Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

The wilderness is covered with thick white snow, which undulates like a vast white ocean.

The cold wind was as sharp as a knife, biting and piercing, blowing up countless snowflakes that danced wildly in the open wilderness. The light grey clouds in the sky seemed to be frozen, and it was so depressing that it was maddening.

In the distance, an isolated city stands, like a giant beast lying on the earth, looming in the wind and snow.

The gray-white city wall is about ten feet high and covered with a layer of transparent ice. It is tall and thick.

On the city wall, there were strong soldiers wearing thick cotton-padded clothes and slightly bloated bodies. They patrolled back and forth with torches in one hand and swords in the other. From time to time, they turned their heads to look at the doomsday-like wilderness outside the city, with deep vigilance in their eyes.

A snowstorm was raging outside the city, but it was much more peaceful inside. The cold wind had stopped and only heavy snow was falling.

The streets are bustling with people coming and going, and the lights of thousands of houses are twinkling like stars in the sky.

There is a large field in the south of the city, occupying half of the city’s area. It is lush and green, and is planted with crops similar to wheat, which still stand tall even in the heavy snow.

The heavy ears of wheat weighed down the branches, causing them to slightly tilt. It was obvious that the time for harvest was almost here.

A beam of light flew over the horizon and stopped above the lonely city, revealing the figure of a young monk.

This person was tall and slender, with eyes as bright as stars and an extraordinary temperament. He was none other than Chen Yuan, who had come all the way from Renzhou.

He glanced around and his eyes fell on the top of the city gate, where the words "Shuofeng" were engraved.

The map of Hanzhou given to him by Mr. Qingliu appeared in Chen Yuan’s mind. He nodded slightly and escaped.

Jiuxianzhou is vast and boundless. Among the thirteen states, the largest one, such as Xizhou in the far west, has a radius of more than 600,000 miles, and the smallest one, such as Jingzhou in the center, has a radius of more than 200,000 miles.

Hanzhou is located in the upper reaches, with a radius of more than 400,000 miles. However, the north is a permafrost ice field, and the south is a desolate wilderness. It is as cold as winter all year round, with little sunlight, and is not suitable for human survival.

But in such a vast area, no matter how barren and desolate it is, there are many spiritual veins distributed, as well as many cultivation resources such as spiritual stone veins, spiritual material veins, etc.

In the past, some clans and families offended the major clans in the state and were forced to move north, or some independent cultivators traveled around Hanzhou and discovered spiritual veins and mines and founded their own sects.

Gradually, Hanzhou became like the other eleven states except Nanzhou, with numerous sects and families.

But unlike other states, the environment in Hanzhou is too harsh, natural disasters occur frequently, and monsters roam the wasteland. Mortals cannot even grow crops and cannot survive at all.

Although immortals and mortals have different paths, those who practice immortality are all mortals.

The fewer the number of mortals, the fewer people with spiritual roots there are. If a sect cannot recruit new disciples, even the most powerful one will perish.

In order to ensure that the family has successors and the inheritance is not extinguished, the monks of Hanzhou cannot sit back and watch the mortals fend for themselves. They built strong cities, set up formations, regulated the climate, resisted monsters, and protected the mortals under their rule so that they could reproduce.

This Shuofeng City was built by Guanlan Sect, a medium-sized sect in Hanzhou, relying on a medium-sized spiritual vein.

……

As soon as Chen Yuan landed, a figure rose from the tower and shouted, "Fellow Daoist, please stay!"

Chen Yuan stopped, and a big man with a beard came in front of Chen Yuan, emitting an aura that showed he was at the initial stage of foundation building.

He was wearing a thick fur coat and looked Chen Yuan up and down with a wary look in his eyes.

Seeing Chen Yuan wearing a thin white gown, the big man's pupils shrank.

At this moment, there was a raging snowstorm and the weather was freezing cold. If it was just an ordinary snowstorm, it would be fine, but the snowstorm in Hanzhou contained a thin layer of icy power.

Any mortal who leaves the city will freeze to death in a short while.

Even monks walking in the wind and snow would feel the cold entering their bodies and become unbearable.

This man was dressed in a long gown and had a ruddy complexion. He was not afraid of the wind and snow at all. Either he had a high level of cultivation, or his robes were of a high quality that could keep out the cold.

The big man's guard disappeared and he bowed: "I am Nie Rutie, the deacon of Guanlan Sect. May I ask if you would like to enter Shuofeng Market?"

Chen Yuan nodded: "Not bad."

The big man felt relieved and said, "Please show us your cultivation level, fellow Taoist."

Chen Yuan's mind moved, and the aura of a cultivator in the early stage of Jindan dissipated.

The big man's face turned pale, and his expression immediately became respectful. He clasped his fists and bowed: "So you are a Jindan Master. I am sorry for the rudeness."

As he spoke, he flicked the storage bag at his waist, took out a jade token, and presented it with both hands: "Our sect does not charge any spirit stones for Jindan Zhenren to enter the city. This is a pass token. Anyone holding this token can freely enter and exit the Shuofeng City formation."

