Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Yuan Shuheng turned to look at the main peak shrouded in flames in the distance and said, "That flame array is about to be broken. At that time, it will trigger the spiritual veins of this place, spewing out a large amount of spiritual energy from heaven and earth, forming a spiritual energy storm that will last for several days and nights."

“Cultivators below the Refinement Void stage can use this storm to hone their true essence, solidify their foundation, and increase their chances of breaking through bottlenecks.”

"This matter has already spread throughout the sect, and many disciples have specially exchanged their cultivation time to come to Xuanli Realm."

"Disciples of Huayu Peak, Lanyue Peak, and Yujian Peak can come here to cultivate without contributing to their sects. How can we miss this great opportunity?"

A disciple of Huayu Peak sighed, "Senior Brother's talent is extraordinary, and his comprehension is astonishing. We are far inferior to him. We don't know when we will be able to comprehend the power of the laws. We can only lay a solid foundation first and then look for opportunities."

Another disciple in yellow robes also looked dejected: "The Void Refinement stage is the real watershed. Although the pills and spiritual items below the Void Refinement stage are precious, they are not rare. As long as you accumulate enough sect contribution points, you can exchange them from the sect."

"But the power of laws is ethereal and elusive; how exactly should one comprehend it?"

"Treasures containing the power of laws are extremely rare, and directly comprehending the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth is far too difficult. Furthermore, those dangerous places where the power of laws manifests are beyond the reach of cultivators like us who have reached the Nascent Soul stage..."

Han Xuan comforted them, saying, "Junior brothers, do not worry. The path of cultivation is about overcoming one difficulty after another. First, build a solid foundation and wait for the right time. You must not be afraid of difficulties and stop moving forward."

Yuan Shuheng suddenly laughed and said, "Today we are here to congratulate Senior Brother Han on his advancement to the Void Refinement Realm. We should not be so dejected. Come, Senior Brother, let me toast you!"

He raised his wine cup, offered it to Han Xuan, and drank it all in one gulp.

Upon seeing this, the two disciples from Huayu Peak each forced a smile and picked up their wine cups.

After a round of toasts and drinks, and several cups of spirit wine, all three except Han Xuan had slightly flushed faces, showing signs of being somewhat intoxicated.

These spirit wines were brought by the three of them to celebrate Han Xuan's completion of seclusion. They were not ordinary wines, and even a Nascent Soul cultivator should not drink too much of them.

As they became slightly tipsy, the atmosphere became even more harmonious.

The two disciples of Huayu Peak were of lower rank than Yuan Shuheng. They had only managed to raise their cultivation to the peak of the Nascent Soul stage over the past two hundred years by relying on the pure spiritual energy of the blessed land. They were extremely humble in front of Han Xuan, praising him incessantly.

"Thanks to Senior Brother Han's great power back then, he slew the two demon saints' divided souls and seized this Xuanli Realm. Otherwise, it would have taken us much more time to reach the bottleneck of the Void Refinement stage."

"Indeed, it's a pity that my cultivation was insufficient back then, and I couldn't fight alongside my two senior brothers. I deeply regret it..."

Upon hearing this, Han Xuan's eyes showed a hint of reminiscence. He put down his wine cup and said, "My two junior brothers are too kind. That battle back then was not due to my efforts."

"It was another junior brother who turned the tide and killed the two demon saints' divided souls, which allowed our sect to seize this Xuanli Realm."

The yellow-robed disciple was taken aback: "Does Huayu Peak have such a figure?"

Another cultivator with a horse-like face asked curiously, "We have only heard about the battle back then, but we do not know the details. If there are any errors, please forgive us, senior brother. May I ask your honorable name, senior brother?"

Han Xuan sighed softly: "This junior brother's surname is Chen and his given name is Yuan. His strength is so great that he is the only one I have ever seen in my life among Nascent Soul cultivators."

