However, no matter how much he pondered it in his mind, he kept the thoughts off his face, instead showing even greater reverence. “Thank you, Senior Guard, for showing mercy. May I ask if we might be granted an audience with His Highness the Pluto? The Ghost Control Art I primarily cultivate was actually created and invented by His Highness of the Pluto Temple. Furthermore, I have also practiced the Pluto Body Tempering Art and have greatly benefited from His Highness, feeling nothing but profound gratitude and adoration.”

“Oh? You have practiced the Pluto Body Tempering Art created by His Highness the Pluto? This Guard must inspect that,” the tone of the puppet, possessing the strength of a mid-stage Soul Transformation cultivator, suddenly shifted. Its sharp gaze locked onto Lei Dong. With a casual gesture from its massive body, a single finger shot out, sending a beam of light toward Lei Dong.

Having already realized that these puppets possessed genuine intelligence rather than being the near-mechanical entities common in the current world, Lei Dong decided to take a calculated risk. With the defensive measures of the Pluto Temple, not only did he lack the ability to break through or escape, or even secure any advantages, but he suspected that even the Netherworld Ghost Emperor himself would struggle to gain an upper hand against these formidable puppets.

Lei Dong, who was well-versed in the ways of the world, treated the puppet as a human being through an exercise in empathy. Naturally, methods of establishing connections began to emerge. It was fortunate that he indeed possessed a minute, almost imperceptible, connection to the legendary Pluto. This sliver of connection alone was enough to elaborate upon. As long as the rapport softened even slightly, Lei Dong could find an opening to carve out a real lifeline for himself and Xie Feng. Others might not know, but Lei Dong was keenly aware that the top powerhouses across the Immortal, Demonic, and Spirit Realms were all fiercely individualistic rulers. They would never tolerate an existence like the Pluto standing as an equal against them. The Demon Emperor was one such example.

And if the Pluto were truly still alive in this world, it was simply impossible that he would have remained completely silent for so many years.

Having decided to engage with the puppet as if it were human, Lei Dong did not attempt to evade the beam, which he suspected was a form of probe. He instead acted with extreme openness, allowing the puppet full liberty to proceed. As expected, the beam merely swept over him. Aside from a slight sensation of warmth, it caused him no harm whatsoever.

In the silver puppet’s cold eyes, a flicker of surprise and appreciation appeared in that instant. “Not bad, not bad. Your body has indeed undergone the preliminary tempering of the Pluto Body Tempering Art. Moreover, you possess considerable courage, daring not to flinch or dodge?”

“Senior speaks too highly. Against the might of seniors like you, a mere mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator like myself, no matter how miraculous my abilities, is nothing more than a fly in your palm; my life and death entirely at your discretion.” Lei Dong’s expression was utterly serene. “Besides, if Senior truly intended to harm me, a direct punch would suffice. Why resort to such unnecessary pretense?”

“You are quite honest.” The coldness in the silver puppet’s eyes subsided considerably, replaced by a touch of admiration. “Judging by your appearance, you must be of pure human origin. Truly unique, to have endured the tempering effects of the Pluto Body Tempering Art. Keep in mind, His Highness the Pluto created that technique for the Ghost Clan, and specifically for those Celestial Spirit Ghosts possessing innate Nether Qi. Ordinary beings with flesh and blood can scarcely withstand such refinement and restructuring of every single inch of their flesh.”

Lei Dong inwardly relaxed further. This connection was becoming closer and more familiar. The Pluto created a cultivation art for the Ghost Clan; did this mean he held the Ghost Clan in particularly high regard? Or was there some unique entanglement? He spoke with even greater sincerity: “Senior flatters me. While I consider my willpower superior to others, I still could not have survived the agony of the Pluto Body Tempering Art’s baptism. If my maid, who is a Celestial Spirit Ghost, had not injected me with a mouthful of the purest, most Yin-aligned innate Nether Qi at the final moment, I would surely have perished from the pain.” Having said this, Lei Dong proactively gave a brief account of his past experiences, omitting the intimate aspects shared with Xiao You. However, Lei Dong seized the opportunity to simply narrate the purpose of his current journey to the Styx River to seek the Ten Thousand Year Nether Milk.

Such private matters were known only to a select few. Even Xie Feng’s eyebrows twitched upon hearing this. She never imagined Lei Dong had such deep ties with the daughter of the Netherworld Ghost Emperor—no wonder, no wonder… For some reason, hearing Lei Dong speak with such deep emotion about Xiao You, Xie Feng suddenly felt a twinge of sourness and discomfort in her heart, instantly finding that Celestial Spirit Ghost girl somewhat irritating.

The silver puppet’s gaze transformed entirely. It studied Lei Dong deeply, as if trying to see completely through him. After a long moment, its expression eased, and it sighed. “I never realized you had such an affinity with the Ghost Clan? To earn the favor of a Celestial Spirit Ghost is already incredibly fortunate and rare. I also never imagined a human cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage would be willing to seek Ten Thousand Year Nether Milk for a mere Celestial Spirit Ghost servant. Can you tell me about the current situation of the Ghost Clan? Are they still suppressed by the Nether Phoenix Clan and the Demonic Dragon Clan to the point where they have no room to survive?” As the silver puppet mentioned the Nether Phoenix Clan, it cast a cold, meaningful glance toward Xie Feng.

