The temper of the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts could explode at a moment's notice. Having already decided to cause a massive disturbance at Dry Bone Peak, he left without hesitation. He grabbed Lei Dong and soared out of the Grotto of Ten Thousand Ghosts. Hovering in mid-air, with just a wave of his hand, a flying vessel spanning several dozen zhang materialized before them.

Even though Lei Dong had once ridden the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts’ Ghost King Boat when he first joined the sect, seeing it again now stirred a thrill of excitement within him. This was primarily because the Ghost King Boat was too sharp, too domineering. Its entire body was a deep, cold black, sculpted with streamlined curves that resembled works of art. The most visually arresting aspects were the detailed designs, adhering to the established style of the Evil Sect within the Yin Sha Sect. The hull was intricately carved with countless reliefs depicting ferocious ghosts and fiends. Sharp, spine-like protrusions that emitted a faint, ghostly light accentuated the vessel, imbuing the entire flying boat with an aura of brutal ferocity. The ghost king statue at the prow was especially savage and imposing, possessing the power to seize souls and shatter spirits, instilling immediate dread in anyone who dared look upon it for too long.

The entire flying vessel lay silently in the air, constantly emanating boundless, chilling coldness and thin plumes of black mist, resembling a monstrous beast that had just crawled out of the Nine Hells—fierce and savage.

Lei Dong stared at the Ghost King Boat with extreme envy, feeling a mix of envy, jealousy, and resentment. Such a magnificent carriage far surpassed any famous cars or oil tankers he had seen in his previous life. The pity was that such a flying boat was not something a mere Qi Refining stage demonic cultivator like himself could command. Even if he could, he certainly couldn't afford it. Although he possessed a heaven-defying treasure that could, with time, be upgraded to a high-grade spirit ghost for auction, high-grade spirit ghosts were treasures desperately needed even by Golden Core Ancestors. If a mere minor Qi Refining cultivator were to take one outside to sell, wouldn't he be swallowed whole, skin and bones included? Especially after witnessing the avarice the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts displayed toward high-grade spirit ghosts previously, Lei Dong instantly abandoned any thought of selling one. At least, not while in the Qi Refining stage; daring to do so would only invite one outcome: self-inflicted doom.

Seeing Lei Dong’s greedy gaze fixed upon the Ghost King Boat, the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts felt a slight surge of satisfaction. Among the thirteen Golden Core Ancestors who had established their residences in the Yin Sha Sect, fewer than five possessed flying vessels. Moreover, his boat was a mid-grade vessel custom-made specifically for him, utilizing materials of extraordinary rarity, making it exceptionally valuable. Such a flying boat was far beyond the means of ordinary Golden Core cultivators to purchase or use; even for common low-grade flying boats, fewer than thirty percent of Golden Core Ancestors could afford them.

“Let’s go. The old demon of Dry Bone is also impatient. Though he isn't as protective of his own as I am, for the sake of those two Shadow Tiger cubs, he certainly won't sit by and do nothing,” the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts declared, waving his sleeve and sweeping Lei Dong onto the Ghost King Boat.

As the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts’ divine sense penetrated the Ghost King Boat, the vessel, previously steady, began to tremble slightly, and tendrils of black spiritual mist slowly flowed around it.

Swoosh~

The Ghost King Boat shot forward at an incredible speed. Its length of several dozen zhang did not make it feel clumsy at all; rather, as it maneuvered and soared, it possessed an indescribable sense of nimble grace.

As if protected by a thin, transparent shield, Lei Dong stood by the gunwale, feeling none of the hurricane force generated by their rapid flight at high altitude. However, in his ears, he could clearly hear the howl of the wind, like the wail of ghosts. Looking down from the high sky, Lei Dong watched the small mountains, forests, and valley floors rapidly fall behind them. This speed was at least several times faster than when he piloted the Banner of Evil Spirits.

The distance to Dry Bone Peak was over ten thousand li. By Lei Dong’s previous estimation, using his relatively swift Shadow Phantom Sword, it would take him a desperate twelve hours of non-stop flight. Later, after upgrading to the Banner of Evil Spirits, the speed increased considerably, but it still required no less than ten hours to arrive. This Ghost King Boat, from start to finish, consumed a mere two hours before reaching the skies above Dry Bone Peak, where it slowly hovered before beginning its descent. It was only when they were almost touching the mountain-protecting formation, directly above the open-air martial arts arena built on the peak’s platform, that the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts finally brought the boat to a complete stop.

