After an idle chat that lasted the time it took to steep a pot of tea, Ghost King Tian broke the ice and steered the conversation to the main topic, chuckling, "My esteemed nephews, you haven't journeyed to the Underworld just for sightseeing, have you? If it doesn't violate the Sect's prohibitions, you can discuss matters with me. After all, this old ghost has lived quite long enough. Few things of significance in the Underworld escape my notice."

Offering assistance so readily? Although Lei Dong maintained a placid exterior, a thread of wariness tightened within him. Even if Ghost King Tian enjoyed a favorable relationship with the Yin Sha Sect, and possessed deep ties with the Grand Elder Yin Sha Demon Venerable, they were still merely the younger generation. In the eyes of Ghost King Tian, they might not truly hold much weight.

Such enthusiasm, such a proactive offer of help—how could Lei Dong, who understood that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world, not raise his guard? In matters of profit, even those belonging to the same sect would engage in covert struggles and meticulous calculations. How much more so with Ghost King Tian, whom they had only just met?

However, Lei Dong and the others' purpose for this journey was hardly a secret; moreover, they intended to rely on Ghost King Tian for assistance in this very matter. After a moment of polite exchange, they respectfully laid out the objective of their visit one by one.

After Lei Dong finished speaking, Ghost King Tian paused for a brief silence before sounding somewhat troubled. "Nephew Lei, if there were items in my vault that an old ghost like myself possessed, I would readily hand them over to you nephews without a second thought. However, whether it is Nascent Soul grade Silkworm Thread, Underworld Ghost Flame, or the Soul of a Demon Dragon, these are hardly ordinary things. I ask for your understanding, nephews."

Ghost King Tian saying this somewhat eased Lei Dong's heart; perhaps this was simply the Ghost King's personality, or perhaps he had been overly suspicious. Simultaneously, Xiao You, residing in his divine soul, directly transmitted a message to Lei Dong: "Young Master, Xiao You vaguely senses a familiarity with this Ghost King Tian, a sense of closeness, in fact. It’s quite strange; I feel as if he were a relative."

Lei Dong considered it briefly and transmitted back, "Perhaps it's because you both belong to the spectral lineage. After all, Ghost King Tian is different from the ghost servants we refine. He, like you, is an entity possessing an independent will and personality."

"But the Ghost Generals guarding the gate outside just now also possess independent personalities, yet Xiao You felt nothing particularly special about them," Xiao You relayed again.

"We'll discuss this later. After all, the genesis of you spirits is a completely different concept from human birth, and I've never heard of Ghost Kings or Ghost Generals producing offspring." Lei Dong shelved the topic for the moment and refocused his attention on Ghost King Tian, speaking courteously, "Senior Ghost King, our coming here was merely to try our luck and gain some experience. We are not utterly set on acquiring those few items. If you have any information regarding them, we would already be immensely grateful."

"Very well, this old ghost will dispatch someone to inquire about these matters for you nephews. However, I dare not guarantee that I can uncover news of these things. As you nephews understand, these few items are rare sights even within the Underworld." As Ghost King Tian spoke, he swiftly summoned a Ghost General completely encased in armor and instructed him to investigate the relevant information.

The Ghost General paused slightly, then respectfully reported, "Reporting to the Lord, your subordinate has just heard rumors that within the Yin Wind Valley in our territory, someone recently discovered a pair of Nascent Soul grade Profound Nether Ice Silkworms, possibly migrating from the wilderness."

"Oh?" Ghost King Tian clearly started, sounding perplexed. "Logically, although Profound Nether Ice Silkworms are demonic insects with low intelligence, they shouldn't be foolish enough to migrate into the domain of any Ghost King faction. Why did this King not receive word?"

"Reporting to the Lord, His Lordship has been in secluded meditation attempting to break through to the mid-stage these past few days; your subordinates had not yet managed to report. Based on my estimation, perhaps the recent continuous natural disasters and relentless thunderstorms in the wilderness forced those two silkworms to migrate this way. However, some powerful figures in the city have already organized, numbering no fewer than a hundred people, preparing to exterminate those two demonic insects and make a small fortune in the process." It was indeed only a small fortune; while eradicating Profound Nether Ice Silkworms yielded considerable benefits, dividing it among over a hundred people would not leave much for any individual. Nevertheless, Ice Silkworms were Nascent Soul demonic insects whose combat strength was not overwhelming, meaning the risk was not significant with proper preparation.

"I see," Ghost King Tian murmured, a slight frown on his face. "If there are two Nascent Soul grade Profound Nether Ice Silkworms, whether we dispatch them immediately or collect the Silkworm Thread they expel during combat, securing ten catties should be feasible." He pondered for a moment, then showed a hint of difficulty. "However, this city has an established rule: if powerful figures within the city can handle invading demonic beasts themselves, this King will not interfere with the spoils. If I were to personally intervene and seize them, it would be an act of bullying the younger generation, which contradicts my rules. How about this: once they finish the hunt, I will personally negotiate with their leader and purchase the Silkworm Thread with spirit stones. That way, everyone is satisfied. Do not decline; consider this a welcoming gift from this old ghost to you nephews."

