Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Zhang Yanwei froze on the spot: "Is reincarnation really possible?"

Chen Yuan shook his head: "I'm not sure either, but it should be true."

"After a cultivator passes away, a wisp of their soul can remain and be reborn."

"If there is no reincarnation in this world, where do these souls ultimately go?"

“Young friend, you look so much like my old friend Chen, and you were born a year after his death. There are also unusual phenomena in the world. Such a coincidence makes it very likely that you are his reincarnation.”

Zhang Yanwei looked down at his hands and murmured, "Could I really just be the reincarnation of someone else...?"

He suddenly raised his head, his face full of confusion: "Then who am I?"

Chen Yuan said gently, "Young friend, there is no need to worry. Even if there is such a thing as reincarnation, the previous life has already passed away and has nothing to do with you anymore."

Zhang Yanwei let out a long sigh of relief, barely managing to calm down, and bowed to Chen Yuan with clasped hands: "This junior has been rude, please forgive me, senior."

Chen Yuan sighed, "It's alright. If I were to find out one day that I was just the reincarnation of someone else, I would probably be even more miserable than you, young friend."

Zhang Yanwei fell silent for a long while before finally speaking: "If reincarnation is real, why is it that only after my reincarnation do I look so similar to that Senior Zhang?"

Chen Yuan shook his head slightly: "The matter of reincarnation is ethereal and vague, and I don't know about it either."

"Perhaps it was because of his unwavering character that he influenced his next life."

"Perhaps something went wrong when his soul was reincarnated, which is why he retained the appearance of his previous life."

"But in any case, you look exactly like him, so you must be his reincarnation."

Zhang Yanwei sighed softly: "Does the senior have a portrait of that Senior Zhang?"

Chen Yuan said, "I do not have a portrait of him, but I can tell you about my experiences after meeting him."

"At that time, my cultivation level was similar to yours, just a late-stage Core Formation cultivator. I went to a market to attend an auction, but unfortunately, I ran into Brother Zhang..."

He recounted in detail how he met Zhang Wushan, how he later used the spiritual veins of the Haoran Sect to form his Nascent Soul, and how he reunited with Zhang Wushan in the secret realm of the Yuling Sect, only to die at the hands of the remnant soul of the White Ape Demon King. He did not hide the fact that he came from the human realm.

Finally, Chen sighed and said, "I did not kill Brother Zhang, but Brother Zhang died because of me."

"Although I later erased the remnant soul of the White Ape Demon King, thus avenging Brother Zhang, I still feel guilty..."

Zhang Yanwei listened with rapt attention, his eyes filled with surprise as he looked at Chen Yuan: "Senior is not a Shadow Spy cultivator, but ascended from the lower realm and experienced such a tortuous journey."

"I thought that being born in the Demon Burning Realm meant I had already reached a dead end."

"But the path to ascension in the human realm has been severed, becoming like a prison. Yet, you, senior, were still able to find a path to ascension. Truly..."

He paused for a moment, then bowed deeply: "Senior's dedication to the pursuit of the Dao is truly admirable."

"Only today have I come to understand that there is always a way out. No matter where you are, as long as you have a breath left, you must not lose your desire to seek the Dao!"

Seeing this, Chen Yuan felt somewhat disappointed.

As he recounted his experiences after meeting Zhang Wushan, he carefully observed Zhang Yanwei's expression.

Zhang Yanwei showed no sign of anything amiss, simply listening to another person's story without being moved by Zhang Wushan's experience at all.

Even if he truly is the reincarnation of Zhang Wushan, he has lost all memories of his past life...

Chen Yuan sighed inwardly and said, "While temperament is important, I was able to ascend to the Upper Realm thanks in no small part to good fortune. My good fortune is not as good as yours, young friend. Without it, I would have long since turned into a pile of bones."

Zhang Yanwei nodded repeatedly: "What you say is absolutely right, senior. If I hadn't taken that Molten Gold Flowing Fire Fruit, I might still be stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage." Chen Yuan said solemnly: "Both opportunity and temperament are extremely important, but temperament can be cultivated, while opportunity is hard to come by. If you only seek opportunities and neglect your cultivation, you are destined not to go far on the path of cultivation."

