I'm modifying myself into the ultimate demon.

Chapter 167 Deducing the Human-Dragon Sacrifice, Joining Forces with Nangong Ye! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Tell me the details." The old lady Xiulan's eyes flashed like lightning, giving off a great sense of intimidation.

Hua Yunfeng recounted the whole story in detail, then stood there blankly, like a wooden puppet.

Clearly, after this bout of spiritual awakening, Hua Yunfeng, although remembering what happened before, has undergone a significant change in temperament, especially in his obedience to Xiulan.

"So this is ah……"

With a sigh, the old lady Xiulan looked at the burnt-out incense sticks, then put the shrine box back under the bed and put away the incense burner and other items. She then walked shakily to the long table beside her, spread out a sheet of Xuan paper, picked up a wolf-hair brush, and wrote densely packed characters on the paper.

Hua Yunfeng stood beside him grinding the ink.

After finishing writing, the old lady blew on the ink to dry it, folded the Xuan paper, and stuffed it into an envelope. "Yunfeng, from now on, you just stay at home. Just show your face occasionally, so that everyone knows Yunfeng is still alive."

Ah Xiang, you're the only one who knows the truth, so you'd better serve her well.

A-Xiang was a little scared, but she still agreed, "Madam, what about you?"

The old lady said, "This matter is of great importance. I need to go to the Rakshasa Shrine. Also, Yunfeng is incompetent. I still need to clean up the mess in Nanyang Prefecture. Before I return, do not let anyone have any contact with Yunfeng alone. It will take time for Yunfeng to fully recover."

Ah Xiang said, "Please take care, Madam."

"I know, just take good care of this family."

After leaving a message, the old lady walked out of the side courtyard.

There were many people coming and going outside the courtyard, all dressed in mourning clothes, but the old lady simply turned into a black shadow and disappeared.

After leaving the Hua Mansion, the old lady hurried through the bustling city.

As the premier city of Nanzhou, Nanzhou City was naturally extremely prosperous. Patrols of officials and soldiers were everywhere. All forms of order followed the rules and etiquette of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Nanyang Prefecture is located far on the frontier, and the imperial court is lax in its control. Any disturbances that arise there are ignored by the court, as long as order is maintained. However, the prefectural capital is where the governor resides, and its relationship with the capital is much closer. It even represents the face of the Great Qian Dynasty to some extent, so it must strictly adhere to the court's etiquette and cannot afford the slightest mistake.

For example, Nanzhou City, on the surface... has never been haunted. It doesn't openly worship ghosts or gods. The temples it possesses are all legitimate. Each deity has a source and origin, and they are certainly not places frequented by ordinary ghosts.

As the old lady walked, she slowly walked out of Nanzhou City.

Outside the city are vast mountains and forests, and roads that connect in all directions.

A hundred miles outside the city, there is a county town that is predominantly Buddhist.

It is called Qianfo County.

The area is mostly inhabited by monks, and images of Bodhisattvas and temples are everywhere. Countless pilgrims who have traveled from afar immediately become devout upon entering Qianfo County.

Every three steps, one should reverently put one's palms together, kneel down, and kowtow. Then one should rise again, take three more steps, and kowtow once more.

Such devout believers can be seen everywhere on the road.

Besides male worshippers, there were also female worshippers.

The old lady ignored the pilgrims and walked briskly, passing temple after temple, until she finally arrived at a mountain at the end of Qianfo County.

Just as you reach the foot of the mountain, statues of female bodhisattvas stand on both sides of the road.

In Qianfo County, there are many Buddhists, and most of them live in temples. Nunnery dedicated to female bodhisattvas is still relatively rare.

Upon reaching the mountain pass, the old lady knelt on the ground. She kowtowed three times and crawled forward.

After walking several hundred meters, there is a mountain staircase that seems to have no end.

The old lady was not afraid of hardship and knelt down to climb the mountain.

The steps were so long that her knees started bleeding as she knelt. The old lady dared not stand up and continued crawling on her knees. Bloodstains were clearly visible on each of the bluestone steps.

It is evident that many people climbed the mountain on their knees.

After a long while, the old lady finally reached the top of the mountain. She crawled along the path of the female bodhisattva statues on both sides. After walking a kilometer, the sky had darkened, becoming pitch black.

Finally, we reached the end of the passage.

At the end of the road stood a crimson ancient temple.

Red paint, red tiles, red lanterns. Above the ancient temple, a huge red lantern even floats.

