He privately mused whether this Yikong, if restored to its peak state, could truly contend with the Old Demon of White Bone. Lei Dong had long coveted the treasure on the Old Demon of White Bone; it was the very artifact needed to forge a Ghost Gourd.

Once in possession of a Ghost Gourd, he could command a vast host of Core Formation cultivators. While absolute invincibility remained a fool's dream, it would undoubtedly elevate his own power to an entirely new stratum.

With numerous Core Formation subordinates, gathering all manner of precious materials and resources would become significantly easier.

Lei Dong had long been desperate for that treasure belonging to the White Bone Demon Lord, but circumstances had always made acquisition impossible. Now that a real chance presented itself, how could he not be tempted? Lei Dong admitted that while he now possessed some strength sufficient to resist Core Formation cultivators, in the grand scheme of the cultivation world, he was barely initiated. There were countless beings capable of crushing him instantly.

To escape this oppressive atmosphere of insecurity, the feeling of having one’s very existence dictated by another, there was only one path: to become stronger. Only through immense power could one truly achieve unbridled freedom and hold the lives of others in their hands.

With this thought, Lei Dong began tentatively to channel his divine sense into Yikong's body from a distance. He first poured in a small cluster, but the energy vanished as if swallowed by the sea, leaving no trace. Even Yikong reported feeling almost nothing. Undeterred, Lei Dong persisted, injecting a dozen more clusters of power before Yikong finally reported a faint sensation of recovery.

Lei Dong broke into a cold sweat; those bursts of soul power had already accounted for a third of everything he could muster. However, this soul slave, Yikong, was immensely important to him; his future fortunes rested squarely on this being. He proceeded to dedicate the remaining two-thirds of his soul power to Yikong.

Even this massive infusion only restored a mere fraction of Yikong’s strength. To reach the mid-stage of Core Formation, it was still an almost unimaginable distance away. This baffled Lei Dong: his own soul power was considered robust, comparable to that of cultivators in the first or second layers of Core Formation. How could such concentrated soul essence yield only such a small increment?

Through Yikong’s explanation, Lei Dong finally understood. When his soul power was injected, Yikong’s body automatically converted the master’s divine sense into energy for its entire being. Though Lei Dong’s soul power was potent, it was entirely consumed in the conversion process.

This created a significant hurdle. Lei Dong could certainly rely on elixirs and meditation to restore his soul power. But based on their estimates, even with infusions twice a day, it would take a full month for Yikong to reach the late stage of Core Formation. As for restoring it to its zenith, who knew how many eons that would require?

Suddenly, an idea sparked in Lei Dong’s mind. Both his Nether Ghost Qi and the Soul Nurturing Pagoda were capable of nourishing the soul and restoring its power. Even if it proved useless, trying couldn't hurt. With that, Lei Dong enacted the Netherworld Great Art, condensing the dense, eerie ghostly essence into a single mass. He commanded Yikong to attempt absorption.

As expected, Yikong plunged into the swirling mass of ghostly energy. With a simple draw, its spirit brightened, and it cried out excitedly, “Master, so your dark energy is Soul Qi! Though the purity is low, the quantity is immense!” Hearing this, Lei Dong nearly tumbled over. His Nether Ghost Qi was the product of diligent cultivation. Yet, in this creature’s eyes, it was still terribly impure. Nevertheless, Lei Dong was puzzled why Yikong called the Nether Ghost Qi "Soul Qi." He inquired about it. Of course, his Netherworld Great Art was his own supreme technique; Yikong could only absorb it if Lei Dong willed it. The same principle applied to any other entity he battled—it was entirely at his discretion, or the Netherworld Great Art would lose its practical combat value.

Yikong greedily absorbed the Soul Qi while explaining, “In the distant past, this energy was known as Soul Qi. It nourishes life and restores vitality. Back then, the world was abundant with Soul Qi, and many powerful beings were born from it. But as Soul Qi dwindled, those great beings vanished. I heard the Underworld still holds much Soul Qi; perhaps that is why it is called Nether Ghost Qi. I never imagined a certain magical art could convert true Qi into Soul Qi. Despite the low purity, this art is truly remarkable and powerful.”

Lei Dong was left speechless. The Netherworld Great Art he practiced turned out to be so rare? Yet, the Netherworld Great Art wasn't originally one of the Yinsha Sect's core methods. It was unclear where the sect acquired this cultivation secret, but seeing its effectiveness, it became one of their hereditary mainstays. Even Lei Dong himself hadn't known it was called Soul Qi. Nowadays, pure Nether Ghost Qi was exceedingly scarce in the world; aside from the Underworld, life forms generated by it were even rarer.

