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

"Master?!"

Upon seeing Uncle Nine, Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai were both stunned.

"Master, what brings you here?!"

"Could it be that you were worried about us, so you followed us all the way here?!"

Wen Cai blinked and couldn't help but ask.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Sheng's expression stiffened slightly, and he felt inexplicably uneasy.

Could it be that Master really did follow us all this way to check up on us?!

If that's the case, then wouldn't Master have seen everything about how he and Wencai were completely bewitched by the female ghost?

Thinking of this, Qiu Sheng suddenly felt his face burning.

But then, Qiu Sheng seemed to realize something, and his heart skipped a beat when he caught a glimpse of the soul-collecting talisman in Lin Xuan's hand.

Oops!

Before Master left, he clearly instructed his eldest brother to perform a ritual to help the female ghost pass on to the afterlife.

Now, the eldest brother has directly taken Dong Xiaoyu into the talisman.

Could it be that Master appeared specifically because Senior Brother failed to carry out the Master's orders?

No way?

Master usually dotes on Senior Brother so much, he probably wouldn't be willing to punish him severely, right?

At most... at most a few months of solitary reflection?

"division......"

Just as Qiu Sheng was about to speak, Uncle Jiu spoke first, "That female ghost named Xiao Yu, have you subdued her?"

"I've taken it." Lin Xuan nodded upon hearing this and raised the Soul-Collecting Talisman in his hand.

In the center of the pale yellow talisman, a wisp of pale red yin energy was firmly locked by the talisman's patterns.

No matter how the yin energy flowed, it could not escape even a fraction of its power.

"What are you going to do with this female ghost?"

Uncle Nine asked.

"Master, this female ghost's malevolent aura is not strong. I wish to take her back to the mortuary and first use the *Huang Ting Jing* to cleanse the malevolent energy from her soul."

"Once their souls are clear, we will use the method of spirit preservation to refine them into the field-protecting soldiers."

"In this way, we can both save her from being completely destroyed and add a protector to the mortuary and spiritual fields."

Lin Xuan remained calm and spoke honestly.

"Rampant soldiers protecting the fields?"

Wen Cai's eyes lit up immediately.

In his not-so-capable mind, a beautiful image instantly appeared: a graceful figure in a bright red wedding dress standing in front of the mortuary.

During the day, they serve them tea and water, and massage their shoulders and legs.

We open the door to welcome guests in the evening, and sweep and do laundry.

He had even rehearsed in his mind the scene after he woke up in the morning, when the beautiful female ghost would bring him water to wash his face and call out to him in a gentle and sweet voice, "Master Wencai, it's time to wash up."

Thinking of this, Wen Cai could barely contain his drool, and he chuckled to himself as he muttered to himself.

"Oh my, won't our mortuary have a beautiful female ghost guarding the gate from now on? Wouldn't that be wonderful? Hehehe..."

"Bang!"

Before he could finish speaking, Qiu Sheng's face darkened, and he slammed his elbow into Wen Cai's lower back, gritting his teeth and muttering, "Shut up! If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!"

Wencai winced in pain, about to complain, when he met Uncle Jiu's cold gaze.

He shrank back, immediately shut his mouth, and pretended that he hadn't said anything.

Qiu Sheng noticed Uncle Jiu's gaze at this moment, and his heart tightened subconsciously.

He knew that his master liked his eldest brother the most.

However, "playing with ghosts" and "raising ghosts" are evil practices that are strictly forbidden by upright masters.

The eldest brother spoke so bluntly, even using the term "rampant soldiers"...

We're doomed...

Qiu Sheng's heart jumped, his gaze fixed on Uncle Jiu's extremely serious face, his anxiety growing.

The atmosphere seemed to freeze for a moment.

The night wind blew through the cemetery, and the shadows of the trees in the distance swayed, like ghostly hands beckoning in the dark.

However, the next second.

Qiu Sheng's pupils suddenly contracted.

Because he saw a warm smile on Uncle Nine's face.

