"Master, please don't mention the Netherworld Scroll just yet," Lei Dong quickly interjected. "Perhaps even the Heavenly Demon Lord would look down on someone like the Blood Demon and, in a fit of righteous anger, strike directly. Furthermore, your disciple has some connection with the Yaksha King over in the East Sea. The venerable elder owes your disciple a favor. If necessary, we can ask Senior Yaksha King to intervene."

"The Yaksha King? Good heavens..."

Wan Gui nearly collapsed, staring at his disciple with a mixture of excitement and utter disbelief. This was a joke—the Yaksha King was one of the paramount existences in this entire world. A typical Nascent Soul cultivator would be putty in the elder's hands, shaped and crushed at will. And yet, that Yaksha King owed his disciple a favor... He was set for life; this was a monumental stroke of fortune.

Under Wan Gui's expectant, envious, and curious gaze, Lei Dong dared not act coy. He faithfully recounted how he established a connection with the Yaksha King and earned that favor. It was, ironically, that very favor that led Lei Dong to be swept up by the Sea God's Wrath and cast into Zhaozhou, nearly costing him his life.

The more Wan Gui listened, the more alarmed he became, the recent ecstasy evaporating entirely. He declared that if he had a choice, he would rather not have the Yaksha King's favor than see his disciple risk his life like that. However, Wan Gui also knew that under those circumstances, Lei Dong's choice was exceptionally wise and utterly unavoidable. If it had been him, Wan Gui, he too would have had no choice but to follow orders faithfully.

"Absolutely not, absolutely not. You earned that favor from the Yaksha King with your life; it must not be wasted so easily," Wan Gui shook his head repeatedly. "Your master will go and beg the Heavenly Demon Lord instead. As for your favor, we can certainly ask Lord Yaksha King to prepare some heaven-and-earth treasures for you that guarantee a 100% chance of advancing to the Nascent Soul stage."

Lei Dong sighed inwardly. While his master spoke of begging the Heavenly Demon, he suspected Wan Gui was already prepared to offer up the Netherworld Scroll. Although joining his master's sect initially felt like a matter of last resort, having experienced so much since, Lei Dong increasingly felt that becoming a disciple of Ancestor Wan Gui was the greatest fortune of his entire life. However, the fact that he was entangled with the Heavenly Demon was something Lei Dong absolutely dared not tell his master. Firstly, he had to consider the Heavenly Demon's dignity, and secondly, he feared his master’s heart might simply explode. Moreover, his master was extremely fond of Wanyan; if he knew, a severe scolding would be inevitable upon his return.

Still, his master's genuine care warmed Lei Dong's heart immensely. Without further hesitation, he retrieved a large pile of elixirs from his storage bracelet and presented them respectfully and solemnly: "Master, over these past nearly twenty years, your disciple has not been at your side to serve you. This time, your disciple struck it rich in Zhaozhou, and I noticed that most elixirs there are three to four parts cheaper than in Kangzhou. I took the liberty of bringing a batch back for you, as a small token of my filial piety."

Seeing his disciple was so thoughtful, Ancestor Wan Gui felt deeply comforted. As Lei Dong's master, he certainly didn't expect Lei Dong to offer up everything good he possessed. In truth, he wished Lei Dong to become stronger. Still, having this filial heart was certainly cause for satisfaction. He chuckled heartily: "Oh, the elixirs in Zhaozhou are cheaper? Let me see what fine things you’ve brought for your old master." Saying this, he casually snatched a bottle of pills, uncorked it, and after a slight sniff, a wave of rich aroma instantly invigorated him.

Poor Ancestor Wan Gui was destined today to test the limits of his composure and the resilience of his heart.

His expression became incredibly vivid, even contorted, as he pointed at a single pill in the bottle, his eyes nearly popping out: "This, this, this is an Immortal Ascension Pill! How is this possible? Dong'er, have I gone senile and lost my mind?" Ancestor Wan Gui was nearly breathless. It was no wonder he was so shocked. The Immortal Ascension Pill was the absolute best auxiliary elixir for a cultivator breaking through from the Golden Core stage to the Nascent Soul stage. The term 'Immortal Ascension' stemmed from the fact that, to cultivators, the Nascent Soul stage was akin to celestial beings—immortal, capable of finding an indestructible Nascent Soul body to regenerate even if the physical form was destroyed.

For over 99.9% of cultivators in this world, the Nascent Soul stage was a lofty, unattainable realm. Thus, the elixir was aptly named the 'Immortal Ascension Pill.'

However, the materials needed to refine the Immortal Ascension Pill were the rarest spiritual medicines in the world. Even the most formidable Alchemy Grandmaster would be lucky to succeed once in ten attempts. The value of this item far surpassed that of the Heaven-Ascending Pill, which merely helped one reach the Golden Core stage, given the vast, immense difference between Golden Core and Nascent Soul.

Indeed, an Immortal Ascension Pill was something no normal high-tier Golden Core cultivator could possess, especially in Kangzhou, where the art of alchemy was not particularly developed. It was rare to the extreme. Even selling off every possession Ancestor Wan Gui had, aside from that Netherworld Scroll, might not fetch a single Immortal Ascension Pill.

