Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Chen Yuan followed Yin Tie's side, obediently, his calm expression revealing a hint of fear, just like a beggar should.

Yin Tie remained silent, his face cold, and led Chen Yuan to a secluded courtyard.

Several battered wooden dummy figures sat in the courtyard. The doors and windows of the main room and side rooms were narrow and small. When Yin Tie pushed open the door of the main room, sunlight could not penetrate, giving it a gloomy feel.

Chen Yuan followed Yin Tie into the house. The brick floor was uneven, and the furnishings were extremely simple. A lonely wooden bed was placed against the wall, and a toilet was placed in the corner. There was nothing else.

Because no sunlight could get in, the room was dimly lit, but surprisingly, it was very clean and free of dust.

Yin Tie raised his hand and pointed at the wooden bed, coldly saying, "Go."

Chen Yuan did as instructed and sat down by the bed. Yin Tie turned and walked out.

Chen Yuan's eyes flashed, but he did not take the opportunity to escape.

He dispersed his divine sense and saw Yin Tie walk into a side room, carrying a wooden table in one hand and a chair in the other, as if carrying two pieces of paper, and then walk back.

Yin Tie placed the table and chairs by the door, sat down, stared at Chen Yuan, and said coldly, "You can do whatever you want, but you can't leave this room."

"The master forbids me from injuring you, but I have plenty of ways to make you suffer worse than death, without leaving a trace."

After saying that, he put his feet on the table, closed his eyes, and ignored Chen Yuan completely.

"I understand..."

Chen Yuan obediently agreed, lay down fully clothed, turned over, and pretended to rest.

Judging from Yin Baiying's words, he was probably going to give him away to someone else and wouldn't let Yin Ziming touch him.

Chen Yuan never expected that he would be treated like a commodity and sent away once, and then there would be a second time.

Yin Tie's strength could not be hidden from Chen Yuan's divine sense; he was merely a Qi-level martial artist, whom Chen Yuan could kill with a flick of his wrist.

However, he is now a young man who has never practiced martial arts, but has only become as physically strong as a Bone Forging Realm martial artist by eating a lot of demon beast meat. He is no match for Yin Tie and it is impossible for him to escape from the General's Mansion.

Having died three times, Chen Yuan had figured out the rules of this illusion.

That means not crossing that invisible line, especially not doing anything that is inconsistent with "Li Xuan's" strength.

The first two deaths could be considered somewhat far-fetched; he was a beggar who didn't want the reward money, which was completely insufficient for Zhang San to stab him to death.

The third death occurred when Li Xuan, who shouldn't have escaped from the Liu family mansion, did, and a low-level demon general descended from the sky and devoured him.

This time, Li Xuan was no match for Yin Tie, so Chen Yuan could only wait patiently to avoid alerting the cultivators guarding the General's Mansion, or even attracting a second demon general to descend from the sky and devour him.

Although death in the illusion was fake, the feeling of being on the verge of death was extremely realistic, and Chen Yuan did not want to experience it a fourth time.

For the next three days, Chen Yuan was confined in this gloomy room. His meals were delivered on time and were extremely plentiful, but there was no monster meat from the Liu family mansion.

Chen Yuan is now able to abstain from grains, but he still eats meals as usual.

Yin Tie kept a close watch on Chen Yuan, not even avoiding him when he needed to relieve himself.

On the third night, Yin Baiying suddenly sent a maid to bring a set of martial arts attire for Chen Yuan to change into. It fit him perfectly, making him look even more heroic.

As the night passed and dawn broke, a middle-aged man in his forties came to the courtyard and said to Yin Tie, "Brother Yin Tie, I am here on the general's orders to take this Li Xuan away."

Yin Tie seemed to have great respect for the middle-aged man, and without asking any questions, he handed Chen Yuan over to him directly.

Chen Yuan scanned the man with his divine sense and found that the middle-aged man was actually a martial artist at the Transformation Realm, comparable to a cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining.

The two walked out of the house, where four burly men were still standing in the courtyard. All of them were at the Marrow Refining Realm, dressed in black tight-fitting clothes, with straight postures, cold eyes, and exuding killing intent.

