Flesh-Bone Green Robe

As Granny Gu closed the heavy doors, the gloomy and bizarre ancestral temple seemed to grow even more ominous.

The temple resembled a colossal skull, its surface coated in pale paint, with two pitch-black windows on the second floor staring out like hollow eye sockets.

Li Muyang had been waiting outside for a long time when a sudden, chilling gust of wind blew from the distance, sweeping directly into the temple.

Immediately afterward, a shrill, eerie shriek erupted from within.

The sound was definitely not produced by any living creature, and it made Li Muyang's entire body break out in a cold sweat for no apparent reason.

After another while, the temple doors creaked open.

Granny Gu walked out, leading Little Wild Grass, whose face was deathly pale and whose eyes were filled with terror.

The old woman's face remained wreathed in a kind, benevolent smile, as if nothing at all had happened.

"It's done, you brat. Take your Little Wild Grass back."

As she spoke, the old woman tossed a grimy bundle into Li Muyang's hands.

"You might as well dispose of this filthy thing while you're at it—throw it away or burn it, it makes no difference."

"If you don't find it disgusting, you can keep it at home as a trinket."

"This thing has been missing for many years; keeping it might serve as a memento."

The old woman's smile remained gentle.

Li Muyang was startled the moment he caught the grimy bundle.

The object in his hands was a dirty white ragdoll, fashioned to look like a stage performer with a powdered face and heavy makeup.

However, the skirt on its lower half was exceptionally long, with two thin, elongated strips of cloth dangling down to represent legs.

Its upper body was stitched together with seven or eight crisscrossing strips of fabric, forming its arms.

The pale, ghastly head featured two overlapping mouths, looking both repulsive and uncanny.

The moment he touched this eerie performer, a system prompt popped up in Li Muyang's field of vision.

[You have obtained a special item: Remains of the Flesh-Bone Green Robe]

[Can be refined into a special item]

[Refine?]

[Yes/No]

The choices appearing in his vision left Li Muyang greatly astonished.

This thing could actually be refined into an item?

After he left the ancestral temple with Little Wild Grass, he selected [Yes].

A mass of pitch-black mist emerged in his vision, and a second later, it burst open, revealing a Green Robe performer with an ugly, ferocious grin.

Its appearance was identical to the ragdoll Li Muyang held in the game.

[Special Item: Flesh-Bone Green Robe (Obtained)]

[Description: An evil object born in ancient times, possessing bizarre powers that are difficult for ordinary people to guard against.]

[Usage: Bury the Flesh-Bone Green Robe underground and write the target's name, place of origin, and gender on its chest (the more complete the information, the more accurate the capture). Once the target is confirmed, the Flesh-Bone Green Robe will appear in their dreams to harvest their life.]

The usage instructions provided by the system made Li Muyang's eyes widen.

Isn't this the legendary art of killing in one's dreams?

That's quite formidable. If anyone offends him in the future, he wouldn't even need to take action himself; he would just need to bring out this Flesh-Bone Green Robe... though he wondered if this thing could deal with cultivators.

Although he harbored doubts about the item's lethality, considering it came from the system, Li Muyang decided to remain cautiously optimistic.

Not every cultivator knew how to defend against dark arts.

Compared to other evil arts, the greatest strength of the Flesh-Bone Green Robe was that it required no birth dates, nor did it need mediums like hair or clothing; it could start the kill with just a name.

Powerful!

On the ridges of the Demon Refining Sect, Li Muyang opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air.

In his arms now sat a small ragdoll—the very same Flesh-Bone Green Robe from the game.

However, holding this eerie little trinket, Li Muyang had no intention of using it.

After all, he didn't have any enemies within the Demon Refining Sect.

Carefully hiding the Flesh-Bone Green Robe away, Li Muyang decided to use it only if an opportunity arose in the future.

Once the item was stowed away, Li Muyang returned to the edge of the field, picked up the massive water scoop, and began to perform the rain-making ritual.

Spiritual mist drifted over the spirit fields, continuously dripping spiritual rain to nourish the spirit grains.

Although Li Muyang was a rather lazy spirit planter, after several days of continuous cloud-seeding and rain-making, the seeds in the fields had gradually begun to sprout.

It was likely that the future growth of these spirit grains wouldn't be very impressive.

But Li Muyang didn't care.

He lived alone on this secluded mountainside, finding much more peace now that he was far removed from the others.

At the very least, he didn't have to worry about anyone sneaking in to steal the high-grade spirit rice from his cupboard while he was out.

Because he feared thieves, Li Muyang didn't even dare to sell the trash-grade spirit rice in his rice vat for money.

He kept the trash-grade rice in the vat, leaving it out in the open as a decoy.

As for the Endless Spirit Rice Jar that could continuously produce high-grade spirit rice, Li Muyang kept it pressed under a pickle jar every day, making it look completely unremarkable.

Nourished by the high-grade spirit rice, Li Muyang's cultivation level was steadily rising.

The character experience bar in the top right corner of his vision increased by over ten percent almost every single day.

Finally, on the third day after obtaining the Flesh-Bone Green Robe, Li Muyang broke through to the next realm once again.

As the spirit energy vortex within his dantian suddenly dispersed, flowing into his limbs and bones to merge completely with his body, it signaled that this stage of Li Muyang's cultivation was a complete success.

A tiny new spirit energy vortex emerged within his dantian. Once this vortex was nurtured to maturity and dispersed into his body again, it would mean Li Muyang had stepped into the next realm.

Cultivation during the Qi Refining stage was a process of continuously nurturing the spirit energy vortex within, allowing the spirit energy to fuse with the physical body.

After the physical body was refined and strengthened nine times, one would reach the Ninth Heaven of the Qi Refining realm, at which point they could establish their foundation.

Li Muyang was now at the Fourth Heaven of the Qi Refining realm.

The support of the Endless Spirit Rice Jar gave him, a mere outer sect chore disciple, the same cultivation speed as those high and mighty direct disciples.

Sitting on his hard wooden bed and feeling the increased strength in his body, Li Muyang clenched his fist tightly.

He was one step closer to Foundation Establishment!

He rolled off the bed, intending to wash his feet before going to sleep.

Yet, under the pitch-black night, the glow of a lantern appeared on this remote mountainside, far from the crowd.

Someone was carrying a lantern, treading the mountain path at an hour when most people were preparing for bed, and appeared in Li Muyang's field of vision.

Li Muyang was somewhat surprised.

"Guan Xiaoshun?"

What was this kid doing running over here in the middle of the night?

Although he had a decent relationship with him, they weren't exactly close friends.

Yet here was Guan Xiaoshun, paying a midnight visit with a lantern in hand.

Looking at the youth who had come from afar, Li Muyang was completely bewildered: "Xiaoshun, is something the matter?"

He saw the youth, Guan Xiaoshun, scratch his head and say, "Brother Li, the sect is opening its gates tomorrow."

"I was afraid Brother Li might not know, since you live so far away and no one would tell you, so I ran over to let you know."

"The mountain gates only open once a year. When that happens, new disciples recruited by the sect will enter the city, and we veteran disciples can also head down the mountain to set up stalls and sell things; it's a way to make some money."

"Brother Li, are you going to go together tomorrow?"