Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

In the vast mountains, the jagged peaks are like the spines of ancient beasts, piercing through the clouds and glowing coldly under the bloody setting sun.

Thick and twisted vines hang from the dark blue rock walls, and their withered yellow roots sway in the wind like giant pythons.

Thick steam was rising from the cliffs, and faintly weathered animal bones were embedded in the cracks of the rocks. The grayish-white remains still bore traces of being bitten by sharp teeth.

A vulture with disheveled feathers spread its wide wings and glided in the air, its sharp eyes searching through the layers of trees for dead and rotting corpses.

The vulture's eyes fell on a cliff several miles away. It paused for a moment, then suddenly let out a scream, flapped its wings, made a circle, and flew back in the direction it came from.

There was a hint of panic in its movements, but before it flew far, a transparent sword energy dropped from the sky and silently pierced through its vitals.

This vulture, which was not a weakling among the level five monsters, fell down without making a sound. Its life force suddenly disappeared.

The huge body smashed down several towering trees. A strong evil aura spread out, startling all the birds on a mountain and starting to fly all over the sky.

Two beams of light fell from the clouds, and a young monk with a stern expression slowly withdrew his right hand.

He was followed by a middle-aged Confucian scholar. The two ignored the vulture that was killed by the cold-blooded monk, and instead came to the cliff that scared the vulture away and took a closer look.

The mountain mist was filled with a fishy smell and clung to the rock wall. A translucent black snake skin hung more than ten feet from the cliff. In the scaly grooves, dark gray mucus remained, slowly flowing down.

The rocks on the edge of the cliff have been worn away and are extremely smooth.

A pool of water below was turbid and gray, with densely packed fish corpses floating upside down in the water, emitting a fishy smell.

The cold-blooded monk suddenly snapped his fingers and a stream of sword energy flew out, hitting the snake skin. It was like hitting rotten leather, making a "puff" sound, and only managed to make a small hole.

He said in a deep voice: "This snake slough is so huge and tough, it must have been shed by the level 8 black anaconda not long ago."

The middle-aged scholar looked down at the horrific scene in the pool and nodded slightly: "The body fluids left in this snake slough can poison hundreds of first-level upper-level fish monsters. It is very likely that it was left by the black poisonous anaconda yesterday."

A trace of doubt flashed across the cold monk's eyes: "Before I left the sect, I read the monster illustrations left by the sect, which recorded the habits of many ancient monsters, including this black poisonous anaconda."

"The snake slough of the black anaconda contains some of its own essence. After shedding its skin, it will immediately swallow the slough without wasting any of it. Why has this slough remained until now?"

The middle-aged scholar frowned and said, "The black poisonous anaconda has been extinct for a long time. Perhaps the record in the illustrated book that Fellow Daoist Ye read is wrong..."

The cold monk shook his head and said, "Since the founding of our sect, every generation of elders has come to Nanzhou to hunt down demon kings and sharpen their swords after they have formed infants."

"The demon beast illustration book that Ye looked through has been passed down in the sect for tens of thousands of years, so there is absolutely no possibility of error."

The middle-aged scholar heard this and looked at the snake slough with a serious look: "If it is true as Fellow Daoist Ye said, then this black poisonous anaconda encountered some misfortune and failed to swallow the snake slough in time, so it had to leave."

The cold monk frowned and said, "This is the place with the thinnest spiritual energy in the secret realm. Among the several level eight beasts nearby, the black poisonous anaconda is the strongest. Even if you and I join forces, we can't gain the upper hand."

"What kind of ferocious beast could make the black poisonous anaconda retreat before it could even swallow the snake skin containing its own life essence?"

The middle-aged scholar looked up and forward, his gaze seemed to penetrate the heavy clouds and mist and reach the infinite distance.

He said, "The reason why we left the miasma mountain range today and came to the depths of the secret realm is because yesterday at 9:00 p.m., a strange phenomenon occurred in the sky, a thousand feet of spiritual light, and a spiritual storm swept across. Perhaps something unexpected happened in the depths of the secret realm."

