Chapter 321: Chapter Eight: Great Transformation

“One ultra-limit-level Mindworm and twelve leader-level true bodies! Save me! Save me!” At this moment, Master Wei Yang barely struggled to cry for help—he had multiple avatars in the Rainlan City of the Nine River Sacred Realm.

Mental attacks simultaneously affect all avatars.

Avatars in other worlds suffer slightly diminished effects, especially within the Source World, where the Supreme Rules suppress even cross-world mental assaults, forcibly capping their power at the “Upper Limit.”

Yet all avatars within the Nine River Sacred Realm were struck with nearly equal intensity.

“Aaah—”

Master Wei Yang valued Rainlan City deeply; he carried two powerful secret treasures suited to himself, each on par with the “Indestructible Heart” and “Palace in the Palm,” both offering soul protection.

But one “ultra-limit-level Mindworm” and twelve leader-level entities—all mental-type, all true bodies!—launched a frenzied, no-holds-barred assault. Even after the treasures’ weakening, the remaining two or three tenths of their power still left Master Wei Yang in despair.

“Master Wei Yang, hold on!” Master Yuan Xiang, though harboring some resentment toward Wei Yang, immediately activated the formation, its power lashing out at the thirteen true bodies.

“Master Wei Yang, I’m coming to help!” Master Gai Tao urgently summoned three-colored light to envelop Master Wei Yang.

“Master Wei Yang,” the masters of Wan Ying Pavilion and Gui Fang also moved to activate Rainlan City’s formations for rescue.

Each Elder sought a way to aid Master Wei Yang; at this moment, all barriers vanished—they had only one shared goal: save Master Wei Yang.

Master Wei Yang’s importance to Rainlan City’s defense system surpassed even that of Master Yuan Xiang! Though Yuan Xiang’s realm was higher, over ninety-nine percent of his mental energy was spent resisting corruption, leaving him with minimal combat effectiveness—his influence and friendships alone still held the city in check.

“No—”

Just three breaths after Master Wei Yang’s cry for help, he let out a furious, unwilling roar as all five of his avatars within the Nine River Sacred Realm perished.

Low-level Hunyuan lifeforms of the mental type were truly terrifying.

One ultra-limit-level and twelve leader-level entities—all true bodies! At this moment, no one in Rainlan City could be certain they’d survive such a relentless, all-out assault. Even Luo Feng might only last slightly longer.

After all, Luo Feng’s only advantage over Master Wei Yang lay in his will-based secret arts—and even now, Luo Feng could not yet summon Rainlan City’s formations to shield himself.

“Huh.”

Master Wei Yang suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze icy cold. The “King” had now possessed his body.

In truth, the bodies of the Mindworms, Soul-Eating Serpents, and other cultivators they had controlled were merely vessels. The phantom-like Mindworms and Soul-Eating Serpents were their true forms.

“King!” The other twelve phantom leaders circled around, all wildly excited.

“Master Wei Yang is dead. Proceed to the next step.” The “Master Wei Yang” smiled.

“Hahahaha…”

“Go!”

Under the King’s lead, the twelve leaders instantly burst out of the cave dwelling.

Now that they were exposed, these leaders scorned to possess cultivators any longer.

“All of Master Wei Yang’s avatars within the Nine River Sacred Realm are dead.” Within Rainlan City, the Elders who knew him well could, through karmic ties, vaguely sense that not a single avatar of Master Wei Yang remained in the entire Nine River Sacred Realm.

“This is a disaster,” Master Gai Tao’s face darkened.

“It’s over,” the master of Wan Ying Pavilion felt a deep unease: “A King of the Hidden Races has emerged. When it strikes, it will be a true decisive battle.”

The birth of each King among the Three Hidden Races was a nightmare for the cultivator camp.

This nightmare of a decisive battle had barely begun—and their strongest, Master Wei Yang, was already dead!

…

Luo Feng had an avatar near the outer city, originally preparing to shut down the cave formations in stages and begin a thorough investigation. But before large-scale shutdowns could begin, Master Wei Yang was already attacked.

