Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Qin Wuyai clapped his hands and laughed: "Good! Great minds think alike. We have no way to retreat, so we must have the spirit of fighting with our backs to the river and burning our boats."

"The faster we ascend to the demon realm, the more room for maneuver we will have, which will be more beneficial for our return to the spirit realm."

Lu Wangquan was stunned. He never expected that Chen Yuan would be persuaded by Qin Wuyai in just a few words and change his mind so quickly, overturning the plan he had just proposed.

He frowned and said, "Fellow Daoist Chen just proposed the method of mobile combat, but now he suddenly abandons it. This is rather inappropriate."

Chen Yuan said, "Times have changed. Aren't you two also worried that Fellow Daoist Ren might cooperate with the demon race and reveal our secrets?"

"The method of fighting is only a last resort. Now that Fellow Daoist Qin has revealed his mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, we have the strength to fight him. So we must finish this battle quickly."

"In this way, those demon generals will not have time to communicate with the demon race in the upper realm, and the risk can be greatly reduced."

A hint of displeasure flashed in Cangsong Daoren's eyes: "Fellow Daoist Chen just advised us not to be impatient for quick success, but now you're abandoning the safe and reliable method of hit-and-run combat. What's the reason for that?"

"Moreover, just as Fellow Daoist Lu said, even if Fellow Daoist Qin can stop Ao Cang, the remaining three demon generals will most likely also have spiritual treasures protecting them."

"The three of us have used up a lot of treasures to resist the spatial storm. Let alone win, we can only barely keep up with it."

"When the demon reinforcements arrive in force, we will be surrounded. Our corpses will become food for the demons, and our souls will be reduced to ashes. Even reincarnation will be a luxury."

The Taoist Cangsong looked at Chen Yuan with a questioning gaze. He had given his full support because of the resentment he harbored towards Qin Wuyai, coupled with the meticulous consideration given to Chen Yuan's fighting method.

But Chen Yuan suddenly changed his mind and agreed with Qin Wuyai's suggestion, which made him extremely dissatisfied.

Qin Wuyai has already shown his cultivation at the peak of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. If we continue to act according to his words, won't we still be controlled by him in the future?
But Chen Yuan seemed to have made up his mind, and said, "Fellow Daoists, do not worry. Fellow Daoist Qin, block Ao Cang. As for the remaining three demon generals, each of you should hold one of them."

"After I, Chen, kill the last demon general, I will then help the two fellow Daoists to eliminate the other two demon generals."

"In the end, the four of us joined forces and captured Ao Cang. With that, our great cause can be accomplished."

Upon hearing this, Qin Wuyai immediately chimed in, "We'll do as Fellow Daoist Chen says!"

However, Lu Wangquan and Daoist Cangsong frowned. Lu Wangquan and Chen Yuan had a close personal relationship, so he did not deny it. He simply shook his head slightly, picked up the teacup on the table, and slowly tasted the slightly cooled spiritual tea.

However, Daoist Cangsong remained skeptical, saying, "Fellow Daoist Chen has only recently reached the Nascent Soul stage, while those three demon generals have all attained Dao for thousands of years, possessing profound cultivation and unpredictable methods. Do you truly have the confidence to achieve a swift victory?"

Chen Yuan said calmly, "If I can't even kill a demon general in the early stage, what use is the true spirit blood that I painstakingly refined?"

His tone was very calm, but it contained a chilling murderous aura that sent shivers down one's spine.

Cangsong Daoren felt a chill in his heart, recalling the scene when Chen Yuan was still a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, confronting Sun Yuan head-on with overwhelming momentum.

Inside the spatial passage, the strange Kun fish Dharma image that appeared behind Chen Yuan, emanating a powerful aura, left a deep impression on him.

Lu Wangquan paused, put down his teacup, looked up at Chen Yuan, and slowly said, "Fellow Daoist Chen is always cautious in his actions. Since you are so confident, it must be true."

"I agree with your suggestion, fellow Daoist. Let's first kill Yin Qianjie, then lure out the remaining four demon generals and finish the job in one battle."

The Taoist Cangsong's gaze swept over the three of them, and they looked back at him.

He withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "This humble Taoist has no objection either."

Qin Wuyai laughed heartily, raised his sleeve and flicked it, causing the teapot on the table to fly up on its own, filling the four of them with spiritual tea.

He picked up the teacup in front of him and said, "Then it's settled. I, Qin, will offer you three fellow Daoists a cup of tea instead of wine."

