The renown of the Netherworld Black Fiend Formation as the premier defensive array in the Ghost Domain was certainly not an empty boast; even a mid-stage Soul Transformation cultivator trapped within would struggle to escape unscathed. How much less so for Xuan Yuanzi, a mere initial-stage Soul Transformation cultivator who had only recently advanced.

Unfortunately, the Netherworld Black Fiend Formation excels in defense but is weak in offense. Little You could not command the myriad Soul Transformation demon souls within the array to launch an active assault; otherwise, this formation would be an ultimate killing weapon, unfailingly lethal to those in the Soul Transformation realm. But even as it stood, the defensive capability of the Netherworld Black Fiend Formation was terrifyingly potent. While the formation was active, anyone with a shred of sense would never dream of blindly forcing their way through.

Lei Dong gazed at the menacing array surrounding them, wiping a bead of cold sweat, and remarked, "Little You, the Old Ghost Emperor is truly generous to have passed down such an unparalleled formation to you."

"Brother, Father originally intended for me to strengthen my power a bit more, so you could accompany me into the deepest reaches of the Nine Hells Abyss." Seeing that everyone was terrified, Little You let out a series of delightful giggles. "I didn't expect it could be used for saving my life now. This so-called Xuan Yuanzi is completely incapable of breaking this formation; what Taishang Sect, what Soul Transformation powerhouse—they are all just so-so."

"Little girl, this level of provocation won't work on me. Do you think you can win this battle of life and death merely relying on the Netherworld Black Fiend Formation?" Xuan Yuanzi, having settled his nerves, sneered relentlessly. "Although a battle to the death has no time limit, this True Person hardly believes you can maintain the Netherworld Black Fiend Formation indefinitely; there must come a point of exhaustion."

Little You pouted, letting out a delicate huff, "Then stay put over there and talk less nonsense. When Father realizes we’ve disappeared, he will surely find a way to rescue us."

"Little girl, you are too naive. Do you think your father can break this fair arena forged by an ancient powerhouse? Moreover, when this fair arena was refined, it incorporated a portion of the Law of Time. Even if we fight here for a year, barely a day will have passed outside."

Little You's expression shifted slightly, and she secretly transmitted her voice to Lei Dong, "Brother, this seems a bit troublesome now. It will be difficult for Father to break the arena and save us in a short time. And even if Little You uses the most frugal method, I can only sustain this formation for about a year or eighteen months at most."

Lei Dong remained silent, but his mind had never stopped churning since entering this arena. Judging by the tone of the arena’s spirit, this was a decisive battle of life and death—a fight where neither side would yield until one perished. This meant the fight concluded only when he died or Xuan Yuanzi died. However, Xuan Yuanzi was an initial-stage Soul Transformation cultivator; even severely wounded several times, he was not someone he and Little You combined could easily eliminate. It was true that his storage bracelet held a huge cache of items as potent as the Yin Fiend Heavenly Thunder. But no matter how powerful the Yin Fiend Heavenly Thunder was, it still needed to hit the target. Here, there was no Ghost Emperor of the Netherworld to help immobilize Xuan Yuanzi for a few breaths using the True Words of the Nether God.

"Arena Spirit, if Xuan Yuanzi and I reach a truce, can everyone leave safely?" Lei Dong asked, pondering that if a settlement were possible, he might need to employ diplomatic tactics, perhaps offering his Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land as bait. He was confident that even a powerhouse like Xuan Yuanzi could not resist the allure of a Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land.

"Boy, stop dreaming. Even if this True Person were willing to reconcile with you, it's impossible. The battle of life and death has begun; no one can stop this fight," Xuan Yuanzi sneered dismissively.

Lei Dong fell silent, deeply contemplating the situation. After racking his brains, it seemed like an unsolvable deadlock. Was it his destiny, then, to perish in this arena? Fighting desperately, he wouldn't even have a one-in-ten chance of defeating Xuan Yuanzi.

"Brother, cultivate during this time; perhaps you can break through to the Nascent Soul stage. Then, if we join forces, we might have a slight chance of defeating Xuan Yuanzi," Little You suggested.

"That's likely difficult." Lei Dong knew his own limitations; his aptitude was mediocre at best, perhaps upper-middle tier. Though already at the peak of the Golden Core stage, breaking through to the Nascent Soul within a year or eighteen months was unthinkable. Without a miraculous encounter, even giving him another three to five decades would not achieve the breakthrough.

"Then let's just forgo cultivation. During this last year or eighteen months, Brother, let us spend some quality time together," a trace of soft allure flickered in Little You's eyes.

Lei Dong broke out in a cold sweat. What kind of suggestion was that? No, he absolutely had to get out alive. Lei Dong began to send his divine sense into his storage bracelet, itemizing the treasures he possessed: spirit stones, vast quantities of spirit stones, with hundreds even of the supreme-grade ones. Various rare celestial materials and earthly treasures, a considerable number of supreme-grade elixirs, and a massive hoard of Yin Fiend Heavenly Thunder. Ah, and quite a few Soul Sealing Spheres, one of which sealed the Nascent Soul of the Undying Demon Venerable. Due to his cultivation methods, Lei Dong had a great need for Nascent Souls and beast souls, usually carrying many Soul Sealing Spheres and ample reserves of common wandering souls.

