Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

As soon as Chen Yuanfu entered the stone gate, he felt an overwhelming surge of malice coming towards him. He instinctively circulated his true essence, which, after being transformed by the Yin-Yang Ring, became a dense demonic aura. This aura condensed on his body surface into an invisible protective shield to resist the erosion of the malice.

The other four demon generals did the same, while the old Green Mantis took out a five-colored strange stone and enveloped it with a vast and profound pure spiritual energy.

The deathly aura surrounding the Green Mantis King suddenly expanded, baring its fangs and claws, as if it had come to life, resembling a series of ferocious giant pythons.

This was an extremely peculiar space. The group was suspended in mid-air, with nothing beneath their feet. The surroundings were a chaotic expanse, seemingly without boundaries, stretching out into the infinite distance.

Before the crowd, a series of colorful, ever-changing fine chains intertwined to form a dense net.

A corner of the net had somehow broken open, revealing a dark gap in this chaotic land.

Endless black energy continuously poured out from it, invading the net of chains and staining it with a thick layer of blackness, making it look sinister and eerie.

Within this web of chains, there exists a primordial energy that defies description, constantly shifting and changing.

One moment it was mountains and rivers, a natural wonder, the next it turned into a slender green mantis, and then into a ferocious beast with only bones remaining.

Around this primordial energy, whose colors were indistinguishable, was also shrouded in a thick layer of blackness, which had even penetrated into the primordial energy, turning most of it black.

Chen Yuan was extremely familiar with this pure, profound, eerie black energy; it was demonic energy!

However, this demonic energy was a hundred times purer than any demonic energy Chen Yuan had ever seen, and even far surpassed the true demonic energy.

Each wisp of demonic energy seemed to contain the purest evil from all the heavens and myriad realms. After merging with the pure and harmonious primordial energy, it transformed into the death energy that could be seen everywhere in this fragment of the interface.

But it was more than ten thousand times purer than the death energy in the world, spreading outwards and filling this chaotic land, exuding a sense of deathly stillness.

At the same time, wisps of pure, clear, and vast spiritual energy emanated from the primordial energy, but were firmly suppressed by the black energy and death energy, making them almost imperceptible.

Almost all of this pure spiritual energy surged towards the stone gate behind everyone, merging into the magic array formed by the spiritual patterns on the gate, and then seeping into the underground cavern, nourishing the last spiritual land that had not been tainted by death energy.

Chen Yuan glanced at the pure demonic energy that was fused with the primordial energy, and all sorts of desires arose in his heart, as if he could see himself about to ascend to immortality and live forever.

What stood in his way were the heavenly tribulation and the enemies who did not want him to ascend. A murderous intent suddenly rose from the bottom of his heart, making Chen Yuan want to kill all the obstacles in his way.

Just then, a deep and majestic thunderclap came from the bottom of his heart. It was the Kui Niu True Spirit in his dantian roaring to the sky, like a bolt from the blue, startling Chen Yuan from his dream.

He forcibly suppressed the desire that had swelled a hundredfold in his heart, turned his head and saw that the eyes of the other four demon generals were all in a daze, and their auras were fluctuating, which was obviously a sign of going into demonic possession.

The green mantis king opened and closed its mouthparts, emitting a sharp sound that was difficult to discern, and its body trembled incessantly.

Its deathly aura transformed into a series of illusory scenes: slaying skeletal beasts, countless green mantises bowing in submission, unifying this world... all of which were the Green Mantis King's deepest ambitions.

Only the old green mantis, holding the five-colored strange stone, remained unaffected and shouted loudly, "Wake up!"

Its sharp voice reached everyone's ears, and the four demon generals' eyes cleared for a moment, but then they fell back into oblivion.

The Green Mantis King, however, remained completely unaffected. Its deathly aura swelled even more, and it was on the verge of complete collapse, merging with the deathly aura of this chaotic land.

Chen Yuan frowned, a glint of silver light flashing in his eyes, and shouted sharply, "Wake up!"

