Others who had not yet transformed gazed at their companions in awe. A few, though their faces remained calm, showed clear signs of excitement as their eyes swept over the surroundings. One elderly man with fiery red hair and a prominent hooked nose stared thoughtfully at the distant, lush green scenery, then murmured softly, almost inaudibly: "I never thought in all my years I'd witness such things again. Should I die here, it would be no regret at all." "Brother Sha, there's no need to be so discouraged. Grand Master has already sent word to us. This sacred ritual differs greatly from previous ones. Should the opportunity arise, the Saint Clan may even fully occupy certain regions of the Spirit Realm. If we can make a significant impact during this ritual, we may apply to remain here permanently. For those of us who have ascended to the Magic Realm, this is a once-in-a-thousand-years chance." The red-haired elder, though speaking very softly, was heard by another dignified elder dressed in black hemp robes with a golden silk sash around his waist, who immediately chuckled and replied, "Your words, Brother San Yang, are most apt! Since we have ascended to the True Demon Realm, we are now members of the Saint Clan. Yet if we can remain in the Spirit Realm after this great battle, that would indeed be a matter of great fortune." The red-haired elder nodded in agreement, his expression brightening. Similar murmurs of agreement were exchanged among others as well. At that moment, a deep, resonant rumble suddenly echoed from the silver gates of the great tower, followed by a steady, heavy footfall, one after another. The glyphs surrounding the gates flickered and then, out of the gates, emerged a series of unfamiliar demon creatures. These creatures have gray, dry, cracked skin, hairless like blocks of stone piled together, barely showing humanoid outlines. On their shoulders, however, four thick arms emerge, and as they move, their steps send the ground trembling—so heavy they seem to sink into the earth with immense weight. These stone monsters stand over ten zhang tall, with thousands emerging from each towering spire, forming orderly lines before the towers, motionless and remarkably calm—far more docile than expected. But beneath the roar of the lead creature, the stone bodies shimmer with a gray glow, and what seemed impossibly solid begins to soften into a damp, clay-like consistency, gradually vanishing into the soil. Within a short while, the entire land across ten thousand li suddenly trembles, and then, at some edge of the region, the earth splits open as if it had been severed by a sudden, unseen force. Yellow light flashed and cried out; one after another, solid earthen walls rose spontaneously from the ground, stretching continuously for no more than a cup of tea's time, forming a colossal city wall stretching over a hundred miles in length. Yet though this wall soared to a height of a hundred paces, it remained only in its rudimentary form—its surface rough and uneven, with sand and soil constantly cascading down, as if about to collapse. At this moment, however, flashes of luminous energy surged from the ground before the walls, and the gray-white stone demons once again emerged from beneath, raising their four arms and repeatedly striking the earthen walls. Thus, under the vigorous arm movements of the numerous stone demons, the hundred-mile-long earthen wall was instantly transformed into an unbroken, seamless city wall. On the other sides, continuous thunderous roars echoed as another group of stone demons employed the same method to effortlessly stack up a stone wall on each side. In this manner, within just one hour, an area spanning tens of thousands of miles was completely enclosed within these stone fortifications. At that moment, a series of faint, shadowy ghostly figures, wrapped in black mist, emerged from the triangular great tower. These ghostly forms floated with exceptional lightness, as though intangible; yet, as soon as they reached the walls, they would plunge their bodies against the surface, and instantly, arrays of varying sizes but uniformly shaped magical seals would appear on the walls—each one identical in form, as if inscribed by the same individual. After completing this, these ghostly figures once again emerged from the walls, seemingly indifferent to the other demonic beings, and surged back en masse into the great tower. Thus, as time passed slowly, a colossal city forged from solid stone rose spontaneously beneath the sea of magic. Around a hundred towering spires, other buildings of unusual designs rose one by one, thanks to the tireless labor of the stone dragons. Even some high-ranking magical beings took their time to personally establish intricate spells throughout the city, layer upon layer of magical energies eventually enveloping the entire city. Suddenly, at the very center of the city, the apex of a great triangular tower flashed with a luminous glow and unexpectedly split open. A massive altar, seemingly stained with blood, rose slowly from within. Around the altar, ancient inscriptions—unrecognizable in form—were etched, so that upon first glance, a strong, pervasive sense of bloodiness rushed toward the observer. Yet even more astonishing was the figure standing at the center of the altar: a tall humanoid figure, entirely enveloped in a radiant glow of blood, standing upright and still. As soon as the figure appeared, regardless of the heightened alertness or the