Yes, the Soul Sealing Spheres. Lei Dong's eyes suddenly sharpened, becoming somewhat fervent. With a thought, a semi-transparent Soul Sealing Sphere materialized in his palm. Within it, a dark flame writhed ceaselessly, emitting a faint yet dangerous and terrifying power.

"Brother, what is this object?" Little You looked at the Soul Sealing Sphere with confusion, her voice growing unnatural. "Why do I feel a sense of dangerous oppression from the beast soul sealed inside this sphere?" Little You also found it somewhat unbelievable; she was already a mid-stage Ghost King, and moreover, a Celestial Spirit Ghost. Even if the soul sealed within were a high-stage Nascent Soul or an initial-stage Soul Transformation soul, it shouldn't make her tremble from the depths of her heart like this.

"This is the essence spirit of an ancient, pure-blooded, high-tier Demon King," Lei Dong sighed, explaining. "A tremendously powerful Demon King. When I encountered it, fortunately, it had only just completed its rebirth via possession, possessing less than one-tenth of its peak power. Yet even so, it nearly cost me my life, and my injuries have still not fully healed."

"Hiss—the essence spirit of a pure-blooded Demon King?" Little You gasped as well. High-tier demons were an exceedingly formidable race, rumored to originate from realms far, far beyond their own. They were a race characterized by conquest and plunder; wherever they passed, the encountered races either submitted to become their slaves or were annihilated. In a sense, the Asura Clan, the Yaksha Clan, the Purgatory Clan, and others were all races once subdued by the Demon Race, becoming their minions.

From this, one could gauge just how powerful this race was! No wonder Little You could sense a terrifying pressure emanating from it, even though it was reduced to an essence spirit state and sealed within a Soul Sealing Sphere. Lei Dong’s brief words hinted at the immense risk of their prior battle and the sheer luck involved in his victory.

"Brother, are you thinking of subjugating this Demon King to serve you?" Little You asked.

"Impossible. High-tier demons are too proud and arrogant," Lei Dong slowly shook his head. "Even if there were a way to allow it to possess a new body, it would never submit to me. I know one method that could make its power available to me."

The two had not used secret voice transmission for this exchange. Even Xuan Yuanzi on the other side listened in utter shock, breaking out in a cold sweat. Suddenly, a strong sense of crisis washed over him, and he quickly shouted, "Boy, don't act rashly! Throughout history, those who attempt to devour a Demon King's essence spirit to seize power have, in the vast majority of cases, been counter-devoured. With your mere Golden Core high-stage cultivation, how could you possibly withstand the Demon King essence spirit's consumption and possession?"

Lei Dong glanced impassively at the distant Xuan Yuanzi and sneered, "It doesn't matter. Even if this Lei is possessed by this Black Winged Demon King, relying on my sheer willpower, the Black Winged Demon King will help me avenge myself. Didn't you just say this is a battle of life and death, and only one of us can leave alive? Since death is the end result anyway, I might as well drag you down with me."

"Arena Spirit, Arena Spirit, can we call a truce and cancel this battle to the death?" Xuan Yuanzi panicked. A pure-blooded Demon King! Once possession was successful, given his current condition and injuries, he would undoubtedly become the Demon King's meal. Even if Lei Dong lacked that stubborn will, the Demon King would never relinquish his pure essence.

"It cannot be done. As you said, once a battle of life and death commences, it cannot be canceled or stopped. Anyone attempting to halt the battle will be utterly annihilated," the Arena Spirit stated coldly. "However, if this boy dares to swallow the Demon King essence spirit, and possession succeeds, once his consciousness perishes, this Spirit will rule that he has lost, and you can leave."

Xuan Yuanzi breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the sense of crisis remained undiminished. Even if he could leave immediately, it would be useless, wouldn't it? Once the Demon King possessed the body, it certainly wouldn't let such a delicacy slip away. His only advantage was escaping this confined space instead of waiting for death here, allowing him a sliver of chance to flee and survive. Xuan Yuanzi was no reckless youth like Lei Dong; countless ancient texts from his sect informed him that pure-blooded, high-tier Demon Kings were terrifyingly powerful. Which Demon King’s demise wasn't paid for with countless lives?

At this very moment, Xuan Yuanzi was filled with regret. What madness had possessed him to provoke this resourceful brat? Had he known the boy possessed a trump card like the Demon King essence spirit, he would rather have fled himself than drag Lei Dong into this battle arena.

"I never thought I would be forced to swallow the Demon King essence spirit," Lei Dong looked at the essence spirit as if gazing at a potent poison. After a sigh, his expression gradually became stern and resolute. He tapped the Soul Sealing Sphere, breaking it open. As the Demon King essence spirit floated out, Lei Dong unhesitatingly took a deep breath and swallowed it down.

If he didn't swallow it, death was inevitable sooner or later. If he did swallow it, there was a sliver of hope. For Lei Dong, there was no need for further hesitation or decision. Moreover, he believed in himself—believed that in the struggle against the Demon King essence spirit, he would ultimately achieve victory.

…… (To be continued)