One ultimately underestimated the terrifying vitality of a cultivator at the Nascent Soul Transformation Stage. Lei Dong had originally believed that even if his sneak attack failed to kill the formidable female cultivator, it would at least deplete her strength by a certain percentage. However, it now appeared that her power had only been reduced by twenty to thirty percent, and coupled with the energy she had already expended, she still retained at least thirty to forty percent of her original might.

For a formidable cultivator in the Nascent Soul Transformation Stage, even possessing less than half of their power still rendered them an existence of extreme terror. Ordinary cultivators at the Nascent Soul Stage would undoubtedly be annihilated one by one.

Yet, Lei Dong was no ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator. Even without relying on techniques like the Immortal Slaughtering Finger, dispatching high-tier or even peak Nascent Soul demonic beasts was child's play for him. Facing imminent death, Lei Dong now held nothing back. He brought forth the supreme Soul Nurturing Pagoda, executed the necessary hand seals, and simultaneously summoned both A-Chou and Ghost Thorn.

Now, thanks to Lei Dong’s relentless, cost-ignoring cultivation and the nourishment provided by the top-grade spirit treasure Soul Nurturing Pagoda, both of Lei Dong's Ghost Kings had successfully advanced to the high-tier existence. A-Chou now towered at a full three zhang, bulky and immensely powerful, clad in intricate and grotesque soul armor. Ghost Thorn was the precise opposite; the more potent he became, the smaller he grew, now standing only a few chi tall. Yet, he was compact and sharp, brimming with boundless explosive energy, resembling a deadly assassin poised for a killing blow.

Given Lei Dong's spiritual sense intensity, controlling two high-tier Ghost Kings had previously stretched him thin. But now, having undergone the enhancement and baptism of the Chaos Golden Lotus, Lei Dong’s strength had surged dramatically in a short span, elevating him to the peak of the early Nascent Soul Stage, with only a sliver separating him from the mid-stage.

Furthermore, the second transformation of the Demonic Heaven Transformation, "Dominion Over All," had massively amplified his spiritual sense strength. Despite merely possessing the cultivation of the peak early Nascent Soul Stage, he now unexpectedly matched the prowess of peak human cultivators at the Nascent Soul Stage. Commanding the two high-tier Ghost Kings suddenly felt incredibly effortless.

With all his trump cards deployed, Lei Dong seized the moment while residual strength remained and launched his full-scale assault. Countless suicide ghosts swarmed towards Xie Feng like a plague of locusts, while the two Ghost Kings constantly roamed the periphery, seizing opportunities to strike Xie Feng with a blow or two whenever possible.

Xie Feng was undeniably fierce. Under the deluge of the immense offensive, she still managed to utilize the Phoenix Clan's superior spatial teleportation technique, doggedly pursuing Lei Dong. Her black feathers danced across the sky, forming a winding, ceaselessly swirling torrent.

Hiss—Occasionally, a feather that evaded his dodge would pierce Lei Dong's body. Upon violent impact, the feather was blocked by his incredibly resilient armor. However, after each impact, the armor would vibrate violently several times before growing visibly dimmer and more transparent. Lei Dong continuously poured true essence into it to solidify the armor. Lei Dong knew he lacked Xie Feng's absurd vitality, capable of appearing unconcerned even with a pierced heart. Although Nascent Soul cultivators were called 'Indestructible Nascent Souls,' Lei Dong certainly preferred not to constantly seek replacement bodies through soul-seizing procedures.

In the chaotic battle, Xie Feng was also suffering. While desperately chasing Lei Dong, she neglected much of her defense. Being constantly struck by the suicide ghosts, which functioned like guided missiles, caused her injuries to compound, and her strength was rapidly diminishing. Moreover, those two intensely irritating high-tier Ghost Kings posed a significant nuisance, something Xie Feng would normally dismiss as minor threats. Particularly the smaller Ghost King, exceptionally skilled at stealthy ambushes, had delivered two solid blows to Xie Feng in a short period.

A dignified Divine Beast of the Nascent Soul Transformation Stage, the Empress of the Nether Phoenix Clan, was forced into such a dire situation by a mere Nascent Soul cultivator today. This filled Xie Feng with both indignation and acute embarrassment, solidifying her resolve to kill this brat and wash away the shame.

Although both sides were reaching the point of complete exhaustion, a fundamental gap in strength remained. As he desperately fled, ceaselessly consuming the latent power stored within his body, Lei Dong’s vision began to blur, and his hearing, touch, and even spiritual sense were rapidly declining. It seemed only a matter of time before Xie Feng would kill him by exhausting his true power.

Facing the spatial vortex Xie Feng condensed from the 'Nine Heavens Phoenix Dance Feathers,' tearing everything apart, a chilling emptiness settled in Lei Dong's heart, yet his mind remained profoundly calm. Was this the end? Lei Dong merely sighed softly. So many things were left undone. So many things he could not let go of. But he was so weary, so tired of persisting, as if every fiber of power had been drained from his bones, leaving only an empty shell resembling a walking corpse. His body instinctively made irregular evasive movements, but his consciousness began to scatter, his awareness growing increasingly muddled, blurring and hazy, as if he were about to drift off to sleep.

