Oh no! I've been reincarnated as a corpse!

As usual, Lu You first took a bath in the pool.

The moonlight shimmered on the water's surface. He submerged himself completely, leaving only his head above water, feeling the cool water flow over his skin.

Although as a zombie he neither sweats nor gets dirty, he always feels uncomfortable if he doesn't take a bath.

This is probably one of the few habits he carried over from his previous life.

After taking a bath, he changed into the linen clothes he had bought from Dazhu's father and left the valley.

I have two purposes for going out tonight.

First, it's a routine outing, a few strolls around the mountains to get some fresh air.

Secondly, we need to confirm whether those demons have really left. We don't want him to think that everything is peaceful, only to run into a second-realm wolf demon one day when he goes out.

Under the moonlight, Lu You darted swiftly through the forests and mountains, his figure as fast as a shadow flying close to the ground.

The night wind whistled past his ears, making his hair and clothes flutter.

This feeling of freedom, of being able to go wherever he wants, is one of the few happy moments he experiences each day.

He spent nearly three hours carefully exploring the area within a radius of dozens of miles around the valley.

There was nothing there.

Clearly, those demons did indeed retreat.

Lu You completely relaxed.

After taking a stroll around, Lu You returned to his cave and took out the array flags he had previously taken from the wolf demon's treasure vault from his storage bag.

Flags of all sizes were laid out all over the ground.

Some were entirely black with silver patterns, some were fiery red and radiated a slight heat, and some were icy blue and felt cold to the touch.

There are many types of battle flags, and their quality varies.

Based on the knowledge of array patterns he had learned during the day, Lu You examined and identified each one one by one.

He picked up a battle flag, carefully examined the runes on it, and then compared it with the records in the "New Moon Qi Induction Chapter" in his mind to determine its purpose and grade.

He quickly selected a complete formation from them: the Minor Five Elements Bewildering Formation.

The main function of this formation is to conceal one's aura and confuse perception, making it difficult for external divine senses to penetrate.

Although it lacks both offensive and defensive capabilities, it is precisely what is most practical for him at the moment.

Following the arrangement method recorded in "The New Moon's Qi-Inducing Chapter", he carried the array flag and ran back and forth in the valley.

One was planted behind a boulder on the east side of the valley, another in the bushes on the west side, and yet another under an old tree by the pool...

The five array flags were placed in specific positions and at specific intervals, forming an invisible network that covered the entire valley.

Finally, Lu You took out the matching array plate and embedded a spirit stone.

The moment the formation was activated, an invisible wave spread out from the five formation flags simultaneously, like a transparent veil gently enveloping the entire valley.

The fluctuations quickly subsided.

From the outside, the valley still looks like the same valley, but if a cultivator uses their divine sense to explore it, their perception will be distorted.

Standing in the center of the valley, Lu You felt the faint fluctuations of the array and couldn't help but smile.

It became.

From now on, cultivators at least at the first or second realm will not be able to use their divine sense to peer into his valley from a great distance.

In fact, Lu You also had a proper defensive formation, which was of a higher grade than the Minor Five Elements Bewildering Formation. Once activated, it could form a solid spiritual energy shield to resist external attacks.

But after thinking about it, he didn't make any arrangements.

To him, this valley was a cave dwelling, but there was actually nothing inside.

There were no spiritual veins, no mineral deposits, and no rare medicinal herbs; the only valuable things he had were in the storage bag on his person.

If he were to encounter any insurmountable danger, he would rather don the veil of darkness and slip away than foolishly stay here and rely on the formation to withstand it.

The formation is static, but people are dynamic.

Oh, no, that's not right either. He's a zombie, but essentially he's dead...

It doesn't matter anymore.

In addition, activating the defensive formation requires a considerable amount of spirit stones.

Although he has amassed quite a few spirit stones from the treasure vault, they didn't come out of thin air; he tries to save every little bit he can.

The Lesser Five Elements Maze Array consumes far less energy; one spirit stone is enough for it to operate for quite some time.

An array that conceals one's presence is sufficient for him for now.

In the days that followed, Qinglin Mountain returned to its long-lost tranquility.

Lu You lived a peaceful and regular life.

During the day, he would stay in the cave studying the "New Moon Qi Induction Chapter," delving into everything from the profound meaning of the cultivation techniques to the array runes and other aspects, bit by bit.

In the evenings, he would sit cross-legged on the stone bed and cultivate peacefully.

With the blessing of the withered branches of the laurel tree, even though Lu You's cultivation was not particularly diligent, and he was sometimes so lazy that he would rather lie on the stone bed and stare at the ceiling than cultivate, his cultivation level was still steadily improving at an astonishing speed.

The yin energy within his body grew stronger day by day, and the strength of his physical body also increased accordingly, bringing him closer and closer to becoming a perfect living corpse.

The only problem is that it's too boring.

Studying the "New Moon Qi-Inducing Chapter" and taking the opportunity to pet the animals that came to drink at the pond were some of his few forms of entertainment.

He even started to miss the days when he worked overtime in his previous life.

At least back then he could complain to his colleagues about the client, but now he doesn't even have anyone to complain to.

Every time this happens, he slaps himself.

How could I be so damn shameless?!

He had also visited Xiahe Village several times, squatting far away by the farmland, watching the smoke rising from the chimneys and the figures of people in the village.

In the end, he still didn't see Nangong Yi.

That martial arts master with thick eyebrows and big eyes has never returned since he left last time.

Yes, sometimes that's how it is for empty-nest elderly.

…………

That night, the moonlight was as clear as water.

Lu You slowly opened his eyes, and a faint silver light flashed briefly in the depths of his pupils before disappearing.

He exhaled a breath of cold, foul air, which condensed into a small cloud of white mist in the air.

The white mist sank down and landed on the edge of the stone bed, instantly condensing into a thin layer of frost.

He's getting closer and closer to the perfection of the Living Corpse realm. He estimates that in another ten days to half a month, he'll be able to touch that bottleneck.

It's time to find the shell powder of the armored centipede.

During this time, he explored almost the entire Qinglin Mountain area but did not find any trading areas for the demon race.

Lu You guessed that this might be related to the wolf demon's cave.

The entire Green Forest Mountain is essentially the territory of that Crimson Wolf Demon General.

All the demons in the mountains are either its direct subordinates in its cave or external forces that are dependent on it.

Even if there is any demand for transactions, it will most likely be handled within the wolf demon's cave, and a public market will not be formed outside.

Lu You naturally couldn't just swagger into the wolf demon's cave to make a deal with them.

So he had to change his approach.

Let's try our luck in the human cultivators' trading area.

After all, with the Taiyin Huishuo Sha in place, he could easily hide inside and search for the armored centipede's shell powder.

The only problem now is that he doesn't know where the trading area for human cultivators is.

We can only search slowly.

Leaving the cave, Lu You transformed into a shadowy figure and vanished silently into the night.

He quickly left Qinglin Mountain and arrived at the edge of the farmland outside Xiaohe Village.

A night breeze rustled through the fields, making the crops whisper softly.

The village of Xiahe in the distance was quiet under the moonlight, with only a few houses having dim lights shining from their windows.

He followed the path through the farmland and soon turned onto the official road connecting Xiahe Village to the outside world.

The official road was made of rammed earth, and the surface was relatively smooth. Wild grass, about half a person's height, grew on both sides, rustling in the night wind.

Lu You walked along the official road, heading away from Xiaohe Village.

Perhaps it was because Xiahe Village was so remote that the roadsides were severely overgrown with weeds.

After walking for half an hour, all that could be seen were vast stretches of wilderness and scattered woodlands, without even a decent village in sight.

Lu You wasn't in a hurry. After all, he was a living corpse, so walking at night was just like taking a stroll for him.

The moonlight shone on the dirt road, casting his shadow long and thin.

Occasionally, night birds would fly overhead, uttering a few strange cries before quickly disappearing into the depths of the night.

After walking for a long time, the outline of a small town finally appeared in front of us.

The city wall was pitifully low, only about two or three meters high, made of rammed earth, with a pitted and uneven surface, and weeds growing in some places.

It was less a city wall and more a thickened earthen enclosure.

Two torches were planted at the city gate, their flickering flames illuminating the gate opening with alternating light and shadow.

Two soldiers dressed in simple leather armor, holding spears, leaned against the sides of the city gate, dozing off, their heads nodding.

Lu You could smell an extremely rich aroma of blood and flesh from afar.

That was the life force emanating from hundreds or thousands of living people gathered together.

His throat bobbed involuntarily as he swallowed.

It smells so good!

Slurp~~

There were so many humans inside that the aroma of living flesh and blood was so strong it almost solidified.

Just standing at this distance, the bloodthirsty impulse in his heart began to stir.

Lu You patted her face expressionlessly, making two crisp sounds, forcing herself to look away.

You can't go in.

Given his current state, he might be controlled by his bloodthirsty inner demons once he goes inside.

At that point, they might not even be able to buy anything; they'll probably just be busy eating a big meal.

It's better to stay away.

He bypassed the small town and continued along the main road.

As the rich aroma of blood and qi gradually faded, the restlessness in his heart also subsided.

Not long after they started walking, Lu You suddenly sensed a strong fluctuation of spiritual energy ahead.

That spiritual energy is different from the naturally diffused spiritual energy between heaven and earth; it is more concentrated and more complex.

He looked in the direction from which the spiritual energy was coming from, somewhat puzzled.

In the darkness of night, lights flickered faintly on a distant plain.

It wasn't the scattered, dim lights of a small town, but rather patches of bright, multicolored light.

Lu You's curiosity was immediately piqued, and she quickened her pace to head in that direction.

Soon, he could see what the area looked like.

It was a market.

The market was brightly lit, with various lights reflecting each other. Some were spirit lamps hanging on the stalls, some were the halos emanating from the magic treasures themselves, and some were the spiritual light generated when the formation was in operation.

From a distance, it looks like a fragment of a starry river that has fallen onto a plain.

