Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Jiang Wangchen looked up and saw that all around him was a thick red mist of fire poison, mixed with wisps of crimson gold fire poison, and there was no sound.

Under the corrosive influence of the fiery poison, his divine sense was severely restricted, only able to extend a hundred feet.

But through the hazy red mist, Jiang Wangchen could vaguely see that in the distance, amidst the crimson-gold fire poison, a huge vortex of flames hung in the air, slowly rotating.

Yuan Shuheng descended with his escape light, and the array curtain dispersed on its own, revealing a passage. A true disciple of Huayu Peak stepped forward and greeted him with clasped hands.

Without delay, the group followed Yuan Shuheng and filed into the valley.

The array slowly closed behind them, and the scene before them changed, keeping the fire poison out.

Dozens of extremely rough, dark stone houses are scattered haphazardly in this wide valley, their color tinged with a dark red.

The mountain wall on the north side of the valley is dilapidated, and these stone houses were obviously built using local materials.

On the western mountain wall, two old stone doors are fully open, revealing a deep passage.

As the crowd arrived, figures flew out of the stone house to greet them.

Jiang Wangchen looked around and soon saw Han Xuan and other disciples of Huayu Peak, but they were only a minority in the crowd. Most of them were tall dragon people with scales covering their bodies.

A burly, white-haired old man also flew out of the cave to greet them.

Han Xuan stepped forward from the crowd, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Jiang Wangchen and Lin Yuanzi: "I, Han, greet my two senior brothers and fellow disciples. I apologize for not welcoming you properly."

Jiang Wangchen returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute, and said with a smile, "Junior Brother Han, you flatter me. This concerns the True Dragon Cave, so we must not be careless."

Lin Yuanzi returned the greeting with clasped hands, his expression becoming much more serious, no longer showing the indifference he had displayed when he first met Yuan Shuheng.

He said, "I heard that the demon race has also come to this place. I wonder where they are now, and how Junior Brother Han is confronting them?"

Han Xuan said, "This is a long story, and this is not the place to talk. Please come with me, my two senior brothers."

He then looked at the crowd behind the two: "Fellow disciples, you have come from afar, and you must have consumed a lot of your true essence."

"You may choose any of these stone houses in the valley to meditate and regulate your breathing."

"We have only been here for a few days and still need to be wary of the demon race. The construction of the stone house was a bit rushed and is somewhat simple. Please bear with us for now."

As soon as Han Xuan finished speaking, several disciples from Huayu Peak came forward and led everyone to settle in.

But the disciples of both peaks ignored them and instead looked at Lin Yuanzi and Jiang Wangchen.

The two nodded, and then they followed the disciples of Huayu Peak.

The dragon people looked at the disciples of the two peaks with complicated expressions, and after a long while, they dispersed on their own.

Han Xuan led Jiang Wangchen and Lin Yuanzi to a spacious stone house, with Yuan Shuheng beside him.

The burly, white-haired old man and a young cultivator also walked in together.

The interior was very simple, with rough and uneven walls and only a few slightly repaired stone chairs.

The group took their seats as host and guest. Jiang Wangchen looked at the two people and asked, "Who are these two fellow Daoists...?"

The white-haired old man and the young cultivator both possessed restrained auras, making it impossible to discern their true strengths, but their cultivation levels were clearly not low.

The white-haired old man had a rather peculiar appearance, with golden eyes that were exactly like those of a dragonman. Jiang Wangchen had a vague guess in his mind.

The young cultivator, like Jiang Wangchen, was also wearing a white robe.

However, he was much more handsome, with an extraordinary demeanor, otherworldly and refined, with black hair and black eyes, indistinguishable from human cultivators, making it difficult to discern his identity.

Han Xuan raised his hand and led the white-haired old man, and said with a smile: "This is Elder Chu Weicai of the Yingqian Department, one of the five Dragon Transformation Realm cultivators of the Xuanli Realm."

Jiang Wangchen's expression turned solemn, and he immediately stood up and bowed: "Jiang Wangchen, a true disciple of the Tai Xuan Sect, greets Senior Chu."

Lin Yuanzi also bowed in greeting: "Lin Yuanzi greets Senior."

