Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

As the Wood-Eating Demon King accepted the challenge, the demon beast army in the Xuanlin Mountains decreased at a visible rate, heading towards the border, making the area increasingly quiet and desolate.

After arriving, the Thunder Mountain Demon King summoned the demon generals to boost morale and announced that the battle would be fair in terms of rewards and punishments, with those who made meritorious contributions receiving generous rewards. He then disappeared from public view.

On this day, Chen Yuan left his temporary cave dwelling and came to the council hall, where Xiang Qing, You Ji, Tian Hou, and two other demon generals were already waiting.

Within the illusion array, banners bearing the names of demon generals were scattered in all directions, densely packed in strategic locations, while some banners moved slowly in the air.

Chen Yuan apologized, and Xiang Qing, the Demon General, said solemnly, "Once this battle begins, the Corrosion Wood Cave may make its move at any time."

"I would be grateful if you five fellow Daoists could venture deep into enemy territory and ascertain the formation of the demon beast army. Once you have done so, I will lead my troops forward swiftly and achieve victory in one fell swoop!"

He clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the group, and Chen Yuan and the others returned the bow.

The Demon General Youji bowed slightly and said calmly, "Leave this matter to us."

Xiangqing, the demon general, waved his hand and a demon general stepped forward, taking out five fist-sized, snow-white beads, each containing a pitch-black pupil.

The entire bead changes color from snow-white to dark yellow from time to time, as if an eye is slowly blinking, which looks extremely eerie and gives people a chill.

A short, stout demon general looked surprised: "Could these be the eyeballs of the Thousand-Eyed Demon?"

Chen Yuan glanced at the other three, only to see that Youji and Tianhou both looked normal, as if they had expected it.

Only the last burly man frowned and asked, "What kind of monster is this Thousand-Eyed Demon? What is the use of its eyes?"

Xiangqing, the demon general, ordered his demon generals to hand over the five eye-like beads to Chen Yuan and the others, and nodded slightly: "Fellow Daoist Chenyan is right, these are the eyeballs of the Thousand-Eyed Demon."

The short and stout Chen Yan, the demon general, immediately reached out and took it, examining it carefully. His face lit up with joy: "Fellow Daoist Ying Biao may not know this, but the Thousand-Eyed Demon is an extremely rare beast. Although it is called a demon, it is actually an ancient beast."

"This beast is not very intelligent. It has a thousand eyes and its innate supernatural powers are extremely peculiar. Although it has a thousand eyes, it cannot see the myriad things in the world."

"Instead, they sense demonic energy through their eyes and use it to capture prey, making them the natural enemy of our demon race."

"The Thousand-Eyed Demon is extremely powerful, with few rivals among demons of the same level. I only learned about this kind of strange beast by chance from a fellow Daoist."

"But this beast is extremely rare, almost extinct, and rarely appears in the world."

"May I ask, Fellow Daoist Xiangqing, where did this Thousand-Eyed Pearl come from, and what is its use?"

Xiangqing, the demon general, said, "These five Thousand-Eyed Pearls all came from a Thousand-Eyed Demon that is equivalent to a high-ranking demon general."

"It was after the King sent out the challenge that I went to Silver Tide City and ordered it from Wanren Tower."

"After these five Thousand-Eyed Pearls were refined by the weapon refiners of Wanren City, as long as they are infused with demonic power, they can sense the demonic aura below the Demon King, no matter how deeply it is hidden, it will have nowhere to hide."

"The mission of the five fellow Daoists on this trip is to use the Thousand-Eyed Pearl to investigate the army formation of the Corroded Wood Cave and find its weak points!"

The burly Shadow Demon Commander stretched out a large hand, grabbed a Thousand-Eyed Pearl, and laughed: "I originally thought I would have to infiltrate the army in the Corroded Wood Cave and risk my life to investigate the details. With this treasure in hand, things will be much easier. I am glad that Fellow Daoist has considered everything carefully."

