Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

As soon as Chen Yuan finished speaking, both Yuan Ting Zhenren and Jiu Yuan Shangren turned pale and stared intently at Shen Jibai, exuding a chilling killing intent.

Just a quarter of an hour ago, they were absolutely convinced that the five great cultivators who were still resisting the demon race despite the current weakness of the human race were people with strong willpower who had survived the test of time and should never have submitted to the demon race.

But just a quarter of an hour later, Shen Jibai ruthlessly shattered their beliefs, and even their mental state became somewhat unstable.

At this moment, they had only one thought: to question Shen Jibai about why he had sided with the demon race, and then to tear him to pieces and extract his soul.

But in front of Master Xinghuo, no matter how angry they were, they could only suppress their anger and wait for this senior Nascent Soul cultivator to deal with them.

Upon hearing this, Shen Jibai gave a bitter smile: "Since you already know that I have a Blood Silk Gu planted in my body and my life and death are controlled by the demon race, how can I be frank with you?"

Chen Yuan said calmly, "Relax your mind, and I will remove the Blood Veil Gu for you."

Shen Jibai was stunned, staring intently at Chen Yuan, his eyes filled with disbelief: "Senior can remove the Blood Veil Gu?"

Chen Yuan raised his right hand, his black hair turning snow-white, and a wisp of slightly illusory white flame emerged from his palm, then rose up in a dazzling display, emitting an eerie light.

"Relax your mind." He didn't explain, he just repeated the sentence, his voice turning colder.

Shen Jibai glanced at the white flames with a mixture of belief and doubt, his expression struggling. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.

Master Jiuyuan, Master Yuanting, and Zhang Xuancang were also quite puzzled. Could it be that this mysterious Senior Xinghuo really had the means to erase the Blood Silk Gu?

With a thought, Chen Yuan sent the Zhu Yan True Fire, following the mysterious connection in the darkness, quietly into Shen Jibai's soul space.

Like Dugu Sha, in Shen Jibai's soul space, there was a slightly illusory blood pupa, clinging tightly to the top of his soul like a malignant tumor.

By opening his mind, Shen Jibai essentially exposed the Blood Veil Gu.

The moment Chen Yuan's divine sense saw the blood pupa, it silently split in two, from which emerged a strange insect resembling a butterfly, identical to the Blood Silk Gu within Dugu Sha's body.

However, this Blood Silk Gu was more than twice the size, and the blood color on its body was much more intense.

After the Blood Silk Gu awakens, its pupa shell shatters into specks of pale red light and vanishes without a trace.

This half-illusory, half-real blood-silk gu, completely disregarding the surging Zhu Yan True Fire, had its two compound eyes flash eerily, and gently flapped its two seemingly weak wings.

Two thick beams of blood-red light extended from its wings, dispersing into countless fine, hair-like blood threads that enveloped Shen Jibai's soul and rapidly tightened.

When this Blood Vein Gu takes effect, it is far more powerful than the Blood Vein Gu within Dugu Sha's body.

In an instant, Shen Jibai's soul was completely covered by a large net woven from blood threads. The blood-red threads tightly bound his soul and seeped in, threatening to completely dismember and tear his soul into millions of pieces!

Outside the soul space, Shen Jibai felt the intense pain emanating from his soul, revealing a look of agony. His features were contorted, and his body was tightly curled up, relying solely on instinct to maintain his escape light. He no longer possessed the dashing demeanor of a refined young gentleman.

His aura was also fluctuating and rapidly declining, like a candle flickering in the wind, which could be extinguished at any moment.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Ting Zhenren and Jiu Yuan Shangren couldn't help but feel a surge of pleasure. Such a traitor to the human race, a coward who fears death, deserves this fate!
But this torture only lasted for a moment. Just as the blood-red net was about to completely engulf Shen Jibai's soul, Chen Yuan finally made his move.

The surging Zhu Yan True Fire rushed towards Shen Jibai's soul like a tide, attaching itself to the blood-silk net and rising up suddenly.

