Humans, sometimes, are just that peculiar. When Lei Dong initially demanded that the three of them surrender, they had wavered internally, yet remained hesitant and reluctant. However, upon hearing what Lei Dong said—that he only intended to keep one, and the other two would be executed—their psychological defenses instantly crumbled. None of them wished to be the two eliminated, and their aggressive movements instantly shifted entirely to defense, each one frantically transmitting messages to Black Iron Tower.

Black Iron Tower was also vexed; he hadn't anticipated Lei Dong would make him choose. Hearing the various pleas and desperate entreaties from the three Golden Core cultivators through his ear, he was completely at a loss, crying and laughing at the same time as he shouted, "Boss, how do you expect me to pick?" He certainly wanted to select the one he got along with best, but he feared Lei Dong might have some sinister motive, which caused him to hesitate indecisively.

"Just pick the one you usually get along with the best, the one you mesh with most easily," Lei Dong observed the rapidly paling and panicked expressions on the faces of the three Golden Cores and knew his tactic had succeeded. The reason he made Black Iron Tower choose a friend was twofold: first, birds of a feather flock together. Second, it was an act of goodwill toward Black Iron Tower.

As expected, a flash of gratitude crossed Black Iron Tower's eyes. He swiftly shouted toward one of the three Golden Cores, "Old Han, what are you still hesitating for? Do you think Old Black would lie to you? Hurry over here."

The cultivator surnamed Han was also a burly man, his face obscured by a scruffy beard. Hearing this, he wasted no more time, immediately employing an escape technique, enveloped in light, and rushed toward Black Iron Tower. The two rejected Golden Core cultivators, however, turned ashen-faced. Their mental balance shattered, they immediately roared in fury, "Black Iron Tower, Han Chao, you dare betray the Demon Lord! You will surely suffer the torment of the Soul-Snatching White Bone Curse in the future."

Black Iron Tower couldn't help but spit disdainfully, "Save the theatrics, the two of you. Just a moment ago, weren't you the ones begging me to choose you? Old White Bone Devil acts against natural order, controlling our freedom with his Gu poison. Who wouldn't want to escape if they had the chance? Besides, neither of you are good people to begin with—sneaky and treacherous. Otherwise, I, Old Black, might have pleaded with Young Master Lei for you."

Hearing Old Black’s assessment of the two, Lei Dong felt even less inclined to accept them. He just sneered and barked, "What are you still standing around for? Kill them! Old Black, you and Old Han work together to kill one, as your pledge of allegiance. Remember, don't let their living souls escape; this Young Master Lei has use for them."

The two rejected Golden Core cultivators exchanged a glance and immediately unleashed everything they had in an attempt to flee. But Black Iron Tower and Han Chao, who had just joined Lei Dong’s banner and had barely earned merit, dared not let anyone escape after hearing Lei Dong’s command. They immediately joined forces, desperately pursuing the one they found most detestable. The other, desperately executing his escape technique, was caught by Tantai Bingyun, who swept down, forcing him back. Qian Luo and Shangguan and the others seized the opportunity to press forward, surrounding and trapping him for a coordinated kill.

Never mind that Shangguan Qingniangzi and the others were only at the Foundation Establishment stage; supported by top-tier spirit artifacts, their combat strength was far from negligible. Moreover, they were experienced in cooperating to ambush and kill Golden Core cultivators, knowing how to protect themselves while applying maximum force. Although the three of them combined would struggle to single-handedly fight a nascent Golden Core early-stage cultivator, their coordination with Qian Luo provided extraordinary assistance.

Lei Dong also spared no effort in nurturing them. He was confident that once these three advanced to the Golden Core stage, they would provide powerful support to him.

Qingniangzi saw the Golden Core cultivator's morale shatter and giggled incessantly. Her pair of spirit artifact wings flapped, making her swift and elusive like a sky-lark. As she rapidly executed hand seals, threads of light, fine as silk, shot out, weaving incessantly until, in the blink of an eye, they formed a massive net. From the bottom up, the net enveloped the Golden Core cultivator who had been rendered immobile. The cultivator struggled desperately, but the silk threads wound tighter and tighter around him until he was bundled up like a grain sack.

If the Golden Core cultivator had faced Qingniangzi alone, her net would have been difficult to maintain against him; even if it had ensnared him, he would have managed to break free after a short while. However, at this moment, he no longer had the chance to escape this deadly snare. Qingniangzi’s delicate mouth expelled a breath, and the top-tier spirit artifact, the "Soul-Breaking Needle," shot out, piercing his protective Qi shield and drilling directly through his temple into his Purple Mansion, striking his living soul.

Simultaneously, Shangguan Hong’s Crimson Blood Scythe arrived, swinging like the terrifying Soul-Reaping Scythe from hell, slashing viciously across the Golden Core’s body. His defense, already close to collapse, and his soul momentarily immobilized, he was entirely paralyzed and utterly unable to resist the might of the Crimson Blood Scythe, which was even more potent than Lei Dong's Black Dragon's Roar. The pitiful Golden Core cultivator, who had once commanded authority and influence, only managed a single scream before being sliced in half by the Crimson Blood Scythe. A small, semi-transparent living soul, like a tiny figure, struggled free from the Soul-Breaking Needle, terrified, squeaking and chirping as it tried to flee. But Qian Luo, seasoned in combat experience, would never allow its living soul to escape; he snatched it out of the air with an empty hand and stuffed it into the Soul-Sealing Orb.

