I am grinding experience in another world-Chapter 664 - 652: Share Calamity

Hai Province's central region, Earth Seal Sect.

A pitch-black fissure, dozens of miles long, stretched across the sky.

From within the crack, enormous multi-headed flood dragons nearly a hundred meters in length kept emerging, spewing streaks of thunderous flames with every exhale.

Black smoke rose thick and heavy over the surrounding endless green mountains, now scarred and desolate.

At the peak of Fuyang Mountain, the Earth Seal Sect dojo's core, a nine-headed monstrous flood dragon coiled menacingly.

Its nine heads roared deafeningly, immediately eliciting howls of response from the other multi-headed flood dragons in the sky.

Soon, the flood dragons whipped wind and clouds into a frenzy, forming packs that surged toward distant, heavily populated cities.

In their wake, no blade of grass was left alive—living beings and all creatures were mercilessly devoured by the ferocious monstrous flood dragons.

At that instant, a tall, thin elder clad in a purple Daoist robe suddenly appeared.

His complexion was stern and cold as he impassively stared at the nine-headed flood dragon. Spreading the fingers of his right hand, a cluster of gold-black flames materialized in his palm.

With a simple flip of his hand, the flames effortlessly descended upon the peak of Fuyang Mountain.

Before the nine-headed flood dragon could react, the gold-black flames penetrated its protective qi mechanism with ease, plunging into its immense body.

Boom!

A towering inferno erupted, its dazzling brilliance blackening even the heavens and the earth for an instant.

The nine-headed flood dragon was engulfed entirely by the flames, writhing and struggling with all its might, yet unable to dispel the fire.

In mere moments, as it twisted in agony, the colossal flood dragon was reduced to ash and scattered with the wind.

It seemed as though a pivotal support had been destroyed. The pitch-black fissure in the sky began to slowly close and retract.

In the next moment, clouds billowed furiously in all directions as several hundred figures clad in black robes layered with armor materialized behind the elder.

"Sect Master!" The group saluted in unison.

"Teams of three, set out immediately for the mountain gates of the Ninety-nine Sects."

"Establish altars, issue decrees, and summon all Daoist Soldiers in Hai Province."

"Defy orders, and face Five Thunders Bombarding, obliterating both body and soul!"

"Yes!"

With a chorus of respectful responses, the hundreds of individuals transformed into streaks of light, streaking off in all directions across Hai Province.

A middle-aged man dressed in gray attire approached the elder hesitantly, a look of worry on his face.

"Senior Brother Lu, the current Daoist Soldiers of Hai Province are all new recruits. If they face demons directly, I fear the losses will be severe."

"Why not summon seasoned veterans from the Outer Heaven Battlefield? That way, the demon chaos could be quelled faster and more effectively," the middle-aged man respectfully suggested.

"Lan Xiuzhu, was it not you who asked me to come and assist in restoring order?" The elder in the purple robe's tone was icy cold.

"Disturbing Senior Brother's secluded cultivation, Xiuzhu is deeply ashamed," Lan Xiuzhu said with genuine embarrassment, lowering his gaze.

"If you've requested my intervention, then you'll act according to my plan," the Sect Master of Thousand Mechanisms Sect, Lu Shenjun, declared emotionlessly.

"This... as you say!" Lan Xiuzhu was forced to bow his head, hands clasped in deference.

"You failed to promptly detect the Heavenly Star shift, allowing Nether Demon Heaven to exploit the opportunity to breach the Complete Heaven Formation. This was already a catastrophic oversight."

"And now, you suggest redirecting Outer Heaven Daoist Soldiers, effectively handing the Heavenly Star Dojo over to the Nether Demons and Heavenly Demons? Is that what you intend?" Lu Shenjun's eyes darted sharply, casting a sideward glance at Lan Xiuzhu.

"It was an error in judgment on my part," Lan Xiuzhu admitted, lowering his posture even further in remorse.

"If you're aware of your miscalculation, then act swiftly. How much longer do you intend to prolong this Hai Province mess?" Lu Shenjun said mercilessly.

"Your reprimand is justified, Senior Brother. I will leave at once." Lan Xiuzhu respectfully clasped his hands, then turned and left with two subordinates, transforming into three streaks of light as they sped southward.

...

In Qingqiu Mountain's underground secret chamber—

Chen Mu leaned against a low couch adorned with soft cushions, his legs crossed atop the small table at the foot of the bed. Cheerfully, he popped fried Moon Beet Pearls into his mouth while observing Thousand Lanterns City through his Shadow Pupil.

Despite the chaos of demons rampaging outside the mountain, he dared not make any sudden moves from his underground sanctuary.

Each day, he alternated between nourishing his Heavenly Demon Body and practicing his yet-to-be-perfected secret techniques.

Monitoring the changes in Thousand Lanterns City had become one of his rare amusements amidst cultivation.

Nearly a month had passed, and compared to before, Thousand Lanterns City Cave Heaven had expanded to over three times its original size.

Through the drooping, sluggish eye perched atop the Shadow Pupil, Chen Mu observed the ground below.

The massive soil he had initially used to fill the subterranean terrain suddenly seemed far too small. What once resembled a vast expanse of land now looked like an isolated island in the sea.

