Centering on Purple Sun Mountain, those counties are spread over an area of three thousand miles, with a population exceeding two million. Among these two million, over one million belong to the Lu Clan.
After a thousand years of expansion, the descendants of the Lu Family have grown to number in the millions. However, due to the chaos of demon beasts, the chaos of evil cultivators, and other calamities, coupled with natural and man-made disasters, the population has suffered significant losses. If not for these, the Lu surname population would be even greater.
As for the remaining one million, they are mostly comprised of outsiders, living under the protection of the Lu Family.
It's even harder for ordinary people to survive. Without cultivator protection, they could become feed for demon beasts or be used in blood sacrifice rituals by demon cultivators.
Villages and towns without cultivator protection wouldn't last ten days before they are annihilated.
Towns must have a Qi Cultivation Cultivator stationed;
Counties must have a Late Qi Cultivation Cultivator stationed.
In a prefecture, there must be a Purple Mansion Cultivator stationed.
Without powerful cultivators, there's no way to protect ordinary people.
Cultivators are glad to protect these ordinary people, not because they have kind hearts, but because ordinary people are the foundation for cultivators. The more ordinary people there are, the more cultivators can emerge.
...
The flying ship was flying rapidly, traveling at a speed of a hundred meters per second. It swiftly moved towards a nearby village at an altitude of three hundred meters.
The village was situated amongst mountains, located within a small river valley.
The village was built on a small hillside.
In the valley, there were stretches of farmland, with green crops growing, and some farmers walking among them, using hoes to clear weeds.
At the village entrance, a group of children were playing.
The mountain village appeared peaceful and serene.
Upon reaching the village, the flying ship halted.
As the flying ship descended, the entire village was shocked.
Lu Xuanji entered the village, found the village elder, and called upon the villagers.
In less than an hour, over five hundred villagers boarded the flying ship, some reluctantly, unwilling to leave their homes.
But under the command of the "Immortal Master", they could only board the flying ship.
The flying ship moved forward, and about three hours later, arrived at the foot of Purple Sun Mountain, where the villagers disembarked one after another.
Lu Family cultivators stepped forward to guide and arrange them.
Piloting the flying ship, Lu Xuanji departed again.
Heading to other villages to guide the common folk.
In just one day, he made five to six round trips, transporting around three thousand people.
Over and over, countless flying ships descended near Purple Sun Mountain, transporting ordinary folk repeatedly, gradually gathering a large number of ordinary people near Purple Sun Mountain. The population grew larger and larger. With the guidance of Lu Family cultivators maintaining order, there were no major incidents.
Woo woo woo!
The flying ship advanced, and Lu Xuanji once again stopped in front of a village, calling upon the common folk, with more people boarding the flying ship.
The flying ship set off, heading towards the Lu Family.
The flying ship underfoot was extremely simplistic.
A standard flying ship would have defensive arrays, offensive arrays, and ultra-fast speed, with formidable defenses, making it a weapon of war.
But at this moment, the flying ship used by Lu Xuanji to transport people was a highly simplified version.
Such a flying ship had weak defenses; a single flying sword could split it open, making it a sitting target in the air. Its speed was slow, only a hundred meters per second, even Foundation Establishment cultivators flying with sword flight would be faster; as for offensive weapons, there were virtually none. To cultivators, it was almost useless.
However, such a flying ship was cheap, priced at only ten Spirit Stones, but could transport a large number of ordinary people.
Busy like this, after about a month, the task of transporting people was completed.
Approximately two hundred and fifty thousand people gathered near Purple Sun Mountain in an area less than ten square kilometers. The population was vast, creating overcrowding, but with the arrangement of Lu Family cultivators, they were distributed in order.
Standing at the cave mansion entrance, looking at the densely packed people, Lu Xuanji felt numb with anxiety.
...
Lu Family, conference hall.
Twenty-three Foundation Establishment cultivators were each seated on chairs, with Lu Fuming sat at the center position.