"I was meditating and practicing at the time, and I almost went astray."

"Perhaps the black anaconda had just shed its old skin and had not yet swallowed it when it was startled by the celestial phenomenon and fled in a hurry."

The cold monk shook his head and said, "Although the phenomenon was extremely shocking, it only lasted for less than half an hour before dissipating. It was just a false alarm."

"Not only did you and I not go astray, but our cultivation level improved significantly due to the entry of pure spiritual energy into our bodies."

"The Black Poison Anaconda is a ferocious beast native to the secret realm. How could it be injured by the spiritual energy storm? It is even less likely to be frightened and flee."

The middle-aged scholar pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Why should we make random guesses here? The nest of the black anaconda is not far ahead. Let's go and investigate, and we will know the answer."

"If the black anaconda is in its lair, then there should be nothing unusual about yesterday's celestial phenomenon. It has happened frequently in the past."

"It's just that we have only been in the secret realm for a short time. We only encountered it for the first time yesterday, so there is no need to go deeper."

The cold monk still frowned and asked: "Why did the black poisonous anaconda abandon its snake skin?"

The middle-aged scholar smiled and said, "Although the black poisonous anaconda is not very intelligent, it is also an eighth-level beast that has survived the thunder tribulation. There is no set rule on how to act."

"Perhaps it encountered some misfortune and left the snake skin here first, and then devoured it later."

The cold monk nodded slightly, his brows relaxed: "Daoyou, what you said makes sense."

After saying that, the two of them did not stop and went straight to the lair of the black poisonous anaconda.

A quarter of an hour later, the two men arrived above a swamp.

Without saying a word, the cold-blooded monk summoned his flying sword and pointed a point. Thousands of sword energies flew out and shot into the depths of the swamp, splashing mud and water and stinking with a foul smell.

Fortunately, the two had fought with the black poisonous anaconda more than once, and were prepared. They used their true energy to cover their mouths and noses to avoid being disturbed by the stench.

After thousands of sword energies were shot out, the two waited for a while. Mud and water fell like raindrops, and all the grass and trees affected by it withered and died, but there was no reaction in the swamp.

The cold monk was stunned for a moment, raised his hand and pointed at the flying sword in front of him: "Split!"

The flying sword trembled slightly and separated into thirty-six sword lights, which were exactly the same as the flying sword itself.

He pointed downwards again, and the sword light shot out, turning the swamp upside down.

Mud and water fell like raindrops, and all the grass and trees affected by it withered and died, but the swamp was still dead silent.

The middle-aged scholar's eyes flashed, "Fellow Daoist Ye, please wait. There is only one ferocious beast in this poisonous swamp, the Black Anaconda. You made such a big noise, but it didn't come out to fight. It must have escaped."

The cold monk nodded, raised his hand to recall the flying sword, and said solemnly: "It seems that the phenomenon that day was unusual. It actually caused an eighth-level beast to go against its habits and flee in panic."

The middle-aged scholar looked into the distance and said, "Yes, something must have happened in the depths of the secret realm. In your opinion, Daoist Fellow Ye, what should we do next?"

The cold monk flicked the flying sword in his hand with his fingers, making a clear sound. He said without hesitation: "Of course, we should go deep into the secret realm, investigate the cause, and find a way to escape!"

The middle-aged scholar turned to look at the cold monk and said, "Fellow Daoist Ye, aren't you afraid of encountering those level nine beasts or even level ten beasts in the depths of the secret realm again?"

The stern monk raised his head slightly and looked upwards.

The sky was clear as water, with a few thin clouds blown into flocs by the wind, floating lazily on the azure background.

A huge sun hangs high in the sky, motionless, blazingly bright, casting its golden rays onto the earth.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, do you still remember how long you have been here?"

The middle-aged scholar was startled, and said in a low voice: "How could I forget that I have been trapped here for more than forty-eight years."

"My master is waiting at the mountain gate for me to return to the sect to give birth to a baby. I have not heard from him yet. I am afraid he must be extremely worried..."

