I am grinding experience in another world

The weather progressively cooled, and the leaves on Qiluo Mountain gradually yellowed and decayed.

Inside the Divine Statue Grotto Heaven, Chen Mu lay on the offering table of the City Divine Main Hall, staring at the semi-transparent gray wall in front of him.

Spiritual Treasure Pivot Scripture: 81/10000/Fifth Rank;

More than half a month had passed, and he pondered over the Spiritual Treasure Pivot Scripture every day, his experience soaring rapidly.

Carefully comprehending the feedback from the new stage, his eyes couldn't help but light up.

"Although I still haven't found a way to break free from the Divine Statue Grotto Heaven, but..."

With a thought, he appeared atop a mountain peak.

Standing on the peak, Chen Mu looked around with a face full of surprise and delight.

The mountain peak under his feet belonged to the Southern Forest Mountains, which were mainly distributed in Jiangyang County, to the west side of Luandu County.

"I can't break away completely from the Grotto Heaven, but I've managed to expand my range of movement beyond Luandu County!"

"What a great thing!"

Chen Mu looked up at the sky, and invisible thin lines came into view. In the past, he could only see the power of the Taoist energy lines within Luandu County, but now he could clearly see those surrounding three adjacent counties.

It was by harnessing the power of the interconnected Taoist energy lines that he had successfully escaped the 'prison' of Luandu County.

"Once the Spiritual Treasure Pivot Scripture reaches Perfection, even if I can't leave the Divine Statue Grotto Heaven, I might be able to roam around the entire Da Qian freely!"

Chen Mu's lips curved into a smile, and he activated his Yin Spirit Divine Power, a pitch-black vortex appeared behind him.

Wrapped in the power of the Netherworld Ferry, he followed the energy lines of the dojo and teleported into Yutang County, north of Luandu County in the blink of an eye. Find adventures on My Virtual Library Empire

...

The sun set in the west.

Having explored a great part of the surrounding Jiangyang, Yutang, and Longxi counties, Chen Mu finally returned reluctantly to the Divine Statue Grotto Heaven.

"It's a pity that I still can't completely break away from the City God Dojo." Next to the Moon Gate of the East Straddling Courtyard, Chen Mu downed most of his cup of Chilled Jade Dew in one gulp, feeling a bit like a greedy person who can never be satisfied.

"At the very least, I now have three more places to stretch my legs, and I can also perceive the City God Dojo more clearly. Once I thoroughly understand it, I might find a direction to escape the shackles of the dojo."

Chen Mu sat down on a remote chair under a tree and squinted up at the sky.

There, countless thin lines weaved into a net, enveloping all around. And between the gaps of the net, white and golden streams of energy flowed, like groups of lively tadpoles.

The white streams were Earth Spirit Vital Energy, flowing wherever it is sparse.

But the golden streams were different, coming from all directions and converging above the City Divine Temple.

"Is this the Incense Spiritual Energy that Yuan Dong spoke of, the cultivation sustenance for the Underworld God Transformation Warriors?"

He could see it vaguely before, but it was like looking at flowers through the fog, never having seen such a clear sight as the one before his eyes.

After observing for a moment, Chen Mu then looked down at the ground.

Beneath the earth's surface, apart from lines similar to the net in the sky, his perception now revealed more clusters of nodes. They were scattered around, flickering with light, just like stars in the sky.

"Earth energy acupoints?"

Chen Mu's Divine Thoughts projected to a crack in the rocks underground.

A huge ice sphere, two-thirds embedded in the rock wall, appeared before his eyes.

Looking through the ice sphere, which was as tall as two people and bulged like a bay window, he saw dense, root-like silver patterns.

"As I suspected..."

"Netherworld Ghost Patterns are used to replace Prohibition Talismans to control the energy acupoints, eventually forming the City God Dojo that envelops the entire Luandu County."

"A kind of power similar to that of Qi Cultivators' Forbidden Laws but unique to the Netherworld."

Chen Mu looked closely at the ice sphere with interest.

But while he was observing, a shadow deep within the ice sphere suddenly caught his eye.

He subconsciously activated the Truthful Listening Technique to discern, and a strange yet familiar rhythm of life emerged by his ear.

"Qi Cultivator?!"

"How could there be a living Qi Cultivator buried in the City God Dojo's energy acupoint?!" Chen Mu was shocked.

