Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Upon hearing this, it felt as if a tidal wave surged through the hearts of the four, creating a colossal surge!

Before Chen Yuan spoke, they had all sorts of thoughts in their minds, wondering just how unique Chen Yuan's Nascent Soul Transformation Method was, and whether they were qualified to hear about it only if they had the Fire Lotus Mark implanted in them.

But even the strangest and most bizarre guesses cannot compare to even a fraction of this.

Master Yuanting, Master Jiuyuan, and Shen Jibai were all stunned and turned to look at Zhang Xuancang.

Zhang Xuancang, the only one who believed in the existence of the Tai Xuan Realm, was now completely dumbfounded.

Ever since encountering the mysterious and unpredictable Gu Hongzi, Zhang Xuancang has been hoping that one day, the cultivators of the Tai Xuan Realm will return to this world and sweep away the demon race with overwhelming force.

But apart from himself, no one believed that the Tai Xuan Realm really existed; they simply regarded it as a fabricated story.

Even his most respected disciples, the low-level cultivators in Ping Le City, paid him no heed.

It was only because of Zhang Xuancang's status as the city lord and a Nascent Soul cultivator that no one raised any questions.

Only mortals would applaud when they heard the storyteller's stirring tale, but how many people truly cared about the ethereal and elusive Tai Xuan Realm?

They didn't know what the Eight Great Royal Clans were, what the Ancient War was, or what the myriad realms were.

All they knew was that ferocious monsters would come every few years or decades, destroying their hard-earned fields, trampling their carefully planted seedlings, and killing their relatives... and even themselves.

Every time a beast tide arrives, the immortal master tells them that Ping Le City's defenses are very solid and have not been breached by the beast tide for over three hundred years.

But each beast tide was a perilous ordeal.

No one knows whether Ping Le City can survive the next beast tide.

But they are just humble mortals, and have no need to consider such important matters.

What they were thinking about was how to irrigate the fields a few more buckets, and whether they would have enough money to buy a few more ounces of pork for the next festival, and to get a few feet of the cheapest cloth to make two brand new outfits for their wives.

They are merely drifting duckweed in a mighty river, and whether ahead lies a tranquil lake or a precipitous waterfall, they can only accept their merciless fate.

They toil day and night for a living, which may seem arduous, but in reality, it is a luxurious comfort.

Zhang Xuancang could not be as carefree as they were. He bore the lives of 300,000 mortals and several thousand cultivators on his shoulders, and he was facing a powerful demon race.

Lang Mou, a mere low-ranking demon general, has caused Ping Le City to be plagued by beast tides for over three hundred years, with at least 100,000 people dying in the mouths of those ferocious demon beasts.

This was only because Ling Shuoye, by chance, infiltrated the Dragon God Cult a hundred years ago and relayed several messages back to Zhang Xuancang, making preparations in advance and thus reducing casualties considerably.

Behind Lang Mou is the powerful Jiaolong clan, and in addition to the Jiaolong clan, there are seven royal clans.

Even the weakest Nightmare Raven clan has two high-level demon generals, one great cultivator, and nearly twenty ordinary demon generals and Nascent Soul cultivators, which is equivalent to the strength of most of the human race.

Zhang Xuancang didn't know how the human race could win, and he believed that the other Nascent Soul cultivators didn't know either.

Those Nascent Soul cultivators who were able to persist in resisting the demon race under such dire circumstances were all people with unwavering Dao hearts.

But even in the face of endless darkness, there must be a glimmer of light to illuminate the way forward.

Otherwise, no matter how strong one's resolve is, if one is immersed in darkness, one will eventually fall into the abyss.

What supports Zhang Xuancang's Dao heart is the Tai Xuan Realm, as mentioned by Gu Hongzi.

He had, of course, doubted whether the Tai Xuan Realm truly existed.

Apart from the mysterious and unpredictable Gu Hongzi, who appeared and disappeared suddenly, no human cultivator had ever heard of the three words "Tai Xuan Realm".

