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

The next day,

In a small town a dozen miles north of the Corpse King Sect's main altar, a crowd of people was gathered around a street corner.

On the high platform in the center of the crowd stood a middle-aged Taoist priest dressed in a yellow robe.

The man had a kind face and was holding a whisk in his hand, talking eloquently to the townspeople below.

The middle-aged Taoist priest looked around, a compassionate smile on his face.

"Fellow villagers, you were all originally the children of the Eternal Mother."

"It was only because I was playful and descended to the mortal world that I fell into the mundane world and lost my original spirituality."

"Now is the end of the Red Sun period, and a great calamity is about to befall heaven and earth. Demons and monsters roam the outside world. Only by returning home to recognize one's mother, joining the sect and cultivating oneself can one escape the calamity and return to one's true homeland."

These words caused a stir among the crowd, with many showing signs of fear.

After all, these were chaotic times of war, and ghosts and corpses were indeed frequently haunted in the mountains and fields, so the Taoist priest's words were exactly what they wanted to hear.

At this moment, a gaunt old man in the front row, leaning on a cane, tremblingly raised his hand and tentatively spoke.

"Master, we farmers also want to avoid this calamity, but how exactly does one cultivate oneself after joining a sect?"

"Do you need us to donate money or food?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding people pricked up their ears, their eyes filled with wariness.

Upon seeing this, the middle-aged Taoist priest smiled and shook his head, saying, "Old man, you flatter me. The Eternal Mother is compassionate and saves people without taking a single penny."

"You don't need to donate a single penny. Just sincerely recite the scriptures with me every day."

"As long as you are sincere, the Mother will naturally bestow her power to guide you to learn the scriptures and return home to see her as soon as possible."

As soon as he finished speaking, the audience erupted in excitement, whispering among themselves with unbelievable surprise on their faces.

"Wow, is there really such a good thing?"

"He doesn't need a penny; just chanting scriptures can ensure peace and safety. This old sage is truly a living bodhisattva."

"Taoist Master, count me in. I want to join the sect."

"I'd like to join too. Daoist Master, please teach us how to pronounce it!"

Seeing the townspeople eagerly signing up, the middle-aged Taoist priest smiled and nodded slightly, saying, "Excellent. Since everyone has a heart that yearns for the Tao, I will now impart the teachings."

Immediately afterwards, he took out an ancient bamboo scroll from his wide sleeves, held it in front of his chest with both hands, slowly closed his eyes, and began to recite the "Dragon Flower Sutra".

The obscure and difficult-to-pronounce scriptures echoed at the street corner, and the villagers below the stage quickly put their hands together and stumbled along with the chanting.

As the chanting grew louder, the bamboo slips in the middle-aged Taoist priest's hand suddenly emitted a layer of dark, eerie light.

At the same time, wisps of grayish-white aura, barely visible to the naked eye, drifted out from between the eyebrows of the people below the stage, swirling and falling into the bamboo slips.

Having absorbed the life essence of dozens of people, the cool bamboo slips gradually became scalding hot.

Feeling the wonderful warmth emanating from his palm, the middle-aged Taoist priest slightly raised his eyelids, a strange smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

In the shadows of a tea stall not far away, two men stood side by side, coldly observing everything that was happening.

These two are Wang Li and Xu Yuhua, members of the Yuandun Sect, one of the seven major branches of the White Lotus Sect. They are birds of a feather with the heretic in the yellow robe on the stage.

Xu Yuhua withdrew her gaze, turned to look at Wang Li beside her, and said with a slight frown, "Wang Li, you've been getting too close to Li Chengfeng of the Yellow Heaven Sect lately."

"We've been partners for so many years, and even if you don't like to hear it, I have to give you some advice today."

"Li Chengfeng is meticulous and ruthless. If you get involved with him, you might end up being sold out and even helping him count the money."

"Take my brother's advice, it's best to stay away from him."

Upon hearing this, Wang Li glanced at Xu Yuhua sideways, a dismissive smile playing on his lips.

"Alright, Hua Zi, you can put your mind at ease. I know what I'm doing."

"We're all seasoned foxes, we all know each other well. I'm just using him to help myself improve my cultivation."

"If it weren't for the Blood Soul Ointment he possessed, how could I have broken through two minor realms in just over a month, advancing from the early stage of Mage to the late stage?!"

Hearing Wang Li's nonchalant tone, Xu Yuhua felt a chill in her heart and shook her head with a sigh.

You can't reason with a damned devil. This kid has been blinded by the sweet taste of his sudden increase in strength, and it's a waste of breath to say anything more.

Since he's courting death, let him go.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuhua was too lazy to say anything more. She clasped her hands in a fist salute and turned to leave.

He had only taken two steps when Wang Li suddenly called out to him from behind.

"Hey, Hua Zi, don't forget the operation in Guhuai Village tonight," Wang Li instructed. "The Huangtian Cult will also come to lend a hand. If we can get this done, we brothers will reap huge benefits."

Xu Yuhua paused slightly, nodded with her back to him, and said, "I understand."

After responding, Xu Yuhua didn't linger and walked straight out of the town along the bluestone path.

Standing there, Wang Li watched Xu Yuhua's receding figure, his eyes narrowing slightly, a cold killing intent flashing in them.

Wang Li let out a cold snort, secretly sneering to himself.

What a fool! How dare he block my path to advancement!

Tonight, I'll sacrifice you and those idiots in the sect to the ancient locust tree. Once I've absorbed enough essence, it won't be long before I break through to the Grand Mage realm!

On the other side, Xu Yuhua was walking out of town with her hands in her pockets when she suddenly felt a very slight tremor in her arms.

Xu Yuhua's expression changed slightly, she stopped abruptly, quickly reached into her bosom, and pulled out five bamboo sticks engraved with runes.

Among the five bamboo sticks, the one in the middle was shrouded in thick black mist, and its surface was flashing with a dazzling black light from time to time.

Xu Yuhua's pupils contracted sharply as she stared intently at the ancient seal script characters on the incense stick, which read "the worst possible fortune."

This is a very bad omen!

Xu Yuhua's breath hitched, her face instantly turned extremely pale, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on her back.

Our family's divination sticks are never wrong. Since we've drawn the worst possible sign, it means that tonight's actions in Guhuai Village are definitely a trap. Staying here means certain death!

We need to get out of here as fast as possible, as far away from this awful place as possible!

Thinking of this, Xu Yuhua quickly stuffed the bamboo skewer back into her bosom, glanced around guiltily, then chose a secluded direction, and hurried out of the town.

Time passed slowly, and the sky gradually darkened, with the setting sun casting a long shadow on the dirt road outside the town.

Just then, two figures slowly walked towards the end of the official road outside the town.

The man on the left was tall and upright with a righteous air, while the man on the right had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and was handsome. They were none other than Uncle Nine and Lin Xuan, who had rushed over to investigate.

The master and apprentice walked side by side toward the town. Before they even crossed the archway at the town entrance, the yellow jade gourd hanging from Lin Xuan's waist suddenly trembled slightly, and a faint red light appeared on its surface.

Immediately afterwards, Li Qingshu's slightly solemn voice transmission rang directly in Lin Xuan's ear through the mental connection.

"Master, I sense the bloodline of the Li family members near this town."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xuan paused slightly, raised an eyebrow, and calmly used his divine sense to ask, "Oh? Can you sense how many strands of this bloodline aura there are?"

Li Qingshu inside the gourd sensed it carefully for a moment, and then the voice came again.

"Reporting to the altar master, there is only one."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xuan blinked in surprise, turned his head to look at the town where the lights were gradually coming on, and a strange feeling arose in his heart.

Is there only one?