Qian Luo's words immediately stirred the Golden Core cultivator. A rookie Golden Core who had just advanced, plus four Foundation Establishment cultivators. It seemed manageable. Even if they lost one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators on their side, those summoned Foundation Establishment cultivators were plentiful; as long as he himself survived, the loss was acceptable.

This was the Golden Core cultivator's true thought, and the thought shared by the vast majority of cultivators: better a fellow Daoist dies than I perish. As long as he profited, why should he care about others' lives? Especially those Foundation Establishment cultivators summoned at will—they could always be called again if they died. Countless people were willing to follow a Golden Core cultivator out to sea for wealth. These thoughts raced through his mind. But, suppressing his excitement, he laughed heartily, "Brother, I have brought seven Foundation Establishment cultivators with me. To show the sincerity of our transaction, how about temporarily disabling the energy shield on the flying boat? It's not that I don't trust you, but rather to show mutual respect."

Qian Luo paused briefly, then also laughed heartily and agreed. He immediately used his divine sense to control the flying boat and temporarily retracted the energy shield. Simultaneously, the other party also "sincerely" lowered their shields. The cultivators on both sides, upon the first moment and the first reaction, swept their divine senses toward the opposing group. As expected, neither side had lied: one side had four cultivators, the other had seven.

Lei Dong's divine sense naturally swept swiftly across the opposing seven cultivators. Four men and three women; two were late-stage Foundation Establishment, and the rest were mid-stage. It was likely the Golden Core cultivator had felt the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were allocated too much, so he found a few more mid-stage ones to save costs implicitly.

The other party then proposed another agreement: to show sincerity, no one was allowed to remain on their respective flying boats for the time being. Everyone must move to the space between the two boats to prevent any foul play during the exchange. While this demand was strange and subtly hinted at ill intentions—cautious individuals would certainly bargain. However, Qian Luo and Lei Dong each had their own calculations, so Qian Luo played dumb and agreed.

"Old Qian," based on the tactical deployment just arranged, Lei Dong transmitted via a cold and expressionless voice transmission, "Your mission is to tie up that Golden Core cultivator for the duration of half an incense stick at most. Once we quickly eliminate some of the Foundation Establishment cultivators, I will assist you, and together we will destroy that Golden Core cultivator."

"Understood," Qian Luo replied, hands clasped behind his back, looking composed and at ease, possessing the demeanor of a Golden Core master. It was just that this Golden Core master had good posture, but his foundation was somewhat shallow—this was the common ailment for most newly advanced Golden Core cultivators. To achieve the breakthrough, they had almost exhausted every spirit stone they could spend.

Lei Dong and the others followed Qian Luo with solemn expressions. The cultivators of both sides were only about ten zhang apart.

"Attack!" Two identical commands rang out almost simultaneously. Qian Luo and the calculating Golden Core cultivator both displayed ferocious and fierce expressions, each desiring to swallow the other whole. However, the Golden Core cultivator had not anticipated Qian Luo would dare to strike first and was momentarily stunned. The contest between masters often hinges on that fleeting moment. Qian Luo seized this opportunity, daring not to hold back, and immediately unleashed a burst of azure light, thrusting directly at the Golden Core cultivator.

Although what he used was merely a high-grade spirit artifact, Qian Luo was, after all, a Golden Core cultivator. The opponent naturally dared not be careless and hastily summoned a protective shield to respond.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators on both sides had no such scruples. They rushed forward as one, unleashing their spirit artifacts and casting spells. Beams of multi-colored light immediately interwove in a violent clash. Lei Dong observed this and immediately summoned the Critical Hit Ghost General. The Ghost General at this moment stood over ten feet tall, exceedingly burly and overwhelmingly domineering. Wielding a Soul Cleaving Saber, its figure streaked past like a wisp of black smoke, aiming directly at a mid-stage Foundation Establishment female cultivator.

The woman's beautiful face immediately paled, and a spirit shield intricately patterned with runes materialized before her, clearly not an ordinary item. However, the Critical Hit Ghost General’s currently substantive soul body suddenly flashed entirely crimson. Simultaneously, the Soul Cleaving Saber, trailing a beam of black light, struck the female cultivator's spirit shield with full force. The power of a Ghost General combined with the Bloodthirsty Art and the Ghostly Strike.

With these factors combined, one strike—just one—shattered the female cultivator's spirit shield, fragments scattering everywhere. Before the woman’s terrified raw soul could escape, Lei Dong pinched his mana seal, projecting a Soul Sealing Orb that directly absorbed and sealed her within.

