……Chapter Five Hundred and Thirty-Seven: Phoenix Cry, Tiger Roar …… Of course, similarly, the few formidable beings within the Nine Nether Abyss, such as the Ghost Tiger King, were well aware of the existence of certain God Transformation stage Imperial Sovereigns within the Netherworld Ghost Domain. It was simply that there was no significant conflict of interest between the two parties, allowing them to coexist peacefully until now.

Take the Evil Phoenix and this Nether Ghost Tiger King, for instance. For the Evil Phoenix to seek to conquer him would be sheer self-inflicted trouble—a task both strenuous and unrewarding. Conversely, the Nether Ghost Tiger King would never bother provoking those major powers at the God Transformation level. Hiding away in a remote, desolate corner, ruling over a few clansmen, posed no threat to those God Transformation Emperors.

The Nether Ghost Tiger King had reached the God Transformation stage long ago, his intelligence naturally sharp enough to allow for human transformation. Having spent so long in the Nine Nether Abyss, he was thoroughly familiar with the titles of the Four Emperors of the Nether Domain.

“Nonsense,” the Evil Phoenix scorned with indignation. “How can a mere member of a beast race compare to one of my Imperial Clan? Should any conflict arise, it is your kin who brought it upon themselves through their own fault.” The Evil Phoenix revealed a pride and dominance in her tone she had never shown before Lei Dong, her defensiveness of her own side absolute. This was only natural; if a Clan Chief failed to stand up for her people, constantly siding with outsiders, how could she command their loyalty?

“Evil Phoenix, you…” The Ghost Tiger King, unable to evade in time, was pierced again by two tail feathers and roared back in fury. “Can it be that you, the esteemed Clan Chief of the Nether Phoenix Clan, are so utterly unreasonable?”

“Reason?” Lei Dong let out a cold sneer upon hearing the word. “When the Ghost Tiger King held all the advantage before, did he ever speak of reason to my brother and beloved? Enough, enough. I have no time for idle chatter with a beast like you. It is simply the weak being preyed upon by the strong. Today, I advise you to submit obediently and present your neck for execution, lest you find yourself lit up like a lantern by my Nether Flame.”

As Lei Dong spoke, he held Xiao You gently, his heart aching with tenderness, stroking the sharp locks of hair on her forehead. He apologized, “Little You’er, I am sorry; I arrived late.”

“Young Master,” Xiao You mumbled, her consciousness hazy, barely daring to believe that not only had she survived, but she was now held in the arms of Lei Dong, whom she had longed for day and night. Her eyes were somewhat unfocused. “Am I dreaming?”

“Silly girl, how could this be a dream?” Lei Dong chuckled softly, checking her pulse. He transformed his Profound Yin True Essence into pure Nether Ghost Qi and slowly infused it into her body. Once she had recovered slightly, Lei Dong held her and, with a single flicker, transported them to the near-dead Lei Long’s side. He spoke with immense heartache and apology, “My brother, I caused you to suffer this time.”

Lei Long could barely flutter his eyelids now, looking up at Lei Dong with extreme weakness.

Lei Dong hurriedly pulled out a Primordial Spirit Pill, pried open the giant dragon’s mouth, and placed it inside. The Primordial Spirit Pill, crafted primarily from Chaos Spirit Medicine, was a cure that could not only aid breakthroughs and boost power but also possessed exceptional healing properties for God Transformation stage experts. The Evil Phoenix herself had once been severely wounded, her essence severely damaged, yet a single pill instantly restored her to full vitality.

The moment the pill entered Lei Long’s mouth, it dissolved, transforming into a spiritual liquid that plunged straight into his throat and belly. His spirit immediately lifted, his drooping eyelids opened, and he gazed at Lei Dong with agitation and profound gratitude. The injuries from his battle with the Evil Phoenix had plagued him for over a decade, compounded by various setbacks; these years had been truly agonizing for Lei Long, with no amount of healing proving effective.

With his current understanding, he knew the pill Lei Dong had given him must be incredibly precious, worth more than life itself. Yet, Lei Dong had fed it to him without the slightest hesitation.

“Brother, heal well. That Ghost Tiger King who dared to harm you so grievously, your elder brother will exact revenge for you,” Lei Dong said, casting a cold glance at the Ghost Tiger King, who was being chased frantically across the sky by the Evil Phoenix. Logically, the Ghost Tiger King possessed considerable strength, nearly reaching the peak of early God Transformation, his cultivation level close to the Evil Phoenix’s.

However, the Evil Phoenix was now a fresh combatant, while the Ghost Tiger King had suffered significant damage from a fierce battle. Moreover, as a Clan Chief, the Evil Phoenix possessed deep reserves and powerful spiritual treasures, inherently giving her an edge over the Ghost Tiger King. From their initial clash, the Ghost Tiger King had been forced into continuous retreat. Otherwise, why would he have become nervous and started arguing about reason the moment he saw the Evil Phoenix?

It was a pity that he still failed to grasp one fundamental truth: when two parties meet, only the stronger is qualified to speak of reason. Consequently, the Evil Phoenix refused to entertain any discussion of reason with him, rendering all the Ghost Tiger King’s grievances and suffering useless.

“Bang!”

With a deafening crack as space was forcefully torn apart, the massive body of the Black Serpent was violently ejected from the void. Due to an inaccurate spatial translocation, it slammed directly into a floating mountain, shattering it into pieces. Seeing her battle pet behave so shamefully, the Evil Phoenix could barely restrain herself and cursed, “You idiot snake, I don’t know how you reached the God Transformation stage. Your understanding of spatial laws is inferior even to Lei Dong, a Nascent Soul cultivator. Hurry up and come assist!”

