Chapter 29

The process of a monster transforming into a human form is also quite dangerous. The more complex a monster's origin, the more dangerous the transformation.

However, if they do not undergo this transformation and instead continue to refine their beast form, merely condensing a demon core to become something akin to a golden core, they can naturally enhance their strength and realm. After that, they can also be classified according to the cultivation realms of human cultivators.

However, this cultivation speed is extremely slow. Although monsters can live longer than humans, maintaining their beast form for cultivation makes them somewhat stronger than their human form after transformation. However, monsters are not immortal. Apart from the thousand-year-old turtles and ten-thousand-year-old tortoises, most others can only live a few hundred years longer than ordinary beasts after cultivating a demon core.

Therefore, except for those legendary innate spirit beasts and ancient monster races, ordinary monsters will generally go through the transformation process, turning into human form, at least in terms of their physical appearance.

Now, if Zhu Lingwu wants to wait for this little white fox to cultivate to the transformation realm and become a beautiful fox demon, even if everything goes smoothly, it will likely take more than three hundred years. After all, this little white fox hasn't even condensed a demon core yet.

Moreover, this little white fox is naturally smarter than ordinary spirit beasts and has good potential, which is why it actively absorbs the essence of heaven and earth and cultivates diligently, potentially transforming after three hundred years.

If it were an ordinary spirit beast, like those two black bear spirit beasts, they would rely on instinct, such as absorbing the essence of the moon on full moon nights, but they wouldn't think of actively absorbing the essence of heaven and earth. Even with good potential, they might remain spirit beasts for their entire lives and never become demons.

Of course, some demons actively teach their offspring, forcing them to cultivate and transform into demons, which is part of the demon lineage.

Anyway, Zhu Lingwu can't afford to wait that long, but he doesn't know this yet.

He only heard the shopkeeper say that the little white fox is female, which made him quite happy. Looking at the little white fox's eyes, which narrowed into a crescent moon, an image of a beautiful fox woman with nine flowing white tails appeared in his mind.

"Oh, so a demon that can transform is a great demon! Alright, alright, let's take them back to the county office!"

Zhu Lingwu finally heard some of what the shopkeeper said afterward, feeling a bit disappointed. He realized that his plan to raise a fox demon might not be smooth and would likely take a lot of time, but he was still unwilling to give up easily.

For a witch demon, time is not a significant issue, but Zhu Lingwu had somewhat forgotten that if he became a witch demon, what could he do with a fox demon?

The little white fox, hearing their conversation, glanced at Zhu Lingwu with its shining eyes, its ears twitching slightly, as if it was thinking about something for the first time.

Seeing Zhu Lingwu say this, the shopkeeper bowed slightly, "Yes, I'll have someone load them onto the cart!"

After all, earning and spending money is the master's business. As a poor shopkeeper, he just helps manage the shop and support his family. What can he do if this young master wants to spend money?

"Liáng cái, when the time comes, arrange for them to be kept in the courtyard where I practice," Zhu Lingwu turned and instructed Liáng cái, then stood up. He didn't care about the price of these three spirit beasts; after all, for his family, it was just a drop in the ocean.

It's hard for ordinary commoners to imagine how wealthy a noble family can be, just as a factory worker can't imagine how much wealth a billionaire has, only knowing the number "billion."

Now, it was already dark, and Zhu Lingwu didn't plan to linger in the shop. He was ready to return to the Tongshan County Office.

However, although it was dark, Tongshan County became even busier, with shops on both sides of the street lighting up.

Many adventurers dare not easily spend the night in the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge because, for most demons, nighttime is their normal active time. So, unless necessary, adventurers would return to Tongshan County.

Surrounded by a group of servants, Zhu Lingwu walked out of Chilong Hall and saw a man already waiting at the shop door, who then came forward to greet him.

"Oh, I didn't expect to see Young Master here! Meng Yishi greets Young Master!"

This man had a medicine basket on his back, was about fifty to sixty years old, and was the Meng Yishi who Zhu Lingwu suspected of being suspicious and who had made the Baghdad battery for him.

Originally, Meng Yishi belonged to the craft household of Tongshan County, so he called Zhu Lingwu "Little Master." Now, he was a household slave of the Zhu family, so he had to call Zhu Lingwu "Young Master."

However, Zhu Lingwu didn't want to deal with him much. In fact, in the past three months, Zhu Lingwu discovered something and suspected it was related to Meng Yishi.

He found that he was being monitored by a small wandering soul.

Using such a method on Zhu Lingwu was like showing off in front of an expert. Zhu Lingwu was extremely sensitive to such small wandering souls. He almost couldn't control himself and was about to grab it, use it as a soul power supplement, and convert it into a sub-soul.

But he soon realized that this small wandering soul was not simple. Unlike normal wandering souls, which wander aimlessly and lose their self-awareness, this one was very purposeful, condensing itself and hiding in a dark corner, then releasing a soul thread to watch Zhu Lingwu.

This was very similar to the sub-souls Zhu Lingwu controlled to monitor others, so he had to pretend not to notice and let it continue to monitor him.

In the following three months, this small wandering soul seemed to have recognized Zhu Lingwu. It would follow him wherever he went, making Zhu Lingwu more certain that someone had released it to monitor him.

Moreover, this small wandering soul seemed to have a method to condense its soul power and not dissipate, even absorbing the soul power scattered in the world. Of course, every few days, another small wandering soul would come to replace it.

Zhu Lingwu was seventy percent sure that this was Meng Yishi's doing, as he had initially sensed a ghostly aura from Meng Yishi.

Now, Zhu Lingwu was certain that Meng Yishi was secretly monitoring him. When he went out today, the small wandering soul followed him but was just taken back by Meng Yishi.

Perhaps it was reporting to Meng Yishi about what Zhu Lingwu did today, which made Zhu Lingwu more cautious. Maybe Meng Yishi had sensed something from him.

This made Zhu Lingwu quite alarmed. In the past three months, he had concealed himself very well. If Meng Yishi hadn't sensed anything, he should have given up after three months of monitoring, but he kept watching him.

In the county office, without Zhu Lingwu's orders, Meng Yishi had no chance to see him. Even the maintenance of the Baghdad battery was handled by someone else.

Now, he took the opportunity of Zhu Lingwu being outside to actively seek him out.

What was his purpose?

...

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