Evil Phoenix, Insect Emperor? Even with Lei Dong’s preparedness, he was still severely shocked. Having often frequented the Ghostly Nether Realm, Lei Dong was intimately familiar with the Four Great Races of the Underworld. Especially concerning the leaders of these four races, he had heard their names until his ears were calloused.

The titles Evil Phoenix and Insect Emperor were extraordinarily familiar to Lei Dong. However, he never imagined having any direct dealings with the leaders of these races, at least not within the next few decades. Who would have thought that, in this casual moment, both parties would suddenly meet here, completely unprepared mentally?

In the Underworld, a Great Race is designated as such not merely due to large numbers, but because their power must be immense. Furthermore, possessing at least one Nascent Soul Perfection cultivator was a mandatory requirement. Currently, the Four Great Races of the Underworld have maintained an almost unbroken line of Nascent Soul Perfection powerhouses over long periods. This is no simple feat, as the conditions for reaching Nascent Soul Perfection have always been extremely stringent. Otherwise, Kang Province and Zhao Province, those two minor regions, would not so frequently experience prolonged gaps in their Nascent Soul Perfection cultivators.

And for any race to sustain a continuous flow of Nascent Soul Perfection experts over an extended period is neither easy nor dependent on luck. Thus, such races endure in prosperity. Among them, the Netherworld Demon Dragon Clan and the Nether Phoenix Clan are descendants of primeval divine beasts, inherently possessing unparalleled aptitude and standing as nobility by birth.

Though both these clans are sparse in population, individuals with exceptionally high bloodline concentration and outstanding aptitude occasionally emerge. Supported by the clan’s profound heritage and the entirety of their resources dedicated to nurturing such talents, they ensure the continuous presence of Nascent Soul Perfection experts. As for the Ghost Race, their origins are peculiar; a unique inheritance method ensures that roughly every millennium, a Celestial Spirit Ghost emerges. Once a Celestial Spirit Ghost appears, barring any accidents during its growth, reaching Nascent Soul Perfection is a certainty. It is estimated that among all the races across the Six Domains and Nine Continents today, none can boast of an absolute genius whose advancement to Nascent Soul Perfection is guaranteed simply with resources.

The Celestial Spirit Ghosts of the Ghost Race exhibit this unique phenomenon. The probability of one emerging every thousand years means that even if a Celestial Spirit Ghost suffers an unforeseen incident during its growth, it generally ensures the Ghost Race is never without a Ghost Sovereign level powerhouse.

As for the Corpse Worm Race, although the weakest among the Four Great Races, they are also the most mysterious. They seem to possess their own highly specialized and secret means of inheritance, allowing a Nascent Soul Perfection expert to arise in every generation. However, the Corpse Worms are few, rarely interact with humans, and guard their secrets jealously. Consequently, few know how the Corpse Worm Race manages to maintain a continuous line of Nascent Soul Perfection experts. Despite various speculations and rumors, the Corpse Worm Race has never attempted to clarify anything. Over time, people grew accustomed to the ceaseless stream of Nascent Soul Perfection powerhouses within the Corpse Worm Clan, confirming their status as one of the Four Great Races of the Underworld.

As for the other races in the Underworld, although many possess considerable strength, they ultimately cannot sustain long-term prosperity, only occasionally fortunate enough to produce a Nascent Soul Perfection expert by sheer luck. Such races are unqualified to be listed among the Great Races.

Therefore, within the Underworld, only the Four Great Races can dominate their respective territories, forcing all other races to affiliate under the banners of these four overlords. But recently, due to some specific circumstances involving the Nether Ghost Emperor, he not only managed to live long enough but also advanced to the Middle Stage of Nascent Soul Perfection. This seemed to instantly shatter the balance among the Four Great Races.

Although the Middle Stage and the Early Stage of Nascent Soul Perfection are separated by only one tier, the reality is far different. The gap between the two, while not as vast a chasm as that between Peak Nascent Soul and Early Nascent Soul Perfection, is certainly not as small as imagined. In actual combat, the Nether Ghost Emperor could effortlessly defeat any single one of the other three Emperors, or even overwhelm any two of them combined.

The only ones capable of resisting the Nether Ghost Emperor are the Early Stage Nascent Soul Perfection experts of the three other races fighting in concert; only then would the contest be even.

Consequently, under the reign of the Nether Ghost Emperor, the Ghost Race’s influence grew increasingly powerful. The other three clans were pressured and forced into unity to resist the Ghost Race. Otherwise, in a thousand years, the Underworld would no longer accommodate the survival of the three races. Unless they chose to merge into the Ghost Race and become their vassal clans, their options were either flight or utter annihilation.

But for the three great races, having survived in the Ghostly Nether Realm for untold ages, this place was their home. How could they so easily abandon their home? Thus, the three clans united against the Ghost Race. Yet, even so, they could only barely halt the Ghost Race’s unrestricted expansion. Defeating or eliminating the Ghost Race, however, remained beyond their grasp, leading to continuous battles of attrition. With relations thus strained, encountering each other unexpectedly in such a bizarre location—their psychological states were intensely worth scrutinizing. For a moment, the atmosphere froze stiffly on the spot, nobody daring to utter a sound, fearful of provoking the slightest misunderstanding that might trigger a brutal fight neither side wished to initiate.

