Lei Dong held his position, suspended in mid-air, concentrating and listening intently. Unexpectedly, as soon as he stabilized himself, ripples spread through his divine sense. Though not violent, the tremors were distinct enough for Lei Dong to clearly feel his Natal Artifact vibrating faintly. In his fifteen years of cultivation within the sect, Lei Dong had only used the Blood Sacrifice technique to refine two Natal Artifacts. One was the Wheel of Annihilation, passed down by his Master. This supreme-grade artifact, nurtured by his Master’s spirit for many years, was far more potent than an ordinary supreme-grade artifact; it was comparable even to a high-grade Spirit Artifact. To maximize its power, Lei Dong had also refined this Wheel using the Heart Refining technique, making it one of his Natal Artifacts. Up to this point, the Wheel of Annihilation had served him well, aiding in the demise of Baili and the destruction of Chang’an—all thanks to this artifact.

The second, and the one Lei Dong relied upon most heavily, was the mysterious Soul Devouring Pagoda. The only reason Lei Dong went to the trouble of refining the Pagoda with the Blood Sacrifice technique was because of one crucial function unique to Natal Artifacts. That function was the ability to be stored within one’s body and spirit soul via a marvelous secret art, allowing the spirit soul to constantly nurture and moisten it, gradually increasing its power and synchronicity with his own divine sense.

Lei Dong never expected the Soul Devouring Pagoda’s power to multiply exponentially, given that it possessed little innate offensive strength to begin with. However, the ability to draw it into his spirit soul greatly enhanced the Pagoda's security. This realization only struck him after his storage pouch was forcibly searched by Gui Sha. At that time, he had been prepared beforehand and managed to hide the Soul Devouring Pagoda away. Of course, this didn't mean that just anyone searching his storage pouch could detect the Pagoda’s subtle power. Nor did it imply that random individuals could just go ahead and rummage through Lei Dong’s storage bracelet.

It was simply that Lei Dong had always been meticulous and cautious in his actions; any factor that could potentially expose his greatest secret would be extinguished in the cradle whenever possible. Especially as his cultivation level rose, keeping a dilapidated, unremarkable “Soul Nurturing Pagoda” within his storage bracelet would only draw more unwanted attention.

Thus, the Soul Devouring Pagoda naturally became Lei Dong’s Natal Artifact. Although he rarely took the initiative to actively nurture or refine it, it was, after all, housed within his spirit soul.

Lei Dong paid a little attention and immediately noticed that it was the Soul Devouring Pagoda trembling slightly. However, since Lei Dong had never experienced this phenomenon before, he felt a momentary sense of strangeness. Yet, as his thoughts raced, he considered a possibility: Could something associated with that broken Pagoda have appeared?

A sudden jolt struck his heart. Lei Dong narrowed his eyes, gazing downward like a hawk. He needed to see who carried something that interested the Soul Devouring Pagoda. Furthermore, Lei Dong paid close attention to whether anyone else could sense the Pagoda’s existence.

Lei Dong counted the onlookers in the area: thirty-two people in total. Eight were at the Foundation Establishment stage, and the rest were at the Qi Refining stage. After a brief observation, he didn't notice anyone looking around anxiously. However, among the eight Foundation Establishment cultivators, the youngest among them already exhibited signs of age, unlike the relatively younger Foundation Establishment cultivators frequently seen within the Yin Sha Sect.

The two groups engaged in a shouting match—one with three people, the other with four. The two leaders on each side were both Foundation Establishment cultivators with hair as white as frost and beard. If they weren't red-faced and red-necked from arguing, they might have possessed a certain ethereal bearing, resembling the old immortals of legend. Unfortunately, at the moment, they looked like two common townspeople exchanging vulgar insults, completely devoid of any grace. Their subordinates, seemingly descendants or disciples, also faced each other, glaring with hostility.

Lei Dong vaguely gathered why they were quarreling. When the Yin Sha Sect hosted various factions, they generally would not place enemies within the same gathering area. Otherwise, it would purely be asking for trouble. Conversely, they would arrange groups with closer ties in the same vicinity.

