Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Chen Yuan's expression turned solemn, and he bowed three times to the disappearing figure of Ao Huan.

Without Ao Huan's help, he would have already fallen into the dream of the Great Sage Xuanli, and had his soul taken over.

Although Ao Huan made it clear that if he could still possess another body, he would not miss the opportunity, Chen Yuan would not harbor any ill will towards him because of this.

If it were Chen Yuan himself, and he were trapped in a dangerous place for hundreds of thousands of years, with only a broken soul remaining, and a low-level cultivator broke in, he would also choose to possess that person's body and continue his path.

Chen Yuan turned around and came to the coiled corpse of the red dragon. He raised his hand and stroked the scales. His divine sense surged out and carefully examined the body, discovering the demon core left in the corpse.

This is the demon core of a fully-fledged Demon Saint, one of the most precious treasures below the Mahayana level, enough to drive a cultivator at the Integration stage mad.

According to Ao Huan, several Nascent Soul cultivators were breaking through the Flame Array outside, which should be the joint effort of three elders from the Tai Xuan Sect and Nascent Soul cultivators from the Xuanji Sect, the Wei family, and the Chonghua Sect.

Ao Huan was unaware that Chen Yuan was not a true cultivator of the Tai Xuan Sect, which is why he patiently waited for the great formation to break.

Chen Yuan knew very well that he had only gained the trust of Han Xuan and the others by virtue of a Tai Xuan Token, and after a great battle with the demon race, the disciples of the three peaks also recognized his identity.

But in the eyes of those three elders, he was still just an outsider. The only thing he could rely on was the message that the green-robed array spirit brought to Master Fu, which might make the three elders wary.

But when the three elders broke through the flame array, they discovered that Chen Yuan had already taken the most heavily guarded part of the True Dragon Cave. Even Master Fu's reputation probably wouldn't be that useful.

Even if a mere Nascent Soul cultivator truly ascended from the mortal realm and has a close connection with the Tai Xuan Sect in the lower realm, what can he do?
Chen Yuan had never set foot in the Spirit Realm, and what exactly happened in the Xuanli Realm was left for the three elders to explain.

If it were Chen Yuan in the past, he would have had to be as honest as he was with Yuan Shuheng to gain the trust of the three elders.

At that time, he was just a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator with the threat of a Demon Saint behind him. He had to rely on the power of the Tai Xuan Sect to enter the Spirit Realm, and there was no room for bargaining.

But now, he possesses almost all of the memories of the Great Sage Xuanli. It will be at least a hundred years before the Flame Array is broken, so he has a better chance of successfully overcoming this obstacle and entering the Spirit Realm.

Chen Yuan activated the Kunpeng True Blood and circulated his True Essence. Black light surged and penetrated deep into the corpse of the Crimson Dragon, causing it to slowly shrink to a length of one hundred feet and be stored in his body space.

He soared into the air, passed through the incredibly dense spiritual mist, arrived halfway up the mountain, and descended in a flash of light.

There are two stone doors covered with thick moss. In front of the doors stands an ancient pine tree, no more than ten feet tall, with gnarled branches that resemble a coiled dragon.

Chen Yuan walked toward the stone gate, and the pine tree suddenly swayed gently, a few pine needles fell, and a figure appeared under the tree.

"This old man respectfully welcomes the Great Sage!" The man bowed respectfully.

Chen Yuan stopped and looked closely. He saw that the man had an old face, white hair and beard that reached his chest, and a slightly hunched figure. He looked frail and weak.

However, upon closer inspection, it can be seen that his entire body is formed from pure wood-elemental spiritual energy, and he clearly possesses the cultivation level of the late stage of the Void Refinement Realm.

The language he spoke was exactly the same as the language of the Yuzhou people.

Chen Yuan took a few steps back, secretly circulating his true energy, and clasped his hands in a salute: "I did not know that you were here, senior. Please forgive any offense I may have caused. I am not worthy of being addressed as such by you, senior."

The old man was taken aback: "Great Sage, you are joking. I was personally enlightened by you back then. Although I did not have any intelligence at that time, I still remembered your aura."

