Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Chongde Mountains, Haoran Peak.

Going up the steps from the foot of the mountain to a height of two thousand feet, there stands a grand hall, looming in the clouds and mist, looking magnificent and majestic.

This hall is where the elders of Haoran Sect hold meetings. At this moment, sixteen Nascent Soul cultivators are sitting on cushions, and the person leading them is Sect Master Yue.

The hall had a high dome and was spacious and open, but the atmosphere was extremely heavy and everyone's faces were extremely gloomy.

In front of Master Yue stood two extinguished natal lamps, and he said slowly, "Junior Brother Gu and Junior Brother Yang died on the same day. What do you elders think?"

An old man in yellow shirt frowned and said, "As far as I know, Junior Brother Gu should be guarding the Fire Prison right now, why is he traveling outside?"

Another young scholar said calmly, "Brother Zhang, you don't know that Brother Gu left the Fire Prison four years ago and asked Brother Qu to guard it for him for ten years."

The yellow-robed old man's face darkened. "Nonsense! Junior Brother Gu asked to guard this Fire Prison, and now he has been replaced by someone else. Are you going to let him come and go as he pleases in this important place of the sect?"

His words were very harsh, but no one spoke up to refute them. Several elders even nodded slightly in agreement.

Only two people who were on good terms with Elder Gu showed resentment in their eyes.

The old man in yellow is the direct disciple of the previous leader of Haoran Sect. He has the cultivation level of the middle Nascent Soul stage and is very experienced. Even Sect Leader Yue has to call him "Senior Brother Zhang" in private. He has a very hot temper and no one dares to provoke him easily.

The hall was silent for a while, and then Sect Master Yue spoke up: "Senior Brother Zhang, death is the greatest thing. What Junior Brother Gu did was indeed a little inappropriate."

"But the Fire Hell is filled with fire poison and the environment is harsh, which will delay your cultivation."

"It is inevitable that the elders in the sect replace each other. There is no need to blame them."

The old man in yellow snorted coldly: "Master is still a little too arrogant..."

Sect Leader Yue narrowed his eyes, and the old man in yellow stopped, but his expression was still very dissatisfied.

Everyone's eyes flickered and their expressions varied.

The Haoran Sect has never been a monolithic group. Although the old man in yellow has a lower level of cultivation than Sect Master Yue, he has a profound experience and represents the lineage of the previous sect master, so he has considerable influence in the sect.

But a great monk is a great monk. In this hall, no one dares to openly disobey Master Yue.

The hall fell silent again. Sect Master Yue looked around and said slowly, "Does any elder know where Junior Brothers Gu and Yang have gone?"

He did not mention any names, but his eyes fell on Mr. Chengli and Xinzhai Sanren.

The other elders also looked over. Mr. Chengli looked normal. Xinzhai Sanren always acted on impulse. He sneered, "Why are you looking at us two useless people?"

"Brother Gu has great magical powers. How can I, a sour scholar who only knows how to teach and educate people, know why he suffered such misfortune?"

He and Mr. Chengli succeeded in the rescue by relying on the Thunder Pill, but their strength was weaker than that of the cultivators of the same level, so the other elders inevitably looked down on them, which made him dissatisfied for a long time.

When the yellow-shirted old man scolded Elder Gu, a middle-aged scholar with an indignant look on his face said coldly: "Junior Brother Leng and Senior Brother Qingliu have always been good friends, but Senior Brother Qingliu and Senior Brother Gu have a long-standing grudge."

"Earlier, Brother Gu and Brother Yang had been defeated by Brother Qingliu over the matter of the independent cultivator Chen Yuan's infant formation. I'm afraid that he is in trouble now and it has something to do with Brother Qingliu..."

"What nonsense!" Xinzhai Sanren shouted, "Brother Hu, are you saying that Brother Qingliu violated the sect rules and killed fellow disciples?"

The middle-aged scholar flatly denied it: "Hu didn't mean it, but it happened suddenly, there must be a reason..."

"Then Senior Brother Hu shouldn't have framed his fellow disciples at will!"

"Junior Brother Leng's reaction is so extreme, could it be that he is feeling guilty..."

The two began to argue, and Sect Leader Yue frowned and said, "Two junior brothers, please wait!"

The two of them stopped at this point, but they were still glaring at each other.

Sect Leader Yue looked at Mr. Chengli and asked, "I wonder what Junior Brother Su thinks about the deaths of Elder Gu and Elder Yang?"

Mr. Chengli's surname is Su, and Xinzhai Sanren's surname is Leng. Outsiders generally don't know this, but the elders of Haoran Sect all know it.