Judging from the content of their argument, the two old Foundation Establishment cultivators were from neighboring immortal cultivation families within the same kingdom. Generations ago, their ancestors had been fellow disciples cultivating in the Yin Sha Sect, sharing an extremely close, almost life-and-death bond. Consequently, these two families had maintained a close relationship for generations, supporting each other. However, it seemed that during a recent joint exploration of an ancient immortal cultivation ruin, a dispute over the uneven distribution of benefits led to the families becoming bitter enemies.

In truth, Lei Dong couldn't be bothered with their petty affairs. The most important thing was determining who possessed an item capable of piquing the Soul Devouring Pagoda’s interest. After all, Lei Dong’s own Soul Devouring Pagoda was an object defying the heavens. Anything that could resonate with it, even if unrelated to the Pagoda itself, could not be a simple thing.

Could it be something they unearthed from the ruins?

While Lei Dong was puzzling over this, the two old Foundation Establishment cultivators argued more fiercely, each summoning an imposing mid-grade Spirit Artifact, appearing ready to fight right there. Lei Dong wondered if these mid-grade Spirit Artifacts were inherited from their ancestors or acquired through their own savings.

Regardless of his current duty or the whereabouts of the object causing the Pagoda's disturbance, Lei Dong did not want the situation to escalate uncontrollably. Seeing them urging their Spirit Artifacts forward, Lei Dong, suspended in the air, let out a cold snort with a somber expression.

A wave of desolation permeated the air.

The Wheel of Annihilation, trailing a thread of mournful cyan light, spun rapidly and grew larger as it flew. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a furiously rotating wheel several feet in diameter, emitting a low, heart-wrenching sound of sorrowful cries.

Hiss~ Boom~

The two old Foundation Establishment cultivators, seasoned as they were, reacted swiftly. Relying on instinct, they felt the ferocious killing intent emanating from the sudden cyan Wheel and dared not meet it head-on. They rapidly tapped their feet, retreating backward, while simultaneously, faint yellow light shields burst forth around their bodies. Clearly, both their movement techniques and defensive shields were not techniques originating from the Yin Sha Sect.

This was also a rule of the Yin Sha Sect: once a cultivator established an immortal family, they could use the sect’s magic, but they were strictly forbidden from passing down the techniques belonging to the Yin Sha Sect. However, they were permitted to teach methods and techniques they had plundered or created themselves that were not part of the Yin Sha Sect. Any violation would incur consequences that were easy to imagine given the sect’s methods of punishment.

It was precisely because of this rule that those immortal families, whether in cultivation methods or other spells, were invariably far inferior to the formal cultivators of the Yin Sha Sect.

Over the years, Lei Dong had indeed considered creating his own spells, but he soon gave up. The Yin Sha Sect possessed such a long history, having been passed down to the present day. Countless astonishing geniuses and supreme talents must have emerged over the ages. Through the constant improvement and refinement by generations of powerful figures, the cultivation methods and spells inherited to this day—those that hadn't been eliminated—must have stood the test of time.

Perhaps some great masters did invent new spells, but any freshly created spell, without the tempering and modification of long periods and the refinement of successive generations, could absolutely not surpass the current established spell systems. Lei Dong felt that attempting to create a spell now would make him a complete fool.

The Wheel of Annihilation whistled, slamming brutally into the bluestone ground.

As easily as cutting tofu, it plunged directly into the bluestone, leaving behind a trench several yards wide and of unknown depth.

Everyone stared upward, dumbfounded, at the mysterious figure enveloped in ghostly black mist. Especially the two old Foundation Establishment patriarchs, whose faces shifted between dark and pale, their eyes wide with lingering shock as they watched Lei Dong in the sky. Through the black mist, they could vaguely make out that this person seemed to be a Yin Sha Sect cultivator, and a Foundation Establishment one at that. But was that Wheel-shaped Spirit Artifact they just saw a high-grade one? Its sheer power was chilling.

Lei Dong gently raised a hand, and the Wheel of Annihilation, which had burrowed underground, re-emerged, returning to his palm.

“Are you here to congratulate Lord Tian Mo, or are you here to cause trouble?” If the group of Foundation Establishment cultivators below were to attack him together, Lei Dong would certainly face death. But this was his own turf, and these people were from the minor sects affiliated with the Yin Sha Sect; there was no reason for him to appear weak. His voice was cold, domineering, and filled with authority: “Try moving again, and don't blame Lord Lei for adding another spirit to the tally under my Wheel of Annihilation.”