Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

In the vast Gobi Desert, more than a dozen streaks of light pierced the sky and flew into the depths of the desert.

Suddenly, mountains, rivers, dense forests, and plains appeared on the distant horizon, and in the far distance, a ring-shaped mountain range, tens of thousands of feet high, rose up from the ground, like a high wall, stretching between heaven and earth.

The speed of the escape light slowed down, revealing the figures of more than a dozen cultivators, all with solemn expressions and expressions of surprise and doubt in their eyes.

Four cultivators were in the center, while the others surrounded them like stars around the moon.

If there were any cultivators here, they would immediately recognize the identities of these four people as the leaders of the four great sects, four powerful cultivators who were renowned throughout the cultivation world of Donghua Continent.

One of the middle-aged scholars, Wei Tingyun, the head of the White Crane Sect, stroked his beard and murmured, "Could it be that the Lingyun Sect has truly broken through the great formation of the Dongxu Mountain Secret Realm and integrated it into this world?"

Another lean man in a brocade robe gazed at the towering mountains in the distance, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes: "How could this be fake? This place was originally a desolate Gobi Desert, but now it has been completely transformed, its appearance is unrecognizable. Only a Nascent Soul cultivator could possess such power."

"That towering, ring-shaped mountain range should be the place within the Dongxu Mountain Secret Realm that separates the inner and outer rings."

“The Lingyun Sect previously used a ten-thousand-foot cloud wall as a protective formation. Now they have gone a step further, directly using a ten-thousand-foot-high mountain as a screen to set up a great formation. I’m afraid even if the four sects of us join forces, it will be difficult to break through.”

This person is Li Quehan, the head of the Zhiyuan Sect, one of the four great Xuanzong sects.

More than a hundred years ago, when the Demon Realm appeared, he was only a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, inferior to the leaders of the other three major sects. The prestige of the Zhiyuan Sect was also inferior to that of the other three major sects.

But thirteen years ago, Li Quehan finally broke through the bottleneck of the late Nascent Soul stage and became a Great Cultivator, standing on equal footing with the other three leaders of the Xuanzong Sect.

But unexpectedly, not long after he emerged from seclusion, before he could even make his mark, he received news that Chen Yuan had reached the Divine Realm and had annihilated the Blood Spirit Sect.

Li Quehan was skeptical, but he treated Wu Zexian, who came to visit him, well while sending Nascent Soul Elders to Qin and Qi to investigate the matter.

When the elders reported the tragic state of the Blood Python Mountain Range, Li Quehan was greatly alarmed. He immediately wrote a letter and sent someone to visit Wei Tingyun, Dao Xuan, the head of the Tianxuan Sect, and Chu Xiao, the head of the Jiangxian Mountain Sect, to arrange a meeting to discuss the matter.

The other three also received invitations from the Lingyun Sect and sent people to investigate the truth, finding nothing different from what the elders of the Zhiyuan Sect had learned.

Although none of the four elders had seen Chen Yuan, nor had they witnessed his Nascent Soul cultivation, the sudden destruction of the Blood Spirit Sect left them with no choice but to believe it.

Not long after, Wu Zexian came to Zhiyuan Gate again, presenting Jin Luoheng with a letter, saying that Lingyun Sect would re-establish its mountain gate in the northwestern desert of Qi State, so that he would not need to go to Lingyun Mountain Range.

Li Quehan was puzzled when he first heard about this.

However, a message came back from the spies planted by the Zhiyuan Sect in the Lingyun Sect that Jin Luoheng issued an edict that the Supreme Elder Chen Yuan would break the protective array of the Dongxu Mountain Secret Realm, integrate the Dongxu Mountain Secret Realm into this world, and use it as the foundation to rebuild the sect.

Li Quehan once again sent his elders to visit Dao Xuan and the other two to discuss the matter.

The three were also skeptical about this. The secret realm of Dongxu Mountain had already been discovered, but the various sects had been helpless and found it quite useless. So they simply allowed the disciples of the six sects of Qi Kingdom to enter the secret realm to search for low-level spiritual herbs.

