Nine Transformations of the True Spirit

Chen Yuan's cave is located on the mountainside of Yunyin Peak. It is in a remote location and the surrounding area is very quiet.

He dispersed his spiritual consciousness, and the formation covering the cave flickered a few times, but it was unable to stop it, and his spiritual consciousness easily penetrated into it.

Chen Yuan let out a light sigh. There was no one or anything in the cave, but it was extremely clean and not contaminated with any dust.

He pondered for a moment, took out the jade identity card, shook it, and the formation guarding the cave slowly spread out, revealing a passage.

He has been away for more than a hundred years, but this cave has not been occupied by anyone else.

Chen Yuan put away the jade plaque and stepped in.

…

To the north of Lingyun Sect's mountain gate, there is a thousand-foot peak.

In the Shandian Cave Mansion, a middle-aged monk was sitting on the main throne, with a deep voice, explaining the cultivation method and imparting the essence of his experience.

Standing below were four monks, three men and one woman, looking attentively and listening carefully.

Suddenly, a young monk's face changed slightly, and his expression was a little unnatural.

The middle-aged monk noticed the change in his expression and said calmly: "Yuanchun, why are you distracted?"

Hearing this, the other three people looked at the middle-aged monk.

He cupped his fists and bowed: "Master, my disciple has set up a formation in Master Chen's cave. It was touched just now. It seems like someone broke in."

The middle-aged monk frowned: "Who is so bold? Go back to Yunyin Peak now, drive away the people who broke into Junior Brother Chen's cave, and then come back to listen to Master's sermon."

"Yes!" The young monk agreed, turned around and walked out of the cave.

He took up the escape light and flew towards Yunyin Peak with a gloomy expression.

Senior Brother Guo had been guarding Senior Uncle Chen's cave for more than ten years, and there had been no mistakes.

Not long after he became the master's disciple, he was responsible for guarding his uncle's cave, but someone broke in. How would the master treat him?

The young monk escaped very quickly and arrived at the mountainside of Yunyin Peak in less than a quarter of an hour.

When he saw Master Chen's cave's stone door open, he couldn't help but feel angry, and shouted sternly: "Who is trespassing here? Come out quickly!"

…

Chen Yuan walked through the stone chamber in the cave, recalling the days and nights he spent practicing hard in the past. His mood changed slightly, but he was interrupted by a sharp shout.

He frowned, turned around and walked out of the cave, only to see a young monk hanging in the air, falling into the escaping light.

He looked Chen Yuan up and down: "Who are you? Why are you trespassing here?"

Chen Yuan frowned: "Is this your cave?"

The young monk was a little impatient: "This is Uncle Luo's cave. It has been registered in the Zhenfu Pavilion and is protected by a formation. How did you break in?"

Chen Yuan was quite surprised: "Who is your uncle?"

The young monk frowned and said coldly: "Please reveal your identity first!"

Chen Yuan showed his identity card: "I'm Chen Yuan, this place used to be my cave. You can still come in and out now. It's not an intrusion."

The young monk was surprised: "Are you Uncle Chen?"

Chen Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly: "Whose disciple are you from?"

The young monk cupped his fists and bowed: "Disciple Luo Yuanchun, master Sun Taicong Yao, pay homage to Master Chen!"

Chen Yuan suddenly realized: "It turns out that he is the son of Senior Brother Sun. Are you following Senior Brother Sun's order to guard the cave for me?"

"Uncle Master has a keen eye." Luo Yuanchun glanced at the identity jade token in Chen Yuan's hand, "Uncle Master, can you let the disciple check the identity token? It's not that the disciple doesn't believe Uncle Master, it's just that Uncle Master hasn't returned for a hundred years..."

Chen Yuan smiled and handed the identity jade token to Luo Yuanchun.

Luo Yuanchun took the jade token, looked into it with his spiritual consciousness, breathed a sigh of relief, handed the jade token back with both hands, and bowed deeply: "Welcome our uncle back to the sect!"

