133: The Glimmer of Humanity, the Secret of the Holy Land

In this grand and epic battlefield, woven from countless sagas and tragedies, Li's gaze slowly turned towards some relatively small, inconspicuous, yet remarkably resilient 'points of light'.

The scene then zoomed in and focused.

Lin Feng saw that on the fringes of the battlefield, amidst the ruins of Immortal Cities destroyed by the aftershocks, and in the shadows of the massive war beasts, a large number of the Human Race were indeed surviving, struggling, and fighting.

Their individual strength, in comparison to the illusion at this moment, appeared particularly clear, and particularly... weak. Golden Core and Nascent Soul Cultivators seemed to be mere ordinary soldiers, only Soul Transformation Stage Cultivators could serve as squad leaders, Void Refining and Body Integration Stage Cultivators were considered core experts, while Mahayana Loose Immortal level figures were as rare as Phoenix feathers, often serving as the highest leaders of a Human Race stronghold. Compared to those True Spirit Ancient Fiends whose bodies were often tens of thousands of feet tall, who inherently controlled fragments of Law, and whose every breath could stir celestial phenomena, they seemed like reeds in a storm, too fragile to withstand a single blow.

Their situation was also quite difficult. Lin Feng saw large numbers of low-level Human Race Cultivators, like worker ants, desperately repairing city walls and Formation foundations shattered by the Sky Demons under the command of Formation Masters; often, a single aftershock would sweep by, turning dozens or hundreds of them to dust. He saw them forming exploration teams, venturing deep into areas lightly polluted by Devilish Qi, risking demonization or even being devoured by lurking Sky Demons, to mine the Spirit Stone veins needed to sustain the war. He saw them piloting slightly clumsy and crude floating skiffs, shuttling through dangerous rear areas of the battlefield to transport supplies, frequently attacked by sudden Sky Demon squads, resulting in shipwrecks and deaths. He even saw some Human Race legions, as vassals and auxiliary troops of certain powerful races, ordered to charge into the most dangerous, highest mortality front lines, using their flesh and blood to exhaust the Sky Demons' power.

Lin Feng even clearly saw a scene: a white-haired Human Race elder, a Soul Transformation Cultivator, bowing obsequiously to a young general who was only at the Void Refining Stage but came from a powerful alien race, his face full of flattery and pleading, just to secure a few more bottles of healing Medicinal Pills to distribute to his critically wounded Human Race compatriots. The alien general's face showed undisguised contempt and impatience, and he waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a beggar.

"...The Human Race, in the Spirit Realm, is a very... peculiar race," Li's voice sounded again, with a complex sigh in her tone. With a wave of her hand, the scene was no longer confined to the brutal battlefield, but instead showed internal details of some Human Race settlements.

"Their Physical Bodies are Innately weak, their Lifespan is short, and they are ignorant at birth, requiring a long time to grow... Compared to the many Innately powerful races in the Spirit Realm, who are born with Divine Abilities and have long Lifespans, they indeed seem small and humble," Li stated objectively, as the screen showed scenes of newborns crying, Mortals working diligently, and low-level Cultivators scrambling for meager resources.

"However," her tone shifted, becoming solemn and even a little amazed, "their learning ability and reproduction speed are astonishingly fast! As if heaven and earth favor them. More importantly, they possess a creativity and a near-obsessive spirit of research into Dao and various skills that even many True Spirits look upon with awe. They are good at summarizing, good at utilizing tools, and good at cleverly combining weak forces through means such as Formations, Medicinal Pills, Talismans, and Magic Treasures, often erupting with power far exceeding their own cultivation stage."

The illusion scene changed accordingly: some Human Race Cultivators, whose own cultivation might only be at the Nascent Soul or Soul Transformation Stage, could, in Artifact Refining workshops, rely on exquisite Legacies and countless attempts to forge sharp Magic Treasures that allowed Soul Transformation Stage Cultivators to challenge Void Refining Stage enemies beyond their stage; some Human Race alchemists could refine various Spirit Pills with unique effects, some even slightly beneficial to Body Integration Stage mighty cultivators; and even some Formation Geniuses, after painstaking effort, arranged combined defensive Grand Formations that could temporarily withstand the fierce attacks of powerful Sky Demons comparable to Mahayana Stage Cultivators!

They seized every opportunity to learn, desperately improving themselves, and in the cracks of war, like tenacious weeds, they struggled but persistently sought space for survival and development.

