Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Before they arrived at Xingzhu City, they were unaware of the existence of Chen Yuan and his companions, let alone that they were about to engage in a decisive battle with the demon race. Many of them were quite hesitant.

They also had to defend their city against the ever-present threat of a surging tide of beasts.

However, under the call of the great human cultivators, they finally made their choice and, filled with doubt, arrived at this inconspicuous human city.

When they met Chen Yuan, Qin Wuyai, Cangsong Daoren and Lu Wangquan, and when Zhang Xuancang recounted the legends of the ancient human world, their reactions were unexpected.

Ecstasy, excitement, exhilaration, astonishment... some even wept with joy. These dignified Nascent Soul cultivators were as helpless as children at this moment.

The heavy clouds that had been hanging over humanity for tens of thousands of years finally began to show a crack.

Chen Yuan was most impressed by Ao Feng.

The Golden Dragon bloodline seemed to have a profound impact on him, making him like a sharp blade, silent and hard, with a sharp glint flashing in his cold eyes from time to time, sending a chill down one's spine.

When he saw Chen Yuan display the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator, he was only stunned for a moment before regaining his composure.

Only the fleeting look of shock in his eyes revealed that his state of mind was not as calm as it appeared on the surface.

Chen Yuan was quite curious: why would a mid-level demon general with pure bloodline, a promising future, and highly valued by the dragon clan, so brazenly betray his clan and join the declining human race?

Chen Yuan did not hide his doubts and asked him directly.

Ao Feng's answer was the same as what Chen Yuan had heard from Cui Yuheng and others: "My mother was a human cultivator. Because of her beauty, she was taken by Ao Shuo, who forcibly abducted her and took her as a concubine, where she gave birth to our children."

"But Ao Shuo was a womanizer with many concubines. He was a womanizer every day and soon forgot about my mother."

“I was raised by my mother and have been human since childhood. I have never considered myself a demon.”

"Later, when the younger generation's bloodline was tested, it was found to be quite pure. Ao Shuo began to pay attention to the younger generation and secretly killed my mother to prevent her from continuing to influence the younger generation."

"At that time, I was still young and my cultivation was shallow, so I could only swallow my anger and cultivate silently."

"Only after my cultivation level reached the mid-level demon general did I secretly plot to ambush and kill Ao Shuo, but I failed at the last minute and had to escape from the dragon clan and join the human race..."

Ao Feng's voice was very calm, and his expression was indifferent, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

Ao Shuo is Ao Feng's father and a high-ranking demon general of the Golden Dragon Clan, but Ao Feng always addresses him by his given name.

But the deep-seated hatred revealed within it can never be erased.

Chen Yuan frowned: "Young friend, your betrayal of your clan and subsequent killing of two mid-level demon generals is a great disgrace to the dragon clan, especially the Golden Dragon lineage."

"Why did you abandon the pursuit of this young friend, allowing Golden Scale City to stand tall in the depths of the desert?"

Ao Feng shook his head slightly: "This junior doesn't know either. From the moment I escaped from Fulong Island, I was prepared to die."

“But since the dragon clan has stopped, I have built Golden Scale City to protect human cultivators. This is also my mother’s last wish.”

"She was strong-willed. After being kidnapped by Ao Shuo, she wanted to end her own life, but she became pregnant with her son. So she endured humiliation and hardship, just to give birth to her son and raise him."

“My mother once told the younger generation that my maternal grandfather, maternal grandmother, two uncles, and an aunt were all mortals, and they all died in a beast tide.”

"That beast tide was just because Ao Shuo made a bet with a low-ranking demon general of the Frostfire Bear clan for a rare body-tempering spirit herb."

"The beast tide breached the city where my mother lived, and she was about to die in the mouth of a level four demon beast, but she was spotted by Ao Shuo, who was then a low-level demon general, and captured her alive..."

Only then did his voice, which was as hard as the clash of metal and stone, soften slightly.

