Ren Qing came to the place where the insect molts were originally buried. Unexpectedly, there was now a Taoist temple, presumably used to house Wuwei Taoist Temple.
The True Yuan concentration in the air was indeed much higher; with each breath, it involuntarily entered his body, constantly cultivating.
Ren Qing entered the temple's backyard, where only a few elderly Taoists were cultivating, and Qingsongzi was nowhere to be seen. The backyard was densely covered with mushroom trees, the tallest nearly ten meters, and the shorter ones five to six meters.
Without hesitation, Ren Qing opened the heteromorphic mouth on his palm, instantly generating suction from thin air.
Four mushroom trees were pulled into the Eternal Prison Manacle. Upon hearing the commotion, the temple disciples gathered in groups and rushed to the backyard, but by the time they arrived, Ren Qing's figure had already disappeared.
Qingsongzi learned of this and did not react strongly. Such magical techniques could only be the work of Ren Qing, the master of the Ghost Market. He suspected that the Huang Qi was in fact Ren Qing himself.
Within a few breaths, Ren Qing returned to the inn. Refining artifacts was done in the Eternal Prison Manacle, which would not attract attention.
He had originally considered using Heavenly Dao insect eggs to refine artifacts for storing Nether Yuan, but thought it too extravagant: there were only a few hundred eggs, and if a cultivator died outside the city, they would quickly be destroyed under the influence of demonic energy.
After careful consideration, Ren Qing decided to use the mushroom tree branches imbued with True Yuan as material.
How to refine them was left entirely to the ghost shadow to explore; the required materials were plentiful in the prison area. The mushroom tree artifacts themselves would be refined by Ren Qing, though he currently had no clue how to do so.
Ren Qing even considered whether to cultivate techniques related to the Six Diseases Method, which might yield results in the Longevity Forbidden Zone, but he already had four main and secondary techniques; adding more could be difficult to manage.
Just as Ren Qing hesitated, his separated soul inexplicably fell near death, fortunately protected by the insect-body formed from the insect roots.
Taking advantage of the Longevity Forbidden Zone being at night, he immediately activated the ghost shadow's Night Roaming. A flood of memories surged into his mind.
…Life in the medical hall had been quite luxurious for Ren Qing.
Other patients had heavy labor, and every ten days, due to cultivation, at least four-fifths would die under the statue. Ren Qing was entirely different; the people he cultivated were personally chosen, with no risk of becoming bride clothes.
He specifically selected the severely hysterical lunatics, and surprisingly, they had a good reputation in the medical hall; many even voluntarily addressed him as senior brother.
Ren Qing had originally intended to rapidly consume his lifespan. Unexpectedly, even if he deliberately refrained from cultivation, the Tree Seedling on his forehead continued to grow. In just over half a month, the Tree Seedling nearly caught up to Yaodao Ren.
Ren Qing immediately confirmed something: the so-called immortal cultivation was based on hysteria, meaning the source came from the Longevity Immortal statue.
He suspected that the purpose of cultivation was to stimulate the growth of disease types, and the immortal techniques were merely an illusion.
Even if Ren Qing did not use the information stream to promote his disease types, under the influence of the Longevity Immortal statue, the Sleepless Tree Disease type would still continue to grow.
He glanced at his information stream:
Ren Qing Lifespan: 13 years 65 days
Disease types: Sleepless Tree Disease, Cancer, Night Blindness, Night Sweats, Wind-Cold, Hysteria
Promoting the Sleepless Tree Disease type required ten years of lifespan, but Ren Qing estimated that in half a month, it would self-promote.
He planned to accumulate enough lifespan and then directly promote to the next stage of the Sleepless disease type, likely reaching the hidden parts of the Longevity Forbidden Zone.
Weiwang Town had returned to peace. But because of Ren Qing's presence, the required number of prisoners had greatly increased. Soldiers escorting prison wagons came faster and faster, each time driving hundreds of prisoners into the town.
Yaodao Ren's requirements for disciples were gradually decreasing.
Yet, even so, there were not enough patients to consume; from the Longevity Immortal statue courtyard, corpses were already everywhere.
Fortunately, as long as patients suffered from hysteria, they did not care about life or death, their minds filled with ambitions of becoming immortal.
As Ren Qing's Tree Seedling on his forehead surpassed Yaodao Ren, the latter's attitude toward him became increasingly obsequious, yet still could not hide greed.
Ren Qing, in the world of hysteria, could feel himself commanding wind and rain. But once he returned to the real world, he became extremely weak; even with high lifespan, he could not hide the illness in his body.
The Sleepless disease, while not severe, could not restore his spirit through meditation alone. Others would likely lose all intelligence, but Ren Qing outwardly appeared normal, almost too normal.
Unconsciously, his lifespan reached eighteen years. The Tree Seedling above his head was over two meters, already affecting his body.
When Yaodao Ren reduced the interval for Ren Qing's cultivation from ten days to five, he already knew changes were imminent.
On this day, soldiers led by Jin Chengxiang stood outside the town in full formation. Even with prison wagons arriving, they had never taken such precautions. Jin Chengxiang's face was solemn; he took a deep puff of dry tobacco before tucking it into his bosom.
Deputy officer Hong Zhi could not help but ask: "Jin Head, could it be people from the government?"
