Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

On the earth, the Wanyan Mountains relentlessly exhaled a fiery aura.

This is a fiery red mountain range, lacking the verdant green color common in other mountains, and devoid of waterfalls and streams.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but solidified, boundless charred black and dark red.

The earth resembled a cracked terracotta warrior, covered with bottomless fissures, from which orange-red lava slowly flowed.

The air was distorted by the high temperature, and the dark rocks swayed in the heat, looking ferocious and terrifying.

Some flowers and plants sprouted sporadically from the cracks in the rocks, and some even took root directly in the lava, floating and sinking, with peculiar shapes, and almost all of them were red or black.

From the craters of the volcanoes, thick smoke and ash churn ceaselessly day and night, spewing forth enormous, gray-black plumes of smoke that connect heaven and earth.

Along with the thick smoke, wisps of pale red, toxic fumes permeated the sky above the mountains.

Low-level dragon beasts dare not set foot here. This fiery poison contains astonishing heat; any dragon beast below the Manifestation Realm would die instantly if it inhaled even a wisp of it.

Even the manifested dragon beasts dared not linger, otherwise they would still die from the corrosive effects of the fire poison.

Only fire-attribute dragon beasts at the Cloud Ascension Realm can use the fire-elemental dragon energy refined by volcanoes to temper their bodies.

There are also some dragon people in the Cloud Realm who cultivate fire-elemental supernatural powers, who will come here from time to time to absorb fire-elemental spiritual energy, improve their cultivation, and hone their supernatural powers.

The dragon energy in the Xuanli Realm is not divided into the five elements; it needs to be transformed by the dragon people themselves.

Beneath the numerous volcanoes lie fiery veins.

Over the years, the dragon energy gradually transformed into fire-element dragon energy.

For dragon people who practice fire-based techniques, as well as dragon beasts with fire-attribute bloodlines, cultivation becomes twice as effective with half the effort.

But neither dragon beasts nor dragon people dared to linger in the Ten Thousand Flame Mountains.

When they absorb the fire elemental dragon energy, it is inevitable that it is mixed with the fire poison energy.

These fiery poisonous energies were exceptionally domineering, and even the dragon energy of the Cloud Soaring Realm could not completely eliminate them.

After cultivating for a period of time, one must leave the Ten Thousand Flames Mountain Range to expel the fire poison from the body before returning to the mountain range to cultivate.

The process of expelling the fire poison is extremely long, taking at least a hundred years, which is a considerable amount of time even for long-lived dragon people.

Dragon beasts generally have stronger physical bodies than dragon humans of the same level and require less time to develop, but the difference is not significant.

Therefore, those dragon people in the Cloud Ascension Realm who cultivate fire-based techniques will not come to the Myriad Flames Mountain Range to cultivate at will.

Only at the critical moment of breaking through the bottleneck can one use the pure fire-elemental dragon energy in the mountains to overcome the difficulties.

Besides dragon people who practice fire-based techniques, other dragon people will also come here.

They weren't trying to break through bottlenecks, but rather to find rare and precious materials and treasures lost in the mountains.

The Wanyan Mountains are dotted with volcanoes, and fire-attribute spiritual herbs and materials are readily available.

But low-ranking dragonmen dare not enter, while high-ranking dragonmen look down on them.

These treasures are scattered throughout the mountains, shimmering with a dazzling spiritual light.

Besides fire-attribute treasures, such a majestic mountain range also has extremely rich earth energy, so it is naturally not lacking in earth-attribute treasures.

The metallic spiritual materials that survive the tempering of magma and fire are enough to drive dragons of the Cloud Soaring Realm crazy.

However, these treasures are hidden deep within the volcano, which involves taking great risks.

Only those dragon people with profound cultivation and considerable strength have the opportunity to find it.

Besides rare and precious natural treasures, there are also even more valuable ancient dragon relics, making them incredibly tempting.

In ancient times, a world-shaking battle once broke out in the Wanyan Mountains.

The origins of this battle are now unknown.

However, almost all the powerful dragon tribes in the Xuanli Realm were drawn into this great war.

