Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Chapter 1086 Real Person

The main hall occupies a mountain peak, the summit of which has been flattened and paved with luxurious white jade. Each piece is worth a mortal's life savings, but in this magnificent city of cultivators, it can only serve as the most ordinary floor tile, trampled upon by everyone.

Several Qi Refining cultivators stood guard outside the hall, dressed in uniform black robes with cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs. They would only glance at the visitors and would not come up to greet them.

The palace doors rippled with patterns like water waves, separating the inside from the outside, making it impossible to see what was inside, and even divine sense could not penetrate them.

People kept coming in and out of the main hall, but there were far fewer people than at the giant teleportation array. They all wore jade pendants around their waists, made of different materials, but all of them were engraved with the two characters "Tai Xuan".

Upon seeing Chen Yuan and the others, they all showed surprise, bowed respectfully, and quickened their pace to leave, clearly recognizing the six Nascent Soul cultivators.

On another mountain not far from this peak, there also stands a grand hall, where hundreds of streaks of light rise and fall every moment, and people surge like a tide, creating a noisy scene.

Wei Wushang clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Elder Su, Elder Mei, and Elder Yuan, and said with a smile, "Now that you three have returned to your sect, I will not bother you any longer. I will visit you again when I have time in the future."

The leaders of Chonghua Sect and Xuanji Sect also took their leave. The three elders did not try to persuade them to stay, but returned the greetings politely. Even Elder Su, who had been cold-faced the whole time, softened his expression.

Wei Wushang then turned to Chen Yuan and Han Xuan and said with a smile, "If you two young friends have time in the future, you might as well come to the Wei family as guests."

"Although the Fengyuan Mountains are not as magnificent and prosperous as Donghua City, they are quiet and elegant, with a unique charm."

"My Wei family's Tianqin Honey is also a rare and fine wine, which should allow the two young friends to return home satisfied."

When invited by a Nascent Soul cultivator, Han Xuan dared not be negligent and immediately accepted respectfully.

Chen Yuan, however, remained neither humble nor arrogant. Although he referred to himself as a junior, his manners were not particularly respectful, and he implicitly treated Chen Yuan as an equal.

Wei Wushang was not angry. His original intention was to befriend Chen Yuan. Although Han Xuan's cultivation had progressed quickly, he was still just a junior who had just entered the Void Refinement stage, and was not worth his personal invitation.

However, with Han Xuan and Chen Yuan traveling together, and Elder Yuan also present, Wei Wushang couldn't show goodwill to Chen Yuan alone, so he brought him along as well.

The leaders of the Chonghua Sect and Xuanji Sect, unlike Wei Wushang, were not as overtly polite, but they still exchanged pleasantries with Chen Yuan before turning to leave.

The three of them took to the air and flew towards the bustling hall.

Chen Yuan looked puzzled and asked Han Xuan telepathically, "Senior brother, what do these three seniors want...?"

Han Xuan explained telepathically, "Those are teleportation arrays leading to various parts of the Xuanling Domain. They are the only way for them to return to their respective sects."

"The spirit realm is vast and boundless, connected entirely by teleportation arrays, which greatly saves time for flying."

"We returned to the mountain gate from Donghua City by relying on the teleportation array, and we are in this hall."

He raised his hand and pointed to the main hall not far away, and said, "The giant teleportation array that we used to return to the Spirit Realm is connected to the various minor worlds that our sect has conquered. There is also a giant teleportation array in Donghua City, which is specifically connected to the main cities of the major spirit domains within the Spirit Realm."

"It was built on the other side of Donghua City only to avoid interference with the interdimensional teleportation array."

"The teleportation array connecting to the Xuanling Domain can only be considered a short-distance teleportation, while the teleportation array connecting to Tongtian Island is an even shorter-distance teleportation. They do not interfere with each other, which is why they are built in one place."

"Thank you for your explanation, Senior Brother," Chen Yuan said telepathically.

