I am grinding experience in another world

Deep within Fulong Ridge, in an unnamed valley, lay a sunlit dense forest.

Black smoke billowed around Chen Mu like waves, and the chaotic grass, trees, and rocks vanished, quickly leveled into an open space.

The sturdy straw hut, which had accompanied him for many years, was retrieved from Thousand Lanterns City and then took root beneath the shade of trees.

Pulling out a small bamboo chair to sit by the door and window, Chen Mu let out a long sigh of relief.

"After all that fuss, I can finally take a break."

After enjoying a gentle breeze for a good while, he released the charred Hong Yi from Thousand Lanterns City.

At this moment, Hong Yi's pitch-black face was cracked in large patches, and through the gaps, his inner snowy white skin could be seen.

"As expected of a master of Celestial Capital Transformation, his life force is truly formidable," Chen Mu marveled.

The Giant Spirit Divine, clad in armor, appeared and performed the Soul Capturing Return to Origin Technique. The incense spiritual energy from the Bottomless Pool was extracted and then infused into Hong Yi's body.

Crack, crack…

The skin that had been charred and carbonized by the Nine Nether Green Flames immediately cracked and fell off, and the whole person visibly recovered at a remarkable pace.

The next instant, Hong Yi suddenly opened his eyes.

Seeing Chen Mu leisurely sitting on the bamboo chair, recalling his previous near-death experience, his gaze almost instantly turned fierce.

"Want to kill me?" Chen Mu smiled slyly.

"Better think it through," he said with a playful expression.

Hong Yi was startled, then quickly realized that while malice still swirled in his mind, an inexplicable sense of closeness arose.

The person before him seemed to have become his beloved friend and family, and in the blink of an eye, became his comrade!

Although knowing the cause and effect, hostility and affection could coexist simultaneously.

This…

Is this man's method really so sinister… and advanced?

"Sir's methods are truly brilliant!" Hong Yi stood up to accept the clothes Chen Mu handed over, replacing the charred and tattered strips on his body, and clasped his fists with a bitter smile and a shake of his head.

Chen Mu felt a bit of tightness in his scalp as well.

The Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed certainly had many flaws, but the skill to turn enemies into friends was still so uncanny.

...

Shortly after.

Another bamboo chair appeared under the window.

Hong Yi sat in the chair, staring at the distant green mountains, lost in thought.

By this time, he had accepted the reality of being under someone else's control.

Then he began to explain the reason for ambushing Chen Mu at Fulong Ridge before.

"Your whereabouts were informed by Di Xing..."

I knew it!

Chen Mu's eyelids twitched, and he couldn't help clenching his fists.

"He wanted me to introduce you to the Lock Dragon Courtyard, to help you obtain a Ghost God Order that allows free control of the incense spiritual energy of the Great Zhou County, not to harm you," Hong Yi explained.

With the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed, he naturally wouldn't harm me.

But unfortunately, it was a well-meaning failure!

However…

"Logically, since I can handle Strange Demons, shouldn't your Great Zhou Lock Dragon Institute be eager to welcome me?"

"Why would someone like you as a lower institute head set up an ambush?" Chen Mu was puzzled.

"Lock Dragon Institute isn't without means of dealing with Strange Demons," Hong Yi replied. "The simplest method is to let the Strange Demons consume enough people."

"Once they devour too many lives, the Strange Demons become uncontrollably plunged into the Netherworld."

This method… is rather brutal.

Chen Mu frowned.

"This method is too harsh to use," Hong Yi continued. "Not only because it would cause massive casualties among civilians, but more importantly, Strange Demons themselves can't be dealt with in large numbers."

"If the number of Strange Demons decreases too much, Outer Heaven Demons will descend," he added, his expression grave.

There's such a thing?

Chen Mu was astonished.

"In the 360 years since the founding of Great Zhou, the Lock Dragon Institute has tried many times."

"If the number of Strange Demons falls below a certain threshold, strange natural disasters occur, and demons descend from the heavens to wreak havoc—this is the most common kind," Hong Yi said with a somber face.

Can Strange Demons and Outer Heaven Demons be connected?

When one decreases, the other increases, maintaining a dynamic balance?

How bizarre...

Chen Mu scratched his head.

"So you drive the Strange Demons into Great Hong, ensuring their presence without endangering your own citizens?" Chen Mu realized.

"And at the same time, you force Great Hong's citizens to migrate into Great Zhou," Hong Yi added. "My main purpose for being near Fulong Ridge was to guide the safe migration of Great Hong refugees."

Actively accepting a huge number of foreign refugees?

Why?

Chen Mu found it strange.

He could understand accepting a few elite talents, but to have no restrictions at all—weren't they afraid of causing huge chaos in their own country?

