I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 208 Advancing to the Azure Demon King! (Seeking monthly votes!)

"Huff huff huff, flying zombies! There are flying zombies here!" Yang Yan, who had been pulled back to the corner, was so frightened that he pressed himself against the wall, panting heavily, with large beads of sweat streaming down his forehead.

Then, Yang Yan gritted his teeth and continued to peek out, muttering nervously, "I wonder if that flying zombie has spotted us. If it has, we're doomed..."

Chen Mo also felt a bit uneasy and looked closely.

The zombie dressed in official robes gradually floated up and flew higher, then released an extremely cold aura that spread outwards from the courtyard of the temple, covering an increasingly larger area.

A terrifying aura of death spread out, covering the sky above the temple. This aura contained extremely concentrated corpse poison; ordinary ghouls would be poisoned to death upon contact.

"That flying zombie seems to be doing something and isn't looking at us. It seems it hasn't noticed us."

Hearing Chen Mo's words, Yang Yan still felt somewhat uneasy and very nervous. "Really?"

“We’re currently Xu Liang’s helpers. Even if that flying zombie sees us, we still have room to maneuver. Don’t panic,” Chen Mo reassured him.

He had seen the Demon King of the Green, killed Rakshasa Mother, and even recognized Jiang Hongyue as his godmother... What kind of scene hadn't he seen?

Although the flying zombie was terrifying, it wasn't enough to leave Chen Mo completely bewildered.

Seeing that Chen Mo's thinking was clear and his analysis was sound, Yang Yan finally felt a little relieved. "Young Master Mo, what should we do now?"

Chen Mo considered for a moment and said, "Tonight is not a good time to make a move. Go back to the workshop and follow Xu Liang to carve puppets. We'll lie low here for now and then look for an opportunity later."

Yang Yan immediately agreed: "That would be perfect."

"The corpse energy released by those flying zombies is spreading continuously, and we can't withstand it. Let's leave here first." Chen Mo took the lead and left, heading towards the original location of the workshop.

Although Chen Mo really wanted to stay and see what the flying zombie was doing.

Unfortunately, the area affected by the corpse energy was expanding.

Even so, Chen Mo still looked back from time to time, vaguely seeing the official robe fly up to a height of thirty meters, and then stop. It roared something at the ground below, chanting some incomprehensible incantations.

Rolling corpse energy was released from the flying zombie's body, flowing back into the area beneath it.

Unfortunately, the location beneath the official robes was blocked by the temple's courtyard wall, making it impossible to see clearly.

Chen Mo thought to himself: I really don't know what this flying zombie is doing. It seems to be in a lot of pain... Also, the Moon Worship Cult is really something else. It's just a small outpost, yet it has produced flying zombies.

The people here seem to be mass-producing color-changing corpse babies and some kind of evil spirit?
What exactly are they doing?
Driven by curiosity, Chen Mo arrived at the indoor workshop.

There are nine indoor workshops in the village, each with its own independent courtyard.

Xu Liang's previous workshop was called Workshop No. 4, which was a large courtyard.

The courtyard was piled high with firewood made from human blood, and a dozen or so helpers were sawing wood or selecting timber. Inside, there were three carving masters, each with their own workbench and several helpers by their side.

When the sculptors saw Xu Liang, they all greeted him warmly.

A bald sculptor said unhappily, "Old Xu, you've finally arrived. What have you been doing these past few days?"

Another old woman in white said, "Our fourth workshop has a heavy workload. With you gone, our workload has increased significantly. If we don't deliver enough puppets by the end of the month, everyone will suffer because of you."

Another fat man said, "The other day, Manager Zhou from the workshop came to ask you about it. Manager Zhou seemed angry. You mustn't leave now."

Xu Liang smiled and apologized, "Something happened at home recently, and I really couldn't help it. I won't be leaving anymore. As for the workload... don't worry. I brought three capable guys with me, and they'll definitely be able to catch up with the schedule."

After doing so, Xu Liang returned to his workstation and familiarly asked Chen Mo and the other two to move some wood. They got the hang of it in no time.

Chen Mo, Chen Qian, and Yang Yan had already subdued Xu Liang and read his memories. Knowing some of the carving process, they could easily lend a hand.

Yang Yan went to fetch the bloodwood, while Chen Qian peeled off the bark and cut the wood to the predetermined dimensions.

