Thinking of his inexhaustible trump cards and profound foundation, even Lei Dong felt completely confident. However, according to some intelligence gathered by Qi Feifei, Huangfu Ce had entered a life-or-death seclusion years ago.

To this day, Qi Feifei had been unable to probe his actual strength. But when he entered seclusion five years ago, his cultivation was only at the sixth layer of the Foundation Establishment stage, which was not particularly formidable. Furthermore, cultivation tended to slow down significantly the deeper one progressed. Lei Dong believed that even in a life-or-death seclusion, Huangfu Ce couldn't possibly leap too far, having spent five years advancing merely from the fourth to the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment.

With the life-or-death duel still a year away, Lei Dong had already completed his plan to earn Spirit Stones and convert them into tangible combat power. Thus, for the remaining year, Lei Dong returned once more to that small Azure Valley, cultivating non-stop every day. Of course, it was impossible to advance to the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment in just one year.

Consequently, during this year, Lei Dong primarily focused on honing his combat techniques. Lei Dong held a steadfast belief, a scientific fact derived from his previous life: if one persistently repeats any specific action, day after day without interruption, that action will eventually become incredibly skilled, even instinctive.

Lei Dong's current core combat spells included the Nether Fire Bullet, Nether Ghost Claw, Ghost Shadow Evasion, Profound Yin Shield, Great Nether Technique, and Ghost Control Art. Excluding the Profound Yin Shield, the rest were complementary techniques to the Great Nether Technique. In other words, the more powerful the Great Nether Technique became, the more those spells would be enhanced, making them stronger.

In an extremely monotonous fashion, after pushing the Great Nether Technique to its extreme, Lei Dong began practicing the Nether Fire Bullet, varying his application. Although this was a spell one could learn at the first layer of Qi Refining, the execution by Lei Dong’s hands was worlds apart from that of a Qi Refining first-layer cultivator. Lei Dong could still recall the envy and shock he felt nearly twenty years ago when Chen Ge first demonstrated the Nether Fire Bullet in front of him, effortlessly shattering a wooden rake. But in Lei Dong’s current view, Chen Ge’s Nether Fire Bullet back then was extremely weak in power, flawed in technique, and poorly executed. Now, Lei Dong stood near the cliff face behind the Azure Valley, ghostly energy surging around him, chilling and terrifying. He frowned, deliberated for about ten breaths, and then slowly raised his hand. The entire hand seemed enveloped by a chilling, green ghostly fire, becoming a hand engulfed in green flames.

The flames writhed and leaped, growing increasingly bizarre. Simultaneously, the agile and bewitching ghostly fires gradually contracted towards his palm, coalescing into a green fireball. Under the compression of true energy, the green flames continued to condense, with more Nether Fire constantly pouring into the ball. Because the surrounding environment was saturated with pure Nether Ghost Qi, the Nether Fire had ample fuel. Soon, it deepened from pale green to dark green, and eventually, faintly acquired a hint of blackness.

Suddenly, Lei Dong thrust his palm forward, launching the Nether Fire Bullet with a swoosh. The dark-tinged fireball, moving at high speed, left a long, flaring tail, whistling as it tore through the air. After leaving his palm, the Nether Fire Bullet burned even fiercer, taking on a somewhat dazzling appearance. It covered several dozen feet in almost two or three breaths.

With a loud boom, the Nether Fire Bullet struck a jutting rock about ten feet wide on the cliff face. The violent explosion shattered the rock into pieces, and the emerald ghostly fire splattered outward like exploding fireworks. However, lacking souls or other fuel, the scattered green flames quickly dissipated.

What remained on the cliff face was a bowl-shaped crater nearly twenty feet wide, the center blasted inward by several feet. The original rock transformed into countless fragments, the furthest shards exploding dozens of feet away.

Seeing the significant increase in this strike’s power, a wave of satisfaction washed over Lei Dong. His mastery over the Nether Fire Bullet was growing stronger. It seemed the might of the Nether Fire Bullet was indeed closely tied to one's cultivation level, but mastering the intricate secrets to boost its power through the support of the Great Nether Technique was a field demanding constant research.

Lei Dong mechanically deployed the Nether Fire Bullet again and again. Countless pits had already been blasted into that massive cliff face. The ground below was covered in a thick layer of debris. In reality, it was not that simple; the entire surface of the cliff had recessed several feet, effectively shaved down layer by layer by Lei Dong’s successive Nether Fire Bullets.

For several straight months, Lei Dong spent his days performing the monotonous task of launching Nether Fire Bullets. Gradually, the power of the bullets he cast grew stronger, their speed increased, and their accuracy became higher. He was naturally contemplative, and with each repetition, he would ponder how to make it faster, stronger. It had to be admitted, this method was genuinely effective. Lei Dong had previously neglected practice with the Nether Fire Bullet, resulting in inconsistent power. Yet, the Nether Fire Bullet was a very fundamental spell, possessing great malleability. Even in actual combat, it was highly effective, insidious and vicious; once it latched onto something with a soul, it would burn ever hotter, refusing to extinguish. The power of many magic arts doesn't lie in their ostentation; some seemingly simple spells can still wreak catastrophic destruction in the hands of certain powerful figures. Lei Dong believed that if a Nascent Soul ancestor were to cast a Nether Fire Bullet, a single shot might be capable of leveling a small hill.

