Though Lei Dong possessed the Soul Devouring Pagoda, a heaven-defying treasure capable of enhancing the quality of Spirit Ghosts, selling mid-grade Spirit Ghosts according to his current cultivation level would inevitably attract suspicion from astute individuals. For some powerful cultivators, even the slightest hint of suspicion was cause enough to act first and question later; even if they were mistaken, there was no real loss.

It was this potential that made Lei Dong unable to contain his excitement over his recent massive haul. Of course, he did not let his excitement cloud his judgment. The Nether Fire Sword was manageable; being a signature artifact of the Yin Sha Sect, erasing its spiritual imprint and refining it for his own use was not a major issue. However, the Evil Ghost Shroud and that peculiar-shaped shield were currently too conspicuous to use.

Especially if all three items were revealed simultaneously—wouldn't that be an open declaration that he was the one who killed the Ghost Fiend Ancestor’s son? Furthermore, selling them was out of the question. Given the Ghost Fiend Ancestor’s power, he must have considerable influence within several tens of thousands of miles. Once he discovered his son was dead, he would surely place informants in every market town. The appearance of the Evil Ghost Shroud or the odd shield, even if they weren't the son's relics, would warrant a thorough investigation.

After deep consideration, Lei Dong felt it necessary to study the art of artifact refining. He didn't aim to forge powerful artifacts himself, but at least he could alter the appearance of those already potent ones. Treasures obtained by killing others, like the ones acquired this time, absolutely could not be entrusted to anyone else—not even his closest allies. It was better to be overly cautious than to face unforeseen disaster.

Additionally, that storage belt was quite good; its internal space was far larger than the low-grade item Lei Dong currently possessed, offering nearly ten cubic meters. As for the magical robe, it was utterly shredded; even if repaired, Lei Dong wouldn't wear it. For the time being, Lei Dong had no intention of taking these conspicuous items back to his residence. Instead, he dug a deep pit in a secluded spot near this seemingly abandoned cave and temporarily buried the loot, spending considerable effort to disguise the location. This trip, he only carried some low-grade Spirit Stones, one mid-grade Spirit Stone, and two Guiyuan Pills.

Lei Dong returned to the Myriad Ghost Cave under the cover of night. Everything was peaceful, indicating that the demise of the ugly youth had not yet erupted. Otherwise, such a major incident within the sect would certainly be causing a stir. After exchanging a few brief words with others, the conversation mostly revolved around the upcoming second Triennial Minor Competition.

Back home, he didn't do anything else first. He casually selected a low-grade Spirit Ghost that looked relatively pleasing and began the enhancement process. After pouring in a full one hundred and twelve Soul Pearls, the Spirit Ghost, which originally possessed only low-grade aptitude, consecutively evolved until it finally reached the superior-grade level. Under appraisal techniques, most of its body now showed a golden hue.

When he truly confirmed that he could elevate a Spirit Ghost’s quality to superior-grade, Lei Dong’s heart couldn't help but pound fiercely. The value of a superior-grade Spirit Ghost was far beyond comparison with a mid-grade one. This wasn't merely about monetary value; in terms of both might and rate of advancement, superior-grade Spirit Ghosts vastly surpassed mid-grade ones.

Impatient to refine it, Lei Dong suddenly halted. Frowning, he pondered for a long time. Indeed, his primary spell was the Ghost Control Arts. Superior-grade Spirit Ghosts were what cultivators specializing in such arts dreamed of obtaining. He had three options. First, refine it himself. However, in the short term, it couldn't replace his current three Ghost Soldiers. Moreover, his Spirit Forging Arts did not allow him to command four Ghost Soldiers simultaneously. This offered little enhancement to his strength in the immediate future.

Second, sell it. Superior-grade Spirit Ghosts had no fixed market price. Each one required an auction, where ownership was determined after intense bidding. If he put it up for auction, it would certainly cause a huge stir. Even if the auction house staff conducted business honestly with him, once word reached the Myriad Ghost Ancestor, Lei Dong would face severe consequences, as the Ancestor intensely desired more superior-grade Spirit Ghosts himself.

For those in the Qi Refining stage, mid-grade and superior-grade Spirit Ghosts were certainly excellent acquisitions. However, even low-grade Spirit Ghosts, if carefully nurtured—two or three of them—could possess considerable power. But for cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage, low-grade Spirit Ghosts were insufficient. Low-grade Spirit Ghosts had limited aptitude; they might grow slowly while in the Ghost Soldier stage with extra time and effort. But for a low-grade Ghost Soldier to advance to the Ghost Guard level, equivalent to Foundation Establishment, was extremely difficult. Even if it succeeded by chance, the time, energy, and resources expended would not be worth the effort. Thus, Foundation Establishment cultivators practicing Ghost Control Arts required Spirit Ghosts of at least mid-grade aptitude, or they wouldn't keep pace with their own cultivation stage.

