"Impossible!" The silver puppet glared at Lei Dong, a hint of disdain in its metallic eyes, as if regarding a braggart. It scoffed, "I have witnessed the Nether King Banner refined by His Highness the Nether King. Naturally, when placed in the Nether King's hands, this banner unleashes terrifying power. But how could a mere mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator possibly inflict grievous harm upon a Soul Transformation expert? Death would be the likelier outcome. Preposterous! Furthermore, by what right or qualification do you dare claim to have improved upon His Highness's secret techniques?"

Lei Dong knitted his brows but refrained from anger. What the silver puppet said was logically sound. By conventional standards, it was almost impossible for a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator to severely injure a Soul Transformation expert, even by employing an Innate Spiritual Treasure. Just as he was about to compose himself to offer an explanation, the Evil Phoenix let out a cold, disdainful laugh. "A frog in a well. You figures from the ancient era certainly found it easier to ascend to high realms, so your arrogance is understandable. But how can those of you who enjoyed abundant resources possibly fathom the methods employed by those of us surviving in ages of scarcity? Take me, for instance. With the body of the Nether Phoenix, I reached the Nascent Soul stage in merely two to three centuries, and the early stage of Soul Transformation by seven or eight hundred years. Such aptitude, placed in your era, would guarantee no less than the Void Refinement stage, if not the Integration stage. Yet, Lei Dong is less than a hundred years old and is already a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. This level of talent and speed of advancement would be deemed genius even in your time! At the very least, I believe that even in this resource-poor era, he can forge remarkable miracles. How dare you, a mere mid-stage Soul Transformation puppet, look down upon him?"

The silver puppet faltered slightly, momentarily speechless. Its initial rebuttal was purely due to its aversion to Lei Dong claiming to have improved the Ghost Soldier art, stemming from a lifelong adoration and respect for the Nether King. After the Evil Phoenix's sharp reprimand, it seemed to recall that while the young man before it might not possess great current cultivation, his potential was extraordinary, undoubtedly on par with the Nether King in his youth. Moreover, the Nether King's Chaos Supreme Treasure had been completely soul-refined by Lei Dong, suggesting he might indeed be the future successor to the Nether King's station. With that realization, it suppressed its anger and apologized with a hint of remorse. "It was my impatience; my tone was ill-mannered. I ask for the young brother's forgiveness."

Given Lei Dong's state of mind, he was not one to dwell on such slights and offered a calm smile. "The guardian senior's doubts, based on common sense, are only natural human reactions. However, what this junior stated earlier is factual, without any exaggeration."

Suddenly, the silver puppet fell silent again, evidently communicating with the Spirit of the Nether King artifact. After a brief moment, the silver puppet spoke. "Little Brother Lei, if you truly can manage to gravely wound an expert from the Demon Spirit Realm and aid us in repelling their forces, you will have rendered the Nether King Hall a monumental service, for which we have the authority to reward you. This matter aligns with the Nether King Hall's interests and would not constitute an overreach of authority."

"Oh? If Lei Dong truly manages that, then we demand two Soul Transformation puppets as bodyguards for him," the Evil Phoenix chimed in immediately upon spotting a loophole, demanding extravagantly. She was keenly aware of the immense benefit a single Soul Transformation puppet would bring to Lei Dong's endeavors, fully ensuring his safety and allowing him to venture into dangerous locales to seek rare natural treasures alone.

The silver puppet instantly vetoed the demand. "That is impossible. The Nether King Hall can currently only mobilize four active guards, and each is indispensable. We must discuss alternative rewards."

"What exactly happened to some of your Soul Transformation level guards that they became damaged?" the Evil Phoenix pressed swiftly.

"Over the long expanse of ages, although this location is concealed, strong intruders have inevitably found their way in. Many puppets were progressively damaged through repeated battles." A shadow of sadness flickered in the silver puppet's eyes. "Many damaged puppets could actually have been repaired. But because His Highness the Nether King is absent, those battle-damaged puppets could not enter hibernation; their divine souls withered away from age. As everyone knows, unless one breaks through to the unity of Man and God, reaching a state of perpetuity with heaven and earth, be it Nascent Soul or Primordial Spirit, one will inevitably age and perish. The primary reason we puppets survive so long is by entering states of dormancy to weather the eons."

The Evil Phoenix knew demanding intact Soul Transformation guards was utterly out of the question; it was merely an opening gambit for bargaining. Hearing that there were numerous damaged puppets, she immediately adjusted her demands downwards. "Our request is not excessive. If we succeed in defeating the Demon Spirit Realm forces this time, we hope to receive ten battle-damaged puppets as compensation."

"Ten is too many; only two can be offered. Even battle-damaged puppets are assets of the Nether King Hall and hold significant value," the silver puppet stated, having received instructions to negotiate the settlement on the spot.

