Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Deep within the Tielan Mountains, nestled amidst verdant peaks, lies a city nestled in a vast valley.

A long river flows quietly, with waterwheels standing on both banks, turning slowly and leisurely, drawing streams of clear water from the river and irrigating the flat and wide fields on both sides of the river through fine irrigation canals.

Humans and demons are different. Demons are born with strong bodies and can adapt to high mountains, dense forests, and deserts with ease. It is a world of survival of the fittest.

Humans are extremely fragile and must cultivate the land and harvest grains to survive.

The human cities in the Iron Mist Mountains are all located in valleys with abundant water.

Ordinary people work hard, sowing in spring and harvesting in autumn, to multiply and thrive.

Among them, the lucky ones with spiritual roots embark on the path of cultivation, fighting bloody battles when the beast tide arrives to protect the city behind them.

The city of Xingzhu before us is the same, with its tall, steep walls resembling mountain cliffs, built of solid boulders.

Behind the cold city walls lies a world full of life and warmth.

The city is crisscrossed with streets and alleys, and houses with black tiles and white walls are scattered in an orderly manner. Children chase each other with sugar figurines in hand, old men idly tap chess pieces in teahouses, and women lean against railings embroidering peonies with gold thread. Everything is peaceful and serene.

In the southern corner of the city, several towering peaks, hundreds of feet high, stand majestically, reaching into the clouds. An invisible boundary separates them from the bustling city. Palaces and pavilions stand among the mountains, and celestial light shines through the sky, creating a scene of celestial beauty.

On the mountain and below, in heaven and on earth, there is a distinction between immortals and mortals.

To defend against the beast tide, a defensive array was set up around the city, and only the continuous spiritual energy from the spiritual veins could support the operation of the array.

Xingzhu City was fortunate; there was a valley next to the spiritual vein, but it was too small to build a city there.

The cultivators of Xingzhu City spent a century, overcoming countless hardships and using supernatural powers to carve out valleys, divert water into rivers, and level the land, exhausting their efforts and resources.

Finally, deep in the mountains, a valley like a paradise was created, and this magnificent city, large enough to accommodate 500,000 ordinary people, was built.

This doesn't even include the ordinary people in the villages surrounding Xingzhu City, which total nearly 600,000 people.

Only with so many mortals as the foundation can thousands of cultivators emerge, blocking the invasion of beast tides, summoning clouds and rain, and allowing the mortals in the city to farm in peace.

For thousands of years, mortals and cultivators in this vast valley have depended on each other and successfully resisted wave after wave of beast tides, allowing Xingzhu City to stand firm and become quite famous within a radius of tens of thousands of miles.

The wave of human resistance against the demon race has never ceased, but cities that have survived for thousands of years are few and far between.

The human race now has thirty-four cities, the oldest of which is only a little over two thousand one hundred years old.

Xingzhu City has stood for a thousand years without falling, which is enough to rank it among the top ten of the thirty-four cities.

Just six months ago, Xingzhu City underwent a major change.

More than 200,000 people migrated from Pingluo City, which was 2,000 miles away, making this usually quiet city suddenly bustling.

For this open valley, 200,000 people is not a large number; even a million ordinary people could be easily accommodated.

However, the ordinary people living in the two cities suddenly merged into one, and their different customs and habits still caused a lot of friction and inconvenience.

If this is the case for mortals, then conflicts between cultivators are even more frequent.

Although Xingzhu City has stood for a thousand years, it only has one medium-sized spiritual vein to supply the cultivation of a few thousand cultivators, which is already somewhat insufficient.

Now that there are more than three thousand cultivators in the city, the already scarce spiritual energy is even more strained, and the cultivators of Xingzhu City inevitably have some complaints.

But they also understood that humanity was already in a difficult situation and should help each other.

Moreover, the cultivators from Ping Le City did not come empty-handed; they brought a large amount of cultivation resources and handed over at least half of them, enabling many cultivators from Xing Zhu City whose cultivation had stagnated to break through.

Of course, the most crucial factor is the close friendship between the City Lord of Xingzhu City, Master Zuiyun, and the City Lord of Pingle City, Master Zhang, which is why he accepted these more than 200,000 people from Pingle City.

With the arrival of the cultivators from Ping Le City, a name also spread throughout Xing Zhu City.

When the cultivators of Xingzhu City heard from the cultivators of Pingle City that just as Pingle City had been breached by the beast tide and was on the verge of collapse, the Starfire True Man descended from the sky and successively killed three demon generals and a demon sect elder, they all scoffed.

This sounds like something out of a collection of strange tales written by low-level cultivators whose cultivation has stagnated and who like to fabricate stories. They've gone to great lengths to create such convoluted plots.

Not to mention slaying three demon generals, even those demon commanders were repeatedly tortured and killed in their writings.

There are also poignant stories of royal female demons falling in love with down-on-their-luck human cultivators, betraying their own kind to help him achieve Nascent Soul cultivation, and living happily ever after.

These unrestrained and fantastical tales of the strange and supernatural were widely copied and became the favorite pastime of many cultivators struggling to resist the beast tide.

However, when the Core Formation cultivators of Ping Le City, and even Master Zhang himself, confirmed the matter and erected a monument in his honor in the city, the cultivators of Xing Zhu City had no choice but to believe that a Master Xing Huo had indeed descended from the sky, slaying three demon generals and one demon general elder, turning the tide and saving the lives of everyone in the city.

But what followed was a deep question: why had no one ever heard of such a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator, who was also an old friend of Master Zhang?
Not only were the cultivators of Xingzhu City puzzled, but even the city lord, Master Zuiyun, was quite interested in this.

He had repeatedly inquired about the origins of Master Xinghuo from Zhang Xuancang, but Zhang Xuancang always gave vague and perfunctory answers, only saying that he had known him for a long time, but when asked about the specifics, he knew nothing.

One afternoon, in an octagonal stone pavilion built on a cliff, Master Zuiyun and Zhang Xuancang sat facing each other.

Spiritual fruits and tea were laid out on the stone table in front of me. A thin mist swirled around me, and a mountain breeze blew, making my clothes flutter and feel cool and refreshing.

Master Zuiyun picked up the celadon teacup on the table, took a sip, and asked, "How have I treated the people of Ping Le City in the past six months? Have I neglected them?"

Zhang Xuancang said solemnly, "Fellow Daoist, you have taken in more than 200,000 mortals in Ping Le City, allocated houses and land to them, and helped them reclaim wasteland and farm."

“He treated everyone equally, ordering the cultivators in the city to give up their cave dwellings for the cultivators of Ping Le City to live and cultivate in, without the slightest neglect.”

Master Zuiyun then asked, "What is my relationship with Fellow Daoist Zhang like?"

Zhang Xuancang said, "I am on very good terms with you, fellow Daoist, and we have entrusted our lives to each other."

Master Zuiyun looked displeased and slammed his teacup heavily on the stone table: "If that's the case, why has Fellow Daoist Zhang been concealing Fellow Daoist Xinghuo's origins from below? Could it be that Fellow Daoist is worried that I might harm Fellow Daoist Xinghuo?"

Zhang Xuancang looked helpless: "Fellow Daoist has been in charge of Xingzhu City for more than 500 years. He is upright and hates demons to the bone. He has killed two demon generals and a demon sect elder. How could he be a threat to Fellow Daoist Xinghuo?"

Master Zuiyun's expression softened slightly: "Then please tell me the truth, Fellow Daoist Zhang, who exactly is this Fellow Daoist Xinghuo?"

"It is said that this Fellow Daoist Xinghuo can use the technique of teleportation. Our human race only has five Grand Cultivators in total. The addition of another Grand Cultivator is a great joy."

"It is already a pity that I cannot even see him. How could I be content if I never hear of his name?"

He stared intently at Zhang Xuancang, a hint of anticipation in his eyes. Seeing Master Zuiyun's expression, Zhang Xuancang couldn't help but sigh inwardly, his heart filled with even greater unease.

Master Zuiyun was wholeheartedly concerned for the human race. Upon hearing about Master Xinghuo's affairs, he was overjoyed and repeatedly inquired about his background, even hoping that he could act as a go-between and make some connections.

He himself was no different, and the other Nascent Soul cultivators who were still resisting the oppression of the demon race were all people with such a loyal heart.

The demon race has always treated low-level human cultivators with ruthless killing, leaving no survivors. The demon sect cultivators also do not want others to take away their cultivation resources.

However, the demon race has always tried its best to win over Nascent Soul cultivators, enticing them with benefits.

As long as one is willing to join the demon cult, voluntarily have the Blood Silk Gu planted in their body, and believe in the fabricated demon god, the demon race will bestow upon them magical treasures and elixirs.

Those who feared the power of the demon race had long since bowed down and joined the demon cult, willingly having the Blood Silk Gu planted in them, becoming slaves and servants, in turn suppressing human cultivators.

The Nascent Soul cultivators who are still resisting the demon race are either because of their experiences in their youth that have caused them to have a blood feud with the demon race, or because they have witnessed the bloody cruelty of the demon race in bullying and oppressing the human race and cannot bear it, so they rebel in anger.

Not all cultivators are selfish and willing to give up everything as long as they can save their lives.

There are always some people like Zhang Xuancang and Zuiyun Zhenren who do not seek immortality and are unwilling to be slaves.

He was willing to fight against the powerful demon race for those low-level cultivators and mortals who were regarded as ants by other Nascent Soul cultivators.

Although this path is extremely difficult and the future is uncertain, shrouded in a thick blood mist, where one could be swallowed up at any moment and end up dead without a trace of remains, with almost no light in sight.

But those who walk this path can stand tall, without being servile or having their lives in the hands of others.

After hundreds of years of arduous cultivation, he could only become a servant of the demon race.

Such a person is better off not cultivating at all.

