Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Liu Kaiyang's eyes narrowed, and the fiery red longsword and crimson iron shield in front of him flashed with spiritual light as he carefully examined the person in front of him, on guard.

The man was about the same age as Liu Kaiyang. He was lying under a tree with his eyes closed. He was quite handsome, but his face was sallow and his body was very withered, like a tuberculosis patient.

He was dressed in all black, and although he was lying on the ground, he was spotless.

Apart from the blood jade bracelet on her wrist, she wore nothing else on her body.

Liu Kaiyang was secretly surprised. This consumptive was clearly lying here, but he had just used his divine sense to search for him and found nothing.

He then spread his divine sense across the tuberculosis demon, but found nothing there.

Liu Kaiyang's heart stirred. This consumptive was so strange, and his body was spotless. He must be a cultivator.

He clasped his hands in a respectful bow and tentatively asked, "Fellow Daoist, I, Liu, am honored to have your assistance. Do you require my help?"

The tuberculosis demon didn't speak, or even open its eyes.

Liu Kaiyang hesitated for a moment, then took two steps forward. His fiery red longsword and crimson iron shield spread out to the sides. He slowly bent down and reached out to touch the consumptive ghost's wrist.

He deliberately avoided looking at the consumptive ghost's left hand, which was adorned with a blood jade bracelet, and stared intently at his face, moving extremely slowly.

The fiery red longsword and crimson iron shield were poised to strike, ready to protect their master should anything change.

But even when Liu Kaiyang touched the tuberculosis patient's wrist, there was still no reaction.

He felt a little relieved and tapped his fingers lightly, but he couldn't feel the pulse of the tuberculosis demon.

Liu Kaiyang breathed a sigh of relief: "So it was a dead person. You scared me half to death..."

He once again dispersed his divine sense and probed into the body of the tuberculosis demon, then froze on the spot.

The meridians in the tuberculosis demon's body were almost completely torn apart, even more tattered than the ragged hemp clothes worn by the villagers of Wangjia Village, a truly pitiful sight.

Liu Kaiyang lowered his head, looking at the consumptive man's calm face, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

This person has gone through so much pain, yet he remains so calm.

Just then, a very faint pulsation came from his fingertips.

Liu Kaiyang paused, then fell silent. He tightened his fingers slightly, carefully observing the sensation at his fingertips, but there was no further reaction.

That faint throbbing just now seemed to be just an illusion.

Liu Kaiyang looked down at the consumptive man, his brows furrowed, and murmured, "Are you dead or alive...?"

He released his grip, stood up, but looking at the consumptive man's sallow face, his heart softened. He bent down again, placing his hand on the man's wrist once more, and gave a self-deprecating laugh: "Twenty-three years have passed, and I still can't bring myself to do it..."

Liu Kaiyang placed his fingers on the consumptive man's wrist again and waited for twenty or thirty breaths before feeling that extremely faint pulse once more.

"It really wasn't an illusion..."

Liu Kaiyang straightened up and carefully examined the consumptive ghost on the ground, muttering, "This person's injuries are so severe, yet he managed to survive. His cultivation level must be quite high. Could he be a Nascent Soul cultivator?"

"But none of the three city lords within a thousand miles look this young. Could they have come from somewhere else...?"

"This person is not dead yet, should we save them or not..."

"But if this person is a cultivator from a demonic sect, wouldn't saving him be like courting death..."

Liu Kaiyang's eyes flickered, hesitant and uncertain.

Suddenly, he seemed to remember something, grabbed the tuberculosis ghost's wrist again, and spread his divine sense to scan inch by inch inside the ghost's body.

After a moment, Liu Kaiyang withdrew his divine sense and nodded slightly: "Although I couldn't probe into the dantian, there was no trace of the Blood Silk Gu. It shouldn't be a member of the Demon Sect."

"However, we cannot rule out the possibility that this person has only recently broken through to the Nascent Soul stage and has not yet had time to be implanted with the Blood Silk Gu..."

