Following Jin Yu, they flew deep into the Monster Wind Mountains for more than a month before finally arriving in the heart of the demon territory.
Jin Yu was the golden-haired demon cultivator's self-proclaimed name, sounding somewhat like a human name. This demon also held a rather special position in the Demon King's Hall, often traveling in human territories. After all, once reaching this level of cultivation, some rules naturally became mere formalities.
Through this demon's introduction, Zhang Ling also learned a lot about the demon race.
Many transformed demons lived in the Monster Wind Mountains, mostly occupying their own areas, and the demon cultivators did not interact with each other very often.
He also learned about the agreement between these demon cultivators and the human race's Nascent Soul old monsters.
Human Nascent Soul cultivators were not allowed to enter the depths of the Monster Wind Mountains at will. If they were not discovered, it would be fine, but once discovered, it would not be easy to leave.
Of course, demons could not go to the human race at will either, and if exposed, they would be attacked by the crowd.
However, there was one exception, which was the Demon Hidden Valley near Myriad Manifestation City. The demon kings there could come and go at will, but naturally they could not attack at will in human territory.
The Demon Hidden Valley was just a demon force established by a small number of relatively peaceful demons who coexisted with humans. There were many demons in the Monster Wind Mountains who were extremely hostile to humans, and some friction occurred from time to time.
These transformed demons acted far more domineering than the human Nascent Soul old monsters. After all, most demons had no ties, and even if they had a race, they rarely cared.
Of course, some large groups had given birth to many demon cultivators, and a very small number of demon cultivators would also unite to form small forces. However, compared to the human race, these demon cultivators were much more scattered.
As for Golden Core cultivators like him, or low-level cultivators, there was no such agreement. But thinking about it, with their strength, they simply could not reach the depths of the Monster Wind Mountains, so there was no need to do so.
As for low-level demons, they were only considered beasts in the eyes of transformed demons and were rarely managed.
The groups of demons he had seen when he first entered the Monster Wind Mountains were only a special case. They had gathered because of the wild beast tide.
In addition, Zhang Ling also received news that the turbid Qi and wild beast tide were now coming to an end.
This outbreak of turbid Qi was much more violent than in the past. Many cultivators and low-level demons were killed or injured. It was said that three or four Nascent Soul-level old monsters had died, and several medium-sized islands had been breached.
The most powerful wave of beasts three years ago even saw the appearance of more than ten eighth-order wild beasts and a massive number of high-level wild beasts. It took more than a month to be resisted by the cultivators near Myriad Manifestation City.
The demon race was not easy either. The northwest area of the Monster Wind Mountains, a hundred thousand miles in area, had been invaded by turbid Qi, and many low-level demons had been transformed into wild beasts, forming a huge wave of beasts.
Fortunately, with the slaughter of several demon cultivators, these low-level wild beast groups naturally could not cause much trouble.
The turbid Qi outbreak, which lasted for five or six years, had basically subsided, and the entire Raging Cloud Sea cultivation world gradually returned to its former state.
On this day, Zhang Ling and Xuan Gui followed Jin Yu and saw a forest of fiery red.
Looking around, everything in front of them was red, with no end in sight. The surrounding mountains and forests were full of tall ancient trees, with many red leaves like maple leaves growing on them.
Zhang Ling recognized at a glance that this was a second-grade spiritual wood, Scarlet Ironwood. Although the grade was not high, it was enough to refine top-grade magic weapons. This large area of Scarlet Ironwood was definitely a good spiritual wood resource.
At the same time, he could also sense that the surrounding spiritual energy fluctuations were very strong, suggesting that there was a good spiritual vein.
Jin Yu led them directly to a high mountain and landed in a rocky area in the Ironwood forest. Then, this demon let out a sharp scream, the sound long and piercing, constantly spreading into the distance, lasting for more than ten seconds before disappearing.
This was a gray-white rocky area, covering most of the top of the mountain. The rocks seemed ordinary, but Zhang Ling instantly discovered that this seemed to be a ruin.
Some of the stones still had some spiritual patterns and demon characters on them, but they had basically weathered away over time. Weeds grew everywhere.
"Brother Jin, is this the ancestral land of the demon race?" Xuan Gui asked in a muffled voice, looking at the desolate scene around him.
Within a hundred miles, apart from some low-level demons, he did not sense the aura of any transformed demons.
"This is Fire Ape Mountain. The entrance to the Demon King's Hall is in this mountain range. The surrounding area of ten thousand miles is the territory of a group of Scarlet Fire Apes. These guys are not easy to mess with. There is a Great Ape King in the group who has reached the ninth-order peak, half a step away from entering the final stage of transformation."
