What Lei Dong did was simple: he stripped away the Yaksha King's last shred of complacency. Seeing the King's reaction, Lei Dong felt a slight ease in his heart and pressed on: "Senior, when the Supreme Sect was dividing up the various sects in Kangzhou, they swore not to interfere in Kangzhou affairs during the lifetime of the True Man of Taiyi, and also guaranteed three hundred years without aggression in Kangzhou. Then, Your Majesty, apart from the Supreme Sect joining forces with the Winged Gods to exert pressure, have you gained any beneficial oaths here?"

The Yaksha King’s expression became exceptionally grim, and he couldn't help but snort.

"Actually, the sheer arrogance of the Winged Gods in the Yaksha Sea, blockading the waters and cutting off the Yaksha tribe's contact with the outside world—this, in my humble opinion, is likely not just a matter of the Winged Gods being overbearing." Lei Dong frowned, calmly dissecting the situation: "The Winged Gods probably don't wish to engage in war with Your Majesty for the time being, but they also don't want Your Majesty to unite with Kangzhou. Otherwise, how could that haughty A'jiana today have been willing to retreat after two of her clansmen were killed and the Wings of Light were discovered? Where there is restraint, there must be a follow-up move. I believe she intends to settle all scores with Your Majesty when the time is right. With Your Majesty's ability, you surely realize that once Kangzhou is pacified, the next target will naturally be the isolated and helpless Eastern Sea Yaksha tribe, leading to their doom. By then, there will be the Supreme Sect, the Winged Gods, and even the strong figures of Kangzhou tempted by profit. May I ask what Your Majesty will use to resist them?"

It wasn't just the Yaksha King; even those Nascent Soul-level elders looked very troubled. In truth, anyone could figure out such a simple principle. It was just that some people preferred to pin their hopes on a slender thread of luck. Having their old wounds ripped open so vividly by Lei Dong revealed the bloody reality.

In the past, although the relationship between Kangzhou and the Yaksha Sea lacked a formal alliance, there was an unspoken mutual aid and reinforcement. If the Yaksha Sea were isolated, how could it face the covetous pack of wolves?

After a brief silence, the Yaksha King spoke in a deep voice, "Lei Dong, this King admits what you say has some merit. However, any race that plots against my Yaksha tribe will pay an excruciatingly heavy price." "None of us Yaksha are cowards afraid to die." "Senior, I also acknowledge that the Yaksha tribe is a brave and powerful race, but circumstances dictate the course of action. If no adjustments are made, annihilation is the only path ahead." Lei Dong’s words were not meant to be alarmist: "The truth is simple: the Supreme Sect's scheme is merely to use the opportunity of revenge to incorporate Kangzhou and the Yaksha Sea into their backyard. With the resources of our two territories, it would be enough to elevate the Supreme Sect's power by another level. I also believe that after the destruction of the Yaksha Sea, the Supreme Sect will have follow-up plans for Kangzhou as well. As for what those plans entail, I do not know."

The Yaksha King pondered with a grave expression for a while before saying, "Lei Dong, you speak of making adjustments. How should we adjust? This King's demands are not high; I merely wish to preserve the foundation of the Yaksha clan."

How to adjust—Lei Dong had already thought this through. Otherwise, no matter how many dangers he pointed out to the Yaksha King, it would all be for naught. He immediately adopted an air of confidence and said steadily, "It is very simple: we must strike first, severing every grasping black hand that dares to plot against the Yaksha Sea and Kangzhou. We must deter those covetous wolves."

The Yaksha elders below let out cold laughs: "Young Lei, you say it simply. How do we sever them? And after we sever them, won't our tribe have to face the frenzied Winged Gods and the Supreme Sect?"

"Every power in this world has its rivals keeping it in check; no force is invincible," Lei Dong stated frankly: "Even the mighty Winged Gods have the Asuras as old adversaries watching them closely. With just a few strategic maneuvers, the idea of the Winged Gods deploying their entire force to attack Kangzhou is undoubtedly a pipe dream. As for small contingents of Winged Gods coming to our territories, as long as we are united, it is basically not a problem."

"The Asuras?" The Yaksha King’s eyes showed a flicker of apprehension: "What standing do we have to invite the Asuras to execute a feint strategic posture? After all, the Asuras are the masters of a domain, immensely powerful."

"Nothing more than reasoning with them and appealing to their sentiments." Lei Dong already had a plan mapped out in his mind and said solemnly: "The Asuras and the Winged Gods are ancient enemies, and their strengths are not vastly different. The Asuras would certainly not wish to see the Winged Gods expand their influence and gain the upper hand over them. Moreover, our ability to destroy this contingent of Winged Gods is absolutely advantageous to the Asuras."

"The logic holds, but this world operates on the principle of strength prevailing. If this King were to personally travel to the Asura Domain, perhaps this alliance could be brokered," the Yaksha King sighed. "However, the Supreme Sect and the Winged Gods have blockaded our sea, though they dare not attack us directly in the sea. But if this King leaves the undersea city, it is purely suicidal. Lei Dong, your talent is extraordinary, and you are excellent in all aspects, but in the eyes of the Asuras, you are far from sufficient. If you could bring that Divine Transformation flying dragon behind you to go together, there might be a chance."

