Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of Chen Yuan and the other two changed. Shadow Demon General asked in surprise, "What do you mean by this, Fellow Daoist Tianhou?"

"I've heard of that man in black. He used his thunderous divine power to ambush and kill four mid-level demon generals in the Corroded Wood Cave. Could he not have been sent by the Great King...?"

Tianhou Demon General's face was ashen: "Fellow Daoist Yingbiao, please be careful with your words. How could the Great King do such a despicable thing? That man in black has nothing to do with my Thunder Mountain Cave."

Shadow Demon General quickly corrected himself: "I misspoke, fellow Daoist, please forgive me."

Chen Yan, the demon general, frowned and said, "Fellow Daoist Tianhou just mentioned the hidden network. Is it the demon general in the heart of the Erosion Wood Cave who is targeting my Thunder Mountain Cave?"

Tianhou Demon Commander nodded slightly: "That's right. This time, in addition to personally investigating the army's formation, we will also contact those spies to find out the troop deployment of the Erosion Wood Cave."

"Although their cultivation level is not high, they have been operating for many years and are very well-informed, so they can be a supplement."

"These informants were originally from the Wood Erosion Cave, and they never showed any flaws. This time, it went extremely smoothly as well."

"But just as I was about to return, I learned from an informant that the man in black had reappeared a few days ago, still using his lightning magic to kill a mid-level demon general and a low-level demon general, as well as nearly ten thousand low-level demon beasts."

Chen Yuan asked, "Where did the man in black appear?"

Tianhou Demon General gave him a deep look and said, "It is in the Earth-Cracking Wasteland, in a strategic location without any protective formations, within the area that Fellow Daoist Beiming is responsible for investigating."

Chen Yuan looked surprised: "Is that so? I have secretly investigated the Earth Rift Plain and found that there is indeed a plain with only two demon generals on duty, leading hundreds of thousands of low-level demon beasts. It is a vulnerable place."

"It was already recorded in the jade slip, but I never expected it would be destroyed by that man in black..."

"The jade slip is right here. Please take a look, fellow Daoist."

He wasn't feigning surprise; he simply hadn't expected that news of his assassination of the demon general of the Wood-Eroding Cave would spread so quickly.

After saying that, he flipped his hand and took out a jade slip, handing it to the Heavenly Hou Demon General.

After examining it, the Heavenly Hou Demon Commander's expression softened somewhat, and he then handed it to the Netherworld Demon Commander: "Fellow Daoist Netherworld, would you like to take a look?"

The Demon General Youji took a look, then handed it back to Chen Yuan, saying calmly, "That man in black killed five demon generals. What about the other three?"

The Heavenly Hou Demon Commander said, "After I learned of this, I changed my mind and stayed behind, letting the spy continue to gather information about the men in black and the movements of the Wood-Eroding Cave."

"As a result, just three days later, the three demon generals stationed 200,000 miles away from the Earth-Cracked Wasteland also died at the hands of the man in black, using the powerful thunder magic."

"According to the escaped demon generals, the man in black was holding a purple-gold war drum, and thunder rolled down, almost causing the sky to collapse and the earth to split."

"Even the three demon generals working together couldn't withstand a few blows before they died on the spot. The low-level demon beasts were even less able to resist and scattered and fled."

"If the man in black hadn't left without intending to kill them all, taking the demon core materials and mustard seed rings from the three demon generals, I'm afraid no demon beast would have survived."

"Originally, after the man in black killed two demon generals, Tianluo suppressed the matter, but secretly instructed the demon generals of the Wood Erosion Cave to be on guard, so as not to cause unrest among the people and affect the upcoming battle."

"But the man in black made another move, and Tianluo no longer concealed it. This matter spread throughout the Corrosion Cave through the Soul-Abandoning Demon General's soul worms, and even the Corrosion Demon King learned of it and was greatly angered."

"Our intelligence network has discovered that Tianluo needs to rearrange its formation and address any weaknesses in order to prevent another sneak attack by that man in black."