Achieving proficiency seemed relatively straightforward. Lei Dong spent several months and accomplished this. Next, Lei Dong began experimenting with other tricks. He conjured the Nether Ghost Claw, which was now several feet wide. The terrifying claw dug fiercely into the rock. Lei Dong squeezed and twisted, hauling out a piece of stone weighing hundreds of pounds, then controlled the claw to hurl it far up into the sky.

Simultaneously, he swiftly raised his hand and blasted out a Nether Fire Bullet. The emerald projectile, trailing a long tail of flame, narrowly missed the rock, striking the cliff face instead, sending up a shower of debris and ghostly fire. Lei Dong was momentarily stunned; this Nether Fire Bullet, both in aiming and power, was inferior to the ones he usually cast with composure.

After briefly considering the difference, Lei Dong continued by grabbing another rock and throwing it upwards. He sent another Nether Fire Bullet, which was slightly better this time, grazing the tail of the rock. Miss. Continue. Miss again. But Lei Dong was not discouraged; instead, he grew more enthusiastic. After about a month, not only could he hit the rock with extreme precision, but even the power, when launched hastily, was not significantly lacking. He didn't just throw upwards; he could also accurately track and hit targets thrown left and right.

Next, Lei Dong started playing with other variations. He summoned three seventh-level Ghost Guards and commanded them to transform into their ethereal state, flying at maximum speed. Compared to pets, puppets, or beast souls of the same tier, the combat power of Ghost Servants might not be top-tier. However, their speed was quite respectable, especially their agility and swiftness in full-speed flight and evasion.

Lei Dong fired Nether Fire Bullet after Nether Fire Bullet. Initially, for a full ten days, he failed to hit a single seventh-level Ghost Guard flying irregularly at top speed. But Lei Dong continued relentlessly. If ten days weren't enough, then twenty, or thirty. Starting from the thirtieth day, Lei Dong struck a Ghost Guard with a Nether Fire Bullet for the first time. The immense power shattered the Ghost Guard’s soul shield, sending it flying backward, filling Lei Dong with overwhelming joy. He tossed the injured Ghost Guard into the Soul Nurturing Tower to recover, and immediately continued to "hunt" the other two.

Three months later, the three Ghost Guards could no longer serve as moving targets. Because after practicing for a short while, they would all be battered and bruised, unable to withstand further assault—and this was assuming they only dodged and didn't retaliate. Otherwise, given Lei Dong's current strength, he might not have been able to defeat the three of them combined.

By now, Lei Dong’s application of the Nether Fire Bullet was not flawless, but he had certainly made considerable progress. He could now rely on it as a main combat spell. Some might ask: why practice spells when one possesses so many talismans? However, no supreme expert in this world rose to the top solely by consuming items. Top-grade Spirit Artifacts? They might be damaged or destroyed during fierce battles. Talismans, like the Thunder Fiend Bullet, would eventually be exhausted. Lei Dong bought these items only to prepare for the Ten-Year Life-or-Death Covenant; having ample supplies was never a bad thing.

Ultimately, true strength lay in one's own spells.

The more powerful the expert, the more they valued the proficiency and might of their spells, because that was one's true, inherent power—it could not be damaged or depleted. Lei Dong considered those consumable items merely as life-saving tools. But life-saving tools were certainly effective for dealing with immediate crises, resolving pressing needs. Currently, Lei Dong's three best treasures were: the Flying Sword, Scarlet Refinement, which was entirely dark crimson; even when placed quietly, a faint layer of red flame would shroud its blade. Injecting true energy would cause the sword's flames to surge spectacularly, giving it superb presence. Its cutting, chopping, and burning power was astonishing, far surpassing Lei Dong's currently possessed Annihilation Dharma Wheel.

Because of this, the Annihilation Dharma Wheel was relegated to a secondary reserve position, lagging far behind in various aspects. The Scarlet Refinement Flying Sword became Lei Dong's primary weapon. The top-grade Spirit Shield, "Indestructible," was a shield with terrifying defensive capabilities, boasting an exceptionally bold design. Its silver-white surface was embossed with carvings of various demonic beasts that roamed the world in ancient times—no, they could be called divine beasts. Streams of silvery light continuously flowed and shimmered, making it quite beautiful.

The third treasure was the blood-red cloak. These three top-grade Spirit Artifacts already made Lei Dong a rare existence within the Foundation Establishment stage. Since this battle heavily relied on these three artifacts, Lei Dong began familiarizing himself with their usage in the time remaining.

,……