War Begins

The first day at the Inner City Artifact Refining Hall.

On this day, Wu Tao and the others didn't engage in actual refining work. Instead, Chen Shan provided professional knowledge lectures on artifact refining in the refining room daily, such as the processing of certain spirit materials.

And some precautions.

Chen Shan said that these lectures would last for three days.

Everyone was given a copy of the Encyclopedia of Low-Grade Spirit Materials, which detailed methods for processing many low-grade spirit materials.

Wu Tao looked at the compiler and saw it was the Five Spring Artifact Refining Hall. Many of the processing methods were ingenious, and he hadn't learned them before.

For example, the method for processing Heaven Spider Silk. The wild inheritance he learned involved using Starfire Stone to refine the nodes and disperse the Heaven Spider Silk net. However, this method, as described in the Encyclopedia of Low-Grade Spirit Materials, would damage the toughness and rebound characteristics of the Heaven Spider Silk. After processing with Starfire Stone, it needed to be cooled to room temperature with Ice Crystal. Once cooled, the characteristics would stabilize. Then, the efficacy of the Ice Crystal would be amplified and released, keeping the Heaven Spider Silk in a low-temperature state, which could restore its characteristics.

This was the difference between orthodox inheritance and wild inheritance.

This book alone was a valuable treasure for Loose Cultivators.

They all thought they had come to the right place.

In the West Outer City, at The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Beauties on Luoma Street, Zhang Li spent a whole morning finally obtaining the employment contract from the Madam. Originally, the contract stipulated that Zhang Li had to work at The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Beauties for a full year.

But after only six months, Zhang Li requested to leave.

The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Beauties would suffer a significant loss, so they refused to let Zhang Li go, stating that if Zhang Li wanted to leave, she would have to pay a breach of contract penalty of eighty Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Recalling Li Mo's reminder, Zhang Li dared not delay. Normally, eighty Low-Grade Spirit Stones were what she earned in several months, and she would have been heartbroken.

But now, she just wanted to pay the penalty quickly and leave for the Inner City.

The Madam was also surprised, but since the spirit stones were accepted, there was nothing else to be done.

Zhang Li packed her few belongings and hurried out of The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Beauties. Walking on Luoma Street, she headed towards the Inner City. When she reached the entrance of Luoma Street, there was usually a checkpoint set up by cultivators from the Patrol Squad, specifically to inspect the Residency Certificates of passing Loose Cultivators.

But now, the cultivators from the Patrol Squad were nowhere to be seen.

Had they withdrawn?

Zhang Li immediately understood that Li Mo was telling the truth. Five Spring Mountain and the Ghost Dao Sect were truly going to war. The withdrawal of the Patrol Squad clearly indicated they were preparing to abandon the West Outer City.

Looking at the Loose Cultivators around her, who were unaware and were even saying it was good that there were no more checks and it wasn't troublesome, they had no idea they had already been abandoned.

The West Outer City was primarily inhabited by cultivators in the Mid-Stage and Early-Stage Qi Refining realms. For Five Spring Mountain, these Loose Cultivators weren't even qualified to be recruited for the battlefield, so it was better to abandon them.

'If only I hadn't met Li Mo...' Zhang Li dared not think further, as the consequences would surely be fatal.

She couldn't help but feel fortunate, fortunate that she hadn't refused Li Mo when he asked to borrow money.

Actually, Zhang Li hadn't refused Li Mo at that time because when Li Mo first saw her, he had kindly said hello to her.

Zhang Li had never received genuine kindness in her line of work; all kindness was merely a prelude to lust for her body.

That day, as she was being kicked out of the Spring Beauty Pavilion, her mood was dejected. Li Mo's kind greeting lifted her spirits a little.

Afterward, Li Mo did not belittle or disdain her because of her profession. His tone of voice and demeanor were always as if treating her as an equal.

This point touched Zhang Li deeply.

"Zhang Li, is that really you~" At this moment, a hoarse voice suddenly interrupted Zhang Li's thoughts. Zhang Li stopped and turned to look, seeing an old woman standing by the roadside.