Qin Wuyai drank the spiritual tea in his cup in one gulp, while Lu Wangquan and Cangsong Daoren reluctantly picked up their teacups and took a small sip.

Chen Yuan raised his teacup to his lips, but did not drink. Instead, he said, "There is one more thing that needs to be discussed to avoid any misunderstandings."

"If we successfully kill the five demon generals and destroy the eight royal families, how should the treasures we obtain be distributed?"

The three paused, then slowly put down their teacups.

Qin Wuyai looked at Chen Yuan: "Fellow Daoist Chen, you must already have some thoughts on this matter. You might as well speak frankly."

Chen Yuan lowered his head slightly, looked at the teacup in his hand, and slowly said, "In the cultivation world, strength is paramount. This time, in dealing with the Demon Commander, Fellow Daoist Qin has the highest cultivation level and also has to block Ao Cang, so the risk is the greatest."

"If there is anything gained, Fellow Daoist Qin should be the first to choose. May I ask what Fellow Daoist Qin desires?"

Qin Wuyai shook his head: "Fellow Daoist Chen is mistaken. Although Ao Cang is a mid-stage Demon General, I only need to keep him occupied. There is no need to kill him. In fact, there is not much risk."

"On the other hand, Fellow Daoist Chen, who has just entered the Nascent Soul stage, is about to kill a well-known royal demon general."

"If we are able to win, the greatest credit will go to you, fellow Daoist."

"The treasures obtained should rightfully be chosen by you, fellow Daoist."

Lu Wangquan and Cangsong Daoren were greatly surprised. The eight royal families had ruled this world for tens of thousands of years and had accumulated countless treasures, which were difficult for even Nascent Soul cultivators to part with.

When did Qin Wuyai become so generous that he would voluntarily give up the priority to choose treasures?
But given his noble character, Lu Wangquan and Cangsong Daoren could only agree and allow Chen Yuan to choose the treasures first.

For the two of them, it would naturally be more preferable to divide the treasure equally.

However, in the face of Qin Wuyai, who was at the peak of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and Chen Yuan, who volunteered to kill a demon general, such a suggestion would only bring shame upon themselves, and the two could only bury it deep in their hearts.

Chen Yuan raised his head, his gaze leaving the teacup and sweeping over the three people. His expression was sincere: "Since the three of you have agreed to let me choose the treasures first, then I will respectfully comply."

"The four of us traversed the spatial passage together, enduring numerous hardships, and can be considered as friends who have faced life and death together."

"Even if we kill those five demon generals, we will not stop."

"We still need to ascend to the demon realm and then enter the spirit realm. We don't know how many hardships and dangers we will have to overcome. Only through sincere cooperation can we get through this difficult time."

"Mr. Chen did not want to create discord among us because of some treasures."

"If we win this time, I, Chen, will not take the most precious treasure. Instead, we will each take what we need. What do you three think?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Cangsong Daoren's eyes, and he immediately agreed: "I admire the noble character of you two fellow Daoists. We will follow your suggestion and each of us four will take what we need."

He never expected that Chen Yuan, like Qin Wuyai, would also voluntarily give up priority in choosing treasures, which was naturally something he couldn't ask for.

Lu Wangquan, however, was more perceptive. Despite his surprise, he did not leave and asked, "May I ask Fellow Daoist Chen, how can we 'each take what we need'?"

Qin Wuyai said calmly, "I would like to hear the details."

Chen Yuan explained, "For example, I, Chen, have just entered the Nascent Soul stage, and my cultivation level is the lowest. I am also a body cultivator, so my most urgent task is to improve my cultivation level and temper my physical body."

"Therefore, what I need are body-tempering herbs, cultivation pills, demon king cores, and divine weapons for body cultivators..."

Before he finished speaking, the expressions of Cangsong Daoren and Lu Wangquan had already turned ugly.

Of the four present, who doesn't need to improve their cultivation, and who doesn't need to cultivate pills and demon general's demon core?

The body-tempering herbs are not needed, but this time we are dealing with a royal family of demon beasts, not a human sect. Their clan treasures are likely to be divine weapons.

There might even be magical treasures and divine weapons that they could exchange for other treasures after ascending to the upper realm.

As soon as Chen Yuan opened his mouth, he wanted to take all the most valuable treasures for himself.

If this is what he means by "each getting what they want," then the two of them would never agree to it.

