Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

The volcanoes in the Wanyan Mountains seem never to quiet down, tirelessly spewing out scorching lava.

Wisps of fiery poison, accompanied by billowing black smoke, greedily surged into the sky, transforming this magnificent mountain range into a desolate wasteland, inviolable by anyone.

But even in the most dangerous places, there is no shortage of life.

A small animal, covered in coarse, short fur and with fine downy fur covering its mouth and nose, cautiously crawled out of the hole.

It sniffed lightly a few times, carefully searching for the unique scent emanating from the plants amidst the strong sulfur smell.

This special layer of hair can prevent the invasion of fire poison.

However, in order to adapt to such a hot environment, the hair could not be too long. Over the long years, it evolved into this strange appearance.

The little animal stretched its long, slender, and agile limbs and stepped out of the cave.

This allows it to cross lava rivers and avoid those vents that spew out molten earth energy, thus preventing it from being scorched by the intense heat of the earth.

Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound came from the sky, breaking the silence of the mountains.

Startled, the little beast quickly turned and ran towards the cave. After a few leaps with its four nimble legs, it rushed into the cave entrance.

It left only a pair of eyes, looking up at the horizon, but through the hazy, pale red mist, it did not see those few of its natural enemies, the ferocious birds.

The little beast tilted its head in confusion. The shriek had faded away, and the surroundings had calmed down.

Finally, hunger overcame fear, and it cautiously emerged from the burrow to continue its search for precious plants.

High in the sky, more than a dozen streaks of light flew past, rushing into the fire poison without hesitation and flying deep into the mountains, breaking the silence of this desolate place.

The fiery poison attacked from all directions, trying to stop the dozen or so streaks of light, but it crumbled like seawater crashing against a reef, while the reef remained standing.

But just as they were about to enter the depths of the Ten Thousand Flames Mountains, the dozen or so streaks of light stopped on their own and slowly disappeared, revealing a dozen or so distinct figures.

The leaders were Han Xuan and Zhou Muyun, with Yuan Shuheng, Senior Brother Li, and Senior Sister Hu following beside them, followed by several Tai Xuan Sect cultivators and a group of Dragon People in the Cloud Transformation Realm.

Han Xuan turned to look at Senior Sister Hu and the group of dragon people and said, "I trouble Senior Sister and fellow Daoists to stay here and patrol carefully."

"If you encounter demons, there is no need to fight them. Immediately send a message using the conch shell, and we will turn back to help you."

Senior Sister Hu nodded slightly: "I will take care of this place. If Junior Brother Han needs any help, he only needs to send a message."

Han Xuan then looked at the group of dragon people: "I ask all fellow Daoists to follow Senior Sister Hu's orders. After our sect elders arrive, they will surely reward us handsomely."

"But if anyone acts on their own initiative, don't blame me for being ruthless."

The dragon people's expressions changed slightly, and they all agreed without daring to be negligent.

They were not elders of Yingshan, but rather clan leaders and elders of various dragon-human clans who had joined the Taixuan Sect, including late-stage Tengyun Realm cultivators. Qi Xuan was among them.

Elder Yingshan needed to lead his people to migrate, and then he also needed to help Chen Yuanqing eliminate the demon general, so he had no time for anything else.

The Wanyan Mountains cover a vast area and require patrols, which is where these dragon people come in handy.

The Ten Thousand Flame Mountains are a notoriously dangerous place throughout the entire Xuanli Realm, but they are not so perilous for dragon people in the mid-to-late stages of the Soaring Cloud Realm.

The fire poison is not difficult to resist; the most dangerous are those demon generals who are plotting to seize the True Dragon Cave.

However, they also knew that since they had joined the Tai Xuan Sect, they had to demonstrate their value, so they had to brace themselves and deal with the situation carefully.

However, they already possessed the Homophone Conch, and now they had left the divine imprint of the Yingshan tribe, allowing them to send messages to the Taixuan Sect cultivators and request their assistance.

The fact that they didn't have to confront the Demon General head-on put them at ease.

After Senior Sister Hu and the group of dragon people dispersed, Han Xuan and the others continued to fly deeper into the Wan Yan Mountains, but their speed slowed down considerably.

