The spiritual energy was restored, and he became a mortal immortal in two days.

The smile deepened, wrinkles piled up, like a blooming chrysanthemum, yet it exuded a chilling, sinister aura.

"The Third Princess is truly intelligent."

Yin Jiuyou's voice changed. It was no longer the old and dry voice it used to have, but had become soft and smooth, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue.

"However, I watch the play not to judge who wins or loses."

He slowly stood up, and the dark clouds beneath him churned and contracted, eventually transforming into a long, pure black robe that draped over his body.

As he straightened his body, his hunched back straightened, his emaciated body began to swell, and countless living things seemed to wriggle beneath his withered skin, his bones making a "crackling" sound.

Wu Minghuang's pupils contracted slightly, and she instinctively took half a step back.

The wrinkles on Yin Jiuyou's face quickly smoothed out, his loose skin became firm, and his gray hair turned black from the roots and grew rapidly.

In the span of three breaths, the man standing there was no longer the old man on the verge of death, but a man with a delicate and handsome face who looked to be no more than thirty years old.

His skin was pale, almost transparent, but his lips were as red as blood. In his long, narrow phoenix eyes, the pupils were pure black, without a trace of white, so deep that they seemed to absorb all light.

A faint black demonic aura swirled around him, causing the vegetation where he stood to wither and decay rapidly, and even the rocks to be covered with a layer of deathly grayness.

"you......"

Alarm bells rang in Wu Minghuang's mind, and the Heavenly Phoenix Golden Core circulated wildly, with crimson-gold Phoenix True Fire bursting out from his body, forming a flame barrier around him.

"Let's get to know each other again."

Yin Jiuyou, or rather, the demonic cultivator who had now revealed his true form, bowed slightly, his movements elegant yet carrying a nauseatingly sinister quality.

"My name is Yin Jiuyou, but that's just an alias."

"My real name is... You can call me 'Thousand-Faced Demon Lord'."

He smiled slightly, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "As for my identity, I am an envoy of the 'Myriad Transformations Demon Sect' stationed in this realm."

"We've been lying low in the Tianfeng Dynasty for three hundred years, waiting for this day."

Wu Minghuang's heart sank.

The Myriad Transformations Demonic Sect is a terrifying demonic sect that existed in ancient times, known for its ever-changing abilities and manipulation of people's minds.

Legend has it that its disciples are most skilled in infiltration, subversion, and subversion. Three thousand years ago, several prosperous dynasties and righteous sects were destroyed from within due to the infiltration of the Myriad Transformations Demonic Sect.

"So, the so-called struggle for the throne among princes, the so-called power struggle within the imperial court..."

Wu Minghuang's voice was filled with suppressed anger, "Were you the one who orchestrated all of this behind the scenes?"

"promote?"

The Thousand-Faced Demon Lord chuckled, "No, I merely poured some oil and lit a fire."

"And by the way, give those idiots a tiny bit of 'help'."

His gaze shifted to Wu Mingyuan, who was lying on the ground, barely breathing, and a glint of greed flashed in his eyes.

"For example, your eldest brother, the fragment of the 'Prison Suppressing Demon Art' that he cultivates was left behind by me in the imperial library by chance."

"That technique is quite powerful, but it has a small flaw: the deeper one cultivates it, the more susceptible one's mind becomes to the influence of the source of the demonic power."

He walked slowly toward Wu Mingyuan, his steps light and graceful, as if he were walking on clouds.

"Unfortunately, the source of that demonic power was a wisp of my soul that I left behind."

Wu Mingyuan seemed to sense something, and with difficulty raised his head, his eyes filled with terror: "Grand Preceptor...you...what are you going to do...?"

"What are you doing?"

The Thousand-Faced Demon Lord stopped in front of him, bent down, and gently brushed his cool fingers across Wu Mingyuan's cheek. "Of course, he's making the most of his abilities, my good disciple."

"No...no!"

