Yinsha Heavenly Thunder, this was almost the last thunderous technique in Lei Dong's arsenal. It had been specially stocked with huge amounts of spirit stones from the Netherworld, intended for those people from the Taiyi Sect, but it was never used and remained in Lei Dong's storage bracelet. The reason it wasn't used against Evil Phoenix earlier was that Evil Phoenix had been fighting him at close range; detonating it would have resulted in a mutual annihilation, leaving no escape. Moreover, Evil Phoenix was extremely skilled in the Empty Time Law; it was possible that Lei Dong could blow himself up without even singeing a hair on Evil Phoenix, which would have been too great a loss.

But using it now was perfectly appropriate. The Insect Emperor was already heavily wounded, having fallen into Lei Dong’s trap. Its earlier confidence was solely based on relying on the prestige of the Nine Nether Soul Devouring Worm King. Given its current injuries, making an extremely rapid reaction or retreat might still have been possible. But if the Nine Nether Soul Devouring Worm King, the focus of all its hope, were to meet with some mishap, it would surely cause temporary chaos in its composure. Just a fraction of a second slower in reaction, and it would suffer another devastating blow.

As for Evil Phoenix fighting the Nine Nether Soul Devouring Worm King to the death, firstly, it was due to her inherently unyielding nature, and secondly, it was instigated by Lei Dong's secret communication with her via soul-wave fluctuations. The problem of the Soul Devouring Worm King had to be resolved; killing the Insect Emperor alone would be useless. In their current states, it was utterly impossible for Lei Dong and Evil Phoenix to escape pursuit from the Soul Devouring Worm King.

Evil Phoenix fought desperately, having condensed all her remaining power for one final, desperate strike—succeed or perish, with absolutely no path of retreat. In this desperate situation, she had no choice but to place a gamble on Lei Dong’s character, trusting him completely. This wasn't due to any genuine insight into his character, but simply because she had exhausted all other options. It was either to be devoured alive by the Soul Devouring Worm King, watching her Nether Phoenix primordial spirit be consumed in agony, or to take a huge gamble where, even if she lost, the outcome could not possibly be worse.

Although Evil Phoenix possessed numerous flaws—pride, arrogance, pettiness, and a vengeful spirit—at this critical juncture, she managed to display an exceptionally resolute side. Even when facing the sharp stinger of the Nine Nether Soul Devouring Worm King, she did not flinch in the slightest, using her very last reserves of strength to successfully achieve Lei Dong's objective.

And Lei Dong was precisely the type of person who grew calmer and more stable the more perilous the situation became. He, too, completed the predetermined goal without any reservation, unleashing his entire stock of Yinsha Heavenly Thunder in one go. The Yinsha Heavenly Thunder was refined from Yinsha essence and forged with various materials into a single-use consumable. Its destructive power was immense; even an unprepared Golden Core stage cultivator would be killed by a single blast. A Nascent Soul stage cultivator, if careless, could also be injured, perhaps even severely wounded. Back when Lei Dong first encountered the Heavenly Demon as a mere Qi Refining stage cultivator, he had been threatened with Yinsha Heavenly Thunder by the Demon. The twists and turns of fate leading to this moment were enough to evoke sighs of contemplation about the vicissitudes of destiny.

Of course, against six God Transformation stage powerhouses, the Yinsha Heavenly Thunder would still be somewhat insufficient. However, quantitative change can often lead to a qualitative leap. The simultaneous explosion of thousands of Yinsha Heavenly Thunders was enough to create world-destroying effects in a localized area. Even a God Transformation expert at peak physical condition might perish if unable to evade in time. At the very least, it was more than adequate to deal with a God Transformation expert who was already heavily wounded and currently in a state of panicked confusion.

Everything was proceeding according to plan. After being slightly pierced, Evil Phoenix immediately reverted to her human form as planned. Conscious but hazy, she felt herself being lifted into an embrace, a masculine scent flooding her nostrils, immediately bringing forth an unprecedented sense of security. She then felt the surrounding space warp, followed by a series of earth-shattering roars, and her consciousness drifted away.

Evil Phoenix had completed her task, but while the first part of Lei Dong’s mission had gone relatively smoothly, the second half would be far more difficult. Just how devastating was the explosion of over a thousand Yinsha Heavenly Thunders? Mixed in with the thunder were hundreds of Suicidal Ghosts that Lei Dong hadn't managed to recall in time.

Relying on the Asura Wings he had never put away, Lei Dong only managed to scoop up two Ghost Kings before entering the "Dominating the World" state. He activated all his power, holding Evil Phoenix tightly, sweeping up the two Ghost Kings, and augmenting the spatial power of the Asura Wings with the Demon Emperor True Word Spell, desperately flapping his wings. Each flap carried him several miles away, while the tidal wave of Yinsha Heavenly Thunder pursued relentlessly behind him.

Lei Dong was like a tiny skiff tossed in a furious ocean, constantly being thrown up and down by the waves, his materialized armor flickering between transparency and solidity.

