Wang Lei was dumbfounded. Although the Black Dragon had absorbed the majority of the power from that earlier strike, the residual shockwave was still something a Golden Core stage cultivator’s physical body could not simply endure. Yet, Lei Dong, though looking utterly disheveled, did not appear to have suffered any major injury under Wang Lei’s keen observation.

He thought to himself that if he, Wang Lei, had taken that hit head-on, the result would certainly have been complete annihilation of body and spirit. Could it be that Lei Dong was truly that much more powerful than him? Furthermore, the immense power he suddenly unleashed didn't look like the result of consuming a forbidden drug. Could it be a hidden cultivation technique?

“Done, it seems it’s successful.” Wang Lei tightly gripped the newly formed Myriad Ghost Banner, swallowed hard, and stammered as he handed it over.

Seemingly sensing Wang Lei’s confusion, Lei Dong didn't immediately take the banner. Instead, he circulated a bit of energy to shake off the surrounding dust. With a calm expression, he took a new set of clothes from his storage bracelet and put them on, speaking in an extremely measured tone, “At the final moment, I managed to cast a spatial spell by relying on some Spatial Laws from the Asura Wings combined with some of my own understanding.”

Thud~

Wang Lei was so startled he plopped onto the ground, staring at Lei Dong as if he were a monster, mumbling, “A spatial spell?” Wang Lei was no novice to cultivation; he knew well that Spatial Laws were among the most profound rules governing the universe. Even Nascent Soul cultivators who frequently pondered Spatial Laws could barely grasp the surface. Who would have thought that Lei Dong, only at the mid-stage Golden Core, could execute a complete spatial spell? How could this not shock Wang Lei?

In truth, Wang Lei was unaware that Lei Dong had possessed the Asura Wings since the Foundation Establishment stage and frequently performed spatial teleportation. Over time, this naturally made him incomparable to ordinary cultivators. But what truly propelled his understanding of Spatial Laws forward was the trip to the Underworld Domain. His ghost pet, Xiao You, was born with an innate grasp of some Spatial Laws. During their exchanges, it wasn't just Lei Dong teaching Xiao You various spells; Xiao You was simultaneously transferring her understanding of Spatial Laws back to Lei Dong. Being master and servant after a blood sacrifice, their minds were intrinsically linked, causing Lei Dong’s comprehension of those obscure and difficult Spatial Laws to advance by leaps and bounds.

Later, his battles against the Heavenly Ghost Emperor often subjected him to suppression by Spatial Laws. As the saying goes, the best teacher is often your enemy. Lei Dong also gleaned considerable insight into Spatial Laws from the Heavenly Ghost Emperor.

All these factors combined led to Lei Dong imitating Xiao You’s move, Space Devour. However, constrained by his cultivation level, even with the temporary power boost from the Heavenly Demon Transformation, that move was still executed somewhat incompletely and awkwardly.

Fortunately, it managed to divert most of the power of that Heavenly Thunder to the surroundings smoothly, allowing Lei Dong to withstand the final impact purely on the strength of his Golden Core physical body.

The various contingencies and luck involved were hardly explainable in a few words. If the innate spiritual treasure Myriad Ghost Banner had not held such overwhelming allure for him, Lei Dong would never have risked his life in such a desperate gamble. But it was precisely this terrifying performance, far exceeding peers of the same rank, that completely altered Wang Lei’s perception of him. From the initially superior stance when they first met, to addressing each other as brothers as equals a short while ago, it had now evolved into awe and profound respect.

Without offering further explanations, Lei Dong took the Myriad Ghost Banner and examined it closely. He had to admit that Wang Lei truly possessed a unique and formidable talent in artifact refining. Even the mere aesthetic design was far superior to Lei Dong’s previous banner. The flagpole, forged from Chaos Essence Iron, exuded a bold and ancient sense, as if originating from the Primordial Era. What was remarkable was that the complex and weighty dragon reliefs on the pole weren't just for show; they concealed the soul of a genuine Netherworld Demon Dragon.

According to Wang Lei’s theory, this Netherworld Demon Dragon artifact spirit, refined through compression, should theoretically save the wielder a considerable amount of mental energy maintenance. The flag itself, as black as ink, was as deep as the night sky, with wisps of faint azure flames swimming within it as if alive, lending the Myriad Ghost Banner an added layer of mystique.

Following Wang Lei’s suggestion, Lei Dong pierced his finger and dripped a few drops of essence blood onto the flag. The Myriad Ghost Banner seemed to absorb the blood like a living entity, and the inky black surface immediately acquired a faint scent of blood. Simultaneously, though weary, Lei Dong’s potent spiritual sense began the refinement process. In just a few hours, Lei Dong managed to engrave a rudimentary imprint of his soul onto the banner. Only then could it be considered, in theory, Lei Dong’s innate spiritual treasure, allowing him to control it. Lei Dong handled it like a brand-new toy, repeatedly drawing it into the soul space between his brows only to release it again moments later.

Naturally, this was merely preliminary refinement. To achieve complete unity of mind and spirit and maximize its power, Lei Dong still needed to nurture it within his soul space for a long time.