“Chen Yuan…” A hint of doubt flashed in the horse-faced cultivator’s eyes, “Among the renowned Nascent Soul cultivators of my Transformation Feather Peak, there doesn’t seem to be such a person…”

"Could he be a disciple of another peak?" the yellow-robed cultivator guessed.

Yuan Shuheng drank a cup of spiritual wine and explained, "Junior Brother Chen is both a disciple of this sect and not a disciple of this sect, so of course the two junior brothers have never heard of him."

"However, what Senior Brother Han said just now is true. In that battle back then, it was all thanks to Junior Brother Chen who turned the tide. Otherwise, we would all be dead without a burial place."

"It's a pity that he died in this blessed land, never having the chance to truly join our sect."

"Otherwise, during the years that Senior Brother Han was in seclusion, the disciples of Huayu Peak wouldn't have had to be so careful in their actions."

Han Xuan frowned: "Has something happened to Wu Xuan?"

“He is alive and well, and has made great progress in the study of the sect’s array formation tradition. He is highly favored by Protector Deng.” Yuan Shuheng shook his head.

"Then why did you say that Junior Brother Chen is dead? He left a restriction in Wu Xuan's body. Since Wu Xuan is not dead, we cannot conclude that Junior Brother Chen is dead. At most, we can only say that his fate is unknown." A hint of displeasure flashed in Han Xuan's eyes.

Yuan Shuheng sighed, "If their fate is unknown, isn't that the same as being dead?"

"Junior Brother Chen was burned to ashes by the Crimson Heaven True Fire back then, and has been missing for more than two hundred years without any news."

“This blessed land has already been looted clean, with only the main peak's formation remaining, but it is at its last gasp and will be broken in no time.”

“Unless Junior Brother Chen’s burning by the Crimson Heaven True Fire was just an illusion and he has been hiding in that main peak for more than two hundred years, only death and the disappearance of his Dao can explain it.”

Han Xuan remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "I personally witnessed Junior Brother Chen placing a restriction on Wu Xuan's body, and Wu Xuan was unharmed. Therefore, we cannot say that Junior Brother Chen has died."

Yuan Shuheng said, "Senior brother, why deceive yourself? I also wish Junior Brother Chen to be safe and sound. He is not only outstanding in strength, but also considers the overall situation, obeys senior brother's orders, and never oversteps the bounds."

"If he can join our sect, he will surely win a place as a disciple of the Dao Seed and become a powerful assistant to my senior brother. The prestige of our Huayu Peak will be greatly enhanced, and it will be able to rank among the top three of the eleven peaks of the sect."

"But it was just that Junior Brother Chen was unlucky. We all entered this gate together, but he was the only one who was burned to ashes by the Crimson Heaven True Fire."

"The reason why Wu Xuan was unharmed is probably because the restriction left by Junior Brother Chen was not connected to his mind, which is why Wu Xuan did not die with Junior Brother Chen."

Han Xuan fell silent, but this time he did not refute it again, and drank several cups of spiritual wine.

The horse-faced cultivator and the yellow-robed disciple exchanged bewildered glances. They hadn't expected to hear such a bizarre secret while they were there to congratulate Han Xuan on his advancement to the Void Refinement stage.

After a while, Han Xuan put down his wine cup, looked up at the setting sun on the horizon, and said calmly, "It's getting late, junior brothers, please go back."

"The Flame Array will be broken soon. Junior brothers, take good care of yourselves and don't miss the spiritual energy storm."

The three rose to take their leave. Han Xuan bowed slightly, but did not see them off. He then turned and returned to his cave.

The three of them took to the air and hurried back to their rented cave dwelling.

The disciple in the yellow robe couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother Yuan, is that... Senior Brother Chen really that powerful, even surpassing Senior Brother Han?"

Yuan Shuheng sighed: "Of course, Junior Brother Chen is not only outstanding in strength, but his cultivation is also close to the perfection of the Nascent Soul stage."

"If he doesn't die, two hundred years should be enough time for him to advance to the Void Refinement stage. With two more protectors, what do we have to fear from the other ten peaks?"

