Year of Great Calamity Gives Birth to Monsters

The boiling water bubbled and popped. A tiny infant was submerged within, its skin flushed red from the heat, yet seemingly unharmed! It was utterly unbelievable!

Furthermore, such a young infant, who should have been unable to open its eyes, was now staring intently at everyone, sending shivers down their spines. If this wasn't a monster, what was it?

"Monsters are born in the Year of Great Calamity!"

The cook stammered, then, clutching the baby girl, turned and fled.

The other two no longer dared to restrain the old man. They abandoned the chaotic scene and scrambled away as fast as their limbs could carry them.

Old Man Jiang struggled to his feet. "Put the baby down!"

But who would listen to him? They were already far away.

Old Man Jiang looked at the infant in the hot pot. Though confused, he still fished him out first.

The scalding warmth of the baby's body warmed the old man's heart and soul: his grandson was still here.

Even if he didn't understand what was happening, he didn't want to dwell on it. So what if it was a monster?

Old Man Jiang picked up his cleaver with his left hand and hurried after the group.

He wouldn't have been able to catch up, but faint footprints could be seen on the ground. Moreover, the baby girl, jostled by the movement, began to cry again, allowing him to track her by sound.

"Heavens, that old man is chasing us with a monster!"

"Cook, throw the baby girl away quickly!"

The fleeing refugees were unnerved by the baby girl's cries, thinking that if she kept crying, they wouldn't be able to shake off the old man.

However, the cook shouted, "If we throw her away, what will we eat? Just run!"

Seeing that the cook wouldn't let go, someone next to him reached out to strangle the baby girl. "If she's dead, she won't cry anymore!"

To them, this was a normal course of action. Yet, the cook flew into a rage, kicked the man away violently, and ran in another direction with the baby girl.

"That scoundrel! I knew he was soft-hearted!"

"I thought he was acting strange earlier! Forget it, we're leaving, just run!"

The cook parted ways with them. As expected, the old man only chased after the crying.

After running for a while, the other two looked back and, not seeing anyone, breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew... thankfully, he's not chasing us."

"They all say monsters are born in the Year of Great Calamity. This is the first time I've encountered one."

"That baby boy was radiating heat all over; I knew something was wrong. Legends say monsters love to eat people, and we almost tried to eat him. We were asking for death."

"What kind of monster do you think it is? It turned into a baby!"

"I don't know, but I've often heard that monsters are skilled at transformation and tricking mortals. I suppose that old man has been bewitched by the monster."

"I think that cook is the same. He's holding the baby girl and can't bring himself to harm her."

The two refugees grew more and more fearful as they spoke. Despite the infant appearing harmless and not having done anything to them, it was precisely that which made it terrifying. If they let their guard down, they would regret it too late.

Come to think of it, in this snowy weather, how could there be a baby who hadn't even been weaned? They should have been suspicious long ago.

"Where did you see the monster?" a deep voice suddenly asked, startlingly close.

The two quickly looked, only to find that at some point, a third person had joined them, running alongside.

"Ah!"

The sudden appearance of someone beside them gave the already frightened pair a huge scare, causing them to trip and fall to the ground.

The newcomer was a man in fur clothing, a smile on his face, a steel saber hanging at his waist, and his breath steaming in the cold air.

"Speak quickly, where is the monster!"

The two were terrified and stammered, interrupting each other.

One mentioned a baby boy, the other a monster, their descriptions chaotic. The man in fur, annoyed, drew his saber and killed one of them, then shouted at the remaining one, "You tell me!"

"Y-yes, yes..." The remaining man trembled and recounted the entire incident.

The man in fur looked puzzled. "What kind of monster is this?"

The most common monsters were demonic creatures that had opened their Spiritual Apertures. These were usually not called monsters but rather Spirit Beasts.

If they possessed the ability to transform, they must have condensed Demon Bones, reached the Mystical Stage, and possessed Magic Power.

According to the description, being able to transform into an infant to deceive people undoubtedly made it a Fairy/Demon, precisely his target.

But why would a true Fairy/Demon go to such lengths to trick a few refugees? They weren't important figures.

"Hmm? You said that old man killed your companion with one blow? Has he practiced martial arts?" The man in fur noticed a detail.

"Given the old man's age, he likely served in the army and trained there," the refugee said tremblingly.

