Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Golden light emanated from the depths of chaos, dazzlingly bright and overshadowing the brilliance of the sea. It traversed the void and abruptly stopped in front of the stone island, where all the light instantly vanished.

A burly man appeared outside the milky-white array, with golden, disheveled hair, golden eyebrows, a golden brocade robe, and a golden beard. His whole being shimmered with gold, yet he did not appear gaudy in the slightest, resembling a golden lion.

He exuded a powerful aura that completely calmed the turbulent sea within a radius of ten thousand miles, transforming it into a piece of colorful glass.

The blond giant stepped forward, passing through the array and arriving at the edge of the stone hall. He glanced at the chessboard on the table, swept it aside with his large hand, and sneered, "What's the point of playing chess with yourself?"

A hint of anger flashed in the white-clad man's eyes as he glared at the blond giant, crushing the white chess piece in his hand. A faint scream echoed through the air.

The blond giant glared back at the man in white: "You want to fight me again?"

The man in black smiled slightly: "Fellow Daoist Jin Man, please calm down. This is not the place to fight."

He casually tossed the black piece in his hand onto the chessboard, and the ferocious beast, shrunk a thousand times over, instantly transformed into a real chess piece, silently merging into dozens of black pieces.

The man in black glanced at the man in white and laughed, "Aren't you coming back?"

The man in white glared at the blond giant and sneered, "If it weren't for my summons, I would have fought you, you barbarian!"

The figure of the man in white suddenly shattered, like a broken mirror, turning into thousands of sparkling glass fragments that flowed into the body of the man in black.

The man in black's pure black clothes were stained with a layer of white, becoming half black and half white, eerily yet harmoniously blended together.

His aura grew increasingly profound, and a slight fluctuation appeared in his originally calm and indifferent eyes, as if he had suddenly transformed from a heartless and desireless stone into a person with flesh and blood.

The blond giant sneered at the man in black, seemingly still addressing the man in white, yet also issuing a challenge: "I'll be waiting at Luanya Mountain anytime. I'd like to see what you've improved!"

The man in black's smile vanished, and he said indifferently, "Fellow Daoist Jin Man, what brings you here today?"

The blond giant didn't answer, but sat down opposite the man in black without any ceremony: "Bring out some wine, the good kind!"

The man in black paused for a moment, then flicked his sleeve, and a wine jar appeared out of thin air on the table, but there were no wine cups.

The blond giant didn't need a wine cup. He reached out, grabbed the wine jar, tilted his head back, and drank deeply. The black spirit wine poured into his throat with a loud gurgling sound, as if he had swallowed a surging river.

A quarter of an hour later, the blond giant finished the spirit wine in the jar, slammed the jar heavily on the table, and the sound echoed throughout the entire stone island, causing the milky white array to tremble a few times.

"Good wine! But it's not enough. Prepare more next time so I can have a good time too." The blond man wiped his mouth, but a hint of regret showed in his eyes.

The man in black twitched his eye. This seemingly ordinary wine jar was actually a first-grade spiritual treasure, containing more than 60,000 catties of spiritual wine. A single drop could make a demon king drunk for ten years.

"It took me 30,000 years to accumulate this jar of Netherworld Wine, and you drank it all in one go, fellow Daoist. Next time, we'll have to wait another 30,000 years." The man in black spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction.

The blond giant laughed heartily: "What's a few sips of your wine? Recently, Luo Du and Rui Jiang have been quite restless, actually trying to extend their reach to the Tianhai Continent."

"Who do they think they are? Do they really think my Tianhai Continent is easy to bully?"

"Since you're stuck here and can't leave, I'll teach them a lesson for you. Consider this jar of wine your thank you gift."

"But don't worry, I only gave them a small punishment. Their injuries are not serious, and they will recover in a few thousand years."

The man in black frowned, then relaxed and smiled, saying, "This junior is ignorant, please forgive me, fellow Daoist."

The blond giant waved his hand: "Let's leave it at that, but if anyone dares to set their sights on the Heavenly Skeleton Continent again, don't blame me for being ruthless and beating them half to death!"

He spoke casually, but the murderous intent in his words was undisguised, sending chills down one's spine.

The man in black said calmly, "I will certainly keep a close eye on them. However, if any Great Sage angers you again, I hope you will inform me first. I will then deal with it accordingly. There is no need for you to worry."

The blond giant raised an eyebrow: "If you think I shouldn't have intervened, I'll say it again: I'm always waiting for you at Luanya Mountain. You can personally seek justice for Luo Du and Rui Jiang!"

The man in black remained noncommittal, then changed the subject: "Fellow Daoist, you've come here today for more than just such a trivial matter, haven't you?"

