Faced with Lei Dong's slightly strange gaze, the King of Judgment, Kalina, whose heart was usually unshakable, felt an inexplicable flutter of panic. She instinctively began to explain, "That despicable scoundrel didn't manage to take me, so..." She cut herself off halfway through the explanation, realizing how presumptuous she sounded, and fell silent, a ripple of confusion crossing her face.

The Succubus, Mei'er, also looked at Kalina with a peculiar expression, a wry smile playing on her lips. "Let me explain it, Sister. You didn't lose anything anyway, and it’s better to make things clear with Commander Lei. Otherwise, bottling things up like this can lead to misunderstandings." There was a clear double meaning in her words.

The King of Judgment parted her lips, hesitating, but did not stop Mei'er from explaining.

After Mei'er recounted some of the Radiant King’s actions to Lei Dong, even he was left momentarily stunned. "Has the Radiant King lost his mind? How could he possibly control a woman with methods like that?"

"Commander Lei, you might not know, but the Radiant King’s actions weren't entirely reckless." Mei'er giggled coquettishly, sweeping her seductive gaze over Lei Dong. "The art of enchantment isn't exclusive to females. My clan has also researched this technique extensively, and we know there have been several exceptionally potent male enchantment arts throughout history. They often manage to completely seize control of a woman's desires and spirit in just one or two encounters. The principle is to implant a seed of consciousness into her soul precisely when a woman is utterly devastated and her spiritual defenses are down from being violated. Once successful, it often creates an intense dependence and utter obedience. Thousands of years ago, a man in your Jiuzhou human realm cultivated such an art, finding pleasure in conquering women and wreaking havoc everywhere. But in the end, he drew overwhelming public wrath and was destroyed. Perhaps the Radiant King inherited a similar, incredibly powerful technique. At least, the King of Flowing Moon couldn't escape the clutches of his dark magic."

Huh, the King of Flowing Moon was controlled by him too? Lei Dong was slightly taken aback. Did such cultivation methods truly exist? However, if the King of Judgment had been imprisoned by him, how did she manage to avoid this control?

As if reading Lei Dong's thoughts, Mei'er giggled again and explained, "My Sister Kalina has a stubborn nature and an unyielding will. She once declared that if the Radiant King dared to touch her, or even show the slightest intent to tamper with her spirit, she would instantly self-detonate her primordial spirit, ensuring he would never succeed. Heh, poor Radiant King, he imprisoned my sister for nearly a century, yet he couldn't even touch a single finger of hers."

Hearing this, Lei Dong felt immense respect welling up inside him. He rose, bowed formally and respectfully, "Your resolve is truly admirable, Your Excellency. I hold you in the highest regard."

The King of Judgment had been filled with deep sorrow and indignation after Mei'er’s words, but Lei Dong's reaction inexplicably offered her significant comfort. She could tell that his praise was genuine, arising from the depths of his heart, expressing deep admiration for her actions.

Others might not know, but the King of Judgment knew best: nearly a hundred years. During that time, she had come close to breaking countless times, ready to either self-destruct or succumb. Yet, the stubbornness and refusal to yield in her heart had sustained her until Mei'er appeared—a variable.

"Commander Lei, you are too kind. Kalina simply persisted stubbornly, refusing to let that despicable scoundrel succeed," the King of Judgment replied. After Lei Dong's commendation, the shame and anxiety lifted from her heart, replaced by a quiet pride.

"I promise you, provided it doesn't compromise the overall situation, the task of personally ending the Radiant King will be entrusted to you, Your Excellency, the King of Judgment," Lei Dong said, his respect sincere and heartfelt. "I only ask that you focus on nurturing your spirit until then, so you can exert your maximum fighting strength when the time comes."

"Good." (ShuShuWu)

"Hey, aren't you curious about who rescued Sister Kalina?" Mei'er said, sounding slightly aggrieved.

"Surely Miss Mei'er rescued Your Excellency, the King of Judgment?" Lei Dong was indeed curious. A succubus establishing such a close relationship with the King of Judgment was truly a rare sight, a marvel to behold. However, Lei Dong was not one for gossip; though curious, he wouldn't pry into private matters.

But clearly, the succubus was eager to spill the tea. Without waiting for Lei Dong to ask further, Mei'er launched into her tale. "This story begins with my own youthful ignorance and following the wrong master. The former Lord of the Abyss had shown me some kindness, casually rescuing me from some wicked individuals, and I had always been grateful, wanting to repay him. But back then, my power was insignificant, and I was just an unremarkable nobody; even the Lord of the Abyss had forgotten about me. Eventually, by sheer chance, I discovered an entrance to a mysterious alternate realm. Inside, I faced unprecedented dangers. Relying on caution and luck, I survived cautiously there for decades, gradually cultivating. I was also fortunate enough to find a Chaos Crystal, finally breaking through my limitations and advancing to the Spirit Transformation (Hua Shen) stage. Lei Dong, you have no idea—that mysterious realm, despite its perilous nature, was saturated with rich Chaos Spiritual Qi, making cultivation incredibly fast."

