Chapter 139
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Chapter 139: Title
"Acceptable," Ao Yuan stated.
Zhongxia’s tacit understanding of fundamental truths about the spirit realm hung unspoken between them.
All eyes widened as two fiery silhouettes pierced the heavens, flames licking their forms until they alighted before the assembly.
Two avian entities touched the earth.
The first blazed with solar brilliance, three taloned limbs anchoring its celestial majesty.
The second, midnight-plumed with iridescence rippling through its feathers, bore the regal crest of a phoenix—though its obsidian hues defied traditional lore.
Legends named the phoenix Dan Bird, Fenghuang, Five-Colored Bird—harbinger of five virtues whose dance heralded earthly tranquility.
This was no mere auspicious symbol but its living embodiment.
None present mistook the ebon creature’s identity despite its unconventional coloring.
Quick-witted observers already recognized these bird-formed demon lords:
The sun-gilded corvid with triple claws could only be the three-legged golden crow—divine beast of the Ancient Era, kin to dragons and phoenixes among spirit cultivators.
The dark phoenix required no introduction. Among nine demon lords, only Nine Heavens Phoenix claimed this title, her power eclipsing most peers.
"Xuanfeng, Jinwu—your punctuality condemns you to await tardier companions," the nine-tailed fox purred, vulpine eyes darting toward Ao Yuan. "Our acquaintance spans centuries. Introductions seem redundant."
Ao Yuan sensed Xuanfeng’s fleeting glance—swift as wingbeats, vanishing before meeting his gaze.
Three massive avian forms rendered the seating arrangement absurd. Ao Yuan’s human guise now appeared stranger than their primal magnificence.
"Proximity favors haste," Jinwu retorted, golden plumage shimmering as he flexed wings. "Why this human infestation? Your summons mentioned no vermin."
"Uninvited guests bearing vital tidings," the fox spirit countered, lips curving. "Through them I learned of Space Overlap between Great Wilderness and human realm—the Awakening of Spiritual Energy progresses."
Twin expressions shifted—first furrowed brows, then dawning triumph. Space Overlap whispered promises: thriving spiritual currents, Heaven’s approval, liberation from desolate exile.
"An auspicious omen!" someone from Di Yun’s party exclaimed. Others glanced between the grounded golden crow and sunlit sky, wondering how both suns could coexist.
"Full discourse awaits the council," Xuanfeng interjected, voice crystalline—a songbird’s clarity befitting avian royalty. Her mere speech enchanted listeners.
As hours unfolded, myth incarnate arrived. Di Yun’s companions and global viewers alike witnessed reality unravel:
"Mother! Divine beasts walk among us!"
Beyond the nine-tailed fox and golden crow came Bai Ze’s wisdom, Moon-eating Celestial Dog’s hunger, Taotie’s ravenous maw, Qiongqi’s bestial snarl, Mo Qilin’s obsidian hooves—until Ao Yuan’s legendary dragon presence completed a gathering large enough for twin Mahjong tournaments.
When all demon lords assembled, the fox recounted recent events before gesturing to the humans. "These cultivators seek dialogue—doubtless to bargain terms."
“Since this concerns all spirit cultivators, I cannot decide alone, which is why I’ve summoned you.”
“The Space Overlap itself isn’t urgent—merging with the human realm will take considerable time. It’s not happening anytime soon…”
The nine-tailed fox’s tone carried subtle implications. Though Di Yun and his companions sensed hidden meanings, they refrained from pressing further. Clearly, these Nine Extreme Demon Lords possessed knowledge beyond their understanding.
“Dragon Lord! Been ages! Your cultivation must’ve weakened so much you’d lose to the Moon-eating Celestial Dog now, eh?” Qiongqi, a tiger-like beast with jagged wings sprouting from its shoulders, bellowed laughter, his mockery brazen and unapologetic.
All present knew Qiongqi reveled in provoking conflict—a fool who’d once ceaselessly challenged the legendary dragon. Only Dragon Lord’s mercy toward the Nine Extreme Demon Lords had spared Qiongqi’s life in the past.
Taotie, sharing the title of ancient ferocity with Qiongqi, kicked his companion in exasperation. “Pay no heed, Dragon Lord. This idiot’s been stuck in his ways for millennia…”
Ao Yuan observed the scuffle impassively. Anger eluded him; he suspected Taotie’s intervention stemmed from lingering respect for his former self.
