It took another full day before Lei Dong finally refined over a hundred wild ghosts and nearly two hundred yin souls into the Myriad Ghost Banner. He then incorporated his own concepts, blending them with traditional classifications for ghost generals, assigning different ranks to the various levels of fierce ghosts to avoid unnecessary confusion. The lowest-tier phantoms, refined from the most common yin souls and vile ghosts, Lei Dong dubbed 'Soul Worms.' They won by sheer overwhelming numbers, like insects, yet were as fragile as well. In every battle, they acted as cannon fodder, suffering massive casualties, but they were indispensable. Currently, their number within the Myriad Ghost Banner stood at over four hundred.

Those phantoms refined from ghost soldiers, Lei Dong named 'Soul Soldiers,' implying they were on the same tier as the ghost soldiers. Naturally, the combat strength of a Soul Soldier differed significantly from that of a Natal Ghost Soldier, but they were still far more formidable than the Soul Worms. Previously, their numbers in the Myriad Ghost Banner were not substantial, but now, the total had reached over a hundred.

Finally, the fierce and powerful ghosts refined from Ghost Guards or Foundation Establishment-level living souls were named 'Soul Guards' by Lei Dong, a name similarly derived from the Ghost Guards. Their individual combat prowess was far inferior to that of Natal Ghost Guards. Yet, a single Soul Guard, despite its moderate individual might, could become an absolute nightmare for the enemy once it achieved numerical superiority.

Regrettably, even though Lei Dong’s divine sense was now potent, it still wasn't enough to pursue a purely elite strategy. If the Myriad Ghost Banner contained hundreds of Soul Guards, Lei Dong was certain that Bangtai Bingyun and he himself wouldn't last ten breaths against them before being completely devoured in a one-on-one fight. Of course, given Lei Dong’s current cultivation, such a feat was impossible to even consider, remaining merely an idle fantasy in his mind. To recklessly capture Ghost Guards without restraint to feed the Myriad Ghost Banner would only result in his own demise from the fierce backlash of the fierce ghosts. These five hundred-plus fierce ghosts represented the current limit for Lei Dong. Although the total number was significantly less than before, the overall power had more than doubled. By now, this Myriad Ghost Banner was likely the most formidable spiritual artifact in Lei Dong’s possession.

Having finished all this, Lei Dong rushed to the exterior of the Black Demon Tower in his domain. Qi Feifei, clad in her Inspection Cloak and standing guard, appeared gracefully: "Senior Brother Lei, Fei Su has already checked. This Black Demon Tower has not been breached, and no one has emerged."

"Let's go; we must hurry. We are likely to encounter opponents in the next few zones," Lei Dong’s voice was somewhat subdued. The reason he had spent time maximizing the fierce ghosts in the Myriad Ghost Banner was precisely because he knew the road ahead would likely be difficult. He only felt a slight regret that he hadn't encountered any enemies in the area where his fighting strength was at its peak.

The two killed their way upwards together, breaking through the tower in tandem, only to have mediocre luck—they found no trace of the Heart-Cleansing Fruit. Following this, the pair stormed through two more zones, still without obtaining the fruit. It wasn't until the fifteenth zone that Wei Feifei suddenly sensed that Li Huntian of the Demonic Prison Sect was nearby. Lei Dong initially preferred not to provoke a character as formidable as Li Huntian unnecessarily. Unexpectedly, Li Huntian found the Black Demon Tower a step ahead of Lei Dong and his companion.

This was already the fifteenth zone out of a total of one hundred and eight. Averaged out, each person would only clear a little over ten zones. The Heart Demon Hall trial was now nearing its end. How many remained? Lei Dong couldn't guess, but he was unwilling to risk it, especially since their side was still missing one Heart-Cleansing Fruit.

With this thought, Lei Dong had no choice but to clash head-on with that favored son of the Demonic Prison Sect.

Half an hour later.

In the grand hall of the first level, Li Huntian expressionlessly collected and stored the spoils of war. Then, with his hands behind his back, he looked coldly at Lei Dong, his voice hoarse: "Lei Dong, for the sake of the Yinsha Sect, I won't haggle with you this time. If you utter any more nonsense about handing this tower over to you, don't blame me for disregarding the camaraderie between our brother sects."

Lei Dong remained silent, summoning three Ghost Guards at the peak of the Third Level, arraying them in a line before him. He then summoned the Soul-Devouring Shadow Tiger, followed by the hundreds of fierce ghosts from the Myriad Ghost Banner, particularly the numerous Soul Guards and Soul Soldiers—all monstrously large, ferocious, and grim-looking—each baring its fangs and claws at Li Huntian.

Initially, Li Huntian had utterly disdained Lei Dong. Among the younger generation of the Yinsha Sect, the only ones he respected and paid attention to were the Yinsha Twin Heroes. Seeing Lei Dong summon Ghost Guards, he didn't intervene, estimating that Lei Dong could, at most, muster two First or Second Level Ghost Guards. Who knew that the result would swiftly cause his heart to race: three Third Level Ghost Guards, a full three of them. Moreover, his Myriad Ghost Banner seemed extraordinarily unusual.

Instantly, Li Huntian's face darkened, his voice becoming gratingly sharp: "Lei Dong, I admit I underestimated you. However, do you think that with just this, you can easily defeat me?"