The cold monk said calmly: "The time that Ye has mistakenly entered the secret realm is longer than that of Fellow Daoist Zhang, which is already fifty-three years."

He stared at the bright sun: "There is no sun, moon or stars in the secret space. The celestial phenomena here are all illusions. They are stagnant and never change. I am tired of seeing them..."

He looked down at the swamp below again: "The secret realm is full of ferocious beasts. An ordinary level eight ferocious beast has long been extinct in the outside world and is extremely powerful."

"Ye needs to join forces with fellow Taoists to barely compete with him. He is in such a miserable state..." Zheng!
He suddenly flicked the flying sword in his hand hard, and the sword made a shocking sound that echoed through the sky.

"Although the spiritual energy here is rich and there are many treasures, I am tired of the days of hard training all day long and don't want to live in this remote place anymore."

"Yesterday, the sky changed strangely and the black poisonous anaconda disappeared. There must be a big change in the secret realm. Maybe there will be a miracle to escape. Even if I have to take the risk myself, Ye will go to the depths of the secret realm!"

The middle-aged scholar laughed loudly: "Okay, then I will sacrifice my life to accompany you, Mr. Daoist Ye, please!"

The cold monk smiled slightly: "Ye is just a swordsman, and Zhang Daoyou is a gentleman, please!"

The two looked at each other and saw the determination in their eyes. Without any hesitation, they flew away into the depths of the secret realm with a flash of light.

But no matter how determined they were, they were both Nascent Soul cultivators and had been here for forty or fifty years, so they knew how dangerous the secret realm was.

After leaving the swamp, they did not dare to be careless at all. They spread out their spiritual sense and checked the surrounding situation to prevent sudden encounters with powerful and ferocious beasts.

After escaping for more than a thousand miles, the two came to a large lake with a radius of more than two hundred miles. They slowed down their escape speed and became more vigilant.

They restrained their energy and went around the edge of the lake, but did not enter the mountains on either side.

His spiritual consciousness always fell on an island in the middle of the lake. He took out the magic weapon in advance, his mind was tense, and he was ready to take action at any time.

But to their surprise, even after crossing the lake, the island in the middle was still empty.

The middle-aged scholar looked back at the island in the middle of the lake and murmured, "The hundred-eyed giant toad in the lake has been absorbing and exhaling spiritual energy on that island and never leaves. It didn't show up today. I wonder where it went..."

The cold monk said calmly: "Daoyou, why bother to meddle in other people's business? Since the Hundred-Eyed Toad is not on the island, we don't need to take any risks and just hurry on our way."

The middle-aged scholar lowered his head and thought for a moment, then shook his head slightly: "This matter is quite strange. In my opinion, it is better to investigate it first, and then it will not be too late to hurry on."

A trace of surprise flashed across the cold monk's eyes: "Fellow Daoist, have you forgotten that the last time we worked together to investigate the surrounding situation, when we came here, I was illuminated by the giant toad's divine light and almost fell into an illusion."

"Fortunately, the Hundred-Eyed Giant Toad has a gentle temperament and did not go all out. Ye also has a flying sword to protect its master. Daoist friend used his righteous energy to attack and managed to break free."

"If it is somewhere on the island, and we invade its territory and anger it, and all its eyes open, and you and I are trapped in an illusion together, how can we escape?"

The middle-aged scholar said in a deep voice: "Although the confusing divine light of the Hundred-Eyed Giant Toad cannot be underestimated, I have already formed a fetus, and I should be able to resist it with my righteous spirit."

"Later, I will lead the charge, and you will follow behind."

“As long as the giant toad releases its divine light, fellow Daoist, immediately draw your sword and break the giant toad’s magical power. This should help me break free from the illusion.”

The cold monk frowned and said, "Since you insist on doing this, I will accompany you."

The middle-aged scholar sighed and said, "How could I not know that this move is quite dangerous? However, there are ferocious beasts everywhere in the secret realm, and murderous intentions are everywhere."

"Although this giant toad with a hundred eyes is powerful, it is not a murderous creature. That is why we chose this path."