The idea that humans, who have suffered from the bullying of demons for tens of thousands of years, once enslaved demons sounds like a fantasy.

But Zhang Xuancang could only believe, and had to believe, the existence of the Tai Xuan Realm.

Otherwise, he would have given up long ago in the face of the endless beast tides.

But just when he had gotten used to relying on the Tai Xuan Realm to support his Dao Heart, a cultivator from the Tai Xuan Realm, who was still a Nascent Soul cultivator, appeared before him.

Zhang Xuancang's first reaction was disbelief, but only the legendary Tai Xuan Realm could explain why this suddenly appearing Senior Xinghuo was a Nascent Soul Body Cultivator who had disappeared from the human race for thousands of years, why he was not famous in the past, and why he was a Nascent Soul Cultivator who had never appeared in the human race before!
A light slowly shone in Zhang Xuancang's eyes, revealing a hint of wild joy, mixed with a sense of relief and weariness after enduring hardship: "The Tai Xuan Realm truly exists... no, the human realm?"

Chen Yuan nodded slightly: "That's right, but we don't call it the Tai Xuan Realm. The reason it's called that is probably because of the Tai Xuan Sect..."

He recounted the ancient secrets he had heard from the green-robed array spirit in detail, without concealing anything.

Chen Yuan came to Falling Star Peak to seek help from the powerful human cultivators and find out the whereabouts of Qin Wuyai and the other three, who were likely to have also come to this world.

Only a Nascent Soul cultivator can make a Grandmaster submit to their orders.

Therefore, Chen Yuan had long been prepared to reveal his Nascent Soul cultivation level in front of the three of them.

But Chen Yuan did not intend to reveal the affairs of the human realm before finding Qin Wuyai and the other three.

However, Shen Jibai secretly defected to the demon race, leaving Yuan Ting Zhenren heartbroken. But Chen Yuan still needed a few people to find out the whereabouts of Qin Wuyai and the other three.

Taking advantage of the opportunity when Yuan Ting Zhenren inquired about the method of Nascent Soul, he seized the chance to plant the Fire Lotus Mark in the bodies of the three people, thus revealing this greatest secret.

The four learned that the ancient human cultivators were so domineering, possessing seventeen Nascent Soul cultivators at their peak, with countless Nascent Soul cultivators. They swept across thirteen realms, invincible, and even the powerful demon race could only submit to them as their masters. They couldn't help but yearn for them.

In the battle of Tai Xuan Sect, 100,000 demons were killed, along with 34 demon generals, 270 royal demon beasts, and 10,000 cultivators came to offer their congratulations.

It is only a sect, yet it possesses such strength, far surpassing the eight royal clans. No wonder the mysterious Gu Hongzi refers to the human realm as the Tai Xuan Realm!
The three great cultivators had no more doubts about Zhang Xuancang's words and firmly remembered the name "Gu Hongzi".

Chen Yuan gave a general account of the glory of the ancient human realm. Yuan Ting Zhenren couldn't wait to ask, "May I ask, senior, are the cultivators of the human realm currently planning a major counterattack to annihilate the demon race and bring this realm back under their control?"

He was radiant with energy, and the fierce aura he had developed from years of immersion in thunder magic had returned to him.

What sustains Yuan Ting Zhenren's Dao heart is the human race's unyielding struggle that has lasted for tens of thousands of years.

When he learned that Shen Jibai had sided with the demon race, and that the human race had been manipulated by the demon race, he was utterly despondent and wanted to die. Only then did he dare to ask Chen Yuan about the method of transforming into a god.

This is a great offense to high-level cultivators in their next life.

But he wasn't even afraid of death, so why would he be afraid of offending a Nascent Soul cultivator?

He was prepared to die, whether at the hands of the demon race, on the path to the Nascent Soul stage, or at the hands of Chen Yuan, it was all better than living a wretched life and becoming a tool for the demon race to hone their skills.

However, the existence of the human realm reignited Yuan Ting Zhenren's fighting spirit.