The old lady looked on with awe and slowly knelt down at the gate.

The plaque above the main entrance bears four large, scarlet characters: Cihang Hui'an.

"The believer Xiulan requests an audience with the Red Lantern Attendant."

With a shout, the scarlet gate finally opened.

A woman dressed in red with disheveled hair slowly walked out. Not only was she dressed entirely in red, but her loose hair completely obscured her face, making it impossible to see what she looked like.

Moreover, the woman in red walked without bending her knees. It was very mechanical, and her movements were quite bizarre.

The old lady, however, was used to it. When the woman approached, the old lady presented the envelope with both hands: "My husband, Hua Yunfeng, has discovered a great secret in Nanyang Prefecture. I have written down the details on this letter. Please take a look, Your Excellency."

The woman in red stretched out her pale hand, with long fingernails, took the letter, but didn't open it. She simply held it in her hair as if to smell it, and then said, "I understand."

The next moment, the woman in red returned to Cihang Hui'an Temple with the envelope in her hand.

Rumble.

The door closed again.

The old lady kowtowed three times, then crawled down the mountain along the path she had come from. Once outside the mountain pass, she stood up and departed, trembling.

"Chen Mo...hehe, I'm here."

……

Cihang Hui'an Temple.

The disheveled woman in red ran along carrying the letter, eventually arriving at a side hall.

The side hall wasn't large, but it was decorated in red everywhere. The floor was covered with a red carpet, and the tabletops were covered with red cloths, creating a very festive atmosphere.

There is a room on the side of the side hall.

The room was decorated in a very festive style.

The red bed, red gauze curtains, and red dressing table clearly resembled a wedding room.

In front of the dressing table sat a woman with a red veil covering her head, carefully combing the long hair that was exposed beneath the veil with a red comb.

The woman in red walked up to the woman with the red veil and presented the letter with both hands: "Master, this is a letter from Xiulan, Hua Yunfeng's wife."

The woman with the red veil asked, "What did the letter say?"

The woman in red said, "It is said that Hua Yunfeng discovered a dragon-walking man named Chen Mo in Nanyang Prefecture. When Hua Yunfeng tried to control the dragon-walking man, something unexpected happened. He was killed by the dragon-walking man."

Oh?
The woman with the red veil stopped combing her hair immediately. "Have dragon walkers appeared in Nanyang Prefecture as well? Have we found the dragon walker who escaped from Nanzhou before?"

The woman in red said, "No. But I've noticed a series of dragon-walking people appearing recently, so it seems they really are coming. Should we go to Nanyang Prefecture, Master?"

The woman with the red veil said in a deep voice, "Since that's the case, we still have to go. I hate this red veil, and I have to find a way to lift it off."

The woman in red said, "Then I'll pass the word down..."

The woman with the red veil said, "No need. We can just go to Cihang Hui Nunnery. Let's not disturb the Rakshasa Temple."

"Yes."

……

When Chen Mo woke up again, it was already midnight.

The bright moonlight streamed in through the window, shining on my face with a cool touch.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Juan'er lying on the headboard, her hands supporting her chin, staring blankly at me.

Chen Mo felt quite uncomfortable being stared at by Juan'er, this ghostly figure. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Juan'er then looked away and grinned, saying, "I think you're quite handsome, young master."

Chen Mo: "Do you really need to tell me that?"

After saying that, Chen Mo got up, tidied himself up briefly, slung a burlap bundle over his shoulder, and said, "You stay here and watch the house. I need to go out for seclusion."

Juan'er said "Oh," and then ran to the long table in the living room to tinker with the shadow puppets.

As he stepped out of the living room, Tang Wan greeted him, "Is Young Master going out for seclusion again?"

"Okay, you can keep it to guard the house."

As Chen Mo rushed out of the Hundred Herbs Garden, intending to head directly to the Huai River, he suddenly felt a sense of unease. He thought to himself: "My shamanic rituals have been nearing completion lately, and I feel that this period is about to be perfect. I still haven't been able to deduce the human-dragon sacrifice. To avoid any unforeseen circumstances… perhaps I should call Xiao Ye to protect me?"
Since their last collaboration, where they decided to go to Mount Dayin to investigate, the two have maintained a considerable level of interaction and have been researching the matter of Mount Dayin.

In addition, the oppressive feeling that Jiang Hongyue from Dayin Mountain brought to Chen Mo was too strong.

When the shamanic rituals were still under control, Chen Mo never contacted Xiao Ye.