Xie Feng was also nearing her limit, but her obsessive will to avoid losing to a junior Nascent Soul cultivator allowed her to persist, supported by her quasi-divine beast lineage. Seeing Lei Dong on the verge of collapse, Xie Feng felt a surge of glee. She extended a slender finger and directed dozens of feathers arranged in a sharp volley towards Lei Dong. It wasn't that she was unwilling to summon more feathers, but she too was nearly depleted. She still needed to guard against those two troublesome Ghost Kings and those abominable, self-detonating specters that refused to die.

Suddenly, at this precise moment, a low, sharp, terrifying shriek erupted. The sound was piercing and unpleasant, as if drilling directly into the Nascent Soul, involuntarily instilling terror and causing every pore to contract.

This strange cry brought a sense of primal fear from the depths of Lei Dong’s Nascent Soul, yet simultaneously, his mind cleared slightly. Most of the hazy death intent was purged. A sharp gleam appeared in his fatigued and clouded eyes. The supreme spirit stone in his palm had, at some unknown moment, been entirely drained of its spiritual energy, crumbling into a fine powder of crystalline dust. Seeing the feathers of the Phoenix Dance of the Nine Heavens nearing him, a cold sweat broke out, and Lei Dong immediately executed the Ghost Shadow Evasion, shifting instantaneously over ten zhang like a phantom, narrowly dodging the fatal strike. Having successfully evaded the blow, Lei Dong paused in stunned realization. That unconscious use of the Ghost Shadow Evasion had been more than twice as fast as normal. Was it a potential stimulated by the life-or-death situation? Or perhaps...? After savoring the feeling, Lei Dong's eyes lit up. That brief Ghost Shadow Evasion, though seemingly minor, had, while Lei Dong was hazy and unconscious, integrated a trace of spatial law power. No wonder that movement was so graceful and natural, like a soft gust of wind passing by.

Frankly, Lei Dong had been studying how to integrate the slight comprehension of spatial law he possessed into his movement techniques for a long time, but without success. Perhaps because his opponent, Xie Feng, was adept at spatial law and her pursuit technique had completely integrated a wisp of spatial law. Through chasing and fighting her, Lei Dong had absorbed experience, gained insight, and intuitively integrated the spatial law into the Ghost Shadow Evasion.

Undoubtedly, if Lei Dong could perfectly weave the spatial law he comprehended into the Ghost Shadow Evasion, it would be of immense benefit. Throughout his years of cultivation, Lei Dong always believed speed was crucial; swiftness often allowed rapid escape in extreme peril. Indeed, throughout his journey, Lei Dong had survived numerous perilous situations thanks to his pair of Asura Wings; otherwise, given his experiences, he would never have lived to see this day. However, as Lei Dong's cultivation deepened, the enemies he faced grew stronger, and the Asura Wings began to prove inadequate.

Even at their strongest, the Asura Wings were crafted primarily from the membrane wings of a Transformation Stage Asura King. While they might allow dominance within the Nascent Soul Stage, they became insufficient when confronting true Transformation Stage experts. Against the lightning-fast reactions, vast battlefields, and supremely precise evasions of those formidable beings, the Asura Wings felt clumsy and inflexible. It was fortunate that Lei Dong had inherited some of the Demon Emperor's potent legacies—be it the Demonic Heaven Transformation, the True Word Incantation, or other practical techniques—which had barely kept him alive during the repeated clashes with Xie Feng.

But integrating spatial law into the Ghost Shadow Evasion instantly made the previously somewhat lackluster movement technique incredibly practical. The Ghost Shadow Evasion was renowned for its elusiveness, speed, and sharp, bizarre changes in direction. If driven by spatial law, the power of the Ghost Shadow Evasion would multiply exponentially. Even against the pursuit battle he had just endured with Xie Feng, Lei Dong might have been able to utilize his timely insight and the new Ghost Shadow Evasion to escape calmly, thus avoiding this brutal fight altogether.

Both Lei Dong and Xie Feng were momentarily lost in thought. But at that moment, the extremely sharp screech sounded again, seemingly more urgent and much closer than before.

Almost simultaneously, both Xie Feng and Lei Dong's expressions changed drastically, shouting nearly identical words: "It's the Nine Nether Soul Devouring Worm!" The reason Lei Dong and Xie Feng could identify the Nine Nether Soul Devouring Worm so quickly by sound was entirely thanks to the Insect Emperor. He had unleashed thousands of Soul Devouring Worms earlier, jarring everyone's nerves and ensuring others remembered the creatures' appearance and cry.

However, these two calls, for some unknown reason, sounded profoundly discordant, sending a deep chill radiating from the soul, as if the very spirit was being agitated by the sound. The thousands of Soul Devouring Worms released previously possessed nothing near this level of might.

"Not good, it's the Nine Nether Soul Devouring Worm King!" Xie Feng's face shifted dramatically. She clearly remembered the condition she agreed upon with the Insect Emperor: she was to help him subdue the Nine Nether Soul Devouring Worm King.