He had some knowledge of the geography of the Spirit Realm. There were four continents, divided according to the territories ruled by Mahayana sects. For example, the territory under the jurisdiction of the Tai Xuan Sect was the Xuanling Domain, and the territory under the jurisdiction of the Shuangjian Sect was the Shuangling Domain. Each Spirit Realm was further divided into dozens of states.

Han Xuan continued, "These people guarding the teleportation array are the outer disciples of our sect, numbering at least 30,000. They are all of poor aptitude, with only four or five spiritual roots. They were originally nominal disciples, but were taken into the sect after successfully establishing their foundation."

"These outer disciples are not allowed to go to Tongtian Island. They can only guard the teleportation array, sect shops, and maintain order in Donghua City."

"But when our sect conquers the Lesser Thousand Worlds, they can sign up to participate in the battle. If they can pass the test, enter the other world, make meritorious contributions, or successfully form their core, they can truly join our sect, become inner disciples, and ascend to Tongtian Island."

Chen Yuan's eyes showed surprise: "There are as many as 30,000 outer disciples alone?"

Han Xuan smiled and said, "The spiritual energy in the Spirit Realm is abundant, and the chances of mortals being born with spiritual roots are extremely high. One in every hundred people will be born with a spiritual root."

"Under the rules of the Heaven-Slaying Pavilion, basic cultivation techniques are widely circulated, and even the poor can easily obtain them. Therefore, the number of cultivators in the Spirit Realm is extremely large, and can be said to be endless."

“Every year, tens of thousands of Qi Refining cultivators want to join our sect, but only 10% of those with three spiritual roots or above can truly join the sect and ascend to Tongtian Island.”

"The other 90% of cultivators with four or five spiritual roots can only become nominal disciples, staying in Donghua City to undertake trivial tasks such as ripening spiritual herbs, mining spiritual ores, smelting spiritual materials, and tanning demon beast hides. Over the years, this number has accumulated to more than 500,000."

"Only those who have successfully established their foundation or who have talent in the various arts of cultivation can become outer disciples."

"Our sect has only been established for a little over ten thousand years, and we still have relatively few disciples."

"Those Mahayana sects with the deepest foundations have millions of registered disciples and hundreds of thousands of outer disciples. They can conquer several minor worlds at the same time without any problem."

Chen Yuan was secretly alarmed. Although he had inquired about the Spirit Realm from Qin Wuyai, Liu Kaiyang, Yun Jinyue and others, they were either cunning and treacherous and had something to hide, or they had low cultivation and limited knowledge. None of them could explain it as thoroughly as Han Xuan.

He only knew that there were many cultivators in the spirit realm, but he did not know that the number was so astonishing.

However, only with hundreds of millions of low-level cultivators as the foundation can the various sects of the Spirit Realm possess the invincible power to conquer all the heavens and myriad realms.

The five of them walked through the water-like patterns and entered the main hall. Three elders were in front of them, and Chen Yuan and Han Xuan did not need to take out their identity tokens.

The space inside the hall was much larger than it appeared from the outside, covering several acres, clearly due to the use of spatial magic.

In the center of the main hall was a small teleportation array. The five people stepped into the array, and with a flash of white light, their figures disappeared.

The slightest spatial compression force flashed by, and the next moment, Chen Yuan and his group of five arrived in another grand hall.

There were people on duty here, but they all bowed respectfully upon seeing the faces of the three elders.

As the five walked out of the main hall, a magnificent scene slowly unfolded before their eyes.

The giant island floats above the sea of ​​clouds, above which lies a layer of gale-force winds. Beyond this invisible barrier, the gale-force winds overflow, ceaselessly blowing across the sea of ​​clouds, causing them to roll and unfold like surging waves.

Nestled among the peaks, grand halls and pavilions are scattered like stars, shrouded in a hazy mist. The blazing sun pours down from above without any obstruction, yet it cannot dispel the mist, giving the place an ethereal and otherworldly feel, like a fairyland.

In the center of the giant island, a towering peak stands out from the crowd, its summit extending hundreds of feet into the fierce winds, constantly enduring their ravages.