Now that the shamanic ritual is about to reach its culmination, Chen Mo feels the need to leverage his connections. Having more people means having more hope.

Moreover, Xiao Ye is the person Chen Mo has met so far who understands the most about the human-dragon sacrifice in the Jiao River. She should be of great use.

With this in mind, Chen Mo no longer hesitated and went to Lengyue Residence instead.

When I found Xiaoye again, she was still sitting behind the long table in the living room reading a book, looking very serene.

In Chen Mo's memory, Xiao Ye was an extremely quiet person. She seemed uninterested in the mundane world, spending her free time reading, writing, playing musical instruments, and practicing calligraphy and painting. Even when she had time, she wouldn't join in the hustle and bustle, but would simply take a walk alone at night.

This woman seemed to be immersed in her own world, completely out of place with the bustling and vibrant world outside.

"Young master, you've come so late at night, surely you're here to keep me company while I read?"

Chen Mo laughed and said, "I'm going to perform a shamanic ritual now. The ritual feels like it's almost complete. To avoid any unexpected situations, I'd like to ask Xiao Ye to come with me. If Xiao Ye is unavailable, then that's fine."

Click.

Xiao Ye gritted her teeth without leaving a trace, then looked up at Chen Mo with a smile and said, "Alright. I'd also like to see what you look like when you're performing your shamanistic ritual."

In this emergency, Chen Mo didn't care about being seen in his shamanistic act. "Shall we set off?"

"Ah."

Although Xiao Ye was usually quiet, she was decisive and efficient once she decided to do something. Without even tidying her clothes or makeup, she followed Chen Mo and left Lengyue Residence. As they walked out of the Qinglang Gang, a few patrolling members were surprised to see their leader chatting and laughing with a white-haired woman.

"Who is this woman? How did she manage to catch our gang leader's eye?"

"That goes without saying, the gang leader is definitely keeping a mistress."

"But our leader's tastes are too peculiar. This woman has white hair; she's probably an old hag. Our leader is only sixteen... how can he have such a taste?"

"Shh! Keep your mouth shut. If the gang leader finds out, he'll break your legs."

"Yes, yes, yes."

"..."

Chen Mo ignored everyone's discussion and followed Xiao Ye across Feilai Mountain to the banks of the Huai River. Xiao Ye took out a boat doll, blew on it, and made a hand seal. The boat doll immediately expanded and transformed into a large awning boat.

Chen Mo was shocked and couldn't help but ask, "What kind of technique is this?"

“When your cultivation reaches a certain level, you can do it too. You’re still young, what are you comparing yourself to an old hag like me?” Xiao Ye jumped onto the awning boat.

You overheard the gossip among the gang members and took it to heart, deliberately making fun of them... Chen Mo jumped onto the awning boat speechlessly, but said, "The gang members are ignorant and just like to watch the excitement and spread gossip. Xiao Ye, don't take it to heart."

Xiao Ye ignored him and slowly entered the awning boat. Chen Mo secretly put his second brother into the water and then followed him into the awning.

Before long, Chen Mo felt his blood and qi flowing backwards in his body. In the next moment, he collapsed to the ground, but then he revived and began to leap into the water, spreading information and attracting countless giant snakes.

Having drained the life force of countless giant snakes, it began to perform a shamanistic ritual.

Chen Mo's second brother followed him underwater, and Chen Mo could clearly see the situation of the main body.

Seeing this, Xiaoye stepped out of the awning and went to the bow of the boat, urging it to catch up with Chen Mo. Her eyes shone brightly as she stared intently at Chen Mo, who was chanting incantations as he performed a shamanistic ritual, and followed him upstream along the river for a full seventy miles.

Two full hours have passed by now.

However, Chen Mo's shamanistic rituals did not stop; he continued to travel upstream on the river.

"The ritual of the human-dragon sacrifice is extremely complex, and ordinary people cannot learn it or remember such intricate steps. No wonder it needs to be performed through sleepwalking. With the ritual of the shaman completed, the next step... Jiang Hongyue should enter Chen Mo's dream."

"Judging from this, the shamanic ritual will be completed within half a month. However, why are there so many giant snake monsters in the Huai River? And why is Chen Mo moving upstream while performing the shamanic ritual?"

"The Huai River... originates from the Dayin Mountain. Clearly, Jiang Hongyue wants to forcibly drag Chen Mo into the Dayin Mountain. After all, not every dragon-walker knows how to perform shamanistic rituals."