Lei Dong smiled, glancing at Tantai Bingyun. This girl certainly knew how to boost his bargaining chips by flattering him. No wonder the Yaksha King was much more polite to him this time—it turned out he was wary of the Thunder Dragon behind him. This was a good thing; it was far more effective when spoken by others than through self-praise. Furthermore, the Yaksha King bringing this up also contained an element of probing, to see if Lei Dong could truly command that Divine Transformation flying dragon.

Unfortunately, Thunder Dragon was currently just an empty shell, trapped in the Divine Temple and unable to emerge. Otherwise, he would indeed be an excellent candidate and a sharp weapon for this campaign. What a pity. However, Lei Dong had already come to a decision and said seriously: "My Divine Transformation brother, Thunder Dragon, is currently helping me subdue some Earth Giant tribes in the Great Desolate Desert and cannot disengage. However, I do have another candidate, one even more suitable than Thunder Dragon, and perhaps even more assured than Your Majesty venturing out personally. If that elder were to make a move, the Asura clan would certainly show respect, and the alliance would definitely be secured."

"What?" The Yaksha King’s eyes widened. This Lei Dong actually had a figure in the Divine Transformation realm backing him? And one that even the Asura clan would give face to? The Yaksha King reckoned that if he went himself, he might have a chance to succeed in the alliance, but he could never guarantee success. Someone who could command such deference from the strength-worshipping Asura clan must be an astonishing powerhouse.

The group of Nascent Soul elders all showed looks of indignation, glaring at Lei Dong: "Kid, aren't you being a bit too arrogant? Who is stronger than our King?"

Even Tantai Bingyun looked at Lei Dong with surprise. Lei Dong clearly implied that the figure behind him was stronger than the Yaksha King. One must remember that most Divine Transformation experts in this world were only in the early stages of that realm. In terms of pure personal strength, surpassing any one of them was difficult.

The Yaksha King, being experienced, immediately became somewhat moved after running through a list of potential candidates and rose to his feet: "Could it be that senior from the Underworld Ghost Domain?"

"That is correct. My candidate is the Underworld Ghost Emperor Senior." Lei Dong’s expression was calm, devoid of any sense of pride, and he spoke frankly: "Due to some special opportunities, I have gained the high regard of the Underworld Ghost Emperor Senior. The Senior once said that as long as I made a request, he would never refuse." "Hiss... hiss... hiss..." Everywhere, there was a collective sharp intake of breath. The name Underworld Ghost Emperor might not be widely known among low-level cultivators, but to those who had lived long enough—Nascent Soul or Divine Transformation cultivators—it was an existence of staggering importance.

The reason was simple: strength ruled supreme. Consider this: the peak existences of all races in this world were in the early stages of Divine Transformation. Yet, that elder was in the middle stage of Divine Transformation, and moreover, an ancient monster who had lived for thousands of years. How could he not inspire dread? Just by observing how the Underworld Ghost Emperor alone easily suppressed the other three Divine Transformation powerhouses of the Underworld Ghost Domain, his strength was evident. Furthermore, Lei Dong had personally witnessed his combat style; both the Nether God True Word Art and the Underworld Black Fiend Array were incredibly potent. Lei Dong estimated that at full strength, the Underworld Ghost Emperor could likely fight two or three early-stage Divine Transformation experts without being at a disadvantage.

After regaining his composure, even the Yaksha King displayed an expression mixed with surprise and respect: "Senior Ghost Emperor is indeed a peerless expert of his generation, far stronger than this King. If that elder is willing to step forward, it is certain the Asura clan will show face. However, Lei Dong, are you truly confident you can persuade him to act?" The Yaksha King calling him 'Senior' was not an overstep; after all, when the Underworld Ghost Emperor reigned supreme, the Yaksha King was still an infant.

"Senior, please see." Without another word, Lei Dong tossed out a token, black as night and inscribed with countless profound, mysterious patterns.

The Yaksha King took it, scanned it with his divine sense, and then let out a sound of overwhelming joy: "It truly is his token! With this, our Eastern Sea Yaksha tribe is saved." At this point, the Yaksha King finally let out a deep sigh of relief. As long as the Underworld Ghost Emperor was willing to intervene, many difficult problems could be resolved.

After returning the token to Lei Dong, the Yaksha King became exceedingly polite to him, practically placing him on the same level as himself: "Lei Dong, inviting the Senior to take action will be up to you. It's a shame we have to use this token of yours."

Lei Dong slowly shook his head: "Senior Zha Na, it is not that this junior is stingy and unwilling to use this token to summon the Ghost Emperor. It is just that the favor of a person is used up once and gone forever. This time, we overcome the crisis by relying on a favor; what about next time? Endless demands will only cause the Ghost Emperor Senior to grow weary." "Therefore, my suggestion is that we must establish a long-term, stable, mutually beneficial alliance. Only under shared common interests will our three-party covenant be the most solid."

The Yaksha King already held Lei Dong in high regard, and upon hearing this, he valued him even more: "Good, good. Lei Dong, speak your mind, this King will listen."

At the same time, Lei Dong secretly let out a deep breath, thinking to himself: success.