Chen Yuan also took a Thousand-Eyed Pearl. Touching it, he felt an icy chill, as if he were holding a piece of ancient ice.

His dark pupils lifted up, staring directly at Chen Yuan, and blinked slowly twice, as if greeting him, which made people very uncomfortable.

Chen Yuan frowned slightly, circulated his true essence, and infused it into the Thousand-Eyed Pearl, leaving a divine imprint, thus initially refining this peculiar magic weapon.

The Thousand-Eyed Pearl is not a weapon for killing; its grade is only equivalent to a top-tier magic weapon. Its restrictions are also quite simple, with only one purpose: to sense demonic energy. It can be used at will without needing to be nurtured with true essence.

After Chen Yuan refined the Thousand-Eyed Pearl, it closed its eyes, turning from snow-white to dark yellow, and its black pupils disappeared.

Only when Chen Yuan infuses his true essence and uses this treasure will this eye reopen and sense demonic energy.

Xiangqing Demon General said solemnly, "I cannot afford these five Thousand-Eyed Pearls. It was the King who, out of concern for the safety of all fellow Daoists, took out a treasure and specially ordered me to buy them from the Ten Thousand Blade Tower."

"Fellow Daoists, you must proceed with caution on this journey. Once you have ascertained the formation, return immediately. Do not cause any unforeseen complications that would alert the Wood-Eroding Cave."

Everyone readily agreed, while the Demon General Youji remained indifferent, merely nodding.

Xiangqing, the demon general, said, "With a great battle imminent, there is no time to lose. Fellow Daoists, please set off tomorrow and return within a month. Remember, do not alarm the army of the Wood-Eroding Cave."

The Demon General Youji said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Xiangqing is overthinking it. With the army in formation, how can it be easily changed? Even if they discover our presence, it will be of no use."

Xiangqing, the Demon General, frowned: "That may be true, but the Demon Generals can still come and go freely. The number of Demon Generals in the Corrosion Wood Cave is 20% greater than that in my Thunder Mountain Cave. If they gather in one place and are on guard, we will not be able to finish this battle quickly..."

A hint of disdain flashed in the eyes of the Demon General Youji. He didn't say anything, but simply cupped his hands slightly and turned to walk out of the hall.

Upon seeing this, Demon General Xiangqing frowned even more deeply and said, "Fellow Daoist Youji, please wait!"

The Demon General Youji turned around and said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Xiangqing, is there anything else you need?"

Looking at his indifferent expression, Xiangqing Demon General opened his mouth, but in the end he only said, "Fellow Daoist, please be careful on this trip..." Youji Demon General nodded slightly, said nothing, and turned to leave.

The other four also clasped their hands in greeting and followed the Demon General Youji out of the hall.

As Chen Yuan turned around, he paused for a moment, but then quickened his pace and walked out of the main hall.

The five agreed on a time to meet the next day. The Demon General Youji remained silent, leaving the decision entirely to the Demon General Tianhou. Chen Yuan and the other two naturally had no objections.

After the five separated, Chen Yuan returned to his cave and meditated to regulate his breathing.

In the dead of night, he suddenly opened his eyes, got up and walked out of the cave, quietly arriving at the council hall.

It was much quieter here than during the day. Only two servants were on duty outside. Upon seeing Chen Yuan, they immediately invited him into the hall without saying a word.

Only Xiangqing Demon Commander was in the hall. He stood with his hands behind his back in front of the illusion array, gazing at the mountains and rivers on the array plate and the small array flags fluttering in the wind. His aged face was slightly solemn.

Chen Yuan stopped in front of him, and the servant bowed respectfully before quietly leaving the hall.

Chen Yuan clasped his hands in a bow and said, "When I left during the day, I received a message from you, fellow Daoist, and came to pay my respects."

"What are your instructions, fellow Daoist, that require us to avoid the other four fellow Daoists?"

Xiangqing Demon General raised his head, clasped his hands in return, and sighed softly: "I was forced to do this. There are some things that cannot be mentioned in front of others. I can only trouble Fellow Daoist Beiming to make this trip again."

