The clash of divine senses, though described at length, occurred in a mere instant, a flicker between moments—a stark illustration of how swift and perilous purely spiritual combat could be. This, too, explained why many cultivators of the same rank dared not employ their divine senses recklessly against one another.

The Queen Chigüi, already unstable and consumed by rage, had never anticipated that a mere Nascent Soul cultivator would not only successfully deflect her spiritual assault but also swiftly organize a counter-attack, leaving her at a severe disadvantage in that instant.

Yet, the matter was far from concluded. Simultaneously with the killing blow unleashed by Lei Dong's divine sense, his gaze was composed, his spirit serene, as he articulated words that seemed imbued with the very principles of the cosmos: "Space does not exist." His fingers danced, unleashing three successive strikes of inky-black energy.

A bizarre event unfolded. The three Nether Fingers, tainted with a sliver of the Law of Destruction, shot forth from Lei Dong’s hand and instantly materialized before the shrieking form of Queen Chigüi. Thump, thump, thump—she had no time to defend herself. Her delicate body was pierced consecutively, three wounds the size of bowls punched through her, sending her tumbling backward in a spray of power.

Following this flurry of counter-attacks, Lei Dong also fell into a state of profound exhaustion. The earlier refinement and repair of the Soul Transformation Puppet had already drained immense essence, spirit, and energy. The integration of the Law of Immortality, the Law of Destruction, the defense and offense of divine senses, and the execution of the True Word Spell had not only depleted his True Essence but nearly exhausted his spiritual power as well.

He dared not rest, however. Treading upon the black mist, his body like a spectral shadow, he drifted far away. He knew that the more powerful the life form, the more terrifying its vitality. Any Golden Core or even Nascent Soul life form suffering such grievous injuries would be half-dead, if not entirely finished.

But a Soul Transformation expert, especially one born from a monstrous beast, possessed a level of life force beyond imagination. As expected, Queen Chigüi, still recoiling, ceased her cries and unexpectedly erupted into maniacal laughter: "Hahahaha! You little rat, hiding your true strength to such a degree! It is no disgrace that Chiwei died by your hand. But today, you must die."

As the final word escaped her, it was accompanied by a sharp, hissing snake cry. The form that resembled an amiable young woman twisted violently, instantly transforming into a colossal, blazing-red serpent, easily a hundred zhang from head to tail. Every single scale was the size of a water vat, and firelight surged within her eyes, fierce and untamed.

An ignorant mortal witnessing this sight would surely be scared to death. But who was Lei Dong? He was vastly experienced; he had directly or indirectly caused the deaths of more than a few Soul Transformation experts. Queen Chigüi’s transformation was, by comparison, quite ordinary. At least, Lei Dong had witnessed the transformation of the Enchantress Snake, which was even more formidable. Though both were Soul Transformation experts, the Enchantress Snake, as her progenitor, was significantly stronger.

"Hiss-hiss~" The giant serpent hovered in mid-air, emitting a chilling hiss, fixing its gaze on Lei Dong as if assessing frail prey. Its long body, radiating a fierce, terrifying beauty, displayed the majesty of a Soul Transformation powerhouse.

"Hmph~" Mohe, thrown back by Queen Chigüi, flew toward the fray with frustrated anger. Though her body, dozens of zhang tall, could not match the hundred zhang length of the great serpent, their overall bulk was comparable, and by weight alone, she was twice as heavy. After all, the Soul Transformation Puppet’s body was forged entirely from extremely rare metals.

Mohe now dared not hold back. She gripped the standard-issue halberd designed for the copper-colored puppet, watching Queen Chigüi with intense vigilance. Though a standard weapon, this halberd had been personally designed and forged by the supreme entity Pluto for the puppet. Beyond its superb materials, it was an exceedingly precious and powerful High-Grade Spirit Treasure; a single swing could shatter mountains without question.

With another roar, the halberd became a streak of light, slamming fiercely toward the serpent’s "seven inches." Forced into a defensive posture, Queen Chigüi shot an angry glare at Lei Dong before resolutely engaging the fight. A Soul Transformation being seized from a War Giant's clone was naturally adept in all manner of combat techniques. The War Giants were not a race who only knew how to brawl with their fists; they were equally skilled with all manner of martial weaponry.

With a weapon in hand, Mohe’s strength increased noticeably over her previous state. However, Queen Chigüi, having revealed her true form, also experienced a massive surge in power. Yet, due to the injuries Lei Dong had inflicted, even in her transformed state, her strength was far below her peak. Though her aura was imposing, she was not significantly stronger than Mohe.

At the very least, it was now far harder for Queen Chigüi to shake off Mohe and reach Lei Dong. Far off, Lei Dong trod the void, enveloped by swirling black mist, holding an Ultimate-Grade Spirit Stone in his palm to replenish his True Essence, while consuming priceless elixirs one after another—only a mogul as wealthy as Lei Dong could afford such rapid replenishment.

