... Just as Lei Dong was unable to catch up, Xuan Yuanzi, who had just emerged from the Poison Skill Arena space, heard a snort that shattered his very soul: "Xuan Yuanzi, where did you take the Empress's daughter?"

"Ghost Emperor of the Underworld!"

Xuan Yuanzi's nascent spirit shrieked in terror; his only thought was to flee, to escape as far as possible. The Ghost Emperor of the Underworld was a notorious, established powerhouse; even at his peak, Xuan Yuanzi would be as helpless as an infant before him. Furthermore, he had already been crippled by Lei Dong, leaving only a heavily damaged nascent spirit.

"Trying to escape? A joke." The Ghost Emperor let out a contemptuous sneer, casually extending a claw that resembled the fearsome might of the Nether Ghost Claw. It instantly tore through space, seizing Xuan Yuanzi’s nascent spirit in a flash and yanking him back viciously. The same move, executed by the Ghost Emperor, was countless times more potent than when Lei Dong used it.

"Netherworld, I am a Soul Transformation cultivator from the Grand Supreme Sect. You cannot kill me!" Xuan Yuanzi was so frightened that his soul nearly scattered. He shrieked with false bravery: "Otherwise, True Master Taiyi from my sect will not let you off!"

The Ghost Emperor's expression was grim, and he looked upon Xuan Yuanzi's nascent spirit with feigned interest. "Taiyi? Hmm, I hear he is quite formidable. I warmly welcome him to the Underworld Ghost Domain to seek me out."

Xuan Yuanzi fell into despair. It seemed he finally realized that his ancestor, True Master Taiyi, was, at best, an existence comparable to a Ghost Emperor. If he dared to charge into the Underworld Ghost Domain, the outcome would almost certainly be fatal. He could never have anticipated that the Ghost Emperor of the Underworld currently harbored a genuine fear of True Master Taiyi daring to invade the Ghost Domain. After all, the Nether Domain was in chaos, and he himself was severely wounded under the machinations of the Heavenly Ghost Emperor, still unable to fully recover. That one instance of overloaded temporal regression had only compounded his injuries. If True Master Taiyi truly arrived in person, the only course of action available to the Ghost Emperor would likely be to hide in the deepest reaches of the Nine Hells Abyss.

At that precise moment, Lei Dong and Xiao You appeared in mid-air, side by side. Lei Dong paused briefly upon seeing the scene, then immediately felt a wave of relief; as long as Xuan Yuanzi hadn't escaped, everything could be managed. He bowed deeply to the Ghost Emperor with immense gratitude: "Thank you, Senior, for intervening."

"No need for formalities; I am merely returning a favor," the Ghost Emperor replied. Seeing Xiao You, a trace of warmth entered his stern expression: "You'er, why did you vanish into thin air for two days?"

"Father Emperor."

Xiao You, now fully acclimated to the identity of the Ghost Emperor's daughter, darted forward and nestled into his embrace, acting spoiled. "It was all that Xuan Yuanzi’s fault! He actually summoned an ancient spiritual treasure called the Fair Arena and sucked both me and Brother inside the arena space." Xiao You then recounted the entire sequence of events.

"A thing that courts death," the Ghost Emperor murmured, casually flicking out a strand of azure Ghost Flame that settled upon Xuan Yuanzi's nascent spirit.

This wisp of Ghost Flame was a fragment he had separated from the Nine Nether Ghost Flame and refined himself, making its power extraordinary. Even a Soul Transformation cultivator who accidentally touched it would face immense trouble.

Poor Xuan Yuanzi, in his weakened nascent spirit form, could offer no resistance to the scorching of such a high-grade spectral fire. He immediately cried out in agony, unable to hold on for even ten breaths before begging for mercy: "Senior Ghost Emperor, considering we are both peak powerhouses, spare me this once."

"Peak powerhouse? You dare claim that title?" The Ghost Emperor glanced at him dismissively, inwardly wondering how this fool had managed to cultivate to the Soul Transformation level. How could his willpower be so fragile?

The Ghost Emperor did not know that under normal circumstances, Xuan Yuanzi’s willpower was acceptable. However, within the Fair Arena, he had been tormented by Lei Dong and Xiao You for two full years without a moment of peace or rest, his mind already on the brink of collapse. His current performance was hardly surprising.

"Father Emperor, since Xuan Yuanzi is so useless, why not leave him for Brother? Let him be refined into a Ghost Soldier, never to rise again," Xiao You chuckled, pursing her lips.

"Ah, a daughter grows up and leaves her father's side," the Ghost Emperor laughed self-deprecatingly, tossing Xuan Yuanzi's nascent spirit to Lei Dong. "Kid, make good use of this. In this current era, a nascent spirit is a rarity." This was also a gesture of goodwill toward Lei Dong; given the Ghost Emperor’s power and the assistance he had rendered, even if the Ghost Emperor had wanted the spirit, Lei Dong would have readily agreed.

A nascent spirit of a Soul Transformation powerhouse was undoubtedly the rarest of treasures. Lei Dong accepted it with a surge of pleasant surprise and hastily sealed it inside the Soul Sealing Orb. He mused that if the Great Belly Cannon Ghost, refined from the peak Nascent Soul stage Demon Venerable, could unleash such power with a single shell, how many times stronger would the attack be if refined from a Soul Transformation expert? After all, although the peak Nascent Soul stage and the Soul Transformation level were only separated by a small step, that step represented a qualitative transformation, a leap in life itself.

"Thank you very much, Senior Ghost Emperor," Lei Dong said with profound reverence.

