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

In the center of Lingxi Village, the rain intensified.

Large raindrops pounded into the muddy water, splashing up layer after layer of murky water.

After the six men in yellow robes emerged from the dark alleyway, they did not immediately proceed, but instead slowly stopped about ten feet away from the dry well.

The leader of the Yellow Heaven Sect, carrying an ancient bronze lamp, squinted and quickly scanned the entire battlefield.

Around the dry well, the array flags that were originally used to block the water veins were now leaning to one side and the other side.

All seven key points of the formation collapsed, and the evil patterns carved on the ground were washed away by the rain into clumps of filthy mud.

After the formation was released, dense Yin energy began to gush out of the dry well.

However, the seven corpses that should have been driven by the formation stood still like seven wooden stakes.

The corpse demons on their bodies had not disappeared, and their pale eyes still radiated ferocity. However, no matter how much rain washed over them, the seven female corpses remained motionless.

Dark golden vines pierced through their wounds, embedding themselves deep within their flesh and bones.

The golden patterns on the surface of the vines flickered, like talismans nailed into the corpses, firmly sealing all the magical apertures within their bodies.

"Has someone taken control of the Seven Mysterious Corpses?"

The incense master's gaze sharpened.

Then he saw four strange infants guarding the other side of the dry well.

The four strange infants lay on their limbs, their bluish-black scales clinging to their bodies, and their enormous heads swaying from side to side from time to time.

They exhaled white steam from their mouths and nostrils, their sharp claws dug deep into the mud, and their murky eyes were fixed on the water vein map in Lin Xuan's hand.

When the leader of the incense shop saw the scales on their bodies, a chilling glint flashed in his eyes.

"As expected, it's a water-grown variety raised by the Li family."

"These things that pounce on the smell of fish are surprisingly quick."

He was no stranger to the Li family's methods.

Although the evil formation set up by Huang Tianjiao in Lingxi Village was hidden, it was centered on the water vein map of the Dragon King Temple, forcibly extracting the spiritual energy of the nearby water veins.

When the formation is complete, the aura of the water vein diagram will naturally not leak out.

But now that the formation has been destroyed and the seal broken, the water vein diagram has once again revealed its energy along the hidden current.

The aquatic creatures raised by the Li family are most sensitive to the aura of the items in the Dragon King Temple, and will inevitably be attracted to them.

The four strange infants in front of us should only be the closest ones.

If the water vein map cannot be retrieved as soon as possible, once the news reaches the Li family, it won't just be four water monsters that haven't fully grown up yet that will arrive later.

The incense master's hand, holding the ancient bronze lamp, tightened slightly.

The watercourse map must never be lost!

This item is not only related to the refining of the Seven Mysterious Corpses, but also to the "Yellow Sprout Divine Embryo" that the sect has been planning for many years.

If he falls into the hands of the Li family, he will definitely not be able to explain himself to the altar master when he returns.

The incense master's gaze passed over the strange infant and the Water Palace's soldiers, finally settling on Lin Xuan.

To be precise, it remained on the water vein map in Lin Xuan's hand.

He didn't act immediately, but instead raised his other hand.

A gray-black scale, the size of a baby's palm, appeared between his fingers at some unknown time.

The scales were covered with fine yellow lines, with sharp edges like knives, and a drop of dark red blood that had long since dried in the center.

The evil energy within the incense burner circulated, and a wisp of dim yellow energy flowed along the fingertips and into the scales.

hum!

The gray-black scales trembled slightly.

One by one, the yellow lines on the surface lit up, emitting a strange fluctuation.

A yellow light simultaneously appeared deep within the throats of the seven female corpses opposite.

The leftmost female corpse's fingers trembled, and her right arm slowly rose.

However, before she could raise her arm halfway, the golden-patterned Soul-Suppressing Vine rooted in the wound on her shoulder suddenly tightened.

laugh!

A dark golden light emanated from its body.

The newly awakened restrictions within the female corpse were instantly suppressed, and her raised arm fell back down.

The other six female corpses didn't even manage to take a single step.

"Croak!"

Little Jin, perched on Lin Xuan's shoulder, stared at the scales in the incense master's hand, its throat slightly bulging.

The golden-patterned Soul-Suppressing Vine within the seven female corpses was activated, and the golden patterns became even brighter.

The scale in the incense master's hand suddenly made a crisp sound.

The surface glowed with an unpredictable yellow light, and a visible crack appeared in the very center.

Seeing this, the incense master's expression darkened slightly, and he immediately withdrew his evil aura.

