I am grinding experience in another world

Inside Wanjing Cave, Hu Buwei slowly opened his eyes.

His right eye was normal, but inside his left, two additional pupils had formed.

The three pupils were pitch-black like ink, seemingly bottomless. They roamed around the pale white of the eyeball, sinister and eerie.

"Are we just going to wait like this? Aren't you afraid something might go wrong with the Primordial Qi?" Hu Buwei frowned and voiced out.

"The Primordial Qi and I are one and the same; it will automatically converge towards me as soon as it leaves the seal. Stop fretting over nothing," Nine Heads replied nonchalantly.

"It's always wise to err on the side of caution. You'd best go and retrieve it," Hu Buwei suggested.

"You're underestimating my Nine-Life True Body," Nine Heads replied confidently. "By your terms here, the power I embody is akin to that of a Qi Cultivator's Primordial Spirit. Without an equal level of power to probe it, there's no chance of my dispersed Primordial Qi being detected."

"If you were really that powerful, how did you end up suppressed underground?" Hu Buwei was skeptical.

"That's obviously because I carelessly fell for the traps of you humans!" Nine Heads said indignantly. "Believe it or not, had that guy dared to face me head-on, I could've bitten that little thief to death in one bite!"

"So you mean to say, you didn't even see him face to face, and a young thief caught and sealed you?" Hu Buwei's eyebrows raised. "I can't help but doubt whether partnering with you is the right decision."

"You're just a mere human. You don't understand the affairs of us demons!" Nine Heads was humiliated and furious.

"The one who suppressed you underground is also just a mere human," Hu Buwei responded indifferently.

"Nagging!"

"Anyway, there's absolutely no way my Primordial Qi could encounter any problems!"

"So you're saying you can't actively retract your Primordial Qi?" Hu Buwei asked, dubious.

"We are originally one entity; why would there be any need for Secret Techniques? It will naturally converge on its own!"

"Got it. You're just incapable of actively recalling your Primordial Qi."

Nine Heads: "..."

...

"How many copies of that treacherous old man sell of the Nine-Life Tribulation Splitting Technique?"

Several nights later, in a crevice on a cliff within Prison Valley, Chen Mu looked at an exotic peach tree thick enough for two people to hug and swore as he withdrew his hand.

The tree grew within a crack in the cliff, its location rather concealed; unexpectedly, its Peach Wood Core had already been extracted.

According to the secret technique, Moli Silver only needed a year to regrow the missing Peach Wood Core. The Peach Wood Core inside this tree had clearly been extracted recently.

"There must be someone wanting to create multiple Peach Gods."

"One by one, they're all greedy devils!"

"It's so frustrating that I can't even craft a Peach God." He glanced at the five peach wood puppets, sitting in line inside the Five Ghosts Bag, his face full of indignation.

"I can only try to find more Moli Silvers." He was also clear in his mind that anyone who practiced the Dividing Tribulation Technique would not be content with just one Peach God. After all, the more of these things one had, the more secure one could feel.

Thinking this, Chen Mu transformed into a Gentle Breeze and disappeared.

Prison Valley was vast enough, so he wasn't too worried about running out of materials. Plus, he had the Vermilion Feather Sword and the Truth Listening Divine Power. Compared to others, it was easier for him to locate Moli Silvers growing in secluded places.

"What a pity that I can't store Peach Wood Cores; otherwise, I'd definitely hoard a batch of them."

...

As dawn's light began to show, the night passed quickly.

The sounds of insects and birds started to fill the air.

Inside Wanjing Cave, Hu Buwei sat immobile like a statue, his hands gathered within his sleeves, seated in a large round chair.

With a howl of a strange wail, a gust of wind suddenly swept across the cliffs. A stream of imperceptible aura flew through the stone door and into Wanjing Cave.

The aura circled twice within the cave, like a swallow returning to its nest, and with a whoosh, it plunged into Hu Buwei's eye that bore three pupils.

"Look! Primordial Qi!"

"I told you earlier, there's no need for secret techniques to summon it; they will automatically converge here!" Nine Heads' voice was filled with triumph after waiting the entire night.

But Hu Buwei's brow furrowed: "With so many Tribulation Techniques dispersed and so much Sealing Power extracted, only this bit of Primordial Qi scattered from your main body?"

"Could it be that your Primordial Qi has actually been intercepted?"

"Impossible!"

"Absolutely impossible!"

"I, Nine Heads, always act cautiously, and this surety must be because the main body wants to probe the Hundred Illusion Sect, thus only releasing a strand of Primordial Qi!" Nine Heads was certain.

Cautious?

You?

Hu Buwei drooped his eyelids: "I think you're talking nonsense."

Nine Heads: "..."

I also think I'm talking nonsense.

Damn it! Who the hell intercepted my Primordial Qi!

...

Inside the cave in the cliff.

Three palm-sized peach wood figures stood in a row on a low table.

With crescent moon eyes and a fox-like smile, they infuriated Chen Mu just by looking at them.

"As a paragon of virtue like me, how could the Peach Divine Lords I refined look so malevolent?"

