Ren Qing glanced at Daoist Lingxiao. The latter seemed to have sensed something unusual and immediately tensed all the muscles in its body, assuming a defensive posture.
At the same time, Daoist Lingxiao had no intention of sparing the cultivators in the encampment.
Long, narrow spinal columns shot out from its back, stabbing toward the nearest insectfolk cultivators at a speed impossible to track with the naked eye.
Yet in Zhen Xuzi's eyes, Daoist Lingxiao's entire body was covered with the immortal insects of the Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal. No matter how frightened he was, he never took a step backward.
Bang, bang, bang...
The area around the Corpse Mirror suddenly shook violently as cracks spread across the ground.
Amid Daoist Lingxiao's furious and helpless roars, every one of the spinal spikes missed their targets, clearly disrupted by some unseen force.
"Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal..."
"Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal above..."
The insectfolk cultivators could not help but call upon the name of the Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal. It was a primordial form of worship engraved into their instincts.
Ren Qing sensed movement from the shadow Heavenly Dao Insect within the Ghost Shadow. Nether Origin surged through it, corroding vast stretches of white bones into nothingness.
He then cast the Disguise Technique, but his target was not the cultivators. Instead, it was the insect shell within the Stomach World, since it genuinely carried traces of the real Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal's aura.
At once, the skin all over his body emitted tearing sounds as if it could no longer bear the strain.
Ren Qing released as much of the Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal's unique aura as possible before plunging toward the ground and vanishing without a trace like a fish entering water.
If he was going to put on a performance, he might as well commit to it completely.
Because of the Corpse Mirror's unique nature, it was bound to involve countless factions.
No one knew what schemes might be hidden behind it, but Dead Man's Forbidden Zone would inevitably face further upheavals in the future. He had no desire to be held accountable afterward.
Using the Ghost Shadow, Ren Qing merged into the darkness. His body underwent bizarre distortions, and the strange object of the Disguise Technique showed signs of imminent collapse.
A mere Ghost Envoy Realm Disguise Technique could never realistically make him resemble a true immortal, which was why his body could scarcely endure the burden.
Ren Qing remained completely calm. He continued by activating the Method of Modeling Heaven and Earth, fully fusing himself with the insect shell from the Stomach World.
With the assistance of Dragon Roar Within the Casket, he transformed into a Heavenly Dao Insect that was both insect and dragon.
Finally came The World Is Like a Dream, which allowed him to display even the faintest trace of the Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal's aura to its fullest through dream-based illusions.
The combination of all these elements produced a counterfeit Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal capable of fooling anyone.
Once the Calamity-Dispelling Method advanced to the Yang God Realm, it would likely even be capable of intimidating Heavenly Aberration cultivators, despite being fundamentally worlds apart from a true Earth Immortal.
The Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal finally revealed itself. Bursting out of the ground, it shot directly into the dark clouds, its several-thousand-meter body concealed within the mist.
It carried some resemblance to a coiling dragon, but none of the cultivators had ever seen the Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal before.
A shrill hiss emerged from Ren Qing's mouth. The disease seeds scattered throughout the area transformed into tiny Heavenly Dao Insects under the influence of The World Is Like a Dream.
Dense true essence spread through the air. Who would dare claim it was not a true immortal?
The Lion Buddha monks had remained composed even when facing Daoist Lingxiao, yet after witnessing this terrifying spectacle, their faces became filled with fear.
Heavenly Dao Insects covered the land of white bones, accompanied by foul winds capable of rotting bones and devouring minds. Was this not exactly the Fourth Maggot Hell described in Buddhist scriptures?
They recited sutras continuously, but their mental states had already shattered.
The insectfolk cultivators became even more fanatical.
The Insect Nest had always possessed a strict hierarchy, with the Broodmother responsible for reproduction enjoying the highest status.
Yet compared to the Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal, the Broodmother was as insignificant as mud compared to the clouds.
Daoist Lingxiao let out an unwilling roar and frantically attempted to drain the Yang God cultivators hanging from its back, only to discover that its body could no longer move.