The horse-faced cultivator was taken aback: "This Senior Brother Chen has also comprehended the power of the laws?"

Yuan Shuheng glanced at him, and the horse-faced cultivator realized he had misspoke and gave a self-deprecating laugh: "I was mistaken. This Senior Brother Chen is even inferior to Senior Brother Han, so he must have comprehended the power of the laws." Yuan Shuheng withdrew his gaze and said in a deep voice: "He is gone, so there is no point in saying more. We should carefully regulate our breathing and wait for the spiritual energy storm to hone our true essence."

……

A month later, outside the main peak of the blessed land, six Nascent Soul cultivators suddenly opened their eyes.

Elder Su solemnly said, "The great formation is about to break; we should take cover for the time being!"

He stood up, left the spiritual light array, and gracefully retreated.

The other five did as instructed and retreated to a great distance.

The flame array, which had been burning silently for over two hundred years, suddenly began to fluctuate. Clumps of Crimson Heaven True Fire detached from the array, like fallen leaves from a branch, fluttering and scattering, but when they landed on the ground, they burned out bottomless voids.

The earth shook violently, affecting the entire blessed land. The spiritual energy surging from the earth increased dramatically, converging towards the sky to form a massive cloud of spiritual energy.

As more and more Crimson Heaven True Fire detached from the great formation, the flame formation became increasingly thin, and the scene inside could be vaguely seen. The six Nascent Soul stage experts couldn't help but show joy on their faces.

Endless spiritual energy surged from the bottomless void burned by the Crimson Heaven True Fire, merging into the spiritual energy clouds in the sky, and then transforming into an invisible and intangible spiritual energy storm that swept across the entire blessed land.

The six powerful beings at the Integration Realm ignored the spiritual energy storm. It was caused by an excessive increase in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in a short period of time, which the blessed land could not withstand, resulting in a spiritual energy disturbance. It would dissipate in a few days at most and was not harmful.

They stared intently at the main peak behind the fiery array, for that was the goal they had been striving to break through for over two hundred years, day and night.

The remaining thin layer of Crimson Heaven True Fire condensed into a thousand-foot-long fire dragon, its body soaring into the sky. Its roar shook the heavens, and its body dissipated section by section from bottom to top, radiating an astonishing heat that made the spiritual energy storm even more frenzied.

Even the six combined-level powerhouses had to condense their true essence to protect themselves from the intense heat of the Crimson Heaven True Fire.

Fortunately, this fire dragon lacked spiritual energy, greatly reducing its power. The aftershocks of the Crimson Heaven True Fire only reached a distance of ten thousand feet before dissipating on their own, and no other cultivators were caught in the blast.

The six powerful beings at the combined level eagerly looked towards the main peak, but were all stunned the next moment.

On the summit of the main peak, which had finally revealed its true form, stood a young man dressed in white, his clothes fluttering in the wind. He was handsome and refined, with a smile on his lips, and stood with his hands behind his back.

The young man's eyes swept over the six people, a look of delight on his face. He flew into the air and smiled, saying, "This junior has been waiting for you six seniors for quite some time."

Elder Su's expression turned gloomy. He probed out with his divine sense but could not discern the depth of the other's cultivation level, and his face became even more unsightly.

"Who are you? Why are you here?"

Elder Su spent over two hundred years painstakingly breaking through the main peak of the blessed land, which was also the most likely place to store the true dragon's treasures, but someone else had already taken it first, causing him to feel heartbroken.

The white-robed cultivator said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "This junior is Chen Yuan, a disciple of Huayu Peak. This must be Elder Yuan, right?"

"I was once very close to Senior Brother Yuan, but we haven't seen each other for many years. I wonder how he is doing now?"

He did not answer Elder Su's second question, but instead clasped his hands in a bow to Elder Yuan.

Elder Yuan's face showed surprise: "You are Chen Yuan? The Chen Yuan who slew the divided souls of two great demon saints?"

