Another decade slipped by, precisely ten years this small flying vessel belonging to Xie Feng had remained anchored in this seemingly vacant expanse. Over those ten years, Xie Feng's various injuries had mended to about seventy or eighty percent of their peak condition. Having endured that massive setback, Xie Feng seemed to have gained some profound understanding; the once slightly haughty and restless disposition gradually settled into a deep calm. Though her cultivation level hadn't advanced, her mental state had elevated significantly, and the bottleneck that had held her progress stagnant for years now showed faint signs of loosening.

During these ten years of Xie Feng’s recuperation, Lei Dong remained deeply unconscious. The prior injuries, compounded by the backlash to his Nascent Soul caused by Ah Chou's death, kept him in a slumber spanning the entire decade.

Of course, Xie Feng hadn't merely rested and healed for ten years. As the leader of her clan and one of the Four Emperors of the Netherworld, she possessed countless top-tier healing elixirs, which she administered to Lei Dong one by one. Secondly, every month, she expended a significant portion of her true essence to gently clear and warm Lei Dong’s meridians and nurture his Nascent Soul, preventing the irreversible damage of atrophy.

Beyond that, she channeled some of the Chaos Spiritual Qi she had painstakingly collected—Qi she would not normally part with—into Lei Dong monthly, using it to soothe his body and replenish his energy. Consequently, although Lei Dong had slept for ten years due to the severe trauma to his Nascent Soul, his physical body was steadily, incrementally recovering.

Yet, for reasons unknown, even though his body was almost completely restored, Lei Dong showed absolutely no sign of waking. It seemed the backlash damage to his Nascent Soul was still—inexplicably—obstructing his return to consciousness.

Xie Feng, however, displayed not a shred of impatience, continuing her devoted care for Lei Dong. Especially in the last two years, as her own injuries improved, she began searching the vicinity of this void-like place, attempting to locate rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures to aid Lei Dong’s recovery.

Xie Feng’s unwavering devotion to Lei Dong—a stranger, and formerly an adversary—gradually instilled a sense of admiration in Gui Ci, who had initially harbored hostility and defiance toward her. To see a mighty expert at the Soul Transformation stage, a pinnacle existence within the Three Realms and Six Domains, one of the Four Emperors of the Netherworld, dedicate herself so completely to Lei Dong simply because he upheld a promise and saved her life—it truly marked her as a person of profound feeling and loyalty.

Gui Ci, benefiting from Lei Dong’s presence, received considerable advantages from Xie Feng over the years. First, there was the Soul Refining Jade and the Spiritual Nectar, followed by various heavenly materials she unearthed but which were of little use to Lei Dong; or perhaps the soul essence and flesh of Netherworld-type monstrous beasts slain during her searches—all of it ultimately fell to Gui Ci. After accumulating such benefits, Gui Ci astonishingly managed another breakthrough within the decade, ascending to the level of a peak Ghost King.

Naturally, without some extraordinary fortune, a Ghost race member born of supreme Spiritual Ghost origins would likely cap out at the level of a peak Ghost King.

Breaking through to the Ghost Emperor stage was fraught with immense difficulty. Historically, among the Ghost race, a creature stemming from supreme Spiritual Ghost origins, like Gui Lou, would, on average, take hundreds of thousands of years to produce just one Ghost Emperor. In the span of those hundreds of thousands of years, countless peak Ghost Kings had risen and fallen; the probability was terrifyingly low.

Xie Feng had thoroughly scoured the surrounding area for hundreds of thousands of miles. Besides slaying innumerable monstrous beasts and insects inhabiting this void, she had gathered many spiritual herbs and minerals, but nothing especially rare that might significantly aid Lei Dong’s awakening.

Finally, Xie Feng was forced to turn her gaze toward that mysterious point of light. It was the only place nearby she had not explored because, as a Soul Transformation expert, her instincts regarding danger were exceptionally keen; every time she approached that spot, a sharp dread seized her, as if some colossal danger awaited her there.

Those who had not reached the Soul Transformation stage often assumed that experts at that level were virtually invincible within the Nine Continents and Six Domains. However, only upon reaching that echelon did one truly comprehend how perilous the world actually was. The Three Realms and Six Domains and Nine Continents—the Three Realms were temporarily discounted as their pathways were sealed. Considering only the Six Domains and Nine Continents, they had existed for an immeasurable time, witnessing countless wars. In the surging tide of history, innumerable renowned and unknown formidable experts had emerged. Perhaps it was a grand array set by some supreme powerhouse, perhaps the remnants of a vanished super-faction's ruins, or perhaps the blood-soaked battleground of some ancient Great Power, or even natural traps set by Mother Nature herself.

Even at the Soul Transformation stage, the world was too vast to explore every single corner.

Take Xie Feng, for instance: would she dare venture into the Sacred Domain of Light? It would be a miracle if she weren't immediately besieged and killed. Or perhaps an advanced Soul Transformation expert from the Winged God Clan daring to visit the Asura Domain on a whim—that would be courting death.

