Nine Transformations of the True Spirit.

In Silver Tide City, towering buildings and palaces stand like a forest, crowds throng, streaks of light rise and fall, and demonic energy permeates the air.

Abundant spiritual energy emanated from the majestic mountains surrounding Silver Tide City, and under the constraints of the spirit-locking formation, it supplied the demon generals, demon commanders, and over ten thousand mixed-blood individuals and lowly slaves in the city for cultivation.

As the only demon city in the Bloodtooth Domain, Silver Tide City is home to thousands of demon generals, surpassing any demon king's cave.

The Demon Realm is filled with countless low-level demonic beasts, and the spiritual energy contained in the world is quite rich, with endless seventh-level demonic beasts.

Even if 99% of them fail to survive the tribulation, there are always a few lucky ones who can transform into human form.

As the numbers accumulated, the demon generals became as numerous as carp crossing a river, too many to count.

These wild demons have mediocre bloodlines and no foundation; advancing to the rank of demon general is already their limit.

Many were not even accepted by the Demon General, so they could only try their luck in Silver Tide City.

Advancing to the rank of Demon General is hundreds of times more difficult than passing the Transformation Tribulation. Every Demon General either has an extraordinary bloodline, a clan supporting them, or profound good fortune, which allows them to defy fate.

Logically speaking, they shouldn't have gathered in Silver Tide City; their proper course of action would have been to serve the Demon King and establish their own cave dwellings.

However, the Demon Burning Realm is only said to be vast and boundless; in reality, it still has its limits. The spiritual veins that can serve as the foundation for the Demon General's cave are even more limited, and over the long years, they have long been divided up.

To establish a cave dwelling, one must at least possess strength equivalent to a mid-level demon general.

For a low-ranking demon general to rule a territory, it is even more difficult; either their strength far surpasses that of other demon generals of the same rank, or they have a powerful background.

Those low-ranking demon generals with mediocre bloodlines and no hope of opening their own caves had no choice but to come to Silver Tide City to seek that elusive opportunity for advancement.

Whether they are demon generals or demon commanders, what they dream of is being chosen by the Bloodtooth Demon Saint, recruited into his ranks, and becoming a member of the Bloodtooth Army.

In name, the entire Bloodtooth Domain belongs to the Bloodtooth Demon Saint, but apart from the twenty-eight Demon King caves, it only has a direct territory of over a hundred million miles, which is smaller than many Demon King caves.

But this territory, spanning hundreds of millions of miles, contains spiritual veins and minerals, and the cultivation resources it produces surpass those of ten demon king caves.

A vast territory and countless treasures were all it took to support the Bloodtooth Army.

This demon army has over ten thousand members and is completely under the command of the Bloodtooth Demon Saint. Ordinary soldiers have the cultivation level of demon generals, there are over a thousand demon commanders, and three demon kings as commanders, making them capable of running rampant in the Bloodtooth Domain.

In addition to the demon generals and commanders who have always followed the Bloodtooth Demon Saint, the Bloodtooth Army also recruits from Silver Tide City, but the standards are quite strict and very few people can be selected.

Only by joining the Bloodtooth Army can one enter the Silver Tide Mountains near Silver Tide City, absorb the spiritual energy of large spiritual veins, nourish one's physical body, improve one's cultivation, and even surpass the Demon King's confidants.

However, the Bloodtooth Army has many restrictions. Once you join, you can never leave. You also have to frequently enter Turtle Island to fight against human cultivators, resulting in a high casualty rate.

Otherwise, many powerful demon generals and demon commanders would have joined them, and it wouldn't have been the turn of these mediocre people.

On this day, two streaks of light flew out of Silver Tide City and arrived outside the Silver Tide Mountains, which were heavily guarded by the Bloodtooth Army.

The Bloodtooth Demon Saint's cave is located deep in the mountains, but like other demon kings' caves, it is not equipped with any formations, and only the soldiers of the Bloodtooth Army patrol around it.

The demon race originally also possessed various cultivation techniques, but they placed too much emphasis on bloodline and physical body, and greatly disregarded these external things, making them far inferior to the human race.

Since the human cultivator army invaded the Burning Demon Realm, they once occupied two continents and demonstrated their formidable strength.

The various mysterious magical treasures, formations, and talismans dazzled the demon race, who no longer dared to underestimate the myriad arts of cultivation and had been striving to learn from the human race for 300,000 years.

However, due to inherent limitations, the demon race's mastery of various cultivation arts is far inferior to that of the human race, and their knowledge of formations, which involve many fields, is extremely backward.