"A ritual of human sacrifice can have many participants, but there can only be one shaman. That is, the one who leads the ritual, that is... the priest. Chen Mo is not only a dragon walker, but also the priest chosen by Jiang Hongyue?"

As Xiaoye looked around and pondered, she unknowingly walked more than twenty miles upstream along the river.

At dawn, the shamanic ritual ended. Chen Mo collapsed, exhausted, onto the river, where the giant snake lifted him up.

Everything came to an abrupt end.

The incantation stopped, the ritual stopped.

Xiao Ye raised her hand, and a wave of water suddenly rushed out of the river, quickly reaching Chen Mo, sweeping him up, and bringing him back to the deck of the awning boat.

“You’re just like me, a person with a tragic fate. I only heard that ghost story because of my duty. You, on the other hand, were dragged into it for no reason.” Xiao Ye picked Chen Mo up and carried him into the awning, placing him on the ground. She also lit a stove next to Chen Mo to warm him up.

Chen Mo was still unconscious, his face pale and bloodless. His body was as cold as ice, and he occasionally experienced twitching and trembling in his hands and feet. It was truly heartbreaking to see.

Xiao Ye applied a little extra force to Chen Mo, warming his body up. Then, he sat down beside the long table, took out a thick stack of Xuan paper, picked up a wolf-hair brush, and began to write.

"How many moves did Chen Mo practice just now?"

She began to sketch each action with simple strokes.

Swish!
A gentle breeze from the river stirred Xiaoye's long hair.

The woman picked up her pen and began to write rapidly, sketching out various movements.

"There are records of the gestures and movements used in the human-dragon sacrifice; I've seen them in the imperial treasury. However, the movements are incomplete because there are too many."

Xiaoye muttered to herself as she continued to sketch.

In the end, a total of 2,700 movements were sketched out.

He then put down the wolf-hair brush, blew away the ink, and said, "What an intricate sacrificial ritual! It encompasses two thousand seven hundred movements. Each movement is extremely complex, including various postures, gestures, steps, and incantations. Two thousand seven hundred incantations. No wonder people can't remember them. And this isn't even the end. I roughly estimate that the complete sacrificial ritual should have a full three thousand six hundred postures. Add to that the three thousand six hundred incantations, gestures, steps... no one could possibly remember them all."

Moreover, I only memorized Chen Mo's 2,700 movements, but I couldn't remember the 2,700 incantations he uttered. I couldn't understand those incantations...

Sleepwalking and performing shamanistic rituals—Jiang Hongyue certainly has a good idea.

"This ceremony will undergo other changes; as it progresses, different things will happen..."

Xiao Ye let out a long sigh, turned to look at Chen Mo lying on the ground, and said with great emotion, "You've really had a hard time. No wonder you asked me for help. You've come to the right person. If you had asked someone else, they would not only have killed you, but also wouldn't have been able to help you at all."

……

hiss!
Chen Mo woke up in pain.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw the bright sun hanging overhead, pouring down warm sunlight.

He tried to move his hands and feet, but found that his whole body ached terribly; even moving a finger hurt. He decided not to force himself and instead carefully observed the world around him. The river surface shimmered, making a series of splashes, and he could hear the calls of monkeys on the bank.

The scene here is very peaceful and serene.

A melodious flute tune drifted into Chen Mo's ears. He turned his head slightly and saw a graceful woman in a purple ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) standing at the bow of the boat, playing a pleasant flute tune. Her long white hair fluttered in the breeze with the sash of her dress.

There was a stove nearby, making it warm and cozy.

The saying goes, "There is no harm without comparison."

Usually, after my shamanistic rituals, I'd be left all alone on the rocks, surrounded by a swarm of large snakes. Nothing compares to the conditions here.
Looks like I'll have to call on Xiao Ye when I perform shamanic rituals in the future.

No matter how tough life gets, we must find joy even in hardship.

Back in the Chen family mansion in Honghe County, Qiulan served him. Later, Juan'er and Wan'er came along. When a man travels far and wide, having a woman by his side to serve him ensures that his life is taken better care of.

"This Xiaoye has class and is suitable to be a maid, but she's not easy to handle..."

Chen Mo thought to himself.

Not long after, the second brother returned quietly.

The return of his second brother brought Chen Mo immense power and vitality, allowing him to recover quickly. Before long, Chen Mo stood up and stretched his limbs. He felt refreshed and full of energy, as if he had been fully revived. Although his cultivation hadn't yet reached the sixth level of the sixth stage, he was very close to breaking through.