The blond giant didn't dare to be too aggressive and softened his tone: "I also received a message from that old dragon. It seems that something has happened on Turtle Island, and he invited me here to discuss this matter. What, you didn't know?"

The man in black frowned: "I haven't received any message from Fellow Daoist Zhenhai yet..."

Before he finished speaking, a sea-blue spiritual light suddenly spread out from the chaos. Below was a brilliant sea, above was boundless blue waves, and between the two seas was an eternal void.

The spiritual light spread to the edge of the stone island, and a huge dragon shadow, enveloped in a sea-like radiance, soared in. Its body was tens of thousands of miles long and as blue as the sea, carrying an aura of ancient vicissitudes that could penetrate eternity.

The dragon's shadow descended at the edge of the stone island. The azure light that filled the sky suddenly receded, and the dragon's shadow disappeared, transforming into a middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man wore a blue long gown, had black hair and eyebrows, and was of medium build, neither thin nor burly, with an ordinary appearance.

If one ignores the fact that he is currently above a strange and brilliant sea, suspended in the void and chaos, he is just an ordinary mortal of the human race.

Only his pair of deep blue eyes, as deep and still as the sea, revealed the extraordinary nature of this middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man stepped through the milky-white array, traversing several miles in a single step, and arrived at the stone hall.

The man in black stood up and clasped his hands in a salute: "It's been many years. Fellow Daoist Zhenhai, you still have the same demeanor."

The middle-aged man returned the greeting with a cupped hand, a slight smile appearing on his composed face: "Fellow Daoist Youming has been guarding this place for ten thousand years, thank you for your hard work."

The man in black solemnly replied, "It is my duty, and I dare not take credit for it. Fellow Daoist Zhenhai, who is stationed on Tyrant Turtle Island and directly confronts the Mahayana cultivators of the Spirit Realm, is the one who has truly made a great contribution."

The blond giant stood up, his arrogance slightly toned, and gave the middle-aged man a casual bow: "I was in seclusion at Luanya Mountain when I saw the junior you sent, so I came straight here. What exactly happened on Tyrant Turtle Island?"

The middle-aged man returned the greeting with a cupped hand and smiled, "This matter is not urgent. I have also informed Fellow Daoist Qianhuan. We can discuss it together once she arrives. Please have a seat, both of you."

Upon hearing this name, the blond giant's eyes flashed with a hint of apprehension. He said nothing more and sat down again.

After the three were seated, the man in black pondered for a moment and asked, "Will the fellow Daoist in white also come to join us for a while?"

The middle-aged man shook his head: "I sent someone to Jietian Mountain, but the white-robed Daoist is not in the mansion. I don't know where he has gone to travel."

The blond giant snorted coldly: "Why bother wasting time on him? When has he ever helped when the Demon Realm is in trouble?"

The middle-aged man said calmly, "The white-robed Daoist and we have a prior agreement. If the Mahayana cultivators of the Spirit Realm attack the Burning Demon Realm, he will take action."

"Now that the Spirit Realm army is firmly held back on Turtle Island by us, he certainly won't interfere."

The blond giant scoffed even more: "He's never shortchanged on the amount of primordial energy he's given. Even if he doesn't want to make a move, there's nothing he can do about it."

The middle-aged man smiled without saying a word. Just then, a figure silently appeared at the edge of the stone island.

This is a woman beyond words. At first glance, she has the purest face in the world, but upon a second glance, she is more captivating than the most alluring young woman in the world.

Her face embodies the beauty of every woman in the world, captivating all who behold her.

Any man in the world who catches her eye will be captivated, unable to resist wanting to give everything for her, even to die for her.

The woman stepped gracefully through the milky-white curtain and into the stone pavilion. Her slender figure was like a willow swaying in the breeze, and her bright red brocade dress made her skin appear even more like solidified cream. One might suspect that even a light touch would leave a mark, and feel a pang of pity for her.

The three people in the stone pavilion turned around, their expressions changing slightly. Even the middle-aged man with deep, unfathomable eyes showed a few ripples.

The woman in red smiled faintly and sat down on the last empty stone bench. Her ever-changing face finally settled on a face of unparalleled beauty.

Her arrival was far less grand than that of the blond giant and the middle-aged man, but even the magnificent sea outside the stone platform could only serve as a backdrop to her.

"I am a little late, and I apologize for keeping you three fellow Daoists waiting." The woman in red spoke softly, her voice as clear as a stream flowing over pebbles, and as ethereal as a bird singing in the forest at dawn.

Her beauty was unparalleled, but the other three were no ordinary people either, and they had already calmed down.

