Although the Critical Hit promotion to Ghost General had increased his stature by several tens of percent, making him appear brawny, stalwart, and majestic, possessing the aura of an unparalleled overlord. However, compared to the Dragon Turtle, purely in terms of physical form, one could not fathom how many times smaller he was. But a Ghost General is a Ghost General; the blade and shield formed by condensed Soul Force were both sharp and indestructible. With every swing and flourish, tendrils of black energy coiled and overlapped, making the movement resemble the rich artistic conception of an ink wash landscape painting.

In terms of pure strength, the Ghost General might be far from a match for the Dragon Turtle. Yet, the Ghost General was incredibly swift; his every move was often accompanied by a swirling mist of dense black ink, skillfully evading the Dragon Turtle's snapping jaws while directing every strike toward its vital points. The might of the Ghost General's Soul Blade naturally far surpassed what it was when he was merely a Ghost Guard. The blade edge was so keen it directly sliced through the Dragon Turtle’s protective spiritual qi, digging into the flesh.

Nevertheless, this Dragon Turtle possessed astonishing innate defense. The Ghost General could cut in, but usually only a few inches deep. As for the shell on its back, there was no point even considering it; the Ghost General's Soul Blade was simply repelled upon contact. Engaging in aerial combat, the Ghost General surprisingly held the upper hand.

Watching this, the spectators were once again stunned into silence, their eyes filled with envy. They secretly mused, This thing is truly ferocious; if I possessed such a Ghost General, perhaps I wouldn't even need to fear Golden Core cultivators, right? Unfortunately, they were unaware of the tremendous price Lei Dong had paid for this single Ghost General. Since he first started cultivating, he had never once ceased practicing the Spirit Forging Arts, continuing for decades without break.

Coupled with various spiritual teas and Cleansing Fruits that enhanced soul power, and the Emperor Demon Seed latent beneath his brow—all these factors combined allowed him to barely control a Ghost General at the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment. These were feats no ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator could achieve. If one’s mental acuity was insufficient, rashly summoning a Ghost General comparable to a Golden Core entity would be tantamount to suicide; the Ghost General’s immediate reaction would be to retaliate against the summoner. Even so, Lei Dong found it strenuous, extremely so; a faint, piercing ache pulsed in his mind, the result of his mental power being stretched to its absolute limit.

At this moment, he probably couldn't even summon another Ghost Servant of the Qi Refining stage. He had reached the zenith of his current mental capacity. After suffering dozens of narrow wounds, the Dragon Turtle finally understood that if it continued to tangle with the Ghost General, only death awaited it. After all, it was a demon beast bred in the water; if the Ghost General entered the water, it would certainly not be its match.

Therefore, it let out mournful roars incessantly, enduring the Ghost General’s attacks while desperately trying to breach the Mist Shadow Formation again, hoping to escape and return to the sea. Seeing this, Lei Dong transmitted his voice to the group: “Attack together, everyone! It’s trying to flee.” After witnessing the power of his own Ghost General, Lei Dong was filled with boundless joy. He was actually gaining the upper hand fighting a Golden Core-level sea demon beast head-on, beating the Dragon Turtle to such an extent that it barely had room to fight back, now desperate to flee in disarray.

This demonstrated that the Ghost General's strength was exceptional. With it, his chances of survival against hostile early-stage Golden Core cultivators had greatly increased. The possibility of feigning weakness to lure the enemy in for a counter-kill was not out of the question. Of course, the Dragon Turtle's defense was indeed formidable.

It could withstand the Ghost General's relentless chopping and turn its focus toward attacking the Mist Shadow Formation. Lei Dong, fearing any unforeseen mishap, ordered everyone to strike. As for himself, he was the first to unleash the Crimson Refining Flying Sword, aiming directly for the turtle's head. Seeing how ferocious Lei Dong's Ghost General was, the others were filled with envy and wild excitement.

Although they themselves did not possess such an enviable treasure, the one who did was, at least, their teammate. Furthermore, Lei Dong appeared to be a reliable person who wouldn't harm his allies. In an instant, everyone became invigorated. Qian Luo, in particular, was ecstatic.

It suddenly made sense why Lei Dong had previously told him that Golden Core cultivators would also become prey. He hadn't understood the meaning at the time, but now, witnessing the peerlessly brave Ghost General, he realized Lei Dong hadn't been boasting idly. This sent him into a state of near-euphoria. Although he didn't know precisely how wealthy Golden Core cultivators were, one thing was certain: they were far richer than he, Qian Luo.

That pitiful Dragon Turtle, despite its astonishing defense, had rather weak offensive power. Consequently, before it could shatter the formation, it was quickly bombarded to death. Naturally, the Ghost General and Qian Luo contributed significantly to this swift end. Killing a trapped Golden Core demon beast within a formation proved exceedingly easy.

Having hunted down the Dragon Turtle, everyone wore smiles of satisfaction. The Dragon Turtle itself held considerable value, but the most prized component was the Dragon Turtle Incense nurtured within its body. Soon enough, during the butchering process, Qian Luo found a piece of damp Dragon Turtle Incense, dark yellow in color, emitting a faint, musky scent. Qian Luo beamed, saying, “Lei Dong, don't underestimate this small piece.

