"We've run out of ammunition and food..."
Even if the young waiter doesn't come to collect the rent, Chen Changming still has to go out today.
The reason was simple: his food supplies had run out.
Since his time in the Savage Wilderness, Chen Changming's rations have not been Spirit Rice, but the flesh and blood of Demon Beast. As his Body Cultivator improved, his appetite became increasingly astonishing.
Over the past ten years, he has stored very few Blood Spirit Bat corpses left, enough for only two or three days' worth of food.
Because they had been focusing on cultivation, the Demon Spirit Vine and the Silver Thread Heart-Devouring Insect had to stay inside the Beast Taming Bracelet. The Demon Spirit Vine had previously eaten some corpses of Demonized Beast, and over the years it had broken through to the second-level initial stage of Demon Beast.
The Silver Thread Heart-Devouring Insect consumed many Blood Spirit Bat hearts, and although its cultivation level did not increase, its strength was significantly greater than before.
Chen Changming walked out.
The number of people in the private rooms has decreased significantly; the large number of Qi Refining cultivators that used to be there are no longer there.
"This Cangnan Pavilion is too expensive; these Qi Refining cultivators won't be able to afford it anymore once their rent expires..."
Chen Changming thought to himself.
Scanning the rows of single rooms, Chen Changming felt even more hatred for the Cangnan Pavilion. With the number of Qi Refining cultivators decreasing significantly and Foundation Establishment cultivators not being as numerous, the rooms here must be empty.
Since the room was empty, the young waiter still rented it to him at the original price.
"Damn it, it's also my fault for being so talkative!"
Chen Changming wanted to slap himself. He was the one who asked if he wanted to renew the lease at the original price, and then the young waiter looked at him strangely.
Thinking about this, he finally understood.
He was fooled.
Chen Changming was furious, so he went straight to the Cangnan Pavilion and found the young shop assistant.
"Dude, with so many rooms empty, how are you going to rent them to me at the original price?"
Upon meeting, Chen Changming launched into a barrage of questions.
Anyway, he was Foundation Establishment cultivator, while this young man was only at the second level of Qi Refining.
The waiter calmly replied, "Sir, your room is priced as is. If you'd like to change to another room, I'll adjust the price for you."
"Okay, then get me a cheaper one."
Chen Changming said in a cold voice.
"Sir, the transaction is complete, and we'll have to change it next time."
The young waiter shrugged, his expression revealing an air of confidence and arrogance.
Chen Changming frowned, wanting to continue his attack, but then he thought of the power behind the Cangnan Pavilion and held back.
If it costs more Spirit Stone, then so be Spirit Stone.
It wouldn't benefit him to have a conflict with the Cangnan Pavilion.
He's going out of town today to hunt more Demon Beast for food. As for the rent shortfall, he'll make up for it with the profits from selling Demon Beast.
"Sir, although you spent Spirit Stone, you didn't lose out."
The young waiter suddenly let out a cold laugh.
Chen Changming's heart skipped a beat; there was a hidden meaning in the young shop assistant's words.
"What do you mean?"
"Now, all Foundation Establishment cultivators residing in my Cangnan Pavilion are under the protection of the City Lord. Conversely, those Foundation Establishment cultivators without a fixed abode have been captured and taken to the Black Tortoise Division!"
Arrest people?
Chen Changming's expression changed. Was the battle against the Demon-Slaying Alliance really that intense?
When there's a shortage of manpower, they just grab Foundation Establishment cultivators to make up the numbers.
How is this any different from conscripting men?
A sense of crisis arose spontaneously in my heart.
The young waiter looked at Chen Changming smugly. "Sir, if the Black Tortoise Division arrests anyone, just show them our Cangnan Pavilion's token. It'll work, and no one will arrest you."
"Okay, thank you."
Chen Changming clasped his hands in a fist salute and walked out of the Cangnan Pavilion.
At this moment, he felt a little heavy-hearted. If the Demon-Slaying Alliance couldn't withstand the invasion of Demonic Qi, then the entire Chu Kingdom would probably fall.
