The Netherfire Bomb, given Lei Dong’s current cultivation and understanding of the technique, possessed considerable power. It might suffice against a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, and even a Core Formation cultivator wouldn't fear it—let alone the Thunder Dragon, who seemed to be at the Soul Transformation realm. Yet, the Thunder Dragon, in its human form, wore an expression of utter shock and terror, as if facing an apocalyptic spell.

Boom~ Caught completely off guard, the Thunder Dragon was struck head-on by the Netherfire Bomb. After the green flames burned fiercely for a moment, the Dragon emerged completely unscathed. It blinked its eyes, looked at Lei Dong, and innocently inquired, "Is that it?"

Sigh. Lei Dong was rather speechless; this Thunder Dragon was truly too monstrous. Taking that blow with its body alone felt like nothing more than a tickle against its face. The Netherfire Bomb’s power was substantial; it could pulverize a boulder several feet wide. This demonstrated the terrifying might of a Soul Transformation expert, heralded as a supreme powerhouse.

"Ah~ what a fearsome spell," the Thunder Dragon exclaimed with a dramatic flourish, flying backward in a theatrical collapse. After "struggling" for quite some time, it managed to drag itself up, its face pale. "Challenger, your strength is extraordinary. This Guardian is far inferior. The Soul Fruit is yours."

Hiding in the distance, Tantai Bingyun and the Saintess watched the scene unfold, exchanging bewildered glances. That actually worked? They nearly tumbled out of the sky. Fortunately, they had already decided to yield the Soul Fruit to Lei Dong beforehand; though slightly disgruntled, they could only offer wry smiles. This Soul Fruit guardian was altogether too much of a clown.

Lei Dong, however, possessed considerable composure. He flew forward unhurriedly, gracefully plucking the Soul Fruit. He weighed it in his hand; the object was crystal clear throughout, emanating a faint, ethereal fragrance. This was a Soul Fruit, exceedingly rare in the current cultivation world. Even for a minor tycoon like Lei Dong, acquiring this object brought a surge of excitement. After all, this was something that mere abundance of spirit stones couldn't buy.

"Big Brother, consume it while it’s fresh," the Thunder Dragon scurried over, speaking with a fawning tone. Over the years, he had consumed countless Soul Fruits. According to the guardian rules, if no one managed to pass his challenge, the fruit would naturally fall to him. After tens of thousands of years, he had grown thoroughly tired of them.

Lei Dong understood the gravity of the situation. A Soul Fruit matured at best every few decades; missing this chance meant an unknown wait for the next. He floated to the ground, immediately settling into a cross-legged position, swallowed the Soul Fruit, closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, and began refining it. His already exceptionally pure spiritual sense was cleansed of a significant amount of impurities under the nourishment of the fruit's strange energy.

Lei Dong's spirit received a powerful jolt; his mind felt perfectly clear, followed by a sensation of profound comfort and pleasure throughout his body.

In just a moment, when he reopened his eyes, he felt that his spiritual sense had increased by a full two to three tenths over its previous level, feeling remarkably refreshed and sharp. When he extended his spiritual sense, the range it covered was substantially broader, and even the slightest fluctuation did not escape its scrutiny.

An increase of this much spiritual sense in one go? Lei Dong felt immensely satisfied. As his primary path was the Ghost Dao, the strength of his spiritual sense directly determined his combat prowess. Before consuming the fruit, Lei Dong’s spiritual sense, unleashed fully through the Emperor Demon Seed, was comparable to an early Core Formation cultivator. Now, however, it had surged to the peak of the early Core Formation stage—the level of a normal cultivator.

This meant he could now control his Ghost Generals even if they advanced to the mid-stage without any adverse side effects. Likewise, controlling two Core Formation-level vengeful spirits would no longer be a strain but an effortless task. Consequently, any early Core Formation cultivator whose power wasn't excessively monstrous would likely be no match for him now.

Having cultivated step by step from an obscure, ordinary mortal child to this level, Lei Dong felt a deep sense of emotion. Only he knew the hardships endured and the struggles fought. In the eyes of Tantai Bingyun or the Saintess, Lei Dong was a cultivator of peerless talent, but who could truly grasp the arduous, painstaking path he had trod?

According to the rules of this trial ground, after challenging the Thunder Dragon, one would be summoned by the Holy Lord presiding over the area, receive various rewards, and then join the Holy Lord’s service. However, the Holy Lord had been missing for untold years, and the divine temple was, naturally, long abandoned.

Fortunately, though the temple was strange, it was a place that respected rules. Now, Lei Dong had earned the qualification to enter the main hall of the temple.

Following the Thunder Dragon’s suggestion, Lei Dong adopted a posture of devout reverence. Instead of flying, he ascended the temple steps one by one, with unwavering resolve. The endless stairs were constructed from top-grade artifact-refining materials, and the colossal palace, though still distant, appeared majestic and magnificent.

