Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Two thousand miles north of Dragon God City, a vast plain stretches out across the land.

High in the sky, a dazzling streak of light flashed by, like a shooting star, visible from a hundred miles away.

A figure suddenly appeared a hundred feet in front of the escape light, which abruptly stopped, revealing the figure of a middle-aged cultivator.

He wore a deep blue robe embroidered with dragons, his brows were high and his eyes were narrow. He looked at the figure that had suddenly appeared before him with surprise and uncertainty.

This person was tall and slender, dressed in white robes that fluttered in the wind, exuding an ethereal aura. However, his face was sallow, and his skin was dry, making him look like a consumptive, which completely ruined his otherworldly temperament.

The middle-aged cultivator spread his divine sense and swept it over the consumptive ghost in front of him, and his heart sank.

This person's aura was restrained, revealing no trace of cultivation; he seemed like an ordinary mortal, yet his spiritual sense was far superior to his.

Moreover, this person appeared suddenly and silently, which must have been achieved by teleportation, and he is likely a powerful cultivator.

He carefully scanned the white robe on the consumptive ghost's body; it had no patterns whatsoever, and he felt even more uneasy.

The Eight Great Divine Sects have strict rules. The robes worn by the cultivators in the sects are all regulated and embroidered with the demon gods they worship, without exception.

There are two religious sects that wear white robes: the Bear God Sect founded by the Frost Bear Clan and the Wolf God Sect founded by the Howling Moon Silver Wolf Clan. However, they are completely different from the white robes worn by this person.

A chill ran through the middle-aged cultivator, but he remained outwardly calm. He clasped his hands in a respectful bow and said, "I am Dugu Sha, an elder of the Dragon God Sect. May I ask your esteemed name and why you are blocking my way?"

Chen Yuan clasped his hands in return: "I am Xinghuo Zhenren. I have been waiting for Fellow Daoist Dugu for a long time. There is something I would like to ask you. I hope you will not hesitate to enlighten me."

Seeing that the man was polite, Dugu Sha felt relieved: "I dare not. So you are Fellow Daoist Xinghuo. Please forgive my ignorance. May I ask which demon god you worship?"

Chen Yuan said calmly, "I do not worship demon gods, I only respect heaven and earth, and I only believe in myself."

Dugu Sha's expression changed slightly, and his heart sank again: "I wonder what you wish to ask me, my friend?"

There is only one kind of person in this world who does not believe in the demon god: those who rebel against the demon race!
However, Dugu Sha dared not resist. The person in front of him was a great cultivator, and he was no match for him. He could only continue to deal with him and find an opportunity to escape.

At this moment, he only wanted to know one thing: how did this person know that he was leaving Dragon God City today?

The images of several disciples flashed through Dugu Sha's mind, finally settling on the seventy-year-old man before erasing him.

The septuagenarian had been his disciple for over four hundred years, remaining utterly loyal and would never betray him.

A murderous intent rose in Dugu Sha's heart. If he could escape this time by chance, he would definitely find out who had leaked his whereabouts and tear that person to pieces!
His mind was in turmoil, but he dared not show it on his face. Instead, he revealed a humble smile and his expression was very sincere.

Chen Yuan observed this, his expression remaining calm: "I wonder if you have ever heard of the three spiritual herbs: Jade Marrow Fungus, Tongyou Orchid, and Heart-Protecting Lotus?"

Dugu Sha looked somewhat bewildered and shook his head: "Fellow Daoist, please forgive me. I am not an alchemist and do not know alchemy. I have never heard of these three spiritual herbs."

Chen Yuan seemed to have expected this, and his expression remained unchanged: "Then could you please inquire for me whether the Dragon God Sect's herb garden contains these three kinds of spiritual herbs?"

Dugu Sha paused for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Fellow Daoist, rest assured, I have some connections with the three Grandmaster Alchemists in the sect, so I certainly know whether these three spiritual herbs are in the Spirit Herb Garden."

"I can consult them, and I will inform my friend as soon as I have the results."

Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "Then I'll have to trouble you, fellow Daoist."

Dugu Sha was overjoyed and said with a smile, "I just don't know where you are staying, so how can I deliver the message to you?"