He could now confirm that the control restrictions left inside Qi Xuan's corpse had not been destroyed, but rather completely suppressed from within by those dark gold "ropes".

The life-sustaining restriction remains, but it cannot function.

If he doesn't remove that "rope" first, even if he holds the life scales of the Seven Mysterious Corpses, he won't be able to regain control of the corpse.

"It can penetrate corpses, seal magical acupoints, and even suppress my sect's life-sustaining techniques..."

"What exactly is this thing?"

A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the incense master.

At first glance, those dark gold objects looked like some kind of corpse-binding rope soaked in talisman water.

But as they tightened inside the woman's corpse, a hint of lush vegetation appeared on their surface.

Could it be... some kind of vine?

Plants and trees should naturally fear the corrosive influence of corpse spirits.

These vines, however, did the opposite. Instead of withering, they used the corpse energy as nourishment, taking root and growing continuously.

This method doesn't seem like a typical orthodox method from any esoteric sect.

"Could this person also be a traitor to some lineage of the Xuanmen (Taoist sect)?"

The incense master raised his head and re-examined Lin Xuan.

Amidst the rain, Lin Xuan stood calmly behind the altar, holding a water vein diagram in one hand and the Three Pure Ones Dharma Bell in the other.

Five water-mansion soldiers were scattered around the dry well.

Shrimp soldiers carried spears, crab generals wielded axes, and three aquatic armor soldiers each guarded their respective areas.

The seemingly loose formation actually protected the Seven Mysterious Corpses, the Water Vein Diagram, and the altar where Lin Xuan was located.

No matter which direction the six members of the Yellow Heaven Sect attack from, they will at least be met with two Water Palace soldiers at the same time.

The incense master sensed the water palace magic power emanating from the soldiers and horses, and his eyebrows twitched.

It is righteous and genuine, without a trace of evil or impure energy!

This aura is something that no evil cultivator could fake.

"The orthodox lineage of the Xuanmen (Taoist sect)?"

"How could a legitimate sect of Xuanmen have nurtured such a demonic vine capable of seizing control of a corpse-refining cultivator?"

His doubts deepened, and then he noticed the Dao Qi fluctuations around Lin Xuan that had not yet completely subsided.

"Mid-stage Taoist?" For the first time, obvious astonishment appeared in the incense master's eyes. "Only mid-stage Taoist?"

The Seven Mysterious Corpses all possess the strength of a mid-stage Taoist priest, and with the support of the Evil Array and the Water Vein Diagram, they can further leverage each other's power.

Even if an ordinary Taoist priest were to encounter this, he would only be able to turn around and run for his life.

The young Taoist priest in front of me was only at the mid-stage of the Taoist realm. Not only did he destroy the evil formation and seize the water vein map, he also managed to completely suppress the Seven Mysterious Corpses.

"If this kid doesn't possess some kind of magical treasure, then he must know some powerful secret technique! If I can capture him, the opportunities he holds will be mine!"

Thinking of this, the incense master took a step forward, and the pale yellow flame in the ancient bronze lamp flickered accordingly.

"A mere mid-stage Taoist priest is able to suppress the Seven Mysterious Corpses of my sect."

"There are some things, though."

His voice cut through the rain, carrying a condescending, scrutinizing tone.

While the incense master was sizing up Lin Xuan, Lin Xuan was also carefully observing their evil artifacts.

[Huangtian Tai Huo Deng]

[Quality: White]

[Description: Cast in Yin copper, with the wicked placenta as the wick, and refined with corpse oil and special yellow clay. When lit, it produces a ghastly yellow flame. This flame is not hot, but it can bypass the physical body and directly burn the soul, magical intent, and protective divine light. With long-term refinement using Yin spirits, a wisp of acquired yellow sprout can be cultivated deep within the wick, serving as the seed for cultivating the evil elixir.]

[Entry: Yellow Sprout Great Method - Remnant, Fetal Fire Erodes the Spirit]

……

【Five Qi Soul-Slaying Bell】

[Quality: White]

[Description: The bell's clasp is forged from bone fragments of five different types of people who died violent deaths, and the body is crafted from brass soaked in the blood of the five internal organs. The bell's sound corresponds to the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys respectively. Each ring draws upon the vital essence of these five organs within the deceased, causing disordered blood and qi, and instability of the soul. Yellow Heaven Sect alchemists often use this bell to extract the vital energy of living people and place it in a furnace to cultivate the Yellow Sprout.]