The middle-aged man led Chen Yuan through a side door of the covered walkway. It was early morning, just as the servants and maids were getting up.

When they saw this group of people, they hurriedly avoided them and bowed respectfully, seemingly extremely afraid of the middle-aged man.

The group arrived at a training ground, which was close to the back gate of the General's Mansion. Yin Baiying was already waiting there, with eight horses beside him.

Three of them were carrying heavy packs and wearing six straw hats, gently snorting.

These horses were slightly shorter than ordinary warhorses, but extremely sturdy.

Yin Baiying carefully examined Chen Yuan and nodded in satisfaction.

He took out a white bone fragment with the character "jade" written on it and a letter from his pocket, and handed it to the middle-aged man: "Yang Lin, I'm entrusting this matter to you. Be careful on the road and make sure nothing goes wrong."

He spoke with great solemnity. The middle-aged man, Yang Lin, took the bone fragments and the letter, clasped his hands in a bow, and said, word by word, "This humble general will certainly not fail the general's trust!"

After saying that, he mounted his horse and took out a straw hat from his bag and put it on.

Three burly men also mounted their horses, put on straw hats to cover half their faces, and were dressed in black, making them unrecognizable to anyone.

The last burly man brought two straw hats, handed one to Chen Yuan, and only after Chen Yuan put it on and fastened it was he allowed to mount his horse.

Chen Yuan hesitated and said, "I don't know how to ride a horse..."

The burly man said coldly, "I'll ride a horse with you."

Chen Yuan had no choice but to comply. The big man mounted the horse, sat behind him, and reached out to pick up the reins.

Chen Yuan was still short, about the size of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy, and he did not appear cramped riding a horse alongside the big man.

Yang Lin bowed to Yin Baiying again, then rode his horse toward the back door. The servants waiting by the door quickly opened it.

The four burly men also bowed to Yin Baiying, and the burly man who was riding with Chen Yuan spurred his horse to catch up with Yang Lin.

The other three each led a horse carrying their packs, following closely behind.

The six men left the general's mansion, walked through the streets and alleys, and arrived at the south gate of Qingyang City. Before the city gate was opened, a squad leader led two soldiers to check them.

Yang Lin took out an iron plaque, shook it twice, and whispered, "Open the door."

Upon seeing this, the squad leader's expression changed, and he immediately ordered his soldiers to open the city gates, not daring to ask a single question.

The six people filed out, and outside the city, farmers, merchants and others waiting to enter had already formed a long queue. When they saw the city gate open, they squeezed through.

The squad leader immediately changed his expression, shouted and cursed, and drove away those who wanted to enter the city, making way for Chen Yuan and his six companions.

Yang Lin remained silent throughout, ignoring the curious or awe-inspiring looks from the crowd. He rode his horse out of the crowd and led the four burly men along the road into the distance.

The six men galloped along the road without stopping until the sun was high in the sky and the heat became unbearable. Only then did Yang Lin stop and lead four burly men to a grove of trees to dismount and rest.

The burly man riding alongside Chen Yuan did nothing but stay beside him and watch him.

The other three burly men took out water bottles, dry rations, and smoked meat from their bags, and Chen Yuan also received a share.

After the meal, the six rested under the tree, and Yang Lin and the three burly men fell into a deep sleep.

Only the burly man riding alongside Chen Yuan remained faithfully at his post, watching over him and saying, "Kid, hurry up and get some sleep; we still have to travel this afternoon."

Chen Yuan naturally didn't feel tired, but he still carefully agreed and closed his eyes to pretend to sleep.

This road stretches all the way south, and judging from the situation, Yin Baiying is going to send him into the southern wilderness.

But in the Southern Wilderness, there are only demons and barbarians. What kind of "nobleman" would Yin Baiying need to curry favor with?
This rest lasted for three hours. As the sun set and the heat dissipated, becoming cooler, Yang Lin got up and continued on his way. He then switched to another burly man to ride with Chen Yuan, and the six of them continued their journey. After sunset, they traveled for a while longer by moonlight.

