Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

After Zhang Yanwei left, Chen Yuan pondered for a moment, then slowly got up, walked out of the cave, and with a flash of light, soared into the sky.

The visit of Ironwing Demon General and Sakiyan Demon General must be related to the matter of that interface fragment.

Eighteen years have passed since he returned to Beiming Island to cultivate in seclusion.

If what the Demon General Qiyan said is true, the spatial passage leading to that interface fragment should have been stabilized and can be entered.

Before Chen Yuan went into seclusion, he intended to break through his bottleneck and then go to that interface fragment to collect that strange death energy to enhance the power of the Fiend-Slaying Blade.

But once he truly began his secluded cultivation, he became completely absorbed in it. Apart from drawing starlight into his body, he spent his time refining pills and alchemy, and his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds until he had almost exhausted all the demon cores and spiritual herbs in his hands before emerging from seclusion.

The three types of True Spirit Blood required Chen Yuan to break through to a higher level than other cultivators, necessitating more spiritual energy from heaven and earth.

He refined a total of 167 mid-stage Nascent Soul pills, finally raising his cultivation to the late-stage Nascent Soul realm. Only a dozen or so pills remained, all made from spiritual herbs, which could be refined even by those at the late-stage Nascent Soul realm.

Although the potency of these pills was somewhat reduced after Chen Yuan broke through the bottleneck, they still couldn't be wasted.

After stabilizing his realm, he refined all of them, and then refined the demon cores of three high-level demon generals into pills. After refining them, his cultivation level deepened.

As before, if he wanted to raise his cultivation to the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, the amount of spiritual energy he needed was far greater than that of other cultivators of the same level.

Based on the improvement in cultivation level of a single late-stage Nascent Soul pill, he would need at least two hundred pills to reach the bottleneck of the Void Refinement stage.

The two five-thousand-year-old body-tempering spiritual herbs that he obtained from Tianluo Demon General were also refined into pills by him. After undergoing eighteen starlight infusions, his physical body was greatly enhanced, making him quite remarkable among high-ranking demon generals.

If he were to activate three more types of True Spirit Blood, Chen Yuan's physical body would be only a hair's breadth away from becoming a Void Refining Demon King.

In the process of continuously refining pills, Chen Yuan's alchemy skills improved by another level, and the success rate of refining pills for the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm reached 60%.

However, when he turned to refining late-stage Nascent Soul pills, the success rate dropped to only 40%.

This may not seem like a high number, but among the alchemists in the Demon Burning Realm, it is already second to none.

During Chen Yuan's conversations with the other demon generals, he heard them complain more than once that the alchemy skills of the demon race alchemists were too poor, with a success rate of only 30% to 40% for refining mid-stage Nascent Soul pills.

The success rate of refining pills for the late-stage Nascent Soul realm is only one or two out of ten.

Even with such a low success rate, it's still better than directly refining spiritual herbs.

The spiritual energy contained in the medicinal herbs may seem pure, but it is ultimately naturally formed and contains too many impurities.

Moreover, the older the spiritual herb, the stronger its spirituality. Although it has not developed intelligence, it does not want to be refined by people and will actively resist, so most of them will be wasted.

Only through the refinement of an alchemist can impurities in the spiritual herbs be removed and their spiritual essence erased, making them easier for people to refine.

Chen Yuan had also considered whether he should reveal his identity as an alchemist and refine pills for other demon generals, taking a cut of their offerings.

But he was already a demon general of the Holy Clan, and possessed such great strength. If he were to further display his superb alchemy skills, it would be too conspicuous.

Moreover, the demon race is not good at cultivation arts. An alchemist with such exquisite alchemy skills would be indispensable and have a very high status in the holy race. It is impossible for a demon king to suppress him at will.

Therefore, Chen Yuan never mentioned his expertise in alchemy in front of the other demon generals, so as not to reveal any flaws.

Moreover, with the great war raging and many things to attend to, Chen Yuan has only been in seclusion for eighteen years, yet he has been visited by numerous demon generals, leaving him no time to refine pills for other demon generals.

