Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

"Fellow Daoist Shimu treated me as nothing, sneaking into my Thunder Mountain Cave and killing my demon generals without cause. If I report today's events to the Demon Saint, this battle will be over!"

No sooner had the spirit wood puppet finished speaking than a chilling voice rang out.

A figure descended from the sky, his thin face gaunt and imposing, his eyes flashing with lightning—it was none other than the Thunder Mountain Demon King.

The pressure of the late-stage Void Refinement Realm cultivator spread out, completely suppressing the six spirit wood puppets. The sound of thunder could be faintly heard in the sky, dark clouds gathered, covering the sky and the sun, and the wind and clouds surged, as if heavenly lightning would strike at any moment.

The demon generals were overjoyed and bowed down in unison: "We pay our respects to the Great King!"

The Thunder Mountain Demon King came to the front of the demon generals, waved his hand, and said coldly, "I am here, you don't need to worry. Quickly go to support Yixiantian and keep all the demon generals who attacked the Wood Erosion Cave here. Do not make any mistakes."

The demon generals responded with a roar, and with a burst of light, they flew off to either side, intending to bypass the Thunder Mountain Demon King and the six puppets and head towards the First Line of Sky.

The six puppets spoke in unison, their voices uttered in a strange manner: "When did I allow you to leave?"

They all raised their hands and formed hand seals, and all the wood-elemental spiritual energy within a radius of a hundred miles gathered together, transforming into towering, emerald-green trees that took root in the void, reaching a height of a hundred feet, trapping the Thunder Mountain Demon King and all the demon generals within them.

The Thunder Mountain Demon King glanced at the giant trees but was in no hurry to make a move. He coldly said, "I have already shown myself. Fellow Daoist Erosion Wood still wants to attack them? Are you really not afraid of the Demon Saint's punishment?"

The six puppets said calmly, "If the Demon Saint were to issue a punishment, wouldn't that perfectly suit Fellow Daoist Lei Shan's wishes?"

"Why don't you wait until I kill them all before reappearing? That way, you can win this battle directly with the help of the Demon Saint."

The Thunder Mountain Demon King coldly said, "No matter how deep my enmity with you is, I will not let my demon generals die in vain and help me achieve my plan."

"Even if we cannot rely on the power of the Demon Saint, as long as you are defeated by me and a few of your demon generals are left behind in the First Line of Heaven, we can still win this battle."

Upon hearing this, all the demon generals showed expressions of reverence, and some were even more moved, becoming even more loyal to the Thunder Mountain Demon King.

The six puppets said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Lei Shan seems quite confident. It seems you anticipated my appearance today?"

The Thunder Mountain Demon King smiled slightly: "It would be best if you showed yourself, but it doesn't matter if you don't."

"As long as you send out your demon generals to launch a strong attack on the One Line Sky Formation and kill them, my Thunder Mountain Cave will have a great advantage in this battle and victory will be in our grasp."

“If you only send out these six puppets, I will go to great lengths to dismantle them all and cut off one of your arms.”

"In any case, I am guaranteed to make a profit."

"Now that I have revealed myself, I have nothing to do with these demon generals. Fellow Daoist, please let them leave. We have already fought each other."

"As for the battles between our demon generals, let them rely on their own abilities, shall we?"

A mysterious glint flashed in the wooden eyes of the six puppets: "I will naturally not attack the demon generals, but this divine power has too wide an impact, and it just so happens to have trapped them in it, but it will not harm them in the slightest."

"Once I have determined the victor of this battle with you, I will naturally let them leave. I will never violate the rules set by the Great Sages."

Thunder Mountain Demon King shook his head: "Fellow Daoist, do you really think that these six puppets, who have just crossed the threshold of the Void Refinement Realm, can stop me?"

"Although our enmity runs deep, we are ultimately both under the Demon Saint's command. I will give you some face and let them leave, otherwise don't blame me for being ruthless."

After saying that, he slowly raised his right palm, and a lightning arc appeared in his palm. Then, endless blue lightning arcs surged out and condensed into a lightning ball the size of a human head.

A violent aura suddenly burst forth from this small ball of lightning, seemingly containing countless world-destroying bolts of lightning.