Faced with the True Fire of the Vermilion Bird, the Blood Silk Gu within Dugu Sha's body offered no resistance and was silently burned to ashes. The Blood Silk Net quickly dried up and shrank, turning into clumps of pale red dust that dissipated into the soul space.

However, this Blood Silk Gu was much more tenacious. Even the Zhu Yan True Fire took ten breaths to burn the Blood Silk Net into nothingness.

Ten breaths may not seem like a long time, but the Zhu Yan True Fire is most effective against spirits and ghosts, and the Blood Silk Gu, a peculiar Gu worm that is half real and half illusory, is naturally among them.

However, the main reason it could last for ten breaths was that Chen Yuan did not want to erase Shen Jibai's soul as well, and intentionally controlled the power of the Zhu Yan True Fire.

The butterfly-shaped Blood Silk Gu trembled violently, its soft membranous wings fluttering incessantly. Blood-red light drifted down, like pollen being scattered in a flower field, both alluring and chilling.

But no matter how much crimson light there was, it was all utterly obliterated before the overwhelming power of the true spirit.

As the Blood Silk Gu was burned to nothingness, the Zhu Yan True Fire was also separated from Shen Jibai's soul and disappeared.

Chen Yuan lowered his right hand, and the Zhu Yan True Fire in his palm slowly subsided, but his white hair did not return to its original state.

Shen Jibai's pain came to an abrupt end. He gasped for breath, slowly straightened up, his neatly styled hair now disheveled, his back soaked with cold sweat, looking utterly pathetic.

In order to save Shen Jibai's life, Chen Yuan intentionally controlled the power of the Zhu Yan True Fire, but he did not show any mercy.

During the process of removing the Blood Veil Gu, Shen Jibai's soul would inevitably be burned by the Zhu Yan True Fire.

The short ten breaths felt like ten years, causing Shen Jibai unbearable pain.

But after enduring the two cruel tortures of being slowly sliced ​​to death and having his soul burned, a look of wild joy appeared on his face, followed by deep regret and shame.

He said in a daze, "The Blood Silk Gu can actually be erased! The Blood Silk Gu can actually be erased... Heaven has forsaken me! If you had appeared sooner, senior, I wouldn't have had to serve the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan..."

Upon seeing this, Master Jiuyuan, Master Yuanting, and Zhang Xuancang were all stunned.

The strangeness of the Blood Silk Gu is deeply ingrained in the minds of human cultivators, and no one has ever heard of anyone being able to erase it.

The three of them looked at Chen Yuan with eyes full of awe.

It's unclear whether this is a technique common to Nascent Soul cultivators or simply due to the extraordinary abilities of this Senior Starfire.

But in any case, they were completely convinced by Chen Yuan's methods.

Chen Yuan looked at the remorseful Shen Jibai and his eyes flashed: "So, the one who planted the Blood Silk Gu in your body was the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan."

"And your allegiance to the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan was not of your own volition?"

Shen Jibai took a deep breath, his regret, resentment, and elation all vanishing from his face.

He looked at Chen Yuan with a complicated expression and bowed deeply: "Thank you for saving me from this sea of ​​suffering, senior. I am a human cultivator and would never side with the demon race. The reason I was infected with the Blood Silk Gu was because I had no other choice."

Master Yuan Ting said sternly, "Nonsense! Although the Blood Silk Gu can control life and death, its body is extremely fragile. It requires cultivators to relax their minds and not resist, otherwise they will fail."

"Since you've been infected with the Blood Vein Gu, it couldn't have been out of necessity!"

Chen Yuan nodded slightly: "I also know quite a bit about the Blood Silk Gu, so this is true. How do you explain it?"

After subduing Dugu Sha, his understanding of the Flood Dragon Clan and the Dragon God Sect deepened greatly, including the Blood Silk Gu.

A hint of shame flashed in Shen Jibai's eyes as he lowered his head slightly: "The Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan threatened my life and death, and I had no choice but to open my mind and allow the demon clan to plant the Blood Silk Gu..."

Upon hearing this, all three except Chen Yuan were furious.

