"Are they all this brave, not afraid of the Black Wind Demon?"

By White Bird Lake, Chen Mu mumbled quietly.

Next to him, Xu Gui heard this and couldn't help but roll his eyes.

For two consecutive months, there's been trouble with the Black Wind daily.

But they don't eat people, the worst they've done is tear people's clothes into strips.

Nothing to be afraid of!

"Tsk tsk!"

"In the end, it's still a bit too eager for quick success."

Chen Mu shook his head in disappointment.

The main issue is that divine power is too useful. With its catalysis, the Heavenly Demon Body changes almost daily.

Compared to the Dao Foundation Jade Seed, which shows no visible change in ten or fifteen days, the rapid progress of the Heavenly Demon Body is truly irresistible for Chen Mu.

Miscalculation indeed.

Chen Mu sighed.

"Are there any other ways to stimulate desires and emotions?" He pondered silently.

Divine power is too useful; Chen Mu really didn't want to give it up.

"Could you reimburse me for all those torn clothes, forty or fifty sets, they cost me quite a bit of Longevity Rice," Xu Gui grumbled with a dark face.

"It's the Black Wind that tore your clothes; what does that have to do with me?"

"If you want reimbursement, go find that big black cat." Chen Mu regained his composure, flatly denying it.

Everyone now knows that those Black Wind Demons are your deliberate scare tactics.

So shameless!

Xu Gui looked speechless.

"It's fine even if you don't reimburse; could you at least tie up that big black cat?"

"Every time I go to Fan Building, that big black cat causes trouble. Now I'm banned from entering Fan Building, saying I affect their business."

Xu Gui was indignant, feeling wronged.

I don't have other hobbies, just like drinking, eating meat, and resting at Fan Building. But now even such tiny pleasures have been stripped away; how could I not feel unfair?

As he thought, sadness welled up, and he started crying loudly.

He was bewildered as the sound emerged.

This can't be!

I do feel a bit wronged, but not to the point of tears!

Why can't I stop the sorrow inside?

Xu Gui was utterly bemused.

He tried to force himself to stop, but the more he wanted to halt, the heavier his sadness grew, and he couldn't stop the flood of tears.

Tsk, the Seven Emotions Curse is too much.

Chen Mu's mouth twitched.

The original intention was merely to test if the Seven Emotions Curse could spark emotions. Unexpectedly, even a slight activation made a big guy of over 200 lbs cry out loud.

"Alright, stop crying. I'll reimburse your clothes, okay?"

Chen Mu quickly withdrew the Seven Emotions Curse and comforted him.

"And Fan Building, I'll have someone lift the ban, so you can go anytime."

Upon hearing this, Xu Gui cried even more sorrowfully.

After today, the rumor about me crying in front of the City Lord just to visit Fan Building would spread across White Bird City.

My lifelong reputation is utterly ruined.

Waaaah...

Chen Mu: "..."

No way, does the Seven Emotions Curse have such a lingering effect?

Why does he keep crying endlessly?

…

After comforting for quite a while, sending away the utterly despondent Xu Gui, Chen Mu settled back in the rocking chair to ponder the Seven Emotions Curse.

The Seven Emotions Curse having an effect on Xu Gui wasn't unexpected. Even Qin Yisheng, that cold-hearted former general, was influenced to cry by it.

"The key is that the emotions triggered by this can be absorbed and used by the Divine Weapon!"

"The Black Wind Demon House's effect has diminished, but it's not entirely ineffective."

"If paired with the Seven Emotions Curse to amplify emotions..."

Looking at the White Bird Divine Soldier spinning in front of him, Chen Mu couldn't help but laugh.

He immediately summoned the Gray Stone Gate and checked a section inside.

Seven Emotions Curse: 3132/10000/Fifth Rank;

After months, due to the Life and Death Seal controlling the Divine Weapon, even though Chen Mu hadn't actively used it, the Seven Emotions Curse had passively grown by over three thousand experiences.