The man in fur smiled, realizing. "So that's it. If he's an old soldier, it makes sense. People in the military have a strong 'Mortal World Fire,' and those who reach the Mystical Stage are cultivators. They are susceptible to the backlash of 'Mortal World Fire.'"

"That little monster probably only recently gained its Demon Bones and has shallow Dao cultivation and insufficient strength. That's why it transformed into his grandson to deceive people, slowly luring him in, trying to break through the old soldier's protective Mortal World Fire."

There is a distinction between immortals and mortals. Many cultivators exist between heaven and earth, but most sever ties with the mortal world, living in seclusion in deep mountains or diligently cultivating overseas. In the chaotic mortal world, ordinary people possess an invisible flame that protects them, known as Mortal World Fire.

Once magic is used to control or harm mortals, this fire will burn the user. This is the protection of the Heavenly Dao for mortals.

The Mortal World Fire of royalty and top-tier noble families was the heaviest, followed by second and third-rate noble families and powerful clans, then commoners, soldiers next, clerks after that, and finally, the general populace.

As for refugees or servants with nothing, their Mortal World Fire was so weak it was almost nonexistent, making them easy targets for evil spirits.

This was one of the reasons why Monsters and Abominations proliferated during the Year of Great Calamity.

"A mere small Monster like this, I, Heavenly Tiger, can surely capture it with ease. It's practically a gift from heaven for my Demon Bone!" the man in the fur coat exclaimed with delight.

He then roared, "Hurry up and lead the way!"

"Ah, yes, yes, yes..."

The man in the fur coat held a saber in one hand and lifted the other person with the other. Under their direction, he sprinted, searching for traces of the 'Demon Infant' along the way, each step covering several yards.

He was a renowned Wandering Knight of Qingzhou, named Chen Hu, nicknamed Heavenly Tiger! He diligently practiced his martial arts. Every year during times of famine, he would search for traces of Monsters in areas filled with refugees, all for the sake of obtaining Demon Bones!

Who could blame him for his humble origins, lacking an Immortal Bone?

The heavens' mechanisms are forty-nine, leaving a sliver of hope for all things.

Lacking an Immortal Bone did not necessarily mean one couldn't cultivate. Strictly speaking, this limitation applied only to humans, not Monsters...

Monsters did not have distinctions of noble families or lineages, yet they could still cultivate, right? This was because they could naturally generate Demon Bones after birth, often blessed by the Dao of Heaven.

Of course, although Demon Bones were of the same nature as Immortal Bones, smooth and lustrous like jade, bestowed by the Dao of Heaven, they were collectively called Jade Bones. However, one could not use Jade Bones that did not belong to them; forcibly inserting them into another's body would result in them being reclaimed by the Dao of Heaven.

Yet, between heaven and earth, there were also some 'Wondrous Items,' also known as 'Innate Exotic Treasures.' These were different from magic treasures; they could not be refined by anyone and seemed to appear out of nowhere in the world.

These Wondrous Items and Exotic Treasures were unfathomable and unpredictable, possessing all sorts of marvelous characteristics. Legends even claimed they were not limited to 'objects,' but could also be a region or some intangible thing... truly anything imaginable!

And some of these Wondrous Items could provide an alternative path for people to cultivate!

Most people, even cultivators, did not know these secret matters, simply because Wondrous Items were too rare.

Chen Hu knew because he had, by chance, joined the 'Heaven Swallowing Sect' and learned a set of martial arts. Now, at thirty years old, he had already achieved 'Qi and Blood Breakthrough.'

Although the Heaven Swallowing Sect was only a Martial Sect and not yet a cultivation sect, it possessed a sect-protecting Wondrous Item! It was named 'Gluttony Mark.'

This item was born thirty years ago, its origin unknown. As soon as it appeared, it caused great turmoil, and it had a legendary past.

Chen Hu did not know the specifics; this was a sect secret. However, he knew that the once-famous Mount Tai Immortal Sect's downfall was related to this item!

One could imagine how terrifying this Wondrous Item was!

And such an Exotic Treasure was in the hands of a martial arts sect. If word got out, it would undoubtedly stir up a bloody storm.

So, how exactly could he defy the heavens and possess an Immortal Bone? His master remained tight-lipped. His master only told him: "Bring back a Jade Bone, and our sect will enable you to cultivate."

