Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

The young cultivator remained defiant to the death, but the other cultivators showed strange expressions.

The pretty female cultivator blinked and murmured, "Our thoughts seem to be unrestricted..."

The young cultivator was also stunned. He had been so focused on dying that his mind was in turmoil. Only now did he realize that even though he had insulted the Northern Underworld Demon General in front of him, the Fire Lotus Mark had not reacted at all. Why was that?

Chen Yuan stood up and slowly walked down from the high platform, his body radiating a billowing demonic aura that filled the hall.

He stopped in front of the group and said calmly, "I greatly admire the courage and willingness of you young friends to die for your cause."

As he spoke, a thought flashed through his mind, and the Yin-Yang Ring on his hand shone brightly, his demonic aura slowly transforming into pure spiritual energy.

Chen Yuan had already transformed the Yin-Yang Ring into another form as a disguise. Now that it had returned to its original state, everyone's attention was drawn to it, and they all stood there stunned.

Why did this Northern Darkness Demon General display such spiritual energy, making him no different from a human cultivator?

"The Yin-Yang Ring?" The pretty female cultivator's eyes widened as she blurted out.

Chen Yuan was somewhat surprised: "This young friend recognizes this treasure?"

The Yin-Yang Ring is not common in the Spirit Realm; it is a magic weapon exclusively for Shadow Spy cultivators, and can only be used by cultivators at least in the late Nascent Soul stage.

The Kunyu clan of the human realm obtained such a magical treasure from who knows where, and it eventually fell into Chen Yuan's hands. There must have been a tortuous story behind it, but it has been buried under the dust of time.

Upon hearing this, some of the dozen or so cultivators remaining in the hall looked bewildered, while others were overjoyed.

The man appeared to be around forty years old, with three short tufts of beard under his chin. He had insulted Chen Yuan in the square and suffered a soul injury. Looking dejected, he asked, "Senior, could you perhaps be a shadow spy cultivator from the spirit realm?"

The crowd was even more bewildered. Their cultivation levels were low, either at the Foundation Establishment or Core Formation stage. They had never heard of the Yin-Yang Ring, let alone knew what a Shadow Spy cultivator was.

Chen Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "That's right, I am indeed a Shadow Spy cultivator."

The crowd was overjoyed. Although they didn't understand why, the Northern Underworld Demon General had personally admitted that he came from the Spirit Realm. Could it be that they could not only save their lives but also avoid becoming slaves?

The middle-aged cultivator was overjoyed and bowed deeply to Chen Yuan: "This junior was blind and mistook you for the Demon General. I even insulted you just now. Please forgive me!"

But the pretty female cultivator looked solemn: "Senior, could you please remove your Yin-Yang Ring?"

Everyone was taken aback, turned around and looked at them, their faces full of confusion.

The middle-aged cultivator's expression changed slightly, and he advised in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist Mu, be careful with your words, lest you anger the senior!"

The pretty female cultivator's eyes held a hint of wariness as she said in a deep voice, "This junior has heard that the Yin-Yang Ring can not only convert spiritual energy into demonic energy, but also convert demonic energy into spiritual energy..."

Everyone's hearts tightened. Although they dared not say anything, their eyes revealed a hint of suspicion as they looked at Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan smiled, took off the Yin-Yang Ring, and his aura remained pure and clear.

The wariness in the pretty female cultivator's eyes vanished. She bowed gracefully to Chen Yuan, her face full of apology: "Being in the demon realm, I dared not trust anyone easily. Please forgive me for any offense I may have caused, senior."

Chen Yuan put the Yin-Yang Ring back on and smiled, "It's alright. If I, Kun, were to concern myself with such trivial matters, you would all be dead by now."

Now that everyone was certain that this Northern Underworld Demon General was actually a Nascent Soul cultivator, their joy was palpable, and they all bowed to Chen Yuan.

"Thank you, senior, for not killing me!"

"Li Chang'an, a cultivator from the Luoyun Sect, greets senior..."

Those cultivators who had been weakened by the insults against Chen Yuan were now struggling to break free from the support of the cultivators beside them and bowing with difficulty.

But the young cultivator who was determined to die rather than submit was now frozen in place, looking at Chen Yuan with a complicated expression, seemingly at a loss.

After a long pause, he managed to raise his hands, clasp them together in a bow to Chen Yuan, and said with mixed emotions, "Junior...Junior..."

Chen Yuan waved his hand: "My young friends, there's no need for such formalities. The punishment I just gave was a last resort, to prevent him from revealing his weakness to his demon generals."