In particular, the defensive formations are the most important secrets of various sects and families among the human race.

The progress of the demon race has been extremely slow. Even the mighty demon saints have found it difficult to maintain the great array that covers the entire mountain range year after year.

At most, formations can be temporarily set up during battles, and then taken down after the battle ends, otherwise the consumption of spirit stones would be too great and not worth the effort.

Only the Great Sage could spare no expense, using the immense spiritual energy of the giant spiritual vein to support a defensive array.

A mid-level demon general from the Bloodtooth Army met the two streaks of light, feigning solemnity but revealing a hint of laziness in his eyes.

No one dared to offend the Demon Saint's residence, and the Bloodtooth Army soldiers patrolling the Silver Tide Mountains were quite idle, merely going through the motions.

No matter how many demon generals there are in Silver Tide City, they have all undergone tribulation and transformed into human form, and are now true demons.

If it weren't for having those strangely shaped low-level demonic beasts patrolling, the Bloodtooth Army would never have taken on this task, as it would damage the Demon Saint's reputation.

The mid-level demon general asked lazily, "Who goes there?"

Besides the Bloodtooth Demon Saint, the Silver Tide Mountains are also inhabited by the Bloodtooth Demon Saint's clansmen, thousands of Bloodtooth soldiers, and many demon generals and commanders under the Demon Saint's command.

If it weren't for the need to cultivate using a large spiritual vein, they would most likely prefer to move into the bustling Silver Tide City.

People occasionally come into the mountains to visit friends; as long as their origin is known, they can be allowed to pass.

The two streaks of light stopped. One of the figures was slightly thin, with a dignified appearance. He looked to be around forty years old and was dressed in a blue outfit embroidered with lightning patterns.

The other person was dressed in a green outfit, with a sallow complexion and a slightly stiff expression, like a puppet, giving off an eerie feeling.

The man in blue glanced at the demon general, his aura surging outwards, and said calmly, "I, King Lei Shan, have come with Fellow Daoist Shi Mu to pay our respects to the Demon Saint."

This wisp of energy landed on the demon general, as heavy as a mountain, as deep as an abyss, and his body immediately fell downwards, his expression changing drastically.

But the next moment, the aura disappeared. The demon general quickly steadied himself and bowed deeply to the two: "Please follow me, my two demon kings."

……

Two hours later, the Thunder Mountain Demon King and the Wood Erosion Demon King finally met the Blood Tooth Demon Saint in a grand hall.

This demon saint, who has ruled the Bloodtooth Domain for hundreds of thousands of years, has a rather unpleasant appearance. He is thin and has a slightly lewd face. His small eyes are black and bright, revealing a shrewd look, and he has a somewhat rat-like appearance.

He leaned back on the stone chair, looking somewhat tired, with a hint of weariness in his eyes.

Dressed in a dull and rough light gray outfit, the two demon kings knew very well that it was a first-grade spiritual treasure weapon forged primarily from the hide of an ancient ferocious beast, with endless wonders.

The two demon kings were always imposing without being angry, and the Wood-Eating Demon King, in particular, had a stiff and cold expression due to his true form.

But in front of the Bloodtooth Demon Saint, they finally showed some respect, clasped their hands and bowed respectfully.

The Bloodtooth Demon Saint glanced at the two men with interest and waved his hand, "No need for formalities. You two have just stopped fighting, why are you here instead of resting and recuperating?"

The Thunder Mountain Demon King and the Wood Erosion Demon King harbored deep resentment and had always been at odds. The Blood Tooth Demon Saint was naturally aware of this, otherwise he would not have arranged their territories in the same place.

The Wood-Eating Demon King has a long lifespan, and his territory has remained unchanged since he was promoted to Demon King.

However, after Leishan Demon King advanced to the late stage of Void Refinement, another demon king died unexpectedly, and only then was he granted his current territory by Bloodtooth Demon Saint.

One reason is that this territory is extremely rich, while the original territory of the Thunder Mountain Demon King was rather barren, which was not commensurate with his status as a late-stage Void Refinement Demon King.

On the other hand, the Thunder Mountain Demon King's sharp edge is too great, and the Wood Erosion Demon King's accumulation is too profound. They are showing signs of breaking away from the Blood Tooth Demon Saint's control. Making their caves adjacent to each other is the only way to keep them in check.

In the Demon Realm, the relationship between the Demon King and the Demon Saint is quite complex.

