Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Just as everyone stepped through the door into this celestial paradise, a sudden and astonishing change occurred!

The once quiet gate of flames suddenly became violent, and the Crimson Heaven True Fire swirling around the gate transformed into raging infernos that swept in.

Everyone was shocked, but it was too late to dodge, so they had to use their magic weapons to defend themselves.

The Crimson Heaven True Fire swept over everyone like a gentle breeze, before gathering around Chen Yuan amidst their astonished gazes.

The instant the Crimson Heaven True Fire erupted, Chen Yuan immediately activated three True Spirit Bloodlines, his silver eyes and white hair, wings sprouting from his back, and his aura surged.

He attempted to teleport, but was interrupted by a strange fluctuation, causing his figure to stumble and fall out of the void three zhang away.

Chen Yuan used the Lightning Escape Technique again, and lightning exploded, but his figure remained in the same place.

This cave is incredibly secure; no escape techniques are effective against it.

Even in the face of life and death, Chen Yuan remained calm and composed, raising his hand to form a hand seal.

The Xuan Yin Armor covered his body, exuding overwhelming demonic energy, and transformed into a set of demonic armor, with three true spirit dharma images condensing on his back.

The image of Zhu Yan appeared, roared, and Zhu Yan True Fire swept out in all directions.

Having experienced fighting Ao Xuan, Chen Yuan knew very well that the most effective method was to use fire to control fire.

At the same time, the Kunpeng Dharma Image flapped its wings and let out a long, desolate, and distant cry.

A layer of deep black light surged out, transforming into a vortex that blocked Chen Yuan's path; this was the Devouring Technique.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Yuan set up three layers of defense, and the Crimson Sky True Fire swept in.

The Zhu Yan True Fire was completely burned away and was no match for the Chi Xiao True Fire.

The black vortex absorbed only a small amount of Crimson Heaven True Fire before turning crimson and exploding on its own, unable to withstand the power of the Crimson Heaven True Fire.

The ferocious demonic energy surrounding the Xuan Yin Armor was completely annihilated by the Crimson Heaven True Fire, just as the blazing sun melts snow, offering no resistance whatsoever.

With a faint, mournful wail, the Crimson Heaven True Fire surged into Chen Yuan's body through the huge wound on the chest of the Profound Yin Armor, and then suddenly rose up, enveloping his entire body!
Everyone was shocked, and Han Xuan exclaimed, "Junior Brother Chen!"

He flipped his hand and summoned thirty-six green bamboo flying swords, slashing at the Crimson Sky True Fire, but they were only touched by a little of the flames before being burned to ashes.

The azure light returned to his hand and reformed, but it was severely damaged and dimmed, rendering it unable to fight any longer.

The Crimson Heaven True Fire suddenly dissipated, and Chen Yuan's figure also disappeared without leaving a trace.

Everyone was unharmed, but felt as if they were in a dream. Han Xuan shouted sternly, "Get out of the door immediately!"

Everyone seemed to wake from a dream, and the four dragon elders dared not be negligent, and hurriedly retreated.

The flames were so fierce that even Chen Yuan could not withstand them and died instantly. If they fell on them, what would happen to them?

The group returned to the Fire Realm. The human cultivators circulated their true essence and summoned their magical treasures. The four dragon-men swelled up, transforming into half-human, half-dragon beings, wielding the Ruyi Divine Weapon, and stared intently at the immortal grotto behind the fiery gate, on high alert.

After the Crimson Heaven True Fire dissipated, the gate of flames did not return to calm. As it slowly dissipated, the world behind the gate became increasingly blurred.

Everyone's expression changed, and Zhou Lang, Zhuang Buhui, and the others turned ashen-faced as they watched helplessly as the fiery gate vanished completely, and the fire realm returned to its deathly silence.

Yuan Shuheng stared blankly at the spot where the fiery gate had once stood, now completely empty, and murmured, "Junior Brother Chen... he's fallen?"

