"Time's up, let's pull out," Lei Dong signaled his people, retrieving the Myriad Ghost Banner and the Shadow Tiger. Leading Ding Wanyan, Little You, and others, they zipped away, vanishing in mere flickers. It was as if pre-arranged; with a few swift moves, they disappeared completely, leaving Old Demon Huyan and his cohorts gaping in bewildered silence.

"What are you all staring at? Hurry up and help me heal!" Old Demon Huyan, seeing that Little You, that harbinger of doom, was finally gone, seemed to spring back to life and roared at his companions. Despite the severe loss of face moments before, his usual authority still held sway, and the few who had been secretly chuckling immediately stepped forward to assist him in treating his wounds. Seeing the old demon's pitiable state, those helping let out sharp gasps, chills running down their spines. That seemingly meek little girl had been terrifyingly violent.

Old Demon Huyan was filled with regret; he should have attacked her with the group. But constrained by caution—fearing offending those who could carry him—he ended up suffering alone. Just as he was about to launch into a tirade, a piercing, angry shriek echoed from the distance. In the sky far away, a monstrous Xuanming Ice Silkworm, tens of feet long, plump and white, descended amid swirling cold mists and an overwhelming aura.

The Xuan Black Ice Silkworm?

Old Demon Huyan didn't know whether to be happy or distressed. Logically, their combined strength was sufficient to deal with one Nascent Soul-level Silkworm; the problem shouldn't be too great, perhaps only costing a few more low-tier cannon fodder. But he dared not. Lei Dong's group had vanished, but one thing was certain: they certainly wouldn't abandon this Ice Silkworm.

Old Demon Huyan hesitated, but the Silkworm did not. Already enraged by sensing the death of its mate, it saw this crowd near where the female had fallen, blocking its path. With a fierce cry, it lunged forward, relentlessly spewing clouds of "Ice Mist" as if money were no object. Those Foundation Establishment cultivators from various races who failed to evade it, even with full defensive measures active, could barely hold out for ten breaths before their spiritual artifacts shattered, their bodies frozen solid. Even Golden Core cultivators dared not linger long in such terrifying cold. Realizing the day's objective was lost, they knew survival was paramount and began fleeing in a coordinated direction. They weren't completely panicked, understanding that scattering would allow the Baylor group to annihilate them one by one. In moments of extreme danger, sticking together was key; safety lay near Heavenly Ghost City.

When these two hundred-plus cultivators fled en masse as streaks of light, they presented an impressive sight. Normally, the Xuanming Ice Silkworm would instinctively fear such collective strength. But today, it felt no fear. Hissing, it spat out silken threads, ensnaring those who were slightly slower to flee. Simultaneously, an ice blade cleaved the trapped victims into pieces. The Silkworm sucked in the bloody chunks with its massive maw, swallowing them into its interior.

Old Demon Huyan's contingent ultimately lacked cohesion. Unwilling to turn back and rescue their comrades, they fled onward, allowing nearly two hundred to escape. The Ice Silkworm focused only on slaughtering those it entangled, unable to attend to the multitude of runners. However, before Old Demon Huyan and his group could breathe a sigh of relief, Lei Dong, wings glittering, reappeared bizarrely in front of them, about a hundred feet away, seemingly leading them on. As the old demon and the others stood baffled, the Ice Silkworm, which had momentarily forgotten them, let out another mournful screech, as if rediscovering the murderers of its mate. It abandoned the captives it held and dove directly after Lei Dong.

As for the insignificant ants who dared block its path, the Silkworm, operating purely on instinct rather than high intelligence, naturally eliminated them, spraying copious amounts of Profound Yin cold energy, ice blades, and silk. In an instant, Old Demon Huyan's men suffered heavy casualties, losing a dozen or twenty people in a very short span.

"That brat is luring the Silkworm; we change direction," Old Demon Huyan perceived the peculiarity of Lei Dong's appearance and quickly rallied his allies to flee in another direction. Sure enough, once they deviated from the path between the Silkworm and Lei Dong, the creature ignored them and swiftly pursued Lei Dong. Unfortunately, fewer than one hundred and fifty of this group managed to escape successfully.

Watching this scene, Lei Dong sneered internally. If you intend to steal the kill, you must bear the consequences of stealing the monster. After swallowing a pill to replenish his True Qi, he flashed again, landing directly in the path where the old demon's group was heading. The Ice Silkworm immediately altered its course to follow.