"Ghost General!" The Golden Core cultivator exclaimed with a drastically changed complexion, "How is this possible?" At this instant, he realized he was in an extremely precarious situation. No wonder a Golden Core cultivator who was still using a spirit artifact dared to utter the command to attack. It was clearly a pre-meditated trap—playing the pig to eat the tiger. Could the cultivator using the Ghost General also be a Golden Core cultivator, merely using some secret wood or medicine to mask his true cultivation level?

Since this was a trap, the opponent must have been confident they could consume him. The Golden Core cultivator was instantly distracted. His original strength was superior to Qian Luo's, but this lapse in focus, coupled with being on the defensive, left him with no will to fight; he decided running away was the best course of action. Cultivators, driven by the boundless pursuit of the Great Dao, harbor an indelible dream of longevity, even those at the lowest tiers, even if that dream is shallow or deep. However, the better the aptitude and the higher the cultivation, the more fervent this dream becomes.

Because of the possibility of longevity, cultivators inherently cherish their lives immensely. Especially this Golden Core cultivator, who had painstakingly reached this stage through effort or various fortuitous encounters, valued his own life especially highly. As for those Foundation Establishment cultivators, they were merely pawns that could be discarded at any time.

He unleashed a circular magic treasure shimmering with spiritual light, forcing Qian Luo back. The cultivator transformed into a streak of red mist and crimson light, not heading for the flying boat, but flying directly towards the vast, empty sea. He was intensely confident that with his escape technique, he could certainly get away.

The enemy Foundation Establishment cultivators were also terrified. How was it that as they were fighting, another Golden Core-level cultivator appeared? And one that commanded a Ghost General? It had instantly exploded one of their own. Despair and fear instantly spread. If six or seven Foundation Establishment cultivators had joined forces and set up a formation, they might have been able to destroy a Ghost General. But the other side also had four cultivators, and one of them was supposedly a "Golden Core." In the eyes of the vast majority, anyone who could command a Ghost General was undoubtedly a Golden Core cultivator.

Sometimes, when morale crumbles, defeat follows swiftly. If one has no will to fight, how can one win?

Lei Dong reacted with equal speed, knowing Qian Luo couldn't catch the Golden Core cultivator. He immediately transmitted, "Execute Plan B." As soon as the words fell, a mist of black enveloped Lei Dong's body. The black mist wrapped around the Ghost General, which appeared strong but was actually quite light. The exaggerated and massive Asura Wings suddenly sprouted from his back. With a heavy beat, his entire body transformed into a black thread, vanishing directly from sight.

Plan B was for Qian Luo to assist in eliminating the Foundation Establishment cultivators, and then go assist Lei Dong in the pursuit. Naturally, Lei Dong had already considered the possibility that the enemy might flee the moment combat began.

Because most Golden Core cultivators were extremely afraid to die. The more one achieves longevity and higher cultivation, the more intensely one fears death.

Lei Dong moved like lightning, appearing almost instantly in front of the fleeing Golden Core cultivator. His raised wings and his dark, sinister battle armor, although the displayed cultivation aura suggested only the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment, combined with Lei Dong’s cold expression, cool appearance, and the Ghost General standing behind him, caused the Golden Core cultivator's heart to sink as his escape light was intercepted. Who would flee without using their fastest speed? He had already exerted his utmost effort to flee, yet the opponent caught up in an instant. Moreover, it seemed as if he had torn through space to arrive.

The Golden Core cultivator felt his mind collapse just thinking about a great master capable of tearing through space. Wasn't that something only Nascent Soul cultivators could barely manage? Could it be... His face turned ashen, fluctuating between dark and light, and his voice trembled slightly, "Senior, I wonder where I have offended you? Please show mercy." He thought to himself that perhaps only a Nascent Soul cultivator could bypass his divine sense detection while still giving him the illusion of only being at the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment.

Lei Dong was slightly taken aback, feeling a touch of amusement internally. This was the first time in his life he had been addressed so humbly by a Golden Core cultivator, receiving the feeling of being lofty and holding the power of life and death. However, this was not the time to savor such things; pretending for a bit was unavoidable. He bent one leg slightly, hovering in mid-air, his figure rising and falling with a subtle rhythm. With his hands clasped behind his back, he spoke coldly, "My true body is on that flying boat. You dare to harbor any devious thoughts, you are simply courting death." Lei Dong's original plan was to rely on his wings and the Ghost General to entangle this Golden Core cultivator.

But now that the man had mistaken him for a Nascent Soul cultivator, it was better to use verbal deception to stall him for a while, saving some energy. Furthermore, facing a Golden Core cultivator alone was not a hundred percent guaranteed safe endeavor. When it came to fearing death and cherishing life, Lei Dong feared death and cherished life more than anyone.

Lei Dong spun a few deceptive lines, and the Golden Core cultivator finally spotted a flaw, his face changing drastically, "You are fake." With that, enraged and ashamed, he unleashed a burst of crimson flame light directly toward Lei Dong.