The moment Lei Dong mentioned the life-extending elixir that promised a hundred years, the fierce eyes of the White Bone Old Demon suddenly lit up: "Lei Dong, are you serious about those words?"

"Senior White Bone, I admit I have many shortcomings, but when it comes to integrity, I believe I have upheld my promise." Lei Dong glanced meaningfully at the Bone Demon Lord.

As if struck on a raw nerve, the Bone Demon Lord displayed a rare expression of awkwardness. In truth, if it hadn't been for his own avarice, he wouldn't have ended up in this predicament. However, one man's loss might be another's gain. If Lei Dong could truly procure that caliber of elixir, coupled with liquidating his entire fortune, he might manage to acquire another. While two longevity pills wouldn't stack their effects a full hundred percent, they could still extend his life by at least one hundred and fifty years. Added to his remaining vital lifespan, that could amount to three or four centuries—perhaps offering a sliver of hope to find a path to breakthrough. Of course, it was only a sliver. But even that slight possibility was enough to reinvigorate the Bone Demon Lord completely. Now, his sole concern was whether Lei Dong would honor his commitment. The Bone Demon Lord fell silent for a moment before stating gravely, "Lei Dong, I can agree. However, I have one small condition: I must have that Soul Tree at that time." The reason the Bone Demon Lord was so obsessed with the Soul Fruit was that this item had an extraordinary effect on strengthening the Divine Soul. And the Nascent Soul of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator is essentially an advanced form of the Divine Soul, naturally capable of benefiting from the Soul Fruit.

The Nascent Soul, although capable of seizing another body for rebirth, still possessed its own lifespan limitation; it wasn't a matter of simply taking over a young body when one grew old to revert to youth. The aging and eventual dissipation of the Nascent Soul determined the fundamental longevity of a Nascent Soul cultivator. The Soul Fruit, however, was a rare heavenly treasure capable of nourishing the Nascent Soul and allowing it to regain a slight measure of youth, making it exceedingly precious. Across the entire Zhao Province, there were scarcely a few trees, yielding only a handful of fruits every century, all firmly controlled by the top-tier major sects. Even a notorious demon lord like the White Bone Demon Lord had no right to even lay a finger on them. To Lei Dong, the Soul Tree was also an irreplaceable, peerless treasure. Hearing the Bone Demon Lord make such a greedy demand, his face darkened instantly, and he sneered, "Demon Lord, haven't you gone too far? Your life is entirely in my hands. The matter of the Soul Tree is non-negotiable." In his anger, he dropped all pretense. He inwardly resolved that if the Bone Demon Lord proved utterly unreasonable, he would risk expending a significant portion of his Golden Core combat strength just to kill him. Even if the demon lord risked self-detonating his Nascent Soul, Lei Dong's own strength was so formidable that he could likely capture him alive before the explosion. The only reason he was negotiating was to avoid unnecessary risks.

Lei Dong's refusal, conversely, brought a measure of relief to the Bone Demon Lord’s heart. It signaled that Lei Dong had no immediate intention of abandoning the agreement to strike a genuine bargain. The Soul Tree, when one possessed sufficient power to control it, was definitely not something one would easily surrender. Had Lei Dong agreed without hesitation, the Bone Demon Lord would have become deeply suspicious.

While inwardly sighing in relief, the Bone Demon Lord then chuckled, "I was merely jesting with you. However, if you are willing to give me three Soul Fruits, I will give you my cultivation manual, along with the insights gained from my entire life of practice. My manual is no cheap trick, nor is it a relic of some sect; handing it to you poses no risk of being hunted down." The Bone Demon Lord calculated that since he was already ruined, he might as well bet big. If he lost anyway, there was no chance of recovery, and he was no fool to suggest surrender to Lei Dong. Any idiot knew Lei Dong would never accept that while unable to truly control him.

This proposal gave Lei Dong a definite pang of interest. Unlike those hailing from large sects, the Bone Demon Lord was a remarkably rare rogue cultivator; his rise to his current status and power was practically impossible under normal circumstances. Such a trajectory suggested only one possibility: the Bone Demon Lord had inherited some ancient demonic technique. Even if Lei Dong chose not to practice it himself, being a demonic art, it would still offer valuable material for study. What moved Lei Dong even more was that his own Netherworld Reincarnation technique, for example, belonged to the Yin Sha Sect lineage; practicing it himself was fine. But he would inevitably need to recruit subordinates and build influence in the future, making it essential to possess a formidable cultivation method. The fact that the Bone Demon Lord reached the Nascent Soul stage as a rogue cultivator, lacking resources, attested to the quality of this manual. Moreover, the Bone Demon Lord was willing to offer his life's cultivation experience—a treasure in itself.

"Three is too many; I can only offer one," Lei Dong contemplated without revealing his thoughts, then began haggling.

"Lei Dong, don't underestimate my Profound Bone Art! This is a cultivation method passed down from the Ancient Era, with enough potential to reach the Spirit Transformation stage," the Bone Demon Lord shook his head in dissatisfaction. "Two fruits. If it's one less, I'd rather see this broken than fall into your hands." His attitude was fiercely resolute, as if he were prepared to fight to the death if Lei Dong refused.