Many ruins or natural traps, if stumbled upon accidentally, might yield supreme opportunities if luck held. But if fortune turned sour, even a Soul Transformation expert might enter and never return.

Having traversed the cavern system at the bottom of the Styx River, Xie Feng arrived at this void-like location, a place entirely unknown to her. However, the Nether energy here was far denser than even that found in the Nine Depths Abyss.

The Netherworld-type beasts Xie Feng had slain were mostly at the Nascent Soul stage, including many peak Nascent Soul entities.

Moreover, over a hundred thousand miles away, Xie Feng had encountered a Soul Transformation level Netherworld Profound Serpent. Since both deemed the other too difficult to engage rashly, they avoided a meaningless battle. In recent years, they had even exchanged courtesies, becoming acquaintances. This suggested the entire region was like an untouched virgin territory, seemingly divorced from the mainstream world of the Netherworld for countless eons.

Encountering one Soul Transformation beast within hundreds of thousands of miles suggested that in the vast expanse of this dark void, other formidable creatures surely lurked in hidden corners. This was why, whenever she ventured out to search for treasures, she relied on formations and Gui Ci to guard Lei Dong.

Fortunately, Xie Feng was a powerful figure. In just ten years, she had established quite a reputation in the vicinity. Those lower-level beasts possessing some intelligence had automatically designated this area of several hundred thousand miles as Xie Feng's territory and lair. Passing through, they instinctively gave a wide berth, lest they inadvertently offend Xie Feng's strangely shaped, formidable "monster" and meet disaster; they generally avoided provoking her. Even the peak Ghost King, Gui Ci, was somewhat well-known nearby, regarded by the other beasts as Xie Feng’s subordinate.

On this particular day, seeing that Lei Dong had still not awakened despite her long wait, Xie Feng frowned, contemplating whether she should venture into that glowing spot to explore. Her intuition warned her of immense danger there, yet simultaneously hinted at a significant opportunity concealed within.

It was at this exact moment that a cold, eerie divine sense washed over the area, accompanied by a stiff, sinister male voice: "Gui Ci, inform your master, Xie Feng, that Xuan She has come to call."

Xie Feng’s frown deepened. She inwardly judged this Netherworld Profound Serpent to be utterly ill-mannered. However, since the visitor was a Soul Transformation level beast, and her own strength was not yet fully restored, she couldn't afford to offend it too deeply. Before Gui Ci could speak, she responded directly: "Xuan She, wait outside. I will come out immediately."

In truth, when Xie Feng first encountered this Netherworld Profound Serpent, it had not yet mastered the art of physical manifestation, evolving purely on instinct over untold years, perhaps aided by some unique chance, until it reached the Soul Transformation stage. Because the Profound Serpent belonged to the monstrous beast species and not a civilized race within the Netherworld, and this void seemed separate from the mainstream Netherworld, the serpent understood neither language, transformation, nor decorum.

When Xie Feng found its lack of civility unbearable, she gave it a jade slip, instructing it to comprehend manifestation, universal language, and cultural etiquette on its own. After all, Soul Transformation stage beasts, even insectoid ones, possessed significant intellect. The Netherworld Profound Serpent was inherently quite intelligent, and upon reaching Soul Transformation, its comprehension became outstanding, certainly surpassing that of an average human.

However, it was like an uncivilized savage, lacking systematic education. But with the help of Xie Feng's jade slip, it memorized vast amounts of information almost instantly, even mastering the art of physical transformation. Thus, as soon as it finished manifesting, it rushed to show off to Xie Feng, even pretentiously demanding announcement, mimicking civilized customs.

Xie Feng flashed outside and saw a lean, tall man, eight feet in height, standing suspended in the void tens of feet from the flying vessel. He wore an incongruous black robe, his face long and filled with a sinister cast. The jade slip contained numerous manifestation templates for beasts to use as reference, and the Profound Serpent had chosen this form after much deliberation, proving that its aesthetic judgment ultimately differed from the norm—a clear case of the inner nature reflecting the outward appearance.

"Xuan She, what brings you here?" Xie Feng’s mind was already frayed from the endless, failed attempts to rouse Lei Dong.

"Xie Feng, you lack manners," Xuan She stated in a low, gloomy voice. "An old friend visits, yet you do not invite me into your lair to sit."

Xie Feng nearly conjured a bolt of dark lightning to strike him down. You live in a lair, your entire family lives in a lair! However, upon reflection, the damned snake truly did live in a lair.

She could only mutter 'uncultivated savage' inwardly. Suddenly, an idea sparked in her mind, and she composed herself, saying with focused concentration: "Very well, I shall invite you in for a seat, but you must promise not to cause trouble." Xuan She seemed overjoyed at this. It was his first time attempting interaction through civilized means; this feeling was certainly different from the endless cycle of killing. He hastily agreed: "Good, good, I won't cause trouble." He had no idea that Xie Feng, a being from the civilized world, was already plotting against him.