Now that he has finally emerged from seclusion, he can explore the interface fragments together with Ironwing Demon General and Saki Rock Demon General.

However, the two might see that he is in seclusion and simply enter first, which would save him a lot of trouble, allowing him to directly exchange death energy from them to strengthen his Demon-Slaying Blade.

Although Chen Yuan used the Cangming Halberd to slay the Spirit Vulture Demon Commander in the First Line of Heaven, it is still best to use such a divine weapon, which is close to a Heavenly Treasure, sparingly.

The Wood-Eating Demon King likely coveted the Azure Sea Halberd and the Mysterious Yin Armor in his possession, which is why he issued a bounty and sent seven demon generals to launch a strong attack on Yixiantian.

The Thunder Mountain Demon King and the Wood Erosion Demon King are of similar cultivation levels, so they should not be indifferent to such a treasure.

He simply hadn't seen the Cangming Halberd and the Xuanyin Armor with his own eyes. If he had, he might have tried to snatch them. He shouldn't use them lightly unless it was absolutely necessary.

In the narrow passage, Chen Yuan saw that no demon generals came to their aid. He knew that only the Wood-Eating Demon King could stop them all. The Thunder Mountain Demon King must also be too busy to attend to other matters, which is why he used these two treasures.

However, these can only be used as trump cards. The Guanghan Bow cannot be exposed to light, and the Zhansha Blade is Chen Yuan's most frequently used divine weapon, but its current power is still somewhat low.

The matter of death energy is not difficult to resolve; the best solution would be to exchange it directly with the two demon generals.

If you need to enter the interface to collect fragments yourself, there is nothing to fear as long as you don't encounter opponents of the Demon King level.

However, the fact that the Demon King of Leishan sent demon generals to the area several times without issuing direct orders is quite intriguing.

Chen Yuan is the demon general of Leishan Cave. If the Leishan Demon King really wants him to participate in the battle, he must obey his orders.

However, the Thunder Mountain Demon King did not do so, and the demon generals who came to visit Chen Yuan also gave vague answers.

It seems we must make a trip to the Leishan Mountains, pay our respects to the Leishan Demon King, ascertain the truth, and then make further plans.

As Chen Yuan's thoughts wandered, he arrived at the council hall. One after another, demon generals arrived, and upon seeing Chen Yuan, they immediately bowed deeply, showing exceptional respect.

Eighteen years of seclusion did not diminish Chen Yuan's prestige; on the contrary, it deepened the demon generals' awe of him, making it even more deeply ingrained in their hearts.

Chen Yuan had no intention of interfering in the trivial matters of the Beiming Cave. He encouraged the demon generals and instructed Jiangzhu and Mixin to temporarily manage all affairs after he left Beiming Island. If there were any disagreements, they would be handled by Zhang Yanwei.

This was the first time he had publicly and proactively established Zhang Yanwei's position in the Northern Underworld Cave, and not a single demon general raised any objections.

However, their gazes toward Zhang Yanwei revealed a hint of contempt and envy.

The lord of the manor favors this Core Formation stage human slave; what can they do about it?
Such things are not uncommon in the Demon Burning Realm. In fact, many of Chen Yuan's demon generals have human slaves or mixed-blood offspring in charge of their cave dwellings.

Compared to human cultivators and hybrids who are born with human form, demons can only take human form after undergoing a tribulation of lightning, and their intelligence is naturally weaker.

Moreover, many demons are inherently warlike and bloodthirsty, have a violent temper, are not fond of studying, are not good at handling disputes among their subordinate demon beasts, and are even less capable of coordinating the exploitation of cultivation resources in their territory.

However, those above the Demon Commander level have been in human form for thousands of years, have long lifespans, and are almost indistinguishable from human cultivators of the same level. They are knowledgeable and experienced, and no longer rely on human cultivators or mixed-blood offspring.

