I am grinding experience in another world

The bright moon hung high, the night deep and tranquil.

Tap, tap, tap...

The orderly and light sound of footsteps echoed through Peach Blossom Valley.

One by one, figures emerged from their rooms, heading in unison toward the Peach Forest at the valley's entrance.

At the base of the southern mountain in Peach Blossom Valley, inside a square stone residence.

A black mist materialized in the center of the room out of thin air, rapidly swirling and expanding, transforming into a doorway as tall as a person.

Chen Mu stepped out expressionlessly and strode toward the door, yanking it open with a heavy pull.

A sliver of moonlight filtered through the thin clouds and spilled onto the earth, reflecting into Chen Mu's eyes.

And in that instant, his previously unfocused pupils contracted sharply.

Pop!

A soft popping sound echoed deep in his mind.

From the center of Chen Mu's brows, a colorless flame suddenly ignited.

Screee!

Accompanied by a sharp and shrill cicada cry, the emerald-green markings on his forehead seemed to ignite and were reduced to black and red ash in the blink of an eye.

Chen Mu jolted as if awakening, snapping back to full awareness.

He stared at the doorknob in his grip, and a cold, clammy sweat quickly drenched his back.

A step away!

Just a step away!

If not for the Delusion Seven Emotions Flame...

Chen Mu's heart pounded wildly in his chest, his attempts at taking deep breaths doing little to calm him down.

After a long while, he finally managed to regain some composure and raised his head to look outside the stone house.

At that moment, groups of threes and fours moved along the winding mountain path, unknowingly making their way to the edge of the Peach Forest.

Under the moon's illumination, faintly familiar faces were just barely visible. Though they'd rarely spoken, they were individuals he often encountered at the Demonstration Grounds.

But now...

"Didn't that Elder Yan from the Thousand Mechanisms Sect claim to have resolved the Sleepwalking Evil Technique?"

"Was it just a lie to pacify everyone?!"

"Damn it!"

Chen Mu's face turned as dark as a storm cloud.

...

By the next day, the Demonstration Grounds at the mountain's base were completely deserted.

The Daoist Soldiers, who were supposed to gather there for the practice of the Sealing Demon Curse, all holed up in their quarters, refusing to show their faces.

If anyone approached their dwellings, they would even shout loudly to chase them away.

Fear spread like wildfire throughout Peach Blossom Valley.

"Can the Thousand Mechanisms Sect truly quell this demon chaos with ease?"

Inside the stone house, Chen Mu stood by the window, gazing at the eerily silent valley, doubt creeping into his heart.

The Thousand Mechanisms Sect was a massive sect spanning several provinces.

Its history stretched back thousands of years.

For centuries, it stood at the forefront of the battle against the Outer Heaven Demons...

He had heard countless rumors about the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, all emphasizing its strength and might.

This gave everyone the belief that this demon chaos was hardly a challenge for the Thousand Mechanisms Sect.

Even the devastated members of the Hundred Illusion Sect, which had been nearly wiped out with half its members dead, maintained unwavering faith in the Thousand Mechanisms Sect.

But now—

They hadn't even encountered the demons yet, and a single Evil Secret Technique had thrown them into disarray.

"Maybe... I should run?" The thought abruptly surfaced in Chen Mu's mind.

"But where could I even run to?" He let out a bitter laugh and sighed.

The demon chaos wasn't confined to Qingqiu Mountain in Mist Forest. It engulfed all of Hai Province in a widespread calamity.

Even if he fled Mist Forest, he could very well stumble into another chaos zone.

"Here, the Delusion Seven Emotions Flame can at least protect me temporarily."

"If I end up somewhere else and fall victim to an even more sinister secret technique, the consequences would be..."

Chen Mu's expression grew grim.

...

In the central part of Hai Province, at the Earth Seal Sect—

Across the expanse of rolling mountains, patches of charred, barren land were scattered randomly like mismatched patches on a quilt.

The ruins atop Fuyang Mountain had been completely cleared away.

The mountain's peak had been sliced off, leaving in its place a broad and imposing stone hall.

On the central wall inside the hall hung a painting of an immortal riding a crane.

In front of the painting stood an offering table with an Incense Burner. Three sticks of incense sent thin, curling tendrils of smoke rising into the air.

"Senior Brother Lu, now that Senior Sister Meng Qingchan's Insect Poisonous Insects are rampaging across Hai Province, we ask that you grant us the Plague Immortal Flag to swiftly eradicate them," Lan Xiuzhu said, bowing earnestly toward Lu Shenjun before the offering table.

"'Senior Sister'?"

"Hmph!"

"She's a traitor to the Thousand Mechanisms Sect, the Green Worm Demon!" Lu Shenjun sneered coldly.

