Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Among the five Dragon Transformation Realm cultivators in the Xuanli Realm, Zhou Lang, the Supreme Elder of the Yingmang Clan, is the most famous and the most feared.

After transforming into dragons, the other four have been in seclusion for many years, focusing on cultivation.

Among the millions of dragon people in the Xuanli Realm, those who successfully transform into dragons are all individuals with profound opportunities and unwavering Daoist hearts.

Even with slim hopes and waning dragon energy, they were single-mindedly focused on improving their cultivation and reaching higher realms.

But Zhou Lang was quite different. After transforming into a dragon, he cultivated peacefully for several hundred years, but then wandered around the Xuanli Realm, slaughtering tribes at will and killing people without hesitation.

He didn't kill people directly, but disguised himself as a low-level dragonman. Wherever he went, he acted ostentatiously, deliberately showing off his wealth and spending hundreds or thousands of dragon energy stones, but only buying ordinary treasures.

Whenever someone attempts to ambush or kill him, he reveals his true cultivation level and, on the grounds of disrespect, slaughters the entire dragon tribe that the person in question.

Even if someone only speaks slightly disrespectfully to Zhou Lang, he will slaughter the entire tribe behind that person.

Within a few years, his infamous reputation spread throughout the entire Xuanli Realm, causing widespread fear and unease.

Murder and plunder are certainly wrong, but Zhou Lang's indiscriminate killing of the cultivators, coupled with his slaughter of all the local dragon people and the involvement of innocent people, is too brutal and chilling.

However, given his cultivation level at the Dragon Transformation Realm, the various tribes dared not speak out against him and could only strictly restrain their members, fearing that calamity would befall them.

Later, Zhou Lang successively slaughtered the subordinate tribes of the other four major tribes, and even many of the dragon people of the four major tribes died at his hands.

The elders of the other four tribes all sought help from the Dragon Transformation Realm cultivators behind them. Chu Weicai and the others finally stopped standing by and stepped forward to stop him, and Zhou Lang finally restrained himself.

However, he still often traveled around and killed people for fun, but he never again slaughtered tribes.

Outsiders only thought Zhou Lang was capricious, but only he knew that he was just venting his fear and anger.

As the dragon energy in the Xuanli Realm gradually weakens, the Imperial Heaven Realm has become a legend, and the Dragon Transformation Realm is the end of the path.

Zhou Lang cultivated diligently for tens of thousands of years, enduring countless hardships, and transformed into a dragon in one day, but he lost his goal, and his Dao heart collapsed as a result.

After transforming into a dragon, he visited the Ten Thousand Flames Mountain Range and learned that the True Dragon Cave Formation had a flaw, with pure dragon energy emanating from it. He then opened up a cave and devoted himself to cultivation.

But over the centuries, his cultivation level has only improved slightly, and reaching the bottleneck seems a long way off.

One day, Zhou Lang suddenly became disheartened.

Since the road ahead is blocked, why bother with futile efforts?

He sits in meditation all day long, simply to deepen his cultivation.

Even with all the hard work, the Heavenly Realm remains elusive, and even the mid-stage of the Dragon Transformation Realm is a pipe dream; in the end, one will still turn into a pile of bones.

Zhou Lang stopped his seclusion, left his cave, and traveled around to calm his turbulent mind.

He walked through one dragon tribe after another, looking down upon all living beings, and his state of mind changed once again.

He had already reached the pinnacle of the Xuanli Realm, a Dragon Transformation Realm cultivator revered by all, yet he felt a hundred times more tormented than a low-level dragonman.

Although those dragon people had low cultivation levels, their path to enlightenment was not interrupted. No matter how poor their aptitude or how difficult their cultivation was, they were single-mindedly focused on improving their cultivation level and did not feel the hardship of cultivation.

They were respectful and humble as ants before Zhou Lang, but Zhou Lang could see a vibrant light in their fearful eyes.

That is the light of hope that knows there is still a way forward and that hope has never been extinguished.

Every time Zhou Lang saw this light, he would think that his path of cultivation had been severed, and that every day that followed would be torment until the day he passed away.