"No thanks necessary. Just ensure you do not refuse when I require your assistance," the Ghost Emperor waved his hand nonchalantly.

"Senior, command me. Even if it means plunging into a mountain of blades or a sea of fire, this junior will not hesitate in the slightest," Lei Dong declared with utmost sincerity. After a pause, he asked with concern, "Senior, how is Tian Mo doing?"

"The situation is not ideal," the Ghost Emperor’s expression turned grave. "With my abilities, I can, at best, only slow the dissipation of her nascent soul. Fortunately, I managed to transmit a message to Yaksha King Zha, instructing him to use his clan's supreme treasure, the Soul of Separating Water, to shield her nascent soul and physical body. But even the Soul of Separating Water can only sustain her life."

Lei Dong’s face turned icy cold; he wished he could immediately let Xuan Yuanzi experience what it meant to be devoured by ten thousand ghosts. However, he forced himself to remain calm and respectfully bowed to the Ghost Emperor: "Thank you for your efforts in saving her, Senior. I also wish to inquire if there is anything in this world capable of saving Tian Mo."

The Ghost Emperor also showed a look of difficulty: "There is, but it is extremely perilous."

"Please, Senior, just tell me," Lei Dong’s tone was placid, but his heart was resolute.

"Heaven, Earth, all are divided into Three Realms, Six Domains, and Nine Continents. The Underworld Ghost Domain is one of those domains. Whether I admit it or not, the Underworld Ghost Domain is the weakest among the Six Domains. And the domain occupied by those bird-men is the Holy Domain of Light. According to ancient legends, the Winged God Clan was the top-tier war race under the Celestial Realm, possessing formidable strength. Although they are now declining due to the thinning spiritual energy of heaven and earth, they are still far beyond comparison to our Ghost Clan." The Ghost Emperor spoke freely.

"Senior means the medicine to save Tian Mo is located in the Holy Domain of Light?" Lei Dong's expression became serious. He was no longer a novice cultivator who had just started out; he certainly understood how powerful the Holy Domain of Light was.

"Precisely. Within the Holy Domain of Light, there is a water called the Divine Water of Life, capable of healing all physical or soul injuries. If you can procure a small vial, I can guarantee Tian Mo's safety," the Ghost Emperor looked directly at Lei Dong.

"Divine Water of Life?" Lei Dong's gaze was steady and composed. He said calmly, "In that case, please, Senior, tell me more information regarding the Divine Water of Life, and how to enter the Holy Domain of Light."

The Ghost Emperor stared at Lei Dong. "Kid, the strength of the Holy Domain of Light far surpasses the Underworld Ghost Moth. They possess eight, no, nine Soul Transformation experts alone, two of whom are no weaker than myself. With your cultivation progress and aptitude, your future potential is limitless; reaching my level is highly possible. Are you truly willing to risk such a tremendous danger for the sake of a mere woman? Life is a single journey; consider this carefully. Understand that the Divine Water of Life is no common commodity among the Winged God Clan; they value this substance highly. You only have a chance to seize it by venturing deep into the Sky Main Cities."

"Senior," Lei Dong took a deep breath, saying steadily, "This junior has considered it thoroughly. Tian Mo has shown this junior immense favor and kindness. Even if I cherish my life, there is no way I can stand by and watch her vanish for my sake."

"Good, good. You truly are a man of feeling and righteousness. I shall tell you all the intelligence without reservation." The Ghost Emperor began to narrate the details bit by bit. His previous words were, in essence, merely testing Lei Dong. If this young man were truly someone heartless and disloyal, the Ghost Emperor would certainly force him to quickly undo Xiao You’s blood sacrifice and cease all further interaction.

But it was precisely because of Lei Dong's response that the Ghost Emperor felt much more at ease; otherwise, he truly would not dare entrust Xiao You's future to such an ungrateful wretch.

"Originally, the Holy Domain of Light consisted of only one main continent. However, during the ancient wars, the Asura Clan and the Winged God Clan fought each other for countless years. That main continent was ravaged by incessant conflict and broken into eight smaller landmasses. But even though they are small, each piece is no smaller than any single one of the Nine Continents. Floating above each continent are one Sky Main City and over a dozen Sky Cities. The Sky Main Cities are presided over by the Winged God Kings, who rule the domain. Even I, if I dared to force my way into any Sky Main City alone, the best outcome would be severe injury and flight. The Divine Water of Life you seek is exclusively produced within the Sky Main Cities. The Sky Main City gathers the power of heaven and earth's light, capable of catalyzing and condensing only one drop of pure Divine Water of Life each year. This water not only possesses potent healing properties but also aids the Winged God Clan in cultivating their Light Power, making it an extremely precious item to them."

Lei Dong’s brow furrowed as he listened. Although he had anticipated difficulty, the extent of the challenge exceeded his expectations. He asked gravely, "Senior, is it possible to acquire the Divine Water of Life through trade? Perhaps the Winged God Clan would also appreciate Spirit Stones?"

"Difficult," the Ghost Emperor shook his head. "The Divine Water of Life is almost entirely controlled by the Eight Kings of the Winged God Clan. Cultivators who reach such a level of attainment are all peak powerhouses of this world. They are not concerned with external objects, but with strength. And the Divine Water of Life is too crucial for the cultivation of the Winged God Clan members; it is almost equivalent to the Nether Essence in our Ghost Domain. Under normal circumstances, I would not part with even half a drop of Nether Essence."

"Then, the only option left is to seize it," Lei Dong’s expression became utterly resolute.