“Purgatorial Flame Dragon…” Lei Dong’s pupils constricted. At the same moment, the Purgatorial Flame Dragon brought its massive paw down on the transparent shield of the Netherworld Battleship, shaking the entire vessel violently. This type of dragon, rarely seen, thrived only in purgatorial environments. Because it carried the bloodline of the Ancient Divine Dragons within its body, the Purgatorial Flame Dragon was an exceptionally formidable species. Typically, a mature Purgatorial Flame Dragon could reach the Golden Core stage. As it aged and absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, it would grow stronger, with the rarest few even attaining the Nascent Soul strength—a truly famous breed indeed. Of course, while it possessed the bloodline, the dilution was significant; otherwise, the creature would surely have to be renamed the Purgatorial Divine Dragon.

This particular Purgatorial Flame Dragon was clearly not a pure specimen. Judging by its appearance, its beast soul had likely been refined into a Spirit Beast Talisman. But what secret art had Tantai Bingyun employed to activate such a terrifying talisman? After all, despite her swift cultivation progress, Tantai Bingyun was still only at the tenth layer of the Foundation Establishment stage.

Without a second thought, Lei Dong activated the Nether Fire Main Cannon. With a deafening roar, the shell struck the Flame Dragon, sending its colossal body reeling backward. However, Lei Dong knew this single blast would likely not claim its life. Under normal circumstances, the Netherworld Battleship could handle a Golden Core-level beast soul with ease, capable of grinding it down over time, as beast souls always had a time limit.

Yet, the two White Jade Battleships trailing behind were relentless in their pursuit. Any slight delay would allow them to surround and overwhelm the Netherworld Battleship, placing it in grave danger. Tantai Bingyun dared to give chase with her contingent, clearly confident in overwhelming him.

After using one cannon shot to repel the Flame Dragon beast soul, Lei Dong immediately shouted, “Number Nine, you take the helm…” Saying this, he unleashed the Ghost Shadow Evasion Technique, moving like a phantom toward the Flame Dragon. He refrained from using his Scarlet Flame Flying Sword, as the Flame Dragon was inherently fire-resistant. Instead, his right palm gathered power, manifesting the Black Dragon’s Roar. With successive roars, a serpentine black dragon, several zhang long and shrouded in black nether energy, lunged at the Flame Dragon.

Compared to the behemoth, Lei Dong’s black dragon was significantly smaller in both size and raw power. Nevertheless, the Black Dragon’s Roar was a single-impact spell, expending all its energy in one tremendous thrust, making it devastatingly potent. One crimson and one black, one large and one small dragon met head-on. The Flame Dragon, retaining a sliver of its draconic instinct, hesitated for a crucial second upon sighting a supposed kinsman.

It was in that hesitation that the black dragon slammed viciously into its abdomen, tearing and constricting. Black energy billowed, red light surged, punctuated by earth-shattering dragon cries and roars. When the black dragon dissipated, the beast soul Flame Dragon was nearly ripped in two, its semi-transparent belly torn open by a massive hole. However, the hole quickly mended as flames circulated, though the dragon’s luster was significantly dimmed, its entire body nearly transparent and colorless.

Lei Dong hadn't anticipated such an effect from that single strike, but his intention was merely to draw the Flame Dragon’s attention. He was not new to similar Spirit Beast Talismans, and as a summoner, he knew their inherent advantages and, more importantly, their flaws. In fact, aside from their raw power, these talismans were riddled with weaknesses.

The first flaw: they could exist for, at most, the time it takes an incense stick to burn; their soul power would eventually be depleted, causing them to vanish. The second flaw: their controllability was vastly inferior to that of one’s core ghost servants or puppets. They could usually only be assigned a single enemy target before being left to fight according to their inherent instincts. The third: beast souls often retained residual instincts from their living days and could be influenced by factors like rage or fear.

It was precisely these numerous shortcomings that prevented the Spirit Talisman Sect from dominating the world solely with Spirit Beast Talismans, keeping them merely an upper-tier sect. Under such severe damage, the Flame Dragon, which had been targeting the Netherworld Battleship, immediately turned and roared at Lei Dong. Its massive eyes, looking strikingly real, blazed with fire, and it spat out a torrent of fierce flames directed at him. Lei Dong scoffed, slightly flexing his Asura Wings, and in a flash, he was already a hundred zhang away.

Over the years, Lei Dong had continuously refined and familiarized himself with the Asura Wings, allowing him to execute minor adjustments now, rather than being forced into flashing several miles away as he was initially. A mere hundred zhang distance was no match for the Flame Dragon’s pursuit. Seeing its flames burn even more fiercely, perhaps due to its anger, the dragon writhed through the air, lunging toward Lei Dong, seemingly intent on tearing apart the one who dared to affront its draconic might.

Given Tantai Bingyun’s strength, using the Spirit Beast Talisman to control such a terrifyingly powerful Flame Dragon should have been exceptionally difficult. Her current success indicated she was operating under the effects of a secret technique. Her objective was naturally the simultaneous annihilation of both Lei Dong and the Netherworld Battleship. Seeing Lei Dong successfully lure the Flame Dragon away, anxiety surged within her, and she hurriedly issued commands to the Purgatorial Flame Dragon via divine sense.

