Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Now that Shen Jibai's life is spared and his fate is in Chen Yuan's hands, he naturally dares not hide anything.

But this matter was also a great humiliation for him. He was forced to say it in front of several people, and his expression was very sullen: "One hundred and thirty years ago, I entered the Qingxu Mountain Range in order to refine pills, and fortunately I made some progress."

"But after leaving the Qingxu Mountains, I encountered Yin Lu, a high-ranking demon general of the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan. After a battle, neither side could gain the upper hand."

"The Qingxu Mountains are not far from the territory of the Howling Moon Silver Wolf Clan. I was worried that Yinlu would ask the clan for help, so I dared not linger in battle and sought an opportunity to escape."

At this point, Shen Jibai's face showed a hint of fear: "But Yinlu has mastered a rare innate supernatural ability, and actually used the moonlight to leave a mark on this junior."

"I was completely unaware that I had escaped tens of thousands of miles away and returned to my cave to meditate and regulate my breathing."

"Three days later, Yin Lu actually summoned Yin Qianjie, the patriarch of the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan, who easily captured the junior."

"Having no other choice, I had to feign allegiance to the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan, and a Blood Silk Gu was implanted in my body..."

He lowered his head slightly and vaguely described his battle with the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan, but the three people beside him still showed surprise.

Yin Qianjie is one of the five demon generals of this world, and he has been famous for more than seven thousand years. Over the long years, no one knows what level he has reached in his cultivation or what kind of supernatural powers he has mastered.

No wonder Shen Jibai, a great cultivator, was still captured by the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan.

When the Demon General makes a move, how can a Nascent Soul cultivator possibly withstand it?

Upon hearing that Yin Qianjie had personally intervened, Chen Yuan nodded thoughtfully, but did not continue to ask questions. Instead, he turned to look at Yuan Ting Zhenren and Jiu Yuan Shangren: "Have either of you entered the Qingxu Mountain Range?"

The two men were taken aback, then answered respectfully, revealing that they had both entered this place more than once.

Master Yuan Ting said, "When I practice thunder magic, I need spiritual materials and herbs related to thunder. There is a thunder swamp in the Qingxu Mountains that is shrouded in dark clouds all year round and is constantly filled with thunderstorms."

"I have ventured into the Thunder Swamp several times in search of spiritual materials and have made considerable progress. I am quite familiar with the Azure Ruins Mountains."

Master Jiuyuan said, "The reason I was able to become a great cultivator is because I ventured into the Qingxu Mountains and found a three-thousand-year-old Dream-Attracting Flower. I refined the Dream-Attracting Pill, comprehended the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and successfully broke through the bottleneck."

"After that, I entered the Qingxu Mountains twice more, but unfortunately I was unlucky and gained nothing."

Chen Yuan's eyes flashed: "Legend has it that the Qingxu Mountains are the ruins of an ancient battlefield, where the world is broken, the spiritual energy is violent, and it is extremely dangerous."

"But because of its special environment, it contains many rare and precious materials, as well as relics left by ancient cultivators and demons, isn't that right?"

Master Yuan Ting sighed, a hint of resentment in his eyes: "That's right. The Qingxu Mountains are relics left behind from a great battle between our human race and the demon race in ancient times."

"That great battle was extremely ancient, at least 30,000 years ago. The details are unknown, but it was extremely brutal."

"It is said that before that great war, the demon race was not the dominant race in this world. It was after that great war that the human race began to be enslaved by the demon race and has not yet been able to turn the tables."

“Now, the Qingxu Mountains are riddled with spatial rifts, and there are also all sorts of strange miasma, gales, and dangerous places. Even a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to venture deep into them.”

"Only great cultivators or high-ranking demon generals have the opportunity to enter the depths of the Qingxu Mountains."

Master Jiuyuan added, "But over the past tens of thousands of years, countless people have entered the Qingxu Mountains in search of treasures."

"More than 5,000 years ago, the natural treasures inside were almost exhausted, and the relics of ancient cultivators and demons had long been looted."

"The demon race rarely enters it now, but we human cultivators lack treasures and often risk going deep inside to search for the remaining rare and precious materials."

Chen Yuan nodded thoughtfully. He had become quite interested in the Qingxu Mountains after reading about them in ancient texts.

If he is not mistaken, this Qingxu Mountain Range should be the site of the great battle between the demon race of this realm and the human cultivators tens of thousands of years ago, after the demon king of the upper realm was summoned to descend.

