“Ling’e, what has your Senior Brother been doing recently? I couldn’t find him even when I went to the Pill Chamber.”
“Aunt, I don’t know either. Senior Brother has leveled out a plot of land in the back mountain recently. He would run over there every now and then. He seems to be studying mystical abilities.”
“Yes…”
Jiu Jiu straightened her back and sighed.
“Ling’e, although it sounds intimate and affectionate, can you call me Jiu instead?” “Don’t call me that. It makes me sound old!”
Ling’e lowered her head and looked at the evil human beside her. She sighed softly. “Aunt-Master, have you run out of wine to drink?”
“Hehe.” Jiu Jiu smiled in embarrassment. “I want to go into seclusion recently but I’m out of stock. I’m here to see if your senior brother is lacking manpower recently… Does your senior brother need an extra hand?”
“Aunt-Master, you’ve already helped our Little Qiong Peak a lot.” Ling’e pursed her lips and smiled. She took out a treasure pouch. “Senior Brother had already told me to give this to you. He prepared it for you a long time ago.”
“Why didn’t you take it out earlier!?!”
Jiu Jiu immediately perked up and snatched the treasure pouch away. She looked at the “inventory” in the treasure pouch and laughed heartily.
It was a perfect rendition of the changes in behavior before and after borrowing money from someone.
“How can there be no dishes to pair with wine? Let’s go and see which spiritual beast is sick!”
“Lingli said yesterday that the few birds can be eaten. Let’s roast two of them today. We have to send two to the elders of the Hundred Mortal Hall too.”
“What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”
A few moments later…
“Woah, this one is not bad. It’s fat but not greasy. We’ll eat this!”
Thus, an alluring fragrance drifted from Little Qiong Peak.
Considering the emotions of the spiritual beasts, Xiong Lingli, Lingle, and Jiu Jiu went to the forest in the distance and set up a metal pot and a roasting rack.
They laughed and joked while enjoying food and wine.
The three of them tidied up the kitchenware together. Xiong Lingli picked up her small hammer and was about to go on her daily mission—to patrol the mountain.
Jiu Jiu smiled and said, “Lingli, this is the inner sect. There is a mountain-protecting array formation outside. No one will come to the peak secretly.”
“No!”
Xiong Lingli answered seriously, “There are so many spiritual beasts and spiritual herbs on the mountain. What if someone steals them!?! Cousin didn’t get these for free. Cousin taught me how to cultivate and gave me so many things to eat. I definitely wouldn’t dare to slack off. Besides, I have to complete everything that my cousin has instructed me to!”
Ling’e smiled gently. “Thank you, Aunt-Master.”
“Hehe, if you need an extra player when playing Fighting The God, wait for me to finish my work.”
Xiong Lingli blushed and waved her hand. She carried the hammer that Immortal Yun Zhongzi had personally refined, which was a numinous treasure, and strode towards the mountain.
After walking a little further, she was still humming a tune that she created herself.
“Cousin asked me to patrol the mountain. After I’m done patrolling the left side, I’ll go to the right. If anyone dares to steal the bird eggs, I’ll smash him into pieces with a punch.”
The forest was filled with the sounds of birds, beasts, and bears.
Ling’e praised softly, “Aunt-Master Xiong listens to Senior Brother completely.”
“Yes.” Jiu Jiu wiped her mouth. There was a look of guilt on her face.
She still had some conscience. She muttered to herself, “We can’t just eat it for free. Let’s go see what your senior brother is doing.”
Ling’e hurriedly said, “It’s alright, Aunt-Master. He doesn’t like to be disturbed.”
“How can that be considered disturbing?” Jiu Jiu snorted. “My cultivation level is at the late-stage of the Perfected Immortal realm. I’m about to go into the Heaven Immortal realm. I’m a quasi-Heaven Immortal of the inner sect. Why would he not be willing to let me do something for him!?!”
Ling’e blinked and was about to continue persuading when she heard her senior brother’s voice transmission.
“Then,” said Ling’e with a smile. “Let’s go to the back mountain together. Senior Brother is short of manpower.”
Jiu Jiu smiled in satisfaction. She rode a cloud and flew towards the back mountain with Ling’e. She did not know when the isolation array was built.
After entering the array, Jiu Jiu and Lingle saw dozens of circular straw sheds that were about 100 feet in diameter scattered around.
There were various kinds of immortal herbs growing under the straw shed. The immortal herbs seemed to be of the same species. However, one would find that there were slight differences when they carefully try to identify them.
“Great Spirit Gathering Array?”
Jiu Jiu’s round eyes widened as she looked at the spiritual light flowing below the straw shed.
Although she did not know much about array formations, she could recognize it.
Based on the experience that she accumulated over a thousand years, she could naturally tell that what was planted there was not precious spirit herbs but ordinary immortal herbs and spirit herbs.
However, there was a huge Spirit Gathering Array underground. It was connected to the Heaven’s Pure Qi and gathered the Earth’s Spirit Qi. It was used to nurture the “weeds” there.