The others were all shocked. While ordinary people were unaware of the details of that battle, they knew it all and were deeply impressed by the name "Chen Yuan".

He cultivates both body and spirit, refines the blood of three true spirits, summons three true spirit avatars simultaneously, wears the Heavenly Demon Armor, wields a Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure, and uses his divine body to slay the divided soul of a demon saint...

Even ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators wouldn't be able to produce so many treasures, let alone possess such supernatural powers.

Not to mention that Chen Yuan also possesses a Tai Xuan Token, suggesting he may know an old friend of Master Fu from the lower realm, and has a deep connection with the Tai Xuan Sect in the human world.

The six Nascent Soul cultivators were extremely interested in Chen Yuan, but unfortunately, when he entered the Flame Gate, he was reduced to ashes in the Crimson Heaven True Fire, leaving nothing behind.

No matter how many secrets a dead person has, it's meaningless.

The six powerful beings at the Integration Realm didn't even glance at the portrait of this person before forgetting about him and descending upon the Xuanli Realm together. They broke open the gate of flames and plundered the blessed lands and grottoes.

Unexpectedly, two hundred years later, this person suddenly reappeared and had already entered the main peak of the blessed land they had long coveted.

Chen Yuan said solemnly, "How could I dare to deceive you, senior? I am very close to Senior Brother Yuan. If he were not here, there would be many fellow Daoists who fought alongside me back then. You would know if you asked."

Elder Yuan was already seven or eight parts convinced, and his gaze towards Chen Yuan softened: "Shu Heng has praised you highly, but back then he personally witnessed you being burned to ashes by the Crimson Heaven True Fire. How did you end up on this peak?"

Chen Yuan said, "When I was burned by the Crimson Heaven True Fire back then, it was an illusion. In reality, I was captured here and trapped in that great fire array. I don't know how much time has passed."

Elder Yuan calculated with his fingers: "Two hundred and twenty-eight years have passed since we arrived in this world."

Chen Yuan was taken aback. He had only been away from the dream for 114 years. Could it be that more than 100 years had passed in that dream as well?
But when he thought about the millions of years he had experienced as the Great Sage Xuanli, and how the dream had only lasted for a hundred years, it was not surprising.

"Chen Yuan, have you discovered any treasures on this peak?" Elder Su stared intently at him, asking each word carefully.

Chen Yuan bowed respectfully and asked, "May I ask who this senior is...?"

"I am Su Chang'an, an elder of the Tai Xuan Sect. Answer truthfully!" Elder Su's voice grew increasingly cold, and his refined face twisted slightly.

"Please forgive me, Elder Su, but I did not find any treasures on this peak, only an empty Dragon Transformation Pool." Chen Yuan said with a regretful expression.

"Impossible! We have searched this place thoroughly and found very little. The True Dragon's Treasure could only be in this peak!" Elder Su narrowed his eyes, and the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator slowly spread out.

"If you don't possess the true dragon's legacy, why can't we see through your aura?" The leader of the Chonghua Sect coldly scrutinized Chen Yuan and asked.

"Who exactly brought you to this peak? Why did the Crimson Heaven True Fire choose you alone and not bring anyone else here?" Elder Mei's beautiful face showed a hint of doubt.

"Hand over the True Dragon's Relic! Such a treasure is not something a mere Nascent Soul cultivator like you can even dream of!" The Xuanji Sect Leader showed no mercy.

Elder Yuan frowned, feeling a great sense of unease.

Having spent over two hundred years breaking the formation, he was naturally unwilling to return empty-handed.

But Chen Yuan had once saved Han Xuan's life, and Elder Yuan could not stand by and watch him die at Elder Su's hands.

Elder Yuan made up his mind, looked at the most ruthless sect leader of Xuanji Sect, and frowned, saying, "Chen Yuan is a disciple of my Tai Xuan Sect. Fellow Daoist Ma has threatened and overstepped his bounds. Does he think the three of us don't exist?" (End of this chapter)