Shaking off Wang Lei, Lei Dong returned with Tian Mo to the small island. Along the way, Lei Dong didn't utter a single word of thanks, yet in his heart, he remembered her kindness. Although he still felt somewhat displeased by the circumstances surrounding her forceful taking of him, he had to admit that she treated him exceptionally well, often showing a kind of selfless devotion. What Lei Dong appreciated most was that when he had gone to request her aid, she hadn't shown any hint of mockery or exploitation.

Back at the camp, Lei Dong gathered with his squad members again and informed them that the wings had been successfully refined. He even unfolded them for their inspection. The utterly magnificent wings made everyone's eyes widen in awe. Setting aside their potential efficacy, their mere appearance was enough to drive people to spend a fortune trying to acquire a pair. Before the casual gathering had even concluded, they were all sprinting toward the temporary headquarters of the Third Command, finding Steward Zhao, determined to exchange for a pair of Great Asura Wings themselves. However, Asura Wings were not so easily obtained, let alone the Great Asura variety. Steward Zhao could only regretfully refuse them one by one. The desperate group, however, refused to give up, insisting they would take any powerful winged race's wings if Asura ones were unavailable.

In an instant, materials or spirit artifacts related to wings became a massive seller.

Lei Dong paid them no mind, spending his time between cultivation sessions refining the wings he had named 'Wings of Asura.' Although he was aware that the item likely originated from the Asura King, Lei Dong felt it was best to omit the 'King' from the title, lest it invite excessive covetous attention.

The period of calm soon passed. The conflict with the Heavenly Sound Palace finally escalated into direct confrontation. While the number of formal disciples engaged on both sides was relatively small, the sheer volume of Foundation Establishment cultivators recruited from various regions was immense. Eventually, even Lei Dong's small squad was broken up. They were paired off, serving as temporary captains and vice-captains, leading motley crews to execute various assignments.

For instance, Lei Dong partnered with Number Nine: he took the role of Captain, and Number Nine served as Vice-Captain. They commanded a mixed bag of twenty-five Foundation Establishment cultivators. The reason they were called a 'mixed bag' was not without merit. The cultivation techniques they practiced and the spirit artifacts they wielded were often quite pitiful. For many, their sole high-grade spirit artifact was something issued by the Yin Sha Sect. Their cultivation levels were also uneven, ranging from the first to the twelfth layer of the Foundation Establishment realm.

Especially the family cultivators at the twelfth layer of Foundation Establishment, who initially expressed clear dissatisfaction that Lei Dong, a mere sixth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator, was appointed their leader. However, after Lei Dong employed certain methods to thoroughly crush that individual, the entire squad immediately settled into obedience.

Three years. An entire three years passed as Lei Dong led his squad through patrols, slaughter, defense, and conquest missions.

During this time, Lei Dong's cultivation growth was decent, progressing from the early sixth layer of Foundation Establishment to the peak of the seventh layer by the present moment. He advanced step by step, his progress steady and exceptionally stable.

Across the entire Eastern Sea region, the Yin Sha Sect's controlled territory expanded from the seventy-six southern islands to cover nearly half of the Eastern Sea area. Of the twenty-six Foundation Establishment cultivators under Lei Dong's initial command, only five remained from the beginning until now—one of whom was Vice-Captain Number Nine. The rest had either perished in battle or sustained injuries forcing them out of the fray. Yet, he still commanded a sizable force now. The reason was simple: the conditions offered by the Yin Sha Sect were very generous, attracting numerous scattered Foundation Establishment cultivators to participate in the war in the Eastern Sea region.

Lei Dong was unsure if their efforts were worthwhile.

He only knew that the four who had survived three years alongside him had reaped significant rewards from this war, each having undergone a substantial upgrade. A full complement of high-grade spirit artifacts was the minimum standard; two among them even possessed an ultimate-grade spirit artifact. These were accumulated slowly through merit points and battlefield spoils. The Yin Sha Sect had not neglected their cultivation either; while they couldn't offer the sect's top-tier techniques, they permitted the use of merit points to exchange for high-grade cultivation methods. Consequently, the four survivors had become exceptionally powerful. More important than artifacts and techniques, however, was the experience gained from struggling to survive countless battles—this experience was the most invaluable asset.

Lei Dong had carefully sought to foster loyalty among these four. In turn, they held deep admiration and respect for him, not just because he was exceptionally strong, but because Lei Dong had saved their lives on multiple occasions during moments of extreme danger. In the crucible of life-and-death reliance on the battlefield, the deepest bonds of affection are forged.

One day.

In this particular stretch of sea, the sky was gloomy, choked with heavy, rolling black clouds. The ocean surface churned with heavy waves, occasionally interrupted by massive fish breaching the surface, splashing up immense plumes of spray. Not far away lay an island.

