"Feifei," a surge moved within Lei Dong's eyes as he gazed deeply at her, a strange tremor stirring in his heart. He reached out, gently stroking her fine hair, and let out a long sigh, "You are an exceptionally excellent girl. To say I, Lei Dong, feel nothing for you would be a lie. I owe a great debt to Wanyan's generosity for not holding a grudge against me. Otherwise, it would truly be hard for me to have peace of mind." "Lei Dong, Sister Wanyan is the kindest woman in the world. You must cherish her well." For the first time, Qi Feifei experienced the light touch of Lei Dong's hand in her hair, a look of comfortable satisfaction seeming to bloom in her eyes. She said softly, "Feifei asks for no title. Even if I remain hidden behind you my entire life, supporting you silently, Feifei will be perfectly content." Qi Feifei seemed to have perceived Lei Dong's ambition as well. As his strength grew ever greater, his ambition was slowly, bit by bit, being exposed. It was so intense, so fervent. Perhaps it was this very ambition that was gradually captivating a woman like Qi Feifei.

"Mmm, you should rest and recuperate from your injuries as well." Lei Dong encouraged her softly for a few more moments, then dared not disturb her further and left the cabin.

Time slipped by quickly; the warship moved on while everyone tended to their wounds. More than ten days later, Tu Lei received a message from the Heavenly Ghost King: the old man had successfully escaped danger without being recognized by the Demonic Dragon King. This news brought a wave of relief to everyone. After all, the Heavenly Ghost King had gone to rescue them, and no one wished for any mishap to befall him.

After spending more time, they finally returned to Heavenly Ghost City without incident. Lei Dong, accompanied by his wife Ding Wanyan, stepped forward together to offer their heartfelt thanks to the Heavenly Ghost King. Only then did they resume staying at the inn managed by Beiye to heal their injuries and recover from the losses incurred during this period. As for Qi Feifei, whose spirit injury was the most severe, she received meticulous care, and it was believed that with over a year's effort, she would return to her original state, perhaps even advancing further in spirit power. After all, sometimes when the spirit suffers a severe trauma, its recovery results in an even greater strength.

Lei Dong and his party rested peacefully in the Nether Domain, unaware that Kang Province was already turning upside down due to the arrival of the Nine Sons of Lingxiao.

Regarding the disappearance of Li Yao, one of the Nine Sons of Lingxiao, all major sects showed unprecedented unanimity: Li Yao had already left Kang Province, though where he had gone was unknown. At this critical juncture, even the sworn enemies, the Yin Sha Sect and the Heavenly Sound Palace, showed a subtle trend of aligning their spears outward.

It must be said that these mere eight Sons of Lingxiao, relying only on their individual strength, posed no great threat to the entirety of Kang Province. However, the Supreme Sect they represented behind them was a suffocating behemoth. Any single sect in Kang Province confronting the Supreme Sect head-on would face complete defeat and annihilation.

Yet, everyone knew that once the Supreme Sect found an opportunity to stir up trouble—using revenge as an excuse to mobilize its main forces into Kang Province—getting them to leave would become an almost impossible feat. Furthermore, the aloof attitude of the Eight Sons of Lingxiao, like Heavenly Dynasty envoys descending upon a barbaric land, had caused the orthodox and demonic sects of Kang Province to unite in their xenophobia to an unprecedented degree. Internal strife was, after all, Kang Province's own affair.

And the Eight Sons of Lingxiao were no ordinary individuals; they surprisingly began subtly directing their hostility toward the Yin Sha Sect using certain specialized spells. Although there was no concrete proof, they were already using a forceful stance to negotiate with the Yin Sha Sect.

It was a quiet day when Lei Dong was wandering through some of the marketplaces in Heavenly Ghost City, gathering market intelligence, when the Heavenly Ghost King again sent word, summoning Lei Dong to his presence. Upon arriving, as expected, the Heavenly Ghost King's intelligence network had managed to uncover news about the Nether Domain Ghost Flame. In fact, this was not the ordinary Nether Domain Ghost Flame, but its advanced form: the Nine Nether Ghost Flame.

However, the location of the Nine Nether Ghost Flame was in the deepest part of the Nether Domain, the Ninth Layer—the Nine Nether Lands.

The Nine Nether Lands were unlike the preceding eight layers. This region was the most vast area within the entire Nether Domain, sprawling several times larger than the first eight layers combined. It was also the most perilous location, where the Four Emperors of the Nether Domain each held sway over one quadrant. In essence, the Nine Nether Lands truly represented the Nether Domain; the previous eight layers were merely like small islands adjacent to the continent.

The various creatures that could survive in the Nine Nether Lands were certainly no common beasts. For instance, the Nine Nether Soul-Devouring Worms that Lei Dong once boasted about to scare the White Bone Demon Lord were a relatively rare and extremely dangerous species found only within the Nine Nether.

Furthermore, even the current Four Emperors of the Nether Domain had significant limitations in their development and occupation of the Nine Nether Lands, controlling at most thirty percent. The remaining area was called the Nine Nether Dark Zone, which was the most dangerous place within the Nine Nether, a place where even Nascent Soul cultivators could perish if they ventured in rashly.

