Zhuang Xiaoyue really likes this kid.

Chen Mo said, "No need to change it, Xiaoxiao is fine. By the way, Xiaoxiao, do you still remember what happened before?"

Xiaoxiao nodded: "Yes, Xiaoxiao remembers everything."

Chen Mo was overjoyed, thinking to himself: What an amazing little devil! With Xiaoxiao around, things will be much easier.

Just then——

"Wow!"

A shrill sound came from nearby, where Juan'er was wiping away tears, crying very sadly.

Everyone was very curious.

Yuanfang went over to comfort Juan'er: "Juan'er, I've never seen you cry before. What's wrong today? Don't worry, I'll protect you. If you've been wronged, I'll make it up to you."

Juan'er ignored Yuanfang and just kept crying loudly.

Su Yuqing walked over, squatted down, and stroked Juan'er's face: "Juan'er, don't be sad. Sister Su is here. If you have any grievances, Sister Su will help you vent your anger."

Juan'er wiped away her tears and secretly glanced at Xiaoxiao out of the corner of her eye: "If Young Master has Xiaoxiao in the future, he won't need Juan'er anymore. Xiaoxiao is more capable than Juan'er and can help Young Master more. Young Master will abandon Juan'er."

Su Yuqing suddenly smiled and gave Chen Mo a look.

Chen Mo was speechless.

So Juan'er is jealous.

He slowly walked up to Juan'er, thinking it was a small matter. But he found that Juan'er was truly heartbroken.

What seemed like a small matter to her was a huge deal to Juan'er.

Chen Mo also stopped joking, squatted down and stroked Juan'er's face: "What are you saying, Juan'er? Juan'er has been with me all this way, through so many hardships and life-and-death situations. How could I bear to abandon Juan'er?"

Juan'er cried even harder: "Then why does the young master still want Xiaoxiao?"

Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, "I was thinking that I'm usually busy and don't have much time to spend with Juan'er. So I'm finding Juan'er a little sister. In the future, you'll have a little sister Xiaoxiao by your side, so you won't be lonely. Xiaoxiao can also keep you company while you make your shadow puppets."

really……

Upon hearing this, Juan'er stopped crying and looked up at Chen Mo: "Does Young Master really think so?"

Chen Mo laughed and said, "When have I ever lied to Juan'er?"

After saying that, Chen Mo called Xiaoxiao over.

Xiaoxiao was bewildered and somewhat frightened, not knowing what had happened.

Chen Mo held Xiao Xiao's hand in one hand and Juan'er's hand in the other.

Then, he placed the two girls' hands together and instructed Xiaoxiao, "Xiaoxiao, remember this. From now on, Juan'er is your older sister. You must listen to your older sister. Don't make your older sister sad. Can you do that?"

Xiaoxiao nodded emphatically: "Yes. Xiaoxiao can do it. I will definitely serve my sister well."

Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief and then instructed Juan'er, "Juan'er, you're going to be the older sister from now on, so you have to set a good example for Xiao Xiao and not bully her."

Juan'er finally stopped crying and smiled, "Yes, Juan'er will take good care of my little sister."

As she spoke, Juan'er pulled Xiaoxiao aside and began to explain the rules. Xiaoxiao, still somewhat bewildered, nodded repeatedly. Before long, the two girls were very affectionate towards each other, appearing very close.

They have a distinctly romantic, almost fairytale-like quality.

Chen Mo stood at a distance and watched, feeling a sense of relief.

It seems... Guanyin Bodhisattva has attendants sitting beneath her.

Chen Mo thought to himself.

"Young Master, I'm impressed!" Yuan Fang walked over at this moment and gave Chen Mo a thumbs up: "You haven't become a Bodhisattva yet, but you've already gathered a pair of golden boys and girls. You're starting to look like a Bodhisattva."

Everyone else was envious.

Chen Mo's current treatment is clearly something only the Ghost King of the Azure Forest receives...

Chen Mo was in a great mood and said, "Alright. Everyone, let's go around this old house and see if there's anything good. Let's loot it, and then we'll leave."