If Chen Yuan can even break through the secret realm's great formation, could it be that he has truly achieved the Nascent Soul stage?
The four were filled with doubt and unease until five days ago, when each of them led three or four Nascent Soul elders from the mountain gate, met in the territory of Si State south of Qi State, and then entered Qi State, heading towards the Dongxu Mountain Secret Realm.

Tomorrow is the day of Chen Yuan's Nascent Soul Ceremony and the day when the Lingyun Sect will be re-established. At that time, everything will be clear.

When Li Quehan saw the magnificent and rugged landscape before him, he had no more doubts, only amazement.

……

Chu Xiao's elegant and aloof demeanor faded somewhat, and she sighed softly, "Fellow Daoist Li is joking. Even if the Lingyun Sect hadn't set up a grand formation, with Senior Chen alone, we would all be doomed."

Dao Xuan nodded slightly: "Donghua Continent has not seen a Nascent Soul cultivator for tens of thousands of years. Records of Nascent Soul cultivators can be traced back to the distant ancient times."

"After the incident in the Demon Realm, all four of us have fought against Senior Chen. We all know that he is exceptionally talented, and no one in Donghua Continent can match him."

"I never expected that Senior Chen would break through two bottlenecks in such a short time and achieve the Nascent Soul stage without revealing any signs. It is truly unbelievable."

Compared to the time of the Demon Realm Calamity, Dao Xuan's face looked much older, with many wrinkles and cloudy eyes.

Logically speaking, he should have already passed away at the end of his life, but he still protects the Tianxuan Sect by using some means to prolong his life.

Wei Tingyun pondered for a moment and said, "I have heard that before Senior Chen formed his core, he was chased by Liu Fan, a true disciple of the Blood Spirit Sect."

"Relying on an ancient teleportation array, I entered a certain ancient secret realm and was able to escape."

"Now that the Blood Spirit Sect has been destroyed by Senior Chen, it is most likely to be to avenge this grudge."

"This ancient teleportation array may not be a lie."

"Senior Chen's cultivation level has likely improved by leaps and bounds thanks to this opportunity."

"Otherwise, how could someone with poor aptitude who only joined the Lingyun Sect through the Ascension Conference achieve such success?"

Li Quehan's eyes flashed: "Fellow Daoist Wei is right. Perhaps that ancient secret realm is the Dongxu Mountain secret realm."

"Senior Chen not only obtained the opportunity, but also found the method to break the great formation of the secret realm. After achieving the Nascent Soul stage, he changed the world, integrated the secret realm into this world, and re-established the mountain gate."

"From then on, the Lingyun Sect possessed a large spiritual vein, making it in no way inferior to our four great Xuan Sects."

"With Senior Chen in charge, the title of the number one sect in Donghua Continent is undoubtedly theirs. So where should we go from here?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression stiffened, and they fell silent.

They had long been accustomed to the lofty status of the Four Great Mysterious Sects, and the sudden appearance of a behemoth that surpassed them was a bitter pill to swallow.

Dao Xuan slowly spoke: "Things have come to this point, there's no point in saying more."

"Senior Chen has not appeared in the cultivation world for a long time. The moment he showed up, he destroyed the Blood Spirit Sect. This should be a warning to others and a deterrent to other sects."

"The Blood Spirit Sect had a strong foundation, but it was destroyed overnight. If Senior Chen were to take action against our sect, it would be as easy as turning his hand."

"Man is the butcher, I am the fish on the chopping block, what can I do?"

Having said that, he flicked his sleeves, mounted his escape light, and continued flying forward.

Li Quehan sighed and silently followed.

He had just become a Great Cultivator and was eager to show his skills and restore the prestige of the Yuan Sect, but compared to Chen Yuan, he was like a firefly vying for the moon's brilliance, and his spirit had already dissipated by more than half.

The others followed, and the atmosphere became quite somber.

Nascent Soul cultivators are extremely fast, and before long, the group arrived at the edge of a dense forest.

A streak of light flew in from the side, shouting, "Who goes there?"

