Aside from a massive contingent of Belly Cannon Ghosts, Lei Dong had also summoned thousands of Gas Storage Ghosts to ensure the second barrage of the Belly Cannon Ghosts could be fired. As for the Ghost Thorn, Lei Dong stored it within the Supreme Soul Nurturing Pagoda. Although the Ghost Thorn was already a late-stage Nascent Soul Ghost King, its cultivation level was unlikely to matter much in a war of this magnitude. Lei Dong was already pondering how to elevate the Ghost Thorn’s strength to the Spirit Transformation (Huà Shén) level.

This was certainly not mere wishful thinking on Lei Dong’s part. Through several recent breakthroughs, Lei Dong was now a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Upon self-assessment, his divine sense strength already rivaled that of a peak Nascent Soul expert. With such a divine sense, controlling a Spirit Transformation-level ghost servant was still just barely possible. However, Lei Dong’s latest advancement had decisively broken through the largest bottleneck—from the peak of early Nascent Soul to the mid-stage Nascent Soul. In the days to come, as long as he invested the effort and expended sufficient heavenly treasures and resources, advancing to the peak of mid-stage Nascent Soul was a natural progression.

Lei Dong believed that once he reached the peak of mid-stage Nascent Soul, he would be able to barely manage a low-stage Spirit Transformation ghost servant. The sole obstacle was figuring out how to push the Ghost Thorn through to the low-stage Spirit Transformation realm. After all, the Ghost Thorn originated from merely a Supreme Grade Spirit Ghost; reaching its current height was nearly the pinnacle of its innate potential. Merely devouring ordinary divine souls, no matter the quantity, would be useless now.

Naturally, Lei Dong had no immediate time to attend to this matter, so he set it aside for the time being. Returning to the immediate situation, once Lei Dong had made his arrangements, he activated the Netherworld Great Technique. Instantly, wisps of black Qi billowed forth, spreading across the sky to cover the earth. This major leap in realm had greatly augmented his power, and consequently, the might of the Netherworld Great Technique had also seen a considerable upgrade. Given his unique Netherworld physique, coupled with his mid-stage Nascent Soul strength, the operational power of this technique was likely on par with that of a peak Nascent Soul entity.

Furthermore, Lei Dong’s Netherworld Ghost Qi was exceptionally pure. After absorbing this Qi, the ghost soldiers became frenzied, their forms taking on a reddish hue, their combat power likely increasing by several tenths. Even the Spirit Transformation-level Black Serpent came over to benefit from the Netherworld Ghost Qi, drinking deeply until it became utterly agitated, displaying a clear surge in combat readiness. For any demon beast of the Netherworld series, fighting in an environment saturated with Netherworld Ghost Qi not only amplified their combat ability but also vastly enhanced their endurance. Previously, the Black Serpent might have been unable to defeat a bronze-colored puppet, but after absorbing a large amount of Lei Dong’s pure Netherworld Ghost Qi, even if it couldn't win, it certainly wouldn't fall too far behind.

In a broader sense, the Nether Phoenix clan also belonged to the Netherworld series of demon beasts. Seeing the Black Serpent gain advantages, they too came to partake in the Netherworld Ghost Qi.

Besides Lei Dong, the others were also making their preparations. Especially Xie Feng; her innate spiritual treasure, the Black Phoenix Banner, was no trivial artifact. Given time to set up, its power would also be formidable. The remaining puppets and Black Serpents were likewise fully arrayed, ready to meet the battle at any moment.

Following the strategy, the artifact spirit immediately allowed the shield to show subtle signs of strain. This only delighted Dana, the Ancient Battle Giant who was currently pounding on the gate, and he landed several ferocious blows, brutally smashing open a black hole nearly ten feet wide. This breach was just large enough for Dana, whose height spanned several fathoms, to squeeze through.

Ancient Giants possessed immense combat power, but their minds were relatively simple. Even after evolving for so many years, their intellect hadn't changed much. Instinctively, Dana prepared to worm his way through.

But the black-robed dwarf, Blood Child, immediately barked, "Dana, come back! That’s a trap."

Unlike the defiant Charm Snake, Dana was relatively obedient and immediately halted his motion, flying back obediently.

"Blood Child, aren't you being overly cautious? This relic of the Nether King’s Hall has stood for millennia—what danger could possibly remain?" The Charm Snake, who loved to play the antagonist, sneered relentlessly, "Dana worked hard to smash open that shield."

"Hmph. Based on the shield's energy flow rate, Dana would have needed at least the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before he could gradually widen that hole," Blood Child scoffed with a raspy voice. "Clearly, the other side has already set a trap, deliberately luring us in to catch us off guard. Charm Snake, if you think there’s no trap, why don't you go in first and scout the path?"

The Charm Snake was no fool; she certainly wasn't willing to venture into danger alone for such thankless work. She laughed, coquettishly and charmingly, "Blood Child, if something happened to this old lady, could the two of you possibly complete the task assigned by the Master?"