Faced with the Void Refining Demon King, the cultivators of the human realm suffered a crushing defeat and had no choice but to abandon this realm.

The Demon Continent was once again under the rule of the demon race, while a dangerous ancient battlefield ruin remained in the Qingxu Mountains.

However, such dangerous places involve Nascent Soul cultivators and high-level demon generals, and the records only mention them briefly, which is far less than the understanding that great cultivators have of the Qingxu Mountains.

Chen Yuan glanced at Shen Jibai again: "Did you discover anything unusual in the Qingxu Mountains?"

Shen Jibai cautiously asked, "May I ask what specific phenomenon you mentioned, senior?"

"The Qingxu Mountains are full of dangers and strange places."

"In many places, even great cultivators and high-ranking demon generals dare not venture too deep; strange phenomena are everywhere..."

Master Yuanting and Master Jiuyuan also looked troubled, clearly unsure how to answer.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan did not press the matter further, but instead asked the three of them for a map of the Qingxu Mountains.

All three of them were somewhat puzzled. Chen Yuan had clearly already reached the Nascent Soul stage, yet he seemed to know nothing about the Qingxu Mountains.

They didn't seem like human cultivators who were more familiar with the Qingxu Mountains than the demon race because they lacked treasures.

However, they naturally wouldn't bother to investigate the background of a Nascent Soul cultivator. They immediately took out the map, copied it into a blank jade slip, and presented it with both hands.

The three of them repeatedly ventured into the Qingxu Mountains in search of treasure, and each time they went deep into the mountains, and their maps were quite detailed.

However, the treasures they need are different, and the places they explore are also different.

Master Yuanting was most familiar with Lei Ze, while Master Jiuyuan and Shen Jibai were quite knowledgeable about the other dangerous places.

Chen Yuan had no time to examine the map in detail at the moment; he only glanced at it briefly before storing it in his mustard seed ring.

He looked up at Shen Jibai and continued to ask, "According to you, after you were infected with the Blood Silk Gu, you did not kill any human Nascent Soul cultivators."

"Why didn't the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan use you as an inside agent to kill other great cultivators?"

Upon hearing this, the three people standing nearby, especially Master Yuan Ting and Master Jiu Yuan, all showed expressions of doubt.

Shen Jibai was infected with the Blood Silk Gu, and his life and death were controlled by the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan, a fact unknown to others.

With just four more powerful cultivators, or by sending them to visit, and with the demon generals of the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan secretly accompanying them, or even with Yin Qianjie personally taking action, they could easily be wiped out in one fell swoop.

But he secretly sided with the demon race for over a hundred years, yet not a single human cultivator perished. When did the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan become so merciful?

Shen Jibai's expression darkened, and he said in a low voice, "After Yin Qianjie planted the Blood Silk Gu in my body, Yin Lu contacted me."

"But he only occasionally asked me to inquire about the movements of a few fellow Daoists, as well as news about several human cities in the Eclipse Moon Desert."

"I have never been asked to harm Nascent Soul cultivators of the human race. On the contrary, I have been repeatedly asked to kill demon generals of other royal families and their affiliated demon races."

Chen Yuan frowned: "Why is that?"

Shen Jibai's expression grew even more dejected: "The Howling Moon Silver Wolf Clan has never taken human cultivators seriously, so why would they deliberately target you fellow cultivators?"

The three people standing nearby changed color upon hearing this, but Chen Yuan's brows relaxed: "What do you mean by that?"

Shen Jibai said, "After I was infected with the Blood Silk Gu, I was also uneasy. What should I do if the Howling Moon Silver Wolf Clan asked me to harm my own kind?"

"But Yinlu never brought it up. While I was secretly pleased, I naturally dared not say anything more."

"But gradually, as Yinlu repeatedly asked me to deal with the demon generals of other royal families, I finally understood."

"It turns out that the Howling Moon Silver Wolf has never taken the human race seriously, even regarding them as ants, so naturally it wouldn't bother to deal with human cultivators."

"Afterwards, I deliberately befriended Yin Lu, and with the Blood Silk Gu restraining him, he gradually lowered his guard against me."

"On one occasion, a junior lured me with spirit wine, and Yin Lu revealed to me that, apart from me, over the past tens of thousands of years, many great cultivators have been controlled by the demon race."

"Our human race may appear to be resisting the oppression of the demon race, but in reality, the demon race is fully aware of our every move!"