Liu Kaiyang was still somewhat hesitant, but looking at the consumptive man's sallow face, he sighed softly: "Fine, you've run into me, and I still can't bear to see you die."

"However, my cultivation is low, and I am barely able to take care of myself, so I am powerless to heal you. I can only take you back to the city and hand you over to the elders."

Having said that, he didn't hesitate any longer. He spread his divine sense and carefully examined the area within a hundred feet of the tuberculosis ghost, confirming that there was nothing else besides the tuberculosis ghost.

Liu Kaiyang examined the black robe on the tuberculosis ghost again. It was dull and no different from ordinary robes.

Finally, he probed the blood jade bracelet on the tuberculosis ghost's left wrist with his divine sense, but could not make any progress.

Liu Kaiyang was taken aback: "Could this not be a mustard seed ring?"

He reached out and grabbed the bracelet, trying to take it off, but found that the blood jade bracelet was tightly fitted on the consumptive ghost's wrist, and he couldn't get it off unless he broke it.

Undeterred, Liu Kaiyang spread his divine sense again and even poured true essence into the blood jade bracelet, but still gained nothing.

He shook his head, ignoring the blood jade bracelet, helped the consumptive ghost up, and with a flash of light, flew into the sky.

Unable to use his manipulation skills on a living person, and lacking a flying boat to escape from, he had no choice but to painstakingly bring the consumptive ghost back to Ping Le City.

With an extra person, Liu Kaiyang's flight speed slowed down considerably, and he only returned to Wangjia Village after nightfall.

The bodies of the villagers killed by the three-headed iron wolves have been moved back to the village, leaving only dried, dark black bloodstains on the ground.

The village was filled with weeping and gloom; nearly half the families had lost loved ones to the iron wolves.

As Liu Kaiyang descended, the middle-aged man stood waiting at the village entrance, with the corpses of the three iron wolves beside him.

He was taken aback when he saw the consumptive man being supported by Liu Kaiyang, but he quickly looked away and didn't dare to ask any more questions.

Master Liu is a good person, but a master is a master, and not someone that ordinary people can offend at will.

The middle-aged man bowed slightly, holding a thin, slightly yellowed booklet bound with hemp twine in his hand. He presented it with both hands: "Master Liu, please take a look. I have recorded all the people in our village who died in the jaws of the Iron Wolf."

"They wrote down everything, including how many people were in their family, how many acres of land they cultivated, and whether they had elderly or young children to support."

"I dare not touch these three iron wolves. Have them moved here and ask Master Liu to deal with them."

Liu Kaiyang took the booklet with one hand, opened it, and saw rows of names written in crooked handwriting. The ink had seeped into the rough hemp paper, making it extremely ugly, but the contents were still barely legible.

He closed the booklet and said, "I have already patrolled the area and found no trace of Iron Wolf, but you must still be careful and not be careless."

"Within seven days, the minor officials of the city's relief office will deliver the relief funds and grain."

"The deceased should not be buried immediately; their remains must be verified by a minor official from the Relief and Compensation Office."

The middle-aged man nodded repeatedly and readily agreed: "Master Liu, rest assured, I will wait for the officials from the Relief for the People's Affairs to arrive before letting the villagers bury the dead. I will not dare to ask for any more money or grain."

Seeing how grateful he was for the meager amount of compensation money and grain, Liu Kaiyang couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

He took out the pelts and demon cores of the three iron wolves, put them into his storage bag, and instructed, "I cannot take the iron wolf meat back, so I will leave it in Wangjia Village for the time being. When the clerk of the Relief for the People comes, I will hand it over to him to take back with me."

The middle-aged man glanced at the skinned three-headed iron wolf and looked on with envy: "I know that this iron wolf meat is for the soldiers in Ping Le City so that they can hone their martial arts skills and kill more monsters. I will keep a close eye on it and make sure the villagers don't steal it."

Having said that, he helped the consumptive ghost up, mounted his escape light, and flew away into the distance.

