Reaching the Great Qian Continent from the Outer Seas, even aboard the flying vessel commanded by the Nether Ghost Emperor, would demand no less than ten to twelve months. Furthermore, the Outer Seas are capricious and unpredictable; even a Nascent Soul cultivator might not survive the crossing.

Fortunately, Lei Dong was no ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator; the Outer Seas, however perilous, could hardly rival the dangers of the Outer Void. Moreover, Lei Dong’s flagship, the Harem, was meticulously crafted by the Nether Ghost Emperor, robust and powerful, thus immune to the Outer Sea's tempests.

Yet, after sailing for several months and covering an unimaginable distance, Lei Dong realized he had underestimated the Outer Seas' inherent lethality. The expanse was boundless, dwarfing regions like the Great Barren Desert, and utterly exposed, meaning even a slight breeze could whip up monumental waves, sometimes towering hundreds or even thousands of feet high.

In his time stirring up trouble in Zhao State, Lei Dong had witnessed countless storms, but those cresting at a few dozen feet were nothing compared to the true Outer Seas—a difference akin to a trickle beside an ocean. And the seas of Earth, in comparison to this vastness, were merely muddy puddles next to a river.

It became clear that the Nine Continents world was intrinsically massive and magnificent, far beyond comparison to the Earth where Lei Dong had previously lived. Furthermore, the Outer Seas were hotspots for the Sea God’s Wrath; a vessel could be struck without warning. Lei Dong vividly recalled the might of a Sea God’s Wrath, not yet fully formed, during his Foundation Establishment stage.

Fortunately, Lei Dong was now a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, wielding considerable mastery over spatial laws, so he wasn't overly fearful of the Sea God’s Wrath. If he couldn't withstand it, couldn't he simply escape?

The sea was also the eternal haven for monstrous beasts. Compared to the powerful demonic beasts on land or in the air, those dwelling beneath the waves were significantly larger. The largest Lei Dong had ever seen was a clone of an Ancient Desolate Giant, several hundred feet tall. However, it was in the ocean that Lei Dong encountered a leviathan whose mere exposed spine stretched for hundreds of feet.

That beast, however, only possessed a Nascent Soul level aura, spitting a jet of water high into the sky, only for it to descend like a sudden squall. This spectacle left Lei Dong speechless; luckily, he was in a good mood and couldn't be bothered to contest with the aquatic monster. Such vast waters easily nurtured beasts of terrifying size, but due to the scarcity of chaotic spiritual energy between heaven and earth, their cultivation levels remained relatively low—mostly Foundation Establishment or Golden Core, with only a few reaching Nascent Soul. He had yet to encounter any at the Soul Transformation stage.

In the Ancient Desolate Era, there were indeed many formidable aquatic beasts; among the most famous divine beasts, two were water-aligned: the Dragon and the Black Turtle. It was probable that descendants of these divine bloodlines still persisted in this immense ocean. However, unlike the flourishing civilizations on land, the oceanic beasts largely remained in a primitive state, rarely forming intelligent, communal races, even among the lineage of Dragons and Black Turtles.

Thus, after witnessing countless scenes both tedious and occasionally spectacular, the flying vessel silently slipped into the Inner Sea of the Great Qian Continent.

Upon entering the territorial waters of the Great Qian Continent, Lei Dong immediately adopted a low profile, storing the Harem flying vessel. He cast the Universal Breath Concealment Technique, masking his presence entirely as he headed toward the land. After all, the Great Qian Continent was no minor place like Kang State; it was a mixing pot of hidden powers, teeming with countless experts. To avoid unwanted complications, discretion was paramount.

Survival methods shared similarities across many regions; in the vast Inner Sea of the Great Qian Continent, numerous teams navigated flying vessels, hunting aquatic demonic beasts. This sight felt strangely familiar to Lei Dong, reminding him of his own days struggling in the turbulent waters of Zhao State. However, the crews here were generally stronger than those in Zhao State, mostly led by two or three Golden Core cultivators, occasionally seeing teams captained by Nascent Soul experts. Similarly, while hunting beasts, many also hunted fellow humans; the spoils from the latter were often far richer.

The law of the jungle applied everywhere.

With Lei Dong’s current wealth and cultivation, he disdained such meager gains. Yet, twice while asking for directions, he forgot to modulate his exposed aura, directly sparking avarice in the opposing crews, who dared to provoke him. The result was predictable: Lei Dong couldn't even be bothered to act himself; he let his evolved Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger handle the matter, effortlessly annihilating them. While Lei Dong didn't covet their meager possessions, he would never show mercy to those who dared attack him. Though those two annihilated crews met a regrettable end—partly because Lei Dong forgot to adjust his aura, perhaps even intentionally baiting them—if he had simply flashed his mid-stage Nascent Soul power, they would surely have been deferential and docile as kittens, sweetly calling him "Senior," never daring to bare a single claw.

But Lei Dong felt no remorse. The ease with which they attacked a lone "Golden Core" cultivator indicated they were men already stained with blood; killing them was no injustice.

