Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Liu Kaiyang respectfully agreed, and Chen Yuan watched this scene with a smile on his lips.

He had Liu Kaiyang serve him, not only because Liu Kaiyang was of good character and a native of this realm, but also because he didn't want him to stay in Ping Le City.

Liu Kaiyang was the first cultivator he encountered after arriving in this world, and he also witnessed Liu Kaiyang awaken.

Chen Yuan once asked Liu Kaiyang why the demon race launched a large-scale attack on Ping Le City, and every cultivator in this world knew that the demon race and the human race were mortal enemies.

Liu Kaiyang may have been distracted at the time and had no suspicions, or he may have already guessed that Chen Yuan's origins were unusual.

His cultivation was shallow and his knowledge limited, so he probably couldn't guess that Chen Yuan came from another realm.

However, Zhang Xuancang is knowledgeable and experienced, even knowing about the affairs of the Tai Xuan Realm, so he might be able to guess that it's not advisable to leave him in Ping Le City.

However, Chen Yuan would not kill Liu Kaiyang. If it weren't for Liu Kaiyang, he wouldn't have been able to absorb the spiritual energy of Ping Le City's spiritual veins, and it's unknown when he would have woken up.

Chen Yuan was not a cold-blooded person, but he would not take risks either.

Out of caution, he decided to keep Liu Kaiyang by his side. Once he regained his strength and found out the whereabouts of Qin Wuyai and the other three, he would release Liu Kaiyang.

After the matter was settled, Chen Yuan asked a question he had been pondering for a long time: "I heard from young friend Liu that, according to you, in ancient times, this world was not ruled by demons."

"Humans are not native to this world, but came from the Tai Xuan Realm and unified this world."

"It was only later that the demon race of this realm asked the demons of the upper realm for help that the human race of the Tai Xuan Realm was defeated and retreated, leaving behind a portion of the human race, which has multiplied to this day."

"Chen was so focused on his cultivation that he knew nothing about the secrets of the ancient times."

"But this matter is too bizarre to be believable."

"May I ask where you learned this, and whether it is true or false?"

Zhang Xuancang hesitated for a moment before saying, "Fellow Daoist, you flatter me. I heard about this from another fellow Daoist, and I don't know if it's true or not."

"In order to boost morale, this matter was compiled into a book and told by storytellers everywhere."

Chen Yuan's eyes flashed: "May I ask who that fellow Daoist is?"

Zhang Xuancang said, "That fellow Daoist called himself Gu Hongzi. Three hundred years ago, I had just formed my Nascent Soul and entered a dangerous place in order to find a thousand-year-old spiritual herb to refine pills."

"But I encountered a mid-level demon general whose strength far surpassed mine, and I almost died at the hands of that demon general."

"It was this fellow Daoist Gu Hongzi who suddenly appeared, wielding a green bamboo flying sword, and easily killed that demon general in just a few rounds, saving my life."

Chen Yuan asked, "What does this person look like? Where is he now?"

Zhang Xuancang shook his head slightly: "I don't know. This fellow Daoist Gu Hongzi is wearing a mask with a pine tree painted on it. I don't know his appearance. His voice is also quite strange. He must be disguised."

"He saved my life and then invited me to join him in a treasure hunt, which I naturally accepted."

"Afterwards, Fellow Daoist Gu Hongzi helped me find that thousand-year-old spiritual herb. I was even more grateful to him. During our conversation, I expressed my ambition to build a city to protect human cultivators."

"Fellow Daoist Gu Hongzi greatly appreciated this and pointed out that there is a medium-sized spiritual vein in the Iron Mist Mountains that is unknown to most people, and a city can be built here."

"And he gave me a map—the very one I am giving to you today."

"I was overjoyed and thanked him profusely. Fellow Daoist Gu Hongzi, in high spirits, also told me about the affairs of the Tai Xuan Realm."

"They claim that one day, cultivators from the Tai Xuan Realm will return to this world to slay demons and restore humanity..."

