Master Hong Jue's Universe Bag did not disappoint Shen Mo!

Two round, black pearls, affixed with Prohibition Talismans, lay quietly in a corner of the bag.

However, besides the Water-Thunder Demon Pearls, several Elixirs, and talismans, he did not find the one thousand Spirit Stones and a Profound Level, middle-grade magic artifact promised by Master Hong Jue.

There were low-grade Spirit Stones, but only a mere five hundred.

There was also a magic artifact, but it was a Profound Level, low-grade Flying Sword—a cheap, common item.

It seems all his resources were invested in cultivating the Poison into Water Art and his water-attribute magic artifact.

"The compensation he promised back then was likely just empty talk!"

"Once I retrieved the Sword Array, he probably would have risked attacking me with the Water-Thunder Demon Pearl."

Having obtained two Water-Thunder Demon Pearls, Shen Mo was quite satisfied.

Carefully peeling off the Prohibition Talismans, he took out a Big Dipper Sword embryo and began to refine it.

Unlike other Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, the Water-Thunder Demon Pearl didn't need to be melted with Earthly Fire; its essence could be extracted simply by using a Forging technique.

The foundation of the sword embryo was already laid, making this process even simpler than repairing the inner armor of his magic robe.

「Two Shichen later.」

A small, inch-long sword, suffused with a watery essence, coiled around Shen Mo's fingertips.

[Through forging, you have elevated 'One of the Big Dipper Sword Embryos (Profound Level, Low-grade)' to 'Tianji (Profound Level, Mid-grade)'. You have gained new insights into the Forging Path. Forging Experience +30.]

"Two Water-Thunder Demon Pearls have transformed the Big Dipper Sword embryo to Profound Level, middle-grade. To advance it further, I'll probably need five more similar demon pearls."

"To upgrade it to a top-grade magic artifact from a Profound Level, high-grade foundation, I'll need ten more."

Shen Mo was thrilled.

As long as the sword embryo could be formed, whether middle-grade or high-grade, it would significantly enhance the power of the Sword Array.

...

"Immortal Master, please save us, Immortal Master!"

As Shen Mo was sorting through the items in the other four Universe Bags, the village chief of Horse Head Village barged into the courtyard, fell to his knees, and cried out.

The Spirit Storage Rat, which had been let out for some fresh air and to keep watch, stared at the village chief with its small, beady green eyes.

"Master, should I drive him away?" it telepathically communicated.

Although this little fellow was greedy and lazy, and would just lie flat if there was no meat to eat, it was, after all, a middle-stage Class II demonic beast. It didn't take mere mortals seriously.

"Forget it. Come with me and let's see what's happening," Shen Mo replied.

With a sweep of his sleeve, Shen Mo gathered various Spirit Stones and miscellaneous items into his own Universe Bag.

In fact, with his keen senses, he very likely already knew what had transpired.

「Horse Head Village, west side.」

The stronger villagers, who had been summoned, were wielding hoes, shoulder poles, and other farming tools, battling a Hungry Ghost in a courtyard.

The weaker villagers mostly showed no fear, their faces largely apathetic. Their eyes, occasionally darting about, glowed greedily as they coveted the pot of meat soup inside the house.

However, with the ghost present, they didn't dare try to snatch it.

The Hungry Ghost, oblivious to the scalding heat, was gulping down the meat soup.

The owner of the soup was one of the strong villagers who had fed the Hungry Ghost his blood during the day.

Now, he had only one arm left.

It was obvious his other arm had already become food for the Hungry Ghost.

Faced with the grotesque Hungry Ghost, he showed no fear. But now, his face was filled with desperation, and his body trembled uncontrollably, as if terrified of his future fate.

"The Immortal Master is here! The Immortal Master has come to eliminate the ghost!" the strong villagers cheered.

But the other, weaker villagers remained silent, as if nothing mattered to them except for that pot of meat soup.

"Evil ghosts eat people, and people eat people! What a world..." Shen Mo sighed deeply.

At his words, the village chief and the strong villagers turned pale.

To avoid "offending" the Immortal Master, they had deliberately chosen to eat at midnight. Unfortunately, one of the villagers who had starved to death had turned into a ghost. It had broken into one of the houses, injuring the homeowner.

The village chief of Horse Head Village had immediately thought of the Immortal Master resting at his home.

He hadn't expected Shen Mo to have already witnessed the sordid affairs of the village.

VMM!

The Dragon Sparrow Sword unleashed a dazzling beam of sword Qi.

The villager, who had been barely alive during the day but had become a Hungry Ghost by night, was instantly turned to ash by the sword Qi.

"Immortal Master, spare us! We had no other choice," the village chief cried.

He, along with a hundred or so strong villagers, fell to their knees in a wave, kowtowing repeatedly and begging for mercy.

"The harvests fail more each year. Even the wild animals in the mountains are nearly gone."

"Many of those who starve to death turn into terrifying ghosts that eat anything they see."

"If we don't eat enough to keep our strength up, the entire village will be killed and devoured by ghosts!"

"When the elderly in our families can no longer go on and hang themselves, only then... do we eat them."

Shen Mo nodded, his expression impassive, "And what about the children and teenagers in the village? Did they also choose to hang themselves because they saw no way out?"

"This..." The village chief of Horse Head Village was speechless, only continuing to kowtow.

Tears and snot streamed down his face, mixing with the blood from his forehead, making him look utterly pitiful.

Gradually, those numb-faced villagers also began to kneel. With weak voices, they pleaded with the Immortal Master on behalf of the village chief and the other strong villagers.

The situation was painfully clear.

In Horse Head Village, villagers who died of starvation had a high chance of becoming Hungry Ghosts. The elders in the village, either willingly or forcibly, "committed suicide" by hanging. Compared to Hungry Ghosts, Hanged Ghosts were slightly fewer in number.

Children, teenagers, the sick, and the disabled, much like the elderly, had almost all become food for the desperate villagers. Even able-bodied but weaker men and women were treated little differently from reserve food supplies.

Yet, despite everything, they were still struggling to survive. To ensure someone in Horse Head Village could fight the ghosts, they were even willing to kneel and plead to Shen Mo on behalf of the village chief and others—those who ate the most human flesh.

"You all... just try your best to survive," Shen Mo said finally.

He formed a hand seal, and with a point of his finger, the Dragon Sparrow Sword circled back and landed beside his feet.

Then, he stepped onto the Flying Sword and rode it away from Horse Head Village.

He continued his journey by Flying Escape.

The villages he encountered were either dilapidated and deserted, with no trace of human life, or, like Horse Head Village, barely surviving through cannibalism.

This was true not only for villages but for towns as well.

Shen Mo observed as he traveled...

All he saw was even more horrific.

He didn't make any move to change anything—or rather, he was powerless to change anything.

Just like in Horse Head Village, even if he had killed the village chief and those hundred-odd strong villagers, what then?

Their bodies would soon be eaten by the other villagers, and it wouldn't be long before everything reverted to its previous state.

Furthermore, what reason would he have to kill a group of mortals struggling so desperately to survive?

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