Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

"That's all for today. The city lord has issued a decree that a beast tide is approaching. You must all diligently cultivate, slay more demonic beasts, and revive the human race..."

Three hours later, the old woman looked around, her expression dignified.

The crowd rose from their prayer cushions, bowed deeply, and said in unison, "Thank you, Elder Qi, for imparting the Dharma and expounding the Dao to us."

Liu Kaiyang also bowed respectfully, but a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

The old woman nodded slightly, stood up, and walked out of the main hall.

The crowd stood silently until she walked out of the main hall before gradually leaving.

Liu Kaiyang and Yu Yunzhou walked side by side, and Liu asked in a low voice, "Brother Yu, when did the city lord issue the decree that the beast tide is coming?"

Yu Yunzhou paused for a moment: "Brother Liu, are you unaware that just three days ago, the city lord issued an edict that the beast tide would arrive in a month or several months at the latest, and ordered the cultivators in the city to prepare."

Liu Kaiyang frowned: "That's unfortunate. I was in seclusion three days ago and did not receive the order. Brother Yu, could you explain in more detail?"

Yu Yunzhou laughed and said, "This is a long story. I haven't seen Brother Liu for many days, and I just happened to be lucky enough to kill a Yin Bone Serpent. We should celebrate."

"Brother Liu, please move to Baiwei Restaurant. I'll treat you to a Hundred Demons Feast so we can discuss this matter in detail. What do you say?"

Liu Kaiyang smiled and said, "Brother Yu, I humbly accept your invitation."

The two turned around and arrived at the entrance of the city's market. They descended into the light of their escape and came to a four-story wooden building with the three large characters "Baiweilou" written on the plaque. The building occupied a large area and was always bustling with activity.

The two entered the building, which led directly to the fourth floor. It was surrounded by railings, and looking up, one could see everything.

The first and second floors were bustling with noise. Most of the people sitting there were men carrying swords and knives, their eyes gleaming with shrewdness, talking and laughing loudly, quite heroic.

There were far fewer guests on the third floor. They were mostly cultivators like Liu Kaiyang and Yu Yunzhou, sitting in twos and threes with a table full of delicious food in front of them. The dishes were exquisite, and they chatted and laughed in hushed tones, without making a sound.

The fourth floor, near the atrium, has its doors and windows sealed off, making it impossible to see inside.

A mortal servant came forward to greet him. Upon seeing Yu Yunzhou, he immediately bowed and greeted him with utmost respect: "Please, Immortal Master Yu."

The two followed the servant through the bustling first and second floors, up to the third floor, and sat down at a square table near the central courtyard.

The noise below was still clearly audible, but the surrounding cultivators did not show any signs of dissatisfaction.

The mortal servant asked respectfully, "Immortal Master Yu, shall we proceed as before?"

Yu Yunzhou nodded slightly, and the servant bowed and withdrew.

In less than a quarter of an hour, dishes were served one after another, quickly filling the square table, along with a pot of spiritual tea.

Without exception, all of these dishes are meat dishes, prepared by frying, roasting, stewing, steaming, boiling, baking, and so on.

Yu Yunzhou picked up a pair of jade chopsticks, took a piece of golden-brown, marbled fried meat, put it in his mouth, chewed it gently a couple of times, and said with a smile, "Brother Liu, please. This second-grade Snowmane Pig leg meat is indeed extraordinary. It has been marinated with spiritual herbs for fifty years, and it contains a faint fragrance of herbs and plants, which makes people linger in the aftertaste."

Liu Kaiyang did as instructed, picked up his jade chopsticks, took a piece of snow-mane pig meat, put it in his mouth, and praised it.

To resist the beast tide, Ping Le City not only tested the spiritual roots of all mortals, but also widely promoted martial arts.

Anyone willing to learn martial arts can join the Ping Le Army, where they will be taught martial arts by innate martial artists.

Practicing martial arts requires innate talent and aptitude, and the Ping Le Army has to fight against monsters, which is extremely dangerous.