"Senior, you only need to leave a trace of spiritual awareness in the token, which will last for a year."

Chen Yuan nodded slightly, raised his hand and took the jade token into his hand, leaving a trace of spiritual imprint.

The big man raised his hand and beckoned: "Senior, please follow me."

Chen Yuan, holding the jade token, followed the big man. After passing through a layer of curtain that blocked the strong wind, he came to the west of the city and lowered the escape light.

Shuofeng City is a huge city with a radius of one hundred miles, and it has everything including hills, rivers, fields and forests.

The mountain gate of Guanlan Sect is located in the north of the city. The east of the city is where mortals live. The south of the city is full of fields. The west of the city is where the market is located.

Hanzhou is a barren place, and the world of immortal cultivation is weak. There is only one large sect, the Bingling Sect, and there are only six medium-sized sects, including the Guanlan Sect.

The magnificence of Shuofeng City is enough to rank among the top seven in Hanzhou. Among the several majestic cities, it is the northernmost.

Renzhou and Hanzhou are separated by Yuezhou and Weizhou. Chen Yuan flew hundreds of thousands of miles without stopping, and it took him nearly a month to reach Hanzhou.

Due to refining Kunpeng's true blood, after forming the Nascent Soul, his escape speed increased by at least two times compared to before, exceeding that of ordinary Nascent Soul early stage cultivators, and his true essence consumption was negligible.

After he entered Hanzhou, he still did not stop. It took him a few more days to reach Shuofeng City, where he stopped to rest for a while. He also wanted to find out about the situation of the Hanzhou monster clan.

The two men landed at the entrance of the market town, and the big man clasped his fists and bowed again: "Senior, flying is prohibited in Shuofeng City. Please do not leave the west of the city. If it causes any misunderstanding, it will be bad."

Chen Yuan nodded, and the big man flew back to the city wall.

He retracted his gaze and walked into the market town. The Qi-refining monks on duty saluted respectfully when they saw the jade token in his hand.

Before Chen Yuan set off, Mr. Qingliu gave him a few jade slips, which recorded the map of Hanzhou and the situation of the immortal world.

The mortals in the fortified cities are the foundation of every sect and family in Hanzhou. In the past, there were cultivators who sneaked into the cities built by the hostile sects and massacred the mortals, turning them into water without a source and trees without roots, and thus they declined and perished.

But monks always have to share what they have, so every city has a market town. Foreign monks are forbidden to leave the market town, let alone enter areas where mortals live.

Further north of Shuofeng Market is the Icefield, close to the demon tribe’s territory. Many cultivators enter the Icefield to hunt demon beasts, and then return to Shuofeng City to sell demon pills and demon beast materials. All the major sects in Hanzhou have opened shops here, and even sects from other states come here to purchase demon pills and demon beast materials.

This resulted in a large number of foreign cultivators in Shuofengfang City, which was second only to Bingling City among the major cities in Hanzhou, and had the strictest control.

Not far apart on the street, there were Qi-refining monks patrolling, with vigilance in their eyes, scanning the monks passing by.

There were also foundation-building monks flying across the sky from time to time, patrolling everywhere to guard against any trouble.

Under Guanlan Zong's painstaking governance, Shuofengfang City became increasingly prosperous, with streets lined with buildings, all built with fine wood, some delicate and elegant, others majestic and magnificent.

In this cold state where no vegetation grows, only monks can be so extravagant.

The houses where ordinary people live are all built with stones collected from the wilderness, and they are crude and ugly.

There were many monks coming and going on the street, and bright lanterns were hung on the side of the street, illuminating the dim road.

In addition to shops on the street, there are also monks setting up stalls to sell the monster materials they have. The Qi-refining monks shout loudly to attract customers, just like in a mortal street market.

As Chen Yuan walked on the street, he felt a sense of familiarity. If it weren't for the heavy snow, he would have thought he had returned to the Blood Island.

Before he had walked far, several monks in thick fur coats came over, both men and women. They all bowed respectfully and asked Chen Yuan if he needed a guide.

Chen Yuan looked around. These cultivators were all very young. Most of them were in the early stage of Qi Refining. Only one was at the fourth level of Qi Refining. There were both men and women, and they all looked quite ordinary.

Chen Yuan randomly selected a young monk. The others were a little disappointed and scattered around, looking for other monks who had entered the market.

There was a heavy snowstorm, and there were not many cultivators coming from outside Shuofeng City. Only a few foundation-building cultivators, accompanied by cultivators from Guanlan Sect, descended from the sky. They were the target of these young men.

The other cultivators all entered through the city gate, and their cultivation levels were all below the foundation-building stage.

Many of them had iron plates tied around their waists, which showed that they had been to Shuofeng Market before and it was impossible for them to hire a guide.

The young monk was only sixteen or seventeen years old, just a teenager.

