"One top-tier Spirit Ghost, plus three Nascent Soul Pills," Lei Dong stated calmly, entirely unfazed by Mei Ji's allure. "This is your first bonus payment for defecting, and various resources will flow in continuously afterward."

"What?" The seductive charm vanished instantly from Mei Ji's face, clearly startled. "A top-tier Spirit Ghost? Three Nascent Soul Pills? Lei Dong, you aren't trifling with me, are you?"

Everyone knew the value of a top-tier Spirit Ghost. Aside from the ones Lei Dong had acquired, there were no more than ten in the entirety of Kangzhou. Any single one was priceless, vastly exceeding the wealth of an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator. Even wealthy Nascent Soul cultivators could not purchase one, even if it meant ruin.

While the Nascent Soul Pill was considerably less valuable than a top-tier Spirit Ghost, it was hardly common. Mei Ji considered herself capable of saving, yet selling everything she owned would not procure three Nascent Soul Pills. This item offered tremendous aid to Nascent Soul cultivators; each pill was worth nearly ten years of arduous cultivation. Most importantly, Nascent Soul Pills greatly assisted in breaking through various bottlenecks. Used correctly, at her current cultivation level, she might advance to the mid-stage Nascent Soul within decades.

"Why would a junior joke about such a vital matter?" Seeing her waver, Lei Dong pressed on. "Senior, perhaps you are unaware, but Feifei has already broken through to the early-stage Nascent Soul."

Boom~

Those words struck Mei Ji’s mind like a bolt of heavenly lightning, making her disbelief manifest as her seated posture visibly trembled. "Impossible. I know Feifei's aptitude. While she is a rare genius, she cannot compare to your sect's Ding Wanyan and Dongfang Fu. Even your sect's 'Twin Talents' could never possibly break through to the Nascent Soul stage yet." After calming slightly, her face was full of skepticism. "Lei Dong, you are simply spouting nonsense."

Lei Dong shrugged dismissively. "Naturally, I possess a unique method to help her advance to Nascent Soul. However, this concerns my top secrets, and I cannot disclose it for now. In fact, it's not just Feifei; our sect's Twin Talents are already mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, their cultivation slightly surpassing Feifei's, and by no means inferior to yours, Senior. That is all I will say. Whether you believe it or not, you must give me a definite answer. Otherwise, I will attack with full force and leave you and your soul here." As he spoke the last word, his imposing aura suddenly manifested, a killing intent flashing in his eyes.

Mei Ji’s coquettish demeanor was entirely gone, her expression shifting between gloom and uncertainty as she hesitated. Lei Dong offered no further persuasion, allowing her time to deliberate. After a good while, Mei Ji finally sighed. "Things have come to this. If I refuse to surrender, I will surely fall into your hands. But even if I agree to defect, it would only buy me a few extra days."

"Senior means that when the Hehuan Sect attacks our sect this time, they are absolutely certain of destroying us?" Lei Dong’s expression also shifted slightly. Although he was ambitious, he grew up in the Yinsha Sect, fostering deep emotional ties. Moreover, many within the sect held close relationships with him; the sect could not afford to be lost.

"The Taishang Sect has gone mad over something," Mei Ji sighed. "They paid an enormous price to establish contact with the Winged God Clan and jointly pressure the Yaksha King. Furthermore, they sent envoys to persuade the Asura Heaven, the Demon Prison Sect, and our Yin-Yang Hehuan Sect—the three great demonic sects—to join forces and annihilate your sect. Not only will our sect gain substantial territory, but the benefits offered by the Taishang Sect alone are enough to increase our sect's strength by several tens of percent within a century. The other four righteous sects have also received significant rewards, promising the Taishang Sect that there will be no conflict in Kangzhou for three hundred years. Most importantly, the Taishang Sect's Soul Transformation Elder swore a blood oath that he would never extend the Taishang Sect's influence into Kangzhou during his lifetime. Under these conditions, the Yinsha Sect cannot avoid destruction. So, how could I dare defect to you?"

Lei Dong’s face turned cold. It wasn't that he hadn't considered the Taishang Sect dissolving the righteous-unorthodox alliance within Kangzhou from within. However, after deliberation, he felt the price the Taishang Sect was paying was too immense, reaching an unimaginable level. Otherwise, given how cunning the Nascent Soul elders of the various sects were, they would never dare take such a risk.

But with such terrifying conditions attached, if any other sect had offended the Taishang Sect, the Yinsha Sect still couldn't withstand the temptation. Lei Dong didn't launch into curses against the faithless alliance. Firstly, venting hatred achieved nothing. Secondly, from ancient times until now, alliances and betrayals had played out countless times. What were allies, what were alliances? As long as the price was right, everything could be sold.

"Is there a Soul Transformation expert involved?" Lei Dong frowned, asking solemnly.

"No. Do you think the combined might of the three great demonic sects is insufficient to take down your Yinsha Sect?" Mei Ji looked at Lei Dong with a hint of pity. "Of course, the three sects only agreed to secretly join forces because your Yinsha Sect's development momentum in the last few decades has been too rapid, showing signs of soaring to the heavens. Who knows if your sect might become dominant in a thousand years?"