With the human realm so powerful, what is there to fear from the demon race? The human race can finally see the light of day again and will no longer have to suffer from the bullying of the demon race!

Shen Jibai and Master Jiuyuan stared intently at them. As long as the human cultivators could defeat the demon race, they would have hope of becoming Nascent Soul cultivators.

Chen Yuan looked at the four people's expectant and eager eyes, but shook his head slightly: "The human realm... has long since declined. The Tai Xuan Sect was wiped out forty thousand years ago." The four people were stunned. Zhang Xuancang was very familiar with the ancient legends of Gu Hongzi and was the first to react: "Could it be because of the demon army that descended from the upper realm?"

Chen Yuan nodded: "The human cultivators conquered the thirteen realms with great momentum, but this also aroused resentment among the demons and demonic cultivators in those thirteen realms, who then summoned the demon kings and demon lords of the upper realms to descend."

"The combined forces of the demon army still managed to reclaim all thirteen realms occupied by the human world, and even invaded the human world in one fell swoop."

"The cultivators from the human realm also invited Void Refinement cultivators from the spirit realm to help them, and ultimately achieved a pyrrhic victory."

"But this unprecedented war also shattered the human world, weakened its spiritual energy, and sank one of the three continents."

"The most powerful sects of that time were all wiped out."

"The ascension passage is severed, and the spatial channels connecting it to other realms have also been erased..."

Master Yuan Ting's face turned deathly pale: "So, it's impossible for cultivators from the human realm to come to this world and help us overthrow the demon race?"

A hint of doubt flashed in Master Jiuyuan's eyes: "If the spatial passage was erased by demons, how did you come to this world, senior?"

Chen Yuan said, "After the demons entered the human realm, they suffered extremely heavy losses. They did not erase all the spatial passages, but left one, which leads to this realm."

Shen Jibai's spirits lifted, and he asked eagerly, "Senior, can we use this spatial passage to travel to the human realm?"

As long as one escapes into the human realm, there is a chance to break through to the Nascent Soul stage by utilizing a large spiritual vein!
Chen Yuan said calmly, "The spatial passage is extremely dangerous. I was seriously injured and almost lost my life in order to come to this world."

"You have not yet reached the Nascent Soul stage. If you enter it, you will surely die."

Shen Jibai was stunned, and the expressions of the other three who had just cheered up also dimmed again.

Even if the human realm truly exists, how could a single Nascent Soul cultivator be a match for five demon generals?
But at this moment, Chen Yuan changed the subject: "However, there are not only one people who have come to this world, but also four fellow Daoists, all of whom are at the Nascent Soul stage."

"Two of them possess spiritual treasures, and their strength is no less than that of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator."

These words were spoken casually, but to the four men they sounded like a great bell, echoing endlessly, and they couldn't help but shudder!
Five Nascent Soul cultivators!

Despite the immense power of the demon race, there were only five demon generals.

If we can get the help of these five Nascent Soul cultivators, no matter how many demon generals the demon race has, they will be nothing but fleeting clouds.

Humanity will surely turn the tide. Even if it cannot destroy the eight royal families, it will be able to stand on equal footing with them and will no longer have to hide in remote and dangerous places!
Master Yuan Ting's eyes widened, and he asked in a trembling voice, "May I ask where those four seniors are now?"

Chen Yuan sighed softly: "In the spatial passage, we encountered a strange beast that we were unable to defeat and were forced to scatter."

"I am seriously injured, and those four fellow Daoists must not be safe either. I wonder where they have ended up."

"I have come here today to meet with you three fellow Daoists, and I would like to ask you to inquire about the whereabouts of those four fellow Daoists."

A hint of disappointment flashed across Yuan Ting Zhenren's eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

Although the whereabouts of the four Nascent Soul cultivators are unknown, they have finally arrived in this world, and the human race has finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel.

Master Jiuyuan said solemnly, “Please bestow the portraits of those four seniors upon us. Although we usually keep a low profile, we have had many interactions with you fellow Daoists in secret.”

