Chapter 45: Joining the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect

Coming to the city's market, they found a stall where the vendor sold a wide variety of Spirit Beasts.

The cheapest were edible white-feathered chickens, and the expensive ones included wolf-type, snake-type, and bear-type Spirit Beasts, among many others.

Lin Mo asked casually, "How much for this Black-Winged Snake?"

The vendor gave a thumbs up, "Fellow Daoist, you really have a good eye. This is one of the best Spirit Beasts at my stall. Look at this luster, look at this gaze. Without needing further taming, it can directly help you in battle, only costing 100 Spirit Stones."

Shangguan Rouer said softly, "Your snake clearly was captured violently, with quite a few scales fallen off. Even though its gaze is submissive, it was forced through duress. At most 50 Spirit Stones, and you'll still turn a profit. Otherwise, we'll go to another stall."

Although Shangguan Rouer was still angry at Lin Mo, the two of them were fellow Disciples after all, so naturally she wouldn't just watch Lin Mo get ripped off.

"Deal, deal, deal," the vendor agreed promptly.

All four of them simultaneously thought fuck, they bid the price too high.

It wasn't too much, so Lin Mo didn't care too much, miserably paying the Spirit Stones and leaving.

The Black-Winged Snake flicked its forked tongue, licking Lin Mo's palm with an obedient demeanor.

While strolling around the market, Lin Mo had noticed quite a few skulking Cultivators of the Demonic Path quietly handing out flyers in the city. The signature area was stamped with a bright red claw print, accompanied by a line of small text: Priority admission given to those carrying Spirit Beasts.

Senior Sister Huang Doudou raised an eyebrow and said, "It seems Wang Dabiao's efficiency is quite high. See you tomorrow at Xixia Mountain?"

The few of them nodded, agreeing to wake up earlier tomorrow morning.

Lin Mo waved his hand and returned to his room to rest, sighing inwardly that it seemed the Demonic Path wasn't easy either.

They had to fulfill their KPI every day, still handing out flyers outside this late.

…

Early the next morning, Lin Mo and the others woke up early and rushed to Xixia Mountain.

According to Lin Mo and the others' imagination, they had expected deafening gongs and drums, firecrackers blazing away, a massive crowd, and fluttering red flags.

After arriving at the place, they discovered that there were only four of them in total who came to join the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect.

Later, Lin Mo learned that the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect was financially strained, and the Spirit Beasts ate too much. They hadn't been able to issue stipends for several months.

The other Demonic Path Cultivators in Langya Commandery had long known about the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect's condition and avoided them like the plague, so absolutely nobody joined.

Wang Dabiao looked like a faithful husband waiting at a lookout rock, eagerly waiting outside the entrance of the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect all morning.

Despair filled his heart, "It's over. If we still can't recruit any Disciples this time, the branch master will definitely dock my stipend."

Just at that moment, Lin Mo and his group arrived.

Wang Dabiao cleared his throat and emitted a standard villainous laugh he had practiced for a long time, "Jiejiejie, you Cultivators? Do you want to join our great Soul-Devouring Beast Sect?"

Lin Mo and the others exchanged glances, feeling that this laughter was a bit weird. "That's right, we are here to join the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect and become a great Demonic Path Cultivator."

Wang Dabiao showed an appreciative expression, "Jiejiejie, consider you few as having good vision. Each person only needs to pay 880 Spirit Stones to become a great Soul-Devouring Beast Sect Cultivator."

Lin Mo pulled the little figure Shangguan Rouer with his left hand and Senior Sister Leng Hanyue with his right hand, turning around to leave without looking back.

Only a sentence drifted in the wind, "It's too fucking expensive, I'd better join the Righteous Path to learn instead."

"Hey, hey, hey, brother, brother, don't leave! Barg-barg-bargain, at least make a counteroffer!" Wang Dabiao stuttered in anxiety.

Wang Dabiao's determination to have Lin Mo's trio join the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect hadn't changed at all, blocking their path and refusing to let them leave no matter what.

