Not only that, but a biting, malevolent cold air surged from the depths of the cavern. Even the slight overflow was enough to send a deep, chilling ache through Lei Dong's bones. He hastily circulated his internal Profound Yin True Qi throughout his body, which brought some slight relief, but the coldness originating from the core of his being stubbornly refused to dissipate. Composing himself slightly, Lei Dong nevertheless proceeded, step by measured step, deeper into the Small Yin Fiend Cave.

The Yin Fiend, or Yin Sha, was the very essence from which the Yin Fiend Sect derived its name. It was inherently yielding, mysterious, and corrosive to the blood, veins, and soul of ordinary people. However, this malevolent energy, so dangerous to the common cultivator, served as an excellent resource for the Yin Fiend Sect. Among the Sect's signature spells and techniques, those related to the Yin Fiend accounted for a significant proportion.

The Yin Fiend Sect’s location, nestled in the angle of the Yin Fiend Mountain Range, naturally endowed it with numerous unique advantages. The Small Yin Fiend Cave was a relatively famous locus of Yin Fiend energy near the Myriad Ghost Grotto. While the entrance was somewhat manageable, the deeper one ventured, the denser the malevolent aura became.

After advancing perhaps a li or so, Lei Dong began to find it almost unbearable. Even with the Profound Yin True Qi circulating through every part of him, he struggled to resist the increasingly frigid influx of Yin Fiend Qi invading his body. This place was vastly different from the scattered pockets of Yin Fiend energy found in the desolate valleys outside the main range; the power within the Small Yin Fiend Cave seemed significantly stronger. Nevertheless, pain notwithstanding, Lei Dong rallied his focus and continued pressing toward the cavern’s depths.

Having walked for seven or eight li, when Lei Dong could genuinely endure no more, he settled into a small dwelling carved into the cavern wall, presumably by some previous occupant. The Profound Yin True Qi circulating through his body dared not pause for even a moment. It was only because the Profound Yin True Qi itself possessed an inherently Yin and cold nature that he could barely counteract the bone-chilling Yin Fiend energy, preventing it from eroding his flesh and spirit.

Yet, Lei Dong knew that if he stopped the circulation of his True Qi, his condition would rapidly deteriorate. Should his bloodlines and soul become too saturated with Yin Fiend energy, the consequences would be dire. In truth, the punishment of being confined to the Small Yin Fiend Cave was meant to be agonizingly painful for the disciple. But in a certain sense, it was a profound tempering for the punished.

Constantly fighting against the Yin Fiend, constantly enduring the piercing cold—this was immensely beneficial, both for forging one's willpower and for perfecting the skill in circulating True Qi. However, this suffering was indeed something that ordinary people could not safely bear.

Three days. Merely three days, and Lei Dong already felt the fierce urge to flee. Even sheltered in the rock niche, he was so frozen that his blood felt nearly turned to ice, his bones stiffened, making even a slight movement incredibly difficult.

Furthermore, Lei Dong was compelled to constantly refine his Qi and meditate to replenish his True Qi. Otherwise, under this continuous drain, once the Profound Yin True Qi in his body was exhausted, his unprotected self would certainly be invaded by the Yin Fiend, resulting in a death by agonizing, slow freezing.

Surprisingly, the three Ghost Soldiers, once released, seemed to take great delight in the ceaselessly circulating and intensely concentrated Yin Fiend energy of this environment. They darted about joyfully, like fish returned to a great river.

Soon, one spirit stone was entirely depleted. Next, Lei Dong laboriously drew out another spirit stone. After recovering a slight bit of True Qi, he dared not sit in meditation for long; he forced himself up, moved with immense difficulty, and then resumed his seated cultivation. However, this Yin Fiend Cave was not entirely without merit, save for the seemingly endless supply of Yin Fiend Qi blowing in from an unknown source.

The construction of the Myriad Ghost Grotto was not without reason. In fact, the entire Grotto was built atop a spirit vein. The reason for establishing the cavern system was merely to be closer to that vein. To Lei Dong’s surprise upon entering, the spiritual energy concentration deep within this Yin Fiend Cave actually surpassed that of the cultivation chambers reserved for direct disciples.

Theoretically, as long as one could endure the torment here, the cultivation benefits would be superior to those in the standard disciple quarters.

This was one of the crucial reasons why Lei Dong, despite enduring immense suffering and harboring a strong desire to leave, still remained diligently cultivating in this place. Moreover, over these short few days—whether it was a mere illusion or not—Lei Dong vaguely sensed that the newly restored Profound Yin True Qi in his Dantian was slightly purer than it had been just a few days prior. Clearly, this represented an advancement in his cultivation.

