……Chapter Five Hundred and Thirty-Eight: Affairs Concluded Here …… “Time, is suspended.” Lei Dong spoke the True Word spell word by deliberate word, each syllable seeming to carry an incredibly profound and inscrutable essence. As if his utterance carried the law itself, the very time surrounding the Ghost Tiger King abruptly halted. Concurrently, Evil Phoenix expelled a plume of vital essence from its maw, which transformed into a chilling, netherworld-like frost mist. This mist appeared so intensely cold it seemed capable of freezing and solidifying space itself, raising a bone-searing chill. Yet, as the mist encroached upon the Ghost Tiger King’s exterior, it too was arrested by the influence of the spatial laws.

It held for less than a single breath before the effect of time stasis shattered like brittle glass, the backlash surging violently through Lei Dong’s vital energy. Even with his cultivation level, deploying the True Word spell was stretching his limits, let alone using temporal stasis to seal a Transformation God-level demonic beast. But for experts of this magnitude, even a mere half-breath advantage was enough to accomplish a great deal.

As time snapped back to normal, the mass of frozen nether-ice mist instantly expanded, entirely enveloping the Ghost Tiger King, which had just regained movement. This level of profound nether-ice instantly froze the beast rigid, causing it to plummet from the sky like a stone. The Black Serpent, already poised and prepared, lashed out with its massive tail—a strike like a steel whip—violently coiling around the immense tiger carcass. With a sharp contraction, it utterly bound the beast, much like a predator securing its prey. The Serpent Constriction technique was the Black Serpent’s innate killing move; once prey was entangled, escape was near impossible.

The Ghost Tiger King’s bones audibly cracked under the pressure, leaving it unable to muster any strength.

Lei Dong stabilized the turbulent flow of his vital energy, which had been thrown into chaos by the backlash of the spatial law. In a blur, he arrived beside the Ghost Tiger King. With a sharp focus of his dual fingers, the Profound Yin Finger cut like a razor across the beast’s main artery, causing a torrent of blood to erupt outward. Unmoved, Lei Dong immediately began executing the Bloodline Refinement technique inherited from the Netherworld Ghost Emperor. With a final hand seal, he gathered every drop of the gushing blood.

While the blood was still fresh and its spiritual essence undiminished, he used Nether Fire to refine the essence within the bloodline, drop by agonizing drop. The process was gruesome and cruel, yet the law of the jungle was the dominant theme of this world. Had they been weaker than the Ghost Tiger King, they would have faced the same fate of being butchered.

In mere moments, the vivid, living body of the Transformation God-level Ghost Tiger King was drained, leaving behind only a husk. Even its nascent soul, attempting to flee just as death arrived, was effortlessly seized by the waiting Evil Phoenix. All its essence blood, painstakingly refined by Lei Dong, yielded only a small jade vial of pure bloodline essence.

Yet, this small vial alone brought Lei Dong immense elation; the harvest far exceeded his initial projections. Lei Dong’s original plan was merely to use Lei Long to keep the Ghost Tiger King occupied while he gathered the bloodlines of the Nascent Soul-level ghost tigers. According to the Netherworld Ghost Emperor, collecting just a wisp of White Tiger bloodline essence from half a vial of ghost tiger blood would be enough to advance the bloodline of two Soul-Devouring Shadow Tigers by one tier. The Emperor estimated that capturing and killing at least ten Nascent Soul-level ghost tigers would be necessary. Lei Dong had previously worried whether ten such beasts even existed within the Nine Nether Abyss.

Now, this single Transformation God-level Ghost Tiger King had yielded an entire vial, indicating that in its own ascent, it must have broken through its natural limits and elevated its bloodline significantly.

During this time, under the effect of a Primordial Elixir, Lei Long’s injuries had completely healed. Save for a slight depletion of spirit and energy due to massive blood loss, everything else was restored. He transformed back into a young man bearing a seven or eight-tenths resemblance to Lei Dong and flew to his side, excitedly exclaiming, “Big Brother, your arrival this time was crucial; otherwise, Little Long would have been doomed. It’s just a pity about that pill of yours, Big Brother.”

“Why speak of such formalities between us? We are brothers; what is a mere pill?” Lei Dong joyfully clapped him on the shoulder, then glanced toward Evil Phoenix. “However, you owe Evil Phoenix a debt of life-saving gratitude for this matter. If not for her and the Black Serpent arriving together, I doubt I could have dealt with that Ghost Tiger King alone.”

Lei Long gazed deeply at Evil Phoenix, his expression complex, yet he still bowed. “Thank you for saving my life. Although you wounded me once before, I admit you are truly formidable.”

“You are too polite; I merely relied on the power of my spiritual treasures. Lei Long, you are the formidable one. Though your cultivation is only early Transformation God, your divine sense strength already rivals a middle-tier expert. I don't know how you cultivate your divine sense to be so potent,” Evil Phoenix returned the courtesy.

Though Lei Long was inept at navigating social graces, he was no fool; he naturally couldn't reveal that it was because his elder brother treated Soul Fruits like snacks. Meanwhile, Lei Dong flew back and retrieved Little You, tending to her injuries while introducing everyone. A round of pleasantries followed. However, although Little You and Evil Phoenix maintained an outwardly cordial appearance, a subtle rivalry simmered beneath the surface.