Although Chen Yuan did not find any trace of the demon race when he last came to the Wanyan Mountains, more than ten days have passed, and the demon race may have already discovered the location of the True Dragon Cave and come to investigate, so we must be on guard.

As the fire poison intensified, everyone's spiritual senses were severely eroded, and their detection range was far less than usual, requiring them to be even more cautious.

Not long after they flew away, Han Xuan's eyes suddenly flashed as he looked to the left front and said in a deep voice, "There's something strange ahead."

Those present were all highly experienced in combat, and upon hearing this, their eyes immediately became wary, and they each took out their magical treasures and weapons, taking precautions.

Following behind Han Xuan, the group turned to the left and hadn't flown far when a figure faintly appeared in the pale red aura of fire poison ahead.

This person seemed unaware of the group's presence until he saw them, at which point he stopped and retreated hastily, revealing a hint of panic.

The group sped up their escape and finally saw the man's face clearly. He was a dragon-man, but judging from his aura, he was only at the mid-stage of the Cloud Ascension Realm, far inferior to the others.

Zhou Muyun narrowed his eyes, stepped forward from the crowd, and unleashed his Dragon Transformation Realm aura, shouting, "Who goes there? Do you recognize me? Stop immediately!"

The man paused, then increased his speed, his expression becoming even more panicked.

He flipped his hand and took out an object that everyone was very familiar with—a conch shell with the same pronunciation.

Zhou Muyun's expression darkened. Since he transformed into a dragon, no cultivator in the Cloud Soaring Realm had dared to be so disrespectful. His dragon aura surged, and he had already decided to kill him.

But then he heard Han Xuan's calm voice in his ear: "Senior, don't be hasty. Why not observe the situation first and see who is behind this person before taking action?"

Zhou Muyun's expression softened slightly, and he nodded, then followed suit without making another move.

Even though he hadn't shown his face for a long time and this person didn't recognize him, he had already revealed his Dragon Transformation Realm cultivation, yet he still fled in panic, which must be suspicious.

Dragon people are not good at flying, let alone this person who has only just entered the mid-stage of the Cloud Soaring Realm. In the fire poison aura, his escape speed is not fast.

After hearing Han Xuan's telepathic message, the crowd leisurely followed, maintaining a distance of a thousand feet without launching an attack, but this still prevented them from stopping.

At the same time, Han Xuan instructed Yuan Shuheng to send a message to Senior Sister Hu and the various Dragon People, telling them to be extra careful.

Two quarters of an hour later, the group had chased the enemy deep into the Wanyan Mountains. The fire poison and red mist were mixed with crimson gold fire poison, but apart from the person who was fleeing in panic, no other person was seen.

Zhou Muyun frowned and secretly transmitted his voice to Han Xuan: "Young friend Han, are you being too cautious? This person has probably come to the Ten Thousand Flame Mountains to search for rare and precious treasures. Just kill him directly..."

He stopped abruptly before he could finish speaking, and his speed also slowed down.

From the depths of the fiery poisonous mist, several figures emerged, enveloped in a beam of light, flying towards this direction.

The fleeing people finally stopped. Han Xuan's eyes flashed, and he raised his right hand. Everyone slowly stopped.

The figures arrived beside the fleeing dragonman, their escape lights dissipating. The two sides stood hundreds of feet apart, facing each other in the lingering aura of fire and poison.

To resist the invasion of the fire poison, those who enter the Ten Thousand Flame Mountains must condense a protective shield, making their aura visible and impossible to conceal.

Han Xuan, Yuan Shuheng, and others possessed pure and upright qi, clearly indicating they belonged to the orthodox lineage of the Xuanmen sect.

Zhou Muyun's dragon aura was heavy and imposing, with a hint of age creeping into his heart.

On the other side, however, the situation was completely different. The two men in the lead, one a middle-aged man with a powerful dragon aura, were similar to Zhou Muyun and were also cultivators in the Dragon Transformation Realm.

The other man in the green robe had a very strange aura. His body was filled with demonic energy, which contained a powerful dragon might that was almost no less than that of Zhou Muyun and the middle-aged man. At the same time, it also revealed a pure and spiritual aura that was even purer than that of Han Xuan and Yuan Shuheng.

Behind the two, a mixture of intense demonic energy and domineering dragon might swirled together, creating a murky and chaotic atmosphere that caused the crimson-gold fire poison to churn violently.