They stayed overnight at a farmer's house in a village until it was completely dark.

It was the height of summer, with the sun rising early and setting late. At dawn the next day, Yang Lin woke the group up and they used a farmer's stove and grain to cook a meal.

After breakfast, Yang Lin left some silver, and as dawn broke, it was time to continue his journey.

Over the next few days, Chen Yuan and his six companions traveled day and night, finally leaving Qingyang County and truly entering the Southern Wilderness.

The imperial road had disappeared two days earlier, and there were no rice paddies or villages around, only dense forests and towering mountains. The road was extremely dangerous.

Fortunately, the horses the six men rode were small and sturdy, making them particularly suitable for traveling in the mountains, traversing hills and valleys as if walking on flat ground.

The mountains and forests were teeming with wild animals. Even tigers and bears they encountered were no match for the four burly men, so Yang Lin didn't need to lift a finger.

There were also some demonic beasts blocking the way, but their strength was unremarkable among the lower-level first-tier demonic beasts. Yang Lin and the four burly men could easily deal with them.

Occasionally, he would encounter a few barbarians covered in tattoos and barely clothed, and Yang Lin would try his best to avoid conflict with them.

But if a real fight broke out, Yang Lin showed no mercy and slaughtered all the barbarians.

Whether encountering wild beasts, monsters, or barbarians, there was always a burly man by Chen Yuan's side, both guarding and protecting him from being harmed by monsters or barbarians.

The six men traveled for two months through mountains and forests, covering a distance of over a thousand miles. Of their nine horses, only six remained, and they had used up most of their supplies.

The monsters they encountered were getting stronger and stronger, approaching the level of mid-tier level one monsters. It took Yang Lin and four burly men working together to barely deal with them.

Because Chen Yuan spent all his time with Yang Lin and the other four, he had no time to cultivate, and his cultivation level stagnated.

That morning, after waking up and having a simple breakfast, the six continued their journey.

Just after crossing two hills, a foul gust of wind suddenly blew through the forest, startling the horse and causing it to rear up.

A magnificent tiger, about three zhang long, slowly emerged from the forest. A strange wind accompanied it, and its roar shook the mountains and forests.

Black mist emanated from its body, containing the distorted faces of barbarian souls, who appeared to be in extreme pain.

But when they saw Chen Yuan and his group, they were overjoyed and pleaded with the tiger, as if begging the tiger demon to let these six people take their place.

Chen Yuan frowned. This tiger demon was actually a level two demon beast, and it also kept several cougars. Yang Lin and the four big men were definitely no match for it. Even if he personally took action, he would probably still be no match.

Four burly men subdued the frightened horse, but they did not lose heart in the face of this tiger demon. They dismounted, drew their swords from their bags, and lined up to meet the enemy.

This is a weapon commonly used in the army. The four burly men are brave and valiant soldiers in the Qingyang Army under Yin Baiying's command. They are experienced in battle and therefore fearless of death.

Yang Lin dismounted, took off his straw hat, and remained calm, showing no regard for the tiger demon whatsoever.

With such strength, the tiger demon's intelligence was no different from that of an ordinary person. Upon seeing this, it flew into a rage, let out a long roar, and the barbarian courier pounced over.

Yang Lin took something out of his pocket, showed it, and shouted, "We are honored guests of King Yuyan, and we must not be rude!"

This was the jade bone fragment that Yin Baiying had given him. When the tiger demon saw it, his pupils shrank, and a hint of fear appeared in his tiger eyes. He quickly stopped the barbarian ghost.

But after examining the dominoes closely, a hint of doubt appeared in its tiger eyes, and it growled softly twice, as if questioning the authenticity of the dominoes.

Yang Lin remained calm and walked to the horse that was dragging its pack, took the pack off, and then cleaved the horse's head off with a single stroke!
Blood gushed out, and just as it was about to splash onto Yang Lin, it was blocked by an invisible layer of protective energy.

Yang Lin threw the bone fragment into the horse carcass, and the gushing blood suddenly stopped, rushing into the bone fragment.