The group stopped, and the four great cultivators remained still. A Nascent Soul elder stepped forward and identified himself.

The newcomer was merely a Core Formation cultivator. Upon hearing that the leaders of the four major sects had arrived, he remained neither humble nor arrogant, and bowed with clasped hands, saying, "Seniors, please follow me."

Seeing this, Li Quehan became even more certain that Chen Yuan had already reached the Nascent Soul stage. Otherwise, how could a mere Core Formation cultivator dare to act so arrogantly in front of a great cultivator? The group followed the Core Formation cultivator and flew forward. Looking down, they saw that the earth was in complete disarray.

Li Quehan's heart stirred; it seemed that forcibly integrating the secret realm into the world was not an easy task.

The group followed the Core Formation cultivator until they reached the ten-thousand-foot-high ring mountain range, where they disembarked and arrived at a narrow canyon.

Scattered around here are several courtyards and a welcoming building. A Core Formation cultivator led everyone inside, where Bai Yanji was already waiting to arrange temporary accommodations for everyone.

Li Quehan meditated and regulated his breathing in the courtyard. Nothing happened that night. At 9:00 a.m. the next day, a Lingyun Sect cultivator called out from outside.

Li Quehan got up and walked out of the courtyard. The three elders of Zhiyuan Sect, whose residences were not far from his, also came out.

The group of people vanished in a flash and arrived at the Guest-Greeting Pavilion, where Bai Yanji warmly welcomed them.

Before long, the other three Xuanzong cultivators also arrived here under the guidance of the Lingyun Sect Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Bai Yanji smiled and said, "Today is the ceremony to celebrate the achievement of our sect's Supreme Elder in the Nascent Soul stage and the re-establishment of the sect. I would like to invite all fellow Daoists to follow me into the mountain."

After saying that, he raised his hand and guided the light of his escape route, flying deep into the One Line Sky Canyon, with everyone following suit.

The canyon may seem narrow, but that's because the mountain walls on both sides are so high and steep that it is actually hundreds of feet wide, making it extremely easy to fly through.

Along the way, there were many Lingyun Sect cultivators coming and going, and Qi Refining cultivators on the ground were also using their lightness techniques to run around, but they were all in an orderly manner and did not fight or grab.

The group did not move very fast, but with Bai Yanji leading the way, the Lingyun Sect disciples made way on their own, and in less than a quarter of an hour, they flew out of the canyon.

Li Quehan's vision suddenly opened up, but it was not the celestial paradise he had imagined. Instead, it was a scene even more desolate than the area outside the towering ring mountain range.

The earth seemed to be gripped and released by a giant hand, repeating this several times before finally stopping.

Looking around, the ground is undulating, crisscrossed with ravines, and the mountains have collapsed, with few places remaining intact.

Many Foundation Establishment cultivators and Qi Refining cultivators traveled around, using their magic to plant trees, repair damaged forests, build dams, and control overflowing rivers.

Many spirit beasts, driven by the disciples of the Lingyun Sect, moved boulders and sucked up water to clear silt.

Everyone was stunned. Was this the legendary blessed land filled with spiritual herbs?

Li Quehan sensed that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was slightly disordered and much thinner than he had expected, not at all like the concentration of spiritual energy that a large spiritual vein should have.

Li Quehan and Dao Xuan exchanged glances and secretly transmitted their voices: "Fellow Daoists, it seems that Senior Chen's desire to establish this 'blessed land' as the Lingyun Sect's mountain gate is not so easy."

Chu Xiao said thoughtfully, "This large spiritual vein is severely damaged. Without two or three hundred years of nurturing, it will be difficult to recover to its original state."

Wei Tingyun raised his hand to stroke his beard and slowly said, "Before this, the Lingyun Sect had the name of the number one sect in Donghua Continent, but not the substance of it. Perhaps there is a chance for a change in the situation."

Dao Xuan's cloudy eyes also flashed with a sharp light: "I wonder how much effort Senior Chen expended to carry out this earth-shattering feat?"