Zhang Xuancang gave a wry smile: "To be honest, when I first heard about this, I was also skeptical."

"But Fellow Daoist Gu Hongzi is unfathomable. Besides this medium-sized spiritual vein, he also revealed many secrets of the demon race, showing his extremely broad knowledge."

"Although this matter is bizarre, I believe it to some extent because he said it."

"After the establishment of Ping Le City, beast tides were frequent, making life difficult for mortals and causing cultivators to fight with monsters all day long, resulting in unstable mental states."

"I then compiled this matter into a book, slightly modified the history of the human race, and ordered storytellers to spread it far and wide to boost the morale of the city."

Chen Yuan nodded thoughtfully, "I see. Thank you for clearing up my doubts, fellow Daoist."

"This fellow Daoist Gu Hongzi is so mysterious, his background must be extraordinary. Even if what he says is exaggerated, there should be some basis to it."

"Perhaps in ancient times, cultivators from the Tai Xuan Realm crossed over to unify this world, with humans as the most respected and demons as their slaves."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuancang's expression turned somber, and he said softly, "I am also willing to believe that what Fellow Daoist Gu Hongzi said is true. In ancient times, the human race was the most revered, but..."

He suddenly stopped, shook his head, and changed the subject: "I have been stuck at the bottleneck of the mid-stage Nascent Soul for more than forty years, my cultivation has stagnated and I have not made any progress. Fortunately, fellow Daoist has come. Could you please give me some pointers?"

Chen Yuan smiled nonchalantly: "Why not? However, the great path is boundless, and I, Chen, have only glimpsed its beginnings. How can I offer guidance? It's merely a mutual discussion."

Zhang Xuancang laughed heartily: "I have a jar of Thousand-Year-Old Sorrow in my possession, which I obtained from Lang Mou's younger brother, Lang Liao."

"This has been treasured for over a hundred years. Several fellow Daoists have visited, but I have been reluctant to take it out. Today, I shall have a hearty drink with you..."

He flipped his hand and took out a jar of spirit wine and two jade cups. With a flick of his finger, the stopper of the jar flew off on its own, and the jar tilted, pouring out two cups of spirit wine.

The two drank and chatted merrily, discussing philosophy and philosophy until the sun began to set, the sky grew dark, and the wine jar was empty. Only then did Zhang Xuancang reluctantly stop.

As a Nascent Soul cultivator, Chen Yuan's understanding of the path of cultivation far surpasses that of Zhang Xuancang. Although it was called a discussion on the profound principles of cultivation, he was actually answering Zhang Xuancang's questions about cultivation.

Over the course of several hours, Zhang Xuancang became increasingly respectful to Chen Yuan, as if he were facing a senior.

Liu Kaiyang stood by, listening to everything the two said, but the difference in their levels of understanding was too great, leaving him only vaguely aware of the situation.

But he listened intently, taking it all to heart without missing a single detail.

This was two Nascent Soul cultivators discussing the path of cultivation, a hundred times more profound than the rudimentary teachings he heard from Core Formation cultivators in the Preaching Hall every month. It was an incredible opportunity.

Although he couldn't understand it now, he still memorized it firmly. In the future, when his cultivation level improved, he would be able to solve such cultivation problems easily.

Zhang Xuancang clasped his hands in a bow and solemnly said, "As the saying goes, a single conversation with you is worth more than ten years of study."

"Thanks to your guidance today, fellow Daoist, I feel as if the clouds have parted and the sun has shone through, and my understanding has been suddenly enlightened."

"The bottleneck that has plagued me for decades seems to be loosening."

"If I am fortunate enough to break through the bottleneck and successfully advance to the next realm, I will always remember your guidance."

Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "Fellow Daoist, you flatter me. I have also benefited greatly from our discussion."

"I will be leaving Ping Le City in three days. I would also like to thank you for lending me the spiritual vein."

