In the Demon Heart Hall, among those incomparably powerful statues, Lei Dong recognized two: the Asura King and the Yaksha King. He recognized the Yaksha King first, having seen his likeness in an ancient atlas. The Yaksha who had just materialized from thin air, in every aspect—from his towering height and attire to the golden war-fork held in his hand—declared him the King of the Yaksha race, a being regarded as a god in this entire world. Especially his aura; without any deliberate exertion, a mere glance in Lei Dong’s direction caused his chest to seize, robbing him of breath. His back grew slick with sweat, overwhelmed by sheer terror.

Lei Dong knew that before such an entity, he was as insignificant as an ant, lacking even the slightest power to resist. Tantai Bingyun stood frozen, utterly astonished to encounter the Yaksha King at the desolate border of the Yaksha tribal territory.

Luck. Lei Dong knew his luck had always been mediocre. To encounter the Yaksha King in this remote place, he wasn't sure if this was good or bad fortune. The probability of such an encounter was terrifyingly low.

The Yaksha King’s eyes, dark and vast as bronze bells, swept briefly over the two figures. He spoke nothing, merely gazing quietly at the distant vortex, a look of discernible sorrow etched upon his face. Yes, sorrow. Although Lei Dong dared not lift his head to look directly, he could sense the King's deep concern emanating from his aura regarding that terrifying whirlpool. Lei Dong breathed a slight sigh of relief; apparently, these Yakshas and their King were not targeting him. Their objective must be the vortex.

But Lei Dong reasoned it made sense. Why would someone of his standing possibly draw the attention of the Yaksha King? Despite understanding the reasoning, neither of them harbored any thought of fleeing. At present, the Yaksha King seemed disinclined, or perhaps too indifferent, to attack them. However, attempting an escape might infuriate this supremely formidable King. A casual strike would reduce them to ash.

Lei Dong had cultivated for nearly thirty years; he was no green novice. The Yaksha King was a god-like power, one of the supreme existences in this heaven and earth. Any being who reached such a level, regardless of race, must have weathered countless hardships, emerging from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Such an existence naturally possessed an inherent arrogance that commanded the world. Beings as divine as this rarely concerned themselves with the trivialities of juniors. This was one of the primary reasons they remained rooted, despite the overwhelming fear gripping their hearts.

“Your pair of wings—were they forged from the Asura King’s pinion feathers? And yours—are they the pinion feathers of the Winged God King?” After observing the vortex, the Yaksha King suddenly addressed Lei Dong and Tantai Bingyun. There was no hint of interrogation, nor excessive condescension; his tone was surprisingly approachable.

The Yaksha King indeed possessed the bearing of his station. Lei Dong's heart settled slightly, and he quickly cupped his hands, replying in a deep voice, “They were forged from the Asura King’s pinion feathers.” He then hastily added, “This junior is Lei Dong of the Yin Sha Sect, paying respects to Lord Yaksha King.”

“This junior is Tantai Bingyun of the Heavenly Sound Palace, paying respects to Lord Yaksha King.” Tantai Bingyun was as demure as a young girl, her eyes radiating deep reverence. “My wings are indeed the pinion feathers of the Winged God King.”

“Your courage is commendable; you can speak calmly before this King. Not bad, not bad.” The Yaksha King spoke mildly, then turned his gaze toward Tantai Bingyun. “How fares your Ancestral Master, Ji Qingtong?”

Upon hearing this, Tantai Bingyun bowed deeply with utmost respect, “Replying to Senior, my Ancestral Master is in good health; she even guided my cultivation a few years ago.” A small joy bloomed in her heart—her Ancestral Master knew the Asura King.

“Qingtong, that child had a difficult fate, living a solitary life,” the Yaksha King sighed softly, hands clasped behind his back, though his expression began to turn severe. “I do not care for some of the practices of your Heavenly Sound Palace.”

Tantai Bingyun paused briefly before cupping her hands, “My sect has shown me great kindness; I dare not speak ill of it.” Internally, she wondered what trials Ancestral Master Ji had endured. Yet, she was more deeply shaken that the Ancestral Master Ji was merely a child in the eyes of the Yaksha King.

“Hmph~” The Yaksha King grunted noncommittally. He then turned back to Lei Dong. “How is that little lass Mu Yanmei from your sect doing? She should be at the late Golden Core stage by now, correct?”