Chen Yuan put away his identity jade badge: "No need to be polite, take me to see Senior Brother Sun. Has he already formed an elixir?"

Luo Yuanchun said: "That's right. Master formed the elixir a hundred years ago and now lives in Tianquan Peak. Master, please come with me."

With a flash of light, the two of them flew into the sky and flew to the north of the mountain gate.

Chen Yuan asked: "When did my nephew become a disciple of Senior Brother Sun?"

"Disciple established the foundation seven years ago and became a disciple of Master." Luo Yuanchun said respectfully.

"For the past seven years, my nephew has been practicing at Yunyin Peak?"

"Exactly, before the disciples, it was Senior Brother Guo who lived on Yunyin Peak."

Chen Yuan sighed softly: "Senior Brother Sun is determined."

It was difficult for Luo Yuanchun to answer this, so he could only laugh with him.

The two of them escaped very quickly. Under the guidance of Luo Yuanchun, it took them a full two-quarters of an hour to reach the top of Tianquan Peak and set off the escape light.

Luo Yuanchun raised his hand and said insincerely: "Uncle, please, today is a coincidence. Master is giving a sermon in the mansion, and both senior brothers and sisters are here."

"My disciple just noticed something strange in Master Uncle's cave. Following Master's order, he returned to Yunyin Peak to check."

Chen Yuan nodded and followed Luo Yuanchun into the cave.

The stone door was open, and there were luminous pearls embedded on both sides of the passage. A deep voice could be heard vaguely, showing a hint of old-fashionedness.

This voice was very familiar, and Chen Yuan's steps quickened a bit.

The two walked into the main hall. The middle-aged monk sitting in the main seat looked up and said calmly: "Yuanchun, who broke into your Uncle Chen's cave..."

When he saw Chen Yuan walking in, he froze on the spot.

The other three monks looked puzzled when they saw Chen Yuan following Luo Yuanchun.

Luo Yuanchun was about to speak, but Chen Yuan waved his hand. He quickly shut his mouth and stepped aside.

Chen Yuan slowly walked up to the middle-aged monk, cupped his fists and bowed: "Senior Brother Sun, I'm back."

Sun Congyao woke up from a dream, stood up suddenly, walked around the stone table, reached out and held Chen Yuan's arm: "Junior brother Chen!"

He looked Chen Yuan up and down, his face full of surprise, and his hands were particularly strong.

The four of them, Luo Yuanchun and Luo Yuanchun, were all extremely surprised. They all knew that the master was strict and even a little old-fashioned. They had never seen him lose his temper like this before.

Chen Yuan straightened up and said with a smile: "Congratulations, senior brother, for your great progress in cultivation and forming a golden elixir."

Sun Congyao calmed down a little, let go of Chen Yuan's hand, and said with a smile: "A hundred years have passed, junior brother has also formed an elixir, right?"

He dispersed his consciousness, but could not see Chen Yuan's cultivation level, and said in surprise: "Junior brother has broken through the mid-term bottleneck?"

Chen Yuan smiled but did not answer.

He had just returned to Lingyun Sect, and the situation was unknown. Xuan Yuanzi was still in retreat, so it was not appropriate to reveal his Nascent Soul cultivation level immediately.

When Sun Congyao saw this, he shook his head and laughed: "I forgot that my junior brother is a genius and has made rapid progress. Even I have touched the mid-term bottleneck. Junior brother must have been one step ahead."

He clearly remembered that it only took Chen Yuan a dozen years to improve his cultivation to the late stage of foundation building.

Luo Yuanchun and the others also heard what Sun Congyao said about Chen Yuan. After hearing this, they all looked at him with awe in their eyes.

Chen Yuan smiled and said: "Let's not mention this matter for now. I would like to thank senior brother first for letting senior nephew Luo guard the cave for me so that it is not occupied by others."

