The sheer might of Lei Dong, even when merely in the late Golden Core stage, allowed him to command thirty or forty thousand specters simultaneously. Now, he had advanced into the early Nascent Soul realm. Should he unleash the Emperor Demon Seed, the spiritual sense he could generate, purely based on his Nascent Soul power, was nearly double what it was before.

This was already sufficient to elevate Lei Dong's spiritual sense intensity to the level of an ordinary late Nascent Soul cultivator. Such an achievement was exceedingly rare among the myriad cultivators. Everyone knew that even within the Nascent Soul stage, the difference between the early and late phases was a gulf as wide as the heavens and earth.

Any late Nascent Soul cultivator, unless facing an anomalous early Nascent Soul expert like Lei Dong, could easily manage fighting off seven or eight opponents simultaneously.

This fact alone underscored just how unbelievable Lei Dong’s spiritual sense intensity truly was.

Of course, Lei Dong wasn't foolish enough to think he was invincible and blindly rush out for a one-on-one duel with Xuan Yuanzi. Such an action would be tantamount to suicide. Never mind that Xuan Yuanzi still retained thirty to forty percent of his combat strength; even if he only had ten percent left, Lei Dong wouldn't be reckless. Lei Dong was acutely aware of the terrifying power wielded by a Soul Transformation expert. Back then, Thunder Dragon had crushed Nascent Soul cultivators as easily as swatting flies, and the Heavenly Ghost Emperor had dispatched high-tier Ghost Kings with casual ease. To speak of himself being in the early Nascent Soul stage—even if he were in the late Nascent Soul stage, he would still be no match.

Lei Dong, having just broken through, clearly understood the chasm separating the Nascent Soul stage from the Golden Core stage. Placing any Golden Core cultivator before him, he could snuff them out in mere breaths.

Regardless, the Netherworld Evil Black Formation summoned by Xiao You would not dissipate anytime soon. How could Lei Dong not exploit this advantage? The Netherworld Evil Black Formation, coupled with the Ghost Sea Tactic, created a confluence of circumstances overwhelmingly favorable to him.

While the Netherworld Evil Black Formation was rapidly refining specters, Lei Dong unleashed the Great Netherworld Art, enveloping the formation entirely beneath a sky-blotting shroud. He then proceeded to thoroughly enjoy a bath under Xiao You’s attentive service. After all, advancing to the Nascent Soul stage involved cell-by-cell tempering and rebirth, purging countless impurities from his body.

During this process, Lei Dong was astonished to discover that the Netherworld Ghost Qi he emitted was far purer and more formidable than before. Its purity was nearly comparable to the natural Netherworld Ghost Qi he had encountered deep within the Nine Nether Abyss.

This higher-grade Netherworld Ghost Qi was likely enough to double the fighting power of the specters. Furthermore, Xiao You, as his Ghost Servant, became visibly energized and bristling with fighting intent after absorbing Lei Dong's Ghost Qi. "Brother's Great Netherworld Art seems to have reached a point of qualitative change. My fighting strength has increased by at least thirty percent. I feel like I could even defeat a high-tier Ghost King with ease." Xiao You herself was merely a mid-tier Ghost King, but she was born a Heavenly Spirit Ghost, possessing exceptional innate divine abilities and a profound understanding of spatial laws due to her very nature. Even now, as a mere mid-tier Ghost King, her comprehension of spatial laws alone rivaled that of a newly advanced Soul Transformation expert like Xuan Yuanzi.

Because of this, Xiao You already had a high probability of overcoming an ordinary high-tier Ghost King, perhaps requiring only a little extra effort. Now, having absorbed Lei Dong’s refined Netherworld Ghost Qi, her power had surged dramatically; she should be able to dispatch a regular high-tier Ghost King effortlessly. Perhaps she even possessed some ability to defend herself against an injured early Soul Transformation expert like Xuan Yuanzi.

Lei Dong hadn't anticipated that his quality of Netherworld Ghost Qi would improve so significantly upon advancing. This was akin to dragging Xuan Yuanzi into the Nine Nether Abyss to fight the Ghost Clan on their home turf. This home-field advantage had been secured quite decisively.

Lei Dong's entire plan was to exploit these cumulative advantages to bring Xuan Yuanzi to his death.

The Netherworld Ghost Qi was not only highly effective for Xiao You; it also seemed to have a potent effect on the Soul Transformation monster souls residing within the formation flags of the Netherworld Evil Black Formation. One by one, they stirred restlessly, greedily consuming the refined and highly nourishing Netherworld Ghost Qi.

This sight sparked an idea in Lei Dong’s mind, so he refrained from dispersing the Ghost Qi, allowing the Netherworld monster souls to continue their feast.

Lei Dong's use of the Netherworld Ghost Qi to cloak Xuan Yuanzi’s vision plunged the latter into utter frustration. Originally, Xuan Yuanzi could rely on his superior vision to spy on Lei Dong and his group’s movements. But in the blink of an eye, he found himself blind. The Netherworld Evil Black Formation, renowned as the strongest defensive formation in the Nether Domain, naturally extended its isolation to spiritual senses as well. Even Xuan Yuanzi, for all his arrogance, couldn't possibly believe his own spiritual sense surpassed that of the Soul Transformation monster souls.

What people fear most is often not those stronger than themselves, but rather the enemy lurking in the shadows, ready to bite at any moment using unknown means.

Lei Dong, however, was rather oblivious to this; he had deployed the Ghost Qi simply to take a bath, never intending this fortunate accident.

