Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

In the Zi Yang Sect's ancestral hall, more than a dozen Jindan elders gathered together. Each of them had a solemn expression, panic in their eyes, and they were barely maintaining calm.

Xie Chaohong sat on the main seat, looking at a middle-aged cultivator with a gloomy face: "Brother Qin, can you be sure that it was the Lingyun Sect that attacked?"

Eight days ago, the natal lamps of Du Qing and Du Kun suddenly went out. Xie Chaohong was shocked and immediately summoned the Jindan elders in the sect to tell them about the incident and ordered the disciples to be on high alert.

The last time a Nascent Soul cultivator appeared in the Zi Yang Sect was more than 4,000 years ago. They have become accustomed to the protection of Nascent Soul cultivators.

The Jindan elders were all in a panic, and someone suggested taking some of the cultivation resources and elite disciples and quietly evacuating the sect immediately, just in case.

Some people also think that one should not act rashly and should keep everything as normal, otherwise it will attract the attention of other sects.

Xie Chaohong also fell into hesitation, but finally decided that the entire sect should be on alert.

With the Purple Void Sword as your support, the best strategy is to stay at the mountain gate.

But what was unexpected was that within less than half a month, the Lingyun Sect came to bully them.

Although Xie Chaohong didn't know the details of the Demon Realm, he knew that the leaders of the six sects had gone to the Demon Sect to accomplish a big thing.

But Du Qing and Du Kun were both dead, but Chen Yuan was safe and sound. He even led the Lingyun sect monks to attack, which was really unexpected.

The middle-aged cultivator said solemnly, "It can't be wrong. I saw with my own eyes the Lingyun Sect's Grand Elder Chen Yuan, as well as Zhuge Qi, Jin Luoheng, Wu Zexian, Feng Ziyu... Lingyun Sect came out in full force, and they are right outside the mountain gate."

This person's name is Qin Xuan. He is a disciple of Taoist Duqing. He has reached the late Jindan stage, but his foundation is not solid, and his true essence is not pure enough. He can never advance to the false infant stage. His true essence is hopeless, and his status in the sect is slightly lower than that of Xie Chaohong.

In addition to him and Xie Chaohong, there was another late Jindan cultivator in the hall, a disciple of Taoist Du Kun, named Li Haoyang.

The Zi Yang Sect has a total of six cultivators in the late Jindan stage, which is the best among the six sects in Qi State. The other three are guarding the Yu Yang Mountain mine, Zi Yang Market, and the Lingshi mine respectively, and are not in the sect.

Dai Qing's expression changed: "Is Lingyun Sect going to provoke a war between the two sects?"

Xie Chaohong sighed softly: "Then Chen Yuan should have known the news that the headmaster and uncle Du Kun have passed away. Our sect does not have a Nascent Soul cultivator in charge."

Li Haoyang stepped out from the crowd and said in a stern voice: "Our sect still has the Purple Void Sword. With the help of the sect protection formation, we will make sure that the Lingyun sect cultivators will never return!"

"That's right, Senior Brother Li is right. The Lingyun Sect has come to our door and we must not retreat in the slightest."

“Haha, the Purple Void Sword hasn’t been unsheathed for a long time. I’m afraid the cultivators of Qi have forgotten the sharpness of this top-level magic weapon. Today, I will use Lingyun Sect as a target to let the cultivators of Qi know that even if our sect does not have Nascent Soul cultivators, they cannot be bullied casually!”

"In my opinion, we should take a long-term view on this matter. The Purple Void Sword has been feared by Qi State for thousands of years. Chen Yuan, a mere Yuanying early stage cultivator, dares to attack our sect. There must be something fishy going on. We should not act rashly..."

Everyone was talking at once, and the hall suddenly became noisy.

Xie Chaohong frowned, Dai Qing observed his expression and said loudly: "Senior brothers, please be quiet. Now that the headmaster and uncle Du Kun are both dead, everyone in the sect should listen to the orders of Senior Brother Xie and not panic!"