Chen Yuan said calmly, "I am staying at the Dragon God Sect headquarters and know where you are staying."

"As long as you find out about the spiritual herbs, gather your disciples to give a lecture, and I will personally pay you a visit."

Dugu Sha was shocked. This person actually managed to infiltrate the headquarters of the Divine Sect?

He looked at Chen Yuan with some skepticism, then clasped his hands in a respectful bow: "Fellow Daoist, your abilities are truly remarkable. I admire you. I will return to Dragon God City immediately to inquire about this matter for you." With that, he turned around and impatiently mounted his escape light, flying back the way he came.

But just as Dugu Sha flew ten zhang, Chen Yuan's figure suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his way.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait. The Blood Silk Gu is still within your soul. It must be removed, otherwise how can you gather information for me?"

Dugu Sha chuckled twice: "There's no need to trouble you, fellow Daoist. I was merely gathering some information for you, which doesn't constitute betrayal of the Divine Sect. There's no need for such formalities..."

Chen Yuan said calmly, "Is that so? But as far as I know, this Blood Silk Gu is only slightly inferior to the Divine Soul Restriction, but it can still roughly sense your intentions, fellow traveler."

"Even if it's just gathering information for human cultivators, it will be considered treason, and the person will awaken instantly and devour their soul."

Dugu Sha's expression changed, and he no longer harbored any hope. He retreated rapidly, and with a flick of his hand, he summoned a transparent glass barrier to cover himself.

Then he raised his hand and threw a black trident at Chen Yuan, ready to fight to the death.

He knew, of course, that he had no chance of winning against a great cultivator.

But dying at Chen Yuan's hands before his eyes is better than having his soul devoured by the Blood Silk Gu and dying in agony.

The trident grew larger in the wind, transforming into a length of about ten feet, swirling around a faint phantom of a demonic tiger, and letting out a tiger's roar that resounded through the sky.

That was a low-level Golden Tiger demon general that Dugu Sha had killed. He had refined its demon core into the trident, making it exceptionally hard and capable of intimidating opponents, thus greatly increasing its power.

But Chen Yuan, facing the trident that shot towards him, neither dodged nor avoided it, but instead raised his hand and grabbed it.

Dugu Sha's face lit up with wild joy. Although this person was a great cultivator, he dared to block this mid-level trident with his bare hands. He was definitely courting death.

The trident hurtled in, gleaming with a dark luster, accompanied by a tiger's roar, its imposing aura overwhelming.

In comparison, Chen Yuan's thin figure appeared so insignificant, like a withered tree trunk about to be cut in half by the trident.

But when the trident came in front of Chen Yuan, it was directly pinched between his two fingers. The trident flashed wildly and trembled, but it could not advance an inch and could not break free.

The phantom tiger pounced toward Chen Yuan, but he merely glanced at it indifferently, then abruptly stopped, let out a mournful howl, and vanished on its own.

The trident trembled violently, and its spiritual light dimmed.

A look of ecstasy froze on Dugu Sha's face. His eyes widened, and a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

This trident was his most prized weapon, and its severe damage also implicated him.

Chen Yuan released the trident and appeared in front of Dugu Sha in a flash. He looked at him coldly through the transparent glass barrier and said, "Fellow Daoist Dugu, if you stop now, I may spare your life and remove the Blood Silk Gu from you. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Fellow Daoist is not the only Nascent Soul Elder in the Dragon God Sect."

Dugu Sha stopped, his pale face filled with fear.

His natal magic weapon was blocked by this person with two fingers, and he was severely injured by a single glance, which terrified him to the point of being utterly terrified.

But he still didn't remove the glass barrier, his eyes filled with despair, and he slowly shook his head: "I'm just a little hesitant now, but the Blood Silk Gu is already stirring."

"If someone is truly afraid of death and has the thought of surrendering, they will be seen as a traitor by the Blood Silk Gu."

"This Gu will awaken immediately, devouring my soul and causing me immense pain until I die. It would be better for me to die by your hand."

Chen Yuan said calmly, "It seems that Fellow Daoist Dugu is not one to willingly sacrifice himself for the Demon God. In that case, I can guarantee your safety and that you will not be harmed by the Blood Silk Gu." (End of Chapter)