Even the duration of the Empty Time Law he could maintain was at most ten breaths. In this short span, Lei Dong had managed to carry Evil Phoenix dozens of miles away, completely exhausting the True Essence he had just accumulated. But the shockwaves from the Yinsha Heavenly Thunder explosion reached them, traveling at a speed far exceeding sound. Fortunately, after covering these tens of miles, they were far enough from the center of the blast that the residual shockwave's lethality was reduced by eight or nine tenths. Ghost Thorn and Ah Chou joined forces to condense a pitch-black shield, desperately blocking the aftermath of the explosion for the exhausted Lei Dong, who could run no further. At this point, Lei Dong was utterly wretched. The armor, which possessed a trace of the Indestructible Law attribute, had shattered due to the lack of True Essence injection. His body was ragged, and notably, the pair of Asura Wings that had accompanied him for so long were riddled with hundreds of holes, with one wing completely broken off and scattered in the violent explosion. Upon inspection, the spatial law energy contained within was utterly shattered, making repair impossible—a source of deep heartache. This treasure had been custom-made for him by the Heavenly Demon at immense cost back then, even foregoing his own personal treasures. These wings had accompanied Lei Dong through countless trials and had saved his life countless times. Now, this treasured item had finally fulfilled its final mission and reached the end of its natural lifespan. Just as Lei Dong's heart was unsettled, the mournful shriek of the Nine Nether Soul Devouring Worm King suddenly erupted. Its powerful aura pressed down even on Lei Dong and his group tens of miles away. Furthermore, the Worm King’s icy divine sense swept over them. Even though Lei Dong was currently in the "Dominating the World" transformation, theoretically possessing a state of mind unshaken by mountains collapsing before him, his expression still shifted slightly.

That volley of Yinsha Heavenly Thunder, while primarily aimed at the Insect Emperor, had also engulfed the Nine Nether Soul Devouring Worm King. It had managed to evade the main impact? However, judging by its mournful cry, the Insect Emperor likely perished in the explosion. It was uncertain whether the Insect Emperor managed to escape with its primordial spirit intact.

One must remember that the vitality of a God Transformation stage expert is incredibly tenacious. Even if the physical body is destroyed, as long as the primordial spirit remains, rebirth through possession is possible, functioning similarly to a Nascent Soul but infinitely more mature and potent. This is because the primordial spirit is the mature, evolved form of the Nascent Soul.

Lei Dong and the two Ghost Kings held no illusion that they had gone unnoticed by the Soul Devouring Worm King; that was entirely unrealistic. Even a cultivator in the early Nascent Soul stage could project their divine sense in a straight line for about a hundred miles.

Let alone a Soul Devouring Worm King at the God Transformation level, a species naturally skilled in soul devouring and highly adept with divine sense. It was highly probable that the sweep of its senses just now had detected Lei Dong and the others. Believing that it would not let Lei Dong and his group go, whether for its own revenge or for that of its master, was a certainty. As expected, when Ah Chou projected his divine sense forward, his ugly face changed: "Master, the Soul Devouring Worm is rapidly approaching. Ghost Thorn, I will intercept it; you must quickly take the Master and leave—you must ensure the Master's life."

With those words, Ah Chou shot off towards the direction of the Soul Devouring Worm King without looking back. Simultaneously, he unleashed the powerful aura of a High-tier Ghost King, roaring in a deep, resonant voice: "Ugly worm, come meet this Ghost King!"

With Lei Dong's speed, he could cover dozens of miles in just ten-odd breaths when exerting himself suddenly. For a God Transformation level demonic insect, a distance of several dozen miles was indeed not significant.

"Master, let's go." Ghost Thorn, whose intelligence was already considerable, immediately materialized into a cloud of ghost qi, enveloping Lei Dong and Evil Phoenix within it, employing a phantom-like movement technique as they fled forward without the slightest hesitation.

Lei Dong’s face was somewhat pale, and the pain immediately washed over him. He understood, clearly and completely, that Ah Chou’s departure was sacrificing his life to buy time for his master to escape; there was no possibility of him surviving. Yet, Lei Dong did not call him back, nor did he use his status as Master to stop him.

At this critical juncture, any argument, any wasted second or half-second, would be a desecration of Ah Chou's ultimate sacrifice. Furthermore, Lei Dong knew perfectly well that without this sacrifice, no one present would survive.

Who says Ghost Servants lack emotion? Who says highly intelligent Ghost Servants will inevitably betray their masters?

As Lei Dong felt the pain in his heart, Ghost Thorn also felt a surge of intense grief. In the past, it, like Ah Chou, had been nothing more than one of the countless lonely, wandering spirits in the wilderness. By sheer luck, they had been fed Soul Pearls by Lei Dong, gradually evolving into Supreme Spiritual Ghosts, making it all the way to this moment.

Since gaining sentience, Ah Chou had always been more steady than Ghost Thorn, taking on any dangerous task. To Ghost Thorn, Ah Chou resembled a simple, honest elder brother; their mutual affection ran deep. Ghost Thorn deeply regretted not taking the initiative sooner to intercept that Soul Devouring Worm King. Because once someone voluntarily proposed and made such a decision, there would be no more time left to argue with them.

At this moment, Ghost Thorn desperately wanted to roar in madness, but it dared not, fearing that the noise might attract the Soul Devouring Worm King and ruin Ah Chou’s efforts. (To be continued)