Zhang Yanwei's expression turned solemn: "This junior will keep in mind the teachings of my senior."

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "You are fearless in the face of danger and have a firm mind. As long as you keep your principles in mind, you will not go astray."

“Brother Zhang, like you, also has a righteous heart. If he hadn’t died in that secret realm, he might have had the chance to become a great cultivator, or even have a slight chance to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.”

"You have consumed the Molten Gold Flowing Fire Fruit, and now possess the Molten Fire Body. You have remarkable talent and are destined for great things in the future."

Zhang Yanwei said, "I will definitely devote myself to cultivation and one day return to the Spirit Realm to fulfill my parents' long-cherished wish."

Chen Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "Since you have this ambition and are very likely the reincarnation of Brother Zhang, I will give you a chance today. Are you willing to become my disciple?"

Zhang Yanwei was taken aback, then knelt down and kowtowed heavily: "Disciple Zhang Yanwei greets Master!"

Before he was captured by the Fierce Mane Demon General, he had never seen a Nascent Soul cultivator. The highest-level cultivator in the underground rift valley was only at the mid-Nascent Soul stage.

To be able to take a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator as a master, especially one like Chen Yuan who has overcome countless difficulties to ascend to the upper realm, with extraordinary abilities and astonishing potential, is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. How could one possibly miss it?
Zhang Yanwei kowtowed nine times in succession, each time with a resounding thud. Fortunately, the cultivator's physical body was nourished by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, far surpassing that of ordinary people, so he did not suffer a head injury.

"Get up." Chen Yuan raised his hand and gently stroked Zhang Yanwei, and an invisible force lifted him up.

Looking at Zhang Yanwei's excited face, he couldn't help but recall the joy on Zhang Wushan's face after their reunion in the Yuling Sect's secret realm, and his gaze became quite complicated.

As a true disciple of the Haoran Sect, Zhang Wushan possesses extraordinary talent, a solid foundation, and a pure and righteous aura, making him a potential great cultivator.

However, the human realm is in ruins, spiritual energy is waning, and cultivation is becoming increasingly difficult. Great cultivators are the pinnacle of the cultivation world, and in the vast Nine Immortal Continent, there are only four Nascent Soul cultivators.

The only demon general survived the ancient war and is barely clinging to life.

Throughout his life, Zhang Wushan could only cultivate to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm at most. His attempt to break through to the Divine Transformation realm was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Even if he doesn't die in the Yuling Sect's secret realm, he will eventually pass away in a few hundred years.

Zhang Yanwei is very likely his reincarnation, although he was born in the Demon Burning Realm and almost died.

However, now that he has become a disciple of Chen Yuan and possesses the body of molten metal, his chances of becoming a deity have greatly increased.

There is even a slight possibility that in the future, if one glimpses the realms of Refining Emptiness and Integration, one may find an opportunity to attain enlightenment, which could be a turning point.

Since Zhang Wushan's death, Chen Yuan had felt quite guilty towards him, but he had kept it buried deep in his heart.

Qingliu Jushi did not blame Chen Yuan. Firstly, he was valued by Qin Wuyai and other Nascent Soul cultivators, and later he even successfully reached the Nascent Soul stage, so even the Haoran Sect dared not offend him.

Secondly, Chen Yuan's body was possessed by the White Ape Demon King. He was not the one who did it, and he almost lost his life due to being possessed, so he was also a victim.

The hermit of Qingliu was discerning and understood the greater good, so naturally he would not hold a grudge against him.

But in any case, Zhang Wushan ultimately died at Chen Yuan's hands.

Today, as he accepted Zhang Yanwei as his disciple, the guilt in his heart finally dissipated, and one of the flaws in his mind was reduced.

However, Chen Yuan also knew that even if Zhang Yanwei was indeed the reincarnation of Zhang Wushan, and his appearance and temperament were extremely similar, he had lost all his memories of his previous life and was already a different person.

Even if he eventually ascends to immortality, it will have nothing to do with Zhang Wushan.

Those who, at the moment of their death, vainly attempt to leave behind a trace of their soul for reincarnation and to attain enlightenment in the next life, are ultimately just dreaming illusions, destined to vanish into nothingness. (End of Chapter)