The middle-aged cultivator said solemnly, "Senior, you flatter us. We insulted you and wanted to die quickly. You have already shown great magnanimity by sparing our lives."

Those who had just insulted Chen Yuan all looked ashamed, and were also very fortunate to have encountered a Nascent Soul cultivator disguised as a demon general. It was truly a stroke of incredible luck. Chen Yuan said calmly, "Don't worry, my young friends. Now that you have come to the Northern Underworld Cave, you will no longer be in any danger."

A mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator asked impatiently, "Then what about the Fire Lotus Mark within our bodies...?"

Chen Yuan frowned slightly, but before he could speak, the pretty female cultivator rebuked him sharply: "Shut up! We are merely strangers who met you by chance. It is already a stroke of luck that we were spared and that no divine soul restriction was planted in our bodies. How can you push your luck any further?"

The Foundation Establishment cultivator's expression changed, and he bowed repeatedly, saying, "This junior misspoke, please forgive me, senior..."

Chen Yuan glanced at the female cultivator and said calmly, "In this Demon Burning Realm, I, Kun, am also walking on eggshells, and dare not be careless in the slightest."

"This fire lotus mark cannot be erased yet. Young friends, you must be careful with your words and actions on this North Sea Island in the future."

"If I were to accidentally reveal my identity as Kun, my soul would be instantly burned to nothingness."

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines, but gradually calmed down.

Although they will not die or become slaves, they have ultimately been captured and taken to the demon realm, and it is likely that they will never be able to return to the spirit realm in this lifetime.

This senior from Beiming was clearly not a soft-hearted person. Although he would not take their lives, he would not allow them to reveal any weaknesses.

The pretty female cultivator's expression turned solemn: "Senior, rest assured, we dare not ask for anything more. If anyone is not discreet, they deserve to die."

The middle-aged cultivator immediately chimed in, "We will certainly be careful with our words and actions and will never reveal your identity, senior!"

Everyone swore oaths, and Chen Yuan laughed and said, "Even after your souls were burned, you young friends still have the will to resist, are ready to die, and are unwilling to become slaves."

"I left you here because I trust you; I'm just giving you a little reminder."

"But once the Fire Lotus mark is implanted in other people's bodies, they no longer dare to resist and cannot be trusted."

"Besides the demon race, you young friends must not reveal my identity to them."

"Otherwise, your soul will be burned to nothingness, and you will die and your spirit will vanish in an instant. You must remember this."

The crowd quickly agreed. Although the young cultivator was still extremely weak, he showed a hint of contempt and said weakly, "These... these people are cowardly and afraid of death, and there are even cowards who are willing to become slaves. Why don't you kill them all, senior?"

A Core Formation stage cultivator, whose soul had also been severely damaged, spoke with indignation: "Fellow Daoist Liu is absolutely right! Senior, these people are cowardly and have their hearts set on the demon race. What use are they?"

The other cultivators also chimed in, pleading with Chen Yuan to kill those cultivators who had already resigned themselves to their fate.

Only the pretty female cultivator looked reluctant, lowered her head, and remained silent.

Chen Yuan shook his head slightly: "Everyone has the desire to live. They didn't know my identity. They were already in a desperate situation in front of a demon general. It's only natural that they would feel scared. It's too harsh to punish them for this."

Everyone was stunned. The pretty female cultivator raised her head, a hint of surprise flashing in her beautiful eyes.

However, some cultivators were still indignant. They were ready to die, but those cowards were able to save their lives. What was the reason for this?

But they also knew that their lives were in the hands of this senior Beiming, and no one dared to object.

Chen Yuan said, "I will later order my demon generals to settle you all down. Remember to be careful with your words and actions, or you will die under the spiritual fire and regret it too late."

"As for the injuries to your soul, you only need to rest and recuperate to recover, so there is no need to worry."

Everyone readily agreed, and Chen Yuan sent out a communication talisman to summon Jiang Zhu, instructing her to settle everyone down.

He left behind three people: a pretty female cultivator, a young cultivator, and the middle-aged cultivator who knew about the "Shadow Spy Cultivator".

Jiangzhu had no suspicions and thought that Chen Yuan had taken a fancy to the pretty female cultivator and wanted to take her as a concubine.

As for the other two, they were probably smooth talkers, skilled at flattery, and had won Chen Yuan's favor, which is why they were specially kept behind.

After Jiangzhu led everyone away from the main hall, Chen Yuan asked, "How did the three of you fall into the hands of the demon race?" (End of Chapter)