This is the greatest danger and confusion encountered by the vast majority of cultivators exploring in teams. Sometimes, the danger comes not from the harsh environment, demonic beasts, or even other treasure-hunting parties, but from within one’s own team. If the harvest is meager, everything is easy to overlook; however, once they acquire an object far exceeding expected value, all latent conflicts immediately surface. This danger is especially acute when the team harbors an absolutely dominant and terrifying powerhouse.

Though "Senior Ding" had always appeared generous, perhaps this was merely because the gains hadn't yet crossed the threshold that would cause him to turn hostile. For immense cultivation resources, life-and-death struggles frequently erupt even between master and disciple or fellow sect members; what's more, these people are barely more than acquaintances. A Fire Spirit Jade resource valued at over seven hundred million Spirit Stones is enough to incite a war between two reasonably powerful sects. It is enough to cause two Nascent Soul stage cultivators to fight to the death.

And the opponent’s strength meant that killing him would be as easy as crushing an ant. In other words, his life or death rested entirely upon Senior Ding's whim.

The expressions on the three faces were amusing to Lei Dong, yet their worry was not entirely baseless. For a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, several hundred million Spirit Stones was already a huge sum; a Nascent Soul cultivator whose total assets reached that figure could essentially be called wealthy. But for Lei Dong, it still wasn't something he overly concerned himself with. After all, selling just one Supreme Grade Spirit Ghost could generate that level of income.

Lei Dong’s fishing and robbing escapades on the Great Qian Continent, coupled with the repeated sales of Supreme Grade Spirit Ghosts, had caused his assets to surge into the billions, meaning he naturally wouldn't compromise his bottom line or violate his long-held principles for this small amount of Spirit Stones. Robbery was certainly something Lei Dong did often, and it was the foundation of his wealth accumulation. However, since the day he started out until achieving his current Mid-stage Nascent Soul strength, Lei Dong had never once deliberately squeezed even a single Spirit Stone from his teammates.

Seeing the smile play upon Lei Dong's lips, Wu Ji, emboldened by his relatively good relationship with Lei Dong, mustered his courage. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he respectfully stated, "Senior Ding, this, this discovery of the rich Fire Spirit Jade mine this time was entirely thanks to Senior yourself. We contributed nothing to the effort, and thus, taking a three-tenths share of the resources makes us deeply uneasy. How about this: Senior Ding, just give each of us ten million Spirit Joy Coins, and let us all be happy." The reason for suggesting ten million was precisely because Senior Ding was known for his generosity and disregard for minor sums. If they took nothing, it might displease Senior Ding and provoke his anger.

The Murong sisters quickly nodded in agreement, saying, "Adventuring with Senior Ding has already yielded far beyond our expectations. Simply being able to pick up some scraps is already a source of great joy for us. Furthermore, our very lives were saved by Senior; we absolutely cannot share these resources with him."

"Hmm, your thoughts are quite reasonable," Lei Dong praised them with a smile. "However, I also adhere to my own principles in how I conduct business. The three-seven split previously established due to the shift in strength is what I, Ding, deserve, and I will not refuse it. This Fire Spirit Jade rich mine was discovered by our team working together; I cannot violate my principles to hoard this massive fortune. You all need not worry that I will turn hostile over this matter. Ghost Thorn, divide the Fire Spirit Jade into ten portions; we shall take seven."

"Yes, Master," Ghost Thorn responded respectfully at once and began the task. Ghost Nether also stepped forward to assist.

The two Ghost Servants were quite moved by Lei Dong’s words just now. Although their lives were entirely at the Master's command, having gained sentience, they inevitably developed various directions for independent thought. At times, they felt a sense of awkwardness and frustration over their lives being controlled by the Master through blood sacrifice.

However, upon careful reflection, had they not encountered Lei Dong—a Master who valued righteousness and reason—their lives would likely be much worse than they were now. Moreover, following their Master was not necessarily a bad path. Firstly, their future was bright; secondly, their Master was loyal and never treated them as mere slaves.

Ghost Servant rebellion has occurred countless times in history. Some Ghost Taming Cultivators’ greatest fear was being unable to suppress their Ghost Servants with their mental strength, leading to being killed by a backlash—an extremely terrifying prospect. Consequently, many cultivators who practiced Ghost Taming were reluctant to let their servants develop sentience, much less actively foster their capacity for independent thought.

Because any living thing, once it possesses independent thinking, might develop ulterior motives, and with ulterior motives comes the potential for betrayal. Even knowing that their own self-destruction was inevitable if they managed to kill their master through a backlash, the instinctual craving for freedom would drive them to make a desperate, defiant stand, especially if the Ghost Taming Cultivator was in a weakened state, making them more susceptible to a backlash.

But Lei Dong rarely suffered this sort of worry. Whether it was Ghost Thorn or Ah Chou initially, both were Ghost Servants Lei Dong had nurtured since childhood. While in the beginning, the Ghost Servants possessed low intelligence and their consciousness was still hazy, as they spent more time together, intense emotions would emerge from that haziness. By the time their sentience awakened, the emotional foundation between them was already very solid.