“What is he doing?”
“There’s a sign over here…” said Ling’e, who was there for the first time. Her dress fluttered and landed in front of the wooden tablet at the edge of the Spirit Gathering Array.
They were on the Little Qiong Peak’s immortal bean plantation ground, which was permitted by the Hundred Mortal Hall.
At that moment, Li Changshou walked out of the straw shed with his sleeves rolled up. His long robe was covered in mud, but there was a smile on his lips.
vas
“Come over here. I’ll show you something good.”
Ling’e and Jiu Jiu did not understand what was going on. They gathered there curiously…
With the experience of the Man-Forming Paper Cutouts, as well as the support of the external incarnation mystical ability that the Great Daoist Master had given him, the modification plan of the soldier-forming beans was carried out very smoothly.
In the beginning, Li Changshou did not have high expectations for the soldiers who had been formed by beans. He only thought that they would only have to have the combat power of the Essence Immortal realm.
However, Li Changshou did not expect that in the process of modifying that thing, inspiration would constantly appear…
It had only been more than a month since he had been cultivating, mixing, and familiarizing himself with the various types of ‘Original Immortal Beans’. He had also tried to combine the incantations, hand seals, and the technique to integrate profound incarnations…
He had already created three types of large-bean soldiers and twelve types of soldiers made from smaller beans!
Currently, those types were enough. The next step of his research was to increase the individual strength of the Dao soldiers.
After that, he would deduce some Thousand-People Battle Formations and Ten-Thousand-People Battle Techniques so that those Dao Soldiers would be able to unleash their combat power.
He had to walk step by step. He could not do everything in one go…
This time, he called Ling’e and Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu over to test the results of the current stage. He also wanted to research on how to promote that mystical ability in the Immortal Du Sect.
Of course, the original version of the mystical ability was to be promoted. The modified immortal beans would not be spread out easily…
Li Changshou passed the original mystical ability of soldier-forming beans to his Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu and Ling’e. He also gave them a demonstration.
He threw out a few beans and turned them into three slender soldiers wearing leather armor.
Li Changshou was using the Dao soldier that was at the Void Return Stage.
Then, Li Changshou gave a simple order. “That tree.”
Without any expression on their faces, they pulled their bows and shot arrows. The arrows formed from Dharma powers accurately hit the trunk of a large tree that was a thousand feet away, leaving three transparent holes on the trunk.
Jiu Jiu praised softly, “That’s not bad!”
Ling’e asked softly, “Senior Brother, is there any difference between this and the Man-Forming Paper Cutouts?”
“The paper effigies formed from the mystical ability of Man-Forming Paper Cutouts will continue to exist as long as their powers are not exhausted.” Li Changshou explained in a gentle voice. “However, the Dao soldiers created by the soldier-forming bean mystical ability can only exist for a few hours.”
With that, Li Changshou raised his hand and shook it gently. The three Dao soldiers turned into quicksand and slowly dissipated.
He continued explaining to his junior sister.
“The paper effigies made using the Man-Forming Paper Cutouts technique will require you to focus some attention on controlling them. Otherwise, you can only make them perform some simple tasks like sweeping and harvesting. However, as long as they have the will to fight, a simple command will be able to make them fight until they collapse.”
Li Changshou paused and saw that Aunt-Master Jiu Jiu was eager to try.
He said, “Do you want to make a game?”
Jiu Jiu’s eyes lit up and she asked happily, “Did you develop the reservation project of Little Qiong Peak again?”
“I guess so.” Li Changshou took out an empty porcelain bottle and placed eighteen different immortal beans in it.
Then, Li Changshou started to set the rules of the game. “This project is temporarily named… ‘Bean Immortal’. Every participant will draw a bean. They will only use the Dharma powers of the lowest cultivation level among the participants. They will then use the mystical ability of soldier-forming beans to activate it before making the soldiers fight and be divided into ranks, How does that sound?”
Jiu Jiu immediately felt a little disdainful. “Isn’t this the same as the game of Immortal Fighting Bugs? That’s not very sincere.” “Aunt-Master, you’re not looking far enough.” Li Changshou shook his head. “Immortal bugs cannot be controlled, but Dao soldiers can be controlled through one’s mind. They are equivalent to stand-ins during technical fights.”
He continued, “We can set some conditions. For example, two nests, a river, and a few stone pagodas. The Qi Refinement cultivators can control the Dao soldiers and make them resist each other. More than two people can enter the arena together and many tricks can be pulled.”
Jiu Jiu tilted her head and thought for a while. Her eyes gradually lit up.
Li Changshou squinted and chuckled.
That was actually his intention. He wanted to use that method to promote the technique of turning beans into soldiers in the Immortal Du Sect.
If they were to encounter external enemies again, the sect would have more combat power to deal with them…
Li Changshou sent a voice transmission to Xiong Lingli and asked her to rush over. It would be livelier with more people.
