The elder surnamed Chen reacted with lightning speed. After a sharp cry of alarm, fire erupted around him as he swiftly retreated. At that moment, his sole thought was survival; he could no longer spare a thought for his two nephews, who possessed decent talent.

His escape speed was fast, but Lei Dong's Ghost Shadow Evasion was extraordinary, especially with the reinforcement of the Netherworld Talisman, which produced countless spectral afterimages. In an instant, he was at the doorway. As a claw struck out, Lei Dong mocked, "Trying to flee? Ridiculous." Having been fully prepared, how could Lei Dong allow this mere Foundation Establishment Stage Two cultivator to escape?

The several-foot-wide Netherworld Ghost Claw tore free. Within the environment conjured by the Netherworld Talisman, the ghost claw behaved like a dragon returning to the sea, gaining immense power—its might surged by several tens of percent out of thin air—and it surged forward domineeringly to seize him.

The elder Chen was formidable; he managed to halt mid-air abruptly, twisting his body to slap out with one palm. A refined flame materialized into a colossal hand, meeting the plunging Netherworld Ghost Claw.

Simultaneously, the two younger men also activated their movement techniques, attempting to bolt outside. However, to a cultivator like Lei Dong at the Foundation Establishment Stage, their speed was agonizingly slow. Dozens of wisps of Netherworld Ghost Qi swept out, swirling around them incessantly. Their speed abruptly staggered again, as if they were sinking into a quagmire, making sustained movement nearly impossible. Their faces, already pale, contorted into deeper terror.

"Roar~" A tiger, three feet long, striped in black and white, let out a furious roar, leaving behind a string of afterimages as it streaked past.

It suddenly pounced upon the two youths. This tiger was none other than the Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger, a spirit beast Lei Dong had nurtured for many years. Though not fully mature, it already possessed the strength of nearly the tenth level of the Qi Refining Stage. Deploying it against these two low-level Qi Refining juniors was utter overkill.

Boom As the massive flame palm and the Netherworld Ghost Claw collided violently, an intense shockwave instantly erupted, pulverizing the interior decorations into dust. Fiery debris scattered everywhere. The colossal hand shattered, yet the Netherworld Ghost Claw merely shuddered a few times, dimming significantly, but it continued its relentless grasp toward him.

The Netherworld Ghost Claw was inherently an outstanding spell from the Yin Sha Sect, and Lei Dong was particularly fond of it, having invested considerable effort mastering it. Enhanced by the Netherworld Talisman, there was no way it could be so easily shattered. Seizing the moment when the elder Chen’s spiritual sense recoiled and he momentarily lost focus, Lei Dong snatched and ensnared him.

Dealing with a cultivator whose cultivation was one level higher than his own, Lei Dong dared not be careless, yet he also could not afford to waste too much time. Seizing the opportunity, he flicked his hand, and a mournful, whining sound arose, unleashing a fiercely spinning azure light.

"Slice~" A dull impact resonated.

A shield with considerable spiritual energy materialized before the elder Chen. Upon their collision, the shield was deeply gouged down the middle, its spiritual radiance severely diminished. This was a Mid-grade Spirit Tool passed down from his ancestors? Elder Chen’s face turned frightfully pale, yet he immediately began pleading, "Brother Ding, we can talk. Whatever the Zhao family offers, we’ll pay ten times more." Lei Dong was surprised by the quality of his defensive shield; even using his full strength to activate the Annihilation Dharma Wheel, a technique rivaling High-grade Spirit Artifacts and his own life-bound instrument, skilled at cutting, he hadn't managed to immediately break it. He deduced it must be a Mid-grade Spirit Tool. Feeling the vibrations reverberate through his soul, it was clear that the violent impact had delivered a severe soul shock that hadn't subsided. To activate the Annihilation Dharma Wheel again immediately might risk damaging his spirit.

As for the elder's plea for mercy, Lei Dong dismissed it as nonsense. Lei Dong’s principle was simple: once action is taken, eliminate the threat completely, leaving no loose ends. He snorted, raised his hand slightly, and the Ghost Guards, losing even the pretense of stealth, shot forward, their twin spikes thrusting out amidst a burst of black light.

Boom Having just broken free from the Netherworld Ghost Claw, the elder Chen stood no chance against the speed-renowned Ghost Guards. Furthermore, this particular Ghost Guard had been continuously nourished in the High-grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda and frequently consumed the flesh and blood of demonic beasts, advancing to the third level—its power was not to be underestimated. If it were useless, wouldn't Lei Dong have wasted a fortune acquiring those beast corpses over time?

The twin spikes, trailing black spectral light, struck the shield heavily. The already damaged Mid-grade Spirit Tool shattered into fragments amidst the flare of black light. The Ghost Guard’s momentum was undiminished as its sharp points lunged directly for the elder’s chest. Elder Chen, wreathed in flickering, hazy flames, struggled desperately to evade, barely managing to defend.

The black mist and ghostly aura inside the room thickened further, inducing a chilling horror that prickled the scalp.

Screech, screech, screech! Countless malevolent, fierce ghosts surged forth from a black banner. The one leading was nearly twice the size of a common fierce ghost, emanating an overwhelming aura and rising malevolence, its squealing accompanied by bared fangs and claws as it ferociously lunged at Elder Chen.

This fierce ghost was none other than Li Chang'an, whose living soul Lei Dong had captured long ago and subsequently refined to become the main soul of the Myriad Ghost Banner. Although far weaker than he was in life, he was infinitely more ferocious than the average fierce ghost. Led by him, and bolstered by the spectral environment created by the Netherworld Talisman, the ghosts were at least several times more savage and violent than usual, no longer relegated to being mere cannon fodder.

"Ah~"

Hundreds of fierce ghosts swarmed the not-so-large space. Dozens immediately clung to Elder Chen, densely packed like a swarm of bees. With incessant clawing and biting, in mere seconds, Elder Chen's True Essence protective shield ruptured. The fierce ghosts immediately poured in, plunging their sharp claws into his body, tearing and gnawing at his flesh.

Wretched, tearing screams echoed incessantly, but against the Myriad Ghosts Devouring his body, even when he managed to muster strength to shake them off, they instantly reapplied themselves like maggots clinging to bone. No matter what, Elder Chen could not dislodge them. In an instant, he was reduced to a bare skeleton. As his physical form perished and his condensed living soul attempted to flee, Lei Dong, who had been standing by, sent out the Netherworld Ghost Claw again, seizing the living soul in one grasp.

As the soul chattered and wailed miserably, Lei Dong reached out and covered it. A sinister light flared in his eyes; his divine sense tightly enveloped the captive soul. His hair stirred without wind, and his body vibrated violently. The soul had not been separated long, and the imprints of its memories had not yet faded. All manner of scenes and figures flooded into Lei Dong's mind. Drops of sweat beaded on his forehead. This technique was one he had to use eventually, and this was the first time since acquiring it.

At Lei Dong's current cultivation level, employing the Soul Searching Art was far too strenuous, resulting in excessive consumption. It could not be sustained for long. Fortunately, perhaps because the information was deeply ingrained in the elder's memory, Lei Dong soon obtained the result he desired.

He breathed a massive sigh of relief, withdrawing his divine sense. This brief effort had left Lei Dong utterly exhausted. Still, his luck was decent; he had acquired what he sought. A living soul at the Foundation Establishment Stage Two was not to be wasted; he immediately tossed it into the Myriad Ghost Banner and awkwardly recited an incantation. Just as before, countless ghostly hands, seemingly emerging from the underworld, stretched out from the banner, forcibly dragging the already weak soul in, its miserable shrieks continuing.

But the sounds were quickly extinguished into nothingness.

Lei Dong immediately swallowed two Qi Recovery Pills. Without putting away the Myriad Ghost Banner, he urged it to act once more. Hundreds of fierce ghosts poured out through the windows and door cracks, vying to be the first out.

As for the two junior brats at Qi Refining Stages Three and Four, they had long been entangled by the Ghost Qi and subsequently beaten to death by the Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger. Their living souls had long been swallowed whole by the Shadow Tiger. Of course, due to their low cultivation, the souls were not sufficiently condensed and held little value for Lei Dong. He couldn't be bothered to compete with his spirit beast for such meager sustenance.

At the same time, Lei Dong flew out of the house, standing in mid-air with his hands clasped behind his back, his divine sense sweeping across all directions. The manor was not large, but for Lei Dong's current cultivation, projecting his divine sense to cover the entire estate with absolute clarity was laughable. However, by continuously expanding his sense, he could certainly detect any major disturbances.

With Lei Dong's current divine sense strength, the Myriad Ghost Banner contained a good number of fierce ghosts—four to five hundred. The most formidable among them was, of course, the single Foundation Establishment Main Soul. Although this main soul possessed low intelligence, it was vastly superior to the mere instinctual, swallowing capacity of the common fierce ghosts.

Under Lei Dong's command, the Main Soul began directing the hundreds of fierce ghosts to dance wildly throughout the manor, slaughtering every living thing they could find.

The other two Ghost Guards, nourished for many years in the High-grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda and having consumed much flesh and blood, materialized simultaneously. Lei Dong’s complexion turned distinctly pale. Although the remaining two High-grade Ghost Guards were only first level, deploying all three at once pushed Lei Dong slightly beyond his limit. During the nearly five years of secluded cultivation preceding this, Lei Dong had still practiced the Spirit Forging Art frequently, but perhaps he had become a bit too impatient compared to before.

However, despite the strain, Lei Dong could manage to sustain it. Since he had resolved to kill, Lei Dong was absolutely unwilling to show mercy. He was not inherently a soft-hearted person, and the matter at hand was far too critical; he could not allow the slightest possibility of leakage. Otherwise, his entire life would be ruined. The Soul Devouring Pagoda, such an earth-shattering treasure, could drive even Nascent Soul stage cultivators into a frenzy.

Thus, four to five hundred fierce ghosts, three Ghost Guards, and one Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger began to rampage violently through the manor. Especially the Qi Refining cultivators, who, sensing danger and attempting to flee, found they couldn't get far before being overtaken by a Ghost Guard and swiftly cut down. Alternatively, they were surrounded by a pack of fierce ghosts, dragged down, and entirely devoured.

For a time, the entire manor was truly filled with wails and spectral howling, a chaotic dance of devils.

(Unavoidable struggle, three chapters updated today. I sincerely request both recommendation votes and monthly passes for support.)