Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

The Corroded Wood Cave, beneath towering giant trees, within the Spirit Wood Hall.

"Did Lei Shan really say that?"

The Wood-Eating Demon King sat high on the main seat, his stiff face revealing a hint of gloom.

The yellow-robed demon general stood below and answered cautiously, "Indeed, the Thunder Mountain Demon King stated clearly that the man in black has nothing to do with the Thunder Mountain Cave. If Your Majesty does not believe him, you are welcome to fight. He will accompany you to the end..."

The Wood-Eating Demon King slammed his hand on the armrest, causing the jade chair, carved from top-grade spiritual materials, to tremble violently and nearly shatter.

"Then I will grant his wish. As long as a dozen or so demon generals die, he can forget about making any more contributions in the war between the two realms. That Cheng Ying Flower is destined not to fall into his hands."

He had been fighting with the Thunder Mountain Demon King for tens of thousands of years, and their enmity ran deep. He had long known that the Thunder Mountain Demon King wanted the Shadow Flower in the hands of the Blood Tooth Demon Saint to temper his physical body and break through to the Demon Saint realm.

This 30,000-year-old body-tempering spiritual herb is a rare treasure even in the Demon Burning Realm. If a demon king obtains it, the chance of his physical body breaking through the bottleneck will increase by at least 30%.

Bloodtooth Demon Saint obtained a plant by chance.

He no longer needed it himself, so he simply took it out to motivate his demon kings.

The Thunder Mountain Demon King has already made many contributions with his powerful thunder magic, and he is not far from obtaining the Cheng Ying Flower.

The Wood-Eating Demon King is a spirit tree in human form, and his cultivation path is very different from that of ordinary demons. This Shadow-Bearing Flower is useless to him, but he does not want to see it fall into the hands of the Thunder Mountain Demon King.

The white-haired demon general stood beside the yellow-robed demon general, clasped his hands in a bow, and said, "Your Majesty, please reconsider. The identity and origin of that man in black are still unknown."

"But ordinary mid-level demon generals would never have such formidable strength, let alone master that powerful thunder magic."

“This man in black has a mysterious background and may be backed by a demon king. If Your Majesty issues a challenge to the Thunder Mountain Demon King and this man attacks and kills the demon general of my Wood Erosion Cave, we will be in trouble from both inside and outside. This is not a good idea.”

The Wood-Eating Demon King frowned and said, "The man in black is nowhere to be found. What should we do?"

The white-haired demon general pondered for a moment and said, "When I was in the Hua Chen Realm, I once saw a spirit ape demon general use divination techniques to glean secrets from the heavens."

"I wonder if the Demon Burning Realm also possesses such techniques for discerning heavenly secrets, which might be useful in finding the traces of that man in black..."

He actually ascended from the lower realm, not from the demon race of the Burning Demon Realm.

The Wood-Eating Demon King shook his head: "The Heavenly Evolution Technique is naturally circulated in the Demon Burning Realm, but the Demon Burning Realm is not comparable to the lower realm, and the secrets of heaven are unpredictable."

"Within the Hua Chen Realm, the Demon General can glimpse the secrets of heaven and gain something."

"But in the Demon Burning Realm, at least a Demon Saint is needed to glimpse the secrets of heaven, and even then, one must pay a considerable price."

"Why would I use the Heavenly Evolution Technique for a mere mid-level demon general?"

The white-haired demon general paused, then asked, "Could this ability to glimpse the secrets of heaven be related to the size of the interface?"

The Wood-Eating Demon King said, "The Heavenly Evolution Technique is extremely mysterious. I have only heard about it secondhand. However, it is absolutely impossible to use the Heavenly Evolution Technique to find the trace of that man in black."

The white-haired demon general frowned and said, "In that case, we high-ranking demon generals have no choice but to take action and set up a net outside the caves of those mid-ranking demon generals."

"Wait until the man in black makes his move, then seize him."

The Wood-Eating Demon King said, "I have thirty-four mid-level demon generals under my command. How can you, with just a dozen or so people, possibly defend this place?"