Unlike the other four cultivators at the Dragon Transformation Realm, he did not have such a resolute Dao heart.

Knowing that their path forward was blocked, they still worked hard to improve their cultivation, trying to break through the True Dragon Cave Formation and searching for any way to break through the bottleneck.

Zhou Lang began massacring the dragon people tribe under the pretext of disrespect.

Only the despair and screams of those low-level dragonkin could make him temporarily forget the fact that his path to enlightenment was cut off.

However, after the intervention of the other four Dragon Transformation Realm cultivators, he dared not wantonly slaughter the tribe anymore. He could only find an opportunity to kill a few low-level dragon people to calm his mind.

As time went by, he gradually accepted reality and became heartless.

He returned to the deepest part of the Ten Thousand Flame Mountains to continue his secluded cultivation, absorbing dragon energy and gradually improving his cultivation level.

Although Zhou Lang knew that no matter how hard he cultivated, he could not break through the bottleneck, he had spent the past tens of thousands of years in arduous cultivation, and cultivation had become his habit.

If it were a lower-level dragon, with no hope of progress, they might choose to indulge in sensual pleasures.

Zhou Lang was able to cultivate to the Dragon Transformation Realm, and his Dao heart was far superior to that of ordinary people. Although he was not as resilient as Chu Weicai and others, he had no other desires except for immortality.

Previously, he used killing to maintain his state of mind, but now that he no longer kills, he naturally resumes meditation and cultivation.

After that, he stopped killing people indiscriminately, and his notorious reputation gradually faded away.

Of the other four cultivators at the Dragon Transformation Realm, only Feng Zhihe, who was on good terms with Zhou Lang, knew the location of his cave.

The deepest part of the Ten Thousand Flame Mountains spans hundreds of miles, permeated with crimson gold fire poison. As far as the eye can see, it is only a few hundred feet, and divine sense is severely compressed, only able to probe a few miles away.

Zhou Lang came here to cultivate, and he never came out or revealed his presence.

He only told Feng Zhihe, with whom he had a close personal relationship, about the location of the cave. After all, it was close to the True Dragon Cave, so they could help each other in case of an accident.

The Yingmang tribe and the Yingtian tribe have a long-standing friendship. When Zhou Lang and Feng Zhihe were still at a low level of cultivation, they traveled together in the Xuanli Realm and became sworn brothers.

When he was in a state of mental instability and wantonly slaughtered the dragon people tribe, it was only after Feng Zhihe's persuasion that Chu Weicai and the other two did not directly take action, but instead let Zhou Lang stop on his own.

After that, Zhou Lang became despondent and spent his days cultivating. He rarely concerned himself with the affairs of the Python Clan, but occasionally he would sit and discuss the Dao with Feng Zhihe, seeking ways to break through his bottleneck.

Even if the road ahead is uncertain, he can't help but hold onto a sliver of hope to prevent himself from going astray.

Decades ago, Feng Zhihe, nearing the end of his life, returned to his tribe in despair.

Seeing his friend in such a state, Zhou Lang's last glimmer of hope was extinguished, and he returned to Ying Mang's tribe to await the day of his death.

But a few days ago, he received a message from Feng Zhihe, who led the tribal elders to the Wanyan Mountains and met Zhong Ding and Ao Pan, which rekindled his hope.

He cultivated diligently for tens of thousands of years, and his cultivation level was only one step away from the mid-stage of the Dragon Transformation Realm.

As long as one can open the True Dragon Cave, one can use the pure dragon energy within to break through bottlenecks and extend one's lifespan.

Behind Ao Pan and Zhong Ding is a demon saint with great supernatural powers, who may be able to break free from the dragon energy's shackles and have a chance to break through to the Heavenly Realm.

Zhou Lang disregarded his ancestors' teachings without hesitation and, following Feng Zhihe's advice, agreed to join forces with the demon race.

Several days passed, and the demon race remained within the great formation, neither engaging in combat with the human race nor investigating their movements—a decision entirely at Ao Pan's suggestion. Not only were the three Dragon Transformation Realm cultivators, eager to break through their bottlenecks, dissatisfied, but Zhong Ding also grew impatient, leading to today's meeting.