Master Yuan Ting said sternly, "Impossible! How could our human race have so many cowards who are afraid of death?"

"If the demon race has infiltrated our human race so deeply, why don't they exterminate us, instead of just watching our human cultivators kill demon beasts?"

"Countless demon generals have died at the hands of my human cultivators, including many high-ranking ones!"

His eyes were filled with rage, his clothes billowed and swirled without wind, and he almost roared as he spoke these words.

But his slightly trembling voice still revealed his turbulent state of mind, and vaguely revealed a hint of fear.

Although neither Master Jiuyuan nor Zhang Xuancang questioned them, their expressions were extremely grim.

Shen Jibai turned to look at the three of them, his eyes showing a hint of pity.

But before he could answer, Chen Yuan suddenly spoke up: "If I am not mistaken, the demon race's move is a strategic retreat."

As if grasping at a straw, Master Yuan Ting hurriedly asked, "What do you mean by that, Senior?"

Shen Jibai remained silent, his expression respectful, as if listening attentively.

Chen Yuan said coldly, "Ever since the restrictions on the human soul were erased, the struggle has never stopped for tens of thousands of years."

"The demon race must have initially used extremely cruel methods to kill all those who resisted."

"But humans are the most intelligent of all beings. Even the humblest commoners in the mortal world understand the principle that kings and nobles are not born with a special destiny. When faced with life and death, they can rise up in rebellion and cut down trees to make weapons."

"Not to mention cultivators who embark on the path of cultivation, master supernatural powers and spells, and defy the heavens?"

"The demon race should have realized later that as long as the oppression and enslavement of the human race continues, the human race will never be willing to be slaves. No matter how cruel the methods are, they can only deter for a while."

"Unless the demon race stops relying on human cultivators to refine pills and weapons for them and fight against other royal families, the human race's resistance will continue indefinitely."

His tone grew increasingly cold: "In that case, rather than killing all those who resist, it would be better to turn a blind eye and leave some cultivators to establish cities in the desolate places where the territories of the various royal families intersect."

“These remote places lack cultivation resources, making it difficult for them to grow stronger. They also prevent direct contact between the major royal families, reducing many unnecessary conflicts.” “These places may even have been voluntarily given up by the demon race, just to provide a place for human cultivators like us to settle down.”

"After all, a few cities built in remote and impoverished areas are easier to deal with than human cultivators scattered under the rule of the demon cult, hiding in the shadows and causing endless trouble."

"In addition, although the eight royal families have deep-seated conflicts, they are wary of each other's strength and do not want other royal families to benefit from the conflict. Therefore, they always leave room for maneuver when they fight."

"But between the human race and the demon race, it is a fight to the death. If a portion of human cultivators are left behind, the eight royal families can use them as a stone to temper their sharpness."

"Then he ordered his demonic sect to suppress human cultivators, causing them to fight amongst themselves and eventually divide and conquer each other."

"The demonic cultivators will become even more loyal and dare not betray the human cultivators because of their miserable plight. It's truly a win-win situation..."

Chen Yuan's gaze fell on Shen Jibai, and he slowly said, "But the demon race cannot simply let things go unchecked, lest the human race truly escape their control, so they secretly enslave great cultivators."

"But the demon race will not allow this to be used against human cultivators. They will only allow them to provide information and control the situation of the human race, and at most, they will intervene slightly."

"Moreover, we can use my human race's great cultivators to deal with other royal families without having to break ties with them."

"It's far more worthwhile than killing a few weak but powerful cultivators."

"This time it's the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan, but any other demon clan would make the same choice, because it's in their best interest, wouldn't it?"

After Chen Yuan finished speaking, his voice became icy cold, and anyone could hear the intense killing intent contained within it.

Shen Jibai bowed deeply with admiration: "Senior is truly insightful. You deduced the demon race's plot from just a few words from me, which is almost exactly the same as what Yin Lu said. I admire you."

A hint of reminiscence flashed in Chen Yuan's eyes as he said softly, "Everything in the world has its own way, and those things with similar principles will eventually lead to the same destination."

"I've only seen similar things before, even a hundred times more perilous than the current situation of humanity..."

Shen Jibai's heart stirred, but since Chen Yuan didn't say anything, he naturally didn't dare to ask.

After Chen Yuan finished speaking, the sky fell into a deathly silence.

The collapse of Falling Star Peak below has stopped, but the mountain is broken into pieces. Within a radius of several miles, the earth is shattered and in ruins, as if a terrifying earthquake has occurred.