In less than ten breaths, the bone fragments had drained the horse's blood, and the entire horse carcass had dried up, resembling a pile of rotten wood.

The bone fragments turned blood red, flew up on their own, and hovered in the air, trembling gently.

After a while, the crimson color faded, and the bone fragment became even whiter. The "jade" character carved on it shone brightly, emitting a faint demonic aura, mixed with a wisp of fragrance that would be unforgettable for a lifetime.

The tiger demon's eyes changed drastically. It lowered its body towards the bone fragment, its head touching the ground, and let out a whimpering sound.

Yang Lin said, "We have important business to discuss with King Yuyan. Please lead the way."

The tiger demon dared not delay. He put away his cougar and quickly turned to walk into the forest, wagging his tail to signal the six to follow.

Yang Lin grabbed the dominoes, and the four burly men sheathed their swords and followed on horseback.

Chen Yuan remained on his horse, looking at the dominoes in Yang Lin's hand, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes.

Although the demonic aura emanating from these dominoes was faint, it was not difficult to recognize that it originated from a low-ranking demon general.

Yin Baiying was actually going to give him to a demon general. How did a mortal warrior get involved with a demon general?
These dominoes were no ordinary objects; they were high-level magical artifacts that had deceived Chen Yuan's second-level Qi Refining spiritual sense.

The six followed the tiger demon for several days, passing through the territories of two level-two demon beasts along the way.

After seeing the dominoes in Yang Lin's hand, none of them dared to act rashly and let him pass.

With the demon beasts clearing the way, the journey became much easier. The paths were either naturally formed animal trails or flat valleys, so there was no need to be careful anymore, and the speed increased greatly.

The tiger demon led the six people to the outside of a huge cave entrance, stopped, and shouted a few times.

After a while, a huge yellow ox came out, its demonic aura even stronger, its two horns like swords piercing the sky, it was actually a level six demonic beast.

The ox stared at the tiger demon with a fierce look on its face. The tiger demon whimpered a few times, and Yang Lin then revealed the dominoes.

The ox's expression changed, it bellowed softly twice, and then turned and walked away.

The tiger demon also roared, raised a tiger paw, and pointed at the yellow ox, as if urging the six people to follow.

Yang Lin put away the dominoes, raised his hand and waved, signaling four burly men to lead the horses and follow.

The six men followed behind the yellow ox. Whenever there were obstacles along the way, the ox did nothing. Yellow light spread from its hooves, the earth churned and immediately became flat, making the journey extremely easy.

The monsters they encountered along the way all regarded the yellow ox as a formidable enemy.

The ox didn't care at all, mooed twice, and turned around to signal Yang Lin to show the dominoes. Only then did the monsters make way.

After walking for half a month, the six of them arrived at the foot of a beautiful mountain shrouded in mist and clouds, and finally stopped.

Yang Lin's eyes narrowed, and he ordered four burly men to dismount. Chen Yuan was also carried off his horse by one of the burly men.

The ox lowered its body, its huge head touching the ground, and bellowed twice, its deep voice carrying far and wide.

A moment later, a handsome man descended from the sky, his gaze sweeping over the six people with undisguised contempt for mortals, and coldly asked, "Who are you, and what brings you here?"

Yang Lin revealed the domino, clasped his hands in a bow, and said respectfully, "Immortal Master, I am Yang Lin, a subordinate general under General Yin Baiying of Qingyang County."

"I have come to pay my respects to King Yuyan on the orders of General Yin, and to present the King with a concubine."

The handsome man glanced at the dominoes, his expression softening slightly: "Where are the concubines?"

Yang Lin turned around and took off Chen Yuan's bamboo hat: "Immortal Master, please look, this is the concubine that the general gave to King Yuyan!"

The handsome man stared at Chen Yuan's face for a long while before he came to his senses and exclaimed, "What a beauty! Come with me up the mountain, and the King will surely reward you handsomely!"

Yang Lin's face lit up with joy. He put away the dominoes and bowed again, saying, "Your humble servant obeys!" (End of Chapter)