Chapter 294 - 208: Tainted by Divine Abilities, Shocking Change in the Song Territory
Chapter 294: Chapter 208: Tainted by Divine Abilities, Shocking Change in the Song Territory
It was like smoke, like mist—formless and intangible, yet undeniably real.
It landed upon the cyan Treasure Talisman.
"SWISH!"
What happened next made Lin Changheng’s eyes widen slightly. The Treasure Talisman, about the size of an adult’s palm, flew directly toward him, shrinking continuously under an azure glow before being drawn into his mouth.
It finally settled in his Dantian, avoiding the Red Sky Profound Flame in the center. It took up a corner and began to bob gently.
But Lin Changheng felt as if the object had lost its physical form, as though it had been assimilated by the blue light.
’Truly miraculous...’
Lin Changheng marveled, sensing that the Treasure Talisman was being nurtured, seemingly inhaling and exhaling Spiritual Mechanism.
’My Lifespan is long anyway. If I spend a hundred years nurturing this genuine Treasure Talisman, I might be able to kill High Tier Cultivators in the future! It will become one of my pillars of support!’
Having acquired the external items he sought, Lin Changheng stopped spending his thoughts and time on them.
Now, it was time to focus on raising his Cultivation.
...
A year passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, two major events occurred in the Song Territory’s Cultivation Realm, and news of them spread like wildfire to the Floating Immortal City.
Naturally, it also reached Lin Changheng’s ears.
This long, stable period, which had been perfect for development, suddenly changed, giving him the faint sense of an approaching storm.
The first was a medium-sized Beast Tide that had erupted in the southern region under the jurisdiction of the Cyan Mist Temple.
Countless Demon Beasts surged out from the depths of the Wilderness in a surprise attack, sweeping toward the lands occupied by Human Race Cultivators.
After a long period of peace, the Human Race Cultivators had spent years on the offensive, actively reclaiming land and keeping the Demon Beasts suppressed. The attack came just as one such reclamation campaign had concluded and they were in the midst of rewarding achievements. This, combined with the sheer ferocity of the Demon Beast horde, caught the Cultivators completely off guard.
Whether it was the bridgeheads established by Human Race Cultivators on the Wilderness Frontline, the resource points still being secured, or the Marketplaces where Cultivators could rest and trade goods, all fell in a short period of time.
Only a few quick-witted Cultivators with superior escape techniques managed to get out alive.
The rest who couldn’t escape could only defend themselves behind protective Grand Arrays. But under the fangs and Sharp Claws of the ferocious horde, they were like old lighthouses in a tsunami—shattering completely after just a few impacts!
With the Array destroyed... so too were the people!
The roars of anger and wails of despair from the Cultivators, and the clash of Magical Power, were endless. The brilliant, dazzling lights from all sorts of Magical Artifacts and Talismans lit up the night as if it were day.
But in the end, it was all in vain.
They were surrounded by savage Demon Beasts that fought without fear of death. One by one, they died gruesome deaths, becoming food for the beasts.
One must understand that to Demon Beasts, ordinary members of the Human Race were tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard.
But Human Race Cultivators were different. Because they had gone through Cultivation, their bodies were not only cleansed by Spiritual Qi, undergoing a fundamental transformation compared to mortals, but they were also sweet and refreshing to the palate of a Demon Beast.
More importantly, the Blood Qi and Spiritual Qi within their flesh and blood were extremely nourishing supplements for Demon Beasts!
Therefore, playing dead in front of a Demon Beast was useless.
The only difference was whether they killed you before eating, or started gnawing on you before you died.
It was just as the saying goes: humans eat demons, and demons eat humans—a cycle of the natural order.
...
When news of the event spread, the Cyan Mist Temple was enraged, and the world was in an uproar.
It could be said that the outcome was utterly devastating. Thirty years of the Cyan Mist Temple’s reclamation efforts were lost overnight!
The fruits of their life-and-death struggle in the Wilderness, the Spiritual Lands and resources gained at the cost of countless Cultivator lives, were once again occupied by the Demon Race.
But the Beast Tide’s assault didn’t stop there. It continued to gather strength, advancing like a great wave.
The Cyan Mist Temple reacted with extreme speed, immediately issuing Daoist Sect missions and conscripting Cultivators from the Cultivation Clans and Loose Cultivators under its jurisdiction to mount an all-out resistance.
The strategy was clear: first, halt the Beast Tide’s advance, hold their ground and stabilize their position, and only then consider a counterattack.
...
