Uncle Nine: Scattering beans to create soldiers? I'm using plants and trees to create soldiers.

Two locations!

Two corpses!

They all used similar methods to corrupt items imbued with divine power.

Within a single day, he witnessed two such incidents near Renjia Town!

For a moment, Lin Xuan's heart was also in his throat.

Are there any other places like this hidden near Renjia Town?

What exactly are these evil cultists plotting behind this? How many of them are there? How vast is their influence?!

Have they already set their sights on me?!

Lin Xuan looked at the surging crowd at the dock, his brows furrowed.

Master has not yet returned.

But he unknowingly stumbled into a 'world-shaking scheme' set up by the evil cultivators!

Lin Xuan was unsure of the opponent's strength.

The fact that the other party could set up such a scheme near Beiqing River is something that no ordinary Taoist priest could do!

He might even be much stronger than he is now!

A series of thoughts flashed through Lin Xuan's mind.

An unprecedented sense of urgency rose in his heart.

He absolutely must improve his strength as soon as possible!

Only in this way can we deal with the situation that is about to unfold!

Lin Xuan withdrew his gaze and looked into the distance along the river, silently praying in his heart.

Master—

Please come back soon.

This disciple really needs you this time!

slam-la-

The sound of water pulled Lin Xuan back from his turbulent thoughts.

Two aquatic soldiers, one on each side, supported the stone tortoise sculpture and waded across the river to the side of the Dharma boat.

They lifted the tortoise stone sculpture onto the boat and then placed the iron chains aside.

The heavy stone sculpture landed on the deck with a dull thud.

Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai immediately surrounded them.

The two circled the black tortoise stone sculpture twice, finding it increasingly strange.

"Why are there so many marks on this thing?"

Qiu Sheng pointed to a deep mark on the black tortoise's shell, his brows furrowing. "Look here, and here too, it looks like it was made by being bound with iron chains for a long time."

Wencai squatted down beside it, carefully looking at the broken iron chain.

"Could this chain be the one used to bind it?"

As he spoke, he glanced at the skeletal water ghost beside the boat, his face paling as he swallowed hard. "Could the object of your bondage be this skeleton?!"

"I think that's possible!" Qiu Sheng stroked his chin and nodded. "This person must have offended someone before he died, which is why he was tied with such heavy stones and thrown into the river!"

"That's right! That's why this thing's resentment lingers, turning into a water ghost to harm people in Renjia Town!" Wencai echoed.

Just as the two were discussing, the sound of oars cutting through the water came from the river.

Chen Bingwen steered his French boat closer.

As soon as the ship got close, he lightly touched the ground with his feet and leaped up from the bow, landing steadily on the magic ship where Lin Xuan was.

"Fellow Daoist Lin..."

Just as Chen Bingwen was about to speak, his gaze was drawn to the black tortoise stone carving on the deck.

He stared at the stone sculpture, his expression suddenly changing. "This aura..."

The next second, Chen Bingwen's expression tensed up instantly.

He sensed a familiar, chilling aura emanating from the black tortoise stone carving!

That was the aura of an early-stage sorcerer water ghost that he had sensed on the river earlier!

The water ghost wasn't eliminated?! It's still hiding inside this black tortoise statue?!

Chen Bingwen subconsciously took a half step back, his hand already reaching for the magic weapon at his waist.

But soon he stopped moving.

Although the aura of the water ghost was still there, there was no sign of it leaking out and causing harm.

The other party just shrunk listlessly inside the stone sculpture, as if suppressed by some kind of force, and dared not move at all.

Chen Bingwen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems that this water ghost has been subdued by Fellow Daoist Lin!

"Senior Brother, look!"

Suddenly, Qiu Sheng's exclamation rang out.

"There are words on this stone carving!"

Qiu Sheng pointed to the side of the black tortoise stone carving and turned to look at Lin Xuan.

"Huh?!" Lin Xuan's attention was drawn to it.

He looked in the direction Qiu Sheng pointed and saw that the side of the black tortoise stone carving was covered with messy scratches.

Those scratches are deeply etched into the surface of the stone.

In some places, even a layer of stone has been forcibly removed.

