The year spent in punishment within the Minor Yin Fiend Cave was undoubtedly the most arduous and difficult year Lei Dong had endured since entering the sect. When he finally stepped out of the cave entrance again, his entire demeanor had transformed; he was a completely different person from a year prior. The face that had once appeared slightly boyish was now firm and resolute. He was leaner, yet brimming with spirit. However, in his now slightly lowered gaze, an undeniable and deep weariness could be seen.

For this entire year, he had to constantly concentrate his Zhenqi to repel the corrosive Yin Fiends assaulting his body. Only when he held his breath, calmed his mind, and practiced his breathing and meditation could he recover some energy. If not for his cultivation at the sixth layer of the Qi Refining stage, which made him fundamentally different from mortals, he certainly wouldn't be standing here unharmed.

The Ten Thousand Ghost Cave had been established for seventy or eighty years. While it wasn't common for people to be sent in for punishment, every few years there would inevitably be one or two unfortunate souls. However, those sentenced to a full year were extremely rare. Anyone with slightly less steadfast willpower would likely suffer a mental collapse within just a few months. Furthermore, prolonged immersion in Yin Fiends was no joke; had it not been for the bottle of Fiend-Dispelling Pills Ding Wanyan procured, Lei Dong would certainly have suffered greatly from the Yin Fiends eroding his bloodline and soul.

Yet, the hardship of this year had not been in vain for Lei Dong. Previously, his cultivation had focused too heavily on the realm of advancement. As soon as the 'heat' was right, he would impatiently push for the next level. Over time, this tendency easily led to an unstable foundation, making bottlenecks more likely the higher his cultivation rose. However, after this year, though he entered at the early sixth layer of Qi Refining and left at the early sixth layer, seemingly making no progress, the Xuanyin Zhenqi within his body had undergone significant changes.

Because he needed to constantly resist the Yin Fiends, and his Zhenqi was perpetually insufficient, Lei Dong gradually shifted from a wasteful, lavish style to one of extreme stinginess. He learned to circulate a stronger intensity of Zhenqi when the Yin Fiends were denser and more powerful, and to conserve Zhenqi as much as possible when they were weaker. Initially, he struggled to adapt, as the Yin Fiend winds were bizarrely unpredictable, fluctuating in strength with almost no discernible pattern.

But as time passed, Lei Dong fully adapted to the subtle shifts between strength and weakness, instinctively modulating his Zhenqi consumption to achieve a perfect balance, wasting not a single drop. As his control over his Zhenqi strengthened, this manifested in the speed and precision of his spellcasting. Previously obscure or clumsy aspects of his spell execution miraculously vanished as his command over his Zhenqi grew. His control over his magical arts had also improved significantly.

Of course, this did not mean Lei Dong had spent the year mastering Zhenqi manipulation and spell application to the point of perfection or supreme mastery. On the contrary, his current level was merely introductory. However, compared to other disciples of his cohort, he held a slight lead and possessed some distinct advantages.

Furthermore, under the continuous tempering of this year, his Xuanyin Zhenqi had become purer and more condensed. Compared to ordinary cultivators at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, his was superior by several measures.

Even though Lei Dong quietly returned to his residence, intending to recuperate for a few days, his status as a direct disciple ensured he drew considerable attention. Rumors about Lei Dong falling out of favor, which had subsided for a period, began to resurface, growing more intense over time.

Lei Dong paid these rumors no mind, continuing to hide away and rest his body, which hadn't truly recovered in a whole year. However, the news of his seclusion was quickly twisted by others into claims that he had absorbed too much Yin Fiend energy in the Minor Yin Fiend Cave, severely damaging his cultivation.

Ding Wanyan had said it correctly: as a direct disciple, one was naturally scrutinized, making it inevitable that people would gossip behind one's back. However, the subsequent turn of events struck Lei Dong as somewhat amusing.

Wu Qianqiu was considered a standout among the ordinary disciples of his generation. During the first minor competition, attempting to play the underdog, his Ghost Fiend Palm nearly put Lei Dong at a disadvantage. But Lei Dong swiftly suppressed him with an undeniable display of strength. Much time had passed, and although Lei Dong retained some memory of him, he hadn't paid much attention due to the disparity in their status. Yet, at this moment, the young man seemed to have lost his mind, issuing a Life-and-Death Challenge Scroll to Lei Dong. This left Lei Dong speechless—if one wanted to die, this wasn't the way to go about it. Had the youth somehow acquired a powerful new spell and intended to try the "playing the pig to eat the tiger" trick again?