He secretly activated a wisp of Kui Niu's true blood, his voice containing a trace of heavenly tribulation thunder power, extremely yang and strong, most effective at suppressing demonic energy, completely shattering the chaos and evil in everyone's hearts, and awakening them from their delusions.

The eyes of the four demon generals slowly regained their clarity. The deathly aura swollen around the Green Mantis King paused slightly, then slowly receded and was absorbed into the Green Mantis King's body, gradually stabilizing.

After a while, Qi Yan Demon General was the first to calm down. He let out a long sigh and bowed to Chen Yuan with his fists clasped: "Thank you for your help, Fellow Daoist Bei Ming. I almost succumbed to desire and went into a demonic state, turning into a walking corpse."

The other three demon generals were also still shaken. They retreated several feet and looked at the ever-changing primordial energy with deep fear in their eyes.

The old green mantis glanced at Chen Yuan, its voice tinged with surprise: "Fellow Daoist Beiming, you have a skillful way of doing things. I originally intended to use the power of the divine stone to awaken a few fellow Daoists, but this has saved me a lot of effort."

"Fellow Daoists, please be careful. This black aura has the power to bewitch people's minds and is extremely terrifying."

"Several ancestors of my Fu clan were unfortunately bewitched by it and devoured by the evil energy in this space, leaving no trace of their remains."

"Only by holding the divine stone and having the protection of Heaven can one escape this calamity."

Yanhuang Demon General looked terrified and bowed to Chen Yuan with clasped hands: "Thanks to Fellow Daoist Beiming for his help, that fierce shout contained a trace of thunderous power, which gave me the illusion of facing a heavenly tribulation. I owe Fellow Daoist a favor."

Iron Wing Demon General also clasped his hands in a bow to Chen Yuan, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Thank you for your help, Fellow Daoist Bei Ming."

Chen Yuan stared at the demonic energy surging from the dark crack, a strange light flashing in his eyes. He smiled slightly and said, "It was nothing, nothing to mention."

The Demon General Guixiao stared intently at the primordial energy tainted by demonic power, his expression grave. "Such pure demonic energy... the 'evil spirit' that invaded the Green Mantis Realm back then must have been an ancient demon!"

The aged green mantis pressed on, "Fellow Daoist Ghost Demon, are you certain that those 'evil spirits' are ancient demons?"

After entering the cave, the group talked along the way, and it already knew their names.

Ghost Demon General nodded: "It's absolutely true. I once entered a fragment of an interface to search for treasure and encountered a mid-level demon general."

“His cultivation level is comparable to mine, and his demonic supernatural powers are strange and fierce. He fought against three opponents and still did not lose ground.”

"However, the demonic energy on that demon general is like a firefly compared to the bright moon when compared to the demonic energy here."

Qi Yan, the Demon General, said, "That's right. I once encountered an ancient demon on Turtle Island. It was a servant of a human cultivator who had reached the Void Refinement stage, and its methods were quite extraordinary."

"His cultivation level is only at the peak of Demon Commander, yet he fought against a Demon King in the early stage of Void Refinement for two quarters of an hour without being defeated. He is truly troublesome."

"The demonic energy on that demon general is exactly the same as the demonic energy here, but it is far less pure than the demonic energy here."

"The demonic energy here is at least left behind by the Demon Lord."

Chen Yuan's eyes flashed, and he asked, "I know very little about the ancient demons. I wonder what cultivation level this Demon Lord is equivalent to in my demon race?"

Qi Yan Yao Shuai explained, "The Demon Lord is equivalent to the Demon Saint of my demon race. The Great Saint is revered as the Holy Ancestor in the ancient Demon Realm, which is the Demon Ancestor."

"Below them are the Demon Generals and Demon Commanders, just like my demon race."

"This is how humans classify the cultivation levels of ancient demons. My Burning Demon Realm and the Ancient Demon Realm have very little contact, so we use this term to refer to each other."

Chen Yuan frowned: "So, this demonic energy was left behind by a demon lord who was equivalent to a demon saint?"