"Brother Dai is right. Brother Xie, before the Grand Elder left, he gave you the seal of the headmaster. Tell me, what should we do now?"

Everyone gradually quieted down. Xie Chaohong looked at Dai Qing approvingly, then pondered for a moment before looking at Qin Xuan and asking, "Besides Chen Yuan, has Senior Brother Qin ever seen Xuan Yuanzi?"

Qin Xuan shook his head and said, "I only saw Chen Yuan."

Xie Chaohong nodded slightly and said slowly: "If the Lingyun Sect really attacks with its entire sect, Xuan Yuanzi can't stay out of it. Since he didn't show up, there are only two possibilities."

"One is that he has also fallen, just like the headmaster and uncle Du Kun."

"The second is that he was seriously injured and stayed in the sect to recuperate..."

"Xie, Brother Xie, that Xuan Yuanzi is either dead, or the Lingyun Sect is just bluffing and is trying to blackmail our sect after learning about the deaths of our sect leader and Uncle Du Kun." Dai Qing suddenly said.

Xie Chaohong raised his eyebrows: "What do you mean by that?"

Everyone also looked over, with doubt in their eyes.

Dai Qing said: "If Xuan Yuanzi was seriously injured, Lingyun Sect would definitely wait until he recovered and then send two Nascent Soul cultivators to attack our sect, instead of alerting the enemy now."

"It is impossible for Chen Yuan, a cultivator in the early stage of Yuanying, to break our sect's protective formation. Lingyun Sect should just be bluffing and taking advantage of our sect's confusion to extort some cultivation resources."

"Of course, we can't let our guard down. After all, Chen Yuan has only been practicing for a short time. Maybe he is young and energetic, and has never seen the power of the Purple Void Sword. He really thinks he can break through our sect's mountain gate, so he ignored Xuan Yuanzi's death and came here with an army."

Xie Chaohong nodded slowly: "Yes, what Junior Brother Dai said is very true. He is just an early Nascent Soul cultivator. We must not lose our composure. As long as we have the Purple Void Sword, our sect will never be destroyed."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and expressed their agreement, with the panic on their faces dissipating a lot.

Dai Qing suggested again: "Xie Senior Brother, Lingyun Sect did not launch an offensive immediately, which means there is still room for negotiation. The most urgent thing is to find out what Chen Yuan is thinking, whether to fight or make peace, and then make a decision."

Xie Chaohong's eyes flashed with brilliance, he stood up, turned around and walked towards the depths of the Patriarch's Hall: "I will take out the Purple Void Sword and go meet Chen Yuan!"

……

Outside the mountain gate of Zi Yang Sect, more than two hundred monks were hanging in the sky, looking ahead with grim expressions.

Chen Yuan was in the middle, standing with his hands behind his back. Beside him were fifteen Jindan elders including Zhuge Qi and Jin Luoheng. On both sides were Lingyun Sect's foundation-building cultivators. They formed a goose-shaped formation, extending backwards and surrounding Chen Yuan who was in the front.

A hundred feet in front of everyone, there was a layer of light purple formation curtain, flickering with light.

The Zi Yang Sect's protective formation has been fully activated. Behind the formation are two Jindan elders and more than 300 foundation-building cultivators.

The two Jindan elders managed to maintain their composure, but there was uncontrollable panic in their eyes.

The faces of those foundation-building monks were filled with anger, and the hatred they looked at the Lingyun sect monks was undisguised.

They still don't know the news of Du Qing and Du Kun's death. It would be fine if the Lingyun Sect suppressed them on a normal day, but now they are actually bullying them directly at the mountain gate. This is intolerable!

The two Jindan elders looked at each other, one of them took a deep breath, clasped his fists and bowed, and said loudly: "Senior Chen, may I ask what your sect means by this?"

Chen Yuan said nothing. Zhuge Qi stepped forward and said coldly, "Let Xie Chaohong speak."

"I have informed Senior Brother Xie, please wait a moment..."