The billowing dust was forcibly suppressed by Chen Yuan's Nascent Soul aura. It could be clearly seen that all living beings in the mountain had died in this sudden upheaval. Beast corpses were scattered everywhere, blood was everywhere, and death was rampant.

But the collapsed, thousand-foot-high mountain peak paled in comparison to the deathly stillness in the eyes of the three.

Yuan Ting Zhenren, who had just been rebuking Shen Jibai, fell silent. His face no longer showed his usual uprightness and majesty, and his eyes were dull and lifeless.

Zhang Xuancang slowly clenched his fist, veins bulging, and muttered, "Did all the cultivators who died in the beast tide in Ping Le City die in vain?"

"What about our human race's tens of thousands of years of struggle?"

Master Jiuyuan lowered his head and remained silent for a long time. Suddenly, he looked up at Chen Yuan, a resolute look flashing in his eyes, and slowly said, "In the past, our human race may have been played with by the demon race, living in darkness."

"But now that Senior Xinghuo has arrived, our human race has a true pillar of strength, and the confidence to contend with the demon race!"

Master Yuan Ting shook his head and said sadly, "Although Senior Xing Huo has profound cultivation, the demon race has five demon generals, each with a long lifespan, having lived for at least several thousand years."

"Ao Cang of the Flood Dragon Clan is a mid-stage Demon General. No matter how strong Senior Xinghuo's methods are, he is outnumbered. How can he turn the tide?"

Master Jiuyuan said, word by word, "Although there are many demon generals in the demon race, Senior Xinghuo was able to erase the blood-thread gu from the body of a Nascent Soul cultivator. This is the true method to sever the foundation of the demon race!"

Shen Jibai said loudly, "That's right! Although our human race is weak now, as long as Senior Xinghuo takes action, we can remove the blood-thread gu from the bodies of those demon sect elders."

"Plant the Fire Lotus Mark again, and secretly instigate conflicts between the eight royal families, causing them to fight endlessly."

"If this continues, our human race will become stronger and stronger, while the demon race will continue to decline."

"One day, when the situation reverses, that will be the day our human race launches a full-scale counterattack!"

Zhang Xuancang's eyes lit up: "That's absolutely right! With Senior Xinghuo here, the demon race can no longer enslave our human race's Nascent Soul cultivators as they used to."

"We are secretly accumulating strength. When the cultivators from the Tai Xuan Realm arrive, that will be the day the demon race is destroyed..."

Master Jiuyuan frowned: "Does Fellow Daoist Zhang truly believe what that Gu Hongzi said?"

He clearly knew about the Tai Xuan Realm, but he didn't believe that the Tai Xuan Realm truly existed.

Zhang Xuancang knew that no one would believe him, so he didn't argue, but a smile appeared on his lips, and his Dao heart had stabilized again.

Master Yuan Ting remained in a state of utter dejection. He had spent his entire life fighting against the demon race, and his hatred for them had long been ingrained in his very bones.

It is simply unacceptable that the human race's struggle over tens of thousands of years has turned out to be nothing but a joke, and has not been taken seriously by the demon race at all.

He didn't believe Shen Jibai's words either. The lifespan of the demon race was extremely long, and they had ruled the Myriad Demon Continent for many years, possessing an incredibly profound foundation.

The human race only has one Nascent Soul cultivator, Senior Starfire, with a lifespan of only two thousand years. If they only secretly instigate the elders of the Demon Cult, how can they contend with the powerful Demon Race?
Thinking of this, Master Yuanting suddenly remembered something that he had been pondering ever since Master Xinghuo revealed his Nascent Soul cultivation.

This was probably also the question in the minds of Shen Jibai, Jiuyuan Shangren, and Zhang Xuancang, but no one dared to ask.

But now, Yuan Ting Zhenren, whose heart was ashen, had no more scruples.

He clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Chen Yuan, and said in a low voice, "The large spiritual veins in the Myriad Demon Continent and the Three Seas are all under the control of the eight royal families. May I ask how you were able to reach the Divine Transformation stage?"

Master Jiuyuan's expression changed slightly, and he said in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist Yuanting, be careful with your words! You must not be disrespectful to your senior!"

Master Yuan Ting looked dejected, his voice unusually low: "This junior has no intention of offending you, but only wishes to ask for your guidance. I wonder if this junior can use this method to break through to the Nascent Soul stage?"

