The night was deep, near the study inside the city lord's mansion.

During the day, Tu Longjian used a two-pronged approach, sending Black Bear, disguised as a demonic cultivator, to chat and inquire with other demonic soldiers, and finally obtained information about the key to the Spirit Locking Chain.

It is said that the key is personally guarded by the Demon King Ji Aosi, and kept in the study under a protective spell.

Tu Longjian learned from his conversation with Ji Aosi that she was often summoned by the Demon Lord in the middle of the night to discuss war matters.

So Tu Longjian seized an opportunity to knock out a patrolling guard, transformed into his form, and followed the group in a convincing manner. Although the Snow-Rolling Silk Robe was damaged by the Demon Lord Mingying, fortunately, her master had made her a spare.

After observing Ji Aosi leave the room, she quietly slipped away, deftly unlocked the study's security barrier, and slipped inside.

The restriction on the study was a formation, but it was clearly a finished formation set up using a scroll as a carrier. With Tu Longjian's skill, breaking it would be effortless.

She moved cautiously and discreetly around the room, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding furnishings, until she finally found a hidden compartment.

Just as she was pondering how to open the hidden slot, she suddenly heard the voice of a demonic cultivator greeting his superior outside.

Ji Aosi not only returned ahead of schedule, but also brought back a large group of demonic cultivators!

The footsteps were already very close. Tu Longjian didn't have time to escape, so he could only quickly restore the furnishings to their original state and hide.

She tried to calm her racing heart and minimize her presence.

Because the study was filled with demonic energy and the presence of spiritual energy was too obvious, Tu Longjian had no choice but to try using demonic energy to set up a concealment array for the first time. Unexpectedly, the effect was surprisingly good, and she was not discovered.

Tu Longjian pondered to himself, "Could it be that the ancient array flag technique and the demonic path also have a connection?"

Putting aside her own thoughts, she listened attentively to the demonic cultivators' conversation.

"Lord Ji, Luoxia City is now in our grasp. Which city should we attack next?"

Ji Aosi unfolded the parchment map and pointed to a place: "Nine Luo City".

"Jiuluo City? This city is located in a remote area. We have already conquered one fortified city. Why not march straight into Leyang City? If we conquer this city as well, we can occupy this area."

"It was the Demon Lord's order. Human cultivators are cunning; venturing deep into enemy territory will inevitably lead to an ambush. Our demon race has suffered many such losses in the past," Ji Aosi said with a smile. Although she was not in good spirits, she showed great respect for the Demon Lord she spoke of.

"Jiuluo City has some connection with the demon race. There are demon mines underground that can be used to forge weapons. It used to be occupied by human cultivators. Now that we have taken the lead in capturing this city, the cunning human cultivators will definitely not expect it and will be caught off guard by us."

A dark glint flashed in the eyes of the demonic cultivator who spoke. He wondered if Ji Aosi had fallen out of favor with the Demon Lord and was about to give up such a favorable situation.

What about TuTu and Xu Zhi? Their demon race has always preferred speed and efficiency, sweeping everything in its path. He has no patience for so many roundabout strategies.

However, since the Demon Lord had spoken, he dared not complain and could only continue to discuss the details of the battle with Ji Aosi.

As it approached midnight, the demon leaders reluctantly ended their conversation and left one after another. Ji Aosi opened her hidden compartments and began checking important items.

Tu Longjian felt relieved and was just waiting for a chance to escape when he suddenly heard a scream from outside.

"How could Geng Hua be dead?! Oh no, enemy attack!"

Chaos reigned outside, with shouts and the clashing of armor and weapons filling the air. Ji Aosi frowned and rushed out to take charge of the situation without even closing the hidden slot.

Seeing that the room was empty, Tu Longjian seized the opportunity and slipped out of the study.

Before leaving, she paused, glancing back at the open hidden compartment. A key, gleaming with a faint blue light, was brazenly exposed to the air, as if tempting her to take it.

Her intuition told her that it was the key to the Soul-Locking Chain, and that there was information from the same source between them.

Tu Longjian paused for a moment, picked up the key, examined it carefully, engraved its shape in her mind, and then turned and fled without hesitation.

She quickly transformed into the form of a demon soldier and surged out with the crowd. As she passed the familiar figure of the demon soldier lying on the ground, her pupils contracted slightly.

It was the demon soldier she had knocked unconscious; he was none other than Geng Hua, the demon cultivator outside who had been calling him. But she had clearly hidden him, so why was he dead?

Tu Longjian glanced at it quickly and saw that the corpse was in a terrible state, its body stiff, obviously having been dead for a long time before being dumped here.

She had a feeling that something was amiss. While this move indirectly helped her escape, it also put her in a precarious position, as she could be suspected of being a spy at any moment due to the lack of an alibi.

Tu Longjian quickened his pace and nimbly left the study.

Shortly after she left, a hand with a cold, jade-like hue picked up the key.

The hand rubbed the key a few times, as if it could still feel the lingering warmth of the person who had picked it up before.

Demon Lord Mingying stood in front of the hidden slot, playing with the key in his hand with an inscrutable expression.

“Your Majesty, she did not steal the Soul Lock Key. Presumably… she is not a spy.” Ji Aosi knelt respectfully on one knee, showing no trace of the panic and carelessness she had shown before leaving.

"Heh." Demon Lord Mingying tossed the Soul-Locking Key back into the dark slot, sneered, and his expression was inscrutable.

"Why do you think she didn't take the Soul Lock Key to save that pretty boy? I've already created opportunities for her."

Thinking of Geng Hua's pale corpse, Ji Aosi felt a chill in her heart. The Demon Lord had become increasingly insane in recent years, even resorting to such ruthlessness towards his own demon soldiers.

She knew the Demon Lord's bloodthirsty, ruthless, and suspicious nature. Creating an opportunity was a nice way of saying she wanted to test whether Yi Xuan was a spy, since there were many suspicious things about her.

If Yi Xuan takes the Soul Locking Key, she will only face a more tragic end than Geng Hua.

She had also heard about Yi Xuan's performance during the day. She didn't want such a powerful general to be lost because of the Demon Lord's suspicion.

Ji Aosi cautiously observed the slightly puzzled expression on the Demon Lord Mingying's face. She cleared her throat and tried to smooth things over:

"Perhaps, Yi Xuan likes you more than that prisoner? Yes, that's why she doesn't want to do anything that might upset you."

The Demon Lord Mingying paused in his playful actions, his face turning ashen as he turned to look at Ji Aosi with suspicion, asking, "For me?"

"You believe her story? You broke into the Demon King's palace for me at night, huh?" His voice was as cold as a venomous snake.

Ji Aosi forced herself to explain, "There are always people in the world who are obsessed with what they love, to the point of doing some strange things."

"Your Majesty, why not give her a chance?"

Demon Lord Mingying remained silent for a moment, seemingly unsure of what to say. She showed none of the anger she had expected, and even a hint of subtle joy.

When I looked up again, his figure had vanished and I didn't know where he had gone.