Qi Yan, the Demon General, shook his head: "I have only seen that one peak Demon General. Based on the demonic energy on his body, I can only roughly guess that the demonic energy here comes from at least a Demon Lord. I can't tell anything beyond that."

"According to Fellow Daoist Fu, this is the Heavenly Dao of the Green Mantis Realm, and also the 'Origin of the Interface' of the Green Mantis Realm."

"The demonic energy that was able to invade this place is incredibly pure. Just one glance at it nearly caused us to suffer a qi deviation. It may have originated from a demon ancestor."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the group became extremely solemn.

Although the old Green Mantis and the Green Mantis King did not know the difference between the Demon Lord and the Demon Ancestor, they could still sense the deep fear in Qi Yan's words, and their compound eyes blinked incessantly.

Yanhuang Demon General glanced at the Primordial Chaos Qi, then looked at the Death Qi wandering around him, his brows furrowing: "These demonic energies come from who knows where, they have polluted the Heavenly Dao of this Green Mantis Realm, and after merging with it, they also emit this strange Death Qi."

"Could it be that the deathly aura of this interface fragment originates from here?"

The Demon General sighed, "That's probably it. No wonder we've never seen this kind of death aura before. It turns out it was born from the fusion of demonic energy and the origin of this realm. It's truly bizarre."

"It's a pity that this realm, which originally contained all things and spirits and was extremely mysterious, has been tainted by demonic energy and can no longer reveal the mysteries of the Great Dao."

The group all looked regretful. Not to mention the chaotic energy, even the net woven from colorful chains seemed to contain all sorts of mysteries.

However, under the dual cover of demonic energy and death energy, it is no longer possible to comprehend it.

Qi Yan, the Demon General, gave the Primordial Chaos Qi a deep look: "Things have come to this point, there's no point in saying more. We are unable to remove this demonic energy, and we can only miss our chance with the Heavenly Dao."

"However, we haven't come away empty-handed. The Green Mantis Realm has the origin of a world, and other worlds should have the same. If we can find the origin of other worlds..."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes flickered.

The demon general Guixiao chuckled and said, "The origin of a realm is so precious, how could a mere demon general like us possibly have the chance to touch it?"

"If the Green Mantis Realm had not already been shattered, and if Fellow Daoist Fu had not guided us, we would never have been able to enter this place, let alone witness the origin of such a mysterious realm."

Qi Yan, the Demon General, sighed softly: "Fellow Daoist Gui Xiao is absolutely right. We are already incredibly fortunate to have come to this place, and we should not ask for anything more."

Everyone fell silent. Yanhuang Demon General was still somewhat unwilling and turned to look at the old Green Mantis: "When did the Heavenly Dao become like this?"

The old green mantis said, "Our ancestor was guided by the Heavenly Dao to come to this place, only to find that the Heavenly Dao had already been corrupted by demonic energy."

"Moreover, as time goes by, the erosion by demonic energy becomes more and more severe, and the consciousness of the Heavenly Dao becomes weaker and weaker, and it is about to completely perish."

"Therefore, our ancestor went all out and deliberately detonated the Heavenly Dao, annihilating ninety percent of the demonic energy. The Green Mantis Realm was shattered as a result, and the consciousness of the Heavenly Dao was completely destroyed, but a fragment of the Heavenly Dao was ultimately preserved."

"According to the records of our ancestors, the original Heavenly Dao was a hundred times more vast, and the demonic energy that eroded the Heavenly Dao was also a hundred times more abundant than it is now."

"However, after the Green Mantis Realm was shattered, demonic energy continued to pour in, and this fragment of the Heavenly Dao gradually weakened, and it is unknown when it will completely dissipate."

“At that time, even this underground cave will be occupied by evil energy, and my Green Mantis Clan will lose its last place to live.”

The demon general raised his hand to stroke his beard and nodded slightly: "I see. The Heavenly Dao is extremely weak, and with the constant erosion of demonic energy, this fragment of the realm is filled with death energy."