The middle-aged man smiled slightly: "Fellow Daoist Qianhuan has arrived at just the right time. Fellow Daoist Jinman and I have only just arrived as well."

The blond giant shouted, "Now that the four of us have arrived, what exactly happened on Turtle Island? Old Dragon, tell us quickly!"

The man in black and the woman in red also looked over. The middle-aged man was not angry and said calmly, "Then I will make this brief. Another spatial rift has appeared on Turtle Island. It will be fully formed in a few years, and the Spirit Realm already knows about this."

"My Dark Demon Guards have discovered that the opportunity for the Heaven-Slaying Pavilion to build a city next to this spatial rift has been given to the Tai Xuan Sect."

The man in black frowned: "Tai Xuan Sect?"

The middle-aged man explained, "This is a Mahayana sect that was established after Fellow Daoist Youming entered this place. Its lineage is only a little over ten thousand years old. Its mountain gate is located on the Star Ruins Continent. Previously, it had been conquering the Lesser Thousand Worlds."

The blond giant sneered, "Old Dragon, you gathered us all here just for a shallow Mahayana sect?"

The middle-aged man said in a deep voice, "The Tai Xuan Sect is nothing special, but its leader, Fu Huaixiao, is no ordinary person. He ascended to the Spirit Realm 40,000 years ago and achieved the Mahayana stage in 30,000 years, establishing the Tai Xuan Sect."

"Ten thousand years have passed, and the strength of Tai Xuan Sect has greatly increased. It has firmly established itself in the middle ranks among the Mahayana sects in the Spirit Realm, and even surpasses some Mahayana sects with long-standing traditions."

“This person cultivates the laws of space and possesses a profound spiritual treasure called the ‘Myriad Stars Disc,’ which can tear apart interface barriers and open spatial passages. It has some of the power of the Tai Xu Jun Tian Axe, and its strength should not be underestimated.” The three men’s eyes narrowed, and the blond man also put away the contempt in his eyes.

The Taixu Juntian Axe is the most feared Xuantian spiritual treasure in the Burning Demon Realm. If the Myriad Star Plate Fruit in Fu Huaixiao's hands has some of the power of the Taixu Juntian Axe, it is indeed not to be underestimated.

The woman in red said softly, "Since Fellow Daoist Zhenhai has already ascertained this person's background, he must already have a plan to deal with him. Please speak frankly, and I will certainly comply."

The man in black nodded in agreement: "Fellow Daoist Zhenhai has been stationed on Turtle Island for ten thousand years and knows the situation there best. Please advise on how to handle this matter."

The middle-aged man looked around, his expression becoming more serious: "The spatial rift is the greatest threat to our Demon Burning Realm. It must be repaired. There will inevitably be a great war between our Demon Burning Realm and the Spirit Realm."

"I have ordered the Dark Demon Guards to closely monitor the movements of the four giant cities near the spatial rift. Once the Tai Xuan Sect cultivators enter Tyrant Turtle Island in large numbers, we will be able to detect it immediately."

"We must quickly mobilize our demon beast army to enter Tyrant Turtle Island and search for the exact location of the spatial rift. We cannot allow the Tai Xuan Sect to get there first."

"As is customary, I will be stationed on Tyrant Turtle Island and will send two Great Saints, while the three of you will each send one Great Saint."

The man in black nodded slightly: "As Fellow Daoist Zhenhai said, I will send my clone back to the Burning Wind Continent to deliver the decree."

The woman in red said softly, "I have no objection either, but we still need to go back and discuss with them who to send out."

The middle-aged man nodded and looked at the blond giant: "What are your thoughts, Fellow Daoist Jinman?"

The blond giant's lion-like eyes shot out two cold beams of light as he swept them over the three of them, and he slowly said, "The spatial rifts are increasing in number and the intervals between their appearances are getting shorter and shorter. Turtle Island is about to collapse."

"If we just keep patching things up and continue to waste our time on Turtle Island and the Spirit Realm, we'll die sooner or later."

"Why not take this opportunity to gather all the Great Saints, find that white-robed boy, and have a great battle with the Spirit Realm? At the very least, we can kill a few Mahayana cultivators and severely dampen the Spirit Realm's spirit!"

Upon hearing this, the stone pavilion fell silent, and a hint of helplessness flashed in the eyes of the man in black.

The woman in red maintained a serene expression on her beautiful face, but a slight smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

The middle-aged man remained composed, but a slight ripple appeared in his eyes.

The blond giant's gaze swept over the three men, his smile growing even colder: "You think I'm joking?"