[Entry: Yellow Sprout Technique - Remnant]

……

[Yellow Clay Evil Embryo Image]

[Quality: White]

[Description: This statue is made primarily of spiritual yellow clay, mixed with placental ash, bone powder, and the vengeful blood of a pregnant woman. The statue's abdomen is hollow, containing a talismanic vessel and a fetal chamber. It can absorb vengeful spirits, corpse energy, the essence of the five internal organs, and incomplete magical intent, nurturing an evil fetus within the statue. Before the evil fetus fully forms, it can serve as a substitute to absorb some of the magic; once mature, it can break free of the statue and transform into a guardian puppet controlled by its master.]

[Entry: Yellow Sprout Technique - Remnant]

……

Besides these three items, the evil artifacts in the hands of the other individuals also bore similar inscriptions.

These evil artifacts are mostly of white quality.

Especially the Yellow Heavenly Flame Lamp in the hands of the chief incense master, whose name even shimmered with a faint green light.

Looking at the description of the evil artifact on the panel, Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly, and a strong killing intent flashed by.

These heretical practitioners deserve to die!!

Every magical artifact before me was soaked in the blood of mortals; it was extremely evil!

Heaven knows how many mortals these evil cultivators killed in order to create these evil artifacts!

In addition, what puzzled Lin Xuan was that these magical artifacts all contained entries for the "Yellow Sprout Great Law - Remnant".

The term "yellow sprout" originally refers to a symbol used in Taoist internal alchemy practice.

Internal alchemy practitioners often use the human body as a furnace, essence, qi, and spirit as medicine, and divine will to control the heat. They also use names such as lead and mercury, dragon and tiger, and Kan and Li to metaphorically represent the rising and falling interaction of yin and yang qi within the body.

When a practitioner's mind and body are calm and still, the heart fire descends and the kidney water ascends, and the yin and yang energies converge within the body, a wisp of initial vitality may emerge from the state of emptiness and stillness.

This glimmer of life was called "yellow bud".

It is not a real sprout of grass or tree, but rather a metaphor for the initial emergence of innate vitality, like a sprout breaking through the soil.

Its essence can be regarded as a point of "primordial Qi" that appears after the fusion of essence, energy and spirit, and it is also the initial mechanism of the elixir before the inner elixir is formed.

Once the yellow sprout is formed, it is equivalent to the initial medicinal seedling of the inner elixir, and also the foundation for the formation of the elixir in the future.

The cultivator must use their divine will as fire to continuously nurture it, allowing it to gradually grow from a tiny spark of life until its spirit is full and its medicinal power is mature, only then can it become a true "great medicine" to promote the subsequent formation of the elixir.

However, it is clear that these heretical practitioners have misused orthodox Taoist magic to create these evil magical artifacts.

Just as Lin Xuan was pondering this in secret,

Seeing that Lin Xuan did not answer for a long time, the incense master's face gradually darkened.

"Are you mute? I'm asking you a question!"

The incense master suddenly stepped forward, splashing mud and water, "You suppressed these Seven Mysterious Corpses?!"

Lin Xuan stopped thinking, looked directly at the incense master, and his voice became extremely cold.

"Who are you?"

"The Seven Corpses you speak of are these seven female corpses?"

"The formation in Lingxi Village, and the evil restrictions on the water vein map, were also set up by you?"

The three questions in a row made the incense master's eyes turn cold.

"You, a dying man, don't need to know!"

He slowly raised the lamp in his hand, the eerie yellow flame reflecting on his gaunt face, making him appear even more sinister and terrifying.

"Hand over the water vein map, then cripple your magical abilities and obediently surrender."

"Perhaps I, the master of this incense, can show some mercy and spare your soul to light the lamp, leaving you with a complete corpse."

Upon hearing this, the five alchemists simultaneously dispersed to both sides.

What appeared to be just a casual movement of a few steps had actually subtly blocked Lin Xuan's escape route.

Lin Xuan glanced at their positions, but instead of retreating, he nodded slightly, his killing intent growing stronger. "Very well."

The incense master's brows relaxed slightly, thinking that Lin Xuan had sensed the difference in strength between the two sides and was finally preparing to back down.

However, Lin Xuan's next words made his face instantly darken.

"Since you are unwilling to speak, we will capture your soul later and burn it with talismanic fire to slowly interrogate you."

Lin Xuan spoke these words slowly and deliberately, his eyes filled with increasing killing intent!

Upon hearing this, the incense master was first taken aback, then his eyes widened in anger.

"Arrogant brat, you're asking for death!!"

boom!

The aura of a fully realized mage erupted from his body.