Lin Xuan crouched down and leaned closer to examine it carefully.

The scratches are very messy.

It was as if the person who carved the marks had no reason, driven only by resentment, scratching the stone carving again and again.

Even so, Lin Xuan could still vaguely make out a character from those messy carvings.

【Wood】.

Lin Xuan's gaze narrowed slightly.

He looked at the carvings on the stone, then turned to look at the right hand of the skeletal water ghost.

The index finger of the skeleton's right hand had been worn away by a large part of it.

The rough and broken ends of the joints are clearly the result of years of friction and scratching on the stone surface.

Lin Xuan's heart stirred.

It seems that this skeleton harbored a great deal of resentment in its lifetime.

Even after death, when he was bound to a stone tortoise sculpture, his fingers continued to carve someone's name.

This person surnamed Mu is very likely the one who killed Bai Gu.

It may also be related to the behind-the-scenes force.

Finally, we have a clue.

Lin Xuan's originally restless heart calmed down a bit because of this clue.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Xuan forcibly suppressed his emotions, and Zhang Nan's image appeared in his mind.

He should ask Zhang Nan about this surname; he might find something useful.

After a moment of contemplation, Lin Xuan pulled himself out of his thoughts.

In any case, we must first resolve the issue with the Beiqing River and restore its operation.

Lin Xuan looked to one side.

At this moment, the two water-armored soldiers had returned to the vicinity of the Dharma ship.

Since there are no more items containing yin or spiritual energy in the nearby river, the mission of these two water-armored soldiers can be considered complete.

Lin Xuan raised his hand and took out a large handful of Yang glutinous rice from his system backpack, placing it on the altar.

The glistening white glutinous rice landed in the center of the yellow cloth altar, faintly gleaming with a warm luster.

Lin Xuan made hand seals and muttered the incantation to send away the soldiers.

"Water Palace troops, return to the altar as ordered."

"Today's hard work will be rewarded by the Water Palace."

"Fragrant rice serves as the starting point, and vital energy is the nourishment."

"Send the soldiers back to their posts, so be it!"

As the incantation ended, the glutinous rice on the altar trembled slightly.

Strands of essence, barely perceptible to the naked eye, were extracted from the glutinous rice, transforming into a faint white light that entered the bodies of the two water-armored soldiers.

As the essence was poured in, the bluish-black water armor on the water soldiers shimmered and then slowly dispersed.

The glutinous rice on the altar lost its luster within a few breaths, turning into a handful of fine powder.

slam-la-

Large amounts of water detached from the two water-armored soldiers and fell back into the Beiqing River.

The grass blades that originally made up the armor then swirled and flew back in mid-air.

At the same time, the grass leaves and glutinous rice attached to the walking corpse also detached from the body and flew back to the altar.

The leaves slowly assembled in the air, wrapping the glutinous rice.

Before long, they transformed back into two straw figures, standing quietly on either side of the altar.

As for the zombies, they were now calmly floating on the river surface, drifting with the waves.

A system notification sounded.

[Water Mansion Straw Man Experiences Real Combat, "Straw Soldier" Proficiency +50]

Standing to the side, Chen Bingwen watched as the water soldiers dispersed and as the grass leaves and glutinous rice transformed back into straw figures, and he was deeply moved.

Lin Xuan's straw man technique was completely different from anything he had ever seen before!

He had never seen glutinous rice wrapped in grass leaves before...

But in terms of power, it is far superior to ordinary straw men!

The grass leaves and glutinous rice not only have the effect of suppressing corpses, but can also maintain the strength of the Water Palace troops by replenishing the glutinous rice!

Chen Bingwen couldn't help but cup his hands in admiration and exclaimed, "Fellow Daoist Lin's cultivation is profound, and his methods are even more wondrous. Such straw soldiers are something I have never heard of before. Today, I have truly broadened my horizons."

"Fellow Daoist Chen, you flatter me. My skills are meager and not worth mentioning!"

Lin Xuan simply shook his head slightly and said in a calm tone.

Minor means...

If this is considered a minor tactic, then what's the difference between his tricks and folk acrobatics?!