"Over the past month, Chen has been intercepting spiritual energy, which has caused many inconveniences for the cultivators in Ping Le City. I hope you will forgive me."

Zhang Xuancang laughed and said, "It's alright. With the beast tide over, there are many things to do. The cultivators in the city are all on their own, and very few people are in seclusion. So it hasn't been affected too much. Fellow Daoist, you might as well stay a few more days."

Chen Yuan shook his head and declined, saying, "My injuries are quite serious, and I cannot delay."

It wasn't that he didn't want to continue recovering his true essence, but the damage to his primordial blood and meridians meant that he could only accumulate a maximum of 20% of his true essence within his body. Continuing to cultivate would be useless.

Fortunately, Chen Yuan cultivates both physical and magical powers, relying mainly on his physical strength to fight enemies, consuming very little true essence. As long as he doesn't encounter a Nascent Soul demon cultivator, 20% of his true essence is enough.

Seeing that Chen Yuan was determined, Zhang Xuancang stopped trying to persuade him and instead asked, "Fellow Daoist, are you going to the territory under the Demon Sect's control to search for spiritual herbs?"

Chen Yuan nodded slightly: "These three kinds of spiritual herbs are quite rare. I imagine that only cultivators of the Demon Sect or members of the royal family would possess them."

Zhang Xuancang looked worried: "The Demon Sect has extremely tight control over cultivators and hates humans even more than the demon race. Fellow Daoist, please be careful."

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Thank you for the reminder, fellow Daoist. I will certainly act with caution."

Zhang Xuancang hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice: "I have a disciple who infiltrated the Dragon Demon Sect and is now a Core Formation Deacon. He has sent back messages several times, secretly informing us of the beast tide."

"Thanks to my early precautions, Ping Le City has been able to withstand dozens of beast tides and remain standing."

"Since you wish to enter the territory of the Demon Sect, I may write a letter. You may take the letter to my disciple."

"My disciple has been infiltrating the demonic sect for over a hundred years and is well-informed. Perhaps he can lend you a hand."

Chen Yuan was quite surprised: "Then I will trouble you, fellow Daoist. I will keep this secret and will not trouble your disciple unless absolutely necessary."

Zhang Xuancang said solemnly, "Fellow Daoist is a pillar of our human race. Once you recover from your injuries, the human race will have one more great cultivator, and our strength will increase by one point."

"In comparison, the safety of Ping Le City is insignificant."

"Fellow Daoist, you only need to go and find my little disciple."

"My disciple has been lurking in the demonic sect for a hundred years. He is steadfast and single-minded in his concern for the rise and fall of the human race. After reading my letter, he will do his best to find the spiritual herb for you."

After saying that, he took out a jade slip, probed it with his divine sense, and withdrew it after a quarter of an hour.

He then took out a bronze seal and pressed it heavily onto the jade slip. It left no trace, but a subtle fluctuation emanated from it, indicating that a divine imprint had been left on the jade slip.

Zhang Xuancang put away the bronze seal, handed the jade slip to Chen Yuan, and said, "I have recounted your matter in detail and left the city lord's seal, which is extremely difficult for outsiders to forge. My disciple will know at a glance that it was written by me."

"I have already stated my apprentice's location, name, and identity in this letter."

Chen Yuan took the jade slip, scanned it with his divine sense, and immediately saw all its contents.

He put away the jade slip, clasped his hands in a bow to Zhang Xuancang, and thanked him.

Zhang Xuancang pondered for a moment and said, "I have another letter. Could you please pass it on to my disciple?"

Chen Yuan immediately agreed. Zhang Xuancang then took out a blank jade slip, probed it with his divine sense, left a letter and the city lord's seal, and handed it to Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan did not examine it this time, and directly put it into the mustard seed ring.

He stood up, clasped his hands in a bow, and said, "The green hills remain unchanged, and the green waters flow on forever. In three to five years, or seven to eight years, I, Chen, will return and once again drink and talk with you, fellow Daoists, and discuss the Dao."