In reality, the moment it emerged from the Corpse Mirror, multiple bacterial souls had already attached themselves to it, carrying countless disease seeds along with them.
It was precisely because of the bacterial souls that Daoist Lingxiao had been able to advance into a Hairy Zombie in such a short period of time.
Now that the disease seeds had consumed most of its flesh, and the Ghost Shadow had forcibly seized control of its limbs and spine, Daoist Lingxiao had become little more than meat on a chopping block.
To Ren Qing, Daoist Lingxiao was the most unstable variable in the entire plan.
If he wanted to completely separate himself from Dead Man's Forbidden Zone, this performance had to be flawless. Otherwise, there was no telling what trouble might arise later.
Crack, crack, crack...
Daoist Lingxiao erupted with Yin Qi, causing the Ghost Shadow restraining it to groan under the pressure.
Although the bacterial souls inside Daoist Lingxiao were suppressing its absorption of Yin Qi, Ren Qing still felt that the zombie was continuing to evolve.
He had no intention of letting the act fall apart.
After swimming through the air for a few breaths, he suddenly dove downward and swallowed Daoist Lingxiao whole.
The Yang God cultivators were also able to experience the lingering might of a true immortal at close range.
Before Hermit Molting's eyes, it felt as though he had passed through the cycle of life and death itself. After a brief period of darkness, the wound where his spine had been pierced was completely restored.
Yet none of them dared move.
After all, they were facing the Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal.
Ren Qing tossed all the Yang God cultivators back into the encampment, stirred the clouds and winds once more, and then disappeared deep underground, leaving devastation in his wake.
The Yang God cultivators stared silently at the Corpse Mirror.
After witnessing immortal might firsthand, they could not help but feel profound confusion and uncertainty.
Ren Qing paid them no attention.
The aura of the Earth Immortal Heavenly Dao Insect now permeated everything within a hundred miles. Though it would gradually fade beneath the constant erosion of Yin Qi, traces would remain for a very long time.
He directed the disturbances toward the Corpse Mirror, creating the illusion that he had entered the Mirror World.
The various factions exchanged bewildered looks.
Then they saw more than a hundred figures emerge from the giant Corpse Buddha's mouth and land at its feet.
The cultivators of the Restriction Officers Hall were primarily Daoist temple disciples led by Han Li. They made no effort to conceal the black insects lurking within their shadows.
Next came insectfolk such as Perfected Jade Splendor.
The Heavenly Dao Insectfolk had only recently matured, however. Their cultivation was merely at the Foundation Establishment Realm. They were present purely to enhance appearances and solidify the Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal's identity.
As for Daoist Taihan, he remained imprisoned within the stomach region.
The remaining cultivators were simply zombie stand-ins. Clinging to each of their backs was a shell-covered Crabman responsible for labor-intensive tasks.
Following the assignments they had accepted, they immediately began constructing a temporary camp.
The various factions could not make sense of the situation. Even the insectfolk left behind by the Insect Nest refrained from disturbing the Restriction Officers Hall.
However, many Yang God cultivators noticed one detail.
The cultivators serving under the Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal appeared unaffected by Dead Man Land. The signs of corpse transformation on their bodies were extremely faint, allowing them to continue cultivating in an environment saturated with Yin Qi.
While secretly observing the outside world, Ren Qing focused most of his attention on Daoist Lingxiao.
A sense of unease rose within him.
He had already noticed something was wrong when Daoist Lingxiao advanced into a Hairy Zombie. The technique it cultivated was clearly neither the Corpse Refinement Method nor the Skeletal Corpse Method.
The Information Stream quickly confirmed his suspicion.
[Daoist Lingxiao]
[Age: 735]
[Lifespan: None]
[Technique: Brain Pill Method (Hairy Zombie)]
[Brain Pill Method]
[Created by an unknown figure. Cultivation requires refining fifteen human brains into a natal pill, using it to contain Yin Qi before the technique can be successfully cultivated.]
The Alchemical Dao Method and the Pill Poison Method had already disappeared.