The menacing and aggressive form of the Ghost King Boat, coupled with its significant size, naturally drew attention from those below. Someone shouted, and soon, streaks of escaping light—dùn guāng—flew towards the mid-air above the martial arts arena, yet they dared not advance past the clearly ill-intentioned Ghost King Boat.

As the inhabitants of Dry Bone Peak gathered, the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts stood on the single horn at the very prow of the Ghost King Boat, hands clasped behind his back, roaring with arrogant challenge: “Old Demon of Dry Bone, roll out here! Otherwise, today I will flatten your Dry Bone Peak.”

“Peak~~” The final word seemed to echo and reverberate throughout the canyons of the entire Dry Bone Peak, striking the ears with robust power and absolute dominance.

Although Lei Dong knew the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts was putting on a show, seeing his ancestor act with such imposing grandeur, uttering such tyrannical and presumptuous words, an uncontrollable surge of hot blood rushed to his chest. Something within his mind seemed to ignite, sparking an urge to utter a few arrogant words himself. He even wished fiercely that the one standing majestically on the horn of the Ghost King Boat wasn't his ancestor, but himself.

“The Ghost King Boat... the Demon Lord of Ten Thousand Ghosts?” A disciple of Dry Bone Peak, standing on a bone-like flying sword and considering himself quite knowledgeable, cried out in shock.

“Hm?” The Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts glanced down at him dismissively, letting out a cold snort. To the disciple, it sounded like a clap of thunder exploding nearby. Before the disciple could react, a gigantic, ghostly claw, sinisterly green and brimming with murderous intent, snatched him entirely into its palm. With a mere squeeze of the ancestor’s fleshly palm, the disciple managed only one scream before being crushed into a pulp of meat mud, blood mist billowing away, his nascent soul shattered into fragments.

This demonstration silenced the murmuring disciples of Dry Bone Peak instantly. Their faces turned ghost-white with horror. Forget avenging their comrade; they dared not even steal another glance at the Ghost King Boat overhead. In fact, it was only the Qi Refining disciples, unfamiliar with the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts’ famous vessel, who had dared to gather and watch the spectacle. As for the legendary dozen or so Foundation Establishment disciples of Dry Bone Peak, not one showed their faces.

The display by the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts not only terrified the enemy but also left Lei Dong drenched in a cold sweat. It wasn't just the sheer viciousness of the murder; the Qi Refining disciple who was killed had already reached at least a seventh or eighth layer of cultivation. Yet, he hadn't even possessed the strength to resist before being violently crushed into nothingness by the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts in mid-air.

The difference between a figure of the Golden Core Dao and the Qi Refining stage was truly like heaven and earth separated by mud. Lei Dong realized he needed to be even more subservient to the Golden Core Ancestors from now on. The earlier heat in his blood immediately vanished, replaced by a genuine fear that the Ancestor of Dry Bone might retaliate by jumping out and obliterating the only disciple of the Grotto of Ten Thousand Ghosts present.

As expected, following the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts’ display of force, an angry shout mixed with fury finally erupted from the main hall below: “Wan Gui, why aren't you staying in the Grotto of Ten Thousand Ghosts cultivating? What business do you have causing trouble on my Dry Bone Peak?”

Simultaneously, a massive aura, comparable in ferocity and saturated with the stench of blood to that of the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts, burst forth from the main hall.

The air stirred in waves; the rancid wind arrived before the Dry Bone Old Man himself. Even shielded aboard the Ghost King Boat, Lei Dong struggled to breathe under the oppressive odor and oppressive might. In the blink of an eye, a pale, sinister beam of cold light arrived abruptly. When it materialized, it revealed an old fellow whose face was decayed, thin to the point of skin adhering to bone. His eyes were dark green, like ghostly fire, faintly revealing boundless malice. Even in his extreme rage, his skeletal face showed no expression—a sign, perhaps, of fury taken to its absolute limit. “Jie~ Jie~ Jie!” he cackled a few times, fixing an unblinking stare on the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts, as if demanding an explanation.

Lei Dong suddenly felt an unbidden wave of disdain for the Ancestor of Dry Bone. Someone had stormed his gates, and he still required an explanation. His imposing aura was clearly inferior to that of his own ancestor by more than a single tier.

…