Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Zhao Mingyuan explained, "This item was originally in the Silver Thousand Tribulations Cave. When we were ordered to search the Silver Moon Mountains, we personally checked it, but found nothing unusual, so we didn't pay it any mind."

"But before Yin Hui died, he said that this boulder was a rare treasure and asked me to give it to you as a token of my gratitude for keeping my promise."

"However, after the senior came to Fulong Island for seclusion, the island was heavily guarded, and other cultivators could not enter or leave at will."

"It was only after the senior issued the decree that I was ordered to come here, and finally I have the opportunity to present this item."

Chen Yuan nodded slightly: "Did he ever say what use this boulder was?"

For a low-level cultivator, it is already an immense favor if a high-level cultivator keeps their promise.

Moreover, the white-robed youth was merely a demon general, so it was reasonable for Chen Yuan to kill him.

However, he still left behind the Silver Sword and the seven Howling Moon Silver Wolves, not only to keep his promise, but also to leave an opportunity for the human cultivators of this world.

The Howling Moon Silver Wolf can draw upon the power of the moon, possessing a very unique bloodline. The materials from the demonic beasts on its body also have many wonderful uses.

Although many members of the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan are scattered throughout the Myriad Demon Continent, the seven Howling Moon Silver Wolves that were chosen by Yin Hui have extremely pure bloodlines, far surpassing the other scattered clan members.

If they were to die, it would be much more difficult for the human race in this world to obtain the demon cores and demon beast materials of the Howling Moon Silver Wolves in the future.

Moreover, leaving behind a lineage of royal beasts poses a considerable threat and can also reduce internal strife among the cultivators of this realm in the future.

If it were Qin Wuyai and his two companions, they wouldn't care about such a trivial matter at all.

They only seek to ascend to the upper realm; even if all the demon race in this realm is wiped out, they will not care about the future development of the human race.

However, Chen Yuan was originally just an ordinary person. By chance, he entered the world of cultivation and started his cultivation as a rogue cultivator. His aptitude was also extremely poor.

Even with the help of the jade pendant, he still went through many hardships before successfully establishing his foundation, and he knew all too well how difficult cultivation was.

Most importantly, Chen Yuan's past experiences and knowledge made it impossible for him to view mortals and low-level cultivators as ants, unlike other cultivators.

He can also be ruthless, showing no hesitation when killing enemies or exterminating clans.

However, Chen Yuan always harbored a sense of pity for those low-level cultivators and mortals, which made him not mind showing them extra care within his power.

That is why he is always quite gentle when facing low-level cultivators.

Ultimately, Chen Yuan still regarded mortals and low-level cultivators as his own kind.

No matter how high his cultivation level was, he always regarded himself as a human being, rather than truly seeing himself as a high and mighty immortal or senior.

This was not only because of his past life experiences, but also because he cultivated the "Nine Revolutions of True Spirit," which directly leads to the path of ascension, allowing him to glimpse a realm that others could not imagine.

Unable to live forever, they will eventually turn to dust and bones.

Below the level of a true immortal, all are but ants.

Only by ascending to the Immortal Realm can one achieve immortality; otherwise, no matter how high one's cultivation level, one is merely a wanderer on the long road of seeking the Dao, with little difference between them.

However, Chen Yuan was not overly kind-hearted. If the white-robed youth did not have the Fire Lotus Mark in his body, he would not have allowed him to return to the Silver Moon Mountains alone.

Not long after the white-robed youth left, Chen Yuan felt the Fire Lotus Mark within his body dissipate on its own.

Unless the white-robed youth can find a way to dispel the True Fire of the Vermilion Demon, the Fire Lotus Mark will only dissipate after his death.

As a high-ranking demon general, unless he also had a fortuitous encounter like Chen Yuan, there was absolutely no way he could suppress the power of the true spirit.

After the white-clad youth died, Chen Yuan forgot about him until Zhao Mingyuan brought out this boulder today.

Zhao Mingyuan shook his head and replied, "Yin Hui did not say it explicitly, only that the senior would know its use by placing this boulder under the moonlight."

Chen Yuan's eyes flashed: "Have you ever tried it?"

Zhao Mingyuan hesitated for a moment before saying, "I was worried that the silver light might be hiding something, so I tried it a few times, but the boulder showed no unusual behavior under the moonlight."

Chen Yuan gave him a deep look: "When Yin Hui handed this item to you, was anyone else present?"

Zhao Mingyuan lowered his head slightly, his expression somewhat uneasy: "There are also... there are two other fellow Daoists present, but I was responsible for guarding the Silver Moon Mountain Range at the time, so I put this item away."

Chen Yuan said calmly, "Considering that you were not blinded by greed and ultimately offered up this treasure, I will not punish you for this, but this will not be a repeat of the incident."

Having said that, he flicked his sleeve, and the boulder on the ground disappeared. With a burst of light, he soared into the sky and disappeared.

