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Chapter 21: Demonic Transformation (Seeking Collection)

Chapter 21: Demonic Transformation (Seeking Collection)

Demon!

The very word seemed to carry a strange power, making Chunyu and Jiao Wu Chang's faces pale, their breathing becoming difficult.

"It's too late; we must leave immediately, escape from here."

Linghu Yang quickly made his decision, immediately preparing to use his lightness skill to move towards the city gate.

"Wait. . . Warden, could you give me the time it takes for an incense stick to burn? I still have a wife and children. . ."

The expression of a Yuan He Mountain deacon shifted several times, and he suddenly cried out.

"Scram!"

Linghu Yang's figure didn't pause for a moment, regret also forming in his heart.

But now, the demonic seed has appeared!

Delaying even for a single moment could be playing with his own life!

Let alone the family of a mere deacon, not even the deacon himself could make Linghu Yang delay for an instant!

His movement technique was astonishing; Chunyu and Jiao Wu Chang could only see streaks of afterimages, their expressions changing drastically as they bolted in pursuit.

Along the way, scattered strange figures could occasionally be seen butchering, but the three from Yuan He Mountain paid them no mind.

Finally, Linghu Yang took the lead and rushed out of the city gate.

The next moment, upon seeing the scene outside the city gate, his expression crumbled little by little: "Damn it, truly damn it! ! !"

Outside the city gate, the original farmlands and official roads had all vanished.

All that could be seen was layer upon layer of black mist!

A massive black mist, like a thick city wall, had completely enveloped Black Stone City.

"This is. . ."

Behind them, the rustle of clothes flitting through the air suddenly arose.

Chunyu, upon seeing this scene, found her ice-cold expression turning to one of extreme shock.

"The demonic domain has formed; this place has become a death trap. We. . . can't get out!"

Linghu Yang's voice became incredibly dry and hoarse. . . like a dying person struggling.

If one were to look closely at this moment, they would find that in the eyes of this Yuan He Mountain Warden, there seemed to be. . . faint traces of despair?

...

White Cloud Martial Arts Hall.

"Something. . . isn't right."

Fang Xi looked up, feeling that the weather had grown much gloomier.

All around was dim, as if dusk had fallen, the sun on the verge of setting.

Meanwhile, his innate spiritual sense was warning him frantically, as if some danger was lurking nearby.

This made Fang Xi's mood grow somewhat anxious.

"Quick!"

"Block the main entrance!"

"Grab weapons!"

"Fire, these monsters are afraid of fire!"

The martial arts hall disciples fell into a panic, until they discovered that those strange figures feared flames and didn't dare approach, finally settling down slightly.

"What. . . is going on?"

Fang Xi wiped a streak of black ash from his face and looked at Mu Piao Miao.

The Eldest Senior Sister looked even more disheveled, her originally clean and neat skirt hem already stained with blood.

"I. . . I don't know. . . " Mu Piao Miao's eyes were unfocused, and she murmured, "Could it be some kind of strange demonic beast that sneaked into the city?"

"If that's the case, there are at least two kinds. " Fang Xi mused for a moment: "One seems to be parasitic, even the martial arts hall master found it hard to deal with, possessing quite strong contagiousness. . . And another kind with black imprinted faces, their strength also surpassing ordinary Blood-Qi Transformation martial apprentices!"

He had already collected a few drops of the second type of monster's fresh blood, properly sealed them in a jade bottle, waiting for future research.

But the first kind, that strange plant, suspected of possessing life, Fang Xi dared not touch rashly.

Suddenly, a figure rushed through the wall of flames and entered the martial arts hall.

Many disciples were startled, but after seeing the newcomer, they felt slightly relieved: "Hall Master, the Hall Master is back!"

"Father!"

Mu Piao Miao cried tears of joy, only to see Mu Cang Long's face pale, one hand hanging limply, and fresh blood constantly oozing out.

He waved a hand at this moment, sternly shouting, "Piao Miao! Don't come over!"

"Father, what happened to you? " Mu Piao Miao froze on the spot, at a loss.

Mu Cang Long looked at the surrounding people, taking a deep breath: "My martial arts hall disciples, those who wish to return home should do so immediately; those who wish to remain within the martial arts hall must hand over a hundred catties of grain!"

"Grain? !"

Fang Xi heard this somewhat nonsensical demand and couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Hall Master, why is this so?"

"Because of the demon!"

A bitter smile appeared on Mu Cang Long's lips: "Black Stone City. . . we can't get out. . ."

Before he even finished speaking, his expression changed, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood.

At the same time, black patterns emerged from within his collar, tracing along his blood vessels.

"It's that kind of monster!"

A martial arts hall disciple, seeing this, was scared senseless: "The Hall Master is also going to turn into a man-eating monster. . ."

He had personally witnessed several senior and junior disciples with these black marks covering their faces, subsequently becoming estranged from all their kin.

At this, he let out a shriek, snatched a torch, and ran out of the martial arts hall, disappearing without a trace.

