"Excellent, Lei Long, this fellow is yours." Lei Dong felt no shame in using another to kill—it was a world where the strong preyed on the weak, and what was a Nascent Soul cultivator bullying a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator?

"You, who are you? I am an elder of the Unicorn Clan. I advise you not to make an enemy of the entire Unicorn Clan." Elder Shadow's voice trembled slightly. He stared at the somewhat youthful boy floating in mid-air, his heart filled with unprecedented terror. The overwhelming pressure, which made him feel as though he were being stalked by a predator, emanated entirely from this youth. Amidst his panic, he could only resort to invoking his lineage to intimidate the opponent, secretly praying the powerful being might show some restraint.

Lei Long, having been confined within the Divine Temple for ages as an ancient ferocious beast, had naturally never heard of the Unicorn Clan. Even if he had, with his current strength, he wouldn't feel the slightest trepidation. He curled his lip, disdaining to waste breath on the elder, and simply brought down a palm strike. The explosive power manifested as a gigantic hand, towering like a mountain range, slamming down upon Elder Shadow.

If that blow had landed squarely, even the Nascent Soul cultivation of Elder Shadow would certainly have resulted in utter annihilation.

However, although Elder Shadow was vastly inferior to Lei Long in raw power, he was still an old fox who had navigated the world for many years. He forcibly suppressed the terror brought on by the pressure and instantly crushed a scroll made of an unknown material. In an instant, a power capable of tearing open space erupted, forming a set of profound and complex runes that twisted the surrounding space into seams. In just a blink, Elder Shadow appeared several hundred meters away.

This item was clearly a Space Talisman, an exceedingly rare treasure for saving one's life. If deployed in the open, it could instantly allow one to flee a hundred li. But inside this Spatial Sacred Artifact, all spatial energies were suppressed to their limit, meaning the talisman yielded only this modest result.

Even so, Elder Shadow had managed to escape immediate death. The heavy palm slammed onto the solid ground, gouging out a massive handprint. The resulting violent gale buffeted the Elder, who was at the periphery, sending him tumbling in disarray. Judging purely by strength, a Nascent Soul cultivator was simply no match for Lei Long.

When his attack missed, Lei Long was momentarily stunned, then became instantly enraged. He lunged forward in person, delivering a fierce punch.

Elder Shadow proved his mettle; even at this juncture, he managed to unleash the unique spell of the Unicorn Clan. His face contorted in pain as his figure rapidly elongated and bulked up, transforming into a Unicorn Berserker infused with Demonic blood, his power surging instantaneously. Yet, even he knew that despite the increase in strength, he was still no match for the terrifying entity before him. He repeatedly crushed several talismans, instantly erecting layers of solid defenses. His resourcefulness was endless, befitting the status of an old monster who had lived long enough to reach the Nascent Soul stage.

Boom—

Lei Long’s incomparably dominating punch surged forward unstoppably, shattering the hard protective barriers one after another until it finally struck the Unicorn Berserker squarely in the chest. The Berserker's colossal body was sent flying backward, letting out mournful roars that made the very space around them subtly tremble.

Regrettably, while the Unicorn Berserker's defenses were broken, they had succeeded in absorbing seven to eight tenths of Lei Long’s might. Coupled with the Berserker's exceptional physique and defense, he managed to withstand the blow at the cost of severe injury. Utilizing the momentum of being thrown back, he stomped rapidly on the ground, causing the solid surface beneath him to shatter. His speed momentarily reached its peak. The Unicorn Berserker's reactions were undeniably swift; in certain unique environments, he might actually have escaped from Lei Long, who lacked much experience in fighting true powerhouses.

Unfortunately, in this specific environment—inside a Spatial Sacred Artifact equipped with a restrictive anti-air formation—the Unicorn Berserker had no chance of escape, regardless of Lei Long's inexperience.

After failing twice in succession, Lei Long found his reputation tarnished. With a ferocious roar, he shed his human form, transforming into his true shape: a soaring Dragon, his massive body seeming to blot out half the sky. He unleashed a torrent of breath, an attack that rushed forward like a crashing tidal wave, tossing the Unicorn Berserker about like a withered leaf in an autumn wind, spinning helplessly.

With a gentle flap of his colossal wings, he instantly caught up to the Unicorn Berserker. Although the transformed Berserker was tall and imposing, compared to Lei Long, he resembled a small mouse next to a giant elephant. Lei Long extended a massive claw, driven by annoyance and rage, bringing it down upon the Berserker, crushing him and an adjoining solid mountain beneath a single stomp.

Poor Unicorn Berserker, no matter how outstanding his constitution, could not withstand such crushing force from Lei Long. Once Lei Long lifted his gigantic claw, the Berserker lay near death, having lost the energy sustaining his transformation, reverting to the gasping Elder Shadow. A crystal-clear Nascent Soul burst forth from his forehead's Purple Mansion, scrambling desperately to escape.