As for Chen Mo, while helping to polish the wood, he pondered: the workshop here only carves wooden puppets from human blood wood, and the puppets they produce are all unfinished. They don't seal the discolored zombie infants. The puppets that truly seal the zombies are all inside the Holy Temple. I still need to find a way to infiltrate the Holy Temple. However, there's no better way at the moment, so I'll help out here for now and also get a feel for the situation at this outpost.

And so, Chen Mo and the other two settled down in the workshop with Xu Liang.

They usually help Xu Liang carve wooden puppets, and meals are delivered by a special person. As for sleeping... there's a row of houses in the backyard. However, because there are so many people, Xu Liang can only stay in one room, and everyone is crammed together.

The village is strictly managed, and everyone performs their duties with utmost care, fearing any mistake.

Aside from using the excuse of moving wood to go out, Chen Mo could hardly leave Workshop No. 4.

Fortunately, Chen Mo wasn't in a hurry. He figured that now that he had infiltrated the outpost, he would have to be patient with the rest.

After spending three days together, Chen Mo learned about the general situation of Workshop No. 4.

The bald sculptor was named Liu Wei, the old woman in white was named Zhou Xia, and the fat man was named Li Daliang. They were all renowned sculptors from far and wide, and they worked here. In addition, there was a manager surnamed Zhou in workshop number four. He was over eighty years old, but very fierce and strict with his subordinates.

They would frequently use whips to beat and scold people, urging everyone to catch up on the schedule.

That morning, while everyone was carving wooden puppets in the workshop, Manager Zhou came in carrying a whip and, without saying a word, began lashing the faces of the four carving masters.

"The Attendant has declared that if our Workshop No. 4 fails to produce four hundred puppets by the end of this month, everyone should be reincarnated in the underworld. I'm bearing the pressure from the Envoy for you, but you're not doing a good job. Half a month has passed, and you've only completed one-third of the quota. What have you been doing?"

"What are you laughing at, buddy? You're the one hiding under the tree."

One of the helpers hiding under a tree was called out, and he ran out in a panic, kneeling on the ground to apologize: "Manager Zhou, I just thought of something funny, and I couldn't help myself..."

"Then don't hold back. Learn to be a better person in your next life." Manager Zhou lashed out with his whip, cleaving the shop assistant in two. Blood and organs spilled all over the ground, and he died instantly.

Upon seeing the blood all over the ground, the surrounding men were so frightened that they knelt down and promised to do their best.

Humph.

Manager Zhou's face twisted in a grimace: "If I don't make you bleed, you won't know how to work hard. From today onwards, your daily workload will double. If you don't complete the task, I'll kill one person every day!"

With that, Manager Zhou stormed off, leaving behind a terrified crowd.

"Stop standing there like a jerk, get to work! Don't you want to live anymore?"

"Get to work quickly. People are going to die."

"..."

Standing in the crowd, Chen Mo deftly moved a piece of human blood wood to Xu Liang, and then secretly left his body.

brush!
With a shudder, Chen Mo's soul silently floated up and flew out of Workshop No. 4, following Manager Zhou all the way.

"Manager Zhou seems to be quite skilled; he might also be a zombie. Moreover, Manager Zhou has met the waiter before. I'll follow him and see if I can find out more about this outpost."

With that thought in mind, Chen Mo followed Manager Zhou to a secluded courtyard.

The courtyard was quite large and very lively, with eight other managers present. Upon seeing Manager Zhou, everyone began to tease him.

"Hey, isn't this Lao Zhou? I heard that the No. 4 workshop you're in charge of is going to go bankrupt this month?"

"Damn, you dare to shirk the tasks the waiter assigned you, Lao Zhou. You've got some nerve. Aren't you afraid the waiter will be angry?"

"Old Zhou, look at my leg. Do you remember how I lost it? It was because I messed up in Workshop No. 7 and the waiter ate my leg. Next month, I won't be alone anymore. I'll have Old Zhou with me."

"Get out!" Manager Zhou shouted, then listlessly went into a room and slammed the door shut.

This is Manager Zhou's own residence.

The room was small, but very tidy.

Shopkeeper Zhou took out a brocade box from the drawer. Inside the box was a wooden puppet of an evil spirit.

Eh.

Manager Zhou held the wooden puppet in the brocade box and sighed softly, "Alas, my fate is truly unfortunate. Why did the waiter suddenly increase the workload? Given the progress of Workshop No. 4, even if I put this much pressure on them, I don't think they'll finish by the end of the month. Should I just run away?"