As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen beams of light flew in from the depths of the mountain gate and stopped behind the formation curtain, revealing the figures of Xie Chaohong, Dai Qing and other Jindan elders.

Xie Chaohong held a dark yellow sword box in his hands. It was about three feet long, with rough lines and a sense of vicissitudes. The two Jindan elders looked at the wooden box, their pupils shrank, and then they breathed a sigh of relief and stepped aside.

Xie Chaohong's eyes swept across the elders of Lingyun Sect, and finally stopped at Chen Yuan, and asked, "Senior Chen led the elders here together, I wonder what important matter is there?"

Chen Yuan said calmly, "Your sect is overbearing and bullying the cultivators of various sects, which has aroused the indignation of the various sects. I was also attacked and killed by Qi Yuanshan, a Jindan cultivator of your sect, and we have a blood feud. Today, I will lead the cultivators in my sect to seek justice."

Xie Chaohong smiled and said, "Senior Chen, you are wrong. Our sect has been the leader of Qi's cultivation world for thousands of years. We have always been fair and kind to others. How can we say that we are bullying others?"

"The feud between Senior Chen and Senior Brother Qi has long been settled. Senior, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, rashly provoked a fight today. Aren't you afraid that both sides will suffer losses and let others take advantage?"

Chen Yuan said calmly, "I have personally seen that fellow Daoists Du Qing and Du Kun were beheaded and their bodies were torn apart. Zi Yang Sect no longer has any Nascent Soul cultivators in charge. If you want to fight me to a draw, you are not good enough."

His voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard by every Zi Yang Sect cultivator.

The Jindan elders looked even more gloomy, while the foundation-building cultivators' faces changed drastically, and they cried out in shock, "The master and the supreme elder are both dead?"

"Impossible! The master is the number one cultivator in Qi State. As long as the great cultivator does not come out, he will have no rivals. How could he die?"

"The entire sect has been under martial law these days. Could this be related to this incident?"

There was a lot of noise everywhere. What Chen Yuan said was so shocking that they all forgot that they were in front of a Jindan elder.

Xie Chaohong's face darkened, but before he could speak, Dai Qing scolded him, "Shut up! Don't be so rude in front of the elders!"

The group of foundation-building monks finally reacted and immediately shut their mouths, remaining silent as a mouse. However, they could not hide the fear on their faces.

Xie Chaohong said calmly: "Don't panic, the Master and Uncle Du Kun's life lamps are intact and will return to the sect soon."

Everyone calmed down, and Chen Yuan stopped arguing and said calmly, "Whether Du Qing and Du Kun died or not, you know it yourself. There is no need to say more. I will give you one night to think about it. Tomorrow our faction will launch a general attack."

"Those who abandon darkness and join the light will be spared from death, but those who refuse to repent and stubbornly resist will be killed immediately after the formation is broken!"

These words were full of murderous intent, but Xie Chaohong felt relieved and raised his hand to open the sword case.

A green flying sword lay in the box, crystal clear. The sunlight shone through the lavender curtain and shone on the flying sword, flashing a purple light.

Xie Chaohong looked serious as he took out the flying sword from the sword case. He put his left hand together to form a sword finger and slowly brushed it across the sword.

The flying sword trembled slightly, making clear sounds, and sharp sword energy shot out in all directions. The monks of Zi Yang Sect quickly dispersed.

Xie Chaohong said solemnly: "Senior Chen is so powerful that I am ashamed to be inferior to him. But if you insist on doing it, I can only sacrifice my soul and body, hold this purple sword, and ask for your guidance."

Dai Qing stared at Chen Yuan and said in a cold voice, "Brother Xie, don't worry. I will go first! It was just a misunderstanding between our master and you. Besides, the master has passed away. A hundred years have passed, but you are still fussing about it. It's really a disgrace to a Nascent Soul cultivator. It's despicable."

Chen Yuan did not react, but several Jindan elders were furious. Wu Zexian scolded: "Dai Qing, there is no need for the Supreme Elder to take action. I am here to learn from your superior skills!"