The Great Sages reside at the pinnacle of the Demon Realm, their sacred domain vast and boundless. They command countless demons, yet face the formidable enemy of the human race of the Spirit Realm. While not entirely selfless, they have nonetheless supported the entire demon race. It is for this reason that the Great Sages have established numerous rules, even those that contradict the demon race's inherently dog-eat-dog nature, to prevent them from descending into endless internal strife.

Low-level demonic beasts are too weak and too numerous, and they are not qualified to open caves. No matter how they fight, no one cares, which can give birth to more demonic generals.

There are numerous demon generals and demon commanders, and although their battles are somewhat restricted, they are still extremely fierce.

Especially for demon generals, their territories are small, yet the offerings are quite heavy. Their territories change hands very frequently, and they are almost constantly fighting with other demon generals.

The number of demon generals is far less than that of demon commanders, and they are still the main force fighting against the human army, so there are more restrictions on their struggles against each other.

And demon kings are a hundred times rarer than demon generals.

Every demon king is a backbone force in the Demon Burning Realm.

The Demon Saint Society intentionally restricts infighting among its demon kings, both to reduce their losses and to prevent them from becoming too powerful and turning against the Demon Saint.

According to the rules set by the Great Sages, as long as the demon race defeats an opponent of the same level, they can receive compensation for cultivation resources, or even directly occupy its territory.

The offerings that the Demon King needs to pay are much less than those of the Demon Generals and Demon Commanders, so they are not difficult for him to bear.

The Demon King has already come into contact with the power of laws, and his lifespan is at least tens of thousands of years. He is no longer a "Gu worm" like a demon general or demon commander.

People like the Thunder Mountain Demon King and the Wood Erosion Demon King, who are expected to advance to the level of Demon Saint, have even been heard of by the Great Sage Moving Mountains.

If they expand in all directions and each annex several demon king caves, they will be encroaching on the interests of the Bloodtooth Demon Saint.

That's why he intentionally tried to balance things out, and used a treasure like the Chengying Flower, employing many methods, even inducing the two to become enemies, in order to make them behave themselves.

Otherwise, if the two insist on waging war against other demon kings and annexing their territories, even the Bloodtooth Demon Saint cannot forcibly stop them.

These two powerful demon kings, who harbored deep-seated grudges, came together at the Silver Tide Mountains today, much to the surprise of even the Bloodtooth Demon Saint.

The Thunder Mountain Demon King said in a deep voice, "The two of us have come here today to ask the Demon Saint to use the Heavenly Evolution Technique to deduce the whereabouts of a Demon General."

The Wood-Eating Demon King continued, "This demon general was dressed in black, wearing a gold-threaded openwork mask. He possessed thunder blood and could summon heavenly lightning. His power was extremely formidable, instantly killing a mid-level demon general..."

He briefly recounted how the demon general of the Wood-Eroding Cave had been attacked and killed by men in black.

The Thunder Mountain Demon King added, "This demon general likely possesses a potent, corrosive poison that could threaten the Demon King himself. It may have been the work of his accomplices who killed several demon generals in my Thunder Mountain Cave."

Bloodtooth Demon Saint nodded slightly: "I have also heard about this matter. Lei Shan, is this man in black really not one of your demon generals?"

The Thunder Mountain Demon King said solemnly, "How dare I disobey the rules set by the Great Sages and secretly assassinate the demon general under the command of the Wood Erosion Demon King?"

"After this man in black appeared, Shi Mu sent someone to question me, but because of my grudge against Shi Mu, I didn't take it to heart. But this man has nothing to do with me."

"Afterwards, one of my demon generals died from the corrosive poison. Without a thorough investigation, in a fit of rage, I sent a challenge to the Corrosive Wood, and we fought a fierce battle for twenty years."

"We both wish to cease hostilities, but two of my high-ranking demon generals have died from the corrosive poison. There must be something fishy about this."

"However, the person who made the move was elusive. Apart from using the Thunder Dao Divine Power and employing a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the human race to lure out the Demon General, they left no clues whatsoever, making it impossible to investigate."

"Only then did we set aside our past grievances and come together to pay our respects to the Demon Saint."

"I implore the Demon Saint to use the Heavenly Evolution Technique to search for this person's whereabouts and find out who is behind him."

The Wood-Eating Demon King chimed in, "We have heard that the Heavenly Evolution Technique comes at a high price, but we do not know exactly what kind of treasures are required. We would be grateful if the Demon Saint could give us some guidance, and we will certainly gather all the necessary items."