Scarlet Fire Ape!
Zhang Ling was shocked. Scarlet Fire Apes were a rare type of heaven and earth spirit beast, born with the ability to control fire-attribute spiritual power, and their strength was no weaker than that of dragon-like demons. A ninth-order peak Scarlet Fire Ape could probably fight against a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in the human race.
At this moment, a burst of wild laughter came from the horizon. The sound was deep and low, shaking people's eardrums.
Even the clouds in the sky dissipated, the trees rustled, and the weeds underfoot flew around, as if some huge monster was about to arrive.
Along with the sound, a gust of crimson whirlwind swept in from not far away, approaching rapidly. The wind mass was not large, but Zhang Ling instantly sensed the violent fire spiritual power contained within. A hot gust of wind rushed towards him.
"Ape Five, why is it you? Wasn't Old Three guarding the entrance for the past hundred years? It's actually you who came to greet us." Jin Yu saw the approaching whirlwind and ridiculed without politeness. Obviously, he was very familiar with the demon cultivator in the wind.
"Hmph, you bald bird, weren't you sent to the north to resist the turbid Qi a few years ago? You're back so soon. Is the beast tide over?"
"Old Five, since you are guarding the entrance, I won't say much. This is Fellow Daoist Xuan Ling who has just passed the transformation thunder tribulation. We want to enter the Demon King's Hall once, let us pass."
"Oh, just advanced, that's rare."
As he spoke, the red wind mass arrived in front of them, revealing a tall figure.
This person was burly, about ten feet tall, with his upper body exposed, revealing a body of muscles. His lower body was only wrapped in a black fur coat. His face was crimson red, especially his big red nose, looking quite like a big man, quite狰狞.
This demon glanced at Xuan Gui, and his gaze turned to Zhang Ling.
Zhang Ling immediately felt as if a huge force was pressing down on his body, and he quickly circulated his cultivation technique, and the abnormality on his body improved a lot.
This demon stared at him and shouted with dissatisfaction. "Why bring a human to the ancestral land?"
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Ape. I have some connection with this human cultivator. I hope Fellow Daoist Ape will be more tolerant." Xuan Gui flashed in front of Zhang Ling and cupped his fists.
"Hehe, human cultivators rarely come to this place. Since you're here, then..." This demon glanced at Xuan Gui, smiled hehe, revealing a row of white teeth, looking kind, but while he was talking, a flash of fire appeared behind him, and a red shadow rushed over.
Xuan Gui's face sank, and with a wave of his hand, a layer of black spiritual light formed a layer of protection in front of him. With a loud bang, the red shadow hit it, and a burst of giant force came. He couldn't help but take half a step back, and cracks appeared under his feet.
The black spiritual light trembled a few times, and with a few pops, it was actually broken through. Xuan Gui quickly opened his mouth and spat out a cloud of ice mist, forming a thick ice wall.
But the red shadow did not hit the giant ice, but turned a corner without warning, bypassing it like an arc, and hit Zhang Ling, who was behind.
Zhang Ling had been vigilant against this suddenly unkind demon cultivator. His hands clapped quickly, and a mass of condensed yellow spiritual light appeared in front of him. At the same time, a large area of earth and stone rose from the ground, and his figure retreated several feet.
At the same time, the Two Instruments Gourd appeared in his hand, and a large area of Heavenly Star Sand protected his whole body.
But a flash of red light appeared in front of him, and with a few muffled bangs, the earth and stone blocking in front of him instantly shattered, and a thick red light slashed over like a whip.
Seeing this scene, Zhang Ling cursed inwardly. This demon seemed to really want to kill him with one blow.
With a thought, the second Nascent Soul immediately controlled Xuan Gui to come in front of him, and his two arms instantly turned into two dark giant claws, grabbing the red shadow in his hand like lightning.
Looking closely, the red shadow was actually a furry tail.
A burst of extreme cold power emerged from his claws, and he was about to freeze the tail in his hand directly. But he saw the red fur tail twisting quickly a few times, and like a slippery loach, it instantly broke free from the shackles.
With a flash of red light, it directly disappeared into the back of the ape demon.
"Haha, why are you two angry for a human? Ape Five, this person is Xuan Ling's servant, just let him stay here, it's the right thing for you to take us into the Demon King's Hall." Jin Yu laughed and smoothed things over, but the smile on his face was quite strange, with a look of watching the show.