“Luo Feng, Master Wei Yang has been attacked—a single ultra-limit-level Mindworm and twelve leader-level entities, all true bodies!” As an Elder, Master Chang Qing received the news instantly and immediately informed Luo Feng, who was also in the Elixir Pavilion.

“An ultra-limit-level Mindworm?” Luo Feng’s face changed. “Bad!”

He had anticipated that large-scale probing would force the hidden low-level Hunyuan lifeforms into a desperate counterattack—but he never expected it to provoke an ultra-limit-level hidden entity!

In the history of the Nine River Sacred Realm, nearly nine out of ten city collapses were caused by the emergence of an ultra-limit-level hidden entity.

“Rainlan City is on the brink of annihilation!” Luo Feng immediately realized. “My large-scale probe—unintentionally—forced them to act prematurely.”

Without my probe, this war might have been delayed.

They would have waited until fully prepared before striking!

“Luo Feng, Master Wei Yang is dead!” Master Chang Qing added immediately.

Luo Feng had already sensed it.

He had met Master Wei Yang; they shared a certain karmic link. He could feel that not a single avatar of Master Wei Yang remained within the Nine River Sacred Realm.

“Dead so soon? That ultra-limit-level entity will target the other Masters.” Luo Feng realized the dire urgency.

“That—”

Luo Feng looked up toward the distance—outside Rainlan City.

“What is this?”

On Rainlan City’s walls, guards remained on duty, suddenly stunned as they stared into the distance.

In the distance, low-level Hunyuan lifeforms of various forms emerged—some massive, some small, their auras mysterious and eerie, scorching hot, freezing cold, or insubstantial and unfathomable…

“Mingxu Wind Beasts, Blood Demon Li Si, Ghostfire Birds, Frostwatchers, Shuanguang Demon Lords, Primordial Wasteland Hooves, Frost Phantasm Envoys, Illusionary River, Void Weavers…” The guards, gazing at the countless different species of low-level Hunyuan lifeforms, trembled.

“So many?”

“And their auras are terrifying—many are late Divine Emperor, even leaders!”

Even from afar, Luo Feng felt a chill. His simulated Annihilation Eye could perceive more—he swept his gaze across all four directions of Rainlan City.

At this moment, the entire low-level Hunyuan lifeform army had encircled Rainlan City.

“This is a terrifying low-level Hunyuan army. I estimate over two thousand Divine Emperor Perfection-level beings!” Luo Feng trembled.

“There cannot be this many leader-level low-level Hunyuan lifeforms around Rainlan City!” Master Chang Qing transmitted a message: “Leaders from many regions across the entire Nine River Sacred Realm must have converged.”

“And ultra-limit-levels!”

Luo Feng had seen them too.

Beyond the massive low-level Hunyuan armies outside the East, West, and South Gates, three immense hidden forces lurked.

Thanks to his simulated Annihilation Eye, Luo Feng could faintly perceive these three immense forces—powers far beyond his current strength. Even with the Indestructible Heart and Palace in the Palm, he had only a slim hope of survival.

He dared not even claim he could match them evenly.

“This… this…”

“How are there so many Hunyuan lifeforms?”

“So many leaders! Tens of thousands of late Divine Emperor-level beings!”

The Elders who controlled Rainlan City’s defense system also observed the enemy—and trembled. After all, the entire city’s Elder-tier strength totaled only seven hundred.

The gap was too vast. They had to rely on Rainlan City’s defenses to survive.

Rainlan City was a city exchanged by Master Yuan Xiang for his merits, forged by those who had escaped the cage! Hiding within it was like hiding in a fortress—capable of resisting a hundredfold enemy force.

But even the strongest fortress usually falls from within—and now, Master Wei Yang had been assassinated!

“Attack.”

Across all four sides of Rainlan City, the vast low-level Hunyuan lifeform army, under the orders of the three “Kings” outside, launched their assault.

They understood coordination—certain species combined their techniques, unleashing overwhelming, sky-covering power against Rainlan City.

“Hold!”

“Hold them back!”

Rainlan City’s formations had already been fully activated—once used to strike hidden infiltrators, they now turned to defend against external assault.

