Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

"Since its establishment, our sect has accepted disciples once a year in March. Tens of thousands of Qi Refining cultivators come from all directions of the Xuanling Domain, hoping to join our sect and ascend to the heavens in one step."

"Our sect has no choice but to conduct a screening first. At least three spiritual roots are required to join our sect and ascend to Tongtian Island."

"Over the past ten thousand years, our sect has accumulated one hundred thousand disciples, but half of them have gone to conquer the minor worlds and to the spiritual lands and mines in various parts of the Xuanling Domain that belong to our sect."

“There are fewer than 50,000 people on Tongtian Island, but it already occupies most of the land. Junior Brother, you only have these five places to choose from. The other places are fragmented and cannot support a single peak of disciples…”

Chen Yuan and Han Xuan flew slowly through the sky without revealing their aura. The Tai Xuan Sect disciples they encountered along the way did not stop to pay their respects, but simply made way for each other.

Tongtian Island spans hundreds of miles, suspended in the sky, blocking out the sun. Looking up from Donghua City, it is a breathtaking sight, a transformation of the world.

However, when tens of thousands of cultivators gathered on the island, apart from a few thousand Qi Refining disciples, all of whom could fly freely, and with large areas of spiritual herb gardens taking up space, it seemed rather cramped.

The streaks of light crisscrossed the sky, layer upon layer, each deliberately controlling its speed, otherwise it might very well collide with others.

After leaving Huayu Peak, Chen Yuan and Han Xuan did not immediately head to Donghua City. Instead, they first took a stroll around the island, chose a place, and established their own peak.

This floating giant island, personally crafted by Master Fu, boasts beautiful scenery, resembling a fairyland in every corner. Although it is much smaller than the mountain gates of other Mahayana sects, its location suspended in the sky is extremely rare in the entire Spirit Realm, comparable only to the Cloud Seal Floating Continent of the Heaven-Slaying Pavilion.

However, the Cloud Seal Floating Continent is a giant floating continent jointly created by all the Mahayana sects in the Spirit Realm, using countless precious natural materials.

Master Fu single-handedly created a giant floating island, making the entire Tai Xuan Sect proud.

As Han Xuan recounted the story, the two spent a day and a night traversing the entire Tongtian Island, and Chen Yuan finally chose the location for his future cave dwelling.

"Thank you for leading the way, senior brother. I have made my decision and will establish my cave dwelling here."

At this moment, the two of them arrived at a flat hilly area in the northeast corner of Tongtian Island. In the middle, there was a towering peak that seemed to reach straight into the sky, solitary and precipitous. The surrounding area was covered with lush green grass that swayed gently in the wind, and a clear river flowed slowly, creating a peaceful and tranquil scene.

Han Xuan was somewhat surprised: "Junior Brother, have you thought this through? Although this peak is magnificent, it is too remote. You will suffer a lot when you take in Qi Refining disciples in the future."

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Only a secluded place can allow one to cultivate in peace. If one cannot even tolerate a little distance, then such a disciple is better off not being born."

Han Xuan said, "Since Junior Brother has made up his mind, then let's go to the Nine Palaces to name this peak and have the array masters set up the array flags as soon as possible to modify the Spirit Gathering Array and raise the spiritual energy concentration to a level comparable to a large spiritual vein as soon as possible."

Chen Yuan readily agreed, and the two of them turned and flew towards the Nine Palaces in the center of Tongtian Island.

Back then, Master Fu refined a giant spiritual vein into Tongtian Island, which was the minimum standard for a Mahayana sect to establish itself.

However, the area around Tongtian Peak alone gathers the spiritual energy of most of a giant spiritual vein, providing a place for Master Fu to cultivate.

The remaining half of the giant spiritual vein's spiritual energy is insufficient to supply tens of thousands of disciples and cultivators, including eleven Nascent Soul cultivators and dozens of Void Refinement protectors.

Therefore, Master Fu ordered the array masters of the Tai Xuan Sect to set up a spirit-gathering array, which could freely regulate the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, rather than distributing it evenly.

For example, the concentration of spiritual energy on Huayu Peak, where Elder Yuan is located, is comparable to that of a large spiritual vein. However, once you fly a few miles away, the concentration of spiritual energy will drop sharply and become comparable to that of a medium-sized spiritual vein.