The six puppets glanced at the lightning ball, a stiff smile appearing on their lips: "Fellow Daoist, are you worried that our actions might affect them?"

"I have said that I will not harm them in the slightest, and I will never break my word."

"Since you wish to fight, I will naturally accompany you to the end. However, these six puppets are probably not enough to satisfy you. Perhaps... I should personally spar with you!"

The last sentence came from the horizon, accompanied by a dazzling azure light, and a boundless demonic aura spread out, transforming into the vague phantom of a towering tree.

The giant tree phantom was only ten feet tall, far shorter than the tree shadows conjured by the six puppets, but its imposing presence was a hundred times greater, no less than that of the Thunder Mountain Demon King.

The azure light moved at an extremely fast speed, traversing the sky and covering a distance of a hundred miles in the blink of an eye, before stopping in front of the Thunder Mountain Demon King.

A middle-aged man appeared, dressed in a dark green outfit embroidered with green leaf patterns. His face was sallow, and his expression was slightly stiff. He was only a little more lifelike than the six spirit wood puppets, like a wooden doll.

However, the demon generals dared not underestimate him in the slightest. This person was none other than the Wood-Eating Demon King, who had been fighting the Thunder Mountain Demon King for many years, and whose strength was by no means inferior to that of the Thunder Mountain Demon King.

The demon generals looked extremely grim, but the Thunder Mountain Demon King remained calm and smiled, saying, "Now that the puppet has arrived, my true form will naturally not remain in the cave."

"Fellow Daoist, do you perhaps believe that my presence, along with these six puppets, will be enough to defeat me?"

The demon generals were taken aback, and then they realized that the Wood-Eating Demon King's sudden appearance and imposing aura made them subconsciously feel fear, but they forgot that the Thunder Mountain Demon King was right in front of them, so what was there to fear?
The Wood-Eating Demon King stared at the Thunder Mountain Demon King and said calmly, "Fellow Daoist's Thunder Dao Divine Power is boundless, and I am a spirit wood transformed into human form, so I am naturally restrained by you."

"If we only add six puppets that have just crossed the Void Refinement stage, we are naturally no match for you, fellow Daoist."

"But what if it were a puppet at the peak of the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm? How would you deal with that, fellow Daoist?"

He raised his hand and made a hand seal. The six puppets behind him smiled eerily and flew towards the center, slowly merging into one. Their aura also slowly increased until they were only a hair's breadth away from the late stage of the Void Refinement Realm before stopping.

After the six puppets merged into one, the restrictive spiritual patterns on their bodies became more intricate, and their eyes became much more lively. They flew to the side of the Wood-Eroding Demon King.

Both the Demon General Youji and the Demon General Tianhou were stunned. They only knew that the Wood-Eating Demon King had several Void Refining Puppets, but they did not know that these puppets could be combined into one and have such strength.

The smile on Leishan Demon King's face vanished as he stared intently at the puppet, saying each word clearly, "A puppet at the peak of the mid-stage of the Void Refinement Realm... Fellow Daoist, your skill is remarkable."

"A puppet of this caliber is extraordinary even in the Spirit Realm. I'm afraid even a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator wouldn't be able to produce one. Where did you obtain it, fellow Daoist?"

The Wood-Eating Demon King said indifferently, "I have nothing to say! No matter how powerful your thunderous divine abilities are, I wonder how much chance you have of winning against two opponents?"

The Thunder Mountain Demon King slowly exhaled, his eyes flashing with cold light: "It seems that today it is not you who have fallen into my trap, but I who have been caught in your trap. Let's see who is truly capable."

"However, our fight has nothing to do with the demon generals under my command. Please let them leave."

The Wood-Eating Demon King shook his head: "That man in black secretly attacked and killed nine demon generals under my Wood-Eating Cave, causing heavy losses. How can I allow Youji to lead people to support Yixiantian?"

"Fellow Daoist, rest assured, I will not take their lives. They were just unlucky to be trapped by my divine power. Once our battle is over, I will naturally release them."

"Of course, if you are unwilling, you may break my divine power yourself and let them leave."

"But I will also intervene. If they are affected and suffer any damage, it will be none of my business."