Across the hundred million kilometers surrounding Rainlan City, the forces of heaven and earth surged like tidal waves. Colorful, varied energies were mobilized. The low-level Hunyuan lifeform army held absolute dominance, crushing Rainlan City with relentless force.

Rainlan City’s hundreds of defense systems worked in perfect harmony, like an impregnable fortress, resisting every assault.

“Inside, there is an ultra-limit-level hidden infiltrator. Outside, a coalition of low-level Hunyuan lifeform armies from multiple regions of the Nine River Sacred Realm. Internal and external collusion—and now Master Wei Yang is dead. The probability of Rainlan City’s fall exceeds fifty percent.”

“If Rainlan City falls, nearly all cultivators within will perish.”

Though disheartened, the Elders still had avatars and could remain calm.

But the mid- and low-tier cultivators inside the city panicked.

They had no avatars—die once, and it was final death.

“I refuse to accept this! I endured unimaginable hardship—my home world had only me escape the suffering, transcend, and reach the Nine River Sacred Realm. I won’t die like this!”

“We’ll hold them off! Master Yuan Xiang will save Rainlan City again!”

Every cultivator who reached the Nine River Sacred Realm, even the lowest, was a legend in their home world. Yet now, most were powerless to stop what unfolded.

Why did the Elders receive so many privileges? Because only they had the strength to protect the entire city!

They had avatars—they feared no death, could remain calm, and fought the low-level Hunyuan lifeforms with full commitment.

…

“Master Wei Yang is dead. Master Yuan Xiang is severely wounded. If this continues, Rainlan City’s fall is highly likely.” Luo Feng realized this—his strength alone could not alter the tide.

Inside the Elixir Pavilion.

Luo Feng had an avatar stationed here long-term.

“Liu Zhu.” Luo Feng immediately went to see Master Chang Qing.

“Luo Feng,” Master Chang Qing sighed upon seeing him. “This low-level Hunyuan lifeform attack was premeditated. Fortunately, your large-scale probe forced them to act early—we still have a sliver of hope. But with Master Yuan Xiang’s condition, even this sliver may slip through our fingers.”

“Master Yuan Xiang is too weak. That may be why the ultra-limit-level targeted Rainlan City,” Luo Feng understood.

Even a persimmon chooses the softest to squeeze.

“Liu Zhu, our pavilion’s treasure is the hundred-thousand-chaos-crystal elixir, ‘Hundred Trials Heart Core.’ I need it now.”

The Hundred Trials Heart Core was the pavilion’s treasured artifact, displayed for show—its listed price of ten billion chaos crystals was inflated, and it had never sold.

Luo Feng, in his past cultivation, could never have used such an extravagant treasure.

According to the original plan…

Luo Feng would gradually accumulate insights through studying the Hunyuan bloodline, eventually allowing his “Path of Birth and Death” to break through naturally.

His foundation was already immensely profound—if he secluded himself and pursued only the breakthrough of the Path of Birth and Death, he believed he would achieve it within one eon.

But the situation is dire—we must break through immediately!

We must rely on a treasure!

“Ten billion Hunyuan Crystals—at a 40% discount, that’s six billion Hunyuan Crystals. I’ll give them to you right now,” Luo Feng said; as deputy head, he could purchase at a 40% discount.

“No need,” Head Changqing shook his head. “We don’t even know if Yulan City can hold out! If it falls, none of the alchemy tower’s treasures will remain—not even Hunyuan Crystals.”

“If we hold it, then you can give me the Hunyuan Crystals later,” Head Changqing smiled, flipping his hand to produce the Hundred Trials Heart Core.

The Hundred Trials Heart Core was sealed in transparent crystal jade, containing a purple-gold liquid with a soft, lustrous glow.

“Fine.” Luo Feng said nothing more, reached out and took the Hundred Trials Heart Core, his figure shifting instantly as he vanished to his private cultivation chamber in the alchemy tower, and immediately consumed the treasure.

——

Thank you to our new patron, “Fangzhang Who Loves Meat,” for the gift—this is our 200th patron!

(End of Chapter)