The Dragon Transformation Realm and the Void Refinement Realm are equivalent. Although Chu Weicai is a different race, he has taken the lead on the path of cultivation, so he dares not be disrespectful.

The white-haired old man stroked his beard and smiled: "Young friends, there's no need for such formalities. I've heard young friend Han speak highly of you two."

"You two young friends are the best among your sect's thousands of true disciples, and you are on the verge of reaching the Void Refinement Realm."

"With the arrival of these two young friends today, along with disciples from Jade Sword Peak and Moon Embracing Peak, we are sure to wipe out the demon race in one fell swoop."

Han Xuan then gestured to the young cultivator beside him: "This is Junior Brother Chen Yuan..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Yuanzi interrupted him: "If I remember correctly, our sect has a total of sixty-six true disciples from three peaks who entered the Xuanli Realm through the teleportation array this time, but it seems that this Junior Brother Chen is not among them."

Han Xuan smiled and said, "Senior brother, you may not know this, but Junior Brother Chen was ordered by our master to infiltrate the Demon Realm and enter this realm with those demon generals, not with us."

"Oh?" Lin Yuanzi narrowed his eyes, looking Chen Yuan up and down. "So, you are also a disciple of Huayu Peak. May I ask which guardian you have become a disciple of?"

Han Xuan said, "Please forgive me, Senior Brother, but Junior Brother Chen's identity is special, and it is inconvenient to reveal his lineage."

Lin Yuanzi's face darkened: "I have been a disciple of this sect for thousands of years, and I have never seen a true disciple who cannot explain his lineage. Junior Brother Han, are you perhaps making fun of us?"

Jiang Wangchen also frowned, scrutinizing Chen Yuan as he said, "We two are here on the orders of the elders to lead the disciples of the two peaks into the Xuanli Realm, and our positions are equivalent to those of the Void Refining Protectors."

"No matter what special things this Junior Brother Chen may have about his identity, he is just a true disciple."

"What is there to hide from the two of us?"

Han Xuan remained firm in his statement: "There are other hidden reasons for this matter, and even if the sect's protectors were to come in person, it would be inconvenient to reveal them."

Lin Yuanzi stared at Chen Yuan: "Then please show us your true disciple token so we can have a look."

Chen Yuan finally spoke: "I do not possess the true inheritance token."

Lin Yuanzi's eyes flashed sharply: "Since you refuse to reveal your lineage and cannot produce the true inheritance token, you are impersonating a disciple of my Tai Xuan Sect."

"Junior Brother Han violated the sect rules by concealing this person's identity. What should his punishment be?"

Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "Senior Brother Lin Yuanzi, please don't be angry. Although I can't produce the true inheritance token, I have something else that can prove my identity."

After saying that, he flipped his hand and took out the Tai Xuan Token, pushed it, and it slowly flew over.

Lin Yuanzi's eyes narrowed, and he took the Tai Xuan Token, examining it closely.

Jiang Wangchen also recognized the Tai Xuan Token and was startled. He immediately extended his divine sense.

As the top disciples of Jade Sword Peak and Moon Embracing Peak, they had received guidance from the Integration Elders more than once, so they naturally recognized the Tai Xuan Token.

The two looked at it over and over for a long time before finally raising their heads.

Lin Yuanzi's expression softened considerably, but a hint of doubt still lingered in his eyes: "This Tai Xuan Token is extremely similar to the Tai Xuan Token in the hands of our sect's elders in terms of both material and appearance."

"But it lacks that mysterious aura; it's all show and no substance, and I'm afraid it can't prove your identity."

Chen Yuan chuckled lightly: "Senior Brother Lin Yuanzi is joking. My cultivation is low and I am not an elder, so naturally I do not have a real Tai Xuan Token."

"As you two senior brothers should know, the method of refining the Tai Xuan Token of our sect is very special and extremely difficult to imitate outside."

“Although this token is somewhat different from the real Tai Xuan Token, it is enough to prove that I am a disciple of our sect.” Lin Yuanzi frowned, but did not refute it further.