mid-to-high tier magical beings engaged in work, all of them instantly adopted a solemn demeanor, half-kneeling in respectful bows. Even the more distant magical beings, who had initially been unaware of what had transpired, naturally fell to their knees in unison upon seeing the others' reactions. "Salutations, Holy Ancestor of the Bloodlight!" A few moments later, a resounding, majestic voice surged upward, echoing throughout the vast city. Yet the figure on the altar remained unmoved, merely glancing calmly at the surroundings before narrowing his eyes and lifting his gaze toward the vast expanse of the magical sea above. His gaze was brilliant and piercing, like two faint moons suspended in stillness, unforgettable and striking. Suddenly, one arm rose, and a clear, glowing hand extended, making a seemingly casual gesture upward with a single hand. A thunderous roar erupted—earth-shaking and magnificent. The celestial sea of magic seemed to be violently grasped by an invisible, colossal hand. A significant surge of magical energy erupted, swirling wildly and then coiling together in a flash of light, transforming into a towering, obsidian staff with a ghostly head and a dragon's body, adorned with strange patterns, which plummeted directly toward the altar. The malevolent ghost's head atop the black staff opened its silver eyes at the sound of incantations, then, as it opened its mouth, exhaled a series of dark, luminous characters. These characters fluttered in the wind, transforming into towering black blooms that drifted upward and spread throughout the vast city. Within a short while, the black blossoms had covered every corner of the great city. At this moment, the Bloodlight Patriarch paused his incantations, then suddenly rubbed his hands vigorously against the black staff, causing it to burst into a radiant black aura. This aura rippled several times before expanding outward into concentric waves of invisible spiritual energy. As these waves passed through the black blooms, they instantly burst with a series of "pops," dispersing into streams of dark magical vapor. The entire city was swiftly enveloped in an endless tide of dark magic. The various magi and lesser spirits, who had been kneeling in reverence, instantly felt a surge of renewed energy and vitality—both their spiritual power and physical strength recovered at nearly half the usual speed. "Within three days, we shall establish three more holy cities. After further consolidation for seven days, once all personnel are assembled, we will immediately set out toward the largest human cultivator settlement in the vicinity." The Elder of Bloodlight straightened her hands backward, her face flickering with blood-like radiance before settling into a stern tone. "We shall strictly follow the divine decree!" Amid the vast city shrouded in magical aura, countless high-ranking magical beings erupted in unified, enthusiastic cheers. A similar scene unfolded across various magical spots of the human and spirit-creature clans within nearly the same timeframe. At the largest of these spots, within a grand human city built upon the trunk of a towering, sky-reaching giant tree, several cultivators at the combined stage stood on a pavilion at the midsection of the tree, gazing down upon the endless, surging sea of magic beasts stretching out in the distance. Their faces were all deeply somber. But suddenly, a sharp, furious cry echoed from afar on the horizon, and a magical wind surged toward them at an astonishing speed. "Move! The high-ranking magical beings are arriving," the Taoist exclaimed, his voice sharp and urgent. Without hesitation, he and the monk flashed with a shimmering glow, each transforming into a brilliant streak of lightning several dozen feet long, and darted off toward the direction of the Tianyuan Imperial City. ... On the once-barren, yellowed plains of the demonic race, several armies were engaged in fierce combat. On one side stood a vast army of gray, misty wolves numbering in the tens of thousands; on the other, a force of over a thousand pale blue magical lions. The wolves were towering creatures, each several feet long, their eyes glowing with a deep, serene green light—clear signs of lower-tier demonic beasts possessing magical vitality. The blue magical lions were even larger than the wolves, with short, black horns rising several inches from their heads, and they constantly launched fireballs and ice spears from their mouths. Meanwhile, in the sky where the herds of beasts engaged in fierce combat, thousands of white giant eagles and a group of two-headed flying serpents fought with extraordinary intensity. With each pair of steel talons of the white eagles sweeping through the air, silver arcs formed and resonated with thunderous roars. As the two-headed serpents opened their mouths, waves of venom sprayed forth, splashing out in dense, deadly streams. The eagles and serpents often plummeted from the sky, yet upon landing within the ground-bound battle zones, they instantly dissolved into dust and bones. (Recommended: Huan Yu's "Hundred Refinements to Become a Immortal") The path to immortality is rugged and demanding—only through relentless trials does one achieve true success. A young man without a spiritual root, once regarded as a mere waste, continuously acquires all kinds of discarded items in the cultivation world—whether it be inferior pills or low-grade materials—accepting them without hesitation, taking as much as he can.