Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Cui Yuheng seemed to have expected this, and said calmly, "Does Fellow Daoist Shen have any objections?"

Shen Jibai did not answer, but turned to look at Chen Yuan, who was sitting in the main seat. He clasped his hands in a bow and said respectfully, "May I ask, senior, what mistake have I made that I must pay with my life?"

Everyone in the hall looked over, their eyes filled with hope.

Whether it's merit or demerit, only Chen Yuan can judge. The only way to escape death is to persuade Chen Yuan to retract his decision.

Chen Yuan said calmly, "Young friend Cui has already made it clear that your greatest mistake is serving the demon race."

Shen Jibai raised his head and argued, "This junior also does not wish to submit to the demon race, but with Yin Qianjie personally taking action, how could this junior be a match for the demon general?"

"I was forced into this situation and had no choice but to have the Blood Silk Gu implanted in me. I did not intend to serve the demon race."

"Fellow Daoist Cui can attest to this junior that before being captured by Yin Qianjie, this junior had never harbored any disloyal intentions. I traveled far and wide to revitalize the human race and had the lives of several demon generals on my hands!"

The portly cultivator also stood up and spoke up: "This junior also has objections! Like Fellow Daoist Shen, this junior was forced to join the demon race."

"Moreover, I only provided information and never personally attacked other fellow Daoists. I urge you to understand, senior!"

"I've been wronged..."

The other two Nascent Soul cultivators who had secretly sided with the demon race also stood up to protest, their faces filled with grief and indignation, as if they had suffered a great injustice.

Chen Yuan remained silent, letting the others try to explain themselves.

Seeing this, the other demonic cultivators seemed to think there was still a chance for things to turn around, and they all stood up to try and exonerate themselves.

Lu Qiao said sadly, "Senior, although I went astray in the past, I have abandoned darkness and turned to the light ever since I was intimidated by your divine power. I have truly repented."

"Over the past few years, I have fought the demon race to the death without ever slacking off. I have killed five or six demon generals. I have not made any great contributions, but I have certainly worked hard."

"Moreover, this junior also carries the Fire Lotus mark planted by the senior within him, and his life and death are in the senior's hands. He is utterly loyal to the senior."

"Even if it's a mountain of knives or a sea of ​​fire, as long as you give the order, I will not hesitate for a moment. Why must you punish me?"

The Dragon God Sect's weapon refiner felt even more wronged: "Senior, please understand, since I embarked on the path of cultivation, I have focused on the art of weapon refining. I have never fought with anyone, let alone suppressed any human cultivators."

"I was ordered by you, senior, to work with all my might to refine those magical treasures. I beg you to spare my life."

"No cultivator in the Myriad Demon Continent possesses weapon-refining skills surpassing mine. From this day forward, I am willing to work day and night to refine magical treasures for you, senior, until my death, to atone for my past sins!"

Chaos reigned in the main hall, with a cacophony of noise spreading throughout.

At this critical moment of life and death, these demon sect leaders and elders disregarded their disrespect towards Chen Yuan and vied to exonerate themselves.

Every cultivator of the demon sect was expressing their helplessness and their deep-seated hatred for the demon race.

They seemed to have always been loyal to the human race, but were forced to serve the demon race due to numerous obstacles. Now they have repented and turned to the light.

The demon generals they killed are the best proof of this.

As for the blood of human cultivators that had been spilled in the past, it was glossed over lightly, as if it were just an unintentional mistake.

Chen Yuan did not interrupt, but simply watched the crowd with interest.

Cui Yuheng's expression turned serious, and he said sternly, "Shut up! How dare you be so insolent in front of Senior Chen!"

Everyone froze for a moment, and the hall gradually quieted down.

Chen Yuan said calmly, "So, you were all forced into this situation, with blood-thread gu implanted in your bodies, leaving you no choice but to serve the demon race. It seems there's some explanation for that..."

Some people looked delighted; could it be that Senior Chen had been persuaded by them?

