Demon Transformation (Seeking Collection)

Demon!

The word seemed to carry a strange power, making Chunyu and Qiao Wuchang's faces turn pale, their breathing becoming difficult.

"There's no time, we leave immediately and escape this place."

Linghu Yang made a swift decision and was about to use his movement technique, heading towards the city gate.

"Wait… Lord Guardian, could you give me the time it takes for an incense stick to burn? I still have my wife and child…"

A deacon from Yuan He Demonuntain's expression shifted several times before he suddenly shouted.

"Scram!"

Linghu Yang's figure didn't slow down at all, and he was regretting it in his heart.

If he had been more vigilant, or if the letter from his sect had arrived sooner, he might have already escaped.

And now, the Demon seed had appeared!

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

Let alone the deacon's family, even the deacon himself couldn't make Linghu Yang delay for an instant!

His movement technique was astonishing; Chunyu and Qiao Wuchang could only see afterimages, their expressions changing drastically as they sprinted to catch up.

Along the way, they occasionally saw scattered monsters slaughtering people, but the three from Yuan He Demonuntain ignored them as if they were blind.

Finally, Linghu Yang took the lead and broke through the city gate.

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

Outside the city gate, the original farmland and the official road had all disappeared.

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

The enormous black mist was like a thick city wall, completely encircling Black Stone City.

"This is…"

Behind him, the sound of fluttering robes suddenly arose.

Upon seeing this scene, Chunyu's ice-cold expression turned into one of immense shock.

"The Demon Domain has formed, this place has become a death trap, we… can't get out!"

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

If one looked closely at this moment, they would notice that in the eyes of this Yuan He Demonuntain guardian, there seemed to be a hint of… despair?

White Cloud Martial Arts School.

"Something… is not right."

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

The surroundings were dim, as if it were dusk, when the sun had set.

His own Spiritual Awareness was frantically issuing warnings, as if some danger was lurking nearby.

This made Fang Xi's mood become somewhat anxious.

"Quick!"

"Block the main entrance!"

"Get weapons!"

"Fire, these monsters are afraid of fire!"

The disciples of the martial arts school panicked. Only after discovering that the strange figures were afraid of flames and didn't dare to approach did they finally feel a little more at ease.

"What… what is going on?"

Fang Xi wiped the black ash from his face and looked at Mu Piaomiao.

The Senior Disciple Sister's appearance was even more disheveled; her originally clean and tidy skirt was now covered in bloodstains.

"I… I don't know…" Mu Piaomiao murmured, her eyes vacant. "Could it be some kind of strange Demon Beast that snuck into the city?"

"If that's the case, there are at least two types," Fang Xi pondered. "One seems to be parasitized by a tree, making it difficult even for the Martial Hall Master to deal with, and it has a rather strong infectious nature… The other has black markings on its face, and its strength also surpasses that of ordinary Three Changes of Qi and Blood martial practitioners!"

He had already collected a few drops of blood from the second type of monster, carefully sealing them in a jade bottle for future research.

But the first type, that strange plant, suspected of having life, Fang Xi didn't dare to touch it rashly.

Suddenly, a figure rushed through the wall of flames and landed in the martial arts school.

Many disciples were startled, but upon seeing who it was, they felt slightly relieved: "Hall Master, the Hall Master is back!"

"Dad!"

Mu Piaomiao cried tears of joy, only to see Mu Canglong's face pale, one hand hanging limply, and blood continuously seeping out.

He waved his hand at this moment and shouted sternly, "Piaomiao! Don't come over!"

"Dad, what's wrong?" Mu Piaomiao froze on the spot, not knowing what to do.

Mu Canglong looked at the crowd around him and took a deep breath. "My disciples, those who wish to return home, go home now. Those who wish to stay within the Martial Arts School must hand over one hundred catties of grain!"

"Grain?!"

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

"Because of the Demon!"

A bitter smile flickered on Mu Canglong's lips. "Black Stone City... can't be left anymore..."

Before he could finish speaking, his expression changed, and he spat out a mouthful of black blood.

At the same time, dark patterns appeared along his blood vessels, emerging from his collar.

"It's one of those monsters!"

A disciple of the Martial Arts School saw this and was so scared he peed himself. "The Hall Master is going to turn into a man-eating monster too..."

He had personally seen several fellow disciples' faces covered in these dark marks, after which they became unrecognizable.

