With a knock on the door, Huangfu Jin entered.
Even he, usually calm and collected, lost his composure and asked impatiently, "How is it? Have you awakened your Innate Divine Ability? Which one is it? What level?"
Ning Fa gave him a strange look before replying directly, "Essence Devour, Purple-grade High-tier."
Upon hearing this, Huangfu Jin's expression changed, though he had somewhat expected it. Envy was clearly visible on his face, and his gaze towards Ning Fa was incredibly complex.
"To actually have a Purple-grade High-tier Innate Divine Ability..."
Ning Fa couldn't help but ask, "Are Purple-grade talents very rare?"
Hearing this, Huangfu Jin almost choked. After a while, he regained his composure and retorted irritably, "Rare? They're practically unheard of!
Do you know that the Innate Divine Abilities our clan obtains are divided into four levels: Crimson, Yellow, Silver, and Purple, with three sub-tiers in each stage.
In the long history of our Zi Yin clan, only one ancestor obtained a Purple-tier Innate Divine Ability, and it was only a Purple-grade Low-tier.
Even among clan members with outstanding talent, very few manage to obtain Silver-tier talents. I myself only received a Silver-grade Mid-tier Innate Divine Ability. Lord Divine Wood truly favors you!"
As he spoke, Huangfu Jin's tone was tinged with jealousy.
Ning Fa couldn't help but smile. This Essence Devour Innate Divine Ability was indeed incredibly powerful and would be of great help to him now.
At this moment, Huangfu Jin's expression turned serious, and he stared intently at Ning Fa. "Kid, do you still reject being a member of our Zi Yin clan? Is this Purple-grade High-tier Innate Divine Ability not enough to make you change your mind?"
Ning Fa fell silent at his words.
Huangfu Jin continued, "As I said before, whether you admit it or not, you are already a member of our Zi Yin clan.
And now that you've displayed this Purple-grade High-tier Innate Divine Ability, I will discuss it with Zi Yue, Zhuo Qing, and the other core clan members.
You will be a candidate for our Zi Yin clan leader. After you advance to Spirit Transformation, I will yield my position to you.
This position was originally meant for Zi Yue, and she will also become your Dual Cultivation Dao Companion within the clan, perhaps even Zhuo Qing could be.
Of course, rest assured, we won't interfere with your outside romantic interests.
Honestly, it's thanks to the current crisis with the Sea Race. Otherwise, after you used the Divine Wood Totem to kill Ying Xiao, the Tianshu Alliance would have surely made a move against you.
But now that everyone has signed the Taichu Spirit Sealing Scroll, you don't need to worry about that for now, and our clan will do our best to help you advance to Spirit Transformation."
Huangfu Jin spoke earnestly. He then took out three Purifying Bottles of different colors from his Storage Ring, all emitting an astonishing cold aura.
"I heard you desperately need Xiyuan Divine Soil and high-tier Cold Flame.
We don't have Xiyuan Divine Soil at the moment, but we have collected these three portions of high-tier Cold Flame, which I'll give to you.
As for the Xiyuan Divine Soil, we can try to request it from Lord Divine Wood next time we return to our ancestral land. There's a certain chance of obtaining it.
Of course, if you perform the sacrifice yourself, the possibility will be even greater.
After all, it seems Lord Divine Wood is very fond of you."
Ning Fa's expression shifted slightly upon hearing this.
While he wasn't particularly interested in becoming the leader of the Zi Yin clan, he did have a genuine need for the Xiyuan Divine Soil and high-tier Cold Flame.
He could also feel Huangfu Jin's sincerity. In fact, he had already come to terms with this possibility when he didn't reject Huangfu Ziyue last night.
He said solemnly, "Let me reiterate, I have no interest in leading the Zi Yin clan to overthrow the Tianshu Alliance and rule the Nine Dragons Sea in the future.
However, I can promise that if the Zi Yin clan encounters danger in the future, I will not stand idly by and will offer my assistance."
