Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

After Chen Yuan and the others followed Chu Weicai to the deepest part of the Wanyan Mountains, they did not immediately check the True Dragon Cave Formation, but instead visited Zhou Muyun's cave first.

Zhou Muyun's cave dwelling is only seven or eight miles away from the True Dragon Cave Array, which can be said to be very close.

Only in this way could he absorb the dragon energy seeping from the great formation into his body before it merged into the world, thus improving his cultivation.

Chu Weicai's cave dwelling was not far away, and every now and then, the two would sit down and discuss the Dao.

This is both to alleviate the boredom of meditating all day long and to exchange cultivation experiences and find ways to break through bottlenecks.

However, dragon people rely too much on dragon energy for cultivation, and without purer dragon energy, both of them were helpless.

When Zhou Muyun saw that Chu Weicai had brought several people here, including Chen Yuan and Wu Xuan, two people whose appearances were completely different from those of dragon people, yet who were not at the Dragon Transformation Realm, he was greatly surprised.

When Chu Weicai invaded the Xuanli Realm with the demon race, seeking the True Dragon Cave, and even tried to break the great formation that covered the entire Xuanli Realm to lure the Demon Saint down, Zhou Muyun's expression immediately turned ugly.

Like Chu Weicai, he also has the Yingshan tribe, a top tribe in the Xuanli Realm, behind him.

Although he had cultivated in the Wanyan Mountains for thousands of years and had not returned to his tribe for a long time, as a Supreme Elder, he still had the responsibility to protect his people.

If the demon race could burn down most of Qianwei City and slaughter the Yingqian tribe, they certainly wouldn't let the Yingshan tribe off the hook.

Moreover, Zhou Muyun and Chu Weicai already had a deep friendship, and now that they heard about the brutality of the demon race, they naturally chose to align themselves with the human race and became very close to Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan was able to slay a descendant of a true spirit, and his strength was unfathomable, almost comparable to someone in the Dragon Transformation Realm.

With a major sect in the Spirit Realm as its backer, and its leader being a Mahayana cultivator comparable to a True Dragon Realm cultivator, it is imperative to befriend them.

Chu Weicai then suggested entering the True Dragon Cave Formation to check if the demon race had arrived, and Zhou Muyun readily agreed.

The True Dragon Cave is hidden deep within the red mist. Any dragon-man below the Cloud Ascension Realm who enters it will be corroded by the fire poison and die instantly.

The dragon-people of the Cloud Realm could only hold out for a few days at most, and dared not linger any longer.

Even reaching the deepest part of the red mist, one only just touches the True Dragon Cave Formation.

The fiery poison here is even more intense, with a reddish-gold color, mixed with pure dragon energy, never dissipating, and extremely hot.

Even dragon-humans in the late stage of the Cloud Ascension Realm dared not easily enter this crimson-gold fire poison.

Even cultivators at the Dragon Transformation Realm like Chu Weicai and Zhou Muyun had to condense a dragon energy shield and carefully defend themselves.

Such domineering fire poison was only on the outermost edge of the True Dragon Cave Formation.

Chen Yuan condensed a protective shield of true essence, but it still couldn't stop the erosion of the crimson gold fire poison. He could only secretly circulate the Vermilion Flame True Fire to burn it all away.

The Crimson Gold Fire Poison was half real and half illusory, which was precisely countered by the Vermilion Flame True Fire.

However, Chen Yuan's consumption of true essence also increased significantly.

Chen Yuan even sensed a trace of the Crimson Heaven True Fire from the Crimson Gold Fire Poison, though it was a thousand times weaker.

If it were replaced with the true Crimson Heaven True Fire, even just a wisp of its essence, the combined entity would undoubtedly perish.

If Ao Xuan were to come here, he would surely thrive, absorbing the Crimson Gold Fire Poison and nourishing the Crimson Heaven True Fire, greatly increasing his strength.

Chen Yuan was quite relieved that he had killed Ao Xuan outside the Wanyan Mountains.