Indeed, being too prominent attracts unwanted attention. Lei Dong mused internally. The combat power displayed by Tian Mo alone could contend with three or four Nascent Soul cultivators of the same rank simultaneously, even surpassing ordinary late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators. The rising stars of the Yinsha Sect were also grabbing headlines, suffocating the so-called geniuses of other sects.

Originally, the eight great sects of Kangzhou were nearly equal in strength, with only slight variations in power. They had kept each other in check over the years. If the Yinsha Sect were allowed to become overwhelmingly dominant, the future direction of Kangzhou would become highly uncertain.

However, the Taishang Sect was truly willing to pay such a cost—appealing to the Winged God Clan, rallying the other sects, and even abstaining from claiming Kangzhou's benefits. It couldn't just be about settling a score, could it? It must be for that Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land they obtained? Perhaps only such a supreme treasure would drive the Taishang Sect to such madness, disregarding all costs. Lei Dong couldn't afford 108 Celestial Spirit Stones, but that didn't mean the deeply entrenched Taishang Sect couldn't.

Still, since no Soul Transformation experts were involved, the knot in Lei Dong's heart eased by a large margin. "With only the three of you, I doubt you can completely wipe out my sect." Lei Dong wasn't boasting. Even united, the three demonic sects could never mobilize their entire strength.

The number of Nascent Soul cultivators in any major sect in Kangzhou was roughly similar, around ten. The Hehuan Sect had slightly more, but only twelve. With their own rear security concerns, the three sects combined could muster, at most, twenty-three or twenty-four Nascent Soul cultivators. Indeed, if it were without Lei Dong and the Twin Talents, perhaps under a siege and suppression, they could gain the upper hand against the Yinsha Sect through numerical superiority, eliminating them one by one.

But let’s not forget that the original Yinsha Sect had ten Nascent Soul cultivators. After Tian Mo achieved Nascent Soul, it became eleven.

Now, the situation was entirely different. Thanks to the frantic cultivation within the Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land this time, the Yinsha Twin Talents, Qi Feifei, and Lei Dong’s master, the Myriad Ghost Ancestor, all successfully reached the Nascent Soul stage. This instantly increased the Yinsha Sect's Nascent Soul cultivator count to fifteen. Do not underestimate these newly advanced cultivators; unlike novices like the Yin-Yang Old Freak, they had actually succeeded in advancing years ago due to the differential time flow within the Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land. The Twin Talents were currently around the mid-level of the early-stage Nascent Soul, their realms stable and their power extraordinary. As for the Myriad Ghost Ancestor, he achieved breakthrough directly to the mid-stage Nascent Soul through deep accumulation.

And under the boost of the top-tier Spirit Ghosts distributed by Lei Dong, each was guarded by dual Ghost Kings, granting them terrifying strength. Excluding the Myriad Ghost Ancestor, there were two Ghost Kings reserved for the two Taishang figures, meaning the Yinsha Sect possessed twelve Ghost Kings even without Lei Dong present.

From this, it was clear that even if the three sects dispatched seventy or eighty percent of their forces, and even if they acted in concert, the Yinsha Sect, utilizing the advantage of home ground, absolutely could not reach the point of annihilation. Furthermore, the enemy underestimated Lei Dong, a monstrous anomaly. In the eyes of the other sects, although Lei Dong was famous, his power was unlikely to play a significant role in large-scale battles. No one could have guessed that Lei Dong had always used an ancient secret technique, the Zhou Tian Zang Ri Jue, to conceal his aura, achieving the facade of hiding his strength and playing the sheep to lure the tiger. Lei Dong always understood one principle: the tree that stands tallest is the first to be felled by the wind.

But this low profile achieved a different kind of result. If nothing else, it recently allowed him to reap massive rewards. Three entire Nascent Soul cultivators from the Hehuan Sect were destroyed by his hand, significantly depleting the enemy’s strength.

"Do you know why I was willing to use top-tier Spirit Ghosts to win you over?" Lei Dong became considerably more relaxed after comparing the strengths of both sides, saying somewhat mockingly.

"I don't..." Mei Ji paused, but she was also intelligent. Connecting this to Lei Dong possessing Ghost Kings himself, and Tian Mo having two, a terrible thought uncontrollably surfaced in her mind: "Could it be that top-tier Spirit Ghosts are worthless to you?"

"Worthless is an overstatement, but just as you suspect, if I can't even supply my own people adequately, how could I use them to win you over?" Lei Dong stood with his hands clasped behind his back, smiling serenely. "I know you want to ask where all my Spirit Ghosts come from. This isn't a major secret; I happened to save the Netherworld Ghost Emperor of the Nether Domain by chance, and I asked the venerable old gentleman for a few more top-tier Spirit Ghosts." Lei Dong fabricated this lie with a specific intent. Firstly, he didn't want the source of his Spirit Ghosts exposed to Mei Ji, even if she was becoming his subordinate. Secondly, he was using this chance to flaunt his relationship with the Netherworld Ghost Emperor, elevating his status and conveying the message to Mei Ji that he too had backing; if she pushed him too far, summoning the Netherworld Ghost Emperor might decide the victor.

As expected, Mei Ji’s eyes widened in shock. "You saved the Netherworld Ghost Emperor?"