The Rock Golem was strikingly similar to Kuitu’s squat, sturdy build, exceptionally massive, likely weighing no less than tens of thousands of jin. Moreover, through the shimmering distortion, Lei Dong could distinctly sense a faint trace of life emanating from the Golem. Most crucially, its aura was profound and heavy, seemingly a notch stronger than Kuitu’s, infinitely close to the peak stage of Nascent Soul.

"The Earth is the mother of all things," Kuitu glanced with immense pride at the Rock Golem he had summoned and declared arrogantly, "Believe in the Earth, and you shall receive its favor. Human, it is your honor to be allowed to face our Earth Giant clan's unique Rock Golem." The billion spirit stones worth of elixirs seemed to dangle before his eyes, making his heart throb with yearning. Kuitu resolved to end the battle quickly so he could secure his gains.

No wonder this Earth Giant could slay higher-stage Nascent Soul demonic beasts while being at a lower cultivation level. Lei Dong suddenly understood. He had long suspected Kuitu was an exceptionally talented Earth Giant, but he hadn't anticipated the depth of his comprehension regarding the Laws of Earth. The Five Elements Laws are the most fundamental principles underpinning heaven and earth. From the perspective of the Five Elements theory, all things in existence derive from them. Thus, Kuitu’s words were not entirely without merit.

"An intriguing Earth spell, capable of mimicking a trace of life," Lei Dong exclaimed with a hint of surprise, but his expression swiftly turned to a cold sneer. "Since you have summoned your Golem, I shall not be polite either. Let my ghost-pet try out your Rock Golem; we shall see which is mightier." Saying this, an object flew out from his Nascent Soul—something resembling a miniature, exquisitely crafted, pitch-black pagoda. It expanded rapidly, becoming a full three or four feet tall by the time it settled firmly in Lei Dong’s hand.

With a casual flick of a spell-hand gesture, he first summoned Ghost King A’Chou. Compared to when he fought the Thunder-Striking Divine Crocodile, A’Chou now exuded an entirely different aura. Clearly, under the immense nourishment provided by the high-grade spirit treasure Soul-Nurturing Pagoda and the flesh and blood of the Thunder-Striking Divine Crocodile, A’Chou had successfully broken through the constraints and truly advanced to become a Mid-tier Ghost King.

"A Ghost King?" With Kuitu’s experience, he instantly recognized it, letting out a slight gasp before coldly scoffing, "Human, you continue to present me with more surprises; I underestimated you too much. To possess a Mid-tier Ghost King as a ghost servant is impressive. However, relying on this mere Mid-tier Ghost King to contend with my Rock Golem will likely fall far short."

As he spoke, the Rock Golem and A’Chou engaged in a silent, fierce battle. The Golem inherited the characteristics of the Earth Giant clan, relying primarily on brute force. A’Chou, too, excelled in various close-combat techniques. When they clashed, every move and stance was a direct confrontation, meeting force with force, kicking up vast clouds of swirling dust and gravel.

It was slightly unfortunate that the Rock Golem seemed to possess significantly greater raw power than A’Chou, gradually gaining the upper hand. Kuitu capitalized on this momentum, unleashing his innate Gravity Technique on Lei Dong, pinning him firmly just a short distance above the ground. With his feet planted on the earth, Kuitu brandished his giant spear wildly, accompanied by an array of exquisite Earth-elemental spells.

Lei Dong appeared to be beaten back, constantly weaving and dodging Kuitu’s relentless assaults. Whenever he tried to ascend higher, Kuitu would use the Gravity Technique to yank him crashing back down. It was evident that although Kuitu, a Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, could fly, it was not his strong suit; he was unwilling to abandon his advantage to fight Lei Dong in the air. For an Earth Giant, as long as their feet touched the ground, they could draw endless power from the Earth.

This revealed why the Giant clans were renowned as the Kings of Land Warfare in the ancient era. The Earth Giants, in particular, seemed to have perfected land combat, and Kuitu grew more energized and fierce as the fight progressed. Lei Dong was often forced into a defensive position, only managing an occasional counter-attack after ten moves or so.

The Earth Giant, Rock’s, heart felt as if it were pounding in his throat. Emotionally, he still favored his brother, Lei Dong. Lei Dong’s might had far surpassed Rock’s expectations; he reckoned that if he were facing Kuitu’s ferocious onslaught, he would have long since been overwhelmed and routed for a thousand miles. It was such a pity, as Kuitu was a rare genius among the Earth Giants, surpassing the vast majority in both knowledge and strength.

Seeing Kuitu fight with such domineering ferocity, Rock vaguely felt that cooperating with Kuitu might not be an unacceptable proposition after all. The concept of strength determining status was deeply ingrained in Rock’s very bones. Furthermore, as an Earth Giant and a clan chief, Rock harbored a deep-seated desire for the Earth Giant race to secure a safe territory where they could truly thrive and multiply.

If Rock felt this way, how much more so the other Earth Giants? Their thunderous cheers made the very sky tremble. Not only was Lei Dong being suppressed, but even A’Chou was being violently overpowered by the Rock Golem. Among all those watching the battle from afar, only Qian Chang remained convinced that Lei Dong would win.

