Yongan Town

"This talisman is an essential item for saving one's life."

The green-robed disciple introduced it, saying, "When exploring or adventuring, should you encounter a perilous situation, you need only crush this talisman to instantly teleport thirty zhang away."

Under normal circumstances, a distance of thirty zhang is sufficient for a cultivator trapped in danger to escape unscathed.

Of course, if the perilous area is sealed by restrictive chains or if one is being suppressed by an opponent, this talisman will be of little use.

"What is the price?"

After learning of the Earth Escape Talisman's efficacy, Shen Mo deemed it necessary to purchase.

"Fifteen spirit stones."

"I'll take it."

Although this price was comparable to a Qi Gathering Pill, Shen Mo did not hesitate to secure it.

After leaving the marketplace, he carefully tucked the two life-saving talismans into his Qiankun Pouch.

"Preparations are nearly complete; time to depart!"

He returned to his room, tidied up some miscellaneous items, refined two more batches of Qi Recovery Pills and Vitality Strengthening Powder, and finally, buckled the long sword exclusive to outer sect disciples at his waist.

He then stepped out of the mountain gate.

Descending the mountain, Shen Mo applied a Lightness Talisman to his legs, his form turning into lightning as he sped through the mountain forests and ravines.

[As you travel while utilizing Thunderbolt Quickstep, you perceive the profound mysteries of the footwork, deepening your understanding of this lightness immortal art. Thunderbolt Quickstep experience points +1]

[As you travel while utilizing Thunderbolt Quickstep, you perceive the profound mysteries of the footwork, deepening your understanding of this lightness immortal art. Thunderbolt Quickstep experience points +1]

Throughout his journey, he wove through the wilderness, utilizing this lightness immortal art without reservation, accompanied by the continuous appearance of information prompts.

Shen Mo's progress was incredibly swift.

Yongan Town was located one hundred and twenty li away from the River-Facing Sect.

It took him less than an hour to arrive at the town.

"Might you be the immortal master from the superior sect, here to eliminate the demons for my Zhao family?"

Just as he reached the town entrance, Shen Mo saw an elderly man dressed in rich, ornate robes leading a group of people, waiting expectantly at the gate.

"Indeed. I am a disciple of the River-Facing Sect, here on a sect training mission to slay demons for the Zhao family."

He looked at the elder leading the group and said indifferently, "You must be the head of the Zhao family, correct?"

"Reporting to the immortal master, this old man is indeed the head of the Zhao family, Zhao Bing."

Confirming his identity, Zhao Bing hurriedly bowed to Shen Mo.

Although the Zhao family possessed significant wealth in Yongan Town and stood as a local power, they treated Shen Mo with extreme deference, bordering on sycophancy.

As the head of the family, Zhao Bing addressed him as "Immortal Master of the Superior Sect" in every sentence, his posture humble and yielding.

Shen Mo was not surprised by this.

Even though he was not even an inner sect disciple at the River-Facing Sect and was merely a small figure at the bottom of the cultivation world, when he stepped into the mortal realm, even the worldly elite had to lower their heads and show him utmost respect.

This was the divide between the immortal and the mortal!

"Immortal Master, please follow me back to the Zhao residence first. Knowing you were coming, I have already arranged for my family to prepare a welcoming banquet to wash away the dust of your journey."

"That will not be necessary." Shen Mo shook his head and got straight to the point. "I am here for business. Tell me in detail exactly what is going on with your spirit fields."

Seeing Shen Mo's refusal, Zhao Bing did not insist. He pulled a middle-aged man from his side and urged, "Jiachang, quickly inform the Immortal Master of the specific situation regarding the spirit fields!"

This middle-aged man, named Zhao Jiachang, was Zhao Bing's eldest son.

He had always been responsible for the management and other affairs of the Zhao family's spirit fields.

"Reporting to the Immortal Master, those snake demons have now occupied our Zhao family's spirit fields and have killed twenty-three of our guards."

"At this moment, the spirit fields have become a forbidden zone for our family; no one dares to set foot there anymore."

