Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

A monk from Haoran Sect?
Everyone's eyes towards Yan Tongchun changed immediately.

They are either the masters or elders of small sects, or independent cultivators without any sect or school. Not to mention the top ten sects, even a medium-sized sect is a behemoth to them.

The group of Jindan cultivators who had looked coldly at Yan Tongchun just now either looked away or put on a smiling face, and simply ignored his contemptuous eyes.

When Chen Yuan heard the name "Yan Tongchun" from the people of Shipingshan, his eyes flashed. He looked at Yan Tongchun once, then lowered his eyelids and looked away.

His face remained expressionless, but his mind was constantly turning.

Seven years ago at the Fanyang auction, he had a conflict with Yan Tongchun. Today, he unexpectedly met him at the Shipingshan people's baby-birth celebration banquet, which was a bit troublesome.

Yan Tongchun bowed casually to everyone, and bowed deeply to Shiping Shanren: "My master should have come to congratulate Senior Shiping on his baby's birth banquet, but unfortunately, my master is in seclusion and practicing hard. He is at a critical stage in his cultivation and has no time to spare."

"I have come to the banquet on the orders of my master. I am offering three Nascent Soul Elixirs, Chengyang Pills, to congratulate Senior Shi Ping on his success in forming a Nascent Soul!"

After saying this, a jade bottle appeared out of thin air in his palm and he presented it to Shipingshanren with both hands.

Shiping Shanren took the jade bottle and said in a friendly manner, "Haha, Elder Gu is thoughtful. Little friend Yan, please take your seat."

Yan Tongchun clasped his fists and bowed again, performing all the formalities before walking to the table in the middle of the first row and sitting cross-legged.

Everyone watching this scene was filled with awe, especially the several late Jindan cultivators in the first row.

Among these five people, two are independent cultivators, but the other two, like Li Gongliang, are the heads of sects and have a small sect family behind them, which borders the sphere of influence of Bailu Academy.

The people of Shiping Mountain successfully formed a baby, and Bailu Academy became a medium-sized sect. If they want to expand their scope of power, they will be the first to bear the brunt.

Yan Tongchun seemed to be very respectful to Shipingshan, but in fact he was showing off the close relationship between Elder Gu of Haoran Sect and Shipingshan, and establishing his authority in disguise.

The three of them all sighed in their hearts, it seems that they have to cut some meat this time.

Bailu Academy has Nascent Soul cultivators and the Haoran Sect as its backer, so they can only give in.

A lot of the spiritual materials and mineral veins in their hands have to be handed over, a portion of the market income has to be divided, and even a sum of cultivation resources has to be offered.

The rest of the wandering cultivators, as well as the Jindan cultivators who came to the banquet from farther away, did not share the sorrow of these three people. Instead, their eyes were more focused on the jade bottle, marveling at the generosity of Elder Gu.

Yan Tongchun's gift was not even enough to make up a bottle of pills. It sounded very shabby, but this was a pill for the Nascent Soul stage, which needed to be refined with thousand-year-old spiritual herbs. Three pills would consume a furnace of spiritual herbs, at least three or four thousand-year-old spiritual herbs. If one had poorer alchemy skills, the amount would be even more.

This gift is of great value. The relationship between Mr. Shiping and Elder Gu is much closer than outsiders imagine.

After putting away the Chengyang Pill, Shepherd Shiping floated up to the stone, sat behind the desk, and faced the group of Jindan cultivators.

After Yan Tongchun, other Jindan cultivators also took out their gifts.

Li Gongliang said loudly: "I, the junior Mingling Sect's Sect Master Li Gongliang, specially present a piece of top-grade spiritual material Feifeng Stone to wish Senior Shi Ping a successful infant formation!"

After saying that, he took out a yellow stone shaped like a mountain from the mustard seed ring and presented it with both hands.

Shipingshan smiled and nodded, but he did not come to take it himself as he did before. Instead, Feng Tiande, who was standing beside him, raised his hand and took the yellow strange stone into his hand.

The other four late Jindan cultivators in the first row also presented their gifts one by one, which were almost the same as the Feifeng Stone that Li Gongliang took out.

It is not an ordinary high-quality spiritual material, but two or three eight-hundred-year-old spiritual herbs. For a Jindan cultivator, their value is not too low, but it is not particularly precious either.

One of the purposes of Shipingshan hosting this Nascent Soul banquet was to intimidate the surrounding small sects. The three of them did not dare to offend the Nascent Soul cultivator, so they had to come, but they would not bring any rare gifts.