But Lei Dong was no simple man, possessing a unique talent for reading expressions. Seemingly aware of the Bone Demon Lord's absolute limit, he dug in his heels, insisting on only one. After circling back and forth, the Bone Demon Lord finally yielded, sinking into a sullen silence, grinding his teeth. This was unavoidable; no matter how strong his bluster, it could not change the fact that his fate lay in Lei Dong's hands, and he had no desire to provoke Lei Dong entirely.

As if prepared for this outcome, the Bone Demon Lord produced two jade slips, erased the restrictions upon them, and handed them to Lei Dong. Lei Dong, ever cautious, first had Han Chao, the Golden Core cultivator who had surrendered to him, read them. Firstly, for safety, to guard against the Bone Demon Lord playing any tricks at this juncture. Secondly, Han Chao had originally served under the old demon for a considerable time and could likely judge the authenticity of the technique.

Since entering this temple space, Han Chao had witnessed Lei Dong's overwhelming advantages, and his earlier hesitations about surrendering had almost entirely vanished, replaced by growing loyalty. After all, the methods and power Lei Dong displayed surpassed that of a normal Foundation Establishment cultivator, pointing to limitless future prospects. Han Chao also understood that as a defector, he needed to prove his worth to be truly relied upon by Lei Dong. Without the slightest hesitation, he took on this risk.

He knew Lei Dong was cautious and not one for superficial assurances. After a thorough and earnest inspection, a faint look of joy appeared on his face. "Young Master, this item appears genuine, and there are no traps."

Lei Dong nodded, offered Han Chao a few words of encouragement, and then accepted the two jade slips, storing them away. In truth, Lei Dong knew that as long as the Bone Demon Lord hadn't set a trap within the slips or gone utterly mad in his desperation, the items were virtually guaranteed to be real. Otherwise, if anything went wrong, what use would the Bone Demon Lord’s Nascent Soul be to him then?

Seeing Lei Dong confirm the contents, the Bone Demon Lord transmitted a message to Lei Dong. Only after Lei Dong verified that the item was indeed inside the Bone Demon Lord’s storage bracelet did he nod.

Only then did Lei Dong's expression soften as he cupped his hands toward the Bone Demon Lord. "Senior, our transaction is complete. To avoid showing disrespect to a senior, I request that you perform the final steps yourself."

The Bone Demon Lord managed a wry smile. He, a mighty demon lord, was being coerced into suicide by such a junior. Although this was arguably the best possible outcome for him, at this moment, a sense of heroic downfall washed over him. He glanced at the intensely watching Prophet Kukas and the mysterious Nascent Soul Winged God. The Bone Demon Lord let out a long sigh. "Lei Dong, I ask that you uphold your promise. After all, with your capability, once you achieve the Nascent Soul stage, I, the White Bone, will no longer pose a threat to you."

"Senior, rest assured," Lei Dong replied, his expression placid, revealing no discernible emotion.

The Bone Demon Lord sat cross-legged. First, he voluntarily erased the Divine Soul Imprint on his storage bracelet, then actively circulated his energy to force his Nascent Soul out of his body. Lei Dong was not one to hesitate; he unleashed the Soul Sealing Orb and used the corresponding incantation to capture it. Simultaneously, he swept up the Bone Demon Lord's physical body into his own storage bracelet. As for the Bone Demon Lord’s bracelet, that was stored separately so he could retrieve the treasured artifact later. While storage bracelets could not hold living things, this quality ensured that flesh and blood did not rot, as bacteria and viruses could not survive in the storage dimension. However, using a storage bracelet to collect plants or heavenly treasures like inner cores was less ideal. While decomposition wouldn't occur, the spiritual energy within the treasures would gradually dissipate. Therefore, every cultivator kept large quantities of jade boxes and porcelain vials within their storage bracelets; these items could significantly slow the rate of spiritual energy dissipation.

With that, the matter reached its conclusion. Watching Lei Dong resolve the situation so smoothly with mere words, the onlookers felt a sense of awe. Saintess Lan Qisi sighed in relief. "Congratulations, Young Master. You achieved your goal with only a few words."

Lei Dong merely smiled. He knew this was not the power of mere words, but the power of his overall position. After sending away Qian Luo, Han Chao, and the others with a few polite words, Lei Dong bowed to Prophet Kukas in thanks. "I am indebted to the Prophet for your assistance in this matter. When the next season's Soul Fruits mature, I hope the Prophet will accept them." Every Nascent Soul cultivator represented formidable fighting strength in this world; with the God Transformation Divine Dragons appearing and disappearing like ghosts, Nascent Soul cultivators were nearly synonymous with invincibility. Lei Dong knew he needed to invest effort into winning over the Prophet.

Through Lan Qisi, Kukas was certainly aware of Lei Dong's background. Of course, his loyalty was far less profound than that of Lan Qisi. However, after years of interaction, and observing today's carefully laid plan, Kukas was impressed by Lei Dong’s composure and shrewdness—achieving his objective without brute force showed he was no reckless fool.

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