The ghastly yellow evil aura swept outwards from the incense master like an invisible wave!

Within a radius of several feet, the rain curtain that was originally falling at an angle was forcibly pushed aside.

The water on the ground rippled with dense waves.

The incense sticks on the altar suddenly started burning faster, the sparks engulfing everything below, and in the blink of an eye, most of them were burned away.

The candles on both sides first shook violently, and then were tainted by the aura of the soul lamp, gradually turning from crimson to a pale yellow.

The five water-mansion soldiers had water light flickering on their bodies.

The three water armor soldiers, each made of straw, slid back half a step at the same time, and a soft rustling sound came from the straw leaves inside.

Even the Seven Mysterious Corpses, controlled by the Golden-Patterned Soul-Suppressing Vine, let out a low roar under the stimulation of this aura.

Lin Xuan's robes fluttered in the wind, but his feet remained rooted to the spot.

The divine intent of his two kidneys flowed within his body, and the azure Dao Qi surged into the Three Pure Ones' Dharma Bell along his meridians.

jingle!

The clear, melodious sound of bells echoed through the air.

The pale yellow candle flame, tainted by evil energy, trembled violently and returned to its crimson hue.

The five water palace soldiers also steadied themselves and looked up at the incense master.

Behind the incense master, the five alchemists couldn't help but sneer.

In their view, Lin Xuan was indeed quite capable of suppressing the Seven Mysterious Corpses with the help of the Water Mansion's troops.

But a mid-stage Taoist is still just a mid-stage Taoist!

Their leader was a fully accomplished Dharma Master, whose realm was far superior to Lin Xuanyi's by more than one major realm.

This arrogant brat in front of me dares to taunt the sect leader just because he has a few summoned water palace soldiers. He's practically asking for death!

At this moment, Wen Cai, who was hiding under the eaves behind, felt the terrifying aura that was pressing down on him like an overwhelming tide. He was so frightened that he shrank his neck and his shoulders trembled involuntarily.

The excitement he had shown earlier while watching the show had vanished completely, replaced by a deathly pale face.

"Qiusheng, this...this guy's aura is incredibly strong!"

"It feels like the aura it exudes is much stronger than what the senior brother usually does, like a mountain pressing down on you."

"Do you think our senior brother can actually beat them?"

Qiu Sheng stared at the arena for a moment, then shook his head honestly, "I think... it's unlikely. The difference in skill level is too great."

"What should we do then?" Wen Cai shuddered. "If our senior brother can't beat us, then what will we do...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Qiu Sheng couldn't stand it anymore. He turned around and stared at Wen Cai with an expression of utter disbelief, as if he were looking at someone with a mental disability.

"Wencai, tell me the truth, when you left home today, did you leave your brain in the urn at the mortuary?"

Wen Cai looked completely bewildered. "Huh? What do you mean?!"

Qiu Sheng took a deep breath, gestured to the side with his chin, and said in a low voice, "Can you please stop howling? Open your beady eyes and look to the side. Who's standing next to us?"

Wen Cai was taken aback, and mechanically turned his head in the direction Qiu Sheng was pointing.

Uncle Nine stood with his hands behind his back under the eaves, rainwater falling continuously along the tiles, forming a curtain of water in front of him.

Uncle Nine glanced at Wen Cai expressionlessly.

"..."

Their eyes met. Wen Cai's body froze as if he had been frozen in place, and then his face quickly turned red.

"I forgot... I forgot in the heat of the moment."

"Master, I was so worried about my eldest brother that I completely forgot you, the great deity, are still here to oversee things..."

Uncle Nine's eye twitched slightly; how could someone as big as him, standing right next to him, forget?

This apprentice's brain is probably beyond saving.

Wen Cai seemed to have found his backbone in an instant, let out a long breath, and straightened his back again.

"Oh dear! With Master watching over us, what's there to be afraid of?!"

"Don't even mention six cult members; even if sixty or six hundred came, it would be a waste!"

"As long as Master makes a move, without Senior Brother having to lift a finger, he'll definitely take care of them all! Let them know how powerful the true Maoshan sect is!"

Looking at his arrogant yet obsequious demeanor, Qiu Sheng sighed helplessly, "Alright, keep your voice down."

Just as Wen Cai was about to say something, a faint fluctuation of Dao Qi suddenly came from beside him.

He subconsciously turned his head, only to find that his Uncle Nine, who had been standing under the eaves, had disappeared.

"Huh?! Where's Master?"

Wen Cai blinked, looking completely bewildered.