With this in mind, Manager Zhou seemed to have made up his mind. He took out some old items, packed them up, put them in a close-fitting place, and then went out.

The shopkeeper outside asked him where he was going. Shopkeeper Zhou replied that he was going out to find a way to catch up on the work.

As they passed a deserted grove near the village, Manager Zhou suddenly stopped and stared intently into the depths of the woods: "Who? Who's following me?"

suddenly--

brush!
Shopkeeper Zhou suddenly turned around, staring into the darkness ahead: "A ghost? Do you think I'm afraid of you... Waaah!"

Before he could finish speaking, Manager Zhou felt something terrifying appear inside his body.

This thing attached itself to his bloodline and wandered around. Before long, it took control of him, and he slumped to the ground, lost in a daze.

Chen Mo's spirit then emerged, slowly approaching Manager Zhou and picking up the bundle that had fallen to the ground.

"You're supposed to be a manager, yet you run away just because you can't complete the task... That's incredibly spineless. It seems you're really afraid of that waiter. What will happen to my Workshop No. 4 if you run away... You can't be so unprincipled."

Shopkeeper Zhou: "What...what did you do to me?"

"It's nothing, just a curse mark placed inside your body. Don't resist, or you'll die." Chen Mo sat on the ground, opening the treasures in the bundle one by one.

This week, the shopkeeper is a powerful golden zombie, and the golden ghost's summoning power has no effect on him.

But Chen Mo possesses the curse of the other shore flower.

Although his godmother was gone, the Other Shore Flower Curse she left Chen Mo remained, and after Chen Mo's long period of tempering, its power had grown stronger and stronger. Dealing with an eight-striped zombie was as easy as cutting melons and vegetables. Even against a nine-striped hairy zombie, he could kill it simply by injecting the blood curse into its body.

Since the Blood Curse is the Red Spider Lily Curse, and the Red Spider Lily Curse originates from the red moonlight, its essence is still the red moonlight. Therefore, Chen Mo, in his spirit form, can also use the Red Spider Lily Curse.

It was because of this that Chen Mo dared to come to this Moon Worship Sect outpost.

Click click click.

Manager Zhou tried to struggle a few times, but found that the more he struggled, the more uncomfortable he became, and realized that he was truly being controlled. He was overcome with grief.

Chen Mo flipped open the wooden puppet of the evil spirit and asked, "What is this?"

Unable to resist, Manager Zhou had no choice but to tell the truth: "This is an evil spirit made by the waiter. It contains a golden vengeful ghost with the cultivation of eight spiky sticks. I stole it. I was planning to run away with this ghost, but I didn't expect to run into you, you damned devil. Now... it's all yours."

Chen Mo was delighted upon hearing this, thinking to himself: A vengeful ghost with eight strands of golden cultivation... is perfect for me. I can directly modify and integrate this vengeful ghost's cultivation level. My cultivation level can also reach eight strands of cultivation in a short time.

Chen Mo is only at the seventh level of cultivation, and has not improved in the past three months.

Although his natal incense burner contained the vengeful spirit of the Ghost King, the degree of integration was low, resulting in slow improvement.

For Chen Mo, the best way to improve his cultivation level was to find a ghost or zombie one level higher than himself and then cultivate and merge with it. This would result in an instant improvement. However, this wouldn't work with ghosts or zombies two levels higher; they would require a slow fusion, which would significantly reduce the effectiveness.

How do we release the vengeful spirits inside?

"I won't say... Ah!! I'll say it, I'll say it... Please stop torturing me." Shopkeeper Zhou grimaced in pain, rolling on the ground. Once the pain subsided, he spoke up: "There's a talisman in the box. Just stick it on the evil spirit statue, and that'll be fine."

Chen Mo did as instructed.

Sure enough, the vengeful ghost was released.

Almost simultaneously, Chen Mo brought up the control panel.

[Deconstructable material detected]

[Should we deconstruct it?]

Without a second thought, Chen Mo immediately formed an idea:
Deconstruction.

hum!
As a wave of pain swept through his body, lines of subtitles appeared one after another.

【Name: White-Haired Ghost】

[Type: Hair-related vengeful ghost]

[Level: Eight Golden Crimson Ingots of Dao Cultivation]

[Note: This is a ghostly object forged from a single strand of a vengeful ghost's hair. Human blood wood possesses the ability to nourish ghosts and zombies. After being sealed within, the ghostly object's cultivation will continuously grow over time. It has now reached the eighth level of golden cultivation.]