Mr. Chengli shook his head slightly, with a look of regret on his face: "I am also extremely saddened by the death of my two senior brothers, but I am not close to them on weekdays, so I have no clue."

Senior Brother Hu asked coldly, "Then why did Senior Brother Qingliu also leave the mountain gate not long after Senior Brothers Gu and Yang left the sect?"

"And as far as I know, Senior Brother Qingliu has not returned since he left the sect."

"During this period, Senior Brother Gu and Senior Brother Yang's life essence lamps went out. This is too much of a coincidence."

Xinzhai Sanren became furious and was about to refute, but Mr. Chengli raised his hand to stop him.

He looked at Elder Hu and said calmly, "I really don't know the reason. If Senior Brother Hu doesn't believe it, there is nothing I can do."

Senior Brother Hu snorted coldly, but said nothing more.

Everyone had frowns on their faces. The feud between Elder Gu and Mr. Qingliu was well known to everyone, but to hear of fellow disciples killing each other was a bit shocking.

Moreover, Mr. Qingliu is only in the early stage of Nascent Soul, and is definitely no match for Elder Gu and Yang Liqian.

But if it weren't for Mr. Qingliu who took action, who would dare to risk offending the Haoran Sect and assassinate the two elders of the Haoran Sect?
The hall fell silent again. Although Mr. Chengli and Xinzhaisanren appeared calm on the surface, they were actually feeling very anxious.

Before leaving the sect, Mr. Qingliu did not tell them where he was going, but only said that he wanted to compete with Elder Gu for the same treasure.

Could it be that he really was the one who killed Elder Gu and Yang Liqian, but how did he do it?
The two were puzzled, and at this moment, the tightly closed palace door slowly opened.

Everyone frowned and turned their heads away.

Only elders can hold meetings in this hall, and at the beginning of the meeting, Sect Leader Yue summoned all the elders who remained in the sect. Who dared to enter this hall without permission?
In front of Sect Leader Yue, no one dared to release their spiritual awareness at will. When they saw this person's figure clearly, they could not help but be stunned.

The visitor was dressed in grey, with white hair and beard, and looked very plain. It was none other than Qingliu Jushi.

He came in front of the crowd and bowed to Sect Master Yue: "I returned to the sect today and heard that the elders in the sect were discussing the deaths of Junior Brothers Gu and Yang."

"I know a little bit about the inside story, so I came to report it to the headmaster."

Elder Hu's eyes flashed: "Senior Brother Qingliu, are the deaths of the two senior brothers related to you?"

Xinzhai Sanren was furious and was about to open his mouth to refute, but Qingliu Jushi raised his hand to stop him.

He glanced at Elder Hu, then looked at everyone else: "I must report this matter to the Sect Master alone, so please ask the elders to step aside for now."

The old man in yellow robe said calmly: "Junior Brother Qingliu, what you said is wrong. Everyone present here is an elder of our sect. What can't they hear?"

"Could it be that the deaths of the two junior brothers are really related to my junior brother?"

Qingliu Layman ignored him and just looked at Master Yue: "Please give the order to ask all the elders to retreat for the time being."

Sect Leader Yue pondered for a moment and nodded slightly: "Let's follow Junior Brother Qingliu's advice, but this is where the elders hold meetings, so please follow me."

The old man in yellow frowned and said, "Master, this is against the rules..."

"I know my limits." Sect Leader Yue replied calmly, then stood up and walked out of the hall.

Mr. Qingliu clasped his fists and bowed to everyone, then followed closely and walked out of the hall, leaving the elders looking at each other in bewilderment.

The young scholar suddenly smiled, stood up and left, muttering: "Interesting, interesting..."

……

After Mr. Qingliu followed Master Yue out of the main hall, he rode on a light and arrived at the top of Haoran Peak, inside Master Yue's cave.

The two sat down as host and guest, and then Sect Master Yue asked, "Brother, how much do you know about the deaths of the two elders?"

Lay Buddhist Qingliu sighed and spoke slowly: "This time I am leaving the sect and going to Jueling Island in Yuqing Sea to look for a treasure..."

He briefly recounted the entire incident, but omitted many details.

The three thousand year old Qingfeng Bamboo naturally could not be spoken of, and in the end, the one who killed Elder Gu Cangli Yang Liqian was also Qingliu Jushi himself.

Of course, he also knew that with his cultivation level at the early stage of Nascent Soul, he was no match for the two of them, so he turned the tables by claiming that he had obtained an ancient treasure.