The man in black spoke up: "Of course we know that Fellow Daoist Jinman always keeps his word, but whether or not to go to war with the Spirit Realm concerns the life and death of the Demon Burning Realm, and we must consider this carefully..."

"Take it a long way, take it a long way, all you know is to take it a long way!" The blond giant interrupted him, roaring like a lion, "The human cultivators of the spirit realm invaded my demon realm and slaughtered my demon race. This blood feud is so deep, if we keep taking it a long way, when will we ever be able to avenge it?"

The man in black narrowed his eyes, and a deep, eerie aura suddenly emanated from his body, like a cold wind surging up from the deepest abyss, as he stared at the blond giant.

He couldn't remember the last time he had been reprimanded like this. Over countless years, he had become accustomed to the respect and esteem of others, and even the Great Sage dared not be so presumptuous in front of him.

The blond giant stared back at him without fear and sneered, "Youming, do you think that just because you have an extra clone, I can't do anything to you?"

The man in black stared at the blond giant for a long while, then lowered his eyes and suppressed his deep aura again, saying, "How could I not want revenge? But the Spirit Realm is too powerful. If I act now, it will only bring annihilation to my Demon Realm."

"If this drags on, the Burning Demon Realm will only suffer a worse fate!" The blond giant retorted without hesitation. "Human cultivators are already progressing much faster than demons. Furthermore, the Spirit Realm, with the help of the Taixu Juntian Axe, is conquering other realms everywhere, becoming stronger and stronger, and there are more and more Mahayana cultivators."

"How long has it been since a new Great Sage was born in the Demon Burning Realm? 110,000 years!"

"In these 110,000 years, the Spirit Realm has produced five more Mahayana cultivators, which means that on average, a new Mahayana cultivator appears every 20,000 years."

"This Fu Huaixiao cultivated from the Nascent Soul stage to the Mahayana stage 30,000 years ago. If this drags on for another 100,000 years, and there are a few more Fu Huaixiaos in the Spirit Realm, we won't be able to ascend to the Immortal Realm. We'll all die at the hands of the Mahayana cultivators in the Spirit Realm and become fuel for their ascension!"

The stone pavilion grew increasingly silent. The roar of the blond giant echoed across the island, and a powerful aura emanated from him. The milky-white array of energy trembled, the bamboo forest swayed, the grassland seemed to be swept by a whirlwind, and the lake was rippled with chaotic waves.

A glint flashed in the middle-aged man's deep eyes, and a vast, ocean-like aura emanated from him, offsetting the oppressive aura of the blond giant. The terrified Shi Dao calmed down once more.

He slowly spoke: "Fellow Daoist Jin Man is right. If this continues, the Spirit Realm will become stronger day by day with the help of the Taixu Juntian Axe."

"But even if we start a decisive battle now, we are no match for the Spirit Realm. We will still become fuel for the Spirit Realm's Mahayana ascension."

The blond giant sneered: "That's right. Taking action now will also mean certain death, but by catching them off guard, we can kill a few more Mahayana cultivators, which is better than waiting to die."

"Don't forget, it's not just the Burning Demon Realm that's fighting the Spirit Realm. If it were just the Burning Demon Realm fighting the Spirit Realm alone, we naturally wouldn't be able to win."

"But the Menghuang Realm, Feiyang Realm, Fengzhuo Realm, and Qingpan Realm are also entangled in battle with the Spirit Realm, and the Ancient Demon Realm also harbors deep hostility towards the Spirit Realm."

"If our Demon Realm joins forces with these five Great Thousand Worlds, the combined strength of the Great Sages, Demon Ancestors, and Mahayana cultivators will far surpass that of the Spirit Realm. We can then turn around and attack the Spirit Realm, slaughter those hundred Mahayana cultivators, and we can all ascend to the Immortal Realm and live a life of eternal bliss!"

The man in black raised his head, a hint of mockery in his eyes: "We have discussed joining forces with the Four Realms more than once, but we do not have the Taixu Juntian Axe."

"Even if the Five Great Sages and Mahayana cultivators gathered together, and the Ancient Demon Realm produced several more Demon Ancestors to help, they still wouldn't be able to forcefully invade the Spirit Realm."

"As long as the cultivators of the Spirit Realm hold firm on the barrier between the interfaces, avoid the strong points and attack the weak points, and invade other interfaces, we will still be unable to escape defeat and destruction."

"If the Great Sages of the Five Realms and the Mahayana cultivators were to separate, it would be useless to launch a decisive battle at the same time."

"The Spirit Realm can break the deadlock by temporarily halting its offensive against other realms and focusing all its efforts on dealing with one of them."

The Great Sage Jinman coldly said, "I don't think so. The Taixu Juntian Axe is nothing more than a Xuantian spiritual treasure."

"If the five realms join forces, we can gather more than ten Xuan Tian spiritual treasures. We haven't even tried them yet, so how do we know we can't invade the Spirit Realm?"

"We can't let this drag on any longer, no matter what!"

The mockery in the man in black's eyes grew even more pronounced: "I thought Fellow Daoist Jin Man had come up with this plan again today because he had some brilliant idea."

"The Taixu Juntian Axe is far superior to ordinary Xuantian spiritual treasures. The Spirit Realm has relied on this treasure to conquer one great world after another, which is why it has a hundred Mahayana masters today."

"Even if the Five Realms were to gather a few Xuan Tian spiritual treasures containing spatial laws, they would still find it difficult to match it."

“If Fellow Daoist Jin Man does not wish to sit idly by and wait for death, he may personally go and seek out a Mahayana cultivator from the Spirit Realm for a decisive battle.”

"But we bear the heavy responsibility of the survival of the Demon Burning Realm, and we cannot act as rashly as you, fellow Daoist."

The Great Sage Jinman sneered, "So what if I'm reckless? As a Great Sage, even if I can't ascend to the Immortal Realm, I should at least die a worthy death, which is better than a coward like you who's afraid of death!"

The man in black smiled and stopped arguing with him. He looked at the middle-aged man and the woman in red and asked, "Do you two agree with Fellow Daoist Jin Man's suggestion to unite the power of the Five Realms and fight the Spirit Realm to the death?"

The middle-aged man said calmly, "I still maintain that this matter requires careful consideration."

The woman in red glanced at him and said, “I think what Fellow Daoist Jin Man said makes sense, but since it concerns the survival of the Demon Burning Realm, it is indeed not appropriate to make a decision lightly.”

The man in black then looked at the blond-haired man: "Fellow Daoist Jin Man, do you still insist on your own opinion?"

The blond giant seemed to have expected this, and wasn't annoyed. He sneered, "If none of you agree, am I supposed to go and die alone?"

"But I still have to say, the sooner we act, the more Mahayana cultivators we can kill, and the more dignified they will die."

The man in black remained noncommittal, while the woman in red maintained a faint smile on her exquisite face, making it impossible to discern her thoughts.

The middle-aged man remained calm, a slight ripple appearing in his azure eyes. He said indifferently, "Let's set this matter aside for now. The most urgent task is to stop the Tai Xuan Sect and repair the spatial rift. Would Fellow Daoist Jin Man be willing to send a Great Sage to assist us?"

The blond giant seemed too lazy to say more and nodded.

The middle-aged man withdrew his gaze and said in a deep voice, "According to convention, when a Mahayana sect in the Spirit Realm builds a city on Tyrant Turtle Island, at most only three Mahayana cultivators will take action."

"Although Fu Huaixiao possesses the Xuan Tian Spiritual Treasure, the Tai Xuan Sect is newly established and has a shallow foundation. It does not have the World Destroying Warship, nor has it created many mechanical giants. Five Great Saints are sufficient."

The man in black glanced at the blond giant and said, "The Spirit Realm is ultimately more powerful. This battle must be controlled in scale. We must not expand it arbitrarily and drag other Mahayana sects into it, turning it into a decisive battle. Otherwise, it will be detrimental to our Burning Demon Realm."

"We must also be wary of the Spirit Realm using the spatial rift to lure and kill my Great Sage of the Burning Demon Realm, thereby weakening the strength of my Burning Demon Realm."

The middle-aged man glanced at the blond giant and slowly nodded: "Fellow Daoist Youming, rest assured, although I will not take action, I will personally supervise the battle, restrain my Demon Burning Realm army, and will not allow those old guys from the Spirit Realm to interfere."

The blond giant snorted coldly: "Why are you looking at me? I act with integrity. Although I want to fight against the cultivators of the spirit world, I will never cause trouble in secret."

He stood up, walked out of the stone hall, and with one step, he had already stepped off the stone island. His figure flickered and transformed into a dazzling golden light, disappearing without a trace.

The middle-aged man slowly stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the man in black: "Thank you for guarding Stone Island, Fellow Daoist Youming. I will take my leave now."

The woman in red also got up to take her leave. The two left the stone island, and the middle-aged man transformed back into a dragon shadow and left with the sea, making a great show of force.

The woman in red arrived silently and left without a trace.

The stone island returned to calm, and the man in white reappeared in the stone pavilion, sitting opposite the man in black. The chessboard between them slowly filled with chess pieces transformed from ferocious beasts. (End of Chapter)