Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

The handsome man turned around, flipped his hand, took out a jade bottle, and threw it to the ox.

The ox opened its mouth, caught the food, and swallowed it whole. It mooed twice, as if to express its gratitude, then turned and walked back the way it came, never looking at Chen Yuan and the others again.

Then the handsome man raised his hand and made a hand seal. A white cloud rose out of thin air, carrying the six people, and slowly flew up the mountain.

The four burly soldiers, who were fearless even in the face of demonic beasts, now showed some fear. Yang Lin barely managed to remain calm, but the awe in his eyes was hard to hide.

He reached out and grabbed Chen Yuan's arm tightly, as if worried that Chen Yuan would fall from the clouds.

Chen Yuan followed beside Yang Lin, looking at the handsome man in front of him, his heart slowly sinking.

This person is a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, and should be a slave under the command of the "Jade Smoke King".

Chen Yuan used a concealment technique to hide his aura, and the handsome man did not realize that he was also a cultivator.

However, the difference in their cultivation levels was too great, so this was of no use.

That "King Jade Smoke" was a demon general who could see through his cultivation level at a glance. It would be easy for him to take him as a concubine or even plant a soul restriction on him.

It seems he can't escape this calamity. The illusion is forcing him to make a choice: either be humiliated or deliberately seek death, letting the seven-colored mist erode his soul.

The handsome man led six people and flew away at a slow speed. However, the mountain was not very high, only about 700 feet high. Before long, they arrived at the mountainside.

The terrain here is flat, with a few buildings scattered around, exquisite and elegant, and smooth paths winding through them.

People were walking among them, mostly handsome young men, with only a few women here and there.

The handsome man landed outside a pavilion on the edge of the building. A Qi Refining cultivator happened to walk out from there, and hurriedly bowed to him, calling him "Senior Brother Lin," and made way for him.

The handsome man simply nodded slightly and calmly instructed, "I would trouble Junior Brother Liu to help these four mortals settle down and prevent them from being killed at will."

He pointed at the four burly men, and the Qi Refining cultivator immediately agreed, leading the four away.

The handsome man instructed Yang Lin and Chen Yuan to follow him into the pavilion, which was spacious. A middle-aged man sat behind a desk, with a refined appearance, slightly graying temples, and a weathered air. He was dressed as a scholar and was resting with his eyes closed.

Upon seeing the middle-aged scholar, the handsome man's eyes flashed with a hint of jealousy, but his face remained respectful. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Senior Brother Guo, this man is carrying the King's token and has brought a concubine for the King. I humbly request that you handle this matter."

After saying that, he turned and glanced at Yang Lin, who understood and quickly took out the dominoes, presented them with both hands, and said respectfully, "I am Yang Lin, a subordinate general under General Yin Baiying of Qingyang County, Southern Frontier Province, paying my respects to the Immortal Master."

The middle-aged scholar slowly opened his eyes, glanced at the dominoes in Yang Lin's hand, and nodded slightly: "It is indeed the king who issued the token. Yin Baiying... the king has mentioned this person. Although he is just an ordinary person, he seems to have some connection with the king."

Yang Lin said cautiously, "I am here on General Yin's orders to deliver a concubine to Your Majesty."

"Although Li Xuan is a mortal, his appearance is exceptionally beautiful, a rare find in the world. He will surely satisfy Your Majesty..."

The middle-aged scholar looked at Chen Yuan, a strange light flashing in his eyes: "Second level of Qi Refining... His foundation is quite solid. This person is clearly a cultivator, so why do you say he is a mortal?"

Yang Lin's expression changed abruptly. He turned to look at Chen Yuan, took two steps back, and asked in astonishment, "Are you a cultivator?"

His voice was hurried, but he dared not be impolite in front of the middle-aged scholar and the handsome man, so he deliberately lowered his voice, which made him seem very strange.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan knew he could no longer pretend, so he put away the look of fear on his face.

He clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the middle-aged scholar: "This junior, Li Xuan, was once taught the art of immortal cultivation by a strange man, and was fortunate enough to cultivate some magical power. I have met you, senior."

Yang Lin was even more shocked: "Impossible! I am the general's confidant. If you were truly a cultivator, why wouldn't the general tell me the truth?"

Chen Yuan remained silent, while the middle-aged scholar waved his hand, saying, "Now that we're here, his background is no longer important. His face is enough. You two come with me to meet the King."

He slowly got up and walked out. Chen Yuan responded and followed closely behind.

Yang Lin dared not say anything more and followed, but his eyes kept glancing at Chen Yuan with a look of surprise and uncertainty.

The middle-aged scholar's steps seemed slow but were actually swift, each step covering several feet. Chen Yuan used his lightness technique to barely keep up.

Although Yang Lin had no cultivation, his lightness skill was quite extraordinary, and he was not left too far behind.

The three of them followed a mountain path, passing through several courtyards and embroidered buildings, until they reached the mountain wall and stopped in front of two tightly closed stone doors.

The middle-aged scholar clasped his hands in a respectful bow and said, “Your Majesty, General Yin Baiying of Qingyang County in the Southern Frontier has sent a concubine with him. She is extremely beautiful and we request that Your Majesty take a look at her.”

After he finished speaking, a full quarter of an hour passed before the stone door slowly opened, and a voice drifted out: "Come in."

Chen Yuan was taken aback. The voice was gentle and soft, clearly coming from a woman.

The middle-aged scholar stepped in, followed by Chen Yuan and Yang Lin. They passed through a passageway with lampstands on both sides and a luminous pearl on top, making it bright and spacious.

At the end of the passage was a spacious stone hall, furnished with simple elegance. The jade tables and chairs exuded a faint spiritual aura, and were all made of spiritual jade.

A woman leaned back in a jade chair, appearing to be around thirty years old, with skin as white as snow and so delicate it seemed as if it could be broken with a touch.

Her eyes seemed to hold the waters of autumn, and as they moved, they possessed both the clear innocence of a young girl and a captivating, alluring charm.

Her long black hair was styled into a cloud-like bun, with a jade hairpin inserted at an angle. She wore a light purple palace dress with flowing sleeves, which accentuated her graceful and slender figure.

The woman's posture was languid, the hem of her palace dress swept to one side, revealing two long, jade-like legs crossed together, reflecting the light of the luminous pearl, as white as jade, dazzlingly bright.

Upon seeing the woman in palace attire, a glint of fanaticism flashed in the eyes of the middle-aged scholar.

He pointed at Li Xuan and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, this person is named Li Xuan. She is a concubine given to Your Majesty by Yin Baiying..."

The "Jade Smoke Queen" mentioned by the middle-aged scholar turned out to be such a beautiful woman.

Yu Yan ignored Yang Lin, her gaze fixed on Chen Yuan. She looked him up and down, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and chuckled, "What a stunning beauty, come here."

She raised her hand and waved, her five fingers as white and delicate as scallions.

Chen Yuan hesitated for a moment, then walked to Yu Yan's side and smelled a fragrance that was refreshing and pleasant.

A sudden impulse surged within him, a desire to tear Yu Yan's clothes to shreds and ravage her mercilessly.

Fortunately, his soul was still essentially that of a Nascent Soul cultivator, with a firm Dao heart. He forcibly suppressed this thought, clasped his hands and bowed: "Junior Li Xuan greets Your Majesty."

Yu Yan extended a finger, lifted Chen Yuan's chin, and carefully examined his face. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and she parted her red lips slightly: "Your name is Li Xuan, right? You're a bit young, but you have a good temperament and excellent talent..."

She withdrew her hand and glanced at Yang Lin.

After entering the cave, Yang Lin stared at Yu Yan with a fascinated expression, his lower body erect, his Adam's apple bobbing, completely out of control.

But Yu Yan didn't hold it against him. Instead, she instructed the middle-aged scholar: "Yin Baiying did a good job. Reward this man with a few bottles of longevity pills."