However, as long as one can join the Ping Le Army, there is no need to farm anymore. The army pay is generous, and one can eat meat every day, which is extremely attractive to ordinary people.

Whenever the Pingluo Army recruited soldiers, ordinary people would eagerly sign up.

Over time, martial artists became as numerous as hairs on a cow in Ping Le City. Acquired martial artists could be seen everywhere, and there were also quite a few innate martial artists.

Although they lack spiritual roots and cannot cultivate immortality, their strength is comparable to that of early-stage Qi Refining cultivators, and they are also able to enter the market.

Since martial artists cannot abstain from grains and need to refine their bodies with blood and qi, they have an astonishing appetite and love fine food and wine. As a result, several restaurants were built in the market to cater specifically to these martial artists from the Ping Le Army.

Cultivators live on dew and wind, and do not eat human food, but they are also cultivators who came from mortals, and most of them still have the desire to eat.

Moreover, the cultivators of Ping Le City often fight with demonic beasts, resulting in many deaths and injuries. Their future is bleak, and few are those who are pure of heart and desire and single-minded in their cultivation. They would also frequent these restaurants.

This Hundred Flavors Pavilion was opened by a Foundation Establishment deacon and is extremely famous in Ping Le City. It attracts not only ordinary martial artists but also many cultivators.

However, ordinary ingredients often contain many impurities, and for cultivators, eating them is like chewing wax.

Baiweilou then began to acquire the flesh and blood of demon beasts, supplemented with spiritual herbs and flowers, and after careful cooking, it far surpassed the delicacies of the mortal world.

Yu Yunzhou had a great fondness for food, but he was very particular and never ate ordinary food.

This table of dishes, consisting of more than a dozen plates, was all made with the meat of demonic beasts and cost several dozen low-grade spirit stones, which was quite valuable to a Qi Refining cultivator.

But for Yu Yunzhou, it was an easy burden.

Liu Kaiyang is not fond of gourmet food and usually doesn't eat a single grain of rice, but he doesn't reject it either.

Yu Yunzhou had invited him here several times, and he never refused.

After the two ate for a while, Liu Kaiyang put down his jade chopsticks, picked up the teacup in front of him, took a sip of spiritual tea, and said, "Brother Yu said that the city lord will issue an edict tomorrow. Could you elaborate?"

Yu Yunzhou put a piece of falcon meat into his mouth, then put down his jade chopsticks, raised his sleeve and flicked it to set up a layer of divine sense barrier to prevent others from spying on him.

He slowly began to speak: "Now, both inside and outside Ping Le City, the defenses are extremely tight, and the number of people on night patrol has more than doubled."

“I am acquainted with a steward who is in charge of the Pingluo Army. He secretly told me that the Pingluo Army’s pay has suddenly doubled.”

"The soldiers have seven days of free time, after which they must return to their barracks and are not allowed to go out again. They must be on guard at all times, just like before the arrival of the beast tide."

"The city lord also dispatched hundreds of Qi Refining cultivators to various villages to gather mortals into the city to prevent them from being harassed by the beast tide. He treated this as a major battle and it was no child's play."

Liu Kaiyang's eyes narrowed: "Recently, monsters have been frequently harassing the village, and I sensed something was amiss. Now that the city lord has issued an edict, it is indeed a beast tide that is about to arrive."

"The last beast tide only receded two years ago, and Ping Le City has not yet recovered. I wonder how many people will die in this beast tide."

Yu Yunzhou smiled slightly: "Although the beast tide is terrifying, the city lord is a Nascent Soul cultivator. Since he knows that the beast tide is coming, how could he not be prepared?"

"Brother Liu, have you noticed that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is thinner than before while you have been cultivating in the manor recently?"

Liu Kaiyang nodded: "That's right, Brother Yu, do you perhaps know the reason?"

Yu Yunzhou said, "The city lord clearly stated in his decree that the reason why the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is somewhat thin is because he intercepted half of the spiritual energy of the city's spiritual veins to refine magical treasures."

