Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

In a valley, ancient trees reach for the sky, creating a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere.

A tall dragon-man knelt on the ground, his face contorted in pain, his body convulsing.

A demon general stood before him, dressed in a green robe, handsome in appearance, with one hand on his head, his expression indifferent.

Several other demon generals stood to the side, their expressions respectful and silent.

The forest was filled with the aura of Xuanhuang dragons, but they ignored these demon generals who were covered in demonic energy, and not a single wisp of dragon energy rushed towards them.

Upon closer inspection, one can see a faint green aura on these demon generals, their aura completely concealed within, effectively isolating them from the dragon energy.

Only the green-robed demon general was surrounded by wisps of dragon energy, which flowed into his body in an endless stream, almost impatiently.

But this was by no means a case of dragon energy and demonic power being incompatible and trying to erase him; rather, it was like all rivers flowing into the sea, actively merging into his body.

As the dragon energy entered his body, the aura of the green-robed demon general also continuously strengthened, but the speed was extremely slow and imperceptible.

The dragon-man kneeling on the ground exuded a powerful aura, radiating the pressure of the late-stage Cloud Ascension Realm. However, when it landed on the green-robed demon general in front of him, it was like a gentle breeze, having no effect whatsoever.

A moment later, the demon general in green robes thoughtfully withdrew his right hand, and the dragon man collapsed to the ground, barely breathing and on the verge of death.

The demon general in green robes flicked his finger, and a beam of green spiritual light flew out and shot into the dragon-man's body. The dragon-man's body trembled and his aura dissipated.

Green vines quietly sprouted from the wound on his chest, spreading out and soon enveloping the dragon-man, then intertwining and growing upwards.

Before long, the green vines intertwined to form a peculiar vine tree, completely covering the corpse, and the dragonman's aura dissipated into nothingness.

The demon general in green robes ignored him, his expression as indifferent as ever. He lightly flicked his sleeves and turned away.

The demon generals lowered their heads slightly, a hint of fear flashing in their eyes.

One of the demon generals cautiously asked, "Brother Ao, what should we do next?"

The demon general in green robes had a glint in his eyes: "In this Xuanli Realm, there is an even larger Dragon Breath Platform, which is of great benefit to cultivators in the Cloud Ascension Realm."

"Legend has it that there is also the most important Dragon Breath Platform, which even cultivators in the Dragon Transformation Realm cannot enter."

“We don’t need to waste time on these Dragon Breath Platforms. If we find those large Dragon Breath Platforms, we can find the True Spirit Cave.”

After saying that, he enveloped himself in a burst of light and soared into the air.

Several demon generals followed in their escape lights, flying out of the valley. The dragon energy in the sky became even denser. Several miles away, on the top of a thousand-foot mountain, stood a dragon breath platform shaped like a giant cauldron.

Just then, a surge of pure dragon energy erupted, as if a real dragon were breathing, soaring straight into the sky, causing wind and clouds to rise and the world to change color.

……

At the foot of Mount Tu, a fortified city was built against the mountain, with a towering wall of thirty feet high, no less steep than a cliff, making it difficult to climb.

For cultivators below the Manifestation Realm, it is like an insurmountable chasm.

But this magnificent city wall is now covered with claw marks and teeth marks, with traces of dried dark red blood. Some parts are dilapidated, revealing the dark stone core inside.

On the morning of that day, the east gate of Tushan City slowly opened, and the dragon people who were waiting below the city were invigorated. They gathered together and lined up in an orderly queue, waiting to enter the city.

Cangnan has a long history and strict rules. Even after a long period of peace, its defenses remain extremely tight. The city opens at sunrise and closes at sunset, with a curfew at night.

With the strenuous effort of the two teams of warriors from the Hidden Scale Realm, the heavy stone door slowly opened, stirring up a cloud of dust.

Once the city gates were fully open, the two groups of warriors stopped fighting, picked up their weapons, and slowly walked out of Tushan City.

The leading burly man, wearing a mustard seed ring on his hand, came to the group and took out a heavy square table with a square cauldron on it, which resembled a dragon's breath platform and shimmered with a faint spiritual light.

Tushan City welcomes visitors from all directions and does not check anyone's identity, but anyone who wants to enter the city must pay a fee.

The leading dragonman took out a crystal the size of a thumb, with a few wisps of dark yellow dragon energy swirling within it, and handed it to a city guard with a reluctant expression.

After accepting the gift, the city guard merely glanced at it, lazily waved his hand, and let the man into the city.

The common item among dragon people is the dragon energy stone, but even a low-grade dragon energy stone is extremely precious, and even cultivators in the Hidden Scale Realm are reluctant to take it out.

Fortunately, the dragon energy was extremely tough and not easily dissipated, so the dragon people cut a piece of dragon energy stone into ten pieces. The dragon energy contained within was only slightly reduced and could be ignored.

This thumb-sized crystal is one-tenth the size of a low-grade dragon energy stone, and is called a "dragon crystal".

He turned around and placed the dragon crystal into the square cauldron. The second dragonman then stepped forward and took out a dragon crystal.