Master Yuan Ting said, "When we fight against the demon race, who among us isn't walking on the edge of life and death? What does death matter?"

Zhang Xuancang shook his head, his face full of disappointment: "What is there for a great cultivator to fear in the face of death?"

Master Jiuyuan remained silent, but his gaze towards Shen Jibai was icy cold. Shen Jibai abruptly raised his head, looked at the three of them, and said, word by word, "Do you really think I'm willing to serve the demon race?"

"If I were afraid of death, why would I have fought with the demon race for hundreds of years, and even after reaching the Nascent Soul stage, refused to submit to the demon race?"

"What is there to fear in death? I just don't want to see the cultivation I've worked so hard to achieve over six hundred years go to waste in an instant!"

His voice rose a few decibels, revealing a fierce intent: "I am exceptionally talented, possessing a Heavenly Spiritual Root. I established my foundation at thirty-six, formed my core at ninety-eight, formed my nascent soul at two hundred and twenty-four, reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm at three hundred and seventy-one, and became a Great Cultivator at six hundred and nine, standing proudly above all human cultivators!"

"I vow to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, annihilate the eight royal clans, and restore a bright and clear world to the human race."

"Unfortunately, he made a careless move and fell into the demon race's trap, where he was captured."

"If I refuse to plant the Blood Silk Gu, I will die and disappear, leaving only a reputation for heroic sacrifice. But when will humanity be able to revive?"

"Although I was infected with the Blood Silk Gu, I have never bowed down to the demon race, and I have never taken the life of a human Nascent Soul cultivator!"

"Moreover, the demon race is constantly fighting among themselves. Even after I was infected with the Blood Silk Gu, I still managed to kill twelve demon generals. I even killed Hu Wushe of the Fiend Tiger Clan!"

"I did this out of necessity for the greater good of the human race, feigning compliance with the demon race in order to preserve my own usefulness."

"As long as I can achieve the Nascent Soul stage, I can get rid of the Blood Silk Gu, and the human race will no longer need to fear the demon race..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was coldly interrupted by Master Jiuyuan: "Shut up! Which of those who can become great cultivators is not exceptionally talented and has profound opportunities?"

"Fellow Daoist Cui is exceptionally talented. He became a Great Cultivator at the age of 563, and at 678, he has already cultivated to the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage, only a step away from the Divine Transformation stage."

"His cultivation is profound and his methods are superb, even among the eight royal families, few can match him."

"However, without the help of a large spiritual vein, Fellow Daoist Cui is still far from reaching the Nascent Soul stage."

"You are far inferior to Fellow Daoist Cui, so where does your confidence come from that you can successfully transform into a Nascent Soul cultivator?"

Shen Jibai's expression turned serious: "That's precisely why I must feign allegiance to the demon race!"

"The demon race has ruled the Myriad Demon Continent for tens of thousands of years, occupying all the large and giant spiritual veins."

"Even if there are omissions, or due to changes in the earth's veins, our human race can at most occupy medium-sized spiritual veins, making it extremely difficult to even form a Nascent Soul, let alone a Divine Transformation."

"Only by feigning allegiance to the demon race and gaining their trust can one have the opportunity to break through to the Nascent Soul stage by utilizing a large spiritual vein."

Master Yuan Ting sneered: "Wishful thinking! There are countless great cultivators among the eight great demon sects, yet none of them have ever successfully transformed into a deity."

"Even the eight royal clans cannot guarantee the continuation of the Demon General's lineage, and they are so wary of human cultivators. How could they possibly help you break through to the Nascent Soul stage?"

Shen Jibai's expression stiffened, and his voice lowered: "There's always a way out. It may not have happened in the past, but it might happen in the future..."

He suddenly turned to look at Chen Yuan: "Senior, aren't you a Nascent Soul cultivator? I am naturally far inferior to you, but I may still have a chance to break through to the Nascent Soul realm."

"I beg you, senior, to spare my life. Everything I have said is true. I have no human cultivator on my hands."