Sun Congyao smiled and said: "Junior brother, the lantern of your destiny has not been extinguished. I believe that one day, you will return to the sect. Please sit down and talk."

The two of them sat down separately, and without Sun Congyao opening his mouth, Luo Yuanchun stepped forward and poured him some spiritual tea.

Chen Yuan glanced at Luo Yuanchun, then looked at the three monks: "Are these young heroes all disciples of senior brother?"

Luo Yuanchun is in the early stage of foundation building. Among the other three, two are in the early stage of foundation building and one is in the middle stage of foundation building.

Sun Congyao looked at everyone: "You haven't met your uncle yet?"

The four of them clasped their fists together and bowed: "Greetings, Uncle Chen!"

Chen Yuan smiled and said: "I don't have anything good in my hands, so I gave some spirit stones to my nephews as a meeting gift. You must practice diligently and respect the master."

As he spoke, he took out four hundred middle-grade spiritual stones from the mustard ring and gave them to the four people.

The four of them were overjoyed and bowed again with clasped fists: "Thank you, uncle, for the generous gift!"

Each of them can get one hundred middle-grade spiritual stones, and they can buy a top-grade spiritual weapon.

Sun Congyao shook his head slightly: "Junior brother gave so many spiritual stones, which is not conducive to their cultivation."

Of course he wouldn't take the four hundred mid-grade spiritual stones seriously, but he didn't want to see his disciples get the spiritual stones too easily and lose their ambition to make progress.

Chen Yuan smiled: "I can't control how senior brother teaches his apprentices, but if I reward him too little, these senior nephews will turn around and say that my uncle is too stingy. If my reputation spreads, how will I get along with myself?"

When Luo Yuanchun and others heard this, they quickly said: "Disciples don't dare!"

Sun Congyao smiled and said: "Okay, please step back first. I have something to say with your Uncle Chen."

"Yes." The four of them bowed and saluted, with smiles that could not be concealed on their faces.

Sun Congyao was a strict man and rarely gave spiritual weapons and stones directly. Chen Yuan was so generous, which made them all very happy.

Before the four people retreated, Chen Yuan suddenly said: "I would like to ask my nephews not to reveal what happened today."

The four of them were a little puzzled when they heard the words, but they could only obey the uncle's words. They all agreed and turned around and walked out of the cave.

Sun Congyao said in confusion: "Junior brother has successfully formed the elixir and returned to the sect. It is time for him to go to the sect and take up the position of elder. Why should he hide this matter?"

Chen Yuan said: "I haven't returned for a hundred years. I only returned to the sect after the Demon Sect retreated. If it were spread, it would inevitably cause criticism."

Sun Congyao nodded: "Junior brother is right. You are already an alchemy monk. You can serve as an elder when you return to the sect. This is not a trivial matter. You should first meet with the master and ask the master to make a decision."

"Master, how is everything going?" Chen Yuan asked.

Sun Congyao smiled and said, "Master is in seclusion, polishing his true essence, and preparing for the birth of a baby."

A hint of joy flashed in Chen Yuan's eyes: "Master has cultivated to the realm of fake babies?"

Sun Congyao shook his head slightly: "After losing to the Demon Sect, the sect moved south and has been living under the shelter of others. In order to raise cultivation resources for the disciples in the sect, the elders of the sect have no time to retreat."

"Master is one of the few elders in the sect who is in the late stage of pill formation. He worked hard all the time. Until twenty years ago, the Demon Sect suddenly retreated and the sect moved back to Qi State. Master was finally able to practice in seclusion and polish his true essence."

"But he hasn't come out of seclusion yet. He should still be a little far away from the fake infant state. However, as junior brother returns to the sect today, master will definitely come out of seclusion to meet him."

"If my junior brother had not left behind a lot of spiritual herbs and refined them into elixirs, the master would not have been able to work hard for the sect. At the same time, his cultivation has advanced so fast."