Qiu Sheng, "??????"

After hearing Lin Xuan's words, Uncle Jiu not only did not get angry, but nodded slightly.

"It is a blessing that this female ghost was chosen by you, Ah Xuan, to be the guardian of the spirit field."

"However, while it's acceptable to train soldiers, the bottom line must not be crossed."

Uncle Nine looked at Lin Xuan, his tone becoming more serious.

"First, one must not use the souls of living people to perform rituals."

"Secondly, we must not tolerate rampant soldiers harming innocent people."

"Third, if there are ghosts whose malevolent energy is hard to dispel and whose obsessions are hard to resolve, it is better to perform a ritual to help them pass on rather than to forcibly keep them."

"Your resolve is firm, and the Yellow Court Classic has cleansed away your impurities, so I feel at ease letting you do it."

"If it were Qiu Sheng or Wen Cai instead..."

As Uncle Nine finished speaking, he glanced at the two of them indifferently.

Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai both shrank their necks at the same time.

"They probably haven't even become ghosts yet, but they've already been bewitched by them and lost their bearings."

Literary talent, "..."

Qiu Sheng, "..."

Those words really hurt.

But neither of them could refute it.

After all, they were almost captivated by Dong Xiaoyu just now.

Uncle Nine looked at Lin Xuan again and said, "Go ahead and do it. If you encounter any obstacles, come to me anytime."

"Yes, Master."

Lin Xuan nodded seriously.

"??????"

Qiu Sheng's eyes widened, his mouth gaped open, and his mind went completely blank.

No?

What happened?!

Didn't Master clearly tell them that the core philosophy of their Taoist sect is the opposition between good and evil, and the lifelong struggle between them?!

The eldest brother is raising ghosts! He's playing with ghosts!!!

Not only do you not care, not only do you not punish, but you even offer to cover for them?!

Are you two planning to form a pincer movement, making it impossible for her to defend herself from both ends?!

"??????"

"Qiu Sheng!!! What are you staring at your teacher for?!"

Just as Qiu Sheng was mentally ranting, Uncle Jiu's authoritative voice rang out.

Qiu Sheng suddenly shuddered, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat, and his face turned pale with fright.

"No, nothing... I mean... Master, you look really, really handsome today..." Qiu Sheng shook his head frantically, his heart pounding like a drum.

Uncle Nine snorted coldly, seemingly seeing through his little scheme, and reprimanded him.

"The reason I had your eldest brother refine the Protector of the Fields is because your eldest brother has profound roots and a firm Dao heart. Not only will he not be affected by evil things, but he can also easily cleanse the filth on ghosts."

"The monstrous soldiers that ordinary people would avoid at all costs can, in the hands of your eldest brother, protect fields, ward off evil, uphold righteousness, and defend against evil!"

"Furthermore, for these wandering ghosts, being cleansed of their malevolence and transformed into guardian soldiers of the fields, spared from the torment of the underworld, isn't that a blessing for them?! Hmm?!"

Uncle Nine stared intently at Qiu Sheng, his gaze seemingly able to pierce through his soul and strip away all the filthy thoughts in his heart.

"Yes, Master is right. This disciple thinks... it's alright..."

Qiu Sheng nodded heavily, and the thought of dissent in his mind quickly receded like a tide.

But he didn't dare say the last thing he muttered aloud.

He had to admit that although Uncle Nine's words were hypocritical, they were indeed reasonable!

It's because he himself has a narrow perspective that he misunderstood his senior brother's noble sentiments.

Beside him, Uncle Nine gave Qiu Sheng a deep look, shaking his head and sighing inwardly.

They're both apprentices, so why is there such a big difference between them?

Then, he turned his gaze to the little goldfish on Lin Xuan's shoulder.

At this moment, Little Jin was squatting on Lin Xuan's shoulder, its golden-black eyes half-closed, looking like an inconspicuous little toad.

But Uncle Nine, who was in the shadows, clearly saw the entire process of Xiao Jin's attack.

