Lei Dong’s move to save him had been meticulously planned for a long time. Since the Barbarians intended to ambush, perhaps even capture, the White Bone Demon Lord, the route back to the city would naturally be precarious. Furthermore, the White Bone Demon Lord was a Demon Lord who once commanded influence across Zhaozhou, and his pride was naturally immense. Saving him directly back to the city might wound his pride and prove counterproductive.

With these comprehensive considerations in mind, Lei Dong proceeded directly west, following the main axis of the sprawling mountain range. Aided by the sporadic teleportation granted by the Asura Wings, combined with the Five Ghosts Gliding Technique, Lei Dong moved swiftly and steadily beneath the suppression field of the anti-air formation. Meanwhile, the White Bone Demon Lord demonstrated the formidable power inherent in a Nascent Soul cultivator. Although his essence was nearly depleted and his spiritual sense somewhat flagging, when focused on survival, he could still exert considerable detection capabilities. While he couldn't sense things a hundred li away, every rustle within seventy or eighty li did not escape his awareness.

Coordinating with Lei Dong, they managed to evade the Barbarian forces’ blockades and encirclements repeatedly. Even the Saintess’s incredible crystal sphere proved incapable of stopping Lei Dong. In less than an hour, Lei Dong felt a sudden lightness to his form and inwardly wondered if they had finally cleared the area under the anti-air formation. Immediately, his body floated, transforming into a faint shadow, drifting eerily in mid-air, his feet treading on nothing, his movement ghost-like and ethereal.

As expected, they were out of the formation’s range. This hour of furious travel had certainly drained Lei Dong significantly. He swiftly summoned the Evil Ghost Banner, now upgraded to a top-grade spirit artifact, wrapped it around the White Bone Demon Lord, and they both mounted it. Driving it with his spiritual sense, the banner immediately manifested a cloud of dense black miasma, enveloping them both as it shot toward the heavens at extreme speed, leaving a long tail of flame in its wake.

Seeing they were clear of the anti-air formation, the White Bone Demon Lord finally breathed a massive sigh of relief. He had initially intended to force himself through the weakness and summon his own flying magical treasure to hasten their escape.

However, upon seeing Lei Dong’s spirit artifact, which appeared rather extraordinary and boasted impressive speed, he abandoned that notion. This was because he had been strenuously taxing his spiritual sense to maintain detection this entire time, to the point of near collapse. Forcing himself to use his own treasure might seriously damage his spiritual sense, and a permanent injury would be disastrous.

“Senior, here are two bottles of Misty Dew Pills and one peak-grade spirit stone.” Lei Dong exhaled deeply, retrieving two jade bottles and a spirit stone brimming with spiritual energy from his storage bracelet. He presented them with a respectful expression: “Please accept these, Senior.”

The White Bone Demon Lord, sensing they were truly out of danger, especially having escaped a situation he believed was certain death, felt his spirits lift considerably. Seeing Lei Dong’s generosity, he actually managed a rare chuckle: “You carry quite a few treasures. It’s rare for a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator to be this wealthy. Do you have a Nascent Soul cultivator backing you at home?”

“Yes, a Nascent Soul cultivator supports my family,” Lei Dong replied, his thoughts immediately drifting to the Heavenly Demoness. Though he often suffered indignities at her hands, he had to admit she had always protected him, frequently stuffing him with various items. Especially the Asura Wings; Lei Dong had initially assumed the sect had made a mistake, confusing the Asura King Wings with the Great Asura Wings. Only after his own reputation soared, and the Heaven Sound Palace later helped Tantai Bingyun acquire a Winged God King’s Wing without anyone challenging him, did Lei Dong realize it wasn't an error—the Heavenly Demoness had exerted immense effort behind the scenes. In short, he was deeply indebted to her.

Regrettably, Lei Dong was unaware that after his supposed disappearance, the Heavenly Demoness had instigated several waves of frenzied slaughter. This occurred only after she was certain Lei Dong was not dead. The reason was simple: she needed an outlet. She was never a compassionate soul to begin with. Moreover, she was the only one who knew about the soul fusion between Lei Dong and Qi Feifei. Since Qi Feifei was alive, Lei Dong must also be alive.

Hearing that Lei Dong indeed had powerful connections, the White Bone Demon Lord’s mood brightened significantly. It explained why the young man showed no fear when facing a Nascent Soul cultivator like himself—he had family in that realm. Instantly, the Demon Lord felt a touch of kinship toward Lei Dong. After all, they could be considered peers of a sort. Moreover, the White Bone Demon Lord harbored his own calculations: Lei Dong’s wings and all the top-grade items he possessed were never inferior. The spirit stones he casually produced were peak-grade ones that even ordinary Core Formation cultivators dared not dream of using. The Nascent Soul cultivator supporting him must not only dote on him immensely but also be exceptionally powerful. Otherwise, how could a less affluent Nascent Soul cultivator allow a junior such extravagance? Even great favor had its limits.