Although Ao Pan and Zhong Ding are also descendants of true spirits, they do not have fire-element bloodlines. If they come into this crimson-gold fire poison, their strength will be greatly weakened, making them easier to deal with.

Chu Ming and Wang Xuanyue condensed a thick layer of dragon energy shield, supposedly to resist the Crimson Gold Fire Poison, but in reality, they simply allowed the Crimson Gold Fire Poison to burn the dragon energy, keeping it outside their bodies.

When the two saw Chen Yuan allow the Crimson Gold Fire Poison to enter his body without any apparent harm, their eyes flashed with surprise, realizing that they had underestimated his strength.

Wu Xuan's cultivation level was low, and he couldn't withstand the Crimson Gold Fire Poison, but he had no shortage of various treasures.

He took out a crimson iron plaque bestowed upon him by the Flame Cloud Demon Saint, infused it with demonic power, and condensed a layer of dark red flames on his body. When the Crimson Gold Fire Poison attacked, it was burned away.

This is a wisp of spiritual fire separated from the Flame Cloud Demon Saint, containing the power of the Demon Saint. No matter how domineering the Crimson Gold Fire Poison is, it cannot match it.

However, the Crimson Gold Fire Poison ultimately contained a trace of the Crimson Heaven True Fire's origin, and even though it was diluted a thousand times, it still caused the dark red spiritual fire to gradually weaken.

It's just that the speed is extremely slow, but it can last for a very long time.

The five arrived at the deepest part of the Crimson Gold Fire Poison, and the scene in front of them changed. A huge vortex of fire hung in the air, about ten feet in size.

The crimson fire poison surged out of the vortex incessantly, spreading outwards.

Around the vortex of flames, the golden-red poisonous mist was the most concentrated, completely obscuring the view behind it.

Chu Weicai cautioned, "These golden-red mists have been accumulating for hundreds of thousands of years. They are extremely hot, and even those at the Dragon Transformation Realm cannot withstand them. You must not enter them."

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines and dared not be negligent, so they all agreed.

Chu Weicai pointed to the flame vortex: "There are eight of these flame vortexes, scattered around the great formation. Only by entering from here can you truly enter the True Dragon Cave Formation."

"In ancient times, one needed at least the cultivation level of the Dragon Transformation Realm to come here."

"But hundreds of thousands of years have passed, and the Crimson Gold Fire Poison has gradually become less potent, so even cultivators in the late stage of the Cloud Soaring Realm can now enter the Flame Vortex."

He moved swiftly, flying towards the vortex of flames, with Zhou Muyun following closely behind, and the others quickly catching up.

The crimson-gold fire poison within the vortex of flames was almost tangible, more than ten times hotter than the fire poison mist that diffused outwards, and accompanied by a tremendous spatial compression force, it enveloped them within.

Everyone was startled, but the next moment, the solidified crimson-gold fire poison around them had disappeared.

The scene before them changed dramatically. A boundless sea of ​​lava stretched towards the horizon, the scorching magma churning and surging like a raging torrent, whipping up thousands of scorching waves and radiating a terrifying heat that could incinerate everything.

Above the sea, wisps of crimson-gold fire vapor rose, swirling like rosy clouds.

Everyone turned around and saw a vortex of flames hanging in the void, slowly rotating, as deep as an abyss.

Looking out, several pitch-black stone pillars, as dark as ink, are scattered in the sea of ​​lava, reaching straight into the sky.

The pillar is over ten feet thick, with fire dragons coiling around it. Their bodies are formed from magma, with distinct scales and claws, making them lifelike.

Their heads were lowered, their eyes were closed, their whiskers swayed slowly in the heat, and their bodies rose and fell.

Chen Yuan released his divine sense, but it could only cover a thousand feet around him before it could not extend any further, which was less than what he could see.

Chu Weicai's gaze swept over the sleeping fire dragons, and he nodded slightly: "The Fire Realm is so peaceful, and no demons have come here. We can rest assured."

Zhou Muyun, with a solemn expression, explained from the side: "This is the space created by the True Dragon Cave Formation, which the ancient dragon people called the 'Fire Realm'."

