Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

The Foundation Establishment disciple obeyed and left. The old man closed the door and bowed deeply to Chen Yuan: "I, Li, have lived for over nine hundred years and am already a dying man. I will spend my remaining days in this Cloud Hidden City."

"Before today, I, Li, had never met you, fellow Daoist, and had no grudge against you."

"Li did not know what his friend was planning, but he would never interfere."

"I only beg you, fellow Daoist, to show mercy and spare my life. I will be eternally grateful."

His expression was very earnest. Chen Yuan raised his head slightly, his bright eyes shining out from under his bamboo hat, and said calmly, "Since you know that I am going to deal with Ye Guihong, yet you still cooperate with me, and now you are even begging for mercy, aren't you afraid of being severely punished by the sect?"

The old man gave a bitter smile: "Although I am of mediocre strength, I am still an elder of the sect. Moreover, I was forced to do this under your coercion. My crime does not warrant death."

"But one only has one life, and the closer one gets to the end of one's life, the more one clings to life and fears death."

"Li only asks to live to the day he passes away peacefully, so that his soul may be reborn and leave a chance for him to attain enlightenment in the next life. He dares not ask for anything more."

Chen Yuan nodded slightly: "As I have already said, as long as you cooperate well, I will not take your life."

"However, if Ye Guihong survives, knowing that you deliberately lured him here, I wonder if he would understand your difficulties and forgive your actions?"

The old man's expression changed. If Ye Guihong knew that he had cooperated with Chen Yuan in plotting to harm him, he would certainly not let him off easily.

Chen Yuan said, "Fellow Daoist, why don't you tell me the truth about Ye Guihong's methods? As long as I kill him, no one will know that he was lured here by you, and you will be safe and sound."

The old man hesitated. Ye Guihong would not forgive him, but he dared not betray his sect.

Although he didn't know why Chen Yuan dared to deal with Ye Guihong in Yunyin City, he knew that regardless of whether Chen Yuan succeeded in the end, he would definitely not be able to escape.

Chen Yuan was no match for the array formations of Yunyin City and the elders of the Jiuli Sect. Not to mention that Ye Guihong could summon the ancestral beast that had guarded the sect for tens of thousands of years. No matter how strong Chen Yuan's methods were, he would have no chance of survival.

Seeing his hesitant expression, Chen Yuan continued, "Fellow Daoist, you only need to tell me whether Ye Guihong can control your sect's ancestral beast?"

"Is the ancestral beast in a deep sleep, or is it always awake?"

"If one falls into a deep sleep, how long will it take to wake up?"

The old man was still somewhat hesitant. Chen Yuan released his aura, and the pressure of his Nascent Soul filled the quiet room.

The old man's eyes widened, and he said in a trembling voice, "You...you are a Nascent Soul cultivator?"

Chen Yuan said calmly, "Since I've come here today, Ye Guihong is doomed. If you're willing to cooperate, I might spare your life; otherwise..."

Without further hesitation, the old man bowed deeply and said, "This junior knows little about the Ancestral Beast, only that it sleeps beneath the mountain gate and will not wake up easily."

"Aside from the founding patriarch, none of the successive sect leaders could control the ancestral beast, not even the three Nascent Soul stage sect leaders."

"We can only use one magic artifact to awaken the ancestral beast to assist us, and it will take at least a hundred breaths."

Chen Yuan nodded slightly: "One hundred breaths is enough."

The old man was startled and cautiously began to speak: "I have a few words to say, but I don't know if I should."

Chen Yuan said, "Speak freely."

The old man said, "Since Sun Yuan's death, the demon race of Nanzhou has been wiped out by various sects. The sect leader no longer inquires about the whereabouts of the senior, let alone dares to plot against the senior."

Chen Yuan was taken aback: "Is that so? Why didn't you mention it earlier, fellow Daoist?"

The old man gave a wry smile: "I wanted to tell you, senior, but that white spiritual fire is too... too mysterious."

"In just a few breaths, I was so weak and my mind was shaken that I dared not speak recklessly, for fear of angering you and losing my life."

