Uncle Nine: You were supposed to drive corpses, so you summoned the Monkey King!

The monster was trampled into the mud and took two heavy punches.

The silver-armored corpse finally couldn't hold on any longer. It grabbed upwards with its right hand, its nails growing longer and releasing a dark purple corpse poison, aiming straight for Si Mu's throat.

The patriarch neither dodged nor evaded, but instead slashed downwards with his left hand, his hand carrying the golden light of Maoshan, striking the monster's arm bone.

With a snap, the arm bone broke.

Taking advantage of the moment when the patriarch stopped, the monster twisted its body in the mud and slid out from under its feet, retreating seven or eight meters away.

"Trying to run?" the patriarch said. "You wicked creature who has been resurrected, today I'll scatter your soul and bones together."

The patriarch strode forward.

The monster opened its mouth and spat out a mouthful of black blood at the ancestral master.

The poisonous blood, mixed with the yin energy of the mass grave and the curse, enveloped us head-on.

"Master, be careful! That's the source of blood!" Uncle Nine shouted from behind.

"A trivial skill." The patriarch continued walking.

He inhaled and exhaled, his pure Yang magic power transforming into a fierce aura that shot out from his mouth, creating a strong wind.

The foul-smelling black blood was blown away in mid-air, splashing back onto the monster. The poisonous blood landed on its bluish-gray flesh, making a sizzling, corrosive sound and emitting white smoke.

The monster roared and turned to run into the bamboo forest in the backyard of the mortuary. As long as it escaped into the deep mountains, it could restore its strength by drinking the blood of dozens of living people.

"Leave it here, don't let it go into the mountains!" Uncle Nine shouted.

During the Ghost Festival, the gates of hell are said to open wide, and if this thing gets out, it will cause a massacre.

Despite his internal injuries, Daoist Qianhe, clutching the Five Emperors Coins, also gave chase.

Lin Chen had somehow moved to the entrance of the bamboo forest, clutching a purple bamboo brush with the finest cinnabar at its tip. He used the brush to draw the Maoshan Evil-Trapping Array on two large bamboo stalks.

"Conclude!" Lin Chen made a hand seal with one hand.

Five runes lit up at the entrance to the bamboo forest.

The withered bamboo leaves on the ground were rolled up by the yang energy, forming a semi-transparent wall of energy that blocked their escape route.

The monster couldn't stop and crashed into the air wall.

With a bang.

The air barrier trembled, the runes darkened, and Lin Chen's magical power was exhausted. The hastily set-up formation could not stop this evil creature.

The air barrier shattered.

The impact slowed the monster down by half a beat.

A large, golden hand reached out from behind and grabbed the monster's ankle.

"You're quite fast," the patriarch's voice rang out from behind.

The patriarch used one arm to swing the monster, which weighed over 200 pounds, into the air.

It fell onto the dilapidated courtyard wall next to it, and the wall collapsed on the spot, burying it under the broken bricks.

The patriarch walked over, plunged his hands into the ruins, and lifted the monster up.

The monster struggled, its ten fingers gripping the patriarch's arm, as dark purple corpse poison seeped into it.

The golden light on the patriarch's arm turned, blocking the corpse poison from his skin, and scalding the monster's ten fingers until they were smoking.

"Borrowing someone else's skin, one is ultimately just a piece of trash." The patriarch stared at the monster's face.

Clenching his right fist, he aimed it at the monster's forehead and swung it down.

"break!"

This punch carried the power of Maoshan's exorcising magic, and was purely physical destructive force.

The monster's forehead was pierced, its jade-like skull shattered on the spot, and brain matter mixed with poisonous blood spurted out from the back of its head.

The monster's body stiffened, and the crimson runes covering its body went out.

The century-old resentment and the blood curse of Southeast Asia that had sustained its actions were shattered by this punch, and its body went limp.

The patriarch casually tossed it into the mud and clapped his hands.

Uncle Nine and Daoist Qianhe stepped forward.

He clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the Four-Eyed Taoist Master, saying, "Thank you, Grandmaster, for subduing the demon."

Master Qianhe also performed a grand salute.

The patriarch waved his hand: "This kid's foundation is too weak. He doesn't practice properly and can't withstand my power for long. You can handle the rest yourselves."