"I wonder where this demonic energy came from, where that dark crack leads, and why it turned into death energy after eroding the Heavenly Dao..."

The old green mantis hesitated for a moment before saying, "My ancestors in the Fu clan did not know what demonic energy was, but they were protected by the Heavenly Dao and could vaguely perceive the situation of the Heavenly Dao."

"According to our ancestors, even the Heavenly Dao has a lifespan limit and will eventually die."

"However, this process is incredibly slow, taking countless times longer than the lifespan of all living beings in the myriad realms."

"However, under the corrosive influence of demonic energy, the Heavenly Dao died at a speed a thousand times or ten thousand times faster than usual."

"These evil energies are the aura emitted by the Heavenly Dao as it tends towards death and is corroded by demonic energy. Fellow Daoists, you call it 'death energy,' which is quite appropriate."

Looking at the dark crack, the Demon General Qiyan said with a look of resentment: "This demonic energy is so pure. If we can bring it back to the Demon Burning Realm, it will definitely arouse the interest of the Demon King and even the Demon Saint."

"But with our abilities, let alone removing the demonic energy, we wouldn't even dare to come into contact with it, otherwise we would definitely be corrupted by it and become walking corpses."

The group sighed inwardly. They had almost gone mad from just a glance at the demonic energy, let alone subdue it.

The chaotic space fell silent. Everyone stared intently at the primordial energy, their faces filled with resentment. Only Chen Yuan stared at the dark crack, silent, his eyes flashing, lost in thought.

The aged green mantis held the divine stone, gazing at the primordial energy. On its cold face, a hint of longing and hesitation was faintly revealed.

After being awakened by Chen Yuan, the Green Mantis King remained silent and stayed in place, seemingly caught in a deep struggle.

Iron-Winged Demon General suddenly laughed and said, "Our cultivation is low and we are helpless against demonic energy. We might as well report this matter to the two Demon Kings. Since it involves the Heavenly Dao, the Demon Lord, and even the Demon Ancestor, the Demon Kings will surely reward us handsomely!"

Qi Yan Yao Shuai's eyes lit up: "That's right, we entered this interface fragment only to collect death energy."

"But compared to the Heavenly Dao and the pure demonic energy of this realm, death energy is nothing."

"If we report these discoveries to the two demon kings, it should be enough to exchange for the treasures needed to challenge the demon kings."

Yanhuang Demon General laughed heartily: "That makes sense. Knowing that the Heavenly Dao exists and witnessing such a wondrous sight, my heart was shaken. I almost forgot that we are not the Green Mantis Clan, and that we have the Demon King and even the Demon Saint backing us up."

“These treasures are worth hundreds of times more in the hands of the Demon King than they are in our hands. Why don’t we return to the Burning Demon Realm now, report this matter, and exchange them for a reward?”

Ghost Demon General nodded in agreement and was about to speak when he caught a glimpse of Chen Yuan staring silently at the dark crack.

A thought struck him, and he asked, "What does Fellow Daoist Beiming think?"

Chen Yuan then withdrew his gaze and smiled slightly: "What you fellow Daoists say is very true, and I have no objection. However, before that, I have another matter that I would like to ask Fellow Daoist Fu for clarification."

He turned to look at the old green mantis: "Fellow Daoist Fu's ancestors were able to communicate directly with the will of Heaven, and this rift is directly connected to this space where Heaven resides. It shouldn't be difficult to know where it leads, right?"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately turned to look at the old green mantis. The demon general's eyes flashed with a sharp light: "Just now, Fellow Daoist Fu only asked where this death energy came from, but did not answer me where the demonic energy came from. Please enlighten us."

The aged green mantis, meeting everyone's gazes, did not answer but instead asked, "What level of cultivation do you fellow Daoists possess regarding the 'Demon King' and 'Demon Saint' you speak of? What is the strength of the demon race, and how do they compare to the ancient demons?"

The group exchanged glances, intending to communicate telepathically.

However, the deathly aura here was too dense, and pure demonic energy was also spreading out. Everyone's divine sense could only extend three zhang around them, and they could not transmit their voices at all.