In an instant, he thought of the several hundred acupoint nodes under Luandu County's ground, shining like stars in the sky.

"Could it be..."

His figure flashed, and he disappeared instantly. A moment later, he reappeared with an ugly expression on his face.

He had just checked thirty-one acupoint nodes in succession, only to find that fourteen of them contained Qi Cultivators!

"Qi Cultivators, could they really be the materials for the construction of the City God Dojo?" Chen Mu exclaimed in shock.

"No wonder the Lock Dragon Courtyard's attitude towards capturing Qi Cultivators all over the world is so aggressive!"

The thought of the countless City God Dojos spread throughout the world.

Chen Mu's pupils instantly contracted to pins, and he felt a chill all over his body.

...

Two nights later, in the East Straddling Courtyard of the Qiluo Mountain City Divine Temple.

Li Buxian bathed in the sunset, sitting at the doorway on a round chair with his eyes closed.

In his right hand, he held a White Jade wine cup the size of an egg, slowly swaying it. Inside, the half cup of amber-colored liquor with silver specks gently stirred, emitting a crisp fragrance of wine.

After a long while, Li Buxian opened his eyes, and a faint silver light flashed through them.

The martial strength of the Underworld God Transformation is formidable, enabling mortals to contend with Qi Cultivators. But the cultivation of it is extremely dangerous as well.

The first and third transformations are manageable, but with the fifth and seventh, the difficulty drastically increases. The Underworld God Nine Transformations are even considered a chasm.

If the Superior Fetal Spirit is insufficient and cannot suppress the Divine Demon essence absorbed into the body, one would immediately be devoured by the essence, leaving no bones behind, completely vanishing from the world.

"The effects of the Netherworld Wine are quite good, if only..."

"There was more of it!"

The Silver Gourd is only a Middle Grade product from within the Netherworld Gourd; even if the Netherworld Wine is successfully brewed, it would only yield one cup per batch.

Based on the current production, to replenish his Spiritual Deity, he would need to stay in the City Divine Temple for at least four years, but there are only two years left in his term.

Li Buxian's face looked grim.

A normal Temple Priest has a five-year term, and even with the lowest Success Rate Silver Gourd, one could refine enough Netherworld Wine.

But that applies to City Divine Temples that have been built over many years, where one can start refining Netherworld Wine as soon as they assume office.

Qiluo Mountain was newly built, and he wasted three years just waiting for the Lock Dragon Well to meet the conditions for brewing.

"After all, what's missing is a powerful backer."

Li Buxian's face was expressionless, but the fingers pinching the White Jade Wine Cup whitened slightly from too much force.

To follow those Noble Clans in privately building dojos?

Ha!

That's probably because they think they're not dying fast enough.

Those Noble Clans can find people to cover up for them, but for a lone individual like himself, once exposed, the consequences would be extremely dire.

"A bleak future indeed..." Li Buxian's face looked troubled.

...

Inside the Divine Statue Cave Heaven, Chen Mu's face looked equally bad.

He lay languidly in the rocking chair under the Gate Tower.

Just the thought of the Qi Cultivators buried under the City God Dojo caused his whole body to shiver uncontrollably.

Da Qian is vast, with countless Luandu Counties. And for every place where mortals gather, there's a City God Dojo being constructed.

What lies beneath...

"How tragic!"

The City God Dojos ensure bountiful harvests and health for all mortals; he once thought this was a good thing.

But now it seems, it's just as sinister as cultivating Ghosts using the world's mortals.

"If I had really been captured by that horned monster in the Lower Courtyard of Gan River..."

"Lu Ku and Shang Huan..."

"Shit!"

"The Seven Paths of power that pulled me from the Ghost Gate to Qiluo Mountain, I'm afraid it was really them."

"I don't even know where the seven of them are buried; I can't even find the grave to burn some paper offerings for them."

These past two days, Chen Mu had been staying in the Divine Statue Cave Heaven, not even daring to project his Divine Thoughts outside.

As soon as he thought of the former peers buried under his feet, he couldn't help but feel panicky.

It felt as though at any moment, someone would pop out and press him into the ground.

Even the thought of separating from the City God Dojo had diminished greatly.

These Qi Cultivators of Da Qian, it's really not easy being one.