The White Bone Demon Lord was no fool. Surviving and dominating Zhaozhou for so many years without falling required a unique survival philosophy: avoid offending the powerful, especially those from top sects. Instead, he would adopt a low profile and forge ties with the majority, even if it required considerable sacrifice. This was the true basis for his long-standing freedom.

He could also discern that Lei Dong harbored a desire to build a friendly relationship with him. This Lei Dong, a core disciple of the famous top sect, the Yin Sha Sect, in Kangzhou, backed by a formidable Nascent Soul cultivator, was fundamentally different from ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators. Befriending him, though perhaps appearing as humbling himself, offered two immediate benefits: first, he genuinely owed Lei Dong a favor today; second, given Lei Dong’s background, this friendship was an investment. A young man lavished with such resources by a Nascent Soul cultivator must possess exceptional talent, perhaps destined to reach the Nascent Soul stage himself in a few centuries. At the very least, it provided a useful connection in Kangzhou.

As for the minor past grievances between them... the White Bone Demon Lord pondered briefly. Since Lei Dong had genuinely escaped using his own capabilities, the score should be considered settled. Thus, there was no need to dwell on past grudges.

Of course, human thought processes are often peculiar. The way one views a situation can be subjective. The Demon Lord’s inclination toward this positive interpretation was undeniably influenced by the powerful backing and potential Lei Dong displayed. Otherwise, how could a dignified Nascent Soul cultivator genuinely stoop to seek favor?

Having settled this matter, the White Bone Demon Lord accepted the offerings from Lei Dong without pretense. He stated calmly, “The dozen or so spirit stones I carried have just run out over these past few days. As for these Misty Dew Pills, they are of little use to me.” With that, he levitated the peak-grade spirit stone, drew it into Lei Dong’s Evil Ghost Banner, and immediately closed his eyes to conserve his energy, displaying a gesture of trust toward Lei Dong.

Seeing this, Lei Dong felt a subtle joy. He recognized the old Demon Lord was intending to repay the favor, which was evident in this posture. Of course, while the Demon Lord sat meditating, Lei Dong knew he certainly wouldn't allow an opportunity for true treachery. After all, no one was foolish. If he harbored ill intent, he would likely suffer a severe setback or take an extreme risk. Who knew how many life-preserving measures a Nascent Soul cultivator possessed even when weakened?

Putting aside distracting thoughts, Lei Dong swallowed one Misty Dew Pill. He allocated half his focus to piloting the Evil Ghost Banner for flight while simultaneously striving to restore his true essence as quickly as possible.

In just under an hour, night had completely fallen. Taking advantage of the deep darkness, the ideal time for the Evil Ghost Banner to conceal itself, Lei Dong accelerated again, steering the banner diagonally toward the main mountain range. After another two or three hours, Lei Dong found a hidden cave near the periphery of the mountains. He guided the Evil Ghost Banner directly inside, dismounted, and summoned the Soul-Devouring Shadow Tiger and the Critical Strike Ghost General, positioning them to lie in wait at the cave entrance. Only then did he begin to safely restore his true essence. By dawn, Lei Dong’s true essence had fully recovered, leaving him feeling refreshed and invigorated. The successive dangers, especially the desperate escape under the White Bone Demon Lord’s pressure, had spurred a great deal of his hidden potential, seemingly forcing his bottleneck to show signs of an impending breakthrough.

Of course, this sensation was still extremely faint. But even so, it was an exhilarating development, as such feelings often intensify later, signaling an imminent breakthrough.

However, for some unknown reason, the White Bone Demon Lord remained on Lei Dong’s Evil Ghost Banner, cultivating in meditation. His eyelids were tightly shut, and his entire body was motionless, as if he had been seated there since the Primordial Era and intended to remain there forever. The gap in cultivation between them was immense. It was unclear whether the Demon Lord was still testing him or genuinely needed time to recuperate.

Regardless, Lei Dong made a decision: if he was going to curry favor, he would see it through to the end. He feigned a look of fearful apprehension, adopting the guise of a guard protecting the meditation. His spiritual sense constantly scanned the surrounding area. Although they were on the fringe of the main mountain range, given the viciousness and mystery of this colossal range, even the edges could harbor demonic beasts.

As expected, after seven or eight days, a faint disturbance registered within Lei Dong’s spiritual sense—subtle, elusive, here one moment and gone the next. His heart tightened slightly. The more ephemeral the disturbance, the less it could be ignored. Coarser, lower-tier beasts usually made more noise. This type of faint contact likely indicated a beast far more powerful than himself, very possibly a Core Formation level demon beast.

Lei Dong entertained the thought of hunting it down, but hesitated, worrying that engaging here might alert something even stronger. After a brief internal debate, he decided against it. Just then, a gentle voice reached his ears: “Go ahead and kill it if you wish; this venerable one’s injuries are no longer a concern.”

“Senior, you are awake?” Lei Dong stood up, his face alight with sudden ecstasy.

“…………”