Back then, the Xuanli Realm was far more powerful than it is now, with more than a dozen cultivators at the Imperial Heaven Realm, over a hundred at the Dragon Transformation Realm, tens of thousands at the Cloud Ascent Realm and Manifestation Realm, and countless low-level dragon people.

However, in that great battle, almost all the cultivators in the Heavenly Realm perished, and most of the cultivators in the Dragon Transformation Realm and Cloud Soaring Realm were killed or injured.

Those powerful tribes were defeated and never recovered, and the Xuanli Realm also declined as a result.

It is said that the Wanyan Mountains in ancient times did not look like this.

Although it was also full of volcanoes, it was not as devastated as it is today. Instead, it was a place of green mountains and clear waters, like a fairyland.

That great battle left the Ten Thousand Flame Mountains unrecognizable and in ruins.

The remains of many ancient cultivators, along with their treasures, were left in the mountains, forming an ancient battlefield ruin filled with danger and opportunity.

After that great battle, dragon people continued to come to the Wanyan Mountains in search of the ancient dragon people's relics and rare treasures.

The vast majority of dragon people either had their bodies invaded by the fire poison or fell into the lava and fire, ending up with no trace of their bodies.

However, a very small number of extremely lucky dragon people found precious treasures.

Some dragon people even found the relics of cultivators in the Heavenly Realm, soared to the heavens, and became powerful figures renowned in their respective regions.

But as the long years passed, the treasures left by the ancient dragon people in the Wanyan Mountains became fewer and fewer, while the fire poison became more and more concentrated, and the environment became more and more dangerous.

Gradually, fewer and fewer dragon people came to the Wanyan Mountains to search for treasures. Most of them were still looking for spiritual materials to refine the Ruyi Divine Weapon.

But no matter how many years have passed, there are always some people who venture into the Ten Thousand Flames Mountains in search of the Dragon People's relics, hoping to defy fate.

Jiang Yuan was like that. He came to this place seven years ago and entered the Wanyan Mountains several times to search for the relics of the ancient dragon people, but he never found anything.

Four months ago, he once again entered the Ten Thousand Flame Mountains, venturing more than three hundred miles deep into the mountains, reaching the very heart of the ancient battlefield ruins, just inches away.
Jiang Yuan concealed his aura, his divine sense enveloped a hundred feet around him, his eyes filled with vigilance as he scanned his surroundings, his feet moving lightly and silently as he cautiously moved forward.

The Wanyan Mountains may seem desolate, but they are actually fraught with danger, and one cannot afford to be complacent in the slightest.

The fire poison was manageable. Jiang Yuan cultivated the fire element technique, and although his cultivation level was not high, only at the late stage of the Manifestation Realm, his foundation was extremely solid, and the dragon energy within his body was pure and abundant.

The cultivation technique he practiced, "Great Sun Glazed Body," was extremely extraordinary. It could be considered a top-tier technique in the entire Xuanli Realm and could be cultivated to the mid-stage of the Dragon Transformation Realm.

In ancient times, this kind of skill would be considered mediocre.

Only techniques that directly lead to the Heavenly Realm can be considered top-tier techniques.

But now, the dragon energy in the Xuanli Realm is becoming increasingly thin.

The Heavenly Realm has long been a legend, and even Dragon Transformation Realm cultivators are few and far between. The Great Sun Glazed Body is already a top-tier cultivation technique.

Jiang Yuan's cultivation level at the late stage of the Manifestation Realm is nothing special in the depths of the Ten Thousand Flame Mountains.

But outside the mountains, they were already a powerful force.

The dragon energy shield he conjured was enough to withstand the fiery poison for three months without him suffering any harm.

Jiang Yuan could stay in the Ten Thousand Flame Mountains for up to two years, but such a long time would allow the fire poison to seep into his limbs and bones. At that point, he would have to leave the Ten Thousand Flame Mountains and cultivate in seclusion for over a hundred years to completely expel the fire poison from his body, so as not to leave any hidden dangers and ensure that his foundation would not be affected.

This is the typical approach taken by dragon people who enter the Ten Thousand Flames Mountains and use fire-elemental spiritual energy to break through their bottlenecks.