With a scream, he snatched a torch and ran out of the Martial Arts School, disappearing without a trace.

As he ran, the other apprentices scattered like startled birds and beasts.

Only a few people remained.

"Let them go... it's better if they go."

Seeing this, a strange smile appeared on Mu Canglong's face.

"Dad..." Mu Piaomiao's eyes were red, and tears streamed down her face.

"Sigh... don't worry. Although Father has been cursed by the Demon Demon, I can still suppress it with True Force for a while..."

Mu Canglong looked at his daughter with affection and comforted her.

"Master, what did you mean earlier when you said Black Stone City can't be left?" Fang Xi didn't leave. Instead, he watched Mu Canglong with great interest and suddenly asked.

"It means exactly what it says. The entire Black Stone City has become a cage. No one can leave..."

Mu Canglong shook his head and looked at the remaining disciples, saying miserably, "Not to mention the danger of the Demon disaster... we'll likely die here anyway due to lack of food."

Fang Xi suddenly understood.

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

Large cities had the most people, but lacked resources!

Even a small Black Stone City needed a large number of surrounding farms and villages to provide grain and vegetables, with long queues of supply trucks arriving daily.

Once sealed off, with no supplies coming in, it would instantly become... a living hell!

But, what does 'can't be left' mean? No...

Fang Xi's eyes shone. "Demon disaster? Is it the Demon among Demon Demon? Is there a Demon causing trouble in the city?"

"Precisely!" Mu Canglong sat down on the ground and replied with a bitter smile. "I'm not afraid of any powerful Great Demon, because Demon can get injured, they can die! As long as cultivators can inflict damage on them, with Da Liang's forces, even the most powerful Demon can be overwhelmed."

That statement sounds so much like a player... Players, even gods, as long as they show a health bar, can be killed, you know!

Fang Xi silently gave a thumbs-up in his heart and heard Mu Canglong continue, "...But Demon are different. Demon are immortal! Even the weakest Demon cannot be destroyed! Demon are immortal and indestructible, so every time they rampage through a place, Da Liang often has to abandon it..."

His tone was filled with despair.

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

Only now did he realize how troublesome the Demon among Demon Demon were!

Immortal and indestructible? Is that true?

Fang Xi was somewhat disbelieving.

Or perhaps... these cultivators are too weak.

Demon that cultivators cannot destroy, perhaps we cultivators can.

Even if Qi Refining Stage cultivators can't destroy them, perhaps Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators can deal with them with a flick of their wrist...

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

Thinking this, Fang Xi felt much better.

At the same time, his interest in these 'Demon' greatly increased.

This world is truly interesting. Ordinary Demon Beast meat is a treasure for body refinement, and 'Demon' are said to be immortal and indestructible. Isn't this what cultivators dream of?

"Does the current Black Stone City... have a Demon?" Tang Xuan took a few steps back, his expression filled with terror, but also a hint of hope. "Master... the government and Yuan He Demonuntain, they say there are even True Force martial artists, they should be able to, they should be able to..."

Mu Canglong shook his head. "There was once a Martial Arts Grandmaster who killed a Demon ninety-nine times in a short period... but the Demon was still not destroyed and quickly revived. Conversely... that Grandmaster was eventually exhausted to death. Facing a Demon, martial artists are like mortals facing Demon Beasts, utterly helpless."

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

Hearing this, Liu Taotao's eyes lit up. "Wait for the imperial court to save us?"

"No." Mu Canglong shook his head. "Wait for this Demon to eat its fill... lose all interest in this place, and then leave voluntarily..."

An emotion called 'despair' began to envelop everyone in the Martial Arts School.

"Ah, look, what is that?"

Liu Taotao looked up and suddenly exclaimed.

Fang Xi followed his gaze, and his expression instantly became extremely solemn.

He saw... a giant tree!

The enormous, pitch-black canopy continued to grow and expand... like a giant black bowl, about to engulf all of Black Stone City.

Vine-like aerial roots dangled down from the canopy, emitting a faint black mist.

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

The monsters rampaging outside seemed to receive some kind of command and began to converge towards the city center.

Then, one by one, the aerial roots descended, burrowing into the back of their necks, hanging them all up to sway in the wind...

"Is this... similar to the relationship between worker ants and an ant queen?"

Fang Xi muttered to himself, "These monsters are just extracting nutrients to ultimately nourish the main tree and let it grow?"

"I never expected to see such a magnificent and bizarre life form in this world..."