"Just unsure how far the Seven Emotions Curse can reach." Chen Mu rubbed his chin, making internal estimations.

Back then, when carrying mountains, Chen Mu abandoned a few peripheral areas of White Bird City, but the city spans fifty to sixty miles.

Can a Fifth-rank Seven Emotions Curse affect the whole city?

Probably not.

Chen Mu shook his head.

…

For the next few days, Chen Mu retracted the Black Wind Demons and paused the Demon House actions. He began discreetly testing the Seven Emotions Curse.

After repeatedly deploying and verifying, he soon obtained the desired results.

If forcibly triggering emotions, like previously with Qin Yisheng, the Seven Emotions Curse's range would be about three miles.

If merely influencing others' emotions, then it could affect up to twenty miles.

But the influence is too mild, thus having limited emotional magnification, just barely useful.

"To effectively stimulate enough emotions, keeping the influence within ten miles is best."

"But White Bird City measures at least fifty to sixty miles."

"Need to upgrade the Seven Emotions Curse."

Chen Mu had made a decision.

…

The next day.

By White Bird Lake.

Chen Mu sat in a wooden corridor bamboo chair. Beside him, on a low table, piled over a dozen black-skinned scriptures.

"Why does White Bird City have so many foundational scriptures from other cities?"

Chen Mu was surprised, looking at the former general, Cheng Hu.

He wanted to upgrade the Seven Emotions Curse.

Using the Life and Death Seal to control the Divine Weapon could increase the curse's experience, but it was too slow, requiring accumulated time.

Using Yama's Feast to devour the Divine Weapon might work too. But if the weapon was damaged, it might affect the Divine Soldier Barrier.

Therefore, Chen Mu considered targeting other cities' foundational scriptures instead.

When the "Rootless Scripture" reached perfection, it once triggered an upgrade of Seven Emotions Curse. Practicing other cities' scriptures could likely enhance the curse simultaneously.

Chen Mu thought White Bird City having the Wuxiang City's "One Heart Scripture" and Three Paths City's "Three Celebrations Scripture" would be great enough.

Unexpectedly, Cheng Hu casually fetched over a dozen.

"It's normal. We've secretly spread the 'Rootless Scripture' to other cities too." Cheng Hu said calmly.

"The more scripture reciters under a city, the stronger its Divine Weapons become; everyone's secretly poaching people."

"These are just the inner treasury's stock scriptures, mainly from significantly powerful big cities."

"We haven't collected many from smaller cities, but if thoroughly searched across the entire city, we could find over ten more."

This is great news!

Seems there's no worry over the Seven Emotions Curse's upgrade now.

Chen Mu laughed cheerfully.

…

"Which one to practice first, such a delightful trouble."

After sending Cheng Hu off, Chen Mu stared joyfully at the stack of scriptures in front of him, engulfed in delightful dilemmas.

"By the way, chanting scriptures can indeed attract divine power." Chen Mu's heart stirred.

Based on his experience as a City Lord these days, despite the divine power procured via scripture chant being entirely dependent on the generosity of the Divine Weapon's controller, any reasonable City Lord would reciprocate with some amount of divine power.

After all, a large city similarly needs people for defense. Those who awaken divine skills due to divine power are the best guardians. Whatever the intentions, a City Lord owning a Divine Weapon would offer some divine power.

"So if I practice other cities' scriptures, I can steal divine power from them!"

"The amount surely isn't large, but even if small, it's still valuable."

Chen Mu's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm.

Enhancing the Seven Emotions Curse and obtaining additional divine power, the scriptures must be chanted.

Chen Mu immediately picked up Three Paths City's "Three Celebrations Scripture" from the stack.

"You guys came to seize my Divine Weapon; so what if I snatch a bit of your divine power?"

"It's only polite to reciprocate!"

Chen Mu hummed a tune as he flipped open the book and started reciting.

After reading it four or five times, a new entry appeared on the grey stone gate.

Three Celebrations Scripture: 6/10000;

"It's listed; good news."

"The rest is about grinding."

"I'm experienced in this."