"Just kidding, Brother Li shouldn't mind..." Lei Dong burst into laughter, raising his hand to toss two Red Lotuses to Qi Feifei. This was his tacit agreement to the exchange.

Qi Feifei then consolidated her four Red Lotus Seeds, trading them with Li Huntian for one Heart-Washing Fruit. She dutifully handed this over to Lei Dong, thereby achieving their goal ahead of schedule, which brought Lei Dong a surge of exhilaration.

The trade with Li Huntian was neither a win nor a loss for either party; their values were likely quite close, it was simply a case of each getting what they needed. Having secured the four Red Lotuses, Li Huntian managed to suppress the wild joy surging within him. At this point, he dared not underestimate Lei Dong any longer. He cupped his hands toward Lei Dong and said, "Brother Lei, I'll cede this Black Demon Tower to you for clearing. I shall take my leave now. Disciples from our brother sects should certainly maintain closer ties. I look forward to future opportunities for cooperation..."

Lei Dong knew Li Huntian was no simple figure. Even if he couldn't befriend him, avoiding enmity was beneficial enough. He also cupped his hands in return: "I trust, Brother Lei, that opportunities for future interaction will arise..."

Once Li Huntian departed, Lei Dong and the other quickly cleared the tower. The lack of any sign of the Heart-Washing Fruit was somewhat regrettable, as Lei Dong calculated there shouldn't be any significant empty spaces left below. The four Heart-Washing Fruits in Lei Dong's possession were nearly the upper limit of what he could manage.

As expected, after dispatching the final Black Demon Tower, Lei Dong and his companion stepped onto the teleportation array and were abruptly transported into a vast, magnificent hall. The architectural style was ageless, yet the hall itself was overwhelmingly grand. The load-bearing pillars, so massive that several people couldn't encircle them, were intricately carved with depictions of various exotic beasts and the supreme entities of different realms—ancient and imposing.

Towards the back of the main hall sat a black dais. In the very center of this dais rested a solemn, stately throne. Seeing the throne, Lei Dong, who usually harbored little desire for power, suddenly felt a stirring, an urge to sit upon it just to try. His footsteps unconsciously began to shift forward. As he took the first step, a pathway instantly manifested across the expanse leading to the dais. Along the center of this path, square-inch sized, crystal-clear black gems dotted the way, shimmering with an inner light as they flowed, utterly mesmerizing. This sight made Lei Dong's heart race. Though he had little time to dabble in auxiliary arts like artifact refining, even as an amateur, he recognized the stones paving the way as likely being the legendary Star-Shine Stones.

These were exceedingly valuable, top-tier materials for artifact refinement; even acquiring a small fragment could fetch a hefty sum of spirit stones, a significant windfall. The realization that the entire pathway was forged from Star-Shine Stones struck Lei Dong with profound shock. Acting on impulse, he thrust out a claw—the spectral, greenish Nether Ghost Claw—directly at the ground. However, after the collision of energy, the Star-Shine Stone floor remained utterly unmoved, showing not a single scratch. This slightly surprised him. While Star-Shine Stones were precious, they weren't renowned for their hardness; they weren't much tougher than ordinary rock.

Lei Dong’s Nether Ghost Claw attack, if aimed at common stone, could easily gouge out and tear off a large chunk. It was inconceivable that there would be no reaction at all. Just as Lei Dong drew back his Annihilation Dharma Wheel, intending to test its cutting power, he paused, feeling as if something essential was missing nearby.

Frowning, he concentrated, trying to recall. After a long moment, realization dawned: Qi Feifei was gone. He distinctly remembered pulling her with him through the teleportation.

Why hadn't she entered this Heart-Demon Hall with him? The situation felt decidedly wrong. Lei Dong carefully sensed the surroundings and was startled to feel that Qi Feifei was indeed nearby, certainly no more than a li away. A strand of their spirits had merged; as long as they weren't too far apart, Lei Dong could sense her presence, even if she was wearing her Cloak of Surveillance.

He surveyed the empty hall again but found no trace of her. He then released his formidable divine sense, letting it cover the entire interior of the grand hall, yet still, there was no sign of her. He shouted a few times, but only his own echo returned. Initially, Lei Dong thought she was playing a trick on him by using the Cloak of Surveillance. But on second thought, this didn't align with Qi Feifei's personality; throughout her following him, her words and actions had been cautious, exuding a gentle obedience and quiet admiration. At such a critical juncture, she would never commit such a foolish act that might anger him. Moreover, Lei Dong sensed again that she was close, yet it felt as if something invisible separated them.