Meanwhile, the battle involving Black Iron Tower, Han Chao, and Tantai Bingyun had also concluded. With three-on-one tactics, they secured a swift victory. At this point, this wave of pursuit from the White Bone Palace had been completely neutralized. The remaining three large flying vessels each only held a contingent of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Given Lei Dong's current strength, such a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators posed no significant threat.

With almost no need for explicit command, they split into three groups to launch an all-out assault on the enemy's three flying vessels. Lei Dong and Tantai Bingyun utilized their superior speed to intercept and eliminate the White Bone Palace cultivators attempting to flee one by one. This was practically a massacre. Under the potent offensive power of Lei Dong's squad, within the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the three flying vessels were captured, and not a single person or living soul managed to escape.

On Lei Dong's side, only Ren Xiao sustained minor injuries, resulting in what was effectively a casualty-free battle. The gains from this fight were beyond measure. The three flying vessels alone were immensely valuable. The spoils from eliminating the three Golden Cores, twenty-plus Foundation Establishment cultivators, and the captured Young Lord of White Bone were certainly worth a fortune.

Especially the Young Lord of White Bone, who, under the patronage of the Old White Bone Demon, possessed exceedingly abundant wealth. His storage bracelet was stuffed with a large pile of high-grade spirit stones and over ten supreme-grade spirit stones. Various elixirs, magic treasures, and valuable refining and pill-making materials formed a massive stack. This allowed Lei Dong and the others to strike it rich indeed. However, this location was certainly not one to linger in.

Lei Dong and his companions quickly cleaned up the battlefield and then departed swiftly in the flying vessels. In total, it took over a month to properly liquidate all the spoils and convert them into shining spirit stones. According to the distribution rules, Lei Dong's share alone amounted to twenty million at once.

Everyone deeply understood the importance of strength and began focusing all their efforts on cultivating their Ghost Servants. Back in the Chaotic Sea Domain, Lei Dong had already intentionally instructed everyone to store the flesh and living souls of Foundation Establishment cultivators and certain demonic beasts. Over several years, they had accumulated a considerable amount. Coupled with the resources gained from the Senluo Ghost Domain and this recent haul, they had no shortage of materials for nurturing Ghost Servants. For these Ghost Servants, there were only two limiting factors for advancement. The first was an abundant supply of souls and flesh. The second was the strength of the master's soul. When both conditions were met, the advancement speed of the Ghost Servants became incredibly aberrant, allowing them to quickly reach their optimal forms.

The main focus for cultivation this time was Qian Luo's Ghost Servant Yi. Given his cultivation level, soul strength, and the quality of his Ghost Control Art, controlling two Ghost Generals simultaneously seemed challenging. However, controlling just one two- or three-level Ghost General was achievable. Therefore, Lei Dong provided Qian Luo with an ample supply of Golden Core-level living souls and flesh, allowing him to maximize his strength as much as possible.

As for the others, for the time being, they could only rely on Ghost Guards, whose advancement to their limit was easier given the abundant supply of flesh and souls.

During this period, everyone brought their respective Ghost Servants to a suitable stage of development. Suddenly, the overall strength of the squad increased dramatically once more. As for Han Chao, he was also a burly fellow, resembling one of three Vajras when grouped with Black Iron Tower and Qian Luo. However, since a wisp of Black Iron Tower’s soul had already merged into Qian Luo’s soul, merging with another person carried a greater risk. Therefore, Lei Dong decided not to immediately dissolve the Gu poison controlling Han Chao. Instead, he gave Han Chao ten doses of the three-year antidote at once, promising him a permanent antidote to the Gu poison in twenty years. At that time, whether he stayed or left would be entirely up to him.

Han Chao was ecstatic. Not only had he miraculously saved his life this time, but he actually had a chance to gain complete freedom. Only cultivators who have lost their freedom truly understand its preciousness. Especially for a Golden Core cultivator like him, possessing several hundred years of lifespan meant he could have roamed freely, or at the very least, found a remote region to dominate. Who would willingly submit to complete control their entire life? Although serving Lei Dong for twenty years seemed like a long time, considering the terrible fate of those who came out with him, Han Chao felt much more balanced. For a Golden Core cultivator, preserving one's life was the most crucial thing; otherwise, everything else was meaningless.

Most importantly was the Young Lord of White Bone. Lei Dong had only completely squeezed out all his wealth but had not yet taken his life. This was not because Lei Dong had suddenly developed a soft heart. The reason was simple: Lei Dong was wary of being directly targeted by the Old White Bone Demon before leaving Zhou Province. Against a Nascent Soul cultivator, Lei Dong had absolutely no countermeasures. The only thing he could do was try every possible means to survive. This Young Lord of White Bone was the perfect human shield.

However, Lei Dong had long since made up his mind. If the Old White Bone Demon had not shown himself by the time they left Zhou Province, then the life of the Young Lord of White Bone would have reached its end.