C23 The Secret of Green Lion Demon King

The takeover of Flying Eagle Ridge by the Feather Clan's Great Demons went smoothly. Upon witnessing a fully transformed Great Demon's arrival, they mistook him for the second Demon King of Pitfall Mountain. Lacking even a single Demon General among them, their submission was immediate and unquestioning.

Chen Ming was now well aware of Flying Eagle Ridge's capabilities, with thirty-six Great Demons at the Dao Entering Stage. However, to the Green Lion Demon King, such a force was insignificant. Pitfall Mountain, a true powerhouse, boasted hundreds of Great Demons and reigned supreme at the edge of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Nevertheless, the area around Pitfall Mountain was rife with other Demon Kings, and friction between them was constant.

Chen Ming pondered how to shift Pitfall Mountain's focus away from Yan Kingdom, consumed by the thought of stirring up major news within their domain.

To create a sensation, he needed to pinpoint where the most intense conflicts lay. Consequently, Chen Ming dispatched his Great Demons to gather intelligence—the more sensational, the better.

"Lord, we've found that the Bull Demon General has developed a taste for deer meat lately. His gaze towards the Deer Demon General seems rather peculiar!"

"Lord, the Deer Demon General was seen entering a cave with a sow. When he emerged, he was dressing himself and wore a look of utter contentment!"

No, your news is certainly sensational, but utterly pointless!

"Lord, the White Wolf Demon General was seen secretly infiltrating the Bull Demon General's territory..."

A spark of interest ignited in Chen Ming. Trouble was brewing between the two, it seemed. These influential Demon Generals were colluding, and the Bull was none other than the Green Lion Demon King's personal guard. Resting his chin on his hand, Chen Ming inquired, "And then what?"

The black hawk Great Demon grinned slyly and reported, "It's unclear what the White Wolf Demon General did to the cows under the Bull Demon General's command, but suddenly, his own forces have taken up drinking milk!"

Chen Ming, exasperated, sent the black hawk flying with a slap. "Out of my sight!"

What a bunch of incompetents. They'd be squandering their talents if they weren't journalists!

The black hawk returned, nursing his face. Chen Ming fixed his gaze on him and asked, "Do you have any other information?"

The black hawk gave a nod of acknowledgment.

Chen Ming's voice was laced with suspicion, "Not more rumors, I hope?"

The black hawk didn't fully grasp the meaning of Chen Ming's 'rumors,' but faithfully reported, "I've observed that the Ape Demon General has been sneaking into the Green Lion Demon King's private chambers during his absence."

A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Ming's eyes. He hadn't expected the Ape Demon General, with his bushy eyebrows and large eyes, to turn traitor. This Demon General had to be a spy dispatched by another Demon King, intent on infiltrating the Green Lion Demon King's lair to pilfer his secrets!

Chen Ming gave a nod, "Very well, you're dismissed. I'm eager to uncover what mischief the Ape Demon General is plotting."

With the Fire Crow Spell at his command, Chen Ming transformed into a raven black as night. Having condensed a Dao Seed through his Fire Crow Spell, assuming the form of a crow came as naturally to him as it did for demons who had cultivated their own Dao Seeds to take human shape. Having mastered the demonic cultivation technique, becoming a crow was second nature to him.

Soaring into the sky, Chen Ming brought the Dao Palace of his Dao Scripture to the forefront. The spiritual energy it generated was unattributed, and with only the first layer cultivated, it was indistinguishable from not having cultivated at all. To any onlooker, he was nothing more than a common crow.

In his crow form, Chen Ming lay in wait outside the Ape Demon General's cave, biding his time for the next foray into the Green Lion Demon King's chamber.

Unexpectedly, as night deepened, it wasn't the Ape Demon General who emerged but the White Wolf Demon General. Chen Ming pondered, could there be an alliance between these two?