Elder Yuan turned to Han Xuan and instructed him, "Go and collect your guardian token, then return to your residence and wait."

"Yes." Han Xuan clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, then bowed to Elder Su and Elder Mei before disappearing into the air in a flash.

Elder Yuan then looked at Chen Yuan, raised his hand and pointed to the towering peak, and said gently, "The sect leader is in seclusion in the Wanxing Hall at the top of Tongtian Peak. We will lead our nephew there to pay his respects."

Elder Su suddenly cast a glance at him and said calmly, "Master is very strict. If you have lied in the slightest, you will only face death. You should think it over carefully." Chen Yuan smiled slightly, "Thank you for your concern, Elder Su. Everything I have said is true."

Elder Su snorted coldly, said no more, and rode his escape light towards the towering peak. His speed was extremely fast, and he transformed into a rainbow light that cut through the sky, forcing the cultivators along the way to retreat.

"Who dares to be so arrogant..."

One of them started cursing loudly, and Elder Su's eyes turned cold, his aura radiating outwards.

The combined pressure descended upon him, and the man was struck as if by lightning. His body trembled, and he hurriedly dodged, his face filled with fear, no longer daring to show the slightest dissatisfaction.

Elder Mei showed a hint of apology: "Senior Brother Su is upright and honest, Junior Nephew Chen, please don't take it to heart."

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Elder Mei, you flatter me. How could I dare to say that?"

The three followed, their escape speed much slower, but the towering peak was only a few dozen miles from the teleportation hall, and they soon arrived at the summit and descended.

The fierce gale was enough to tear away the flesh of a Nascent Soul cultivator, leaving only bones, but with the cultivation levels of the three, they could easily withstand it, their clothes fluttering lightly, their postures composed.

The summit is open and flat, with pale blue rocks reflecting the sunlight and gleaming with a warm luster. A grand hall stands majestically, with the three large characters "Wanxing Hall" inscribed on it, seemingly formed from starlight, ethereal and dynamic.

The entire mountaintop was shrouded in a thick array, protecting the main hall. When the strong wind blew, it was like a gentle spring breeze, leaving no trace.

Elder Su had already reached the front of the array barrier. He stopped, clasped his hands in a bow, and said respectfully, "Disciple Su Chang'an has something to ask of Master."

"Disciple Mei Zhaoxue greets Master."

"Yuan Qihe pays respects to the Sect Leader."

Elder Yuan and Elder Mei stepped forward together and said loudly.

Chen Yuan stood behind the two, bowed deeply, and lowered his head slightly, not daring to look directly at the Wanxing Palace.

The three people's voices were not loud, but they were still clearly heard in the howling wind and went straight into the main hall.

After a while, a clear voice drifted out from inside the hall: "Come in and talk."

As soon as he finished speaking, the array flickered slightly and slowly dissolved, revealing a passage.

The gale, like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, surged toward the gap, but just as it was about to pass through the gap and rush into the array, it suddenly stopped, as if blocked by an invisible wall, and then silently wiped away and vanished.

The three elders stepped into the great formation, and Chen Yuan followed. The formation slowly closed behind them, blocking the gale-force winds outside.

The area within the array was calm and peaceful. The four of them dispersed their true energy shields, ascended the jade steps, and entered the dark palace gate.

Chen Yuan felt a slight spatial fluctuation brush against his body, and he seemed to pass through a thick water curtain. All around him was darkness, without a trace of light, as if he were in nothingness. He could only vaguely see the figures of the three elders in front of him.

There was nothing beneath my feet, yet it felt incredibly solid, as if I were walking on flat ground, each step covering several meters.

Unable to discern the direction, Chen Yuan could only follow the three elders forward.

After an unknown amount of time, a ray of light finally appeared ahead, followed by a series of dazzling stars, seemingly close at hand yet also far away in the sky, their starlight shining and intertwining to form a galaxy.