The Thunder Mountain Demon King frowned: "Fellow Daoist, are you determined to take Bei Ming's life? Although he severed one of your puppet's arms, it was because you bullied the weak first."

"Since this happened in the Corrosion Cave, and I have no evidence, I will accept it."

"Fellow Daoist, you are relentless, even offering a valuable reward for Bei Ming's life. Isn't that going a bit too far?"

The Wood-Eating Demon King's eyes flashed, and he said indifferently, "That's right, I will definitely take his life." "Even if I am bullying the weak, you, fellow Daoist, have no evidence to prove that the man in black secretly attacked my Wood-Eating Cave Demon General, nor have I reported it to the Demon Saint."

Ultimately, it all comes down to individual ability.

The Thunder Mountain Demon King coldly said, "That man in black has nothing to do with me. With the war between the two realms imminent, I would not stoop to such despicable means as to assassinate your demon general."

"If we're really talking about relying on individual skills, then you, fellow Daoist, have more methods."

"Fellow Daoist specially dispatched a demon general to poison my demon general in Leishan Cave with the Wood-Eating Poison, thus provoking me to start a war with you."

"With this puppet at the peak of the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm, we can win this battle and weaken the strength of my Thunder Mountain Cave."

"So you're preventing me from achieving any military merit on Turtle Island and from obtaining that Cheng Ying Flower from the Demon Saint, is that it?"

A strange light flashed in the eyes of the Wood-Eating Demon King: "Wood-Eating Poison? Never mind, in any case, once the battle begins, there's no point in saying more."

"I will win this battle, settle my long-standing grudge with you, and find the whereabouts of that man in black. No one can outwit me."

Having said that, he flipped his hand and took out a flying sword woven from green vines, which hovered in front of him, its blade gleaming.

The puppet also raised its hand and formed a hand seal, causing the wood element spiritual energy within a radius of a thousand miles to gather and transform into endless streams of green light. Each stream of green light contained a wisp of pure wood element spiritual energy, comparable to a late-stage Core Formation pill.

However, this wisp of wood-elemental spiritual energy is exceptionally violent, and no one can refine it, but it can be condensed into the most powerful wood-elemental divine power to defeat enemies.

Upon hearing this, the Thunder Mountain Demon King sensed something amiss, but this was not the time to say more. He said, "If we fight here, it will affect them. Let's find another place."

The Wood-Eating Demon King nodded slightly: "Then let us settle this in the fierce winds. Please, fellow Daoist."

The fierce winds of the Burning Demon Realm are extremely powerful, reaching tens of thousands of feet above the ground. Even demon generals cannot pass through them, and only demon kings can withstand them.

Although the Wood-Eating Demon King said this, he did not move. He simply raised his hand to signal, waiting for the Thunder Mountain Demon King to go first.

Seeing this, the Demon King of Leishan turned around and ordered his demon generals, "Wait here and do not touch these shadows. I will be right back."

The demon generals' expressions changed. Demon General Youji frowned and said, "Your Majesty, the demon generals of the Erosion Wood Cave are besieging the One Line Sky Formation. Fellow Daoist Beiming is in imminent danger. How can we stay here?"

The Thunder Mountain Demon King said, "If it were only Shi Mu, I would naturally let you leave. But even with six early-stage Void Refinement puppets, it would be useless."

“But this puppet is only a hair’s breadth away from the late stage of the Void Refinement Realm. If I insist on breaking through these tree shadows and the Erosion Wood intervenes, I will be unable to attend to both sides, which will definitely affect you.”

The Heavenly Hou Demon General said unwillingly, "The Great Sages have long established rules that prohibit demon kings from bullying the weak..."

The Thunder Mountain Demon King said calmly, "Rules are rigid. In the end, our demon race is a dog-eat-dog world where strength is paramount. With the help of that puppet, Shi Mu is one step ahead. I can only admit defeat."

Even though the demon generals were unwilling, they had no choice but to agree.

The Thunder Mountain Demon King snapped out of his daze and bowed to the Wood-Eating Demon King, saying, "Fellow Daoist, please!"

With that, lightning crackled around him, and he flew into the sky.