As the White Wolf Demon General slipped into the Ape Demon General's cave, Chen Ming perched at the entrance, peering inside. The Ape Demon General revealed, "The Green Lion Demon King's Spirit Devouring Technique is nearing its zenith, soon to achieve Great Perfection. His hunger for power grows ever more insatiable."

The White Wolf Demon General responded, "We've nearly exhausted the unaffiliated Great Demons for capture. Our only option now is to boldly snatch Great Demons from the realms of other Demon Kings."

The Ape Demon General asserted, “With our combined strength, as long as we don't encounter another Demon General, we'll remain undetected by the other Demon Kings. We're in a critical phase for the Demon King, and we can't afford any slip-ups.”

The White Wolf Demon General chuckled, “What's there to fear? Once we get through this stretch, and the Lord Green Lion Demon King ascends to the rank of Great Demon King, we'll be hailed as heroes and will surely rise to become Demon Kings ourselves!”

Dressed in black with only their eyes visible, the two demons stepped onto the Demon Clouds and whisked away into the night.

Perched atop a lesser demon's spear, Chen Ming realized that the Ape Demon General hadn't betrayed them; he was executing the Azure Lion's covert command. What was this cultivation technique that devoured other great demons?

The demon holding the spear was nodding off when he spotted a crow on his weapon. “Hahaha, what luck—a crow falling right from the sky! I'll catch it and roast it!”

Chen Ming gave the lesser demon a dismissive glance and took to the air, ignoring him and following the White Wolf Demon General and the Ape Demon General.

The cover of night afforded Chen Ming the perfect camouflage, and his ordinary crow appearance allowed him to tail the two Demon Generals undetected. He followed them all the way to the territory of White Fox Mountain, ruled by the Demon King known as the White Fox King—a three-tailed fox with considerable influence. Yet, this ruler preferred neutrality over warfare.

The White Wolf Demon General and the Ape Demon General infiltrated a Demon Cave with ease, incapacitating a great demon before proceeding to capture four more, then slipped away under the veil of darkness.

“This mission went off without a hitch,” remarked the White Wolf Demon General. “Plus, we're at the juncture between White Fox Mountain and the Ten Thousand Snake Cave. It's unlikely they'll suspect us. We mustn't capture too many great demons, or we'll draw the White Fox Mountain's attention. Time to leave!”

The Ape Demon General nodded in agreement. “Right, let's get these Great Demons to the dungeon first.”

Chen Ming shadowed the pair until they reached the dungeon they spoke of, just before dawn. It was nestled in the abyss beneath Pitfall Mountain. They descended a winding stone path etched into the abyss's wall, traveling three miles down to the dungeon they had mentioned.

Chen Ming perched on the railing along the stone pathway, peering down at the many cells carved into the abyss wall, each imprisoning more than a dozen formidable demons.

The Green Lion Demon King, his eyes a fierce blood-red, transformed into an Azure Lion three zhang in length. With a gaping maw, he devoured a Great Demon in one fell swoop.

Having consumed the Great Demon, the Green Lion Demon King settled into a meditative pose, channeling his mana to assimilate the creature's essence. Two hours later, Chen Ming observed with clarity the Demon King's threat level rise by a single point, hitting a total of 532!

This Green Lion Demon King possessed a remarkable technique that could swiftly bolster his power. Given a few more years of such feasting, might he not ascend to the rank of Great Demon King? By then, even with Chen Ming's enhanced Spirit Sense, he might find himself outmatched.

After the White Wolf Demon General and the Ape Demon General had finished their reports and departed, the Green Lion Demon King licked his lips in anticipation. "The mere act of consuming one Great Demon yields such benefits. If I were to devour Ya Wudao, this Great Demon infused with a Dao Seed, I can only imagine the surge in strength. But the time is not yet ripe. Devouring Ya Wudao now would leave my four Demon Generals vulnerable. I must grow stronger still. Then, when the moment is right, ha ha ha, what's to stop me from consuming all that exists in this world?"