The spiritual energy concentration in the areas where the Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation disciples reside is further reduced, equivalent to a small spiritual vein, which is more than enough for their cultivation and avoids the waste of spiritual energy.

The Nine Palaces are in charge of the Spirit Gathering Array, which is also the place where the Tai Xuan Sect trains array masters. The teleportation arrays leading to various minor worlds and the Xuanling Domain are also under the control of the Nine Palaces.

After arriving in the Spirit Realm, Wu Xuan became the guardian spirit beast of Huayu Peak and, like the other array masters of Huayu Peak, joined the Nine Palaces.

Chen Yuan originally wanted to meet him first, but he had been dispatched by the Nine Palaces to repair the formation in a small world and had not yet returned.

Chen Yuan was not worried that Wu Xuan would take the opportunity to escape. The Fire Lotus Mark was planted on his demon soul, so even if they were separated by countless worlds, Chen Yuan could take his life with a single thought.

The array masters of the Nine Palaces did not recognize Chen Yuan, but they recognized the Tai Xuan Token in his hand. With Han Xuan by their side, they dared not be negligent and respectfully welcomed the two into the palace.

However, the Tai Xuan Sect has strict rules. Although the Nine Palaces went through the motions of politeness, they did not immediately send out array masters to modify the Spirit Gathering Array. Instead, they first sent someone to the Tianyuan Hall, which was in charge of the sect's affairs, to ask for instructions.

Since Master Fu appointed Chen Yuan as an elder, he would not have made such a mistake. He had already informed Tianyuan Palace of Chen Yuan's identity and received a reply confirming that everything was correct.

The Nine Palaces Protector immediately became enthusiastic and agreed to Chen Yuan's request. He only asked, "Please ask Elder Chen to name this peak so that I can mark it in the Spirit Gathering Array and adjust the array immediately if there are any problems in the future."

After a moment's thought, Chen Yuan said calmly, "Let's call it Lingyun Peak."

The Nine Palaces Protector noted it down and personally escorted the two out of the palace, saying that he would send an array master to set up the array base and array flags the next day.

However, this matter involves the distribution of spiritual energy across the entire Tongtian Island, so we cannot rush it and must proceed slowly.

It will take at least a year to adjust the spiritual energy of Lingyun Peak to a level comparable to that of a large spiritual vein.

Chen Yuan's cultivation had reached its limit, so there was no rush. He instructed the Nine Palaces Protectors to slowly adjust the formation, without any need for haste.

After leaving the Nine Palaces, the two headed straight for the teleportation array and arrived in Donghua City.

It was noon, and the sun, conjured by the array below Tongtian Island, shone brightly, indistinguishable from the real sun, illuminating the rows of magnificent buildings and the vast expanse of light surging like a tide in the sky.

At night, this sun transforms into the bright moon, which waxes and wanes with the seasons, making it almost impossible to distinguish between the real and the unreal.

Donghua City is the most prosperous city of cultivators in the Xuanling Domain, gathering millions of cultivators. Everywhere, in the sky and on the ground, there are crowds of people. The closer you get to Tongtian Island, the more crowded it becomes.

The magnificent buildings constructed using mechanical techniques require a great deal of spiritual materials, which ordinary cultivators simply cannot afford. They are built by families and sects of all sizes.

Many of the magnificent buildings were actually constructed by the Tai Xuan Sect and then rented out to families, sects, and merchants to open shops. They had to pay spirit stones every ten years, and the fees were extremely high.

In order to attract customers, these magnificent buildings are clustered together in one place, so close together that even if cultivators can fly away and distance is not an issue, they dare not separate.

There is no difference between cultivators and mortals; both value popularity and convenience.

A solitary, magnificent building stands in the distance. Unless it contains an unparalleled treasure, few people would be willing to make the special trip, and it would even raise doubts about its strength.

Those wealthy sects and families don't care about the price of renting a magnificent building; they might even build their own, and they certainly wouldn't open a shop in a secluded place.

The remote areas surrounding Donghua City are the residences of low-level cultivators, as well as vast gardens of spiritual herbs, spiritual material mines, and spiritual stone mines.

The reason this city of cultivators was built in the undulating mountains was not only because the Tai Xuan Sect's mountain gate was also located here, but because there was a large spiritual vein underground, with exceptionally rich spiritual energy that nourished a large area of ​​spiritual land.