The glory of the ancient era was clearly not exaggerated. In the present day, perhaps no single sect possessed the means to complete such an undertaking, especially carving out and stabilizing a sub-space.

It took Lei Dong a full few hours to reach the summit. Before the imposing, incomparably vast palace, which seemed carved from white jade, Lei Dong appeared as small as a mere ant between heaven and earth. Two ferocious statues, each hundreds of feet tall, were rendered with such lifelike detail they seemed animate. Lei Dong had heard from the Thunder Dragon that while these statues were not alive, they could transform into puppets to annihilate intruders who did not possess the proper standing.

Even without transforming, they exuded a chilling pressure that sank deep into the bones, leaving Lei Dong’s back slick with sweat.

Daring not to act rashly, Lei Dong followed protocol, performing a deep kowtow to the temple from the platform. Only then did he cautiously enter the main hall of the divine temple. Its vastness and grandeur needed no further description. Repeated shocks like this would surely have thoroughly subjugated any devout native guardians.

Even Lei Dong remained deeply stunned. Perhaps due to the array formations, the entire hall was utterly spotless, free of even a speck of dust.

Centered high above the hall was a throne, crafted from an unknown material. A single glance conveyed an aura of majesty so suffocating it stole the breath. Lei Dong found the object intensely familiar; the powerful memory of a cultivator instantly recalled the Emperor's Chair he had sat upon when trapped in the illusionary environment within the Heart Devil Palace. Though minor details differed, the overall structure was nearly identical, suggesting they shared the same origin.

Suddenly, an inexplicable craving welled up in Lei Dong’s heart, and he walked toward the Imperial Dragon Throne step by step. Reaching out, he gently caressed the chair's backrest. The cold touch sparked a familiar notion, as if this Dragon Throne had been forged specifically for him. The Emperor Demon Seed on his forehead slowly surfaced, lending an ethereal, sinister charm to Lei Dong’s once resolute features.

Lei Dong could sense that the Emperor Demon Seed embedded in his forehead was somehow stirring with joyful anticipation.

Naturally, Lei Dong turned and sat upon the Imperial Dragon Throne.

Boom. The Emperor Demon Seed on his forehead flared instantly, its light dazzling. Under the guidance of the Demon Seed, Lei Dong’s spiritual sense instantly merged and integrated with the Imperial Dragon Throne. Streams of various information flooded into Lei Dong's mind via the Demon Seed. In that brief moment, Lei Dong understood everything.

This chair was specifically established for the Demon Emperor of the Demonic Emperor Sect. Only the Demon Emperor could wield and control this Imperial Dragon Throne. And the Imperial Dragon Throne happened to be the control nexus for this entire divine temple—capable of opening or disabling various restrictions, or even annihilating everything within the temple's boundaries.

What thrilled Lei Dong the most was that this entire magnificent temple was, in fact, a Sacred Artifact—a Spatial Sacred Artifact. Should the controller will it, Lei Dong could transform the entire temple into a bracelet and wear it on his wrist. Furthermore, this item possessed the extraordinary ability to traverse space.

The myriad powerful functions filled Lei Dong with both joy and frustration. He was astounded that such a potent Sacred Artifact existed. He was angry because when he attempted to exert control through his spiritual sense, he received a message. Although the Demon Seed had caused the temple's Sacred Artifact to recognize him as its inheritor, it required complete refinement before it could be fully utilized.

Relying on that snippet of information, Lei Dong instantly grasped the truth: to fully master this Sacred Artifact, his own strength had to reach at least the Nascent Soul stage. This left him quite speechless. Fortunately, he was someone hardened by constant setbacks and did not lose heart; instead, he continued to probe and communicate with the Sacred Artifact, studying its various functions.

After several days, he experienced a pleasant surprise. Although he couldn't thoroughly investigate the vast and magnificent Spatial Sacred Artifact in a short time, nor did he possess the strength to refine it completely, heaven had not sealed off all paths. Lei Dong could refine a small fraction of it, barely activating some of the temple's simpler functions and restrictions.

However, even this limited control was not achievable quickly.

Time flew, and several months vanished in the blink of an eye.

When Lei Dong emerged from the divine temple, his face showed signs of exhaustion, as months of continuous, high-intensity work had strained even his iron will. Still, the rewards were substantial. At the very least, Lei Dong could now control the outermost barrier at the temple entrance, allowing entry to anyone he permitted, alongside a few other minor functions.

Naturally, powerful capabilities, such as summoning heavenly lightning to smite foes, remained far beyond his current refining ability. Fortunately, even with this limitation, Lei Dong was content. A rare, faint smile of triumph curved his lips. Bai Gu Mo Jun (White Bone Demon Lord), do not blame this humble Lei for being ruthless; it was your esteemed self who first harbored ill intentions towards me.

Alas, Lei Dong let out a soft sigh. Had it not been for this incident at the divine temple, the White Bone Demon Lord might very well have become an asset to him. But alas, loyalty meant little in the face of overwhelming gain.