Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Chapter 823 Attending the meeting
"Your nephew greets your uncle."

Yinlu leaned lazily against the stone chair. Opposite him, a middle-aged man with a full head of white hair bowed respectfully with his hands clasped in front of him.

Yinlu said calmly, "What's the matter that's so urgent, bringing you here so late at night? Have you fully refined the power of the moonlight?"

He looked to be only about thirty years old, with a short beard on his chin, and dressed in a magnificent blue brocade robe.

If it weren't for the fact that he also had a full head of white hair like the middle-aged man, no one would be able to tell that he was actually a high-level demon general.

Although the demon race views humans as slaves and food, every demon general who survives the tribulation retains a human form, no different from the human cultivators they despise, and can never return to the days before their transformation.

Behind Yin Lu stood two pretty maids, dressed in thin gauze, their graceful figures fully revealed. They bowed slightly, their delicate hands resting on Yin Lu's shoulders, gently massaging them.

Their faces wore gentle smiles, as refreshing as a spring breeze, making people feel relaxed involuntarily.

The only drawback is that, upon closer inspection, the two maids' eyes appear somewhat dull and their expressions somewhat stiff.

They all had a blood restriction on their souls implanted within them, and only in this way could Yinlu feel at ease keeping them by his side to serve him.

But over the years, under the influence of the Blood Restriction on the Soul, their intelligence gradually deteriorated, and they became more and more like puppets.

However, this was a minor matter for Silverlu; he only needed to replace two more maids.

If the female cultivators were just abducted from human cities, they would still retain some wildness. Taming them by hand would actually add a bit of fun.

Among the maids who catch Yin Lu's eye, there is a chance that their soul blood restriction will be erased and they will be taken as his concubines.

If one can give birth to a mixed-race child, one will rise to the top in one step and will not have to worry about being arbitrarily executed.

Such a wonderful feeling can only be enjoyed by a human being.

The last time Yinlu transformed into his original form was eight hundred years ago, when he fought against a high-ranking demon general of the Shahu clan.

But since then, he has never encountered an opponent who requires his full effort, and he rarely reveals his true form.

Just as Yin Lu was enjoying the gentle caress on his shoulder, the middle-aged man opposite him looked slightly serious and said, "I was just about to refine the power of the moonlight when I received a three-clawed jade slip from Shen Jibai. I dared not delay and came to pay my respects to my uncle immediately."

As he spoke, he flipped his hand and took out a jade slip, presenting it with both hands.

Yin Lu's expression changed abruptly, and he suddenly straightened up. The two maids behind him were caught off guard, and their hands slipped off his shoulders.

They immediately knelt on the ground, prostrating themselves to confess their sins. In their somewhat dull eyes, a hint of fear finally appeared.

Yinlu ignored the maid and snatched the jade slip. There were three deep marks on it, like claw marks left by a wolf's claws, revealing a ferocious look.

He spread his divine sense and probed into the jade slip, feeling a familiar divine sense restriction. He immediately raised his hand, made a hand seal, and pointed his finger, and the divine sense restriction immediately disappeared.

The jade slip contained only one sentence: "Come to Iron Feather Peak immediately. I have important matters to discuss. It is extremely urgent."

A hint of surprise flashed in Yin Lu's eyes. He withdrew his divine sense and looked up at the middle-aged man: "How did this three-clawed jade slip end up in your hands?"

The middle-aged man replied, "No different from usual."

Yin Lu frowned: "Besides the jade slip, there's nothing else?"

The middle-aged man shook his head: "There's nothing else."

Yin Lu frowned even more: "You should go back first. This matter must not be spread."

The middle-aged man hesitated, "Uncle, this is the first time Shen Jibai has sent a three-clawed jade slip..."

Yin Lu interrupted, "I have my own plans."

The middle-aged man remained silent, stood up, clasped his hands in a bow, and was about to turn and leave.

"Wait!" Yin Lu suddenly spoke, stopping the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man stopped and turned around, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "Uncle, is there anything else you need?"

Yin Lu pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Shen Jibai invited me to Iron Feather Peak, saying he has important matters to discuss. I don't know how long this trip will take."

"If the other elders ask, just say that I am traveling and will be back soon."

"I understand," the middle-aged man replied immediately.

He turned and walked out of the cave. Yin Lu waved his hand and said indifferently, "You may all leave."

The two maids who were prostrate on the ground were relieved and quickly stood up, bowed and withdrew.

Yinlu probed the jade slip with his divine sense again, reading the sentence over and over again, his eyes filled with even more doubt.

He was a high-ranking demon general of the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan, while Shen Jibai was a great cultivator of the human race, so the two naturally could not meet casually.

To avoid suspicion, Shen Jibai, through an elder of the Wolf God Cult, gave a jade slip to Yin Li, who then delivered it to Yin Lu.

If Yin Lu wanted to contact Shen Jibai, he would give Yin Li a jade slip, which would then be sent by a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Wolf God Sect to a secluded place.

Apart from Yin Lu and Yin Li, no one else knew the origin of this jade slip.