Huangfu Jin's brow furrowed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.
Although Ning Fa hadn't completely agreed, he was quite satisfied with this commitment.
Afterward, the two discussed cooperation and mutual support during the upcoming war between the two races. Ning Fa then took his leave.
Huangfu Jin rose and went to another cabin. In the room sat a beautiful woman in dark purple light armor, with a tall and alluring figure. It was Zhuo Qing.
She was meticulously polishing a long sword, not even looking up at Huangfu Jin's arrival.
Huangfu Jin sighed, "He's gone."
"I know," Zhuo Qing replied calmly.
"Are you still blaming me for not giving you this opportunity?" Huangfu Jin asked.
Zhuo Qing paused her movements and looked up at him. "It's not exactly blame. If I were you, I would have made the same choice.
But let me be clear, I will only give Zi Yue ten years. If she hasn't conceived by then, don't blame me for taking action."
Zhuo Qing said with great seriousness.
Huangfu Jin smiled helplessly and then nodded, "Alright, I agree."
Meanwhile, Ning Fa had arrived hundreds of miles away on another stretch of ocean.
With a piercing roar, a colossal beast resembling a pure black whale, over fifty zhang long, hovered in the air. Its eyes, as large as water vats, were filled with terror.
This was a Peak Third-tier Sea-covering Whale.
In front of it stood the disproportionately small Ning Fa, a hint of excitement on his face. Behind him, with a swishing sound, the Thunderwood reappeared, its surface displaying mysterious purple runes.
As Ning Fa willed it, the purple runes detached from the wood and flew out. In a flash of light, they transformed into a slender purple rune chain, binding the giant whale tightly.
The chain's surface then shimmered with flowing light, emitting a strange fluctuation. The giant whale let out a mournful cry as its massive body rapidly shrank at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Within three breaths, the giant whale vanished, and the rune chain dissipated along with it.
At this moment, Ning Fa held a deep red blood orb, about the size of an egg, suspended in his palm, radiating incredibly pure Bloodline Power.
Ning Fa looked at it, secretly assessing. This blood orb was only a few thousandths of what he had obtained after devouring Ying Xiao.
Although it seemed small, refining it would be enough to offset a month's worth of arduous cultivation.
Ning Fa placed it in a Purifying Bottle, a pleased expression appearing on his face.
After personally verifying it, he finally felt at ease.
With the aid of this Innate Divine Ability, his future Body Refining cultivation would be smooth sailing. It was a significant enhancement for him.
He might as well take advantage of this war against the Sea Race and use this Innate Divine Ability to devour more demon cultivators, at least those in the Shapeshifting Realm. That would surely provide greater assistance.
With this thought, Ning Fa smiled and vanished in a flash.
Time slowly passed. The allied forces of the Sea Race and demon cultivators, who had been silent before, began sending out numerous small squads to scout the Human Realm's controlled areas in the Nine Dragons Sea, especially near Zhenhai City.
Naturally, the Human Realm's allied forces would not stand idly by. They also dispatched elite troops led by high-level cultivators to intercept and eliminate them.
These small-scale battles between elite cultivators lasted for over a year, with both sides suffering losses.
Following this, the actions of the Sea Race and demon cultivators' side took the Human Realm by surprise. They began a full-scale retreat, even abandoning the city that had already been constructed.
Later, news from spies on the Sea Race and demon cultivators' side revealed that they saw Zhenhai City as too powerful and feared incurring heavy casualties.
Therefore, they decided to temporarily abandon the attack and wait for the second wave of reinforcements from the Sea Origin Realm.
This also foiled the Human Realm's plan to use Zhenhai City's strength to annihilate a large number of the Sea Race and demon cultivators' forces.
For this reason, Venerable Jizhao convened a second meeting with a group of Spirit Transformation Cultivators to discuss whether to launch an immediate counterattack.