Finally, it was Qiyan Demon General who answered: "I do not wish to deceive Fellow Daoist Fu. The Ancient Demon Realm is extremely powerful, even surpassing my Burning Demon Realm." "However, the Ancient Demon Realm and the Burning Demon Realm face the same enemy, and will not easily start a war with the Burning Demon Realm."

"As long as this fragment of the interface is under the control of my Burning Demon Realm, the Ancient Demon Realm will not be able to touch it."

"As for the strength of the Demon King and the Demon Saint, it is far above the five of us. It should not be difficult for them to remove this demonic energy and prevent the Heavenly Dao from being eroded by it."

"Even if they are helpless, my Demon Burning Realm still has the Great Sage, who has the power to reach the heavens and the earth and the might to move stars and change the moon. He will surely be able to wipe out all the demonic energy."

"Fellow Daoist Fu led us here not just to let us experience the powerful force of demonic energy, right?"

"As you just said, demonic energy has been eroding the Heavenly Dao. If no external force intervenes, even this last fragment of the Heavenly Dao will soon completely dissipate."

"At that time, this underground cavern will be completely filled with death energy, and the true Green Mantis Clan will be completely wiped out."

"Only if we invite the Demon King, Demon Saint, or even the Great Saint to take action can we remove the demonic energy, save the Heavenly Dao, and avert the danger of the Green Mantis Clan's annihilation."

The old green mantis hesitated and said, "I do have this intention, but that ancient demon once invaded the Green Mantis Realm and wanted to enslave the entire Green Mantis Clan."

"The Green Mantis Clan is now almost extinct; if we let wolves into our house..."

Qi Yan, the Demon General, laughed heartily: "You two fellow Daoists are overthinking it. The ancient demons are extremely ferocious, conquering and enslaving various races to fight for them, while my demon race has no such habits."

"Moreover, these demonic energies and fragments of the Heavenly Dao are a hundred times more precious than those of the Green Mantis Clan."

"Fellow Daoist Fu's lineage has been protected by the will of Heaven for generations. He wields a divine stone and can even detonate the Heavenly Dao. After the Demon King and Demon Saint learn of this, they will never risk their lives for a small matter and make things difficult for the Green Mantis Clan."

The Green Mantis King, who had remained silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "Absolutely not! We must not let those 'Demon Kings' and 'Demon Saints' collect the demonic energy!"

“My lineage used to rely on the Ancient Demon, and I was also deceived by the Ancient Demon. Today, I finally see the true face of the Ancient Demon and deserve my punishment.”

"But those clansmen whose bodies were invaded by the death aura are innocent. They have become accustomed to the presence of the death aura. How can they survive without it?"

The old green mantis glanced at it and said coldly, "My green mantis clan is inherently incompatible with death energy. As long as there is no death energy in the world, they do not need to worry about being corroded by death energy. The thin death energy in their bodies will dissipate on its own and restore their original appearance."

Qi Yan, the demon general, said, "Fellow Daoist Fu is absolutely right. Our demon race also uses spiritual energy as its source, and the spiritual energy in the Burning Demon Realm is pure and abundant."

"The territory I govern spans a million miles, comparable to this fragment of the interface."

"All Green Mantises can infiltrate the Burning Demon Realm and find a sacred place to settle down, so they no longer have to hide in underground caves and live in fear."

"Those green mantises who had to devour the flesh and blood of strange beasts and absorb the death energy to avoid being corrupted by death energy will no longer have to suffer this torment."

The Green Mantis King said unwillingly, "But there are still many Green Mantises who are no longer afraid of the corruption of death energy. If the death energy in their bodies is not pure enough, they will die."

"After they migrated to the Demon Realm, they had nowhere to find the Black Crystal. What should they do?"

The old green mantis said coldly, "These green mantis nobles relied on their strength to bully other members of their race. They deserved to die."

The Green Mantis King roared, "You..."