After saying that, the golden light on the Four-Eyed Taoist flashed and dissipated in the wind. His muscles shrank, and he returned to his original appearance. His eyes rolled back and he fell backward.

Uncle Jiu helped him up.

"Master!" Lin Chen walked over and checked Si Mu's pulse.

"It's nothing, I'm just exhausted," Uncle Nine said. "My meridians have been expanded by the patriarch's magic power, so it's a blessing in disguise. I just need to replenish my qi and blood later."

Uncle Nine took out a high-level Fiery Talisman from the yellow cloth bag and threw it onto the skullless corpse.

A great fire broke out, burning the monster to ashes.

The extreme yin energy in Blackwater Town has completely dissipated.

Master Qianhe clutched his chest and looked up at the night sky. The crimson moon had lost its blood-red hue and turned silvery-white.

Lin Chen walked to the side and picked up the broken Crimson Flame Copper Greatsword from the mud pit.

The pure Yang magic power inside was drained by the blood, the fiery energy of the Crimson Flame Copper dissipated, and the patterns on the spine of the sword turned deathly gray.

"What a waste of such a fine sword. Master will probably curse me when he wakes up." Lin Chen slung the greatsword over his shoulder.

Uncle Nine carried the unconscious Four-Eyed Taoist on his back and called to the two of them, "We shouldn't stay here any longer. Let's go back to the Ren Family Town Mortuary first."

Midnight has arrived.

A system notification sounded in my mind.

[Ding! Midnight has arrived. Daily and battle rewards will be calculated.]

[Host detected participating in the killing of a high-ranking general in bronze armor. Gained +2 Strength and +1 Agility.]

[Host detected participating in the killing of the evil cultivators from Southeast Asia, triggering a critical hit reward for killing someone of a higher level!]

[Gain +2 to Constitution, +2 to Spirit, +1 to Strength, and +1 to Agility!]

[Congratulations, host! Your Maoshan Breathing Technique has been upgraded to Level 3, and your maximum mana has increased by 40%!]

[Congratulations, host! You have broken through to the Taoist realm (peak)!]

The four of them hurried back along the same route.

The streets were much quieter on the night of the Ghost Festival than when I arrived.

The Hundred Coffins Formation was broken, the evil cultivator was killed, and the nearby wandering ghosts sensed the lingering evil aura and all fled far away.

As dawn approached, the four of them saw the archway of Renjia Town.

The gates of the mortuary were wide open.

Wencai and Jiale sat on the threshold, dozing off, their heads nodding, holding glutinous rice in their hands.

Hearing footsteps, Jia Le woke up with a start and saw Uncle Jiu with his back to Four-Eyes. He hurriedly asked, "What happened to my master? Was he bitten by a zombie?!"

"What are you yelling for? You won't die." Lin Chen threw the greatsword into the yard with a clanging sound.

Qiu Sheng ran out of the main room and helped carry Master Simu into the guest room.

Uncle Nine instructed Wencai to go to the kitchen to brew medicine, then turned to look at Lin Chen: "Your meridians were injured by the divine fire. Go meditate and regulate your breathing. You will stay in the mortuary to recuperate for the next few days and are not allowed to go anywhere."

Lin Chen nodded and returned to his guest room.

He sat cross-legged on the wooden bed and closed his eyes.

A series of rewards followed.

Lin Chen felt a warm current flowing into his Niwan Palace, traveling along the eight extraordinary meridians, and the meridians that had been damaged from forcibly bearing the divine fire quickly healed.

The vortex of magical energy in his dantian had grown larger, and its rotation speed was much faster than before.

Lin Chen opened his eyes and clenched his fist.

"Cool."

Lin Chen let out a breath.

Although the trip to Heishui Town was dangerous, it was very rewarding.

At the peak of Taoist cultivation, one can be quite powerful among the younger generation.

Moreover, after reading the physics teachings of the founding master, I gained a deeper understanding of my own playing style.

"I'll go to the provincial capital and buy a few fat cattle later," Lin Chen calculated. "Although the heavenly generals are greedy, they are efficient and can shake down any deity with enough offerings."

Lin Chen lay down on the bed and fell asleep.