And so, Lei Dong reached the main continent of the Great Qian Continent through diligent probing and inquiry. Along the way, he observed that the Great Qian Continent shared similarities with Kang and Zhao States of the Great Barren Continent, yet also possessed many differences. The key difference was the pervasive and intense cultivation atmosphere; cultivators were numerous, and even those at Foundation Establishment or Golden Core stages mingled among mortals.

Moreover, compared to cultivators of the same rank in Kang State, those here possessed slightly superior magic artifacts and treasures, and carried themselves with greater bearing. However, the conflicts here were clearly more frequent and fierce than in Kang State; Lei Dong often witnessed large-scale clashes between minor families and petty sects.

Logically, a proper tour of the Great Qian Continent could broaden his horizons and elevate his cultivation perspective. But Lei Dong was preoccupied with the Heavenly Demon's injury, hurrying toward the Myriad Puppet Sect. Months later, Lei Dong finally arrived, travel-worn, at the Myriad Puppet Sect, a name renowned throughout the Great Qian Continent.

The entire journey had consumed Lei Dong a year and a half, but he certainly hadn't wasted his time; sharpening the axe makes the woodcutting easier. The Bright Holy Domain was the most isolationist among the Six Domains. Moreover, those winged "bird-men" typically held themselves in extreme arrogance, looking down upon other races, making communication exceptionally difficult, yet that race was undeniably powerful.

If Lei Dong had rushed there unprepared, let alone acquiring the Life Divine Water, the most likely outcome would have been losing his own life. Now, possessing the remains of a Soul Transformation puppet and a Soul Transformation primordial spirit, if the Myriad Puppet Sect agreed to repair it, Lei Dong's combat power would increase substantially, greatly improving his chances of success in obtaining the Life Divine Water. This concerned not just his life, but the Heavenly Demon’s as well, so no carelessness was permissible. Preparations had to be as thorough as possible.

Furthermore, Lei Dong hadn't been idle during his travels. Before leaving, he traded with the Mechanism Sect in Kang State for a jade slip detailing mechanism puppets. Throughout the journey, he studied and pondered it continuously, vastly increasing his knowledge of Mechanism Puppet Arts; he was certainly no amateur now.

The Mechanism Sect, despite being a somewhat known faction in Kang State, was quick to trade their secrets with Lei Dong when he arrived with Lei Long, without much preamble. Firstly, the compensation Lei Dong offered was extremely tempting: several beast souls and corpses of peak Nascent Soul level demonic beasts. Secondly, in this world where the strong dictate right and wrong, logic often fails. It was better to comply obediently with the strong than to wait for force to be used against him, thus managing to curry favor.

Of course, the Mechanism Sect's puppet arts primarily detailed up to the Nascent Soul level. Even Nascent Soul puppets were highly valuable, and their materials were hard to gather. With the materials Lei Dong provided, the Mechanism Sect might be able to forge a few more Nascent Soul-level mechanism puppets.

However, what Lei Dong never anticipated was the sheer arrogance of the Myriad Puppet Sect. Despite presenting his respectful petition and the recommendation letter from Evil Phoenix, he was received only by a late-stage Golden Core disciple with a lukewarm attitude that felt stiflingly condescending. When Lei Dong proposed his request for the sect to repair a puppet, they began to prevaricate and offer various evasions.

This greatly surprised Lei Dong. Logically, Evil Phoenix was one of the Four Emperors of the Nether Domain and had past favors owed by the Myriad Puppet Sect; why such a perfunctory response? After subtly probing for information, he discovered that the sect's presiding Supreme Elder had been replaced—someone seemingly unimpressed by Evil Phoenix—and, seeing Lei Dong's apparent mid-stage Nascent Soul strength, they simply didn't care to deal with him.

Lei Dong was momentarily speechless. He counted his blessings that he hadn't immediately requested the repair of a Soul Transformation puppet, which would have likely led to further complications and disputes. After temporarily leaving the Myriad Puppet Sect, Lei Dong began contemplating how to obtain the secrets of Soul Transformation puppet crafting. A direct assault was impossible; the Myriad Puppet Sect was extremely powerful, boasting countless disciples and even more puppets, including at least two visible Soul Transformation-level puppets on display.

This made Lei Dong slightly regretful. Had he known Evil Phoenix’s influence was useless, he should have borrowed Black Serpent and brought Lei Long for a swift, decisive move. Alone now, things were considerably more troublesome. Their only weakness seemed to be that, aside from the Soul Transformation puppets, the sect lacked any true Soul Transformation level powerhouses. The so-called Supreme Elder was, at best, at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, similar to the Yin Sha Sect. This presented an opportunity: perhaps by holding the Supreme Elder hostage, he could force them to yield the Soul Transformation puppet arts.

The problem remained: with Evil Phoenix's recommendation letter, he could only meet Golden Core disciples, not even a single ordinary elder. Waiting for them to venture out was even more unrealistic; these people were pure technical fanatics.

,"...(To be continued)