Qi Yan Demon General sneered: "Fellow Daoist, you mobilized an army of 30,000 Green Mantises to search for Fellow Daoist Fu and his companions here for a piece of black crystal, but now you're concerned about the lives of those Green Mantis nobles?"

The Green Mantis King was taken aback, and the old Green Mantis spoke up: "The appearance of my Green Mantis clan is very different from that of you fellow Daoists. If we move to the Burning Demon Realm, will we be oppressed by the demon race?"

Qi Yan, the demon general, laughed and said, "Fellow Daoist Fu, you are overthinking it. Although my demon race has taken human form, our true forms are quite different, yet we can coexist peacefully."

"Among the demon race, there are many insect demons who look similar to the Green Mantis Clan, but they belong to the same race as us."

"After the Green Mantis Clan migrates to the Burning Demon Realm, they will never be oppressed. Over time, they will be able to integrate into the demon race."

The old green mantis, its two compound eyes unblinking, asked, "Is this really true?"

Qi Yan, the demon general, said, "If Fellow Daoist Fu does not believe us, we can transform into our true forms and let you see them after we leave this place."

The demon general Guixiao chimed in, "Indeed, this place is filled with deathly and demonic energy, so we dare not act rashly."

"The underground cavern is large enough to accommodate our true forms, and we can answer your questions then."

After hesitating for a long time, the old green mantis finally said, "Very well, then I will take the gamble!"

"Fellow Daoist Qiyan is right. I have indeed brought you all here because I have something to ask of you."

"Before the will of Heaven fell into slumber, our ancestors had a vague sense of where this rift led."

"But we are powerless to completely erase it and prevent the Heavenly Dao from being eroded by death energy."

"Now the Heavenly Dao is gradually declining and is about to completely dissipate, and I am completely helpless."

"Fellow Daoists have come to my door again. I am utterly despondent and have decided to perish together with you all."

"Even if there were only a one in ten thousand chance of erasing the demonic energy, I wouldn't have done this..."

It raised its head, gazing at the dark crack, and said, word by word, "Beyond this crack lies the blood-red sun, the very foundation upon which the ancient demons invaded the Green Mantis Realm."

"Only by completely destroying it can these demonic energies dissipate, and only then can the Heavenly Dao be saved from danger!"

Qi Yan, the demon general, looked surprised: "That blood-red sun is not a celestial phenomenon of this world?"

The demon general stroked his beard and muttered, "I should have realized it sooner. How could such a small fragment of the world contain such a huge sun, and one that is so strange..."

Ironwing Demon General said thoughtfully, "We once encountered a member of Fellow Daoist Fu's clan, who carved the words 'When will the days end? I will perish with you' on the wall of a stone house."

"We all thought it was because he hated the Green Mantis King and wanted to perish with him. Now that I think about it, could it be referring to that blood sun?"

The old green mantis gritted its teeth and said, "That's right. All the disasters in the Green Mantis Realm were brought about by that blood sun. My Green Mantis Clan hates it to the bone and wishes we could perish together with it."

"Our ancestors recorded in the ancient texts that the Green Mantis Realm was originally peaceful and harmonious, but one day, a phantom blood sun suddenly appeared in the sky."

"Since then, the ancient demons have begun to appear in the Green Mantis Realm, causing unrest everywhere."

"Until the blood sun completely solidified, the ancient demon army also descended, plunging the Green Mantis Clan into annihilation."

"The strong members of the clan have all died in battle, and the ordinary green mantises have been enslaved by the ancient demons. Only the ancestors of my Fu clan led a very small number of loyal and brave clansmen to resist with great difficulty."

“Endless demonic energy surged from the blood-red sun, eroding the Heavenly Dao and forcing the will of the Heavenly Dao to find the ancestor and lead him here.”

"According to our ancestors, the will of Heaven is only instinctive. All things in the Green Mantis Realm depend on the Heavenly Dao for their existence. The Heavenly Dao should be high above and not care about any living beings."

"But the corruption of demonic energy will cause the Heavenly Dao to die, which is why the Heavenly Dao will take the initiative to communicate with the ancestors."

