Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Zhang Yanwei took his leave, but Chen Yuan was still pondering the matter of reincarnation.

Humans possess a soul, and after death, they can transform into ghosts; this is common knowledge in the world of cultivation.

Many demonic cultivators specialize in collecting the souls of other cultivators and refining them into vengeful ghosts and spirits to fight against enemies. These ghosts and spirits are extremely strange and powerful.

However, the theory of reincarnation has never been proven.

Legend has it that there is a Netherworld, also known as the Underworld, where the souls of the dead are sent before they can be reincarnated.

Chen Yuan was initially skeptical, but after seeing Zhang Yanwei, who looked exactly like Zhang Wushan, his resolve began to waver.

An irresistible idea surfaced in his mind.

If reincarnation truly exists, wouldn't one be able to live forever without ascending to the celestial realm, simply by retaining memories of their previous life at the time of reincarnation?

Chen Yuan always believed that after he died of illness in his previous life, his soul came to the human world and was reborn in the body of Chen Erniu.

But Zhang Yanwei's example is right in front of us. Perhaps I am not a reincarnation, but Chen Erniu who was originally there. It's just that after a serious illness, I awakened my memories of my past life.

He had always believed that he was a reincarnation, that he was Chen Yuan.

If Chen Yuan is just his previous life, and he is actually Chen Erniu who accidentally awakened his past life memories, then who is he now?

Chen Yuan's mind was in turmoil, and he fell into self-doubt. His state of mind fluctuated violently, and his qi was unstable. There were faint signs of him going into qi deviation.

His eyes kept changing, and the fluctuations in his aura became increasingly intense, stirring up a storm in the stone hall.

The surrounding solid stone walls were riddled with cracks, on the verge of breaking apart and the entire cavern was about to be destroyed.

Suddenly, Chen Yuan's aura calmed down.

He let out a long sigh, looked around at the crumbling walls, and a hint of lingering fear appeared on his face.

Just when he was about to go mad, he suddenly realized a crucial point.

If he only awakened his past life memories, where did the jade pendant come from?

In Chen Erniu's memory, there was no such thing as the jade pendant.

He is a soul that has traveled through time; he is Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan flipped his hand and took out the jade pendant. He looked at this mysterious treasure with lingering fear and gently rubbed it with his palm.

The jade pendant had been with him for hundreds of years, and he had long been accustomed to its presence, even subconsciously ignoring it.

In addition, Liu Kaiyang is also clear evidence.

In his previous life, he was a cultivator in the spirit realm, and he told Chen Yuan where the Liu family was.

Chen Yuan only needs to go and verify it in the future. If the bright yellow scroll is indeed a family heirloom of Liu Kaiyang, it will prove that he was also a reincarnation of a soul.

Chen Yuan calmed his mind and his state of mind finally stabilized. After this incident, he even became more clear-headed and refined.

He got up and went to the herb garden inside the cave. It was the middle of the night, with starlight shining down, moonlight like water, and white frost covering the ground.

Chen Yuan took out the strange boulder he had obtained from Yin Qianjie, sat cross-legged on it, closed his eyes slightly, and began to meditate, cultivate, and recuperate.

The next day, Chen Yuan summoned Zhang Yanwei, Yun Jinyue, Liu Tianhan, and Huan Yu, and made it clear that Zhang Yanwei was his newly accepted disciple.

Yun Jinyue and the other two were greatly surprised and congratulated Zhang Yanwei.

Liu Tianhan and Huan Yu couldn't hide their envy. Yun Jinyue's biological father was a Void Refinement cultivator, and his cultivation technique was directly aimed at the Void Refinement stage, and was extremely exquisite.

However, the two of them were cultivators in the Frostsword City army. Their parents' cultivation levels were not high, and their own aptitude was also mediocre. They spent their days fighting against the demon race, and their cultivation techniques were extremely ordinary.

After arriving at the Northern Underworld Cave, they fantasized countless times about becoming disciples of this mysterious Northern Underworld senior and defying fate.

Although Senior Beiming never showed any intention of taking on disciples, he spared their lives and allowed them to handle all the affairs of Beiming Cave with Yun Jinyue, which gave them a glimmer of hope.

This senior Beiming trusts them so much; if they perform well, they might have the opportunity to become his disciples.

Both of them were filled with anticipation and cultivated extremely diligently. When dealing with the affairs of the Northern Darkness Cave, they also devoted themselves wholeheartedly and tried their best to demonstrate their abilities.

But who would have thought that these cultivators from the Spirit Realm had not yet become disciples of Senior Beiming?

A cultivator born and raised in the Demon Burning Realm unexpectedly became Senior Beiming's disciple.

Chen Yuan then announced that all matters, large and small, on Beiming Island would henceforth be discussed and handled by the four of them, and if there were any disagreements, Zhang Yanwei would make the final decision.

Upon hearing this, Liu Tianhan and Huan Yu were filled with envy, while Yun Jinyue remained extremely calm.

She didn't care about the power of the Northern Underworld Cave at all; she only wanted to return to the Spirit Realm, to the Myriad Crane Sect, and to her father's side.

Chen Yuan, with his keen insight, noticed the unusual behavior of Liu Tianhan and Huan Yu. He offered a few words of comfort and gave the four some pointers on their cultivation difficulties, thus dispelling their envy.

With Chen Yuan's cultivation level, he didn't need to care about the thoughts of two Core Formation cultivators.

But he himself came from a background of independent cultivation and knew the difficulties of the path of independent cultivators, so he dared not let go of any opportunity.

This kind of thinking makes them more anxious and insecure than those monks with powerful backgrounds, and it can even distort their mentality.

However, they lacked a refined lineage, the guidance of teachers, and a powerful sect to rely on.

They have no choice but to give their all, even at the risk of their lives, to seize every opportunity; this is truly defying fate.

The two of them were merely a little jealous, nothing serious.

Zhang Yanwei only learned today that Chen Yuan had entrusted him with handling all matters, big and small, in the Northern Underworld Cave. He was quite surprised by this, but he quickly calmed down and appeared very composed.

Chen Yuan observed this and nodded secretly, quite satisfied with his performance.

A cultivator cannot only bury himself in arduous practice; he must also understand the human heart.

The Beiming Cave Mansion has nearly a hundred demon generals under its jurisdiction, and conflicts and disputes are constantly arising. How to quell and maintain balance is a great test of a person's strategic skills.

Chen Yuan intended to use this opportunity to train Zhang Yanwei's abilities and to see his true character through the decisions he made.

Of the three disciples Chen Yuan accepted, Li Qingshan remained in the mortal realm, and it is unknown whether he will be able to successfully transform into a god and ascend to the upper realm in this lifetime.

Liu Kaiyang has the resources left behind by his father, inherited the true teachings of the Yuling Sect, has a firm Dao heart, and is also under the care of Cui Yuheng, so his chances of becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator are not small.

However, the ascension passage in the Myriad Demon Continent leads to the Burning Demon Realm, and whether he can enter the Spirit Realm is still unknown.

Zhang Yanwei was the only disciple who stayed by Chen Yuan's side and also practiced alchemy. He was the most likely disciple to inherit Chen Yuan's mantle and was naturally the most valued by Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan then summoned Guan He and ordered him and Huan Yu to lead a dozen cultivators away from Beiming Island to find a secluded place suitable for human cultivators to hide.

The two men accepted the order and left. Chen Yuan then summoned the demon generals on Beiming Island and announced that he would be going into seclusion to cultivate.

But late that night, without alerting anyone, he quietly left the Northern Underworld Cave, his figure disappearing into the thick darkness. (End of Chapter)