Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Chen Yuan glanced at the scroll: "This is..."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man in brocade clothes quickly unfolded it.

This is a painting that has turned slightly yellow.

The painting shows a young man in tight clothes, who looks exactly like Chen Yuan. He holds a long sword in both hands and makes the starting stance of the Five Tigers Breaking Door Sword. His eyes are sharp and he looks extraordinary and heroic.

The middle-aged man in brocade clothes explained, "My great uncle, this is a portrait passed down from our ancestors, and it has been kept in the clan's library."

"My son told me that my great-uncle had come. My great-grandson immediately went to the library and found the portrait of my great-uncle. My son recognized it as soon as he saw it."

Chen Yuan stared at himself in the painting. The painter had great skills and had painted him very lifelike.

The long sword was exactly the same as all the weapons he had back then. In a trance, he seemed to have returned to one hundred and eighty years ago when he was still in the Fuhu Gang.

Manager Li who wanted to plot against him but was plotted against by him, Zhao Shan who was forced by him to kill Manager Li, Xie Quan and Wu Dong of Black Wind Village, Wei Wuding who was scheming but died at the hands of Master Duan Fang, Luo Zhenwu who wanted to revive the Fuhu Gang, and Master Duan Fang who looked like an immortal but was actually cruel and vicious...

In the blink of an eye, one hundred and eighty years had passed. He had become a Nascent Soul cultivator and lived for over a thousand years, while these people had all turned to dust.

And his relatives. Chen Yuan's eyes fell on a corner of the portrait, on which was written a line of words in delicate small characters: "Mid-Autumn Festival of the Year of Yi Hai, my second brother has been away from home for 21 years. My younger sister is looking at the moon and missing him, so I specially asked the master painter Han Bai to paint this."

"Little sister..." Chen Yuan whispered to himself, his eyes full of guilt.

He still remembered what he said to his younger sister when he left home.

"Then, second brother, if you can become an immortal, take me to the sky to have a look, okay?"

"Then you will have to wait a very long time before I can become an immortal."

"Forget it then. Second brother is just a liar. He doesn't even come back for the New Year, and he still talks about cultivating immortals. What a bad guy!"

My little sister should have been waiting for him to come back, right?
She must have wanted to see her second brother again, but after that night, her second brother, whom she was deeply attached to, never returned.

Chen Yuan stared at this sentence in a daze, suddenly sighed, and slowly closed the scroll.

My little sister is right, he did break his promise.

He felt guilty, but he never regretted it.

Chen Yuan looked up at the middle-aged man and said, "Can you give me this painting?"

The middle-aged man said respectfully: "This is the portrait of Zeng Shuzu, so we should present it to Zeng Shuzu."

Chen Yuan put the portrait into the mustard seed ring. The middle-aged man couldn't help but feel happy when he saw the portrait disappear out of thin air.

This ancestor lived for more than two hundred years and still had such miraculous skills. He was indeed a cultivator.

Seeing his happy expression, Chen Yuan asked, "Have you ever seen an immortal cultivator?"

The middle-aged man replied, "My great-grandson has seen a master perform magic to take things out of thin air. It was extraordinary, but not as good as my great-uncle who could summon a mountain."

Chen Yuan laughed: "Calling out a mountain? I don't have that ability yet. It seems that the Chen family is very prosperous now, with the title of Marquis, and they also know about the existence of immortal cultivators. Are you the current Marquis of Bandit Suppression?"

The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "The Marquis of Dangkou is my brother, named Chen Huaixiang. He is currently the General Zhendong, guarding the Wuwang Pass in Yaozhou. I am only responsible for looking after the old house."

"Since the Chen family has been conferred the title of marquis, why do you still want to stay in Chenjia Village?"

The middle-aged man said solemnly: "This is our ancestral precept. We, the descendants, dare not disobey it."

"In the past, Yuzhou was in chaos and the Chen family moved north. Before his death, my great-grandfather asked my great-grandfather to move his tomb back to Chenjia Village in the future, rebuild the Chen family, and comfort our ancestors."

