The vigilance of a Golden Core cultivator was indeed high. Lei Dong inwardly sighed at the pity of it, his wings fluttering slightly, and in the blink of an eye, he retreated several dozen zhang, evading that fatal blow. Simultaneously, the Berserk Ghost General surged forward, its form like concentrated ink, wreathed in faint smoke. A shield and a blade, offense and defense balanced, radiating an imposing aura. Although theoretically, one Ghost General was equivalent to a Golden Core expert, in reality, there were fundamental differences between the two.
After all, human cultivators were not the same as Golden Core level demonic beasts; the strength of their cultivation methods, the quality of their magic treasures, whether they possessed clones, puppets, ghost servants, spirit beasts, and so on, caused the strength of cultivators at the first layer of the Golden Core stage to vary wildly. To put it plainly, it came down to money; the difference between a very wealthy Golden Core cultivator and a poor one was substantial. However, there was one major difference between Golden Core cultivators and Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even if a newly promoted Golden Core cultivator was indeed poor, because they represented a rare fighting force, every sect placed great importance on them and provided support. Over time, Golden Core cultivators rarely remained poor for long.
Furthermore, the earning capacity of Golden Core cultivators far surpassed that of Foundation Establishment cultivators, allowing them to quickly amass considerable spirit stones. Take Qian Luo, for example; given ten or twenty years, he could accumulate a significant fortune. The issue was that the pills, magic treasures, materials, talismans, and other items suitable for Golden Core cultivators were all exceedingly rare and carried exorbitant prices. Thus, the vast majority of Golden Core cultivators could only manage an average existence, failing to secure too many top-tier resources. The strength gaps between them remained quite significant.
A standard first-grade Ghost General could likely only contend with entry-level Golden Core cultivators, such as Qian Luo. If it were a pure one-on-one fight, defeating the old Golden Core cultivator before him would not be an easy task. The Ghost General soared and flipped, displaying unparalleled might. But the Golden Core cultivator, enraged and humiliated, unleashed a series of vicious attacks, putting the Ghost General in a rather sorry state. If left unchecked, within the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, the Ghost General would be killed.
Naturally, Lei Dong could not allow the situation to continue. He summoned the Golden Puppet as well, keeping it close by, and commanded it to continuously shoot beams of light with its long spear from a distance, harassing the Golden Core cultivator. This finally allowed the Ghost General to catch its breath and adjust its state. At the same time, Lei Dong unfurled the Myriad Ghost Banner, sending hundreds of malevolent ghosts, interspersed with Lei Dong's Netherworld Ghost Qi, surging toward the Golden Core cultivator like a tide. Lei Dong’s body seemed enveloped in layers of black mist, within which his two pairs of slightly rising and falling wings could be vaguely discerned, resembling a god or demon from the Underworld.
Having absorbed Lei Dong's pure Netherworld Ghost Qi and weathered two heavy blows, the somewhat listless Ghost General's already tall frame expanded by several fen. Its fanged, green face became exceptionally bloodthirsty; its seemingly vacant eyes revealed a ferocious glare of violence and wanton destruction, looking as if it might tear someone apart at any moment to drink their fresh blood. Its form streaked into an afterimage as it launched an attack against the Golden Core cultivator. Facing the hundreds of malevolent ghosts, although individually not very formidable, their combined assault could prove overwhelming. The Golden Core cultivator, unwilling to be persistently tormented by Lei Dong in a direct confrontation, did not make Lei Dong his primary target despite his thin and tall frame.
Instead, he focused on the golden puppet beside Lei Dong, which incessantly emitted annoying golden light. The power of that golden light was not weak; although it was blocked one by one by his protective shield, it was becoming increasingly irritating. However, before he could reach it, Lei Dong wrapped the puppet in Ghost Qi and blinked away a few dozen zhang. After prolonged contemplation and practice, Lei Dong’s mastery over the Asura Wings had deepened, allowing him to execute short-distance flashing flights. Moreover, this flash sent Lei Dong directly behind the Golden Core cultivator, allowing the Ghost General to seize the opportunity to catch up and engage in a desperate struggle.
Lei Dong also did not stand idle, raining down Nether Fire Orbs, continuously harassing the Golden Core cultivator. At this moment, the Golden Core cultivator had only one thought dominating his mind: annoyance. This scoundrel was not only monstrous but also employed tactics that were utterly disgusting. This compelled him to shake off this repulsive boy before the other Golden Core cultivator arrived, brutally forcing his way past the Ghost General. He once again exploded into motion, fleeing into the distance.
Lei Dong sneered, retracting the black mist, enveloping the hundred ghosts, the Ghost General, and the puppet within it. He flapped his wings forcefully, causing the surrounding air to distort. Having calculated his escape trajectory, Lei Dong easily caught up, appearing several dozen zhang ahead of him. The malevolent ghosts and the Ghost General attacked in unison. Simultaneously, Lei Dong also unleashed a Netherworld Ghost Claw combined with the Crimson Refining Flying Sword, pressing the attack fiercely upon the Golden Core cultivator.
If the latter dared not slow down, the Ghost General would certainly intercept and injure him with an attack. Left with no choice, he had to halt his flight, a feeling of profound disgust rising in his heart. Being forced into such a desperate situation by a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator was a first in his life. Despite his humiliation and anger, he had to confront this disgusting predicament. Stirred by indignation and frustration, he began to attack the Ghost General with all his might.