Just as the Giants assumed it would only take Kuitu a short time to defeat the agile Lei Dong, a pair of demonic wings erupted from Lei Dong’s back. With a powerful flap, he tore through the gravity cage Kuitu had established, vanishing miles away in the blink of an eye. He laughed loudly, "Kuitu, the period of courtesy is over. I shall now exert my full power." During that previous period, Lei Dong had merely been using Kuitu to test various newly understood techniques. Since advancing to the Nascent Soul stage, many obscure and difficult concepts had suddenly become crystal clear. Fighting demonic beasts did not fully expose the flaws in his techniques; hence, he used Kuitu as a whetstone to hone his new skills, hoping to identify and correct any errors for further improvement.

Without waiting for the stunned Giants to recover their senses, Lei Dong held the Soul-Nurturing Pagoda aloft, mumbling incantations. As he formed the spell-hand seals, the divine consciousness generated within his Nascent Soul connected with the Ghost Thorns residing in the Pagoda, summoning them forth. The moment the Ghost Thorns emerged, Lei Dong dispatched them to assist A’Chou in fighting the Rock Golem. As for Kuitu, Lei Dong was in no rush; he planned to teach him a profound and unforgettable lesson.

The two Ghost Kings fiercely engaged the Rock Golem, and the fight appeared surprisingly balanced. Although A’Chou and the Ghost Thorns had only just broken through to become Mid-tier Ghost Kings, the Rock Golem was formidable, only slightly less powerful than a peak Nascent Soul cultivator. Fighting two opponents, though it strained the Golem, it managed to hold its ground.

After the emergence of the second Ghost King, Kuitu began to feel uneasy. That human cultivator, Lei Dong, was as slippery as a loach; even Kuitu’s exceptionally powerful Gravity Technique could not lock him down. Just as success seemed imminent, Lei Dong would easily flash out of range using his dual wings. This caused the watching Earth Giants to exclaim in astonishment repeatedly.

Not only that, but Lei Dong then summoned the Netherflame Ghost Banner. Its appearance was steeped in ancient, malevolent aura; as it billowed in the wind, the black demonic dragon emblazoned on the flag seemed to bare its fangs and claws, as if countless tormented souls were extending sharp claws, desperate to escape the banner—an image of chilling horror.

Unbeknownst to the enemy, hundreds of Cannonball Ghosts had formed into organized ranks, aiming squarely at the Rock Golem. Under the combined power of such a large contingent of Cannonball Ghosts, even the Rock Golem would likely struggle to withstand a single coordinated volley.

Lei Dong, having amassed his power for some time, led the charge with a top-tier main cannon, unleashing a barrage of projectiles. While the Rock Golem was powerful, its movements were relatively slow. As A’Chou and the Ghost Thorns darted aside, the Golem was directly hit by the artillery swarm. Various shades of emerald green fire flowers erupted, blooming across the sky like brilliant fireworks. Simultaneously, half of the Rock Golem’s body was blown to smithereens, and with a massive crash, it fell lifelessly to the ground.

The two Mid-tier Ghost Kings, now free of their previous engagement, shifted their main focus to Kuitu. Coupled with the hundreds of formidable Cannonball Ghosts eyeing him menacingly, and Lei Dong occasionally launching supporting spells, the Ghost Kings grew fiercer, while Kuitu’s heart grew colder with every exchange. The Giant clan members stood dumbfounded. Being simple and straightforward folk, they never imagined that Kuitu, who had just held a significant advantage, would be turned around so swiftly and be thoroughly suppressed by the human cultivator, to the point of seeming incapable of resistance.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, when Lei Dong summoned yet thousands more Cannonball Ghosts, Kuitu’s already earth-yellow face seemed to turn waxy pale, his heroic bearing almost entirely gone. "Warrior of the humans, I, Kuitu, have lost, and I admit defeat wholeheartedly. From this moment on, this life is yours. Dispose of it as you see fit."

Silence descended upon the area. The Earth Giants turned their gazes of reverence toward Lei Dong. Strength determines status; the victor is king. Most Earth Giants cared little that their tribe might gain such a powerful figure who could defeat even Kuitu, regardless of him being human.

"Kuitu, I told you, the Earth Giant clan is my friend. And the Rock Tribe is my steadfast ally," Lei Dong said, employing the secret sound transmission technique, letting a string of whispers enter Kuitu’s ear directly. A moment later, the listless Kuitu’s eyes flashed with undisguised ecstasy. "Human, is what you say truly real?"

"Kuitu, you can ask Brother Rock about it. Has his tribe ever suffered a loss while cooperating with me, Lei? And when have I, Lei, ever broken my word to him?" Lei Dong stated calmly.

Kuitu could no longer hide the excitement in his eyes and immediately knelt on one knee. "Esteemed Human powerhouse, I, Kuitu, will obey your command and forge a close alliance with the Rock Tribe. If you give any order, even leading an army out to war, Kuitu will have no complaints whatsoever."

Immediately following this, a deafening roar of cheers erupted.

Gazing at the imposing and colossal Earth Giants, a distinct emotion welled up in Lei Dong’s heart, signaling that his influence had expanded significantly once more.