Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

the next day.

Early in the morning, merchants and elixir sellers flocked to the door, making the path in front of the door bustling with activity.

Liu Xingmo paid for and delivered the goods, then neatly categorized and arranged the various medicines.

The construction team has also assembled. Today, they will pour cement and steel bars to build the foundation for the mushroom cultivation shed and completely construct the shops.

Liu Chunya carried a large bamboo basket filled with iron bars, crowbars, and various tools.

She took a breath and said with a hint of helplessness, "Boss, these alchemy tools you produce are a bit troublesome."

"What's wrong? I've checked it carefully, the quality should be fine." Liu Xingmo pulled out a small chisel and examined it closely.

In the morning sunlight, the chisel tip gleamed brightly, but the blade was chipped with a few small nicks and was not as sharp as when it came from the factory.

Liu Chunya put down the bamboo basket and said, "No matter how you polish this thing, it won't work. Even the best craftsman in the team can't polish it properly."

"Ah, this is normal," Liu Xingmo explained patiently. "This alloy has different properties at different temperatures, and it requires a special environment to polish."

Liu Chunya immediately understood: "I see! Just like the houses our team built, only our own people can repair them; outsiders can't really get involved. In that case, I'll trouble you with the tool maintenance as well."

"Of course." Liu Xingmo put his things away.

To be honest, there aren't any decent weapon refiners in the village. There were two or three students from the Yin Kingdom who came last time, but no one paid them any attention, so they went back to their hometowns.

Should we hire someone specifically to start a weapon-refining business? It doesn't seem very profitable, and it's quite troublesome...

After finishing his morning work, Liu Xingmo arrived at the animal pen.

Dark blue, dark red, and dark green—they smelled it and immediately came closer.

Liu Xingmo smiled faintly and fed the frog eggs he had received to the frogs one by one.

These large insects have shiny shells, flexible claws and teeth, and gleaming eyes, indicating that they already possess some intelligence.

Unfortunately, the old scorpion has only recently undergone its transformation and its strength is still weak, requiring further nurturing. As for the centipede and the golden beetle, they were originally Gu worms containing the soul essence of others, and are currently unsuitable for refining and ingesting.

Liu Xingmo patiently trained the three contracted insects and infused them with his blood energy to help them digest the medicinal power and stabilize their strength.

Cyan-black is currently at level 2 of tier 1, while Crimson-black and Green-black are at level 8 and 9 of tier 1, respectively.

Their strength is somewhat inflated, as they usually receive refined blood energy from their masters and rely on external forces to expand their energy channels. Therefore, their own blood energy recovery speed is very slow, and it is also difficult for them to break through on their own through cultivation.

That's how contracted beasts are; they rely on their masters to grow rapidly, but they can't do anything without their masters.

On the other side, Bao Hei and Fu Hei were quite quiet.

They eat medicinal herbs that strengthen their bodies and minds, making their physique and soul increasingly powerful.

They lack secret methods, and their cultivation of the Dao can only be achieved through personal perception and contemplation, resulting in very slow progress.

Liu Xingmo has commissioned a caravan to search for auspicious medicines, such as the Purple Rose Noble Fruit, but unfortunately they are all very expensive and have a very low cost-performance ratio.

When I have the strength in the future, I can go to other countries to search for secret techniques, but the issue of identity is a bit awkward, so I need to plan carefully when the time comes.

Currently, both Bao Hei and Fu Hei are accumulating good fortune, waiting for the right moment to use divination to make a big splash. They certainly don't lack the few thousand yuan they can earn from selling small items.

After taking care of the contracted beast, Liu Xingmo went to the culture room to check on the contracted bacteria.

The two tanks of *Tai Sui* bacteria occupy most of the three-meter water tank. They haven't grown recently, as if they've reached their limit.

These two colorful, tentacle-like chunks of flesh constantly absorb the spiritual energy in the air, as well as the malevolent energy emanating from the darkness, transforming it into life force and calamity through a wondrous process.

We don't understand the underlying principles, and we can't intervene, so we can only hold our noses and try to take advantage of it as much as possible.

As for the Penicillium in the third tank, it has grown quite large and can be modified.

Liu Xingmo arrived at the outdoor warehouse and opened the locked iron gate.

The fleshy Ganoderma lucidum inside the skull of the dragon head is occasionally nourished by nutrient solution. The two pieces of flesh that were cut off have grown back and are now floating peacefully in the water.

This thing is very strange. I don't know what level of strength is needed to use it safely. Maybe an old immortal who has cultivated the Dao of Luck can.

Liu Xingmo cut off a piece of the Tai Sui meat, chopped it up, and fed it to the Penicillium mold.

The yellow chunks of meat and the bluish-gray fur began to devour each other and further merge.

Having learned from experience this time, Liu Xingmo carefully poked at the stick and quickly and safely completed this step.

The production of the three-cylinder Tai Sui bacteria has been further increased, which can cure all diseases.

Although these colorful fleshy chunks are ugly and strange, they are far superior to ordinary contracted seedlings and do not require many resources. It is worth considering investing most of the future soul imprints into them.

Liu Xingmo poured the nutrient solution made of fruit pulp, chestnut flour and meat glue into the large vat, and the incubation work was completed.

There is one last task.

Liu Xingmo carried a newly harvested bag of foxtail grass seeds to his neighbor's farm.

As soon as I entered, three half-grown wolf cubs came bounding over, wagging their tails and panting with their tongues out.

Liu San Niang was carrying wine into the merchant's storehouse when she smiled and said, "Young master, you've arrived."

Liu Xingmo rubbed the wolf's soft fur on its chin and said, "How did it get smaller? I always thought it was strange, thinking it was just thin from hunger. But looking at it today, isn't this a case of it becoming young again?"

Liu San Niang nodded: "That's right, the Heavenly Grade Spiritual Herb, Jade Dew Peach, has this effect."

"There's such a thing? How did you buy it? How much did it cost?" Liu Xingmo asked hurriedly.

"Young master, please don't be hasty. These peaches are not as you imagine," Liu San Niang said gently. "They don't provide life force or extend lifespan. Instead, they reduce the consumption of life force by shrinking one's size."

Liu Xingmo gleaned something from this: "So, it doesn't work when you're old, it only works when you're young?"

"That's right. Moreover, rejuvenation isn't as wonderful as one might imagine. First, the body degenerates and becomes weak, and second, the brain degenerates and causes dementia. If a person eats this peach, they'll be ruined. That's why the Jade Dew Peaches are reserved for rare beasts."

"I see, then the price of peaches is cheaper." Liu Xingmo wiped the drool from his face, watching the three wolves playing and frolicking. "The wolves have shrunk to the size of foxes, so their daily food costs have decreased. They can also live longer and help with work for a hundred or two hundred years. It's a good deal."

The wolf cubs ran to the edge of the warehouse, circling the heavy load and chasing after their companions' tails. Even with their heads outstretched, they were still no higher than the load on their shoulders.

Liu Xingmo glanced at the woman in red beside him: "Third Sister, are you really going to make these little guys do this kind of hard labor?"

"No problem. Absolutely no problem." Liu San Niang's face twitched slightly as she smiled and said, "With the blood cultivation I bestowed upon them, they possess the power of ten wolves, making them even stronger than before."

Liu Xingmo pursed his lips and remained silent.

"Young master, are you thinking about something bad?" Liu San Niang instantly floated behind him and spoke slowly in a soft, feminine voice.