I am grinding experience in another world

Qingqiu Mountain summit, Qingqiu Palace.

The grand hall was completely empty.

Tables, chairs, and benches had all been cleared out, along with the decorative vases and calligraphy scrolls.

The portrait of the Pure Yang Dao Ancestor on the wall had been torn down, and the altar below it was replaced by a tall, grayish-white stone chair with a high back.

Lan Zhang propped his face on his left hand, holding a rolled White Jade Scroll with gold inlays in his right hand, his eyelids drooping lazily as he read.

"The Linglong Golden Chapter?"

"You picked this barren hunting ground on Qingqiu Mountain just for this?"

"You didn't get duped by some nonsense God Monarch Green Worm, did you?"

In the depths of the hall's shadows, countless eyes suddenly appeared out of thin air.

A patch of pure black shadow, resembling a floating ribbon, rose from the ground and emerged beside Lan Zhang's right ear.

On it was a fist-sized crimson eyeball, scrutinizing the White Jade Scroll in Lan Zhang's hand with evident disdain.

"For such a fragmented secret technique, you really thought it was worth abandoning the divine gift of Bloodlight from Nether Demon Heaven?" No-Eyed Child's gaze brimmed with puzzlement.

"That gift could refine your bloodline and suppress your bouts of madness."

"Lan Zhang, you haven't actually gone insane, have you!" No-Eyed Child exclaimed gleefully, sizing up Lan Zhang from head to toe.

"Then devour me already." Lan Zhang spoke playfully, though his eyes remained fixed on the Golden Chapter.

"Don't think I won't dare!" No-Eyed Child's massive eyeball widened in fury, his expression darkening.

"Oh, of course you dare." Lan Zhang's glimmering gaze flicked toward No-Eyed Child with amusement before returning to the scroll.

"You're bluffing, aren't you!" No-Eyed Child, clearly unsettled by Lan Zhang's casual attitude, hesitated for a moment but ultimately stayed motionless.

Having arrived in Baiyi Heaven after so long, Lan Zhang spent his days secluded in Qingqiu Mountain, never showing himself. Was this Linglong Golden Chapter truly worth all this?

Even the hairless monkeys delivered to him willingly were turned away. The colossal Sea of Blood and the Primordial Spirits it devoured—even they paled in comparison to the meddling Red-eyed Water Apes tagging along.

"Without enough Primordial Spirits, you won't get Bloodlight to refine your essence from Nether Demon Heaven, and sooner or later, your Blood God's Sons will rebel!"

"When madness consumes you and I devour your original source, don't go harboring any grudges!" No-Eyed Child growled bitterly after long hesitation, still unwilling to act.

"Naturally." Lan Zhang stashed the scroll away, chuckling as he glanced knowingly at No-Eyed Child.

"Get ready. It's about time we left." He stretched lazily, speaking with great ease.

"Weren't we supposed to rescue that Green Worm God Monarch? Now we're leaving?" No-Eyed Child asked in confusion.

"I'm an Outer Heaven Demon, aren't I? Treachery and deceit are second nature." Lan Zhang spread his arms wide, his grin radiant.

"Really?"

"Of course!"

Several black shadow ribbons looped around Lan Zhang, their embedded eyes—both large and small—fixed upon him.

"I can't shake the feeling you're hiding something from me," No-Eyed Child said gravely.

"Impossible!"

"Ever since arriving in Baiyi Heaven, we've been inseparable. What could I possibly hide from you?" Lan Zhang laughed lightly.

"But why do I feel as though I've lost something?" Suspicion flickered among the hundreds of eyeballs adorning No-Eyed Child.

"It's just acclimatization issues! Definitely just acclimatization issues!" Lan Zhang joked earnestly. "In Nether Demon Heaven, the Bloodlight shines omnipresently, and our minds are always filled with the sound of slaughter—it's constant stimulation. Baiyi Heaven is far too peaceful; you're simply not used to it."

"Indeed, it is unnervingly quiet. The tribes living here… they can't even hear the world's melody? Tsk tsk…" No-Eyed Child's eyes shone with sympathy. "Truly pitiful."

Lan Zhang: "..."

Nether Demon Heaven's incessant, chaotic, slaughter-inducing melody had somehow turned into a redeeming quality?!

Lan Zhang's eyes widened in shock.

He had spent centuries as a Yin Spirit before defecting to Nether Demon Heaven to become part of the Nether Clan. Betrayal, slaughter, and schemes had been his constant companions, making him feel like the epitome of depravity.

Yet compared to these native demons of Nether Demon Heaven...

Tsk!

…

Peach Blossom Valley, within a stone house surrounded on four sides.

A half-human-sized Black-Striped Rat was suspended mid-air by the Qi Forbidden Hundred Miles technique.

Chen Mu circled the brown-furred rat twice, its glossy black-striped back catching his attention, before placing his hand firmly against its forehead.

Splurt!

A colorless flame abruptly ignited in his palm.

Moments ago, the Black-Striped Rat's eyes had been darting agitatedly. Now, its eyelids drooped, and its breath vanished entirely, as though someone had flipped its switch.

"As I thought, it still doesn't work."

Chen Mu sighed in disappointment.

This rat, which he'd captured last night, was affected by the Sleepwalking Evil Technique.

He had spent countless days attempting to use Seven Emotions Flame to eradicate the evil magic. Unfortunately, as with all his previous attempts, the Seven Emotions Flame succeeded in dispelling the magic but also burned the Spiritual Deity to death.

