"My goodness, the monthly tickets are brutal. I got up early today and finished the two guaranteed chapters first. Next up, debt repayment~ Big brothers and sisters, can we skip voting for monthly tickets today?"

With the Blood God Blade destroyed, it felt as if a piece of Huangfu Ce's soul had been forcibly torn out. His internal organs churned violently, causing him to spew another mouthful of blood, leaving his face entirely drained of color. Grief and indignation warred within him; this Blood God Blade had cost him dearly to acquire, the product of a reckless blood sacrifice involving millions of mortals. To think it could be annihilated so effortlessly by Lei Dong right here.

In that moment of distraction, his movement faltered, just enough for several elite vengeful spirits to intercept him. They tore through the protective aura surrounding his body, biting off chunks of flesh. The pain wracked a soul-tearing scream from Huangfu Ce. He darted and flickered through the air, desperately evading the vengeful spirits that swirled around him, ready to strike or swarm him at any moment.

Lei Dong chose to destroy the Blood God Blade first for two reasons. First, the blade was too formidable; to be cut down by it unexpectedly would have been too unjust a fate. Even suffering the loss of a mere ghost servant or puppet would have been an unbearable blow. Second, the Blood God Blade was an object forged through his own suffering; forcibly erasing the imprint of Huangfu Ce’s spirit from it was nearly impossible. Therefore, to avoid the pain of witnessing it, he resolved to simply shatter it first.

Watching a high-grade spiritual artifact obliterated before his eyes brought Lei Dong immense satisfaction. Although his own Crimson Refining artifact had sustained significant damage, that harm could be gradually healed with time spent nurturing and refining it within his divine soul.

With the Blood God Blade gone, the three Ghost Guards advanced brazenly toward Huangfu Ce. Now reaching Level Eight Ghost Guards, their soul armors appeared spectacularly ornate and terrifying, and the soul weapons condensed in their hands seemed utterly solid, gleaming with icy menace. Not content with that, Lei Dong began weaving hand seals, summoning other entities.

Amidst the cries of roaring tigers, a massive Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger appeared before Lei Dong, its body rippling with dark stripes. This tiger, through Lei Dong's meticulous nurturing, had achieved the strength of the sixth layer of the Foundation Establishment stage. Before the Shadow Tiger could even pounce, another golden, shining puppet materialized before the crowd. This puppet was the peak Foundation Establishment level war-puppet gifted by the Heavenly Demon.

As the golden puppet appeared, it thrust its spear forward in a void-strike toward Huangfu Ce, dozens of feet away. A beam of golden light, like a spear shadow, shot straight toward him, tearing through the air and emitting a piercing sonic boom. Startled, Huangfu Ce materialized a pale cyan shield before himself to forcefully block the strike. However, the sheer impact force sent him hurtling backward.

A Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger? A peak Foundation Establishment puppet?

Not only were the thousands of spectators below dumbfounded, but even the Golden Core Ancestors observing from the stage widened their eyes in disbelief. While the Shadow Tiger was somewhat expected, given earlier rumors from Dry Bone suggesting it was stolen from his disciple Baili Yun, the peak Foundation Establishment puppet seemed utterly exaggerated. The Ancestors on the stage were ancient monsters who had cultivated for many years, possessing vast knowledge. They knew well that Lei Dong, at his current cultivation level, should be incapable of truly commanding such a powerful puppet. Thus, it was obvious that a wisp of the soul of an unparalleled expert must reside within, forcibly suppressing it. Clearly, this was not something a Golden Core cultivator could achieve...

They exchanged glances, suspicion brewing in their hearts: Lei Dong must have a Nascent Soul cultivator standing behind him, and the relationship was likely very close.

What they suspected was precisely what Lei Dong desired. By vaguely leveraging the Heavenly Demon’s reputation, he could enjoy a bit of borrowed grandeur, perhaps deterring those harboring malicious intent toward him. This whole confrontation, orchestrated with his master, was designed to trick many into betting on Huangfu Ce. It was entirely possible that someone who lost heavily might secretly attempt to strike at him. If they believed he was backed by a Nascent Soul expert, they might hesitate.

Secondly, if his master later questioned him about the origin of so many treasures that far exceeded his known wealth, Lei Dong could easily attribute them to this mysterious Nascent Soul cultivator, perhaps claiming to have been warned never to reveal her identity. He presumed his master wouldn't press the matter further. Lei Dong feared nothing more than the exposure of the Soul Devouring Pagoda, the foundation of his continued survival.

As long as the Pagoda remained safe, his life was secure. Lei Dong was confident that sooner or later, he would stand at the apex of this world, looking down upon everything.

Despite Huangfu Ce’s considerable strength, after losing the Blood God Blade, he was like a tiger deprived of its claws. Although his cultivation base and spells remained potent, against the combined assault of three Level Eight Ghost Guards, a sixth-layer Foundation Establishment Shadow Tiger, a peak Foundation Establishment war-puppet, and hundreds of elite vengeful spirits, he only possessed the power to defend, not counter-slay.