Wei Zhaoning was very grateful to Chen Yuan for the treasure he gave her. Her beautiful face was filled with sorrow: "Fellow Daoist Chen was shrouded in that crimson flame and his body and soul were destroyed. I'm afraid even reincarnation is a luxury."

Jiang Wangchen, Chu Weicai, Zhou Muyun, Wang Xuanyue, and others who had some connection with Chen Yuan all sighed deeply.

With Chen Yuan's strength, reaching the Void Refinement stage was just around the corner, and he even had the potential to merge with the Body, yet he died in this Fire Realm, while they survived. Such is the unpredictability of life.

Only Han Xuan looked solemn and shook his head: "Although I don't know where Junior Brother Chen is now, his life should be safe."

Yuan Shuheng hurriedly asked, "What do you mean by that, Senior Brother?"

Han Xuan raised his hand and pointed at Wu Xuan: "Fellow Daoist Wu Xuan has a restriction left by Junior Brother Chen in his body. If Junior Brother Chen dies, Fellow Daoist Wu Xuan will not be unharmed."

"But he is now safe and sound, which shows that Junior Brother Chen's life is not in danger."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Wu Xuan. Although he looked alarmed, he appeared perfectly normal and unharmed.

Wei Zhaoning's sorrow faded, and her beautiful eyes held a hint of expectation as she asked, "Fellow Daoist Wuxuan, could you examine the restrictions left by Fellow Daoist Chen?"

Wu Xuan met everyone's gazes and dared not be negligent. He looked inward at himself, touched the fire lotus mark on the demon soul's forehead, and it flickered slightly before slowly disappearing.

He immediately replied, "The restriction left by Fellow Daoist Chen is normal, and his life should be safe."

Wei Zhaoning breathed a sigh of relief, and everyone else was also relieved.

Han Xuan glanced at her and said in a deep voice, "Although Junior Brother Chen's life is temporarily out of danger, he is still trapped in that cave. We must rescue him as soon as possible."

"It seems that Fellow Daoist Wuxuan was right. This True Dragon Cave has a second layer of formation. Even Junior Brother Chen has been trapped in it, so we are even less able to deal with it."

"The most urgent task is to destroy the Dragon Breath Platform and request our sect's elders and three seniors to descend and take charge of the situation!"

……

Chen Yuan felt as if he were falling into boundless darkness, drifting aimlessly. He didn't know how much time had passed before his chaotic consciousness slowly returned to clarity.

He opened his eyes, blinked twice slowly, and his gaze finally cleared.

I'm not dead yet?

Chen Yuan was greatly surprised. The Crimson Heaven True Fire was too fierce, and the pain of being burned by the flames was unbearable. He instantly fainted. He thought he had been reduced to ashes, but he did not expect to survive.

He quickly looked inward at himself, only to find that his previously easily controlled spiritual consciousness had completely dissipated.

He couldn't even sense his dantian anymore. All the cultivation he had gained over hundreds of years of hard work, his pure and abundant true essence, and his vast internal space... had vanished without a trace!

Chen Yuan was struck dumb, stunned for a moment, and then suddenly sat up.

He looked around and saw a sparse grove of trees, with dense foliage and overgrown weeds.

It was the middle of the night, the sky was dark, and a full moon hung high in the sky, accompanied by many stars.

The moonlight, as white as frost, filtered through the branches, covering the ground in shadows, yet the scene ten feet away was clearly visible.

Beyond the woods, there are walls on three sides, and a narrow road on the east side, with low, dilapidated shacks and houses along the road.

Chen Yuan hesitated before standing up and found himself in an open space with a well not far in front of him.

Upon closer inspection, the wellhead had collapsed, the windlass was dilapidated, and a blue stone slab was half-covered inside. The well was deep and the bottom could not be seen.

