Spring had arrived in the southern borderlands, breathing life into the land as all things flourished.

The towns that had embraced the worship of the Celestial Venerable were particularly vibrant, bustling with renewal and prosperity. Just a single New Year had passed, yet their appearance had already transformed drastically from the days under the rule of the Demon-summoning Sect.

Three Peaks Town.

The once-spotless temple, a symbol of authority and fear, now lay covered in a thick layer of dust. Piles of sand and dirt were heaped like small hills, turning the sacred space into something resembling a construction site or a storage shed.

A pair of white shoes stepped onto the dusty floor. The young man, now a year older, gazed at the sunlight pouring in through the doorway and couldn’t help but smile.

"Time flies so quickly," he murmured.

Li Mo had changed into his Heitu Immortal attire.

"How long has it been?"

"Uh... two or three months?"

"......?"

Qin Yuzhi, the sect leader who had slumbered for millennia in the Cloud Dream Underground Palace, slowly formed a question mark in her mind.

What kind of wistful nostalgia was this?

Anyone would think he had lived through some grand, tumultuous era!

"The southern borderlanders really have no regard for cleanliness. This is a temple—a dwelling place for the divine—and look at the state of it."

"No wonder the power of mortal faith here is so unstable."

Qin Yuzhi frowned as she surveyed the interior.

She raised her hand, intending to use her cultivation to cleanse the place, but the Heitu Immortal stopped her.

"It’s fine like this," Li Mo said earnestly.

"...Alright."

Qin Yuzhi studied him, a strange feeling stirring in her heart. She vaguely understood something, yet it was as if a thin veil still separated her from full comprehension.

"First, let’s collect my offerings."

The Heitu Immortal opened his pocket dimension, sucking in the piles of sand and dirt like a vacuum cleaner.

Then, he began unloading crate after crate of instant noodle seasoning.

As he worked, a thought struck him—what if something happened in the future, and he couldn’t return to the southern borderlands in time to collect "offerings" or bestow "blessings"?

Even without unforeseen circumstances, if the faith in the Celestial Venerable and the Heitu Immortal spread further, encompassing more towns, there would inevitably come a point where he couldn’t manage it all.

His avatar techniques weren’t yet capable of handling such a heavy workload in the short term.

As Li Mo stacked the seasoning crates, another flash of inspiration struck.

What was their sect called again? The Myriad Forms Immortal Sect.

The southern borderlands were teeming with demi-humans. If they could master martial arts inspired by animal forms, why couldn’t they also deliver packages or run errands? It made perfect sense.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a group of townsfolk arrived, led by the mayor, pushing wheelbarrows. They caught sight of the Heitu Immortal deep in thought beside the crates of seasoning.

"The Immortal has manifested again!"

"You... you’ve finally returned!"

"Is this beside you another Immortal?"

"Immortal, we’ve started digging a mountain path between the other two peaks. Maybe in our children’s or grandchildren’s time, they’ll be able to leave the mountains through it."

"Lately, we’ve been having strange dreams—dreams of everyone gathering together to eat something incredibly fragrant."

"Do you have any idea what that’s about?"

The people bowed, but unlike the fearful silence they once held before deities, they chattered excitedly.

Instant noodles might not be gourmet cuisine, but their aroma was undeniable. For the people of the southern borderlands, who struggled even to fill their stomachs, it was an overwhelming sensory experience.

Even in his past life, Li Mo recalled how a single cup of instant noodles on a train could fill the entire carriage with its scent, tormenting hungry passengers.

The townsfolk had woken from their dreams still craving that unforgettable fragrance.

"Ah! Isn’t this Immortal the one from our dreams?"

"It really is!"

"Everyone, settle down," the Heitu Immortal said, raising his hands. When the crowd quieted, he continued, "What you smelled in your dreams is inside these crates."

"This is your reward for your diligent offerings. Keep up the good work."

With that, he pulled out a clay jar from one of the crates and opened it, releasing an overpoweringly rich aroma.

This wasn’t just any seasoning—it was a localized version of instant noodle flavoring, infused with hotpot base, crafted by the famed Xi Yang Yang Hotpot. A delicacy renowned far and wide, beloved by young and old alike!

Not only was it delicious, but it also contained medicinal herbs and other beneficial ingredients.

"The smell is exactly like in the dream!"

"You can use it not just for noodles, but also spread it on flatbread!"

The mayor and the townsfolk stared hungrily. They had just finished their labor and were famished.

Li Mo waved his hand grandly.

"This Immortal dislikes empty mysticism. Let’s give you something tangible."

"Today, I’ll treat everyone to braised beef noodles!"

With that, he set up a stove in the middle of the temple, placed a large pot atop it, and began preparing the meal.

The crowd erupted into cheers, their faces alight with fervor.

"Long live the Immortal!"

"Don’t say that—it’s like cursing him to a short life! Say ‘as eternal as heaven and earth’!"

"???"

Qin Yuzhi’s round eyes widened in bewilderment.

Even in her dreams, she had never witnessed such an unorthodox method of spreading faith. Li Mo seemed to be pioneering an entirely new approach—and to her astonishment, it was far more effective than anything she had ever seen.

Hum—

A sound only she could hear resonated in the air. Qin Yuzhi looked up and saw an invisible yet potent force gathering toward the figure busily working at the stove in the grimy temple.

It was the power of mortal faith.

From the long line of townsfolk, each waiting eagerly but orderly, their hopeful gazes fixed ahead, this faith flowed in abundance.

"Why?"

Qin Yuzhi realized that the quantity of faith here surpassed anything she had witnessed before—nearly fifty percent more than the number of people present.

"Come help!"

"Oh, right..."

Suppressing her confusion, Qin Yuzhi hurried over to assist.

Meanwhile...

Yuwen Cuojin, the deputy leader of the Demon-summoning Sect, along with Tan Zhuyin and other sect members, soared through the sky atop a dark purple vulture.

"Hmm? The fluctuations of mortal faith here are unusually intense. What place is this?"

"Deputy Leader Yuwen, this is Three Peaks Town, with a population of around seventeen hundred," Luo Yexian replied promptly, presenting a map.

"Seventeen hundred people, yet such an abundance of faith?"

Tan Zhuyin opened his mouth to gasp but ended up swallowing a mouthful of cold wind instead.

Yuwen Cuojin narrowed his eyes. He could clearly sense that the streams of faith from surrounding areas were all converging toward this very town.

Which meant...

The so-called Immortal was here?

"I originally intended to simply eliminate that charlatan, but who would have guessed he possesses such methods? To extract faith with such efficiency—what kind of unorthodox technique is this?" Yuwen Cuojin mused, his expression shifting.

Luo Yexian quickly interjected, "I know you’re eager, but as I advised earlier, it’s best not to act rashly. The Immortal truly has remarkable abilities. This method is unheard of—I suggest we prioritize establishing friendly relations."

Tan Zhuyin remained expressionless. After all, he had paid a hefty price to the Immortal, only to gain nothing in return—in fact, he had suffered losses.

Once a firm believer, he now harbored doubts.

Finally, he spoke. "Deputy Leader Yuwen, perhaps we should first observe the town discreetly?"

Yuwen Cuojin had the same thought—finding a way to gather the power of the masses would be beneficial.

Acting rashly without knowing the opponent's strength would have long led to the Demon-summoning Sect's destruction by the imperial court.

As a cautious man, Deputy Sect Leader Yuwen agreed:

"Then let's proceed this way."

"Luo Yexian, you and the Holy Son should go. Both of you have had contact with that so-called Heitu Immortal, which may help lower their guard."