After arriving in this world, he landed in the Iron Mist Mountains.

Once the injuries have healed, a more thorough investigation will be conducted to determine whether the spatial passage originally led to this world or whether it was accidentally lost here.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuancang's eyes dimmed: "I was so engrossed in discussing the Dao with you that I forgot to tell you."

"Soon, I will lead the cultivators and mortals in the city to move to another human city—Xingzhu City. Ping Le City will soon cease to exist."

"If you wish to find me, you may travel to Xingzhu City." "The location of this city is already marked on the map."

Chen Yuan was taken aback: "What is the reason for this?"

Zhang Xuancang gave a bitter smile: "Ao Lin and She Mo died under the walls of Ping Le City. Once the Jiaolong and Xue Tong Ling She clans find out about this, they will definitely not let it go."

"The next beast tide will come soon. Ping Le City will be severely weakened and will find it difficult to resist."

"In order to avoid this calamity, I have no choice but to lead the cultivators and mortals in the city to relocate from this place."

"The two royal families will probably give up once they see Ping Le City reduced to ruins."

"It's not worth going to such lengths to hunt me down for the sake of two low-level demon generals, and to make sure I'm killed."

Chen Yuan frowned: "Ao Lin and She Mo were killed by my own hands. Fellow Daoist, there is no need for this. You can simply push the blame onto me."

Zhang Xuancang shook his head: "Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but the demon race acts tyrannically. Ao Lin and She Mo used Ping Le City as a gamble, driving a beast tide to besiege Ping Le City, and died in the process."

“Even if I spread the word everywhere that these two died at your hands, the two royal families will not let Ping Le City go.”

"Fellow Daoist has already offended the demon race, so you should not easily reveal your whereabouts. Why not let Ping Le City take the blame for this matter? Why involve you in this?"

"It's just a pity about this medium-sized spiritual vein. It has nurtured tens of thousands of cultivators over the past three hundred years, and it will soon be abandoned..."

Chen Yuan frowned. He needed to find spiritual herbs to heal his injuries and also explore the ascension passage, which would inevitably lead to a confrontation with the demon race.

They don't even consider two royal families a threat.

He successively destroyed the three royal clans of the Myriad Demon Sea in the human realm, including the Kun fish and the Jiaolong clans.

The royal families of this realm are simply more numerous, stronger, and more profound, but Chen Yuan is already a Nascent Soul cultivator, so what is there to fear?

However, it is not advisable for him to confront the two royal families directly before he recovers from his injuries.

The relocation of Pingluo City was still unavoidable.

Seeing Chen Yuan's strange expression, Zhang Xuancang suddenly burst into laughter: "Although we have to abandon Ping Le City, it is already a great victory to exchange for the lives of three low-level demon generals and one demon sect elder. It is worth abandoning the city."

"After arriving in Xingzhu City, I will definitely erect a monument for you, fellow Daoist, and inscribe your deeds on it to encourage the cultivators of Pingle City to kill more demons and beasts and revitalize the human race."

"Please suggest an alias, fellow Daoist. I will say that you are my good friend who came at my invitation."

"Just then, the beast tide breached the city, and in a fit of rage, he took action, joining forces with me to kill Ao Lin and the other three, and then ordered people to spread the news widely."

"This will also indirectly conceal your identity, so that the royal family that is hunting you down will not suspect that it was you who did it."

Chen Yuan nodded, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "Fellow Daoist is too kind. Then I, Chen, will take... Starfire Immortal as my title."

Zhang Xuancang was taken aback, but did not understand his meaning.

Chen Yuan didn't explain, just smiled slightly, got up and took his leave. Liu Kaiyang also bowed respectfully to Zhang Xuancang.

Zhang Xuancang personally escorted Chen Yuan out of the cave, watching him ride the escape light and fly towards that secluded valley.