After two or three cycles, fewer than a hundred of the old demon's original group remained. Being ruthless himself, the old demon shouted, "Everyone head right, we are almost clear! I will cover the rear!" Although his subordinates harbored deep resentment toward him, they were accustomed to his commands. Without overthinking, they streaked away on various peculiar lights, some even feeling a pang of guilt for the old demon taking the rear guard. Little did they know, after Lei Dong teleported to block their path, the old demon and his trusted few suddenly veered sharply left, rocketing straight into the clouds, attempting to exploit a temporal gap. While the clouds held dangers, the old demon cared little for that now. Moments later, those abandoned as sacrifices, under the Silkworm's rampage, finally recognized Old Demon Huyan’s treachery and erupted in curses. Those who had lost friends and family were particularly furious, wishing they could devour the old demon's flesh.

"Stay right here and don't move; I will lure the Silkworm away and spare your lives," Lei Dong seemed to have anticipated this outcome. He gathered his energy and roared, "You must supervise each other. If a single one escapes, I will lead the Silkworm back here."

With that, Lei Dong instantly blinked in the opposite direction. The Xuanming Ice Silkworm, hating Lei Dong to the bone, naturally pursued him closely. This gave the remaining group a chance to feel they had narrowly escaped death. They exchanged panicked glances, wanting to flee, but dared not, as Lei Dong's words still echoed in their ears. Each feared that even the slightest movement would invite a group assault. Obediently, they hovered in the air, some meditating, others tending to injuries. By this point, they had given up hope. If the winged brat truly intended their deaths, he could simply continue leading the Silkworm to rampage. Why bother with this elaborate pretense? This line of thinking led the majority to heed Lei Dong's warning.

There were two brainless fools who thought they knew better and tried to bolt, only to be smashed into bloody pulp by dozens of spiritual artifacts.

As for Old Demon Huyan and his core group, they hadn't even reached the cloud layer before they were intercepted by Little You, who was cheerfully accompanied by Ah Chou, Dongfang Fu, Ding Wanyan, and the others.

Old Demon Huyan was a man who understood the situation. Seeing that the tide had turned irrevocably, he unceremoniously announced his surrender. Little You personally placed a restraint on them, sealing their powers. Though this seal wouldn't last long, it was sufficient for Little You's purposes.

Ah Chou tethered them with a rope and led them directly into a secluded valley. A short while later, the five Golden Core cultivators, including Old Demon Huyan, emerged, pale and subdued, yet they followed diligently behind Little You, glancing around with exaggerated air of loyal bodyguards, looking utterly devoted. What Little You had done was simple: she used the Ghost Gourds Lei Dong provided, planting one inside each of them. Then, without provocation, she activated the Ghost Gourds, making them 'enjoy' the experience of the Gourd consuming their souls.

This sensation was so horrifying that even the Blood Demon, after experiencing it once, shuddered and never wanted a second taste. For someone like Old Demon Huyan, whose will was hardly ironclad, the effect was immediate. His trusted friends were equally weak-willed. Before long, they all submitted under Little You's "power and might." It turned out that 'birds of a feather flock together'; in this regard, Old Demon Huyan had inadvertently done a service by gathering several craven souls around him, saving Little You considerable effort.

Meanwhile, Lei Dong, upon receiving the message, immediately lured the stubborn Ice Silkworm back. This only worked because the monstrous insect possessed limited intelligence; a normally aware demonic beast would never allow itself to be manipulated like this, and a Nascent Soul-level entity with humanoid intelligence would find it impossible.

The Xuanming Ice Silkworm had already expended significant energy in the preceding ordeal. When Ding Wanyan led her reinforcements to arrive, another large batch of cannon fodder ghosts was sacrificed, bullying the Ice Silkworm until it was half-dead before they swarmed it and finished it off.

With that, both Xuanming Ice Silkworms were utterly destroyed. While Qi Feifei and Dongfang Fu went to help collect the spoils, Lei Dong, accompanied by Little You and Ding Wanyan, found the group of compliant cultivators who were still standing exactly where they had been left. This contingent, which originally numbered nearly three hundred, was now under a hundred, with only ten Golden Core cultivators remaining.

Upon seeing Old Demon Huyan kneeling subserviently to Lei Dong, the abandoned cultivators became extremely agitated. If Lei Dong hadn't maintained suppression, a brawl might have broken out immediately. Next, Lei Dong and Little You spoke separately with the individuals. Those who agreed to submit and pledge loyalty had a Ghost Gourd planted in them to ensure their fidelity. As for those who verbally agreed but adamantly refused the Gourd, Lei Dong eliminated them without hesitation. These people were never good sorts to begin with. In fact, even if they had been virtuous, to prevent leaks, Lei Dong would never have hesitated to strike.

In the end, a motley crew of just over seventy people were accepted, including eight Golden Core cultivators. Adding Old Demon Huyan's group of five, Lei Dong's forces gained thirteen more Golden Core experts, forming the first true power base under his command in this Underworld. Gazing at the churning sky, Lei Dong's heart surged with excitement.