With his heart racing, Lei Dong closely observed the dissipation process of those spirits. Perhaps it was because he had thrown in more this time—upwards of a hundred. As the spirits gradually perished, a faint, almost imperceptible thread materialized within the mysterious Soul Nurturing Pagoda, connecting to its pinnacle. Lei Dong stared intently at the summit, yet could discern nothing noteworthy.

Another hour slipped by, and the hundred-odd spirits had completely vanished. The thin thread linking to the tower top disappeared as well. However, a mysterious glimmer of light appeared at the peak, blinking intermittently like a distant star. Lei Dong hurriedly transferred more spirits inside, leaving just a dozen or so as a precaution. As the massive pile—over three hundred spirits—perished simultaneously, the thread connecting to the tower top grew visibly thicker, easily discernible now. With careful scrutiny, one could even make out surges of energy flowing within the line.

Meanwhile, the light atop the tower gradually intensified. The three hundred-plus spirits dimmed to near transparency, seemingly moments from extinction. Yet, a wondrous event transpired precisely at that juncture. The mysterious energy transmission line vanished, ceasing to draw power from the spirits. The light at the summit, having reached its zenith, shone as brilliantly as a miniature sun. The three hundred spirits, miraculously, survived, albeit each reduced to a wispy, miserable silhouette of pale mist.

Following this, the dazzling ball of light slowly condensed, finally solidifying into a single, clear bead. Lei Dong, stunned for a moment, was instantly overcome with ecstatic joy. This mysterious Soul Nurturing Pagoda truly didn't just annihilate the spirits; it actually absorbed their power, ultimately coalescing it into a bead, just as he had speculated.

With a mere thought, Lei Dong grasped the bead, suspending it in the air above his palm, turning it over to examine. It was crystalline and flawless, like a treasure formed from pure water. The fingers holding it felt slightly cool, yet delightfully comfortable. Even to the naked eye, the bead revealed an intensely pure energy subtly flowing within.

Suppressing the surge of excitement, Lei Dong began to contemplate how to utilize this item, which he had tentatively named a Soul Bead. Should he consume it for his own cultivation, or would it directly affect other spirits?

Both possibilities seemed plausible, but before confirming its safety, he dared not randomly ingest a Soul Bead refined from such a multitude of spirits. Life was singular; dying from carelessly swallowing something would be a monumental farce. At any rate, it appeared that as long as sufficient spirits were provided, this Soul Bead could be refined. He might as well test its effects on one of the remaining spirits. Fortunately, after not being scared senseless while testing the Pagoda’s function earlier, he still had those dozen or so left. Besides, the artifact shouldn't be called a Soul Nurturing Pagoda at all; it ought to be named a Soul Devouring Pagoda.

Connecting his consciousness with the Soul Devouring Pagoda, Lei Dong clearly surveyed the meager dozen low-grade ghosts remaining. Having never experimented with a Soul Bead, he tossed it among them. The previously languid spirits suddenly reacted as if they had smelled something intensely enticing. After a brief pause, the dozen spirits lunged for the Soul Bead almost simultaneously.

The closest one, seizing the advantage, immediately swallowed the bead without hesitation. However, before it could even begin to process it, the other pursuing spirits tore it into countless fragments, scattering residual energy everywhere. The bead fell to the ground. It seemed the spirits instinctively realized that whoever possessed the bead could not safely absorb it while others were around; they felt compelled to eliminate all interference first.

All the spirits began to savage one another. Although all were classified as low-grade ghosts, variations in strength still existed among them. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, one particularly robust spirit emerged as the victor, its entire form already semi-ethereal. Now secure, it devoured the Soul Bead and cautiously retreated into a corner.

Lei Dong observed the entire spectacle with unwavering focus, utterly astonished. The attraction this tiny Soul Bead held for the spirits was astonishingly potent. Because of this intensity, he was determined not to miss a single moment.

Time marched on, and approximately half an incense stick later, the lucky, stronger spirit began to undergo a miraculous transformation. Its severely injured physical structure started to rapidly condense, as if healing at an accelerated pace. After one incense stick’s time, it had fully restored itself to its peak condition. But the changes did not cease; the spirit began to tremble violently, its misty, energetic body twisting uncontrollably.

The piercing, high-pitched wails characteristic of spirits hissed out, clearly indicating its intense agony. This state persisted for over an hour before the spirit gradually quieted. Its condensed form then began to fade again, appearing extremely weakened.

After watching a while longer without perceiving any other anomalies, Lei Dong suppressed his eager anticipation and performed a quality appraisal on the spirit once more. A beam of light shone upon it.

Previously, this spirit would have displayed only a white light. However, within it now pulsed a thread of golden-yellow light, a sight that brought immense pleasant surprise. Though not substantial, it was undeniably and clearly present.

A Spirit Ghost? Lei Dong’s excited mind went almost blank. That single Soul Bead had actually elevated a common low-grade ghost into a Spirit Ghost. While the resulting Spirit Ghost was only of the lower-grade quality, even one of that level held a value equivalent to ten spirit stones. Having endured over three months of hardship in the mass graves near Ten Thousand Ghost City, Lei Dong was acutely aware of how incredibly difficult it was to fortuitously capture a Spirit Ghost.

Wait—if the Soul Bead could transform a low-grade ghost into a lower-grade Spirit Ghost, could it perhaps elevate a lower-grade Spirit Ghost to a middle-grade, or even a high-grade or supreme-grade one? The thought sent Lei Dong’s heart leaping wildly. Legend held that the Old Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts, during his fifth level of the Qi Condensation stage, had fortuitously obtained a supreme-grade Spirit Ghost, which marked the beginning of his meteoric rise. If the Soul Bead possessed such capabilities, could he—could he truly be on the path to prosperity?

The possibility of his own ascent sparked a surge of passionate energy within him. He began to fantasize about the power he would wield and what he would accomplish. The more he envisioned, the more excited he became. Over an hour later, only the pangs of hunger finally jolted him back to reality.

Low profile. Absolute secrecy was paramount. If anyone discovered he possessed such a wondrous treasure, surviving until the next sunrise would be miraculous. Not only the fellow disciples, but even the Old Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts himself would personally move to seize the artifact. First, this matter must remain known only to him, buried deep within his mind. Second, even if this item truly could upgrade the quality of Spirit Ghosts, he must proceed with utmost discretion to avoid arousing suspicion. Otherwise, for any greedy individual possessing significant power, mere suspicion of an exotic treasure would be ample motivation to strike.

Furthermore, that Zhao Baiwan represented a vulnerability, as he was the one who had tricked Lei Dong into purchasing the Pagoda. If Lei Dong showed no reaction after being swindled, it would inevitably arouse suspicion as his own power grew. This issue needed to be resolved if the opportunity arose.

However, the immediate priorities were twofold. First, he must continue manufacturing Soul Beads to test if they could upgrade the quality of lower-grade Spirit Ghosts. Second, he needed to accelerate the enhancement of his own strength. This cultivation world was a realm where the strong preyed on the weak, rife with danger. A momentary lapse could lead to complete annihilation of body and spirit. If his own power remained insufficient, even holding a heaven-defying treasure like the Soul Devouring Pagoda would render him nothing more than a vulnerable piece of fish.

Since fate allowed him to survive and transmigrate to this world, granting him the qualification of a cultivator and, more fortunately, bestowing upon him a monstrous treasure like the Soul Devouring Pagoda, it would be an utter waste not to forge a remarkable existence. An opportunity for true vindication—perhaps this time, he genuinely stood a chance to rise above!

In that instant, Lei Dong's spirit soared, his emotions surging with powerful ambition. ……