"It seems things are taking a rather unfavorable turn." King Tiangui also spotted the massive black serpent, his expression growing heavy. "Why on earth would such a powerful Netherworld Profound Serpent be waiting right at this entrance?"

"Senior, could this serpent have reached the peak Nascent Soul level?" Lei Dong was awestruck, recognizing from King Tiangui's tone that this creature was anything but ordinary.

"Not quite. This Netherworld Profound Serpent is likely only at the mid-Nascent Soul stage," King Tiangui stated seriously. "However, this serpent was born from the essence of pure Netherworld Ghost Qi. And within the Underworld Domain, this Nine Nether Abyss is one of the very few locations where the Netherworld Ghost Qi is most concentrated. Were we elsewhere, joining forces to eliminate this serpent wouldn't be easy, but it wouldn't be overly strenuous either. But here, where the Ghost Qi is so densely gathered, the serpent can draw on nearly inexhaustible power, healing rapidly even when wounded. It will be exceptionally troublesome."

Lei Dong understood immediately: the tactic of wearing down an enemy with the Sea of Ghosts would be largely ineffective against this creature. Still, he had to admit, the Netherworld Ghost Qi here was purer than anything he had ever witnessed; Ah Chou and Little You, flanking him, seemed utterly invigorated.

Speaking of Little You, she found King Tiangui strangely familiar, a feeling akin to kinship, making her naturally inclined to stay close to him. King Tiangui, in turn, was generous toward the clever and sharp 'Supreme Spirit Ghost,' Little You, often bestowing precious items upon her and patiently instructing her in her cultivation—his concern was remarkably like that of a father toward his daughter.

"If we were to enter through another passage..." Lei Dong frowned slightly.

"Lei Dong, you are unaware," King Tiangui said, his eyes grave. "The Nine Nether Lands are vast, and this Abyss is no small place. Several entrances are separated by great distances. Even if we spent half a year or a full year traveling to another entrance and passed through unimpeded, it would be useless. According to intelligence, the Nine Nether Ghost Flame lies less than a month's journey beneath this very entrance. To enter from elsewhere—not only is there the chance we might not even reach this spot, but the dangers and obstacles we would face along the way far outweigh a direct confrontation with this Netherworld Profound Serpent."

"Master, since this ugly snake is deep within the Abyss, if fighting here tires us out, why not lure it out, draw it far away from this location, and then fight it?" suggested Little You, her face veiled.

"Little You, luring it out to fight is certainly an option, but this Netherworld Profound Serpent has likely grown in this Ghost Qi-rich Abyss since its youth. Now at the mid-Nascent Soul strength, given its nature as an exotic beast, its intelligence won't be entirely lacking. Unless presented with something it simply cannot refuse, it will be very difficult to tempt it away from its home turf," King Tiangui sighed, shaking his head wryly. "To lure it out, the only viable plan is to send someone back to retrieve the Thirty Thousand Year Netherworld Profound Ginseng that I have treasured for so long and never dared use. Or, we could simply roam around this Nine Nether Land and see if luck grants us a Profound Ginseng of similar age, or other heaven and earth treasures nurtured by Netherworld Qi."

"Netherworld Profound Ginseng? Thirty thousand years of age?" Lei Dong was mildly surprised.

"Indeed. When I was young, I stumbled upon a Netherworld Profound Ginseng of considerable maturity. Because it fell short of the thirty-thousand-year mark, I never used it. For my recent promotion, I had planned to rely on its medicinal efficacy if things got truly desperate. But now, I can put it aside for now, hehe. This item is a tremendous tonic for a Profound Serpent that also grows nurtured by Netherworld Ghost Qi. Very well, let us return first and retrieve that ginseng. With such a creature blocking the way, I doubt anyone else could slip in easily," King Tiangui declared, a hint of pride in his tone. Netherworld Profound Ginseng is inherently rare; even in the Nine Nether Lands, a thirty-thousand-year specimen is exceedingly scarce.

Lei Dong pondered for a moment before deciding to speak plainly: "Senior, by chance, this junior happens to possess a Netherworld Profound Ginseng." Lei Dong wasn't worried about King Tiangui coveting his ginseng. In fact, given the many favors and life-saving grace the King had shown him, handing over the ginseng would mean very little to Lei Dong.

"Oh?" King Tiangui asked, visibly pleased. "How old is it? If it's too young, it won't do. For a Netherworld Profound Serpent of this caliber, ginseng under ten thousand years offers almost no chance of luring it out."

"Approximately fifty thousand years old," Lei Dong replied, then produced the ginseng he had been nurturing within his Soul-Nourishing Pagoda, frequently irrigating it with Netherworld Ghost Qi.

"What?" King Tiangui exclaimed in shock. But as he immediately sensed the intensely rich Ghost Qi and medicinal fragrance emanating from the ginseng, he judged its maturity to be well over fifty thousand years.

"Hiss—"

A sudden surge of movement rippled through the dense, swirling black mist at the Abyss entrance, accompanied by the piercing hiss of the Netherworld Profound Serpent. Clearly, it had sensed the precious ginseng.