"However, it is precisely this terrifying learning speed, reproductive ability, and astonishing potential that have attracted the apprehension, exclusion, and even... fear of many ancient races in the Spirit Realm."

Li's tone became low, and the scene showed some unfriendly, even malicious, images: Human Race Spirit Lands and blessed lands, painstakingly developed over generations, were forcibly occupied by powerful alien races under flimsy pretexts; some Human Race Genius Cultivators who displayed exceptional talent mysteriously disappeared during their outdoor training, with only energy traces unique to certain alien races left at the scene; some powerful figures of alien races even made public statements, directly calling the Human Race "locusts," saying they reproduced too quickly and consumed too many resources and living spaces that rightfully belonged to these "native high-level races," suggesting "restrictions."

"...Many high-and-mighty races believe that although the Human Race starts low, their Cultivation speed is too fast, and if allowed to develop unchecked, they will eventually threaten their dominant position and interests. Therefore, for a very long time, the overall situation of the Human Race in the Spirit Realm was not good; they were suppressed and restricted, making it difficult for truly top-tier, all-protecting mighty Cultivators to emerge." Li sighed, her sigh carrying a hint of helplessness, "This is prejudice rooted in interests and fear, difficult to eliminate."

"...And the turning point, precisely, occurred in this Sky Demon war that swept across the entire Spirit Realm and concerned the life and death of everyone." A glimmer of light appeared in Li's eyes, and the scene changed accordingly, focusing on several critical battle situations. "War requires massive resources and, more importantly, an inexhaustible supply of manpower. No matter how powerful those high-and-mighty strong races are, their population size is relatively limited. They cannot withstand prolonged attrition."

"Although the Human Race's individual strength is not strong, they are often more united, better at assessing the situation, more willing to sacrifice, and more... expendable. In some local battlefields, relying on exquisite Formation coordination, fearless self-detonation tactics, and an endless stream of unique war creations, they repeatedly achieved victories of the weak over the strong, gradually earning the respect of some pragmatic powerful individuals."

"More importantly, their massive population base became the most reliable source for replenishing troops and providing logistical labor. This point cannot be ignored." Li's tone carried a cold realism, "The three transcendent Holy Lands of the Spirit Realm—Mount Sumeru, the deepest source of Buddhism; Jade Pond, the most detached and mysterious Legacy of the Dao Ancestor; and Biyou Palace, which embraces all Dao and teaches without discrimination—were the first to see the value of the Human Race in war and the immense potential they contained."

In the illusion, Lin Feng saw envoys from the three great Holy Lands appearing in some Human Race settlements, selectively recruiting Human Race Geniuses. The scene showed: some Human Race elites with firm resolve and deep Buddhist affinity, after passing through numerous difficult assessments, were able to enter Mount Sumeru, shrouded in mist, filled with Buddhist chants, guarded by Arhats and Vajras, and imbued with an atmosphere of solemn compassion. Some young men and women with extraordinary bones and excellent Comprehension Ability were chosen to enter Jade Pond, suffused with Immortal Qi, covered with exotic flowers and jade-like grasses, where Immortal Cranes and Spirit Beasts offered auspicious signs, and which was tranquil and peaceful. Some Cultivators with agile minds and special talents in Artifact Refining, Formations, and Sword Dao were recruited into Biyou Palace, where Sword Qi soared to the heavens, Formation Dao was profound, and the atmosphere was relatively free and open.

These fortunate individuals obtained precious Legacies and resources in the Holy Lands that they had never dared to imagine before, their strength rapidly improved, and they gradually emerged on the battlefield against the Sky Demons, becoming a force that could not be ignored, and also gaining a certain degree of say and some improved living space for the Human Race as a whole.

"The Chaos of Sky Demons, like a raging flood, impacted the inherent structure of the Spirit Realm, and to some extent, it also created a crack for the Human Race, buying them a moment of respite and time for development," Li concluded, her tone calm, "But deep-seated prejudices and racial divides cannot be eliminated overnight. The road ahead, for the Human Race, remains long and arduous."

She paused, her gaze once again becoming sharp and cold, filled with endless hatred.

"And I... it was during a mission to eliminate a fleeing Sky Demon remnant army that I unexpectedly discovered that the ally responsible for blockading that remnant army—the Three-Eyed Ancient Race's prince, Garuda—was acting suspiciously..."