Lei Dong couldn't fathom what that barrier was, but he knew one thing: this Heart-Demon Hall was strange. Heart-Demon Hall... Heart-Demon Hall... Could it be... Lei Dong glanced up at the imposing, majestic throne. Suddenly, a powerful yearning welled up within him—a craving to sit upon it, as if it were the culmination of his life's ambition.

He stopped paying attention to the Star-Shine Stone path beneath his feet. Step by steady step, he walked forward, slow and deliberate. Along the sides of the Star-Shine Stone path, two rows of statues had appeared at some point. As Lei Dong glanced over, he noted that every statue was carved with breathtaking realism, and nearly every one was distinct from the others. The vast majority were utterly unfamiliar to him. For instance, the statue to his left depicted a giant, perhaps three zhang tall, wearing a full helmet that obscured its face. It was clad in ancient, richly textured, heavy yet magnificent battle armor, with huge, complex metal gauntlets covering its hands. It rested both hands upon a massive greatsword nearly one and a half zhang high, standing in a posture of solemn authority. Even as just a statue, Lei Dong could sense a powerful aura emanating from it, one that seemed to survey the world beneath its gaze.

The statue to its right was even taller, perhaps four or five zhang high; Lei Dong had to crane his neck back to see its entirety. Yes—it was that one. Although it stood on two feet, Lei Dong certainly didn't believe it was human. The fine carving depicted its scales and the musculature beneath them vividly, lending it a palpable texture. A long, thick tail dragged heavily on the ground, covered in dense, fire-like scales. Along the tail, a row of sharp, dangerous barbs extended from the tip, running up its spine, over its back, sweeping past the back of its head, culminating in a massive, curved horn atop its skull. Key areas of its body were encased in armor, though the style was much rougher. Its four limbs were thick and robust, especially its lower body, which exuded a sense of raw, powerful beauty, making one feel that if it leaped, it could soar straight into the clouds. In its right... in its right claw, it gripped a giant spear at least three or four zhang long. Its bared, sharp teeth and pair of crimson eyes conveyed an overwhelming sense of brutality and fierce hostility. Lei Dong didn't know what it was, but he was certain that encountering it in life would mean certain death.

Others were clad in armor made entirely of flame, yet none looked human. Still others wore suits of ice crystal armor and possessed wings on their backs. But every single one, even in their sculpted state, exuded an intensely formidable aura. Lei Dong had only encountered such awe-inspiring presences twice before. The first time was in the small creek valley, upon seeing the Heavenly Demon. The second was during the Sect Grand Competition, sensing a faint trace from the Nascent Soul Ancestor far away within the sect.

Among these diverse statues, Lei Dong recognized two. For one, he had not only seen it in illustrated texts but also seen a statue of it in the Yin Sha Sect. He knew this figure was a member of the Asura Clan, the origin of the cultivation methods and legacy of the Asura Heaven, one of the world's Eight Great Sects. However, that Asura differed somewhat from the one Lei Dong saw here. Although the one he had seen before was far larger and more imposing, this male Asura statue, only a few zhang high with a hideous, ferocious face, radiated a dignity and prestige that far surpassed anything in the texts or statues Lei Dong had previously encountered.

The other one he recognized was also a few zhang high, entirely enveloped in darkness, possessing a fierce appearance but adorned with majestic armor, grasping a golden battle trident. Lei Dong had once seen it in an illustrated text: the Yaksha King. If his deduction held true, Lei Dong mused that the Asura here might be the Asura King.

If he were to speculate further, perhaps these statues represented figures qualified to stand alongside the Yaksha King and the Asura King. This assured him that they were certainly not weaklings, let alone common fodder. Perhaps they were the kings of their respective races, just like the Asura King and the Yaksha King—all rulers. Sadly, Lei Dong’s cultivation time was short, and he couldn't recognize the kings of most of these races.

With these inferences, a sense of reverence began to grow in Lei Dong toward the statues. If they were alive, any one of them could crush him like an ant with effortless ease. With a sense of awe, Lei Dong meticulously committed each of these diverse yet lifelike statues to memory. Perhaps some of these races had already vanished, but that didn't prevent a cultivator pursuing eternity and strength from looking up to those who stood at the apex of power.

In that moment, Lei Dong gained a deeper comprehension of the sheer wonder of the world he had traversed into. The world was vast, its species flourishing, and filled with unending peril. A Foundation Establishment cultivator like himself might command some respect among weaker rogue cultivators, but in the grand scheme of the world, he remained incredibly frail. At this juncture, Lei Dong understood his own weakness more acutely, which only hardened his conviction: his yearning to become stronger, to seize control of his own destiny. His curiosity about the throne on the dais intensified.