"This junior was unaware of your cultivation level, senior. I thought the Cloud Hidden City formation could trap you."

"With other elders assisting, if you make a move, you will definitely have a hard time escaping. I just want to keep you calm and find an opportunity to get away."

"But senior has already achieved the Nascent Soul stage. Even if the Ancestral Beast awakens, it cannot keep you here. This junior dares not have any other thoughts."

He sighed deeply: "The sect leader may have indeed harbored resentment towards you in the past, but you were deeply favored by several Nascent Soul stage masters."

"Our sect suffered heavy casualties in the Yuling Sect's secret realm, and was constantly clashing with the Zhengqing Sect and the Zhuyan Baigu Sect, leaving us in a state of utter chaos."

"When I was chatting with other elders in the sect, I heard them mention that you displayed great power in the Ten Thousand Demon Sea and wiped out the two royal families of the Flood Dragon and the Kun Fish."

"He also became a Daoist partner with Jing Shuhan, an elder of the Tianji Sect, one of the three major sects of Yuqing Sea, and a Nascent Soul cultivator personally came to congratulate him."

"The sect leader has long dared not offend the senior. Now that the senior has achieved the Nascent Soul stage, the sect leader would certainly not dare to act rashly if he saw the senior."

Chen Yuan seemed to be deep in thought, his aura restrained, and he picked up his teacup, taking a gentle sip, no longer paying attention to the old man.

The old man tiptoed back two steps, barely daring to breathe, and stood respectfully to the side.

The room fell silent, and about half an hour later, the door to the room suddenly opened.

Chen Yuan remained motionless, and the old man dared not make any move, only glancing at him out of the corner of his eye.

Ye Guihong strode into the quiet room, his expression dignified, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

He glanced around and saw Chen Yuan, who was wearing a bamboo hat and sitting upright, sipping tea, as well as an old man standing with his hands at his sides, looking like a servant. He couldn't help but frown.

He stared at Chen Yuan, his voice tinged with displeasure: "Why is Fellow Daoist Wei concealing his face when he comes to visit?"

Chen Yuan put down his teacup, took off his bamboo hat, looked up at Ye Guihong, and said indifferently, "I heard that Fellow Daoist Ye was looking for my whereabouts, so I came to pay a visit."

Ye Guihong's expression changed, and he gave the old man beside him a deep look, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

The old man gave him a wink and shook his head slightly.

Ye Guihong, not understanding his meaning, turned around, clasped his hands in a bow to Chen Yuan, and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Chen, it is an honor to have you here. I am sorry for not welcoming you properly. I hope you will forgive me."

Seeing his demeanor, Chen Yuan's killing intent lessened considerably, and he pointed with his hand: "Fellow Daoist, please sit down."

Ye Guihong was not annoyed to see Chen Yuan take the initiative. He went to sit down opposite Chen Yuan, lifted the back of his shirt, and sat down.

Chen Yuan said, "Fellow Daoist Li was forced by me to lie and deceive me by inviting Fellow Daoist Ye here. Please forgive me, Fellow Daoist Ye."

Ye Guihong laughed and said, "Fellow Daoist Chen, what are you saying? If Senior Brother Li hadn't sent someone to inform me, I wouldn't have known that you were coming. How could I possibly blame you?"

He turned to the old man and said gently, "Senior Brother Li, Fellow Daoist Chen and I still have matters to discuss. You may go ahead."

The old man did not agree, but instead looked at Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan nodded slightly, and the old man breathed a sigh of relief, clasped his hands in a bow, and said, "I, Li, take my leave."

The old man bowed and left the quiet room, closing the door behind him. Ye Guihong frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Even if Chen Yuan is a great cultivator with a Nascent Soul cultivator protecting him, the old man shouldn't be so respectful, treating him like a junior.

Chen Yuan spoke first: "Fellow Daoist Ye, do you know why I have come to visit today?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Guihong quickly composed himself and turned back, saying, "Please enlighten me, fellow Daoist." Chen Yuan smiled slightly, "To be honest, I've come here today to demand an explanation."