"But even though our ancestors fought desperately and detonated the Heavenly Dao, causing the entire Green Mantis Realm to shatter, they still could not destroy the Blood Sun."

"Even today, demonic energy still flows into this place through this crack from the blood sun, eroding the Heavenly Dao and destroying this fragment of the interface sooner or later."

"With the strength of my Green Mantis Clan alone, we are no match for Blood Sun. We can only ask you fellow Daoists for help."

"If the Blood Sun can be destroyed, the last fragment of the Heavenly Dao can be preserved, and the Green Mantis Clan can be saved from this dire situation, I will be eternally grateful!"

Having said that, the old green mantis raised its two bladed arms, clasped its hands in a bow to the crowd, a rather strange gesture, but anyone could see the sincerity in its heart.

The group exchanged glances, their faces beaming with joy.

Qi Yan, the demon general, said, "Fellow Daoist Fu, there is no need for such formalities. We also wish to lend you a hand, but we are helpless even with the demonic energy surging from that blood sun, let alone the blood sun itself."

The Demon General Guixiao said, "Indeed, this blood sun shines over a million miles of land. Even after the Green Mantis Realm was shattered thousands of years ago, it still continuously emits demonic energy, which shows its extraordinary power. It must at least be the work of the Demon Lord."

"Our cultivation is too low to shoulder this heavy responsibility."

"Although we are powerless to do anything about it, if we report this matter to the Demon King and Demon Saint, they will surely have a way to remove this blood sun and preserve the last fragment of the Heavenly Dao."

The old green mantis sighed, "I hope so. If we continue to delay, the green mantis clan will be wiped out sooner or later. I have no choice but to take a gamble."

"I only hope that the Demon King and Demon Saint will treat my Green Mantis Clan well, just as you fellow Daoists have said."

Qi Yan, the Demon General, pondered for a moment and asked, "May I ask Fellow Daoist Fu, how vast was the Green Mantis Realm before it was shattered? At its peak, how many powerful figures did the Green Mantis Clan have, and how did they compare to you, Fellow Daoist?"

The old Green Mantis's voice held a hint of reminiscence: "Before the Green Mantis Realm was shattered, it was hundreds of thousands of times larger than it is now."

"When the ancient demons invaded, the Green Mantis King Fu Suitian happened to be from my Fu clan."

"He is the most powerful king in the entire Green Mantis Clan throughout history, known as the 'Shattering Heaven King'. He has cultivated to the Dao Severing Realm, which is equivalent to the Ancient Demon Leader's realm."

"However, the ancient demon leader was too powerful. Shattered Heaven King tried his best to resist, but he was still no match for him."

"According to our ancestors, that battle was fierce and lasted for three years before the Shattered Heaven King was defeated and killed by the leader of the Ancient Demons. The Green Mantis Clan suffered a great defeat, and the entire Green Mantis Realm fell into the hands of the Ancient Demons."

Iron-Winged Demon General pressed on, "May I ask what realm you are in, and how you compare to the Shattered Heaven King?"

The old green mantis seemed somewhat displeased: "What virtue or ability do I possess to dare to compare myself with the Shattered Heaven King?"

"My Green Mantis Clan doesn't cultivate anything else, only these two blade arms."

"There are nine cultivation realms in total, from bottom to top: the Wood-Splitting Realm, the Wind-Slaying Realm, the Jade Realm, the Divine Edge Realm, the Sky-Breaking Realm, the Thousand Shadows Realm, the Heavenly Blade Realm, and the Dao-Slaying Realm."

"I am quite talented, and I believe I am no less than my ancestors. However, I lack spiritual energy. After more than seven hundred years of hard work, I have only reached the mid-stage of the Divine Edge Realm, which is far inferior to the Shattered Heaven King."

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed surprise. Yanhuang Demon General blurted out, "So, this Shattering Heaven King at the Dao Severing Realm is equivalent to the Great Sage of my Burning Demon Realm?"

