…A day later, within the courtyard of the flying vessel, near the gurgling stream, at a stone table surrounded by stone chairs.

Lei Dong was sharing a pot of rare spirit tea with the succubus, Mei’er, and the Arbitrator King, Karina. Lei Dong gently blew across the surface of the spirit tea leaves, took a slow sip, and said lightly, "So, you are the Arbitrator King, renowned throughout the Bright Domain for your righteous hatred of evil and incorruptible justice. I have long admired your name. My apologies for the tardiness of my recognition."

After a day of recuperation, the two women had washed away some of their dishevelment and changed into clean garments, appearing significantly tidier.

Tea tasting—this method of imbibing was said to have originated from the Immortal Clan, and it had enjoyed a brief period of popularity among the Winged God Clan. However, as the ancestors of the Winged God Clan gradually shed their immortal leanings, they had slowly abandoned and forgotten such practices. Yet, Karina possessed some knowledge regarding tea tasting. It was an activity capable of dispelling restlessness and purifying the mind and spirit.

"Aren't you even curious why I, the Arbitrator King of the Sacred Bright Domain, would be found here?" Arbitrator King Karina watched Lei Dong quietly, her eyes clear yet imbued with a resolute stubbornness.

"Slightly curious, but this is your private matter, and I have no intention of prying." Lei Dong replied just as calmly. As the saying goes, one who desires nothing is strong. Although he intended to foster goodwill with the Arbitrator King, it was not as if Lei Dong couldn't manage without her, nor was the Arbitrator King so indispensable that he couldn't function without her presence.

Lei Dong’s indifferent and slightly aloof demeanor caused the Arbitrator King to regard him with a bit more esteem, and she nodded. "I won't dwell on the matter. Thank you for not asking. Mei'er and I thank you again for your assistance. However, before we leave, I wish to advise you against further involvement with the Abyss Lord. The beings of the Abyss are notorious for their capriciousness and shallow loyalties; betrayal and backstabbing are commonplace fare for them. And the current Abyss Lord is likely the cream of that crop, otherwise, he certainly wouldn't have reached that position. Lei Dong, I presume you are quite confident, which is good, but the Abyss Lord is truly not someone easy to deal with."

Lei Dong listened quietly until she finished, contemplating her words respectfully before stating solemnly, "Arbitrator King, thank you for the reminder. However, I have already made my own plans regarding this matter. I am confident that I can prevent the Abyss Lord from swallowing me whole."

The Arbitrator King’s brow furrowed slightly. Although Lei Dong’s words were polite, they conveyed an unmistakably firm stance. She understood that pressing the issue further might only lead to misunderstanding and resentment. So, she stated gravely, "Since you have already made up your mind, I shouldn't press further. How about this: Mei’er and I will temporarily join your faction. We might not offer much assistance, but we can serve as an extra trump card, just in case."

"Arbitrator King, I appreciate your kind intentions," Lei Dong replied, slowly shaking his head with a gentle thank you. "However, I have things handled. I notice your Primordial Spirit seems quite weak. You should return to the Sacred Bright Domain soon and allow your spirit to recover, lest you leave behind a hidden ailment that hinders your future—ShuShu Net—"

"Hey, hey, Lei Dong, what kind of talk is that?" Mei’er sounded slightly annoyed. "Sister Karina only can’t bear to watch you walk into a tiger's mouth because you saved us. While your strength isn't insignificant, compared to the Abyss Lord, there's still a massive gap. Do you know? The Abyss Lord has acquired a richly endowed different realm, teeming with vast resources and saturated with Chaotic Spiritual Qi? By gathering that Chaotic Spiritual Qi, he can refine it into Chaos Crystals, allowing a rapid, significant boost to faction strength! I know you might have heard whispers of benefits through special channels, but you truly don't grasp the severity of this danger. Listen to my sister and return to the Nine Provinces, to the Human World, quickly. Otherwise, you will be used by the Abyss Lord and then consumed."

"Consumed? Heh heh, on what grounds? Merely because he commands the Heart-Snatching Demons?" Lei Dong chuckled dismissively.

"What? You actually know about that?" Mei’er was startled, showing a flicker of surprise. "You know he controls quite a few Heart-Snatching Demons, yet you still dare covet the benefits offered by the Abyss Lord?"

"Although Heart-Snatching Demons are troublesome, controlling people with them isn't entirely straightforward," Lei Dong stated calmly and naturally. "At the very least, to control an opponent's movements, one must temporarily suppress their Divine Soul. Otherwise, implanting a Heart-Snatching Demon into a Divine Soul is nothing but wishful thinking. In other words, as long as we avoid capture, we don't need to fear the Heart-Snatching Demons."

"Avoid capture?" Mei’er rolled her soul-capturing, bewitching eyes and pouted coldly, "You say that so easily! Do you know how many Nascent Soul stage cultivators the Abyss Lord has cultivated, controlled by Heart-Snatching Demons? Between five thousand and seven thousand! That’s seven thousand units of Nascent Soul combat power—an army of fanatically loyal Heart-Snatching Demons. Lei Dong, on what basis do you assume you won't be caught?"