That croaking of the frog was not the cry of an ordinary beast, but a strange, soul-piercing sound that struck straight to the soul!

With a bang, the ghostly energy surrounding Dong Xiaoyu was shaken and scattered.

Combined with the Golden-Patterned Soul-Suppressing Vine that binds and locks the soul, it gives the ghost almost no chance to escape.

One attacks the soul, the other binds the body.

One disturbs the mind, the other locks the body.

The two together seem to be specifically designed to suppress evil spirits and ghosts.

In particular, the golden light on the Golden-Patterned Soul-Suppressing Vine, though not as smooth as that of a real magic weapon, is more agile and swift, and there is a considerable amount of it.

Once ordinary ghosts and spirits are stunned by Xiao Jin's soul sound, it is as difficult as ascending to heaven for them to escape from the Soul-Suppressing Vine.

Uncle Nine nodded almost imperceptibly and spoke.

"Ah Xuan, you've raised this Yin Toad very well!"

"The Yin Toad's soul sound, combined with the Golden-Patterned Soul-Suppressing Vine, makes it difficult for ordinary ghosts to escape."

Hearing Uncle Nine's praise, Little Gold's throat pouch swelled up slightly, "Goo-goo." A touch of human pride appeared on its face.

But then Uncle Nine changed the subject, saying, "However, although the golden light of these vines can suppress evil spirits, they have not yet been truly refined into magical artifacts."

"If we had encountered a heretical cultivator skilled in fire magic, swords, or escape techniques, we might not have achieved the same results as today."

"In future use, do not underestimate the enemy just because you are doing well for a while."

"Disciple understands." Lin Xuan nodded earnestly.

He certainly wouldn't think that the Golden Pattern Soul-Suppressing Vine was invincible just because he easily defeated Dong Xiaoyu.

The combination of Xiao Jin and the Golden-Patterned Soul-Suppressing Vine is indeed extremely effective against Yin spirits and ghosts, but it is ultimately just a set of methods.

If you really encounter a powerful and skilled evil cultivator, they might not just stand there and let the Soul-Suppressing Vine entangle them.

Moreover, the Golden-Patterned Soul-Suppressing Vine is currently only a branch vine.

The true mother plant is still hidden in that ancient tomb whose location is unknown.

Once the mother plant of the Corpse Soul Vine is found and thoroughly purified and transformed, the power of the Golden Pattern Soul-Suppressing Vine will surely reach another level.

These thoughts flashed through Lin Xuan's mind.

His gaze then fell on Uncle Nine.

My master followed me all the way from the mortuary, so he certainly wasn't there to inspect my strength.

Is it...

Is it because of that evil cultivator behind the scenes?

Lin Xuan had a vague suspicion and couldn't help but ask, "Master, why did you come to the back mountain today? Could it be... that you're using us as bait to lure out that evil cultivator behind the scenes?!"

"ah??!"

Before Uncle Nine could speak, Wen Cai's eyes widened, and he exclaimed in a low voice, "I thought Master was worried about us and had come along on his own. Turns out, he was just using us as bait?!"

Qiu Sheng curled his lip. "Don't overestimate yourself."

"What do you mean?" Wen Cai was taken aback.

"You're not even bait," Qiu Sheng glanced at him and said bluntly. "If that evil cultivator was really watching from the shadows, he was definitely watching Senior Brother!"

"As for the two of us..." Qiu Sheng paused, thought seriously for a moment, "we're at most like the bran used to bait the fish."

Wen Cai's face immediately fell. "You're the one who's worthless!"

Even if I am chaff, you are the least valuable one in the bunch.

"Qiu Sheng, if you don't speak, no one will think you're mute!"

"I knew it! Besides! Master wasn't secretly protecting you, he was protecting our eldest brother!"

Wen Cai's face immediately fell. "Qiu Sheng, you...you have no heart!!!"

"Oh—" Qiu Sheng turned his head away indifferently, completely ignoring Wen Cai.

