For a Golden Core stage cultivator, especially one at the peak of that realm, the ultimate life goal was breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage. The Immortal Ascension Pill was the optimal auxiliary medicine for this breakthrough, capable of increasing the chance of successfully coalescing a soul by several tenths. However, the price of the Immortal Ascension Pill was far beyond what ordinary Golden Core cultivators could covet, particularly for a solitary practitioner like the Old Fiend Yin-Yang, who lacked any sect backing. Even with the support of a major sect, unless one was an exceptionally prioritized core member, obtaining something on the level of the Immortal Ascension Pill was simply impossible.

Upon hearing the words "Immortal Ascension Pill," the Old Fiend Yin-Yang's eyes nearly bulged out, revealing an expression of intense longing, his breathing growing labored. "Senior, Senior, are you truly willing to give me the Immortal Ascension Pill?" Subconsciously, he had completely forgotten about the Ghost Gu.

Lei Dong had to remind him again about the function of the Ghost Gu, lest the old fellow regret it later.

The Old Fiend Yin-Yang had never heard of a Ghost Gu so utterly dominant. According to what this Senior had said, once the Gu was consumed, he would essentially be bound to serve as his subordinate for the rest of his life. For a moment, he hesitated again. But since he already harbored a desire to pledge allegiance, and could not refuse the temptation of the Immortal Ascension Pill, the Old Fiend Yin-Yang gritted his teeth and declared, "I shall obey the Senior’s command. From this day forward, my life is at the Senior’s disposal." He maintained the address of "Senior" repeatedly, as even though Lei Dong's cultivation was only high-stage Golden Core, his actual strength was overwhelmingly potent, making the address appropriate.

"Heh heh, since you are sincerely willing to pledge fealty to me, I shall not treat you unfairly. Though there are dangers, there will also be considerable rewards," Lei Dong said, flicking out two medicine bottles with a faint smile. In truth, if the Old Fiend Yin-Yang had backed out after hearing the effects of the Ghost Gu, Lei Dong wouldn't have minded taking his life. But for now, the outcome seemed satisfactory, showing genuine intent to submit.

Lei Dong held some regard for the Old Fiend Yin-Yang. To reach this level of cultivation in just two hundred years as a lone rogue cultivator was a testament to extraordinary talent. With one Immortal Ascension Pill, plus various auxiliary elixirs, the chance of breaking through to Nascent Soul was very high. Before long, he would have another Nascent Soul-level general under his command.

"Have you prepared the other auxiliary pills for coalescing a soul? There's no time like the present; let's go to the Hengduan Mountains and find a secluded spot for your breakthrough. I will have Ah Chou guard you. In one year, I expect to see you as a middle-stage Nascent Soul cultivator," Lei Dong waved his hand, issuing the command directly.

"Yes, my Lord. Your subordinate will go and attempt the breakthrough immediately." With the relationship of subordination formally established, the Old Fiend Yin-Yang’s demeanor became even more respectful and solemn. Auxiliary materials, of course, he was prepared for; having been at the peak of Golden Core for many years, he had fully stocked all necessary supplementary ingredients. However, without a heaven-defying elixir like the Immortal Ascension Pill, he estimated his success rate to be only two to three tenths. But now, it could reach at least seven or eight tenths—a difference as vast as heaven and earth.

With that, the Old Fiend Yin-Yang bid farewell and left. Lei Dong had set a tight schedule. The breakthrough to Nascent Soul already required several months, and there would naturally be time needed for consolidation after the soul coalesced; further delay was not an option. Ah Chou also followed Lei Dong’s orders, trailing far behind.

Having settled the matter of the Old Fiend Yin-Yang, Lei Dong was in quite a good mood. Gaining a subordinate of that strength was certainly a welcome development. Back in the Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land, he had often pondered recruiting a group of peak Golden Core cultivators to expand his power base. Now that the Old Fiend Yin-Yang had delivered himself to his doorstep, it was truly a small, unexpected delight.

Although he currently had many Nascent Soul cultivators around him, they were either his wives or his Master, and most belonged to the Yin Sha Sect. There was also Blood Demon, who, while fiercely loyal, was still a Supreme Elder of the Yin Sha Sect. Often, commanding them was inconvenient. He couldn't possibly dispatch his Master, Wan Yan, or Tian Mo everywhere indiscriminately, could he?

Having a few Nascent Soul cultivators completely under his personal command would make managing many affairs much smoother. Wherever he sent them, having a Nascent Soul cultivator in charge to oversee things would grant him significant peace of mind. Relying solely on Qing Niangzi and the other Golden Core cultivators meant that their operations would inevitably be constrained.

Looking next at that pack of little devils in the Ferocious Ghost Army: after a swift and rigorous period of cleanup and reorganization, they had quickly brought the small Ghoul Moth territory under control, rounding up and subjugating over twenty Ghost Guards and hundreds of Ghost Soldiers. Even if this contingent of surrendered remnants was likely only outwardly compliant with questionable loyalty, these little devils had learned a great deal about management and discipline from Lei Dong. Subduing them to act as cannon fodder was still trivially easy.

Indeed, as soon as the situation stabilized, the leading commander, Scarlet Ghost, flew enthusiastically to mid-air to offer accolades and seek favor. Lei Dong observed everything with satisfaction. After offering a few words of encouragement, he instructed Scarlet Ghost to continue reorganizing the army and distributing the spoils of war.