This Purple Mansion Elder said, "The Dan Yang Sect has issued a summons; the beast tide is about to come. Being passively defensive will only result in losing ground everywhere. It is best to proactively strike, intercepting high-level demon beasts at Iron Ridge Pass. As per the old rules, the family must send half of its cultivators, that is twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators, along with this old man, to the front line!"
"As for who goes, we will decide by drawing lots, life and death are determined by fate, and wealth is in the hands of heaven!"
The Purple Mansion Elder said, taking out a cylinder, putting in twenty-three slips.
"Everyone check the cylinder."
All the cultivators went up to inspect, and once they confirmed there was no trickery, they began drawing lots in turn; some drew the short straw, while others did not.
"Go and prepare!"
The Purple Mansion Elder said.
"Half a day for preparation, depart for Iron Ridge Pass!"
All the cultivators responded in unison.
...
But soon, a flying ship appeared in the sky.
The flying ship was ten meters long and three meters wide. It seemed not very large overall, yet it was entirely made of Profound Iron, exuding a dark glow; mysterious array patterns were engraved on it with a faint light enveloping the outside of the flying ship, with three rune cannons on board.
This was the Third Grade Flying Ship "Flood Dragon".
The Flood Dragon was a Third Grade Flying Ship that could activate defensive arrays, transforming into a Rune Light Shield to withstand attacks from a Purple Mansion peak; it also had three rune cannons on board whose attacks could rival those of an Early Stage of Golden Core; its top speed could match the escape technique of an Early Stage of Golden Core.
Standing on the flying ship was the Purple Mansion Elder Lu Fuming, along with twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Lu Family.
Swish!
The flying ship flashed, flying out of Purple Sun Mountain, disappearing into the distance.
"Mother, where did the Elder go?"
Lu Xuanji asked.
"The centennial beast tide is about to arrive. Merely relying on passive defense, depending on the Mountain Protection Array of Purple Sun Mountain is far from enough. Prolonged defense will fail; only by taking the initiative to attack can the pressure on Purple Sun Mountain be alleviated... The Dan Yang Sect is summoning cultivators from major families to the front line to resist some Great Demons!"
Ye Xinlan said, her expression somewhat worried.
Every time the beast tide strikes, a Purple Mansion cultivator falls, and even a Golden Core cultivator might fall.
...
Boom boom boom!
A great commotion resounded, and with the noise, a herd of demon beasts appeared on the horizon in the distance, with cat demon beasts, pig demon beasts, mouse demon beasts, sheep demon beasts, wolf demon beasts, and more, coming in groups. Swarming like a tide, they engulfed everything.
The beast tide primarily consisted of low-level bloodline beasts, mainly First-Level Demon Beasts, many of which had just awakened shallow intelligence and were in a state of confusion, yet they were most ferocious.
Lu Xuanji witnessed this scene and felt his scalp tingling.
A lone demon beast is very weak.
A cultivator in the first level of Qi Cultivation can kill it with one sword strike.
But when gathered in vast numbers, millions, tens of millions, or even billions, the formed beast tide is enough to drown everything.
Not to mention Foundation Establishment cultivators, even Purple Mansion cultivators could be overwhelmed.
When ants become numerous, they can bite an elephant to death.
Moreover, within the beast tide, some Second-Level Demon Beasts and Third-Level Demon Beasts lurk, ready to ambush powerful human cultivators at any moment.
The passage of the beast tide was like a flood, engulfing everything, destroying villages, ravaging cities, and wrecking spiritual fields. Many unharvested Spirit Medicines and Spirit Rice were looted, and the spiritual fields suffered destruction.
Many villages were submerged by the beast tide, becoming ruins in an instant.
Some human civilians who did not manage to flee to Purple Sun Mountain were overrun by the beast tide attack, and the moment they reappeared, only skeletons remained.
And there were some loose cultivators or cultivators who couldn't retreat in time, who, under the beast tide attack, lost their vitality in less than a moment.