Starting at the Nascent Soul stage, a rogue cultivator is incredibly poor.

"snort!"

Lingxiao Zhenren's expression was cold and stern. His gaze swept over the Nanxuan camp and then looked at the number of people on his own side.

The two solutions proposed by Zhu Quezi.

Whether it's a life-or-death struggle or a battle of wits and principles, neither is advantageous to Beiting.

The Southern Xuan faction has a slight advantage in the number of Nascent Soul cultivators, and all four Sages are present.

On the Beiting side, although the Heavenly Mystery Elder and a fourth-tier great demon were there to help, these demonic beasts had long lifespans, and even if they obtained the dragon's energy, they could only improve their cultivation, not risk their lives.

If a real fight breaks out, the chances of winning are slim.

"What a high-sounding suggestion!"

Lingxiao Zhenren sneered.

"Whichever method you choose, isn't it more advantageous for your Southern Xuan? In a contest of magic and Dao, you four sages have been famous for hundreds of years, and your supernatural powers are unfathomable; in a life-or-death struggle, you have the numerical advantage and can overpower the few. No matter which you choose, we probably won't get a share. How ridiculous!"

He flicked his sleeve, his words laced with sarcasm:

"Such scheming is far too blatant."

The situation reached a stalemate once again.

The group from Beiting wanted to stall for time until other Nascent Soul cultivators or transformed demons arrived to provide support.

The Nanxuan side naturally saw through this plan, but they were unwilling to easily break the balance, since once a chaotic battle broke out, there would inevitably be casualties.

Those who have cultivated to this level would not want to lose their lives so easily.

Qinglongzi stepped forward, his voice clear and melodious:

"Fellow Daoist Lingxiao, you are mistaken. The struggle for opportunities is based on one's own abilities. If you feel it is unfair, you are welcome to withdraw. Demon Zhou Mountain is located in my Southern Xuan territory, and the True Dragon Stone is an unclaimed object. It is true that whoever finds it has a share, but the size of that share ultimately depends on the level of one's abilities."

He surveyed the crowd in the North Pavilion:

"Do you all really believe that you can steal the life-extending dragon energy simply by talking? Is there such a cheap thing in the world?"

The old man of heavenly secrets slowly opened his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Qinglong, there's no need to be so definitive."

He stroked his beard and said slowly.

"Having studied the secrets of heaven for many years, I know that the affairs of the world are like a game of chess, ever-changing and unpredictable. If today's struggle truly ends in a fight to the death, even if someone gains, it will be a Pyrrhic victory. Why not let each side take a step back and find a way to achieve the best of both worlds?"

Elder Jiang Taiyuan finally spoke:

"What insightful opinions do you have, Fellow Daoist Tianji?"

"In my opinion," the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets said, his gaze sweeping over the True Dragon Stone, "there are six strands of dragon energy. Nanxuan should take four, and Beiting should take two. For the next hundred years, Beiting will no longer invade the Nanxuan's coastal waters. The two continents will cease hostilities and allow each to recuperate. What do you think?"

Xuanwuzi shook his head:

"Mo Zhou Mountain is within my territory. Bei Ting mobilized a large army, colluded with the demon race, and set up an ambush. Now you want to take away two wisps of dragon energy with just a few words? Fellow Daoist, your plan is too ambitious."

Before the words were even finished!

Suddenly, a figure leaped up from the edge of the cliff and landed steadily in the center of the mountaintop!

Everyone looked over and were taken aback.

The newcomer was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a handsome face, but only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm. On the mountaintop where Nascent Soul cultivators gathered, this level of cultivation was utterly insignificant, like an ant.

But then, out of nowhere, he appeared.

Qingyouzi frowned slightly.

He recognized the man: Lu Zhou.

Unexpectedly, this young man not only survived but also cultivated to the Golden Core stage. However, Lu Zhou at this moment gave him a very strange feeling.

Those eyes were as black as ink, devoid of any light, and his body was surrounded by demonic energy. A black necklace floated around his neck, emanating a chilling and eerie aura.

Lu Zhou slowly straightened up, his dark eyes sweeping over everyone present, a strange smile curving his lips.

From the necklace around his neck came an aged, hoarse voice, heavy with demonic energy:

"I never expected this... to see a group of Nascent Soul cultivators confronting each other atop Mount Mozhou. Interesting."

The voice paused, then suddenly became joyful:

"The nascent soul of a Nascent Soul cultivator... is a great tonic for me right now! Hahaha! Heaven hasn't forsaken me! If I can devour you all, then the Demonic Dragon Flower and the formation I lost won't have been in vain!"

Dragon Flower? Array?

Qingyouzi's heart skipped a beat.

Could it be... that the demonic dragon flower and the concealed formation in the cave were actually set up by this old monster, who didn't discover him? Has Lu Zhou been possessed by him?

This Lu Zhou actually had an old man with him, but whose old man is emitting black smoke?

Without making a sound, he took a few steps back, concealing himself behind the crowd. Thousands of threads moved silently in his sleeves, the Demon Dragon Shield ready to be deployed at any moment.

"System, please assess me."

"Ding! Successfully appraised using 1 spirit stones."

"Wait a minute, damn it! Ten thousand?! Is this guy your father or your mother?! That's so expensive!"

Character: Lu Zhou (controlled, mind erased). Cultivation level: Early Golden Core stage. Cultivation level: Mid-Golden Core stage. Born in Tianjing City, cultivating a third-tier technique...