The yellow-robed demon general interjected, "That man in black violated the rules set by the Great Sages and openly attacked and killed my Demon General of the Wood-Eroding Cave. His crime is grave."

"Why doesn't Your Majesty report to the Bloodtooth Demon Saint and ask him to handle this matter?"

The Wood-Eating Demon King's face darkened: "A mere mid-level demon general has forced me to ask the Demon Saint for help. Isn't that enough to humiliate me?"

The white-haired demon general looked troubled: "Then we can only ask the king to take action personally, or even ask other demon kings to send out high-ranking demon generals."

The Wood-Eating Demon King frowned and said, "How can you be a thief for a thousand days and guard against thieves for a thousand days?"

The white-haired demon general said helplessly, "This man in black can kill a demon general of the same level with a single divine power. His strength is extremely powerful. I'm afraid he is no match for even ordinary high-level demon generals. He has the potential to become a demon king."

"Such a powerful figure should be seeking to improve his cultivation and break through to the Demon King realm, and would not specifically target a Demon General of the same level."

"But this person insists on doing things this way, and only extraordinary measures can deal with him."

The Wood-Eating Demon King nodded thoughtfully, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest of the jade chair as he pondered.

The yellow-robed demon general and the white-haired demon general dared not disturb them, and the hall fell into silence.

Suddenly, the Wood-Eating Demon King spoke up: "Very well, it shall be as you say! I would rather lose some face than stand by and watch that man in black attack and kill my demon general."

The white-haired demon general breathed a sigh of relief and immediately clasped his hands in praise: "Your Majesty is wise!"

……

Chen Yuan flew tirelessly day and night for hundreds of millions of miles, and after half a year, he finally returned to Beiming Island.

The Demon King's territory is too vast, so people usually use teleportation arrays to travel between it, as flying directly would take too long.

However, Chen Yuan dared not reveal his whereabouts, so he had to work hard. Fortunately, his escape speed was already extremely fast, and he took more than half the time of an ordinary demon general.

Chen Yuan avoided the demon generals on guard on Beiming Island and quietly returned to his cave, triggering the Fire Lotus Mark.

Half an hour later, Liu Tianhan, Yun Jinyue, and Huan Yu arrived at the cave, their faces full of surprise and joy. They bowed and greeted, "Greetings, Senior Beiming."

Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "My three young friends, there's no need for such formalities. Has anything unusual happened in the Northern Underworld Cave in recent years?"

The three exchanged glances, and Yun Jinyue spoke up: "Reporting to senior, the Northern Underworld Cave has been peaceful for the past three years, except for some minor disputes between demon generals."

“But Jiangzhu and Mixin are constantly at odds, and almost everything is passed on to the seniors for a decision.”

"We have followed your instructions carefully, and each time we discuss the matter among the three of us before making a decision."

"When there were occasional disagreements, the younger generation would make the decision, and no flaws were revealed."

"This is a record of everything that happened in the Beiming Cave after you left, and how it was handled. Please take a look."

Chen Yuan took the jade slip, probed it with his divine sense, and only withdrew it a quarter of an hour later. He nodded and praised, "Young friend Yun is prudent in his actions and meticulous in his thinking. Not bad."

Yun Jinyue said, "This was Fellow Daoist Huan's idea, and I dare not accept it."

Huan Yu clasped his hands and bowed: "I used to be in the Ghost Owl Army, where I was responsible for gathering information. Whenever I encountered anything unusual, I would record it. It has become a habit. I hope you will forgive my poor performance."

Chen Yuan put away the jade slip and smiled, "With the combined wisdom and efforts of the three young friends, the affairs of the Northern Underworld Cave will naturally be without error."

"Please accept these bottles of pills, young friends, and cultivate diligently. Although you are in the demon realm, you may still have the opportunity to form your Nascent Soul."

Having said that, he flipped his hand and took out six jade bottles, flicked his sleeve, and they flew to the three of them respectively. Each of the three received two bottles of pills. When they opened them, they found that the bottles were filled with spiritual energy and had a pleasant fragrance. They were all pills for the Core Formation stage, which were perfect for their cultivation.