"When the beast tide comes, he intends to use this treasure to severely injure the demon general, so that the cultivators in the city will not panic."

Liu Kaiyang frowned: "Many cultivators in the city have fled from the areas under the jurisdiction of the Demon Sect, and there must be many traitors deliberately planted by the Demon Sect among them."

"If the city lord reveals this matter on his own initiative, what should we do if the demon race is on guard?"

Yu Yunzhou laughed and said, "Brother Liu, you are overthinking it. In my opinion, the city lord's move is actually to deter the demon race."

"The last beast tide receded in just two years. If another beast tide breaks out, even if we can hold it off, the cultivators in the city will suffer heavy casualties."

"If the city lord takes the initiative to reveal the matter of refining treasures, it can make the demon race hesitate and delay the beast tide, thus buying time for Ping Le City to recover its strength."

"If the demon race disregards this and still launches a beast tide, the cultivators in the city will know that the city lord has this trump card, and their morale will not drop, which will increase their chances of winning."

Liu Kaiyang nodded, but a hint of doubt still lingered in his eyes: "Brother Yu is right, but with the spiritual energy so thin, the power of the city-protecting formation will also be weakened."

"I wonder how much the city lord's magic weapon can withstand compared to the city's protective array..."

Yu Yunzhou said nonchalantly, "Brother Liu is overthinking it. When the beast tide comes, the city lord will definitely not intercept the spiritual energy anymore. At that time, the power of the city protection formation will be fully restored."

Liu Kaiyang picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and murmured, "I hope so..."

The two drank tea and ate, Yu Yunzhou's jade chopsticks never stopped moving, while Liu Kaiyang, upon learning of the impending beast tide, felt somewhat anxious and uncertain.

I wonder if that senior will be able to wake up before the beast tide arrives...

Snapped!
Suddenly, an old yet resonant voice came from the first floor: "Have you gentlemen ever heard a poem, which is as follows: The celestial boat cleaves the universe to cross the frost, armor reaches the clouds to fill the vast wilderness. The Five Sacred Mountains hang upside down to become sword pillars, the Nine Rivers surge backward to become whips and reins. The old plaque of the Demon Court is burned with beacon fires, the ancestral blood new alliance is forged into a prison. The star map of ten thousand years is rewritten, the celestial stele is engraved with the primordial sun."

Liu Kaiyang turned his head and looked down. He saw a square table set up in the courtyard of Baiweilou, behind which sat an old man with gray hair and a thin build, holding a square piece of wood. It turned out to be a storyteller.

His voice was high-spirited: "What is the poem about? Let this old man tell you in detail."

"Today, the eight royal families display their ferocity, and the human race has been bullied for generations, but in ancient times, it was not like this."

"Our human race is not native to this world, but came from the Tai Xuan Realm and conquered thirteen realms. This world is just one of them."

The Tai Xuan Realm boasts dozens of Nascent Soul stage cultivators, thousands of Core Formation stage cultivators, and countless Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, traversing the heavens with unparalleled might.

"Back then, when this world had just been created, the demon race was nothing more than primitive creatures who drank blood. How could they possibly be a match for our human ancestors? They were utterly defeated, their armor and weapons scattered, rivers of blood flowing. Left with no other choice, they had to submit to our human race as their masters..."

At this point, the storyteller's voice suddenly lowered, revealing a sense of sorrow: "But alas, the demon race is despicable and shameless, and has sought help from the demons of the upper realm."

"The demon army suddenly descended upon the world. Although the ancient sages of the human race tried their best to resist, they were no match for the demon army and had no choice but to withdraw from this world."

A poem reads: "The black sky suddenly shattered, bringing celestial calamity; a thousand red-horned ships broke through the boundary. The sea was filled, the bone mountains collapsed, and the jade ramparts crumbled; the raging demonic fire burned the Dao embryo. The blood of the sages stained the River Map, and the souls of the descendants were bound to the ancient tripod in sorrow. How could one bear to look at the words of the ancestors on the dome stele, as the remnant army crossed the vast void at night?"