Master Jiuyuan's expression grew even uglier, and he snapped, "Shut up! This matter involves the secrets of your cultivation, senior. How could we possibly inquire about it?"

"Besides, the senior just said that his method of achieving the Nascent Soul stage is useless to us, so why bother with this?"

He turned around abruptly and bowed deeply to Chen Yuan: "Fellow Daoist Yuan Ting is wholeheartedly fighting against the demon race. Today, upon hearing that the demon race has infiltrated our human race so deeply, my Dao heart is unstable, and I am filled with despair. I have spoken inappropriately and beg your forgiveness, senior."

Master Jiuyuan pleaded for mercy, but Master Yuanting remained resolute and slowly said, "Thank you for speaking up for me, fellow Daoist, but I have no selfish motives. The demon race is so powerful that it is difficult for you to defeat them alone."

"Please enlighten me, senior. No matter how difficult this method may be, I will immediately attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul stage."

"If we succeed, I will lend you a helping hand."

Even if it doesn't work out, I've done my best, and I'll have no regrets even if I die.

"If you don't trust me, senior, you can leave a method inside my body, just like Shen Jibai did."

"I just don't know if this method is effective against Nascent Soul cultivators?"

Master Jiuyuan's face turned ashen, but since Master Yuanting had already made his point, any further attempts to defend him would only backfire.

Shen Jibai was even less likely to plead for Yuan Ting Zhenren; instead, a hint of expectation flashed in his eyes.

He also wanted to know how this extraordinary and powerful senior, Xinghuo, had achieved the Divine Transformation stage.

He humbled himself before Yin Qianjie, willingly having the Blood Silk Gu planted in his body to save his life, because he couldn't bear to give up the cultivation he had gained through hundreds of years of hard work, and even wanted to advance further.

Zhang Xuancang felt that he was of low status and his words carried little weight, so he was secretly anxious and looked at Chen Yuan with a pleading look in his eyes.

Chen Yuan took in the expressions of the four people, then looked at Yuan Ting Zhenren and sighed softly, "The time is not right. I did not intend to mention this matter today."

"But considering your sincerity, I will tell you the truth."

A glimmer of light finally appeared in Yuan Ting Zhenren's dim eyes. He clasped his hands in a bow and solemnly said, "Thank you, senior!"

Chen Yuan said calmly, "Don't rush. This matter involves an ancient secret that is related to the overall situation of this world."

"If you want to know, you must first have a mark planted inside your body to prevent it from leaking out. Are you willing to accept that?"

Without hesitation, Master Yuan Ting said, "Please, senior, make your move!"

At this moment, his Dao heart was unstable, and he only had one thought in his mind: to break through to the Nascent Soul stage and fight to the death with the demon race. He could no longer care about anything else.

Chen Yuan looked at Jiu Yuan Shangren and Zhang Xuancang: "Are you two willing?"

The two looked hesitant, but Chen Yuan said calmly, "Don't worry, I will erase the mark in the future."

The two finally stopped hesitating and agreed.

Chen Yuan then activated the Zhu Yan True Blood, planting the Fire Lotus Mark in the bodies of Jiu Yuan Shangren and Zhang Xuancang respectively.

The two looked inward at themselves, gazing at the eerie white spiritual fire, and felt the pain of their souls being burned. They finally understood why Shen Jibai had changed so drastically.

They had never experienced the pain of the Blood Veil Gu, but the agony of the white spiritual fire burning their souls was probably no less than any other form of torture in the world.

However, they have never betrayed the human race, nor have they ever had the thought of betraying it. They have a clear conscience, and Senior Xinghuo doesn't seem to be a harsh person, so there's no need to worry about their lives being in danger.

After planting the mark, Chen Yuan withdrew the Zhu Yan True Fire, his gaze sweeping over the four people, and the atmosphere suddenly became solemn.

The four of them looked intently at Chen Yuan, their eyes filled with anticipation mixed with a hint of anxiety.

This was the first time they had come so close to the legendary Nascent Soul realm.

Chen Yuan slowly spoke: "Fellow Daoist Jiu Yuan is right. Without the help of a large spiritual vein, a great cultivator will never be able to reach the Divine Transformation stage in his lifetime."

“But I am not originally from this world, but come from the human world—that is, the Tai Xuan Realm that Fellow Daoist Zhang mentioned.”

"When I arrived in this world, I was already a Nascent Soul cultivator!" (End of Chapter)