However, dragon people who come here to search for treasure usually don't stay in the Ten Thousand Flame Mountains for such a long time.

Jiang Yuan had never stayed in the Wanyan Mountains for more than three months in the past.

In this way, he only needs to meditate for ten days to half a month to expel the small amount of fire poison that has invaded his body and continue to enter the mountains to search for treasure.

In such a short time, Jiang Yuan could only circulate around the outer perimeter of the Wanyan Mountains, and at most enter the middle section of the mountains.

Over the course of seven years, they found only two three-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs and one of the most common top-grade spiritual materials; nothing else.

As for the relics of the ancient dragon people, not a trace of them has been found.

If it were any other dragonman, they would be satisfied with finding three treasures of great value to the Manifestation Realm within seven years.

But Jiang Yuan was different. He carried a deep-seated blood feud and the responsibility of revitalizing his tribe. These three treasures were just a drop in the ocean and had no effect whatsoever.

Jiang Yuan was born into the Cangduo tribe and was the son of the clan chief Jiang Tiankuo. He was exceptionally talented from a young age and made rapid progress in cultivation.

In just over five hundred years, he cultivated to the late stage of the Manifestation Realm, and had a very good chance of advancing to the Cloud Soaring Realm and succeeding his father as the clan leader.

Jiang Yuan, relying on the powerful physical body he had honed through cultivating the Great Sun Glazed Body and his violent fire-elemental divine abilities, killed several Manifestation Realm cultivators in battle against the Canghun Tribe, his sworn enemy. His fame spread far and wide, and he was deeply supported by his clansmen.

The Canghun and Cangduo tribes share borders and have a long history of conflict and grudges. However, the Cangduo tribe is stronger and has always maintained the upper hand.

However, twenty-three years ago, the Canghun tribe paid a heavy price to persuade two Tengyun Realm cultivators from the Yingming tribe to attack and break through Tianqin City, which was built by the Cangduo tribe.

On his deathbed, Jiang Tiankuo forcibly condensed the Great Sun Glazed Body, his strength touching the edge of the Dragon Transformation Realm. He blocked four Cloud Soaring Realm cultivators, broke through the encirclement with Jiang Yuan, and turned back to fight to the death, blocking the pursuers.

Jiang Yuan managed to escape, but he witnessed the destruction of his tribe and the death of his father. His heart bled, and he hated the Canghun and Yingming tribes to the core.

However, he was only a late-stage Manifestation Realm cultivator, and any elder of the Canghun Tribe could easily crush him.

Jiang Yuan must improve his cultivation level in order to have a chance to take revenge.

He had no shortage of treasures. Jiang Tiankuo handed over his mustard seed ring to him, which also contained some of the most precious treasures from Yingduo's collection.

Many cultivators in the late stage of the Cloud Transformation Realm cannot compare to Jiang Yuan in terms of wealth.

Jiang Yuan went to several tribes that were on good terms with the Yingduo tribe, hoping to use the Dragon Breath Platform to break through to the Cloud Soaring Realm, but he was turned away by all of them.

The Cangduo tribe has been destroyed, but the Canghun tribe is at its zenith, and it also has the support of the Yingming tribe. They are unwilling to offend these two powerful tribes for the sake of Jiang Yuan.

Some tribes, disregarding past friendships, were driven by greed and wanted to seize the treasures in Jiang Yuan's possession, even attempting to take his life to claim the bounty offered by the Canghun tribe.

Fortunately, Jiang Yuan acted cautiously and took precautions, which prevented them from succeeding.

After this incident, Jiang Yuan dared not reveal his identity again and hid his tracks to avoid being discovered by the Canghun tribe.

However, if he wanted to advance to the Cloud Soaring Realm, he had to rely on the Dragon Breath Platform, so he could only seek help from other tribes, but he was repeatedly thwarted.

For a cultivator at the Manifestation Realm to possess such a treasure is like a child carrying gold through a bustling marketplace—it will only attract covetousness.

Left with no other choice, Jiang Yuan had to come to the Wanyan Mountains to search for the relics of the ancient dragon people.