Finally, Qingliu Lay Buddhist said solemnly: "Junior Brothers Gu and Yang set an ambush in secret, killing fellow disciples. This is a violation of the sect rules and is an unforgivable crime."

"I had no choice but to execute my two junior brothers on the spot to save myself. I beg for forgiveness, Senior Brother, the Sect Leader."

Sect Leader Yue stared at Monk Qingliu, frowning slightly: "Brother, what you said is too shocking. Although Brother Gu and Brother Yang have some grievances with you, it seems a bit exaggerated to say that they would set up an ambush and deliberately murder you."

Qing Liu said sternly, "If the head master doesn't believe it, you can check it out."

Sect Master Yue shook his head slightly: "Brother, you are joking. Jueling Island is such a dangerous place that even great cultivators dare not set foot there. How can I verify it?"

Lay Buddhist Qingliu stroked his beard and said, "Master, you know that it is impossible to verify. I don't need to tell you this, but it is related to the sect's rules. I will report it truthfully. It will not be false. I hope Master will investigate it carefully."

Sect Master Yue's expression eased a little: "Junior brother, I naturally trust you as a person. Although there are many people in the sect who are better than you, your righteousness is enough to rank you among the top three."

"But I just don't believe that Junior Brother can kill Junior Brother Gu and Junior Brother Yang by himself. Do you have other helpers?"

Lay Buddhist Qingliu frowned and was about to speak, but Sect Master Yue interrupted him and said, "There shouldn't be many Nascent Soul cultivators entering Jueling Island. I'll send someone to investigate and we'll know."

Lay Buddhist Qing Liu's expression froze, and he said, "Fellow Daoist Chen Yuan... entered Jueling Island with this old man, but he did not intervene when this old man was fighting with my two junior brothers."

Sect Master Yue narrowed his eyes slightly, and a cold light flashed in his eyes: "It seems that Junior Brother is really hiding something. The person who killed the two Junior Brothers is that Chen Yuan, right?"

Qingliu Lay Buddhist's expression changed slightly: "Why did the Master say that?"

Sect Leader Yue said, "Junior brother never speaks lies to deceive others. There are too many flaws in your words."

"I know how strong Junior Brother is. No matter how powerful the ancient treasure is, it cannot allow Junior Brother to defeat Junior Brother Gu and Junior Brother Yang together."

"And Junior Brother only had Chen Yuan as his helper, so it was definitely him who did it."

Qingliu Lay Buddhist's expression changed: "Master, you have misunderstood. Fellow Daoist Chen has nothing to do with this matter..."

Sect Leader Yue ignored him and continued, "This Chen Yuan is truly amazing. He has only been in the Infant stage for over forty years, yet he has already become so powerful. When I was in the Infant stage, I was far inferior to him."

"In addition to the teleportation technique, did he use other means to deal with the two junior brothers?" Qingliu Lay Buddhist was still struggling: "Fellow Daoist Chen really has nothing to do with this matter..."

Sect Leader Yue shook his head and said, "Brother, please don't hide it. I know you are worried that I will embarrass Chen Yuan, but if he really has such strength, why would I invite a great enemy for our sect?"

Lay Buddhist Qing Liu was stunned for a moment, and forgot to cover up for a moment: "Two elders of our sect died because of Fellow Daoist Chen, will the Sect Master not investigate this matter?"

Sect Leader Yue's eyes narrowed slightly, "Were the two junior brothers really killed by Chen Yuan?"

Mr. Qingliu then realized that he had said something wrong and was about to explain himself, but was interrupted by Master Yue who waved his hand.

"Junior brother, don't worry. If Chen Yuan kills Junior Brother Gu and Junior Brother Yang for no reason, even if there is a reason, I will never let it go..."

He paused for a moment and said slowly, "But the two junior brothers died this time because he secretly set an ambush and wanted to murder the junior brothers. The killing of fellow disciples violated the sect rules and is an unforgivable crime."

"Junior brother fought back, and Fellow Daoist Chen was only helping him. How could I be so incapable of distinguishing right from wrong and create another great enemy for our sect?"

When Mr. Qingliu saw that Master Yue was so reasonable, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

But he also knew that if Elder Gu and Yang Liqian had not been brought to justice, Sect Leader Yue would never let this matter go so easily.

It would not be worth it to offend a Nascent Soul cultivator with infinite potential for the sake of two dead elders.

He then stopped hiding anything and told the whole story, including how Chen Yuan broke through the bottleneck of the middle stage and killed Kun Hai, Elder Gu, and Patriarch Kuixing, three people in the middle stage of the Nascent Soul.