"This sea of ​​lava is three hundred miles wide, with eighty-one stone pillars, and eighty-one fire dragons sleeping in it."

"These eighty-one fire dragons are formed from the essence of true fire and pure dragon energy, making them extremely powerful." "In ancient times, they all possessed the strength of the perfected Dragon Transformation Realm, making them immortal and indestructible, and extremely difficult to deal with."

"Only by scattering these fire dragons can we cross the lava sea and enter the True Dragon Cave."

"But these fire dragons are immune to dragon energy supernatural powers, and even dragon people at the Heavenly Realm cannot harm them in the slightest."

Chu Weicai nodded and said, "Back then, the Demon Saint Ao Huan proposed that the cultivators of the various Imperial Heaven Realm should pour massive amounts of dragon energy into the sea of ​​lava to cause a conflict of dragon energy and weaken the strength of these eighty-one fire dragons."

“Ao Huan used his supernatural powers again to scatter them in one fell swoop, and took the opportunity to rush into the True Dragon Cave.”

"It was only at the last moment that he turned against them and attacked, catching the cultivators of the Heavenly Realm off guard, which is why they were at a disadvantage."

"Then Ao Huan rushed out of the fire realm and attacked the various dragon transformation realm cultivators, causing heavy casualties."

"In the end, it was only by the joint efforts of the cultivators of the various Imperial Realm that they managed to kill Ao Huan. However, the Myriad Flame Mountains were also completely transformed and became what they are today."

"But now the dragon energy in the Xuanli Realm is becoming increasingly thin, and the strength of these fire dragons has also been greatly weakened. They are now only at the late stage of the Tengyun Realm."

"Although we are still unable to completely break the great formation with our strength, we have a chance to break a gap and let you into the True Dragon Cave."

Chu Weicai turned to look at Chen Yuan and said in a deep voice, "We also tried to break the formation, but at a great cost, we brought the formation master to the Fire Realm."

"Although we returned empty-handed, it confirmed that the power of the Fire Realm had been greatly reduced."

"As long as a few cultivators at the Dragon Transformation Realm gather and pour dragon energy into the lava sea, it will cause turmoil in the Fire Realm and create a flaw."

"If a few dozen more Nascent Soul cultivators like young friend Chen were to intervene and disperse these fire dragons, we would have a chance to break through the great formation and seize the opportunity to enter the True Dragon Cave."

Zhou Muyun shook his head: "Fellow Daoist Chu is mistaken. Young Friend Chen is so powerful that he treats the Crimson Gold Fire Poison as nothing. He is one in ten thousand among Nascent Soul cultivators."

"We don't need a Nascent Soul cultivator of Chen Xiaoyou's strength. Just a few dozen people of similar strength to Chu Xiaoyou and Wang Xiaoyou are enough to annihilate all eighty-one fire dragons."

Chu Weicai chuckled and said, "I was mistaken. Young friend Chen is probably comparable to you and me, and can no longer be regarded as a Nascent Soul cultivator."

"Although I have never seen any other human Nascent Soul cultivators, I imagine there are very few who can compare to young friend Chen."

Chen Yuan said, "You two seniors are too kind..."

Chu Wei sighed: "Young friend, there is no need to be so modest. Although our cultivation is high, we are constrained by the dragon energy. Whether it is the cultivation techniques we practice or the supernatural powers we possess, we are inferior to humans and demons."

"The sea of ​​fire that Ao Xuan condensed was in no way inferior to the divine power of the Dragon Transformation Realm."

"Those demon generals fought against Elder Yingqian, outnumbered but still gained the upper hand. Besides their profound cultivation, their supernatural abilities were also extremely sharp."

"Even if their cultivation levels are similar, the strength of those high-level demon generals still surpasses that of dragonmen in the late stage of the Cloud Ascension Realm."

"Only cultivators at the peak of the Cloud Ascension Realm, such as Chu Ming and Wang Xiaoyou, can barely contend with it."

