Even when stealing, there must be a certain finesse. Undeniably, setting aside the Three Realms, which currently cannot be directly accessed, the strength of the Winged God Clan alone places them firmly within the top three. Should one confront the Winged God Clan head-on, let alone Lei Dong himself, even if the entire human race joined forces against them, the outcome of the battle would still be a coin toss.

From this, it is clear that obtaining the Divine Water of Life necessitates strategy. One must prevail through cunning, not brute force.

Furthermore, how to reach the Bright Domain remains a significant challenge. The Bright Domain is one of the Six Domains connecting to the Three Realms, geographically equivalent to the Netherworld Ghost Realm. However, its overall power surpasses that of the Netherworld Ghost Realm. As the Ghost Emperor mentioned, two figures within it possess strength no less than his own, and the Ghost Emperor is the most formidable expert Lei Dong has ever encountered.

Unlike the Three Realms, the Six Domains maintain some degree of connection, greater or lesser, with the Nine Provinces. For instance, the gloomy netherworld near the Yin Sha Sect has some ties to the Netherworld Ghost Realm. By the same token, the Bright Domain and the Nine Provinces share several secret or overt passages.

After repeatedly confirming Lei Dong’s decision to journey to the Bright Domain to seize the Water of Life, the Netherworld Ghost Emperor felt both admiration and a degree of regret. He admired that he had not misjudged the young man Lei Dong—one who understood propriety, knew when to advance and retreat, yet possessed a rare sense of loyalty and morality. He regretted it because he knew perfectly well that Lei Dong’s undertaking was likely a journey from which he would never return.

“It is not that I distrust you, but Xiao You is crucial to the Netherworld Ghost Realm’s path to future survival. If you truly wish to go to the Bright Domain, it is best that you first dissolve the Blood Sacrifice Vow with Xiao You before leaving. I will do my utmost to compensate you for your losses,” the Netherworld Ghost Emperor stated, fixing his gaze upon Lei Dong’s expression with a touch of coldness.

“That goes without saying,” Lei Dong replied, wearing an expression of natural agreement. He said solemnly, “Xiao You and I share a bond that has long transcended the ties between master and servant. I do not wish to place myself in mortal peril and drag Xiao You down with me.”

The Ghost Emperor’s face softened with relief. He waved a hand. “If that is the case, tell me what compensation you require from me. Whatever I possess is yours to choose. Even if I do not have it, within the scope of my ability, I will help you seize it back.”

“Senior, I regard Xiao You as family,” Lei Dong replied, his brow furrowing sternly. “Dissolving the blood oath is my own desire. How could I trade it for mere treasures? If you are sincere, look after my sect after I depart.” Lei Dong omitted mentioning that his direct relatives, like Wan Yan, were under the sect’s protection; as long as the Yin Sha Sect remained secure, their safety would naturally be ensured.

The Netherworld Ghost Emperor pondered briefly, then spoke with solemn gravity: “Very well, I promise you. As long as I draw breath, no one shall lay a finger on the Yin Sha Sect.”

Lei Dong knew that beings like the Netherworld Ghost Emperor usually held their word inviolate; even if the heavens collapsed, they would honor their promises. A significant portion of his worry dissipated.

Xiao You, who had been silent for half a day, suddenly spoke up. “Father, Brother has a Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger, which has been his companion since childhood, and their bond is exceptionally deep. However, constrained by the Shadow Tiger’s bloodline, it has little potential for further growth. Brother’s journey to the Bright Domain is fraught with danger, and Father will not allow me to accompany him. Why doesn't Father use his great divine power to help enhance the Shadow Tiger’s bloodline concentration, thus adding a bit more combat strength for Brother?”

The Netherworld Ghost Emperor sucked in a sharp breath and glared. “Truly, a daughter grown is no longer entirely his own! Do you think enhancing bloodline concentration is so easy? Father is not some immortal god who can transform things with a mere spell!”

“Hehe, Father is the most magnificent Emperor our Ghost Clan has ever known; surely you have a way,” Xiao You dismissed the concern, hugging the Ghost Emperor’s arm and acting spoiled. “Xiao You admires Father the most.”

“Hmph, there are ways,” the Netherworld Ghost Emperor said, unable to resist Xiao You’s cajoling. He shot a sidelong glance at Lei Dong before speaking slowly. “Deep within the Nine Nether Abyss, there are several supremely dangerous zones, places even I am reluctant to tread lightly. One of them is the territory of a Netherworld Ghost Tiger King.”

“Netherworld Ghost Tiger? Does such a striped beast exist in this world?” Lei Dong paused in surprise and confusion. The Netherworld Ghost Tiger, after all, was a beast inheriting a variant bloodline from the ancient Divine Beast White Tiger, possessing considerable ancient divine heritage. It was truly formidable; once matured, reaching the Nascent Soul stage was virtually guaranteed. This creature’s rank was equivalent to the Profound Ice Dragon possessed by Dongfang Fu. Lei Dong had certainly heard of them but assumed the species was long extinct. Moreover, the Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger was supposedly a descendant variant of the Netherworld Ghost Tiger, meaning its bloodline was significantly inferior.

“Seeing too little to know much,” the Netherworld Ghost Emperor was indeed in no mood for Lei Dong now. With his hands behind his back, he squinted at him. “The world is vast; how could you possibly imagine its breadth? The Nine Nether Lands are saturated with Nether Qi, most suitable for the survival of all kinds of nether-aligned beasts. The Netherworld Ghost Tiger is already a leading figure among nether beasts, so it is not strange to find such a creature in those desolate regions. If you can hunt down ten Netherworld Ghost Tigers and extract their essence blood, I can help your beloved pet advance its bloodline.”