On the serpent’s head, an expression of bitter resentment materialized with uncanny humanity. It thought to itself: I grew up in that godforsaken, desolate place; managing to cultivate to this extent is already an achievement. Spatial laws and such—it’s all based on a shred of insight from my bloodline and what I figured out alone. Compared to Lei Dong? The Black Serpent felt utterly helpless. Was that guy still merely a Nascent Soul cultivator? I stopped considering him a Nascent Soul long ago. He could even slay the avatar of an ancestor from the Demonic Spirit Realm; how could one apply common sense to him?

Of course, the Black Serpent only dared to grumble internally. If it dared to talk back directly to the Evil Phoenix, it would certainly face a beating. Daring not defy a single word from the Evil Phoenix, it hastily scurried over to help, its serpentine eyes glaring maliciously at the Nether Ghost Tiger King. It immediately spewed a cloud of baleful energy, clearly intending to vent all its bottled-up frustration onto the Ghost Tiger King.

The Ghost Tiger King was already being thoroughly beaten by the Evil Phoenix. Against the Evil Phoenix, who excelled in spatial laws, escaping was nearly impossible for him. Now, with the Black Serpent joining the fray, the Ghost Tiger King had absolutely no means to fight back! He was beaten miserably, stripped of every shred of Tiger King dignity.

“Senior Evil Phoenix, please help me capture this Ghost Tiger King; this junior needs to extract his bloodline essence.” Lei Dong’s understanding of spatial laws was deepening with every passing moment. With his hands clasped behind his back, his figure flickered, and he instantly appeared beside the Evil Phoenix. The entire movement seemed natural, devoid of any earthly touch.

“Good.” The relationship between the Evil Phoenix and Lei Dong had grown increasingly profound. She agreed to Lei Dong’s request without hesitation, her tone carrying a rare gentleness. “You watch from the side. Be careful of this Ghost Tiger’s final desperate strike.”

This scene caused the few Ghost Kings and Nether Phoenixes arriving behind them nearly to fall over. The Evil Phoenix was one of the Four Emperors of the Nether Domain, known for having perhaps the most eccentric personality among the four, radiating an indescribable air of wickedness and dominance. Aside from fiercely protecting her own clansmen, no one had ever heard her speak to an outsider with such a tone.

The Ghost Kings and Nether Phoenixes stared wide-eyed at each other, all wearing expressions of utter disbelief. Even Xiao You and Lei Long were dumbfounded, their eyes wide in astonishment. Lei Long, in particular, felt extremely conflicted about the Evil Phoenix at this moment. He felt a degree of hatred for being injured by her, yet also a measure of gratitude for her timely arrival to relieve the situation. More than anything, however, Lei Long felt a sliver of awe toward the Evil Phoenix—respect and reverence for a true powerhouse.

Yet, at this moment, the very figure whom even Lei Long respected was speaking to Lei Dong with such gentle words and meticulous care, naturally stunning everyone present. Especially the Ghost Kings and Nether Phoenixes, unaware of Lei Dong’s true combat strength, found it impossible to believe their eyes and ears.

Only the Black Serpent found the situation perfectly reasonable. In its highly primal worldview, the strongest male naturally deserved the favor and attention of the females. Although on the surface, the Evil Phoenix was his master and possessed a cultivation nearing the peak of early God Transformation, in the Black Serpent’s eyes, Lei Dong was the most impressive figure, his status in the serpent’s mind vaguely surpassing even the Evil Phoenix’s. It was only due to the existence of the beast-taming restraint that he dared not betray her. If given a choice, he would willingly, a hundred or a thousand times over, become Lei Dong’s battle pet.

Lei Dong’s words with the Evil Phoenix naturally enraged the Nether Ghost Tiger King. How dare this mere Nascent Soul junior speak of extracting his bloodline essence? However, he was ultimately a highly intelligent beast. Suppressing his fury, he pondered and devised a desperate tactic for survival. Observing the situation, the Evil Phoenix seemed to genuinely care about this Nascent Soul brat.

If so...

A thought flashed through the Ghost Tiger King’s mind. He immediately took a blow from the Evil Phoenix head-on, worsening his injuries. Then, roaring majestically, his figure flickered, and he lunged directly at Lei Dong with bared teeth and claws. He thought: If I can’t deal with the Evil Phoenix, can I really not handle a mere Nascent Soul kid like you? Capturing this brat as a human shield would be ideal. Even if that fails, at least drawing out the Evil Phoenix in a panic to save him, then wounding her wings to severely diminish her spatial teleportation ability, might give him a chance to escape.

His scheme was well-thought-out, but how could he foresee that the number of God Transformation experts who had perished by Lei Dong’s hand likely surpassed that of most God Transformation experts combined? Countless battles against God Transformation powerhouses had long since stripped Lei Dong of any psychological disadvantage. His exchange with the Evil Phoenix moments before was, in fact, a trap set by Lei Dong.

His goal was certainly to capture the Ghost Tiger King alive. However, in his current state, killing it was easy, but capturing it alive was exceptionally difficult. If all hope of survival were lost, self-detonation would surely be an option, right? Therefore, Lei Dong had to create a weakness for the Ghost Tiger King, baiting it into attacking. The moment it dared step into this snare, its demise would be sealed...RM

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