Upon learning that Chen Yuan's cultivation had reached a higher level and that he even had a top-grade flying sword in his hand, even though Sect Leader Yue was knowledgeable and experienced, he couldn't help but change color.

As the head of the Haoran Sect, he has met countless great cultivators and has more than one top-level magical weapon in his hands. All of them are treasures that have been passed down in the Haoran Sect for tens of thousands of years. He should not show his emotions on his face because of a cultivator in the middle stage of the Nascent Soul.

But Chen Yuan was just a casual cultivator, and one who had just formed his infant form forty years.

His cultivation level improved so quickly that it was unprecedented.

Moreover, the appearance of every top-level magic weapon on the Jiuxian Continent is well known, but none of them matches the crystal clear green flying sword described by Master Qingliu.

What is even more surprising is that Chen Yuan can actually unleash the full power of a top-level magic weapon. Looking at the ten major sects, he is unique among those below the great cultivators.

Compared with this, treasures like the Millennium Spirit Milk are nothing.

When the situation of Qingliu stopped, Sect Leader Yue pondered for a long time, and said solemnly: "If what Junior Brother said is true, Fellow Daoist Chen is unfathomable and can almost be compared with the great cultivators."

"Besides, he is a free cultivator with no ties. We must not make enemies with him, otherwise our sect will never have peace."

Qingliu Lay Buddhist felt relieved and quickly added: "Although I have concealed something just now, everything I say now is true."

"And this is probably not the full strength of Brother Chen. From what I know about him, he is a cautious person and will definitely keep his trump card. He will never show it to others unless it is a life-and-death situation."

"There is also a trump card..." Sect Master Yue murmured in a low voice, his voice becoming much more serious, "Not only that, he has a long life span, and it is almost certain that he will become a great monk in the future..."

He looked up at Qingliu Lay Buddhist and warned him, "Please do not reveal Fellow Daoist Chen's methods to others, lest he become dissatisfied."

Lay Buddhist Qingliu: "Master, rest assured. I promised Fellow Daoist Chen that I would keep his methods a secret. If Master hadn't seen through it, I wouldn't have mentioned it today."

Sect Leader Yue nodded and said, "I will cover up the death of my two junior brothers."

“In the future, when Fellow Daoist Chen comes to Chongde City to visit me, please invite him to Haoran Peak as a guest, so that I can show my hospitality.”

Qing Liu was delighted and bowed: "I will definitely not let down the master's trust."

……

The Sea of ​​Ten Thousand Monsters, Beiming Island.

This is a large island with a radius of nearly two hundred miles, and it is also the only large island in the Sea of ​​Ten Thousand Monsters.

According to legend, Beiming Island is the ancestral land of the Kunyu clan and is still occupied by the Kunyu clan.

The island is covered with lush green pines and cypresses, steep mountains, and flowing waterfalls. It does not look like a place where monsters live, but rather like a paradise on earth.

To the northwest of Beiming Island is a mountain range that stretches for over a hundred miles. There is a large courtyard built there, nestled against the mountain and beside the water, with varying heights and an ancient and majestic atmosphere.

This is the homeland of the Kunyu clan. The Kunyu Demon King, after his transformation, and the human slaves they abducted from the Yuqing Sea all live in this mountain range.

Because the Kun fish demon kings are generally strong and sturdy, the courtyard houses in the mountains are at least twice as large as those of humans, appearing particularly magnificent.

In the deepest part of the mountains, in a hall, six tall Kun fish demon kings gathered together.

One person sat in the main seat, and the other five were divided into two rows, arranged in order, and sat on extremely wide armchairs.

One of them, a burly man sitting at the last seat on the left, had red eyes and a face full of anger.

The aura of the transformed demon king emanated unrestrainedly from him, filling the entire hall.

Even the human slaves who were guarding the courtyards hundreds or thousands of feet away from the main hall trembled in fear when they felt this powerful pressure.

The expressions of the others varied, except for the person sitting in the main seat, who looked normal with calm eyes.

He wore a black turban on his head, with his long hair tied up, and his clothes were extremely simple and ancient, which was actually the style that was popular in the world of immortal cultivation thousands of years ago.

This person is the patriarch of the Kunyu clan and the only level ten demon king of the Kunyu clan, Kunyang.

An extinguished natal lamp was hanging in front of him, slowly turning.

The shirtless man gnashed his teeth and said, "Investigate! We must find out who killed my son. I will tear him into pieces to vent my hatred!"

The demon kings of the Kunyu clan gathered here today because of Kunhai’s death.