Even Lu Wangquan, who had a close relationship with Chen Yuan, felt a little dissatisfied at this moment.

Qin Wuyai, however, remained calm, looking at Chen Yuan with a half-smile, as if waiting to see how he would handle the situation.

Before they could refute, Chen Yuan changed the subject and said with a sigh, "...But if we can destroy the demon race, it will be a joint effort by us. How could I, Chen, keep the treasure for myself?"

"I, Chen, am willing to give all my cultivation pills, spiritual herbs that are over five thousand years old, magical treasures and materials, demon beast materials, and top-grade spirit stones to the three of you."

Upon hearing this, both Cangsong Daoren and Lu Wangquan were stunned, and the rebuttals they had prepared were swallowed back.

Chen Yuan paused for a moment, then said, "Of course, I will not take nothing."

"However, Fellow Daoist Qin is now at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and Fellow Daoist Lu and Fellow Daoist Cangsong have already reached the peak of the early-stage Nascent Soul realm, only one step away from the mid-stage, far surpassing me."

"The demon core of a demon general in his early stage is useless to the three of you, but it is of great benefit to me. The body-tempering spiritual herb is also useless to the three of you, so I will shamelessly take it."

"In addition, Mr. Chen has already given up the cultivation pills and the rarest five-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs. It would be impolite to refuse the three-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs and the thousand-year-old spiritual herbs."

“Those divine weapons below the level of spiritual treasures are of no use to the three of you. You might as well give them to me.”

“A magical treasure or divine weapon is priceless. If there is only one, it should belong to me, Chen.”

"But if there is more than one magical treasure or divine weapon, I will only choose one."

"The remaining divine weapons are to be disposed of by the three of you. I, Chen, will not take any more than my share. What do you three think?"

The Taoist Cangsong stroked his beard and smiled, "This humble Taoist has no objection."

Lu Wangquan nodded slightly: "Whether we can win this battle depends entirely on whether Fellow Daoist Chen can quickly kill a demon general. Taking these treasures is not unreasonable."

Although the treasures Chen Yuan demanded were quite valuable, they were far less than what he had previously requested.

Moreover, most of these items are for body cultivators, so it wouldn't matter if they were all given to Chen Yuan.

They also have the opportunity to receive the most precious spiritual treasures and divine weapons, so naturally they have no objections.

The only point of contention is that Chen Yuan took away all the three-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs and the thousand-year-old spiritual herbs.

However, neither of them were alchemists, so even if they were given the spiritual herbs, they could not immediately refine them into pills.

On the contrary, Qin Wuyai, whose alchemy skills were even more exquisite than Chen Yuan's, should be the most opposed.

Meeting the slightly mocking gazes of Lu Wangquan and Cangsong Daoren, Qin Wuyai gave Chen Yuan a deep look and said, "I have no objection either."

The two were taken aback. When did Qin Wuyai become so easy to talk to?
Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "Thank you, fellow Daoists, for giving me what I need. As for the other treasures, I will not take a single one; you may distribute them as you see fit."

Having said that, he raised the teacup he had been playing with for a long time, offered it to the three of them, and then drank the cool spiritual tea in the cup in one gulp.

Lu Wangquan and Cangsong Daoren exchanged a glance, then looked at Qin Wuyai together.

"What kind of treasure does Fellow Daoist Qin require?"

After Chen Yuan withdrew, the two early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators joined forces to confront Qin Wuyai.

Chen Yuan watched quietly as the three argued about how to distribute the treasures still in the hands of the demon race, and sighed inwardly.

Over the years, the eight royal families must have accumulated a considerable amount of cultivation pills and five-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs.

If I can get them all, I might have a chance to break through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

However, he could not possibly keep all the treasures for himself. He had already gained a great deal by obtaining all the three-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, the thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, the body-tempering spiritual herbs, the demon general's demon core, and at least one spiritual treasure weapon.

Refining these spiritual herbs and demon cores into pills should greatly improve his cultivation level and significantly shorten the distance to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

Chen Yuan never intended to possess all the treasures for himself.

Qin Wuyai is single-mindedly focused on ascending to the upper realm and has many secrets of his own, so he may not care about these treasures.

However, Lu Wangquan and Cangsong Daoren, both early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, had barely survived to reach this realm and were now facing the perilous task of fighting five demon generals. It was highly unlikely that they would abandon the precious treasures accumulated by the eight royal families.

If Chen Yuan wanted to keep the treasure for himself, the four of them working together would immediately fall apart.