Furthermore, Lei Dong always treated his Ghost Servants with great affection, never subjecting them to abuse or inhuman treatment. He cared for the two Ghost Servants he raised alongside him, Ah Chou and Ghost Thorn, as if they were brothers.

It was precisely because of this that Ah Chou, when the Master was unconscious, not only refrained from turning hostile but actively sacrificed himself by desperately luring the enemy, securing a sliver of survival for Lei Dong and Ghost Thorn. This was true camaraderie, forged by the example Lei Dong set for his Ghost Servants through his everyday conduct.

Conversely, if Lei Dong were normally immoral, heartless toward his kin, disloyal to his sworn brothers, and frequently engaged in treachery, the Ghost Servants he nurtured would very likely become sinister, cunning, ruthless, and might even stab him in the back at a critical moment. This illustrates the saying: as the superior is, so are the subordinates.

The reason Lei Dong adhered to his principles and life philosophy without wavering was not just to set an example for his Ghost Servants, beloved pets, and even his future wife. It was also a survival strategy for himself after crossing over into this world. Otherwise, losing one's true nature in this cruel, dog-eat-dog world would be the most terrifying outcome.

Once his true nature was lost, humanity abandoned, and principles forsaken, Lei Dong was certain he could never have reached this point, nor could he survive the dangers that lay ahead. A true man must know what to do and what not to do.

Lei Dong’s words not only deeply affected his two Ghost Servants, filling them with even greater worship and reverence for their Master, but also moved the three Core Formation cultivators, causing them to fall into deep contemplation. Was it truly right for cultivators to abandon their bottom line for trivial gains? Without ideals and faith, could one truly cleave a path to the pinnacle?

Perhaps Senior Ding's ability to reach his current Mid-stage Nascent Soul status was truly no accident? A moment later, the eyes of the three Core Formation cultivators brightened, as if they had confirmed that the principles they had long upheld were not wrong. Though they might be outsiders and anomalies among the vast sea of cultivators, and might suffer losses because of it, that was not important. What mattered was that they had found the path forward.

As the group was dividing the spoils, unknown to Lei Dong, in the sky not far away, a wisp of nearly invisible red mist hovered, merging seamlessly with the surrounding crimson atmosphere. Within that red mist, suspended in empty space, stood a Purgatory Demon standing three to four zhang tall, with wings folded on its back.

This Purgatory Demon revealed not a trace of aura; its muscles coiled like jade, resembling a living sculpture. Its pair of eyes held an unfathomable depth, appearing brimming with ancient wisdom. At this moment, it stood with its arms crossed, watching the division of spoils among Lei Dong’s group with great interest, murmuring almost inaudibly to itself, "This human brat is rather interesting. To dare seize my King's Flame Essence, yet show such principle toward low-level teammates, hehe. Two Ghost Kings? One is peak grade, the other can fight a Flame Elemental Phoenix alone at the initial stage—fascinating, truly fascinating."

If any other powerhouse from the Purgatory Domain were present and saw this figure, they would surely be struck with extreme shock and terror.

For this Demon was none other than the strongest existence in the Purgatory Domain, the King of the Purgatory Demon race—the Purgatory Demon King.

It was Lei Dong’s misfortune to be present at this time. Had he successfully seized the treasure and returned immediately the way he came, disappearing from the Molten Lake, even the Purgatory Demon King, with all his might, could never have pursued him. Lei Dong’s greater misfortune was that the Purgatory Demon King happened to be conducting business deep within this very Molten Lake. The instant one of his trusted generals, Kanpal, died, he sensed it from a nearby distance. Overwhelmed with fury, he cast a spell akin to the Heavenly Eye, observing the latter half of the battle, especially several techniques Lei Dong deployed that even astonished the Purgatory Demon King, all of which were witnessed by him.

This was one of the reasons the Purgatory Demon King, despite having arrived a while ago, had not yet acted. It wasn't that he feared Lei Dong, but rather that he had developed a peculiar feeling toward this young man.

Nether God True Word Incantation? And it seemed he had undergone the Pluto Body Tempering Art to forge his physical body into a Nether Ghost Body? Two Supreme Grade Spirit Ghosts? This undoubtedly led the Purgatory Demon King to associate Lei Dong’s identity with the Nether Ghost Emperor. Furthermore, Lei Dong’s Nether Destruction Finger and Indestructible Profound Yin Shield left the widely knowledgeable Purgatory Demon King, who had lived for three thousand years, unsettled and bewildered. Perhaps that particular spell might not harm him, but in his entire life, the Purgatory Demon King had never seen a Nascent Soul stage existence capable of unleashing such powerful magic. Had that old Nether Ghost encountered some kind of fortuitous encounter? To be able to develop magic of such formidable power?