"The human race suffered a crushing defeat. Some retreated to the Tai Xuan Realm, while others were trapped in this realm by the demon army and had no choice but to surrender to the demon race."

"This group of people are our ancestors. They were all enslaved by the demon race because their souls were bound by a blood curse. Even now, thinking about it, it is truly tragic and lamentable..."

The storyteller's voice suddenly rose again: "But the demon race could not have imagined that although our human ancestors surrendered to the demon race, it was in fact a pretense, a way of enduring humiliation and hardship."

"When the demon army returned to the upper realm, the sages of humanity rose up in retaliation, and over tens of thousands of years, they severely damaged the demon race." In ancient times, the demon race had fourteen royal families, but now only eight remain. The other six royal families were destroyed by the sages of humanity...

Yu Yunzhou picked up a piece of pickled egg from a Fire Feather Chicken, put it in his mouth, and shook his head slightly: "The city lord has profound cultivation and is kind and compassionate, but his actions are quite rigid."

“Those who come to Baiweilou are either martial artists or cultivators. Their fate is intertwined with that of Ping Le City. Why bother using such methods to educate them?”

"It's fine if these storytellers tell stories to ordinary people, but it can also give them more courage so that chaos won't break out when the beast tide comes to the city."

"But telling stories here is a waste of time."

Liu Kaiyang looked at the storyteller and said slowly, "Brother Yu is right, but it is said that the stories told by these storytellers were written by the city lord himself. Perhaps they contain some ancient secrets. It wouldn't hurt to listen to them."

Yu Yunzhou scoffed: "Brother Liu, don't joke. If what the storyteller said is true, why were the ancient sages of the human race able to destroy the six royal clans, but now they can only struggle to survive between the eight royal clans, building cities in barren and desolate places, barely clinging to life?"

"Moreover, the blood restriction on the soul is directly planted within the soul, making it extremely secure. Without external assistance, how can it be broken on its own?"

"Not to mention that so-called Tai Xuan Realm, which claims to have conquered thirteen realms and been invincible, it's just a fantasy."

"If the cultivators of the Tai Xuan Realm truly possess such strength, why do they stand idly by while we are bullied by the demon race, without coming to our aid?"

This was nothing more than a story fabricated by the city lord to appease the people and boost morale, given the name of a legend.

"Humans are weak, and demons are powerful; this has always been the case."

"These stories are just for listening to; if you take them seriously, how are you any different from those ignorant masses?"

Liu Kaiyang's eyes flashed, he hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Brother Yu is right."

At this moment, the storyteller's voice lowered again, revealing a hint of resentment:
"What are these eight royal clans? They are the Kunyu, Jiaolong, Frost Bear, Blood-Piercing Spirit Serpent, Nightmare Crow, Sky-Supporting Divine Turtle, Fiend Tiger, Howling Moon Silver Wolf, and Lone Eagle. They also have countless affiliated demon clans that oppress the human race and are cruel and tyrannical."

"However, while the eight royal families are indeed ruthless, the most hateful are those traitors who betrayed humanity and sided with the eight royal families!"

"For tens of thousands of years, the eight royal families have bullied the human race and been cruel and inhumane."

"The human race, led by Nascent Soul cultivators, built cities and resisted the oppression of the eight royal clans with unwavering spirit."

“Three hundred years ago, Zhang Xuancang, the city lord of Ping Le City, was a Nascent Soul cultivator who established Ping Le City in the Iron Mist Mountains. He repelled seventeen beast tides and protected hundreds of thousands of human beings in the city. His merits are immeasurable.”

"But there are some scoundrels among the human race who, seeing the power of the demon race and the weakness of the human race, betray their ancestors, recognize the demons as their masters, and are willing to become slaves and servants. They even swallow blood-thread gu and have their souls sealed by blood restrictions, just to prolong their lives!"

The storyteller gritted his teeth and said, "These people are even more cruel to the human race than the demon race when they oppress them. They don't hesitate to eat human flesh raw, lie on the ground like dogs, and howl like wolves, just to prove that they have nothing to do with the human race anymore."