He told Shen Mo the whole story exactly as it happened.

As it turned out, this was not the first time the Zhao family's spirit fields had encountered harassment from demonic beasts.

The Vermilion Fruit that the Zhao family had cultivated for generations was an excellent spirit herb.

This item could not only increase the strength of Body Tempering Realm cultivators, but it also provided significant benefits to demonic beasts.

It was a treasure that made demonic beasts drool with greed.

Because these Vermilion Fruits held a fatal attraction for low-level demonic beasts, naturally, every year when the spirit fruits were about to ripen, demonic beasts would smell the scent, run to the Zhao family's spirit fields to steal the fruit, and disrupt the normal cultivation work.

The Zhao family had once had an ancestor who was a cultivator.

This ancestor of the Zhao family had also been a disciple of the River-Facing Sect, but because he could not break through to the Qi Gathering Realm after a long time, he ultimately chose to descend the mountain.

To marry and have children, to branch out and flourish.

When the Old Ancestor was still alive, the Zhao family never worried about monsters intruding.

Yongan Town was a small place, and there were no high-level monsters in the surrounding area.

With a high-level Body Tempering Realm cultivator as their Old Ancestor, they had enough power to resolve any issue.

However, ten years ago, the Old Ancestor of the Zhao family reached the end of his lifespan.

To extend his life, he announced he was entering a death-seclusion.

Since that seclusion began, there had been no further news of him.

Without the Old Ancestor to hold the fort, the Zhao family had to spend a fortune to hire fifty martial arts experts as guards, specifically to deal with the monsters that broke in.

These martial arts experts were effective due to their numbers; driving away low-level monsters to keep the Zhao family safe was not a problem.

But last month, a major disaster occurred!

"At first, the guards reported that a Silver-Ringed Snake Demon had been spotted in the spirit fields, so I organized the guards, grabbed our weapons, and went together to drive it away."

Zhao Jiachang still felt a lingering fear when mentioning the incident: "I thought that the Silver-Ringed Snake Demon wasn't very strong and that we could easily handle it."

"Who would have expected that the Silver-Ringed Snake Demon intruding in the spirit fields was not solitary like other monsters, but present in massive numbers!"

Zhao Jiachang estimated that at least a hundred demon snakes were coiled within the spirit fields.

That day, as soon as they killed one of the demon snakes, all of them became agitated and began attacking the people of the Zhao family.

A single demon snake was not particularly strong.

But with over a hundred gathered together, that kind of power would make even a high-level Body Tempering Realm cultivator's scalp tingle.

"That day, half of our Zhao family guards lost their lives. The rest managed to escape by luck, but they dared not enter again."

"Therefore, we had no choice but to report the news to the superior sect and request that the immortal sect dispatch an immortal master to handle it."

Zhao Bing took over the conversation, speaking solemnly: "I implore the immortal master to eradicate this demon snake plague for our Zhao family!"

"I see. I have a general understanding of the situation now."

After listening to Zhao Jiachang's account, Shen Mo felt confident: "Rest assured, I have come on this trip to resolve the matter."

Judging by their description, although these demon snakes were numerous, their individual strength was not high.

Most of the demon snakes were only low-level monsters, and their strength would not exceed that of a cultivator at the fifth level of the Body Tempering Realm.

With Shen Mo's cultivation, he was more than capable of handling this situation.

"Where are your spirit fields located? Take me to see them."

"This way, Immortal Master."

Zhao Jiachang led a group of guards to guide Shen Mo.

They passed the magnificent mansion of the Zhao family and arrived at the fertile spirit fields in the rear.

"This is the entrance to the spirit fields."

Zhao Jiachang cupped his hands and said: "If you need the Zhao family to prepare anything for the demon extermination, please do not hesitate to command us."

"No extra preparations are needed."

Shen Mo shook his head: "You may wait here; the remaining guards can follow me inside to take a look."

Having said that, he strode into the inner perimeter of the spirit fields.

Behind him, the Zhao family guards followed closely, not daring to stray even a single step away.