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"Bang~" The Ghostly Guard materialized silently behind the Foundation Establishment elder, its soul-power condensed twin cones erupting in a burst of black light that violently struck the elder's back. While the energy shield absorbed the brunt of the force, the residual power still drove the twin spikes deep into his spine. The elder looked back in disbelief, catching sight of a savage ghost with a blue face and bared fangs grinning menacingly at him, its sharp teeth sinking directly into his neck.

He had fallen for the trap; everything was lost now. The Foundation Establishment elder’s pupils began to glaze over as he watched his clansmen being slaughtered one by one by the spectral comrades of the fiend behind him. Blood sprayed everywhere, punctuated by the sharp, excited, and fierce howls of the malevolent spirits echoing without cease.

Another Foundation Establishment cultivator, who had just rushed onto the battlefield, was immediately targeted by the Ice Ghost Guard. This cultivator, middle-aged in appearance, possessed only a cultivation base of the fifth layer of the Foundation Establishment stage. Witnessing his clansmen being butchered, and even his own elder brother being seized and devoured alive by a savage ghost, he let out a dazzling streak of escape light, preparing to flee. However, he was instantly enveloped by a cloud of chilling white mist. His body immediately froze stiff, the escape light extinguished, causing him to plummet from mid-air. Waiting for him was the Ice Ghost Guard’s chilling icicle strike.

Lei Dong paid the most attention to these two Foundation Establishment cultivators, as each had already been singled out by a Level Twelve Ghost Guard. They certainly wouldn't be allowed any chance to escape. Though Level Twelve Ghost Guards might not surpass most cultivators at the twelfth layer of the Foundation Establishment stage in a one-on-one duel, they were consummate assassins against lower-level cultivators.

Moreover, Lei Dong’s Asura Wings were already primed. Should anyone manage to break free from his subordinates, the Asura Wings would ensure they did not succeed.

Because this clan had too few Foundation Establishment cultivators, and Lei Dong excelled most in mass combat—especially against a horde of slightly weaker opponents, which he found effortlessly manageable—the nearly one hundred Qi Refining cultivators were also constantly attempting to flee outwards. The puppets and Shadow Tigers darted back and forth, dispatching one with every strike, making the slaughter extremely easy. Of course, with so many escaping, there were bound to be stragglers, and quite a few at that.

Thus, the Ferocious Ghost Array Lei Dong had set up now revealed its purpose. A dozen elite ferocious ghosts, coordinating with the leader-level ferocious ghost, attacked the escaping Qi Refining cultivators in waves.

The Mute Woman watched this carnage unfold, her face ashen. She then glanced at Lei Dong, clad in black armor with a pair of massive demonic wings sprouted from his back, his expression cold and ruthless. A mixture of terror and awe churned within her. Only at this moment did she truly grasp the meaning of the phrase, "the weak are meat for the strong." Those legendary superior immortals, rumored to traverse heaven and earth, impossibly arrogant and powerful, seemed like pitiful ants under this man's command.

Some clever Qi Refining cultivators began seeking refuge within the mountain-guarding formation. But this was merely a brief reprieve. With the puppets and Ghost Guards attacking in tandem, bolstered by one of Lei Dong's Black Dragon Roars, the protective formation was forcefully torn open by overwhelming power in less than ten breaths. The ferocious ghosts, claws and fangs bared, surged in to slaughter the cultivators hiding inside, resulting in another tempest of gore.

The entire process, from start to finish, took barely the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Lei Dong, single-handedly, had annihilated an entire family rooted in Foundation Establishment cultivators. Following the information gleaned from the Soul Searching technique, Lei Dong swiftly plundered everything valuable belonging to the Wang family. He separated a portion of the spirit stones and decent magical artifacts, wiped away the soul imprints, and tossed it all to the Mute Woman. This share of resources was more than enough for her to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Beyond this point, she would have to rely on herself. Whether she managed to reach Foundation Establishment or perished publicly depended entirely on her own destiny. Lei Dong had considered whether leaving her alone now might cost him a powerful helper in the future. However, if the Mute Woman possessed the will, she would surely find him in Kangzhou. If she lacked that drive, such a subordinate was useless.

Furthermore, the journey to Kangzhou was bound to be fraught with peril; bringing along a burden would make his own safe return questionable.

Of course, for the next month or so, Lei Dong personally provided her with guidance. Only after seeing her successfully advance to the first layer of the Qi Refining stage by cultivating the Ice Spirit Art did Lei Dong leave her a letter one night. Taking advantage of the murky darkness, he mounted the Evil Ghost Cloak and headed toward his predetermined destination—a remote island thousands of miles away named Canglan.