Chen Yuan sighed softly and turned to look at Chen Tiezhu's tablet: "You are thoughtful. Why did the Chen family move north in the past, and how did they become marquisates?"

The middle-aged man replied: "At that time, Yuzhou suffered frequent droughts and floods. Although the disaster was not serious, Uncle Zhao Shi urged Emperor Gaozu to leave Yuzhou..."

"Are you talking about Zhao Shan?" Chen Yuan interrupted.

The middle-aged man nodded: "That's right, because of my great-uncle, Uncle Zhao has been very caring towards the Chen family."

"My great-grandfather listened to Uncle Zhao's advice and immediately sold his land and farmland. Together with the Zhao family, he crossed the Chimang Mountains and moved north to Lingzhou."

"Sure enough, within a few years, Yuzhou suffered a great disaster, and locusts passed through the area, and the people were living in misery."

"The White Lotus sect took the opportunity to start an uprising, and the imperial court sent troops to suppress it, killing people in a bloody massacre, with corpses strewn all over the ground."

"Later, my great-grandfather sent people back to Yuzhou to investigate and found that Chenjia Village had been burned to a white ground. Fortunately, he listened to the advice of his great-uncle Zhao."

"To this day, the Chen family and the Zhao family are still old friends, supporting each other in the court."

"I didn't expect such a change would happen back then... What happened later?" Chen Yuan said.

The middle-aged man said, "When Gaozu and Uncle Zhao led their families to migrate north, the White Lotus Rebellion had already occurred in Lingzhou. It was suppressed by the imperial court and a large number of people died."

"Some refugees fled to other states. The population was sparse and a large number of fields were left uncultivated. Instead, the state became peaceful."

"But in troubled times, wealth is not to be revealed. Gaozu only took out a small amount of silver, bought a hundred acres of land, and hid himself away from disaster, not daring to show off."

"Great-uncle Zhao was highly skilled in martial arts and accepted the children of the Chen family as his apprentices. The great-grandson's grandfather, Chen Yansi, was extremely talented and had practiced martial arts since he was a child. He had already developed internal strength when he was only twenty years old."

"My grandfather had great ambitions at a young age. He joined the army, fought in many battles, suppressed bandits at home, and defended against foreign enemies. He made outstanding contributions."

"When he was forty-three years old, the imperial court conferred the title of Marquis of Suppressing Bandits on my grandfather, and he inherited the title. He was appointed General Zhendong, and established a government and guarded the Wuwang Pass in Yaozhou. He died at the age of ninety-four, and for fifty-one years, the army of Chengguo did not dare to cross the line."

"Chen Yansi..." Chen Yuan murmured, "Big brother gave birth to a good son. What happened to your great-grandfather?"

The middle-aged man said, "According to my grandfather, my great-grandfather was honest, diligent, thrifty, and worked hard himself, tending the land and property. He was a descendant of my great-great-grandfather."

"My great-grandfather and great-grandmother loved each other all their lives. They died at the age of 74. They had three sons and two daughters, and my grandfather was the youngest son."

Chen Yuan recalled the time when he went to Baibing Hall as an apprentice and Chen Daniu stuffed a hundred copper coins into his pocket with a silly smile, and remained silent.

After a while, he spoke again: "My little sister...how did she become?"

"You mean the great-aunt?" the middle-aged man said, "The great-aunt died at the age of eighty-seven. She and her great-uncle grandfather loved each other very much and had three sons and one daughter."

Chen Yuan thought of his little sister's innocent appearance, and felt sad. He murmured, "She is healthy and well, and the couple loves each other, which is not bad... What about her children? Are they successful?"

The middle-aged man said, "After my grandfather was conferred the title of marquis, the great-grandson's line became the eldest branch, and the great-great-aunt's line became the fourth branch, and they flourished greatly."