Zhao Mingyuan quickly clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, senior!"

Only after Chen Yuan's figure disappeared did he straighten up and let out a long sigh of relief, but his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

……

Chen Yuan returned to his cave, meditated and regulated his breathing until night fell, then got up and left the cave.

A crescent moon hung low in the sky, stars twinkled, and all around was quiet and peaceful, with the faint chirping of insects.

Ao Cang Cave is located in a valley, near the source of the giant spiritual vein on Fulong Island. After Chen Yuan arrived, it became a forbidden area on the island, and no one dared to approach it.

He flicked his sleeve, and a giant rock appeared out of thin air on the ground in front of him.

Moonlight spilled down, reflecting on the surface of the boulder and giving it a soft glow.

Chen Yuan stared intently, but the boulder remained unchanged.

He spread his divine sense, but it was still blocked by the barrier on the surface of the boulder, preventing him from penetrating it.

Chen Yuan lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then raised his hand to form a hand seal, and his true essence surged and poured into the boulder.

A flash of spiritual light appeared on the surface of the boulder, then vanished. No matter how much Chen Yuan poured his true essence into it, there was no further reaction, as if it were a bottomless pit.

He frowned, withdrew his true essence and divine sense, looked up at the crescent moon on the horizon, and said in a low voice, "Only on the night of the full moon can the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan draw upon a trace of moonlight."

"Could it be that this giant rock only reveals its strange behavior under the full moon...?"

But then he thought again, this boulder had been in Zhao Mingyuan's hands for three years, so he must know about the innate abilities of the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan and should have already tested them on the night of the full moon.

Moreover, since the young man in white said that the purpose of the boulder could be determined simply by placing it under the moonlight, he did not specify that it had to be on a full moon night.

Chen Yuan lowered his head and re-examined the boulder.

On his deathbed, the white-robed youth specifically asked Zhao Mingyuan to give him this boulder. It was an item from the Silver Thousand Tribulations Cave, which divine sense could not penetrate. It could easily contain the true essence of a Nascent Soul cultivator, so it must be extraordinary.

But true essence and divine sense are useless against it. What is so mysterious about this stone?

Chen Yuan's gaze swept over the boulder inch by inch, his thoughts racing, before suddenly stopping at the top of the boulder.

This boulder is neither round nor square, its shape is extremely irregular, and its sides are rough, except for its smooth and flat top.

He reached out and gently pressed down on one side of the boulder. The force that could easily crush any rock fell onto this boulder, yet not a single speck of stone fell.

Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow and pressed down with his palm again, this time using thirty percent of his strength, but the boulder remained completely unharmed.

Even after he used seventy percent of his power—enough to destroy a mountain—only a few specks of dust fell. The boulder remained completely unmoved, absorbing Chen Yuan's immense power without leaking a single drop. Chen Yuan withdrew his hand; this boulder was so hard that it could not be worn down by wind or rain.

Its surface is so smooth and flat that it must have been deliberately polished.

"Could it be that one must sit on this stone to discover its secrets?"

Chen Yuan murmured to himself, stepped forward, and sat down cross-legged on the boulder.

He spread his divine sense and enveloped the boulder beneath him, but after a quarter of an hour, there was still no unusual phenomenon.

A hint of doubt flashed in Chen Yuan's eyes. Just as he was about to get off the boulder, he suddenly stopped.

He suddenly realized that he only sat cross-legged when he was cultivating.

Although Yin Qianjie is a demon general, after the demon race transforms into human form, he will maintain his human form when cultivating.

This boulder was incredibly hard; even with his strength, comparable to that of a mid-level demon general at the peak, he struggled to destroy it.

The fact that the top could be polished so smoothly and flat is beyond the capabilities of demon generals; it was most likely the work of Yin Qianjie or the successive demon commanders of the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan.

This giant rock is located in Yin Qianjie's cave. Could it be that he meditated and cultivated on this rock?

Without further hesitation, Chen Yuan slowly closed his eyes, concentrated his mind, circulated his cultivation technique, and absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

However, he left a sliver of his divine sense outside, keeping an eye on the strange behavior of the boulder.

As soon as the spiritual energy entered Chen Yuan's meridians, the faint glow on the surface of the boulder, illuminated by the moonlight, suddenly became brighter.

Chen Yuan was overjoyed and continued to circulate his cultivation technique, his divine sense continuing to envelop the boulder.

As spiritual energy circulates through the meridians, the light and shadow on the surface of the boulder intertwine, changing rhythmically as if breathing.

For the next seven days, Chen Yuan sat cross-legged on the boulder, cultivating without stopping even as the moon set and the sun rose.

Under the sunlight, the faint golden light emanating from the surface of the boulder, along with the rhythmic changes in light and shadow, is no different from when it is illuminated by moonlight.

The spiritual energy in the valley is far less concentrated than that in the cultivation room where a spirit-gathering array has been set up.