A wooden bucket sat beside the well, with an old hemp rope tied to the handle. The bucket, mostly filled with slightly murky well water, reflected the bright moonlight and swayed gently, as if it had just been drawn up.

The water's surface was like a mirror, reflecting the face of a handsome and flawless young man. His face was as white as fresh snow, his eyebrows as dark as distant mountains, his eyes as clear as glass, and his nose as straight and prominent as a jade peak. It was hard to tell whether he was male or female, and there were still some traces of water on his face.

Chen Yuan was startled and looked down at himself. His arms were thin and frail, and his body was as thin as a rake. His clothes were tattered and patched, faded from washing, and he wore straw sandals with his toes showing.

He clenched his fist, but did not feel the immense force that could move mountains and overturn seas. When he reached out to lift the wooden bucket, he felt it was unusually heavy.

I managed to lift it a few inches before a wave of weakness washed over me, and I had no choice but to put it down.

Chen Yuan stared blankly at the handsome young man reflected in the bucket for a moment, then suddenly bent down and searched his body. He then bent down, lay on the ground, and forcefully pushed aside the weeds to search carefully.

After a long while, he finally stopped, sat up, and stared blankly at the broken well in front of him.

The moonlight fell on him, as if he were immersed in water, and he remained motionless, like a stone sculpture.

Chen Yuan has faced numerous perilous situations and even slaughtered entire clans along the way. He has traversed the Three Realms, and his hands are stained with the blood of countless dead.

A heart set on seeking the truth is as firm as gold and stone; even when facing life-or-death danger, it will not flinch in the slightest.

But now all his cultivation has vanished, and even his greatest reliance, the jade pendant, has disappeared, making it impossible for him to remain calm.

He became a mortal again, all his four hundred years of arduous cultivation went to waste, and he had no jade pendant to help him.

How can one return to the Nascent Soul realm, or even attempt to break through to the Void Refinement, Body Integration, and Mahayana stages, ascend to the Immortal Realm, and achieve immortality?
Chen Yuan sat on the ground, his heart ashen. Several small insects jumped onto the grass and came to his side, but then turned around and jumped away into the distance, disappearing into the grass.

He recalled the deceit, intrigue, and battles he had experienced on his path of cultivation since leaving Chenjia Village.

After going through countless hardships, he finally cultivated to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and also obtained Ao Pan's demon core.

He was about to enter the Spirit Realm and had the hope of joining the Tai Xuan Sect. Under the protection of True Man Fu, he could break through to the Void Refinement Realm, and his path to enlightenment was bright.

Suddenly, everything vanished, like a dream or a bubble.

Chen Yuan slowly got up, walked to the well, and stared blankly at the deep bottom of the well.

Suddenly, he remembered the endless pain of being bedridden in his first life, and the impoverished life of starvation in Chenjia Village in his previous life.

He thought of Master Duanfang, who had died at his hands, and of Senior Sister Shen Danmei, who had passed away before achieving the Golden Core stage.

He thought of Zhang Wushan, who had unfortunately died in the secret realm of the Yuling Sect, and Jing Shuhan, who was still waiting for him to open a spatial passage in the human world.

He also recalled the ecstatic joy he felt when he asked Yu Qing for cultivation techniques, and the despair he felt upon learning on Tongtian Island that the ascension path was severed...

After a long while, Chen Yuan exhaled a long breath, slammed his hand on the well pulley, and muttered, "So what if my cultivation is completely gone?"

"On the path of cultivation, one is destined to die nine times out of ten. To survive is already a stroke of luck. At worst, one can start over."

"I have over four hundred years of cultivation experience, so cultivation in this life will definitely be much easier than in my previous life..."

Chen Yuan gradually calmed down, dispelling the dejection in his heart, and his heart seeking the Dao became even more perfect and flawless.

He has overcome so many difficulties and obstacles; this one is just a little bigger.

As long as life remains, the path will never be severed.

Chen Yuan rallied, took off his clothes, and carefully washed away the grime from his body.