Qin Wuyai's agreement to Chen Yuan's request in the North Sea was also driven by ulterior motives.

Because of the spatial passage, Lu Wangquan and Cangsong Daoren harbor deep resentment towards him and will definitely stand with Chen Yuan.

If the demon treasures that have not yet been obtained cause a rift between Chen Yuan and the two, and Qin Wuyai then reveals his mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, he can take the opportunity to regain control of the situation.

He was determined to ascend to the upper realm, and Chen Yuan was no different.
Despite the huge commotion caused by Ren Laomo, only he and Chen Yuan found the traces left by Ren Laomo and ventured deep into the North Sea.

Lu Wangquan and Cangsong Daoren entered the Qingxu Mountains and secluded themselves on a deserted island, seemingly preoccupied with their injuries, but in reality, they had lost their vigor and were acting with extreme caution.

Even after recovering from their injuries, they dared not reveal their whereabouts.

They would not, like Chen Yuan, actively seek out powerful human cultivators in order to obtain a method for ascension.

Qin Wuyai knew very well that before entering the Spirit Realm, no matter how big the differences were, Chen Yuan would choose to join forces with him.

Only by working together could the two of them possibly kill the five demon generals.

However, Chen Yuan was not greedy at all, and voluntarily gave up the most precious five-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs and cultivation pills, which caught Qin Wuyai off guard.

Unable to find a pretext to cause trouble, he instead brought Lu Wangquan, Cangsong Daoren, and Chen Yuan closer together.

……

Two hours later, Qin Wuyai, Cangsong Daoren, and Lu Wangquan finally finished their discussion on how to distribute the still elusive demon treasures.

All three were cultivators of magic and had no particular need for anything. The remaining treasures were divided into spiritual herbs, magic weapons, spiritual materials, materials from demonic beasts, talismans, formations, and so on, and they took turns choosing.

Qin Wuyai, with the highest cultivation level and strongest strength, was naturally the first to choose, and he could choose two treasures on his first selection.

Lu Wangquan and Cangsong Daoren then took turns selecting candidates based on their contributions in the upcoming battle.

Spirit stones of lower quality are useless to Nascent Soul cultivators.

Top-grade spirit stones are quite useful to Nascent Soul cultivators, but their usefulness is still rather limited.

Although Chen Yuan voluntarily gave up the spirit stones, at Lu Wangquan's suggestion, the obtained top-grade spirit stones were divided into four parts, with each of the four people taking one.

However, although the remaining spirit stones were not very useful, their quantity was too large, so they were also divided into four parts, with each person taking one.

The Taoist Cangsong's words were full of implications, suggesting that he wanted to monopolize these low-grade spirit stones.

Knowing his nature, the three ignored him. Daoist Cangsong also couldn't openly ask for it, otherwise it would be beneath the dignity of a Nascent Soul cultivator, so he had no choice but to give up reluctantly.

As for the cultivation techniques and supernatural abilities passed down from the eight royal families, each person made a copy.

However, the most important thing for the demon race is their bloodline. Their most powerful supernatural ability is their innate supernatural ability, which is far inferior to that of human sects. Therefore, the four of them did not pay much attention to it.

Chen Yuan made one last request: if he obtained any body-tempering pills or other items useful for body cultivators from the eight royal families, they should belong to him.

The three of them naturally had no objection to this. They didn't need these things, and the stronger Chen Yuan was, the greater his chances of returning to the Spirit Realm after entering the Demon Realm.

After agreeing on the distribution of the treasures, the four began to discuss how to lure and kill Yin Qianjie, and how to deal with the remaining four demon generals.

Chen Yuan said, "It's not difficult to lure and kill Yin Qianjie. First, let Shen Jibai lure Yin Lu out and kill him."

"Previously, Chen had only killed two low-level demon generals of the royal family, which attracted the royal family to investigate and razed a human city to the ground."

"With the death of a high-ranking demon general, the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan will not remain indifferent. They will definitely send other high-ranking demon generals to investigate the cause of Yinlu's death."

“We will kill all the high-ranking demon generals who came to investigate. Once their life lamps are extinguished, Yin Qianjie will be furious.”

"Since our identities have not been revealed, Yin Qianjie will never believe that it was done by human cultivators. He will only think that other demon generals suddenly made a move to deal with the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan."

“The five demon generals know each other’s secrets, so Yin Qianjie will not worry about his life being in danger and will definitely take action personally.”

