The trio finished dividing the spoils. Lei Dong casually summoned his Ghost Guards, who devoured the corpses at the scene, before bidding farewell to Li Yijian and Qi Feifei.

Alone once more, he set off on the path to seek greater strength. This time, he eschewed high-altitude flight for travel. Instead, he urged his Evil Ghost Camphor tree forward, controlling its erratic trajectory low to the ground, weaving through the deep canyons. The path he took twisted and coiled, utterly unpredictable—east one moment, west the next, south then north. After flying like this for about ten days, Lei Dong landed on a sheer mountain peak. He scanned his surroundings: verdant mountains stacked upon one another, clouds and mist swirling like an ethereal dreamscape, with sparrows occasionally darting past nearby.

Especially noteworthy was a valley to the south, densely forested, a riot of blossoming flowers, where faint, swirling spiritual energy could be glimpsed, coiling like a dragon—unmistakably a minor spirit vein. Although the mountains and rivers covered a vast territory, after countless years, countless sects, and countless cultivators, truly novel occurrences in this realm were scarce. Wherever a spirit vein existed, regardless of size, it was a boon to cultivators, invariably attracting either demonic beasts to nest there or serving as the foundation for establishing a new sect. Lei Dong observed this vein; it spanned less than a few hundred meters, clearly a diminutive one.

Top-tier sects like the Yin Sha Sect would naturally disdain such a meager vein. Only small cultivating families would treasure it, settling down in such a location. Though no smoke rose from dwellings, the noticeably organized arrangement of some trees, and the hazy, mist-shrouded view toward the valley floor, told Lei Dong that a small sect or family certainly resided here.

Since Lei Dong possessed numerous high-grade spirit stones, drawing pure spiritual energy from them during cultivation, though extravagant and wasteful, was undeniably an efficient method. Of course, he would have been happier with prime-grade spirit stones. Given that the market price for a prime-grade stone equated to a million low-grade ones, acquiring one depended entirely on luck. Even for a minor magnate like Lei Dong, the thought made his heart ache. Lei Dong hadn't stopped at this small, lush valley merely for opportunities like robbery. It was because, in his effort to obscure his tracks during the journey, darting east and west, he had completely lost his bearings. Furthermore, the map jade slips taken from the sect had become useless some time ago, as the map only covered the territory of the Yin Sha Sect and its immediate surroundings. Now that he was continually distancing himself from the sect, coupled with his haphazard zigzagging through remote, desolate areas with complex terrain at low altitudes, getting lost was entirely understandable.

After observing for a long while, Lei Dong noticed that the mountain-guarding formation protecting the small family below seemed poorly constructed, whoever had set it up. It was a remarkably sloppy arrangement, riddled with obvious gaps and errors.

While Lei Dong’s understanding of formations was superficial, gained only through cursory glances without dedicated study, he had, after all, emerged from a world-leading sect. He possessed a basic level of insight. For a small family to treasure such a broken formation and use it as their protective barrier, Lei Dong judged them incapable of posing any threat to him. He promptly changed into a set of white robes befitting a young nobleman. Although Lei Dong’s face lacked the delicate handsomeness of some dandies, this attire still served a purpose. His stern features lent him an air of masculine vigor. He refrained from using his signature Ghost Shadow Evasion technique, instead channeling his vital energy to employ the most straightforward, unadorned primitive movement skills—leaps and bounds. In moments, he reached the entrance of the small valley and called out, "I am Ding Xiangtian, from the Ding family of Wanxi. I regrettably lost my way in the mountains and happened upon your valley. Might I request temporary lodging to inquire about the main routes?"

The world was teeming with cultivating families—Zhang, Wang, Zhao, Li—countless thousands. Unless they possessed Golden Core cultivators, such families remained unknown. Who would remember the small clans that sprang up one day only to vanish the next?

After several calls, a timid girl’s voice finally responded from inside: "Young Master Ding, my grandfather is not home. It is inconvenient to let outsiders in. Please forgive me."

Lei Dong was momentarily stunned. While he estimated he could forcibly breach the so-called 'mountain-guarding formation' in less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he was hardly a brute or a degenerate. Seeing a young girl home alone, he had no intention of kicking down the door just to ask for directions. He bowed slightly toward the valley entrance and said calmly, "Since it is inconvenient for the young lady, I, Ding, will not enter. However, could you please inform me where this place is? And what is the best way to reach the nearest cultivator market?"

"This place is within the borders of the Southern Li Kingdom, situated at the juncture of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Sound Palace. If you are heading to the Heavenly Sound Palace, continue southeast. If you seek the Heavenly Dao Alliance, you must go northwest. The closest market is directly east, about eight hundred li from here. However, that market is only open to registered cultivating families from the surrounding few nations; Young Master Ding likely won't be permitted entry..." Her voice was light and melodious, quite pleasant to hear.

Lei Dong frowned slightly. "Are there any other markets nearby besides that one?"