Chen Yuan sensed a faint wisp of the power of the stars in the incoming starlight; it was so faint and thin that he could not absorb it at all.

If he hadn't experienced countless infusions of starlight into his body, and his familiarity with the power of the stars in the heavens hadn't penetrated to his very bones, he wouldn't have been able to detect it at all.

Beneath the Milky Way, a figure sat cross-legged in the void. All the starlight converged on this person, coating him with a brilliant silver halo, which, upon closer inspection, was interspersed with strands of golden light.

Within this halo, Chen Yuan sensed an extremely rich power of the Zhou Tian stars, much purer than the power of the Zhou Tian stars he had drawn upon after advancing to the Void Refinement stage.

The man, dressed in a blue robe, appeared to be only in his early twenties. He was handsome and slowly opened his eyes, his gaze gentle yet dignified, as he looked over.

Chen Yuan was shocked. The appearance of this green-robed cultivator was exactly the same as the green stone statue of Fu Huaixiao on Tongtian Island.

Elder Su stopped, clasped his hands in a bow, and said in a deep voice, "Reporting to Master, this disciple, together with Junior Brother Yuan, Junior Sister Mei, and three fellow Daoists from the outer sect, seized that True Dragon Cave."

"But this person beat me to the main peak of the True Dragon Cave. His name is Chen Yuan, and he claims to be a successor of the Tai Xuan Sect in the human realm..."

Elder Su did not embellish or deliberately distort the truth in front of Master Fu, but told him everything about Chen Yuan. Elder Yuan and Elder Mei chimed in to agree.

A hint of surprise flashed in Master Fu's eyes as he looked Chen Yuan up and down. His gentle gaze contained an irresistible penetrating power, as if he could see right through Chen Yuan's heart.

"Are you a disciple of the Tai Xuan Sect?"

Chen Yuan stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, saying respectfully, "This junior is not a disciple of the Tai Xuan Sect, but I can barely be considered half a successor of the Tai Xuan Sect."

Master Fu raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean by that?"

After considering it for a moment, Chen Yuan decided to tell the truth: "Several thousand years after the True Person ascended to heaven, a Demon Lord and Demon King descended to the mortal realm and led a large army of demons to invade the human world."

"Although the Spirit Realm cultivators who had reached the Void Refinement stage descended to the mortal realm to help, the battle was a Pyrrhic victory. However, the mortal realm also suffered heavy losses. The world was shattered, Huangliang Continent sank, and all ascension passages were cut off."

"The Tai Xuan, Gui Yi, and Jiu Xian sects suffered heavy losses and were destroyed one after another shortly after the war, leaving only incomplete lineages to be passed down."

"Just as I thought..." Master Fu murmured to himself, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

The starry sky fell silent. The three elders stood by, holding their breath and lowering their heads, not daring to disturb Master Fu's thoughts.

After a long while, the sorrow in Master Fu's eyes faded, and he looked at Chen Yuan again, saying calmly, "When the demons invaded the human realm back then, I happened to be traveling. I only learned about this after I returned."

"But at that time, none of the three Void Refinement cultivators in the lower realm returned, and all the ascension channels were cut off. I knew that the Tai Xuan Sect had probably been destroyed. Today, I can say that I have finally put an end to this matter."

"Since the Tai Xuan Sect no longer exists, why do you claim to be its successor?"

Chen Yuan said respectfully, "Although the Tai Xuan Sect has been destroyed, Tongtian Island has not fallen. It is hidden in a spatial rift and reappears once every hundred years."

"By chance, I obtained a Tai Xuan Token and after entering Tongtian Island, I met Senior Qingyun."

"When Senior Qingyun saw that I was holding a Tai Xuan Token and was a cultivator from Donghua Continent, he regarded me as half a successor of the Tai Xuan Sect and took good care of me."

"Senior Qingyun also entrusted me to convey a message to the Master: 'Qingyun has failed in his duty and was unable to protect Tongtian Island. I humbly beg the Master's forgiveness.'" (End of Chapter)