He flicked his sleeve, and the doors of the main hall slowly closed. Chen Yuan felt a chill run down his spine and became secretly on guard.

Xiangqing, the demon general, asked, "Fellow Daoist Beiming, do you know why the King ordered you to investigate the formation of the demon army in the Corroded Wood Cave?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan became even more vigilant, but replied solemnly, "Naturally, it is because I volunteered to be the vanguard, and Your Majesty granted me this opportunity at my request."

Xiangqing Demon General shook his head slightly: "I have seen that you are wholeheartedly serving the King."

"But to go deep into enemy territory to gather information, we need to avoid the eyes and ears of the demon commander of the Wood Erosion Cave. We need a demon commander who is good at hiding his tracks or has the ability to escape."

"Fellow Daoist possesses the bloodline of the Kun fish and is proficient in spatial magic, which is why the Great King has taken a liking to you."

"Fellow Daoists Tianhou, Chenyan, and Yingbiao are all like this; some possess extremely fast escape techniques, while others have special innate abilities, excelling at concealing their presence and possessing high cultivation levels, thus enabling them to shoulder this important task..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Only Fellow Daoist Youji, although his strength is unparalleled, is not good at escape techniques or concealing his whereabouts."

"The king originally had no intention of sending him, but he, like the fellow Daoist, volunteered, so the king had no choice but to agree and instructed the fellow Daoists to follow his orders."

Chen Yuan's guard lessened slightly, but a hint of doubt arose within him. He said, "I will certainly take Fellow Daoist Youji as my guide on this trip..."

Xiangqing, the demon general, waved his hand and said, "Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand. What I mean is that you should be careful in your actions and not rely on Youji in everything."

Chen Yuan frowned and said, "Previously at Fellow Daoist Tianhou's residence, you told me to obey Fellow Daoist Youji's orders..."

Xiangqing Demon General explained, "Tianhou and Youji are very close friends. In front of him, I can only say this."

“But Youji has always been arrogant and warlike, and impatient with trivial matters. This time, however, he suddenly volunteered to sneak into the Corroded Wood Cave to investigate the army’s formation. This is quite unusual, and I am worried that he might cause trouble.”

"Fellow Daoist, please be careful on this journey. If things turn out badly, you may take the Thousand-Eyed Pearl and return on your own."

"As long as we ascertain the formation of the army in the Corrosion Wood Cave, our Thunder Mountain Cave will be assured of victory."

Chen Yuan was even more puzzled: "I understand, but if you are worried about Fellow Daoist Youji, why not inform the King and send another demon general?"

Xiangqing, the demon general, stroked his beard and sighed, "Youji has always been highly regarded by the king. He volunteered for the mission, so how could the king refuse? Why should I make a fool of myself?"

"But I am honored by the King's trust in me to take charge of the overall situation of this battle, and naturally I cannot stand by and watch Youji ruin the overall situation."

Chen Yuan frowned and said, "Please forgive my bluntness, but I am not close to you, but I have some personal acquaintance with you, Tianhou. Why would you tell me about these concerns?"

Xiangqing Demon General gave Chen Yuan a deep look: "Although I have not known you for long, I can tell that you are a cautious person and would not take risks without good reason."

"Moreover, Fellow Daoist possesses the bloodline of the Holy Clan, has just established his cave dwelling, and is highly regarded by the Great King. His future is limitless, and it is not impossible for him to glimpse the realm of the Demon King."

“Fellow Daoist Youji is powerful and acts recklessly, but you are only a mid-level demon general. You probably don’t want to face the army of the Corroded Wood Cave with him, do you?”

Chen Yuan pondered for a moment and nodded: "I have taken your wise words to heart."

"However, Fellow Daoist Youji is highly regarded by the King and entrusted with this important task. I believe he will do his best and will not cause any complications. Fellow Daoist may be overthinking it."

Xiangqing, the Demon General, sighed, "I hope so." (End of Chapter)