Seeing the Heavenly Demon hesitate, Fan Quqing pressed her advantage, biting back with sarcasm: "They say you, Heavenly Demon, are the foremost wondrous woman in Kangzhou, but it seems seeing you is not as good as hearing about you. In my opinion, you're nothing more than a local boast, propped up by your own rustic people. You won't even sign a life-and-death contract? You truly disgrace the Yinsha Sect, and your Master’s reputation to boot."

As if struck in a vulnerable spot by her words, the Heavenly Demon's cold, stunning eyes flashed. "Fan Quqing, your words are excessively cruel. Fine, a life-and-death contract it is. I must see what skills you truly possess." Black Fiend Qi surged outward uncontrollably, instantly stirring the small grand hall into a tempestuous uproar.

The Supreme Elders of the Yinsha Sect were few; across generations, the accumulation amounted to only eleven in total. Though eleven Nascent Soul-stage elders sounded like a large number, in reality, if a Nascent Soul cultivator was somewhat lucky, living for a thousand years was not out of the question. Currently, the oldest figure in the Yinsha Sect was over eleven hundred years old, existing as one on the verge of death. Yet, he was also the highest-cultivated Supreme Elder, the only one at the High-tier Nascent Soul stage. Normally, this venerable elder refrained from interfering in any of the sect’s affairs, large or small, focusing his remaining time on attempting the breakthrough to the Soul Transformation stage. However, how easily could the Soul Transformation realm be reached? Within the entirety of Kangzhou, not a single Soul Transformation expert could be found to this day. This alone illustrated the sheer rarity and preciousness of such powerful beings. Now, setting aside the two Supreme Elders in secluded cultivation and the Blood Demon who had traveled far and had yet to return, there were precisely eight Nascent Soul cultivators of the Yinsha Sect gathered in this hall. Essentially, this represented the peak strength the Yinsha Sect could muster at present. Eight against eight, the numbers were balanced, and coupled with the Yinsha Sect elders being masters of the local terrain, they were not afraid of the Eight Sons of Lingxiao. Excluding the Yinsha Demon Venerable and Xuanzhenzi, the others glared at each other, their stances bristling with intent to clash.

The two female cultivators at the Mid-tier Nascent Soul stage were each nursing their own strategies, but fundamentally, both intended to see the other dead. This was the harsh reality and cruelty of this world. However, Fan Quqing sought the Yinsha Sect's immense assets, while the Heavenly Demon fought for her young lover.

"Old Demon Yinsha, what is your opinion?" Xuanzhenzi asked calmly, not even lifting his eyelids as he sipped his tea.

The Yinsha Demon Venerable initially lacked confidence in the Heavenly Demon. As an elder of the Yinsha Sect, he had practically watched the Heavenly Demon grow up. He was certainly delighted by her heaven-sent genius. But he was also intimately aware of her true strength. She had recently advanced to the Mid-tier Nascent Soul stage through sheer luck. Relative to combat power, however, facing Fan Quqing from the Supreme Sect meant she was statistically more likely to lose than win.

Yet, when the Heavenly Demon secretly transmitted messages of unshakeable certainty in victory, the Yinsha Demon Venerable felt a flicker of surprise. Could it be that the Heavenly Demon had stumbled upon some extraordinary fortune somewhere? In truth, the Yinsha Demon Venerable knew that the Heavenly Demon's master had once been extremely close to the current East Sea Yaksha King—bosom friends, in fact. But later, the Heavenly Demon's master died unexpectedly. Following that, the Yaksha King had taken great care of the Heavenly Demon. It was rumored that the Yaksha King was willing to lend the Soul of the Departing Water to the Heavenly Demon for three years, along with numerous other benefits. This was what allowed the Heavenly Demon to reach the Mid-tier Nascent Soul stage at such a young age. Unlike him, the Yinsha Demon Venerable, who had labored painstakingly for several hundred years just to reach the same level. Truly, comparing oneself to others could drive one mad. Of course, the Yinsha Demon Venerable was unaware that Lei Dong also provided the Heavenly Demon with extensive resources.

Could it be that the Yaksha King had gifted her some heaven-defying treasures? If that venerable elder was supporting her behind the scenes, letting the Heavenly Demon win against Fan Quqing would not be a major issue.

Entities such as the Yaksha King or Asura King were not creatures that the Ghost Kings of the Nether Domain could be compared with. Within some exceedingly powerful races, such as the Asura, Yaksha, Demon Tribe, or Winged God Clan, there existed traditional hierarchies based on ancient inheritance, granting different titles to the strong at various tiers. However, what was relatively unified was that their King-level entities represented the Soul Transformation stage. Thus, whether it was the Yaksha King, the Asura King, or the Winged God King, each denoted a distinct Soul Transformation level existence.

This differed somewhat from the nomenclature in the Nether Domain. The Ghost Clan had never been considered a major power within the Three Realms and Six Domains. In the last few thousand years, they had gained some prestige thanks to the Underworld Ghost Emperor. Small tribes often favored grand-sounding titles. Of course, the origin of the Ghost Clan's rank titles had also seen some human interference pushing things along.

But the Yaksha King was a truly powerful entity at the Soul Transformation stage, on the same level as the Underworld Ghost Emperor. Naturally, the East Sea Yaksha King's strength was only at the Initial Soul Transformation stage, considerably inferior to the Ghost Emperor’s Mid-tier cultivation. Even so, the Yaksha King remained one of the foremost powers in this world. Never mind how arrogantly the Eight Sons of Lingxiao boasted about wiping out the East Sea Yaksha Clan; if they ever truly encountered the Yaksha King, they would undoubtedly behave like subservient dogs, heads bowed low.