"Although the Great Sage's cultivation has greatly declined, he still contains a trace of his former aura. I would never mistake him for someone else."

Chen Yuan suddenly realized that he had experienced the entire life of the Great Sage Xuanli. Over the long span of millions of years, he inevitably acquired a trace of the Great Sage Xuanli's aura, which was why the old man admitted his mistake.

However, the old man was not in Xuanli Great Sage's memories, so it seems that he must have left behind a fragment of his soul before he fell.

If that's the case, he doesn't know the connection between the Great Sage Xuanli and the old man, and if he impersonates the Great Sage Xuanli, he's very likely to expose his weakness.

Chen Yuan decided to be honest: "Senior has mistaken me. I am not the reincarnation of the Great Sage Xuanli. It was just by chance that I inherited some of the Great Sage Xuanli's memories."

He also secretly circulated his true essence, ready to activate his true spirit blood at any time, in case the old man turned hostile.

"You're not the Great Sage? Where is the Great Sage now?" The old man asked, his face filled with astonishment.

“Great Sage Xuanli has already ascended to the Immortal Realm and attained immortality,” Chen Yuan answered truthfully.

"The Great Sage has ascended to heaven..." The old man stood there, stunned.

After a long pause, he forced a smile, cupped his hands in a bow to the heavens, and said, "Congratulations, Great Sage, on your ascension to the Immortal Realm! May you live a long and prosperous life, and enjoy eternal bliss!"

The old man slowly lowered his hand and sighed, "It's a pity that after I took human form, I waited for 700,000 years, but I still haven't seen the Great Sage, nor served by his side to repay the kindness of his enlightenment."

"However, since you have inherited the Great Sage's memories, you are essentially the reincarnation of the Great Sage. I am willing to serve you as my master. I wonder if you would be willing to take me in?"

He bowed to Chen Yuan with a sincere expression.

"Senior, you flatter me. My cultivation is too low. How could I dare to accept you as my servant?" Chen Yuan quickly returned the greeting with clasped hands.

The old man sighed, "To be honest, ever since I was defeated by the Great Sage, I have stayed here and have not seen anyone else except you."

"Back then, the Great Sage only bestowed upon me a cultivation manual, without any supernatural powers. I have a great cultivation level, but I have no way to fight against enemies."

"My lifespan is nearing its end, and you, sir, possess the memory of a Great Sage. I believe that only by serving you as my master can I leave this place and perhaps even break through the bottleneck of the Integration Realm. I hope you will grant my request."

Chen Yuan slowly lowered his hands and asked, "May I ask how much lifespan you have left, senior?"

The old man replied, "About 50,000 years."

Chen Yuan asked in surprise, "Senior, with such a long lifespan, how can you say that your lifespan is coming to an end?"

The old man said, "The only wonderful thing about the cultivation method I practice is that it can prolong lifespan and is also in harmony with my physical body, so my lifespan will be longer."

Chen Yuan recalled the memories of the Great Sage Xuanli and said, "Senior, could you be cultivating the 'Pine and Crane Scripture'?"

The old man's eyes lit up: "Indeed! It seems what you said was true; you have indeed inherited the Great Sage's memories!"

Chen Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "If you do not mind, senior, I am willing to take you out of this mountain when I leave."

"However, as you can see, senior, my cultivation is too low, so I can only take care of myself first."

"I will be able to lend you a hand when I have the capacity, please forgive me."

The old man chuckled and said, "Since I have pledged allegiance to you, I will not go back on my word."

Chen Yuan said, "Then it's settled. However, this great formation cannot be broken from the inside. If you want to leave this place, you will have to wait for another hundred years."

The old man laughed heartily, "I have already waited for 500,000 years, what harm is there in waiting another hundred years?"

"I have given myself a name, Songqing. Please don't stand on ceremony, sir, just use my name."

He had changed his form of address, raised his right hand, and a pine cone condensed in his palm, slowly flying towards Chen Yuan.

"This is my natal spirit seed, please accept it, sir."