As the saying goes, to pull one hair is to move the whole body. Facing the impact of the Beast Tide, the demand for various Elixirs, Talismans, and Arrays skyrocketed.
Prices naturally rose with the tide. Hundred Arts Cultivators worked around the clock to produce them. It could be said that the war machine of this part of the Cultivation Realm had begun to rumble to life.
The demand even radiated out to the Floating Immortal City, causing a slight increase in the prices of various items that aided in Magical Combat, healing supplies, and raw Materials.
A group of Immortal City Cultivators even formed their own parties and set out, hoping to make a fortune by hunting a large number of Demon Beasts.
...
When Lin Changheng heard this news, his first reaction was surprise, and his second was to find it strange.
According to common sense, the gathering of a Beast Tide usually has warning signs, such as an explosive growth in numbers, which is a common cause.
When the inner Wilderness becomes too crowded and natural selection fails to reduce the population fast enough, High Tier Demon Beasts will take action. They drive Low Tier Demon Beast populations to the periphery, forming a Beast Tide. This serves both to cull the excess numbers and to expand their territory.
Therefore, before a Beast Tide erupts, there are usually obvious signs that can appear for months or even years in advance, such as small-scale beast migrations, an abnormal increase in the number of Low Tier Demon Beasts, and escalating territorial conflicts.
The outposts of the Major Sects and Daoist Schools can usually detect these signs in advance and issue warnings.
But this Beast Tide came without any warning. It was as if countless Demon Beasts had materialized from the depths of the Wilderness overnight, forming a torrent that crashed into the lands of the Human Race. This defied all logic. It was more like an invisible hand, an unseen force, was forcibly driving—or even... manipulating—the horde from behind.
Lin Changheng’s brow furrowed, his fingertips tapping unconsciously on the tabletop.
’When things deviate from the norm, there’s always something strange afoot. The truth hidden behind this sudden Beast Tide might be far more terrifying than the disaster on the surface.’
’Was it some High Tier Demon King that has gained Spiritual Wisdom, intending to push south? Or did some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures or Ancient Ruins appear deep within the Wilderness, driving the Demon Beasts into a frenzy? Or perhaps... there was a human hand stirring up trouble from the shadows?’
’Whichever possibility it was, it signified greater uncertainty and danger.’
This put the ever-cautious Lin Changheng on alert.
Fortunately, he was quite far away, so he didn’t need to turn tail and run just yet.
’But there are also opportunities within this crisis.’
Lin Changheng’s gaze was calm and distant. Amidst the Beast Tide, not only would the elixir business be better, but more Demon Beast Materials, such as Essence Blood, would also flow into the market.
Of course, Lin Changheng had no intention of personally hunting Demon Beasts and putting himself in danger. There was no need.
But he had the means to hire someone to collect them on his behalf. He just needed to find a trustworthy person... Then he could just sit tight in the Immortal City.
...
The other piece of news, from the Bixiao Sect in the east, was that Demon Cultivators had resurfaced.
A hidden den of Demon Cultivators was discovered and attacked by the Bixiao Sect.
But for some unknown reason, that group of underground Demon Cultivators wasn’t completely wiped out, failing to achieve a decisive victory like the one the Purple Extreme Sect had previously.
Their leader managed to escape.
...
Later, unofficial rumors began to spread quietly:
They said the Bixiao Sect’s intelligence was flawed. They believed the strongest among the Demon Cultivators was only at the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, so they sent two Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators to lead the extermination, thinking it was a sure thing.
But it turned out there was a Fake Core Cultivator hidden among the Demon Cultivators!
As soon as he revealed himself, he left the two Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Bixiao Sect with one dead and one injured.
He then left with a wild laugh before enemy reinforcements could arrive.
Furthermore, while most of the other Demon Cultivators were killed, a small group still managed to scatter and escape, melting into the Cultivation Realm where they would be difficult to identify.
...
Lin Changheng couldn’t help but frown.
No major incidents had occurred for decades, yet now, after he had been in seclusion for just a single year, two major events had erupted in quick succession.
Both were enough to violently shake the stability of the Song Territory!
’No matter what has happened, or what is about to happen, I must steadily improve myself. That is the only true foundation for facing all uncertainties!’
Lin Changheng felt no anxiety about the situation, only clear-headed resolve.
His gaze then swept over the three pieces of East Wheel Willow Wood on his desk. He picked up the shortest one, cut off a small piece, and placed it in the medicinal bath. Then, he sat down inside it.
"BZZZZ..."
The Evergreen Body of the Ancient Wood began to rumble into operation. The medicinal bath churned as he continued his Body Forging...