Lu You stopped in the darkness and hid behind a huge rock by the roadside, observing the market from afar.

Inside the market, figures moved back and forth. Some wore Taoist robes and carried long swords, some were dressed in tight-fitting clothes and exuded vitality, and some were wrapped in cloaks so that their faces could not be seen.

He sensed strong fluctuations of spiritual energy or blood energy emanating from these figures, ranging in intensity from the first to the second realm.

They were all cultivators.

This is a trading market for monks!

Lu You's eyes lit up.

I didn't expect to be so lucky; I found the trading area for human cultivators so quickly!

But upon closer reflection, it makes sense.

There's a main road leading out of Xiahe Village, and the market is right next to it. You're sure to find it if you just follow the main road.

It seems that the boundaries between the lives of human cultivators and ordinary people are not so clear.

The reason why Xiahe Village was able to get Nangong Yi to exorcise the demon was probably because of this.

Let's go in and see what's going on inside first!

With a thought, Lu You felt a fragment of the Taiyin Huishuo Sha from his sea of ​​consciousness float out.

An invisible veil of darkness enveloped him from head to toe.

Lu You's figure disappeared into the night, along with all his aura, warmth, and presence, all of which were completely erased from the world at that moment.

He strode off, swaggering towards the monks' market.

Two gatekeepers stood at the market entrance. Judging from their aura, they were martial arts masters of the first realm, with abundant blood and energy and sharp eyes. They were scanning the flow of people coming and going with their arms crossed.

Lu You stood right in front of them, no more than two steps away.

The two guards kept their eyes straight ahead and were completely unaware of his presence.

Lu You passed between the two people and entered the market.

Stepping through the market gate, a wide road stretches straight ahead.

The road was paved with smooth bluestone slabs, and the two sides were densely packed with stalls.

Each stall had a lantern hanging in front of it. Some were paper lanterns with a fluorescent stone embedded in them, some had a glowing bead, and others simply had a few glowing sticks stuck in the four corners of the stall.

The lights of various colors intertwined, illuminating the entire street as bright as day.

The stall owners are enthusiastically hawking their wares.

"Fresh Ironbone Grass! Just picked this morning, its spiritual energy hasn't dissipated yet! Three spirit stones for one plant, ten spirit stones for three plants!"

"A complete hide of a first-tier demonic beast, the Fire-Patterned Python! Excellent material for crafting inner armor. Don't miss it!"

"Qi-restoring pills! Ten pills per bottle, quality guaranteed! A must-have for demon hunting, only fifteen spirit stones!"

"Fragments of battle flags! Unearthed from ancient ruins. Those who don't know their value shouldn't touch them; only those who do!"

Lu You quietly approached a stall and looked down at the items on display.

The goods sold were a mixed bag, with each stall piled high with all sorts of monster materials, ores, and herbs.

It's obvious at a glance that most of these stall owners are independent practitioners who sell whatever they have, with no product category planning whatsoever.

Only a few stalls specifically displayed pills and talismans, and the stall owners were dressed more respectably; they were either disciples of a small sect or professional cultivators skilled in alchemy and talisman making.

Customers in front of the stall chattered and bargained with the stall owner, arguing heatedly over a few spirit stones.

"Boss, this Ironbone Grass is wilted, and you still dare to ask for three spirit stones? Two is the most you can offer!"

"What do you know? The wilting is what makes them wild! Those that look perfectly normal are mass-produced in medicinal fields; their medicinal efficacy is far inferior! Three pieces, no bargaining!"

"The edges of this fire-patterned python skin are charred. Could you be more careful when you skin it? I can only offer eight spirit stones for this quality."

"Just cut off the charred parts, right? There's enough left to make an inner armor piece! Ten pieces, take it or leave it!"

Lu You stood to the side, watching these cultivators argue over a few spirit stones, and found it strangely amusing.

This scene was similar to watching people haggle at a night market in his past life.

However, what they're cutting down here isn't clothes and fruit, but all sorts of rare and precious materials that can be used for cultivation and combat.

I must say, it has a real, down-to-earth feel to it.

He turned his gaze away and began to carefully wander among the various stalls, searching for what he wanted.

The carapace of the armored centipede, or pre-ground carapace powder.

According to the "New Moon Qi-Inducing Chapter", the Ironclad Centipede is a first-level demon beast, whose entire body is covered with a hard black carapace, making it extremely defensive.

Its shell, once ground into powder, can be used as an auxiliary material for corpse cultivators during their breakthroughs, helping the Yinming Cold Iron to better fuse with the corpse.

Lu You walked from the market entrance all the way in, looking at each stall one by one.

He rummaged through the piles of monster materials again and again, and searched through the piles of ores and herbs.

Some stalls had piles of goods like small mountains, and he had to go around to the side to see what was underneath.

The result disappointed him somewhat.

After looking at dozens of stalls, I didn't even see a trace of the armored centipede's carapace.

Lu You withdrew his gaze and strode deeper into the market.

If you can't find any stalls outside, maybe you can find some inside.

After all, the armored centipede isn't a particularly rare monster; it's impossible that there aren't any in the entire market, right?