He was utterly outmatched by the sheer number of powerful servants. Lei Dong decided to indulge himself further, summoning a silver puppet also at the tenth layer of Foundation Establishment. Simultaneously, he cast down a black banner, and suddenly, a dense, ink-black flood dragon broke free from the fabric, roaring as it lunged at Huangfu Ce. Although the Black Dragon Banner’s inherent power only fell within the scope of a high-grade spiritual artifact, when combined with Lei Dong’s spectacularly potent divine soul strength and mental energy, it could unleash power comparable to a top-grade artifact. By now, this black flood dragon’s strength reached roughly the tenth layer of Foundation Establishment.

For a moment, the sky was filled with dancing demons. Huangfu Ce, already struggling to hold on, soon had a high-grade spiritual shield shattered. Even constant consumption of elixirs proved futile. Granted, he had prepared thoroughly for this duel, stocking up on various talismans, reasonably good pills, and several beast talismans—enough for a prolonged battle.

Unfortunately, the disparity in power was too vast. Now that Lei Dong had destroyed his Blood God Blade, he didn't even need to act himself; his subordinates could handle everything. Standing aloft with his hands clasped behind his back, Lei Dong watched proudly as his retinues launched a relentless, exterminating assault on Huangfu Ce. Huangfu Ce managed to throw out a couple of beast talismans, summoning two beast souls at the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment. However, beast souls of that level could only slightly alleviate his pressure, granting him a brief reprieve. After the Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger and the golden and silver puppets annihilated his summoned beasts in several dozen breaths, Huangfu Ce was left without any defense, reduced to frantically weaving through the air using only his movement techniques, utterly disgraced.

Establishing prestige—this was precisely why Lei Dong had returned.

Now, as his strength grew step by step, his ambition was also becoming increasingly rampant. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to expose such a multitude of assets in front of everyone.

"Junior Brother Lei, no—Senior Brother Lei. I was wrong." Facing the imminent stripping of his life, Huangfu Ce finally succumbed to terror and blurted out a desperate plea: "I'll give you everything I own. From now on, I will be your most loyal servant. Please, spare my life." As he stammered out his plea, Lei Dong deliberately eased the offensive, allowing him the false hope to finish his supplication.

In truth, Lei Dong understood this desperate begging during a final confrontation as a measure for self-preservation. Fear of death was natural to all humans. Especially for cultivators; one with exceptional talent might reach Golden Core stage with four to five centuries of lifespan. With even better fortune, achieving Nascent Soul could grant over a millennium of life—enough to make anyone covetous. Much like the extremely wealthy fear death the most.

Pitying though he was of the understanding, as soon as Huangfu Ce finished speaking, his ghost servants, spirit beasts, and puppets resumed their frenzied attack. Lei Dong remained steadfast in his core belief: the best enemy is a dead enemy.

Silence descended. The surrounding thousands of spectators were utterly quiet, as if afraid to even draw a breath.

Before the fight began, many had vociferously demanded Huangfu Ce quickly dispatch Lei Dong due to their betting positions. Yet, the reality was the precise opposite. Lei Dong, without even lifting a finger, could now effortlessly destroy the once formidable Huangfu Ce, forcing him into pleas for mercy.

Bang!

While desperately dodging, Huangfu Ce was blindsided by a sneak attack from a Phantom Ghost Guard. His Profound Yin Shield shattered again, his movement momentarily seizing up, just as hundreds of elite vengeful spirits surged over him like a tidal wave. What followed was the ceaseless, drawn-out shriek of Huangfu Ce being devoured by ten thousand ghosts. Those piercing, agonizing cries seemed to echo in the ears of every single person present.

The Golden Core Ancestors, too, were silenced, their throats tight. They were forced to admit that Lei Dong was simply too terrifying; Huangfu Ce’s defeat was entirely deserved. Even if his cultivation were one or two levels higher, he would have been annihilated just the same. But beneath their stoic faces, their hearts were bleeding dry. Their plans to profit handsomely had turned into nothingness in an instant. The thought of their bets felt like a piece of flesh violently ripped from their chests, leaving a raw, bleeding wound.

The person smiling the widest was neither Ding Wanyan nor Qi Feifei, but the Enchantress. Initially, during the battle, she had been deeply worried Lei Dong might lose. However, as the tide of combat rapidly shifted, her face blossomed into a smile of pure beauty. Looking at Lei Dong now, she found him exceptionally pleasing. This boy certainly concealed a great deal. Good, very good.

Qi Feifei also felt a secret surge of delight mixed with astonishment. Most of the items Lei Dong had bet were acquired through her efforts. But where on earth did he obtain that peak Foundation Establishment war-puppet? This young man was truly full of secrets.

After the time it took for one stick of incense to burn, Lei Dong intentionally slowed the pace, allowing Huangfu Ce to endure a little more suffering. The vengeful spirits began to recede like a tide, leaving behind only external possessions such as his storage bracelet. Lei Dong, without hesitation, snatched the bracelet using a Netherworld Ghost Claw and then swept a proud gaze over the assembled spectators.

"Lei Dong, Lei Dong!" Some began to shout. These were mostly younger cultivators from the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stages—passionate souls. But the majority were members of the Yin Sha Sect. They had been awestruck by Lei Dong's power. Even though they had lost their money, an irrepressible feeling of worship arose within them.

Soon, the cheers resonated, shaking the heavens!