Having found everyone they sought, their business here was concluded, leaving no reason to linger. The two parties departed together, splitting into two flying vessels, speeding toward the entrance of the Nine Nether Abyss.

This expedition into the Nine Nether Abyss had been fraught with numerous twists and consumed considerable time, but the objective was ultimately accomplished smoothly. The only small regret was that Lei Dong and Evil Phoenix, upon returning from the bottom of the Styx Valley, had not encountered the Nine Nether Soul-Devouring Worm King—a slight pity, as slaying it would have brought both revenge and substantial gains.

With four Transformation God experts in their party, any demon beast foolish enough to obstruct their path was effortlessly eliminated, often without the Transformation God experts even needing to act. The journey out was smooth and unimpeded.

Only after exiting the Nine Nether Abyss did the two groups part ways. Evil Phoenix showed reluctance to leave, but her long absence meant many matters awaited her clan. After conveying multiple times via fluctuating divine thoughts that Lei Dong must visit the Nether Phoenix Clan once his affairs were settled, she urged her vessel onward, vanishing in a cloud of dust.

During the leisurely time spent traveling back, Lei Dong continued to study various esoteric and auxiliary arts to broaden his perspective. Concurrently, he utilized the divine beast blood essence he had acquired to advance the bloodline tier of the Soul-Devouring Shadow Tiger. In a mere few months, the Shadow Tiger, which had been stuck at the peak of the Golden Core stage, finally reached the threshold of advancement with a mighty roar. Within days, it endured the Heavenly Tribulation and successfully ascended to the early Nascent Soul stage.

This promotion was not merely a step into the early Nascent Soul realm; its bloodline tier had advanced inherently. Reaching Nascent Soul was a certainty, and if it reached its peak, with sufficient investment of resources and effort, it too could ascend to the Transformation God realm, just like the Netherworld Ghost Tiger King.

After its promotion, the Soul-Devouring Shadow Tiger was magnificent and imposing, stretching seventeen or eighteen Zhang from head to tail, radiating an awe-inspiring aura. Its eyes shone with vibrant spirit, filled with intelligent and dynamic light. Clearly, both the Nascent Soul advancement and the bloodline elevation had benefited it immensely, its consciousness having opened considerably.

It seemed acutely aware of everything Lei Dong had done for it, growing even more devoted, often snuggling close to him like a large, compliant cat. Such a beast, raised from youth through blood sacrifice, was inherently docile, its mind almost perfectly synchronized with its master’s—a stark contrast to wild demonic beasts whose surface obedience could shatter into savage frenzy, recognizing neither friend nor foe.

The successful advancement of the Soul-Devouring Shadow Tiger lifted a major concern from Lei Dong’s heart. Now, with only time and resources, reaching the peak of the Nascent Soul stage was an inevitable and easy feat. With the right opportunity, breaking through to Transformation God was not out of the question.

Subsequently, Lei Dong and Little You journeyed to the Netherworld Palace and presented the Ten Thousand Year Nether Milk to the Ghost Emperor. After a period of refinement by the Emperor, the blood sacrifice technique binding Little You and Lei Dong was finally severed. That faint, ethereal connection of blood felt like a kite whose string had snapped, vanishing without a trace.

Little You was initially unsettled and wept fiercely while clinging to Lei Dong. Fortunately, the Ghost Emperor comforted her, saying that genuine affection, even without the bond of blood sacrifice, surpassed any magical connection.

Concerned for his family and the Heavenly Demon, Lei Dong did not stay long in the Netherworld Palace before hurrying back. The Netherworld Ghost Emperor grew increasingly pleased with Lei Dong. Upon learning that Lei Dong was in need of precious Heavenly Spirit Stones, he generously gifted him ten from his modest reserve. This was a significant gesture, as although the Ghost Emperor surpassed Evil Phoenix in power, his clan's accumulated wealth could not compare to the Nether Phoenix Clan’s resources.

Returning silently to Kang Prefecture with Lei Long, Lei Dong briefly caught up with his family and friends, confirmed his safety, and then visited the still-unconscious Heavenly Demon before he was forced to immediately resume his journey. Although the Heavenly Demon’s condition was stabilized by the Soul of Departing Water, a rare treasure of the Yaksha Tribe, ensuring no major issues for the next eighty or ninety years, Lei Dong remained deeply worried and set off in haste. This next venture was not aimed at the Bright Sacred Domain, but at the Great Qian Continent, a place Lei Dong had heard of for a long time.

For this journey, Lei Dong traveled alone, taking only the Soul-Devouring Shadow Tiger and Ghost Thorn. Since there was no expectation of conflict, Lei Dong left Lei Long behind in Kang Prefecture. First, although Lei Long’s injuries were healed, the chaotic turmoil over the past decade had severely depleted his vital energy, requiring him to rest quietly and avoid strenuous travel. Second, Lei Dong considered Kang Prefecture his base; without a Transformation God expert stationed there, he never felt entirely secure.

Moreover, Lei Dong needed someone to assist him in exploring the Great Desolate Desert and reaping its benefits. With Lei Long overseeing Kang Prefecture, the expansion into the Great Desolate Desert would proceed much more smoothly.

Lei Dong, aboard a single small skiff, paid proper respects to the Yaksha King before politely declining the King’s enthusiastic hospitality. Then, with the aid of a Yaksha guide, he successfully navigated the vast Yaksha Sea, proceeding directly into the Outer Sea...

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