[Hint 1: This strand of hair came from a very powerful ghost. Because the hair has been melted and digested, information is lacking, and its origin is currently unknown.]

[Hint 2: This ghost contains 5 points of Primal Essence.]

[Consuming 200000 original essences, it can modify one's own cultivation level and make it compatible. The effect is not as direct as chimera, but it is still usable.]

Click.

Chen Mo immediately activated the blood curse, instantly injecting it into the vengeful ghost.

The vengeful ghost didn't even have time to scream before it was killed by the blood curse.

Such a sight terrified Manager Zhou, who stared wide-eyed at the vengeful ghost before him. He simply couldn't believe it... that a mighty eight-stick golden vengeful ghost had been killed just like that.

Chen Mo, however, paid no attention to Manager Zhou, but instead had a thought.

[Original Essence +5]

[Currently available Original Essence: 5]

[It consumes 5 points of Original Essence to fuse with the White-Haired Demon's Eightfold Daoist Cultivation.]

Does it fit together?

Chen Mo immediately had an idea:

Chimerism.

hum!
As an extremely intense pain coursed through his body, his original essence dropped to zero. Immediately afterward, Chen Mo saw an unprecedented change occur in the natal incense within his sea of ​​consciousness.

The original compatibility modification required first shattering one's own natal incense, then fusing it with the cultivation of an external ghost to reforge it. The entire process was extremely tedious and involved a prolonged period of intense suffering.

However, there is no problem with the integration of cultivation techniques...

He directly merged the other party's eight natal incense sticks into Chen Mo's own natal incense. The eighth natal incense stick immediately appeared.

Golden, gleaming.

'The inlay... truly profound. My eighth incense stick of natal energy is now exactly the same level as the white-haired ghost's, already past the halfway mark. If another white-haired ghost were to appear, I fear I could reach the perfect level of eight sticks. And if a ghost with nine sticks of cultivation were to appear... I dare not even imagine. This outpost is truly a wonderful place. It was destined that I would come here.'

Chen Mo became familiar with the new cultivation method and thoroughly grasped its spiritual power before stopping, then glared at Manager Zhou.

Shopkeeper Zhou turned pale with fright: "You, you... I've given you all my treasures. What else do you want?"

Chen Mo grinned and said, "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. But I have a few questions for you."

Shopkeeper Zhou was terrified: "You, you tell me."

Chen Mo: "Let me ask you, have you ever been to that holy temple?"

Manager Zhou: "I've been there. That temple is where the Attendant Master meditates; only the nine of us managers are allowed to enter."

Chen Mo nodded: "How many people are in the temple?"

Shopkeeper Zhou: "Just one waiter."

Chen Mo: "That flying zombie was the waiter?"

Shopkeeper Zhou: "I...I don't know."

Chen Mo was taken aback, thinking to himself: Could it be that the attendant isn't the flying zombie? If so, there are two people in the temple. That makes them even more difficult to deal with.

"Will those flying zombies escape from the temple?"

"I've never seen a flying zombie leave the temple before."

Hearing this, Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief. "What level of skill does that waiter possess?"

"The waiter is very skilled; he can create a statue of nine evil spirits."

"Do you know why this base has been creating demonic zombies?"

"The waiter didn't tell me, and I didn't dare to ask."

With the blood curse in place, Chen Mo wasn't worried that the other party was lying. After a moment's thought, he said, "Go back and continue to manage the affairs of Workshop No. 4. Don't even think about running away."

Manager Zhou panicked: "I can't go back, I have to run away. If I don't hand over the full amount of puppets by the end of the month, the waiter will cripple me."

"I'll help you figure out a way."

"Really, really?"

"If you run away, I will kill you. Do you have a choice?"

Manager Zhou suddenly realized his predicament and burst into tears.

"Steal a few more demon statues for me. One with eight incense sticks, and a few with nine incense sticks."

hiss.

Manager Zhou gasped, his face filled with disbelief: "If I'm discovered, the waiter will beat me to death."

Chen Mo: "By the way, what was the name of that shopkeeper who had a limp earlier?"

"Manager Li."

"Go ahead and steal it, I'll make Manager Li take the blame."