Roaring, Qiongqi lunged at Taotie, who rolled his eyes. *Doesn’t this moron realize I’m saving him?* he thought. *Mocking Dragon Lord now? Just wait till his memories return.*
With the nine demon lords assembled, formal talks commenced between Zhongxia’s representatives and the spirits.
Di Yun burned with curiosity about World Fusion’s consequences, but the spirit cultivators’ evasive demeanor silenced his inquiries. He redirected focus to their primary goal: establishing peaceful coexistence.
Human and spirit cultivators would soon share the same skies—failure to forge harmony risked catastrophic outcomes none desired.
Xiao Tianji’s chaotic livestream continued, its erratic camera shifts mirroring the disarray below. As dusk painted Qingqiu’s skies, Zhongxia’s team erected tents for their two-day stay—a necessary pause to gather intelligence before reporting.
Nightfall revealed the Mountain and Sea Realm’s peculiarities: the glowing moon above wasn’t celestial, but a sphere regurgitated by the Moon-eating Celestial Dog—a creature true to its name, having once devoured an entire satellite.
Starless darkness cradled the radiant moon, its silver beams coaxing nocturnal blossoms to unfurl across the campsite, petals shimmering like scattered mercury.
—Why so quiet? Everyone asleep?
—Cultivating all night! Panda eyes incoming 🐼
—Show demon lords’ human forms! Their beast modes are cute but…
—Cute? Qiongqi’s roar could shatter eardrums! [Insert roar SFX]
—Notice how they tread carefully around Dragon Lord? More awe than fear?
—Respect the strong—their primal code. Thank civilization we’ve moved past that savagery.
—Deep thoughts from the guy in front!
—Meimei’s been comatose all day—when’s she waking?
——Under the moonlight, the demon lords continued their murmurs, though their words remained incomprehensible without proper translation.
The night swiftly passed, and with the first light of dawn, the world was bathed in morning radiance.
A monumental event unfolded on Blue Star as the Battleground expelled countless luminous spheres that blanketed the globe within minutes. Keen observers noted these radiant orbs had simultaneously manifested in the Mountain and Sea Realm.
While humanity received modest numbers, the spirit cultivators’ realm boasted an astonishing quantity of light spheres—nearly one per individual.
The subsequent revelation of selection criteria clarified this disparity:
Though few human cultivators surpassed Tier Two, the spirit cultivators’ ranks teemed with such power. Official statistics confirmed their overwhelming dominance, with light sphere distribution completely eclipsing current human Practitioner numbers.
Unlike Di Yun’s group who stared in bewilderment at the Battleground phenomenon, the Nine-Tailed Demon Lord and her peers maintained perfect composure as orbs drifted toward them.
——Their serene expressions suggested foreknowledge of these events.
This unshakable calm didn’t escape Di Yun’s notice. He exchanged meaningful glances with companions, questions burning behind restrained lips.
Africa’s primitive jungles
The expedition pressed deeper through emerald shadows, encountering neither trace nor tremor of totem warriors.
Unhindered by guardians, Leng Xingwen’s party traced hidden paths to the tribal heartland where warriors and their totem deities dwelled.
Not once did the protective deity materialize.
This absence spoke volumes about power dynamics—though Leng Xingwen restrained his tier-three capabilities, the deity had retreated far away.
Such deities draw strength from belief’s fragile threads, their might waxing with followers’ devotion.
Yet in this Spiritual Energy Awakening’s infancy, with sparse jungle tribes, even the mightiest totem deity remained constrained.
Whether celestial laws bind these gods differently than Practitioners remains unclear—divinity should hold distinct rules, no?
But sparse worship inevitably stunts divine ascension.
Before the tribal palisade
The group halted at spiked barriers where primitive humans stood guard in roughspun hides.
"Merely ordinary people," someone observed, "No divine favor marks them."
Totem warriors mirror Western light-worshipers blessed with divine spells, yet where holy magic flows through the faithful, these jungle guardians rely solely on bodies reforged by ancient rites.
Fan tapping rhythmically against palm, Leng Xingwen stepped forward. Moon-pale robes remained immaculate despite forest travels, defying logic and dirt alike. "Having journeyed this far," he declared, "we owe the masters here proper courtesies before proceeding."