However, the Flame Dragon was fundamentally different from Lei Dong’s core ghost servants. If the user’s divine sense greatly surpassed the controlled entity, suppression might be possible. But at this moment, it paid no heed to Tantai Bingyun whatsoever, howling as it relentlessly pursued Lei Dong. On the Netherworld Battleship, the combat crew, disciples of Unit Number Nine, saw their leader’s intent—luring the dragon away to save them all. Aware of their leader’s capabilities, they dared not hesitate. Number Nine swiftly piloted the Netherworld Battleship directly toward the stronghold of the Yin Sha Sect. Meanwhile, the two White Jade Battleships in pursuit had closed the distance by two li in a very short span.

The Netherworld Battleship continuously engaged the pursuers with its two secondary cannons and the Nether Fire Main Cannon. The White Jade Battleships occasionally fired beams of light, striking the Netherworld Battleship from a distance. With the gap closed, the battle intensified significantly, the risk factor increasing substantially compared to before. Fortunately, the White Jade Battleships excelled in defense, allowing the Netherworld Battleship to maintain a desperate hold.

Lei Dong had already exerted his utmost effort for them. Whether these subordinates would survive now rested on his shoulders. In truth, if someone were willing to stay behind and cover the retreat, their chances of escape would be quite high.

Facing the lunging Flame Dragon, Lei Dong had no time for deeper contemplation. With another minor flutter of his wings, he shot out another hundred zhang, continuing to lure the beast. He believed that with one or two more such maneuvers, he could effectively shake off the Flame Dragon.

The Flame Dragon’s insubordination nearly made Tantai Bingyun cough up blood in fury. Had she known, she would have opted for a more powerful talisman to strike the Netherworld Battleship directly. As it stood, she was stuck in an awkward middle ground: the Flame Dragon hadn't even unleashed its full might before Lei Dong had drawn it away. It was a pity that Lei Dong seemed to have overlooked one detail: Tantai Bingyun also possessed a pair of wings, and they appeared to be no less formidable than his own Asura Wings.

She decided to relinquish command over the Flame Dragon entirely, withdrawing all her divine sense and letting it act purely on instinct, to do as it pleased. Simultaneously, her pair of large, pristine wings flashed powerfully, causing her figure to vanish from the air. The next instant, she reappeared directly behind Lei Dong. An ancient and weighty zither materialized in her hands, hovering slightly. As her ten slender, pale fingers plucked the strings, wisps of green energy flowed out, condensing into swords that seemed both real and ethereal, spinning slowly around her.

The moment Lei Dong sensed something amiss, he saw the figure dozens of zhang away—Tantai Bingyun—where a dozen green flying swords had coalesced into one massive blade. It shot toward him with lightning speed. It seemed Tantai Bingyun had resolved to keep Lei Dong pinned down, even if it meant letting the Netherworld Battleship escape. Her opening move was her signature technique: the Azure Lotus Sword Melody.

The colossal green sword was incredibly fast, reaching Lei Dong in the blink of an eye. Lei Dong hurriedly activated the Scarlet Flame, transforming into a crimson rainbow to cleave toward the giant sword. Upon impact, the Scarlet Flame was forced back, retreating into Lei Dong’s spiritual essence. However, the massive green sword was shattered by more than half. Yet, under the direction of Tantai Bingyun’s zither melody, it reformed into a colossal sword, now half its original size, piercing toward Lei Dong.

Lei Dong glanced with his peripheral vision at the Netherworld Battleship, which had already fled a considerable distance, unwilling to be entangled with Tantai Bingyun here. Utilizing the brief moment the green sword was held up by his counter, Lei Dong beat his wings fiercely. His entire body shot toward the heavens like a fleeting shadow. That single forceful beat carried him over four li, and when he stopped, the surrounding visible area was empty. In the distance, the Flame Dragon had become a mere speck of light. But before Lei Dong could catch his breath, a white light streaked like a meteor, dragging an extremely long fiery tail. When it halted, it was Tantai Bingyun, clad in white armor and white wings, her gaze chillingly fixed on Lei Dong: “Even if you escape to the ends of the earth today, I will not let you go.” In the past, Lei Dong’s wings had rendered her hopes of revenge nearly futile; even a Golden Core expert might fail to hold him. To counter Lei Dong, the Celestial Sound Palace had invested heavily, forging a pair of wings for Tantai Bingyun that were specifically designed to counter his. If the Yin Sha Sect could afford such resources, how could the Celestial Sound Palace not? Although they lacked the wings of the Asura King, they managed, through great effort, to acquire a pair of the Winged God Clan’s Winged God King Wings. Such artifacts were worth any price; one could not allow Lei Dong of the Yin Sha Sect to stand unchallenged.

Lei Dong had no knowledge of the intricate machinations behind this, but he knew Tantai Bingyun was absolutely not easy to deal with, especially here; he did not wish for a direct confrontation. He simply beat his wings again, flashing away. Tantai Bingyun, in turn, raised her high wings, transforming into a streak of white light, pursuing him relentlessly.

…