“As long as he leaves his clan’s territory and falls into our trap, he will not escape death.”

The other three nodded in agreement. Qin Wuyai said, "Then Fellow Daoist Chen will have control over Shen Jibai's life and death. We will leave this matter to Fellow Daoist Chen."

"After luring and killing Yin Qianjie, we need to lure out the other four demon generals. Do the three of you have any ideas?"

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Wangquan slowly spoke: "There's no need to rush this matter. The eight royal families are constantly fighting each other, and those five demon generals will never let each other know their own life or death."

"After we kill Yin Qianjie, we can first wipe out the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan, and then plot against these four demon generals."

The Taoist Cangsong's eyes lit up: "Although we have decided on a quick victory, we don't have to abandon the art of hit-and-run tactics."

"After wiping out the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan, the Sky-Supporting Divine Turtle, the Fiend Tiger, and the Nightmare Crow clans will also be wiped out without a demon general in charge."

Chen Yuan shook his head inwardly. Daoist Cangsong was still hard to change. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, he valued those low-level cultivation resources so much.

Qin Wuyai frowned as well: "Delay will only lead to complications. It is enough to wipe out the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan. We can take this opportunity to find out the location of the ascension passage and launch a strong attack."

“This is the vital point of the demon race. Those four demon generals will definitely not stand idly by. As long as they come to stop us, we can then fight them to the death.”

Chen Yuan objected, saying, "The ascension passage must not be lost; we cannot fight those four demon generals here."

"If they destroy the ascension passage in their desperation, all our efforts will be in vain."

Qin Wuyai asked, "What insightful opinion does Fellow Daoist Chen have?"

Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "When I was in the human realm, I fought against the two royal families of the Myriad Demon Sea together with fellow Daoists from the Tai Ming Sect and the Shao Xuan Sect."

"If we were to attack the two royal families one after the other, we would need to break through their island-protecting formations and also wipe out the scattered demon generals within their clans, which would be too troublesome."

"Chen then went to Beiming Island, where the Kunyu clan lived, and surrounded it without attacking, allowing the demon generals of the clan to ask the Jiaolong clan for help."

"Once the Jiaolong clan's reinforcements arrive, we will strike once more and wipe out both royal clans in one fell swoop."

"Now that we are also dealing with the demon race, we can also use this method."

“Choose a royal family to launch a feigned attack, using them as bait to lure their demon generals to ask for help, thus drawing in other demon commanders, and then fight them to the death.”

Qin Wuyai nodded slightly: "This method is excellent. How about using the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan as bait?"

Chen Yuan shook his head slightly: "No, when we besieged the Howling Moon Silver Wolf Clan, Yin Qianjie was already dead. Without the Demon Commander in charge, how could they stop our siege?"

"The Demon General will surely see through the trick and become wary."

"We must choose a royal family with a demon general in charge, and make them fearful, while simultaneously seeking help from the other three demon generals."

Lu Wangquan said, "Fellow Daoist Chen is absolutely right. Since we have decided to fight quickly, we must do everything we can to achieve our goal and not leave the Demon Commander alive, so that he has the opportunity to communicate with the demon race in the upper realm."

"Moreover, since records of the human world have been passed down in this realm, the demon race is very likely aware of this matter, and may even know that the spatial passage of the human world was destroyed by the demon army during that ancient war."

"If those demon generals guess our intentions and destroy the ascension passage, it will be too late to regret it."

All three nodded in agreement. As human cultivators, their attempt to ascend to the demon realm was extremely risky.

Chen Yuan's previous proposal of the hit-and-run tactic was a helpless move due to the disparity in strength between the two sides. It seemed safe, but in reality, it was a risky tactic.

Whether those demon generals destroy the ascension passage or report the matter to the demon race in the upper realm, it will cause them to fail at the last minute.

Although the possibility is slim, now that there is an opportunity to capture all four demon generals in one fell swoop, we naturally cannot take any risks.

Qin Wuyai said, "In Fellow Daoist Chen's opinion, which demon beast royal family should we choose?"

Chen Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "It cannot be determined for the time being; we still need to find out where the ascension passage is."

"The royal family members we have chosen must not be too close to the ascension passage, lest an accident occur."

Lu Wangquan said, "Then we'll lure and kill Yin Qianjie, and then we'll make further plans."

"However, before that, Fellow Daoist Lu and I need to recuperate from our injuries. We ask that you two wait for a while." (End of Chapter)