These low-level spiritual herbs, materials, and stones are indispensable cultivation resources. It was only after Fu Zhenren chose this location that many low-level cultivators spontaneously came to exchange these resources for cultivation by accelerating the growth of spiritual herbs and mining spiritual ores and stones, thus creating this prosperous and magnificent city. Most other cultivator cities in the spiritual realms are similar; the lofty Mahayana sects are supported by millions or even tens of millions of low-level cultivators. Without a solid foundation, it's impossible to build magnificent palaces.

Whenever Mahayana sects conquer other worlds, these rogue cultivators are the best source of reinforcements.

Although their strength was limited and they could not contribute much in dealing with demons and alien races, they were indispensable in collecting cultivation resources, maintaining order, and deterring alien races after the great battle.

Many cultivators even stayed in other worlds, spreading their teachings, taking on disciples, establishing sects and families, and gradually turning small worlds into lands for humans.

"In the past, the Spirit Realm conquered seven Great Thousand Worlds, but unfortunately none of them survived. They were shattered in the great war and soon completely disintegrated, turning into fragments of the realm. Even now, many low-level cultivators still enter them to search for treasures..."

On the way to Duobao Pavilion, Chen Yuan listened to Han Xuan introduce the situation of Donghua City, and then talked about the Spirit Realm's conquest of other realms. Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

Han Xuan kept talking, introducing the large shops he encountered along the way and the people behind them. Most of them were well-known sects and families in the Xuanling Domain. More than half of them were medium-sized forces that were affiliated with the Tai Xuan Sect, including the Wei family, the Xuanji Sect, and the Chonghua Sect.

As a dignified Void Refinement Protector, Han Xuan had become a guide, a role usually reserved for low-level cultivators, but he felt no humiliation whatsoever.

Chen Yuan, as an elder, was willing to treat Han Xuan as an equal in private, which made Han Xuan very grateful.

He was certainly aware of the established practices in the cultivation world, but seeing his junior brother from over two hundred years ago suddenly become a senior, and having to bow respectfully to him, would be unpleasant for anyone.

Moreover, Han Xuan was an ascended cultivator who once held a position at the pinnacle of the Flying Balance Realm, where no one dared to defy him, making it even more difficult for him to accept this fall from grace.

However, the situation was pressing. As Elder Yuan's personal disciple, he only had the cultivation level of the early stage of Void Refinement, which was far inferior to Chen Yuan's. He could only treat Chen Yuan with the respect due to a junior. Deep down, he felt a sense of resentment and a sense of estrangement.

However, Chen Yuan did not adhere to etiquette and conventions. When he uttered the words "Senior Brother," even Han Xuan's iron will, forged through thousands of years of cultivation and battles, could not help but be stirred.

Back in the Xuanli Realm, he saw that Chen Yuan had unlimited potential and possessed the Tai Xuan Token. He wanted to recruit him into Huayu Peak, and he needed Chen Yuan's help to break the True Dragon Cave Formation, so he intended to befriend him.

Later, he fought alongside Chen Yuan against Zhou Lang and was saved by Chen Yuan again. However, since they had only known each other for a short time, he felt more grateful than anything else.

When breaking through the fiery formation, Han Xuan pleaded for Chen Yuan's life, mainly to repay this favor, in addition to their shared experience of life and death.

But now, this address of "senior brother" has made Han Xuan truly regard Chen Yuan as a close friend and acknowledge him as his junior brother.

Perhaps Chen Yuan will soon break through that bottleneck and become a true Integration Elder. He will still need to change his title and treat him with the respect due to a junior, but this affection will never change.

……

The two traveled at a leisurely pace, covering only a little over ten miles in total, but it took them an hour to arrive at the Treasure Pavilion.

Directly below Tongtian Island are teleportation arrays leading to various parts of the Xuanling Domain and to and from Tongtian Island. There are also large courtyards and cave dwellings prepared by the Taixuan Sect for visiting cultivators, which take up a lot of space. Qionglou can only be built in a place a little further away from it.

Duobaoge, as a shop set up by Taixuanmen, occupies the best location. Its magnificent building stands out from the crowd, dozens of feet higher than the surrounding buildings. During its construction, a spatial array was set up, and the area of ​​each floor is much larger than it appears from the outside.

The main hall, built specifically for the Donghua Auction House, covers an area of ​​hundreds of acres and can accommodate thousands of cultivators bidding simultaneously.

