I am grinding experience in another world - Chapter 761 - 749: Unexpected Change
More than ten days later, deep into the night on the second floor of the Golden Pool Pavilion.
Chen Mu pressed a Yama True Ghost Pattern into the wooden stake, watching as a silver line emerged on the surface, nodding slightly.
Just as he was about to put it away and continue crafting the next one, a flash of firelight flickered before his eyes.
A cacophony of noises also emanated from the hall on the first floor.
Chen Mu rose and went to the edge of the outer corridor, gazing out.
The originally pitch-black Golden River City had become bright with lights. It seemed as if the scene of Yin Spirits appearing a month ago was playing out once more.
“Increasing the number of Soul-Calming Stakes truly can quickly attract Yin Spirits.”
“My tireless days and nights crafting these past ten-plus days were not in vain,” Chen Mu showed a satisfied smile.
He immediately used the Yama Emperor’s Command and then sprinkled the Heavenly Demon Spirit Seed, quickly gathering the Yin Spirits.
…
Several days later.
On the second floor of Golden Pool Pavilion, Chen Mu pinched his forehead to relieve his headache.
In the past few days, he had been busy transmitting the Mountain-Carrying Scripture and Jade Gate Curse to the second batch of Ghosts, finally completing it today.
This batch of Ghosts was essentially the same in number as last time, totaling over thirty-one thousand.
The total number of Ghosts in the Five Ghosts Bag skyrocketed as a result, reaching nearly one hundred thousand.
With a thought, a small Ghost Gate, three or four meters high, floated nearby. Chen Mu stepped onto it, half of his body effortlessly sinking inside.
“Collecting two more batches of Ghosts might allow me to forcibly break free from the bindings!” Feeling the two forces pulling against him, Chen Mu was exhilarated.
“I must continue crafting Soul-Calming Stakes!”
The appearance of Ghosts in Golden River City was related to the Netherworld Jade Dew. The more Soul-Calming Stakes, the faster the conversion into Netherworld Jade Dew, which can attract Ghosts more swiftly.
With a wave, he put away the Ghost Gate, took a sip of Nourishing Spirit Wine to recover his spirit, and immediately began crafting Soul-Calming Stakes.
…
During the subsequent time, Chen Mu stayed in the Golden Pool Pavilion refining artifacts.
The members of Tang Sect focused on cultivating Silver-scaled Fish.
Everyone carried out their duties, making Golden River City seem peaceful for a time.
Unfortunately, this calm did not last long.
On this day, outside Golden River City, by the moat, Chen Mu stared grimly at the distant dark barrier.
The barrier originally maintained a three-meter distance from the moat, but now it’s less than one meter.
That invisible barrier is contracting inward!
“This must have started some days ago,” Tang Sect equally grim-faced: “Initially it might have only shrunk by a few inches, which went unnoticed.”
“It was the sudden acceleration of shrinkage these past few days that was discovered. It seems…” while speaking, he looked cautiously at Chen Mu: “It seems related to the Soul-Calming Stakes!”
Soul-Calming Stakes?
Chen Mu furrowed his brow unconsciously.
“I deliberately asked the other people,” Tang Sect explained.
“Based on their memory feedback, the acceleration of the barrier’s contraction started after a large number of Soul-Calming Stakes were deployed.”
“This matter, there’s an eighty percent chance it’s related to the Soul-Calming Stakes.”
What a hassle.
Chen Mu’s face darkened.
Soul-Calming Stakes can attract Ghosts, and Ghosts can enhance the Ghost Gate, which is crucial for escaping the confines of Golden River City.
Yet Soul-Calming Stakes inadvertently trigger the contraction of the outer barrier. If it shrinks too much, he might end up being squeezed to death in the cage before even escaping Golden River City!
“How about we put away some of those stakes?” Tang Sect softly suggested.
With the hope of escape in sight, to stop now? Chen Mu was unwilling.
“Not to put them all away,” Tang Sect continued: “We can try multiple times and find a balance point.”
“One that stops the barrier’s shrinkage while retaining some Soul-Calming Stakes to aid in fish cultivation.”
“While it might waste a lot of time, it’s safer to be cautious in this, Capital Institute,” Tang Sect advised earnestly.