"They also offered vicious schemes to the eight royal families, established eight demonic sects, and made offerings to the eight royal families."

"They force mortal cultivators to worship daily, fabricate divine pronouncements, and set rules for every word and action, all to extinguish humanity, bewitch people, and make them regard demons as gods, thus demeaning themselves!"

"Under the jurisdiction of the demonic sect, there is no light of day, the demon race acts recklessly, and the human race lives in constant fear."

"If even one person violates the rules of the religion, they will be offered as blood sacrifice to the demon race, a punishment called 'divine punishment.' Such things are too numerous to list."

"Those mortals who possess spiritual roots must join the demon cult and acknowledge the demon race as their master."

"The female cultivator was made a concubine of a demon general and suffered endless torment."

"Male cultivators must suppress human rebellions and fight against other demonic sects, often resulting in death and the dissipation of their cultivation."

"The beast tide is approaching. If we do not fight back with all our might, we will be captured by the demonic sect and thrown into the deepest hell..."

The storyteller's voice began to grow hoarse, while the martial artists and cultivators in the Hundred Flavors Pavilion became enraged and began to curse loudly.

"Traitors deserve to die; they are even more hateful than demons!"

"I will never coexist with the demon race!"

"What is there to fear from a beast tide? During the last beast tide, I slew thirteen demonic beasts. If the demon race dares to invade again, let me see my longsword drink blood!"

Liu Kaiyang said, "Brother Yu, although the Tai Xuan Realm theory is absurd, the ferocity of the demon race and the demon cult is not a lie."

"Although this storyteller is old, he is able to inspire people and boost morale, and his influence is truly significant."

Yu Yunzhou chuckled lightly: "Brother Liu is absolutely right. The demon race is just a bit more ferocious, but the demon cult uses every means to torture us. If we fall into their hands, we will wish we were dead."

"The beast tide is approaching, and we don't know if we can survive. Tonight, I will stay in the city and comfort my beautiful wives and concubines."

Brother Liu, you should seize the day and get married soon. What pleasure is there in sitting idly in your cave every day?

Liu Kaiyang paused for a moment: "Brother Yu, please don't make fun of me..."

Yu Yunzhou said, "I know that Brother Liu is steadfast in his Daoist faith and single-minded in his cultivation. However, the city has such a rule that all cultivators must marry and have children."

"Brother Liu has been a member of Ping Le City for twenty-three years. If you do not marry and have children within two years, you will need to pay two mid-grade spirit stones every year. This is no small sum. Are you really willing to pay it?"

Liu Kaiyang frowned and said, "Brother Yu, I am well aware of what you mean, but how can I hastily get married when I don't have someone I like?"

Yu Yunzhou chuckled and said, "Female cultivators are so rare in the city, Brother Liu, are you perhaps hoping to find a woman who reciprocates your feelings?"

"Let's find a few beautiful mortal women and take them as wives and concubines before the beast tide arrives."

"He usually cultivates in his cave, but when the mood strikes, he goes down the mountain to enjoy the pleasures of a gentle home."

"We are of mediocre talent, and to be able to establish a foundation is already a stroke of good fortune."

"Since there is no hope for the path to enlightenment, it is better to take more concubines, have a few children, and leave behind a bloodline. That way, one's life in this world will not have been in vain."

Liu Kaiyang shook his head: "Brother Yu speaks from the bottom of his heart, but it is really too much to ask me to just find a few ordinary women to marry."

Yu Yunzhou shook his head, stopped trying to persuade him, picked up a piece of smoked meat, put it in his mouth, and chewed it carefully.

……

The storyteller continued for another half hour, meticulously recounting how Zhang Xuancang, the city lord of Pingle City, slew a demon general and made great contributions to protecting Pingle City.

The event then recounted the heroic deeds of several Core Formation elders who fought valiantly against demonic beasts, all of which were incredibly exciting, and concluded amidst cheers.