Bloodtooth Demon Saint frowned: "The Heavenly Evolution Technique... I have not mastered this technique, so I am unable to help you."

The two demon kings were taken aback. The Wood-Eating Demon King asked, "May I ask which demon saint is capable of performing the Heavenly Evolution Technique?"

The Bloodtooth Demon Saint said, "I do know a fellow Daoist who is skilled in the Heavenly Evolution Technique and can certainly deduce this person's whereabouts, but he cannot make a move."

The Thunder Mountain Demon King asked in bewilderment, "Why is that?"

The Bloodtooth Demon Saint pondered for a moment, then asked instead of answering, "Do you two know what the Heavenly Evolution Technique is?"

The Demon King of Leishan shook his head: "Please enlighten me, Demon King."

The Wood-Eating Demon King said, "I have heard of this technique. It requires at least the cultivation of a Demon Saint to perform, and the price is not small."

"Furthermore, the difficulty of performing the Heavenly Evolution Technique varies greatly depending on the interface."

“I once had a demon general under my command who ascended from the lower realm.”

"He had personally witnessed other demon generals using the Heavenly Evolution Technique, but it must be much more difficult in the Demon Burning Realm."

Bloodtooth Demon Saint straightened up slightly and slowly said, "That's right. The so-called Heavenly Evolution Technique is to offer treasures and ask the Heavenly Dao for guidance, to divine people and things. It is extremely mysterious."

"This technique, once you look at the soul, reveals the ethereal nature of the Heavenly Dao, containing boundless secrets of the heavens. If the soul is not strong enough, when communicating with the Heavenly Dao, at best the soul will be severely damaged, at worst one will die on the spot."

"Secondly, examine whether the treasure is valuable. If it cannot arouse the interest of the Heavenly Dao, the Heavenly Evolution Technique cannot be used."

"The Heavenly Dao of the Burning Demon Realm is so powerful that it cannot be compared to the lower realms."

"To perform the Heavenly Evolution Technique, one needs to consume one's divine soul and possess extremely precious treasures, which even I cannot afford. Where will you find such treasures?"

"Even if you could produce such rare treasures, that fellow Daoist would not expend his divine soul to calculate the whereabouts of a mere demon general for you."

Both of them wore expressions of disappointment. The Wood-Eating Demon King murmured, "Does the Heavenly Dao truly exist in this world?"

The Bloodtooth Demon Saint said calmly, "The Heavenly Dao is ethereal and elusive. I have only heard a few words about it from that fellow Daoist, and he only has a superficial understanding of it."

"What exactly the Heavenly Way looks like, only the Great Sage probably knows."

The Thunder Mountain Demon King's eyes flashed, and he lowered his head slightly, saying, "That man in black violated the rules set by the Great Sages, secretly attacked the Demon General, and instigated me to fight against the Erosion Wood. There is likely someone else behind him, and his crime is unforgivable."

"Since we cannot use the Heavenly Evolution Technique, we implore the Demon Saint to order the other Demon Kings to send out their Demon Generals to set up a net to find this person's whereabouts and investigate the reasons behind it."

The Wood-Eating Demon King also spoke up, pleading for permission. The Blood Tooth Demon Saint pondered for a moment and nodded slightly: "This man in black has been causing trouble in the Blood Tooth Domain and should not be let off lightly."

"However, to avoid alerting the enemy, there is no need to have other demon kings send out demon generals."

"I will assign fifty demon generals from the Bloodtooth Army to serve under your command for the next ten years."

"And have the stewards of the Blazing Blood Hall secretly investigate, and report back immediately if there is any news."

“As long as this man in black doesn’t fall from the sky, whether he’s from the Bloodtooth Domain or comes from outside the domain, he has nowhere to hide.”

The two men were delighted and immediately bowed down to express their gratitude.

The Blazing Blood Hall has cultivated countless spies throughout the Blood Tooth Domain, specifically to gather information for the Blood Tooth Demon Saint. It is said that they have been operating for 100,000 years and their information network is extremely efficient.

Although they lack the Heavenly Evolution Technique, with the Bloodtooth Army Demon Commander setting up an ambush and the Blazing Blood Hall providing covert assistance, ten years should be enough time to ascertain the identity of the man in black and even capture him directly.

The two were about to take their leave when the Bloodtooth Demon Saint called them back: "I was just about to issue a decree. Since you two are here, I might as well tell you in person so you can make preparations as soon as you return..." (End of this chapter)