"Yes Yes……"

……

Chen Mo's soul returned to his body, and as if nothing had happened, he continued to help Xu Liang with the carving.

The entire No. 4 workshop immediately sprang into action, and even late into the night, no one dared to rest. After all, they were afraid of Manager Zhou.

At dawn, Manager Zhou came to inspect the place.

The men buried themselves in their work, putting on a show of working themselves to the bone.

The carving masters were all very afraid of Manager Zhou and kept calling him "Manager" repeatedly.

Manager Zhou surveyed the area and finally approached Chen Mo. Upon seeing Chen Mo's appearance… he immediately panicked. He lowered his head, avoiding Chen Mo's gaze, and his legs trembled. The other managers, all with sharp eyes, naturally noticed Manager Zhou's expression. They couldn't help but look at Chen Mo curiously, wondering: Isn't that a new employee? Why is Manager Zhou so afraid?
Chen Mo spoke up: "It's late, let the guys go and get some rest."

Following Chen Mo's words, Manager Zhou said to everyone, "What are you all standing there for? Go and rest!"

Amidst curious and surprised looks, countless workers scattered like birds and beasts, each returning to their own rest.

Chen Mo ignored Manager Zhou and took Chen Qian and Yang Yan to rest.

Manager Zhou stared blankly at Chen Mo's departing figure, thinking to himself: It's him, it's definitely him. But I can't resist...

……

In the room in the backyard.

Chen Qian and Yang Yan huddled up to Chen Mo and began to discuss a solution.

Yang Yan said listlessly, "I underestimated this outpost. I didn't expect there to be a flying zombie inside. This is terrifying. It will be even more difficult for us to steal a color-changing corpse infant from here."

Chen Qian frowned as well: "Those shopkeepers should be able to enter and exit the temple normally. Unlike Xu Liang, who needs good luck and occasionally gets a chance to enter by finding a chamber pot. But those shopkeepers are all zombies. Not only are they powerful, but ordinary summoning power is useless against them. I'm afraid this matter will not be easy."

In the end, Chen Qian began to have second thoughts, grabbing Yang Yan's arm and saying, "Husband, I think this matter is dangerous, so let's just give up. My health has improved a lot, and even if I don't fully recover, I can live for a long time."

Seeing Chen Qian's haggard appearance, Yang Yan couldn't bear it any longer: "No rush, let's lie in wait here and see what happens. If we really can't find a way out, then we can retreat. We've got Xu Liang under control, so a safe retreat shouldn't be a problem."

Although Chen Qian was worried, she knew she couldn't force Yang Yan when she saw his resolute eyes, so she asked Chen Mo, "Young Master Mo, do you have any ideas?"

"We can lie low for a while longer and see," he said, without specifying the exact words.

The power of invocation has no effect on zombies.

However, the Red Spider Lily Mantra is effective.

Although there's a flying zombie here, it seems to be busy and has never left the temple before. It seems that as long as it doesn't go to the temple, there shouldn't be much danger.

Moreover, this place is mass-producing ghosts and zombies, making it an ideal place for me to develop.

How could Chen Mo bear to leave?

"Since Young Master Mo also agrees to continue lying in wait and observing, then let's stay a little longer to observe." Chen Qian couldn't resist his insistence, so she agreed.

After that, things returned to calm.

Chen Mo and his two companions helped Xu Liang carve wood carvings every day.

Chen Mo was also waiting for Shopkeeper Zhou to steal the evil ghost puppet.

Five days later, Manager Zhou lived up to expectations.

They stole a demon statue.

It was given to Chen Mo.

After Chen Mo integrated his cultivation, he reached the Great Perfection of the Eight-Stem Dao. Shopkeeper Zhou begged Chen Mo to release the control over his body.

Chen Mo was naturally unwilling to let Manager Zhou steal three evil spirits with nine incense sticks of cultivation, so he considered resolving the matter.

Seeing a glimmer of hope, Manager Zhou excitedly agreed.

While waiting, Chen Mo also learned carving techniques from Xu Liang, purely to pass the time.

At first, Chen Mo thought that carving was indeed a meticulous craft. Ordinary people would find it difficult to master without decades of experience.

However, after modifying and incorporating some carving techniques, Chen Mo felt that carving was no big deal. In just a few moments, his carving skills surpassed Xu Liang's…

Ten days passed in a flash.

This night.

Manager Zhou came to inspect the workshop and secretly arranged to meet Chen Mo in the woods.