The goal was to annihilate as much of the enemy's living forces as possible before the second wave of Sea Race reinforcements arrived.
Ultimately, this resolution was passed.
In a short period, several more Spirit Transformation Cultivators arrived at the Nine Dragons Sea.
At this point, the number of Spirit Transformation Cultivators in Zhenhai City reached an astonishing figure.
However, just as the Spirit Transformation Cultivators were about to lead a group of high-level cultivators in a counterattack, the Sea Race and demon cultivators seemed to have a premonition. After suffering some losses, they retreated entirely to the vicinity of their ancestral lair.
This made the Human Realm's side hesitant to act rashly. After all, in the Sea Race's ancestral lair, they could borrow the power of the Ancestral Sea to temporarily boost the strength of their Spirit Transformation Cultivators.
Although the Human Realm's side reclaimed a large amount of territory during this period, the allied forces felt no joy, as it was meaningless.
They could only bitterly wait for the second wave of reinforcements, as this was originally part of their plan.
Everyone could only pray that, as Venerable Jizhao had said, when the second batch of reinforcements from the Sea Origin Realm arrived, the Star Luo Palace, Tianhong Hall, and Star Locking Platform – the three strongest divination powers of the Human Realm – could find a weakness in that defensive Barrier.
The difficult five years passed.
On this day, the Spirit Transformation Cultivators in Zhenhai City were urgently summoned and once again gathered in the main hall of the central Spirit Mountain.
Before a black obsidian long table, a group of Spirit Transformation Cultivators took their seats, numbering an astonishing twenty-five.
It could be said that almost all the Human Realm's Spirit Transformation Cultivators from the various cultivation worlds, except for those in secluded cultivation or those who had fled, had been mobilized.
On the far left sat a man in his forties, dressed in a black and gold profound robe. He had a handsome face filled with majesty, and his every move exuded great power. His powerful Spiritual Pressure made him stand out among the Spirit Transformation Cultivators in the hall.
This was Gu Zun, the Supreme Elder of the Qianyuan Merchant Alliance.
On the far right sat a man with long hair cascading over his shoulders, wearing a silver mask. He exuded no aura whatsoever, appearing as if he were merely an ordinary mortal.
This person was Yuanzun, the President of the Nine Immortals Association.
These two most powerful Spirit Transformation Cultivators of the Human Realm made their first appearance in Zhenhai City.
Silence fell in the hall.
Ning Fa, sitting in a corner, couldn't help but glance at a person – a refined man in a blue robe.
Ning Fa recognized him; this was Qinghong, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Evolution Sect. He had now broken through to the Spirit Transformation Realm.
Noticing Ning Fa's gaze, Qinghong looked at him as well, his expression calm, then naturally turned his gaze away.
Ning Fa's expression turned slightly cold. At this moment, he noticed someone looking at him and raised his eyes. He saw a middle-aged scholar in a cloud-patterned robe sizing him up from the right.
Seeing Ning Fa look over, the scholar gave a faint smile and averted his gaze.
"Lord Yunxiu."
Ning Fa silently uttered the name.
This person was a Spirit Transformation Rogue Cultivator in the Nine Dragons Sea and was widely recognized as the strongest Human cultivator in the Nine Dragons Sea in terms of Innate Divine Ability, second only to Lord Xuanyi.
Ning Fa had heard of his great name long ago and was meeting him in person for the first time.
He couldn't help but feel a chill, as he had heard some rumors over the years.
It was said that Lord Yunxiu was the one who had sponsored the Demon Lord and stood by him.
However, in the end, he had merely treated the Demon Lord as a chess piece, a bargaining chip to trade with the Tianshu Alliance. His intentions towards the Demon Lord were clearly not benevolent.
When the Sea Race first invaded, the Tianshu Alliance wanted to use every means to increase the number of their Spirit Transformation Cultivators. The Demon Lord was among the candidates, but he was rejected for that very reason.