The exquisite dishes on the table in front of Liu Kaiyang and Yu Yunzhou had been completely eaten, with most of them ending up in Yu Yunzhou's stomach.

The two left Baiwei Restaurant and went their separate ways. Yu Yunzhou went to find his beautiful wife and concubines, while Liu Kaiyang returned to his cave to continue his cultivation.

The consumptive ghost's injuries improved day by day, and with the beast tide possibly arriving at any moment, Liu Kaiyang had no desire to leave the city.

Ping Le City stipulates that Foundation Establishment Stewards must receive a mission from the Demon Extermination Hall once a month, and their evaluation must be at least average.

If they fail to complete their mission for two consecutive months, they will be assigned to the most dangerous Listening Division to infiltrate the demon realm and gather intelligence.

However, Liu Kaiyang was extremely diligent in the past, and he would receive a mission from the Demon Extermination Hall every month. Even if he missed a month, it would not be a big deal.

He stayed in the cave to meditate and cultivate. Although the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was half as thin as before, it was still barely enough for a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stage to cultivate.

Liu Kaiyang meditated for a night, and his cultivation level increased slightly.

At dawn the next day, Liu Kaiyang arrived at the stone chamber where the consumptive ghost was, and checked his pulse and meridian injuries, which were better than the day before.

As things continued, half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and Liu Kaiyang was completely relieved.

The tuberculosis demon's pulse was several times stronger than before, and the interval had shortened to only three breaths.

Although it was still slower than the average person, it was a world of difference compared to the twenty or thirty breaths it took Liu Kaiyang to first discover the tuberculosis demon.

The meridians in the tuberculosis ghost's body were slowly healing. Half a month later, those delicate meridians had recovered to their original state, but the twelve regular meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians were still badly damaged.

The spiritual energy, like water, flowed intermittently through the meridians of the tuberculosis demon.

Silently, it seeped out from the wounds in the meridians and seeped into the body of the tuberculosis demon, like rivers on the verge of drying up in a long drought.

The tuberculosis patient's dry skin slowly began to show a luster, like withered weeds that had not been watered for a long time finally drawing water from the ground and beginning to recover.

His face was still sallow, but beneath his calm demeanor lay a hint of menace, which instilled a sense of fear in those around him.

For the next two weeks, Liu Kaiyang also meditated and cultivated in his cave, checking on the tuberculosis ghost's injuries precisely at Chenshi (7-9 AM) every day.

In the latter half of the month, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth remained thin, and it seemed that it would be a long time before it returned to its former richness. Liu Kaiyang had even gotten used to it.

The tuberculosis demon's injuries were stabilizing and improving; his pulse had become even stronger than Liu Kaiyang's, and the intervals had shortened to less than a breath, making him no different from an ordinary person.

But his sallow complexion and still-dry skin made it clear at a glance that he was a seriously injured person.

Liu Kaiyang was already looking forward to when this "consumption demon" senior would wake up.

However, he also had some worries in his heart. The senior "Consumption Ghost" was extremely mysterious and his cultivation level must be quite high.

But he only has a blood jade bracelet and a robe, not even a mustard seed ring. Even if he really wakes up, what treasures can be given to him?
However, Liu Kaiyang didn't worry about it for long before he had no time to think about it anymore.

He stayed in the city for a month without even taking on a guard duty. In the next month, he had to complete a task issued by the Demon Extermination Hall, or he would be forcibly transferred to the Listening Division.

As the beast tide approached, the demons became restless and sought to infiltrate the demon territory to gather information, which was tantamount to suicide.

However, the patrol missions in the city had already been taken by other Foundation Establishment deacons, so Liu Kaiyang had no choice but to take the most familiar clearing mission, leave Ping Le City, and fly to the front line where Ping Le City was confronting the demon race.

He was determined to return to Ping Le City as soon as he could kill one level-two demonic beast and ten level-one demonic beasts and obtain a "lower-middle" rating.

He would never step out of Ping Le City again until the "Consumptive Ghost" senior woke up. (End of Chapter)