As soon as Chen Mo and his companion entered the woods, Manager Zhou took out a brocade box containing a statue of a demon.

Nine sticks of Taoist practice.

Chen Mo was very pleased, his eyes brightening considerably. "Good, Manager Zhou, you've done a great job. I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

Shopkeeper Zhou's expression was grim. "We had an agreement before. I'll steal three evil spirit statues with nine-stick cultivation levels for you, and you'll break free from my control."

"That's for sure. I've always been committed to keeping my word."

"I hope so. Also, the end of the month is approaching, and our workshop is running out of wood carvings. You promised to come up with a solution for me."

"I remember. Now you can go back."

After dismissing Manager Zhou, Chen Mo sat down cross-legged in the woods.

Open the brocade box and take out the demon statue inside.

Following the previous procedure, the vengeful ghost was released, and then the Red Spider Lily Mantra was instantly injected, killing the vengeful ghost in an instant.

[Original Essence +7]

[Currently available Original Essence: 7]

[It takes 7 points of Original Essence to fuse with this ghost's cultivation.]

Does it fit together?

Chen Mo: "Méihé".

hum!
A sharp pain coursed through his body, followed by his original essence dropping to zero. The nine sticks of his natal incense immediately merged into his natal incense burner.

With a resounding crash as a barrier shattered, the ninth stick of natal incense appeared in his natal incense burner, marking the completion of one-third of the process. His foundation remained quite solid, and he experienced no other discomfort.

After practicing for a while, Chen Mo smiled.

"This chimera function is truly monstrous; it's much more useful than compatibility modification. I spent three whole months in the capital before, and my cultivation level was stuck at the seventh level. Now, after entering this Moon Worship Sect outpost, I've reached the ninth level in less than a month. Once Manager Zhou steals the other two evil spirit statues, won't I be able to reach the Great Perfection of the ninth level immediately?"

Nine golden incense sticks at the Great Perfection level are not considered too weak even in the capital.

Moreover, Chen Mo has integrated the cultivation of the Ghost King Sheqing, but the degree of integration is not yet sufficient.

Once one reaches the Great Perfection of Nine Sticks, it should be able to quickly stimulate the cultivation of the Azure Demon King and accelerate its integration. At that time, who knows... one might be able to step into the Azure Demon King's level.

Photograph the green ghost!
Chen Mo vaguely remembered Zhuang Xiaoyue, whom he had met in the Great Snow Mountain of Nanzhou... and how powerful she was.

Now, I'm almost at that level myself.

"This Moon Worship Cult is truly a wonderful place. Zhuang Xiaoyue was originally from the Moon Worship Cult, and now I'm starting to rise to power here as well. This outpost is excellent."

……

Five days later.

This caused a great uproar in the courtyard where the shopkeepers lived.

"What? Li the Cripple's workshop didn't deliver enough puppets? And he's missing his other leg too?"

"Turtle, you can live on one leg, but if you lose both legs, you can't live like this."

"Shh, keep your voice down, Li the Cripple is back."

Li the Cripple was carried back by two men.

One of the shopkeepers went to ask, "Li the Cripple, what's going on? Weren't there enough puppets in the workshop? Why are we suddenly short of them?"

"Holy crap! Last night, that damned sculptor ran off with a huge bunch of puppets. I couldn't hand them over. The waiter, in a fit of rage, ate my other leg too. That son of a bitch sculptor, just you wait! If I catch him, I'll eat his whole family!!!"

Seeing this, Manager Zhou knew in his heart that it was Chen Mo who was behind it. He became even more afraid of Chen Mo.

This kid is a real character; I can't afford to offend him.

I'm so unlucky, how did I end up with such a guy? He's practically giving me no way to survive.

The demon statue that I'm going to steal, I'll still steal it...

Damn it.

……

Time flies, and another half month has passed.

In the deserted woods of the village.

Shopkeeper Zhou, carrying a brocade box, stealthily entered the woods. Finding no one around, he became somewhat nervous, glancing left and right every now and then, as if afraid of being discovered.

"Damn it, stealing a demon statue is going to be the death of me. Luckily, the servant has been busy with refining lately and hasn't had time to count the number. But something like this will be discovered sooner or later. Why is my life so miserable?"

Manager Zhou muttered a couple of complaints to himself.

Before long, the sound of footsteps echoed from the darkness in the distance.