Over the years, the Demon Lord had never contacted Ning Fa, and Ning Fa couldn't reach him even if he tried.
This led Ning Fa to suspect that the Demon Lord might have been secretly killed by Lord Yunxiu.
If that were the case, Ning Fa would be very regretful, but he had a faint feeling that someone like the Demon Lord wouldn't die so easily.
Moreover, the way this person seemed interested in him suggested they had ulterior motives.
At this moment, Venerable Jizhao stood up. His expression was grave, and his voice was hoarse as he said, "Everyone, just yesterday, that cross-realm passage was activated again. Please, take a look."
As he spoke, Venerable Jizhao produced a white bead about the size of a fist. A beam of white light shot out from it, forming a screen of light about ten feet wide.
The assembled Spirit Transformation Cultivators immediately sat up straighter, staring intently.
The screen of light flickered at first, and then a shocking, giant crack appeared in the air.
Within it was a hazy spatial passage, through which Sea Race cultivators poured out like a tide, making one's scalp tingle.
Soon, the screen of light dissipated.
Venerable Jizhao said with a heavy expression, "According to the observations of the Star Luo Palace, this second batch of reinforcements from the Sea Origin Realm has approximately ten Spirit Transformation Cultivators, possibly including three at the Mid Spirit Transformation stage.
Furthermore, it seems there are a few among them who are not Sea Race Spirit Transformation Cultivators. Their specific races are not yet confirmed, but judging by their Spiritual Pressure fluctuations, they are extremely powerful, even surpassing Spirit Transformation Cultivators of the same level from the Sea Monster and other races."
Upon hearing this, the Spirit Transformation Cultivators fell silent, many of them frowning deeply.
Although they had anticipated such a situation during the first meeting, the reality of it still made everyone feel a sense of oppression.
Adding this batch of reinforcements, the Sea Race alone now had nearly thirty Spirit Transformation Cultivators. Combined with those Spirit Transformation Demon Cultivators from the Demon Court, their numbers might even exceed the total number of Human Realm Spirit Transformation Cultivators.
Venerable Jizhao's expression turned solemn. "There's no need for despair, everyone. After all, this is still within controllable limits.
Although the enemy has many high-level cultivators, their numbers are only on par with the overall strength of our Human Race.
As long as we work together, we should be able to hold them off."
At this moment, a beautiful woman in palace attire with a cold expression spoke indifferently:
"Then the crucial issue now is whether the three major cultivation worlds can, through this enemy's cross-realm teleportation, identify the weaknesses in that defensive barrier.
If not, even if we can hold them off now, if the enemy sends another batch of reinforcements through the cross-realm passage, we might be utterly defeated."
Ning Fa couldn't help but look at this woman. Besides Gu Zun, Yuanzun, Venerable Jizhao, Lord Xuanyi, and Yue Long, she was the only other Mid Spirit Transformation Cultivator in the hall.
She was not from the three major cultivation worlds but hailed from a smaller cultivation world called the Muyue Cultivation World, and her name was Madam Jiuhua.
From what Ning Fa understood, the Muyue Cultivation World was similar to the Cangyuan Cultivation World, so it was not easy for such a powerful Mid Spirit Transformation expert to emerge from it.
At this moment, Gu Zun, seated at the head of the table on the left, smiled leisurely. "Fellow Daoist Jiuhua, you don't need to worry about that.
Before the meeting, I had already confirmed with Fellow Daoist Tianyi. With the assistance of the Star Luo Palace and the Star Locking Platform, he is confident he can break the instantaneous teleportation ability of that defensive barrier within ten years.
And in such a short period, it's unlikely the Sea Race will be able to perform a third cross-realm teleportation.
So, as long as we can hold on for these ten years, it will be fine.
Although the enemy is powerful, we have the advantage of geography and popular support. Holding on for these ten years should not be a problem."
Madam Jiuhua's expression eased slightly upon hearing this, and she said no more.