Chen Yuan's face suddenly darkened: "But why weren't young friends Cui, Zhang, and Zuiyun... those Nascent Soul cultivators who have always resisted the oppression of the demon race, built cities, and sheltered low-level cultivators and mortals 'forced' to submit to the demon race?"

Everyone was taken aback. The human cultivator turned around and coldly glanced at the group of demon sect cultivators. Some even looked at Shen Jibai and the wealthy cultivator with disdain and arrogance.

They dared not speak sarcastically in front of Chen Yuan, but their contempt for him was hard to conceal.

Shen Jibai protested, "They were not captured by the Demon Commander..."

Chen Yuan interrupted sharply: "I witnessed with my own eyes that the beast tide breached Ping Le City. Young friend Zhang fought against three opponents and nearly lost his life on the spot, yet he showed no fear and calmly faced death. How do you explain that?"

"Uh..." Shen Jibai was speechless for a moment, his mouth half open, standing there, not knowing how to refute.

Chen Yuan turned to Zhang Xuancang and said, "Ao Lin and She Mo both tried to persuade you to surrender. If you agree, you can save your life and join the Demon Cult, thus gaining the protection of the Demon King's family."

"You no longer have to risk your life to defend against the beast tide, nor worry about cultivation resources, so why didn't you agree?"

Zhang Xuancang stood up, gave Shen Jibai a cold look, clasped his hands in a bow to Chen Yuan, and said resolutely, "I was born a human cultivator and will die a human ghost. I will never submit to the demon race and become a slave!"

The portly cultivator slowly lowered his head, and many of the demon sect elders showed expressions of shame.

Shen Jibai suddenly turned his head to look at Zhang Xuancang and sneered: "Fellow Daoist Zhang is truly righteous, but as far as I know, the reason why Fellow Daoist Zhang hates the demon race so much is because your biological parents died in the beast tide. It is for personal revenge, not for the greater good of the human race."

Zhang Xuancang paused for a moment, then said, "Fellow Daoist Shen is indeed well-informed. That's right, when I was young, my parents died in the beast tide."

"From that moment on, I, Zhang, have been irreconcilably opposed to the demon race, but so what?"

He suddenly raised his hand and swept it across Shen Jibai, his expression somewhat ferocious: "Which of you human cultivators here doesn't have a blood feud with the demon race? "No matter what, we have never bowed down to the demon race, not even in the face of life and death, we have never knelt and surrendered, we are a hundred times better than you!"

Shen Jibai was stunned. Suddenly, Master Zuiyun stood up, clasped his hands in a bow to Chen Yuan, stared at Shen Jibai, and said sternly, "You coward who is afraid of death, you are just a weather vane that sways with the wind. Stop trying to make excuses here!"

"Judging by actions, not intentions, death is the only hardship throughout the ages. Fellow Daoist Zhang is not even afraid of death. What difference does it make between personal grudges and public justice?"

Master Zuiyun turned around again, looked at the demonic cultivators, and said sarcastically, "Why bother with this pretense? You are not truly repentant, you just want to save your lives."

Everyone froze, slowly lowered their heads, and the shame on their faces vanished without a trace.

Chen Yuan waved his hand, and Master Zuiyun and Zhang Xuancang remained silent, clasped their hands in a bow, and then sat down on the prayer mat.

Chen Yuan's gaze swept over the crowd, and he said coldly, "What Young Friend Zhang and Young Friend Zuiyun said is exactly what I thought."

"If we let you opportunists live, wouldn't those who have always resisted the demon race, as well as the Nascent Soul cultivators who died at the hands of the demon race in the past, become a laughing stock?"

Shen Jibai suddenly raised his head, his face full of resentment, and shouted, "What's wrong with me only trying to save my life? Senior, you cultivate immortality, isn't it also for longevity?"

Chen Yuan paused for a moment, then slowly said, "You're right. Everyone has a desire to live, and I, too, am afraid of death, which is why I embarked on the path of cultivation."

“If all human cultivators in this world were like you, clinging to life and fearing death, I, Chen, would naturally not punish you.”