This was a relatively ordinary spiritual island in the Eastern Sea. A 'spiritual island' denoted one possessing a spirit vein. In the Eastern Sea region, islands with spirit veins were typically occupied by immortal cultivators. This island was neither particularly large nor small. For generations, a mid-tier immortal cultivation family resided here, boasting over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators and even an ancient expert at the Golden Core Ancestor level.

Unfortunately, that Golden Core Ancestor had recently died at the hands of the Yin Sha Sect.

'Netherworld Twenty-Six' was the current vessel of Lei Dong's squad. The Yin Sha Sect and the Heavenly Sound Palace had agreed not to deploy beyond a certain number of core disciples in the fighting, but they had made no stipulations regarding the deployment of large war machines like battleships. Naturally, both the Yin Sha Sect and the Heavenly Sound Palace had dispatched a considerable number of their finest warships to the war zone.

The Netherworld vessel hovered above the island like a malevolent dragon. Lei Dong's subordinates had already formed an encirclement around the island below. Their faces were contorted into savage masks of ferocity. In contrast, the Foundation Establishment cultivators trapped on the island wore expressions of utter devastation, resembling survivors of the apocalypse as they stared in terror at the Netherworld battleship suspended above them.

Under the might of such powerful warships, countless immortal families had already been utterly annihilated. Many clans aligned with the Heavenly Sound Palace spoke the name 'Netherworld' with fear.

Had this day finally come for them too?

"Qian Family's acting patriarch, surrender. You have no chance of escape remaining. The legacy of your family is hard-won," Lei Dong stood atop the bow of the Netherworld vessel. Clad in his captain-grade pitch-black battle armor, complemented by the Asura Wings spread out to a width of sixty to seventy feet, he exuded swirling black mist. His face, cold and seemingly devoid of emotion, made him appear like a demon god freshly climbed from the nine depths of hell, inspiring awe and terror from the depths of the heart.

"Ghost Asura!" a dark-skinned middle-aged man shouted from beneath the island's protective barrier. "My father died beneath a Netherworld warship. Five of my siblings and two of my uncles all fell by the hands of you, Ghost Asura. You ask the Qian family to surrender? Dream on. Even if every member of the Qian family becomes a ghost, we will never forgive you."

Facing his curse, Lei Dong displayed not the slightest reaction or expression. His subordinates, however, erupted in angry shouts and curses. These men, hailing from minor families or reclusive cultivators who scraped by at the bottom tiers, understood foul language and vicious threats perfectly well. They responded with vitriol that was both savage and domineering.

As for 'Ghost Asura,' it was a nickname Lei Dong earned through countless battles in the Eastern Sea. The 'Asura' part derived from the fact that Lei Dong frequently appeared clad in black armor, sporting the conspicuous and arrogant Asura Wings. The 'Ghost' prefix was equally clear: Lei Dong originated from the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave lineage of the Yin Sha Sect, specializing in the Grand Netherworld Arts and various ghost-summoning techniques—the Myriad Ghost Banner army, three Ghost Guards that had reached the twelfth level, and the notorious Evil Ghost Shroud. This combination filled others with dread and fear, earning him the moniker Ghost Asura. Of course, the 'Asura' aspect also subtly alluded to Lei Dong's ruthless methods, often wiping out entire families without batting an eye.

Today, Lei Dong's name was infamous throughout the Eastern Sea region. The number of Foundation Establishment cultivators he had personally slain was easily seventy or eighty, if not hundreds. For the man surnamed Qian to dare roar defiance at such a terrifying figure spoke volumes of his own mettle. After all, in certain circles, this name symbolized annihilation and was enough to silence a crying child.

Lei Dong's call for the Qian family's surrender was merely an execution of orders. Since they refused, Lei Dong certainly had no desire to waste any more words. The Netherworld vessel's main cannon, the Nether Fire cannon, roared to life, blasting the island's defensive formation. The shockwave sent ripples through the air and served as a signal: his subordinates began bombarding the protective barrier with their spirit artifacts and spells.

Each man was more eager than the last, for if the Qian family surrendered, they would lose the chance to loot. Killing these cultivators meant their personal belongings would at least be distributed among the victors. Thus, they feared the Qian family might actually agree to surrender.

Simultaneously, the three twelfth-level Ghost Guards beside Lei Dong lunged forward. The gold and silver puppets stood guard beside him.

Though the protective formation was strong, it began to ripple and shake under the onslaught of so many simultaneous attacks. Boom—another blast from the Nether Fire cannon struck, causing cracks to spiderweb across the transparent shield. At the same time, the dense ghost energy surrounding Lei Dong condensed heavily into his palm. He snorted coldly and casually pushed his palm outward.

Aooooo! A vibrant, black dragon several yards long, accompanied by a deep yet imposing dragon roar, writhed forth and slammed violently against the island's protective shield. This single strike instantly shattered the already strained barrier. The faces of the Qian family members instantly turned ashen. From a distance, gazing upon Lei Dong with his slowly fluttering wings, they saw nothing less than a malevolent demon.

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