"Impossible. Two puppets cannot even account for one intact one, let alone the Soul Transformation level spirits we need to search for to refine into puppet Primordial Spirits." The Evil Phoenix shook her head, fighting for every inch. "We require at least nine puppets. Moreover, if we do not exert our utmost effort in the upcoming battle, your remaining four combat puppets face further losses. Weigh the priorities yourselves."

"If our Nether King Hall falls, given the standards of those arriving from the Upper Realm, you few will hardly escape death. Three is the absolute maximum we can concede."

The Evil Phoenix and the silver puppet began haggling like merchants at a vegetable market, each presenting justifications. Fortunately, with several powerful threats looming outside, they quickly settled on a final number: six damaged puppets. From this exchange, it was clear that the Spirit managing the Nether King Hall was undoubtedly female.

As soon as their discussion concluded, Xuan She finished her meditation. Her depleted spiritual essence and vitality had been fully restored, and she now radiated vitality and abundant energy. The group dared not delay any further and headed directly towards the edge of the besieged shield. As they flew, Lei Dong spoke, "After I finish my preparations, have the Nether King Hall's artifact spirit open a small gap first. If the enemy dares to pour in like fish through a net, then our task will be considerably easier. However, that possibility is slim, given that the enemy comprises old, cunning veterans who have lived for countless years. The most likely scenario we must prepare for is facing all three of their experts simultaneously. Judging by the fleeting glimpses of their appearance and combat power, that dwarfish figure is unfathomably deep—we should focus on stalling him primarily. The Crimson Refining Divine Serpent's speed is probably not slow either. Only that Primordial Ancient Battle Giant, who prefers close combat, is likely slow-moving and should be the easiest to eliminate. If we can destroy or severely wound even one, the rest will become much simpler."

After the group discussed the strategy thoroughly, they quickly reached a consensus. Although the enemy consisted of avatars of three ancient monsters, none were simple opponents. However, their side was not without advantages: four puppets, plus the Evil Phoenix and Xuan She, amounted to six Soul Transformation level powers present. Even facing a two-on-one situation, they would not be completely overwhelmed. Furthermore, they held the advantage of being hidden while the enemy was exposed—the enemy might well be harboring doubts themselves.

Before long, the group silently arrived at the peripheral area. To ensure safety, they encircled Lei Dong first. Lei Dong executed a hand seal and summoned the Nether Flame Ghost Banner. Under the curious gazes of the others, Lei Dong began summoning the Ghost Soldiers he had long since refined. First came hordes of Suicide Ghosts, refined from the lowest-tier resentful spirits. Though numerous, the explosive power of a single self-detonation was comparable to the full-force strike of an early-stage Golden Core cultivator. This power should not be underestimated: one, two, or even ten or a hundred exploding might not threaten a Soul Transformation expert. However, thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands continually self-destructing—no Soul Transformation expert could possibly withstand that sustained onslaught.

Soon, the area was densely packed with swarms of bizarrely shaped Suicide Ghosts, resembling a swarm of locusts suspended in mid-air, poised for deployment. Their number exceeded fifty thousand, arranged in formation, stretching as far as the eye could see. This represented almost all of Lei Dong's current stock. The Evil Phoenix, intimately familiar with the true destructive power of these entities, gasped in astonishment. Lei Dong was likely the most dangerous figure within the Nascent Soul realm. The Insect Emperor had suffered greatly from this very tactic, being severely wounded and having his Nine Nether Soul Devouring Insect formation shattered.

While the Suicide Ghosts were maximally cheap, the Big-Belly Cannon Ghosts were Lei Dong's other trump card. The refinement process for the Big-Belly Cannon Ghosts, however, was far more stringent, as they were not single-use consumables but tools meant for long-term use. Consequently, Lei Dong imposed strict standards on their forging. Currently, the aura emitted by every Big-Belly Cannon Ghost registered at least at the level of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Furthermore, the power of a single cannonball fired by a Big-Belly Cannon Ghost was formidable, certainly not inferior to the Suicide Ghosts, and its projectile speed far surpassed that of the Suicide Ghosts' flight. Lei Dong had managed to assemble a total of ten thousand of these, arranged in a semi-spherical array facing outward, their muzzles aimed directly at the inner wall of the shield.

Among them, the three leading entities radiated the most terrifying power. Each exuded a suffocating aura, having been refined using the spirits of peak Nascent Soul cultivators. A single cannonball from these three possessed power nearly equivalent to a casual strike from a Soul Transformation expert. After this array was meticulously set, the Evil Phoenix broke out in a cold sweat. The puppets might not grasp the horror of these weapons, but she understood it perfectly. Lei Dong was perhaps too monstrous; the sheer number of Ghost Soldiers contained within that single banner was astonishing. Fortunately, she had kept him fighting the entire time and denied him the opportunity to calmly establish such a fatal formation. Otherwise, one misstep in the past, and she might very well have lost her life to this Nascent Soul youngster. (To be continued)