Once enough time had passed, Shi Lan left the virtual space.
After cleaning herself up and getting dressed, Shi Lan picked up a piece of medicinal herb from the desk that looked like a vine and took a bite.
Feeling the bitter taste spread through her mouth, Shi Lan couldn't help frowning. Medicinal herbs came in all kinds of flavors. The Blood Ginseng she'd eaten earlier had been top-notch in terms of taste.
The herbs she'd been eating these past few days were either bitter to death or so astringent they made her mouth go numb.
These herbs could unleash their full medicinal properties only after being refined into pills, but alchemists were far too rare. At least, there weren't any in Tenglong City.
Besides, most alchemists had little interest in making low-grade pills for Body Tempering Realm cultivators. Most of the pills circulating on the market were for warriors at the Xiantian Realm and above.
The Body Tempering Realm was mainly about tempering the body. Cultivators mostly relied on the flesh and blood of birds and beasts, supplemented with medicinal herbs, to nourish themselves. This was what people called medicinal cuisine.
Shi Lan sat cross-legged, activated the Jade Forging Art, and began to absorb the medicinal energy.
Two days ago, Shi Lan had already reached the peak of the first level of the Body Tempering Realm. Her strength seemed to have hit a bottleneck. She knew this was the barrier to the second level of the Body Tempering Realm, and that the only way to break through was to continue strengthening her body.
The flow of energy within her slowed more and more. Bit by bit, Shi Lan's muscles, bones, and flesh grew stronger. Then, as if clouds had parted to reveal the sun, the barrier to the second level of the Body Tempering Realm shattered in an instant.
The energy within her surged several levels faster, and Shi Lan felt her strength increase dramatically.
The power swelling in her body left her no time to keep refining the medicinal energy. She rose to her feet and began practicing the Vajra Divine Fist.
Her fists and feet stirred up faint gusts of wind. Compared to her first attempt, when she'd moved as slowly as a crawling snail, the difference was like night and day.
After completing the set of moves in one smooth flow, Shi Lan was covered in a thin sheen of sweat and breathing slightly hard. The remaining medicinal energy had also seeped into every corner of her body as she practiced.
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Shi Lan happily made her way into the bathroom.
Six hundred miles west of Tenglong City lay Jiuxiao City. Compared with Tenglong City, Jiuxiao City was closer to the human frontier, less than ten thousand miles from the boundless Demon Domain. A Xiantian Realm warrior could make the round trip in less than half a month.
A troop of soldiers clad in black armor and mounted on dragon horses slowly entered Jiuxiao City.
Dragon horses carried a trace of dragon blood. They were swift of foot and moved like the wind, no slower than ordinary Xiantian Realm warriors flying on their magical weapons.
Most of the soldiers' cold armor was stained with blood. Long since dried, the blood had congealed into dark brown scabs that clung to their armor.
Some of the bloodstains on their armor had turned black, making it hard to tell what was armor and what was blood.
The entire troop numbered fewer than five hundred. Silence reigned within their ranks, where a black banner emblazoned with gold characters stood at the center. Two large characters on it read "Suppress Demons."
The pedestrians who had gathered to watch along the way felt an immense, awe-inspiring power when they saw the words "Suppress Demons."
The banner was immaculate, untouched by even a speck of dust—a stark contrast to the soldiers, who were covered in blood and grime.
After entering Jiuxiao City, the troop headed straight for the city lord's manor.
The city lord of Jiuxiao City was already waiting at the entrance to greet them.
The troop formed ranks in the manor courtyard. Their leading officer dismounted, walked up to the city lord, and barked out an order in a hard voice: "Summon every warrior in the city at the Xiantian Realm or above. Have them report to the city lord's manor at once!"
The city lord gave a bitter smile. "My lord, I have little standing in Jiuxiao City. I'm afraid many warriors won't obey the order." Though he was the city lord in name, he still had to live at the mercy of the several great lineages in Jiuxiao City.
"This is an edict of the Imperial Court. Anyone who refuses the summons will be put to death without exception!" As the officer spoke, a terrifying aura of slaughter burst forth.
Hearing a name he hadn't heard in years, the city lord felt his blood surge. He called out loudly, "I shall obey the edict of the Imperial Court!"
The city lord's manor soon issued the summons. Ordinary citizens showed little reaction upon hearing the words "Imperial Court." Only a few elderly men, each well past seventy, showed shock in their eyes.
The city's great lineages didn't hesitate at all. They gathered every warrior in their families at the Xiantian Realm or above and streamed toward the city lord's manor.
Looking at the sizable crowd of warriors gathered in the courtyard, the officer let out a faint sigh of relief.
"Yunshan Gorge has fallen."
The officer's opening words set off a storm.
"How is that possible?"
"Yunshan Gorge is one of the most important passes on the human frontier! Seven hundred thousand Suppress Demons Army soldiers are stationed there year-round! There's even a Heavenly Human Realm powerhouse commanding the garrison! It's as solid as a fortress. How could it have fallen?!"
"That's right! It's impossible!"
The courtyard erupted into a cacophony of voices.
A middle-aged man of about forty, with a pale face and no beard, narrowed his eyes slightly. There was not a trace of surprise on his face.
Beside him stood a beautiful young woman. Seeing his expression, she couldn't help asking in a quiet, surprised voice, "Father, did you already know?"
The man gave a slight shake of his head and said softly, "I'll explain when we get back."
"Silence!" The officer at the very front suddenly bellowed. His voice drowned out the commotion. Some of the weaker Xiantian Realm warriors felt their blood and energy churn inside them, nearly making them sick.
When they came to their senses, everyone looked toward the officer at the front, their eyes filled with shock.
"A Demon Emperor broke the treaty and attacked Yunshan Gorge. Seven hundred thousand Suppress Demons Army soldiers were reduced to a tenth of their number, and six Heavenly Human Realm powerhouses fell in battle on the frontier." The officer calmly recounted what had happened not long ago.
A suppressed gasp rippled through the crowd. The words "Demon Emperor" hit them like a thunderbolt.
Some were so shaken they began edging toward the manor gate, already thinking of fleeing.
"Everyone, there's no need to panic. The Imperial Court urgently summoned you here to help repel the demonic beasts." Seeing their reaction, a flicker of disappointment appeared in the officer's eyes.
"My lord, surely you're joking." A man nearing sixty couldn't hold back any longer. "What kind of existence is a Demon Emperor? Even if you tied all of us here together, we wouldn't be enough to withstand a single slap from it!"
"Of course, you won't be fighting the Demon Emperor. Now that Yunshan Gorge has fallen, great numbers of demonic beasts of unknown ranks have poured into the Chengtian Domain. If they aren't stopped, the billions of common people in the Chengtian Domain will be plunged into misery!"
The officer took a deep breath and bowed slightly. "I hope you'll assist the Suppress Demons Army in stopping the beast tide."
Few in the courtyard responded. A cold glint appeared in the officer's eyes. They wouldn't take the carrot, so they'd have to be beaten with the stick! Just as he was about to act, a warm voice rang out: "The Lu Clan is willing to do its part, however modest, for the billions of common people in the Chengtian Domain."
The officer looked the speaker over, his eyes suddenly brightening. He asked, "May I ask who you are?"
"I am the current head of the Lu Clan, Lu Changfeng."
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