After leaving Cangnan Pavilion, he headed towards the East Gate.
He entered Cangnan City from the East Gate.
At the entrance of the East Gate, there were more than a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators guarding the gate. Although they wore different clothes, they all had a Black Tortoise ) pattern on their chests.
Among the crowd was a middle-aged woman at the sixth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm. She stood beside a table, tapping her fingers on the surface, her gaze wandering as if searching for something.
"There's a Foundation Establishment cultivator over there, grab him quickly!"
She immediately spotted a man at the second level of the Foundation Establishment Realm walking towards her in the distance.
In a flash, seven or eight Foundation Establishment cultivators rushed over and surrounded Chen Changming.
Chen Changming blinked, a bitter smile creeping onto his face.
He was quite excited, but unexpectedly, he saw his Senior Sister just before leaving the city.
The Senior Sister was the leader of these Foundation Establishment cultivators, and she would grab him as soon as she saw him.
"It seems that Senior Sister has joined the Black Tortoise Division."
Chen Changming thought to himself, he did not resist, and obediently followed the group of Foundation Establishment cultivators to Luo Lan's side.
After fifteen years, the Senior Sister looked a bit older, and her cultivation level had not yet broken through to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment.
Luo Lan sized up Chen Changming, then said with an imposing air, "Fellow Daoist, your strength is considerable. Would you be willing to join my Demon-Slaying Alliance to slay Demon Beast and protect our country?"
Chen Changming didn't say much, but took out the token of the Cangnan Pavilion.
Luo Lan frowned, feeling somewhat disappointed.
This time it was her turn to lead her men to guard Cangnan City. She also wanted to capture a few Foundation Establishment cultivators to fill the personnel gaps, but she didn't expect that this Foundation Establishment cultivator had a certain status.
" The Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Cangnan Pavilion, huh? They're rich and powerful, they have powerful backers..."
She waved.
The people around dispersed, making way for a passage.
Chen Changming nodded slightly and walked directly out of the city gate.
He was very happy to see that his Senior Sister was safe and sound. Moreover, she seemed to be doing quite well, having become a small Senior Sister with a group of people under her command.
Leave Cangnan City.
Chen Changming rode his sword and flew towards the distant mountains.
After flying only a few hundred miles, he saw scattered demonic Demon Beast appearing in the plains and mountains. There weren't many of them, and they were all level one Demon Beast, Chen Changming didn't even notice.
He planned to go into the Demonic Qi to kill some high-level Demon Beast, as both he, the Demon Spirit Vine, and the Silver Thread Heart-Devouring Insect needed to consume Demon Beast.
only.
Chen Changming disliked eating wild beasts corrupted by Demonic Qi; he preferred pure Demon Beast, even Demon Beast corrupted by demonic energy, though eating them would be a bit of a hassle.
He needs to use the purple flames of the Heavenly Furnace Body-Forging Art to burn away the Demonic Qi in the flesh and blood of the Demon Beast, so that he will not be affected by the Demonic Qi.
One day later.
On the horizon, Chen Changming saw a black line.
" The Demonic Qi isn't far from Cangnan City, only about three thousand li away..."
Chen Changming was secretly alarmed.
The Demonic Qi in the Demonic Qi Well spewed out continuously, spreading across the land of the Chu Kingdom, with no end in sight.
Is the Demonic Qi in this Demonic Qi Well inexhaustible?
Chen Changming expressed his doubts about this.
After flying for another two hours, Chen Changming arrived at the outer edge of the Demonic Qi.
The Demonic Qi was only two or three zhang (approximately 6.6-7.6 meters) above the ground, but it spread over a large area, covering a vast expanse of mountains in front of us.
Chen Changming took out two Pigeon Egg and put them in his mouth, silently circulating the Golden Glow Art to restore his internal Law Power.
After a while, he took out two more Pigeon Egg and ate them.
These Pigeon Egg were naturally spat out by the Spirit-Devouring Insect. Although their effects were not as good as the Heavenly Spirit Pill, they were still faster than his absorption of the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth.