Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

In the extreme north of the Ice and Fire Realm, there is a thick gray fog. There are no living creatures here, and even the most ferocious beasts will not get close to the gray fog.

Within a thousand miles of the gray fog, the yellow sand was stained with a light gray color. Even the sunlight shining here seemed gray, and there was a smell of death in the air.

This is a dead place, a complete and utter dead place.

Chen Yuan and Jing Shuhan crossed the endless desert, came to the front of the gray fog, and lowered the light of escape.

After they killed the turtle-shaped beast and collected the inner elixirs with the attributes of ice and fire, they stopped looking for the beast and went all the way to the northern part of the cave, passed through the pit, and returned to the surface.

The ground is a hot desert. After countless years of scorching, the yellow sand has turned into bean-sized crystalline gravel, which is extremely hard.

Along the way, the two encountered several sandstorms that covered the sky.

The strong wind blew up sand and gravel, which swirled and danced, enough to crush gold and iron, and also had the effect of confusing spiritual consciousness. It was somewhat similar to the spiritual weapon Fire Cloud Gourd that Chen Yuan had used before.

Jing Shuhan's body was weak, so he had to mobilize his true energy to resist the violent sandstorm.

Chen Yuan can easily resist the sandstorm, but his robes cannot. He also needs to mobilize his true energy, and the consumption is no less than Jing Shuhan's.

The two's progress was greatly slowed down in the sandstorm, and there was also a ferocious beast attacking them in the sandstorm. At the critical moment, Chen Yuan used his nameless magical power and displayed his divine power to kill the lizard-like level seven ferocious beast.

When there were no sandstorms, the two of them quickened their journey and it took them three days to finally reach the far north.

As long as you pass through the gray fog, you can pass the first trial.

Chen Yuan and Jing Shuhan each took out the inner core of the ferocious beasts with the attributes of ice and fire and sent them into the thick fog.

After the stagnant gray mist swallowed the four inner elixirs, it slowly surged up, revealing a passage that allowed two people to walk side by side.

Chen Yuan and Jing Shuhan looked at each other, then walked into the gray fog with extremely solemn expressions.

This gray fog has another name, called the Heart Refining Fog.

Behind the two men, the gray fog slowly gathered, covering their retreat, waiting for the next visitor.

……

There was only a short passage in the gray fog, about three meters long. As Chen Yuan and Jing Shuhan stepped forward, it extended forward little by little. Further away, it was covered by thick fog.

There was motionless gray fog all around, including above the head, leaving only three feet of space.

The sky seemed to be hanging above my head and I could touch it with just my hand.

It was so quiet in the gray fog that even the sound of footsteps was swallowed up by the fog. It was so quiet that it drove people crazy.

The two walked in silence, surrounded by an unchanging wall of gray fog. It seemed that it had always been like this since ancient times and had never changed.

In this dead silent environment, even time seemed to have stopped, and there seemed to be no difference between moving forward and stopping.

But Chen Yuan always moved forward firmly, step by step, neither fast nor slow, but never stopping.

For those who have died once, there is nothing to fear except death.

Jing Shuhan suddenly slowed down her pace. Her eyes seemed to be infected by the gray mist, covered with a layer of light gray, and her expression became a little dull.

"wake up!"

Chen Yuan shouted softly, but to Jing Shuhan's ears it sounded like thunderclap or the sound of a huge bell. His mind was shaken and he woke up immediately.

Her face was as pale as paper, with a trace of fear in her eyes. She bowed to Chen Yuan and said, "Thank you for your wake-up call, and for waking me up from my trance."

Chen Yuan frowned and said, "This Heart Refining Mist is extremely strange. It can lead people into Nirvana without them knowing it. Didn't the fairy make any preparations in advance?"

Jing Shuhan pursed his lips and said a little embarrassedly: "I prepared some methods, but I was forced to use them when dealing with Qi Lang."

Chen Yuan thought of the two sword-cultivation magical powers he had obtained from Qi Lang. One of the magical powers had the effect of attacking the soul.

He said no more, and the two continued walking forward.

After walking for a while, a vague figure appeared in the fog ahead.

Chen Yuan stopped immediately. Jing Shuhan's mind was eroded by the gray fog and his reaction was a little slow, but when he saw Chen Yuan stop, he stopped too.

The blurry figure became clearer and clearer, slowly walking out of the gray fog and coming within three feet of the two people.

This was a young monk, handsome in appearance, wearing a wide robe with big sleeves, and a tall crown holding his hair back. His face was grey, his pupils were grey, and his body was also grey. He walked towards this side slowly, his face expressionless, and his footsteps silent.

Chen Yuan and Jing Shuhan's expressions changed slightly, and they moved to both sides at the same time, leaving a space.

The monk with a tall crown walked over and approached the two of them step by step.

Jing Shuhan subconsciously shrank to the side, biting his lower lip tightly, his face pale and a layer of fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Chen Yuan turned sideways and stared at the monk with a tall crown. He clenched his hands tightly in his sleeves, ready to activate Zhu Yan's true blood at any time.

But the monk with the tall crown seemed not to see them at all. His gray eyes looked straight ahead, empty. He passed between the two people and his figure was gradually swallowed up by the gray mist.

Jing Shuhan let out a light breath, suddenly realizing his own gaffe. He quickly raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and lowered his eyes.

She was actually like a mortal being, frightened and breaking into cold sweats, which was really unbecoming of a Jindan cultivator.

"Is this the cultivator who was assimilated by the Heart Refining Mist? How weird." She whispered to ease the embarrassment in her heart.

But Chen Yuan didn't notice Jing Shuhan's abnormality at all. All his attention was on the monk with a tall crown. After his figure disappeared, he suddenly felt relieved.

"Let's go. As long as we don't disturb these monks, nothing will happen." He turned around and walked forward.

These zombie-like people were monks who were lost in the gray fog in the past.

Even if a cultivator has collected the inner cores of ferocious beasts with the attributes of ice and fire, he cannot take it lightly.

This gray fog is extremely strange and can infect the minds of cultivators. People with weak wills and low cultivation will be unknowingly infected by the deadly aura emitted by the gray fog, and will lose themselves, their spiritual hearts will be extinguished, and they will become walking corpses, walking tirelessly in the gray fog.

During the first few times when Jueling Island was opened, many cultivators gathered their inner elixirs and entered the gray fog with joy. When they met these lost people, they would be attacked immediately if they just asked them questions, and would be besieged by many lost people.

The monks suffered heavy casualties, and only those with the strongest strength were able to break out of the gray fog.

Later, as the number of times Jueling Island was opened increased, the monks of Yuqinghai slowly figured out the patterns of these zombies. As long as they did not disturb them, they could live in peace.

People also discovered that as long as they could safely pass through the gray fog, their state of mind would be greatly improved and the chance of breaking through the bottleneck would increase a lot, so they named it "Mind Refining Fog".

Chen Yuan and Jing Shuhan were very clear about the characteristics of the Mind Refining Mist and the Lost People, but the cultivators who had not entered the Mind Refining Mist and faced the Lost People directly would never understand the horror of this ubiquitous deathly silence.

The two continued on their way, and met three more lost people on the road. They carefully made way for them, not daring to disturb them. Jing Shuhan was infected by the Heart Refining Mist twice, and almost became a walking corpse, but was awakened by Chen Yuan's wake-up call.

Her cultivation level in the early stage of Jindan was still a little low, so it was extremely difficult for her to resist the invasion of the Heart Refining Mist.

This is also the reason why it is rare for a cultivator in the early stage of Jindan to pass the first trial. The ferocious beasts in the ice and fire realm are already difficult to deal with, and they also have to walk through the mind refining fog step by step, which is as difficult as ascending to heaven for a cultivator in the early stage of Jindan.

Even if one's cultivation is low, one will not necessarily become a walking corpse. As long as one's mind is firm enough, one will not be afraid of the erosion of the mind-refining fog.

However, the old ghost Liao Ji had planted the technique of incarnation in Jing Shuhan's body, and his state of mind was flawed. If he relied on his own strength alone, it would be impossible for him to get out of the mind-refining fog.

Chen Yuan rescued Jing Shuhan twice, which made Jing Shuhan's eyes soften when she looked at him, although she knew that Chen Yuan might have done it just for the group of thunder beasts.

Three days later, the two finally walked out of the mind-refining fog, and the scene before their eyes suddenly became clear.

This is a vast valley with towering mountain walls on three sides, hundreds of feet above the ground, and shrouded in thick white fog, just like the square in front of the Tongtian Palace.

The valley is full of lush flowers and fragrant plants, but it does not contain the slightest spiritual energy.

A tall tower stood majestically in the center of the valley, about thirty feet high, with its top immersed in the white mist. It was made of huge blue-black stones and exuded a deep luster.

Above the gate at the entrance of the tower, there is a huge plaque hanging with a blue background and three golden ancient seal characters "Yibao Pavilion" written from top to bottom. It is exactly the same as the plaque of Tongtian Hall.

As they walked out of the mind-refining fog, the feeling of dead silence and stagnation that had been weighing on their hearts finally disappeared.

Chen Yuan only felt that his body had become much lighter, and the heavy mood that had been suppressed in the mind-refining mist was rejuvenated.

All kinds of insights arose in his heart, and his understanding of life and death, growth and decay, and the moment of eternity deepened.

He felt a stir in his heart and tried to enter a state of meditation. He immediately calmed his mind and entered into a state of meditation. However, his mind changed and he came out of it.

Jing Shuhan only came out of the mind-refining fog after experiencing three wake-up calls from Chen Yuan, and gained the most.

She closed her eyes slightly, her facial expression constantly changing. After a long time, she finally let out a long breath and opened her eyes.

“The reputation of the Heart Refining Mist is indeed well-deserved. After leaving Jueling Island, I was able to break through the mid-term bottleneck immediately.” Jing Shuhan said with a smile.

She has been deliberately suppressing her cultivation, but she cannot break through at any time. It will take at least ten years. The Refining Heart Mist has greatly reduced the difficulty of breaking through the bottleneck.

Chen Yuan also showed a smile on his face. He was a physical cultivator, and the Mind Refining Mist could not reduce the difficulty of his breaking through the bottleneck. But after this trip in the Mind Refining Mist, his Taoism determination became more firm, and he also gained a lot.

To some extent, the Heart Refining Mist is the biggest reason why Jindan cultivators enter Jueling Island.

It is both an additional test to the first trial and a reward for passing the first trial.

Just as the two were talking, a figure walked out from the mind-refining fog dozens of feet away.

Chen Yuan turned his head and saw that it was a middle-aged monk, dressed in black, with three short wisps of beard under his chin and a square face.

After he walked out of the mind-refining fog, he stopped and closed his eyes slightly, obviously trying to comprehend the changes in his state of mind.

After a while, he opened his eyes, nodded to the two of them, and walked towards the Yibao Pavilion.

Chen Yuan and Jing Shuhan did not delay any longer and walked towards the Yibao Pavilion.

There was no hostility between the three men. Fighting was prohibited in the valley, as in the square. Anyone who started a fight here would be struck to death by a bolt of lightning that descended from the white fog, without exception.

Chen Yuan stepped into the first floor of the Strange Treasure Pavilion. The spacious hall, the nine-meter-high roof, and the pillars and beams that were as thick as a man's embrace made the cultivators who entered seem extremely small.

On the four walls of the hall, there are many square platforms embedded in the walls, scattered at different heights. Some are empty, while others are covered with a thick layer of white light, guarding the treasures inside.

Chen Yuan spread out his spiritual sense, and in less than ten breaths, he had checked all the platforms.

Most of the square platforms are empty, and only a few of them contain treasures. However, there are as many as 168 square platforms covered with yellow light.

As long as you pass the first test not too slowly, you can take a treasure from the square platform.

Among these 168 square platforms, 32 of them were filled with magical weapons that shone with spiritual light, and the rest were filled with spiritual herbs, spiritual materials, jade slips, the inner elixirs of ferocious beasts and other items.

Everything here is enough to excite a Jindan cultivator, but comparatively speaking, the magic weapon is the most precious.

There is always a way to obtain spiritual herbs and materials, and magical powers are also passed down, but the refining and cultivation of magical weapons all require a huge price.

Chen Yuan's target was also focused on the magic weapon, but through the light shield, he could only see the shape and type of the treasure, but could not tell the depth of its spiritual energy.

At this time, the middle-aged monk had made his choice.

He looked towards a square platform three meters above the ground on the left side of the hall, a hint of joy flashed in his eyes, and he walked over quickly.

Chen Yuan followed his gaze and saw a dark red short bow in the middle of the square, about one foot long, with a black dragon carved on the bow.

The blend of black and red makes the short-term worker look extremely fierce.

The middle-aged monk walked to the bottom of the square platform. Without any movement from him, the yellow light shield on the square platform dissipated on its own, and the crimson short bow flew towards the middle-aged monk on its own, surging spiritual energy emanating from it.

This crimson short bow is actually a mid-level magic weapon!
The middle-aged monk caught the short bow and put it into his dantian. His face showed even more joy. He turned around and walked up the stairs leading to the second-floor hall.

Jing Shuhan looked at the disappearing figure of the middle-aged monk and said in surprise: "This person actually recognized this short bow magic weapon, how lucky he is."

"Maybe he is knowledgeable and has seen the record of this short bow before." Chen Yuan said lightly.

The magical weapons in the Yibao Pavilion did not appear out of thin air, but came from the monks who died in Jueling Island.

At the beginning of the opening of Jueling Island, the Treasure Pavilion was filled with ancient magical weapons, which were strange and bizarre, and were called "ancient treasures". Monks who passed the first trial could choose them at will.

But as time went by, more and more cultivators entered Jueling Island, the ancient treasures were picked up, and magic weapons, spiritual herbs and materials began to appear on the square platform.

What is surprising is that these magical weapons actually came from the monks who died on the Jueling Island and were assimilated by the Refining Heart Mist!

They stayed on Jueling Island forever, but the magic weapons on their bodies mysteriously appeared in the Yibao Pavilion, lying quietly on the square table as a reward for passing the first trial, for later Jindan cultivators to choose from.

Not only magic weapons, but also the jade slips, spiritual herbs and materials they carried with them, together with the spiritual herbs and materials originally produced from Jueling Island, appeared in the Yibao Pavilion.

No one knows who put the treasures of these dead monks into the Pavilion of Strange Treasures. A Nascent Soul monk once suppressed his cultivation with a secret method and entered the valley just to find out what was going on, but in the end he found nothing.

From then on, there were always some lucky people who, when they saw a magic weapon they knew about on the table, would pick it up the first time they saw it, without having to rely on luck and just choose one at random.

There were also some unfortunate people who saw the magical jade slips left by their teachers and ancestors in the Pavilion of Strange Treasures, and took back this legacy after so many years with mixed feelings.

As an outsider, Chen Yuan naturally didn't know the origins of these magic weapons, so he could only turn around and look at Jing Shuhan: "Among these magic weapons, are there any that the fairy recognizes?" (End of this chapter)