His Foundation Establishment cultivators roared in response, their expressions a mix of eager excitement and chilling ruthlessness. They split into two groups: fifteen charged directly in, while the remainder, skilled in speed and pursuit, positioned themselves to prevent any possibility of escape. This formation had been rehearsed and executed by the squad numerous times with practiced ease. As anticipated, a few of the Qian family’s Foundation Establishment cultivators fought desperately, tearing a gap in the cordon, hoping to execute a classic ‘revenge can wait ten years’ maneuver. Waiting outside, Lei Dong’s flanking members intercepted them immediately, deploying various spiritual artifacts and spells to halt their flight.

The slaughter was in full swing. Suddenly, a young woman’s form dissolved into a streak of light, rocketing outward. A guard hesitated, and the brilliant flash distanced itself rapidly.

Lei Dong, standing guard at the bow of the ship, let out a cold laugh. His Asura Wings suddenly unfurled, and he shot forward like a thunderbolt. He reappeared nearly five li away. He waited there, hands clasped behind his back with an air of casual indifference, until the escaping light drew near. The figure, the Scarlet Refining Flame, manifested as a fiery crimson streak, dazzling and dominant against the heavily clouded sky.

One sword stroke—just one—sliced the radiant white light into two pieces. When Lei Dong returned to the island, dragging her severed halves and dropping them onto the battlefield, the remaining Qian family Foundation Establishment cultivators cried out in grief. They had created the diversion just to ensure her escape, for she was not only a clan disciple but also a member of the Heavenly Sound Palace, holding the hope of avenging their fallen kin. Yet, in such a short time, she was now nothing more than two cooling corpses.

“Ghost Asura, you thousand-cut demonic fiend!” The middle-aged cultivator surnamed Qian’s face flushed crimson as he roared, “You will surely meet your retribution!” Simultaneously, he struggled to fend off three simultaneous assaults from Foundation Establishment cultivators. Lei Dong’s current squad members had gradually earned their own glory on the battlefield; their spiritual artifacts and cultivation techniques had seen significant progress. They were no longer the ragtag group of rogue cultivators easily bullied by anyone.

“Finish the fight quickly,” Lei Dong’s expression remained unchanged. He had been cursed like this countless times over the years—even with tenfold venom—and he had countless enemies in the Heavenly Sound Palace. Similarly, on the other side of the conflict, Tantai Bingyun had repeatedly vowed to kill Lei Dong, the Ghost Asura. If curses held true power, Lei Dong would have died thousands of times over.

The Heavenly Sound Palace was certain to send aid to this family. However, the Yin Sha Sect had long prepared a countermeasure: two teams were already waiting to intercept the Heavenly Sound Palace reinforcements. The strategy of encircling and then attacking the relief force was almost always effective. If no rescue came, it made no difference; the Yin Sha Sect would simply amplify propaganda suggesting the Heavenly Sound Palace abandoned its allies to die. Swift action had always been Lei Dong’s primary directive when executing missions.

At Lei Dong’s sharp command, his subordinate cultivators redoubled their assault. They dared not anger their leader. While their boss usually looked out for them regarding spoils and frequently intervened to save their lives, inciting his anger resulted in truly unforgettable retribution.

One by one, the Qian family’s Foundation Establishment cultivators were exterminated, not to mention the clan members at the Qi Refining stage and the large contingent of mortal servants. In less than half an hour, the battle concluded. Due to their overwhelming superiority and the strict training imposed by Lei Dong, none of his cultivators suffered death—only two sustained heavy injuries, and a few others minor ones. Without needing Lei Dong’s direction, the surviving cultivators immediately began a frantic sweep. Every corpse, every lingering spirit, and every valuable asset was continuously ferried onto the Netherworld Battleship. The entire process of clearing the battlefield and harvesting loot took longer than the fighting itself, consuming nearly an hour to meticulously scour the entire island, uncovering assets the Qian family had buried deep within.

Inevitably, some things would be missed, especially assets potentially hidden deep beneath the sea some distance from the island. Just as the squad prepared to conduct their customary secondary search of the ground, two shining, jade-white flying vessels appeared on the distant horizon, tearing through the air. These were both medium-sized warships from the Heavenly Sound Palace—White Jade Cruisers. The fact that these two vessels managed to penetrate the blockade set up by the two existing teams demonstrated the fierce urgency of their rescue mission.