"Imprisoned underground for 300 years and still unrepentant, and now she dares to stir up chaos with demons again?"

"Utterly delusional!" Lu Shenjun's face grew frostier.

"Once, she wreaked havoc with her Green Worm Poison. Now... heh!"

"Those petty Insect Poisons—let her release as many as she likes." His eyes glinted with icy resolve.

"The more she spreads, the faster she'll die." Lu Shenjun's gaze turned sharper.

"I am not as soft-hearted as the previous Sect Master. This time, I'll make sure her soul is annihilated entirely!"

"But doing so would bring great suffering to the people of Hai Province. Perhaps..." Lan Xiuzhu, face filled with unease, hastily attempted to persuade him.

"After spending so much time in the Thirty-two Outer Heavens, have you still not learned that kindness has no place in leadership?" Lu Shenjun interrupted with a sidelong glare.

"Had she been killed sooner, this calamity would never have escalated to this point."

"I will slay the Outer Heaven Demons, and I will take the life of the Green Worm Demon as well."

"No matter the cost, I will root this out entirely."

"I refuse to let such an event repeat itself in another hundred years." Lu Shenjun's expression was steely and implacable.

Lan Xiuzhu opened his mouth but could only sigh helplessly in the end.

"Rest assured, I won't let Hai Province fall entirely into ruin." Lu Shenjun's tone softened slightly.

"Once your preparations for the Inheriting Heaven Law Prohibition are complete, I will immediately wield the Plague Immortal Flag to eradicate the Green Worm Demon."

"If you wish to minimize casualties, return to your district and carry out the plan as instructed." His stern demeanor returned.

"Understood, Senior Brother." Lan Xiuzhu took a deep breath and bowed once more.

...

Peach Blossom Valley, outside Mist Forest.

As time went on, the situation grew increasingly dire.

Every night, people would walk out of their rooms as though sleepwalking, making their way beyond the valley.

Though they were stopped each time, it did little to curb the spreading panic.

The Thousand Mechanisms Sect Elders weren't idle either.

Elder Yan periodically led the Daoist Soldiers through the valley. At times, they were seen setting up Forbidden Laws, while at others, they recited Curse Words meant to dispel afflictions and disasters.

But none of these methods could halt the spread of the Sleepwalking Evil Technique.

One late night, as usual, Chen Mu stood by his window, gazing outside.

The moon climbed high into the sky, as one figure after another opened their doors and stepped into the moonlight.

Tap, tap, tap...

Footsteps echoed near Chen Mu's stone house.

Upon recognizing the round-faced, small-eyed figure, a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him.

It was none other than Yang Fu, whom he hadn't seen for days.

During his year with the Hundred Illusion Sect, his closest companions had been Yang Fu and Lu Han. Who would have thought...

Chen Mu reached out, pinched a lychee-sized fragment of stone from his windowsill, and flicked it with his fingers.

Thump.

A soft sound rang out, causing Yang Fu's figure to sway slightly. Slowly, as though awakening from a dream, he regained clarity.

Looking down at the pebble by his feet and then up at Chen Mu standing by the window, he glanced around the surrounding houses, aware of the fearful eyes peeking out from within.

A shadow of bitterness crept over his face.

"Ah, it's all fate..." Yang Fu sighed bitterly, forcing a wry smile.

"Thank you, Junior Brother." He cupped his fists toward Chen Mu, took a deep breath, and walked toward the edge of the Peach Forest.

There, several heavily veiled black-clad inspectors stood vigil.

A dozen others, infected by the Evil Technique but awakened before it took hold, had also gathered there.

Watching Yang Fu leave, Chen Mu felt his mood grow heavier.

He had once considered using the Delusion Seven Emotions Flame to save others. He'd even conducted an experiment on a multi-colored pheasant infected by the Evil Technique.

The root of the Evil Technique had indeed been obliterated by the colorless flame, but the pheasant's Spiritual Deity had been annihilated as well.

The Seven Emotions Flame could save him because the flame was his own, capable of distinguishing between himself and threats.

But using it on others meant both the root of the Evil Technique and the victim's Spiritual Deity would be simultaneously consumed, leaving no survivors.

"Perhaps if the Heavenly Demon Body undergoes another transformation and I better understand the Seven Emotions Flame, I could purge the Evil Technique without harming others' Spiritual Deities."

"But for now..."

"Sigh..."

Fortunately, those infected like Yang Fu had all been intercepted and isolated in the depths of Peach Blossom Valley.

Once the Thousand Mechanisms Sect unravelled the true essence of the Evil Technique, there might be a substantial chance of restoring them.

"I just hope the Thousand Mechanisms Sect will come up with a solution soon."

Chen Mu sighed softly.