"Please have them keep a close eye out. As soon as those four seniors appear in a human city, we will receive the news immediately!"

Chen Yuan nodded slightly, took out four blank jade slips, and spread his divine sense to read the portraits and names of Qin Wuyai, Lu Wangquan, Cangsong Daoren, and Ren Laomo.

He flicked his sleeve, and four jade slips flew toward the three great cultivators. He instructed them, "The three of you should each make a copy of this portrait."

"Fellow Daoist Shen, in addition to asking other Nascent Soul cultivators to inquire, you should also secretly inquire about the whereabouts of the four fellow Daoists from the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan."

"But this matter must be done discreetly, and the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan must not learn of the existence of these four fellow Daoists."

Shen Jibai immediately agreed: "This junior obeys."

The three of them each took out a blank jade slip, and with a sense of awe, quickly made several copies and stored them in their mustard seed rings.

Chen Yuan then instructed, "My identity, as well as the origins and names of the four fellow Daoists, must not be revealed to anyone."

"Otherwise, if the Fire Lotus Mark were to erupt, it would burn your souls to ashes in an instant."

The four men straightened up and solemnly agreed.

Master Jiuyuan asked, "Senior, if we are fortunate enough to learn of the whereabouts of the four seniors, how should we report to you?"

Chen Yuan said, "As long as the Fire Lotus Mark is activated, I will rush there immediately."

Shen Jibai then showed a troubled expression: "Since these four seniors are Nascent Soul cultivators, even if they are injured, they are still very powerful and their defenses must be extremely tight."

"What should we do if they discover our inquiries about the whereabouts of the four seniors and become murderous?"

He secretly joined the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan and infiltrated the human race for over a hundred years, fearing that his identity would be exposed and he would be killed by a powerful human cultivator. He was always careful in his actions and dared not be careless in the slightest.

A hint of worry flashed in the eyes of Venerable Jiuyuan and True Man Yuanting. They naturally held these four Nascent Soul seniors in high esteem and hoped that they would lead the human cultivators to resist the demon race.

However, cultivators are most averse to others inquiring about their whereabouts, especially high-level cultivators, who may kill at the slightest provocation.

Chen Yuan said, "You only need to say that you are an old friend of Chen Yuan and request an audience. Open your mind and activate the Fire Lotus Mark, and they will no longer make things difficult for you."

Only then did the three learn Senior Xinghuo's name, and they all breathed a sigh of relief, bowing and expressing their gratitude.

But after thinking for a moment, Chen Yuan added, "If you encounter Old Demon Ren, you must not make contact with him and must avoid him immediately."

Master Yuan Ting was puzzled and asked, "May I ask, senior, why is this?"

Chen Yuan said calmly, "This person is a demonic cultivator with a cold and ruthless nature. The demon race in this world is powerful, and he may join forces with them. We must be wary."

The three were shocked and immediately calmed down from their excitement at learning that five Nascent Soul cultivators had descended upon this world.

The arrival of five Nascent Soul cultivators in this realm was clearly not to save the human cultivators who were being bullied by the demon race after tens of thousands of years.

This Senior Chen seems to be kind-hearted. He saved Ping Le City and did not kill Shen Jibai, but the other four seniors may not be so merciful.

Master Jiuyuan asked, "Senior, our human race has two other great cultivators with high prestige, and Fellow Daoist Cui is practically the leader of our human race. Should I invite them to come and pay their respects to you?"

Chen Yuan nodded slightly: "Have them come to Xingzhu City to see me, but do not reveal my identity, and do not mention the matter of those four fellow Daoists."

Some of them were puzzled, but then Master Jiuyuan's expression suddenly changed: "Senior, are you worried that the two of them have also been infected with the Blood Silk Gu by the demon race?"

Chen Yuan said calmly, "Since Fellow Daoist Shen was captured by Yin Qianjie, the other four demon generals might very well make a move as well." (End of this chapter)