Daoist Lingxiao's natal Golden Core had indeed transformed into a brain-like pellet resembling a Corpse Core.
"Brain Pill Method..."
Ren Qing muttered to himself.
Since the Dead Man's Sutra had already split into three separate techniques, it meant that someone had begun recultivating the Dead Man's Sutra.
He did not know what consequences that would bring, but caution never hurt anyone.
Fortunately, he had left several disease seeds on Elder Monk Zongqing. Through them, he could observe conditions inside the Mirror World and avoid being completely blind.
At that moment, a smile appeared on his face.
According to the information gathered by the Dreamflowers within the encampment, the various factions had already begun discussing the possibility of cooperating with the Restriction Officers Hall.
The voices of Zhen Xuzi and several others echoed in Ren Qing's ears.
"No matter what a true immortal's intentions are, we have to seize this opportunity."
"Exactly. If we can suppress corpse transformation, our cultivation won't remain stagnant."
"Even if the Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal has gone to the Immortal Gate, cooperation is still an issue."
Ren Qing simply assigned Perfected Jade Splendor responsibility for all external trade.
The only product sold by the Restriction Officers Hall was the vitality-infused Revival Pill, but the goods accepted in exchange included people, techniques, resources, and more.
Ren Qing merged Dreamflowers into the temporary camp, allowing the powers of the Dream Butterfly Method to envelop the area.
As for why he did not simply open trade directly with the Stomach World, it was because too many Yang God cultivators were involved. If they caused trouble, the Stomach World itself might be affected.
The results were smoother than he had expected.
Faced with an existence like the Fortune Virtue Earth Immortal, the Yang God cultivators naturally lowered their pride to the absolute minimum. Some even felt tempted to kneel in worship.
None of them questioned why the Restriction Officers Hall's representatives were merely Yin Difference cultivators.
They assumed they simply were not important enough to warrant greater attention.
After learning about the effects of the Revival Pill, they cautiously sought to begin trading.
Perfected Jade Splendor initially acted reluctant before eventually agreeing and even gifting them a batch of Revival Pills.
After taking the pills, the various factions immediately felt their dormant bodies gradually recovering. Even their souls seemed to grow stronger.
Unfortunately, the vitality contained within each Revival Pill only lasted for several days.
Upon realizing this, they wanted to stockpile enough Revival Pills for long-term use.
However, after spending more than two hundred years in Dead Man's Forbidden Zone, they possessed very few resources of value.
As a result, their preferred trade goods became population first, followed by the foundational cultivation techniques of their respective factions.
Although the people they provided were generally still immature, and their appearance would make it obvious which faction they came from, they were still excellent additions to the Stomach World's ecosystem.
Among the outsiders, there were occasionally a few exceptionally talented individuals. Once they cultivated to the Ghost Envoy Realm stage known as World Breaker, they would qualify to join the Restriction Officers Hall.
Ren Qing estimated that he could finish harvesting this batch of "leeks" within a few months.
Afterward, he continued refining Attached Turtle Shell. The general framework of his ideas had already taken shape.
Perhaps fortune had been on his side lately. Several of his development paths produced results, and he even managed to complete Han Li's Blood Fungus Record along the way.
Several techniques he accidentally created were casually tossed into the Great Dream Technique Pavilion.
One of them, however, was particularly unusual, even surprising Ren Qing himself.
[Shellbearer]
[Created by Ren Qing. Cultivation requires externally stimulating the skin until it transforms into a shell-like carapace capable of housing a strange object. Only then can the technique be successfully cultivated.]
The Shellbearer was essentially a simplified version of the Taotie Method's aberrant jailer transformation, allowing the user to temporarily borrow the abilities of other strange objects.
As for the technique Ren Qing intended to cultivate personally, it had also been successfully created.
[Longevous Tortoise]
[Created by Ren Qing. Cultivation requires swallowing a turtle egg. After the hatchling emerges, a special medicinal catalyst must be held on the tip of the tongue. The hatchling turtle will then crawl toward the throat at a rate of half a finger's length per day. Once it emerges from the throat, the technique is successfully cultivated.]