Manager Zhou stared intently ahead, his heart pounding in his chest, fearing that it might be the waiter approaching.

Thankfully, the last one to arrive was a familiar young man.

"Master, you've finally arrived. I was terrified to be here all alone." Manager Zhou hurriedly stepped forward and handed the brocade box to Chen Mo: "This is the second evil spirit statue with nine incense sticks of cultivation. Take it safe. I'll steal one last one, and remember to release the control over me."

Chen Mo took the brocade box, opened it, and then smiled: "Not bad. Don't worry, I remember our agreement. Someone will take the blame for you. By the way, next time steal more, steal as much as you can, and it would be best to steal a statue of a color-changing corpse infant. Things should be settled by now. Otherwise, we'll be exposed."

Shopkeeper Zhou's eyes widened: "Are you crazy? Steal as much as you can! Have you considered the danger I'm in?"

"How could I possibly consider your danger..." Chen Mo thought to himself, but said aloud, "It's precisely because I considered your danger that I let you steal a little more. After all, this is the last time. I'll have someone take the blame for you."

Knowing he couldn't refuse, Manager Zhou gritted his teeth and said, "Then it's settled, this is the last time."

After Manager Zhou left, Chen Mo sat down cross-legged and, following the previous method, killed the vengeful ghost, then absorbed the original essence and integrated it with the nine-stick-of-cultivation ghost.

After completing the process, Chen Mo introspected the incense in his sea of ​​consciousness.

They were surprised to find that the ninth stick of natal incense had reached nearly 70% completion.

This rate of improvement is already extremely abnormal.

[Fusion progress of the Azure Demon King: 80/100]

"Sure enough, as my cultivation level gets closer to the Great Perfection of Nine Sticks, the fusion progress of the Azure Ghost King also begins to accelerate. Once I get another evil ghost statue with the cultivation level of Nine Sticks, I should be able to reach the Great Perfection. At that time, it won't be impossible for me to break through to the Azure Ghost King level."

Thinking of this, Chen Mo's face showed a hint of excitement.

For the past month or so, Chen Mo's mind has been completely focused on improving his progress. He's been busy refining his carving techniques while simultaneously mastering a new level of cultivation.

When they returned to the back room of Workshop No. 4, they saw Yang Yan and Chen Qian looking worried.

Without him.

For more than a month, they made no progress and failed to find a way to steal the discolored corpse baby, which made them feel listless.

Chen Qian spoke up at this moment, "Young Master Mo, you've come at the right time. We've been lying in wait here for so long, and we haven't even had a chance to empty the chamber pots. Usually, only the nine managers can freely enter and leave the Holy Temple, and each of them is a powerful zombie. We can't go to the Holy Temple. Why don't we leave sooner?"

Yang Yan was reluctant and was about to speak when Chen Qian glared at him, shutting him up.

Chen Mo said, "I've already come up with a plan. I've already subdued Manager Zhou, and next I'll have him go to the Holy Temple to steal the Corpse Infant. If he succeeds, I'll give you one. You can leave after you've taken the Corpse Infant."

Earlier, Chen Mo had asked Manager Zhou to steal more, and even mentioned the wooden puppet with the color-changing corpse baby. He also had the idea of ​​helping Chen Qian along the way.

On the one hand, after spending nearly two months together, Chen Mo felt that Chen Qian and her husband were quite nice people. On the other hand, Chen Qian was also pitiful, so he wanted to help her if he could.

On the other hand, it was also because Chen Qian was a core member of the Moon Worship Cult, and if he needed to find the cult's headquarters in the future, she might be able to help him.

It's all just a side thing anyway, it doesn't matter.

Yang Yan was greatly surprised upon hearing this: "Young Master Mo subdued Manager Zhou? That's a zombie! The power of invocation had no effect on him, how did Young Master Mo manage to do it?"

Chen Mo did not elaborate: "I have my own methods. Just wait and see."

Chen Qian immediately recalled the fearful expression Zhou had shown towards Chen Mo when he inspected the workshop. Knowing this was true, she couldn't help but sigh, "Young Master Mo is truly incredibly skilled; he even has a method to subdue zombies. If this is possible, I will be eternally grateful for your kindness."

Yang Yan also declared, "If you, young master, truly find a chameleon-like infant for my wife, I, Yang Yan, will be willing to go through fire and water for you."