It sounded simple, but obtaining a Jade Bone was incredibly difficult.

He didn't dare to think about Immortal Bones; he couldn't afford to offend the noble families' scions. He could only set his sights on Monsters.

But it was not easy for Monsters to cultivate. Any Spirit Beast that managed to reach the Mystical Stage in the wild was no simple creature. He, a mere Martial Man, could hardly contend with them.

Last year, he had learned of a Dog Demon. It was originally a wild dog that had opened a Spiritual Aperture by feeding on corpses and withered bones for many years. It then ate people for fifteen years, finally becoming a Monster.

The path of cultivation was nothing more than Qi Refining and Absorption Cultivation. Monsters had no classic texts for Qi Refining, so they mostly followed the path of Absorption Cultivation.

Humans could refine pills, but ordinary Monsters had no pills to eat, did they? Besides occasionally encountering heavenly treasures, there was only... eating people.

The most common tonic was people... Humans were the most intelligent of all beings, born with seven apertures, complete five elements, possessing the three essences of spirit, energy, and mind, and their celestial meridians corresponded to the Dao of Heaven.

Therefore, human cultivators also 'ate people.' Of course, not as savagely as Monsters; it was through yin-yang absorption, or by extracting human essence, blood, and organs to refine medicine.

That Dog Demon had eaten countless people. Not only could it transform, but it also had steel teeth and iron jaws, and supernatural abilities to sense qi and blood. It also commanded a pack of wolves and occupied a deep mountain. He and his fellow disciples went to suppress it, but they fell into an ambush, and only he returned alive.

Wandering Knights who could Slay Monsters were all renowned figures in the martial world. Although Heavenly Tiger hailed from the Heaven Swallowing Sect and possessed ultimate techniques to counter Monsters, he was still not quite there yet.

He could only hope to encounter a Monster that had just condensed an Immortal Bone.

He never expected to encounter one today!

"This Demon Infant is so troublesome even after eating someone. My Mortal World Fire must be even more terrifying to it!"

"Even if it's deliberately showing weakness, I'm not afraid. It's ultimately just a lone Monster without subordinates."

Chen Hu pondered. He hadn't ruled out the possibility that the Demon Infant might be very powerful.

After all, a Monster that could deceive and trick people wasn't necessarily weak; it could simply not want to be burned by the Mortal World Fire.

It might even be toying with him, and its demonic power could be formidable.

But Chen Hu was obsessed with longevity. With an opportunity before him, how could he give up?

Moreover, the biggest reason for his failure in subduing the Dog Demon last year wasn't the Dog Demon's combat power, but the numerous fierce beasts and Spirit Beasts under its command. A group of people entered the deep mountain and suffered heavy losses before even seeing the Dog Demon, becoming exhausted.

Now, facing a single Monster, even if he couldn't defeat it, he estimated he could escape. Monsters usually wouldn't pursue Wandering Knights with sect backgrounds too relentlessly.

Chen Hu used his Qinggong to run all the way. He found footprints in the snow, took out a copper bell from his embrace, and looked confused: "Is it really nearby? Did you lead me the wrong way?"

The refugee felt the crushing force of Chen Hu's grip on his bones and cried out, "Great hero, spare me! How dare I deceive you? This is the last place I saw that Demon Infant. The old man carried him towards Tea Mountain. Look, there are footprints on the ground."

Chen Hu muttered, "Strange, why isn't the Demon-Startling Bell ringing? Is the opponent's demonic aura too weak?"

"Take me to see that pot! The pot used to steam and boil the Demon Infant!"

The refugee quickly led him to the pot. There were corpses lying on the ground here, and the water in the hot pot was almost dried up but still boiling.

Chen Hu walked back and forth, holding the copper bell, but it didn't ring.

He muttered to himself...

"Steamed without damage by boiling water, it must have used demonic power to resist. How could it not leave behind any demonic aura?"

"The Demon-Startling Bell my master gave me can identify even ordinary Spirit Beasts. And that Demon Infant can transform, it's at least Mystical Stage, so that can't be the reason for the weak demonic aura..."

"Could it be too powerful, to the point of being able to restrain itself? A... a Spiritual Sense Stage monster?"