The distance of ten thousand li was not far for Lei Dong. However, navigating unfamiliar seas and distant frontiers devoid of established sects required him to be exceptionally cautious. Along the way, he encountered several groups of flying cultivators. They exchanged mere probes with divine sense from afar before parting ways. Lei Dong preferred to avoid trouble, while the others, seeing Lei Dong shrouded in black energy and moving swiftly, appeared difficult to provoke, thus they too avoided initiating conflict. As for Golden Core cultivators, Lei Dong was not so unlucky as to encounter any; after all, Golden Core experts remained a minority in this world, not someone one stumbled upon randomly after a single night’s journey.

Following the information he had, Lei Dong flew above Canglan Island and observed quietly. The island was not large, merely spanning a few dozen li in circumference, but its terrain was steep, with the highest peak reaching several hundred zhang. Because the island was almost isolated in the sea beyond the Chaotic Archipelago, separated from the nearest landmass by three to four thousand li, it hosted very few mortals. Those present were generally women involved in the flesh trade or concubines brought by some cultivator.

Lei Dong had heard that the Chaotic Archipelago shared similarities with the Star Islands in the East Sea beyond the mainland of Kangzhou: being far from the main continent and a haven for those who committed crimes, making them difficult to trace in the vast ocean. Thus, it was a comparatively chaotic place. And on Canglan Island, the cultivators gathered were mostly those seeking wealth at sea. People capable of such pursuits were rarely simple. The dangers encountered while sailing were endless; weaker cultivators could not survive long—either dying at the hands of sea beasts or being brutally robbed and murdered by other small teams. Worse still, they might be betrayed and killed by their own teammates.

In this world, weakness was, inherently, a fault.

In the half-hour Lei Dong spent observing, two separate groups left the island and immediately engaged in combat on the ocean surface. One engagement ended with the complete annihilation of one party. The other ended with mutual heavy losses—several early Foundation Establishment cultivators dying on both sides—before they shook hands and made peace, their initial negotiations reportedly quite amicable.

Furthermore, cultivators continuously flew back from distant trips, and just as many flew out from the island’s interior. Solitary cultivators were rare; those who did move alone were invariably late-stage Foundation Establishment experts—their gazes sharp, their auras mysterious, conveying a clear message: stay away.

Lei Dong felt he had seen enough. He retracted the Evil Ghost Cloak and descended gracefully. Naturally, he left the Asura Wings behind and wore no battle armor, opting instead for an ordinary black robe that concealed his head and face. This attire was one Lei Dong had noted was common among the solitary cultivators he observed. In this place, appearing easily bullied invited endless trouble. Thus, a thick, pervasive aura of Netherworld Ghost Qi naturally clung to Lei Dong.

One shouldn't underestimate this small island spanning merely dozens of li. Lei Dong realized that while it was chaotic, there was a certain underlying order. Like the two conflicting parties just now, they did not choose to fight their decisive battle on the island but wisely relocated the brawl offshore.

This clearly suggested that the power backing this island’s operation was no simple entity. One of those two parties just now had included a late-stage Foundation Establishment expert.

Therefore, when the two Qi Refining cultivators stationed at the simple gate outside the mountain-guarding formation politely, yet arrogantly, demanded a one-hundred-spirit-stone entry fee, Lei Dong showed no outward displeasure. It was a matter of 'might makes right.' Although Lei Dong considered himself strong, it was best to avoid trouble if possible, especially since the island's ultimate proprietor was almost certainly a Golden Core cultivator.

Lei Dong’s cultivation was not weak—eighth layer Foundation Establishment, just one step shy of the late stage. Walking along the crude, damp streets, he was approached by several groups offering invitations to join expeditions for sea adventures. Lei Dong refused them all. He hadn't come here for adventuring; he was interested in the Golden Core Beast Souls or the flesh and blood of Golden Core demonic beasts brought back by the adventurers. Only with these could Lei Dong's critical-hit Ghost Guards advance to the Ghost General rank in a short time.

He possessed considerable spirit stones and wealth and certainly didn't need to risk sea voyages for money. However, after strolling for only half a day, Lei Dong realized he had been mistaken. In the past, Lei Dong had purchased Overlord Fish beast souls with spirit stones. If one cost 300,000 spirit stones, he’d pay 400,000, or even 500,000. These amounts were inconsequential. Three years of campaigning in the East Sea Star Islands, coupled with the recent clan extermination, left Lei Dong flush with spirit stones.

The problem was that there were absolutely no Golden Core beast souls or flesh for sale on the market. It wasn't that the adventurers failed to secure Golden Core demonic beasts. In fact, every ten to fifteen days, a team would return with one or two Golden Core kills. However, these valuable items were monopolized by a single shop run by the island master. This master was generous, typically setting the price for a complete early Golden Core demonic beast at around 1.5 million spirit stones. Many adventurers had signed contracts with that very shop.

Upon learning this, Lei Dong’s brow furrowed deeply. While he could certainly spread the word outside and offer a higher price—say, two million spirit stones—to acquire a Golden Core demonic beast, doing so would inevitably mean offending the mysterious island master.