"Put it away quickly," King Tiangui glanced at the churning black fog, then let out a wicked laugh. "It seems fortune is still on our side, eh? A Netherworld Profound Ginseng of this potency—even I am tempted to swallow it whole, let alone that beast driven more by instinct than reason."

Lei Dong swiftly concealed the ginseng, his expression turning solemn. "Senior, if you desire this ginseng, this junior is willing to offer it to you after our task is complete, as a small token of my esteem."

"This..." King Tiangui seemed to be restraining desire, hesitating before shaking his head. "Nephew Lei, I appreciate your kind intentions. I am old now; even in my spirit form, I cannot escape the erosion of time. Give it to Little You later. That child is so young, treat her well. With her Supreme Spirit Ghost talent, perhaps she can even ascend to Ghost Emperor? I, in any case, have no hope left."

The Supreme Spirit Ghost talent makes reaching Ghost King status easier, but breaking that final barrier to Ghost Emperor is immensely difficult—far harder than the task for an Upper-Grade Spirit Ghost to reach Ghost King. However, history does record rare instances where a Supreme Spirit Ghost ultimately trod the path to Ghost Emperor. The rank of Ghost Emperor is not exclusively reserved for Heavenly Spirit Ghosts. Furthermore, achieving Ghost Emperor status is the lifelong aspiration of every Ghost King originating from the Supreme Spirit Ghost lineage.

Lei Dong did not press the matter further. The immediate priority was dispatching the Netherworld Profound Serpent and clearing the path into the Nine Nether Abyss. The Ghost Flame was his final objective. Once acquired, he stood a chance of refining an Ultimate Grade Ten Thousand Ghost Banner, which would dramatically boost his strength.

Most importantly, this trial in the Underworld Domain had significantly broadened Lei Dong's insight and experience, paving the way for his future advancement. For a cultivator, worldly experience is crucial; those who only know how to bury themselves in closed-door cultivation often encounter bottlenecks they cannot surpass. Lei Dong had many other gains as well: he had made several staunch friends and recruited a number of subordinates, establishing a foothold for himself within the Underworld Domain.

After a brief consultation, the group began to strategize against the Netherworld Profound Serpent. Although the mid-Nascent Soul serpent possessed cunning, it was not a creature of true intellect; instinct overwhelmingly superseded reason. In truth, forget beasts—even intelligent beings like humans often lose their rationality when faced with absolute temptation, stumbling straight into a trap.

After scouting the terrain, they decided to ambush the serpent in a desolate, gloomy plain tens of thousands of miles away. Lei Dong would act as the bait, using the Netherworld Profound Ginseng to draw the serpent out. As anticipated, after several moments of internal struggle, the Netherworld Profound Serpent could no longer resist the temptation and lunged out from the Abyss entrance.

Its colossal body, easily a hundred zhang long, coiled through the air and lunged toward Lei Dong. Already prepared, Lei Dong spread his wings, slipped forward, and flew ahead, maintaining a deliberate, slow pace. The irresistibly tempted serpent pursued closely.

Lei Dong used his Asura Wings periodically to create distance, then allowed the serpent to close in again. During this chase, several other beasts, drawn by the scent of the ginseng, attempted to muscle in on the feast but were terrified away by the sheer size of the pursuing serpent.

After nearly an hour and a half, the Netherworld Profound Serpent was successfully lured into the ambush zone. King Tiangui struck first, his figure shifting and rapidly expanding into a giant towering dozens of zhang high, wielding a pair of massive bronze hammers, engaging the beast in brutal close-quarters combat. Wan Yan and Dongfang Fu, along with the others, unleashed their Ten Thousand Ghost Banners, pouring out countless vengeful spirits. With the addition of numerous Ghost Generals, their combined strength far surpassed that of the Netherworld Profound Serpent.

Time and again, the serpent attempted to flee, only to be entangled by King Tiangui. In less than half an hour, the poor creature was overwhelmed by the coordinated assault and perished, falling to the barren plain with palpable resentment.

The group happily began gathering the spoils of war; a Netherworld Profound Serpent was a prize of considerable value.

Almost simultaneously, deep within the Abyss, near a vortex resembling an aperture in the void, a massive mountain peak floated suspended in the air, exuding an aura of profound nobility. A Netherworld Ghost Emperor with flowing white hair gazed down at a churning, obsidian whirlpool spanning dozens of miles below him, from which strands of Netherworld Ghost Qi slowly rotated. Ao You and Ao Ming, two peak Ghost Kings, stood respectfully at his rear.

The deepest core of the vortex seemed condensed into a substance so black it shone, like the most mysterious object in existence.

"It seems our luck is good; this Netherworld Essence has just finished forming." Even the vastly experienced Netherworld Ghost Emperor showed subtle excitement in his eyes as he regarded the glowing, dark core. "It has been over two thousand years since our Underworld Domain successfully condensed a Netherworld Essence..."