It seems that as one's cultivation progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to make breakthroughs.

There's no need to rush it.

Walking to the long table, I was surprised to see a thick stack of Xuan paper on it. At a glance, it looked like a series of movements.

There were more than two thousand.

Although these movements were simplified, sketching out a hand and foot posture with just a few strokes, Chen Mo recognized them... as the movements he used in his shamanistic rituals. Just then, the flute music stopped, and Xiao Ye walked in, whispering, "You're awake."

Wow.

Chen Mo quickly flipped through the Xuan paper. "What's this?"

Xiaoye said, "These are the movements I recorded when I watched you perform your shamanic dance. A total of two thousand seven hundred."

Two thousand seven hundred...

Chen Mo was astonished and couldn't help but say, "Xiao Ye is truly a talent. I never thought it could be done like this. After all, each movement is continuous; even I can't see it clearly, let alone break it down. Xiao Ye, you're very good."

Chen Mo was telling the truth.

Breaking down the movements is something only highly specialized individuals can do.

It's like dancing in a past life. Those women who are skilled in dance can move with incredible fluidity on stage. Laymen just find it beautiful but can't break down the movements. Only highly professional dancers can analyze and break down the movements based on what they see and hear.

Even... Chen Mo had never imagined that movements could be broken down like this.

No wonder I've been dancing the shamanic dance for longer and longer each time, and getting more and more tired. Turns out I've been doing a whopping 2,700 moves...

Faced with Chen Mo's praise, Xiao Ye remained calm. "I am proficient in spirit writing and various spells, so breaking down the movements is not difficult. I estimate that this set of movements for the human-dragon sacrifice has about 3,600 in total. If you add a few dozen or a hundred movements each day, you can complete the ritual in about half a month."

Chen Mo was taken aback: "Why are there three thousand six hundred movements?"

Xiaoye said, "Thirty-six is ​​the extreme number of the Great Qian Dynasty. Human-dragon sacrifice is the highest level of sacrificial ritual, and I think it corresponds to this extreme number. However, this is just my guess, and we still need to see how it goes."

Chen Mo thought of the regional administrative system of the Great Qian Dynasty: the Great Qian Dynasty had thirty-six prefectures, each prefecture had thirty-six counties, and each county had thirty-six towns.

This is probably not just a rumor.

It's just unclear why the Great Qian Dynasty adhered to this extreme number.

This little night is something else.

You didn't pick the wrong person.

Chen Mo came to his senses and said, "By the way, does Xiao Ye know what the incantation I recited was?"

Xiaoye shook her head: "I don't know about that. I can't understand the incantation, and I can't write it down. Young master, don't be too alarmed. Once your shamanic ritual is complete, all the answers will naturally come to light."

Chen Mo looked at the woman in front of him seriously and finally said, "Thank you for your hard work, Xiao Ye. Please continue to support me when I perform my shamanic rituals in the future."

Xiao Ye said, "That's only right. You and I are both unfortunate people. After hearing that ghost story, I can't shake off my fate. You were chosen by Jiang Hongyue to perform the shamanic ritual, so I'm afraid you'll also have bad luck."

Hearing this, Chen Mo felt quite close to Xiao Ye.

They say we are all fellow sufferers in this world, so why should we need to have known each other before?

Normally, Chen Mo wouldn't think there was anything good about those words. Everyone goes their own way, who cares about you?
But when you're actually in an extremely terrifying environment and meet someone who is just as miserable and pitiful, you realize how profound that statement is.

"By the way, Xiao Ye, do you know if walking the dragon is always accompanied by shamanistic rituals?"

Xiaoye shook her head: "It shouldn't be. You should have seen all kinds of shamanistic rituals. Similar to tomb breaking, grave relocation, ancestor worship, and god worship. People usually hire many people to help. In fact, most of them are just assistants, and only one person performs the ritual. That is, the priest who presides over the ceremony."

Chen Mo was stunned.

I... am not just a dragon walker?
And he's a priest?
The priest chosen by Jiang Hongyue?
Xiao Ye noticed Chen Mo's confusion and said, "That's right. You should be the chief priest chosen by Jiang Hongyue, that is, the priest of the human-dragon sacrifice. This is what I felt after watching you perform the ritual all night."