Suddenly, a murderous glint flashed in Ao Feng's eyes: "My lifelong wish is to annihilate the Flood Dragon Clan, and I am willing to be at the forefront of this battle!"

Chen Yuan nodded thoughtfully and reassured him, "This battle will not end easily. We will definitely face the Flood Dragon Clan. You will have plenty of opportunities, young friend."

Even if five great cultivators of the human race came out together, it would be impossible to stop the dragon race.

It seems that the conflict between the eight royal families is more intense than he imagined, forcing the dragon clan to endure such humiliation.

If planned properly, this battle could have a better chance of success.

Most of the Nascent Soul cultivators were overjoyed, but the three mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators who had been marked with the Fire Lotus by Chen Yuan were still shaken.

Only then did the three realize that the mysterious and unpredictable Starfire True Person was actually a Nascent Soul cultivator.

The fact that they were able to save their lives from a Nascent Soul cultivator is no less than an incredible stroke of luck.

But in doing so, they have no choice but to fight even harder in the upcoming battle in order to wash away the stain on their reputation.

Fortunately, this Senior Chen seemed to be very magnanimous and did not reveal the identities of the three, so no one knew that they had secretly sided with the demon race.

Otherwise, given the current high morale of the crowd, they would surely swarm forward and tear the three to pieces, preventing their souls from being reincarnated.

……

Chen Yuan sat in the armchair and waited for a while before Qin Wuyai, Cangsong Daoren, and Lu Wangquan arrived one after another.

The crowd greeted each other in unison, their deep voices echoing in the spacious hall. The sounds converged, creating a solemn and grand atmosphere that grew increasingly somber, yet also revealed a hint of unspoken restlessness.

Chen Yuan rose to greet them, and after the four exchanged greetings, they sat down in the armchairs, and everyone finally quieted down.

Four great cultivators stood at the front, followed by mid-Nascent Soul cultivators, and thirty-five early-Nascent Soul cultivators stood at the back, all in an orderly fashion.

Chen Yuan and Qin Wuyai sat in the middle of four armchairs, with Lu Wangquan and Cangsong Daoren on either side. Chen Yuan rested his hands on the armrests, leaning gently against the back of the chair, his posture as straight as a sword.

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. His gaze swept over everyone, his deep eyes seeming to see right through people's hearts.

But no one avoided his gaze; the four great cultivators looked back calmly, their eyes resolute.

The delicate and refined Zhu Xianzi, with her gentle, watery eyes, now seemed to freeze into an icy chill, radiating a chilling murderous aura.

To become a great cultivator, one must have stained their hands with the blood of countless demonic beasts.

Everyone looked at Chen Yuan, their eyes filled with eagerness and excitement. Even the somewhat timid, well-to-do cultivators revealed a hint of anticipation.

Chen Yuan and his companions felt that this battle was quite risky, but these Nascent Soul cultivators had no doubts whatsoever.

For tens of thousands of years, no Nascent Soul cultivator has appeared in this human realm. They can only eke out a living in the cracks between the demon race and have even become accustomed to this dark and hopeless life.

Now that four Nascent Soul cultivators have suddenly appeared and stepped forward to lead them in a decisive battle against the demon race, what is there to hesitate about?
This is an illusion they dared not even imagine when they were overcoming their inner demons; it is the best opportunity for humanity in tens of thousands of years.

Chen Yuan slowly spoke: "My dear friends, you should already know why the four of us have summoned you here today."

“Three days ago, young friend Fan from Lanshui City arrived in Xingzhu City. Human Nascent Soul cultivators have gathered here. Everything is ready. We will set off today to exterminate the demon.”

Everyone bowed in unison: "We respectfully obey Senior Chen's orders and will set off today to slay the demon!"

His voice was booming and powerful.

Qin Wuyai, Cangsong Daoren, and Lu Wangquan remained silent. They were also Nascent Soul cultivators, but while everyone knew that Chen Yuan had killed three demon generals and one elder of the Divine Sect to save Ping Le City, they did not know how many demon generals the three of them had killed.