"Who the hell are you? Even Taoist Du Kun had to beg for mercy from the Supreme Elder. How dare you challenge the Supreme Elder?"

Chen Yuan raised his right hand, and everyone immediately shut up, but still glared at Dai Qing.

Dai Qing did not flinch but kept sneering, as if he had already put life and death aside.

The morale of the Zi Yang Sect's foundation-building cultivators was greatly boosted, but the group of Jin Dan elders remained silent, with serious expressions.

Dai Qing is young and energetic, with a brave temperament, but they have not lived enough, and do not want to sacrifice their souls and bodies just to swing a few swords and guard the sect.

Chen Yuan's eyes fell on the Purple Void Sword, and he nodded slightly, praisingly saying, "It is indeed the treasure of the Ziyang Sect, but this sword alone is not enough to make me retreat. At this time tomorrow, I will experience the power of the Purple Void Sword."

After saying this, he flicked his sleeves, turned around and left, and the monks of Lingyun Sect hurriedly followed.

Xie Chaohong frowned, his fingers stopped at the hilt of the Zixu Sword, looking at Chen Yuan's receding back, his eyes becoming more and more serious.

He originally thought that Chen Yuan was asking for an exorbitant price and threatening him with words, and the next step would be for him to pay back the money, and then bargain, and the matter would be settled.

When the various factions in Qi State joined forces to attack Zi Yang Sect, they also put forward conditions first. When the two sides failed to reach an agreement, they started fighting.

Three elders of the Zi Yang Sect in the late Jin Dan stage sacrificed their souls and bodies to fight against five Yuan Ying cultivators, seriously injuring two of them. This made the Yuan Ying cultivators of various sects feel wary. The Zi Yang Sect then donated a sum of cultivation resources, and the cultivators of various sects retreated.

But Chen Yuan's attitude was unpredictable. He seemed to not take the Zixu Sword seriously at all and had no intention of bargaining at all.

If he was willing to offer a price, as long as it wasn't too excessive, Xie Chaohong would agree.

At the beginning, various factions joined forces to besiege Zi Yang Sect. The king made a huge demand. If Zi Yang Sect agreed, it would be tantamount to destroying the sect, so no agreement was reached.

But now, there is only Chen Yuan, an early Nascent Soul cultivator, and his appetite is definitely not comparable to that of the past.

But Chen Yuan refused to even talk and had to resort to violence. Several elders had to die before he could sit down and negotiate again.

Xie Chaohong holds the seal of the head sect, so naturally he cannot retreat.

But he doesn't want to die.

Taoist Du Kun had left him a spiritual object for forming a Nascent Soul. If the situation had not forced him, he would have already gone into seclusion to strive for the Nascent Soul and take over the position of the head of the Zi Yang Sect.

He also wanted to reach the middle or even late Nascent Soul stage, to complete the unfinished wish of Taoist Du Qing, to unify the immortal cultivation world of Qi State, to occupy the spiritual vein of Dongxu Mountain, and to make Ziyang Sect the tenth largest sect in Donghua Continent.

He still has ambitions and a long way to go, how can he die?

But Chen Yuan did not give him a second choice. He took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Zi Yang Sect monks, listen up. According to the previous regulations, carefully patrol the mountain gate and do not make any mistakes. Elders above the middle stage of Jindan, conserve your energy and prepare for the battle tomorrow!"

"Yes!" Everyone responded loudly and dispersed.

Xie Chaohong turned to look at Dai Qing, Qin Xuan and Li Haoyang, and said in a deep voice: "Brother Qin, Brother Dai, Brother Li, Chen Yuan is aggressive, this battle is unavoidable, we need to discuss it carefully, please follow me."

The three nodded and flew towards the depths of the mountain gate.

When Xie Chaohong turned around, he raised his hand and glanced at the horizon. The setting sun was like blood, covering the Ziyang Mountains with a layer of gloomy blood color. Night was coming. (End of this chapter)