The best treasures here are only two: the original body's essence and blood, and the vengeful spirit.

One was taken by Rakshasa Mother, and the other was taken by Chen Mo.

But besides that, there might be other good things too.

Yuan Fang, who had been unable to contain himself any longer, immediately led the search to other areas. Li Huabai and Li Qing'er followed as well.

Su Yuqing, on the other hand, remained calm and seemed unconcerned about the situation.

As for Qin Luoxi... she was so frightened along the way that she dared not leave Chen Mo.

Chen Mo summoned Xiao Xiao.

Xiaoxiao then politely said to Juan'er, "Sister, the master is calling me. Please excuse me for a moment."

Juan'er waved her hand and said, "Go quickly. Don't delay the young master's business."

Xiaoxiao then ran up to Chen Mo excitedly: "Master, what are your orders?"

Chen Mo asked, "Did your former master live in this house before he passed away?"

"Ah."

"Which room does your owner live in? Take me to see it."

"Master, come with me."

"From now on, call me Young Master."

"Yes, son."

Chen Mo followed Xiao Xiao to a room in the courtyard of the old house.

It's a wedding room.

The structure was exactly the same as the one Chen Mo had seen in the ghost field. Xiao Xiao seemed to know what Chen Mo wanted, so she took out two booklets: "These two booklets were the former owner's favorite when he was alive. He looked through them repeatedly."

Chen Mo took the booklet and glanced at it.

One book is "The Method of Breaking Out of the Cocoon and Transforming into a Butterfly," and the other is "The Etiquette and Customs of the Moon Worship Cult."

Chen Mo sat in the chair and carefully examined the document.

The method for breaking free from the cocoon and transforming into a butterfly is exactly the same as the one Chen Mo saw before. It seems Zhuang Xiaoyue used this method to begin her transformation. It's just that she ultimately encountered Chen Mo… she was unlucky.

Furthermore, if Zhuang Xiaoyue were to complete her metamorphosis, Nanzhou would likely suffer.

Ghosts don't consider humans as their fellow human beings.

Chen Mo's actions can be considered as eliminating a scourge for the people.

Another book on the customs and rituals of the Moon Worship Cult describes some of their daily life practices. It seems to be a mysterious, ancient tribe with a very long history. The Moon Worship Cult members worship the moon, regarding it as their tribal totem. Some core members of the tribe even possess the bloodline of the Red Moon.

The Crimson Moon bloodline is very mysterious; it can be passed down through generations or bestowed upon others.

Zhuang Xiaoyue was originally an outer disciple of the Moon Worship Cult, but was later granted the Red Moon bloodline.

Moreover, the Moon Worship Cult seems to be predominantly female. After marriage, women are expected to leave the cult.

The records of customs and etiquette are few, so we can only get a general idea.

Just then, Yuanfang walked in laughing. "Young Master, I've found a few Celestial Pills. These are precious medicines that can help you break through to the Celestial Realm. This trip with you has been incredibly fruitful."

As he spoke, Yuan Fang opened a brocade box containing three Celestial Pills. However, Yuan Fang did not accept them directly, but placed them on a long table to the side.

Chen Mo examined the three Celestial Pills. They were exactly the same as the ones he had taken from Qin Luoxi's box before.

Before long, Li Huabai also came in, carrying a brocade box, and said happily, "Young master, there are still a few heavy pieces of Ghost Year meat here. However, this Ghost Year meat is different from what I have seen before."

Chen Mo looked down and saw that it was Five-Flower Ghost Year Meat. "This is Five-Flower Ghost Year Meat. It is also beneficial to the Golden Daoist cultivation. It is indeed an excellent thing."

Li Huabai did not keep anything to himself and placed the brocade box on the long table.

Li Qing'er also reaped a considerable reward, emerging carrying several cloth bags. Inside were precious medicines that could help enhance one's silver life force.

As for Juan'er, led by Xiaoxiao, she brought over several cloth bags. Apart from some worn-out puppets, the rest were all excellent precious medicines.