The four, who had been somewhat dejected, regained their spirits, though they did not show it on their faces.

They followed Bai Yanji silently, showing no airs of great cultivators, and stopped in a field.

This place is much flatter than other places, and it is surrounded by beautiful flowers and grasses, which should all be recently transplanted. The fragrance is refreshing and pleasant.

A grand hall stands majestically, adorned with lanterns and decorations, but it appears quite out of place against the backdrop of the severely damaged landscape.

Li Quehan frowned, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

The Lingyun Sect's new mountain gate is so dilapidated, even somewhat shabby, yet they are already holding a grand ceremony; it seems rather hasty.

But such thoughts can only linger in one's mind and will not be spoken aloud.

Upon entering the main hall, Li Quehan immediately adopted a humble demeanor to avoid being disrespectful to Senior Chen and bringing disaster upon the Zhiyuan Sect.

The main hall was crowded and noisy. Li Quehan glanced around and recognized most of the cultivators among them.

The Demon Lord Long Pokong, the leader of the Hehuan Sect Zhaolu Fairy, the leader of the Yinhai Sect Hong Chen, and the leader of the Guhun Sect Gu Bieren are all renowned demonic figures in the cultivation world.

In addition, there were many elders of the Demonic Sect following behind these four people, all of whom were respectful and showed no trace of the arrogance of demonic cultivators.

In addition, there are many Nascent Soul cultivators, all of whom are sect leaders or elders of medium-sized sects, representing both righteous and demonic factions.

Jin Luoheng, Zhuge Qi, Wu Zexian, and Wei Cifeng were all present, entertaining a group of cultivators.

Beside Jin Luoheng was a female cultivator, exceptionally beautiful and gentle, with an early Nascent Soul cultivation level, whom Li Quehan had never seen before.

Seeing Bai Yanji lead everyone into the main hall, Jin Luoheng and the others also came forward to greet them.

The four great sects are led by the Tianxuan Sect, and the four great cultivators are led by the Daoxuan Sect.

Dao Xuan took the lead in returning the greeting with clasped hands, and only then did the others follow suit, showing no airs whatsoever.

Wei Tingyun also mentioned the friendship between Master He of the White Crane Sect and Xuan Yuanzi, which made Zhuge Qi sigh with emotion.

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Quehan looked at the beautiful female cultivator and asked, "May I ask who this fairy is...?"

Jin Luoheng smiled and said, "This is my disciple Chen Yuan's cultivation partner, Elder Jing Shuhan of our sect."

Li Quehan immediately clasped his hands and bowed: "So it was Fellow Daoist Jing. My apologies for my rudeness."

Upon hearing this, everyone bowed to Jing Shuhan, showing great respect in their words.

A Nascent Soul cultivator in the early stage is nothing special, but a Nascent Soul cultivator's partner is someone even a great cultivator wouldn't dare to underestimate.

Jing Shuhan had personally witnessed the Nascent Soul cultivators like Qin Wuyai, yet she was now calm and composed in the face of only four powerful cultivators, which astonished everyone and made them secretly speculate about her origins.

Then Jin Luoheng led the people of the Four Great Profound Sects to pay their respects to the people of the Four Great Demonic Sects.

Good and evil are irreconcilable enemies, and the two sides should be at each other's throats, but here they are extremely polite and cautious.

No one dared to cause trouble at Chen Yuan's Nascent Soul Ceremony. Along the way, although the place was dilapidated, the earth-shattering power hidden behind it made people more and more frightened.

The righteous and demonic cultivators took their seats one after another, and one after another, Nascent Soul cultivators, led by the Core Formation cultivators of the Lingyun Sect, came into the main hall.

Two hours later, no one else entered the hall. Eighty percent of the Nascent Soul cultivators in the Donghua Continent's cultivation world had gathered here.

The hall gradually quieted down. Long Pokong clasped his hands in a respectful bow to Jin Luoheng and said, "May I ask, Fellow Daoist Jin, when will Senior Chen arrive? We would like to offer our congratulatory gifts and listen to Senior Chen's teachings." (End of Chapter)