The gifts presented by the crowd were divided according to their cultivation level, from high to low. After the five Jindan cultivators, it was finally Chen Yuan's turn.

Chen Yuan clasped his fists and bowed, saying loudly: "Junior Chen Yuan, a casual cultivator, specially presents fifty high-quality spirit stones to wish Senior Shi Ping a successful infant formation!"

After saying that, he raised his sleeve and a small pile of spirit stones appeared out of thin air on the table.

The spiritual herbs and materials on him were extremely precious, so he naturally couldn't bear to take them out as gifts. He simply took out fifty high-quality spirit stones. Although it was a bit tacky, no one could say anything about such an amount.

Chen Yuan made a good deal by using these spirit stones to listen to a Nascent Soul cultivator's experience in forming a Nascent Soul.

Seeing Chen Yuan's generous move, Feng Tiande couldn't help but smile.

He invited Chen Yuan to the banquet in order to resolve the hatred, and he did not want to force Chen Yuan to give him an expensive gift.

But after all, he was the one who invited Chen Yuan. If the gift was too small, it would be a loss of face for Feng Tiande.

Fifty high-grade spirit stones were enough to buy a high-grade spirit material. Compared with the other five people, this gift was not light.

He was about to raise his hand to take the fifty spirit stones into his hand, when Yan Tongchun suddenly said, "Wait a minute!"

Feng Tiande was stunned, put down his hand, turned his head and looked over. Everyone looked at Yan Tongchun like him. Even Shipingshanren on the stone platform was slightly startled.

Yan Tongchun turned around, looking past the two of them and staring at Chen Yuan: "This Daoist Chen's name is exactly the same as an old friend of mine, and his voice sounds very familiar. Did Daoist Chen attend the Fanyang auction seven years ago? Was he sitting in box 59?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Chen Yuan with surprised looks.

They had never heard of Chen Yuan's name. He was actually an old friend of Yan Tongchun. He was really a hidden talent to be related to the Haoran Sect monks. But those who were quick-witted had already realized that if Chen Yuan was an old friend of Yan Tongchun, how could the two of them not recognize each other in person? There must be something fishy going on.

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Yes, Chen did attend the Fanyang Auction seven years ago and sat in Box No. 59."

Yan Tongchun's eyes flashed with coldness, and he sneered, "Fellow Daoist Chen spent 1,200 high-grade spirit stones to snatch the Sky-Suppressing Stone from me. His wealth left a deep impression on me."

"Fellow Daoist Chen came to attend Senior Shi Ping's infant-birth celebration today, but he only brought out fifty high-grade spirit stones as a gift. Isn't that underestimating Senior Shi Ping?"

At the Fanyang auction, he was embarrassed by Chen Yuan. After the auction, he found the cultivators from the three sects in Fanyang to inquire about Chen Yuan's background.

However, although Yan Tongchun was a true disciple of the Haoran Sect, he was a Jindan cultivator and was not qualified enough for the three sects of Fanyang to make an exception.

He could only act in private, using spirit stones to pave the way. He learned Chen Yuan's name, but did not get his portrait, let alone his origins.

Helplessly, Yan Tongchun could only put the matter aside, but he remembered the name and Chen Yuan's voice deeply.

When Chen Yuan introduced himself today, he immediately recognized it and questioned him. Chen Yuan admitted it so readily, which made him even more furious.

He had extraordinary talent and became a disciple of the Haoran Sect. His master was a Nascent Soul cultivator. In less than three hundred years, he had cultivated to the late Jindan stage and became a true disciple of the Haoran Sect. He was arrogant and looked down on the cultivators outside the ten major sects.

Chen Yuan rejected his honor in public, but still dared to appear in front of him. He really doesn't know how to live or die!

Without waiting for Chen Yuan to answer, Yan Tongchun bowed to the hermit Shiping on the stone platform and asked, "Senior Shiping, this fellow Daoist Chen is a casual cultivator, but he is able to attend your infant-birth celebration banquet. Is he old friends with you?"

Shiping Shanren frowned and said in a deep voice: "Superintendent Feng, explain this matter clearly to Young Friend Yan."

The banquet to celebrate the formation of the Nascent Soul usually invites many fellow practitioners and newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivators from large sects. Naturally, there is no shortage of guests, and even quite a few Nascent Soul cultivators will attend the banquet.

But Bailu Academy is just a small sect. When the people of Shiping Mountain formed their infant form, they could not invite many Nascent Soul cultivators, let alone those in the late Jindan stage. So they even invited independent cultivators to make the scene more lively.