In everyone's eyes, Chen Yuan was the de facto leader among the four Nascent Soul seniors, and they respected him the most.

Chen Yuan's expression turned solemn: "This battle is extremely dangerous. We will be facing eight royal clans whose strength far surpasses our own. If anyone is afraid, they may retreat now."

"Considering that you fought against the demon race and protected the human race in the past, I, Chen, will not make things difficult for you."

"But if anyone hesitates to fight after the great battle begins, they will be executed without mercy!"

He paused for a moment, and everyone fell silent; not a single person backed down.

Chen Yuan laughed heartily: "Good! As expected, none of us human cultivators are afraid of battle. Cui Yuheng, obey my command!"

Cui Yuheng immediately stepped forward, and Chen Yuan said in a deep voice: "You are to lead the men to secretly go to Bijing Lake and wait there. You must not reveal your presence. After receiving the message, go to the Silver Moon Mountains immediately. Do not fail to do so!"

Cui Yuheng clasped his hands in a respectful bow and solemnly said, "This junior obeys!"

A slight commotion arose in the crowd, and they realized that the four seniors were going to target the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan first.

Bijing Lake is a large lake spanning hundreds of miles, ranking among the top ten in the Ten Thousand Demon Continent. It is quite famous and is only ten thousand miles away from the Silver Moon Mountain Range, the ancestral home of the Howling Moon Silver Wolf Clan.

However, there are no spiritual veins or mineral veins for spirit stones and materials in Bijing Lake. There is only a mortal city built by the lake, which is rarely visited by cultivators. It is the perfect place to hide.

After years of oppression by the demon race, everyone was finally able to confront them head-on, and they were all quite excited.

Especially since the city they built was not far from the territory of the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan, those who had a blood feud with them were even more agitated.

But Chen Yuan merely narrowed his eyes and glanced around, and everyone immediately fell silent.

Chen Yuan then looked at Fairy Zhu, True Man Yuan Ting, and Venerable Jiu Yuan, and instructed them: "The three of you will assist Friend Cui, but if any unexpected events occur, you must follow Friend Cui's advice."

The three men remained calm and immediately agreed.

As great cultivators, they were already aware of Chen Yuan and his companions' plans.

Chen Yuan's gaze swept over the crowd again, and he slowly said, "Everyone must obey Young Friend Cui's orders and must not act on their own. If anyone disobeys orders, Young Friend Cui may deal with them as he sees fit."

The crowd sensed the intense killing intent in those words, their hearts tightened, and they respectfully responded.

Chen Yuan stood up: "Young friend Cui, please remember that if you encounter any demon generals or demon cult cultivators on your way to Bijing Lake, kill them without mercy and do not reveal your presence."

Cui Yuheng accepted the order and led the group out of the main hall.

Qin Wuyai slowly stood up: "We should also set off."

Cangsong Daoren and Lu Wangquan also stood up. Chen Yuan nodded: "I will have Shen Jibai take action now."

As he spoke, he raised his right hand, and a cluster of Zhu Yan True Fire rose from his palm, swaying gently.

A moment later, the Zhu Yan True Fire gradually died down, like a flower withering in the wind, exuding a cruel and poignant beauty.

The four walked out of the main hall, and with a flash of light, they flew into the sky.

The sun had fully risen, and the bright sunlight pierced through the clouds, dispelling the thin mist that shrouded Xingzhu City.

The city, which had been asleep all night, slowly awoke, and the mortals within began to bustle about, striving for a living each day.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators followed the city lord's orders and vigilantly surveyed their surroundings.

The Qi Refining cultivator used his Lightness Technique to rush out of the city, clearing out the demonic beasts harassing the villages and towns, calculating how many spirit stones and pills he could exchange for them.

Unbeknownst to anyone, dozens of dim streaks of light were flying across the sky, heading headlong into the distance for the future of humanity. (End of Chapter)