Upon seeing this, Wencai was so angry that he wanted to turn over on the spot.

Uncle Nine looked at the two arguing and a helpless expression flashed across his face.

But then his gaze turned to Lin Xuan, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

It has to be Ah Xuan; my eldest disciple is indeed clever, he immediately figured out the key point!

"That's right."

Uncle Nine nodded slowly, his voice also lowering slightly.

"We've made some progress in identifying the evil cultivators behind the scenes."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai immediately stopped arguing.

The two of them turned to look at Uncle Nine.

Under the cover of night, Uncle Nine's expression was much more solemn than before.

"I went out these past two days and tracked down a place where people were using corpses to refine gods."

"The layout there is very large and well-hidden, with arrays covering the outer perimeter. It is clearly an important water vein! If I hadn't carefully investigated, I probably wouldn't have been able to find it."

As Uncle Nine finished speaking, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"I broke through one of the formations, causing the yin energy there to leak out."

"After that, I placed several trigger talismans around the area."

"I was expecting something to happen in a few days, but just now, while you were dealing with that female ghost, there was a sudden fluctuation coming from that location."

"Someone must have approached the outer edge of that layout."

Lin Xuan thought to himself, "Just as I thought," and then asked, "Master, shall we go now?"

"Yes, let's set off as soon as possible." Uncle Nine nodded readily.

"Master, before I leave, I want to go and see the female ghost's grave. I reckon there are the materials I need there."

Lin Xuan spoke up.

"Okay, go ahead," Uncle Nine replied.

Lin Xuan nodded, and was about to turn around when he seemed to remember something, and his gaze fell on the much more imposing tomb not far away.

That place is the tomb of Grandpa Ren Weiyong.

"Master, there's one more thing." Lin Xuan looked in the direction of Ren Weiyong's tomb and said, "There seems to be something wrong with Old Master Ren's tomb as well. I suspect that this tomb may also be related to the practice of refining gods from corpses."

Uncle Nine nodded upon hearing this, but his face did not show much surprise.

As he walked out of the woods, he sensed something unusual about the energy in Old Master Ren's tomb.

He didn't immediately go forward to investigate only because the trigger was suddenly activated.

"There is indeed something wrong with Old Master Ren's grave."

Uncle Nine looked at the tomb, pondered for a moment, and then said...

"However, the methods used in the tomb are not the same as those of those who refine gods from corpses."

"The evil method of refining gods from corpses was relatively mild before."

"The method is like using flesh and blood as a furnace, corpses and evil spirits as fuel, and the intent of law as medicine to slowly refine a pot of evil pills."

"That thing is indeed wicked, but it emphasizes the concept of nurturing."

At this point, Uncle Nine's voice deepened slightly.

"The earthy smell in Ren Weiyong's tomb completely covered the corpse."

"It's not raising corpses, it's suppressing, eroding, and replacing!"

"This method focuses more on curses and amulets."

Uncle Nine glanced into the depths of the mountains and forests.

"This tomb can't be escaped for the time being, but the traces on the trigger talisman won't last long."

"First, capture the person who investigated the formation. After we return, we can open the tomb and take a look."

"I'll listen to Master." Lin Xuan nodded and then walked towards Dong Xiaoyu's grave.

Soon, Lin Xuan discovered several unusual flowers among the weeds by the grave.

Behind the overgrown weeds, a rare flower, no taller than a palm, was quietly growing in the shadows.

The flower's stems and leaves were almost translucent, as if they were formed from condensed moonlight.

A few pale pink petals trembled slightly in the night breeze, and a faint red glow appeared deep within the flower's heart.

A sweet floral fragrance slowly wafts from the flower's stamen.

When I first heard it, I felt a sense of tranquility and joy.

However, if you smell it for too long, you will feel your consciousness gradually become hazy, and your soul will seem to leave your body along with the fragrance.

What's even more peculiar is that the roots of this flower did not grow outwards, but instead all penetrated into Dong Xiaoyu's grave.