The middle-aged man watched Liu Kaiyang ascend into the sky, then knelt down with a thud and kowtowed heavily: "Master Liu saved our lives. On behalf of the villagers, I pay my respects to Master Liu..."

Liu Kaiyang paused for a moment, then increased his speed and disappeared into the night.

The deeper you go into the mountains, the greener the vegetation becomes.

The villages are scattered across the relatively flat slopes, dozens of miles apart, with sparse lights in the night.

The faint sounds of wailing could be heard from some villages, while white cloths were hung in other villages, clearly visible under the moonlight.

These were all caused by the invasion of demonic beasts, resulting in deaths and injuries among the villagers.

After flying more than sixty miles, Liu Kaiyang was met by a streak of light. He narrowed his eyes, slowed his speed, and became secretly on guard.

Only when he saw the person's face clearly and realized that he knew him did he feel relieved and go to greet him.

The light stopped in front of Liu Kaiyang, revealing a middle-aged cultivator with a goatee, a lean build, and a shrewd look in his eyes.

Liu Kaiyang bowed with one hand: "Steward Sun."

He glanced at the consumptive man Liu Kaiyang was supporting, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. He bowed respectfully and asked, "Steward Liu, what is this...?"

Liu Kaiyang said, "I discovered this person by chance. He was seriously injured, but he still has a breath left."

"I don't know if he is a cultivator from Ping Le City. I brought him back to the city and handed him over to the elders for disposal."

Deacon Sun carefully examined the consumptive ghost, then frowned: "Recently, demonic beasts have been active, frequently harassing villages. Furthermore, members of the demonic sect have infiltrated the city to gather information, but fortunately, they were discovered by the elders."

"I have a wide circle of acquaintances, but I have never seen this person before. He should not be a cultivator from the city, and his origins are unknown. Deacon Liu, you should be careful."

Liu Kaiyang said, "Thank you for the reminder, Steward Sun. I will hand this person over to the elders after I return to the city."

Deacon Sun nodded: "The mortals of Shuiyang Village have sent an alarm, indicating they are being attacked by demonic beasts. I must go to their aid and cannot delay. Please excuse me."

Having said that, he vanished in a flash of light, passing Liu Kaiyang and flying away into the distance.

Liu Kaiyang watched his retreating figure and shook his head slightly: "These are turbulent times..."

He continued on his journey, encountering more and more villages scattered throughout the mountains. Along the way, he met two or three Foundation Establishment cultivators, all of whom, like Deacon Sun, were slaying demons and rescuing people in various villages.

When these people asked about the tuberculosis demon, Liu Kaiyang answered truthfully, sighing inwardly.

Countless villagers in these villages that sounded the alarm perished in the jaws of the monsters.

Compared to them, Wangjia Village also suffered many casualties, but they were extremely lucky to have encountered Liu Kaiyang, who was patrolling the area, and who killed the three iron wolves.

Otherwise, if the middle-aged man runs back to the village and then activates the formation and tears up the talismans to call for help, who knows how many more people will die.

After Liu Kaiyang flew more than two hundred miles, villages could be seen everywhere in the mountains, and every flat slope was planted with crops.

Under the magic's ripening effect, the seeds, sown just a few days ago, have already sprouted from the ground and are growing rapidly.

Thirty miles ahead, a flat valley spanning several tens of miles lies nestled between several high mountains, through which a turbulent river flows. In the valley, on the banks of the river, a city rises abruptly from the ground, built against the mountain and standing by the river, its walls towering about ten zhang high, like a cliff.

The city gates were tightly closed, and the plaque above bore the three large characters "Ping Le City," written in a vigorous and elegant style, as if carved with swords. Although the name was auspicious, it also conveyed a sense of unruliness.

Outside the city stretches a vast expanse of fields, divided by several straight and wide roads.

The villages, scattered like stars in the sky, were now all asleep.