Most of the dragon people who entered the city wore armor made of animal hides, which was very simple but extremely tough. Combined with the scales on their bodies, they could withstand the sharp teeth and claws of the dragon beasts.

Many dragon people carried a huge dragon beast corpse, and instead of paying with dragon crystals, they took out a token, which was checked by the city guards. Amidst the envious gazes of others, they laughed and walked into the city gate.

At the same time, many dragonmen, armed with weapons, left the city gates and ran into the wilderness.

Two hours passed, and fewer and fewer people entered the city, so the soldiers guarding the city became less busy.

Suddenly, several figures came running from a distance and stopped in front of the city gate.

The middle-aged man at the head of the group flipped his hand and produced a token, saying in a deep voice, "I am Zhang Fengyue, the chieftain of the Qiucao tribe, and I am bringing two people into the city."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers guarding the city became solemn, took the token with both hands, examined it carefully, and then handed it back with both hands, saying respectfully, "Clan Chief Zhang, please."

Apart from the permanent residents of the Dragon Realm, cultivators below the Manifestation Realm must pay Dragon Crystals to enter Tushan City.

However, cultivators at the Manifestation Realm do not need to do this. If they have been to Tushan City before, they can obtain a pass token and bring two people into the city.

For dragon people, the Manifestation Realm is a watershed moment; below it, as long as they cultivate diligently, they have the opportunity to reach the Blood Condensation Realm.

However, to break through to the Manifestation Realm, one must enter the Dragon Breath Platform and rely on the power of the dragon's energy tide.

Only those with the support of a tribe or extraordinary luck can obtain a spot to enter the Dragon's Breath Platform.

Many dragons are born without a tribe, or their tribe is destroyed for some reason. Like rootless duckweed, no matter how good their aptitude, they can only cultivate to the peak of the Blood Condensation Realm at most, trapped at the bottleneck of the Manifestation Realm, and die in depression with lifelong regret.

Amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, Zhang Fengyue put away the token, strode forward with his head held high, and walked towards the city gate.

Behind him followed two dragon-men, both dressed in silk robes, seemingly attendants, yet they possessed extraordinary bearing and calm expressions, examining the city walls of Tushan City with great interest.

The burly man who opened the city gate, who had been full of arrogance, stepped back and bowed to Zhang Fengyue.

Although he was from Cangnan, he was sent to guard the city, so his cultivation level was naturally not very high, only at the mid-stage of the Blood Condensation Realm.

Facing a cultivator at the Manifestation Realm, he dared not be the slightest bit careless, otherwise, if he angered Zhang Fengyue, as long as he wasn't killed, no matter how severe the punishment, Cangnan would not pursue the matter. Zhang Fengyue nodded slightly, stepped into the city gate, and two attendants followed closely behind.

The burly man straightened up, looking at the backs of his two attendants with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

But he quickly put the matter out of his mind and looked at the dragon people queuing to enter the city, in case anyone caused trouble.

Meanwhile, at the west gate of Tushan City, Li Chongshan took out a token and walked through the city gate amidst the respectful gazes of the guards.

He was also followed by two attendants, a man and a woman, who were both distinguished and even more impressive than him, the chief of the Qiushi tribe.

These four followers were naturally Chen Yuan and his companions, disguised as dragon people by the illusionary magic of the demon general Chen Yu.

The Nine-Tailed Green Fox is of the Holy Clan bloodline. Although the bloodline of Demon General Shen Yu is somewhat mixed, his innate talents and supernatural abilities are also extremely extraordinary.

Ordinary illusions are meant to confuse the opponent, and must be cast constantly.

However, when Shen Yu, the Demon General, uses illusion magic, he exhales a wisp of demonic energy that attaches to others, thus transforming their appearance.

Unless one's cultivation level is the same as that of Demon General Shenyu, it is impossible to see through the four people's disguise.

Because of the dragon's large size, the streets of Tushan City were wide and the buildings were magnificent, but in the eyes of the four people, they were just ordinary.

The city was bustling with people, with a large number of dragon people without tribes gathering here. They lived in Tushan City and, under the protection of Cangnan, earned dragon crystals by hunting dragon beasts or acting as escorts to maintain their cultivation.

The dragon energy permeating the Xuanli Realm not only enables dragon people to embark on the path of cultivation, but also nourishes a large number of dragon beasts in the wilderness.

These dragon beasts are also based on dragon energy, and are even more adapted to dragon energy than dragon people. They are huge, physically strong, and can even master supernatural powers, making them quite similar to demon beasts.

However, no matter how strong a dragon beast is, it cannot transform into human form, and its intelligence is not very high.

However, when the dragon energy tide erupts, the dragon beasts, attracted by the pure dragon energy, will spontaneously gather together and attack the Dragon Breath Platform.

Many tribes were destroyed in the dragon beast tide. Even tribes like Cangnan, which built large cities, were still subjected to the fierce impact of the dragon beast tide.

The thirty-zhang-high city wall of Tushan City was mainly built to resist the tide of dragon beasts.

Over tens of thousands of years, it has collapsed countless times and been repaired again, but the scars have never faded.

Before the dragon beast tide erupted, these dragon beasts roamed the wilderness, making the wilderness fraught with danger and difficult to traverse.