Jin Chengxiang gazed at the winding mountain roads, silent for a long time before replying: "Impossible. It's an immortal…"
"Immortal?" Hong Zhi laughed incredulously. "Jin Head, it's not those so-called cultivators in the town, is it?"
Jin Chengxiang stared seriously at Hong Zhi, whose expression gradually fell.
"That's a True Immortal. Weiwang Town is only a peach garden; now the fruits are almost ripe."
Hong Zhi was about to ask more when he noticed a figure on a distant mountain peak, instantly drenched in sweat.
The figure's appearance made it impossible to tell gender. He was almost identical to the Longevity Immortal statue; the fleshy tumor on his forehead was full of blue veins.
However, he had no Tree Seedling, and the hair on his arms was extremely dense. He walked as if shrinking the distance, reaching Weiwang Town in moments.
Jin Chengxiang hurriedly said to Hong Zhi: "Go tell the brothers to keep their eyes sharp; do not anger the immortal."
Hong Zhi wiped sweat from his face and staggered to notify the soldiers. Jin Chengxiang waited respectfully for the immortal's arrival, recalling that in previous encounters he had been nearly scared into losing his words.
Soon, the figure arrived at the town entrance, eyes scanning Jin Chengxiang.
"Jin Chengxiang, right?"
"How did you age so quickly?"
Jin Chengxiang did not dare look up, replying respectfully: "Humble Peach Blossom Immortal, the last time we met was ten years ago."
"I see. Are you willing to cultivate as a pseudo-immortal? I'll give you the position of medical hall physician."
"I am not worthy to accept." Jin Chengxiang knelt; once he entered the medical hall, he could not leave. The horrors inside were evident from the dead and injured prisoners.
"Then forget it." Peach Blossom Immortal waved toward the medical hall. As he reached the town entrance, a whooshing sound occurred. An arrow feather lodged at his feet. Jin Chengxiang thought, "Bad, probably a mistake from nervous soldiers."
"Peach Blossom Immortal, this person is innocent…"
"Speak another word, and you die with him."
Peach Blossom Immortal disappeared and reappeared holding a soldier, trembling and begging for mercy.
"Ahhhhh…" The soldier's face contorted, unthinkable pain coursing through him. Under everyone's eyes, his flesh and bones gradually collapsed into his head.
Within a few breaths, Peach Blossom Immortal held a swollen bloody pan peach. He stuffed it into his blood-red mouth, chewing in delight, blood dripping to the ground.
Peach Blossom Immortal, still unsatisfied, turned to approach Jin Chengxiang. Jin Chengxiang knelt frantically, banging his head on the stones, pleading: "Peach Blossom Immortal, do not kill me…"
Peach Blossom Immortal stroked his head. Jin Chengxiang finally despairingly said: "Immortal above, I am willing to cultivate as a pseudo-immortal."
"Good. I will guide you to immortality." Peach Blossom Immortal smiled and nodded, then headed toward the town medical hall, his eyes clearly full of disdain.
As soon as he reached the medical hall, Yaodao Ren eagerly came out, having changed from his sloppy clothes to a neat Taoist robe.
"Junior brother…" Peach Blossom Immortal's disdain deepened at this title.
Yaodao Ren awkwardly smiled: "Though you entered later than me, as a senior one calls you senior brother, it is not excessive."
"When did even a drug seed like you deserve to be under Longevity Immortal?" Peach Blossom Immortal squinted, bearing much resemblance to the Longevity Immortal statue.
Yaodao Ren hurriedly explained: "I am not a drug seed; I also have longevity seeds, but I went mad and destroyed myself…"
Peach Blossom Immortal was tired of listening. He remembered last time Yaodao Ren came, he had revealed something about longevity seeds, and now Yaodao Ren arrogantly treated himself as a Longevity Immortal disciple. Truly a hysterical pseudo-immortal; his memory entirely fabricated.
Peach Blossom Immortal directly came to the backyard, gazing at the Longevity Immortal statue intensely. Ren Qing, cultivating under the statue, saw his expression and asked: "Yaodao Ren, what's going on?"
Yaodao Ren cautiously said: "Senior brother, since a disease-type tree is needed, why not let him replace me?"
"Who do you think you are?" Peach Blossom Immortal directly grabbed Yaodao Ren by the neck, speaking calmly: "You haven't cultivated into a Tree Immortal, right?"
Yaodao Ren struggled: "Not yet, but senior brother, if you want me to break through, I can anytime…"
Snap. Peach Blossom Immortal snapped Yaodao Ren's neck, then took him to the base of the statue, connecting his spinal column with blood vessels. Yaodao Ren's blood was completely absorbed, leaving only an empty shell.
Peach Blossom Immortal coldly muttered: "Playing tricks almost ruined my plans; dying so decisively was cheap for you."
Ren Qing benefitted freely, his lifespan immediately surging to thirty-five years. After leaving the blood vessel, he only heard Peach Blossom Immortal laughing: "With you replacing Yaodao Ren, next you will become a Tree Immortal."
Ren Qing could perceive Peach Blossom Immortal's ill intentions; their conversation was known through the ghost shadow.
But thinking of his thirty-five years of lifespan, he happily responded: "With such a great benefit, your junior brother naturally agrees."
Peach Blossom Immortal's face stiffened.