As Liu Kaiyang flew closer, he could see squads of soldiers on the city wall, dressed in neat uniforms and fine armor, carrying spears in one hand and torches in the other, patrolling the area.

On the main road outside the city, squads of knights, dressed in light leather armor, trotted along, carrying bows and arrows, looking around warily, especially at any movement in the fields.

Just as Liu Kaiyang arrived near the city, a young cultivator flew up from the city wall and shouted, "Who comes here?"

Liu Kaiyang stopped, raised his hand and flicked the storage bag at his waist, took out a jade token and showed it: "Liu Kaiyang, steward of Ping Le City, has completed the clearing mission and is returning to the city to report."

The young cultivator stopped in front of Liu Kaiyang, glanced at the jade token, then swept his gaze across Liu's face, and bowed with clasped hands: "So it's Steward Liu. You've had a long journey. What happened to this fellow Daoist? Were you injured by a demonic beast?"

The young monk looked at the consumptive ghost with concern in his eyes.

Liu Kaiyang said, "I encountered this person by chance. He is seriously injured and I don't know if he is a cultivator in the city. I was just about to hand him over to the city elders for disposal. I wonder which elder is on duty tonight?"

The young cultivator frowned: "Elder Shi is on duty tonight."

Liu Kaiyang's expression changed slightly: "Elder Shi?"

The young cultivator nodded, glanced at the consumptive man, and said with a hint of pity in his eyes, "Indeed, this man's origins are unknown. I dare not let Steward Liu into the city. Please follow me."

After saying that, he turned and flew towards the north of the city. Deacon Liu sighed and followed him.

The city of Pingluo was heavily guarded both outside and inside. Large areas of the residential area were shrouded in darkness, and fully armored soldiers with weapons and torches patrolled the area.

However, a market town in the center of the city was brightly lit, with shops still open to customers late at night. The people on the street were all cultivators, moving freely, and there were often streaks of light rising and falling.

The area to the north of the city is adjacent to several mountain peaks, but no city walls have been built there; instead, a large number of pavilions and towers have been constructed.

The young cultivator and Liu Kaiyang arrived in the north of the city and landed on the mountainside of one of the peaks.

There is a large hall here, but although it is called a large hall, it does not actually occupy a large area and is built entirely of ordinary bluestone. It is very simple and even somewhat crude.

The plaque bears the three large characters "Elder's Hall," carved with sharp, chiseled strokes, and is remarkably similar to the plaque on the city gate of Ping Le City, clearly written by the same person.

Besides the young cultivator and Liu Kaiyang, several other streaks of light rose and fell in front of the Elder Hall.

The cultivators came and went in a hurry, and when they met, they didn't have time to exchange pleasantries. They simply greeted each other briefly and then went their separate ways.

Among them were people who knew Liu Kaiyang. When they saw him supporting the consumptive man, they all showed surprise, bowed, and left.

Liu Kaiyang could only nod in return and follow the young cultivator into the simple elder's hall.

"...In the past three months, low-level demonic beasts have repeatedly attacked villages, causing many deaths and injuries, especially in the direction of Nanping Mountain."

"The amount of spirit stones and pills you receive each month is unmatched by any other steward in the city, yet the reason remains elusive. Are you simply cowards who cling to life, or are you merely occupying positions without fulfilling your duties?"

"If this disturbance by low-level demonic beasts is indeed a harbinger of a beast tide, but we were unable to ascertain the exact timing, resulting in insufficient preparedness and heavy losses, then you will be the sinners of Ping Le City!"

"Within seven days, you must find out the news. If you continue to be afraid to advance and achieve nothing, I will report to the city lord and have you all replaced, and your monthly tribute halved!"

As soon as the two entered the main hall, they heard an angry roar that filled the entire Elder Hall.

Deep inside the main hall, an elderly man with white hair and beard was pacing back and forth, reprimanding the three deacons in front of him in a stern voice.

The old man was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, and did not look like a cultivator, but rather like a martial artist among mortals.