"The existence of dragon people is still too short, only a few hundred thousand years. It is an extremely long time for us cultivators, but it is still too short for a race. They are inherently deficient."

"It will take countless years before we can truly compare with the human and demon races."

Zhou Muyun gazed into the depths of the Fire Realm, shrouded in crimson-gold fire poison, and said calmly, "Our lifespans are nearing their end, and our lives are hanging by a thread. The future of the Dragon People is no longer our concern."

"I have no other wish than to enter the True Dragon Cave, use the thirty-six Dragon Breath Platforms to break through the bottleneck, and live for a few hundred more years. That would be enough for me."

His voice carried a hint of nonchalance, but the others fell silent.

Zhou Muyun looks much younger, but he is actually older than Chu Weicai and will pass away at most a hundred years later.

Whether Zhou Muyun can break through the True Dragon Cave Formation and use the dragon energy tide to overcome his bottleneck and advance to the mid-stage of the Dragon Transformation Realm will determine his life or death.

Chen Yuan said solemnly, "If I can truly enter the True Dragon Cave, I will definitely lend you two a helping hand."

Zhou Muyun smiled nonchalantly: "Then I'll have to trouble you, young friend Chen. It would be best if it could work out, but it's alright if it doesn't."

"Zhou has been sitting in his cave for tens of thousands of years, enduring the erosion of fire poison day and night. He has failed countless times before reaching the bottleneck and has long been prepared for reincarnation."

"It was only today, young friend, that gave me a glimmer of hope. I will do everything in my power to send you into the True Dragon Cave."

Chen Yuan clasped his hands in a respectful bow to Zhou Muyun, then turned to look at Wu Xuan: "Fellow Daoist Wu Xuan, are you perhaps able to unravel the mysteries of this Fire Realm?"

Everyone looked over. Ying Qian's group had no shortage of formation masters, but no one could compare to Wu Xuan in their mastery of formations.

They needed to stay in Qianwei City to repair the Yingqian Formation, so they did not accompany them.

Most importantly, those array masters were all below the Cloud Soaring Realm, their strength was too weak, and they needed several people to protect them if they wanted to reach the deepest part of the Myriad Flame Mountains, which was too troublesome.

Since entering the Fire Realm, Wu Xuan had been examining the stone pillars with great focus.

His eyes glowed with a faint blue light, and his right hand moved slightly as if he were calculating something.

After a while, the blue light in Wu Xuan's eyes disappeared. He put down his right hand and let out a long sigh: "As expected of the True Spirit Array, it is so exquisite that it can even create a world in the void."

"When this formation is at its peak, it cannot be broken without the intervention of a Great Sage."

"However, this great formation has weakened considerably and has many flaws."

"What the two seniors said is true. As long as we kill those eighty-one fire dragons, we can break through the fire barrier."

"But from my perspective, there should be another layer of formation behind the fire barrier, but it is covered by the fire barrier and it is difficult to see its secrets."

Chen Yuan frowned: "Fellow Daoist, you are not mistaken?"

Wu Xuan hesitated for a moment: "My clear and bright eyes were cleansed with nine kinds of spiritual water with the support of the Flame Cloud Demon Saint, and they are best at seeing through the restrictions of great formations."

"However, this True Spirit Array is too profound. Although it has many flaws, I cannot be certain."

Chen Yuan frowned even more deeply: "How confident are you, fellow Daoist?"

Wu Xuan said, "It's at least fifty percent, otherwise I wouldn't dare to make such a claim."

Chen Yuan nodded slightly: "Fifty percent is already quite a lot. Are you two seniors aware of this matter?"

He turned to look at Chu Weicai and Zhou Muyun, both of whom looked surprised.

Chu Weicai stroked his beard and pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "I have never heard of such a thing."

Zhou Muyun echoed, "I was also unaware that there was a second layer of great formation after the Fire Realm."

Chen Yuan asked, "How did those two seniors know that there are thirty-six Dragon Breath Platforms in the True Dragon Cave, and that even the records of Fellow Daoist Wang's tribe mention this?" (End of Chapter)