Zhou Muyun stared at the middle-aged cultivator at the head and said coldly, "Fellow Daoist Zhuang, are you going to join forces with the demon race?" He recognized Zhuang Buhui's identity at a glance. Zhuang Buhui and Chu Weicai had fought many times, and he and Chu Weicai had a close personal relationship. He had also fought with Zhuang Buhui before, but they had not been in contact for over a thousand years.

Zhou Muyun never expected that his next meeting with Zhuang Buhui would be like this.

Zhuang Buhui glanced at Han Xuan and the others, and retorted, "Brother Zhou, didn't you also side with the human race?"

Zhou Muyun's face darkened: "Fellow Daoist Zhuang, have you forgotten about Ao Huan? Many of the ancestors of the Yingmo tribe died at the hands of Ao Huan, and they have a blood feud with the demon race."

Zhuang Buhui replied, "What does the feud of our ancestors have to do with us?"

“I advise Brother Zhou to abandon darkness and embrace the light as soon as possible. Although we dragon people originated from the human race, after hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, our appearance has become very different, and our cultivation methods are also very different. We are actually closer to the demon race.”

Zhou Muyun coldly said, "You have forgotten your ancestors, I, Zhou, will surely take your life!"

Zhuang Buhui smiled and said, "Then we'll have to see what Brother Zhou can do..."

The two men confronted each other sharply, their eyes gleaming with growing murderous intent.

Han Xuan sized up the green-robed cultivator: "You must be Ao Pan?"

Wu Xuan had already given Chen Yuan the portraits of Ao Pan and Zhong Ding, who then passed them on to Han Xuan, who immediately recognized Han Xuan's identity.

Ao Pan's eyes flashed, and he said calmly, "Not bad. I didn't expect my name to have spread to the Spirit Realm. May I ask your esteemed name?"

Han Xuan said, "I am Han Xuan, a true disciple of the Tai Xuan Sect in the Spirit Realm."

Ao Pan pondered for a moment and said, "Tai Xuan Sect... could it be the sect founded by Master Fu Huaixiao?"

Han Xuan raised an eyebrow: "Indeed, have you also heard of the name of our sect's leader?"

Ao Pan said calmly, "I have always held great respect for Mahayana cultivators in the Spirit Realm."

"Master Fu has emerged out of nowhere, a genius of unparalleled talent, and is quite famous in the Demon Burning Realm."

Han Xuan looked at the demon generals behind Ao Pan and found that they all looked blank, obviously they had never heard of the name Fu Zhenren.

He sneered inwardly, not wanting to say more, and said indifferently, "I have heard that you are a descendant of a true spirit and possess the bloodline of the Azure Dragon."

"One of my junior brothers happens to need your demon core."

"I hope you will not be stingy and will lend me the demon core."

He didn't mention the Fire Realm Formation, yet Ao Pan and Zhuang Buhui inquired about it so quickly. The fire poison energy deep within the Ten Thousand Flame Mountains hadn't changed either, indicating that the Fire Realm Formation was clearly intact and hadn't been broken by the demon race.

Han Xuan raised his sleeve and flicked it, and thirty-six green bamboo flying swords flew out of his sleeve like swimming fish, swirling and dancing, their sword sounds clear and distinct.

He was not afraid of the descendants of the true spirit, but he would not underestimate his opponent either. He took out all thirty-six green bamboo flying swords in one go, without holding back at all.

A cold glint flashed in Ao Pan's eyes: "Then let me see what kind of ability the true disciple of the Tai Xuan Sect has. He's only just entered the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, yet he dares to speak so arrogantly in front of me."

Yuan Shuheng spoke up from the side: "Senior Brother Han, I'm here to help you!"

Han Xuan shook his head slightly: "I can handle this on my own. Junior brother, join forces with the other senior brothers to wipe out these demon generals first."

“Senior Zhou, I would like to trouble you to stop Zhuang Buhui for the time being. After I deal with Ao Pan, I will come to lend you a hand.”

Yuan Shuheng was somewhat unwilling. He had never fought against a descendant of a true spirit before and was eager to experience Ao Pan's methods.

But Han Xuan had given the order, and he dared not disobey, so he had no choice but to agree.