Never mind. Lei Dong decided not to dwell on the origins. He knew this world was vast beyond measure and possessed an incredibly long history. The so-called Ancient Era spanned tens of thousands of years, while the Antiquity Era stretched back millions of years. Before that lay the Primordial Era and the Desolate Era. Who knew how many secrets this world held? Thus, Lei Dong abandoned the need to investigate the lineage of the Netherworld Great Art. Knowing it was highly useful to him was enough.

After converting all his vital Qi into the “impure” Nether Ghost Qi for Yikong to consume, Lei Dong was utterly exhausted. He had no choice but to sit cross-legged, commanding his Core Formation subordinates to stand guard while he swallowed elixirs, circulated his Qi, and meditated to restore his energy. Notably, after gorging itself on the Ghost Qi, Yikong also entered a meditative state.

When Lei Dong awoke from his meditation, feeling refreshed and energized, he saw that Yikong had already recovered to the strength of a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator. Seeing this, Lei Dong was overjoyed. He continued to convert Nether Ghost Qi for it to absorb; when he reached exhaustion, Lei Dong resumed meditation. This cycle repeated three or four times, and Yikong rapidly recovered its strength to the late stage of Core Formation.

Lei Dong, however, had spent an entire day doing this. By estimation, if he pushed himself to his limit, it might take about ten days for Yikong to recover to the Nascent Soul stage.

Lei Dong considered whether to continue restoring Yikong or immediately pursue the others who had taken treasures. While he wasn't overly concerned about failing to retrieve the items later, many things in this world were single-use consumables. Lei Dong worried that something precious in the temple, like a Soul Fruit, might be depleted. Furthermore, beings like Yikong were valuable captures in their own right. He was particularly concerned about the Saintess; she seemed unnervingly familiar with the temple’s existence, and he wondered if she possessed any maps.

Although Yikong hadn't regained its full strength, the late-stage Core Formation power, coupled with his own four Core Formation subordinates, was more than enough to deal with the Saintess and similar threats. The Saintess, despite her profound mystery, couldn’t possibly withstand a late-stage Core Formation powerhouse bare-handed—that would be monstrously abnormal. Moreover, Lei Dong’s own strength was far from negligible.

From Yikong, Lei Dong learned that when the trial-takers activated its seal, they had two options: first, flee to one of the transport entrances within the area; second, defeat it. If defeated by Yikong, the trial for that individual would end immediately.

According to Yikong, this temple was likely a branch shrine of the Demonic Emperor Sect, specifically designed to recruit the most elite young talents from among their subordinate races, thereby bolstering the sect’s lineage and ensuring its longevity. It was a small pity, Yikong admitted, that as a mere soul slave, it lacked the clearance to know the temple’s complete layout.

Without further hesitation, upon learning the transport channel had been opened, Lei Dong immediately began his search. In no time, he located the entrance, resembling a vortex of spiritual energy.

He commanded Yikong to morph back into the black and white bead and be stored within his soul space, then recalled his four Core Formation subordinates. With that, he stepped across the threshold of the teleportation array. Following the standard procedure, after a brief sensation of dizziness, Lei Dong materialized in a world of ice and snow. The moment his boots touched the ground, the positioning bead in his possession began to tremble, actively transmitting information to his divine sense.

This indication meant that the entity with whom he shared a temporary cooperative agreement was no more than a thousand li away.

“Cooperation?” Lei Dong narrowed his eyes. He had never genuinely intended to cooperate with the so-called Saintess or the two Unicornean youths. Especially since this temple was clearly a remnant of the Demonic Emperor Sect. Regardless, Lei Dong was a successor to the Imperial Demon Seed; inheriting the relics within this structure was his rightful due.

Sensing the direction of the other bead via the positioning bead, Lei Dong transformed his body into a wisp of black mist, drifting yet moving with extreme velocity toward the signal. With Yikong secured, Lei Dong was confident that no one in the Foundation Establishment realm could stand against him.

Boom! Boom!

After flying four to five hundred li, waves of explosive force transmitted through his divine sense. Simultaneously, a deep rumbling sound reached his ears. Lei Dong’s divine sense was powerful, comparable to that of an ordinary early-stage Core Formation cultivator. His perception confirmed three beings engaged in combat. Based on the intel returned by his divine sense, he judged it was the Saintess fighting the two Unicornean youths.

Lei Dong accelerated his flight. Soon, the battlefield came into view. The Saintess was mounted atop a massive, imposing demonic beast whose aura was anything but ordinary. The beast spewed spheres of lightning, and the resulting explosions visibly warped the surrounding space. In stark contrast, the numerous Unicornean youths looked utterly distressed, forced to dodge and weave desperately.