Ignoring the frantic pacing of Xuan Yuanzi outside in the darkness, Lei Dong, after his cleansing, began to focus intently on refining specters. Simultaneously, Lei Dong summoned his two early-stage Ghost Kings, Gui Ci and A Chou.

Xiao You was well-acquainted with A Chou, and with a bright gleam in her eye, she pulled him aside to chat. Soon, Gui Ci joined their conversation, prompting an eye-roll from Lei Dong. Who exactly was serving whom here? He, the master, was painstakingly refining specters, while his three Ghost Servants were off relaxing nearby.

With a sharp thwack, a colossal, black corpse, seven or eight zhang tall but riddled with gaping holes from being cleaved apart, was tossed before the trio. Lei Dong spoke with mock annoyance, "This is the husk of the Black Wing Demon King. I’ve already salvaged materials like the wings, tendons, fascia, and sharp claws/teeth. The remaining flesh still contains the vital essence and blood of a Demon King. You three share it and see if you can achieve another breakthrough on the spot."

The greatest trait of the Ghost Clan was their ability to devour the flesh and blood of higher-level beings to fuel their advancement. As long as flesh, blood, or living souls were abundant, they could advance at the fastest possible rate.

This abnormal method of advancement, unlike any other race, seemed poised to make the Ghost Clan the paramount race. In reality, however, this method of advancement imposed a significant limitation upon them.

Ghosts are inherently constrained by their inherent quality, unlike other races. One’s ultimate achievement in life is almost entirely predetermined by their original quality. For example, since A Chou and Gui Ci are both exceptionally rare, top-grade Spirit Ghosts, their lifetime potential is essentially capped at the Ghost King level. The hope of breaking that constraint to become a Ghost Emperor is infinitesimally small. In the history of the Ghost Clan, very few top-grade Spirit Ghosts ever ascended to the Ghost Emperor realm.

This differs from humans: although they too face limitations regarding spiritual roots and innate aptitude, throughout history, many dull-witted individuals have steadily risen to become powerhouses dominating the cosmos.

The Ghost Clan's advancement method has both pros and cons. If the world's spiritual energy were extremely abundant and cultivation easy for all races, the Specter race would surely languish at the bottom.

However, in the current era of scarce spiritual energy and severe resource depletion, the status and importance of the Ghost Clan gradually emerge. Otherwise, the Ghost Clan in the Netherworld Domain would not be steadily gaining dominance, suppressing the other three formidable races to the point where they cannot lift their heads.

The partially ruined body Lei Dong tossed out was that of a pure-blooded demon, the corpse of an incredibly powerful Demon King. Currently, across the Nine Provinces, it would be hard-pressed to find another of its kind.

A Chou and Gui Ci, already possessing considerable intelligence, saw their spectral eyes flash green, filled with intense longing. Flesh and blood of this caliber was enough to propel them up another tier. They were not Heavenly Spirit Ghosts like Xiao You; they were top-grade Spirit Ghosts with limited potential. Having reached the early Ghost King realm, every subsequent step forward became immensely difficult, requiring a specific catalyst.

But A Chou and Gui Ci were well-mannered. They forcefully suppressed their desire to devour, first gazing expectantly at Xiao You, as if she were the queen of them both. They preferred Xiao You to feast first before their turn came.

Xiao You, however, was a very unique Heavenly Spirit Ghost. In fact, since gaining self-awareness, she had never once devoured flesh and blood in front of Lei Dong—living souls or beast souls were slightly different. She absolutely refused to perform the grotesque act of tearing into flesh in Lei Dong's presence.

Moreover, she considered herself a talented Heavenly Spirit Ghost whose path to advancement far surpassed that of a top-grade Spirit Ghost. Faced with this precious corpse, which any other ghost would covet fiercely, she only felt discomfort and revulsion. Naturally, she graciously declined the deference shown by A Chou and Gui Ci.

Once they received Xiao You’s approval, A Chou and Gui Ci could no longer hold back. They hastily shed their human forms, transforming into two clouds of black mist bristling with fangs, and began furiously devouring the Black Wing Demon King's carcass.

Their gluttonous manner caused Xiao You to frown deeply and scold them incessantly.

Fortunately, their devouring speed was immense. In a short while, they completely consumed the mountain-sized mass of flesh, leaving not a single scrap behind. This was the body of a pure-blooded Demon King, a being of a rank far higher than their own. If Lei Dong hadn't allowed them to devour it and had instead sold the Demon King's flesh, he could have exchanged it for vast quantities of spirit stones.

Devouring flesh and blood of this magnitude was far more beneficial than consuming flesh from a hundred Nascent Soul cultivators. Lei Dong's two loyal Ghost Servants immediately morphed into two immense black cocoons, absorbing the Netherworld Ghost Qi and commencing their evolution.

Lei Dong was confident he would soon reap the reward of two even mightier Ghost Servants.

His mood brightened considerably. Indeed, slaying the Black Wing Demon King, though perilous, had yielded enormous rewards. There was still a pair of wings and various miscellaneous materials left over. If he later found Old Wang, the artifact refining grandmaster, to process them, he would acquire several more powerful magic treasures.

He glanced again at the increasingly vibrant Soul Transformation-level beast souls within the Netherworld Evil Black Formation, a flicker of covetousness in his heart. These were top-tier materials. Those ancient Great Sages were utterly extravagant in their crafting; they simply pursued the joy of refining without regard for material depletion...