Qi Yan, the Demon General, said with a solemn expression, "This matter is of great importance, and I must ask one more question: Did Fellow Daoist Fu exaggerate anything he said just now?"

The old green mantis solemnly said, "This is the legacy left to our bloodline by our ancestors. There is absolutely no falsehood in it; every word is true."

Everyone was overjoyed. If what the old green mantis said was true, that Shattered Heaven King who had reached the Dao Severing Realm was actually comparable to the Great Sage of the Burning Demon Realm!
Before the Green Mantis Realm shattered, it was still hundreds of billions of miles in size. Although it was far smaller than the Burning Demon Realm, it was still equivalent to two Holy Domains.

The ancient demon leader who killed the Shattered Heaven King should be a demon ancestor from the ancient demon realm.

This blood-red sun was the means by which the ancient demons invaded the Green Mantis Realm. It has been able to remain unbroken for thousands of years, and it contains such pure demonic energy that it must undoubtedly be a treasure.

Therefore, not only would the Ginseng Demon King and the Thunder Mountain Demon King be unable to possess this treasure, but even the Blood Tooth Demon Saint would likely be unable to do so, and it would very likely alarm the Mountain Moving Great Sage.

How precious must a treasure bestowed by a great sage be?
Let alone just giving them a chance to become a Demon King, it would probably be enough to give them a 100% chance of becoming a Demon King, so as not to offend the Great Sage.

Even the usually composed Demon General Qiyan was all smiles: "Fellow Daoist Fu, please rest assured. With just this Blood Sun, my Great Sage of the Demon Clan will personally take action to take it away. Moving the Green Mantis Clan into the Burning Demon Realm is a piece of cake."

Chen Yuan withdrew his gaze from the dark crack, a smile appearing on his lips, and slowly said, "It seems that this blood sun is our greatest gain from this trip. However, this matter is of great importance and cannot be taken lightly."

"The Blood Calendar has existed for thousands of years. Although demonic energy still emerges from it, the shattering of one of the realms cannot leave it unaffected. It is unknown how much power it still possesses."

"If we rashly report this matter and alarm the Great Sage Moving Mountains, it would be fine if the Blood Sun's damage was not significant."

"If the Blood Sun is severely damaged and its power is almost gone, the Great Sage's wrath will be beyond our ability to bear."

The demon general Guixiao nodded in approval, saying, "Fellow Daoist Beiming is absolutely right. When it comes to such a precious treasure, we must not act rashly."

“We are no different from ants in front of the Great Sage, and the rules set by the Great Sages have no binding force on the Great Sage Moving Mountains.”

Yanhuang Demon General frowned and asked, "Then what should we do?"

Iron Wing Demon General looked at Chen Yuan: "Since Fellow Daoist Bei Ming has raised this issue, you must already have a solution. Why not speak frankly?"

Everyone looked over, and Chen Yuan said calmly, "I think we should investigate this matter first before reporting it to the authorities."

"Ideally, we should be able to find evidence that this blood sun is indeed related to the Demon Ancestor, or at the very least, it is a treasure of the Demon Lord level."

"Otherwise, how could we persuade the Great Sage Moving Mountains to personally take action, collect the Blood Sun, and bestow a generous reward upon him with mere words?"

The Demon General Gui Xiao shook his head: "That's not right. We are only at the level of Demon Generals. That blood sun has almost become a celestial phenomenon. Even if its power is almost gone, it is still beyond our ability to investigate. Taking such a risk would be a loss."

Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "Fellow Daoist Gui Xiao is right, but no matter how powerful this Blood Sun is, it has been hanging in the sky above this fragment of the interface for thousands of years."

“Fellow Daoist Fu’s ancestor knew that it was the source of the Green Mantis Realm’s calamity, and with the protection of the Heavenly Dao, he was determined to destroy it. He must have known about it.”

He turned to the aged green mantis, clasped his hands in a respectful bow, and said, "Fellow Daoist Fu should have some understanding of that blood sun. May I ask what the specific situation is inside? Is it possible for us to enter it, or even approach the blood sun, to investigate?" (End of Chapter)