These treasures cannot allow Jiang Yuan to directly advance to the Cloud Soaring Realm, but they can enable him to venture deep into the wilderness, slay Cloud Soaring Realm dragon beasts, seize the Dragon Breath Platform, and attempt to break through to the Cloud Soaring Realm.

When the Cangduo tribe was destroyed, Jiang Tiankuo and three elders fought desperately, leaving behind not a single treasure capable of dealing with the Tengyun Realm.

The Jiangyuan clan possesses abundant spiritual materials, herbs, and a vast quantity of dragon energy stones, yet lacks any means to threaten those at the Tengyun Realm.

Seeking to purchase from powerful tribes only resulted in murder and plunder.

Looking across the entire Xuanli Realm, only the ancient dragon-human relics in the Wanyan Mountains can help Jiang Yuan break through this bottleneck.

The treasures used by the ancient dragon people were different from the divine weapons of today. Even if one's cultivation level was lower, they could still unleash powerful abilities and even kill enemies of higher levels.

The divine weapons currently used by the dragon people rely entirely on their own strength.

As countless years passed, the dragon-human treasures in the Ten Thousand Flames Mountains became increasingly rare, and no one has been able to find them for a long time.

However, all the treasures that have survived to this day possess extraordinary power.

If he could find just one of them, Jiang Yuan was confident he could kill the Cloud-Soaring Realm dragon beast and seize the Dragon Breath Platform.

Once he breaks through this bottleneck, he can use the pills left by his father to improve his cultivation, and one day he will have the opportunity to take revenge.

But for the past seven years, Jiang Yuan has made no progress on the outskirts of the Wanyan Mountains.

This time, he finally made up his mind to go deep into the Wanyan Mountains and stay there for two years, even if it meant suffering from the poisonous fire, in order to find the ancient dragon people's treasure.

The Wanyan Mountains cover a vast area, stretching for thousands of miles. The deeper one ventures, the more intense the fire poison becomes, and the more treacherous the environment grows.

For the past four months, Jiang Yuan has been traveling, and today he has finally arrived at the deepest part of the Wanyan Mountains.

Besides the fire poison, there are other dragon people in the Ten Thousand Flame Mountains, and even some fire-attribute dragon beasts that have adapted to the fire poison.

They were at least at the Manifestation Realm, and many even possessed the strength of the Soaring Cloud Realm. Jiang Yuan was no match for them at all.

He tried his best to suppress his aura, and the red protective shield formed by the dragon energy around his body was as light as colorless, completely integrated with the fire poison energy.

Three days later, Jiang Yuan carefully climbed up a ridge and finally stopped.

A crimson aura of fire and poison permeated the area ahead, condensing into a deep red mist that completely obscured the view.

That is the deepest part of the Wanyan Mountains, and the center of the ancient battlefield ruins.

Jiang Yuan believed that there must be ancient dragon people's treasures within the red mist.

But every single one of the dragonmen who entered the red mist died, without exception.

Jiang Yuan didn't dare to risk entering the red mist. He would carefully search along the edge of the red mist, hoping to find something.

This is extremely dangerous for the Manifestation Realm Dragon People.

But Jiang Yuan shoulders the heavy responsibility of rebuilding the Cangduo tribe, and he will not be afraid even if it is a mountain of knives or a sea of ​​fire.

A resolute glint flashed in Jiang Yuan's eyes. He lightly touched the ground with his foot and moved forward.

He had just left the ridge when the red mist that had been flowing quietly ahead suddenly began to churn violently.

Jiang Yuan paused, his dragon energy surging within him, staring warily at the churning red mist.

The next moment, several streaks of light flew out from the red mist, dazzling and brilliant.

Jiang Yuan's expression changed drastically. He stepped forward and retreated rapidly, no longer daring to investigate the cultivators within those streaks of light.

A being that can soar through the Ten Thousand Flames Mountains without concealing its presence is definitely not someone he can afford to provoke.

Just then, a voice, tinged with surprise, reached Jiang Yuan's ears: "Young friend Jiang?" (End of this chapter)