Immediately after that, the four of them randomly chose four immortal beans and used Lingle’s Dharma powers as a benchmark. At the same time, they used the technique of soldier-forming beans… Although Xiong Lingli was powerful, her cultivation realm was low. She could not use that mystical ability. Li Changshou was the one who cast it. Li Changshou first took out Xiong Lingli’s bean soldier.
With a soft smacking sound, a sword soldier wearing an ice-blue cloak and white, shiny leather armor appeared in front of Xiong Lingli.
The words ‘Ice Sword Soldier’ was written on the soldier’s cloak.
“Oh my, it can really become a human!”
Xiong Lingli exclaimed and went around in circles with the sword soldier.
“I’ll go first,” Ling’e said with a smile. Then, she threw the beans out in a proper manner and quickly made hand seals according to the technique that her senior brother had taught her.
Crack!
After the green smoke passed, a bean soldier appeared in front of Ling’e. The bean soldier was wearing a black cloak and a black hood. He held two scimitars in his hands.
Similarly, there were two words written on the bean soldier’s cloak—Scimitar Soldier.
“Little Changshou, come first.” Jiu Jiu raised her chin and looked at Li Changshou. “I want to be the last!”
Li Changshou smiled and nodded. He threw the beans in front of him and performed a few hand seals. A burly figure appeared in front of him, holding two bronze hammers in his hands.
The words on its cloak were also domineering — ‘Dominating Hammer Soldiers’.
Xiong Lingli’s eyes lit up. She whispered, “Cousin, I like this!”
Li Changshou smiled and said, “We can’t change our cards. Although the competition is small, we have to be fair.”
“Yes!” Xiong Lingli immediately nodded and agreed, her face full of seriousness. Thus, the three of them looked at Jiu Jiu.
Jiu Jiu smiled faintly and felt at ease. She pinched the immortal bean in her hand and shouted, “Ha!”
Jiu Jiu released a wisp of immortal power from her fingertips. It was at the same level as Ling’e’s Dharma powers when she was casting her spell. She wrapped the beans with immortal power and threw them in front of her. Both of her hands quickly formed hand seals.
The evil Jiu Jiu swayed slightly. Her short-sleeved linen blouse was filled with danger.
“Scatter the beans and turn them into soldiers!”
Crack!
The immortal bean exploded and a wisp of green smoke rose. It quickly condensed in front of Jiu Jiu and… it became…
“Huh?”
Jiu Jiu tilted her head and could not help but squat down and stare at the strange soldier in front of her.
It had a long mouth that was half a foot in diameter. It had a round green head and two eyeballs that looked like ink dots. Below the head was a root. In the middle of the root, there were two branches that were symmetrical. Below them were two similar branches that looked like legs.
A bamboo token landed at Jiu Jiu’s feet. There were two words written on it…
“Pea Archer”
“This!?”
Jiu Jiu was speechless as the corners of her mouth twitched.
Ling’e could not help but turn around and cover her mouth.
“Cough,” Li Changshou said seriously, “I didn’t expect that the most precious Dao soldier would be drawn by you. You’ve already won this round.”
“No! I want to change it!”
Jiu Jiu immediately went crazy. As she stomped her feet, the mountains shook with the earth. It was a spectacular sight.
However, Li Changshou smiled calmly and asked Jiu Jiu to recite a small incantation.
He heard a voice.
“Pui!”
The Pea Archer spat out a fist-sized pearl from his mouth. This pearl circulated the Five-Element Fire and golden aura. It flew out rapidly for a thousand feet and exploded on a desolate land, causing a cloud of dust to rise up!
After the dust settled, there was a huge pit that was 100 feet in diameter!
It was a bean soldier that was only at the level of Ling’e’s Dharma powers!
Ling’e and Jiu Jiu looked at each other in shock.
Although the two of them usually fooled around, they were not stupid people. At that moment, they could sense how powerful the soldier-forming beans technique was, as well as the might of the Pea Archer…
The problem was that the pea shooter moved slowly and could only be used as a fixed “cannon”.
That was just a small step that Li Changshou had taken on the path of changing the mystical ability…
Jiu Jiu suddenly shouted, “Let the battle begin!”
The three of them were caught off guard. The Pea Archer had already started to spit on them continuously, causing the other three Dao soldiers to flee.
Jiu Jiu’s wild laughter echoed on Little Qiong Peak.
The laughter was taken away by the clouds that passed by the Immortal Sect, flying to the East Ocean…
“Your Highness, is that enough?”
In the East Ocean Dragon Palace, the two huge dragon carriages were filled with treasure chests. Beside them, the Turtle Immortal wiped the sweat off his forehead and asked Ao Yi, who was dressed in a green robe.
Ao Yi thought about it…
“Bring me another carriage that mainly contains array formations and treasures.”
“Well… I will obey your orders.”
“Sisi returned to her clan to retrieve the treasure as a gift for Brother Changshou. I wonder if she’s back yet.”
Ao Yi muttered to himself. After being separated from her for a few hours, he could not help but miss her.