The Golden Core stage flesh and blood beast souls, as well as the remnant souls of Ghost Generals, were allocated according to merit. Although the share per individual was not large, they were high-grade items nonetheless. After absorbing their portions, the strength of each member of the Ferocious Ghost Army saw a slight increase.

Simultaneously, Lei Dong issued them a broad strategic directive: choose their own enemies and push relentlessly into the Hengduan Mountain Range to expand. The Ghost race was one that grew braver the more they fought and could replenish themselves by devouring flesh and blood. They absolutely had to utilize their greatest strengths. It was impossible for him to continuously nurture them solely with his Netherworld Ghost Qi. As their strength grew, evolving purely on Netherworld Ghost Qi would require an excessively long time. Furthermore, tending to several hundred troops would surely impede his ability to handle other matters.

The Hengduan Mountain Range was also a peculiar place. It wasn't simply a narrow strip of mountains separating two regions, as people might imagine. In fact, the terrain within the Hengduan Mountains was incredibly complex: all manner of peaks, gorges, forests, lakes, caves, swamps, miasma zones, and karst caverns existed in endless supply.

The narrowest sections likely spanned over ten thousand li, while the wider areas could easily exceed one hundred thousand li. Devoid of human habitation and possessing a harsh environment, countless ferocious demonic beasts, snakes, insects, and centipedes were nurtured and hidden there; even vague rumors of dragons and phoenixes making appearances surfaced. Such a perilous region served as the perfect hunting ground. Slaying just one Golden Core demonic beast could offer this army a massive boost.

However, Lei Dong did not venture anywhere for the time being, choosing instead to remain within this small Ghoul Moth territory. Five hundred troops were still too few for him. He sent a message ordering Qing Niangzi to continuously dispatch people to collect souls, refine them into Soul Beads, and forge a batch of high-grade or supreme-grade Spirit Ghosts. Once five hundred were amassed, they would be converted into Ghost Soldiers.

Naturally, Lei Dong only provided them with initial guidance, leaving a profound impression. The subsequent training work was entirely delegated to Ghost Thorn and a selection of young ones chosen from the Ferocious Ghost Army to complete themselves. With various methods of indoctrination and training, they had already established standardized procedures. Various rewards had transitioned to the flesh and blood beast souls of Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment demonic beasts hunted and retrieved by the Ferocious Ghost Army from various locations.

Lei Dong stayed there for a full year, and the Ferocious Ghost Army grew from its initial five hundred to five thousand. These five thousand were all high-grade or supreme-grade Spirit Ghosts personally converted by Lei Dong. The members of the Ferocious Ghost Army had even independently devised a strategy, attacking, slaughtering, and looting several Ghoul Moths within a radius of ten thousand li, incorporating a considerable number of cannon fodder troops. Including all the cannon fodder, the Ferocious Ghost Army's numbers had swelled to over ten thousand. For a time, their prestige soared, and they rampaged through the Hengduan Mountain Range several times with great momentum. It was only after they inadvertently provoked a Nascent Soul level demonic beast—resulting in a rout, the loss of countless cannon fodder—that Ghost Thorn intervened, using his might to intimidate and force the beast to retreat.

Having suffered such a heavy blow, the Ferocious Ghost Army finally learned to proceed with caution, tempering their arrogance, and steadily strengthening their forces.

It was around this time that the Old Fiend Yin-Yang emerged from his seclusion. Upon returning with Ah Chou, he had successfully advanced to the middle stage of Nascent Soul, his cultivation and strength having surged dramatically. Even his ugly old face appeared somewhat younger, and his bearing now carried the air of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

However, acutely aware of Lei Dong’s formidable power, the Old Fiend Yin-Yang dared not act arrogantly just because his strength had increased. If anything, he became even more respectful than before.

It was time to depart.

During this year, although there was still no news from the Grand Supremacy Sect, Lei Dong was certain that such a massive sect could not remain inactive after suffering such a defeat. The longer the silence persisted, the more terrifying Lei Dong found it. No one could predict when the Grand Supremacy Sect would erupt.

Leaving Ghost Thorn behind to continue training and educating the Ferocious Ghost Army, Lei Dong recalled Ah Chou and flew directly toward the Yin Sha Sect headquarters with the newly subdued Old Fiend Yin-Yang in tow. To Lei Dong’s surprise, only halfway to their destination, three enormous auras locked firmly onto him and the Old Fiend Yin-Yang.

Like startled swans, streaks of extremely fast light descended, revealing three figures. Almost simultaneously, the auras of dozens of Golden Core cultivators arrived from all directions, vaguely surrounding Lei Dong and the Old Fiend Yin-Yang.

"Jie jie, just when we were preparing to attack the Yin Sha Sect, we’ve caught two fish," a strange, slightly sinister voice sounded, seemingly laced with resentment. "Isn't this the infamous Ghost Asura, Lei Dong?"

Lei Dong's brow arched slightly as he scanned the three figures. The one leading was a scholar-like fellow with a pale complexion, appearing quite young, yet radiating immense power. Flanking him were two scantily clad, alluringly sensual women. All three wore expressions of hostility, their gazes sweeping over Lei Dong as if eager to devour him whole.

"I wondered who it was; turns out it's three Seniors from the Joyous Union Sect." Lei Dong’s expression remained unchanged as he bowed with extreme reverence. "This junior, Lei Dong, pays respects to Seniors Mei Ji, Hong Luan, and Yin Hu." Having achieved some cultivation success, Lei Dong had begun familiarizing himself with the powerful figures of various sects. The three before him were the three Supreme Elders of the Yin Yang Joyous Union Sect.