"If it could grow two or three times larger, wouldn't that be amazing?"

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"Black Shadow Monster, oh Black Shadow Monster, this is too disappointing."

"How come you didn't eat a few more of your kind?"

"If you had gathered a couple more eyeballs, maybe my Thousand Lanterns City would've expanded further," Chen Mu grumbled loudly, sipping his Nourishing Spirit Wine while crunching on Moon Beet Pearls.

"Well, three times is still manageable."

After grumbling for a while, he finally collected himself and began linking to his Mechanical Talisman Seed.

Activating the Truth Listening Divine Power, the scenes of the land above emerged vividly within his mind.

Within the Mist Forest, the air remained shrouded in thick fog tinged with an irremovable crimson hue.

What had once been a forest teeming with insect chirps and beastly roars now lay eerily quiet, still and unnervingly silent.

"The exotic beasts of Mist Forest have truly met a bleak fate."

"Anything alive, almost everything, has been swallowed utterly by the Blood Shadow Demon."

"That Hundred-Eyed Spider, which escaped being devoured entirely by my Ghosts, has now been exterminated by Lan Zhang's blood shadows."

"What a pity for the fresh and savory Hundred-Eyed Spider's leg meat—I doubt I'll ever get to taste it again."

Chen Mu sighed wistfully.

"I wonder if Yang Fu and the others have already fled into the hidden chamber within the mountain's belly."

"Even if they've successfully retreated, whether they can withstand Lan Zhang's onslaught remains uncertain."

"Being alone here in the underground secret chamber is admittedly dreary and monotonous, but staying on the surface may well result in losing one's life."

"Under these circumstances, this underground chamber of mine remains the safest bet."

"With the Demon Qi Stone isolating everything, no one can disturb my secluded cultivation," Chen Mu chuckled to himself, his heart light as he inspected the stored ingredients in his Five Ghosts Bag. Humming a tune and shaking his legs, he began arranging his dinner.

Buzz!

A gentle force suddenly descended—it felt as if warm hands were stroking his head.

The joyful rhythm of Chen Mu's legs froze immediately, not daring to move.

This sensation…

Pure Yang Daoist Ancestor?!

No, I haven't violated any decrees. Why would the Contract's backlash power come upon me?

"All Daoist Soldiers, immediately proceed to Taoshan Temple outside Mist Forest."

"Defy orders, and face Five Thunders Bombarding, soul scattered to the winds!"

A cold voice suddenly echoed within his mind.

Was this the decree of Thousand Mechanisms Sect?

Looks like my plan to lay low underground until Thousand Mechanisms Sect quelled the chaos won't come to fruition.

Chen Mu's expression shifted immediately.

"If I truly go to Taoshan Temple, I'll undoubtedly get pulled into the battle to quell the demons."

"But if I don't go, Five Thunders Bombarding might leave me without a life to preserve anyway."

The image of crimson fireworks exploding from lightning strikes atop Qingqiu Mountain vividly surfaced in his mind.

While he hesitated, the lingering gentle power around him did not dissipate.

"The contractual decree hasn't fully transmitted yet?"

As uncertainty beset him—

Rumble! Rumble!

Like the thunder of summer storms, a deafening explosion suddenly roared in his ears.

And that presence cloaking him, faintly gentle and compelling, grew thicker, enveloping him like densely gathered storm clouds.

This…

Are they activating a preliminary trial lightning tribulation to scare Daoist Soldiers into compliance?

What the…

Thousand Mechanisms Sect, you bastards!

His heart seized in panic, and he fumbled to pull out the Peach God for protection.

Boom!

A second muted clap of thunder instantly resounded within his chest cavity.

The crackle of lightning splitting the air accompanied by a light snapping echoed—a hair-thin thread of lightning struck squarely at the tip of Chen Mu's nose.

His nostrils suddenly itched incessantly, prompting him to reflexively inhale deeply over and over.

But after struggling for what felt like ages, the sneeze building at the back of his throat stubbornly refused to emerge.

This…that's it?

Wasn't that supposed to trigger a full-fledged lightning strike?

Chen Mu's expression turned peculiar.

This Five Thunders Bombarding—isn't it a bit underwhelming?

Even in its trial version, shouldn't it pack more power than this?

Wait…is this the Nine-Life Tribulation Splitting Technique?

Immediately, Chen Mu pulled out a Peach God statuette for inspection.

On the tip of the smiling, mischievous little figurine's nose appeared a pinpoint-sized black dot.

"Old Man Hu's suffering wasn't unjust after all."

"I misjudged him when I cursed him earlier!"

Chen Mu stretched his lips into a radiant grin.

He truly hadn't anticipated the Nine-Life Tribulation Splitting Technique to exhibit such remarkable effectiveness.

Although the lightning tribulation was intentionally weakened for trial purposes, its potency remained intense enough to compel Daoist Soldiers into compliance through sheer intimidation.

Yet this supposedly intense thunder law was so diminished by the tribulation technique that it felt no more threatening than winter static or a weak flick of a forehead?

"Looks like going to Taoshan Temple isn't all that necessary after all."

"Haha!"