The Heavenly Demon was well aware that the Blood Demon was far from a simple entity; he had been a notorious devil lord centuries ago. [Bookmark:]!!m;^It was just that in the last hundred years, he had maintained a lower profile, refusing to meddle in sect affairs, dedicating all his focus to breaking through to the mid Nascent Soul stage. Regardless of whether he had succeeded in reaching the mid Nascent Soul stage yet, one could not ignore the terrifying might of his Blood Fiend Divine Art. The Blood Fiend Divine Art was a variant of the Yin Fiend Divine Art, possessing boundless power.

Yet, even within the Yin Fiend Sect, few chose to cultivate it. The reason was simple: while the technique was powerful, its cultivation demanded the constant absorption of Blood Fiends, altering one's very physique, even the structural composition of the body. The Blood Fiend itself was an item of extremely evil origin, unlike Fiends such as Yin Fiend or Yang Fiend, which were naturally condensed energies of heaven and earth. The source of the Blood Fiend was the Blood Pool, and the Blood Pool required the blood and raw souls of countless humans, refined through formations, allowing resentment and vital blood energy to intertwine, forming wisps of Blood Fiend saturated with towering malice.

If it were only this, it still might not have stopped people from cultivating the Blood Fiend Divine Art. But aside from the cumbersome cultivation process and the high likelihood of attracting hatred, the extreme ease with which one could suffer Qi Deviation and fall into madness was a major contributing factor. Thus, even in the entire history of the Yin Fiend Sect, the number of cultivators who advanced to the Nascent Soul stage by primarily mastering the Blood Fiend Divine Art was minuscule. However, once successful, they became the nightmare of the righteous immortal cultivation world, often heralding a storm of blood and slaughter.

Lei Dong had long possessed all this intelligence, much of it gathered through infiltration, including the Blood Demon's vices, temperament, and any friends or relatives he might have. Undoubtedly, the Blood Demon was a scoundrel; even Lei Dong, a demonic cultivator himself, felt it would be better if this fellow died sooner. To counteract the formidable Heart Tribulation brought by advancing to the Nascent Soul stage, and to strengthen his conviction of cold-bloodedness, the Blood Demon had slaughtered every last relative and close friend he had left in the mortal world, exhibiting a level of psychological perversion that was absolute. The intelligence indicated that the only quality this fiend possessed that was slightly redeemable was his profound loyalty to the Yin Fiend Sect, his ability to consider matters from the sect's standpoint and interests, and his genuine attachment to the sect.

The Heavenly Demon had previously informed Lei Dong that, unlike the Golden Core stage, every cultivator who advanced to the Nascent Soul stage possessed an exceptionally firm mind; those with weaker wills would either perish or be driven mad by the torment of the Heart Tribulation during the breakthrough process. Controlling a Nascent Soul cultivator purely through Ghost Curses would be extremely difficult, offering few viable options. Lei Dong strongly agreed with this assessment; while Nascent Soul cultivators feared death, every one he had encountered possessed an unyielding will, each with their own convictions and pride. Like that old demon White Bone, who would sooner die than surrender when faced with existential threats from foreign races.

Take this Blood Demon, for instance. Setting aside all his perverse traits, his mental fortitude was exceptionally strong. Normally, overpowering him purely through strength and then using a Supreme Ghost Curse to control him would yield a subjugation probability of less than thirty percent. To extinguish a Nascent Soul cultivator, their own side’s strength was sufficient.

But to suppress and subdue a Nascent Soul cultivator, to shatter their will to resist, required either mobilizing Yi Kong or inviting the Yaksha King. Lei Dong immediately dismissed the Yaksha King. His Supreme Ghost Curse was a heaven-defying artifact capable of controlling Nascent Soul cultivators. If the Yaksha King learned of it, complications would surely arise.

In this world, the person one trusts most is not the one to whom they owe a favor, but the one who owes them a favor. Therefore, the only recourse was to deploy Yi Kong. Lei Dong weighed the decision of whether to expend this final opportunity for a long time before finally making up his mind. After all, the Blood Demon was a member of the Yin Fiend Sect.

Allowing him to die for nothing would be a considerable blow to the sect's overall strength. Subduing him for his own use would not only prevent a loss of strength for the Yin Fiend Sect but would also vastly increase Lei Dong’s own power and dramatically enhance his survival capability. As for Yi Kong, a prior agreement had long been established. Unless it concerned a matter of life and death, Lei Dong never violated his promises; this was one of his unwavering principles.

In a quiet, secluded canyon within the Heavenly Dao Alliance, the Black Robe entered, leading two Blood Puppets. They imprisoned the captured King of Zhennan and his wife in a stone cell. Then, following the plan, they reported the mission results to the Blood Demon via a communication talisman. However, the Black Robe took the liberty of embedding an additional message within the talisman: that upon returning from his mission, he had inadvertently discovered an Underworld Ginseng root, boasting a spiritual age of no less than fifty thousand years, while passing by a natural netherworld location near the border.