“If we walk along the mountains on both sides, we will either die or be injured if we encounter the ghost-faced spiders and the unknown vicious butterflies.”

"The beast ahead may not be as easy to deal with as the Hundred-Eyed Giant Toad. Since we have encountered something unusual, we still need to investigate it clearly so that we can be prepared early."

The stern monk's expression eased a little: "It is Ye who has not thought deeply enough. Fellow Daoist Zhang, please."

At that moment, the two of them, one in front and one behind, turned around and entered the lake again. Their speed of escape slowed down a bit and they became more alert.

But when they arrived above the island in the middle of the lake, the giant toad with a hundred eyes did not show up.

The two men spread out their spiritual sense and scanned the island in the middle of the lake carefully, but they did not see the figure of the ferocious beast.

But the cold monk found an immature three thousand year old spiritual herb in a cave on the north side of the island in the middle of the lake and picked it carefully.

The middle-aged scholar raised his hand and stroked his short beard, thinking, "Could it be that this hundred-eyed giant toad was also frightened by the celestial phenomenon and fled in panic like the black poisonous anaconda before?"

The cold monk nodded slightly: "It may be a coincidence once, but the two beasts have disappeared, most likely what Daoyou said is right."

The middle-aged scholar murmured, "If all the fierce beasts in the secret realm disappeared like the black poisonous anaconda and the hundred-eyed giant toad, wouldn't we be able to reach the depths of the secret realm safely?"

The cold monk also showed an interested look: "Whether it is true or not, we will know it after a test."

The two of them didn't waste any more time, turned around and fled forward.

They still did not let down their guard, but as the middle-aged scholar had expected, they flew thousands of miles without encountering any ferocious beasts.

At this moment, the middle-aged Confucian scholar suddenly had an idea, changed direction, and flew to the east.

But after they flew more than a thousand miles, they encountered a level nine ferocious beast.

Fortunately, it was a gentle star-patterned deer, and the two retreated in time to avoid a big fight.

Afterwards, the two of them became more cautious and flew thousands of miles carefully without encountering any ferocious beasts.

On the way, they even discovered two places that seemed to be the resting places of ferocious beasts, and found a three thousand year old spiritual herb that had not yet matured.

This magical herb is the same as the one in the nest of the Hundred-Eyed Giant Toad. It can be transplanted and was collected by the middle-aged Confucian scholar.

Seeing this, the middle-aged Confucian scholar came up with a new idea in his mind. He persuaded the cold monk to change direction and fly westward again.

But this time, the two of them only flew a few hundred miles before they encountered a violent ninth-level Earthly Evil Rock Turtle.

Fortunately, it was too large and moved slowly, so the two managed to escape safely.

Now the middle-aged Confucian scholar no longer dared to change direction at will. He just flew in a straight line to the south, which was also the center of the secret realm.

It took the two of them a day to fly thousands of miles, and their speed suddenly slowed down.

Just a hundred miles ahead, the continuous mountain range suddenly became flat and turned into a valley with a radius of dozens of miles.

And right in the center of the valley stands a hundred-meter-high tower, made entirely of bronze. It is rusty but emitting a faint glow, as if it is protected by a formation.

In front of the giant tower, there is a stone platform several meters high, most of which has collapsed.

There are large areas of ruins all around, and dilapidated halls and pavilions everywhere.

There was a gleam of light in the eyes of both men, and they sped up their escape at the same time and arrived in the valley.

This was the first time they encountered a building built by monks after entering the secret realm!

The middle-aged Confucian scholar spread out his spiritual sense and touched the giant bronze tower, but was blocked by a layer of formation and could not break through.

He frowned and said in a deep voice: "Fellow Daoist Ye, there seems to be something strange about this tower..."

Before he finished speaking, a figure suddenly appeared on the half-ruined stone platform in front of the huge bronze tower. The figure was wrapped in white light and his face could not be clearly seen.

The middle-aged scholar quickly looked over, his face full of vigilance.

When the white light faded, he saw the man's face and froze in his tracks, saying in disbelief, "Brother Chen?" (End of this chapter)