All three of them looked delighted, put away the pills, clasped their hands in thanks, and took their leave.

Chen Yuan instructed Yun Jinyue to summon Jiangzhu and Mixin, and said unhappily, "For the past three years, I have wanted to focus on my secluded cultivation, which is why I have entrusted the affairs of the Beiming Cave to you two."

"But you two are arguing endlessly, leaving everything to me to decide. What use are you two then?"

The two demon generals' expressions changed, and they dared not argue. They both apologized to Chen Yuan with sincere expressions, but their words implied that they were pointing out each other's mistakes.

Chen Yuan seemed not to have grasped the implied meaning in the two demon generals' words, and said indifferently, "Fine, since you two are unable to take on this task, I will not force you."

"From now on, you shall record all matters, large and small, in the jade slip and hand it over to Yun Jinyue, who will then forward it to me. I will give you a reply the next day."

Upon hearing this, the two demon generals looked quite disappointed, but they dared not resent Chen Yuan; instead, they resented each other even more.

If it weren't for the other party's constant obstruction, would I have left an impression of being incompetent in front of the Northern Underworld Demon General, and been forced to hand over my power?
As the two demon generals retreated, they glared fiercely at each other, their eyes filled with hatred.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan nodded secretly, becoming even more confident in the two demon generals.

He returned to his cultivation room, sat down to meditate and regulate his breathing, recovering the true energy that had been greatly depleted from his long flight. His slightly tired mind gradually relaxed.

Three days later, Chen Yuan's true essence was fully restored. He left Beiming Island and went to Leishan Cave to visit the Heavenly Hou Demon General.

When Tianhou Demon General learned of Chen Yuan's visit, he was quite surprised and welcomed him into his cave, saying with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Beiming, what brings you here today?"

Chen Yuan said, "My cave dwelling is now secure. I wish to use the teleportation array to travel to Silver Tide City."

"But I don't know which fellow Daoist controls the teleportation array, so I've come to ask Fellow Daoist Tianhou for guidance."

The Heavenly Hou Demon General suddenly realized: "The teleportation array is in Qi Leng Valley, and it is controlled by Yan Qi. Fellow Daoist, please follow me."

The two left the cave and rode away in their escape light. Tianhou Demon General briefly introduced Yan Qi Demon General along the way.

Yan Qi was only a low-level demon general, but he had been a demon general for quite some time, more than six thousand years.

His true form is a two-tailed swallow, a type of demonic beast that is quite common in the Burning Demon Realm. Its bloodline is average, and demon generals are extremely rare, with demon commanders being even fewer.

Yan Qi's advancement to the rank of Demon General was already a stroke of good fortune.

But those who can advance to the rank of Demon General all possess extraordinary opportunities.

Compared to the other demon generals, Yan Qi's opportunities were nothing special.

For over three thousand years, Yan Qi's cultivation level has remained at the low-level demon general level, and his strength is relatively weak among demon generals of the same level. He has never had the opportunity to rule a territory on his own.

However, he was able to cultivate to the rank of Demon General with the bloodline of the Twin-Tailed Swallow, which shows that he has an extraordinary temperament and acts meticulously. He is trusted by the Thunder Mountain Demon King, which is why he was put in charge of the teleportation array.

The Tianhai Continent is vast, and teleportation arrays can greatly shorten the distance between various demon king caves and demon saint cities, enabling them to exchange information and gain valuable insights, which is extremely important.

According to Tianhou Demon Commander, there is a demon commander under the Thunder Mountain Demon King who is always stationed in Silver Tide City. Whenever a major event occurs, he will immediately rush back to the Thunder Mountain Cave to report to the Thunder Mountain Demon King.

The Thunder Mountain Demon King also periodically dispatches demon generals to other demon king caves or Silver Tide City to sell the cultivation resources of the Thunder Mountain cave in exchange for spirit stones and treasures.