Commander Chenyan frowned deeply: "So, the information we just gathered is useless now, and it will be much more difficult to investigate again..."

The Heavenly Hou Demon General's eyes flashed with cold light: "That's right, the man in black concealed his face and used thunderous divine powers every time he made a move. He was obviously trying to frame my Thunder Mountain Cave and provoke this great battle."

"After that, he disappeared for a long time, and now he suddenly attacked and killed the demon general of the Corroded Wood Cave. This is no coincidence."

"He must have known that we were going to infiltrate the Erosion Cave to investigate, which is why he chose this time to make his move and alert the Erosion Cave."

"The two mid-level demon generals who were killed by the corrosive poison in my Leishan Cave were very likely the work of this person. If we don't find this person, he may continue to stir up trouble in the dark."

The Demon General Youji coldly said, "After returning, report this matter to the King and search for the whereabouts of this man in black."

The Heavenly Hou Demon Commander frowned deeply: "After this incident, most of the army formations we scouted are now useless. What should we do next?"

Chen Yuan and the other two looked at Youji Demon General. He said without hesitation, "Since the information is useless and the Erosion Wood Cave is on guard, it will be extremely difficult to investigate further. There is no need to waste any more time."

"However, we can't leave empty-handed. We might as well secretly assassinate a few demon generals, which would also weaken the strength of the Corrosion Wood Cave."

The Heavenly Hou Demon General was taken aback: "The demon general of the Corrosion Wood Cave is already on guard. If we make a move now, wouldn't we be playing right into their hands?"

Chenyan Demon General immediately chimed in, "Fellow Daoist Tianhou is absolutely right. This matter has even alarmed the Wood-Eating Demon King. He might personally take action to search for the man in black."

"If we secretly infiltrate the Corroded Wood Cave and run into the Corroded Wood Demon King, he could kill us without anyone knowing."

"Moreover, the army of the Corrosion Cave has been dispatched to various places to guard, and there are millions of low-level demonic beasts. Even if we want to adjust them, it will be difficult to do so in a short time."

"Why not take this opportunity to send the information we have gathered back to the Xuanlin Mountains, and then send the army to advance as soon as possible to attack their weak points?"

Shadow Demon General nodded repeatedly. Although according to the rules set by the Great Sages, Demon Kings were not allowed to attack Demon Generals at will, if there was no evidence, killing them was fine, and Thunder Mountain Demon King could not stand up for them.

The man in black was proof of this. He secretly assassinated nine demon generals of the Corroded Wood Cave and killed tens of thousands of low-level demon beasts with heavenly lightning. According to the rules of the demon race, he had undoubtedly committed a serious crime, yet he had remained at large.

The risk of secretly gathering information is not too high, but it would be too risky to attack the Demon General of the Corroded Wood Cave who is already on guard. Even a high-ranking Demon General would not be willing to do it.

The Demon General Youji glanced at them, then looked at Chen Yuan: "Fellow Daoist Beiming, do you also intend to retreat here?"

Chen Yan and Ying Biao shifted their gazes to Chen Yuan, their eyes conveying a sense of urgency.

Their meaning was clear: Youji Demon General has always been arrogant and conceited, so why should we risk our lives with him?
As expected, Chen Yuan clasped his hands and said, "I am here on the orders of the King to investigate the formation of the demon army in the Corroded Wood Cave, not to assassinate the demon commander."

"Fellow Daoist Xiangqing once said that we should not reveal our whereabouts at will, lest we alert the enemy. Please forgive me for not being able to comply."

He secretly attacked the demon general of the Corroded Wood Cave, not only to alert the enemy but also to seize the demon core and refine elixirs.

However, joining forces with the four demon generals would not only fail to yield the demon cores but would also significantly increase the risks, so naturally, he wouldn't agree to it.

Both demon generals showed a hint of appreciation in their eyes. Demon General Youji narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly, "The king has entrusted this matter to me, so naturally I will be in charge of this mission."