"But there are some human cultivators who, unlike you, do not grovel before the demon race."

"They may also fear the power of the demon race, or they may not have any sense of justice in their hearts. They may only be irreconcilable enemies with the demon race because of their own personal vendettas."

"But they ultimately did not submit to the demon race, while you, who are clearly human cultivators, willingly served as slaves to the demon race when it was powerful."

"Now that the demon race has lost power, their desire to return to the human race is nothing but wishful thinking."

The hall was deathly silent. Everyone understood that Chen Yuan's mind was made up and there was no way to change it.

But Lü Qiao was still unwilling and said sadly, "Senior is not a cultivator of this world and has no enmity with the demon race."

"Now that the demon race is a thing of the past, we have turned over a new leaf, are loyal to our predecessors, and are willing to serve as their slaves. Why do you still want to exterminate us?"

"Fellow Daoist Lü is absolutely right. Senior, you are wise. We have no enmity with you!"

"If you don't trust us, senior, you can plant the Fire Lotus mark on us. In the future, when you conquer all the heavens and myriad realms, we are willing to be your vanguard!"

Everyone pleaded for permission, some even with tears in their eyes.

These demonic cultivators were also extremely puzzled; keeping them alive was the best choice for this Senior Chen.

If we kill them, where will we find monks willing to serve as servants?
But Shen Jibai, who had been arguing fiercely just moments before, now stood there silently, his expression indifferent, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips.

Chen Yuan said calmly, "What you say makes sense. Sparing your lives is the best option, but... I am unwilling."

Everyone was stunned. Chen Yuan said coldly, "Although I am not a righteous person, this time I will seek justice for those human cultivators who have persisted in resisting the demon race for tens of thousands of years."

"Moreover, the cultivation world is one where strength reigns supreme and the strong prey on the weak. If I, Chen, want to kill you all, what reason do I need?"

Have you all forgotten such a simple truth?

Everyone fell silent. They understood this principle perfectly well, but they were so accustomed to seeking advantage and avoiding harm that they assumed others would do the same, and would never sacrifice their own interests for any moral reason.
But they happened to encounter a Nascent Soul cultivator who valued morality, or rather, morality in this matter.

They actually want to abandon Nascent Soul cultivators who are willing to be their servants for the sake of a mere twenty or thirty human cultivators, for the sake of some vague and illusory justice.

But they were powerless to do anything about it. Chen Yuan was right. The cultivation world was all about strength and the survival of the fittest. No one stipulated that high-level cultivators had to be ruthless and prioritize their own interests.

Chen Yuan could be kind and benevolent, or he could turn ruthless and heartless. They could only silently accept it, or... silently die.

Suddenly, several elders of the demon sect took flight and turned to flee out of the main hall.

In the face of life and death, there are always those who refuse to sit idly by and wait for their demise.

Chen Yuan raised his right hand, and the Zhu Yan True Fire rose up.

The few demon sect elders who had been fleeing in panic all stopped, knelt on the ground, clutched their heads tightly with their hands, even tearing several deep bloody holes in them, and let out painful howls.

The demonic cultivators who remained behind smiled bitterly, realizing they also wanted to escape in front of Senior Chen.

Kun Chenglie was no match for Senior Chen. The Five Elements Universe Formation was shattered by Senior Chen's sword. The moment Senior Chen decided to kill, they were destined to die.

Shen Jibai suddenly chuckled: "If you want to kill someone, senior, we can only offer our necks for slaughter."

"But if we can make our predecessors go so far as to betray us and bear the name of treachery, we can die without regret."

Chen Yuan said calmly, "When did I ever say that I would spare your lives?"

"The purpose of sending you to exterminate the demon general is merely to allow you to make some amends for the mistakes you have made in the past."

"Being able to live a few more years is already a blessing for you, but in the end you will still have to pay with your lives."

Shen Jibai was taken aback, and finally fell silent, slowly lowering his head. (End of Chapter)