Soon after, Chen Ge compiled Wu Qianqiu’s data from the past few years and presented it to Lei Dong. The file showed that since joining the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave of the Yin Fiend Sect, Wu Qianqiu had maintained an exceptionally low profile. His cultivation was decent, but his demeanor was humble and polite; he never seemed to make enemies. On the other hand, considering the circumstances, Wu Qianqiu truly possessed remarkable, perhaps even lucky, fortune.

Two years prior, while undertaking an external training excursion to break through a bottleneck, he was pursued by a powerful demonic beast. Coincidentally, after hiding in an isolated gorge, he stumbled upon another terrifying demonic beast. One would think that if fate favored someone, it would take ten lives to get rid of them. But those two beasts ignored the rookie Wu Qianqiu and engaged in a fierce battle, which miraculously ended in a near mutual annihilation, leaving Wu Qianqiu the unexpected beneficiary.

Not only that, the demonic beast previously in the valley had been guarding a ginseng root nearly ready to mature, boasting a three-thousand-year potency. Consequently, that fellow struck it rich...

Reading the documentation detailing Wu Qianqiu's streak of luck, Lei Dong could only look heavenward in bewildered resignation. Such tales of miraculous survival and massive windfalls seemed confined only to novels. He, being a transmigrator, certainly fit the profile of a protagonist. Yet, in reality, up to this point, aside from acquiring the mysterious Soul Nurturing Pagoda, his luck had been ordinary—no, in fact, slightly below average.

The newly wealthy Wu Qianqiu naturally grew restless. Perhaps it was because Lei Dong had beaten him years ago, or perhaps because Lei Dong seemed the easiest to bully among the three direct disciples, especially now that he was rumored to have fallen from grace and been afflicted by Yin Fiends. In short, if Wu Qianqiu wanted to establish himself, he needed to climb over the body of a direct disciple, just as Lei Dong had done.

From any perspective, Lei Dong was his best target. Moreover, Lei Dong had no way to refuse. As a direct disciple, rejecting a standard spar challenge from an ordinary disciple was entirely reasonable, since even a loss in such a match carried minimal consequences. But declining a Life-and-Death Challenge from an ordinary disciple was extremely difficult. When someone gambled their life for a chance to rise, refusal would mean a complete loss of face for the direct disciple, and even the Old Ancestor of the Ten Thousand Ghosts would alter his attitude toward him. Over time, these Life-and-Death Challenges gradually evolved into a traditional rule of the Yin Fiend Sect.

That is, ordinary disciples could challenge direct disciples via a Life-and-Death Duel. If the direct disciple refused or was defeated, the challenger could use this opportunity to ascend. This tradition provided ordinary disciples a tangible goal to strive for through dedicated training. Simultaneously, it served as an invisible whip, constantly urging the direct disciples to also train relentlessly.

Lei Dong accepted the Life-and-Death Challenge readily—though he had little choice. Refusal would imply Lei Dong was willing to relinquish his current status, allowing Wu Qianqiu to inherit everything. If he hadn't already achieved a high standing, falling from grace would guarantee Lei Dong’s remaining days in the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave would be miserable.

Several days later, at the training grounds, the gathered Ghost Servants personally officiated the Life-and-Death Duel.

Following the recitation of the old rules for the Life-and-Death Duel, Wu Qianqiu, who had clearly matured significantly since a few years prior, offered Lei Dong a look of earnest, apologetic sincerity: "Senior Brother Lei, please excuse my forwardness. I hope Senior Brother will show mercy."

Lei Dong narrowed his eyes and smiled back brightly: "Junior Brother Wu is too kind, truly, I thank you very much."

"?" Wu Qianqiu was somewhat taken aback—what was there to thank him for?

"I've been a bit short on funds recently, and just happened to be needing a few High-grade Magical Artifacts to pawn for quick cash. Junior Brother Wu is so loyal, such a true friend. To bring them to Senior Brother so eagerly, of course I must thank you," Lei Dong declared with an expression of profound gratitude.

... (Siblings, your recommendation votes are powerful; we are already number one on the novice chart. Thank you all. There should be a small triple update today, with the next chapter expected before six in the afternoon.)