The treasures on the second floor of this Scripture Pavilion mostly consisted of cultivation techniques, manuals, and experiential insights suitable for Golden Core or ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, perhaps holding a few unique items. However, these were far beneath the level of what Lei Dong desired. His form dissolved into a spectral mist, drifting straight toward the entrance to the third floor. Although the Yang Fiend Heavenly Thunder had only blasted a small opening, for someone of Lei Dong’s caliber, this posed no real obstacle. With but a slight ripple in his posture, he miraculously transformed into an ethereal fog and slipped into the third level.

The third floor of the Scripture Pavilion was drastically different from the second. Spanning barely ten zhang wide, all manner of ancient texts and jade slips were hermetically sealed, the surroundings blanketed in various arrays and mechanisms. The collection of texts was sparse; Lei Dong’s sweeping glance registered only a few hundred volumes. Yet, these few hundred volumes likely represented the accumulation of at least tens of thousands of years for the Myriad Puppet Sect—the true foundation of their power. Were it not for Lei Dong’s peculiar methods and the willingness to dedicate several years to the operation, even a Spirit Transformation level master might not have been able to enter so smoothly, undetected.

What gave Lei Dong a throbbing headache, however, was that every single one of these several hundred texts and jade slips was intensely protected. He was certain that even the slightest touch would trigger an alarm. If he had known for certain which one held the Spirit Transformation Puppet Art, Lei Dong would have risked everything—snatched it and fled. But facing hundreds of interlocking arrays and mechanisms, even if he possessed three heads and six arms, he could never hope to destroy them all and secure the prize.

“Kid, looking at this setup, the texts here might be precious, but the Spirit Transformation Puppet Art absolutely won’t be among them,” the Arena’s Artifact Spirit stated. “The reason is simple: that technique is the foundation upon which the Myriad Puppet Sect was built. Although your entry was difficult, masters I’ve seen before, like the Netherworld Ghost Emperor, possessed means to infiltrate. Either there’s a fourth hidden layer, or that Spirit Transformation Puppet Art is most likely held and controlled by the sect’s highest-ranking member.”

Lei Dong sighed softly in his heart; indeed, anxiety clouds judgment. Thinking it over, something so vital as the Spirit Transformation Puppet Art would logically have a very low chance of being stored on this third floor. Lei Dong searched meticulously and cautiously but found no mechanism or entrance leading to a fourth level, which only deepened his disappointment.

Just then, within Lei Dong’s acutely sensitive divine sense, a faint, trembling alarm suddenly flared. Having roamed the world and weathered countless dangers for many years, Lei Dong reacted in an instant. His figure shot forward, dissolving into streaks of phantom shadows, fleeing outward from the entrance at extreme speed.

“BOOM!” Almost simultaneously, the damaged door at the third-floor entrance exploded into countless fragments under the impact of a golden fist. A flash of golden light revealed a golden puppet, towering over ten zhang high, its gaze sharp as lightning. It swept across the overlapping phantom shadows Lei Dong had manifested. Instantly, the illusory figures melted away into smoke, exposing his true form under the blinding light.

“Hmph,” the golden puppet let out a very human-like snort and took a stride forward, covering the distance of over a dozen zhang in an instant. Its fist slammed toward Lei Dong’s chest without any fancy maneuvering. The punch seemed ordinary, devoid of any special flourish, yet its power was honed to an absolute peak of purity and strength. Where the fist passed, space itself was shattered into fragments, revealing black holes resembling the void.

“Spirit Transformation level puppet!” the Arena’s Artifact Spirit cried out. “Little Lei, dodge!” It was understandable why the Artifact Spirit was so tense; ever since the Arena was damaged, he had been temporarily parasitic within Lei Dong’s Nascent Soul. If Lei Dong were struck down, his soul and spirit annihilated by a single punch, the Artifact Spirit would vanish just as completely.

Lei Dong had encountered Spirit Transformation level beings before, but this was the first time he had been ambushed by one in such a sudden manner. The situation was extremely precarious. Fortunately, Lei Dong’s combat experience was vast, and he was neither unfamiliar nor fearful of Spirit Transformation level combat prowess. Reacting swiftly, his form blurred slightly, tearing open space and vanishing from the spot, making the devastatingly powerful punch appear to miss its target.

However, as Lei Dong reappeared dozens of zhang away, he couldn't suppress an involuntary cough, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Although he had managed to evade the direct strike, the invisible spatial shockwave generated by that punch had violently impacted his body, even affecting his Nascent Soul.

An ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator would have been instantly annihilated—body and soul—by that single blow. But Lei Dong was no ordinary cultivator. His gaze immediately sharpened, his entire aura shifting abruptly. With one hand resting behind his back, he adopted an expression as placid as still water, his eyes seeming to hold a faint imperial majesty. Bringing two fingers together, he launched a torrent of finger-force, dense and colored a profound, inky black. The direction pointed was precisely toward the entrance of the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion. The finger-force was both swift and potent, imbued with a trace of the Annihilation Law unique to Lei Dong. To any observer, it felt incredibly dangerous; if it entered the third floor, it would certainly cause devastating destruction—a consequence the Myriad Puppet Sect higher-ups could never tolerate.