Ye Guihong's pupils contracted, and Chen Yuan slowly said, "Seventy years ago, I went to the Myriad Spirits Pavilion to refine a magic weapon, but I was turned away. It must have been Fellow Daoist Ye's doing, right?"

"Over the years, fellow Daoist has been secretly searching for Chen's whereabouts. Could it be that you intend to plot against Chen?"

Ye Guihong remained silent, then clasped his hands in a bow and said, "This matter was indeed done by me, and I hope you will forgive me, fellow Daoist."

Chen Yuan's eyes flashed: "Fellow Daoist Ye's magnanimity is quite unexpected."

"Chen captured and killed Tian You, and then ruined your sect's long-term plan. The Yuling Sect's secret realm is still shared by all sects to this day."

"Almost all of your sect's elders perished in the secret realm, with only Fellow Daoist Ye and Fellow Daoist Qi managing to escape."

"Such a deep-seated hatred, can Fellow Daoist Ye truly let it go?"

Ye Guihong sighed, "Junior Brother Tian was captured by you because he was competing with you for the opportunity to refine treasures. He has only himself to blame."

"As for the Yuling Sect's secret realm, it is an unclaimed property. Our sect intends to take it for ourselves, and you, fellow Daoist, can naturally also seek to take it."

"Moreover, the fact that our sect was able to find the Yuling Sect's secret realm was a scheme set up by Sun Yuan. Even if you don't take action, he will never allow our sect to monopolize the secret realm."

"The death of our sect's elder is not your fault, fellow Daoist. It was the White Ape Demon King who possessed your body and killed you."

"It would be better if you, fellow Daoist, destroyed the remaining primordial spirit of that white ape demon king and avenged our sect's elders."

"In the past, I was blinded by greed and mistakenly attributed to you, fellow Daoist, what Sun Yuan and the White Ape Demon King did."

"You are so focused on seeking revenge against your fellow Daoist that you have neglected the mastermind. This is truly wrong of you."

"Now I, Ye, have repented and dare not oppose you again."

Chen Yuan stared at Ye Guihong, his expression sincere, as if everything he said came from the bottom of his heart.

Chen Yuan suddenly sneered: "Fellow Daoist Ye speaks so lightly. I almost failed to refine the magic weapon back then. Do you think it's over with just a word of repentance?"

Ye Guihong's expression changed slightly, and he gave a wry smile: "I have delayed your crafting of the magic weapon, and my sin is no small matter. I should apologize to you."

"In our sect's herb garden, there happens to be a three-thousand-year-old Flaming Sun Flower, which has the effect of tempering the body and strengthening the marrow. It should be of some use to you, fellow Daoist."

"I, Ye, am willing to offer this flower, and I humbly request your forgiveness, fellow Daoist."

Chen Yuan stared at Ye Guihong, slowly shook his head, and uttered two words: "Not enough."

Ye Guihong's expression stiffened, and his smile became even more bitter: "I wonder what other treasures you want, my friend? As long as it is something I can provide, I will not refuse."

Chen Yuan saw all the changes in Ye Guihong's expression. Seeing that he had already pushed him to this point, yet Ye Guihong still showed no anger, Chen Yuan couldn't help but nod in approval.

He knew that Ye Guihong could not be truly repentant. He was only afraid to offend him because he saw four Nascent Soul cultivators join forces to kill Sun Yuan and Lu Wangquan personally attend his dual cultivation ceremony and take good care of him.

But that was enough. The grudges between Chen Yuan and Ye Guihong were far less deep than those between Chen Yuan and the Zhenhai Sect.

Tian You offended Chen Yuan, who captured his soul, which remained in the Soul-Hiding Bowl for over a hundred years, never seeing the light of day.

The Yuling Sect's secret realm was opened ahead of schedule because Chen Yuan infiltrated the Southern Continent to investigate. The spiritual energy storm swept across the Nine Immortal Continents, and various sects entered it to plunder treasures, causing the Nine Li Sect's ten-thousand-year grand plan to fall through.

