The Soul Fruit, an object whose significance in cultivation during the prime of one's years was something Lei Dong had at least vaguely known from certain secret codices or legends. This item was the fruit borne from a wondrous tree condensed from the primordial essence of heaven and earth. Each time the Soul Tree bore fruit, it yielded about eight to ten pieces. As the Soul Fruits matured, they would devour each other's soul essence, until only a single one could reach full maturity; all the remaining fruits would wither and die. Yet, even in places where the essence of heaven and earth was extraordinarily abundant, one cycle took around one hundred years. In lesser locales, it often required several centuries, even millennia, before a single mature Soul Fruit would appear.

However, the rarity of this item had reached a level bordering on extinction. Lei Dong had long heard that across the entire Kang Prefecture, there seemed to be only three or four Soul Trees, all belonging to those top-tier sects. Even the Yin Sha Sect did not possess one. Consequently, with Lei Dong’s current wealth and strength, seeking a Soul Fruit was simply out of the question.

Such a marvel naturally possessed extraordinary efficacy. Judging purely by its effect, it was likely comparable to the Heart Cleansing Fruit Lei Dong had consumed before—an item for tempering and strengthening the divine soul. But the terrifying aspect was that one could only consume a Heart Cleansing Fruit once in a lifetime. The Soul Fruit, however, could be consumed indefinitely, provided one didn't mind the waste of medicinal power.

Where there are Soul Fruits, there must be a Soul Tree—this was the object that truly stirred Lei Dong’s heart.

“Soul Fruit? Soul Tree?” The White Bone Demon Lord flashed past at high speed, appearing before the Spirit Fox with an expression of surprise mixed with delight. His fierce gaze bore down: “Little fox, if you dare utter a lie, this Venerable One will make your life worse than death, tormenting you for ten thousand eons.”

The Three-Tailed Spirit Fox saw a far more terrifying presence suddenly emerge. The pressure and aura clearly indicated a Nascent Soul stage cultivator among humans. Within the illusion, the little female immediately bowed down in haste, stammering: “Senior, this humble demon would not dare conceal anything. According to cyclical calculations, the entrance can remain open for about ten more days. The next opening will require another century.” Of course, the latter half was a falsehood; the entrance opening period was actually quite long. But the Spirit Fox had already awakened her intelligence; unlike ordinary Golden Core demonic beasts, she was a cunning creature. Fearing that stating the entrance period was long would lead to unnecessary complications, she chose to mislead them.

Seeing the White Bone Demon Lord appear, Lei Dong’s heart tightened slightly. His previous camaraderie with the Demon Lord was built on the fact that they had no major conflicts of interest, and Lei Dong had just done him a monumental favor. However, in the face of such a rare celestial treasure as the Soul Tree, there was no guarantee that the White Bone Demon Lord wouldn't turn treacherous. Fortunately, Lei Dong was not entirely without his trump cards. First, his evasion skills were truly exceptional. Second, based on what the little fox had said, it seemed only cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage could enter.

As expected, the White Bone Demon Lord glanced indifferently at Lei Dong, his expression subtly shifting. He then pressed the little fox again: “You just said only those with Foundation Establishment strength can enter? How did you arrive at that conclusion?”

Hearing this, Lei Dong sighed softly inwardly. Damn it, the previous efforts to build rapport were wasted. Still, Lei Dong had already prepared himself mentally. When faced with something like a Soul Tree, even long-standing sworn friends might fall out; let alone the fragile bond of human affection they shared. Of course, it was best not to completely sever ties for now; understanding this internally was enough.

The little fox hurriedly said in a frantic tone: “Reporting to Senior, after achieving the Golden Core stage, this junior has been researching how to enter. I have confirmed that only those at the Foundation Establishment level can go in. Once one reaches the Golden Core, entry is impossible. However, if Senior wishes to search my beast soul's memories, this junior would rather self-detonate and die.” It was no joke; having one's soul forcibly probed by exotic arts would basically render her useless, a fact the little fox understood perfectly. Thus, she offered a seemingly threatening ultimatum.

“Hmph.” The White Bone Demon Lord snorted coldly in annoyance, the sheer force shaking ripples through the air. But immediately afterward, a smile touched his lips, and he turned back to Lei Dong: “Brother Lei, it seems the crucial task of entering the divine temple must fall to you. Originally, I intended to go in myself and divide the spoils between us after securing the benefits.”

At this moment, Lei Dong was already internally on high alert. The instant the White Bone Demon Lord made any hostile move, Lei Dong would immediately activate the Asura Wings and flee. Of course, if the Demon Lord caused no trouble, Lei Dong was genuinely quite interested in that divine temple. He smiled with extreme sincerity: “Senior, it’s all the same whether I go in.”

The White Bone Demon Lord was also deep in thought. Once the entrance to the divine temple was found, he would certainly attempt to break through the barrier. If that proved impossible, then sending this boy in would be the only option. Yet, the White Bone Demon Lord also coveted that Soul Tree fiercely. The difficulty lay in how to compel Lei Dong to comply obediently and hand over the object after obtaining it—a truly vexing problem. Dealing with an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, the White Bone Demon Lord would have long since captured him and subjected him to myriad restrictions. But facing Lei Dong was exceptionally difficult. This fellow possessed those spatial wings, slippery as a loach, and was no simple figure. Furthermore, he had previously saved the Demon Lord's life once.