"Seven thousand? That's slightly more than I projected," Lei Dong sounded genuinely curious. "Miss Mei’er, where did you procure this intelligence? Is it accurate?"

"It’s absolutely accurate. Given that you saved my life, I’ll warn you again: leave immediately. Otherwise, once you reach the Abyss Main City, there will be no chance of escape." Mei’er’s expression was serious; this was clearly no idle scare tactic.

"Seven thousand, then. A bit higher than my estimation." Lei Dong’s expression also sobered slightly, but it was significantly better than the worst-case scenario he had calculated. After all, Lei Dong had run simulations for what to do if the Abyss Lord’s puppet army reached ten thousand, or even more.

Of course, that was the worst outcome. According to normal progression, even with abundant resources, the Abyss Lord couldn't possibly raise a Nascent Soul army exceeding ten thousand in such a short time. In reality, Lei Dong knew that even if his own Nascent Soul army truly exceeded ten thousand, he would have to retreat from this conflict. If the Abyss Lord were given more time, the trouble would escalate exponentially.

This wasn't about Lei Dong seeking to be a savior or a heroic figure. But if the Abyss Lord were allowed to develop unchecked, sooner or later, Lei Dong himself would suffer the consequences. And if he possessed the ability to resolve the threat while seizing the resulting advantages for himself and his people, why not do it?

"A bit higher than your estimation?" Mei’er sneered relentlessly. "Lei Dong, aren't you being overly complacent? An army of several thousand Nascent Soul cultivators—even if they can't sweep the world—can certainly wipe out an entire domain. You’re questioning the odds…"

"Enough, Mei’er. Since Commander Lei seems to have the situation under control and is confident in handling it, we need not say more," Arbitrator King Karina stated, her gaze perfectly calm. "However, Lei Dong, you saved us, and we cannot ignore this debt of gratitude. Please allow us to remain in your faction. If all goes according to plan, that’s wonderful. But should the unexpected occur, you will have more bargaining chips to deal with."

Lei Dong pondered for a moment before shaking his head again. "Arbitrator King, I understand your intentions. If you truly wish to help, then please return first to recover. Just send me the two hundred billion in resources and the five bottles of Life Divine Water. Oh, and can that two hundred billion in resources be exchanged for Heavenly Spirit Stones? Two hundred billion equals fifty stones, correct?"

Arbitrator King Karina stopped Mei’er, who was visibly annoyed and about to speak, and looked deeply at Lei Dong. "Fine. I will write to a trusted confidant to arrange for the resources you requested. Furthermore, Mei’er and I will still remain aligned with your faction. At the very least, we can help you eliminate Bairo, resolving a powerful enemy for you. Lei Dong, I also need to borrow some healing elixirs; I will repay you once my confidant arrives."

Lei Dong had long known the Arbitrator King’s determined, even stubborn, personality, but he hadn't anticipated this level of obstinacy. He realized that refusing her now might easily turn goodwill into enmity. He nodded. "Very well. If I require your assistance then, I will not hesitate to command. Furthermore, let me be blunt: my upcoming action has some private allies. Before our covenant, there were specific stipulations, the most crucial being that during this operation, all directives must be followed implicitly under my command. Any disobedience will make you my enemy. Can the Arbitrator King and Mei’er agree to this?"

"Allies? Following orders? Very well, I suddenly feel a bit more optimistic about your venture. But I also have a precondition: Mei’er and I will only obey your command structure," the Arbitrator King conceded, feeling it was only right. She was a sovereign-level figure and knew that disobeying orders on the eve of battle was a major taboo.

"Mm. Additionally, because the distribution of spoils has already been confirmed beforehand, I cannot carve out a share for you two after the covenant is fulfilled," Lei Dong said, nodding with satisfaction, before continuing, "But please rest assured, I will share from my own allocation of spoils with you both."

"Lei Dong, I have no need for spoils," the Arbitrator King’s expression suddenly turned sharp. "I only wish to know your ultimate goal for this expedition. Do you have a plan regarding the Glorious King, especially since the Glorious King has now moved his Glorious Main City into the Abyss Domain?"

The Glorious Main City moved over? Lei Dong was slightly surprised by this news, but it didn't cause much fluctuation in his demeanor. His gaze focused intently on the Arbitrator King’s face. "Arbitrator King, this time, we are joining the Abyss Lord’s faction, forming an alliance to oppose targets that naturally include the Glorious King. Do you have any objections to this arrangement?"

"Then I have only one request: if circumstances permit, I wish to personally slay the Glorious King." The Arbitrator King’s delicate frame began to tremble, excitement palpable.

Lei Dong paused, stunned, wondering what unforgivable acts the Glorious King must have committed against the Arbitrator King to make her willing to join the Abyss faction just to take his life?

…(To be continued)