"Take Li Xuan away and provide him with all the necessary supplies for his cultivation; there must be no shortage."

"Yes."

The middle-aged scholar responded, turned and glanced at Yang Lin, then snorted coldly. Yang Lin was struck dumb, trembling all over. He snapped back to reality, immediately knelt down, and dared not look at Yu Yan again, saying in fear, "Your Majesty, please forgive me, I did not mean to offend Your Majesty..."

"You don't need to be afraid." Yu Yan chuckled softly, looked at Chen Yuan, and said gently, "Cultivate well. Within seven years, I want to see you reach the Foundation Establishment stage. Don't disappoint me."

As Chen Yuan met her gaze, he felt a moment of disorientation, as if the Yu Yan before him were a fairy descended from heaven, pure and holy, and that he would be willing to die for her.

But this feeling only lasted for a moment before he forcibly suppressed it.

If Chen Yuan were truly a Qi Refining cultivator, he would be utterly unable to resist such a seductive technique.

But to Chen Yuan's true soul, it was insignificant.

However, he still feigned an infatuated expression and respectfully replied, "Yes!"

Yu Yan smiled and said, "Go ahead, I'm tired."

Chen Yuan turned away reluctantly, his eyes still lingering greedily on Yu Yan, especially her jade-like legs, turning back every few steps.

He and Yang Lin followed behind the middle-aged scholar as they walked out of the cave, their eyes still revealing a look of infatuation.

The middle-aged scholar said calmly, "Junior Brother Li, why aren't you awake yet?"

As if waking from a dream, Chen Yuan bowed to the middle-aged scholar and said, "This junior is unworthy of such a title from a senior..."

The middle-aged scholar smiled slightly: "The king's concubines all address each other as fellow disciples. Since you have been taken into the king's household, you are my junior brother. From now on, you can just call me senior brother."

He led the two back to the pavilion, where the handsome man was still waiting.

The middle-aged scholar ordered him to fetch several bottles of elixirs and hand them to Yang Lin. Then, he personally led Chen Yuan to a slope about a hundred feet below the mountainside.

There is a cave built on the mountain wall here, but it is quite small, with only two stone chambers, covered in dust.

The middle-aged scholar took out a storage bag and several jade bottles, handed them to Chen Yuan, and instructed him, "Junior Brother Li, you will live here from now on."

"Here are a few bottles of Chenyang Pills. That should be enough for you to cultivate to the third level of Qi Refining. Come back to me when you've used them up."

Chen Yuan thanked him, and the middle-aged scholar took out a jade bottle, poured out a pink pill that emitted a faint fragrance, and made him take it.

Chen Yuan knew that the pink pill was unusual, but under the watchful eye of the middle-aged scholar, he had no choice but to obediently swallow it.

The elixir entered his stomach and transformed into a wisp of pink demonic power, flowing into his heart and disappearing.

The middle-aged scholar's expression turned solemn as he reminded him, "Junior brother, remember this: you must not leave this peak by more than a hundred feet, or you will die instantly and your life will be extinguished without any chance of survival."

Chen Yuan agreed, and the middle-aged scholar drifted away, leaving him alone.

Chen Yuan cleaned up his cave dwelling and went to the cultivation room. He examined himself closely, but he still couldn't find any trace of that wisp of demonic power, so he had no choice but to give up.

Although his soul was his original spirit, his spiritual sense and magical power were only at the second level of Qi Refining, and his abilities were extremely limited, making it impossible for him to break through the demon general's methods.

Chen Yuan dared not disobey the middle-aged scholar's instructions, so he swallowed the pill and began meditating to cultivate.

Cultivation knows no years, time stands still in the mountains; six years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Yuan is exceptionally talented and has extensive cultivation experience. His cultivation progresses rapidly, and he has already reached the peak of Qi Refining.

This body has grown to be sixteen or seventeen years old over the past six years. It is tall and strong, and its appearance has become more and more handsome, without the slightest flaw.