"The transformation of a Qi Cultivator's Spiritual Deity is surely more resilient than these small beasts. Perhaps they can endure the flames better?"

Should I capture an afflicted Qi Cultivator as a test subject?

Chen Mu slowly shook his head.

"Guess I'll have to rely on Thousand Mechanisms Sect's methods."

Over the past ten-plus days, the number of people in Peach Blossom Valley affected by Sleepwalking Evil Technique steadily increased.

The surviving disciples of Hundred Illusion Sect, already few in number, found their ranks dwindling further. Now, they barely reached the hundred mark.

Taoshan Temple didn't fare much better, and the Inspection Courtyard, as expected, bore the worst losses.

With a casual wave, Chen Mu tossed the Black-Striped Rat into his Five Ghosts Bag, then walked to the window to observe Peach Blossom Valley.

The valley was eerily quiet, with the occasional sounds of objects smashing accompanied by muffled, restrained rage-filled outbursts.

For a sunny and beautiful day, the valley felt perpetually cloaked in an unspoken darkness.

…

Three more days passed, and finally, a glimmer of hope emerged.

Deep in Peach Blossom Valley, a wide stone staircase stretched directly upward toward the summit. The modestly charming Taoshan Temple could be faintly glimpsed atop the mountain.

The valley below seemed imbued with a Protective Array of Thousand Families technique. Early in the morning, a thousand Qi Cultivators summoned to the place stood spaced two or three meters apart, leaving ample room despite their numbers.

Hardly anyone engaged in casual conversation or banter; their expressions remained uniformly apathetic. The massive valley was silent, stiflingly so.

Before long, green Escape Light shimmered, and a middle-aged man clad in gray inner garments and black armor appeared mid-air. It was Yanming, an elder of Thousand Mechanisms Sect.

"The evil magic rampant of late has been identified—it stems from Green Worm Poison Gu." His voice wasn't booming, yet aided by Secret Technique, it sounded crystal clear to every listener.

"These insidious Gu worms are small and elusive, spread across Hai Province by Outer Heaven Demons."

"To completely eradicate this plague, I need all of you to join me in casting Sealing Demon Curse, invoking the heavens for rain, and alleviating the disaster."

As soon as he finished speaking, the valley erupted into tumultuous chatter.

The previously apathetic crowd now brimmed with hope and excitement.

Blending into the throng, Chen Mu let out a long breath of relief.

"Thousand Mechanisms Sect finally found a solution."

He had his Delusion Seven Emotions Flame to protect him, but others weren't so fortunate.

If too many people fell victim to the spell while he remained unharmed, suspicions would inevitably arise.

"Sealing Demon Curse, activate!" Yanming cried out softly from mid-air, simultaneously waving a towering fire-red Command Flag.

The gathering, well-rehearsed from prior drills, promptly entered the casting ritual.

Emerald Exotic Force shot skyward, quickly merging into the fire-red flag.

An unseen power burst forth, and a sheet of dark clouds materialized at the sky above Taoshan Temple.

Swish, swish, swish…

Almost instantly, a fine drizzle began to fall.

Chitter, chitter, chitter!

A rapid series of short, high-pitched chirps suddenly filled everyone's ears.

The crowd immediately felt a tangible lightness, as though shedding winter's heavy quilt for spring's refreshing breeze.

"Who would've thought—these people seemed unscathed, yet they've already been infected by this sinister Poison Gu!" Chen Mu scanned the crowd, his heart shaken.

"Thank goodness Thousand Mechanisms Sect intervened—if everyone had succumbed while I remained perfectly fine, I'd surely be in trouble!" Unease lingered in his thoughts.

The ritual rain persisted throughout the day, its fine drizzles radiating from Taoshan Temple to distant areas.

According to Elder Yanming's explanation, similar rituals were being conducted by Thousand Mechanisms Sect elders near the Ninety-nine Sect territories of Hai Province.

The collective effort ensured the purifying rain rapidly extended its reach and gradually encompassed Hai Province.

…

Two days later.

Within Taoshan Temple, the auxiliary soldiers and Qi Cultivators grouped by their respective divisions and flags, assembled at the entrance of Peach Blossom Valley.

The long-absent Hu Buwei appeared among the Hundred Illusion Sect ranks, leading seventy or eighty fellow disciples behind him.

"Thousand Mechanisms Sect is finally moving forward." Camouflaged in the crowd, Chen Mu exhaled heavily.

The rampage of the demons, spanning almost two months, threatened to turn Hai Province into the Outer Heaven Demons' playground if delayed any longer.

But still…

"Isn't annihilating the demons supposed to be the War Soldiers' job?"

"Why am I, an auxiliary butcher, being dragged along for the charge?!" Chen Mu glanced at the Thousand Mechanisms Sect elder Hai Ming leading the forefront, his heart sinking.

Hai Ming intended to take everyone into Mist Forest.

The recent chaos of Green Worm Poison Gu was horrifying enough. If they were to confront the demons directly, who knew what malignant secret techniques awaited them?

Especially with Lan Zhang occupying Qingqiu Mountain—that lunatic's demeanor in Nether Demon Heaven had been unnervingly wild.

Within his boundless Sea of Blood lay countless Blood God's Sons. Could their mere thousand Qi Cultivators truly hold their ground?

Chen Mu grew increasingly anxious.

"Maybe... I should make my escape!"