I am grinding experience in another world

Deep in the Mist Forest, a four-armed ape towering over ten stories high let out a furious roar toward the heavens.

Its surroundings churned with oppressive energies, and towering trees were felled in waves like dominoes.

The crimson-eyed Red-eyed Water Ape charged recklessly to and fro, its bloodlust boiling over.

Numerous armored figures, appearing like ants by comparison, were easily flung into the air by the water ape’s aura. Before they could even hit the ground, their bodies dissolved into pools of blood under its corrosive energy.

But in the next moment, golden ropes radiating dazzling light shot out from the forest, blanketing the four-armed ape in dense arrays.

No matter how it howled or struggled, more and more ropes wrapped tightly around its massive form, pinning it in place.

Buzz!

Wisps of emerald energy rose into the sky, instantly converging into a slender, over ten-meter-long Qi Blade.

With a flash of light, the crescent-shaped Qi Blade cut cleanly through the Red-eyed Water Ape’s body.

The once ferocious four-armed ape froze completely. The luster in its eyes dimmed rapidly, and within mere moments, every trace of its vitality had dissipated.

With a thunderous crash, its enormous frame collapsed dramatically.

Floating in midair was a gray-robed elder holding a purple-black gourd. He shook the gourd’s opening toward the Red-eyed Water Ape, causing the mountain-sized beast to transform into a stream of black-red light that was absorbed into the gourd.

At the same time, the golden ropes retracted one by one, withdrawing back into the bodies of the armored figures nearby.

These people bore faint smiles on their faces, but their eyes were unfocused and lifeless.

Indifferent to the carnage and death around them, they marched in unbroken formation, continuing toward the depths of the Mist Forest like puppets.

…

Thirty miles away, atop a small mountain peak.

Chen Mu had witnessed the entire battle and watched the retreating Daoist Soldiers, his brow furrowing deeply.

Those people…

“They are all victims of the Green Worm Evil Technique,” Lu Han, who stood beside Chen Mu, spoke with equal solemnity. “Yesterday, I even saw Yang Fu among them.”

“Elder Hu said the Plague Immortal Flag dispersed the Green Worm Poison, but their souls were irreparably damaged. They can no longer regain consciousness, which is why…”

Why they were all turned into puppet Daoist Soldiers?

Chen Mu stared at the dense swarm, surging toward the depths of the Mist Forest like an army of ants, and felt a chill seeping through his body.

Among them were Qi Refinement cultivators and Martial Artists, but most were ordinary people plagued by the Green Worm Poison Gu.

Now, with their souls obliterated, their bodies were crafted into Daoist Soldiers at someone else’s command.

This…

This seems overly cruel, doesn’t it?

“Is this always how the Thousand Mechanisms Sect operates?”

This method was far from the image of the Profound Sect he had envisioned.

“The Thousand Mechanisms Sect is traditionally renowned for its expertise in crafting puppet creations and animated beings, often refining them from the bodies of demons and exotic beasts,” Lu Han replied.

“Artifacts like the Bai Gui Shuttle and Cloud Bat Flying Boat are products of their workmanship.”

“But this Daoist Soldier Warrior Technique is unprecedented. Indeed, it does seem rather…” Lu Han hesitated.

“Maybe it’s just a matter of circumstance, a shortage of manpower forcing their hand.” His expression wavered as he rationalized their actions.

Chen Mu gave a slight nod yet remained unconvinced inwardly.

Where there’s one, there will be more. Today, they manipulate the injured souls of these people; who’s to say they won’t target innocents next?

The sprawling Thousand Mechanisms Sect certainly couldn’t consist entirely of virtuous individuals.

“These Daoist Soldiers of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect are not something to be envied.”

“Luckily… luckily I have the Nine-Life Tribulation Splitting Technique.”

Chen Mu narrowed his eyes.

“The Heavenly Demon Body must continue nurturing, and the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed must keep being refined and linked through the Tribulation Technique.”

Ever since achieving Divine Embryo Completion, the Night Sky Star Map within his mind had expanded exponentially, with the light points representing the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seeds increasing steadily.

Each day, he spent hours connecting with the Spirit Seeds. By now, the number of Spirit Seed-driven Peach Gods he possessed surpassed ten thousand.

Yet compared to the vast constellation above, this number was a mere drop in the ocean.

“Thank goodness for the Netherworld Yin Spirits.” Chen Mu gazed appreciatively at the map in his mind.

In the past, he disliked those Yin Spirits, believing they were exploiting him by copying his methods and experience for their own benefit.

But now, his heart was filled with nothing but gratitude.

“I need to carve out time to study the Yin Spirit Secret Techniques.” Chen Mu decided inwardly.

Once dismissive of the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed, he could no longer afford such apathy.

For every Spirit Seed host that survived a little longer, he gained another Peach God to bear the tribulations.

