Sudden Change

It was about time, so Shi Lan exited the virtual space.

After tidying herself up and getting dressed, Shi Lan grabbed a vine-like medicinal herb from her desk and took a bite.

Feeling the bitter taste in her mouth, Shi Lan couldn't help but frown. The tastes of medicinal herbs were incredibly varied. The Blood Ginseng she had before was already considered top-tier in terms of taste.

The medicinal herbs she had been eating these days were either deathly bitter or numbingly astringent.

Only when these medicinal herbs were refined into pills could their medicinal properties be maximized. However, alchemists were too rare, and there were none in Tenglong City, at least.

Moreover, most alchemists had no interest in refining low-level pills for Body Tempering Realm cultivation. Most of the pills circulating in the market were for the cultivation of martial artists at the Foundation Realm and above.

The Body Tempering Realm mainly focused on tempering the physical body. It primarily relied on the flesh and blood of birds and beasts, combined with some medicinal herbs for nourishment, which was the so-called medicinal cuisine.

Shi Lan sat down cross-legged and circulated the Jade Body Forging Technique, beginning to digest the medicinal power.

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. To break through, she could only continue to strengthen her physical body.

The flow of energy within her body gradually slowed down. Shi Lan's bones, muscles, and flesh were strengthening bit by bit. Suddenly, as if a cloud had parted to reveal the sun, the barrier of the second level of the Body Tempering Realm shattered instantly.

The speed of the energy flow within her body surged several levels, and Shi Lan felt her strength increase dramatically.

The surging power in her body made her forget about refining the medicinal power. She got up and started practicing the Vajra Divine Fist.

Wind faintly whistled around Shi Lan's fists and feet. It was a world of difference compared to the first time she practiced, which was like a snail's crawl.

After finishing a set of movements that flowed like water, Shi Lan broke into a light sweat and was slightly out of breath. The remaining medicinal power had also integrated into every corner of her body during this process.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Shi Lan happily walked into the bathroom.

Six hundred miles west of Tenglong City lay Nine Heavens City. Compared to Tenglong City, Nine Heavens City was closer to the Human Race border, less than ten thousand miles from the boundless Demon Domain. Foundation Realm martial artists could travel back and forth in less than half a month.

A troop of soldiers clad in black armor, riding swift Flood Dragons, slowly entered Nine Heavens City.

Flood Dragons contained a trace of dragon blood, making them extremely fast. They were as swift as the wind, no slower than ordinary Foundation Realm martial artists traveling by weapon.

The cold armor of these soldiers was mostly stained with blood. The blood had long since dried, forming dark brown scabs that clung to the armor.

Some soldiers' armor had black scabs, making it impossible to distinguish between armor and bloodstains.

The entire troop was less than five hundred strong. Silence reigned within the military formation. A large banner with golden characters on a black background stood in the center of the formation, bearing the two words 'Suppress Demons'.

Pedestrians who had been watching the excitement along the way felt an immense power emanating from the words 'Suppress Demons', inspiring awe.

The banner was impeccably clean, free from dust, forming a stark contrast with the blood-stained soldiers.

Upon entering Nine Heavens City, this troop headed straight for the City Lord's mansion.

The City Lord of Nine Heavens City was already waiting at the entrance.

The army formed a formation in front of the City Lord's mansion. The leading general dismounted and walked up to the City Lord, his voice stern as he ordered, "Summon all martial artists at the Foundation Realm and above in the city to the City Lord's mansion immediately!"

The City Lord wore a wry smile. "Sir, my position in Nine Heavens City is not high. I fear many martial artists will not obey." Although he was the nominal City Lord, in Nine Heavens City, he had to rely on the whims of the major families to survive.

"This is an Imperial Court decree. Those who do not obey will be killed without mercy!" As the general's words fell, an incredibly terrifying aura of killing intent spread out.

Hearing the name, which he hadn't heard in a long time, the City Lord's blood surged. He responded loudly, "I respectfully obey the Imperial Court's decree!"

The City Lord's mansion quickly issued the summons. Ordinary citizens had no reaction to the mention of the Imperial Court, but a few elders, over seventy years old, showed shock in their eyes.

The major families in the city did not hesitate. They tallied the martial artists at the Foundation Realm and above within their clans and converged grandly at the City Lord's mansion.

Seeing the considerable number of martial artists gathered in the plaza, the general breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yunshan Gorge has fallen."

The general's first sentence stirred up a tempest.

"How is that possible?"

"Yunshan Gorge is one of our Human Race's vital border passes! It has seventy thousand Demon Suppression Army soldiers stationed there year-round! There's even a Heaven-Man Realm expert guarding it! It's impregnable, how could it have fallen?!"

"That's right, it's absolutely impossible!"

Discussions erupted in the crowd, creating a cacophony.

A middle-aged man, around forty years old, with a pale, beardless face, narrowed his eyes slightly. Surprisingly, there was no shock in his expression.

A beautiful woman stood beside the man. Seeing his expression, she asked softly with a hint of surprise, "Father, did you already know?"

The man shook his head slightly and said softly, "I'll explain it to you later."

"Silence!" The general at the front suddenly roared, suppressing the noise in the crowd. Some martial artists with lower cultivation levels even felt their blood and qi surge, almost making them vomit.

Regaining their composure, everyone looked at the general at the front with expressions of horror.

"A Demon Emperor tore up the treaty and launched an attack on Yunshan Gorge. Eighty to ninety percent of the seventy thousand Demon Suppression Army were lost, and six Heaven-Man Realm experts bled on the frontier," the general stated calmly, recounting the events that had just transpired.

Suppressed gasps echoed through the crowd. The words 'Demon Emperor' had a devastating impact on everyone.

Some people looked panicked and slowly moved towards the entrance of the City Lord's mansion, already thinking of fleeing the area.

"Everyone, do not panic. The Imperial Court has ordered an emergency summons for all of you to resist the Demon Beast invasion." Seeing the reactions of the crowd, a flicker of disappointment appeared in the general's eyes.

"Sir, please don't joke. What kind of existence is a Demon Emperor? Even if all of us here were tied together, we probably wouldn't be enough for it to swat us away with one hand!" an old man, nearly sixty, couldn't help but speak.

"Naturally, I won't ask you to deal with the Demon Emperor. Yunshan Gorge has now fallen, and a large number of Demon Beasts of unknown levels are pouring into Chengtian Domain. If these Demon Beasts are not stopped, the billions of common people in Chengtian Domain will suffer immensely!"

The general took a deep breath and bowed slightly. "I hope you will assist the Demon Suppression Army in blocking the Beast Tide."

Few people responded in the crowd. The general's eyes glinted coldly. They refused a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Just as the general was about to lose his temper, a gentle voice slowly sounded, "Our Lu Family is willing to contribute a small effort for the billions of common people in Chengtian Domain."

The general sized up the man who spoke, his eyes suddenly lighting up. He asked, "May I ask who you are?"

"The current head of the Lu Family, Lu Changfeng."