As soon as Zhou Lang finished speaking, Feng Zhihe chimed in, "Young friend Ao, according to the information provided by the spy planted by Fellow Daoist Zhuang, the Tai Xuan Sect is one of the major sects in the Spirit Realm, with a Mahayana cultivator in charge."

“The Tai Xuan Sect cultivators who have entered the Xuanli Realm are certainly not weak, and their numbers are not small.”

"If we sit idly in the formation, aren't we just giving Han Xuan the opportunity to gather his fellow disciples?"

Even Zhuang Buhui, who always followed Ao Pan's lead, hesitated at this moment: "What you two fellow Daoists say makes sense. After Fellow Daoist Zhou arrived, we had no way to help each other."

"Most of those demon generals are currently destroying Dragon Breath Platforms in various places. Even if someone discovers the location of the True Dragon Cave and rushes to the Ten Thousand Flame Mountains, it will be of little use."

"It would be better to directly wage war against the Tai Xuan Sect. The Tai Xuan Sect might have more Nascent Soul cultivators, but we only managed to win over Chu Weicai and Zhou Muyun, and only gained the assistance of two elders."

"The three of us, along with our two young friends, have come together with three elders, and our chances of winning are not small."

Zhong Ding, a man of imposing stature, sat to one side, his stone chair beneath him extremely wide and thick, even larger than that of the three dragon-men.

He stared at Ao Pan, and slowly spoke, his voice deep and resonant: "The words of the three seniors are also what I, Zhong, have been thinking."

“I am well aware of Brother Ao’s wisdom and strategy, which is why I agreed to his request to refrain from taking action for the time being and instead remain in the formation.”

"Brother Ao said that the time was not yet ripe, but he wouldn't say it explicitly. May I ask when this 'time' will arrive, and how can we judge it?"

Ao Pan slightly raised his head, his gaze slowly sweeping over the four people, his expression calm and composed.

Although he was a high-ranking demon general and possessed the bloodline of a true dragon, his physique was not particularly robust; rather, he was no different from a human cultivator.

Compared to the four people, Ao Pan was much shorter, and the stone chair beneath him seemed too large, making him look rather comical.

But facing the questioning gazes of the four, he stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his aura no less imposing.

Ao Pan hesitated for a moment before finally speaking: "I understand the concerns of Brother Zhong and the three seniors."

"The reason I didn't say it explicitly that day was because I was worried that if you were too eager and rashly started a war with the human race, it would be detrimental to the overall situation."

"However, if we wait for several days, all the cultivators of the Tai Xuan Sect should have gathered at the Wan Yan Mountain Range, so there is no need to hide it."

"The timing I'm referring to is when the human cultivators come to attack."

A look of astonishment flashed across Zhou Lang's eyes: "Wait for human cultivators to attack? Isn't that just sitting and waiting to die?"

Feng Zhihe frowned, his already bitter face looking even more bitter: "Please explain more clearly, young friend. Waiting for human cultivators to attack doesn't seem like the right time."

Zhuang Buhui remained silent. He had witnessed Ao Pan's methods and placed all his hopes for extending his lifespan on him.

He could have offered subtle advice by echoing Zhou Lang and Feng Zhihe earlier, but Ao Pan's words were so absurd that he couldn't question them directly.

Zhong Ding, however, looked thoughtful: "Brother Ao, are you so confident that you can defeat human cultivators?"

Ao Pan smiled slightly and looked at Zhong Ding: "Brother Zhong, before you left, the Heavenly Pillar Demon Saint must have bestowed upon you a treasure to protect your life."

"I also possess treasures bestowed by the Cold Shadow Demon Saint, but not for saving my life. Rather, they are to ensure that the True Dragon Cave will not fall into the hands of human cultivators."

Upon hearing this, the three cultivators at the Dragon Transformation Realm were all invigorated and stared intently at Ao Pan.

Zhong Ding frowned: "I wonder what the Cold Shadow Demon Saint bestowed upon you, that makes Brother Ao dare to sit idly by and wait for all the human cultivators to arrive so that we can gather them together and annihilate them."