Lei Dong’s brow furrowed slightly. Although the Netherworld Ghost Tiger was famous, reaching Nascent Soul upon maturation was not overly difficult. However, most Netherworld Ghost Tigers spent their entire lives peaking at Nascent Soul strength. Therefore, given Lei Dong’s current power, hunting ten Nascent Soul-level Netherworld Ghost Tigers would be strenuous but likely achievable. What worried Lei Dong slightly was the Netherworld Ghost Tiger King mentioned by the Ghost Emperor just now. If it was the sovereign among the Ghost Tigers, its strength could not be underestimated; it might well be an expert at the Soul Transformation stage, otherwise, the Ghost Emperor would not have treated it with such gravity.

Noticing the change in Lei Dong’s expression, the Ghost Emperor smiled faintly. “Your guess is correct; that Netherworld Ghost Tiger King is indeed at the initial stage of Soul Transformation. The Nine Nether Abyss is divinely favored, possessing several regions where Nether Qi is exceptionally dense, occupied by several powerful nether-aligned beasts. If my strength were at its peak, suppressing that Ghost Tiger King would not be a major issue. But now, due to my previous injuries, compounded by forcefully executing the Time Reversal to save your confidante, my power has greatly diminished. It will likely be difficult to suppress the King, not to mention the Ghost Realm itself is not entirely peaceful, and I cannot afford to suppress that Ghost Tiger King for you.”

Lei Dong seemed unbothered and stated seriously, “Senior has already shown me immense grace by saving Tian Mo’s life. How could I be so presumptuous? However, regarding dealing with that Ghost Tiger King, I still possess some confidence. But this matter is not urgent. I will decide after I hopefully return alive from the Bright Domain.” Indeed, enhancing the Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger’s bloodline was important, but Tian Mo’s life hung in the balance. Lei Dong knew the relative priorities.

“Oh?” The Netherworld Ghost Emperor looked at him with some astonishment, yet he did not believe Lei Dong was boasting. Having interacted with him several times, he found the youth to possess tenacious resolve, tending to endure rather than show off. If he lacked certainty, he absolutely would not make such bold claims. After a brief deliberation, he said, “If you have a way to suppress the Ghost Tiger King, I suggest you first attend to upgrading your beloved pet’s bloodline. The reason is simple: although Tian Mo’s injuries are severe, under the nourishment of the Night Shark Clan’s sacred treasure, the Soul of Separating Water, her condition will not heal, but it will not worsen either, allowing it to last a long time. Secondly, the key item required to release Xiao You from the Blood Sacrifice is also within the Nine Nether Abyss. This trip would achieve two goals at once.”

“Since that is the case, please allow me a couple of years to settle some personal matters, and then I will proceed to the Netherworld Ghost Realm to rendezvous with you,” Lei Dong, being a man of quick decisions, immediately cupped his hands in farewell to the Ghost Emperor. Although Xiao You was reluctant to part with Lei Dong, in order to quickly increase her strength and be of more assistance to him later, she gritted her teeth and returned to the Ghost Realm with the Ghost Emperor. Before leaving, she secretly thought: once Xiao You advances to the Ghost Emperor level, whoever dares bully Brother Lei Dong, she will slap them dead. She was well aware that in this world, strength was the supreme ruler. Take Xuan Yuanzi, whom it took so long to grind down; if she were Ghost Emperor level, why would it have been so troublesome?

After handling this matter, Lei Dong first went to the Night Shark Clan to visit the gravely injured Tian Mo, whose life was preserved thanks to the nourishment of the Soul of Separating Water. From the Night Shark King, Zana, he learned about the battle against the Bright Winged God Clan. In terms of individual strength, Zana was slightly inferior to Ajiana by a small margin. Coupled with fighting within the Night Shark Sea, they held a complete geographical advantage. As a result, once the Night Shark King mobilized its entire army, Ajiana had little effective resistance, leading her subordinates in a full retreat through a pre-set Teleportation Array back to the Bright Domain.

The Night Shark King was not afraid of retaliation from the Bright Winged God Clan army. At this moment, the Winged God Clan’s ancient adversary, the Asura Clan, had begun to exert pressure with a feigned attack. This was enough to capture the full attention of the Winged God Clan. Clearly, the Asura Clan did not wish to see the Winged God Clan expand its influence into the Nine Provinces. Otherwise, with a shift in power balance, the Asura Clan would inevitably suffer consequences later. Moreover, this was a chance to gain a significant favor from the Netherworld Ghost Emperor and the Night Shark King Zana—why pass it up?

Later, Lei Dong swiftly returned to the Yin Sha Sect.

By this time, a massive campaign had concluded successfully. Unlike Lei Dong’s assault on the Yin Yang Harmonious Union Sect, which was complicated by the Xuan Yuanzi incident, the other two routes attacking the Demonic Prison Sect and the Asura Heaven proceeded as smoothly as imagined. With lightning speed, they managed to dismantle the headquarters of both great demonic sects. Subsequently, the three armies converged according to the pre-arranged strategy and swiftly established an encirclement net, quickly wiping out the allied forces of the Three Sects that had been besieging the Yin Sha Sect.

Of course, the allied forces of the Three Sects had, shortly thereafter, received news of the attacks on their own headquarters and had scattered immediately from the initial confrontation. However, under the relentless pursuit of the allied forces of the Ghost Realm, the Night Shark Clan, and the Yin Sha Sect, they fled like cornered dogs.