Although extreme greed gnawed at the White Bone Demon Lord in the face of such a treasure, he was reluctant to incur the psychological burden of repaying kindness with betrayal.

“Brother Lei, let’s get the unpleasant terms out of the way first.” The White Bone Demon Lord’s face grew serious: “To avoid damaging our friendship and harmony, you may keep the Soul Fruits for yourself. However, the Soul Tree, I ask that you allocate it to me. Of course, I won’t let you suffer a loss. Afterward, I will trade you something worth thirty peak-grade spirit stones.”

Thirty peak-grade spirit stones? Lei Dong sneered inwardly. In terms of immediate benefit, thirty peak-grade spirit stones were certainly not a trivial sum. In the short term, the Soul Tree couldn't generate such massive profits. But the issue was that an item like the Soul Tree was capable of lasting for ten thousand years, serving as the foundational treasure of a top-tier sect. It could be said that selling it to any top sect would yield a value far exceeding that figure.

Of course, now was not the time to tear faces with the White Bone Demon Lord. His desire for the Soul Tree was, in essence, merely for one Soul Fruit. After all, the remaining fruits would only yield one every hundred years. For Lei Dong, having only lived a few decades, and given his current cultivation speed, a century later would bring about untold changes. Trading it directly for spirit stones might actually be a decent option. He nodded: “Senior’s proposal is quite tempting, but the value is slightly too low. If I manage to secure it, fifty peak-grade spirit stones, and I will sell it to you.” Lei Dong was keenly aware that while selling it to other top sects might fetch over a hundred peak-grade spirit stones, the problem was that if he refused, the old devil White Bone likely wouldn't allow him to proceed to the divine temple peacefully.

Fifty peak-grade spirit stones. Faced with such a large sum, even the White Bone Demon Lord felt a pang of heartache. But considering the inherent value of the item, and his limited options against Lei Dong, especially while his own injuries had not fully healed, he could only grit his teeth and agree: “Done. What about the other treasures?”

Lei Dong looked troubled. If he didn't share any, the White Bone Demon Lord might not let the matter rest. If he did share, he felt a distinct reluctance. Empty promises could be made, but the White Bone Demon Lord wasn't a fool; he would surely insist on both of them swearing deadly oaths. Even if he couldn't deal with Lei Dong directly, he might turn around and target Lei Dong's disciples or companions later—a situation that would be far from worth the trouble. After all, Lei Dong had painstakingly accumulated his current strength, preparing to return to Kang Prefecture to make a significant impact and develop his own faction. Developing in Zhao Prefecture would be substandard, lacking roots and facing immense difficulties.

Just as Lei Dong was caught between a rock and a hard place, the White Bone Demon Lord’s expression suddenly changed, and he roared into the void: “Who? Get out here for this Venerable One!”

“Demon Lord possesses excellent methods. After being forced to use the Great Perception Art, this Prophet vaguely sensed you fleeing here.” In the mid-air, the Barbarian Prophet Kukas appeared, and floating beside him was the ethereally white-clad, veiled Barbarian Saintess.

The White Bone Demon Lord sensed the dense, powerful aura emanating from Kukas, which seemed slightly superior to his own. His expression became somewhat grim: “I wondered who it was; it turns out to be people from the Barbarian Tribe. I will remember this encirclement attack against this Venerable One, and I shall repay you handsomely one day.” In this great mountain range, the White Bone Demon Lord did not fear these Barbarians. While Prophet Kukas appeared formidable, killing him here was out of the question. The Swarm of Swift Shadow Worms was the truly terrifying force. But this was a mountainous region, with hard rock everywhere, preventing the Swift Shadow Worms from utilizing earth tunneling or similar techniques, so he wouldn't be completely trapped.

“Demon Lord, please calm yourself and listen to this humble girl’s words.” The Saintess spoke with a voice that was clear yet filled with captivating charm: “The Demon Lord has already heard—the divine temple has opened. If this Young Lady had known the temple entrance was within this mountain range, we would never have besieged the Demon Lord. Now, both our sides face a situation where cooperation leads to mutual benefit, and division leads to mutual ruin. Previously, when the Prophet used the Great Perception Art to scan this area, he discovered that powerhouses from the Monoceros Clan had already arrived at the divine temple entrance ahead of us.”

The White Bone Demon Lord listened patiently to the end, then let out a cold laugh: “Barbarian Saintess, is it? I heard that the so-called Monoceros Clan are your sworn enemies in the Great Desert. In that case, are you proposing cooperation with this Venerable One? Why should I cooperate with my enemy?”

“In this world, there are no permanent friends, nor are there eternal enemies,” the Saintess stated calmly. “We naturally owe you compensation for the previous offense. Two unexpected strong individuals from the Monoceros Clan have arrived, one openly and one covertly. Fortunately, the Prophet’s Great Perception Art detected them. Otherwise, if the Demon Lord had rushed there recklessly, he would have suffered a great loss.”

“Your Barbarian Tribe has mobilized almost entirely; can you not even deal with two mere Monoceros Clan powerhouses?” Lei Dong questioned coldly.