The fine roots entwine the yin soil, absorbing the lingering yin energy, incense smoke, and obsessions from the grave.

Even a few wisps of Dong Xiaoyu's escaping soul energy were slowly swallowed into the flower stem by the roots.

The system panel quietly appeared before Lin Xuan's eyes.

【Soul-inducing Flower】

[Quality: White]

Growth Rate: 88%

【Specialties: Nourishing Yin and Soul, Bewitching Fragrance】

[Nourishing the Soul by Absorbing Yin Energy: The roots can absorb the surrounding yin energy, incense smoke, and lingering thoughts. After being cleansed by the flower stem, they transform into a special spiritual energy that nourishes the soul.]

[Bewitching Fragrance: When the flower is in full bloom, it emits a bewitching fragrance that can bewitch the five senses and soul of living beings. The effect depends on the strength of the target's soul.]

Dao Guo: The Bewitching Array

......

Lin Xuan's eyes lit up slightly.

It really is a spiritual plant!

This soul-guiding flower took root beside Dong Xiaoyu's grave, absorbing yin energy, incense offerings, and lingering resentment year after year. It was also nurtured by Dong Xiaoyu's ghostly energy, and over time, it developed a strange fragrance that bewitched souls.

Dong Xiaoyu's ability to bewitch people with the fragrance of flowers is most likely related to this bewitching flower.

Now that Dong Xiaoyu has been captured by the Soul-Collecting Talisman, the Soul-Guiding Flower has lost its soul energy supply. If it continues to stay here, its quality may gradually decline.

If you bring it back to the mortuary, wash away the filth from the grave soil with the well spirit's liquid, and then consecrate it with suitable talismans or soul-power materials...

Perhaps new variants will emerge.

A picture quickly appeared in Lin Xuan's mind.

The Soul-Guiding Flower is planted around the Spirit Field, and its core is transformed into the "Bewitching Array".

The fragrance of flowers permeates the air, bewitching the souls of those who come to them.

The Golden-Veined Soul-Suppressing Vine lurks among the flowers and soil, binding and locking the enemy's soul when they are in a daze.

Then, the refined Dong Xiaoyu and the other soldiers were sent to guard key points.

Bewitching, trapping the enemy, suppressing the soul, and keeping the spirit in place.

The various methods, when combined, form a complete protective array for the fields.

At that time, whether they are mountain spirits or evil cultivators, as long as they dare to approach the spirit field, they will first be confused by the fragrance of flowers, then be entangled by the soul-suppressing vines, and finally be dragged into the formation by the guarding soldiers.

The Soul-Guiding Flower also possesses the quality of nourishing the soul and absorbing yin energy.

This means that it can not only deploy troops, but also assist Lin Xuan in raising his rampaging soldiers.

Even a vengeful spirit like Dong Xiaoyu can be slowly nurtured by the Soul-Guiding Flower to prevent its soul from weakening day by day.

One flower has multiple uses.

This perfectly aligns with his future plan to build a herbal academy.

Lin Xuan was satisfied.

This trip to the back mountain was definitely worthwhile.

Not only did they capture the spirit of a Taoist in his early stages, they also obtained a spiritual plant that could be used to protect fields, nourish souls, and set up formations.

Lin Xuan reached out, and the Dao Qi in his palm gently enveloped the roots of the Soul-Guiding Flower.

The soil loosened slightly.

He carefully removed the several Soul-Guiding Flowers, along with the yin soil around their roots, and stored them in his system inventory.

"Master, I'm all better now."

Lin Xuan returned very quickly.

"Alright, let's go then—"

Uncle Nine nodded slightly, and then his figure disappeared into the darkness.

Lin Xuan led the two towards the distant mountains and forests.

The night was deep, and the mountain road ahead grew increasingly dark.

Lin Xuan felt at ease. With his master protecting him, no matter how rampant the evil cultivator was, he would have to obediently submit to punishment!

I just don't know what items with spiritual significance are in that location?

If we could further improve the quality of the Well God, that would be even better!