I offered sacrifices to the gods

There are very few records related to immortals and gods in the Sutra Repository.

Lin Mo found some rather ancient books, which contained only a few words and phrases.

"In ancient times, miracles were very rare in this world, so much so that in recent times, immortals and gods became legends among the people."

"These gods and immortals have now become symbolic beings."

Lin Mo frowned deeply. He had not found what he was looking for, and he still knew nothing about the existence represented by the several statues he had unlocked in the Immortal Mansion.

However, this trip was not without its significance; he discovered a ritual method in some extremely ancient parchment scrolls.

This sacrificial method was a common procedure used by ancient people to worship various gods and deities, and it can be considered a relatively unified ritual.

This method requires offering sacrifices to the gods and making worship; if you are lucky, a miracle may indeed occur.

Lin Mo named this method the Ancient Sacrifice to the Gods, and he planned to use this method to worship the statues of the gods in the Immortal Abode from now on.

Time flies. I've been going to the Sutra Repository a lot these past few days, and before I knew it, three days had passed.

He hadn't forgotten that tonight was the day he had agreed upon with the Hall of Punishments.

As night fell, he would pretend to go down the mountain to escape.

"Although we don't know what the purpose of the Punishment Hall's actions is, we still need to make good preparations."

"If there's a chance..."

A resolute glint flashed in Lin Mo's eyes. If given the chance, he would absolutely not mind turning a fake relationship into a real one.

If he can successfully escape Jinyang Mountain, he will leave Yu Kingdom without hesitation, and even go to more distant regions.

Anyway, he had no attachment to the Yu Kingdom, so even if the Jin Yang Temple investigated further afterward, it would have nothing to do with him.

And so, Lin Mo returned to his cave dwelling, quickly tidied up all his belongings, and put them into his storage bag.

After doing all this, he sat quietly on a futon and patiently waited for night to fall.

...

Night had fallen, and tonight even the celestial signs seemed to be on his side; the moonlight was dim, and the entire Jin Yang Mountain was shrouded in darkness.

Lin Mo changed into a pitch-black night outfit and walked away from the moonlight, as if he had blended into the darkness, making it difficult to detect his presence with the naked eye.

The restrictions on the entrance to the cave where he lived were silently lifted.

Dressed in a black night suit, Lin Mo moved nimbly and darted out of the cave in a flash.

His cave dwelling was located on the mountainside, surrounded by weeds and low shrubs.

Taking advantage of the cover of night, Lin Mo quickly moved through the crevices of the rocks.

After mastering the basics of the "Blood Transporting Classic," he gained a certain degree of control over his own Qi and blood.

In addition, having entered the late stage of the Spirit Guidance Realm, his five senses have been further enhanced, and his movements have become more agile.

At this moment, he was like an agile ape, and the rugged terrain on the mountain did not hinder him at all.

Soon, he left Jinyang Temple, which was located on the hilltop, behind him, and Lin Mo was overjoyed.

Nobody cared about him!

He had already covered a third of the way down the mountain, and if nothing unexpected happened, he might actually have a chance to escape Jinyang Mountain.

Once they leave, they will immediately fly far away, anywhere is fine, but they absolutely cannot stay in the Kingdom of Yu.

Just as Lin Mo began to make plans for the future, he slowly realized that something was wrong.

The surrounding air seemed to thicken, and he felt his once agile and powerful legs slowly sinking into the mud.

The rocky ground beneath his feet had become unusually soft, making it difficult for him to find any foothold.

Something is wrong!

Lin Mo sensed something was wrong, but he didn't know what had happened, so he could only grit his teeth and continue sprinting.

He mobilized the Qi and blood in his body and circulated the "Blood Transporting Scripture".

hum!

The internal energy and blood circulation system was successfully formed in his meridians, and his strength increased dramatically in an instant.

boom!

Lin Mo gritted his teeth, suddenly stomped his foot on the ground, and as if springs were installed under his feet, he shot more than twenty meters into the air.

During his time in the air, he looked down and his expression froze.

On the road ahead of him, a fat Taoist priest was sitting on the ground, leaning against the trunk of a tree.

The fat Taoist priest was holding a greasy roasted chicken leg in his hand, tearing into the chicken meat with big bites, his squinted eyes looking very satisfied.

He Bao!

How could the abbot's personal disciple be here?!

Lin Mo was in a state of utter confusion, a dark glint flashing in his eyes.

Just as he was about to turn back and choose another route to avoid the other party.

He Bao let out a burp, and then licked his fingers, looking like he was savoring the meal.

