I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

Seven days later in Chuyang City.

As the morning light slowly spread across the eastern horizon, it bathed the entire city's outline in a warm golden hue.

The city walls that had been repeatedly battered by the beast tides had been mostly repaired. The new bricks and stones still had a slight color difference from the old ones, like the not-yet-completely-faded mark between a newly healed wound and the surrounding skin.

Ironically, these damaged city walls were actually created to facilitate the actions of the Green-Faced Fox King and his forces. The demon army of the Burning Sky Crimson Ape never even touched the city walls, always being kept outside by the formation.

Most of the cracks and dents on the bricks and stones were deliberately created to make the play more realistic and to give the Iron-Armed Ape King the illusion that the city wall was "under pressure".

On the city wall, brand-new flags fluttered in the morning breeze, the Lin family emblem on the flags gleaming faintly in the sunlight.

The entire city of Chuyang has been busy since three days ago.

Lin Xuanqi personally oversaw the overall coordination, ensuring that the scheduling of all departments was meticulous and flawless.

The monks drawn from the logistics corps hung spirit lanterns and silk ribbons on both sides of the street. The red silk ribbons hung from the eaves, like flowing flames in the morning breeze.

The patterns on the lamps were lit one by one, radiating a warm glow even in broad daylight, enveloping the entire main street in a warm, soft light.

Every few feet along both sides of the road, a pot of spiritual plants was placed, with emerald green leaves and slightly open flower buds, forming a striking contrast with the hanging red silks, decorating the entire street in a way that was both festive and elegant.

These spiritual plants were transplanted by Lin Xuanjing from Qingze's herb garden overnight. Each one was carefully selected, with upright posture and bright color, and they showed no signs of wilting even when placed on the street.

Shops that had been closed during the beast tide are now gradually reopening.

In celebration of the festival, each household displayed freshly picked sacred flowers at their doorstep.

Some were placed in celadon vases, some were woven into wreaths and hung on door frames, and some were laid on the tables on both sides of the steps, filling the air with a fragrance that was different from the usual, carrying anticipation and freshness.

The victory celebration banquet was held in the central square of Chuyang City. This open space, covering several acres, was temporarily converted into the main venue for the banquet.

More than a hundred long tables made of purple spirit wood were arranged in a crescent shape. The tables were covered with brand-new silk cloth, on which were placed sets of spirit porcelain tableware and jade wine cups.

These wine cups were hastily made by Master Tie Wushuang after the war. Each one is engraved with intricate warming patterns to ensure that the spirit wine maintains its optimal taste throughout the banquet.

In fact, Master Tie's greatest skill was not forging weapons, but rather these wine cups. Upon hearing that a victory celebration banquet was to be held, he rushed to make a batch without saying a word, engraving patterns overnight and delivering the goods at dawn, without even closing his eyes.

A huge screen of spiritual light is set up in the center of the main hall. It is not yet activated and will only be able to display a panoramic view of Chuyang City and the Lin family emblem at the auspicious time.

Around the plaza, dozens of half-person-high spirit furnaces burned century-old sandalwood from the depths of Qingze. Wisps of smoke rose and spread in the air, mingling with the fragrance of spirit flowers and fruits, creating a complex atmosphere that calmed the mind.

The arrays inside those spirit furnaces were adjusted by Lin Xuanqing overnight, producing just the right amount of fragrance without being too strong, perfectly covering the entire square.

……

At 3:45 AM, guests began to enter one after another.

The first to arrive were the representatives of the garrison. Because the garrison was too large, only representatives could be selected to participate, and these representatives were the most meritorious in this battle.

Of course, the rest of the garrison troops were not left behind either; their barracks were also set with the same level of spiritual food and wine.

These cultivators, who had spent countless days and nights on the city walls, never retreating a single step amidst arrows and fireballs, were now dressed in neat robes, each wearing a uniform silver badge on their chest inscribed with the words "Chuyang City Garrison."

Their expressions lacked the tension of the battlefield, but possessed a calmness that came from time to time, like the smoothing away of rough edges on iron.

A middle-aged monk with a sling on his left arm paused subconsciously as he entered the plaza.

He looked around the decorated area, at the spirit lamps, silks, flowerpots, incense burners, the busy servants, and the long tables laden with spiritual food. A hint of bewilderment flashed in his eyes, as if he were confirming whether he had come to the wrong place.

"This...this really is our Chuyang City?" His companion patted his shoulder without answering, but the smile on his lips said it all.

The second group to enter consisted of cultivators from various major families.

The Li, Zhou, Sun, and Liu families—those Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining families who sent cultivators to defend the city during the beast tide—now had their patriarchs personally leading their teams into the arena.

Zhou Wanhong, dressed in a brand-new brocade robe, walked at the head of the group with a smile typical of businessmen on his round face. He walked faster than usual, as if he himself was unaware that he was quickening his pace.

Li Guanhai stroked his beard, his gaze slowly sweeping over the decorations and spiritual food. He occasionally whispered a few words to Sun Zhiyuan beside him, and his sly composure was now tinged with genuine emotion.

Next to enter were the rogue cultivators who had voluntarily joined the defending forces during the beast tide.

They were the largest in number and their clothing was the most varied. Some wore brand-new standard spirit armor, while others still wore their old, faded robes, but each wore a silver badge on their chest.

They stood in small groups at the edge of the venue, their eyes filled with an expression completely different from that of the family heads—the kind of look one would have only after experiencing life and death and finally finding a place where they could settle down in peace.

Representatives of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox clan also entered the venue under Wan Yue's arrangement.

More than ten fox-clan cultivators dressed in moon-white robes stood in the VIP area on the northwest side of the square, their long silver hair gleaming softly in the morning light.

They didn't make a fuss, nor did they look around; they simply stood quietly in their respective places, maintaining a just-right distance from the hustle and bustle around them.

Originally, the Lin family's Beast Taming Legion leaders and the Green-Faced Fox King were also scheduled to attend, but because they were too large to operate freely here, a separate table was set up for them in Qingze.

It is now 9:00 AM, the auspicious time has arrived.

The light curtain in the center of the square suddenly lit up, and a huge pattern covering the entire curtain wall slowly emerged in the light, which was the new Chuyang City.

Previously, in order to deal with the beast tide, under the leadership of the Lin family, a city wall was built around Chuyang City within a radius of several hundred miles, turning Chuyang City into a huge new city.

The panoramic outline of this new Chuyang City is delineated by delicate lines of spiritual light, starting from the original Chuyang City and extending in all directions, including the Stone Forest Maze, Shattered Star Lake, Crimson Flame Ridge, Azure Marsh, Spirit Grass Valley, Silent Forest... all the way to the city wall.

The lines flowed slowly on the screen of light, like a scroll being drawn stroke by stroke, unfolding the new frontier of the city inch by inch before everyone's eyes.

Above the design, the Lin family crest glows with a warm, cyan light.

A moment later, the emblem slowly closed up, transforming into a line of large characters that appeared in the center of the spiritual light screen.

"Chuyang City has been defended."

Six simple words, so simple they couldn't be simpler, yet they silenced the crowd for a moment.

Those cultivators who had witnessed countless sunrises and sunsets from the city walls, those array masters who had spent countless nights by the array patterns, and those crossbowmen who had repeatedly calibrated the angles of the city-breaking crossbows in the arrow towers, all fell silent as they looked at those six words. Some sniffed softly, some turned their heads away, and some laughed silently.

Lin Che walked onto the main stage.

Today he was dressed in a dark blue robe, with a jade belt around his waist, and his hair was neatly styled. He exuded a calm yet sharp demeanor.

"Ladies and gentlemen," his voice was not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, "this banquet today is not for anything else, but only for you."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, landing on the bandaged faces, on the shoulder that was trembling slightly, and his voice deepened: "We won this battle, not because of the Lin family, but because of us."

"But those who can never come back should not be forgotten." His gaze darkened, and his voice lowered. "The first glass of wine today is for them."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Che picked up the wine glass on the table.

The spirit wine in the cup gleamed with a warm amber luster under the sunlight. He raised the cup with both hands, gently toasted it towards the void, and then tilted his head back to drink it all.

Below the stage, the monks holding wine glasses also raised their glasses simultaneously, their movements synchronized and silent.

Some people tilted their heads back and drank the wine down before lowering their eyes; some people sniffed lightly; some people's hands holding their glasses trembled slightly, but no one put down their glasses, and no one looked away.

Lin Che put down his wine glass and spoke again, his voice more composed than before: "But those who are alive must continue on." He paused, "Today there is plenty of spiritual food and wine. After you've eaten and drunk your fill, those who need to train can continue training tomorrow, and those who need to heal can focus on healing."

"I hereby declare the victory celebration banquet open!"

Below the stage, the cultivators who had been silent began to smile.

Some people were already quietly reaching for the spiritual food on the table, some were looking around with their wine cups, searching for someone to clink glasses with, and some were whispering to their companions, their expressions slowly shifting from heavy to relaxed.

The banquet officially began, and the spiritual dishes were served one by one on the long table. The steaming hot spiritual beast meat gleamed with an oily sheen in the porcelain plate, the thinly sliced ​​spiritual fish were arranged in the shape of flower petals, and the emerald green spiritual vegetables trembled slightly in the sauce.

The aroma of the spirit wine permeated the air, intertwining with the subtle fragrance of sandalwood to create an atmosphere that was both relaxing and reassuring.

Lin Xuanqi, holding a wine cup, weaved through the crowd. He first clinked glasses with several captains of the garrison, then went to Li Guanhai and Sun Zhiyuan's table, exchanged a few pleasantries, and was then pulled aside by Zhou Wanhong and forced to drink three cups. His face was already flushed.

Lin Xuanjing was surrounded by a group of young cultivators, who were recounting the details of his fierce battle with the Iron-Armed Ape King.

He spoke animatedly about how the spear tip pierced the joint gap and how the nine-linked cloud explosion reversed the situation at the last moment, eliciting murmured gasps of amazement from time to time.

Lin Xuanfeng sat alone at a table in the corner, a plate of spiritual food in front of him, but he didn't touch it. Instead, he slowly drank a cup of spiritual wine, his gaze fixed on the plain where the immortal battle spirit had once stood, lost in thought.

Lin Xuanjing was eating the plate of stir-fried spirit mushrooms with Bixin Orchid in front of her with her head down. She had no intention of talking to anyone. On the contrary, several younger members of the Lin family kept pestering her with questions about the cultivation of spirit plants. She was not annoyed and patiently explained them to them.

…………

After several rounds of drinks at the victory banquet, dusk began to creep over the city walls from the distant horizon.

The atmosphere in the square had shifted from the initial clamor to a relaxed warmth. The last few pieces of spirit beast meat on the spirit food platters were being picked up, and the wine cups, which had been empty and then filled again, continued to be passed around.

Some people were whispering to each other by the corner of the table, while others were using their spiritual power to quietly wipe the alcohol off their faces, preparing for the next part of the banquet.

Seeing that it was almost time, Lin Xuanqi got up, glanced at his father, received a look of approval from him, and then slowly walked up to the high platform.

"Gentlemen," Lin Xuanqi's voice echoed in the twilight, "there is one more thing to do at today's banquet, and that is to reward those who have contributed!"

The cultivators who had been whispering among themselves below the stage all turned their gazes toward the main stage.

Those who were leaning against the corner of the table sat up straight, those who were rubbing their eyes put their hands down, and those who were holding wine glasses gently placed them on the table. Everyone listened attentively.

Lin Xuanqi did not open any of the jade slips.

Those records of merit had been checked repeatedly over the past seven days, and every name, every achievement, and every merit point was etched into his mind.

"The Third Battalion of the Garrison, Captain Li Yunqing." Lin Xuanqi's voice carried steadily through the twilight. "For killing the most enemies during the beast tide, he is awarded 500 merit points, promoted one level, and rewarded with a set of second-tier top-grade spirit armor, ten acres of spirit fields, and the option to choose any spirit beast cub from the Lin family's spirit beast garden."

Although there's not much land left to cultivate spirit fields within Chuyang City, there is outside the city!

Now that the beast tide is about to end, with the territory of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox as a strategic buffer, there is a large amount of land around Chuyang City that can be developed, and spiritual fields are not a problem at all.

At that moment, a low commotion arose from the audience. Someone whistled a short whistle, and someone else slammed their hand on the table twice.

Li Yunqing stood at the front of the crowd. His face, roughened by the sun and wind, froze for a moment before he grinned. His teammate patted his shoulder with such force that he staggered, but he didn't flinch.

"Logistics team, Wang Yanduan, Liu Yunzhou." Lin Xuanqi's voice continued, "During the beast tide, he led the logistics team to work continuously outside the city for seven days and nights, collecting demon beast materials and transporting spiritual materials without a single day of rest. He was awarded 400 merit points, which allows him to choose any one of the spirit beast cubs from the Lin family's spirit beast garden."

This spirit beast garden was newly opened by the Lin family, and it is located near the main city of Chuyang City.

It's not very big, and it's not a place for breeding spirit beasts. Rather, it was specially built for rewarding meritorious deeds. Inside, there are excellent breeds bred by the Lin family, so that cultivators who gain merit can have a place to learn about these spirit beasts.

The two paused for a moment when they heard their names called, looked at each other, and then grinned.

"The three family heads, Zhou Wanhong, Li Guanhai, and Sun Zhiyuan," Lin Xuanqi paused slightly, "during the beast tide, the three family heads led all their clan members to be incorporated into the garrison army. They did not withdraw until the last battle. They are awarded 800 merit points. Each family member is rewarded with the right to be directly incorporated into the garrison army reserve without selection or assessment. In addition, each family is rewarded with two spirit beast cubs of their choice from the Lin family's spirit beast garden, regardless of their rank."

Zhou Wanhong sat at the front desk, a thin blush rising on his round face.

He raised his glass towards the main stage, then realized his gesture was inappropriate and put it down again.

Li Guanhai, standing beside him, stroked his beard, and his eyes, which usually held a hint of calculation, now held something rarely seen before.

Sun Zhiyuan had already stood up, holding his wine glass high. He waved it around at the crowd, then turned towards the main stage and shouted something, but it was mostly drowned out by the laughter around him.

Lin Xuanqi didn't stop and continued reciting those names.

Some belong to the cultivators who held the city walls the longest, some to the array masters who worked continuously for days beside the array base, some to the crossbowmen who never left the city-breaking crossbow in the arrow tower, and some to the people who were the first to lead the engineering team to repair the city walls after the war.

Each time a name was called out, a low clapping or cheering would erupt from the audience.

The rewards include merit points, spirit armor, spirit fields, spirit medicine, spirit beast cubs, purchase discounts, promotion qualifications, spirit material quotas, and elixir supply quotas.

It can be said that the Lin family was very generous in rewarding those who had made contributions, which was a way of winning people's hearts.

With the arrival of the beast tide, defending Chuyang City is crucial to their survival. However, the Lin family will need to expand and conquer in the future, so it is essential to win people's hearts with generous rewards!

The Lin family must let everyone here know that following the Lin family will never result in being treated unfairly!

The enthusiastic atmosphere at the scene reached its peak at this moment!

Just then, a voice slowly drifted from outside the city: "How lively! I, Qin, have come uninvited; I apologize for the intrusion!"