By the same token, the Myriad Ghost Ancestor was a Golden Core expert who specialized in the Ghost Control Arts. Mid-grade Spirit Ghosts were usable in the Foundation Establishment stage, but the further one progressed, the slower the advancement rate of mid-grade Spirit Ghosts became. For a mid-grade Spirit Ghost to break through to the Ghost General level required immeasurable effort and cost. Even if it reached the Ghost General level, further promotion would be exceptionally difficult.

Therefore, for the Myriad Ghost Ancestor to practice the Ghost Control Arts effectively, only superior-grade Spirit Ghosts would suffice. Only superior-grade Spirit Ghosts were worthy of his status. Just as Lei Dong wouldn't consider taking a low-quality ghost as a servant, the Myriad Ghost Ancestor was no longer suited to dealing with mid-grade ones. Since he currently possessed only one superior-grade and one supreme-grade Spirit Ghost, it was clear he desired at least one more superior-grade. If, under such circumstances, he heard his direct disciple sold a superior-grade Spirit Ghost to someone else, the outcome would be unimaginable...

Consequently, a third option arose: directly offering this superior-grade Spirit Ghost to the Myriad Ghost Ancestor. The resulting benefits might not be as maximized as selling it at auction, but in reality, it would provide an enormous boost to the status of the already benevolent Myriad Ghost Ancestor. Imagine: a direct disciple offering up a superior-grade Spirit Ghost—who could be seen as more filial? Such an obedient and filial disciple would be a waste not to cultivate wholeheartedly. Moreover, once the Ancestor accepted his superior-grade Spirit Ghost, various rewards would undoubtedly follow. The indirect benefit achieved might actually be greater than selling it himself.

After weighing everything, Lei Dong decided to present the superior-grade Spirit Ghost to the Ancestor. Firstly, with his current Qi Refining cultivation, mid-grade was more than sufficient. Secondly, if he had the ability to create one superior-grade Spirit Ghost, he could surely manage a second one. For something he wouldn't lack in the future, exchanging it with the Ancestor for substantial benefits, directly and significantly enhancing his survival power—could there be a more profitable deal in the world?

Having settled this in his mind, Lei Dong immediately requested an audience with the Ancestor. Given his status as a direct disciple, the Ancestor would personally receive him if the matter was critical, after checking with the ghost attendant. After all, every direct disciple held the potential to become the Ancestor's right-hand man in the future; if the Ancestor didn't treat him well early on, how could he expect unwavering loyalty later?

As expected, when Lei Dong reported having a matter of utmost importance to discuss, the Ancestor quickly met him in the reception hall of his cave residence. Regarding Lei Dong, the Ancestor felt neither wholly satisfied nor dissatisfied. The downside was his inferior aptitude; the advantage was his intelligence, diligence, and ruthlessness. For someone in an evil sect, lack of ruthlessness meant becoming prey for others, even upon reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

Following custom, after paying his respects, Lei Dong looked genuinely agitated and spoke, "Ancestor, I recently encountered a bottleneck in my cultivation. I initially wished to go out for a change of scenery, and secondly, to try my luck catching valuable Spirit Ghosts, perhaps to trade for Earth Spirit Pills or the like. Who knew that after over a hundred days and only acquiring five low-grade Spirit Ghosts, your disciple was unexpectedly blessed with a superior-grade Spirit Ghost."

The Myriad Ghost Ancestor’s expression had been placid, finding the boy's preamble tedious. But upon hearing "superior-grade Spirit Ghost," his previously tranquil features immediately shifted: "A superior-grade Spirit Ghost? Lei Dong, are you certain you didn't misidentify it?"

"Your disciple has appraised it; it is indeed a superior-grade Spirit Ghost." Lei Dong produced an ordinary soul-nurturing tower and respectfully handed it to the Ancestor: "Please examine it, Ancestor."

The Myriad Ghost Ancestor could barely contain himself. Having reached the Golden Core stage, in his entire life, aside from gaining a supreme-grade Spirit Ghost by sheer luck at the fifth level of Qi Refining, he had only managed to seize one superior-grade Spirit Ghost at an auction after becoming the Ancestor. That single acquisition nearly bankrupted him. Since then, no superior-grade Spirit Ghost had favored him. Now, hearing that Lei Dong had captured one, how could he not be thrilled?

Observing the Ancestor's eager expression, Lei Dong inwardly chuckled, quickly lowering his head, careful not to let the Ancestor detect any flaw.