Chen Mo felt a chill run down his spine: "So... does that mean there's more than one dragon walker? Or is it that there's only one dragon walker who also takes the priest's place, along with many other participants?"

Xiaoye: "I don't know for now, but my intuition tells me... there should be more than one dragon walker. I don't know exactly how this ritual will proceed or what the situation will be like. I'll only know after your ritual is completed."

Chen Mo fell silent.

It seems I underestimated the dragon-walking technique and the human-dragon sacrifice.

This Jiang Hongyue... is far more terrifying than I imagined.

The closer Chen Mo got to the completion of the ceremony, the more uneasy he felt.

After a long while, Chen Mo finally came to his senses: "Where are we now?"

“You’ve traveled over a hundred miles. We’re now on the waterway back to the Green Wolf Gang.”

Hundreds of miles...

This is getting more and more outrageous.

Chen Mo ignored Xiao Ye and went straight to the stern of the boat to sit down cross-legged.

Open the panel.

[Currently available original solution essence: 50000]

[Consuming 50,000 original essences can be used to deduce the human-dragon sacrifice.]

[Should we perform a simulation?]

Seeing the handwriting, Chen Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After a night of shamanistic rituals, I did absorb 50,000 units of original essence, which can be considered a consolation prize.

Chen Mo took a deep breath, circulated the Mind-Calming Technique, and completely calmed his emotions. He then thought to himself: "My cheat ability is my biggest secret, and even Xiao Ye can't know it. But if I'm doing this here, Xiao Ye shouldn't be able to tell."

Without further ado, let's start thinking:
deduction.

hum!
As soon as the thought crossed my mind, a sharp pain swept through my entire body.

To avoid arousing Xiaoye's suspicion, Chen Mo gritted his teeth and remained silent.

After a short while, the pain disappeared.

Lines of text appeared one by one.

【Name: Human-Dragon Sacrifice】

[Type: Human Sacrifice Ritual]

[Function: A forbidden technique for sacrificing demons to bring the living back to life and reversing life and death]

[Introduction: The human-dragon sacrifice ritual requires thirty-six dragon walkers, corresponding to the thirty-six states of the Great Qian Dynasty. Each state sends one dragon walker, corresponding to the extreme number of the thirty-six states. If the required number is met, the fate of the entire Great Qian Dynasty is determined. In addition, there is one dragon walker who serves as the chief priest. The human-dragon sacrifice ritual will be performed by this chief priest.]

[Note: The criteria for selecting the chief priest are extremely stringent, a hundred times more difficult than selecting the dragon-walker. In fact, the dragon-walker is already qualified. What's lacking is the chief priest.]

[Logic: The chief priest, accompanied by thirty-six dragon-walkers, arrives at the sacrificial altar. The dragon-walkers stand below, while the priest ascends the altar. After completing three thousand six hundred movements and reciting three thousand six hundred incantations, the initial stages of the ceremony are declared complete. Following this, the thirty-six dragon-walkers will sacrifice their own great demonic power, which the priest will then channel into the sacrificial altar. The altar can then then perform the ritual of exorcising demons and reversing life and death.]

[Origin: This is a forbidden technique created by a top-tier demon-suppressing family in the Great Qian Dynasty to combat the cycle of life and death. It is an unfinished product, originally intended to fight against life and death. Now it is being used to revive Jiang Hongyue. Once chosen, it is irresistible.]

[Weakness: This ritual can only be performed by a priest in a sleepwalking state; once completed, the priest will die. Your only chance is through your avatar. However, due to missing information, a complete deduction cannot be made. Therefore, there is no guarantee that your avatar will survive.]

After reading all the information, Chen Mo's mind sank.

'As expected… just as Xiaoye predicted, the human-dragon sacrifice involves 3,600 actions, corresponding to 3,600 incantations. Besides the priests, there are 36 dragon-walkers, one from each state. Moreover… these 36 dragon-walkers were already fully prepared.'

'In other words, Jiang Hongyue had already chosen the other thirty-six dragon-walkers long ago. It was just that she was selecting the chief priest... and now, for some reason, she's chosen me.'

'That's not right. The dragon-walkers have all been chosen. The process of selecting the priest doesn't seem difficult. Isn't it just sleepwalking and performing shamanic rituals, completing 3,600 movements and incantations? How could they have failed for so many years? Could it be that some life-threatening event will occur later in the shamanic ritual?'

Thinking about this, Chen Mo felt an inexplicable pressure.

If something goes wrong, try again.

Chen Mo thought it over again.