The fact that the lord of the manor favored Zhang Yanwei so much made the demon generals on the island quite uncomfortable, but they dared not raise any objections and could only grumble inwardly.

Chen Yuan naturally wouldn't bother with such a trivial matter. After making the arrangements, he had the Crimson Pearl Demon General issue an edict, ordering the demon army of the Northern Underworld Cave to prepare for battle, and then dismissed the demon generals.

He then went to the cave of the Cangsong Daoist and talked with him for several hours before quietly leaving Beiming Island and heading towards the Tieyi Cave.

Chen Yuan learned from Zhang Yanwei that Iron Wing Demon Commander went to the border of the two cave dwellings for the second time nine years ago, and returned seven years ago. He is currently recuperating in the cave dwelling.

Upon seeing his arrival, the Iron-Winged Demon General immediately came out to greet him with a beaming smile: "Congratulations on your emergence from seclusion, Fellow Daoist Beiming. I was given the cold shoulder on Beiming Island..."

Chen Yuan smiled apologetically: "I was at a critical juncture in my cultivation and had no time to spare. I just came out of seclusion a month ago and rushed to Iron Wing Cave to apologize to you, fellow Daoist."

Ironwing Demon General laughed heartily: "Fellow Daoist, you flatter us. Our demon race has a long lifespan, which is incomparable to those short-lived human cultivators in the Spirit Realm. A single seclusion can last for decades or even centuries, which is not worth mentioning."

"If it weren't for Fellow Daoist Qiyan's invitation, I wouldn't have come to visit and disturb your cultivation."

"Now that you've emerged from seclusion, your cultivation must have improved considerably. If we venture back into that realm fragment to explore, our chances of success will be even greater."

Chen Yuan's eyes flashed: "So, you two haven't entered that interface fragment yet?"

Ironwing Demon General hesitated for a moment before saying, "To be honest, the spatial passage leading to that interface fragment was stabilized two years ago."

"I went to Beiming Island with Fellow Daoist Qiyan, but we failed to visit him. So we decided to go in first, but we were driven back by a ferocious beast."

"I tried twice more, but both times I failed. In desperation, I had to give up on the idea."

"In the past two years, Fellow Daoist Qiyan has invited two more fellow Daoists, and we plan to go together after you finish your seclusion."

Chen Yuan was quite surprised: "What kind of ferocious beast is so fierce that even the two of you can't defeat it together?" Iron Wing Demon General sighed: "That ferocious beast is extremely strange. It is a giant skeleton lizard with only bones on its body. Although it is dead, it is no different from a living being and can even use supernatural powers."

"This beast's aura is no different from that of a Void Refining Demon King, but its displayed strength is far inferior, only surpassing that of a high-ranking Demon General."

"Fortunately, it was not very intelligent, otherwise Fellow Daoist Qiyan and I would have died at its hands."

"Even with its low intelligence, its strength is close to that of a demon king, and it should not be underestimated."

"This giant skeletal lizard is blocking the entrance to the interface fragment. With just the two of us, even with Fellow Daoist Beiming's help, we probably wouldn't be able to get through. That's why Fellow Daoist Qiyan invited other fellow Daoists to join forces."

Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "This ferocious beast is so strange. It seems that we will gain a lot after entering the interface fragment."

"During my seclusion this time, I was fortunate enough to break through the bottleneck and advance to the rank of high-level demon general. I should be able to lend you two a hand in eliminating this beast."

Ironwing Demon General was greatly surprised: "Congratulations on your great progress in cultivation, fellow Daoist. You, as a mid-level demon general, have managed to slay the Spirit Vulture."

"Now that I have broken through my cultivation level, I am probably comparable to Fellow Daoist Youji. No matter how ferocious that giant bone lizard is, it is no match for us."

"It's a pity that you came out of seclusion a little late, otherwise you wouldn't have had to invite other fellow Daoists to enter the interface fragment together and have their treasures taken away for nothing."