Wu Mingyuan struggled to move backward, but with his cultivation destroyed and severely injured on the verge of death, he couldn't even move a finger.

The Thousand-Faced Demon Lord's smile turned cruel.

He stretched out his right hand, his five fingers forming a claw, and five jet-black demonic chains condensed at his fingertips. With a "whoosh," they pierced straight into Wu Mingyuan's vital points, such as his brow, chest, and dantian!

"what!"

Wu Mingyuan let out a shrill scream that was so mournful it was inhuman.

His body convulsed violently, and thick black blood gushed from his seven orifices.

Even more terrifying was a semi-transparent phantom.

It was his soul that was forcibly pulled out of his body by those five chains of demonic energy!

The moment his soul left his body, Wu Mingyuan's physical body completely lost its vitality, slumped down, and his eyes were still wide open, filled with extreme pain and fear.

The Thousand-Faced Demon Lord brought the struggling, wailing soul to his lips and took a deep breath.

"hiss--"

His soul transformed into a wisp of green smoke, which he then absorbed into his body.

He closed his eyes, a look of ecstasy on his face, an unnatural blush rising on his pale cheeks.

"The soul of a peak Golden Core cultivator tastes pretty good."

He opened his eyes, and the black light in them intensified.

Immediately afterwards, he formed a hand seal, and demonic energy surged out from his body, enveloping him in a giant black cocoon.

Countless magical patterns flowed across the surface of the giant cocoon, emanating a chillingly evil aura.

Wu Minghuang was horrified. She knew she absolutely could not let him complete this bizarre spell, or the consequences would be unimaginable.

"The Phoenix Soars Through the Nine Heavens!"

Without hesitation, she unleashed her strongest attack once again, with nine fiery phoenixes swooping down on the giant black cocoon with long cries.

However, this time, when the phoenix flames collided with the giant cocoon, they only caused the surface demonic patterns to ripple slightly before being swallowed and dissolved by the deep, abyss-like demonic energy, without even a spark being ignited!

Wu Minghuang's heart sank.

The difference is too big!

This demon's true cultivation level is definitely far beyond the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm!

"Click...click..."

Cracks appeared on the surface of the giant black cocoon and spread rapidly.

The next second, the giant cocoon exploded, and surging demonic energy swept outwards, cracking the earth and turning vegetation to ash wherever it passed.

The demonic energy dissipated, revealing the figure within.

Wu Minghuang's breathing suddenly stopped.

Standing there was none other than...

Crown Prince, Wu Mingyuan!

The exact same face, the exact same figure, even the tattered armor and the broken halberd in his hand were completely replicated.

Only those eyes, pitch black with no whites, exuded an eerie chill that sent shivers down one's spine.

"Transformation Technique..."

Wu Minghuang felt a bitter taste in her mouth.

This is one of the most powerful and secret techniques of the Myriad Transformations Demon Sect.

It can perfectly simulate the form, energy, and spirit of others. Unless one's cultivation level far surpasses that of the caster, or one possesses special supernatural abilities to see through illusions, it is impossible to detect.

"How is it? Does it look like it?"

Wu Mingyuan cracked his neck, making a "crack" sound, and his voice became exactly the same as Wu Mingyuan's, except that the strong evil aura in his tone was still there.

"From this day forward, I am the eldest prince of the Tianfeng Dynasty, the future emperor."

"Once I've taken control of the capital and the court in this capacity, I'll slowly replace those old fogies one by one..."

"At that time, the entire Heavenly Wind Dynasty, and even the dynasties of the entire mortal world, will become the nourishment ground for my Myriad Transformations Demon Sect!"

He looked at Wu Minghuang with a sinister smile: "As for you, my dear third sister, your awakening of the Heavenly Phoenix Body and the condensation of the Heavenly Phoenix Golden Core is truly an unexpected delight."

"Your soul and body will be the best sacrifice I can offer to the sect leader!"