The Heavenly Ghost King's intelligence indicated that the Nine Nether Ghost Flame lay within the Dark Zone, in a place called the Nine Nether Abyss, a notoriously malevolent location teeming with rampaging demons and endless dangers. Moreover, the Nine Nether Abyss held the designation of one of the Ten Great Baleful Lands of the Nine Nether.

Lei Dong listened impassively as the Heavenly Ghost King recounted the intelligence gathered. Only when the King finished did Lei Dong properly salute him: "I thank Senior Heavenly Ghost for exhausting all efforts to assist me. However, I am self-aware; I am reluctant to venture into overly dangerous affairs. Our group consists only of Golden Core cultivators. Venturing into the ordinary parts of the Nine Nether Dark Zone would be barely manageable. But to venture into one of the Ten Great Baleful Lands… I fear we lack the capability." Although the Nine Nether Ghost Flame, superior to the Nether Domain Ghost Flame, was tempting to Lei Dong, compared to the lives of his companions, he preferred to retreat.

"I understand that too," the Heavenly Ghost King responded seriously. "I only mentioned it because I promised you I would seek information; I could not withhold what I learned. In truth, I do not advocate for you to risk the Abyss either. It is just that this Nine-Faced Ghost Flame is something that tempts even me. To let such a rare treasure pass so easily would be a lifelong regret. How about this: Lei Dong, you can cultivate in Heavenly Ghost City and wait for news while I gather one or two close friends to go together. Once we secure the Nine Nether Ghost Flame, I will use a secret technique to split off a small wisp for you. Of course, this split flame will have severely damaged vitality, its power less than even the Nether Domain Ghost Flame. However, if you nurture it carefully for a few decades, it can reach the level of an ordinary Nether Domain Ghost Flame. For someone of your age, waiting a few decades will pass in the blink of an eye."

Lei Dong frowned slightly. Accepting this would mean incurring too great a favor from the Heavenly Ghost King; how could he repay such a debt? After a brief contemplation, he said, "If Senior is determined to go, this junior can accompany you." He had also calculated that while venturing to the Nine Nether Abyss with just his small group was far too risky, if the Heavenly Ghost King joined them, their combined strength and proper tactics would multiply their combat power far beyond a simple addition. Although danger would still exist, it would be reduced to the absolute minimum.

"I have heard from Tu Lei that you, esteemed nephew, and your companions are rare geniuses in this world, each possessing extraordinary strength. Especially when you unleash the Fierce Ghost Great Formation, it is several times more potent than an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator. Coincidentally, I am also adept at group attacks using fierce ghosts. Now that I have advanced to a Middle-Tier Ghost King, I can command nearly two hundred thousand low-level fierce ghosts at once." The Heavenly Ghost King also began considering the proposition: "Moreover, I heard that the core technique you cultivate, Nephew Lei, is the Netherworld Great Law of the Yin Sha Sect? And it seems to be at quite a high level too... hehe."

"Replying to Senior," Lei Dong answered respectfully, "I have practiced the art of ghost commanding since childhood and have some proficiency in the Netherworld Great Law." This deference was not solely due to the Ghost King's superior strength, but rather because the Heavenly Ghost King had wholeheartedly assisted him several times, earning Lei Dong's deep gratitude and respect.

"Hehe, your Yin Sha Sect's Netherworld Great Law originates from within our Ghost Clan. After being learned and adapted by cultivators, its power actually increased slightly," the Heavenly Ghost King chuckled. "However, in a sense, the Ghost Clan and humans share deep origins, so there's no need to draw too clear a line. Earlier, while I was striving for the Middle Tier, I did not attend to esteemed guests like you adequately. How about this: on the journey ahead, I will exchange and verify my experience with the Fierce Ghost Great Formation and some insights regarding the Netherworld system spells with you. Consider it my care for the Yin Sha Sect lineage."

"Thank you, Senior." A hint of joy appeared on Lei Dong's face, showing his respect for the Heavenly Ghost King. Frankly, this was indeed a good thing. Since Lei Dong's primary cultivation involved the Netherworld series of spells, which originated from the Netherworld Ghost Realm, receiving insights from the Heavenly Ghost King would genuinely be of great help to him.

The following period was spent preparing for the journey to the Nine Nether Abyss. During their stay in Heavenly Ghost City, Lei Dong had not been idle, acquiring various single-use but potent items. His main focus was on the Yin Sha Heavenly Thunder, a type of lightning he frequently encountered. This lightning was refined by condensing large amounts of pure Yin Sha Qi along with various precious auxiliary materials into a single-use consumable thunder, possessing considerable power, especially effective against numerous but weaker enemies. It could also prove crucial in turning the tide during key battles. In Kang Province, only the Yin Sha Sect could produce this item. But in reality, its true origin lay within the Nether Domain.

In the black markets of Kang Province, the Yin Sha Heavenly Thunder was rarely seen, and even if found, the asking price would skyrocket to millions of spirit stones. But here in the Nether Domain, one could often procure a piece for merely three or four hundred thousand spirit stones. Lei Dong certainly seized the opportunity to acquire a large quantity. In just the time since arriving in the Nether Domain, Lei Dong had quietly amassed nearly a hundred pieces of Yin Sha Heavenly Thunder, achieving this in a manner as subtle as spring rain moistening silent ground. After drastically increasing his fearsome potential, his own purse was completely emptied.

For more novels, visit storyread.net.