As soon as this person ran, the other apprentices scattered like startled birds and beasts.

Only a handful of people remained.

"Go. . . it's better they went."

Seeing this scene, a strange smile appeared on Mu Cang Long's face.

"Father. . . " Mu Piao Miao's eyes were bloodshot, large tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Sigh. . . don't worry, even though Father has been afflicted by the demonic curse poison, I can still suppress it with True Force for a while. . ."

Mu Cang Long looked at his daughter with affection, comforting her.

"Master, what did you mean earlier when you said we couldn't get out of Black Stone City? " Fang Xi hadn't left; instead, he watched Mu Cang Long with interest, suddenly asking.

"It means exactly what it says: the entire Black Stone City has become a cage; no one can get out. . ."

Mu Cang Long shook his head, looking at the few remaining disciples, and said miserably, "Leaving aside the danger of the demonic disaster. . . we will likely die here because of a lack of grain."

Fang Xi suddenly saw the light.

If Black Stone City truly became some kind of cage, what would be the most lacking resource?

In a large city, people are most abundant, but what is lacking are supplies!

Even a small Black Stone City requires large amounts of grain and vegetables from nearby farms and villages, with supply convoys stretching long daily.

Once sealed, with supplies unable to enter, it would instantly become. . . a living hell!

'But what does "can't get out" mean? No. . . '

Fang Xi's eyes were sharp: "Demonic disaster? Is it the 'demon' among demonic entities? Is there a demon wreaking havoc in the city?"

"Precisely! " Mu Cang Long simply sat cross-legged on the ground and replied with a bitter smile: "No matter how powerful the great monster, we wouldn't fear it, because monsters can be wounded, they can die! As long as martial artists can inflict harm upon them, with Da Liang's forces, even the strongest monster can be piled to death."

'That statement. . . it has the flavor of a gamer. . . So-called gamers, even if it's a god, as long as it dares to show a health bar, they can kill it for you! '

Fang Xi silently gave a thumbs-up in his heart, then heard Mu Cang Long continue: ". . . But demons are different; demons are immortal! Even the weakest demon cannot be destroyed! Demons are undying and indestructible, so whenever one rampages in an area, Da Liang often gives up. . ."

His tone was filled with despair.

And Fang Xi's sole feeling was—'Report to GM, someone's using an invincibility hack'!

It was only now that he realized how troublesome the 'demons' among demonic entities truly were!

'Undying and indestructible? Is that for real? '

Fang Xi was somewhat unconvinced.

'Or perhaps. . . these martial artists are too weak. '

'Demons that martial artists can't destroy, we cultivators might not be unable to destroy. '

'Even if Qi Refinement cultivators can't destroy them, perhaps Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivators could do it with a flick of their hand. . . '

'Even if Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivators can't, there are still Core Formation and Nascent Soul. . . '

Thinking this way, Fang Xi instantly felt much better.

At the same time, his interest in those 'demons' greatly increased.

'This world is truly interesting. Ordinary demonic beast meat is a treasure for body cultivation, yet 'demons' can be undying and indestructible. Isn't this what cultivators have always dreamed of? '

"So now Black Stone City. . . has a demon? " Tang Xuan stepped back a few paces, his expression full of terror, yet mixed with a glimmer of hope: "Master. . . the government and Yuan He Mountain, they say even True Vigor Martial Masters are there, they should be able to, they should be able to. . ."

Mu Cang Long shook his head: "There was once a Martial Arts Grandmaster who, in a short span, slew a demon ninety-nine times. . . but the demon still couldn't be annihilated, swiftly resurrecting. On the contrary. . . that Grandmaster was eventually exhausted to death. . . Martial artists facing demons are like mortals facing demonic beasts; they have no recourse whatsoever."

"Our only hope now is to gather enough grain, and then, wait. . ."

Hearing this, Liu Tao Tao's eyes lit up: "Wait for the imperial court to rescue us?"

"No. " Mu Cang Long shook his head: "Wait for this demon to eat its fill. . . completely lose interest in this place, and then actively depart. . ."

An emotion named 'despair' began to envelop the hearts of everyone in the martial arts hall.

"Ah, look, what's that?"

Liu Tao Tao looked up and suddenly cried out in alarm.

Fang Xi followed his gaze, his expression instantly turning incredibly solemn.

He saw. . . a gigantic tree!

The massive black tree crown continuously grew and expanded. . . like a colossal black bowl, poised to cover the entire Black Stone City.

Root-like tendrils, like vines, hung down from the tree crown, faintly shimmering with black mist.

An indescribable terror spread through the hearts of everyone who saw it.

Meanwhile, the monsters rampaging outside seemed to be following some command, converging towards the city center.

Subsequently, root-like tendrils descended, burrowing into the backs of their necks, suspending them all, swaying in the wind. . .

"Is this. . . like the relationship between worker ants and a queen ant?"

Fang Xi muttered to himself: "These monsters are merely extracting nutrients, ultimately watering the main great tree to make it grow?"

"I never thought I'd see such a magnificent and bizarre life form in this world. . ."