Chen Yuan took the pine nut and probed it with his divine sense. Sure enough, it contained immense spiritual energy, and was connected to the old man's mind in some mysterious way. Anyone who possessed this pine nut could take the old man's life in an instant.

Seeing the old man's sincerity, Chen Yuan no longer had any reservations.

With a thought, he refined the pine nuts and stored them in his dantian. He clasped his hands and said, "Elder Song, you are too kind. I have only cultivated for a little over four hundred years, which is far inferior to Elder Song. How dare I be rude? Elder Song, you can just call me a young friend."

Old Man Song stroked his beard and smiled: "Although I am hundreds of thousands of years old, I have never fought with anyone. I can only do some guarding and protection work. Please don't find it offensive, sir."

Seeing that he insisted on not changing his form of address, Chen Yuan stopped trying to persuade him and instead asked, "I wish to explore the Great Sage's cave. I wonder if there are any restrictive formations or arrays inside?"

Old Man Song shook his head: "I have been guarding this cave for 700,000 years and have never sensed any fluctuations in the formation. Please feel free to enter."

"I will wait here. When you leave, please take me with you."

He clasped his hands in a bow to Chen Yuan, and his body slowly dissipated.

Relieved, Chen Yuan bowed to the pine tree, stepped forward, pushed open the stone door, and entered the cave.

After passing through a rough passage, we arrived at a simple stone hall, where everything seemed even more familiar.

Chen Yuan recalled briefly and suddenly remembered that the furnishings inside this cave were exactly the same as those in the cave that Li Xuan had opened in that valley after becoming Xuan Chenzi's disciple.

Chen Yuan sighed inwardly, no wonder the death of Xuan Chenzi was an obsession that Xuan Li Dasheng could never erase for the rest of his life.

Even after he advanced to the Mahayana stage and transformed into a true dragon, he still could not forget that period of time.

Chen Yuan had cultivated in this cave for over two hundred years and was extremely familiar with its internal structure, so he went directly into the cultivation room.

The cultivation room was exactly the same as it had been back then, with only a jade bed carved from spirit jade, a treasure bestowed by Xuan Chenzi that could increase the cultivation speed of Foundation Establishment cultivators to some extent, but it was no longer of any use to Xuan Li Great Sage.

He escaped alone back then, leaving the jade bed in the cave. This jade bed must have been carved by him later, as the material, shape, and appearance remain unchanged.

At this moment, there are two boxes on the jade bed, one jade box and one gold box, both covered with intricate spirit-sealing talismans, and a wisp of demonic power remains on them, radiating a heart-palpitating pressure that has not dissipated even after millions of years.

This seal was personally set up by the Great Sage Xuanli; even a cultivator at the Void Refinement stage wouldn't be able to open these two boxes.

But Chen Yuan simply raised his hand and made a hand seal, releasing two beams of spiritual light, and the demonic power on the box slowly dissipated.

Even at the height of his power, he could break through the seal; a mere two strands of demonic energy were no match for him.

Chen Yuan removed the sealing talisman and opened the jade box, inside which was a bright red undergarment neatly folded.

Chen Yuan was taken aback. He picked up the undergarment, unfolded it, and smelled a faint fragrance that was both unfamiliar and familiar.

His thoughts traveled across the long years, returning to Jade Screen Mountain, where he saw Yu Yan's gentle smile, a blend of purity and allure, and felt the intoxicating pleasure he had shared with her.

This is Yu Yan's undergarment. The Great Sage Xuan Li has preserved it for millions of years, and it is still intact.

Chen Yuan sighed inwardly. Although he was in a dream, it was no different from reality. He was also Yu Yan's furnace, and he had served as it twice.

The first time was fine. He was already a Nascent Soul cultivator who had cultivated for over four hundred years. He knew that Yu Yan was using his essence to replenish his body. After the affair was over, he put it aside.

But Li Xuan was just an innocent young man. His first time with someone, especially such a beautiful woman, was unforgettable. Even though he knew he was just a vessel for a woman, he still developed feelings of love for Yu Yan.