There were water stains on his face, so he must have been taking a bath, but it's unclear whether that was his habit.

Chen Yuan cannot leave immediately, otherwise, if anyone finds out about this matter and sees that he has suddenly changed his nature, they will definitely become suspicious.

Cultivators do not eat grains and are untouched by worldly dust. Chen Yuan had not bathed for over four hundred years and was somewhat unaccustomed to it.

As he washed himself, he pondered what he should do next.

Unlike his previous time travel, this time he did not gain any memory of the handsome young man and was unaware of his identity.

However, this young man was so handsome, which was extremely rare in the cultivation world, yet he wore tattered clothes and straw sandals, and his body was thin, clearly indicating that he lived in poverty.

It is unknown whether this handsome young man possesses a spiritual root. If not, we will need to find rare and precious materials that can generate a spiritual root.

Such spiritual beings are not uncommon in the spirit world, but if this world were the lower realm, then it would be troublesome.

With such a frail body and no jade pendant in hand, unable to draw starlight into it, it seems the Nine Revolutions of True Spirit cannot be cultivated.

However, I have mastered so many cultivation techniques in my previous life, especially the true teachings of the Yuling Sect. I have memorized them all, so reaching the Nascent Soul and Void Refinement stages is not a problem.

Could this be an illusion, like a demonic tribulation? But how could an illusion allow me to retain consciousness? The True Dragon Cave Formation shouldn't have such a flaw...

Chen Yuan was filled with complicated thoughts and ideas, but in the end, he decided to put aside his cultivation for the time being.

The most urgent task is to clarify one's identity and not reveal any flaws that might lead others to believe one is possessed by a ghost.

After taking a bath, Chen Yuan let the night breeze dry his body, put on his smelly clothes again, and made up his mind.

However, there is another hidden worry: this body is too beautiful. If she comes from a poor family and has no one to protect her, she will surely be coveted by evil people.

Chen Yuan knew the principle that a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime; men are lustful, and so are women.

Many men, who dislike women, have homosexual desires and keep male prostitutes for their own pleasure.

He had to conceal his handsome face, so Chen Yuan squatted down, parted the weeds, and planned to grab some mud to smear on his face.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a dirty strip of cloth, about three feet long and covered in creases, lying on the bluestone slab beside the broken well.

A thought struck him, and he got up, took the cloth, and was about to wrap it around his face.

"My lovely darling, come in and embrace me~ My golden lotus trembles, my cherry lips part, my fragrant tongue licks..."

A triumphant voice came from outside the woods, getting closer and closer.

Chen Yuan was startled and turned around to see a figure staggering into the woods and heading towards the clearing.

He quickly lowered his head, wrapped strips of cloth around his face, and walked in another direction, not even bothering with the bucket of water by the well.

"Hey! You must be that beggar Li Xuan. Why do you run away as soon as you see Third Master? Come here, Third Master is in a good mood today, I'll give you a few copper coins!"

The man walked into the open space; he was a street urchin with a fleshy face, a flushed complexion, and a strong smell of alcohol. Upon seeing Chen Yuan, he began to shout loudly.

Chen Yuan dared not linger, lowering his head even further, and said with a fawning smile, "I am dirty, how could I dare to spoil Third Master's enjoyment..."

He spoke respectfully, but to his surprise, the Third Master's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he shouted, "You don't know how to be polite! Do you look down on the Third Master? You're asking for death!"

After saying that, he took out a short knife from his pocket, strode over, and stabbed Chen Yuan directly into the heart!

Chen Yuan looked completely bewildered, and the strip of cloth in his hand slowly slipped to the ground.

Upon seeing Chen Yuan's appearance, the idler sobered up considerably and exclaimed in surprise, "You're actually a female..."

Chen Yuan didn't hear the second half of the sentence. Filled with endless regret and resentment, his consciousness faded into darkness. (End of Chapter)