"Look, it's that master flutist, using his supreme divine powers to save us."
The cultivators who had survived the calamity almost all prostrated themselves, bowing in worship towards the figure on the mountaintop.
On the summit, a man of unparalleled grace and imposing stature stood tall upon a massive boulder.
The flute music he played was like heavenly music, and endless sword qi shot forth with the melody, relentlessly piercing the bodies of one demon beast after another.
The demon beasts that everyone found impossible to defeat were being slaughtered as easily as cutting through vegetables.
This scene was deeply imprinted in the eyes of all the cultivators present.
"As expected of Mr. Ji, with just a few words, thousands of demon beasts turned to dust."
Huì Néng and Fàn Jǐngxíng felt immensely honored. To be able to follow a master like Ji Mo in this lifetime was truly the greatest glory.
The two of them hurried towards the summit, wanting to stay by Ji Mo's side and prevent any disturbance from any ignorant cultivators.
Hóng Qiāntú also scrambled to his feet and hurried after them, intending to apologize to Ji Mo and beg for his forgiveness.
At this moment.
The Ancient Soul-Devouring Toad's mind went blank.
Its body seemed petrified, utterly motionless.
It truly couldn't accept that thousands of demon beasts had been blown to death just like that!
Even if the White Emperor were reborn, he might not possess such means. Who exactly was this Ji Mo?
Afterward, it felt something was terribly wrong.
The essence blood of the dead demon beasts seeped into the soil and all flowed towards the mountain's core.
A vast life force was being nurtured.
"Damn it, what ghostly thing is hidden within my body?"
The Ancient Soul-Devouring Toad became extremely flustered, feeling as if it had been tricked.
Could it be that this was all Ji Mo's scheme? Using it to gather all the demon beasts, then wiping them out, and subsequently using their blood to nurture a new life.
"The seed has finally sprouted!"
Ji Mo stopped playing his flute, waiting for the seed to grow.
He was not as malicious as the Ancient Soul-Devouring Toad imagined, designing the death of these demon beasts.
He had merely intended to use his flute music to activate the formation here and infuse some energy into the blue seed underground.
Unexpectedly, upon activation, this formation directly hunted demon beasts, absorbing their blood to irrigate the seed.
It could be said that this was unintentional on Ji Mo's part. He actually didn't know that by simply playing a tune, he had directly killed thousands of demon beasts.
The blue seed grew rapidly.
Taking root and sprouting before their very eyes, clusters of blue leaves soon emerged from the ground.
"Manjusaka!"
Ji Mo was moved and quickly gathered some leaves.
This was one of the main herbs needed to heal A Li. He hadn't expected to find it so easily, and its quality was even better than anticipated.
The blue leaves only existed for a very short time before quickly withering.
Then, a pink bud grew from the stem of the leaves.
"The flower never sees the leaves, the leaves never see the flower. Could this be the legendary Netherworld Flower from my demon realm? No wonder it requires fresh blood for nourishment."
The Ancient Soul-Devouring Toad muttered to itself, its eyes filled with greed, wishing it could rush forward and snatch it.
Legend had it that the Netherworld Flower possessed magical powers that could fulfill all wishes, its value immeasurable!
Ji Mo sat on the rock, quietly watching the Netherworld Flower bloom before him. Its red petals emitted a faint halo, truly a breathtaking sight.
He merely admired it as a flower, with no intention of claiming it for himself.
"What are you still gawking at? Hurry and make a wish! Once the flower withers, all will be lost."
Seeing Ji Mo's inaction, the Ancient Soul-Devouring Toad grew extremely anxious.
Finally, steeling its resolve, it decided to risk its life to snatch this immense fortune. Ji Mo was an idiot, squandering a divine treasure, and it couldn't do something so foolish.
Spotting an opportunity, it leaped out directly and charged forward madly.
In an instant, it reached the Netherworld Flower and opened its mouth, about to make a wish.
"Croak..."
However, it only managed to let out a pained cry.
Just as it was about to make its wish, Ji Mo leaped down from the rock and stomped on it with a single foot, crushing it.
The wish that was about to be uttered was forcefully stamped back down with a single kick.
The Ancient Soul-Devouring Toad was furious, its eyes spitting fire. It was so close to success, only to be stopped by this detestable human.
"Haha, the fleeing toad has delivered itself right to my doorstep again."
Ji Mo laughed heartily, then proceeded to rub it around again, stomping the Ancient Soul-Devouring Toad until it was almost dead and alive.
He then tied it up again, hanging it upside down from his waist.
However, this time he didn't let his guard down. He tightly wrapped several loops around the Ancient Soul-Devouring Toad's belly, constricting it so much that it could only gasp for air, its tongue hanging out.
The Ancient Soul-Devouring Toad was on the verge of tears. It had just escaped a sea of suffering, why did it have to succumb to greed and bring ruin upon itself?
Huì Néng, Fàn Jǐngxíng, and Hóng Qiāntú had already arrived at the summit but dared not approach.
This was because they had all heard the legends about the Netherworld Flower. Such a divine object was cultivated by Mr. Ji. If they got too close and were misunderstood to have ill intentions, it wouldn't be good.
But they were filled with confusion. Why hadn't Mr. Ji made a wish yet? The flower had been in bloom for quite some time, and it was about to wither.
"So the White Emperor was also a lover of flowers. If he were here and saw how beautifully this flower bloomed, how happy he would be."
Ji Mo said with a face full of regret. It was a pity that the Netherworld Flower was about to wither, and the White Emperor would not get to see it.
Upon hearing this, the few people present were stunned.
"This fellow truly has a screw loose. Not seeking benefits for himself, but wishing for the White Emperor to be resurrected?"
The Ancient Soul-Devouring Toad couldn't comprehend someone being so selfless. In its eyes, such a person was mentally incapacitated.
Huì Néng, Fàn Jǐngxíng, and Hóng Qiāntú, however, felt completely differently. Mr. Ji truly possessed a compassionate heart and a benevolent spirit. Such selfless love was truly admirable.
As soon as Ji Mo finished speaking, a gentle breeze blew, and the resplendent Netherworld Flower transformed into a shower of light, scattering into the heavens and earth.
Nothing was left behind, not even a trace, as if everything had been a mere illusion, and the Netherworld Flower had never appeared.
"Mr. Ji, my admiration for you is like the rolling Yangtze River, ceaseless, and like the overflowing Yellow River, uncontrollable. Rumor has it that the Netherworld Flower can grant all wishes, yet you didn't think of yourself, but rather..."
Hóng Qiāntú seized the opportunity and showered Ji Mo with praise, attempting to curry favor and gain Ji Mo's good graces.
"You say this flower can grant wishes?"
Ji Mo's body trembled, his heart bleeding.
If it were true, wouldn't he have missed an opportunity for instant wealth?
"Rumors, nonsense. How can such a flower exist in this world?"
Ji Mo said indignantly, choosing not to believe it.
Then he instructed Huì Néng and Fàn Jǐngxíng, "Drag this old fellow away and give him a good beating. He's spreading false rumors all day long."
Without a word, Huì Néng and Fàn Jǐngxíng dragged Hóng Qiāntú to a nearby spot, pinned him to the ground, and proceeded to beat him soundly.
And just then, the entire ruin began to shake violently once more.
Wisps of aura emerged from various parts of the ruins, converging at the summit of Toad Mountain, eventually forming a human figure.