"Xiang Qing is far away in the Xuanlin Mountains and is unaware of the matter at the Erosion Wood Cave. Now that the situation has changed, we must also adapt accordingly." "That man in black is merely a mid-level demon cultivator. Even if the Erosion Wood Cave is prepared, it cannot withstand the combined efforts of the five of us."

"As for the Wood Erosion, fellow Daoists, there's no need to worry. It's still in its cave and won't come here."

Chenyan Demon General and Yingbiao Demon General showed some hesitation on their faces, but remained silent.

They didn't want to offend the Demon General Youji, but they also didn't want to risk attacking the Demon General of the Wood-Eroding Cave and dying at the hands of the Wood-Eroding Demon King.

Seeing this, the Heavenly Hou Demon General sighed inwardly and asked, "How did Fellow Daoist Youji know that the Wood-Eating Demon King would not leave his cave?"

He and the Demon General Youji both served under the Thunder Mountain Demon King and had a very deep friendship. Seeing that he was so determined, he couldn't refuse him.

The Demon General Youji pondered for a moment and said, "After I parted ways with my fellow Daoists, I did not investigate the army's formation in the Corroded Wood Cave, but instead went to meet a spy."

"Although he is in the Corroded Wood Cave, he secretly serves the King. This is what he said himself, and there is no doubt about it."

The Heavenly Hou Demon General asked with skepticism, "What kind of spy could know the whereabouts of the Wood-Eating Demon King?"

The Demon General Youji suddenly fell silent, but the Demon General Tianhou suddenly changed his expression: "He actually surrendered to the Great King? If this is what he said, it must be true."

Seeing this, Chen Yuan and the other two knew that the Demon General Youji was communicating telepathically. Demon General Yingbiao asked, "May I ask you two fellow Daoists, who has pledged allegiance to the Great King?"

The Heavenly Hou Demon Commander calmed down and turned to look at Chen Yuan and the other two: "It's not convenient to say more about this matter, but I have decided to join forces with Fellow Daoist Youji to assassinate the Demon Commander of the Corrosion Wood Cave. What do you three think?"

When Chenyan Demon Commander and Yingbiao Demon Commander saw that he had changed his mind so quickly, their expressions turned somewhat grim, and they became hesitant.

After pondering for a moment, Chen Yuan suddenly spoke up: "Since both of you fellow Daoists have this intention, then I, Kun, will risk my life to accompany you and join you in this battle."

The Demon General Youji's gaze softened as he looked at Chen Yuan, and he nodded slightly: "Okay."

The expressions of Demon General Chenyan and Demon General Yingbiao became even more unpleasant. Demon General Chenyan even secretly transmitted his voice: "What does Fellow Daoist Beiming mean by this? If we encounter the Wood-Eating Demon King, won't we die without a burial place?"

Chen Yuan replied telepathically, "I don't know Fellow Daoist Youji, but I have a good relationship with Fellow Daoist Tianhou and know that he is by no means a rash person."

"He suddenly changed his mind, so he must be very confident that he will not encounter the Wood-Eating Demon King on this trip."

"Moreover, fellow Daoists Youji and Tianhou are highly regarded by the King. Fellow Daoist Youji's methods are unpredictable, almost possessing the power of a demon king. I, Kun, do not wish to offend him."

Chen Yuan ignored Chen Yan, the demon general, and said again, "However, I have one condition, and I hope you can agree to it."

The Demon General Youji said, "Fellow Daoist Beiming, please speak."

Chen Yuan said solemnly, "Because of the matter of the man in black, the Corrosion Cave has already taken precautions. My actions this time are quite risky."

"You two fellow cultivators possess profound cultivation, while I, Kun, have only recently advanced to the mid-level Demon General. If you were to obtain spatial spiritual materials or mid-stage Nascent Soul pills, would you be willing to give them to me?"

A hint of disdain flashed in the eyes of the Demon General Youji, and he said indifferently, "Neither of us needs the spatial spiritual materials, so they can belong to you, fellow Daoist."