Just as Lei Dong expected, the Spirit Transformation puppet hastily abandoned its pursuit, flashing its form to block the entrance. The golden puppet pivoted its elbow outward, projecting a gleaming, golden shield to intercept Lei Dong’s finger-force. Yet, how could a stream of finger-force carrying the Annihilation Law be easily blocked by an ordinary object?

With a sharp "Zizz," the black finger-force acted like a highly corrosive agent, immediately burning a fist-sized hole through the seemingly indestructible shield. Such potent finger-force actually caused the puppet to speak, an aged voice exclaiming in shock: “What devilish art is this? How can it be so formidable? Who exactly are you?”

This inky black finger-force was the Immortal Slaying Finger, which Lei Dong had gradually refined after his battle with the visitors from the Demon Spirit Realm. Because the Annihilation Law carried a faint trace of dark blue, it was highly likely to be recognized by powerful figures. This forced Lei Dong to make significant modifications, integrating the Netherworld Ghost Qi into the attack. It closely resembled the Netherworld Finger among the Netherworld series spells, but he had woven a strand of corrosive power into it. At first glance, observers would mistake it for a peculiar corrosive effect.

This modification was painstaking and born of necessity; Lei Dong did not wish to perish before his mission was even halfway complete due to carelessness. After witnessing the avatars of some mighty entities from beyond the Heavens in the Demon Spirit Realm, Lei Dong truly understood that there were always higher heavens and mightier beings. To seek development under the guise of low profile, constantly improving oneself silently, was the true kingly path.

Though startled by the puppet’s apparently high level of intelligence, Lei Dong had no intention of wasting energy or time engaging in conversation in such a disadvantageous situation. He let out a cold snort and summoned the Nether Flame Ghost Banner. Wave after wave of suicidal ghosts surged out like a swarm of locusts, recklessly exploding within the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion.

Amidst a continuous series of booming explosions, numerous arrays and mechanisms were blasted apart, and the jade slips and texts were shredded by the violent shockwaves. A substantial portion of the suicidal ghosts, still shrieking their ghostly cries, charged toward the third floor at maximum speed. This tactic of Lei Dong’s was ruthless: since he was fighting on their turf, he might as well cause an exaggerated ruckus; all the losses wouldn't be his. He was convinced that behind this Spirit Transformation level puppet, there had to be a Nascent Soul cultivator secretly manipulating it. The puppet might not care about the losses, but the Nascent Soul cultivator behind it certainly could not afford such devastation.

This sudden turn of events caused the golden puppet to become both shocked and enraged, roaring, “Insolent wretch, how dare you!” The golden form flickered repeatedly as it darted around, trying to extinguish the flames. These texts were the accumulation of countless years for the Myriad Puppet Sect; their destruction would mean immeasurable loss. This was precisely why, upon receiving the secret alarm of an intruder in the Scripture Pavilion, it had rushed over at its utmost speed.

The Myriad Puppet Sect had naturally set up alarm traps in the Scripture Pavilion—such a vital area—that outsiders could not easily detect. Unfortunately, Lei Dong had stepped right into one without even realizing the secret alarm had been triggered.

With his scheme successful, Lei Dong immediately transformed his figure into thousands of shadows, flickering through the layers of space while his true body silently slipped away. However, he dared not use the Grand Cycle Breath Concealment Art in plain sight. Otherwise, even if he escaped tonight, the persona of Gongsun Dong would be impossible to cover up during future investigations. Furthermore, Lei Dong couldn't linger, as even continuously unleashing suicidal ghosts couldn't fully tie down this apparently intelligent Spirit Transformation puppet.

It seemed Lei Dong’s actions had thoroughly infuriated the golden puppet. It swatted a group of suicidal ghosts attempting to breach the third floor, limiting the explosive power to within a controllable range. Its piercing gaze locked directly onto the true body Lei Dong was covertly phasing away, and it sneered furiously, “Trying to flee? Too late!”

Ignoring minor losses, the golden puppet stomped its feet in the air repeatedly. Each step seemed to contain the principles of Heavenly Dao’s operation, as if shattering space itself, allowing it to chase Lei Dong at incredible speed. Though Lei Dong’s cultivation was not poor and he was clearly adept at speed, he was still outmatched by a Spirit Transformation level expert.

As Lei Dong fled and darted, the golden puppet burst out of the Scripture Pavilion with domineering force, hurling a punch at Lei Dong from a distance. The fist force ripped through space, carrying countless spatial fragments to form a massive shockwave. But compared to before, Lei Dong was prepared; he had encased himself in a Profound Yin Shield infused with the Immortal Law, bracing to meet the distant strike head-on. The shield shattered instantly, and the man flew backward.

Yet, how potent was an enraged strike from a Spirit Transformation existence? Even a shield integrated with the Immortal Law could not entirely absorb its might. As the Immortal Profound Yin Shield disintegrated, Lei Dong was blasted away from the ground like a cannonball.