"The Nascent Soul cultivators in the Tai Xuan Sect certainly wouldn't be completely unprepared."

As the son of a demon saint, he believed that the treasure bestowed upon him by the Heavenly Pillar Demon Saint was already extraordinary, but he dared not say that it could surpass human cultivators.

Especially after Ao Xuan died at the hands of Chen Yuan, who was disguised as the Northern Underworld Demon General, one of the three major forces of the demon race was gone, weakening their strength by at least 20%, and their chances of winning were even smaller.

Instead of answering, Ao Pan asked, "May I ask what the Heavenly Pillar Demon Saint bestowed upon me?"

Zhong Ding was taken aback, his face showing difficulty: "This..."

Ao Pan smiled and said, "It seems that Brother Zhong does not want to reveal his life-saving methods, so I will not reveal them either."

"Rest assured, everyone. I, Ao, bear a heavy responsibility and will not put myself in danger. I will never allow the cultivators of Tai Xuan Sect to gather if I am not absolutely certain of success."

Zhong Ding frowned. Humans were certainly their greatest enemy, but after eliminating human cultivators, they still had to compete for the True Dragon's Relics, so it was impossible for them to be completely open with each other.

He stopped asking what treasure the Cold Shadow Demon Saint had bestowed and changed the subject: "Brother Ao, if you are so confident, why do you insist on waiting until all the cultivators of the Tai Xuan Sect gather in the Ten Thousand Flame Mountains?"

"Why not divide and conquer them? We can eliminate a portion of them first, and then deal with the rest who are coming. Wouldn't that be a more prudent approach?"

Feng Zhihe nodded in agreement: "What you say is absolutely right, young friend Zhong. There are also powerful cultivators behind the Tai Xuan Sect. If they were to fight head-on, it would be hard to say who would win."

Ao Pan pondered for a moment and said, "To be honest, the treasure bestowed by the Cold Shadow Demon Saint is very mysterious. The more people there are, the greater its power."

"Once all the cultivators from the Tai Xuan Sect gather in the Wan Yan Mountains, we can wipe them all out in one fell swoop."

Feng Zhihe was taken aback and was about to ask another question when Zhong Ding stopped him with a look.

He stared at Ao Pan and slowly said, "Since Brother Ao is so confident, then I, Zhong, will risk my life to accompany you and trust you this once."

"When we go to war with the human race, I, Zhong, will not hold back."

Ao Pan said calmly, "Brother Zhong, rest assured, the human race is our greatest enemy right now. I will not joke with my life."

Having reached an agreement, Feng Zhihe and Zhuang Buhui could no longer ask any further questions.

Although the two were highly skilled, they still needed the help of the demon race to break through the True Dragon Cave Formation; they could not take the lead.

Only Zhou Lang remained doubtful: "What if the Tai Xuan Sect cultivators don't attack first, but instead break through the formation and enter the True Dragon Cave first?"

He was determined to enter the True Dragon Cave and use the pure dragon energy from the thirty-six Dragon Breath Platforms to break through his bottleneck, and he was most worried that human cultivators would get there first.

Before Ao Pan could speak, Zhong Ding replied, "Senior Zhou, there's no need to worry. We've set up an array here, watching closely. The cultivators of the Tai Xuan Sect would never dare to abandon us. They will do everything in their power to break the array."

"Otherwise, if we take advantage of the moment when they break the formation, we can strike suddenly. The human cultivators will be unable to defend themselves from both ends and will surely be defeated."

Feng Zhihe glanced at Ao Pan and added, "Young friend Ao, this move is a deliberate attempt to create a false impression. If we sit idly by and do not come out, it will only arouse suspicion among the human cultivators."

"If I am not mistaken, the human cultivators, Chu Weicai, and Zhou Muyun are even more anxious than we are now. It's just that their reinforcements have not yet arrived, otherwise they would have already taken action."

Zhou Lang's expression softened slightly: "Then I am relieved. No matter how strong the human cultivators are, as long as you two young friends keep your promise, I will do my utmost to help you kill all the human cultivators!" (End of this chapter)