"On the contrary, he fought bravely to kill demon generals and saved human cities more than once, including Xingzhu City. Fellow Daoist Zuiyun can testify for this junior!"

"Now that our human race also has Nascent Soul cultivators, we have no fear of the demon race. This junior no longer needs to submit to the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan. I am willing to follow you, senior, to slay demons and eliminate evil, and to revitalize the human race!"

As he spoke, he bowed deeply to Chen Yuan, his expression utterly sincere.

Master Yuan Ting's anger intensified, but since Shen Jibai mentioned Senior Xinghuo, he dared not say anything, only letting out a heavy snort.

Shen Jibai ignored it completely. When Chen Yuan exposed his identity, he was also restrained by the Blood Silk Gu in his body. He was caught in a dilemma, with no chance of survival. He was utterly despondent and finally gave up struggling.

But now that the Blood Silk Gu has been removed, he has escaped certain death and seen a glimmer of hope again, and his will to live has become extremely intense.

Shen Jibai knew very well that as long as the unfathomable Senior Xinghuo stopped pursuing the matter, he could save his life.

Upon hearing these familiar remarks, Chen Yuan's eyes flashed: "My Nascent Soul Transformation Technique is useless to others."

"However, given your painstaking efforts and forbearance, it might not be unreasonable to spare your life."

Shen Jibai was overjoyed: "Thank you so much, senior!"

Master Yuan Ting's expression changed: "Senior, this person still shows no remorse, spouting sophistry and using flattery. We cannot let this tiger return to the mountain!"

Master Jiuyuan also advised, "Senior, this person is willing to surrender to the demon race to save his own life, and he may very well surrender to the demon race a second time. What use is there in keeping such a fickle person around?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan frowned, seemingly somewhat tempted.

Shen Jibai had been carefully observing his expression. Seeing this, his heart sank, fearing that he might change his mind. He quickly said, "My allegiance to the demon race was merely a pretense, done to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. I have no intention of truly serving the demon race."

"Now that our human race has a predecessor to guard it, I have no regrets even if I die. If we encounter the demon race again, we will fight to the death and will no longer dare to cherish our lives!"

Chen Yuan pondered for a moment, his voice revealing a hint of sternness: "Although you were forced into this situation, you did ultimately rely on the demon race. It is understandable that the two of them have these concerns."

"If you want me to spare your life, I must leave a method inside your body to prevent others from suspecting anything. Are you willing?"

Shen Jibai was taken aback, then gritted his teeth and agreed: "This junior is willing!"

He had just gotten rid of the Blood Veil Gu, and of course he didn't want to be restricted again.

But to save his life, he couldn't care less about anything else.

Chen Yuan said, "Open your mind and you will be able to resist it."

Shen Jibai did as instructed. Under the unwilling gazes of Yuan Ting Zhenren, Jiu Yuan Shangren, and Zhang Xuancang, Chen Yuan raised his right hand again, and the Zhu Yan True Fire rose up and surged into Shen Jibai's soul space.

With a thought, Chen Yuan condensed the Zhu Yan True Fire into an exquisite white fire lotus, which landed on Shen Jibai's forehead, transforming into a fire lotus mark that flickered a few times before disappearing.

He lowered his right hand, the Zhu Yan True Fire subsided, and his white hair turned black again.

He said calmly, "If you harbor any thoughts of siding with the demon race, you will immediately be burned to death by this fire."

Shen Jibai solemnly replied, "This junior would never dare to have such a thought."

Chen Yuan's expression softened: "I know you are also trying to save the human race indirectly. This is just a precaution. As long as you don't have any ulterior motives, there will be no problem."

"In times of crisis, you can also contact me through this mark."

Shen Jibai's face was full of gratitude: "Senior is so generous. I have no way to repay you except to dedicate myself to the human race and give my all!"

Upon hearing this, both Master Jiuyuan and Zhang Xuancang showed doubt in their eyes, while Master Yuanting snorted coldly, his face full of disdain.

But Chen Yuan ignored this and changed the subject: "How did you get the Blood Silk Gu planted by the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan?" (End of Chapter)