Chen Yuan said, "If a single ferocious beast blocking the entrance is so fierce and strange, who knows how many more ferocious beasts are hidden in the fragments of the interface? Having two more demon generals will make things safer."

"I wonder what cultivation levels these two fellow Daoists possess, and whether one of them is a high-ranking demon general?"

Ironwing Demon General shook his head: "The three of us are all mid-level demon generals. Why would Fellow Daoist Qiyan invite a high-level demon general? Those two fellow Daoists are of similar cultivation to me."

"Even five mid-level demon generals working together would be enough to deal with that giant skeletal lizard."

"Now that you have broken through the bottleneck, the white bone giant lizard is no longer a threat. When entering the interface fragment this time, you should be the leader."

Chen Yuan waved his hand: "I only had the opportunity to enter this interface fragment because I was invited by Fellow Daoist Qi Yan. How could I take the place of the host?"

"Kun will be satisfied as long as he can collect enough death energy."

Ironwing Demon General understood and said, "I once said that I would help you collect death energy, and I will keep my promise."

Chen Yuan clasped his hands in a bow and said, "In that case, thank you, fellow Daoist. The Great King once sent a demon general to Beiming Island. I still need to make a trip to the Leishan Mountains. I'll take my leave now."

"Please inform Fellow Daoist Qiyan about my departure from seclusion and invite him to Ironwing Cave for a chat to discuss this matter."

Ironwing Demon General frowned and said, "Fellow Daoist Qiyan is discussing the matter of entering the interface fragment with those two fellow Daoists. I'm afraid he is too busy to go. Why don't the two of us go to Qiyan's cave together?"

"However, fellow Daoist has been in seclusion for a long time. Since the King has sent a demon general to visit, it seems that he intends for you to participate in the war..."

Chen Yuan said, "Fellow Daoist, there is no need to worry. I will explain to the King that even if we really want to participate in the battle, it will be after we enter the interface fragment and collect enough death energy."

Ironwing Demon General breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. There may be more skeletal beasts in that interface fragment. Without you, fellow Daoist, to guard it, I really don't have much confidence."

……

A month later, Chen Yuan traveled a long way and arrived at the Leishan Mountains.

Most of the demon generals and demon commanders in the Leishan Mountains have gone to the border to fight against the demon generals of the Erosion Cave, making the area much quieter.

Youji, Xiangqing, Tianhou, and other trusted demon generals of the Thunder Mountain Demon King were not here, but Yu Cheng, the demon general in charge of Yingke Peak, remained in the Thunder Mountain range and led Chen Yuan to the main hall at the foot of Thunder Mountain to pay his respects to the Thunder Mountain Demon King.

He clasped his hands and bowed respectfully, saying, "I was in seclusion on Beiming Island cultivating, unaware that Your Majesty had summoned me. I have come here to apologize to Your Majesty."

The Thunder Mountain Demon King looked him up and down, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "You've already broken through the bottleneck?"

Chen Yuan said, "Your Majesty has discerning eyes. I have been languishing at the mid-level demon general level for a long time and have already accumulated some experience."

"I am also grateful to the King for bestowing upon me elixirs, and I obtained two five-thousand-year-old body-tempering spiritual herbs from the Heavenly Net Demon General. After refining them, I finally advanced to the rank of high-level Demon General."

"After I came out of seclusion, I learned from my demon generals that the battle between my Thunder Mountain Cave and the Erosion Wood Cave had been deadlocked for a long time and it was difficult to determine the winner."

"I intended to kill a few more high-ranking demon generals from the Corroded Wood Cave to relieve the King's burden, but..."

He looked troubled, and the Thunder Mountain Demon King asked, "What is it that you find difficult to say? You might as well tell me."

Chen Yuan said, "I have already discussed with Fellow Daoist Tieyi and Fellow Daoist Qiyan from Canyuan Cave about exploring a fragment of a realm."

“In recent years, the spatial passage leading to that interface fragment has finally stabilized. Two fellow Daoists invited me to go there, but I am still in seclusion and unable to go.”