"Alright, Junior Brother Lin, it's so late, don't run around on the mountain. If you fall and get hurt, I can't bear the blame from Master."

Lin Mo, however, had no intention of stopping. He continued to circulate his internal energy, intending to turn around and run away again.

But just then, He Bao's voice rang out in his ears.

"Junior Brother Lin, it's so late, where are you planning to go?"

"Going down the mountain without the temple's permission is a serious crime. If you are caught by the Punishment Hall, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"Come back with me now, stop wandering around outside."

Lin Mo's hair stood on end. This obese Taoist priest had somehow appeared behind him, with one hand on his shoulder.

A tremendous force came from his shoulder, and the foot that had just stepped out landed abruptly.

"Senior Brother He Bao, what are you doing here?" Lin Mo asked with a forced smile.

He Bao put down his hand, and pulled out a roasted chicken wing from somewhere, stuffing the meat and bone into his mouth and gnawing on it.

"I just wandered around aimlessly. I ate too much tonight, so I'm just digesting it."

Lin Mo naturally didn't believe this. He quickly recalled that when the abbot went down the mountain, he had given some instructions to the other disciples.

He Bao's task was to take good care of the abbot's herb garden and tend to every single herb in the field.

Wait a minute... Isn't the most valued medicinal ingredient the abbot himself?

In a flash, Lin Mo finally understood that He Bao's main task was to keep an eye on him.

Thinking of this, Lin Mo's expression became serious.

Since the abbot had given instructions before leaving, it seems that his escape tonight will come to nothing.

"Senior Brother He Bao, didn't Master tell you to take good care of his medicinal herb garden? Aren't you afraid something might go wrong wandering around like this?"

However, He Bao waved his hand dismissively and said, "Nothing will go wrong. Master personally set up a tight barrier in the herb field. If someone tries to force their way in, the commotion will be considerable."

Not necessarily.

Lin Mo muttered to himself, and quickly recalled that three days ago, the disciples of the Punishment Hall had taken away that dark gold token.

Holding that token, one can freely enter and exit the forbidden area behind the mountain.

If the restrictions protecting the Dragon Blood Tree could pass through unimpeded, the restrictions the Abbot set up in the medicine field probably wouldn't be able to stop that dark gold token.

"Alright, junior brother, it's getting late, hurry back and get some rest," He Bao said lazily.

However, Lin Mo did not intend to do so. Now that he had figured out the key point, he naturally wanted to delay for a while longer.

Thinking of this, Lin Mo revealed an eager expression and chuckled, "Senior Brother He Bao, I have recently learned some magic in the Sutra Repository, but there are still some things I don't understand. I would like to ask you for some guidance."

As he spoke, Lin Mo mobilized the spiritual energy within his body and activated the Stone Skin Technique.

He drew up the heavy earth elemental power beneath his feet, which merged with his skin, condensing into a layer of earthy yellow spiritual light.

He wanted to test just how powerful a cultivator at the Candle Illumination Realm really was.

He Bao shook his head listlessly and said, "Don't waste time. Junior Brother hasn't even ignited his life fire yet. Even if he has a body tempering technique, he is no match for me."

However, Lin Mo knew that the other party was watching over him, and if a fight broke out, they would not kill him; at most, they would subdue him.

With such a good sparring partner, he naturally wanted to give it a try.

boom!

Lin Mo channeled his energy into the soles of his feet, took a sudden step, and shot out like an arrow.

This time, with the Stone Skin Technique enhancing his physical defense, he wanted to confront the enemy head-on.

He Bao, who appeared lazy, did not react much, but simply pushed his palm forward.

A palm print formed from pure spiritual energy was unleashed, knocking Lin Mo, who was charging forward, to the ground.

"After igniting the flame of life and entering the Candle Illumination Realm, the spiritual power within the body will also undergo a qualitative leap."

"Junior Brother Lin, you are still far from it. It is impossible for someone at the Spirit Guiding Realm to reverse the situation and reach the Illumination Realm."

Thanks to the Stone Skin Technique, Lin Mo was not seriously injured by this palm strike. He only felt that his internal energy and blood were somewhat disordered, and his breathing was also a bit erratic.

The Candle Illumination Realm cultivator was indeed strong. If it were any other Spirit Guidance Realm cultivator, they would never have been able to send him flying so easily.

Lin Mo took a deep breath, still unwilling to give up. He mobilized his spiritual power to activate the gold pendant bracelet on his wrist.

hum!

A brilliant golden light flashed in the darkness, and a golden streak of light shot out.

Are you coming again?!

He Bao raised an eyebrow, not daring to be careless this time. He formed a hand seal and poured out his powerful spiritual energy.

