Lei Dong’s state of mind, too, had become extraordinarily unique, as if Heaven and Earth, the Universe and its Laws, had all been trod beneath his feet. Not the slightest fluctuation escaped his perception; the spiritual elixir liquid within him quickly transformed into surging waves of pure True Essence under the circulation of his meridians. These True Essence particles then threaded their way along the terminal branches of the meridians, integrating into every corner and every cell of his body.

The Profound Yin Shield materialized as a semi-transparent, jade-white barrier, enveloping him so tightly that not even air could penetrate. Within the faintly glowing white light, threads of pale gold shimmered, resembling mystical, profound runes. He continued to guide the Six Extremes Blazing Sun Bead far into the distance along the passage, drawing it out by a significant distance. Only after achieving sufficient separation did Lei Dong begin to take action.

“I command, space is solidified,” Lei Dong exerted his spiritual sense to its absolute limit. As he spoke, his will plucked a string within the very fabric of cosmic law. Commanding the laws was the ultimate manifestation of will. The space through which the Six Extremes Blazing Sun Bead flew mysteriously froze, locking the blazing bead suspended in mid-air.

However, before Lei Dong could proceed with whatever he had planned, the highly sentient Six Extremes Blazing Sun Bead struggled violently and suddenly detonated. The solidified space was brutally shattered into pieces, and the resulting shockwave—a force seemingly capable of destroying everything—blasted forth, laced with ferocious flames, attempting to incinerate and annihilate all things.

The molten tunnel, which had taken untold millennia to form and was harder than refined metal, was easily pulverized into crimson dust by the sheer force of the blast. The magma from the lava lake above poured downward like a catastrophic flood, creating a scene reminiscent of the end of the world in that instant.

Lei Dong had faced countless perils, yet now he existed in a sublime state of supreme dominion. The moment the Six Extremes Blazing Sun Bead exploded, he moved. His form dissolved into an ethereal, untraceable mist, accelerating rapidly back toward his original location. But the explosive wave was terrifyingly swift; roaring like a giant wave in the ocean, it caught up in mere moments, threatening to tear him to shreds before it was sated.

But the protective spell Lei Dong employed was hardly ordinary. The Profound Yin Shield, infused with a trace of the profound, indomitable law, could rightly be called the Indestructible Profound Yin Shield—its resilience was magnitudes greater than before. Even a powerhouse at the Spirit Transformation stage would struggle to break this shield with a single blow.

Swept along by the violent shockwave, Lei Dong was tossed about like a leaf in a tempest, constantly bobbing up and down, yet maintaining its integrity through sheer tenacity. The residual True Essence within him surged somewhat frantically into the Indestructible Profound Yin Shield, striving to keep the barrier intact.

Once the shockwave passed, the tidal wave of cascading magma immediately followed. Lei Dong tapped his toes several times in mid-air, his figure already several li away. Utilizing the Netherworld Shadow Arts, dark mists billowed out, spreading across the vast expanse.

“Everyone, hold still,” Lei Dong commanded in a low voice. The inherent pressure emanating from a supreme expert compelled every Golden Core cultivator present to obey instantly. Like thick ink, the Netherworld Ghost Qi swept up everyone, and guided by a channel Lei Dong casually tore open, they plunged deep toward the earth’s core. Almost brushing against Lei Dong’s heels, the towering, surging magma instantly pulverized the nest of the Flame Sigh Beasts.

Magma itself wasn't terrifying; even Golden Core cultivators could survive within it for a considerable time if properly shielded. But that was only true for static or slowly flowing magma. Once the magma formed a massive tide, coupled with its immense density, an in-rushing surge could shatter the shields of even Nascent Soul cultivators struck head-on, crushing them to dust.

Even with Lei Dong’s power, he dared not lightly challenge the consequences of being crushed by millions of tons of molten tide. Fortunately, since Lei Dong had begun to grasp a sliver of spatial law, his speed was now vastly superior; even carrying a group of people, he was not slow. After fleeing for the duration it takes an incense stick to burn, everything finally subsided, and the magma returned to calm.

Almost simultaneously, over ten million li away, atop a mountain peak wreathed in roaring flames, stood a massive, heavy, crimson fortress. It appeared ancient and noble, its battlements manned by female guards with human torsos and serpentine tails, each grasping standardized magical implements.

These guards were clad in form-fitting, alluring crimson armor, radiating powerful auras; they were, without exception, cultivators at the Nascent Soul realm.

Crimson Heaven Fortress was one of the most perilous locales in the Purgatory Domain. The reason was simple: it was the stronghold of one of the domain's dominant powers, the Crimson Refined Fire Serpent Clan. After countless generations of meticulous cultivation by the Fire Serpent Kings, the Crimson Heaven Fortress had become impregnable, utterly unbreachable. Even the current strongest figure in the Purgatory Domain, the Purgatory Demon King, had publicly stated that even if he personally led the most elite troops of the Purgatory Demon Race, the chance of breaching the fortress was less than thirty percent.