Lei Dong’s entire frame jolted. Heavens, this Yaksha King even knows my Grand-Aunt Mu. If he hadn't known who Mu Yanmei was, he would have been utterly perplexed. But in this moment, he could only be exceedingly respectful. “Celestial Demon’s health is excellent; she is currently in the East Sea. If the Senior has any message, this junior can deliver it. Right, the Celestial Demon advanced to the Nascent Soul stage over a decade ago.”

The Yaksha King was momentarily taken aback, then smiled. “Nascent Soul? Not bad. That girl certainly has prospects. To reach Nascent Soul at such a young age, given time, she might advance even further. However, that girl has a temper, very impulsive. Even this King fears her somewhat.”

Lei Dong wiped a bead of sweat; the Celestial Demon’s temperament was indeed infamous, known even to an existence like the Yaksha King. Yet, after this exchange, Lei Dong’s mind settled. The Yaksha King was not the explosively irritable, casually lethal entity he had imagined. In fact, his temper seemed quite reasonable. A supreme expert certainly possessed the bearing of one. However, Lei Dong understood that the Yaksha King chose this perilous moment to engage two juniors in casual conversation only because he needed a favor. Rather than wait for the request, it was better to be proactive, perhaps netting some benefit, or at least making a good impression. He cupped his hands solemnly. “Senior, what exactly is this vortex before us? If this junior can be of any assistance, please command without reservation; this junior will not refuse.”

The Yaksha King glanced faintly at Lei Dong. “You are quite astute, boy, knowing I have need of your help. This matter is extremely dangerous, but if successful, this King will owe each of you a personal favor. Are you willing?”

“This junior has no issue; please give your command.” Lei Dong sobered his expression, his face filled with reverence. Internally, he mused that the Yaksha King actually asked if they were willing. This must be mere courtesy; given his status, he could force them, leaving them no choice but compliance—do it or die. Still, securing a favor from the Yaksha King was the best outcome. As for the danger? Well, there were few things in this world more dangerous than refusing the Yaksha King.

Tantai Bingyun was equally sharp and agreed immediately. “This junior has absolutely no issue either.”

“This vortex is the Wrath of the Sea God.” The Yaksha King nodded in satisfaction, pointing at the massive vortex and explaining its origin and consequences. Seeing Lei Dong and Tantai Bingyun look astonished, he continued, “But the Wrath of the Sea God is currently small; there is a chance to eliminate it. This King possesses five Heaven-Rending Thunders. If all five are detonated at different points within the vortex, there is a high probability of extinguishing the Wrath. The problem is, among my clan, only I and two elders possessing Spatial Artifacts can reach the vortex edge, detonate the Thunders, and return alive. Therefore, two elders would have to be sacrificed to complete the task. However, the wings upon you have given this King hope.”

Detonate Heaven-Rending Thunders at the vortex edge? Although Lei Dong had no idea what a Heaven-Rending Thunder was, he knew it couldn't be ordinary. His face showed no difficulty, only slight confusion. “Senior, since it involves sacrifice, why not send some lower-level members to sacrifice themselves? Or use puppets to cast spells and throw the Thunders into the vortex? Why go in person to risk danger?”

“Because that vortex is actually a spatial vortex. It has torn space, creating numerous spatial rifts. Resisting the tearing force of these rifts requires cultivation at the Nascent Soul level; Golden Core experts cannot fly far enough before being swallowed by the spatial cracks. Throwing or controlling a puppet carries immense risk of being engulfed.”

“Senior, even when continuously flapping our wings, our top speed is barely comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator flying at full speed.” Tantai Bingyun frowned in confusion. “Why do you believe we can escape after detonation?”

“Your speed is slow now because your cultivation is insufficient to unleash the wings’ full velocity,” the Yaksha King explained calmly. “But the Asura King and the Winged God King were peak existences in the mortal realm. Their understanding of spatial power far surpasses others. The reason you can fly so fast is that both your pairs of wings possess the power to tear space. With these wings, even within the spatial vortex, you will not be greatly affected and can move freely. However, my clan’s elders, or your Nascent Soul cultivators, without spatial artifacts to counteract spatial forces, must expend massive energy resisting the vortex, severely impeding their speed and making escape difficult. Of course, this King is not saying you are guaranteed safety. I observed your flight just now and estimate you have about a sixty percent chance of escape.”

“This junior is willing to share the burden and solve the Senior’s difficulties.” Lei Dong immediately agreed, offering no further refusal. The reason was simple: no matter how affable the Yaksha King seemed now, refusing meant certain death. If there was even a sixty percent chance of survival, Lei Dong had to take the gamble.

Tantai Bingyun, equally sharp, also pledged, “This junior has no objection.”