Underworld Ginseng typically grows in the Ghostly Domain of the Underworld, and even in the Nine Hells, the places richest in Nether Qi, finding an Underworld Ginseng of such maturity was by no means a simple task. Furthermore, venturing into the Nine Hells posed a significant danger even for Nascent Soul cultivators. Consequently, a fifty-thousand-year-old Underworld Ginseng was worth a fortune, enough to ignite greed in any Nascent Soul cultivator. However, the Black Robe added that the guardian of this Underworld Ginseng was a Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger whose strength reached the late Golden Core stage.

Upon spying it, the Black Robe himself was nearly swallowed whole. Even with the two Blood Puppets accompanying him, they stood no chance against that late Golden Core Shadow Tiger. The Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger possessed a sliver of ancient divine beast bloodline and could advance by devouring various souls. If nurtured properly, advancing to the Golden Core stage was a natural progression.

Of course, for the Shadow Tiger to advance to Nascent Soul required immense luck and opportunity, making it far from easy. Nevertheless, the Shadow Tiger’s reputation was formidable because it ranked among the stronger fighting beasts of its tier, especially when facing various ghosts and spectral entities, where it held a distinct advantage. Blood Puppets, being semi-soul creatures, were naturally countered by the Shadow Tiger. Of course, what truly moved the Blood Demon was the Underworld Ginseng.

Unless it was a newborn cub, the Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger alone would hardly pique the Blood Demon's interest. What further intrigued the Blood Demon was that a location capable of nurturing an Underworld Ginseng of this caliber likely contained other rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures unique to the Nether environment; the Nine Hells of the Ghostly Domain was a region overflowing with treasures. For a Nascent Soul cultivator, a mere hundred thousand miles was easily traversed and posed no inherent danger, so a look wouldn't hurt. Obtaining an Underworld Ginseng of such age would be a rare stroke of fortune for the Blood Demon.

Without much hesitation, the Blood Demon spent two days traveling to a secluded spot, summoning the Black Robe, and, adhering to his cautious operational principles, inquired about every detail of the Underworld Ginseng. The Black Robe was a smart man, knowing that from the moment he betrayed the Blood Demon, there was no turning back. Even if he confessed the necessity of his betrayal now, the enraged Blood Demon would surely kill him. Since the deed was done, he had to see it through; if the Blood Demon lived, the Black Robe would never be at ease.

Moreover, Lei Dong had personally demonstrated to him the agony of a Ghost Curse eating the soul—a condition best described in four words: a fate worse than death. What's more, Lei Dong was far from stingy; he knew that even when controlling someone with a Ghost Curse, one must not extinguish all hope of survival. Not only did he inform the Black Robe that freedom awaited after a century of loyal service, but during that service, as long as he remained steadfast and diligent, rewards would certainly follow. For instance, the Black Robe had already obtained ten incredibly precious Profound Gold Pills from this venture.

This immediately dissipated much of the dreadful fear stemming from being controlled by the Ghost Curse, making the Black Robe exceptionally diligent in his tasks. These rewards were far more generous than anything the Blood Demon would offer. The Black Robe even began to suspect that following Lei Dong might actually hold a promising future. This fellow could even make the Heavenly Demon heed his words and dared to scheme against the Blood Demon.

In all his life, the Black Robe had never encountered a Golden Core cultivator this formidable. After numerous rounds of probing dialogue, the Blood Demon detected no flaws. Still, he remained uneasy and dispatched a Blood Puppet imbued with a strand of his divine sense to accompany the Black Robe. As expected, it led him to a naturally occurring nether environment.

Deep within a concealed fissure, he sensed the aura of a late Golden Core Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger from a distance. And through the Blood Puppet, the Blood Demon surveyed the surroundings, finding no signs of artificial formations or ambushes. Everything seemed plausible. The concealed fissure was indeed very hidden.

If the Black Robe hadn't stumbled upon it by chance, this fissure would never have been discovered. The Blood Demon's true form was naturally delighted. For a heavenly treasure of such immense value that was seemingly within easy reach, not taking it would be sheer madness—a significant windfall for the Blood Demon. However, the Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger was formidable, especially its potent counter-effect on soul-based lifeforms.

The Blood Demon did not wish for his Blood Puppets, painstakingly refined over countless hours, to be easily lost. His main body could effortlessly obliterate the Shadow Tiger and prevent it from acting rashly and destroying the Underworld Ginseng in desperation. With his superior planning catching the beast off guard, the Blood Demon, in a rare moment of high spirits, spent about half an hour flying to the nether location. He descended his blood-colored escape light and plunged directly into the fissure, laughing maniacally.

His true body’s divine sense was powerful, sweeping across the fissure. Indeed, beneath the peak of the area, a specimen of Underworld Ginseng was growing, its maturity clearly profound. At the very least, the Blood Demon had never witnessed an Underworld Ginseng of fifty thousand years in his lifetime. However, just as the Blood Demon’s spirit soared and his vigilance relaxed slightly, immense tearing and dragging forces crushed down upon him heavily.

Startled, his expression drastically changed: "Innate Gravity Art? Earth Giants, damn it!" …… (To be continued RH