His expression was utterly cold as he stared from afar at the raging battle between Queen Chigüi and Mohe. With a single hand gesture, the ancient and bizarre Netherflame Ghost Banner floated before him. He sent a ripple of divine sense outward, and the scattered ghost soldiers, as if finding their command structure, converged upon him.

Simultaneously, the Netherflame Ghost Banner still held numerous Belly-Cannon Ghosts and Air-Storage Ghosts that had yet to be deployed. Lei Dong knew that unleashing the full contingent of Belly-Cannon Ghosts, catching Queen Chigüi off guard, would be more than enough to finish her. However, Lei Dong hesitated; the reason was simple: he was well aware that the Purgatory Demon King was lurking nearby, watching intently.

His combat prowess displayed thus far was already enough to make the Purgatory Demon King take notice. If he were to suddenly deploy the devastating firepower of the Belly-Cannon Ghosts to obliterate the Crimson Flame Serpent, it would inevitably provoke the Demon King’s true apprehension. And Lei Dong certainly did not wish to engage in any genuine, direct conflict with the Purgatory Demon King right now.

Thus, Lei Dong was compelled to abandon that tempting idea, merely recalling the Suicide Ghosts and keeping them ready but uncommitted.

Those Suicide Ghosts, while under the leadership of the Ghost Stinger, had already caused Queen Chigüi considerable suffering; otherwise, she would not have been delayed for so long. One or two were manageable, but thousands swarming together forced even Queen Chigüi to be intensely wary, retreating several paces. Now, with thousands of Suicide Ghosts gathered near her, the Serpent-form Queen Chigüi felt that the boy had become a veritable hedgehog bristling with quills—attacking him now might cost her a few teeth.

This sight caused the revenge-driven Queen Chigüi a moment of despair. Could it be that she, a reigning monarch of the Purgatory Domain, could not deal with this thief who killed her daughter? Queen Chigüi hated him fiercely, and she hated herself even more for not bringing her full army, lest she find herself in this predicament.

The Purgatory Demon King, hidden in the shadows, watched the entire spectacle with stunned disbelief. Initially, he had judged the boy to be quite capable, but even with a Soul Transformation Puppet, he believed the boy stood no chance against the enraged Queen Chigüi. He had anticipated either intervening mid-battle for a share, or claiming the Flame Essence entirely after she defeated and killed the boy.

He never imagined that the mighty Queen Chigüi would suffer a severe spiritual injury at the hands of this boy and be tied down by the Soul Transformation Puppet. This was, after all, the Purgatory Domain, a place saturated with incredibly dense fire elements. Fighting in such an environment granted the Purgatory race significant bonuses, as they could draw upon an endless supply of rich fire energy.

Yet, she could not defeat the Soul Transformation Puppet, and this puppet, calling herself Mohe, seemed to grow stronger with every exchange, her attacks and defenses becoming increasingly skilled.

A frightening boy, a terrifying puppet. The Purgatory Demon King suddenly entertained the thought of seizing this moment to eliminate the boy, lest he become a future thorn in his side. But this thought was quickly, forcibly suppressed. Though the boy was formidable, his power relied entirely on this extraordinary Soul Transformation Puppet.

This puppet was merely in the early stages of Soul Transformation, and it was common knowledge that puppets do not advance in cultivation. Therefore, for the boy to genuinely threaten the Demon King’s survival, he would have to rely on his own personal growth, and several hundred years would barely suffice for him to reach the Soul Transformation stage capable of threatening the Demon King. Whereas, once he secured the Flame Essence, and utilized it according to the ancient methods, his power would undoubtedly soar above all rivals. In the Six Domains and Nine Continents, who then could stand against him?

Considering this, the Purgatory Demon King began to view Lei Dong with greater favor. The boy was talented, and seemingly measured in his conduct, not arrogant. Indeed, if the boy possessed a poor character, he surely would not have earned the trust of the Nether Old Ghost, who was far more selective than the Purgatory Demon King himself.

Old Ghost, the Demon King mused, once I successfully forge the Flame Monarch clone, how will you contend with me? But by then, I will reserve a Marshal position for you; it would be a small courtesy for our many years of association. The Purgatory Demon King grew increasingly excited, beginning to contemplate bringing this capable and sensible human boy into his service. Though the boy’s true body had not reached the Soul Transformation stage, he already wielded Soul Transformation-level combat power. In the Six Domains and Nine Continents, anyone possessing Soul Transformation strength was deemed a Peak Expert. The very moment Lei Dong repaired the Soul Transformation Puppet, he had instantly become a newly ascended Peak Expert in the Six Domains and Nine Continents.

This was not an exaggeration, as there were precedents in the Six Domains and Nine Continents for such achievements. Nascent Soul cultivators who controlled Ghost Emperors as servants were inducted into the ranks of Peak Experts. Others who tamed a Soul Transformation beast were recognized by virtue of being the master of such a creature. And, of course, there were those who achieved apotheosis through their mastery of puppetry.