"Charm Snake, I don't have the energy to argue with you," Blood Child took a deep breath. "Whatever grievances you and I hold should be settled by our true bodies in the Spirit Realm. Right now, descending to the lower realm as clones is for the sake of the Master’s grand enterprise. I hope you can temporarily set aside your enmity and cooperate with a unified heart to successfully complete the Master’s task. Otherwise, if the problem ultimately stems from you, you know perfectly well the Master’s methods."

Although the Charm Snake claimed not to fear being pressured by the Master's name, the mere thought of the Master’s terrifying methods made her involuntarily shiver, forcing her to stop causing unnecessary trouble.

Seeing that he had temporarily subdued the Charm Snake, Blood Child did not press the issue further. His chilling gaze fixed on the eerie black hole, and he sneered, "Whatever entity resides within, listen up. I believe you have guessed our origins. Hand over the Nether King’s Supreme Treasure obediently, to avoid harming everyone’s goodwill. As long as you cooperate, I, Blood Child, swear upon my true body that I will immediately self-destruct this clone without hesitation."

The Nether King’s Supreme Treasure?

Lei Dong and Xie Feng exchanged glances, each lost in thought, trying to decipher what this treasure might be.

The silver puppet saw that the ambush had failed, so it coldly retorted, "If your three true bodies were here, we would give you whatever you asked without a second thought. It’s laughable that three mere Spirit Transformation-level clones dare to threaten our Nether King's Hall. If you have the guts, come in and take it yourselves."

"Fine, very good. You won't shed a tear until you see the coffin. Don't assume that because our current cultivation is only at the Spirit Transformation level, we dare not be arrogant," Blood Child sneered repeatedly. "Today, we will show you lot from the lower realm what the methods of a Body Integration expert look like." Immediately, Blood Child chanted an incantation, and a scarlet demonic mist enveloped his body. As the mist swirled, it instantly condensed into a sea of blood.

In the sea of blood, bloody bubbles constantly churned, bizarre and terrifying to behold. What was even more bizarre and suffocating was that these surging bubbles began to coalesce into blood-red humanoid figures, slowly floating into the air. In just a short while, their numbers reached several hundreds, nearly a thousand.

Each blood-red figure was ugly and ferocious, dripping crimson blood all over its body, yet possessed sharp claws and fangs, resembling savage demons.

Blood Puppets? As the illusionary light projection was re-condensed, everyone present was startled. Not many were unfamiliar with this cultivation method; it was an extremely bizarre and potent spell with deep historical roots. It was said to have originated from the Demon Race, though now various races cultivated it. For instance, one of Lei Dong's subordinates, the Blood Demon, practiced a similar technique, an exceptionally brutal method of cultivation.

The most chilling aspect was that these countless Blood Puppets, each possessing the strength of an early Nascent Soul cultivator—hundreds, nearly a thousand, with the number still growing—truly validated Blood Child’s statement: do not underestimate them just because they currently only possessed Spirit Transformation strength. After all, these three individuals’ true bodies were terrifying existences at the Body Integration stage, and the methods they possessed were beyond the imagination of ordinary people. The power of the Blood Demon’s cultivation technique was as different from that of Blood Child’s as heaven is from earth.

If there were only a single early Nascent Soul Blood Puppet, any one of the strong experts like Xie Feng could crush it flat with one slap in under two rounds. But sheer numbers often create a qualitative change. Even a Spirit Transformation-level expert, when faced with such a vast number of Nascent Soul-level combatants, could only flee.

Soon, the number of Blood Puppets surpassed one thousand, which was almost the limit for Blood Child’s current manifestation. Even if his true body was mighty, this clone only possessed Spirit Transformation cultivation. To achieve this extent was already heaven-defying. A trace of exhaustion flickered in the exposed, icy eyes, but his voice roared maniacally, "This venerable self would like to see how this gathering of lower-realm vermin will cope with my Sea of Blood Tidal Wave. Kill them! Kill every last one!"

The full thousand-plus Blood Puppets shot out streaks of scarlet afterimages, transforming into masses of bloody mist, and plunged directly through the ten-foot-wide black hole. These Blood Puppets seemed to be formless, yet the mass of a thousand coalesced into a single wave, all drilling through at once. In an instant, they dispersed, forming a terrifying army.

"Everyone, do not panic! This junior has means to handle this," Lei Dong immediately projected his divine soul outwards upon seeing the rapid drop in his side's morale, stabilizing their formation. "Be sure to protect this junior's Belly Cannon Ghosts!"

Simultaneously, Lei Dong's divine sense ignited the first wave of Suicide Ghosts. Tens of thousands of them surged forward like a tide. Although the Blood Puppets appeared corporeal, their essence was ultimately derived from life. As soon as they passed through and before they could fully stabilize, the Suicide Ghost tide crashed upon them.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Innumerable Suicide Ghosts exploded, the resulting power causing the very space to tremble violently. Perhaps the explosion of a single Suicide Ghost wouldn't even scratch a Blood Puppet. But at this moment, quantity generated quality. These Suicide Ghosts might have struggled against a Spirit Transformation expert, but these countless Blood Puppets were merely at the early Nascent Soul stage.

Amidst the terrifying explosions, one Blood Puppet after another was mercilessly torn to shreds by the violent spatial fluctuations.