Every Donghua Auction is a grand event for the entire Xuanling Domain.

Mahayana treasures have appeared more than once, attracting crazy bidding from Nascent Soul cultivators. The grand scenes have been passed down for thousands of years and are still talked about with great interest.

This floor is not usually open to the public. Chen Yuan and Han Xuan arrived at the seventy-eighth floor, which is the fourth floor below the top floor. This floor is only open to cultivators who have reached the Void Refinement stage.

Even cultivators at the Integration Stage must pass through this place before ascending to the 79th floor, where they will be received by the Void Refining Protector.

Each floor of the Treasure Pavilion has Foundation Establishment cultivators as guides. They are disciples of the Tai Xuan Sect. The male cultivators are tall and handsome, and the female cultivators are beautiful and gentle. They are extremely respectful to the guests.

Even in the Spirit Realm, very few Foundation Establishment cultivators are willing to do such a thing.

Looking across all the realms and races, those who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage have truly embarked on the path of cultivation and should not be taken lightly.

Han Xuan had attended the Donghua Auction twice and entered and exited the Treasure Pavilion more than ten times. He was extremely familiar with the place and directly introduced himself, asking to see a Nascent Soul Steward from Huayu Peak.

Upon learning of Han Xuan's visit, the steward did not delay for a moment and personally came to greet him.

The moment Han Xuan returned to the sect, he went to the Tianyuan Hall to receive his guardian token. His status was different from before; he was now a VIP of the Treasure Pavilion and had once been the senior disciple of Huayu Peak. The stewards looked at him with great respect.

Upon seeing the Tai Xuan Token in Chen Yuan's hand, the steward was filled with trepidation and hurriedly led the two to the seventy-ninth floor, while also sending someone to inform Wei Feng, the Void Refining Protector on duty that day.

He couldn't discern Chen Yuan's cultivation level, nor had he ever heard of Chen Yuan's name before, but the Tai Xuan Token was undeniable, and no one dared to forge it in Donghua City.

The elder arrived in person, but his purpose was still unknown. The steward, fearing that he had come to audit the accounts, hurriedly asked the Dharma Protector to come forward.

Chen Yuan and Han Xuan did not have to wait long before the Void Refining Protector, who was on duty at the Treasure Pavilion today, appeared in the elegant quiet room.

His expression was respectful, but his eyes revealed a hint of doubt. He clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Wei Feng, the protector of Yanheng Peak, greets Elder Chen. Please forgive my poor eyesight, but I have never heard of your esteemed name before..."

Chen Yuan said calmly, "I have only been a disciple of this sect for a few days, so Junior Nephew Wei naturally does not know. This is my Tai Xuan Token."

He flicked his sleeve, and the Tai Xuan Token appeared out of thin air on the table, emitting a faint aura.

"Please wait a moment, Elder." Wei Feng bowed again, picked up the Tai Xuan Token with both hands, and began to examine it carefully.

After a while, he put the Tai Xuan Token back on the table and bowed deeply: "This junior bears a heavy responsibility and dares not be negligent. I beg the elder to forgive my rudeness."

Chen Yuan, of course, wouldn't hold it against him and said with a smile, "It's alright, Nephew Wei, please sit down and let's talk."

Wei Feng then straightened up and bowed to Han Xuan, who was sitting to the side: "I have long admired Junior Brother Han's name. He is a genius that our sect has only seen once in ten thousand years. It is a pity that we have never met. Today, I heard that Junior Brother's cultivation has greatly improved and he has advanced to the Refinement of Void stage. This is truly a cause for celebration."

Han Xuan returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "I have long admired Senior Brother Wei's demeanor. Senior Brother is deeply trusted by Elder Ling, in charge of the Treasure Pavilion, and presiding over the Donghua Auction. His reputation has spread throughout the entire Xuanling Domain."

"Junior brother, you flatter me. The Treasure Pavilion is managed by my master. I, Wei, am merely on duty with a few fellow disciples in shifts. It's nothing to mention..."

Wei Feng spoke modestly, sat down opposite Chen Yuan, and said respectfully, "Elder Chen, your presence today is an honor to Duobao Pavilion. If there is anything I can do to help you, please do not hesitate to ask, and I will do my best."

Chen Yuan cut to the chase: "I've come here today for the Blood of the True Spirit. If Nephew Wei has any information about this item, I will certainly reward you handsomely." (End of Chapter)