"Senior Brother Li, please remain calm," Lei Dong narrowed his eyes and smiled: "Our two sects are not only old family friends but also strategic allies. My intention was certainly not to conflict with you, Senior Brother. Who knows, perhaps there will be opportunities for us to cooperate in the future; there’s no point in falling out now."

Li Huntian’s stern expression softened slightly. Based solely on these Ghost Guards and that Myriad Ghost Banner, he dared not belittle Lei Dong in the slightest anymore. The way he looked at him now carried an air of equality, though he remained cautious: "Then, Lei Dong, what exactly is your intention?"

"I merely wish to strike a fair trade with you, Senior Brother," Lei Dong said calmly, taking out two Hellfire Red Lotus Seeds, holding them suspended in his palm. They glittered with a scorching red light that was almost unbearable.

Almost instantaneously, Li Huntian’s aura surged dramatically, the fire in his eyes blazing intensely as he roared: "Hellfire Red Lotus!?"

Seeing his reaction, Lei Dong secretly thought there was hope.

He then chuckled lightly: "If you, Senior Brother, already possess two Heart-Cleansing Fruits, please spare one for me. In return, these two Hellfire Red Lotus Seeds will belong to you."

"Where is the rest of the lotus seeds below?" Li Huntian’s face turned ferocious as he spoke harshly: "One Hellfire Red Lotus cannot possibly yield only two seeds."

Lei Dong's smile likewise vanished, a shadow of malice flickering across his face: "Li Huntian, you are being overly greedy. Don't mistake courtesy for weakness." Netherworld ghostly energy erupted around him, thick black miasma swirling, occasionally coalescing into the shape of a monstrous ghost clawing menacingly.

Li Huntian cackled twice, killing intent flashing in his eyes: "Lei Dong, trading two Hellfire Red Lotus Seeds for one Heart-Cleansing Fruit is too little. At least ten seeds." It was not entirely Li Huntian's fault for losing his composure; the Hellfire Red Lotus was of little use to Lei Dong, merely a valuable natural treasure. However, for cultivators like Li Huntian who practiced the Great Heavenly Fire Art, the Hellfire Red Lotus held a fatal temptation.

"Senior Brother Li, I happen to have two seeds here as well. Combined with Senior Brother Lei's two, how about trading them for one Heart-Cleansing Fruit?" Wei Feifei, wearing her Inspection Cloak and concealed about twenty feet away, saw the two men's negotiations heating up with clear signs of an impending fight. She revealed herself, partly to intimidate Li Huntian into not acting rashly, and partly because the Heart-Cleansing Fruit was indeed crucial; four Hellfire Red Lotus Seeds for one was an extremely fair exchange.

Li Huntian was startled by the sudden appearance of Qi Feifei; he hadn't even detected her approaching so closely. A look of shock flashed across his face before his expression became volatile again. This unfathomable Lei Dong had already somewhat shaken his confidence. Now, with Wei Feifei present, and seeming allied with Lei Dong, if a fight broke out, a one-against-two scenario would likely not favor him.

Although he was naturally arrogant, he wouldn't have survived in this world on arrogance alone. At this point, Li Huntian actually began to laugh, changing his tack: "It turns out to be Feifei. You've come at a good time. Help me mediate with Brother Lei. Trading two Hellfire Lotus Seeds for one Heart-Cleansing Fruit—that's nothing short of cheating and extortion."

Wei Feifei covered her mouth with a light laugh: "Senior Brother Li, Brother Lei is actually being polite. For anyone else, he probably wouldn't offer even half a Red Lotus. Who told you that you need the Hellfire Red Lotus so badly? Besides, Senior Brother Li, your master is Martial Uncle Fen Wanli in the Demonic Prison Sect. Your backing is strong, and your family is wealthy; why bother over a mere Heart-Cleansing Fruit?" Wei Feifei also took the opportunity to gently remind Lei Dong that Li Huntian was someone with powerful connections, and making a complete enemy of him would be pointless.

Li Huntian cursed inwardly; these two had indeed colluded. He had to admit that Wei Feifei, that little enchantress, was quite alluring, which was a bonus for that brat Lei Dong. He then burst into hearty laughter, his tone becoming frank: "Since Junior Sister Wei has said so, if I keep haggling, I’ll lose face. Very well, four it is. No one suffers a loss, and we can get along better in the future. I'll even let you two take this Black Demon Tower for your efforts." He was astute enough to know the meaning of 'a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle.'

"So, Senior Brother Li is a disciple of Martial Uncle Fen?" Lei Dong wore a playful smile: "Last time at Lord Tianmo's Nascent Soul Celebration, I had the honor of seeing Martial Uncle Fen’s esteemed presence up close. I wonder how Lord Yan Emperor is doing?" This bit of information actually came about because Lei Dong was curious about the Hellfire Demonic Heart, and Tianmo had privately whispered the details to him. Now, using it to intimidate and suppress Li Huntian was both amusing and effective.

"You..." Li Huntian's face was filled with horror, flickering between shock and suspicion. He pondered internally, how did this brat know about the poor health of the Grand Ancestor? In truth, if the Grand Ancestor hadn't suffered Qi deviation, exhausting countless ultimate demonic and yang treasures of the sect, how could someone of Li Huntian’s standing fail to acquire even a few Hellfire Red Lotus Seeds? It seemed this brat’s status was far beyond his estimation; he was not to be underestimated.