His appearance was like that of an ordinary general. Although he was old, he was tall, broad-shouldered, with a leopard-like head and piercing eyes. His beard and hair were all standing on end, making him awe-inspiring.

Before entering the Dao, Elder Shi was already a Xiantian martial artist, which enabled him to escape the territory under the jurisdiction of the Demon Sect and come to Ping Le City.

He was fiercely temperamental, yet upright and impartial, and all the officials in the city held him in high esteem.

The three deacons, who had been reprimanded by him, stood with their hands clasped behind their backs, heads bowed deeply, not daring to utter a single word in rebuttal, looking quite embarrassed.

Around the main hall, several tables were set up, each with a wooden plaque bearing the words "Patrol Division," "Suppression Division," "Listening Division," and "Pacification Division," respectively, along with a jade seal. Behind each table sat a Qi Refining cultivator.

Most of the cultivators who entered the hall came to these tables, first showing their identity jade tokens, then taking out jade slips and talking in hushed tones, not daring to disturb the white-haired old man who was in a fit of rage.

The white-haired old man reprimanded them a few more times before coldly saying, "You must investigate and report again. The demon race is cruel and cunning, so you must not be careless in the slightest. You must send out at least five stewards, divided into five groups, to investigate Nanping Mountain!"

Upon hearing this, the three deacons trembled, but dared not raise any objections and could only respectfully agree.

Liu Kaiyang, supporting the consumptive ghost, waited with the young cultivator. Upon hearing the white-haired old man's words, he felt a chill in his heart.

Beyond Nanping Mountain lies the realm of the demon race; for these five deacons to leave Nanping Mountain would be a near-certain death.

But when the beast tide comes, the area outside Ping Le City will turn into a hell, so we must be on guard.

Elder Shi's actions may seem cold-blooded, but they were necessary.

The white-haired old man waved his hand, and the three deacons, as if granted a pardon, bowed deeply and quickly walked out of the hall.

They saw Liu Kaiyang and the young cultivator standing to the side, and merely bowed slightly, not daring to stop. In a short while, they walked out of the hall.

The young cultivator clasped his hands in a bow and said, "Deacon Tan Chuan greets Elder Shi."

Liu Kaiyang took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed, making a gesture with one hand: "Deacon Liu Kaiyang greets Elder Shi."

Elder Shi turned his head, glanced at the consumptive man, and frowned, saying, "What business do you two have? And why are you with a dead man?"

The young cultivator remained silent, so Liu Kaiyang had no choice but to bite the bullet and explain: "Reporting to Elder Shi, seven days ago, I was ordered to go to the Cui Lu Mountain area to exterminate low-level demonic beasts. On my way back to the city today, I accidentally discovered this person."

"This person is not dead, but seriously injured. However, his origins are unknown, and his divine sense cannot detect his whereabouts, nor can it prove his identity."

“I dare not conceal this, so I brought this person back to the city and handed him over to the elders for disposal.”

Elder Shi raised a white eyebrow: "This person is not dead yet?"

He dispersed his divine sense, and indeed, the place where the tuberculosis demon was located was empty.

A hint of curiosity flashed in Elder Shi's eyes as he stepped forward and placed his hand on the consumptive ghost's wrist.

The next moment, he frowned, glared at Liu Kaiyang like a lion glaring at him, full of majesty: "This man has no pulse and his meridians are shattered, how is he not dead?"

Liu Kaiyang quickly explained, "How could I dare to deceive the elder? This person's pulse beats once every twenty or thirty breaths..."

Elder Shi ignored him, flicked the consumptive man's wrist away, and said coldly, "This man's injuries are so severe that even if he is not dead, he is not far from it. Why don't we dig a hole and bury him?"

Liu Kaiyang was speechless. Elder Shi's gaze suddenly fell on the blood jade bracelet on the tuberculosis patient's left hand, and he asked, "What is this?"

Liu Kaiyang said, "I have investigated carefully, but I have not found anything unusual."