"But Fellow Daoist Tianhou is of similar cultivation to you. Whether he is willing to give up the mid-stage Nascent Soul pill is something you should discuss with him yourself."

Chen Yuan turned to look at the Heavenly Hou Demon General. After considering for a moment, he said, "I also need pills for cultivation and cannot give them all to Fellow Daoist Bei Ming. How about we split them equally?"

Chen Yuan immediately agreed: "I will follow Fellow Daoist Tianhou's words."

Seeing that the three were already discussing how to divide the spoils, Demon General Chenyan and Demon General Yingbiao finally stopped hesitating and said in unison, "We two are willing to join forces with the three of you!"

Fellow Daoist Youji nodded slightly: "Alright, then we shall set off now."

Demon General Chenyan hurriedly spoke up: "Wait a minute, I have something else to say. May I ask which demon general Fellow Daoist Youji intends to attack? If successful, how will the spoils be distributed?"

The Demon General Youji glanced at him and said coldly, "My only purpose in coming here is to kill Tianluo. No matter how many treasures I obtain, I will not take a single one. They can all be distributed among the four of you."

Chen Yan, the Demon General, immediately turned ugly: "Fellow Daoist, you intend to attack Tianluo, the Demon General? Is this true?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Tianhou Demon General's eyes: "Why did you kill Tianluo, fellow Daoist?"

The Demon General Youji coldly said, "I was ordered by the King to deliver a challenge to the Corrupting Wood Cave. I was humiliated by Tianluo in person, so I should take his life to avenge this grudge."

Tianhou Demon General frowned and said, "Not to mention that Tianluo has already cultivated to the peak of the high-level demon general realm, and his strength is extraordinary."

"He enjoys the deep trust of the Wood Erosion Demon King and commands the demon beast army of the Wood Erosion Cave. He will not easily venture out. How can the five of us possibly make a move?"

The Demon General Youji said, "Fellow Daoist Tianhou, have you forgotten that spy? All we need to do is have him lure Tianluo out of the army."

The Heavenly Hou Demon General was taken aback, then slowly nodded: "If we get this person's help, there is a chance, but the odds are still slim. Fellow Daoist, do you really have no choice but to kill Tian Luo?"

The Demon General Youji's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he coldly said, "Tianluo commands the army and will not easily engage in battle. If we do not seize this opportunity, it will be difficult to take his life. We must give it a try. If it fails, it will not be too late to attack and kill other demon generals."

Tianhou Demon General sighed softly, "Very well, then I will accompany you on this journey as a way of repaying your favor."

Chen Yuan had been watching quietly from the sidelines, and finally spoke up: "Since I have promised Fellow Daoist Youji, I will naturally not go back on my word."

"But Luo's cultivation level is so high that he probably doesn't have any mid-stage Nascent Soul pills, nor does he cultivate spatial abilities, so he probably doesn't have any spatial spiritual materials either..."

Youji Demon General frowned and said, "Of course I won't let you do this for nothing. As long as you can kill Tianluo Demon General, I will give you a bottle of mid-stage Nascent Soul pills."

"If we can find any spatial spiritual materials or pills from Tianluo, they will still belong to you, fellow Daoist. What do you say?"

Chen Yuan clasped his hands in a bow and said, "Then thank you very much, fellow Daoist."

Demon General Youji then looked at Demon General Chenyan and Demon General Yingbiao: "Fellow Daoists, you should think carefully. Tianluo certainly possesses many treasures, and if you two go back on your word..."

They were still hesitant, but seeing that Tianhou Demon Commander and Chen Yuan had been persuaded and that they had made a prior agreement, they dared not go back on their word and had no choice but to agree, though they looked quite depressed.

If they had known beforehand that the target was the Heavenly Net Demon General, they would have preferred to offend the Netherworld Demon General rather than agree to this.

The Demon General Youji smiled slightly: "Very good, fellow Daoists, please follow me. I have already discovered the location of Tianluo. He was completely unprepared and cannot escape death!" (End of this chapter)