First of all, the dragon walkers of Nanyang Prefecture come from the Four Soul Jade of the four great families of Nanyang Prefecture.

The current deductions show that... thirty-six dragon-walkers have already completed their training. That means that other states also possess the Four Soul Jade. Before going to the Great Yin Mountain, Jiang Hongyue visited other states and gave them Four Soul Jade.

Since Jiang Hongyue's plan is so grand, why didn't she choose a priest?
Just then, text appeared on the panel again.

[To fully deduce the cause and effect of the human-dragon sacrifice, you need to complete all the ritual movements of the shamanic dance, which will consume 100000 Original Essence.]

Chen Mo: "..."

This deduction is not very reliable.

I just want to know why Jiang Hongyue is so powerful, yet she hasn't been able to choose a priest all these years.

If, during the ritual, some unforeseen event occurs and causes the person to die, then that would be a disaster.

Just then, the cheat system seemed to sense Chen Mo's thoughts and manifested text:

The calculations show that you can complete the shamanic ritual without dying.

Chen Mo: "..."

So, the deduction was relatively effective.

After all, this is a grand scheme set up by Jiang Hongyue over a century. The Golden Finger currently has limited information and cannot make a complete deduction... which is understandable?

"Forget it. There's no point in thinking about it too much. Anyway, it's only half a month, and we'll know then. For now, all I need to know is that I can complete all the shamanic rituals."

Chen Mo wasn't one to worry unnecessarily, so he patted his behind, got up, and went to the awning to have tea with Xiao Ye.

Xiao Ye gently brewed tea, asking, "Are you feeling alright?"

Chen Mo said, "I just took a break to calm myself down and I'm fine. By the way, I heard the Red Lantern Goddess say that her master was Jiang Hongyue. Jiang Hongyue appeared to her in a dream and gave her a red lantern. When the Red Lantern Goddess woke up, she found a physical red lantern beside her. She absorbed the corpse energy inside the red lantern and turned into a zombie. Did you know about this?"

Xiao Ye's expression remained unchanged: "I know. After you finish your shamanistic ritual, Jiang Hongyue should appear in your dreams and send you a message."

Chen Mo shrugged. "That sounds a bit creepy. By the way, after you heard that ghost story, did Jiang Hongyue appear in your dream?"

Xiaoye suddenly said, "Guess."

Chen Mo: "Fine, don't tell me then."

Click.

Xiaoye gritted her teeth and said it herself, "It appeared in my dream. One of the scariest things about ghost stories is that they let Jiang Hongyue enter your dream."

Wow.

Some water spilled from Chen Mo's teacup. He looked up at Xiao Ye earnestly and asked, "Really?"

Xiaoye said, "Otherwise, why would everyone who heard this ghost story die?"

Chen Mo immediately became interested and moved closer to Xiao Ye: "Then tell me, what kind of person is Jiang Hongyue?"

Xiao Ye glared at Chen Mo: "If I tell you, it'll be like you've heard a ghost story, and you won't survive."

"Others can't even tell ghost stories after hearing them. Xiao Ye, can you tell one?" Chen Mo vaguely remembered that Tang Xiaoyu wanted to tell everyone the content of a ghost story, but she couldn't. If she tried to tell it, she would be subjected to a powerful attack and die instantly.

Is this little night... perhaps an exception?

Xiaoye hummed in agreement. "I can say it. But I can't say it... otherwise I'd be hurting people."

Chen Mo looked Xiao Ye up and down.

This little night is pretty good.

Are all the members of the Demon Clan in Jingcheng Town this powerful?

After a while, Chen Mo finally came to his senses: "By the way, could you communicate with Jiang Hongyue in your dream?"

"What are we communicating about?"

"For example, get Jiang Hongyue to let me go..."

Phew.

Xiao Ye suddenly laughed, "I never expected Young Master Mo to have such an adorable side. If that's the case, why would I have turned white overnight? That Jiang Hongyue isn't human anymore. We can't communicate with her. She can only send you messages unilaterally."

Chen Mo felt slightly disappointed, but also a bit terrified.

Only half a month left... Is Jiang Hongyue going to appear in my dreams by then?

Hey!
……

When Chen Mo returned to the Green Wolf Gang, it was already noon.

As soon as they returned to the Hundred Herbs Garden, they saw Li Huabai sitting in the tea pavilion in the front yard, waiting. Tang Wan even came up to Chen Mo and said, "Young Master, this person arrived very early this morning and has been waiting inside all morning."