Before him, a pitch-black wooden shield appeared.

Boom!

The sharp, metallic force struck the wooden shield, leaving a deep mark on it.

Seeing this, both Lin Mo and He Bao felt a chill run down their spines.

"As expected of a magical artifact personally crafted by my master, its power is truly extraordinary," He Bao thought to himself.

Lin Mo was also greatly surprised. Just now, when he used all his strength to activate the bracelet's attack, he could only leave a mark on the wooden shield.

You should know that he had used this magic tool to easily carve a hole in the hard rock in his cave.

"This black wooden shield is probably also a magic artifact, but its grade should not be as high as the golden pattern pendant. It should only be a low-grade magic artifact."

Even if it were just a low-grade magic weapon, he would still find it difficult to break it when activated by a cultivator at the Candle Illumination Realm.

"Junior Brother Lin, stop wasting your time. The gap in cultivation is there; it can't be bridged just by trying." He Bao took a step forward, his face trembling.

As the opponent approached step by step, Lin Mo retreated step by step.

Tonight's opportunity was rare, and he refused to give it up easily, wanting to try again.

hum!

He simultaneously mobilized the qi and blood within his body, as well as the spiritual energy in his dantian, intending to fight with all his might.

However, He Bao seemed to have lost his patience. He made a hand seal with one hand, and his expression became extremely serious.

Two bright yellow flames rose up in He Bao's pupils.

He activated his life fire, and the power of the spell he cast was greatly amplified.

boom!

In an instant, Lin Mo felt the earth shake around him, and the hard rocky ground beneath his feet suddenly became soft for some reason.

not good!

Lin Mo sensed something was wrong, but it was too late.

His legs had somehow sunk into the ground, and the once hard rocks had turned into mud, tightly binding his movements.

Just as he tried to pull himself out, He Bao arrived in front of him and lifted Lin Mo up with his chubby hands.

At that moment, a deep purple streak of light suddenly flashed across the sky.

A strikingly beautiful woman with a commanding presence stood atop a purple banana leaf fan. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she hissed, "Private fights are forbidden in the temple! You two, stop right now!"

"How dare you! Just because you're a direct disciple, you think you're so high and mighty. Get out of here and go to the Hall of Punishments!"

Yang Xiaoran is here!

Almost instantly, He Bao released his grip, threw Lin Mo to the ground, and stopped casting his spell.

Lin Mo fell hard, but he felt a slight sense of relief.

"Senior Sister Yang, my Junior Brother Lin couldn't sleep last night and wanted to spar with me and get some pointers on his magical cultivation. Is it really necessary to make a trip to the Punishment Hall for that?" He Bao said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

However, Yang Xiaoran sneered, put his two fingers together, and a bolt of lightning burst from his fingertips.

Sizzle! Sizzle!

"Enough with the nonsense, Junior Brother He Bao. You don't want to experience what it's like to be struck by lightning, do you?"

Upon hearing this, He Bao, who had been relaxed and carefree just moments before, tensed up slightly and sighed softly, saying, "I wouldn't dare. I'll leave it all to Senior Sister Yang's judgment."

And so, Lin Mo and He Bao were both taken to the Hall of Punishments.

However, both of them were the abbot's personal disciples, and neither of them had committed any serious offenses.

This was just a minor punishment; the two were only locked up for one night before being released.

As dawn approached, Yang Xiaoran personally opened the cell for Lin Mo.

"Well done. Here's your token, I'm returning it to you." Yang Xiaoran placed the dark gold token into Lin Mo's hand.

"Thank you for your trouble, Senior Sister Yang." Lin Mo carefully put the token away.

He guessed that the Hall of Punishments had likely used this token to sneak into the abbot's private medicinal herb field tonight.

I don't know what tricks they used, but there were so many things that could be done in just one night.

"The abbot won't be away from the mountain for too long; he might return as early as next month."

"At that time, he will probably start to force you to grow too fast."

"Master the Stone Skin Technique as soon as possible. The sooner you master it, the more time you'll have left."

Lin Mo nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "I want a complete Earth Crystal Core. Does Elder Punishment have one?"

Yang Xiaoran raised an eyebrow and said, "A complete Earth Crystal Core is quite valuable; it's a treasure that can be used as the main material for refining high-grade magic weapons. Even if I had one, why should I give it to you?"

"I can exchange some spiritual herbs that can improve blood circulation and strengthen the body's foundation, and I also have some spirit stones on hand."

"Not nearly enough!" Yang Xiaoran shook his head and rejected Lin Mo again.

...