"So, you were the first to discover that alternate space?" Lei Dong expressed surprise. "Your luck is truly excellent. Indeed, with abundant Chaos Spiritual Qi, even weak innate aptitude allows for rapid cultivation. But speaking of which, a place so rich in Chaos Spiritual Qi must also harbor numerous powerful spirits, right? It’s quite something that you managed to survive until the Spirit Transformation stage." Lei Dong sighed, recognizing the inherent difficulty; one only needed to recall the Desolate Ancient Era when Jiuzhou was still rich in Chaos Spiritual Qi—Nascent Soul (Yuan Ying) level cultivators were easy prey, and even Spirit Transformation cultivators, unless moving in large groups, often ended up as meals for powerful demonic beasts. Even a common rabbit, constantly bathed in ample Chaos Spiritual Qi, could become formidable. It demonstrated the boundless utility of Chaos Spiritual Qi in strengthening and evolving living beings.

"It wasn't as complicated as you imagine. The life forms occupying that mysterious realm were the hideous and loathsome Mind-Stealers. Everyone knows that unless they possess a host, Mind-Stealers are little more than inert objects; even nourished by abundant Chaos Spiritual Qi, they slowly wither." Recalling that time, the succubus still felt lingering fear. "And the entities they possess become puppets, unable to advance and grow stronger. Consequently, that space, though brimming with Chaos Spiritual Qi, rarely contained anything excessively powerful, save for the occasional intruder like myself who stumbled in and became possessed. I don't know if I was the first to escape, but after accidentally stumbling upon the exit, I immediately reported the matter to the Lord of the Abyss, repaying him for saving my life long ago."

The rest of the story unfolded from the succubus’s lips. The former Lord of the Abyss acted carelessly and was betrayed by a subordinate he believed to be utterly loyal. Fortunately, the current Lord of the Abyss was unaware of the succubus’s existence, allowing her to rescue the original Lord of the Abyss, enabling them to escape together, eventually aligning with the Radiant King.

However, the cooperation between the former Lord of the Abyss and the Radiant King clearly wasn't built on genuine loyalty. Instead, the former was constantly plotting how to swallow up the Radiant King and take his place. For the Lord of the Abyss, the best method to control the Radiant King would be to use one of the two Mind-Stealers he had brought along. But to use a Mind-Stealer against someone, one had to strike when the target was completely undefended.

Naturally, the former Lord of the Abyss assigned this task to the succubus. She initially refused, delaying the matter for a long time. But when the former Lord of the Abyss grew desperate and cornered, he actually threatened to use the fate of the entire Abyssal Succubus clan to coerce her.

Feeling abandoned and betrayed, the succubus was utterly disillusioned with the former Lord of the Abyss. His initial rescue of her had been a spur-of-the-moment act, a product of whim. Now at the Spirit Transformation stage, she felt obligated to change the tragic fate of the Abyssal Succubus clan, which had always served as mere playthings within the Abyss Domain. Eventually, relying on her innate charm, the succubus gradually found a weakness and an ally... that weakness was the King of Judgment.

Taking advantage of unpreparedness, the succubus rescued the King of Judgment. But by bad luck, they were discovered by the Radiant King's subordinates and pursued relentlessly. After exhausting all efforts to escape, they unfortunately ran straight into Bai Luo’s line of fire. Finally, they were fortunate enough to encounter Lei Dong, who managed to capture them as prey before they could react, and subsequently rescued them.

Despite only brief interactions, her survival instinct, deeply ingrained in her life essence, allowed her to gradually detect subtle differences in Lei Dong. Being rescued by him without any coercion or demands naturally made her grateful.

But her gratitude was different from the King of Judgment's simple repayment, driven by pride and stubbornness. After a period of testing, the succubus decided to further investigate Lei Dong’s character. If the opportunity arose, she wished to follow a truly capable master who could help her completely change the wretched destiny of the Succubus clan in the Abyss Domain.

Of course, the succubus had considered completely defecting to the Radiant King to achieve her goals; after all, the Radiant King was powerful and charismatic. However, the Radiant King’s inherent contempt and disgust for foreign races made the succubus unwilling to place her bet on him. Lei Dong, on the other hand, seemed like a promising choice.

This series of dramatic twists and turns caused Lei Dong to feel a touch of melancholy; sometimes, when fortune smiles, even the strongest walls cannot hold it back.