In addition, the teleportation array is also the biggest weakness of the demon king's cave. If an enemy suddenly teleports in, it will immediately be put on the defensive.

Therefore, every teleportation array is strictly guarded to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

The two flew over a thousand miles and arrived above a valley on the edge of the Leishan Mountains.

The valley was quite vast, shrouded in an extremely thick array that concealed the situation within, where a powerful spiritual energy surged.

Chen Yuan was secretly alarmed. This formation was so sturdy that even a demon king might not be able to break it.

Just as the two landed, a demon general flew out of the valley.

Just as he was about to ask a question, upon seeing the Heavenly Hou Demon Commander, he quickly bowed respectfully, and without asking any questions, took out a token, opened the array screen, and welcomed the two inside.

Several palaces and pavilions were built around the valley, and a formation was set up in the center, forming an even thicker array.

With Chen Yuan's cultivation level, he was no longer able to see through the true nature of this formation.

However, the array outside the valley was enough to block the demon king. The spiritual energy emanating from this array was even more powerful and should be able to block a demon king in the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm, or even a demon king in the late-stage of the Void Refinement realm.

Inside the array was a stone platform about ten feet high, inscribed with an extremely complex array, about ten feet in diameter, large enough to accommodate hundreds of people.

The two remained beside the stone platform. The demon general apologized and entered a three-story building thirty feet away from the teleportation array.

After a while, he followed a lean middle-aged man out and stopped in front of the two of them.

The middle-aged man glanced at Chen Yuan discreetly, clasped his hands in a respectful bow, and smiled, "Do you two fellow Daoists wish to use the teleportation array?"

Tianhou Demon General returned the greeting with clasped hands: "Indeed, this Fellow Daoist Beiming wishes to travel to Silver Tide City, but has never used a teleportation array before, so I will accompany him on this journey."

A hint of surprise flashed in Yan Qi's eyes. He then cupped his hands to Chen Yuan and said, "So you are Fellow Daoist Bei Ming. I have long admired your name. My apologies for not being more respectful."

Chen Yuan returned the greeting, saying, "I have long admired Fellow Daoist Yan. Your Majesty entrusts such a crucial place as the teleportation array to Fellow Daoist Yan, which shows Your Majesty's trust in you."

Yan Qi gave a wry smile: "My bloodline is ordinary. Only by being cautious in my actions can I have won the King's favor and be stationed here."

"If there is a foreign enemy attacking, there are two great formations to block it. I only need to ask the King for help in time. Otherwise, with my abilities, I am afraid I am not capable of this task."

Tianhou Demon General laughed: "Fellow Daoist Yan is mistaken. The teleportation array may be fine for ten thousand years, but if there is any change, the newcomer will be well prepared and the array will not be able to withstand it."

"Fellow Daoist, you have truly risked your life to shoulder this great responsibility; you are truly extraordinary."

Yan Qi shook his head: "Fellow Daoist Tianhou, you flatter me..."

He seemed unwilling to say more, and changed the subject: "Silver Tide City is far from here, and it consumes a lot of spiritual energy. It requires twenty top-grade spirit stones. Fellow Daoist Beiming, are you ready?"

Chen Yuan nodded, flipped his hand and took out twenty top-grade spirit stones, handing them to Yan Qi.

He glanced at it, nodded, put it into his mustard seed ring, took out a jade slip, entered it with his divine sense, and only withdrew it after ten breaths.

He handed the jade slip to Chen Yuan and said solemnly, "According to the rules, I would like to ask Fellow Daoist Beiming to leave a wisp of his divine consciousness imprint."

Chen Yuan took the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense. He saw that it stated that the Northern Underworld Demon General had used the teleportation array to go to Silver Tide City, followed by the specific date, and left a trace of Yan Qi's divine sense imprint.

He left a wisp of his divine consciousness imprint on the jade slip and handed it back.

Yan Qi examined the jade slip again, then put it away, a smile appearing on his face: "Fellow Daoist Bei Ming, please wait a moment. I will activate the teleportation array immediately." (End of Chapter)