He originally planned to set up an altar to assist Lin Xuan today, but unexpectedly, he not only failed to help but also hindered him.

Thinking of this, Chen Bingwen blushed.

Lin Xuan's gaze then returned to the corpses on the river.

Although the corpses were no longer moving, the Corpse Soul Vine within them had not yet been reclaimed.

Lin Xuan raised his left hand, held the Yin Toad in his palm in front of him, and gently touched its head with his fingertips.

"Little thing~~"

"Can you manipulate the corpse spirit vines within those corpses and retrieve them all?"

The toad lay in his palm, its two little eyes blinking.

Then, it actually nodded its head.

With a slight bulge in its belly, the Yin Toad swayed gently and emerged from Lin Xuan's palm.

Then, with a push of its hind legs, it nimbly jumped onto Lin Xuan's shoulder.

The Yin Toad rested on Lin Xuan's shoulder, its throat pouch slowly bulging.

The next moment, a strange croaking sound rang out.

"Coo-quack-quack"

The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to spread across the river surface with some kind of invisible ripple.

wow-

slam-la-

On the river, the floating corpses suddenly began to twitch slightly.

Immediately afterwards, black vines emerged from the corpse's mouth and nose.

At first, there were only a few strands.

But soon, the vines, like an out-of-control black waterfall, poured out densely from the corpse's seven orifices and chest and abdominal wounds.

They twisted and tangled, breaking through the waves, swimming towards the direction of the French boat.

In an instant, the clear river surface was dyed black!

The scene was so eerie it sent chills down your spine.

Qiu Sheng's expression changed, and he subconsciously took a half step back.

Wen Cai almost cried out, quickly covering his mouth, his eyes wide with shock.

Chen Bingwen's expression also changed slightly.

He had just witnessed the power of the Corpse Soul Vine firsthand.

This thing can suppress Dao Qi and even use corpses to haunt things; it is by no means an ordinary evil object!

But now, this ferocious clump of corpse soul vines was obediently summoned back by the call of the Yin Toad on Lin Xuan's shoulder.

Chen Bingwen's gaze toward Yin Chan suddenly held a hint of surprise and doubt.

But then, his gaze shifted to Lin Xuan's back, a complex mix of emotions flashing across his face.

Just moments ago, this Yin Toad was their mortal enemy, wishing it could command the walking corpses to kill them on the spot.

But in the blink of an eye, Lin Xuan had actually subdued it?!

Lin Xuan could even give him orders?!

How did Fellow Daoist Lin manage to do that?

Could it be that, besides Taoist magic, he also has the ability to tame beasts—no, I mean, insects?

Chen Bingwen was secretly astonished, but he could only swallow back all the questions that were swirling in his mind.

Don't ask what you shouldn't ask.

The Corpse Soul Vine quickly climbed onto the magic ship.

The wet, black vines reached in from the edge of the ship's gunwale like tentacles, making a teeth-grinding squeak.

Instead of running around aimlessly, they all gathered in front of the altar.

One strand is wrapped around another, one circle around another.

Before long, a black vine ball the size of a washbasin condensed in front of the altar.

The surface of the rattan ball was still wriggling slightly, constantly contracting inward, making a "crunching" sound.

Hearing that chilling sound, Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai felt their scalps tingle and quickly hid far away.

Even Chen Bingwen, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but take a small step back.

Of the people present, only Lin Xuan remained calm.

He looked at the clump of corpse-soul vines in front of the altar and nodded in satisfaction. "Good job, little guy."

Then Lin Xuan raised his hand and gently stroked the Yin Chan's head twice.

The toad perched on his shoulder, its throat pouch bulging as if enjoying the praise.

Lin Xuan looked at its appearance and a smile appeared on his lips.

"Since you're so capable, how about I give you a name?"

"Croak?!"

The toad let out a cry, blinked its eyes, and tilted its head to look at Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan lowered his head slightly in thought for a moment, then spoke.

"Since you agree, then from now on I'll call you... Xiao Jin!"

The voice just fell.

Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai stumbled at the same time and almost fell on the deck.