The Crimson Heaven Fortress was far more extensive than the magnificent structure visible on the mountaintop; the architectural sections hidden within the body of the mountain were hundreds of times broader.

At this very moment, deep within the heart of the fortress, a Crimson Refined Fire Serpent, whose upper body resembled a beautiful human woman, had coiled her long serpentine tail around a scorching, crystalline jade stone. With eyes closed, she slowly absorbed the pure fire elements contained within the hot stone. After a while, the massive jade stone was swept up by her tail, instantly turning pale and lusterless before shattering into useless powder with a snap.

The half-serpent, half-human figure retracted her tail and, in a blink, transformed into a delicate, soft-looking human woman with a pair of slender jade feet. However, as her eyes slowly opened, they were a rare, deep, and serious crimson. Suddenly, her eyelids twitched, and a glare of intense fury and shock flashed across her previously calm gaze. She shrieked in a raging bellow: “Chi Wei is dead.”

Immediately, her charming body contorted, transforming into a colossal, hundred-zhang-long crimson fire serpent. Her tail slammed down on the ground, pulverizing the hard, crimson rock. She shot out like lightning, her huge, savage head emerging from the Crimson Heaven Fortress, letting out a mournful roar. The flames surrounding the fortress seemed to sense her rage at that moment, and they all dimmed simultaneously.

“No matter who it is, whoever dares to kill my beloved daughter, I, Chi Gui, will never let them go,” King Chi Gui shrieked, the sound causing stones to tremble and fall from the mountains. Her massive serpentine body twisted, rocketing into the flame-colored sky. She darted through the fiery clouds like a flood dragon, moving with incredible speed toward a certain direction.

The flying creatures dwelling in the fiery clouds suffered misfortune; those unable to evade her path bore the brunt of King Chi Gui’s wrath. Simply being enveloped by the flames burning on her body was enough to reduce them to charred cinders.

Meanwhile, on Lei Dong’s side, having reached a safe, deep crimson cavern, he retracted the dense Netherworld Ghost Qi, causing the group of Golden Core cultivators to tumble onto the ground. Ghost Thorn, Ghost Nether, and the Soul Devouring Shadow Tiger stood guard nearby, glaring intently. Even though they were once comrades, even Wu Ji and the Murong sisters, who had shared moments of camaraderie, dared not breathe too loudly now, terrified of angering this immensely powerful senior.

“Ghost Thorn, did you secure the item?” Lei Dong communicated via spiritual sense transmission.

“Reporting to the Master, the item is here,” Ghost Thorn effortlessly wiped away the soul imprint from Chen Yun’s storage ring and respectfully handed it over to Lei Dong. Lei Dong sent his spiritual sense inside for a quick scan and indeed found the “Top-Grade Fire Spirit Jade” resting quietly in the corner of the ring. A slight wave of relief washed over him; it seemed this arduous journey and the risk taken in killing someone had not been in vain. Regardless, this Fire Essence Soul was an extremely rare treasure. Even to forge a spiritual treasure with it would yield something of formidable might.

However, now was not the time to examine the Fire Essence Soul. Lei Dong provisionally stored the treasure away and let his gaze sweep over the crowd. It finally settled upon the remaining few betrayers: Li Xianxian, Gao Fei, and that Situ Zhennan. As for Chen Yun, Ghost Thorn had already summarily dispatched him earlier.

His gaze was flat, yet to the betrayers, it felt like plummeting into an ice cellar. Those Nascent Soul experts whom they had regarded as untouchable, like mountains, had been effortlessly slaughtered by this man and his servants as easily as slicing vegetables. Such a shocking scene was deeply etched into their very bones, impossible to erase. Powerful, cunning, and even ruthless.

As traitors themselves, they had no idea how this mysterious and terrifying Senior Ding would dispose of them. It was Li Xianxian who reacted first. Ignoring the hot, sharp nature of the crimson stone beneath her, she dropped to her knees with a thud, her face a mask of terror yet trying desperately to appear pleasing. She inched her way over, begging pitifully, “Senior Ding, Senior Ding. Xian... Xianxian had eyes but failed to recognize true greatness. Please spare Xianxian’s life. Xianxian is willing to serve as an ox or horse, even become Senior’s concubine without complaint. Xianxian guarantees to serve the Senior with complete devotion until you are satisfied.”

Pleading for mercy. Lei Dong had encountered this more than once in his life. When one’s life hangs in the balance, begging for mercy is hardly shameful. After all, when survival is at stake, what is there left to fear losing face over? However, Lei Dong always acted according to his own principles. If someone like Li Xianxian hadn't betrayed the team earlier, he would have simply ignored her. But she chose her path, and she must bear the consequences. Lei Dong felt no pity for her, nor did he bother to mock her further.

Sensing his Master’s thoughts through the spiritual link, Ghost Nether let out a sinister, ghostly chuckle. “Ugly girl, what is the status of my Master? You think someone of your meager caliber could become a concubine? Never mind, never mind. My Master detests traitors most of all. Let me, Ghost Nether, kindly send you on your way, shall I?”