The Subduing Demon Venerable gasped in shock and hastily conjured a circle of thick, solid golden shields around himself. Countless brilliant runes flickered faintly on the semi-transparent barrier, swirling incessantly. He paid no heed to Lei Dong’s utterly arrogant words.

Vajra Indestructible Shield—this was the Vajra Temple’s most potent defensive spell!

Boom boom boom—the massive stone chunks emitted sharp whistles. Targeted deliberately in a short-range sneak attack, and combined with the gravity technique that nearly immobilized him, the hit rate was considerable; six or seven out of ten struck the Subduing Demon Venerable. These stones, condensed purely from earth elements, exploded violently, forming clusters of earth-yellow blossoms.

Participating in this engagement, besides the twenty Earth Giants, were Han Chao, a cultivator at the early Golden Core stage under Lei Dong’s command; Shangguan Hong, at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage; Qing Niangzi, Zhao Ge, and the Mute Girl. As for Tantai Bingyun, Lei Dong had proactively sent her a message to hide, keeping her out of this battle. This moved Tantai Bingyun deeply. Regardless, the Vajra Temple and the Heavenly Sound Palace were allied, their relationship extremely close.

An ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator was utterly insignificant, mere ants in the eyes of a Nascent Soul powerhouse. Worse, Foundation Establishment cultivators often couldn't even muster the thought to attack due to sheer terror. But Lei Dong’s subordinates, having followed him north and south for many years, traversing the entire Great Desolate Desert region, had witnessed every manner of storm. Never mind Nascent Soul cultivators, even peerless experts at the Soul Transformation stage would dare to test their claws here.

Lei Dong allowing them to fight was fundamentally about strengthening their convictions and increasing their combat experience. After all, having experience fighting Nascent Soul cultivators, or even killing one, would temper their minds once more.

Thus clearing many internal obstacles on their future paths of advancement.

Of course, Lei Dong was not sending them to their deaths. These human cultivators stood atop the shoulders of the towering Earth Giants. Protected by the Giants’ outstanding defense, it wasn't an easy feat for the Subduing Demon Venerable to eliminate even one.

Suffering this barrage of attacks, given the Subduing Demon Venerable's strength, he naturally wouldn't perish, but minor injuries were unavoidable. Countless fine cracks appeared on his Vajra Indestructible Shield. His body swayed precariously in mid-air.

“Mei Mei, it’s up to you.”

In fact, there was no need for Lei Dong's instruction. The battle-experienced Heavenly Demon had already spotted the huge advantage. Her eyes immediately lit up, and her form dissolved into nothingness. Moving with a speed barely perceptible to the naked eye, she closed the distance, her Heavenly Demon Sword, blazing with fierce demonic flames, shifting to stretch dozens of feet long. With a sharp whistle, she cleaved down upon the Subduing Demon Venerable.

This strike from the Heavenly Demon was truly striking while the iron was hot. The Subduing Demon Venerable’s defense was already unstable. Furthermore, being momentarily restrained by the gravity technique, he struggled to utilize the speed of a Nascent Soul cultivator, thus making him unable to evade the sword. Unlike the dispersed power of the Earth Giants’ attacks, this single, all-out strike from the Heavenly Demon was several times more powerful.

In the midst of the violent collision, the golden light surrounding the Subduing Demon Venerable shattered, transforming into countless meteors. Simultaneously, the demonic flames surged fiercely, swallowing the Subduing Demon Venerable whole. The air raged and swept away like gathering clouds.

The wretched Subduing Demon Venerable, first ambushed and then subjected to a fierce assault, felt his vital energy churning uncontrollably. He spat out a mouthful of essence blood, his face ashen. His body was violently flung downward, crashing into the cliff valley. Evidently, under this combination attack, even if he didn't die, he had certainly lost the better part of his life force.

“Yin~”

Severely wounded, the Subduing Demon Venerable roared like a wild beast. The Subduing Demon Pestle manifested immensely, smashing toward the Earth Giants. He must have hated those Giants skilled in gravity techniques; their coordination with the Heavenly Demon made them unstoppable!

The Heavenly Demon, however, enjoyed it. After easily striking the Subduing Demon Venerable with her sword, she immediately grasped the value of these Earth Giants. Especially since they were friends brought by her beloved, she would never allow a single one to be lost! Her figure flickered slightly, and the Heavenly Demon Sword struck out repeatedly, intercepting the Subduing Demon Pestle.

Meanwhile, Lei Dong was not idle. He summoned all his beloved pets, the Ghost Generals, wrapping them up and flying them to the other end of the battlefield to block the Subduing Demon Venerable’s escape route. There was no need to fight him to the death; simply stalling him for a few breaths would prevent the Heavenly Demon from showing him mercy. When Lei Dong summoned six Golden Core-level forces, the Heavenly Demon, after initial shock and awe, immediately rejoiced. Lei Dong’s strength had increased dramatically, a matter that made her happier than her own breakthrough. Earlier, she had worried about Lei Dong's safety, but now she knew the Subduing Demon Venerable couldn't easily harm him.

Boom boom boom~

Another torrent of massive stones descended from the sky like meteors. They pelted the Subduing Demon Venerable’s location, and even though he desperately dodged while locked by the gravity technique, he couldn't avoid every stone, artifact, or spiritual tool. The Subduing Demon Venerable was utterly enraged; when did cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage ever dare to attack him? Was this truly a tiger fallen to flat ground being bullied by dogs?