"Auntie Li, why have you become like this?" Zhang Li was also very surprised to see Auntie Li. Auntie Li's clothes were torn, her hair was disheveled, and there were bruises on her face, as if she had been beaten.

Auntie Li was someone Zhang Li met when she first entered the profession. At that time, Auntie Li was old and past her prime, so she stopped working. It was rumored that she had partnered with an elderly Loose Cultivator to live her life.

Auntie Li used to take good care of Zhang Li.

Therefore, seeing Auntie Li in this state, Zhang Li appeared very surprised: "Auntie Li, what happened?"

Auntie Li did not answer, but asked, "Zhang Li, where are you going? Aren't you at the Spring Beauty Pavilion?"

Zhang Li shook her head and said, "I'm not at the Spring Beauty Pavilion anymore..."

Upon hearing this, Auntie Li said, "Ah, not at the Spring Beauty Pavilion, ah, you're not doing this anymore, that's good. While you're young, find a good man to settle down with. Don't be like me. When I got old and past my prime, I found an old Loose Cultivator, and my life became difficult, and I was beaten and scolded..."

"Right, Zhang Li, have you found a man you fancy?"

Zhang Li's mind flashed with Li Mo's image at this question. Just as she was about to speak, Auntie Li's expression changed: "Hmph, men are all bad things, all bad things..."

Shouting hoarsely, Auntie Li turned and ran, as if mad.

Zhang Li was startled by this scene. Auntie Li had gone mad, this was the thought that flashed through her mind. But at this moment, she couldn't chase after Auntie Li. She could only sigh in her heart, then turn and walk towards the Inner City.

On the third day, the Demon Slaying Hall patrol squad completely disappeared from the West Outer City.

Moreover, all the larger shops were closed.

At this time, the low-level Loose Cultivators realized belatedly that they had been abandoned.

Thus, the collapse of order occurred in an instant.

Powerful Loose Cultivators began forming gangs, robbing weaker Loose Cultivators. They snatched resources and beautiful female cultivators. Seeing no one coming out to punish such behavior, the West Outer City descended into complete chaos.

In less than two days, the West Outer City's order collapsed, becoming like hell, with everyone in fear for their lives.

On the eighth day, Five Spring Mountain and the Ghost Dao Sect officially engaged in battle. In the early stages of the conflict, Qi Refining Stage cultivators were the main force, with Foundation Establishment Cultivators observing from the sidelines but never intervening.

Furthermore, these Qi Refining Stage cultivators were all Loose Cultivators recruited by Five Spring Mountain. When recruiting Loose Cultivator Artifact Refiners, they had already begun recruiting Loose Cultivators at Qi Refining Layer 7 and above in the Inner City, offering generous conditions to send them into battle.

As for the Ghost Dao Sect, their recruitment methods were more brutal. They offered no reward at all, forcibly abducting Loose Cultivators to the front lines, threatening death if they refused.

On the ninth day, a Devilish Cultivator descended upon the West Outer City. Demonic Dao Magic Tools enveloped three streets, and in an instant, all the Loose Cultivator Artifact Refiners on those streets were refined into Blood Pills. If not for an Azure Sword Light flying from the Inner City, startling the Devilish Cultivator into retreating, the entire West Outer City would likely have been refined into Blood Pills by the Devilish Cultivator.

These pieces of news, though Wu Tao rarely went out from the Artifact Refining Hall in the Inner City, flew everywhere. When chatting with other Loose Cultivator Artifact Refiners, he could hear all sorts of news.

One of the streets that was refined into Blood Pills was Sincere Tea Street. When Wu Tao heard this news, his entire face turned ashen. If Shopkeeper Yu hadn't reminded him, he wouldn't have responded to the summons at all.

Among those refined into Blood Pills was him.

He died miserably without even seeing the Devilish Cultivator's face.

This was too terrifying.

Wu Tao once again thanked Shopkeeper Yu in his heart.

At the same time, he sighed in his heart, the lives of Loose Cultivators were truly worthless!

"Sigh, regardless of past or present life, as long as one doesn't control the means of production, they are merely consumables in the eyes of those people. Fate... it's already decided from the moment of reincarnation..."