Yin Li is the son of Yin Lu's elder brother. He is prudent in his actions and enjoys Yin Lu's deep trust.

Like Shen Jibai, the elders of the Wolf God Cult also had Blood Silk Gu implanted in their bodies, making them equally reliable.

In the past, Shen Jibai and Yin Lu usually communicated through this method.

The jade slips he sent were divided into three grades. One claw mark was the most ordinary, while two claw marks indicated that this matter was of great importance, and Yinlu had to keep the appointment within three days.

The three claw marks indicate that the matter is of great importance and cannot be delayed for even a moment; we must set off immediately.

However, Yinlu had never received a three-claw jade slip before, nor even a two-claw jade slip; all he had received were one-claw jade slips. He only needed to find an opportunity to meet with Shen Jibai within a month.

After all, sending messages via jade slips is too cumbersome, and it would take at least two or three days for the message to reach Yinlu.

If something truly urgent happens, Shen Jibai always activates the Thousand-Mile Talisman to send a message to Yin Lu.

The Ten Thousand Mile Talisman can transmit messages over distances of tens of thousands of miles, making it extremely secretive. However, it is not easy to refine, requiring the essence blood of a mid-level demon general, as well as several rare spiritual materials.

Moreover, the farther the distance, the simpler and more limited the message that the Thousand-Mile Talisman can convey becomes.

Even for the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan, the Thousand Mile Talisman cannot be used casually.

In the past hundred years, Yin Lu has only received three messages from Shen Jibai and sent a message to Shen Jibai once.

However, this time Shen Jibai sent a three-clawed jade slip, and the wording was extremely urgent, obviously indicating that something important had happened. It was somewhat illogical that he did not use the ten-thousand-mile talisman to send the message.

Although the Thousand Mile Talisman is precious, Shen Jibai has plenty of it, always keeping at least three on hand.

He used a few, and Yinlu would give him a few more to ensure they could stay in touch in a pinch.

Shen Jibai doesn't need to personally refine the Thousand Mile Talisman. If he really encounters an extremely urgent matter, he should use the Thousand Mile Talisman to send a message. Why spend several more days sending a three-clawed jade slip?

Yin Lu's mind raced, and suddenly his eyes narrowed. Could there be a trap involved?

But he immediately suppressed the thought. Shen Jibai had been implanted with the Blood Silk Gu, so there was no way he could harbor any disloyal thoughts.

The only people who handled the jade slip were the Wolf God Sect elder and Yin Li, so there was no way they would make a mistake. The jade slip should be fine; Shen Jibai had indeed encountered something urgent and asked him to come to Iron Feather Peak for a while.

However, just in case, it is not advisable to travel alone on this trip.

However, tonight happens to be a full moon, and all the demon generals in the clan need to refine the power of the moonlight. It seems that the only option is to have a great cultivator from the Wolf God Sect accompany them...

Although Yin Lu did not suspect Shen Jibai of being deceitful, the matter was still somewhat strange, so out of caution, he decided to call one or two helpers.

Having made up his mind, Yinlu got up and walked out of the cave. The wolf howls echoing through the mountains became clearer.

Looking out, one can see giant silver wolves lying on the mountaintop, their silver fur as smooth as brocade under the moonlight.

He looked up at the full moon high in the sky, then with a flash of light, he flew into the sky and headed out of the Silver Moon Mountains. His figure quickly disappeared into the thick darkness of the night.

……

After taking his leave, Yinli immediately returned to his cave to continue refining the wisp of moonlight power within his body.

The jade slip arrived at a very unfortunate time; he had only just begun to refine half of the Moonlight Power when he was forced to stop and send it to the Silver Slaughter Cave.

Fortunately, as a demon general, he could use his bloodline power to temporarily delay the refining process, and the power of the moonlight would not disappear.

An hour later, Yinli finally fully refined the power of the moonlight, feeling his physical body strengthened slightly, and exhaled a long breath.

If he continues to cultivate at this rate, in another thousand years or so, his physical body will be comparable to that of a mid-level demon general, at which point he can attempt to break through the bottleneck.

With his uncle's help, he had no shortage of elixirs; he only needed to cultivate step by step to improve his cultivation level.

However, the Body Tempering Herb was being eyed by all the demon generals in the clan, and even Yinlu could not use it at will.

Silver Power can only be enhanced by nourishing the physical body with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and tempering the body with the power of moonlight.

He continued to meditate and cultivate, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, gathering it into his demon core, transforming it into demonic power, and then permeating his limbs and bones, strengthening his physical body bit by bit.

He had already put the matter of the jade slip out of his mind. In the past, he had sent jade slips to Yin Lu countless times, and had also sent jade slips to Shen Jibai on behalf of Yin Lu dozens of times. He was already used to it.

Although this was the first time he had received a three-clawed jade slip, Shen Jibai had been implanted with a blood-thread gu in his body, and there had never been any problems in the past, so there should be no issues this time either.

Moreover, Iron Feather Peak is located 20,000 miles southeast of the Silver Moon Mountains. Yin Lu used to meet Shen Jibai there, and he could arrive in a few hours.