"I... I am not certain about that," the girl's voice returned, tinged with apology. "Grandfather has only taken me to that one market. I am sorry, Young Master Ding."

Seeing her politeness, Lei Dong's mood lifted, and he smiled. "No matter, no matter. Knowing where I am is helpful enough. If all else fails, I will head toward the Heavenly Sound Palace to see if there is a market there." He paused, then took out a mid-grade spirit stone, placing it before the valley entrance. "Thank you for guiding my path, young lady. This small token is the least I can offer." With that, he turned, preparing to gather his energy and depart.

"Young Master Ding, wait!" The voice inside suddenly sounded anxious. A white mist billowed near the valley entrance, and a girl in a pale-yellow dress drifted out.

She snatched up the mid-grade spirit stone from the ground, her cheeks faintly flushed. "Young Master Ding, I cannot accept such a precious gift without merit. I cannot take it."

Lei Dong glanced at her. She was delicate, appearing about sixteen or seventeen, with low cultivation—only the third level of the Qi Refining stage. While not possessing the heavenly beauty of his senior sister, she was certainly pleasant to look at. She was neatly dressed and well-mannered, making her company comfortable. Seeing her apparent innocence, as she refused even a freely offered mid-grade spirit stone, he waved his hand and chuckled, "Forget it, meeting you today feels like fate. You have given me directions; consider this my payment. Go buy a small magical artifact you like to play with, little girl."

"No, my grandfather said I must not accept gifts from strangers, especially very valuable ones." The girl in the pale-yellow dress said with firm seriousness, offering the mid-grade spirit stone back. "This is a mid-grade spirit stone. I’ve seen one at my grandfather’s place; he keeps it like a treasure."

"Heh, if you won't take it, then never mind." Lei Dong easily retrieved it and placed it back into his storage bracelet. He then took out a small bottle of leftover Qi Refining pills and tossed it over. "This isn't valuable. Take one when you cultivate; it will benefit your practice slightly. Take this. I, Ding, dislike owing favors."

Upon hearing it was not highly valuable, and truly unable to refuse a seemingly decent young master again, the girl blushed. "Then, thank you, Young Master Ding."

Seeing her flush, Lei Dong teased, "Weren't you just afraid I was a bad person and wouldn't let me in? How is it that you've suddenly become brave enough to run out on your own? Are you no longer afraid I am a villain?"

"Young Master Ding mocks me. Your demeanor and bearing are refined and extraordinary. How could you possibly be a bad person?" The girl kept her head down, murmuring with a blush. "Young Master Ding, I sincerely apologize for refusing you entry earlier. Since you are a distant guest, why not come in for a cup of spiritual tea and rest before you leave?"

Lei Dong rubbed his nose, finding the interaction amusing, and couldn't help but laugh. "So, you can tell a bad person from a good one just by looking? Then tell me, what should a bad person look like?"

"A bad person must either be shrouded in ghostly energy, bristling with killing intent, have a brutish face and fierce eyes. Or they’d summon demonic ghosts and specters amidst dark mist and chilling wind."

Lei Dong laughed heartily for a long moment before composing himself. "Alright, little sister, Ding won't chat nonsense with you anymore. Remember this: a brutish face doesn't always mean a bad person, and a refined scholar doesn't always mean a good person. But this world is inherently not a good one; it is survival of the fittest. Remember, from now on, no matter who someone is, or what they do, never open the door easily for anyone. If I, Ding, intended to do you harm, I would have succeeded already. Remember the saying: human hearts are inscrutable. I bid you farewell."

"Wait." The girl seemed lost in thought, but the mention of 'harm' made her cheeks burn again. Before she could get angry or scared, she heard Lei Dong preparing to leave and urgently called out to him. Keeping her head lowered and face flushed, she said earnestly, "I will remember what you said, Young Master. However, please wait just a moment longer. Have a cup of spiritual tea that I personally cultivated and blended before you go. Even my grandfather praises me as a genius at cultivating spiritual tea."

"Spiritual tea?" Lei Dong's face curved into an amused smile. "Very well, let Ding sample your spiritual tea before I leave." Truthfully, Lei Dong had never been overly interested in spiritual tea. The Yin Sha Sect itself had various kinds. These items typically offered minor effects, such as calming the spirit or marginally improving the purity of spiritual energy. But the effect was usually extremely limited. Yet, since she insisted so earnestly, he couldn't refuse her repeated kindness. He wasn't in a great hurry to leave in this moment.

The girl named Rong'er seemed slightly delighted. She executed a hand seal, muttered an incantation, and the valley's restrictive barrier opened, ushering Lei Dong inside. Lei Dong followed her unhurriedly, hands clasped behind his back, taking in the sights. Though the spirit vein was inconspicuous, the valley itself had been fashioned with considerable taste: exotic flowers and rare herbs, precious birds and beasts, and a lakeside courtyard enveloped in wisps of immortal mist, where a fat fish occasionally leaped from the water...