Chapter 561: The Nightmare Race and Transformed Demon Soldiers

Deep within the Yao Realm exists an elusive city that seems to drift as if in a dream, known as Yunmeng City.

It floats in the air, shrouded in swirling mirages. From the outside, the city appears deathly silent and completely devoid of life.

Although its name was Yunmeng City, it had nothing to do with Yun Mengshang. It was home to a powerful and ancient clan of the Yao Race—the Nightmare Race!

The very existence of the Nightmare Race seemed to fall dormant and reawaken with the tides of Spiritual Qi.

At this moment, two members of the Human Race stood at the gates of Yunmeng City—no, rather, one human and one yao. They were none other than Fu Haitang, Sect Leader of the Cyan Sky Sect, and Meng Yingluo.

The city gates were tightly shut, with no guards in sight. Furthermore, the surrounding mirages blocked any attempt to probe with Divine Sense.

Fu Haitang observed her surroundings carefully for a few moments before shouting, “I have honored our agreement! I have helped Meng Yingluo consume dreams for three hundred years, and I have brought her back safe and sound!”

The moment her voice faded, the mirages around Yunmeng City surged to life. They coalesced into myriad forms—some human, some beastly, all of them bizarre and varied. The figures stared at the two visitors, their expressions a mixture of mockery, respect, indifference, and fanaticism…

A deep, resonant voice then emanated from within the city.

“Very well!”

THUD! The great gates of Yunmeng City swung open violently!

“My clan will honor our agreement as well. Ten thousand of our people shall follow you to conquer the Demon Race!”

Meng Yingluo’s expression was tinged with reluctance. “Sect Leader, after I return, please tell Master and my senior brothers and sisters not to miss me. I will visit them in their dreams!”

Fu Haitang nodded solemnly.

“Ying Luo, you don’t need to feel guilty. They let you devour their cultivation for the sake of the Human Race. The Demonic Qi of the Demon Race has too great an impact on the war, and only the Dream Realm of the Nightmare Race can counteract it. Besides, they were more than willing to offer a bit of their cultivation for you!”

Meng Yingluo’s expression grew even more forlorn. “In any case, please pass on my words to them. And… Chen Dong. Tell him not to be so absorbed in his cultivation. He should have a dream every now and then.”

Fu Haitang nodded again.

Meng Yingluo took two steps forward, then glanced back one last time before finally rushing into the city.

A few moments later, ten thousand members of the Nightmare Race flew out of Yunmeng City. Their features were otherworldly and bewitching, and with the illusionary mirages coiling around them, they gave off an inscrutable air.

The two at the front, a man and a woman, possessed incredibly powerful auras. The sheer spiritual pressure they unintentionally radiated revealed their cultivation to be at the Divinity Transformation Stage.

The two spoke to Fu Haitang in unison: “We are Yun Gu and Yun Rou. We will follow Sect Leader Fu back. You may give us our orders directly!”

「Meanwhile, far away in the Demon Realm.」

In a deadly land known as the Spirit Hunting Abyss lay a chasm so deep it seemed bottomless.

Demonic Qi capable of distorting space poured forth unceasingly from its depths.

Right on the edge of the abyss, Chi Huang, one of the three great Demon Marshals, knelt on one knee. His head was bowed respectfully as he asked, “Great Demon Lord, the Human Race and the Yao Race are showing signs of forming an alliance. How should we proceed?”

Cackling laughter echoed from the abyss.

“They are nothing but ants. Why fear them? You all need only defend our territory. Once I finish refining the Realm Spirit Heart, they will become nothing more than our sustenance!”

Chi Huang replied in a low voice, “Yes, Demon Lord!”

“Summon Chi Xiao and Chimei. There is no longer a need to preserve the lives we have captured. Convert them all into Demon Soldiers. What could be better than using the creatures of the Floating Shadow Realm to deal with the Floating Shadow Realm itself! HEH HEH… HEH HEH…”

“Yes!”

Chi Huang took a narrow path away from the abyss. Waiting for him below were the arrogant Chi Xiao and Chimei, who was wreathed in an aura of vicious cruelty.

“What were the Demon Lord’s instructions?” Chi Xiao asked.

He had lost the privilege of an audience with the Demon Lord due to a defeat in battle, while Chimei simply had no desire to go.

Chi Huang said gravely, “A full conversion into Demon Soldiers, and we are to defend the Demon Realm!”

Chi Xiao froze, then immediately asked, “Not a single one left?”

“That’s right. Not a single one,” Chi Huang said grimly.

Chi Xiao helplessly clenched his fists. He was the one who kept the most captives. He could forget about the ones kept as mere provisions, but what he truly regretted losing was his vast “collection”—the beautiful women he used to suppress his demonic lusts. Once the full conversion into Demon Soldiers began, none of them could be spared. The thought caused a sharp pang in his heart.

Chimei laughed coldly, clearly gloating over his misfortune.

“Don’t tell me you’re feeling regret, Chi Xiao? Are you showing signs of reawakening? If you can’t carry out the full conversion, Chi Huang and I will have to throw you into the Demon Abyss ourselves and let the Demon Lord properly demonize you all over again!”

Killing intent flared in Chi Xiao’s eyes as he shot a glare at Chimei. “Shut your filthy mouth. I will naturally obey the Demon Lord’s command!”

With that, Chi Xiao transformed into a cloud of Demonic Qi and vanished.

Chimei sneered and said to Chi Huang, “You’d better watch him closely. Ever since that last defeat, I feel like he’s been showing signs of reawakening. He’s a Demon Marshal, after all. If he screws up at a critical time like this, the two of us will be devoured by our own kind!”

Chi Huang narrowed his eyes and nodded. He, too, had sensed that something was off about Chi Xiao.

Chi Xiao returned to his territory, where countless demons bowed their heads in greeting upon his arrival.

With a cold expression, he strode directly toward the great Array where he imprisoned his captives. As he stepped inside, he entered what seemed to be an isolated space—cramped, crowded, and not unlike a livestock pen.

Tens of millions of beings were enclosed by the Array’s walls of light, a mix of the Human and Yao Races. They were emaciated, their spirits utterly broken. Lying, standing, sitting—they were like so many lifeless rag dolls, with not a shred of hope left in their eyes. Within this Array, even death was a luxury they could not afford.

Chi Xiao looked down upon them all, a condescending gaze in his eyes. He took out the arm-shaped demonic artifact and poured his Demonic Qi into it. Great, dark clouds of Demonic Qi erupted from the artifact, sweeping down toward the captives below.