Zhou Muyun hesitated for a moment, then secretly transmitted his voice, saying, "Young friend Han, please be careful. Ao Pan's dragon aura is so strong that even I feel inexplicably apprehensive. He may not be easy to deal with."

"The number of demon generals is not large, and Elder Yingmo should not find them difficult to deal with. To be on the safe side, it would be best for the two of you to join forces against them..."

If Chen Yuan were here, he wouldn't say much.

Ao Xuan, who possessed the bloodline of the Crimson Dragon, died at the hands of Chen Yuan.

Ao Pan, who possesses wood-elemental supernatural powers, is countered by the fire poison energy in the Wanyan Mountains, which weakens his strength by three-tenths, making him easier to deal with.

However, Han Xuan had not yet shown his strength, so Zhou Muyun was quite worried and chose to dissuade him through telepathy.

Han Xuan replied telepathically, "I know what I'm doing, Senior, you don't need to worry."

Having said that, he stepped forward from the crowd, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Ao Pan, saying, "Please enlighten me, Your Excellency."

Han Xuan casually instructed the Tai Xuan Sect cultivators on how to deal with the enemy, as if taking Ao Pan's life would be as easy as turning his hand, which made Ao Pan's face darken.

Ao Pan slowly flew out, clasped his hands in return, and coldly said, "Please!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he flipped his hand and took out a dark brown wooden sword, heading straight for Han Xuan.

Zhuang Buhui laughed loudly, used the Dragon Transformation Technique, his body grew several times larger, transforming into a half-human, half-dragon body. He took out a Ruyi Divine Weapon and charged towards Zhou Muyun.

Zhou Muyun snorted coldly and also used the Dragon Transformation Technique, revealing his Dragon Transformation Battle Body. He did not give way and went to meet the attack head-on.

Using the Dragon Transformation Realm's divine abilities requires consuming one's life essence. Both of them have little lifespan left, so they will not easily use their full strength unless it is a critical moment.

The two also intentionally avoided the area where Han Xuan and Ao Pan were fighting, as they wanted to see how strong the disciples of the major sects and the descendants of the true spirits were.

Yuan Shuheng and the others had great confidence in Han Xuandu. They each took out their magical treasures and used their supernatural powers to attack the demon general dragonman on the other side.

The demon generals seemed completely unconcerned about Ao Pan, and they took out their magical treasures and weapons, quickly engaging in a fierce battle.

With their Supreme Elder by their side, the dragon people of Yingmo tribe were utterly fearless, unleashing their dragon transformation techniques one after another. Their dragon energy surged, stirring up the red mist and churning endlessly.

Han Xuan saw that Ao Pan had only taken out a wooden sword and had no imposing presence, but he did not let his guard down.

He raised his hand and made a hand seal. Thirty-six green bamboo flying swords dispersed and disappeared into the void. The surrounding world twisted and turned into a bamboo forest.

Everyone disappeared, leaving only Han Xuan and Ao Pan in the bamboo forest.

Ao Pan and Han Xuan were originally a thousand feet apart. With his speed, he would have already rushed to Han Xuan's side, but now it was as if he was standing still, and the distance between them had not shortened at all.

Ao Pan stopped and surveyed the boundless bamboo forest: "An illusion array?"

Han Xuan did not answer. He changed the hand seals, and a gentle breeze swept by, causing the green bamboo to sway and releasing a faint fragrance that was refreshing and pleasant.

A few bamboo leaves fell, drifting and floating, until they reached the top of Ao Pan's head.

Ao Pan narrowed his eyes and suddenly swung his wooden sword at several bamboo leaves.

The wind suddenly shifted, and the bamboo leaves drifted to the side, but the wooden sword was too fast and still managed to split them in two.

The wooden sword sliced ​​through the broken bamboo leaves, which flashed with a blue light and then returned to their original state. Its speed suddenly increased, and it shot out like a sword, piercing Ao Pan's body, but it missed.

Only a fleeting afterimage remained, torn to shreds by the bamboo leaves.

Ao Pan appeared a hundred feet away, under a green bamboo, completely unharmed.

Han Xuan's expression changed slightly. Within his sword formation, Ao Pan was actually able to use the teleportation technique.
A hint of mockery flashed in Ao Pan's eyes: "You dare to set up a wood-elemental formation in front of me? You're truly courting death!" (End of Chapter)