What Chen Yuan said was true; the Tai Xuan Token was unique to the Tai Xuan Sect, and it was even said to have been created by the sect leader.

Moreover, the Tai Xuan Token is not a precious treasure; its greatest function is to allow entry and exit to various forbidden areas on Tongtian Island through restrictive formations.

However, possessing this order does not guarantee unimpeded movement on Tongtian Island.

One must also use a special technique to avoid being blocked by the restrictive formation.

Once you leave Tongtian Island, the Tai Xuan Token becomes much less useful, and because it has a unique refining method, there has never been a counterfeit version.

Lin Yuanzi did not believe that outsiders would know the method of refining the Tai Xuan Token.

The Tai Xuan Token that Chen Yuan took out was flawless in appearance, but it lacked that mysterious aura.

It would be hasty to conclude that the token is counterfeit based solely on this.

Jiang Wangchen, being a meticulous person, frowned and asked, "Junior Brother Chen can even produce the Tai Xuan Token, so why can't he reveal his lineage and why he infiltrated the Burning Demon Realm?"

"Our sect has never had any dealings with the demons of the Burning Demon Realm in the past, so there is absolutely no need for us to send people into the Burning Demon Realm to gather information."

"As for the True Dragon Cave, only Elder Su, Elder Yuan, and Elder Mei were involved."

“If Junior Brother Chen infiltrated the Burning Demon Realm for this reason, we two would not be completely unaware of it.”

Han Xuan pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room, and slowly said, "Junior Brother Chen's infiltration of the Burning Demon Realm concerns the secrets of our sect, and I originally did not wish to say more."

“But since Senior Brother Jiang asked about this matter, and Senior Chu is no outsider either, then I, Han, will not hide it.”

"However, this matter is of great importance, so please do not spread it outside."

Jiang Wangchen said solemnly, "Junior Brother Han, rest assured, I will keep my mouth shut."

Lin Yuanzi's eyes flashed, and he said calmly, "Since it is a sect secret, I naturally will not spread it around."

Chu Weicai chuckled: "I only know you young friends, where shall I go to talk to you?"

Han Xuan then spoke: "As you two senior brothers know, our sect has only been established for tens of thousands of years. Compared with other Mahayana sects, our foundation is too shallow."

"In the past, our sect could only conquer some minor worlds. Although we gained something, it was far less than that of the major worlds."

"Fortunately, our sect leader is a man of great talent and ambition, and our sect is thriving and growing stronger every day. Now we are no less than other Mahayana sects."

"I have received information that within three hundred years at most, our sect will be able to accumulate enough merits to obtain permission from the Heaven-Slaying Pavilion to enter those great worlds."

"The choice made by the sect leader was to build a giant city on Tyrant Turtle Island and invade the Burning Demon Realm."

"It was because of this matter that Junior Brother Chen secretly infiltrated the Burning Demon Realm to investigate the situation there, in order to prepare for building a city on Tyrant Turtle Island in the future."

"This matter concerns the grand plan for the future of our sect for ten thousand years, and very few people know about it. That's why I, Han, do not wish to reveal Junior Brother Chen's identity."

Jiang Wangchen's eyes narrowed: "Is this true? Does Junior Brother Han have any proof?"

Han Xuan shook his head: "I have only heard about it. After Senior Brother Jiang returns to the Spirit Realm, he can inquire for himself. It should not be difficult for him to find out."

Jiang Wangchen said thoughtfully, "If we can truly obtain permission from the Heaven-Slaying Pavilion to conquer the Great Thousand Worlds, our sect can then be considered a true Mahayana sect."

"But the demons of the Burning Demon Realm are so tenacious that they even opened up Tyrant Turtle Island, keeping my Spirit Realm army outside the realm."

"Wouldn't conquering this realm be a waste of effort and yield half the result?"

Han Xuan frowned and said, "Senior Brother Jiang, please be careful with your words. How can we possibly object to the Sect Leader's decision?"

Jiang Wangchen's expression turned serious: "Junior Brother Han is right, I misspoke."

Lin Yuanzi remained quite calm and said in a deep voice, "I have also heard of this matter, but there have been many such rumors in the past, so I have not taken them to heart."