“That might be the only choice now,” Chen Mu conceded reluctantly.
Without understanding the specific reason for the barrier’s contraction, caution indeed seemed prudent.
In the following days, the deployed Soul-Calming Stakes were successively retrieved, leaving only sixty-six stakes within Golden River City.
At this point, the outer barrier stabilized, ceasing its shrinking trend. Thus confirming the barrier’s change was indeed related to the Soul-Calming Stakes.
Relieved, yet somewhat disappointed, Chen Mu sighed.
“The barrier shrinkage has stopped, but using the existing Soul-Calming Stakes to lure Ghosts will likely take a long time.”
Initially with nearly a hundred Soul-Calming Stakes, accumulating enough Netherworld Jade Dew to attract Ghosts took about twenty days.
Later, when the Soul-Calming Stakes doubled, it took merely half a month to attract Ghosts’ reappearance.
But now, with only sixty-six stakes left…it might take one to two more months to lure Ghosts into appearance.
Chen Mu sighed, summoned the gray Stone Gate, and looked into a column within.
Spiritual Treasure Pivot Scripture: 9679/10000/Eighth Rank;
“Fortunately, I haven’t stopped cultivating the Spirit Treasure Core Mechanism Technique these days.”
“Since rapid enhancement of Ghost Gate is out of reach, I’ll have to find a way to break through the constraints of Golden River City.”
…
Several days later, in Golden Pool Pavilion underground, at the round belly cave at the bottom of a well, several white-skinned Soul-Attracting Lamps floated in midair, illuminating the cave.
Chen Mu sat backwards on a dragon head, staring at the chains binding the stone dragon’s body, Spirit Treasure Core Mechanism Technique’s Exotic Force continuously seeping into the chains.
The originally hard wall-like obstruction had now turned into a puddle of soft mud.
Though still difficult, it could no longer block the Spirit Treasure Core Mechanism Technique from probing in.
And inside the dark chain, a series of silver lines gradually became clear.
“Netherworld Ghost Patterns.”
“This Golden River City is indeed related to Yin Ghost Sect members!”
With a turn of thought, the semi-transparent gray Stone Gate floated up before his eyes.
Spiritual Treasure Pivot Scripture: 7/10000/Ninth Rank;
“Though the plan to enhance Ghost Gate for escape has been delayed due to the outer barrier’s anomaly.”
“The Spirit Treasure Core Mechanism Technique’s advancement, unraveling the Chain Spell Ban to discover a way to break the invisible binding, has begun accelerating.”
“It’s make the best of a bad situation.”
Chen Mu chuckled and buried his head in further studying the Dragon Binding Chain before him.
…
South of Golden River City, by Xian’an Pond.
In the main house of a three-entry courtyard, Tang Sect sat at a square table.
The sky’s twenty-four Bright Pearls shone through the windows.
Tang Sect’s face was half illuminated, half shrouded in shadow.
“That person must be closely monitored using the Secret Technique of Ground Shrinking powered by Yin Ghost forces.” He murmured quietly with a serious expression: “That Secret Technique appears related to Yin Ghost Sect members, might indeed allow them to escape Golden River City.”
“If at that time I haven’t escaped Heavenly River Cave Heaven, and the Substitute Puppet Technique is broken, we might be utterly trapped in Heavenly River Cave Heaven.”
As he finished speaking, his expression changed, nervously saying: “I’m already trying to delay! But how much longer do you need to completely break away from Heavenly River Cave Heaven?!”
“Why rush, we’ve endured decades, what difference do these few days make!” Tang Sect’s expression turned serious again.
“I can endure, but that person has been constantly probing those chains at the bottom of the well, if they are unravelled…” Tang Sect worriedly said.
Before he finished speaking, the worry on his face disappeared, replaced with disdain as he spoke: “It’s not so simple to break the Dragon Nailing Stake, otherwise I wouldn’t have been trapped here for decades.”
“Is there truly no way to seal them entirely in Golden River City…”
“It’s not so easy…”
In the pitch-black night, Tang Sect’s face shifted as he mumbled to himself, as if he harbored two consciousnesses within one body, enigmatic and uncanny.