By delving into Yin Spirit Secret Techniques, Spirit Seed hosts could swiftly comprehend and enhance their survival abilities.

“Don’t overthink things. At least we’re spared from being pushed to the front lines. Yang Fu and the others are bearing the brunt for us,” Lu Han sighed.

“Let’s funnel more Sealing Demon Power into the Awakening Bell to better protect their bodies,” he muttered despondently while trudging down the hill.

Chen Mu glanced once more at the distant battlefield, took a deep breath, and followed him down the slope.

The grind must go on.

He needed to grow stronger — stronger than ever — to ensure he never became one of those unfortunate souls.

…

Five days later.

With countless Daoist Soldier Warriors advancing rapidly day and night, more than half of the demons and monsters entrenched in the Mist Forest were slaughtered or driven away.

The blood-red crack in the sky had come into view, looming ever closer. Their march toward Qingqiu Mountain was nearly at hand.

At the Taoshan Temple camp, Chen Mu sat on a tree stump murmuring incantations.

Using the Three Yin Slaying Demon Technique as a foundation and the Sealing Demon Curse for control, bursts of Demon Dispel Power flew into the air, pouring into a fist-sized copper bell.

The bell, known as the Awakening Bell, was a pivotal magic artifact for controlling Daoist Soldier Warriors.

It absorbed the collective Sealing Demon Power provided by the group and transferred it into the Daoist Soldiers, helping them pierce through the demonic aura of their enemies.

While Chen Mu and his allies were spared from direct confrontation with the monsters, they were required to exhaust their mana daily, continuously supplying the Awakening Bell with Sealing Demon Power.

For a while, Chen Mu chanted endlessly, then mimicked Lu Han’s behavior by forcing out a bead of sweat and exaggerating his breaths.

He perfectly disguised himself as an ordinary, slightly more mana-abundant Qi Cultivator of the Primordial Talisman Realm.

With a quick thought, the Gray Wall appeared before him, and he turned his attention to a specific section.

Sealing Demon Curse: Maxed out.

After repeated drills and constant use in recent times, this cursing technique — which indirectly functioned as an enhanced form of the Demon Dispel Skill — had reached its pinnacle.

“Maxing it out is good. With its guise, variations of the Three Yin Slaying Demon Technique can remain unnoticed.”

Chen Mu skimmed the Gray Wall before shifting his focus to other areas of interest.

Without access to the Daoist Foundation Atlas, his cultivation was stuck at a standstill.

The Heavenly Demon Body would continue evolving, but having recently condensed the Divine Fetus, any noticeable progress wouldn’t happen overnight.

The Tribulation Technique was practiced daily, yet with more than ten thousand Spirit Seed Peach Gods already at his disposal, Chen Mu wasn’t in a rush — regular refinement was sufficient, with minimal time investment.

With so much idle time available, he decided to focus on one of his unfinished secret techniques to grind experience.

“Perhaps the Ghost Channeling Spell can increase my mastery over some Ghost Pattern Secret Techniques.”

The Ghost Channeling Spell originated from the Da Qian Lock Dragon Knights and was a sub-technique of the Underworld God Transformation.

The spell allowed ordinary individuals without mana to perform Yin Spirit techniques like Qi Cultivators.

Though its strength was secondary, Chen Mu valued its potential as something the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed hosts could learn — indirectly enhancing their capabilities.

Unfortunately, without guidance, he had to rely on luck while exploring the Nine Serenities Abyss, and the acquired techniques might turn out lackluster.

Moreover, Hai Province lacked City God Dojo facilities, making castings of the Ghost Channeling Spell exceedingly unreliable.

“Still, sparing some time to try doesn’t hurt. Who knows, it might succeed,” Chen Mu thought, his tone indifferent yet optimistic.

“Or perhaps I could delve into the Wu Mountain brothers’ other techniques.” He glanced at specific sections of the Gray Wall.

Wu Mountain brothers’ techniques were based on fragments of the Thousand Mountains Sutra — unconventional yet highly versatile with extraordinary potential.

The Truthful Listening Divine Power had become his finest sensory tool, providing immense security.

The slightly less potent Three Yin Slaying Demon Technique excelled remarkably in combating demons.

“Ten Directions Hands, Soul Capturing and Rejuvenation Technique, Mechanism Manipulation Technique…” Chen Mu examined the three secret techniques, hesitating.

As he pondered his future cultivation path.

The sound of distant thunder rumbled closer, shaking the ground.

Alarmed, Chen Mu immediately stood and fixed his gaze in the direction of the disturbance.

The blood-red rift that stretched across the sky was visibly collapsing.

A scarlet figure streaked upward, darting into the fissure right before it sealed shut entirely.

“Lan Zhang escaped?”

Chen Mu stared at the vanished rift and couldn’t help but grin.

“This chaos of demons and monsters is finally coming to an end.”