However, this road is indeed too treacherous, and every glimmer of hope is so precious.

When Master Zuiyun learned that another great cultivator might have emerged among the human race, he could not remain indifferent.

Zhang Xuancang was well aware of his thoughts, but he still sighed and reluctantly declined: "I naturally trust you, fellow Daoist, but this matter involves fellow Daoist Xinghuo. Without his approval, please forgive me for not being able to speak frankly. Please do not press me any further."

Master Zuiyun's eyes dimmed, and he lowered his head slightly, looking somewhat forlorn.

Seeing this, Zhang Xuancang felt a pang of pity and said, "However, Fellow Daoist Xinghuo once said that he would come to Xingzhu City to meet with me in the future, and I will definitely introduce you to him then."

Master Zuiyun suddenly raised his head, his eyes revealing a hint of urgency: "Is this really true?"

Zhang Xuancang laughed and said, "In front of you, fellow Daoist, have I ever uttered a single falsehood?"

"But Fellow Daoist Xinghuo has other important matters to attend to and does not know when he will be able to come here. I hope Fellow Daoist will wait patiently."

At this point, a hint of worry flashed in his eyes.

Master Zuiyun laughed heartily: "What's so difficult about that? As long as Fellow Daoist Xinghuo arrives, I will certainly treat him with utmost sincerity."

He became very excited and talked about his past travels with Zhang Xuancang and their joint efforts in slaying demons. They also exchanged ideas about cultivation.

The two talked for several hours, until the sun began to set, before finally stopping.

Just as Zhang Xuancang was about to get up and take his leave, a young cultivator flew over from a distance at great speed, seemingly in a bit of a panic, and landed outside the stone pavilion.

Master Zuiyun frowned: "What's the matter that you're in such a panic?"

The young cultivator bowed to the two of them, his movements somewhat hurried: "Disciple greets Master and Senior Zhang. A senior who claims to be True Person Xinghuo has come to pay his respects to Senior Zhang..."

Before he could finish speaking, Master Zuiyun suddenly stood up, strode out of the stone pavilion, and came to the young cultivator.

"Fellow Daoist Xinghuo has come to visit? Where is he now? Lead the way!"

At the same time, he did not forget to spread his divine sense, which instantly swept across the entire Xingzhu City, but he did not see the long-awaited Xinghuo Zhenren.

The young cultivator dared not delay: "Master, please follow me..."

He rode his escape light ahead, leading the way, with Master Zuiyun following closely behind.

Zhang Xuancang also showed a happy expression. He got up and walked out of the stone pavilion. With a flash of light, he came to the side of Master Zuiyun.

The three flew over Xingzhu City and arrived at the eastern city wall.

A monk in white robes stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the city's streets and alleys.

Behind him followed a cultivator in a blue robe, and several others stood respectfully to the side, occasionally glancing at the cultivator in a white robe with awe.

Just as Master Zuiyun and Zhang Xuancang arrived within a hundred feet of the city wall, the white-robed cultivator suddenly raised his head, revealing an extremely young face, handsome and refined, looking over with a smile.

Master Zuiyun scanned the area with his divine sense, but still could not find the figure of the white-robed cultivator. His aura was restrained and unfathomable.

Overjoyed, he increased his speed, leaving Zhang Xuancang and the young cultivator behind, and instantly covered a distance of a hundred feet, landing in front of the white-robed cultivator.

He clasped his hands in a bow, beaming, and said, "I am Zuiyun, the city lord of Xingzhu City. I greet Fellow Daoist Xinghuo."

Chen Yuan returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "I have long admired Fellow Daoist Zuiyun. Fellow Daoist Zhang once praised you highly, saying that you killed two demon generals and a demon sect elder, and protected Xingzhu City for hundreds of years. You are truly a pillar of our human race."

Master Zuiyun's smile widened: "Fellow Daoist flatters me. Over the past few hundred years, I have only achieved some minor gains thanks to the Starry Sky City Array."

"Fellow Daoist, you have slain three demon generals, one Nascent Soul cultivator from the Demon Cult, and two royal demon generals in a single battle. You far surpass me and are truly the backbone of the human race."

At this moment, Zhang Xuancang also landed beside Master Zuiyun, letting out a long sigh of relief, and bowed to Chen Yuan, saying, "Congratulations on your full recovery, fellow Daoist."

Chen Yuan returned the greeting, saying, "I must thank you for your help, fellow Daoist. It was only in half a year that I was able to recover from my injuries."

Master Zuiyun's expression changed: "Fellow Daoist Xinghuo is injured? Was it the work of those three demon generals? No, Fellow Daoist is a great..."

Zhang Xuancang interrupted, saying, "Fellow Daoist Zuiyun, please be careful with your words."

Master Zuiyun paused, his gaze sweeping over the Foundation Establishment cultivators standing nearby. He then changed the subject, saying, "Fellow Daoist Zhang is absolutely right. This is not the place to talk. Fellow Daoist Xinghuo, please follow me." (End of Chapter)