Once dried, it should weigh about six or seven liang. Each liang of this stuff is worth over a million Spirit Coins. Its value far exceeds the Dragon Turtle itself.” After processing the other materials, Qian Luo ignited a small flame and carefully began to dry the Dragon Turtle Incense. When he finally weighed the result, it was seven liang and eight qian.

A look of deep contentment spread across his face. It was exhilarating; not only had he successfully advanced to the Golden Core stage recently, but this was also his first time hunting a Dragon Turtle during an expedition. Just then, Lei Dong spoke, his demeanor calm: “Captain Qian, I will take this Dragon Turtle Incense. We will settle based on the market price.

The Spirit Coins will be deducted from my final share of the spoils; if it’s not enough, I will cover the difference.” Qian Luo paused, then readily tossed the Dragon Turtle Incense to Lei Dong: “We are brothers; if you need it, I shouldn't take your Spirit Coins. However, you know the rules of the expedition team. My apologies, Lei Dong. But for this hunt, because you were responsible for luring the demon beast, you will receive an extra ten percent of the spoils.

I will meticulously record all these accounts.” The rule he mentioned was that if a teammate desired a specific spoil, they must purchase it at the market rate, not at some internal discount. The reason was simple: to prevent teammates from claiming everything at a low internal price only to sell it later for profit. Thus, the vast majority of adventuring teams maintained similar regulations. Lei Dong took the Dragon Turtle Incense, sniffed it lightly, finding the scent unpleasant.

However, within his soul consciousness, he felt a subtle uplift, as if it truly had effects on the spirit. Lei Dong placed immense importance on the strength of his soul. The appearance and performance of the Ghost General earlier only reinforced his conviction that his long-term focus on his soul had not been in vain. He believed that the stronger his soul became, the greater the benefits he would reap in the future.

Therefore, acquiring this Dragon Turtle Incense was essential for him. Although the price was exorbitant, he had heard that only a minuscule amount was needed per use. Seven liang and eight qian should be sufficient for him for a considerable time, perhaps enough to compensate for the negative effects of lacking the Bodhi Heart Cleansing Tea. From this, it became clear that the Endless Sea Domain truly was a gold mine.

It explained why so many cash-strapped Foundation Establishment cultivators flocked here to take risks, unconcerned by the possibility of perishing on every voyage. After settling the Dragon Turtle matter, the group resumed the monotonous task of searching for demon beasts. The gigantic flying boat, thirty-odd zhang long, sailed silently over the endless expanse of the sea. Given the presence of Lei Dong’s Ghost General and Qian Luo’s own Golden Core cultivation, the team unanimously agreed they should no longer linger in the outer reaches of the Endless Sea Domain.

Instead, they resolved to venture deeper, where encountering Golden Core-level demon beasts was more likely, though the risks would multiply exponentially. For instance, small flying boats could be tossed about by swirling hurricanes, encountered every other day. Without a large vessel, even cultivators of high attainment were advised against venturing too deep. Furthermore, encountering human cultivators in the deeper regions was often a perilous affair.

Those who dared to risk the deeper parts of the Endless Sea, unless utterly deranged or excessively arrogant, usually possessed some measure of skill. They would either be elite teams of Foundation Establishment cultivators, or their captains would already be in the Golden Core stage. Previously, Qian Luo would only dare to dream about the deeper sections of the Endless Sea. With their former crew and flying boat, attempting such a move would have been a direct path to death.

It was a day of profound boredom. With nothing else to do, everyone gathered at the bow of the ship, chatting about cultivation insights and exchanging pointers. Being fellow Foundation Establishment cultivators, sharing knowledge genuinely helped in avoiding detours during their cultivation journeys. The wind seemed mild, and the highest waves barely crested a few zhang.

It could truly be described as "calm seas and gentle winds." However, around noon, the weather took a sudden, violent turn. Dark clouds obscured the sun, and the waves on the sea surface rose higher and higher. Before long, towering surges reached heights of several tens of zhang. Qing Niangzi, piloting the flying boat, constantly adjusted the altitude, raising the vessel to over two hundred zhang to avoid being struck head-on by the raging waves.

Even from such a height, one could witness the immense power of the turbulent sea, capable of crushing mountains. The hurricane intensified. Even the flying boat, tens of zhang long, was tossed about like a maple leaf, bobbing up and down and shaking violently. It was fortunate that the defensive shields of the vessel were reasonably effective, blocking the hurricane from tearing the ship apart.

Seeing this, Qian Luo’s expression grew solemn: “Mistress Qing, slow down, stop. Old Zhao, prepare to deploy the defensive formation.” But before Old Zhao could respond, a flying boat appeared in the distance—a large one. This massive vessel, with superior performance, sliced through the raging winds as effortlessly and gracefully as a swimming fish. The expressions of everyone aboard subtly shifted.

Encountering other human cultivators was always an event filled with anticipation yet tinged with apprehension, for no one knew exactly who or what occupied that flying boat.