Chen Yuan had just received the map from him and wanted to study the geography of the Myriad Demon Continent carefully before leaving.

After the two figures disappeared into the mountains, Zhang Xuancang pondered for a moment, then took out a communication talisman, put it to his lips, silently said a few words, and then threw it out.

The sound transmission talisman transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the horizon. Zhang Xuancang turned around and returned to his cave, but did not close the stone door.

Half an hour later, it was already dark. A crescent moon quietly climbed into the sky, the stars were sparse, and the earth was pitch black.

A beam of light landed in front of Zhang Xuancang's cave, revealing the figure of an old man with white hair. He hurriedly entered the cave.

He passed through the passage and arrived at the stone hall, where Zhang Xuancang sat upright in the main seat, his eyes slightly closed, holding a jade slip that glowed faintly, as if leaving a divine imprint.

The white-haired old man clasped his hands in a respectful greeting: "Master, what brings you to my attention?"

Zhang Xuancang opened his eyes, put down the jade slip in his hand, and said, "Three days from now, Fellow Daoist Chen will be leaving Ping Le City. At that time, you will accompany your master to see Fellow Daoist Chen off."

The white-haired old man was taken aback: "Master didn't try to stop Senior Chen from coming to Xingzhu City with us?"

Zhang Xuancang shook his head: "I originally wanted to invite Fellow Daoist Chen to come along, but he needs three kinds of spiritual herbs to recover from his injuries, so we can't delay."

"These three kinds of spiritual herbs are completely unheard of by your master. They must be extremely rare, and Fellow Daoist Qi would not have them either."

"I did not extend an invitation, lest Fellow Daoist Chen refuse and it damage our relationship."

The white-haired old man sighed softly: "Fortunately, Senior Chen wiped out the beast tide, and Lang Mou also died at Senior Chen's hands. The demons are leaderless, so they should not be hindered when they migrate."

Zhang Xuancang said, "That's right. The relocation of Ping Le City is our business. Fellow Daoist Chen has come from afar as a guest, so there is no reason for us to trouble him."

"Fellow Daoist Chen was able to kill Ao Lin and his three companions, saving the lives of everyone in the city. This is already an immense favor to us."

"I have recorded Fellow Daoist Chen's slaying of the demon general in this jade slip."

“Take this and have a scholar copy it down. Give it to a storyteller and spread it around during the migration.”

"Make sure that all cultivators and mortals in the city know about Fellow Daoist Chen's great achievements."

After saying that, he pushed the jade slip in his hand forward, and it slowly flew over.

The white-haired old man accepted the jade slip with both hands, probed it with his divine sense, and murmured, "Master Xinghuo... is this Senior Chen's Dharma name? When did he become my master's old friend?"

He looked up, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

Zhang Xuancang never hid anything from the white-haired old man and immediately recounted the matters he had discussed with Chen Yuan.

Finally, he instructed, "Later, go find Elder Shi and gather all the Foundation Establishment deacons and Qi Refining cultivators who knew about this matter when Deacon Liu brought Fellow Daoist Chen back to the city. Give them the Soul Loss Pill so they can forget about it and prevent it from spreading."

The white-haired old man immediately agreed: "Disciple obeys."

He and Elder Shi are both reliable people, but there are many spies from the demonic sect among the low-level cultivators, so we must be wary.

Zhang Xuancang was relieved and smiled, "After Fellow Daoist Chen leaves, we can begin preparations for the relocation. You will be in charge for the time being, as I need to go into seclusion for a while."

The white-haired old man was taken aback: "The relocation concerns everyone in the city, and it is precisely because of Master's leadership that we need him to take charge. Why did Master suddenly go into seclusion?"

Zhang Xuancang's smile grew even wider: "Today, I sat down with Fellow Daoist Chen to discuss the Dao, and he enlightened me."

"Several cultivation difficulties that have troubled me for a long time have been resolved. The fog on the road ahead has been cleared, and I can vaguely see the scenery of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. I will do my best to try."