Everyone placed the good stuff they had collected on the long table, piling it up to two feet high.

No one took any money directly for personal gain.

How to allocate them became a problem.

Yuanfang spoke up again, "Why don't you, young master, distribute them? That way everyone will be convinced and there won't be any awkwardness."

Li Huabai said, "That's excellent. Everyone trusts what you say, young master."

Li Qing'er seconded the motion.

Qin Luoxi also seconded the motion.

Chen Mo glanced at everyone's expressions. Although none of them were petty people, fairness was indeed necessary when it came to the distribution of benefits. Otherwise, people would be unhappy, even if they didn't say it to their faces, they would still have their own thoughts behind their backs.

Ultimately, it's not a good thing.

Chen Mo then took on the task, saying, "Actually, the main issue is the distribution of the Celestial Pill and the Five-Flower Ghost Year Meat. The other items aren't that important."

Chen Mo picked up the brocade box containing the Celestial Pill, took out a Celestial Pill from it, and handed it to Yuan Fang: "Yuan Fang found this Celestial Pill, so he should rightfully have one."

"Hehe~" Yuanfang accepted it as if he had found a treasure.

Chen Mo took out the second Celestial Pill and handed it to Qin Luoxi: "Princess, you've also contributed a lot along the way. Plus, like Yuanfang, you're at the Great Perfection of Silver Dao Cultivation and about to break through to the Celestial Realm. Here's one for you too."

Qin Luoxi happily accepted it, completely forgetting about Chen Mo's earlier attempt to steal her Heavenly Human Pill. "Thank you, young master."

With the last one remaining, Chen Mo gave it to Li Huabai: "Although Huabai is only at the sixth level of the Transcendent Realm, she will still need it in the future. You can take this one."

Li Huabai was quite surprised: "Young Master, I..."

"Just take it if you're told to."

"Yes."

After distributing the Heavenly Pills, Chen Mo picked up the brocade box containing the Five-Flower Ghostly Flesh. "This Five-Flower Ghostly Flesh is meant to enhance the power of ghosts. Neither the Princess nor Master Yuanfang used any ghostly power, so I won't give it to you. Huabai and I will each have half. Yuanfang, do you have any objections?"

Yuan Fang chuckled slyly, "Young master, you've done a good job. The blank areas are mine. I've actually made a profit."

Li Huabai glared at him but didn't say anything.

Qin Luoxi felt that what belonged to the young master was hers, so naturally she had no objections.

After distributing the braised pork belly, Chen Mo handed the rest of the items to Li Huabai: "Huabai, just distribute these things as you see fit. Let's leave here first."

"Yes."

Li Huabai packed his things and followed Chen Mo and Su Yuqing toward the outside of the old house.

As Xiaoxiao walked out of the old house, she followed behind the crowd, looked back at the old house, and her eyes flickered with a complex emotion.

"Xiaoxiao, stop daydreaming, let's go!"

Juan'er's shouts came from ahead.

Xiaoxiao then looked away and followed with a smile: "You're here, Sister Juan'er."

Chen Mo led the way out from under the ice and back onto the frozen lake. Looking at the vast snow-capped mountains around him and the boundless sky above, he felt an indescribable sense of ease.

I've been in Nanzhou for over three months now, and I've finally accomplished my first task: defeating the Ghost King of the Azure Forest.

The next step is to study the characteristics of the Azure Demon King, and even deduce some possibilities. We need to see how to dismantle the Rakshasa Mother, who possesses the Azure Demon King's essence and blood.

When they arrived at Baohua Temple, Chen Mo planned to ask Xiaoxiao privately about the process of her meeting with Rakshasa Mother.

There are many people here, so it's not very convenient to ask.

The situation is developing in a positive direction.

Just then, Qin Luoxi came over with a water bag and handed it to Chen Mo: "Young Master, you must be tired from your journey, have some water."

After all that had happened, Qin Luoxi no longer harbored any resentment towards Chen Mo; on the contrary, she became very dependent on him.