“So, friends from the Ghost Race are here.” Insect Emperor, shrouded in his black robe, was the first to break the silence, speaking in a tone that was half greeting, half probe: “To meet like this in this place is certainly no small miracle. Though there are some misunderstandings between our two races, perhaps we should observe courtesy in such a peculiar location. As for this peerless Chaos Golden Lotus, why don’t we divide it into three portions, one for each of our three races? Oh, and friend, your face seems unfamiliar. Are you merely traveling through the Underworld?” Insect Emperor presented himself as mild-tempered, yet his words were sharp and riddled with traps. One purpose was to gain an advantage; the second was to probe. If the Nether Ghost Emperor were present, he would never accept such an outrageous condition. Not slaughtering their group would already be showing great deference. But if the Nether Ghost Emperor was absent, or if this Nascent Soul expert was not sufficiently dominant and harbored fear, then Insect Emperor might very well ally with Evil Phoenix to secure greater benefits for himself.

In such a delicate situation, where war could erupt with a single misstep, Lei Dong had no choice but to step forward and engage in dialogue. Otherwise, if a mere Ghost King were sent to converse with Insect Emperor, the other party might perceive it as a slight or discrimination and suddenly initiate conflict.

Following Xiao You’s telepathic transmission, Lei Long stood with his hands clasped behind his back, an air of arrogance radiating from him: “I wondered who it was—it turns out to be Insect Emperor and Evil Phoenix. I am Lei Long. Brother You Ming mentioned both of you previously; I heard you are both outstanding figures in the Underworld and have long wished to pay my respects. I didn't expect such a chance encounter here, which conveniently saves this Crown Prince quite a bit of trouble. A pleasure, a pleasure.” While speaking of pleasure, he cast sidelong glances at Evil Phoenix and Insect Emperor, as if assessing them, yet with a hint of disdain.

“So it is Brother Lei.” Evil Phoenix remained silent, letting Insect Emperor act as the representative, his tone remaining somewhat cold: “Brother Lei must have traveled a great distance. As masters of the Underworld, we should naturally strive to entertain you. After matters here are concluded, please accept an invitation to my Corpse Demon Palace; we guarantee you will feel right at home. Furthermore, I believe the Nether Phoenix Clan would also heartily welcome Brother Lei. However, it seems Senior Nether Ghost Emperor has been remiss in his hospitality—how could he allow you to venture alone into this desolate wilderness?” Internally, he began to ponder: he had never heard of a clan named Lei. Was this self-proclamation as Crown Prince mere posturing, or does he possess real power? Insect Emperor’s temperament is icy, rarely prone to impulse. A Nascent Soul level expert claiming to be Crown Prince is no trivial matter.

“This Crown Prince goes where he wishes; must I be governed by your say-so?” Lei Long shot him a sideways glance, seemingly having his authority offended, or perhaps acting like an arrogant second-generation noble with no patience, he sneered somewhat impulsively: “Is the bottom of the Styx River your private domain? You may come, but this Crown Prince cannot?”

“Certainly not.” Insect Emperor’s voice carried a hint of apology mixed with indignation: “I merely feel indignant on your behalf. With your noble background, how dare the old Ghost Emperor act his age and neglect to accompany you? It truly disgraces our Ghostly Nether Realm. If you do not mind, I can accompany you the entire way, ensuring you truly experience the treatment befitting an honored guest.”

“Who says Old Brother You Ming failed to entertain properly?” Due to the string of humble, flattering words, Lei Long’s expression softened slightly: “My coming to the Styx this time was entirely at this Crown Prince’s request. As for Old Brother You Ming, he is certainly accompanying me.”

“Senior You Ming is here too?” Insect Emperor appeared somewhat excited, hurrying to say: “Although we are all in the Middle Stage of Nascent Soul Perfection, we hold the legendary Senior You Ming in the highest regard. Since the Senior is present, this junior must pay his respects in person. Coincidentally, I have a few bottlenecks in my cultivation that I require Senior You Ming’s guidance on.”

“So that’s how it is.” Lei Long looked enlightened, but then immediately sneered coldly: “Do you take Lei Long for a fool? Your guards already transmitted messages to me, stating you are enemies. Why should I disclose Brother You Ming’s whereabouts to you?” Having said that, he cast two mocking glances, seemingly provoking them.

While Insect Emperor was preparing to probe further, Evil Phoenix seemed to grow impatient and said coldly: “Insect Emperor, why waste so much breath on them? No matter how strong his soul power is, he is only one person. We are all Early Stage Nascent Soul experts; I refuse to believe that two combined cannot defeat him... Hmph, let me tell you, we are determined to take the Chaos Golden Lotus for ourselves.”

Lei Long suddenly grew excited, flexing his fists slightly: “Why didn't you just say so earlier? Wanting to monopolize a treasure, yet you hemmed and hawed for so long. Since our intentions align, let us settle this with a contest of strength.”