"If Junior Brother Chen really infiltrated the Demon Burning Realm for this reason, he certainly cannot expose his identity."

As he spoke, he kept his eyes on Chen Yuan, carefully observing the changes in his expression.

Chen Yuan remained calm, gave Han Xuan a deep look, and said indifferently, "What Senior Brother Han said is all true. I should have returned to the Spirit Realm immediately after completing the sect's mission."

"It was just a twist of fate that led me to this Xuanli Realm, which is a good opportunity to lend a helping hand to my three senior brothers."

"I would be grateful if my two senior brothers could cover for me. If Elder Yuan finds out that I have exposed my identity before returning to the Spirit Realm, he will surely punish me."

Han Xuan said solemnly, "In urgent situations, we must act expediently. Even if Master finds out, he won't blame Junior Brother."

Chen Yuan nodded slightly, his expression becoming increasingly composed, but his heart was in turmoil.

He only learned today that the Tai Xuan Sect was planning to build a city on Turtle Island.

Lin Yuanzi returned the Tai Xuan Token to Chen Yuan and said calmly, "Just now we were unaware of Junior Brother Chen's identity, and our words were quite offensive. We hope Junior Brother will forgive us."

Chen Yuan accepted the token and said calmly, "Senior brother, you flatter me."

Jiang Wangchen stopped questioning Chen Yuan's identity and changed the subject, asking, "When Junior Brother Han sent the message, he mentioned the True Dragon Cave. What exactly is the situation?"

"On the way here, we heard from Junior Brother Yuan that we have been in a standoff with the demon race for the past few days. We don't know how many demon generals there are, or where they are now?"

Han Xuan then briefly recounted the events at the True Dragon Cave and his encounter with Ao Pan.

Finally, he said, "After Ao Pan left, we went into the Fire Realm to take another look. There were a few broken stone pillars, but the great formation was still intact."

"After that, I sent a message to Junior Brother Chen and my two senior brothers, only to find that Ao Pan had set up an array and established a camp a hundred miles away from the Fire Realm."

"I was worried that Ao Pan had ulterior motives, so I dared not go far away. Therefore, I borrowed Senior Zhou's cave and asked Senior Brother Li to set up an array to wait here."

"Senior Zhou and I take turns leading people to monitor the demon camp, in order to prevent Ao Pan from using any underhanded means."

“Three days ago, Junior Brother Chen and Senior Chu finally arrived and joined the surveillance of the demon camp, waiting for the two senior brothers to arrive. Today it just so happens to be Senior Zhou’s turn.”

A cold glint flashed in Lin Yuanzi's eyes: "The demon race is so arrogant, why doesn't Junior Brother Han just take action?"

Han Xuan glanced at Chen Yuan and explained, "Junior Brother Chen had the same idea when he arrived that day, and I wholeheartedly agreed with him and went to challenge him to a duel."

"But unfortunately, another True Spirit descendant, Zhong Ding, and the Supreme Elder of the Yingtian Department, Feng Zhihe, also arrived at the Wanyan Mountain Range at that time, and their strength was comparable to ours."

"If we fight them, our chances of winning are not high. It's better to wait for our two senior brothers to come to our aid before making any decisions."

"The last Dragon Transformation Realm cultivator, Zhou Lang, also appeared at the demon camp the day before yesterday."

"I have already sent messages to the Wei family, Xuanji Sect, and Chonghua Sect. If we can wait for their help, our chances of success will be even greater."

Jiang Wangchen nodded in approval, saying, "Junior Brother Han's move is indeed the best strategy. With Ao Xuan dead at Junior Brother Chen's hands, one of the three True Spirit descendants of the demon race has already been lost."

"Many demon generals were killed by Junior Brother Chen and Junior Brother Yuan, greatly weakening their strength."

"Our faction, however, suffered no casualties. The longer we delay, the greater our advantage will be."

Lin Yuanzi frowned and said, "We don't need to rush, but the Xuanli Realm only has five cultivators at the Dragon Transformation Realm. Zhou Lang arrived at the Wanyan Mountain Range the day before yesterday. The demon race has no reinforcements left, so why haven't they made a move?" (End of this chapter)