For the past six years, Chen Yuan has spent most of his time in seclusion cultivating, only occasionally seeking out the middle-aged scholar to ask for pills, demon beast flesh and blood, and body-tempering herbs, and to learn from his cultivation experience.

The middle-aged scholar's cultivation level was only at the mid-stage of Core Formation, and his understanding of the path of cultivation was far inferior to Chen Yuan's.

However, Chen Yuan did not forget his identity as a mortal who had encountered some extraordinary events. If he had only cultivated alone, his progress could not have been so rapid.

The middle-aged scholar didn't care about Chen Yuan's past experiences, but he couldn't help but doubt his cultivation speed.

Fortunately, the middle-aged scholar did not care what kind of cultivation method Chen Yuan practiced. He simply followed Yu Yan's instructions and granted Chen Yuan's every request.

Chen Yuan also frequently sought out handsome men and other concubines kept by Yu Yan to inquire about the origins of this King Yu Yan.

They were deeply influenced by the Jade Smoke Enchanting Technique, and were extremely infatuated with her, their mouths only filled with praise.

Chen Yuan didn't even know Yu Yan's exact cultivation level, only that she ruled over a vast area of ​​the Southern Wilderness and commanded countless demonic beasts.

She had a penchant for taking men as concubines. On this Jade Screen Mountain, there were over a hundred male lovers, including both mortals and cultivators.

However, ordinary concubines usually don't live more than a year. Yu Yan made Chen Yuan cultivate to the Foundation Establishment stage first, and never let him serve her in bed. This was unprecedented and made all the concubines extremely envious.

But in Chen Yuan's eyes, these men, though called concubines, were in reality just vessels for Yu Yan.

In just six short years, the middle-aged scholar's vitality had diminished considerably, and the handsome man was severely depleted. Although his appearance remained unchanged, his eyes had become dull and lifeless, and he was almost at the end of his life.

Some concubines who had not yet reached the Foundation Establishment stage simply disappeared, presumably killed by Yu Yan's sexual exploitation.

Chen Yuan possessed the aptitude of a Heavenly Spiritual Root, so he didn't need Foundation Establishment Pills. After three days of meditation to bring his body to its peak condition, he went into seclusion to break through the bottleneck, and naturally succeeded in establishing his foundation.

But at the very moment he successfully established his foundation, a thunderous roar erupted in his mind, breaking through an invisible barrier and dragging his spirit into a vast and boundless world.

Chen Yuan felt as if he had transformed into a dragon, its entire body gleaming gold, about ten thousand feet long, soaring through the heavens and earth.

With a flick of his dragon claw, he could easily cleave mountains ten thousand feet high; with a swipe of his dragon tail, countless golden blades would fall from the sky, destroying heaven and earth.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Yuan finally awoke, and the three metal element divine abilities naturally appeared in his mind.

He felt incredibly strange, as if he had lost his hands and feet, which was very awkward. His vision was also extremely strange, much higher than before he went into seclusion, almost touching the top of the stone chamber.

Chen Yuan dispersed his divine sense and saw that the handsome and flawless Li Xuan had disappeared.

This body transformed into a golden dragon about ten feet long, coiling around in the cultivation room.

Its body is long and sharp, its horns are like swords, and its golden eyes burn like fire, revealing its pure dragon bloodline.

With a thought, Chen Yuan transformed back into human form and carefully comprehended the three metal-element divine abilities, all of which were extremely powerful and comparable to the most advanced foundation-building divine abilities.

This body is actually a hybrid of human and demon, and the purest Golden Dragon bloodline. Even among the demon race, it is only slightly inferior to the descendants of True Spirits, allowing him to master three innate divine abilities as soon as he established his foundation.

No wonder this body can directly absorb blood energy and demonic power without wasting a single bit.

Chen Yuan wasn't too surprised; this was an illusion, and anything could happen.

Seven days later, just as Chen Yuan had stabilized his cultivation, a handsome man's voice came from outside his cave: "Junior Brother Li, the King summons you. Come with me." (End of Chapter)