"This is definitely a problem with the compiler of the Dividing Tribulation Technique!" He asserted with conviction.

Waving his hand, Chen Mu retracted the three Peach Wood Puppets and checked the information on the Gray Wall.

Nine-Life Tribulation Splitting Technique: 4983/10000;

In these past days, continuously refining eight Peach Divine Lords, his experience with the Tribulation Technique soared, and the gray flame-shaped Talisman inside the Jade Seed became increasingly lively and mystical.

"Compared to just chanting Curse Commands to construct Talismans, it's clear that refining Peach Divine Lords yields a lot more experience."

Basking in the insights provided by the Gray Wall, Chen Mu had also discovered that the real core of this Secret Technique was practicing with the Peach Divine Lords.

"Peach Divine Lords must be refined in greater numbers."

"Eight is far from enough, we need at least a few hundred."

"I need to speed up, otherwise I won't have any use for Peach Wood Cores."

If he wanted to practice more with Peach Divine Lords, then those Daoist Soldiers cultivating the same Tribulation Technique would surely want to as well.

Prison Valley was large enough, and the Exotic Peach Trees known as Moli Silver were not few, but they could not withstand so many people rushing at them at once.

"I can't waste time during the day either, dodging the job of mining Demon Qi Stones is a must."

He had the Triple Yin Slaying Demon Technique as a substitute; mining Demon Qi Stones was as easy as cutting tofu, with no need to stubbornly struggle with the Demon Dispel Skill.

With his mind made up to revert to his previous style, just as he was about to put away the Gray Wall and head to work in Prison Valley, suddenly he was attracted to another Secret Technique.

Heavenly Demon Armor: 2934/10000/Seventh Rank;

Wasn't it just over five hundred in proficiency yesterday?

Where did these two thousand plus experience points come from?

Chen Mu was dumbfounded.

A month ago, the Heavenly Demon Armor had just entered Seventh Rank. Because it was past the rapid growth period, the progress of the Secret Technique began to slow down. Moreover, since he needed to ponder over the Daoist Soldier Contract, Chen Mu had willingly reduced his energy investment. Originally planning to slowly train through perseverance, he never expected a sudden surge of two thousand plus experience points now.

He immediately locked his gaze on the Gray Wall and meticulously observed it, as insights emerged in his heart.

He instantly realized that everything was normal with the progress before, but last night, the Secret Technique seemed as though it had taken a Great Replenishing Pill, experiencing a sudden mutation.

"Great Replenishing Pill?"

With a thought, the Heavenly Demon Armor appeared.

Buzz!

An invisible ripple spread from within his body; the previously translucent Heavenly Demon Armor became more concealed. Its appearance became nearly invisible, as if it had fully merged with his body.

At this moment, a strand of hair blown before his eyes by the ripple revealed a gleam that he noticed.

"Did it even reshape my hair?" Full of surprise, Chen Mu immediately plucked a strand.

As soon as it left the body, the originally soft and silky hair turned rigid and tough, almost like a steel needle!

Is... is this still human?

Chen Mu's mind was in a daze.

Subconsciously, he took the hair and jabbed it onto the table.

Pff!

With a light sound, the hair strand easily pierced into the low wooden table!

What on earth is hidden in Prison Valley that in one night turned me into such a monstrosity?!

And to not even inform me, how preposterous!

No, I must go and settle the score with it!

...

Hundred Illusion Sect's residence was peaceful and serene, peach blossoms on the mountain withered and bloomed again, the fragrance filled the air, but unfortunately, they bore no fruit.

Every day in Prison Valley was filled with clinking sounds, as the Daoist Soldiers' disciples' proficiency in the Demon Dispel Skill slowly increased.

That day, Lu Han took a break from his busy schedule and went to Wanjing Cave.

"Elder Hu, you are truly impressive!" He gave a thumbs up to Hu Buwei.

"The more Substitute Puppets you refine, the more backlash from the Contracts they can share? What, if you refine thousands or tens of thousands of Peach Divine Lords, can they block a Sect Master's Five Thunders Bombarding?"

"Even the Sect Master doesn't dare to concoct such tales!" Lu Han said with a mix of laughter and tears, shaking his head.

"If these Daoist Soldiers are emboldened by this Secret Technique and openly defy the Contract in Thousand Mechanisms Sect."

"If we lose one to death or injury, that's one less person earning Daoist Cultivation for us."

"How about we pause this Secret Technique and switch to a more reliable one to deceive White Jade?" Lu Han suggested out loud.

"It is time to pause indeed." Hu Buwei couldn't help but sigh and shake his head.

In theory, the more people practicing the Dividing Tribulation Technique, the more Sealing Power would be extracted from within Prison Valley, and the more Primordial Qi from the Nine-Life True Body would be released. This should be a good thing.

But... but not a trace of that Demon Primordial Qi fell into the Nine-Life True Body's hands!

What a loss!

Staring at the Nine-Life that was feigning death within his body, Hu Buwei sneered and shook his head.

So much for automatically gathering without anyone being able to intervene.

Foolish Demon!