However, the flesh, fur, sharp teeth, and claws of dragon beasts are also extremely valuable treasures, attracting many dragon people to spontaneously venture into the wilderness to hunt dragon beasts and bring their spoils back to the southern part of Cangnan to sell.

Caravans traveling between different cities and tribes would also hire dragonmen as guards.

These caravans brought back specialties from other tribes to Tushan City, which, along with the materials from the dragon beasts they hunted, supported this prosperous city.

The south side of the city is a bustling trading market with numerous shops, while the east and west sides are where the dragon people of the city reside.

As for the north of the city, it is the territory of the Cangnan tribe, a city within a city, with a defensive array set up and strict security, outsiders are not allowed to enter.

Chen Yuan and his companions had already learned about the situation in Tushan City from Zhang Fengyue and Li Chongshan. After entering the city, Zhang Fengyue rented a house for them as a temporary place to stay.

Zhang Fengyue and Li Chongshan then left the residence together and headed to the north of the city to deliver the invitations.

The Qiucao and Qiushi tribes are not far from Tushan City. As clan leaders, they naturally need to be on good terms with the Cangnan tribe for survival.

Both of them had their own familiar cultivators from Cangnan, and each time they came to Tushan City, they would invite them to a banquet to maintain their friendship.

This time was no exception. After receiving the invitations from the two, the two Manifestation Realm cultivators from Cangnan accepted.

The only thing that puzzled them was that Li Chongshan and Zhang Fengyue had sent the invitations in the morning and then invited people to a banquet at noon, which seemed a bit too hasty.

In the past, the two would send out invitations a day in advance as a sign of courtesy.

However, Li Chongshan and Zhang Fengyue made it clear in their invitation that they had important matters to entrust to them, and offered ten mid-grade dragon energy stones as a thank-you gift.

Such a huge sum of money greatly tempted the two cultivators from Cangnan. Since they had something important to ask for, it was understandable that they were eager.

……

At noon, two cultivators from Cangnan arrived at Cuiyixuan in the south of the city for a banquet. Li Chongshan and Zhang Fengyue personally greeted them outside the side room.

The two, being of the same clan, naturally knew each other, but were greatly surprised to see one another.

The Qiushi tribe and the Qiucao tribe have always been at odds. How did these two come together, and why were they both invited to a banquet at the same time?
But this was clearly not the time to ask questions. After exchanging greetings, the two cultivators from Cangnan, filled with doubts, entered the side room under the guidance of Li Chongshan and Zhang Fengyue.

Four dragon-men sat at the table, looking this way with indifferent expressions.

Several other beautiful women, scantily clad, stood to one side, their eyes glazed over.

The door slowly closed behind the two men. The two Cangnan cultivators were furious at the disrespect shown by the four and were about to lash out when the scene before them suddenly changed. They were shocked and slowly calmed down.

After Li Chongshan and Zhang Fengyue entered the side room, they stood with the beautiful women, their expressions respectful.

A moment later, the two blinked, clasped their hands in a respectful bow to the dragon-woman sitting at the table, their eyes filled with reverence: "Wang Shi (Chen Yunjie) greets the fairy. Whatever your command, please give us. We will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

The dragon-woman was naturally a transformation of the demon general Shen Yu. She smiled slightly and said, "These two have fallen under my illusion. For the next three days, they will obey my every word."

Another burly dragon-man laughed heartily: "Fairy Shenyu, you have excellent skills. Next, we only need to have these two lead us into the North City, and we can capture Wang Xuanyue without breaking a sweat."

This person is the transformed form of the Demon General of Lieshan. In front of other dragon people, they appear as dragon people, but in each other's eyes, they still look the same.

Qin Yuan, the demon general, said, "This matter is not urgent. Let's first find out the situation in southern Cangnan. If there is a better way to lure Wang Xuanyue out, we don't necessarily have to follow the original plan."

Shen Yu, the demon general, nodded slightly and immediately inquired about the matter of Cangnan.

Chen Yuan remained silent, his expression indifferent, and waited quietly by the side.

The four spared the lives of Li Chongshan and Zhang Fengyue, and decided to make the best use of them. Getting close to Wang Xuanyue through them was the best way.

An hour later, Wang Shi and Chen Yunjie told them everything they knew without reservation.

Fairy Shenyu frowned slightly: "That Wang Xuanyue has been in seclusion all day long, never leaving his cave and ignoring all outside affairs. It seems we must sneak into the North City to capture him."

Qin Yuan, the Demon General, said, "We have no other choice. It will only take more effort. In Cangnan, there is only one late-stage Dragon Transformation Realm cultivator, Wang Xuanyue. Even if we alarm the other three elders, they are no match for us."

The Demon General of Lieshan sneered: "If Wang Xuanyue surrenders, we can spare his life. Otherwise, we will massacre the entire Cangnan region. With Fairy Chenyu here, our identities will not be exposed."

Chen Yuan's eyes flashed, and he nodded slightly: "Then let's proceed accordingly. We'll capture Wang Xuanyue today, conduct a soul search and interrogate her, to avoid wasting time and jeopardizing our important matter." (End of Chapter)