"I understand, go and do your work."

Chen Mo didn't go directly to the tea pavilion. Instead, he returned to the main house in the courtyard, cut off a piece of his own flesh with a knife, and activated the Water Serpent's power. The piece of flesh transformed into a small, dead snake. He then placed the snake in a brocade box before taking the box to the tea pavilion.

"I was away in seclusion for cultivation and just returned. I apologize for keeping Miss Hua Bai waiting."

Li Huabai remained polite, "It's alright, I just had nothing else to do."

After saying that, Li Huabai handed the two booklets to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo put down the brocade box, picked up the booklet, and flipped through it.

One book is "General Treatise on Sword and Talisman Techniques," and the other is "Methods for Cultivating Sword Techniques and Talismans."

That does match.

That should be enough for me to activate the talisman.

Seeing Chen Mo's earnestness as he examined the text, Li Huabai said, "I copied this down overnight, and there are no mistakes in a single word. Young master, you don't need to worry about going into qi deviation if you cultivate it. This concerns my Xiaoqing's life, and I wouldn't joke about it."

Chen Mo accepted the booklet. "Miss Hua Bai is the owner of Black Mountain Tower, so I naturally trust her. These are the corpses of strange snakes that I collected. Miss Hua Bai, please take them; they should be useful."

Li Huabai took the brocade box, opened it, and found a small, dead snake lying inside. However, its aura was very similar to that of the Ten Thousand Snake Cave, so it was probably not a fake.

"Thank you, young master!" Li Huabai stood up, cupped his hands in thanks, and then hurriedly left.

Chen Mo didn't say much. He asked Wan'er to see Li Huabai off, then returned to the Drunken Old Man's Chair in the central courtyard and opened the book to read.

The two booklets complement each other perfectly, and starting from the basics, they are suitable for beginners like Chen Mo.

After flipping through the pages, Chen Mo immediately instructed Tang Wan: "Wan'er, go and get some cinnabar, a talisman brush, and some black dog blood. Make sure it's fresh and hot."

Cinnabar, a talisman brush, and black dog blood are the basic materials commonly needed for drawing talismans.

"okay."

Tang Wan was efficient and quickly brought over the three materials. Chen Mo went to the long table and began to draw talismans based on the patterns on it with a talisman brush.

Because Chen Mo had entered the first stage of the Transcendent Realm early on, his bloodline was extraordinary and his power was surging and could overflow. After injecting the power of Transcendent Realm, the drawing was smooth.

However, the art of talismans is profound and complex, so Chen Mo was not in a hurry. He started from the very basics and gradually progressed from the simple to the complex.

After working until evening, I finally got the hang of sword talismans.

He could roughly inscribe his sword energy onto a talisman, and after throwing the talisman, it would transform into a sword energy that shot out. It could kill someone from ten paces away, which was quite miraculous.

However, there is still a long way to go before the talisman can be activated.

"According to the book, it takes three to five years of arduous training to activate a sword talisman of the talisman treasure level. That's too slow. Where am I going to find that much time to waste... Forget it, I'll just wait until tonight after the shamanistic ritual, collect enough original essence, and then modify it. If I don't take the shortcut, I must have lost my mind."

"sleep."

After a night of shamanistic rituals, Chen Mo was exhausted.

At midnight, Chen Mo got up and took Xiao Ye to the Huai River to perform a shamanistic ritual.

That night, Xiaoye drew seventy more movements.

Chen Mo also gained enough original insights.

The following day at noon, Chen Mo returned to the Hundred Herbs Garden and sat down cross-legged under the eaves. He turned on the control panel.

[Currently available original solution essence: 40000]

Last night's shamanic ritual went poorly; I didn't get as many Orochi as I hoped. I only managed to collect 40,000 essence.

Occasional fluctuations are normal.

"I remember that Hua Yunfeng's talisman is extremely powerful. If I can master it, my combat power can increase several times over. It is a top-tier weapon of destruction."

With this in mind, Chen Mo opened the control panel.

[Consuming 40000 Original Essence can modify the compatibility between one's own talisman techniques and talismanic treasures, thus enabling one to control the talismanic treasures.]

[Should we make changes?]

"Changed! Thank you!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: The book has surpassed one million words! I've maintained a daily update of 20,000 words. This next volume will begin its final stages, and the Red Lantern Heist will gradually unfold. Please vote for me this month!
(End of this chapter)