The Wood-Eating Demon King and the Spirit Wood Puppet followed closely behind, their figures disappearing into the gale.

However, the towering tree phantoms formed by the condensation of wood elemental energy did not dissipate, and still trapped the demon generals within them.

The demon generals looked up at the sky, but their scattered divine senses were all torn apart by the gale, and a look of worry flashed in their eyes.

Only the Demon General Youji gazed towards the direction of the narrow pass, his eyes flashing.

The Heavenly Hou Demon Commander secretly transmitted his voice, a hint of worry in his divine sense: "With the help of the puppet from the Corrupting Wood Land, Your Majesty is fighting two against one. I wonder if you can win?"

The Demon General Youji said calmly, "Your Majesty is most effective against the Corrosive Wood. Even if you cannot win, you will not suffer any losses."

"But if Fellow Daoist Beiming were to face the siege of the demon generals of the Corroded Wood Cave all by himself, I fear his chances of survival would be slim."

……

Within the narrow passage, the demonic beast army of the Wood-Eroding Cave had already rushed in, surging like waves along the narrow valley, entering the valley and attacking the great formation.

The demon beast army within the formation immediately went out to meet the attack. The two beast tides collided head-on, and naturally, the demon beasts of Leishan Cave, which were able to deploy their formations in the wide valley, had the advantage.

The demonic beast army of the Wood-Eroding Cave could only pour into the valley like oil being added to a fire, and was no match for them at all.

However, this negligible advantage is completely insufficient to offset the disadvantages of Leishan Cave.

Under the fierce attack of the demon generals and demon commanders of the Wood-Eroding Cave, the defensive formation only lasted for half an hour before it began to crumble and was on the verge of collapse.

This grand formation ultimately relied on only a tiny spiritual vein and could not withstand the siege of seven demon generals and hundreds of demon soldiers.

Chen Yuan, the strongest among them, did not retaliate but instead manipulated the array plate to repair the formation.

The efforts of the Iron Wing Demon General, the Wood Pig Demon General, and the two hundred or so demon generals to resist were merely a drop in the ocean.

The tens of thousands of bird demons that had launched the attack on the demon general had been almost entirely wiped out.

Many other level 5 or higher demonic beasts capable of flight, under Chen Yuan's command, actively went to meet them, but suffered heavy casualties, as they could only exhaust their supernatural powers with their lives.

Finally, with a sound like a mirror shattering, the array exploded, transforming into countless blades of light that shot out.

Caught off guard, more than a dozen demon generals from the Wood-Eroding Cave were struck by the light blades and died instantly.

However, many more demon generals managed to block the light blades in time, and the seven demon commanders even casually waved their hands, causing the light blades that were aimed at them to shatter and disappear completely.

Iron Wing Demon General and Wood Pig Demon General were pale-faced. They repeatedly urged Chen Yuan to make a move through telepathy, but he only said "the time is not yet ripe" and remained unmoved.

The two demon generals could only watch helplessly as the array slowly crumbled. Finally, it was broken, and the array plate in Chen Yuan's hand hummed, flashing with spiritual light, before exploding.

Blood Cloud Demon General laughed heartily, full of self-satisfaction, and said, "Fellow Daoists, join me in besieging and killing Bei Ming. Be careful, he may have a backup plan and use teleportation to escape!"

The demon generals immediately dispersed, surrounding Chen Yuan, the Iron Wing Demon General, and the Wood Pig Demon General. The sealing power spread out, firmly locking down this area.

Ironwing Demon General said urgently, "Fellow Daoist Beiming, the great formation has been broken. Why haven't the demon generals of my Thunder Mountain Cave come to our aid?"

Chen Yuan sighed softly: "It seems that the plan has been seen through by the Corrosion Cave. Those fellow Daoists who came to rescue Yixiantian should all have been stopped."

Iron Wing Demon General and Wood Pig Demon General looked dazed, while Blood Cloud Demon General laughed loudly: "That's right! With my king personally taking action, those few demon generals are probably already reduced to ashes."

"I, Ao, will now send you on your way. After breaching the First Line of Sky, my Wood-Eroding Cave will surely win this battle!" (End of Chapter)