Even when Yu Yan wanted to kill Xuan Chenzi when he arrived, it did not diminish Li Xuan's affection for him.

A flame rose from Chen Yuan's palm, burning the undergarment to ashes, and he opened another golden box.

Inside the box is a jade pendant, carved with a lifelike dragon, its eyes gleaming gold, and beside it is a beautifully crafted character "萱" (Xuān).

Chen Yuan picked up the familiar jade pendant and probed it with his divine sense. Sure enough, it was the top-grade spiritual artifact left behind by Ao Xuan.

Chen Yuan stored it in his inner space, along with two jade boxes and gold boxes that were also quite precious in the eyes of a Nascent Soul cultivator, and then turned and walked out of the cave.

The two items left behind by the Great Sage Xuanli were of great significance to him, but they were by no means the "fortune" that Ao Huan spoke of.

However, Chen Yuan didn't have much hope for this. He was sure that when the Great Sage Xuanli ascended to the Immortal Realm, he would have taken his precious treasures with him.

Chen Yuan was even quite surprised by the two things he left behind.

Perhaps the Great Sage Xuanli wanted to completely sever ties with the past to avoid being exploited by the Heavenly Demons when undergoing the Heavenly Demon Tribulation.

Perhaps he was worried that if he failed to transcend the tribulation, these two things would be destroyed, and he wanted to preserve this memory from his youth forever.

In short, the "fortune" that Ao Huan gave to Chen Yuan did not come true.

However, Chen Yuan will still send Ao Huan's body back to the Wilderness Realm. His destiny lies not in the cave, but on the mountaintop.

Chen Yuan soared into the air, arrived at the mountaintop, and descended his escape light beside the Dragon Transformation Pool.

Looking at the thin layer of dragon essence in the Dragon Transformation Pool, Chen Yuan's gaze was deep. He flipped his hand and took out a wooden box, removed the sealing talisman, opened the lid, and revealed a round and flawless cyan demon core inside.

He took out the demon core, feeling the immense demonic power and boundless vitality contained within it. He took off his clothes, revealing a perfect body, and stepped into the Dragon Transformation Pool, where he sat down cross-legged.

Ao Huan believed that he did not have the bloodline of the dragon race and therefore could not absorb the dragon essence.

What he didn't know was that Chen Yuan possessed a demon core containing the true blood of the Azure Dragon.

He only needs to refine this fourth type of True Spirit Blood to absorb the Dragon Essence in the Dragon Transformation Pool.

And no one knew better than him just how miraculous the Dragon Transformation Pool, personally crafted by the Great Sage Xuanli, was.

As Chen Yuan entered the Dragon Transformation Pool, the thin layer of crimson dragon essence suddenly rippled, sweeping in from all directions.

Chen Yuan felt as if he were in the depths of the ocean, where every ripple was like a monstrous wave, containing immense power that threatened to tear him apart.

He struggled against the immense force emanating from all around him, sat down cross-legged, raised his right hand, slapped his chest, and spat out a mouthful of blood essence, which landed on the azure demon core. Then, he pointed with his fingers and injected true essence into the demon core.

The demon core was enveloped by Chen Yuan's essence blood, gleaming with an eerie blood-red light, trembling slightly and emitting a buzzing sound, until true essence was injected into it, and only then did it calm down.

Chen Yuan continuously poured true essence into the demon core for three days and three nights.

Only after his true essence was nearly half depleted did his blood essence fully merge into the demon core, which was originally cyan, and now turned completely blood red.

Chen Yuan continued to inject true essence. The crimson color on the demon core flickered twice, then slowly faded, turning back into cyan, but it was more crystal clear than before, like a beautiful cyan jade.

Chen Yuan reached out and grabbed the demon core, placing it on his dantian acupoint. The cyan demon core slowly merged into Chen Yuan's dantian, but left no trace in his body.

The surging dragon energy around them seemed to sense something and slowly calmed down.

Chen Yuan closed his eyes, his palms facing upwards, and a faint dragon's roar emanated from within him, echoing across the silent mountaintop. (End of Chapter)