"Because of Incense Vital Energy!" Hong Yi declared with a serious face: "Because Incense Vital Energy originates from the scattered Three Treasures Essence Qi of ordinary people!"

What... is that actually the case?!

Chen Mu felt a jolt throughout his body.

The City God Dojo would thinly spread the Earth Spirit Vital Energy, ensuring abundant harvests and thriving livestock.

Netherworld Worms lived symbiotically, making the people strong and healthy, free from diseases.

He had initially thought this was just to cultivate Netherworld Worms and bring more Yin Spirits to the Netherworld.

Reflecting now, perhaps it was also simultaneously to produce more Incense Spiritual Energy!

Both Underworld God Transformation and Lock Dragon Knight used Incense Spiritual Energy as sustenance for their cultivation.

What kind of situation is this?

Using people as food?!

At this moment, as Chen Mu gazed at the Incense Spiritual Energy stored in the Bottomless Pool, a chill inexplicably ran down his spine.

Suddenly he thought of his past experiences in Luandu County as a Living God. At that time, using the Spirit Treasure Pivot Scripture Secret Technique, he could clearly see the restrictions of the City God Dojo, like invisible threads densely woven, encasing the heavens and the earth like a fishing net or bird cage.

"Heavenly Net, no one can escape it."

The mountain breeze, warmed slightly by the sun, hit Chen Mu's face, yet he felt cold all over.

After a while, he finally sighed softly and snapped himself back to reality.

"Tell me about the Yellow Springs Sect."

Previously, after forming his Daoist Foundation, he felt somewhat proud and arrogant. But now, he only wanted to advance further.

Moreover... to quickly distance himself from the Great Zhou Court!

...

One month later.

Great Zhou's Xining County, Anqing City.

This city was located on the westernmost side of Great Zhou, and moving further west would lead into the endless stretch of Henglian Mountain Range.

Within the city's East Market, in the Yanghe Building, Chen Mu sat in a street-facing booth on the third floor, staring absent-mindedly at the flow of people on the street.

Over the past month, with Hong Yi leading the way, he had safely crossed Great Zhou and smoothly arrived at Anqing City.

The initial shock after hearing the core secrets of the City God Dojo made him want to leave Great Zhou as soon as possible.

Now that days had passed, Chen Mu had completely calmed down.

"While certainly cruel that the Netherworld uses common people like crops, in this world, who isn't treated like cattle and horses."

"Even those Qi Cultivators on the Outer Heaven Star don't have it much better."

"At least the Netherworld allows ordinary people a peaceful life until their natural end."

"Only those who experience it firsthand can truly judge whether it's good or bad."

"As a humble Qi Cultivator, I'd better focus on refining my Qi." Chen Mu sighed and shifted his thoughts.

"I need to quickly find where Qi Cultivators gather, and it's best if I can join the Yellow Springs Sect."

The Yellow Springs Sect, a sect as renowned as the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, mastered numerous Wonderful Methods. The Netherworld Grand Summary that Chen Mu practiced during Condensing Aperture came from the Yellow Springs Sect.

Post-Daoist Foundation cultivation, known as Immortal Casting Platform or Refining Spiritual Treasure, requires a Spirit Treasure Creation Method Secret Scroll. A sect like Yellow Springs Sect surely has complete inheritances.

"I wonder if the path introduced by Hong Yi is reliable." Chen Mu hesitated.

The earlier blunder caused by Di Xing wasn't far in the past, and even though he had repeatedly warned Hong Yi not to complicate things before coming, Chen Mu still felt uneasy.

While pondering, light footsteps caught Chen Mu's attention.

A moment later, a stoutly-built, prosperous-looking middle-aged man walked into the booth.

"Am I face-to-face with Daoist Chen?" The middle-aged man beamed.

"Who are you?"

"I am Bai Xiaoqing, formerly… Hong Xiaoqing."

"Hong?" Chen Mu raised his eyebrows.

"Hong Yi is my second brother." The prosperous middle-aged man stepped closer, speaking softly.

Chen Mu immediately understood; this must be the person Hong Yi had arranged.

"Do you have a way for me to join the Yellow Springs Sect?"

"Indeed, there is a way for you to enter the Holy Heart Lower Institute of the Yellow Springs Sect. It's just…"

"Just what?" Chen Mu frowned slightly.

"You must sign a Daoist Soldier Contract, committing yourself to the Holy Heart Institute. Should you betray them, you will be tormented by Yin Fire Burning Heart." Hong Xiaoqing spoke gravely.

Daoist Soldier Contract?

Burning Heart with fierce fire?

Chen Mu glanced at the grey stone door where he had long practiced the Nine-Life Tribulation Splitting Technique to its fullest.

Ha!

Isn't that just perfect!

Chen Mu immediately broke into a smile.