Elder Shi spread his divine sense across the blood jade bracelet, then raised his hand and infused it with true essence, but there was no reaction.

He had lost all interest in the consumptive ghost and waved his hand impatiently: "No matter what level of cultivation this person had in life, it's useless now. Just dig a hole in the nameless tomb and bury him."

Liu Kaiyang reluctantly agreed, helped the consumptive ghost, and took his leave along with the young cultivator.

"Wait a minute!"

Elder Shi suddenly called out to the two of them, and Liu Kaiyang's heart stirred, thinking that things might take a turn for the better.

Elder Shi merely glanced at the black robes on the consumptive ghost, his face showing disappointment, and then waved his hand, saying, "The robes on this person are yours."

Liu Kaiyang gave a helpless reply and turned to leave.

However, he did not leave the main hall, but went to the table with the words "Suppression Division" written on it and showed his identity jade token.

The Qi Refining cultivator behind the desk was very polite. He immediately clasped his hands in a salute to him and said in a low voice, "Please, Steward Liu, take out the mission jade slip."

Liu Kaiyang then took out a jade slip and handed it to the Qi Refining cultivator.

After examining the jade slip, the Qi Refining cultivator withdrew his divine sense and nodded slightly: "The verification is correct. The jade slip contains the seal of the Demon Extermination Hall. May I ask where the demon core is?"

Liu Kaiyang raised his hand and flicked the storage bag at his waist. A pile of demon cores of various colors appeared out of thin air on the table, including the demon cores of the three iron wolves.

The Qi Refining cultivator glanced at it and immediately understood: "Two level-two demon cores, seven level-one upper-grade demon cores, nine level-one middle-grade demon cores, and five level-one lower-grade demon cores, totaling twenty-three demon cores, which can be rated as 'upper-middle'. Does Deacon Liu have any objections?"

Liu Kaiyang shook his head. The missions to exterminate monsters in Ping Le City have nine levels of evaluation, from top to bottom: top-upper, top-middle, top-lower, middle-upper, middle-middle, middle-lower, bottom-upper, bottom-middle, and bottom-lower.

The lowest grade is considered unqualified and receives no reward. The rewards for the middle and lower grades are also reduced.

You need a medium rating to receive the full reward, but if you get a high rating, the reward will be slightly increased.

Of the demon cores Liu Kaiyang submitted this time, only two were level two demon cores, which were equivalent to his early Foundation Establishment stage cultivation level, and thus no longer qualified for a top-tier evaluation.

He was able to receive a medium-to-high rating because he submitted a sufficient number of level-one demon cores, especially seven high-grade level-one demon cores, which significantly improved his rating.

If he wants to get a top rating, he needs to pay at least one level three demon core.

Seeing that Liu Kaiyang had no objections, the Qi Refining cultivator put away the demon core, wrote down the number of demon cores, the mission evaluation, and his own name in the jade slip, and then picked up the jade seal on the table and stamped it on the jade slip.

He moved the jade seal away, leaving no trace on the jade slip, but the seal of the Suppression Division was already imprinted on it, which would be extremely difficult for others to forge.

The Qi Refining cultivator handed the jade slip back to Liu Kaiyang with both hands and said in a low voice, "Please take this jade slip to the Demon Extermination Hall to report back and receive the mission reward."

Liu Kaiyang took the jade slip, checked it and found it to be correct, then put it into his storage bag. He thanked him in a low voice, helped the consumptive ghost, and walked out of the Elder Hall with the young cultivator.

With a flash of light, the two flew into the air. The young cultivator glanced at the consumptive ghost and said, "Elder Shi has ordered that Deacon Liu should bury this person as soon as possible."

Liu Kaiyang sighed softly, "That's all we can do. Thank you for making this trip, Steward Tan."

The two parted ways. Liu Kaiyang did not immediately head to the Demon-Slaying Hall to collect his reward, but instead helped the consumptive ghost fly towards the Nameless Tomb. (End of Chapter)