With this conjecture, the Yinsha Demon Venerable leisurely and unhurriedly stated: "Brother Xuanzhen, although I currently preside over the major affairs of the Yinsha Sect, matters involving a life-and-death duel should perhaps be left to the Heavenly Demon's own decision." Having said that, he turned to the Heavenly Demon and said, "Yanmei, you must consider this decision carefully; do not act purely out of pique." This served as a double-edged reminder: if you can win, proceed; if you have no certainty, do not sign the life-and-death contract.

The Heavenly Demon then adopted a facade of righteous indignation: "Demon Venerable, this woman has insulted my Yinsha Sect, and her words even slighted my late Master. Yanmei truly cannot swallow this insult. Even if it means death, I must fight her. Moreover, so what if they are from the Supreme Sect? We are all cultivators at the Mid-tier Nascent Soul stage; neither side has three heads or six arms."

The Yinsha Demon Venerable pondered for a moment before nodding solemnly. "Since that is your wish, then this Venerable will grant it. However, let this be clear beforehand: signing the life-and-death contract is merely to prevent future entanglement should something unexpected occur. During the actual duel, however, both of you must remember the principle of holding back and showing mercy." The Yinsha Demon Venerable's statement was merely for appearances, as any fool knew that once the Heavenly Demon and Fan Quqing stepped onto the dueling stage, the outcome would likely be a fight to the death.

On Xuanzhenzi's side, he too went through the motions of instructing Fan Quqing to uphold righteousness and benevolence—all meaningless platitudes. The two sides then proceeded according to the rules, signing the life-and-death contract. The Yinsha Demon Venerable and Xuanzhenzi acted as witnesses. Once on the platform, all bets were off regarding life and death, and neither side's allies or sect could hold the victor accountable for revenge.

A life-and-death duel between two Mid-tier Nascent Soul cultivators could not, of course, proceed immediately. The solemn Yinsha Demon Venerable took considerable effort to postpone the decisive battle for half a year. His stated reason was that such a major event required the presence of representative figures from both the righteous and evil paths of Kangzhou to serve as witnesses and ensure impartiality.

Xuanzhenzi's party was initially very reluctant. This was the Yinsha Sect's territory; if the Heavenly Demon were given six months, she might acquire some truly formidable treasures. However, the Yinsha Demon Venerable saw that the other side desperately wanted the duel and refused to budge on the six-month delay. After some careful consideration, Xuanzhenzi reluctantly agreed.

This meeting concluded not with outright hostility, but both parties left with deeply complicated feelings. After Xuanzhenzi and his group returned to the temporary quarters meticulously prepared for them by the Yinsha Sect, Fan Quqing, whose expression was quite grim, urgently said to Xuanzhenzi, "Senior Brother, giving that Heavenly Demon half a year—what if the Yinsha Sect decides to spare no expense and acquire some truly terrifying things?" She believed her advantage lay in possessing an extremely rare and precious Nascent Soul-level puppet, coupled with superior cultivation methods and spirit treasures.

"Junior Sister, please rest assured. Your humble brother has already made plans. Just watch then," Xuanzhenzi appeared utterly unconcerned, as if Fan Quqing's victory was already secured. Even when Fan Quqing pressed him repeatedly, he refused to reveal his method.

While they discussed tactics, the Yinsha Sect's internal council, composed of those cultivators rarely seen in public, also convened. Although some felt the Heavenly Demon accepting the challenge was rash, suspecting it to be a trap using the enemy's provocation, members of the Yinsha Sect, despite their usual internal squabbles, set aside their grievances when facing an external enemy, showing a degree of unity.

Discussions began on how to win this contest. Both sides were at the Mid-tier Golden Core level in terms of cultivation, the difference being minimal, and even if the absolute best cultivation methods were found now, they could not be mastered and utilized in such a short time. The only way to increase their odds of winning now was to focus on spirit treasures, battle pets, and auxiliary exotic artifacts.

The Yinsha Sect had been a dominant major sect in Kangzhou for over ten thousand years; the treasures accumulated over so many years meant their vault was undoubtedly rich. However, all the elders understood that items suitable for fully unleashing the power of a Mid-tier Nascent Soul cultivator were exceedingly scarce.

Nevertheless, various resources had accumulated in large quantities. The elders began discussing securing a batch of high-yield destructive talismans and tools, regardless of the cost. But like anything else, once items pertaining to Nascent Soul cultivators were involved, there were practically no options for picky selection. Even a common talisman capable of deploying an Initial Nascent Soul cultivator's basic spell would fetch an astronomical price. Even more costly were potent spiritual elixirs, which were equally priceless.

"I heard from a friend that the Tianji Sect has just finished manufacturing their third Nascent Soul-level puppet," the Yinsha Demon Venerable stated in a deep voice. "If we can acquire it for the Heavenly Demon to refine, our chances of winning will increase significantly."

A Nascent Soul-level puppet? Upon hearing this, all present sucked in a sharp breath, their faces showing looks of rare and intense longing. Indeed, one could not find a third Nascent Soul puppet in all of Kangzhou. The Tianji Sect guarded such things as if they were their own lives.