Lei Dong gave a sharp whistle, and his squad instantly abandoned the chance for further scavenging, retreating at maximum speed back to their warship. Using his divine sense, Lei Dong activated the You Ming (Netherworld), executed a sharp pivot in the air, and sped away. As the two White Jade vessels arrived overhead and witnessed the utter devastation left behind, a woman clad in white, her face veiled, stood on the deck of the lead ship. Killing intent flooded her beautiful eyes; she gritted her silver teeth and hissed, “It’s him again, Lei Dong! Pursue him! This time, we absolutely cannot let him escape again!” Over the years, Lei Dong had not only killed numerous expendable Foundation Establishment cultivators but also eight core disciples of the Heavenly Sound Palace, one of whom had been a junior sister who grew up alongside Tantai Bingyun. This history fueled Tantai Bingyun’s deepening, bone-deep hatred for Lei Dong.

Conversely, the Yin Sha Sect desperately wanted Tantai Bingyun eliminated. Several core disciples of the Yin Sha Sect had perished at her hands, and her reputation was by no means lesser than Lei Dong’s. The only favorable aspect she held, from the Yin Sha Sect’s perspective, was that she did not typically annihilate entire gates. Even when meeting resistance, she usually preferred to take captives. This aligned with the overarching operational strategy of the Heavenly Sound Palace, seemingly intended to promote their image of righteousness and benevolence. But precisely because of this softer approach, the Heavenly Sound Palace, less ruthless than the Yin Sha Sect in this war, was steadily losing its advantage.

The reason was simple: the vast majority of minor families and small sects wished only to remain neutral, yet they were dragged into this conflict and forced to side with one of the two supreme powers. Their allegiance was determined simply by who controlled their immediate vicinity. Consequently, concepts like loyalty or true acceptance were non-issues for these smaller entities. Their paramount concern was the survival of their clans and people.

Because the Heavenly Sound Palace employed gentler means, any family or sect that dared to betray them or refuse surrender often faced the execution of their entire lineage. If they made a mistake or resisted, the worst that happened was capture, offering a chance for rescue. For the other path, annihilation awaited the whole clan. Unsurprisingly, under the Yin Sha Sect’s pressure and allure, many families and sects began defecting to their side.

The Qian family was merely an exception, which is why the Heavenly Sound Palace deployed a large force to attempt a rescue upon hearing the news. But even so, they were too late. It was a pity that, constrained by their status as the so-called 'Righteous Path,' the Heavenly Sound Palace could not emulate the Yin Sha Sect’s willingness to wipe out entire families for deterrence, putting them at a significant disadvantage.

This Qian family, in particular, held an important significance to the Heavenly Sound Palace.

Lei Dong navigated the Netherworld Battleship forward at high speed using his divine sense. He had expected the two White Jade vessels, realizing they were too late, to abandon their pursuit. To his surprise, however, those two ships locked onto him relentlessly, clearly determined not to cease until the Netherworld Battleship was brought down.

In terms of overall capability, the two types of warships were nearly equal. One specialized in attack, the other in defense. If the Netherworld Battleship engaged the two White Jade Cruisers head-on, the odds of defeat would be substantial.

The distance between them remained several li. The two White Jade ships behind them fired their main cannons as if ammunition were free, sending out beams of white light periodically, hoping by sheer luck to strike the Netherworld Battleship. However, at this distance, hitting the nimble Netherworld Battleship was unthinkable. Lei Dong had ample time to evade every white beam.

Lei Dong initially dismissed their actions as desperation, but then the unexpected occurred.

Tantai Bingyun, standing elegantly at the bow in her shimmering white armor, faced the fleeing Netherworld Battleship with an expression of intense coldness beneath her veil. Her eyes half-closed, she murmured an incantation. A pair of smooth, bright white wings burst forth from her back. Unlike Lei Dong’s inky black Asura Wings, hers were covered in dense, translucent feathers emitting a white glow. Each feather was as lustrous as jade, dazzlingly white. With a beat of her wings, her figure shot outward with extreme velocity.

The several li distance vanished in a single breath, and she was instantly upon them. In another flash, she surged far ahead of the Netherworld Battleship, radiating white light as she hovered gracefully in the void.

How was this possible? Not only the other crew members aboard the You Ming, but even Lei Dong himself was so stunned his jaw almost dropped. The speed generated by Tantai Bingyun’s wings was, purely by appearance, no less than his own. Yet, his wings were crafted from the remains of an Asura King! Regardless of Lei Dong’s astonishment,

Tantai Bingyun drew forth a fiery red talisman, tossing it forward with her slender hand. The talisman burned fiercely, instantly transforming into a massive dragon nearly a dozen zhang long, claws spread wide, its entire body engulfed in scorching flames. It raised a claw to strike the Netherworld Battleship. The burning heat radiating from its talons was palpable; the air shimmered violently as steam rose. Simultaneously, a deafening dragon roar echoed through the air—