"According to the court rules, only the eldest son can inherit the title. When the fourth son reaches adulthood, he will go to Wuwang Pass and serve in the Zhendong General's Mansion. The clan has never treated him unfairly."

Chen Yuan nodded slightly: "Yes, one branch has been conferred a title of nobility, and the other branches have not been forgotten, but nepotism is not allowed."

"Great-grandson understands." The middle-aged man said seriously.

Chen Yuan looked up at the magnificent ancestral hall and said calmly, "You don't have to obey the ancestral teachings blindly. Since the Marquis of Dangkou has been guarding Wuwang Pass for generations, let's move the Chen family there."

The middle-aged man looked embarrassed: "This matter is a bit difficult to handle..." The young man said angrily: "It's because the court doesn't allow us to move, and they want to use the Chen family to hold my father hostage. Other generals guarding the border are the same..."

“Shut up! How can you be so rude in front of your great-uncle!” The middle-aged man became furious and shouted harshly.

The young man shut his mouth, but his face was still filled with indignation.

Chen Yuan waved his hand: "It's okay. Although you call me great uncle or great uncle, I don't protect the Chen family. You don't have to be restrained in front of me."

After he said this, the young man became respectful: "Although I am young, I also know that my great grandfather (note) was originally a villager of Chenjia Village, and my great-great grandfather was a long-term worker in the landlord's family. Our family was poor."

"It was Uncle Gao who joined a gang, learned martial arts, and bought land for the Chen family."

"It was because of my great uncle that my great uncle Zhao Shi took good care of the Chen family and taught my great-grandfather martial arts. That's why the Chen family is what it is today."

"The prosperity of the Chen family began with Great Uncle Gao, and all the descendants are grateful for Great Uncle Gao's kindness."

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "You are quite eloquent. Is Chen Huaixiang your father?"

The young man nodded and said, "My father has three sons, and I am the second."

Chen Yuan looked him over, his eyes falling on his coarse linen clothes and straw sandals: "As the son of a marquis, why are you dressed so simply?"

The young man said angrily, "I was studying at the Imperial College in the capital, and the son of the Minister of Personnel bullied a poor classmate and wanted to forcefully marry his sister."

"I couldn't bear it, so I beat him up severely. He couldn't get out of bed for half a year, and was... punished by my uncle to clean the ancestral hall for three months."

He secretly glanced at the middle-aged man, and the middle-aged man narrowed his eyes. He immediately retracted his gaze and dared not look again.

The middle-aged man clasped his fists and bowed, explaining, "Great uncle, according to my great-great grandfather's legacy, every year when the Chen family worships their ancestors, they must wear linen clothes and straw sandals, remembering that their ancestors came from humble origins and that wealth and honor are hard to come by, so they must not forget their roots."

"My grandfather later set a rule that whenever a child of the Chen family made a mistake, he had to wear linen clothes and straw sandals, eat simple meals, clean the ancestral hall, and reflect on his mistakes."

The young man whispered: "I am punishing evil and promoting good..."

The middle-aged man glared at him fiercely: "Although Qin Rucai is a worthless person, you are a student of the Imperial Academy. You relied on your martial arts skills to beat up your classmate and seriously injured him. Isn't that wrong?"

The young man didn't dare to refute anymore and lowered his head in dejection.

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Don't be too harsh. The Chen family is lucky to have this generation."

He looked at the young man again: "But you must also remember that you must do everything within your ability."

The young man said happily, "I will definitely follow Uncle Gao's teachings and never beat anyone in the street again. I will only act in secret and will never cause trouble for the Chen family."

"You!" The middle-aged man glared at the young man.

The young man had a silly smile on his face, and the middle-aged man shook his head helplessly. In front of Chen Yuan, it was difficult for him to teach this naughty nephew a lesson.

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "It is fate that I met you two today, so I will give you two pills. After taking them, you will be free from all diseases and live over a hundred years."