He understood clearly: as long as he could forcefully destroy the Ghost General, the subsequent arrival of any other Golden Core cultivator would become irrelevant. Seeing him desperately attack the Ghost General, Lei Dong understood his intention. Indeed, it was a sound strategy. Unfortunately, Lei Dong would not grant him his wish. Using his divine sense to remotely direct the Ghost General, he began a fighting retreat, while the horde of malevolent ghosts desperately blocked the Golden Core cultivator.
Although these malevolent ghosts died in droves under the enraged assault of the Golden Core cultivator—even the leader-level ghosts couldn't withstand a single strike—for Lei Dong, the Ghost General was the foundation of his survival. The cannon-fodder malevolent ghosts could be rapidly replenished at any time. Lei Dong's only mission was to hold out until Qian Luo arrived. He commanded the Berserk Ghost General to fight while retreating, perfectly executing the tactic of advancing when the enemy retreated and retreating when the enemy advanced. As the battle dragged on, more than half of the malevolent ghosts were lost.
And Lei Dong dared not summon the Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger or the close-combat Silver Puppet, fearing that a moment's carelessness could lead to their destruction, resulting in a massive loss. The Black Dragon Flag was also deployed incidentally; although the black dragon was vaporized into ashes after only three or four strikes from the Golden Core cultivator, it still managed to consume a significant portion of his strength. As the two were locked in this tug-of-war, Qian Luo arrived, his escape light tearing through the sky with no less imposing presence. Although his equipment was inferior, the aura of a Golden Core cultivator was fully present. The Golden Core cultivator's expression shifted slightly, and he attempted to flee once more.
This time, Lei Dong knew the opponent was likely desperate. Flapping his Asura Wings, he caught up but refrained from sending the Ghost General forward, wary of any desperate killing move the opponent might employ. Instead, he retracted the surrounding black mist and unleashed a formidable Black Dragon Roar. The several zhang-long black dragon, as if coalesced from thick ink, coiled and roared with mighty momentum. Under normal circumstances, the Golden Core cultivator would not fear such an attack.
However, being in high-speed flight, he was forced to stop abruptly upon facing this interception, his divine sense commanding his protective shield to intercept. Amidst a deafening crash, the black dragon erupted in violent black waves, sending ripples of vibrating air spreading outward. Even though the cultivator's shield was not weak and his power was substantial, he was violently shaken and sent tumbling, causing the already exhausted Golden Core cultivator's spirit to vibrate painfully. The Golden Core cultivator's sudden stop, just as he initiated flight, coincided with Qian Luo’s full-speed pursuit, leaving the Golden Core cultivator no time to escape. After all, every attempt to flee was fraught with peril.
He had no choice but to steel himself and engage Qian Luo, who was pouncing down fiercely. Lei Dong also breathed a slight sigh of relief; this was his first time fighting a Golden Core cultivator, and despite knowing his current strength was not insignificant, he had been tense. Only when Qian Luo arrived did Lei Dong truly relax; no matter how poor Qian Luo’s equipment was, he was still a Golden Core cultivator. He commanded the Ghost General and the puppet to advance and assist Qian Luo. Simultaneously, he urged the remaining hundred or so ghosts from the Myriad Ghost Banner forward.
Even at this scale, they caused negligible damage to the Golden Core cultivator, but they served to interfere as much as possible. Alas, the Golden Core cultivator, who could defeat either Qian Luo or the Ghost General alone in anywhere from half an incense stick to a full incense stick, was now overwhelmed by their combined assault, especially with the constant harassment from Lei Dong at the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment and the peak Foundation Establishment puppet. Lei Dong's Nether Fire Orbs were also unique. Not only did they possess some explosive impact, but more importantly, the Nether Fire was an exceptionally vexing type of flame that continuously burned the soul upon contact. Even Golden Core cultivators viewed this substance with extreme caution.
Furthermore, Lei Dong's Crimson Refining Flying Sword was no ordinary item; it was a top-grade spirit artifact, wielding fierce power. Under this barrage of attacks, the Golden Core cultivator struggled to cope, turning clumsy as he tried to manage threats from all sides, his situation becoming pathetic. Several attempts to flee were blocked by the coordinated efforts of the Ghost General and Qian Luo. After the two sides had fought fiercely for a full two incense sticks, the injured Golden Core cultivator realized that if he couldn't escape now, he truly risked falling to these two. He spat out a mouthful of vital blood, his form transforming into a stream of blood mist, screaming as he violently shot toward the horizon.
This technique bore a strong resemblance to Blood Evasion Art. Lei Dong had long been prepared for this move, anticipating that in desperation, his opponent would take a reckless gamble and use a secret art. Seeing him transform into blood mist, Lei Dong didn't hesitate, flapping his wings to pursue. Even employing the Blood Evasion Art, the Golden Core cultivator was not as fast as the Asura Wings on Lei Dong’s back. Lei Dong did not rush to intercept but maintained a distant pursuit until the opponent had flown several li away.
Only when the Golden Core cultivator's internal essence blood was nearly depleted did Lei Dong suddenly whip his wings, closing the distance to appear before him. The Crimson Refining Flying Sword turned into a streak of light and directly cleaved into the blood mist. A piercing, agonizing scream followed. The pitiful master of the Golden Core Ancestor level met his end at the hands of Lei Dong, this insignificant Foundation Establishment cultivator.