And this shirtless demon king is Kunhai’s father, Kunze.

The big man in navy blue clothes sitting in the first seat on the left said calmly: "Sixth Elder, you are joking. Even the Second Elder is no match for you. If you go to seek revenge, aren't you courting death?"

"You!" Kunze turned his head suddenly and glared at him.

The burly man in tight clothes did not flinch, but instead a hint of sarcasm flashed in his eyes.

Kunze is only an eighth-level demon king. Without Kunhai to rely on, his status in the Kunyu clan has plummeted.

The burly man in tight clothes is named Kunmi. Like Kunhai, he is a ninth-level demon king.

But his strength is inferior to Kunhai, and he can only be the third elder in the Kunyu clan. He has been in constant conflict with Kunhai in the past, and he suffered a lot due to his inferior strength.

Kunze also took advantage of his power to bully others. Although his cultivation was obviously one level lower than Kunhai's, he relied on Kunhai's power and was often disrespectful to him.

He had been at loggerheads with Kunze in the past, and now that Kunhai was dead, he would show no mercy at all.

Kunyang suddenly spoke, a hint of murderous intent in his voice: "The demon king of our clan has died, are you still going to fight among yourselves?"

Kunmi's expression changed slightly, and he clasped his fists and bowed: "I spoke out of turn, please forgive me, clan leader."

Kunze sneered and wanted to sneer back, but when he met Kunyang's cold eyes, he trembled all over and quickly closed his mouth, and the anger in his heart eased a lot.

Kunyang looked around and said coldly: "Kunhai entered Jueling Island this time to avenge Kuntong, find out why Chen Yuan could master the art of teleportation, and retrieve the demon-transforming ring."

"And now he died in Jueling Island. Chen Yuan must be responsible."

"Pass on my order. From now on, Chen Yuan is our clan's number one enemy. Keep a close eye on his whereabouts. If you find him, report back to the clan immediately. Do not act rashly."

Kunmi frowned and said, "Clan leader, Chen Yuan is only an early Nascent Soul cultivator. He is definitely not a match for the second elder. There must be someone else..."

Kunyang said: "The human clan that is on good terms with our clan has sent back news that Chen Yuan and the Qingliu layman have appeared in front of the Tongming Palace."

"And the two elders of Haoran Sect and Yuntian have not shown up. They must have died in the Demonic Origin."

"If only Kun Hai died, it could be said to be a coincidence. However, the deaths of Gu Shaowen, Yang Liqian, and Yuntian, even if it was not caused by Chen Yuan, must have something to do with him."

Kun Mi was still skeptical: "But Chen Yuan's cultivation is low. Even if Kun Tong is not his opponent, Kun Hai is so powerful that there is no possibility of failure..."

Although he and Kunhai were not on good terms, he had to admit that Kunhai was stronger than him and had few rivals in the entire Sea of ​​Ten Thousand Monsters.

In any case, he should not have died at the hands of an early Nascent Soul cultivator, let alone a Nascent Soul cultivator who had just formed his Nascent Soul.

Kunyang said coldly: "Maybe Chen Yuan really has great means, maybe Chen Yuan has other helpers..."

"In short, if we capture Chen Yuan, everything will be revealed to the world."

"This person first killed Kun Feng, then beheaded Kun Tong. Now he is also involved in Kun Hai's death. He is against our clan everywhere."

"He can also grow black wings on his back, which are quite similar to the wings that this race has after it transforms into its original form. He can perform teleportation..."

"Everything shows that this person is a serious threat to our clan and must be eliminated!"

Everyone looked solemn, but Kunze still gritted his teeth and said, "Chen Yuan, I will never forgive you..."

Kunyang's face darkened: "How do you compare to Kuntong?"

Kunze's expression froze, he dared not say anything more, and slumped down in the armchair, curled up into a ball.

His greatest support was gone, and he couldn't even avenge Kunhai.

Kunyang no longer paid attention to him and turned to look at Kunmi: "From today on, you are the second elder of the clan."

Kunmi's eyes flashed with joy, he stood up, clasped his fists and bowed: "I will obey the order of the clan!"

Kunyang then ordered: "Since Kunfeng's death, Kuntong, Kunsong, Kunhai... three demon kings of our clan have died one after another. It can be said that this is a troubled time."

"Our tribe is already very small, so we must be on guard. We will issue an order tomorrow to recall all the tribe members, except for the transformed demon king, back to Beiming Island."

"The vacated sea areas will all be temporarily led by the subordinate tribes. Once Chen Yuan is captured, the old state will be restored." (End of this chapter)