"If we can break through the mid-stage bottleneck before the migration begins, the situation of the cultivators in Ping Le City will be better after we arrive in Xing Zhu City."

A hint of joy flashed in the white-haired old man's eyes as he bowed deeply: "Congratulations, Master! You have a good chance of breaking through your bottleneck and reaching a higher level of cultivation!"

Zhang Xuancang waved his hand: "I haven't broken through yet, so what's there to celebrate? You should go find Elder Shi. Fellow Daoist Chen's matter cannot be delayed. We can congratulate you after I have truly broken through."

The old man in white, beaming with joy, respectfully agreed, put away the jade slip, and turned to leave the cave.

Zhang Xuancang watched his figure disappear into the passage, the stone door slowly closing, and the smile on his face gradually faded.

"Tens of thousands of years have passed, yet the demon race remains powerful, while the human race faces an increasingly difficult situation. The Tai Xuan Realm... Is it real or an illusion?"

……

Chen Yuan and Liu Kaiyang landed in the valley with their escape light. Liu Kaiyang bowed and was about to return to the wooden building when Chen Yuan stopped him and they went into the cave together.

Chen Yuan sat in the main seat, while Liu Kaiyang stood respectfully with his hands at his sides: "What are your instructions, Senior?"

Chen Yuan said gently, "Young friend, you have heard today that I am going to infiltrate the territory of the Demon Sect to find spiritual herbs. It is quite dangerous. Would you like to come with me?"

Liu Kaiyang replied without hesitation, "Since I have promised you, senior, I am willing to brave even mountains of knives and seas of fire."

"Moreover, I fled to Ping Le City from the rule of the Demon Sect. Now that I have your protection, I have no worries at all."

Chen Yuan nodded slightly: "Very good. Then please make preparations, young friend. You will need to set off in three days."

"During these three days, young friend, you do not need to stay in the valley. You can bid farewell to your friends and acquaintances."

"So that they won't worry about your safety after you leave."

"However, young friend, you must remember not to spread the word about Chen's matter."

Liu Kaiyang looked solemn and bowed with his fists clasped: "Senior, rest assured, I will keep my mouth shut and return on time in three days."

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Young friend, please go ahead."

Liu Kaiyang turned to leave, but suddenly stopped, came to his senses, and said respectfully, "This junior is unworthy of the title 'young friend,' senior may simply call me by my name."

Chen Yuan smiled and nodded, and Liu Kaiyang turned and walked out of the cave.

Behind him, two stone doors slowly closed.

Chen Yuan quietly spread his divine sense, covering the entire city, and watched as Liu Kaiyang rode the escape light and flew out of the valley. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

If Liu Kaiyang keeps his mouth shut for the past three days, he will naturally treat this boy well, bestow treasures upon him, guide his cultivation, and give him a great opportunity.

However, if this young man is not discreet or has ulterior motives, Chen Yuan will not leave behind a potential threat.

He left a wisp of his divine sense to keep an eye on Liu Kaiyang's movements, then got up and returned to the cultivation room. He took out the jade slips that had been copied that day, probed them with his divine sense, and examined them carefully.

He observed very carefully, sometimes his expression changing drastically, sometimes he sneered, and sometimes his expression became grave.

These jade slips contain detailed records of the current situation between the human and demon races, especially how the demon race oppresses and enslaves the human race.

Chen Yuan's experiences were undeniably tortuous, his knowledge undeniably rich, and his killings undeniably brutal, yet he still couldn't help but feel a surge of anger as he witnessed it all.

The bullying and oppression of the human race by the demon race has reached an outrageous level. No wonder the demon race is so powerful, yet the human race's resistance is still endless.

The deep-seated hatred between the two races can never be resolved.

Chen Yuan's expression was grim. He put down the jade slip in his hand, picked up the map of the Myriad Demon Continent, and began to examine it carefully. (End of Chapter)