The spiritual energy that Chen Yuan absorbed into his body was quite mixed. After circulating it for thirty-six cycles, it finally transformed into a wisp of pure true essence, which surged into his dantian and merged into the sea of ​​true essence. His cultivation level increased by a barely perceptible amount.

Just then, Chen Yuan felt a wisp of dim silver light descend from the sky, enter his body through the crown of his head, and merge into his limbs and bones. A faint warmth followed, and his physical body was slightly strengthened.

He was startled, opened his eyes, and stared down at the boulder beneath him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

This dim silver light was so familiar; it was actually the power of the stars in the heavens!

But as he stopped cultivating, the light on the surface of the boulder stopped changing and returned to calm.

Chen Yuan took a deep breath, closed his eyes again, and continued his meditation.

Seven days later, the spiritual energy that had entered the body circulated for another thirty-six cycles, transforming into a wisp of pure true essence that entered the dantian.

At the same time, another wisp of celestial power descended from the sky, tempering the physical body.

Chen Yuan slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a long breath, and stared at the boulder beneath him.

This is the second treasure Chen Yuan has encountered after the Jade Pendant, capable of drawing down the power of the stars in the heavens.

The Moonlight Bow can only draw down a trace of moonlight, and it requires consuming true essence. It can only be condensed into arrows and cannot be used to temper the physical body, so it has great limitations.

Only the jade pendant and this giant rock can stably draw down the power of the stars to temper the physical body.

However, the jade pendant drew down the power of countless stars, and it was extremely concentrated.

This boulder seems to draw upon the power of the sun and moon, but it is extremely thin.

If calculated based on these two strands of celestial power, it would take Chen Yuan ten years of continuous cultivation to equal one instance of starlight infusion.

But this is by no means because the boulder is useless; rather, it is because the power of the stars drawn down by the jade pendant is too concentrated.

The jade pendant is mysterious and unpredictable. In addition to drawing starlight into the body, it contains the immortal technique "Nine Revolutions of True Spirit". The mysterious golden jade disc has protected Chen Yuan's soul and saved his life several times.

According to Chen Yuan's speculation, the jade pendant is likely not a treasure from the upper realm, but a legendary celestial treasure.

The fact that the boulder could draw upon a wisp of the power of the stars in the heavens was already a treasure.

No wonder Yin Qianjie placed it in his cave. For demons and body cultivators, this boulder is a sacred object for body refining.

Although the power of the stars it draws down is extremely thin, the demon race has no shortage of lifespan.

However, judging from this, this boulder is probably not a remnant of the demon generals of the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan.

This stone is not a magical treasure or divine weapon imbued with a bloodline restriction; the Demon General would never leave it to his descendants.

It shouldn't have been long since Yin Qianjie obtained this boulder, otherwise, after thousands of years of cultivation, his physical body would never still be at the level of a low-ranking demon general.

Chen Yuan stood up, stepped off the boulder, put it into his mustard seed ring, turned and walked into the cave, a fiery glint in his eyes.

The next step is to verify whether the power of the stars drawn down by this boulder is related to the speed of cultivation.

The spiritual energy in the cultivation room was much denser than in the valley, and after Chen Yuan took the pill, the spiritual energy he absorbed was pure and abundant, making his cultivation speed even faster.

If the speed at which the boulder draws down the power of the stars can also be accelerated, it could very well be a rare treasure.

However, this giant rock needs the sun and moon to shine on it in order to be effective, and the sealed cultivation room still needs some modifications.

Chen Yuan directly chiseled through the top of the training room, letting in sunlight that dispelled the gloom.

However, due to the array separating them, not a single drop of spiritual energy leaks out of the cultivation room.

Chen Yuan took out the boulder, sat cross-legged, swallowed a pill, and closed his eyes to meditate.

A month later, he opened his eyes and looked at the boulder beneath him, a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

He had already refined the spiritual energy contained in the elixir, and his cultivation level had increased considerably.

However, the speed at which the boulder draws down the power of the stars in the heavens did not change despite the increase in cultivation speed.

Every seven days, a very thin wisp of the power of the stars in the heavens is drawn down.

Chen Yuan didn't know if the boulder was like this because it took him seven days to condense a wisp of true essence when he first cultivated on it.

However, his divine sense could not penetrate the interior of the boulder, and his true essence was also helpless. He had no choice but to temporarily give up investigating the boulder and leave it for future exploration after his cultivation improved.

Chen Yuan stopped dwelling on the matter, took out another pill, swallowed it, and continued meditating and cultivating.

In less than seven years, he and Qin Wuyai will ascend to the upper realm to find a way to return to the spirit world. Time is of the essence and cannot be delayed.

Although the speed at which the boulder draws down the power of the stars is slow, its cumulative effect on body tempering is quite remarkable and should not be wasted. (End of Chapter)