Chen Mo quickly helped the two up, saying, "There's no need for that. We're all friends. Helping each other is only right. As for whether Manager Zhou will succeed this time, I can't guarantee it. Let's just wait and see."

After that, things returned to normal.

Everything is going according to plan.

Chen Mo and his two companions were committed to helping out their employees.

The only difference was that the workshop workers and carving masters were used to Chen Mo's orders. If Chen Mo told them to sleep, they would sleep, and they didn't need to care about Manager Zhou's attitude. At first, everyone was a little worried, but seeing that Manager Zhou always obeyed Chen Mo, they were relieved.

Ten days passed in a flash.

This night.

Manager Zhou came to inspect the workshop and then called Chen Mo out.

Under the cover of night, the two arrived at a deserted forest.

Shopkeeper Zhou took out a bundle, placed it on the ground, and spread it out: "Please take a look, sir. There are three evil spirit statues, all of nine-stick cultivation level. There is also a seven-patterned, color-changing corpse infant. In addition, there are some other bottles and jars. I've stolen everything I could. Sir, you must keep your promise and release me from your control."

Chen Mo didn't reply, but instead squatted down and examined it carefully.

Indeed, there are three vengeful ghost statues with nine incense sticks of cultivation, and a color-changing corpse infant with seven patterns of cultivation.

There were also some bottles and jars, which, although old objects, didn't seem to seal away ghosts or zombies. However, a small red bottle caught Chen Mo's attention.

This small red bottle is about three inches tall, entirely red, and somewhat resembles the jade vase of Guanyin Bodhisattva. It has a red stopper at the mouth, which is firmly in place. When I picked up the bottle, I found it to be quite heavy, weighing about four or five pounds.

"What is this? Why is it so heavy?"

Shopkeeper Zhou leaned over to take a look. "I don't know. I left in a hurry. I took all the bottles and jars with me. You promised to find someone to take the blame for me."

Chen Mo nodded: "Don't worry. You can go back now. Someone will take the blame for you. Tonight, that waiter will probably find out something is missing and will definitely fly into a rage."

Shopkeeper Zhou: "When will you release me from your control?"

"I'll have to wait until I've used these things and made sure there are no problems. A few more days."

Knowing he had no choice, Manager Zhou agreed. Before leaving, he reminded Chen Mo to keep his word.

Reputation... well, that depends on the person, and besides, you're not even a person.

Chen Mo thought to himself.

He then sat down cross-legged, took out a demon statue, and opened the vengeful spirit inside using the same method as before. He then used a blood curse to instantly kill the spirit. After absorbing the essence of the original fusion, he chose to integrate his cultivation with it.

Thanks to my previous experience, the whole process was completed quickly.

call!
Chen Mo let out a long sigh of relief and skillfully circulated his new cultivation technique. He then introspectively examined his natal incense within his sea of ​​consciousness.

Nine sticks!

The Great Perfection.

A golden luster flowed through each stick of incense, shining brightly.

Every gesture he made radiated unparalleled spiritual power. He was completely different from before.

"I've finally reached the Great Perfection of the Nine-Stem Dao. Although my zombie body is only at the Eight-Pattern Dao Cultivation level, it is still a zombie and can resist spiritual erosion. Let me check on the fusion progress of the Azure Ghost King."

Open the panel.

[Fusion rate of the Azure Demon King: 90/100]

"It's reached ninety. That's quite an impressive fusion progress."

Just then, the numbers on the panel changed.

[Fusion rate of the Azure Demon King: 91/100]

Ok?
That's an improvement of one point?

So fast.

Chen Mo vaguely realized something, and immediately sat down cross-legged, circulating the Tranquility Technique to clear his mind of distractions, continuously activating the ghostly cultivation within his body, while suppressing the ghostly aura from leaking out. It only circulated within his body.

Before long, the numbers on the panel started fluctuating again.

[Fusion rate of the Azure Demon King: 92/100]

Fifteen minutes later, the fusion rate reached 94%.

The speed increase is...visible to the naked eye.

"It seems that my breakthrough to the Qing Ghost King realm will finally happen today. After all this time, the seed I planted in Nanzhou will finally sprout today."

Chen Mo suppressed his excitement and continued to activate his golden cultivation at the Great Perfection stage.

As the impetus continues, the integration rate is increasing even faster.

More than half an hour passed.

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

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 correct the typos later. I'll continue updating daily with 20,000 words, please vote with your monthly tickets!
(End of this chapter)