He roared repeatedly, erupting streams of golden light in counterattack. But the Heavenly Demon was no easy opponent either. Her Demonic Body technique activated, and as demonic energy surged, it constantly devoured those golden lights, striving to protect the Earth Giants. Furthermore, she could seize opportunities to land a strike or two on the Subduing Demon Venerable. With such a dedicated Nascent Soul-level helper fighting alongside them, the Earth Giants’ morale soared; they aimed to perform well in front of Lei Dong, diligently raining down massive stones onto the cornered foe.

The incessant barrage of giant rocks carved countless craters. The Subduing Demon Venerable, continually struck, saw his injuries gradually worsening. He also had to guard against the Heavenly Demon, who was his equal in power, forcing him to be tentative and significantly reducing his effectiveness. In his heart, he could only pray for his Arhats to arrive quickly so he wouldn't have to suffer such humiliation. He failed to recall who it was that previously led eighteen Arhats to gang up on a single Heavenly Demon.

What the Subduing Demon Venerable couldn't fathom was that the Heavenly Demon had clearly been injured earlier, yet now she seemed completely vibrant and unharmed. Unfortunately, because Lei Dong had previously dragged the Subduing Demon Venerable around for half a day at high speed, the ten slower Arhats had lagged far behind and were likely still crawling along the road.

Lei Dong deployed his full strength, attacking the Subduing Demon Venerable without reservation. The Heavenly Demon also snorted repeatedly, aggressively exacting her revenge. Being besieged earlier had truly frustrated her. Now that she had the upper hand, she certainly wouldn't refrain from striking back.

The Subduing Demon Venerable was not foolish either. Realizing that further delay meant certain doom, he urgently attempted to break through the encirclement. But the Heavenly Demon wouldn't let go. She immediately transformed into an intangible form, tangling and blocking him head-on, followed swiftly by the Earth Giants. These Giants truly lived up to their reputation as a famous fighting race from the ancient era—powerful and mighty, they forced the Subduing Demon Venerable to vomit blood repeatedly. However, all of the Subduing Demon Venerable’s counterattacks were deflected by the Heavenly Demon.

However, very soon the Subduing Demon Venerable showed Lei Dong what a Nascent Soul cultivator possessed in reserve. Various elixirs and talismans emerged endlessly. Even though he was at an absolute disadvantage, eliminating him in an instant was not easy. Instead, in this desperate situation, he managed to inflict heavy injuries on several Earth Giants through desperate counterattacks. Fortunately, the Heavenly Demon’s protection was timely, coupled with the Giants' robust defense and strong vitality, preventing any actual losses to the group.

It must be known that these Earth Giants were elites personally selected by the Stone Clan Chief, possessing both strength and excellent aptitude. Losing even one would cause Lei Dong considerable heartache.

The Subduing Demon Venerable paid a terrible price during his forced counterattacks. Now, severely wounded, his combat power had drastically diminished. Since breaking out proved impossible, his demise was only a matter of time.

“Senior Subduing Demon, if you are willing to obediently allow me to plant my unique restriction and obey my orders afterward, I will spare your life.” Lei Dong seized the opportunity to recruit, appearing greatly tempted by the Subduing Demon Venerable. After all, gaining control of a Nascent Soul cultivator would dramatically boost his own strength. Furthermore, Lei Dong wanted to test whether a Nascent Soul cultivator could truly be controlled using the special restriction refined from the Supreme Ghost Generals.

“Insolent whelp.” Hearing this, the Subduing Demon Venerable roared in fury, shooting a beam of golden light directly at Lei Dong. The vast majority of cultivators who reached the Nascent Soul stage possessed superior aptitude and mental fortitude. Trying to subdue them as slaves was undeniably difficult. Though he didn't quite understand what strange restriction this boy possessed that could control him?

Lei Dong saw that the power of that golden light had already been reduced by more than half, paying it no mind, and dodged with a light flap of his wings. Still persistent, he said, “Senior Subduing Demon, I respect that reaching this level of cultivation is not easy. It would be too great a pity to perish just like this. Do not refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. If you are willing to serve me for a hundred years, I guarantee your freedom afterward. If you do not oppose me then, I promise to treat you with courtesy.”

A hundred years—it was indeed a very, very long time. Even for a Nascent Soul cultivator, it was not a short duration. However, compared to a precious life, a mere hundred years was negligible. At the very least, he would be alive.

“Hahahaha, a mere Daoist brat at the Foundation Establishment stage dares to demand my service.” The Subduing Demon Venerable’s rage did not cease, and he began using his remaining strength to fight desperately.

“Lei Dong, the people of the Vajra Temple are notoriously stubborn and place great emphasis on the distinction between righteous and demonic paths. Although I don't know what means you have to control a Nascent Soul cultivator, using it on the old demon Subduing Demon might not work,” the Heavenly Demon advised after hearing Lei Dong’s recruitment offer.

“Giant brothers, kill!” Lei Dong was not one to dither. Seeing recruitment fail, he immediately ordered their annihilation.

The Giants responded with a massive roar. This Giant tribe now regarded Lei Dong not just as a sworn brother, but as a leader who could guide the Earth Giant race back to glory. Even several heavily injured Giants struggled up and charged toward the Subduing Demon Venerable.

The tide had irrevocably turned. Even with the Subduing Demon Venerable fighting desperately, under the coordinated assault, his physical body fractured, and his Nascent Soul burst forth, fleeing in haste.

(.Yuunɡé.ō)

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