Hearing the silver puppet’s words, Lei Dong’s heart settled considerably; he knew his gamble had paid off. It was clear that since the Pluto could invent the Pluto Banner and personally tailor the Pluto Body Tempering Art for the Ghost Clan, his essence, even if not of the Ghost Clan, must share a deep connection with them. Constantly drawing connections to the Ghost Clan might cause the silver puppet guard to feel an affinity.

However, Lei Dong felt that the silver puppet’s concern for the Ghost Clan was perhaps a little excessive. Even if the Pluto was deeply involved with the Ghost Clan, why would this puppet guard care so much about them? Suddenly, Lei Dong’s heart stirred deeply, and he thought: Could it be…?

The moment that possibility surfaced, Lei Dong’s heart began to beat uncontrollably. If the possibility he suspected was true, then not only would he be safe this time, but a colossal opportunity might await him. He immediately took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing his excitement, and replied with utmost honesty and respect: “Replying to Senior, although I possess limited knowledge and understanding, I cannot say for certain what the status of the Ghost Clan was in Senior’s time. But in the current Underworld Domain, the Ghost Clan is fundamentally supreme. His Highness the current Netherworld Ghost Emperor is a figure of immense strategic talent and extraordinary power; his Nether God True Word Art is arguably unrivaled in the Underworld Domain. The Demonic Dragon Clan, the Nether Phoenix Clan, and the Corpse Worm Clan combined can, at most, offer resistance to the Ghost Clan?”

“Hmph!” Xie Feng snorted dissatisfiedly, though she did not offer a rebuttal, as Lei Dong’s statement was factual. In the days to come, due to this internal strife, the lives of the three clans would likely be even harder than before.

“What?” The silver puppet was extraordinarily shocked. “How is this possible? How could the Ghost Clan be overpowering the Nether Phoenix and Demonic Dragon Clans? And that so-called Corpse Worm Clan, such a minor group, can actually be mentioned in the same breath as the Demonic Dragon and Nether Phoenix Clans? The Netherworld Ghost Emperor? Has this generation’s Ghost Emperor broken through to the Integration stage?”

Lei Dong was momentarily stunned. The Integration stage? What a joke! But in that moment of confusion, he grasped the reason and couldn't help but smile wryly. “Senior must have misunderstood. When the Ghost Clan was with Senior, things were likely not drastically different. The Ghost Clan’s current dominance in the Netherworld Domain is likely not because they have grown stronger, but because all the other clans have weakened. Due to the depletion of innate spiritual energy and the scarcity of acquired spiritual energy, all the clans dependent on it are far worse off than before. The Ghost Clan, however, is an exception; compared to the others, they rely less heavily on spiritual energy and rare treasures. Coupled with the strategic genius of the mid-stage Soul Transformation Netherworld Ghost Emperor, they have risen to supremacy in the Underworld Domain.”

“The depletion of Primordial Innate Spiritual Energy?” The silver puppet showed a hint of shock. “His Highness the Pluto once said that if the world’s inhabitants continued to waste Primordial Spiritual Energy, in less than a hundred million years, there would be no more Primordial Spiritual Energy left in the world. Could it be that a hundred million years have already passed? Impossible, absolutely impossible. His Highness the Pluto could not possibly return to preside over matters after a hundred million years. Even if His Highness has achieved immortality, existing as long as the world itself, such an absence for a hundred million years is unthinkable.”

A hundred million years? Lei Dong’s mouth twitched. But upon closer reflection, the era of the Pluto was indeed likely separated from the present by nearly a hundred million years. A hundred million years is an immensely long era, even relative to the cosmic world. But for supreme experts who have achieved the union of man and god, reaching immortality, living for a hundred million years is not entirely impossible. However, for someone like Lei Dong, a hundred million years was truly terrifying.

The Nascent Soul stage, though called the Undying Nascent Soul, did not signify true immortality; it meant that even if the physical body was destroyed, the Nascent Soul could survive and continue reincarnation. Yet, the Nascent Soul also had a lifespan and would eventually face irreversible death. A lifespan of a thousand years was roughly the limit for an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Even reaching the peak of the late stage only added a few hundred years.

This lifespan seemed akin to eternal life to ordinary people, but compared to histories stretching into the hundreds of millions of years, it was insignificant.

After slightly processing the silver puppet’s words, Lei Dong slowly and solemnly stated: “Please accept my condolences, Senior. Based on my limited insight and understanding, the era when Pluto reigned supreme was indeed approximately a hundred million years ago, or at least tens of millions of years. The complete depletion of Primordial Spiritual Energy occurred at the very end of that ancient war, which lasted for tens of millions of years. And His Highness the Pluto seems to be someone who lived in the era we refer to as the Antiquity.”

“The Antiquity? Heh, the Antiquity era.” The silver puppet seemed struck by some deep-seated reason, even chuckling inanely. “Truly a dream spanning a hundred million years. Did His Highness the Pluto truly meet with some misfortune? Impossible, impossible. With His Highness the Pluto’s strength, only the supreme beings of the Immortal and Demonic races, and the Mother of All Spirits, could stand against him.”