"After junior brother left, master often asked if your natal lantern was in good condition. He must be very happy that you are back today."

Chen Yuan sighed softly and stood up: "Without further delay, I will go to see the master right away."

Sun Congyao nodded, and the two of them walked out of the cave, rolled up the light, and flew into the sky.

The two escaped quickly, and Chen Yuan asked: "Senior Sister Shen and Senior Brother Lin... are they okay now?"

Sun Congyao sighed: "Junior sister Shen failed to form the elixir, her lifespan was exhausted, and she has passed away. Senior brother Lin died in the hands of the demon cultivator, and there is no trace of his body."

Chen Yuan's eyes dimmed. He had already been prepared, but he still couldn't help but feel a little sad when he heard the news of Shen Danmei's death.

He did not have a close relationship with Lin Hao, but Shen Danmei took great care of him and was straightforward and generous. Chen Yuan respected this senior sister very much.

But there is only one foundation-building monk who can form elixirs.

Lingyun Sect is a medium-sized sect. The foundation-building cultivators have no shortage of inheritance resources, and the chance of forming a golden elixir is much higher, but it is also extremely difficult.

Although Shen Danmei has good talent, in order to form a golden elixir, both the opportunity and the heart of the Tao are indispensable, and a bit of luck is also needed. It is useless to have talent alone.

"Sister Shen's grave..."

"Sister Shen passed away 47 years ago and has never been buried. Later, the sect moved back to Qi State. I sent her remains back to her hometown and buried her in a place with excellent Feng Shui."

"Where is Sister Shen's grave?"

"Yunlong Mountain, Suiping County, Qingchuan County, Jinzhou. Please accept my condolences. For those of us who practice Taoism, as long as we cannot achieve immortality, there will be such a day. Sister Shen died on the path of seeking, and she died without regrets."

Chen Yuan nodded slightly: "I have two good fellow disciples named Mo Jingchun and Song Qingru. Senior brother, do you know if they have formed a golden elixir?"

Sun Congyao thought for a while and said: "There are no such names among the elders who have formed a golden elixir in our sect. They should have passed away."

Chen Yuan was silent, and Sun Congyao said no more. The atmosphere was a little heavy.

Chen Yuan recalled the scene of joining forces with Mo Jingchun to kill Huang Yundao, and remembered Song Qingru's love for him on the flying boat, as if it was just yesterday.

Now he has formed a Nascent Soul, but the two have turned into a pile of yellow soil.

The traces they left in the world will also disappear little by little until they are forgotten, as if they had never been there.

The world is impermanent, only immortality is true, and everything else is false.

The two came to the top of a thousand-foot high mountain and fell into the light of escape.

The top of the mountain is steep and steep, with dense pines and cypresses. There is a cave embedded in the mountain wall. In front of the door hang several green vines, twisting and twisting like a coiled dragon. There is a white jade plaque above the two stone doors, with the words "Jiangzhen" written on it.

Sun Congyao took out a sound transmission note, put it to his mouth, said a few words silently, and raised his hand to throw it out.

The sound transmission note turned into a stream of light, passed through the formation curtain, and flew into the cave.

The two waited for an hour before the curtain slowly dissipated and the stone door slowly opened.

"Come in." Jin Luoheng's clear and calm voice came from the cave.

The two walked into the cave, passed through the passage, and came to the slightly narrow stone hall.

There was a white jade bed in the hall, and nothing else. The walls were all bluestone, rough and uneven.

Jin Luoheng sat upright on the white jade bed, wearing a black and white Taoist robe, with his hair loose and a smile on his lips.

Chen Yuan walked forward and bowed deeply: "Unfilial disciple Chen Yuan, greets the master!"

Jin Luoheng's eyes were full of relief: "It's good to be back."

He spread his spiritual sense and swept over Chen Yuan, and suddenly frowned: "Your cultivation... Why can't the master see through it?" (End of this chapter)