"Ancient Demon Remnant Soul (Recovering, Do Not Disturb). An ancient extraterrestrial demon from the Demon Realm. A demon general. Originally at the early stage of the Void Refinement realm, currently at the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm..."

"Don't bother me, God! No way! This place is no place to stay any longer; I need to find a way to escape."

Lu Zhou, or rather that old monster, slowly walked towards the center of the standoff.

With each step he took, his aura surged by one point!

Mid-stage Golden Core, Late-stage Golden Core, Early-stage Nascent Soul, Mid-stage Nascent Soul... all the way to Late-stage Nascent Soul!

A monstrous demonic aura surged into the sky, forming a black pillar that stirred the demonic clouds atop the mountain! The oppressive force spread as if it were a tangible force, causing all the Nascent Soul cultivators present to change color and raise their protective spiritual light.

Qing Youzi felt immense pressure; this aura... far surpassed that of an ordinary late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!

Lu Zhou stopped right in the middle of the two camps.

He looked up at the huge black rock on the stone platform, a greedy glint in his eyes.

next moment.

He suddenly leaped up, transforming into a black rainbow, and rushed straight towards the True Dragon Stone!

"Stop him!!"

Xuanwuzi and Lingxiao Zhenren shouted almost simultaneously!

The late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators from both the Southern Xuan and Northern Ting sides launched their attack!

The Azure Dragon phantom, the White Tiger's baleful aura, the Vermilion Bird's true fire, and the Black Tortoise's icy chill—the four sacred powers erupted instantly!

In the northern pavilion, Xue Wuyai's blood wheel swept across, Lingxiao Zhenren's magic seal suppressed it, and Tianji Laoren's sleeves released countless chains of divination characters!

More than ten attacks at the mid-to-late stage of the Nascent Soul realm bombarded the black rainbow!

Lu Zhou's demonic energy suddenly surged, tearing a gap in the attack net, grabbing the True Dragon Stone, and soaring into the sky!

"Hahaha!"

An old man's wild laughter echoed across the mountaintop.

He hovered in mid-air, supporting the massive black rock with one hand, his gaze sweeping mockingly over the crowd below:

"You bunch of idiots... do you really think this is a 'True Dragon Stone'?"

He tightened his fingers.

"Snap!"

The surface of the boulder shattered, and demonic energy surged forth!

"Have you ever seen a true dragon stone that emits demonic energy? This is called a demonic dragon stone!"

The boulder shattered completely, and a fist-sized, crystal-clear black crystal fell from it.

As soon as the crystal appeared, the demonic energy of the entire Demon Zhou Mountain boiled and surged toward the crystal like ten thousand rivers flowing into the sea!

"Dragon Qi Crystal! Seize it quickly!!"

Xuanwuzi's pupils shrank suddenly, and he could no longer care about anything else. His figure transformed into blue light and rushed straight towards the crystal!

Lingxiao Zhenren, Qinglongzi, Zhuquezi... all the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators moved at the same time!

Dozens of figures shot into the air like lightning, unleashing magical treasures, supernatural powers, and secret techniques all at once! The sky and earth changed color, spiritual energy became chaotic, demonic energy within a thousand miles surged like boiling water, and even the mountains trembled!

Lu Zhou, however, was even faster.

He swallowed the black crystal in one gulp!

Endless demonic energy erupted from his body, forming a pitch-black vortex with a diameter of a hundred feet! The necklace around his neck shattered completely, turning into wisps of black smoke that merged into his seven orifices.

His eyes turned completely black, demonic patterns appeared on his skin, and his aura surged.

"Now……"

Lu Zhou —

Do not!

The old monster, now fully awakened, slowly lowered his head, looked down at the crowd, and a cruel smile spread across his face.

"It's time to eat."

He raised his hand and made a grabbing motion in the air.

A hundred-foot-long demonic claw materialized out of thin air, carrying the power to tear the heavens and shatter the earth, and slammed fiercely towards Lingxiao Zhenren!

Lingxiao Zhenren's expression changed drastically, and he summoned his natal magic weapon to block!

"clang--!!!"

The sound of metal clashing resounded through the sky! His natal magic weapon flashed wildly, but was actually sent flying backward by this claw. Lingxiao Zhenren staggered back ten steps, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth!

The power of that single strike was terrifying!

The old monster grinned maliciously and his figure flashed into the crowd like a ghost!

The slaughter began.

Meanwhile, three hundred miles away from here...

Qingyouzi was fleeing for his life, using all his speed-escaping abilities, and had already covered hundreds of miles in just a few breaths.

Such rapid escape speed was frantically squeezing out his magical power. He quickly took out a bottle of thousand-year-old spiritual water from his storage bag, tilted his head back and poured it all into his mouth, increasing his speed even further.

That's right.

The moment Lu Zhou appeared out of nowhere, Qing Youzi had already planned her escape route.

A deathmatch is out of the question. Why not run away if you can? When it comes to escaping from the Nascent Soul stage, if Qing Youzi says he's second, only those in the late Nascent Soul stage dare to claim first place.

[Everyone was quite enthusiastic about suggesting names before, but it was a bit chaotic. Here's an arrangement! Starting with this one, and the two tomorrow, you only need to post the name. As for background information or strength, you don't need to mention it. This way, it won't affect the plot development, and it will still allow the characters to be presented in the story.]