Day followed day. The news that Lei Dong was punished by the Old Ancestor for offending him, sentenced to one year of solitary contemplation in the Small Yin Fiend Cave, quickly spread throughout the Myriad Ghost Grotto. To be frank, among the disciples of the same generation in the Grotto, there were many who envied Lei Dong's favored status. Conversely, few were jealous of Ding Wanyan. The reason was simple: first, Lei Dong had risen from the ranks of ordinary disciples only to be valued by the Old Ancestor due to his outstanding performance. Second, Lei Dong had not yet reached the status of Ding Wanyan, whom others could only look up to with awe. Especially among those who had already reached the fifth layer of the Qi Refining stage, they felt their own aptitude was no worse than Lei Dong’s, yet he was a level ahead simply because of his status as a direct disciple.

Ordinarily, due to Lei Dong’s status as a direct disciple and his formidable combat prowess, no one dared to display their feelings openly in his presence. Now that Lei Dong was punished, many began to ponder: if Lei Dong had truly fallen out of favor, what steps should they take to win the Old Ancestor’s favor and replace him?

During this time, there were indeed those who came to visit Lei Dong, who was nominally being punished for angering the Old Ancestor. To Lei Dong’s mild relief, Chen Ge and Wei Hua did not shy away from his disgraced status at all. Braving the bone-chilling cold of the Yin Fiend, they ventured deep into the cavern, bringing many delicious treats and offering words of comfort. They assured him that with his talent, even without the privileges of a direct disciple, he would undoubtedly still rank among the best.

However, Lei Dong was aware that these two, due to their wealthy backgrounds, possessed an investment acumen that others could hardly match. They understood that risk-takers feared most a lack of resolve, the possibility of regretting their commitment due to external factors. These two, however, were determined to walk their path to the end; no matter how downcast or out of favor Lei Dong currently seemed, they were willing to maintain a close bond, even risking incurring the potential wrath of the Old Ancestor.

From them, Lei Dong also learned about the behavior of the same-generation junior brothers and sisters who usually fawned over him. They were reportedly displaying expressions of indignation, but Lei Dong paid them no mind. What meaning did the disciples’ feelings toward him—whether good or bad—hold? Only Lei Dong himself knew that not only had he not fallen from grace, but by cleverly and cleanly eliminating the Ghost Fiend's son, he had actually gained the Old Ancestor's favor even more.

The sentence for Lei Dong to confine himself in the Small Yin Fiend Cave for a year was clearly a disguised form of protection, meant to prevent him from causing trouble outside where he might draw the suspicion of the Ghost Fiend, leading to greater complications for Lei Dong. Compared to the risk of exposure outside, it was far better for Lei Dong to stay quietly put in the Small Yin Fiend Cave for a year. Firstly, it served to keep him out of the spotlight; secondly, the Old Ancestor genuinely intended to temper Lei Dong. After all, if he could endure the hardship, the cultivation results in the Small Yin Fiend Cave were indeed quite excellent.

However, if Lei Dong proved unable to withstand this suffering, the Old Ancestor of Myriad Ghosts would likely be profoundly disappointed in him. The path of immortal cultivation inherently goes against the heavens; countless trials a hundred times harsher than the Small Yin Fiend Cave lie ahead. How could one even speak of seeking immortality if they could not endure this small measure of suffering and loneliness?

On this day, Chen Ge and Wei Hua once again brought fine wine and food, braving the Yin Fiend to visit Lei Dong. The three of them drank to stay warm, ate the delicious, still-hot fare taken from their storage belts, and chatted about recent interesting events. Especially in this place that chilled them to the bone, such an occasion constituted a rather fine enjoyment.

“Lei Dong, that Ghost Fiend is becoming increasingly detestable,” Chen Ge said, taking a heavy gulp of wine, chuckling lightly. “A while ago, he was constantly fixated on our Senior Sister Ding, acting as if she were the murderer of his son, and it only stopped after the Old Ancestor personally intervened and caused a ruckus in the Ghost Fiend’s manor. But lately, he’s set his sights on our generation's number one, Dongfang Fu. Don’t you think that old degenerate has ulterior motives? Look at how he treated Senior Sister Ding…”

“Cough, cough—” Lei Dong’s face turned bitter, and he quickly coughed twice to interrupt the young man, rising solemnly to address the cavern entrance. “Senior Sister Ding, why have you come?”

Chen Ge turned back in shock, only to see that the entrance of the cave was empty. He let out a huge sigh of relief, turned back, and shot Lei Dong an irritated look: “You can’t just play games like that, you nearly scared me to death.”

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