Lei Dong privately mused that he had likely judged the Ghost King with the small measure of a petty person. Given how far Ghost King Tian had gone, it seemed unlikely he harbored malicious intentions toward them. Moreover, he could not have known they would come to Ghost King City, meaning any scheme or layout would have to be prepared in advance.

Of course, incurring such a massive debt of gratitude for nothing was something Lei Dong wished to avoid. After a moment's thought, he said, "Senior, it is not that we are being overly fussy. It is just that the female Asura, Bei Yena, has already invited us to participate in this endeavor. All I ask is that the Senior helps confirm the authenticity of this matter and ensure it is not some nefarious plot; that alone would satisfy us. Furthermore, the most important reason we came to the Underworld was to gain practical experience, and this is a rare opportunity for tempering ourselves—how could we possibly miss it?"

Ghost King Tian was momentarily stunned before laughing again. "Since you nephews possess such ambition, I cannot rashly prevent it. How about this: while you gain your experience, I will have Tu Lei go and caution those young hotheads, lest those arrogant whelps encounter misfortune by challenging someone beyond their station."

Lei Dong naturally would not refuse such a favorable arrangement. Courtesy begets courtesy; appearing ungrateful would only earn aversion. He offered a sincere word of thanks. Ghost King Tian's willingness to help was rather beyond their expectations, though it did align with his reputation.

Following this, there was another feast where Ghost King Tian treated Lei Dong and the others to a rare spread of Underworld delicacies. Despite his origin as a mere spectral entity, Ghost King Tian handled affairs with far more grace and wisdom than many humans.

Using the pretext of gaining experience, the group took their leave of Ghost King Tian and returned to the inn where they had stayed.

There, the female Asura, Bei Yena, was already waiting. She no longer carried any air of condescension; her expression was rather strange. "So, my Daoist friends are esteemed guests of Senior Ghost King Tian. Please forgive my earlier disrespect. If you are still interested in participating in this operation, please follow me."

Bei Yena led Lei Dong's party to a quiet courtyard, served them some refreshing drinks unique to the Underworld, chatted for a while, and then proceeded to the main topic. Adopting the customary address of humans, she said, "Daoist Lei, Commander Tu Lei has already relayed the Ghost King's intentions. However, adhering to the principle of accountability to all other participants, I can only proceed with a fair distribution of spoils. The share allocated to you Daoist friends will absolutely not be diminished based on your contribution. As for the ten catties of Silkworm Thread you require, if it exceeds your share, you will likely need to compensate with spirit stones."

"That is only proper. Any cooperation must be founded on principles of fairness," Lei Dong replied calmly, sipping the cool, delicately textured drink. "However, I do have a small suggestion, which I hope Daoist Bei will hear."

Perhaps influenced by Tu Lei’s warning, Bei Yena was considerably more polite toward Lei Dong’s group. Mimicking humans, she straightened her posture, leaned forward halfway, and adopted an attentive stance. "Daoist Lei, please speak."

"Then I shall be direct. If I can single-handedly contain one Profound Nether Ice Silkworm, and my friends only require twenty Golden Core level fighters provided by you, Daoist Bei, they can completely handle these two Nascent Soul grade Profound Nether Ice Silkworms." Lei Dong maintained an air of detached ease.

"What?" Bei Yena looked at Lei Dong in disbelief. The extraordinarily alluring and charming female Asura’s almond-shaped eyes widened. "Daoist Lei can actually restrain a Nascent Soul grade Profound Nether Ice Silkworm alone?" She placed heavy emphasis on the word 'Nascent Soul,' as if reminding Lei Dong that this was no ordinary Ice Silkworm. Although Profound Nether Ice Silkworms were not masters of direct combat and hunting, they were still Nascent Soul demonic insects.

Lei Dong took a sip of his drink and replied leisurely, "Only restrain it. If you speak of killing one alone, I do not yet possess such ability."

Even so, Bei Yena gasped, staring at Lei Dong in silence for a long moment as she pondered. "Daoist Lei, I admit you have astounded me. Even Tu Lei, Ghost King Tian's foremost general and a person with a high chance of becoming a Ghost King, would not claim he could restrain a Nascent Soul grade Ice Silkworm. It is absolutely not that I disbelieve you, Daoist Lei, but this matter is too significant. I must ask you to prove it to me."

"Whoosh~"

Without another word, Lei Dong displayed the Asura Wings on his back, raising them high and letting them undulate slightly. The massive wingspan, easily six to seven zhang wide, instantly projected an immense sense of pressure. Especially for Bei Yena, who hailed from the Asura race, she was nearly shaken into collapsing by the vast and majestic Asura King aura emanating from the Asura Wings, turning pale as she cried out in shock, "Wings of the Asura King."

"Relying on this treasure, I possess no other true skill, but I dare say my escape speed is something even a Nascent Soul cultivator can only dream of catching up to," Lei Dong chuckled lightly, revealing his true objective, as if enticing an innocent maiden. "Therefore, my side requires ten catties of Silkworm Thread. Everything remaining will be for Daoist Bei to distribute as she sees fit. The fewer people we call upon, the more Daoist Bei stands to gain."