Zhang Ling couldn't help but secretly say, these transformed demon cultivators are really not easy to get along with. They started fighting as soon as they met. Was it because he was a human cultivator, or did they want to test Xuan Gui's strength?
"Hmph, since he is a friend's servant, then forget it." The ape demon grinned and smiled, not caring. But he turned his head and said coldly to Zhang Ling.
"Boy, this area within a thousand miles is this king's territory, you just stay here, your range of activity is limited to this forest, if you go out, hehe..."
The demon didn't finish his words, but Zhang Ling naturally understood what he meant. Although he was unhappy, he quickly and respectfully expressed his position. "Don't worry, Demon King, I will stay here quietly."
This demon king didn't seem to hear his words. At the same time as he spoke, a ball of crimson wind rose from his body, turning into a wind mass and flying towards another direction. Jin Yu and Xuan Gui naturally followed quickly.
In a moment, only Zhang Ling was left in this forest of rocks.
He immediately scanned the surrounding area of thirty to forty miles with his divine sense, and shook his head with a wry smile. Then, with a stomp of his foot, a square stone platform rose from the ground, and he sat cross-legged on it and began to meditate.
When he scanned this mountain forest with his divine sense just now, he immediately discovered many auras. Some were strong and some were weak, obviously there were many demons living in the mountain forest. Among them, there were more than a dozen auras that were no weaker than Golden Core cultivators, presumably they were all high-level demons.
However, he really didn't sense the aura of any other transformed demons, which made Zhang Ling feel a lot more at ease.
It seemed that he really had to stay here first. This was the heart of the Monster Wind Mountains, and he, a human cultivator, should not act rashly.
He didn't know how long it would take for Xuan Gui to enter the Demon King's Hall, and he didn't want to stay here for too long. Zhang Ling thought to himself, and directly contacted Xuan Gui's mind.
At this moment, Xuan Gui followed the two demons into a mountain stream not far away, walking down the wide stone steps one by one.
Both sides of the stone steps were green stone walls, and you could see many strange spiritual patterns engraved on them. However, there was no spiritual energy emanating from them, and he didn't know if the restrictions hadn't been activated, or if there was something strange.
"It turns out that Fellow Daoist has only passed the transformation thunder tribulation for more than a month, but seeing your spiritual power condensed, it doesn't seem like you just passed the transformation thunder tribulation. Could it be that you have had some adventure?" Ape Five, who was walking with big strides, suddenly turned his head and glanced at Xuan Gui with great interest.
Obviously, Jin Yu had told him about his situation. Xuan Gui just shook his head woodenly and said in a deep voice. "I don't have any adventures, I just followed human cultivators before my spiritual intelligence was opened. My spiritual intelligence was opened earlier than ordinary demons."
Jin Yu had actually asked this question before, and Xuan Gui had answered it so casually.
But Zhang Ling roughly guessed the reason in his heart. The appearance of the transformation thunder tribulation was probably mainly caused by the second Nascent Soul. After all, Xuan Gui had already reached the eighth-order demon level, which is why he had this performance.
Ordinary seventh-order demons who passed the transformation thunder tribulation would not be able to consolidate their cultivation so easily, and there would be a period of weakness.
He would naturally not tell these two demon cultivators about this secret of Xuan Gui himself.
"Fellow Daoist has also been a spirit beast, is it that kid outside? Could it be that your life spirit plate is still in that person's hands, and you are afraid of something. With our strength, we can kill him in an instant. If I had stood by and watched just now, that kid would have had no chance of survival."
Firelight rose in Ape Five's big hand, and with a bang, it was blown up by him, turning into countless sparks and scattering. He seemed to dislike human cultivators very much.
"Brother Ape misunderstood, although I was a spirit beast for a while, I have already obtained my life soul plate, and I am naturally not controlled by others. Speaking of which, it was that kid outside who returned my life soul plate on his own initiative, otherwise I would not have left him." Xuan Gui shook his head and explained. He had made up a lie casually before in order to gain Jin Yu's trust, and now he told Ape Five again.
At that time, it was just to find an excuse to protect his body and avoid conflict with the demon cultivators. He didn't expect that the ape demon he met was also very interested in his affairs.
High-level demons who are spirit beasts of human cultivators are generally controlled by life soul plates. Once the soul plate falls into the hands of other cultivators, they can easily control him. This is the most common means for cultivators to control high-level spirit beasts, and it seems that these demon cultivators are very taboo about this matter.
Hearing his explanation, Ape Five was stunned for a moment.