"Your Majesty, may I first go to the interface fragments before heading to the battlefield?"

The Thunder Mountain Demon King pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly: "Very well, the current stalemate makes it difficult to break the deadlock, and there shouldn't be any changes for the time being."

"I know you want to break through to the high-ranking demon general, that's why I didn't issue an edict ordering you to participate in the battle. Waiting a little longer won't hurt."

Chen Yuan's face lit up with joy, and he clasped his hands and bowed: "Your Majesty is magnanimous. When I return, I will do my utmost to kill several high-ranking demon generals from the Corroded Wood Cave and relieve Your Majesty's burden."

The Thunder Mountain Demon King cautioned, "Interface fragments are ever-changing. Although with your current strength, interface fragments pose little threat, there have been demon kings who perished within them. Do not be careless."

"You don't need to rush. If this battle drags on any longer, the losses will be too great."

"When I fought with Shi Mu and we exchanged insults, I discovered that there were many strange things going on in this battle."

"The black-clad man who used thunder magic to attack and kill the demon general of the Wood-Eating Cave, and the man who poisoned my demon general of the Thunder Mountain Cave with the poison of the Wood-Eating Cave, are likely closely related."

"I have already expressed my intention to cease hostilities, and it seems that Shi Mu also has this intention. However, the demon generals of Shi Mu Cave have suffered too many casualties, and even Tian Luo died at the hands of You Ji. He is now in a difficult situation."

"But our Thunder Mountain Cave has many demon generals, and we have already gained the upper hand."

“As long as the stalemate continues, once the Erosion Wood sees that there is no advantage to be gained, it will naturally stop fighting, and you will not need to deal with the high-ranking demon generals of the Erosion Wood Cave.”

Chen Yuan's heart stirred, and he said respectfully, "I will certainly keep Your Majesty's teachings in mind and act with caution."

……

The next day, Chen Yuan used the teleportation array in Leishan Cave to travel to Silver Tide City and bought a cyan gourd from Blood Tooth Tower that was specially used to store exotic spiritual energy.

The time required for the Demon-Slaying Blade to absorb death energy is considerable, so Chen Yuan could not directly refine it within that fragment of the interface.

That deathly aura is extremely special; ordinary magical artifacts cannot contain it and will be corroded and damaged by it.

Although this cyan gourd is only a top-grade magic weapon, its material is extremely special. It was made from a ten-thousand-year-old spirit gourd, and Blood Tooth Pavilion is asking for one hundred top-grade spirit stones.

According to the Blood Tooth Tower steward who sold the gourd to Chen Yuan, this treasure could even contain the Great Sage's demonic energy for a year and a half, so storing that kind of eerie death energy should be no problem for him either.

After buying the cyan spirit gourd, Chen Yuan went to the dark market for a while before rushing back to his Leishan Cave.

It costs twenty top-grade spirit stones to teleport from Leishan Cave to Yinchao City, and another twenty top-grade spirit stones to return. It would be too wasteful to return hastily.

However, after eighteen years of secluded cultivation, Chen Yuan had almost exhausted all the demon cores and spiritual herbs he possessed. The few remaining herbs were either too few to be combined into a batch of pills or too precious to be sold.

The Cangming Halberd was too sharp, destroying the Spirit Vulture Demon General's magical weapon, and the other treasures in his possession were not of high value.

Chen Yuan only had a few hundred top-grade spirit stones, which he used to buy several kinds of demon general blood and a small bottle of Ghost-Faced Spider Demon King's venom, and then he used them all up.

Only a few dozen top-grade spirit stones were left as payment for the teleportation array.

The dark market is indeed full of hidden talents. The venom of the Ghost-Faced Spider Demon King is so rare that even Wan Renlou cannot produce it, yet there are shops selling it.

However, the three-tailed crimson crystal scorpion was an ancient beast, even rarer than the Ghost-Faced Spider Demon King, and no one in the dark market sold its most precious tail stinger bone powder. (End of Chapter)