Seeing her like this, Chen Mo didn't deliberately make things difficult for her. He thanked her, took the water bag, and said to everyone, "Everyone, rest here for a while, and then go down the mountain back to Baohua Temple."

Everyone readily agreed, found a rock to sit down and rest, ate some dry food, drank some water, and recovered their strength.

Chen Mo also found a rock to sit on, picked up his water bag and took a sip of water.

Just then——

brush!
Chen Mo suddenly turned around, his cold eyes fixed on the distance.

Qin Luoxi, who was standing to the side, was startled by Chen Mo's abrupt action: "Young Master, what's wrong with you?"

Chen Mo looked around and murmured, "I feel like there's a pair of eyes staring at me!"

Qin Luoxi quickly shrank back: "Young master, don't scare me."

……

At the foot of the Great Snow Mountain.

Two cloaked men arrived at this place, crossed the river, and left the snow-capped mountains. They then took off their cloaks.

One of them was Qin Nanhe, the Prince of Zhennan.

The other one is Lao Li.

Previously, when in combat, Lao Li stood upright. Now, having removed his cloak, it was surprising to find that he was actually hunched over.

Eh.

Old Li sighed, "Your Highness, what a pity. What a pity. Your Highness has kept a low profile for forty years. Now you have finally found that ancient house and seen the original corpse and soul of the Qing Ghost King. You were just a little short of obtaining that inheritance."

The old servant is puzzled. Why did Your Highness stop me at the last minute? I can fight that woman to the death. She won't gain anything by trading lives. Once that woman is eliminated, no one else will be a threat. Your Highness's great undertaking will succeed.”

Qin Nanhe walked forward step by step: "Old Li, there's no need. That Chen Mo is cunning. Even if you trade your life for his, you might not get the better of him. The vengeful spirit of that Qing Ghost King clearly completed its resentment amplification and its cultivation was revived, yet Chen Mo still managed to kill it. That Chen Mo must still be hiding some kind of method that neither you nor I know."

Moreover, that woman in red is no ordinary person. Even my royal seal couldn't restrain her.

Old Li said, "But... how will we know the result if we don't try?"

Qin Nanhe suddenly stopped, his hands behind his back, gazing at the mountains ahead. "Old Li, all those around me have been killed by Mother Rakshasa. There aren't many elders left. How can I bear to let you lose your life too?"

Old Li's eyes suddenly reddened. "This old servant is willing to go through fire and water for Your Highness."

Qin Nanhe: "But I am unwilling."

Old Li sensed Qin Nanhe's resolute attitude and said no more, instead asking, "Now that the inheritance of the Azure Ghost King has benefited that Chen Mo. What are Your Highness's plans next?"

Qin Nanhe said, "Fortunately, Luo Xi and Chen Mo have a good relationship. I'll have Luo Xi invite Chen Mo to the mansion to get to know him better. That Rakshasa Mama also hates Chen Mo to the extreme. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all."

Old Li: "The prince was a man of great vision. It's just... such a pity."

Qin Nanhe laughed: "Old Li, don't worry about it. Let's go back soon. Nanzhou... is about to change."

……

Outside of Qianfo County.

Kinryu-ji Temple.

Golden Buddha Hall.

The Buddhist monk was still striking the wooden fish drum and explaining the scriptures. Outside, some monks sat cross-legged on the ground, listening to the monk's sermon.

The sermon lasted all morning before it finally ended.

The monks all left.

The Buddha then put away the wooden fish, stood up, bowed to the red-clad female statue at the head of the table, and then left.

Not long after the Buddha left.

In the dark and gloomy hall, the red Rakshasa image appeared particularly scarlet.

Sudden.

Suddenly, the Buddha opened its large, scarlet eyes. Even through the red veil, the red light in its eyes was clearly visible as it stared intently into the distance.

That direction is... the Great Snow Mountain.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: I'll fix the typos later; the update is a bit late. There will be more later, around midnight.

(End of this chapter)