Perhaps because he had not seen the sun for many years, his skin looked a little pale and his appearance was childish, but he always had a smile on his face and seemed extremely enthusiastic, which made people feel good about him.

He clasped his fists and bowed, saying respectfully, "I grew up in Shuofeng City and am very familiar with the market town. Where would you like to go, senior?"

Chen Yuan said calmly: "No hurry, take me around the market first."

"Yes." The enthusiastic young man raised his hand and beckoned, "Senior, please follow me."

He led the way, saying, "Senior, you must have come to Hanzhou to hunt monsters, right? You've come to the right place. Shuofeng City is the closest to the ice field. Every year, many cultivators come from all over Hanzhou to Shuofeng City. There are also many cultivators from other states who come to hunt monsters on the ice field, and then return to the city to sell monster pills and monster materials..."

Chen Yuan asked curiously, "How do you know that I am a cultivator from another state?"

The enthusiastic young man turned his head and glanced at Chen Yuan, and said respectfully: "The monks in Hanzhou like to wear fur coats. Even if they have a high level of cultivation and are not afraid of the cold, they often do not change this habit. The senior is wearing a thin shirt, so he must be from another state."

Chen Yuan suddenly realized something and looked around. The monks passing by were looking at him with different eyes. His outfit was indeed very conspicuous.

He looked at the enthusiastic young man and asked, "Is there any shop in the market that sells vestments?"

The enthusiastic young man smiled and said, "Of course, please go this way, senior."

Chen Yuan followed the enthusiastic young man to a shop that looked extremely elegant, where various vestments were sold.

Chen Yuan bought several sets of spiritual-grade robes, all made from the fur of third-level monsters.

After he put it on, he looked no different from the local monks, covering his entire body with thick, smooth fur on the collar. He looked elegant and noble, like a rich young man going out for a winter outing.

These robes were not expensive, costing only two high-quality spirit stones in total, but in the eyes of the enthusiastic young man, his attitude became even more respectful.

Anyone who can casually purchase several spiritual instruments and robes is either a Jindan Zhenren or a foundation-building cultivator with a very deep background.

After walking out of the store, the enthusiastic young man smiled and said, "Senior, where are we going next?"

"Go around the market and introduce all the famous shops."

"Okay, this Spirit Weapon Hall was opened by the Hanlian Sect. It specializes in selling magical instruments and spiritual instruments. It is said that they also sell magic treasures. The Hanlian Sect controls a vein of cold flames and is best at refining ice-attributed spiritual instruments. If you need anything, you can go and take a look..."

The two walked and stopped in the market, and the enthusiastic young man introduced every shop they passed along the way.

He knew the origins of all the shops and gave extremely detailed introductions. He could even tell the general origins of many monks who set up stalls on the street.

With his introduction, Chen Yuan's understanding of Shuofengfang City quickly deepened, and he became more and more curious about the enthusiastic young man.

The two of them walked very slowly, and it took them an hour to walk through just half of the market.

After the enthusiastic young man finished introducing another store, Chen Yuan asked, "Before I came to Hanzhou, I had read a lot of classics and I know a lot about Hanzhou."

"I heard that the Hanzhou sect will regularly check the mortals in the city, and as long as they have spiritual roots, they will be accepted into the sect. Since you grew up in Shuofeng City, why are you a casual cultivator?"

The enthusiastic young man's face darkened, and the smile that had always been on his face also faded: "My parents are both independent cultivators. They came to Shuofeng City to hunt monsters. Five years ago, they entered the ice field to hunt monsters and never came back."

"At that time, I was already twelve years old, which was over the age limit for joining Guanlan Sect. I also had a low level of cultivation and did not dare to go to the ice field to hunt monsters. I had no choice but to act as a guide in Shuofeng Market to earn some spirit stones for my cultivation."

Chen Yuan frowned: "Are those young guides the same as you?"

The enthusiastic young man nodded and smiled bitterly: "The children of the independent cultivators in Shuofeng City who are talented have already joined the Guanlan Sect. Those without spiritual roots can also become rich."

“For the remaining pseudo-spiritual root cultivators, instead of joining Guanlan Sect and running around and toiling, it is better for them to cultivate on their own. When their cultivation is improved, they can also hunt monsters with their parents.”

"But the ice field is very dangerous. Monks die every day. If your parents don't come back, you can only find a way out on your own."

"Those with outstanding looks can be hired by various shops to serve customers, but those of us with average looks and mediocre qualifications can only work as guides and earn some hard-earned money."

His tone was very lonely. Chen Yuan sighed and stopped asking questions.

The enthusiastic young man put on a smile again and continued to introduce the shops along the street.

The two of them walked all over the market town in the falling snow.

In a remote corner with no one around, Chen Yuan found a medium-grade spirit stone from the corner of the mustard seed ring, handed it to the enthusiastic young man, and said gently: "Practice diligently, and you may achieve something in the future."

The enthusiastic young man showed gratitude on his face and bowed deeply: "Thank you very much, senior!" (End of this chapter)