Lin Mo shook his head and said with an honest face, "I didn't know joining the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect required money either. Who would enter the Demonic Path if they had money?"

Watching Lin Mo and the others' footsteps walking further and further away, Wang Dabiao seemed to see his stipend getting farther and farther away from his Storage Pouch. With the KPI unmet, receiving his stipend was a remote and distant dream.

He hurriedly said, "Today is the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect's grand sale! As long as you pass the evaluation, it's completely free."

Shangguan Rouer pretended to be somewhat moved and said, "Junior Brother, it sounds pretty good. Why don't we join?"

Senior Sister Leng Hanyue also chimed in, "I think it's not bad either."

Lin Mo shook his head, "I've heard others say that joining a Sect even gives you Spirit Stones. Since they aren't giving Spirit Stones, let's go check out other Demonic Path Sects."

Wang Dabiao grabbed Lin Mo by the collar, "Fellow Daoist, Fellow Daoist, don't leave, don't leave! It's just Spirit Stones, easily negotiable! As long as you join the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect, I'll give each of you 5—uh no, 3 Spirit Stones."

Lin Mo nodded, showing a satisfied expression, "That's more like it. Give it to us right now, 5 Spirit Stones per person."

Wang Dabiao wore an expression of heart-wrenching pain. He hadn't received a stipend in a long time; this was his last private stash.

However, for the sake of future promotions and salary increases, he gritted his teeth and took out the Spirit Stones, "This Fellow Daoist and three Fairies, judging by your exceptional appearance, you are no Mortals. I believe you will definitely successfully join the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect."

Lin Mo nodded, "May your auspicious words come true."

Walking into the Sect, compared to the Jade Maiden Immortal Sect shrouded in wisps of Immortal Qi, the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect was simply a destitute household.

Senior Sister Leng Hanyue clicked her tongue, "This Demonic Sect is a bit different from what I imagined."

Wang Dabiao sighed and said, "Fellow Daoists, you don't know this, but every family has a scripture that's hard to chant. Our Soul-Devouring Beast Sect built its foundation on beast taming, but we succeed because of Spirit Beasts and fail because of them too. These Spirit Beasts' food, drink, excretion, and sleep consume an astronomical number of Spirit Stones every day."

Lin Mo nodded to show his understanding. Upon reaching the evaluation grounds, Lin Mo gained an even more intuitive understanding of the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect's poverty.

On the evaluation plaza, there were only a sparse few people. The person in charge of the evaluation was the branch master of the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect's branch.

The other party wore a fiendish ghost mask and was draped in floor-length black robes that concealed their figure, making it impossible to tell whether they were male or female.

"Very good. Today, there are actually 4 Disciples wanting to join the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect. You need to demonstrate your beast-taming techniques."

The branch master of the Soul-Devouring Beast Sect had a calm voice, but it was impossible to distinguish whether it was male or female.

Senior Sister Leng Hanyue stepped forward first. The Pale Moon Wolf, which had already been subdued by brute force, suddenly lost its mind for some reason, as if it had encountered something terrifying, and began to counterattack Senior Sister Leng Hanyue.

Opening its large maw, it bit toward Senior Sister Leng Hanyue's arm, but as a Body Cultivator, Senior Sister Leng Hanyue's skin was as hard as gold and iron.

Opening her pretty apricot eyes wide and furrowing her brows, she let out a delicate cry, "You little beast, see how this young lady deals with you!"

Not only did the Pale Moon Wolf fail to bite Senior Sister Leng Hanyue, but it was grabbed by the tongue instead, causing it to howl in agony as fists rained down upon its head once more.

Experiencing severe blows to its body, the Pale Moon Wolf instantly came to its senses, crawling flat on the ground with a crystal-clear gaze.

Cold sweat broke out on the foreheads of Lin Mo and the other two. With Great Master Senior Sister's method of beast taming, if the Pale Moon Wolf had been obedient, they might have been able to bluff their way through, but now it was probably exposed.

Their hands quietly approached their Storage Pouch, ready at any time to pull out their Magical Artifact to kill the enemy.