The more Chen Hu thought about it, the more nervous he became. The Mystical Stage was manageable, but if it were Spiritual Sense Stage... he'd have virtually no chance of winning. A monster of that level might already be secretly watching him.

He had practiced martial arts for many years, his True Qi was abundant, with twenty years of cultivation. Of course, that wasn't the main point; it was that he had reached 'Qi and Blood Breakthrough' several years ago. Among all the Wandering Knights in the world, he was top-tier.

However, in the eyes of cultivators, this was called 'Three Essences Body Tempering'.

The Body Tempering Stage was the first step in cultivation, and the only stage that didn't require Immortal Bone. It was divided into six stages: Strengthened Bones and Plump Muscles, Strength Reaching All Limbs, Qi and Blood Breakthrough, Intent Piercing the Celestial Spirit, Presence Like Dragon and Tiger, and Water and Fire Harmonized.

One had to complete at least the first stage of Body Tempering to cultivate subsequent methods, activate Immortal Bone, condense Magic Power, and break through the lifespan limit. Only then could one achieve spiritual perception, cast spells, reach the Mystical Stage, and become a true Mystic Practitioner.

Of course, if it were just a minor monster at the Mystical Stage, he was still confident. This was because true cultivators didn't invest too much energy in the mere Body Tempering Stage.

Often, after completing the first stage of Body Tempering to Strengthen Bones and Plump Muscles, they would directly jump to the Mystical Stage.

It was even more so for monsters. Many didn't have body tempering methods at all. Unless they were monsters with naturally exceptional bones or had special opportunities and backgrounds, they usually only reached the first stage.

It was only Martial Men like him, who lacked Immortal Bone, who would spend decades refining their physique, desperately studying in the Body Tempering Stage, struggling and drifting in the mortal world.

As long as they weren't Dao Attainment Realm powerhouses with 'Golden Body Jade Physique', their bodies were often inferior to Martial Artists... If magic and magic treasures weren't used, Chen Hu was confident he could kill a cultivator in a single strike.

Of course, if they used magic treasures and killed him from a thousand miles away, that would be another matter.

In short, some cultivators, if they didn't have enough means, were often unwilling to easily provoke powerful Martial Artists.

Especially since Martial Artists were mortals, protected by Mortal World Fire, which even Immortals found troublesome.

"I'm registered under King Qi's Swift Cavalry Guard. The Mortal World Fire alone can resist at least two years of Dao cultivation. But if that Demon Infant is truly Spiritual Sense Stage, not only can I not win, but if it's reckless and decides to kill me, I'll lose my life."

"Damn it, should I just let it go?"

Chen Hu was unwilling. He kicked over the large pot and gritted his teeth, continuing his pursuit.

The fact that he couldn't sense any demonic aura at all made him feel very uneasy. But no matter what, he had to see it for himself.

What kind of monster is it! If you're hesitant and timid, how can you talk about cultivating for longevity?

The eminent monk Shi Fayi of the Western Regions back then, who walked on lotus flowers step by step, ascended Mount Emei's golden summit, and propagated Buddhist Dharma before numerous Immortals, and then returned alive to the Western Regions. This event shook the martial arts world, but in the end, he still passed away at the age of forty-eight?

Zhao Yuge, the master of Changle Valley, holding a seven-stringed zither, entered Zhongnan alone. His music made ghosts and gods weep, and Immortals' hearts break. He played the five great True Persons of Mount Taibai into the current three great True Persons... His prestige was unmatched at the time, but in the end, wasn't he buried in the yellow earth?

Wang Siwen, the number one in the world, slew six Immortals alone, his sword broke through Heaven Swallowing Sect Mountain, leaving behind the heroic verses 'Immortals attain longevity, I am invincible' and 'A thousand years of cultivation, a single sword's chill'... Now, he is old and frail, suffering from senile dementia in his later years, calling his grandson 'father'... a laughingstock!

"Life is short. Throughout history, no matter how heroic a hero was, they were nothing more than a handful of yellow earth. Only Immortals live forever, watching the winds and clouds, observing the ebb and flow of the human world!"

"I, Chen Hu, must become an Immortal!"

Chen Hu's fighting spirit soared. He strode towards the direction of Tea Mountain, moving like lightning, like a wild horse that had broken free from its reins.

p.s: Sorry.