Wen Cai stared wide-eyed at Lin Xuan with a look of utter disbelief, then at the black toad on his shoulder that was as black as coal.

"Senior Brother, I'm not trying to be nosy."

"This toad is clearly black, why did you name it Little Gold?"

"How does it have anything to do with gold?!"

Qiu Sheng looked at Yin Chan, then at his senior brother, with a strange expression on his face.

Even Chen Bingwen, who was standing next to him, was visibly stunned for a moment after hearing these words.

The black toad is called Little Gold?!

The names aren't exactly unrelated, but they're completely unconnected!

"What do you know?" Lin Xuan said calmly, his expression unchanged. "I named it Little Gold in the hope that it will evolve from a Yin Toad into a Golden Toad. It's an encouragement, and also a vision!"

Wen Cai opened his mouth, but for a moment he couldn't find the words to refute.

Qiu Sheng secretly gave a thumbs up. It has to be the senior brother. Even with such a common name, he can still find a good excuse!

At this moment, Chen Bingwen coughed lightly and nodded very seriously.

"Fellow Daoist Lin is right!"

"When Yin reaches its extreme, Yang is born; when Yin toad transforms into Golden Toad, this name subtly captures the meaning of metamorphosis, which is indeed fitting."

"Great name!!!"

Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai turned their heads in unison to look at Chen Bingwen.

Those eyes clearly conveyed a few words.

Friend, are you serious?

Chen Bingwen kept his eyes straight ahead, his expression upright.

However, his hands under his sleeves tightened slightly involuntarily, his heart pounded, and a flush rose on his face.

In all honesty, Chen Bingwen has dedicated his life to fighting evil and upholding justice. He has always been stubborn and unyielding, rarely flattering others, and has absolutely no idea how to praise people subtly.

But after witnessing Lin Xuan's extraordinary abilities today, he truly wants to befriend this fellow Daoist!

So he had to grit his teeth and praise her even if it meant it!

Lin Xuan gave Chen Bingwen an approving look, "Fellow Daoist Chen has insight!"

"Fellow Daoist Lin flatters me." Chen Bingwen's lips twitched slightly as he forced a blush and returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

"Coo-caw—"

Little Jin perched on Lin Xuan's shoulder, nodding its head up and down, seemingly quite pleased with the name.

It seems to believe that it will evolve into one of the golden toads in the future!

Lin Xuan carefully collected the corpse-soul vines in front of the altar, and then had Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai fetch the fishing nets from the boat to gather all the corpses on the river.

After the corpses were pulled away by the Corpse Soul Vine, they completely lost their support, their flesh withered and became light and airy.

The group worked together to drag the body to the back of the boat.

The two boats, one after the other, slowly approached the shore.

The oars parted the river water, creating ripples in circles.

Soon, the ship reached the shore.

When those gruesome corpses were presented to the crowd, everyone's expression changed.

"My God!! These corpses are terrifying! How come they're all just skin and bones?! What has devoured their flesh and blood?!"

"Master Lin, where did all these corpses come from?! How did they suddenly appear?!"

"Has everything been cleaned up in the river? Hopefully, there weren't any fish that escaped like last time?!"

"Master Lin is truly amazing! Not only did he defeat the water ghost, but he also dealt with the hidden danger! Incredible!!"

"..."

Just as Lin Xuan was about to answer the people's questions, his eyes glanced at the crowd and his gaze sharpened.

Two figures walked out along the main road of the dock. They were tall and dressed in brocade, clearly different from the others.

One of them was holding a scroll of bamboo slips in his hand.

Lin Xuan focused his gaze on the bamboo slips, and the panel appeared accordingly.

【Yuandun Precious Scroll】

[Quality: Green]

[This ancient, secret bamboo scroll, crafted from century-old bitter bamboo, is inscribed with virtuous scriptures. However, it is actually a malevolent artifact used to nurture rampant ghosts, having been repeatedly refined by vengeful spirits, malevolent energy, and evil influences!]

[Entries: "The Art of Military Training", "The Precious Record of Green Wood"]

......

"The Precious Scroll of Perfect Enlightenment?"

"Which sect of heretical cultivators is this?"

Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly.