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Because the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is severely polluted, the human race is unable to absorb spiritual energy normally.

Inhaling either demonic energy or malevolent energy will corrode the body.

At best, they lose their minds and become violent and bloodthirsty.

In severe cases, the entire body turns into blood and water, leaving no complete corpse.

Under such dire circumstances, human cultivators, through generations of exploration, refined two of the most basic elixirs.

They are white cinnabar and pure cinnabar, respectively.

White pills can remove demonic energy from the body.

The Purifying Elixir can purify the evil spirits within the body.

For the human race, the most indispensable things are the White Elixir and the Pure Elixir.

This is why the human race's cultivation speed is extremely slow.

After all, one needs to absorb spiritual energy while also spending a lot of energy and time filtering and purifying it in order to transform it into usable power.

Of course, among the demonic and evil cultivators, there are also two basic types of pills: red pills and black pills.

Red pills can amplify the evil spirit energy within the body.

Black pills can enhance the demonic energy within the body.

As Chen Zhaoning's thoughts raced, she began to examine Chen Yuan's body, touching and pinching him here and there.

Chen Yuan knew that the other party was checking his cultivation, so he simply raised his hands and let her check them.

Chen Zhaoning even squatted down in front of Chen Yuan and pressed her head against Chen Yuan's lower abdomen.

She wanted to sense Chen Yuan's Qi Sea.

"The Qi Sea has opened, and there are enough spiritual apertures and enough magical power gathering here."

"You have already gathered spiritual energy in your Qi Sea, allowing it to burn and transform into magical power, which is now circulating throughout your limbs and body..."

Chen Zhaoning murmured softly, becoming more and more alarmed as she spoke.

Ultimately, she concluded that Chen Yuan showed no signs of demonization or evil!

In fact, he has already taken a step towards the Dharma Body Realm!

This incredible body!

awesome!

Chen Zhaoning raised her head and stared at Chen Yuan's sharply defined face.

This boy, who usually smiles like a sunny young man, now has a hint of wickedness about him.

Chen Zhaoning looked at his face as if she were looking at a monster.

Her eyes flickered uncertainly, her mind racing with thoughts.

"Um······"

Li Wei was awakened by Chen Zhaoning's shouting and groggily opened his eyes.

Suddenly, in his direction, he saw Chen Zhaoning half-squatting in front of Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan stood there with his arms outstretched, seemingly with a satisfied expression on his face.

"Holy crap! Holy crap!"

Li Wei shouted.

"You beast...you beast!"

Li Wei's shout made Chen Yuan and Chen Zhaoning look at him.

"What's your name, Mao?"

Chen Yuan said speechlessly.

This chubby kid, what's with all the jumpy reactions?

"Ah...A Yuan..."

Li Wei looked at him in a trembling voice, then at Chen Zhaoning, "You're both still children, how could you do such a thing?"

Chen Yuan was stunned, but he quickly recovered.

At this moment, Chen Zhaoning squatting in front of him could easily lead to misunderstandings.

Chen Zhaoning didn't understand Li Wei's words; she was still deeply shocked.

"Hmm, you're all awake?"

Just then, the crisp sound of glutinous rice rang out.

Chen Yuan walked away and came to the cave entrance, asking in confusion, "Where's Uncle Lu?"

Upon hearing this, everyone else was completely bewildered, as no one knew where Lu Chengfeng had gone.

"They probably went hunting."

Nuomi whispered, and suddenly, she looked at Chen Yuan's patched and tattered cotton-padded coat, which was even stained with blood.

Suddenly, she remembered what Chen Zhaoning had said last night about buying clothes for Chen Yuan. Her eyes narrowed, she tilted her head, and her gaze flickered.

Then, she took out a black cloth bag from her bosom and began to count.

"Hmm?" Li Wei looked at her curiously and smiled, "Little Nuomi, you've saved up so much money?"

Chen Zhaoning also snapped out of his shock and looked at Nuomi, discovering a large amount of Star Copper and even some Moon Silver.

"Little Nuomi, what are you saving money for?"

Chen Zhaoning asked curiously.

"To cure Father's illness," Nuomi said earnestly, her eyes dim. "Father sometimes goes mad, and sometimes his mental state is not good. When we go to a big city like Tianqing County, we'll find a Purple Mansion True Person to treat Father's illness, but True Persons are absolutely ridiculously expensive..."

Chen Zhaoning was stunned for a moment, feeling bitter inside.

Will the Purple Mansion Immortal help you with your illness?

Are you kidding me?

However, she didn't reveal this cruel truth. She gently patted the other person's head and smiled, "You're so filial. If Little Nuomi doesn't have enough money, Sister Ning will lend it to you."

"Really...really?"

Nuomi looked up at Chen Zhaoning in disbelief, and when she saw him nod, her eyes widened several times over.

Then, she looked at Chen Yuan, squinted her eyes and smiled, "That's great! That way, I'll still have money to buy new clothes for Brother Yuan!"

Hearing this, Chen Yuan was touched. "Okay, then I won't be polite. I'll buy you new clothes when Xiao Nuomi does."

Chen Yuan smiled, gently patted Nuomi's head, and showed a look of doting affection on his face.

"Oh dear, you won't buy me glutinous rice?"

Li Wei rubbed his hands together, looking pitiful.

"You?" Nuomi thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Let me save up enough money first. I'll buy it for Brother Yuan first!"

Li Wei looked surprised, but also very happy. "Haha, it's settled then."

"Uh-huh!"

Nuomi nodded emphatically, then carefully placed the black cloth bag in her arms and patted it.

Chen Zhaoning laughed and said, "Little Nuomi, aren't you going to buy yourself new clothes?"

"Buy the glutinous rice last..."

Nuomi started counting on her fingers as she spoke, muttering, "First I'll buy it for Brother Yuan, then for Brother Li, and then I'll save money for Father's medical treatment..."

"Ah...it seems I don't have enough money."

Little Nuomi tilted her head, pointed at her chin with her finger, and said seriously, "Well, anyway, Nuomi still has clothes to wear... Let's not buy Nuomi's clothes for now."

Chen Yuan was deeply moved. It turned out that the little girl's previous greedy behavior was actually for the purpose of treating Lu Chengfeng's illness.

At the same time, I'm also thinking about saving money to buy myself clothes!

"Alright, from now on, when your brother makes a lot of money, he'll let Little Nuomi manage it."

Chen Yuan smiled and gently patted Nuomi's shoulder.

"Oh, really?"

Nuomi turned around, blinked her big eyes, and looked at Chen Yuan. After Chen Yuan nodded emphatically, she revealed her two little tiger teeth, "Great! I'm going to be the financial manager!"

However, she quickly shook her head again, "No, if Brother Yuan gets married, his wife should manage the money. If Xiao Nuomi manages it too, won't she get scolded?"

Everyone immediately smiled knowingly.

Nuomi's innocence and cuteness eased the mood of everyone present.

Next, the group packed their things, left the cave, and walked around outside several times, but still couldn't find any trace of Lu Chengfeng.

Where did Uncle Lu go?

Li Wei asked, his face full of doubt.

Chen Yuan shook his head; he didn't know either.

Nuomi glanced around, then looked at the distant mountains, and suddenly said, "Brother Yuan, that looks like Shangang Town ahead. Shall we go there for a stroll?"

"Even if we're on the run, we still need to buy some supplies. At worst, we can buy them and then come back here to wait for Father."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan began to ponder.

Shangang Town is a town next to Wuqiao Town, not far away.

The local government in Wuqiao Town is probably issuing arrest warrants for them, but the local government here might not be.

Li Wei and Chen Zhaoning's eyes lit up, revealing expectant expressions.

"Then let's go take a look."

Chen Yuan nodded.

"Yay, that's great!"

Upon hearing this, Nuomi was startled, her little face lighting up with excitement.

------

Shangang Town.

This is a small town nearby. Nuomi said that although it is not very prosperous, it is at least a place where living beings gather.

"Slaves are not allowed to enter cities, not even towns. However, I can be your master."

Chen Zhaoning smiled and looked at Li Wei.

Li Wei is an unregistered resident.

Unregistered residents were no different from slaves; they were not qualified to enter towns or other places.

"So, does that mean I have to play the servant?"

Li Wei looked miserable.

Chen Yuan and the others laughed.

"Yay!"

Nuomi became even more excited.

The group moved quickly, and it took them more than an hour to reach a city that was not very tall.

The city wall is about three or four meters high, and it is gray-black in color. The mottled wall reveals the traces of antiquity and time.

There were officials guarding the city gate, checking pedestrians who wanted to enter the city.

Anyone who is registered as a sentient being can enter.

Chen Zhaoning, Chen Yuan, and Nuomi swaggered over, displaying their Citizenship Marks.

There, between the eyebrows, appeared the character "众" (meaning "all" or "crowds").

As for Li Wei, he was in the capacity of Chen Zhaoning's slave.

Chen Yuan then realized the benefits Lu Chengfeng had given him for registering him in the household registration system.

This is the qualification to enter the city.

In addition, they had to pay forty star copper coins before they were able to enter the city smoothly.

To Chen Yuan's disappointment, the city was very dilapidated, and the streets were covered in yellow mud. It was alright when it didn't rain, but if it did, it would probably be sticky.

There were shops all around, and many people were setting up stalls to sell all sorts of things.

Among them, elixirs, spiritual herbs, leather, wild fruits, etc., were mostly contaminated by spiritual energy, and there were also wild beasts that were about to die.

Chen Yuan and Li Wei looked at those people with curiosity.

There are many strange creatures here.

Some have the body of a dog and the head of a tiger, while others have human faces covered in scales or horns on their heads.

"Don't look around, keep your head down. Some of them are of Manchu descent, which means they are nobles."

Chen Zhaoning warned, "Slaves or humans registered as 'All Beings' who look at beings registered as 'Manchu' will have their eyes gouged out. Even if they kill you, they'll only have to pay some money in compensation."

Li Wei gasped, then pulled Chen Yuan and Nuomi along and immediately bowed his head.

Chen Yuan's gaze turned even more somber.

He knew that the creatures here were also divided into classes, and that the class system was extremely strict.

Slaves, the register of all living beings, the register of the full countenance, the register of the mysterious countenance, the register of the earth countenance, the register of the heaven countenance, and the noblest of beings—the royal countenance clan.

The Great Xiang Empire was once a nation formed by the rise of twelve beast spirits.

The twelve beast spirits formed the Twelve Beast Clan.

They each correspond to one of the twelve zodiac animals.

This is the origin of the Xiangji (相籍).

It is quite similar to the Chinese zodiac.

The twelve animal clans are:

The three auspicious signs are: dragon, snake, tiger, and horse.

The three phases are: Ox, Dog, Monkey, and Rooster.

The three lower signs are: rooster, rat, rabbit, and pig.

······

As Chen Yuan pondered this information and looked at the monsters with human bodies and dog heads in the arena, he understood that they were the lowest level of Manchu.

Even though it was only the lowest level of Manchu registration, everyone else had to treat it with respect.

Or, avoid it.

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