Seeing Ancestor Wan Gui’s reaction, Lei Dong dared not smile. He merely nodded with grave sincerity: "Master, this is indeed an Immortal Ascension Pill. It can increase a peak Golden Core cultivator's chance of breaking through to Nascent Soul by about fifty percent."

Ancestor Wan Gui swayed slightly, his face a mixture of bitterness and exasperation as he looked at Lei Dong: "You told me you made a small fortune? Is this what you call a small fortune, damn it? You're deliberately trying to make a fool of me, aren't you?" At this moment, Ancestor Wan Gui entirely disregarded maintaining his masterly dignity before his disciple and blurted out curses.

Seeing his master’s explosive anger, Lei Dong stifled his laughter internally but maintained a facade of genuine fear and respect: "Master, your disciple would never dare. I only wished to show a small measure of filial piety." This was actually a calculated move by Lei Dong. After all, Ancestor Wan Gui had treated him exceptionally well. He had gone so far as to sell a batch of ten-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs obtained from a divine temple to acquire this single Immortal Ascension Pill, a process that took two years, utilizing the Prophet Kukkas to facilitate the trade. In any case, Lei Dong still had a long way to go before needing the Immortal Ascension Pill himself. Furthermore, if his master successfully advanced to Nascent Soul, it would only benefit Lei Dong.

"A small measure, a small measure my foot," Wan Gui sputtered, tugging his beard in fury. "Just this single Immortal Ascension Pill, I couldn't exchange all my possessions for one! And these others..." Wan Gui angrily grabbed more elixirs and opened bottle after bottle, each time sucking in a sharp breath. Every pill in these bottles was gleaming gold, perfectly round, and intensely fragrant—undeniably the finest cultivation elixirs for the Golden Core stage: Golden Profound Pills.

The Golden Profound Pill was within Wan Gui's previous means; they sold for 300,000 spiritual stones each in Kangzhou, and he possessed about twenty. But even with his considerable wealth now, he would only use one with extreme reluctance, either when hitting a bottleneck or after a year’s interval. Yet, in this large stack of jade bottles Lei Dong presented, there must have been at least two hundred Golden Profound Pills...

Ancestor Wan Gui’s hands were trembling. Acquiring such a large batch of Golden Profound Pills in Kangzhou would be difficult even with money. Ancestor Wan Gui clearly understood that with such resources, the time he estimated it would take him, agonizingly slow, to reach the peak of the Golden Core stage—at least forty to fifty years—could be cut by more than half. If he cultivated in the most extravagant manner possible, perhaps it would take less than thirty percent of that time.

Ancestor Wan Gui felt dizzy, utterly overwhelmed. This had to be a joke. A high probability of breaking through to Nascent Soul in just over a decade? This was something Wan Gui had never dared to dream of before; the most conservative estimate was forty to fifty years...

His disciple’s return had made the Nascent Soul realm, which he coveted so intensely, suddenly feel almost within reach.

Shaking his head heavily, Ancestor Wan Gui’s hair seemed to become disheveled: "Dong'er, your filial piety is recognized by your master. However, I will only accept fifty of these Golden Profound Pills. As for the Immortal Ascension Pill, keep it for yourself for now; sooner or later, you will need it. I have already made my own preparations for advancing to Nascent Soul; I should have at least a thirty to forty percent chance." Wan Gui instinctively believed that Lei Dong must have made a massive fortune but probably exchanged most of it for elixirs to offer him. This disciple’s thoughtfulness actually made Ancestor Wan Gui feel somewhat ashamed.

Thirty to forty percent isn't enough? Lei Dong frowned slightly, yet maintained a solemn and respectful demeanor: "Master, these elixirs are the tribute your disciple offers you; how could I take them back? As for myself, I am not lacking in elixirs for the time being. Moreover, the sooner you ascend to Nascent Soul, Master, the more benefits it brings to your disciple. When I lack something then, with your Nascent Soul cultivation and the status of a Supreme Elder in the sect, acquiring it will be much easier. Furthermore, Master, you saw what happened this time. Because our own strength is weak, petty people covet us endlessly. The sooner you achieve great success, Master, the sooner my fellow disciples and I can truly hold our heads high. We won’t have to beg this person and that one when trouble strikes."

Lei Dong’s words deeply moved Wan Gui, stirring feelings of agitation and guilt. It was true. If he, Wan Gui, were a Nascent Soul cultivator, possessing the Ultimate Spirit Ghost, even that Blood Demon Li Yao wouldn't dare easily plot against them. If he dared plot, he would have already barged in and assaulted them. They wouldn't be in this current situation, where they were virtually taken for granted by Ancestor Wan Gui and his disciples, yet he couldn't strike immediately, forcing him to consider appealing to the Heavenly Demon Lord and the Yaksha King. Although this world operated on the principle of the strong preying on the weak, where strength was the ultimate ruler, never before had Wan Gui desired so desperately to be a Nascent Soul cultivator as he did at this moment.

Thinking this through, Ancestor Wan Gui’s blood boiled, his complexion shifting between red and white. He roared in indignant fury: "Disciple, you are right. Why should our Myriad Ghost Cave suffer this indignity? I have decided—no matter what, I must achieve Nascent Soul as soon as possible, so that Dong'er and Wanyan can also hold their heads high. I will ensure that no one dares bully anyone under the banner of our Myriad Ghost Cave."

..., (To be continued. RH