The heavy casualties among the elders of the Jiuli Sect were the work of the White Ape Demon King, and Chen Yuan did not suffer any loss.

Therefore, he never intended to destroy the Jiuli Sect; he only wanted to kill Ye Guihong.

The Jiuli Sect has a Nascent Soul stage ancestral beast guarding its mountain gate. Its background is unknown, but it has protected the Jiuli Sect for tens of thousands of years, so its strength must be considerable.

In addition, Chen Yuan learned from Lu Wangquan that the Jiuli Sect had produced three Nascent Soul cultivators throughout its history, who must have left behind many trump cards to protect the sect.

Eight years later, Chen Yuan will enter the spatial passage. Now, he has to fight against that ancestor and deal with the methods left behind by three Nascent Soul cultivators. It is not worth it to just vent his hatred.

The ten major sects are all deeply rooted and have profound foundations. Even without Nascent Soul cultivators, they will never be slaughtered by others.

Otherwise, Qin Wuyai, Cangsong Daoren, and Ren Laomo would have already wiped out the other giant sects and divided up the Nine Immortal Continents.

Chen Yuan was unwilling to take risks, so killing Ye Guihong alone would be much simpler.

However, it now seems that Ye Guihong has lost his courage, and there is no need to kill him.

Chen Yuan no longer concealed his aura, and the pressure of his Nascent Soul stage slowly spread out.

Ye Guihong's expression froze, his eyes filled with disbelief, and he murmured, "Nascent Soul stage?"

He suddenly stood up and bowed deeply again: "This junior was blind and ignorant of your cultivation level, senior. I dared to address you as an equal. I hope you will forgive my disrespect."

Chen Yuan said calmly, "I came here today intending to kill Fellow Daoist Ye here, and then reveal my cultivation to intimidate your sect."

"But Fellow Daoist Ye has suddenly realized his mistake. I, Chen, have no great grudges with your sect in the past. Why not let it go?"

"However, the death penalty can be waived, but the punishment is unforgivable."

"Besides the Flaming Sun Flower, how many three-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs does the Nine Li Sect have, as well as level ten demon cores and late-stage Nascent Soul pills? Hand them over as well."

“Otherwise, even if Fellow Daoist Ye awakens the Ancestral Beast, I, Chen, will not hold back.”

"Even if we cannot break through the Cloud Hidden Mountains, as long as I ask, I believe the Zhengqing Sect and the Zhuyan Baigu Sect will be willing to help me wipe out the Jiuli Sect disciples."

"Over several decades or even centuries, Lizhou will eventually undergo a complete transformation."

Ye Guihong trembled, lowered his head even further, and said respectfully, "Thank you for sparing my life, senior. I will fetch the spiritual herbs and pills immediately."

"But once a late-stage Nascent Soul pill is refined, it will be dissolved and there is really no residue left."

"However, our sect has a treasure that is a hundred times more precious than a late-stage Nascent Soul pill. There is absolutely no other one like it in the world."

"This junior wishes to offer this treasure to the senior in order to express gratitude for the senior's great kindness."

Chen Yuan's eyes flashed, and he asked, "What kind of treasure is so precious?"

Ye Guihong said, "This treasure is related to our sect's ancestral beast. Senior, do you know the origin of our sect's ancestral beast?"

Chen Yuan nodded slightly: "I have heard Fellow Daoist Lu mention that your sect's ancestral beast is a candle snake."

During his casual conversation with Lu Wangquan, he inquired about the Jiuli Sect and had also heard a little about the Ancestral Beast.

However, in the past tens of thousands of years, this Candle Serpent has not made many moves, and Lu Wangquan only knows its name.

Ye Guihong's expression turned solemn: "That's right, this treasure is the egg left behind by our sect's ancestral beast, the Candle Serpent, containing a trace of the true spirit Zhu Jiuyin's bloodline."

"As long as you hatch it and nurture it carefully, it will surely become a great help to you in the future!" (End of Chapter)