Even if something unexpected happens, the demon generals of the clan will arrive in no time, so there is no need to worry.

The night passed quickly, and Yin Li was still immersed in cultivation when a voice suddenly rang in his ears, like a thunderclap from beyond the heavens, forcibly waking him from his meditation: "Wake up!"

Yin Li trembled, and the spiritual energy flowing through his meridians almost became disordered. He was furious and immediately dispersed his divine sense.

But the next moment, his anger froze on his face. He quickly got up, strode out of the cultivation room, opened the stone door of the cave, and went out to greet them.

An elderly man in purple robes stood outside the door, his face ashen.

Behind him stood a young man with a livid face and silver hair tied in a bun. It was immediately apparent that he possessed the bloodline of the Howling Moon Silver Wolf.

Beside the young man stood an elderly man in white robes, his robes embroidered with a lifelike silver wolf, his expression respectful yet tinged with unease.

Behind the three was the maid Yinli had seen in his uncle's cave yesterday, trembling with fear.

Yin Li glanced at the young man, clasped his hands in a bow, and said, "Yin Li greets the Second Elder. If the Second Elder has any instructions, he could have simply sent someone to summon me. There was no need for you to come here in person..."

This purple-robed elder was none other than Yin Bai, the second elder of the Howling Moon Silver Wolf clan. A thousand years ago, his cultivation had reached the peak of the high-level demon general realm, but unfortunately, he failed to break through to the demon commander realm and stopped there.

The young man, like Yinli, was also a low-ranking demon general named Yinzhu, who was in charge of the clan's Yuandeng Hall.

Yin Li had seen the white-robed elder once before; he was an early-stage Nascent Soul elder in the Wolf God Sect.

Why would these three people come to my uncle's cave with the maids from his cave?
A hint of doubt flashed in Yin Li's eyes, but before he could finish speaking, the old man waved his hand and stepped into the cave. Yin Zhu, the white-robed old man, and the two maids quickly followed.

Yin Li stopped abruptly, frowned, and had no choice but to follow. With a flick of his wrist, he closed the stone door.

The group entered the stone hall, where the purple-robed elder took the lead, sitting down in the main seat with an air of authority. Yin Li could only stand with his hands at his sides, along with Yin Zhu, the white-robed elder, and the two maids.

The purple-robed elder said coldly, "Last night, you went to the Fifth Elder's cave?"

Yin Li's expression changed slightly: "What happened to Uncle?"

The purple-robed elder coldly asked, "Did you go to the Fifth Elder's cave last night?"

Yin Li took a deep breath: "That's right, I did visit my uncle last night."

The old man in purple robes said coldly, "What is it?"

Yin Li glanced at Yin Zhu and the white-robed elder, a look of hesitation on his face.

The old man in purple said coldly, "There's no need to hide anything, just speak freely."

Yin Li then said, "Shen Jibai sent me a three-clawed jade slip last night. I didn't dare to delay and immediately gave it to my uncle. I didn't even have time to refine the moonlight power he drew down."

"May I ask, Second Elder, what exactly happened to my uncle?"

Upon hearing this, both Yin Zhu and the white-robed elder beside them changed their expressions.

The fact that the Fifth Elder was secretly communicating with a powerful human cultivator would surely cause a stir among the human race if this were to spread.

Instead of answering, the purple-robed elder asked, "Did the Fifth Elder go to see Shen Jibai?"

Yin Li's sense of foreboding grew stronger, and he quickly said, "Shen Jibai invites Uncle to Iron Feather Peak for a meeting. May I ask, Second Elder, what exactly happened to Uncle?"

The purple-robed elder slowly said, "The Fifth Elder's life lamp has gone out."

Yin Li's pupils contracted: "Absolutely impossible!"

Yin Zhu said, "Half an hour ago, my servant reported that the Fifth Elder's life lamp suddenly went out."

"I went to the Yuandeng Hall myself to check, and after confirming that there was nothing wrong, I immediately reported the matter to the Second Elder..."

Yin Li said decisively, "My uncle was a high-ranking demon general. I spoke with him face to face last night. How could he have died so suddenly in just one night!"

Yinzhu sighed and remained silent.

The purple-robed elder frowned: "Don't be impatient. Although the Fifth Elder's life lamp has gone out, we cannot conclude that he is dead."

"Perhaps it was concealed by a secret technique, or perhaps it was trapped in some dangerous place, and the connection between the natal lamp and the soul was severed, which is why it went out."

Yin Li managed to calm down, and the purple-robed elder asked again, "Did you know that the Grand Elder of the Divine Sect, Meng Tiankuo, also went to see Shen Jibai with the Fifth Elder last night?"

Yin Li shook his head: "After I gave the jade slip to my uncle, I immediately rushed back to my cave to refine the power of the moonlight. Could it be that Meng Tiankuo's natal lamp has also gone out?"

The white-robed elder quickly spoke up: "Elder Meng's life lamp has not been extinguished."

Yin Li's eyes lit up: "So, Meng Tiankuo is alright. Uncle's life lamp going out was just a false alarm?"

(End of this chapter)