After saying that, he took out a hundred-year-old spiritual herb from the mustard seed ring. His true fire rose, and in an instant he refined and purified it, turning it into two balls of pure spiritual liquid, which were then condensed into two pills that slowly flew towards the two people.

Both of them are mortals and can only withstand the medicinal effects of Qi Refining Pills at most.

But the worst of the spiritual herbs he had was a hundred-year-old one. He could only take out a spiritual herb with a strong origin and turn it into a pill. Compared with the pills of the Qi Refining Stage, the effect was similar.

"Thank you, great uncle, for the elixir!" The two were overjoyed. They took the elixir and swallowed it immediately.

The young man's internal organs were shaken and his injuries were serious, but after the pill entered his stomach, his injuries healed instantly and his face became rosy.

Chen Yuan said calmly: "The Chen family is thriving and has a solid family tradition. I am relieved."

"You can ignore other things, but you must remember one ancestral teaching: don't forget your roots, don't bully others, and don't humiliate the people."

The middle-aged man was surprised and asked, "Won't the great uncle meet with other people?"

Chen Yuan shook his head slightly: "I am devoted to seeking the truth and have already escaped from the secular world. What happens to the Chen family in the future has nothing to do with me."

The young man hesitated for a moment and said, "I also want to cultivate immortality. Can Uncle Gao teach me the method of cultivating immortality?"

Chen Yuan shook his head: "Only those with spiritual roots can cultivate immortality. I have checked and no one in the Chen family has spiritual roots. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind passing on the method of cultivating immortality."

A trace of disappointment flashed across the young man's eyes. The middle-aged man clasped his fists and bowed: "Can you please ask Uncle Gao to pass down the immortal cultivation method? Maybe there will be someone in the Chen family who can cultivate immortality."

Chen Yuan said calmly: "The man is innocent, but he is guilty of possessing a treasure. If I give you the skills, it will harm you instead."

The middle-aged man was still a little unwilling: "But..."

Seeing his appearance, Chen Yuan sighed and said, "Well, I will leave you five basic techniques. After the Chen family members turn thirteen, they can try to practice them."

The middle-aged man was overjoyed and bowed deeply: "Thank you, great uncle!"

Chen Yuan found a manual that recorded the basic five elements techniques, read it through, then took out a pen, ink, paper and inkstone, wrote down the techniques, and handed them to the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man put it away carefully, and the young man's eyes were fixed on the stack of rice paper. It was obvious that he was still unwilling to give it a try.

Chen Yuan shook his head slightly and walked out the door: "Take care of yourself..."

"Farewell, great-uncle." The two men bowed.

When they looked up, Chen Yuan had disappeared.

In the sky, Chen Yuan slowly flew out of Chenjia Village with mixed feelings.

It is unclear whether it is a blessing or a curse for the Chen family that he left behind basic skills.

The world of immortal cultivation is far more cruel than the mortal world. When he obtained the immortal cultivation technique, he immediately left the Chen family in order not to implicate his family. Even though he felt guilty, he never returned.

After he left Yuzhou, he offended the Huang Family, Ziyang Sect, Guiyuan Sect, and Liu Fan one after another. If he had not severed contact with his family, who knows how much trouble he would have brought to them.

In the eyes of immortal cultivators, mortals are like ants.

People will not step on ants for no reason, but they don't mind stepping on ants that break into the house.

As long as mortals have connection with the world of immortal cultivation, there will be many more risks.

The Chen family has these five basic skills. If the news leaks out, it may attract other people to spy.

It is also possible that a member of the Chen family is gifted with spiritual roots and embarks on the path of cultivating immortals, bringing great prosperity to the Chen family.

It might also bring upon the Chen family enemies that they cannot afford to offend, leading to the destruction of the entire family.

But no matter what the outcome, this is the Chen family’s own choice.

Chen Yuan gave the Chen family a lifetime of wealth and honor, and he had already repaid the karma of occupying Chen Erniu's body. What happens to the Chen family in the future has nothing to do with him. (End of this chapter)