Wang Lei, equally excited, stood nearby explaining the myriad marvels of this innate spiritual treasure. Like most common Myriad Ghost Banners, its primary function wasn't complicated. However, its efficacy was extraordinarily powerful. Firstly, there was the Demon Dragon artifact spirit mentioned earlier. Although this spirit could not directly engage in combat, it could alleviate a significant portion of the spiritual pressure on Lei Dong.

“A significant portion” was relative to Lei Dong’s current strength. To quantify it, it could simply be understood as saving Lei Dong the mental energy equivalent of roughly one hundred fifty thousand to two hundred thousand cannon fodder fierce ghosts, or twenty Golden Core level fierce ghosts, or even one Nascent Soul level fierce ghost.

Just this feature alone was enough to send Lei Dong into paroxysms of joy. This marked Lei Dong’s formal entry into the ranks of the powerful. But that wasn't all. The fierce ghosts refined by this innate spiritual treasure-grade Myriad Ghost Banner, having been tempered by the Ghost Flame, possessed individual combat strength at least double that of fierce ghosts from ordinary banners. What a concept! Even identical cannon fodder fierce ghosts, one from this banner could fight as much as two from Lei Dong’s old one—truly elite troops.

The above alone would drive people mad, but in reality, the power of this innate spiritual treasure-grade Myriad Ghost Banner extended even further. This was because the previously stated power was merely Wang Lei’s extrapolation based on the finished artifact specifications detailed in ancient refining manuals—that is, the designed power. In practice, the quality of this refined banner already far surpassed the original design specifications.

Wang Lei surmised that this phenomenon was due, firstly, to luck, and secondly, to the use of the Nine Nether Ghost Flame as a substitute material. The Nine Nether Ghost Flame was an extraordinary substance, ranking among the top-tier flames even when searching through all the flames in the three realms and six domains.

Judging by the extreme reluctance displayed by the Netherworld Ghost Emperor when parting with it, this flame possessed a fatal attraction even for experts at the Soul Transformation stage.

As for just how powerful this quality-enhanced Myriad Ghost Banner truly was, Lei Dong and Wang Lei were now eager to test it. The materials used were ordinary, low-grade yin souls that Lei Dong had people collect over time—typical expendable fodder, so numerous they were considered inexhaustible, even scorned by the Ghost Race itself.

Lei Dong first refined one cannon fodder fierce ghost and then summoned it out. As the cannon fodder fierce ghost materialized, both observers paused in astonishment. This fierce ghost was markedly different from the familiar ones they often saw. Although it was still a phantom entity, it was visibly much more condensed and robust, its pair of lifelike eyes filled with terrifying hostility. Most uniquely, a faint trace of pale blue flame flickered around the entire body of the cannon fodder fierce ghost.

The Nine Nether Ghost Flame!

Even though it was only a trace, and perhaps not even a perfectly focused manifestation of the Nine Nether Ghost Flame, it was enough to grant that cannon fodder fierce ghost a vastly different and formidable aura.

Impatiently, Lei Dong summoned a cannon fodder fierce ghost using his old Myriad Ghost Banner. Placing them side-by-side for comparison, the superiority of the new ghost was immediately apparent. The latter, judging purely by its spirit and vigor, had already reached the elite tier.

Under the guidance of spiritual power, the new and old fierce ghosts clashed. It was clear the elite fierce ghost’s movements were more than twice as swift.

Chirp~

After just one exchange, the old fierce ghost was violently torn into several pieces, dissolving into ashes with a sharp cry like a puff of black mist.

Next, Lei Dong summoned three ordinary fierce ghosts to fight one elite fierce ghost. Under the control of their spiritual senses, the two sides fought fiercely, appearing evenly matched. But after only a few breaths, the first ordinary ghost was shredded, followed by the remaining two being eliminated one by one.

Hiss~ Wang Lei gasped, exchanging glances with Lei Dong, both seeing a mixture of terror and pleasant surprise in the other’s eyes.

This time, Lei Dong hardened his resolve and summoned ten ordinary fierce ghosts, urging them into battle against the elite one once more. Perhaps due to the quantity creating a qualitative change, the elite fierce ghost no longer held a significant advantage in such an unequal fight. After exhausting its strength and eliminating the eighth ordinary fierce ghost, it was finally torn apart by the remaining two furious ordinary ghosts.

This outcome left Lei Dong dumbfounded. It was terrifying, utterly terrifying. Was this thing still just called a cannon fodder fierce ghost? Although, with Lei Dong’s current strength, he could crush that elite fierce ghost with a flick of his finger, the thought of being besieged by thousands of such elite fierce ghosts made the only viable option fleeing as far away as possible.

The problem was, just relying on the Demon Dragon artifact spirit alone, Lei Dong could control at least one hundred fifty thousand of these elite fierce ghosts. Lei Dong found it hard to imagine whether a cultivator at the early Nascent Soul stage could escape death amid such a ghost tide?

……(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian to cast recommendation votes and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)