A few days ago, Feng Tiande reported to Shipingshan that he wanted to invite a casual cultivator in the late Jindan stage to a banquet. Naturally, he would not refuse, as he did not know Chen Yuan.

Feng Tiande's mind raced, and he bowed to Yan Tongchun and said, "Fellow Daoist Yan, there was a misunderstanding between my son and Daoist Chen's disciple, so I invited Daoist Chen to attend the mountain master's baby celebration banquet."

"This move was not only in compliance with the order of the headmaster, but also to clear up misunderstandings. As for what happened between Fellow Daoist Chen and Fellow Daoist Yan, I am not aware of it."

Yan Tongchun asked, "What misunderstanding? Is it that this disciple of Taoist Chen is bullying your son?"

Feng Tiande shook his head. "That's not the case. My son acted rashly and offended Chen Daoyou's disciple. Feng has already explained everything to Chen Daoyou."

Yan Tongchun stared at Feng Tiande and said slowly, "Feng Daoyou, you should think about it again. Maybe your son is wrong."

Feng Tiande said sincerely: "My son has a bad temper, and everyone knows it. I have already understood it clearly. It was indeed my son who made the mistake first."

How could he not see that Yan Tongchun wanted to take this opportunity to embarrass Chen Yuan?

But he was a smooth and versatile person. He didn't want to offend the true disciples of Haoran Sect, nor did he want to offend Chen Yuan, a cultivator in the late Jindan stage. So he simply told the truth and didn't give Yan Tongchun this excuse.

Yan Tongchun frowned and looked very dissatisfied, but since Feng Tiande was unwilling to testify against Chen Yuan, he had no choice but to give up.

Yan Tongchun turned to Shiping Shanren and bowed, saying solemnly: "Senior Shiping, in my opinion, this Taoist friend Chen has an unknown origin and only took out fifty high-grade spirit stones as a gift. He humiliated you and was disrespectful. You must not let him go easily. I am willing to capture this beast and make him apologize to you!"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the Jindan cultivators who had been watching the show silently were stunned.

Even the gift of fifty high-quality spirit stones was disrespectful, so weren't the gifts brought out by the other people also humiliating the people of Shiping Mountain?

The remaining Jindan cultivators with lower cultivation levels could not even afford to give out any gifts.

Yan Tongchun's words were clearly specious. In order to cause trouble for Chen Yuan, he even ignored them and went so far as to disrupt the Shipingshan people's baby-birth celebration banquet!
Such arrogance made everyone indignant, and there was anger in their eyes when they looked at Yan Tongchun.

Yan Tongchun turned around and gave everyone a cold glance. No one dared to meet his gaze. They all lowered their heads and raised their teacups to hide their embarrassment.

Yan Tongchun sneered, turned around, and said with a folded hand: "Senior Shi Ping, please look into this!"

Some wandering cultivators like lonely ghosts and a few small sects like floating duckweed and catkins might die any day and their inheritance would disappear. In his eyes, they were just like ants and he did not take them seriously at all.

Shipingshanren's face darkened. Yan Tongchun was too arrogant and even wanted to make trouble at his baby-birth celebration banquet.

But behind Yan Tongchun is the Haoran Sect and Elder Gu, who is in the middle stage of the Nascent Soul. He doesn't want the banquet to be disrupted, but he doesn't want to offend Elder Gu even more.

The Haoran Sect has been passed down for tens of thousands of years. No matter how many storms and disasters it has experienced, it has always stood firm. It is the sky of Renzhou, and no one can challenge its majesty.

What's more, he was able to form his Nascent Soul with the help of Elder Gu. He must not create any grudges with Elder Gu after forming his Nascent Soul.

All the dissatisfaction that the people of Shipingshan had with Yan Tongchun turned into disgust with Chen Yuan. They said coldly, "Chen Yuan, do you have anything to explain?"

Chen Yuan had been looking indifferent and watching from the sidelines.

At this time, Mr. Shiping spoke, and he looked at Yan Tongchun and said calmly: "Whether the gift of fifty high-grade spirit stones is important or not is up to Senior Shiping to judge. What does it have to do with Fellow Daoist Yan?"

"And Daoist Fellow Yan said something that I strongly disagree with. The Sky-Suppressing Stone is not Daoist Fellow Yan's. Just as Brother Zhang said, at an auction, the highest bidder wins. Did Daoist Fellow Yan forget that?" (End of this chapter)