Having been caught off guard twice, Lei Long was already braced. His immense divine sense, as solid as substance, caged the escaping soul. No matter how the Nascent Soul struggled left and right, it could not break free from that invisible yet formidable power.

The entire sequence of combat, though taking time to describe, actually transpired in mere moments. It left Lei Dong and the two women hiding behind him momentarily stunned. Combat at this level was truly terrifying in its might. The power displayed by a Soul Transformation stage expert surpassed their wildest imagination. Even Lei Dong felt his heart hammering uncontrollably.

Previously, he knew for a fact that Elder Shadow could never match Lei Long. But he hadn't anticipated Elder Shadow would prove so utterly helpless. One must remember that Nascent Soul cultivators were considered virtually unreachable, super-powerful entities to Lei Dong and his peers. Yet, against a Soul Transformation expert, they possessed almost no ability to resist.

However, on sober reflection, this was perfectly normal. In the cultivation world, the power disparity between each major tier was enormous. It was like a Qi Refining cultivator crushing a mortal, a Foundation Establishment cultivator defeating a cultivator in the first or second layer of Qi Refining, or the gulf between Golden Core and the initial Foundation Establishment stages—a world of difference. In this world, the Soul Transformation stage, representing the pinnacle of power, naturally held absolute dominance over an early Nascent Soul cultivator.

Simultaneously, Lei Dong felt a strong sense of crisis. When he first stepped into the cultivation world, he had indeed proceeded cautiously and meticulously. But as his strength grew, pride had slowly crept in; believing himself nearly invincible among his peers had led to complacency. Looking back now, he realized he had become slightly too comfortable. In this world where the strong devour the weak, he was still positioned in the lower-middle strata. Witnessing Lei Long's true power served as a crucial wake-up call. While Soul Transformation experts were exceedingly rare and scarce, they were not non-existent. Perhaps only by ascending to the Soul Transformation stage himself would he truly be safe, holding the hope of surviving without constant worry.

"Big Brother, you practice the Art of Ghost Control. I've captured this fellow's Nascent Soul for you; you can refine it into a Ghost Servant." Lei Long shifted back into human form and began seeking praise from Lei Dong, a hint of placation entering his expression. He was, after all, a guardian spirit beast within this Spatial Sacred Artifact. By inheriting the Divine Temple, Lei Dong was, in a sense, his master.

More importantly, his own chance to ever leave this place depended entirely on Lei Dong. He had been trapped here in agonizing solitude for tens of thousands of years and was thoroughly weary of it. Naturally, he knew his current Big Brother was not yet strong, but lack of current strength did not negate potential.

Lei Long's words significantly lifted Lei Dong’s slightly gloomy spirits. Yes, this was a Nascent Soul—the Nascent Soul of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator! A wave of excitement surged through him. Setting aside the elusive Soul Transformation experts, Nascent Soul cultivators represented an extremely formidable presence in this world. Under normal circumstances, with his current strength, obtaining the Nascent Soul of such an individual was impossible.

His mood immediately brightened. Although his power was currently low, he was young, having cultivated for only a few short decades. Secondly, he possessed numerous trump cards. As long as he persisted, he was confident that one day he would stand at the apex of this world, looking down upon everything.

The soul of cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage is called the Divine Soul while they are alive; upon death, it becomes a Living Soul. The stronger the cultivator, the stronger the cohesion and vitality of their Living Soul. The process of advancing from the Golden Core stage to the Nascent Soul stage involves merging the Divine Soul into the Golden Core, which is then nurtured to condense a completely new life system: the Nascent Soul. The Nascent Soul not only carries the vast majority of a cultivator’s life imprints but, unlike previous stages, its departure does not constitute death. It can escape at incredible speed, find a new body, and be reborn through Possession.

As long as the Nascent Soul remains intact, the Nascent Soul cultivator is not considered truly dead—this is the origin of the term "Indestructible Nascent Soul."

The Nascent Soul differs fundamentally from a Living Soul; once separated from the body, it completely embodies the individual life of Elder Shadow, retaining all his memories and essence. Seeing Lei Dong gaze at him with a cold, almost sinister look filled with fanatical greed, the already despairing Elder Shadow cried out in a shrill, terrified voice: "Lei Dong, I beg you not to refine me! I can offer everything in exchange for my life, guaranteeing you immense benefits."

Lei Dong’s resolve was firm, and he remained unmoved. Although he was acutely aware that a Nascent Soul cultivator must possess many treasures and substantial assets—enough to save most cultivators half a lifetime of hard work—the secret of the Spatial Sacred Artifact could never be revealed. His expression turned somewhat icy as he looked at the crystal-clear, almost lifelike Nascent Soul and stated coldly: "Senior, you should rest assured and become one of the main souls in my Myriad Ghost Banner."

...A