The intelligence brought by the Succubus and the King of Adjudication was of paramount importance to Lei Dong. Although Lei Dong already possessed various means of response, this clear and precise intelligence allowed for modifications to his pre-planned strategies, enabling him to execute things far better than before.

However, the information provided by Mei’er also made Lei Dong realize he might have slightly underestimated the Abyss Lord and the King of Sacred Radiance. Setting aside the Abyss Lord for a moment, the King of Sacred Radiance alone possessed comprehensive strength that surpassed Lei Dong’s estimations by a significant margin.

The King of Sacred Radiance’s current expedition was not solitary. Accompanying him were his older brother, the King of Glory, the King of Flowing Moon, the King of Blazing Star, the King of Dusk, and the King of Light, in addition to the former Abyss Lord lurking amongst them. This side alone totaled seven experts at the Soul Transformation stage. Furthermore, each of them possessed formidable strength, with three specifically being at the peak of the mid-stage Soul Transformation—figures on par with the Nether Ghost Emperor.

Most crucial was the army. As one of the rare powerful clans within the Six Domains and Nine Continents, the entire population of the Winged God Clan now exceeded one million. What made this clan particularly terrifying was its innate excellence; upon reaching maturity, the lowest-ranked individual would be at the initial Golden Core stage, and experts at the Nascent Soul stage were countless.

By conservative estimates, the number of Nascent Soul experts within the entire Winged God Clan would certainly not be less than twenty thousand. Not only that, but the Winged God Clan also controlled a vast number of enslaved human populations from the Sacred Domain. These humans, having undergone intense brainwashing, formed an army possessing fanatical faith and formidable strength.

In addition, following a century of collaboration with the former Abyss Lord, who originated from the Shadow Demon Clan, they managed to forge several Shadow Spaces with the former Lord's assistance. They could temporarily incorporate several major Sky Cities into the famous Chaos Spirit Treasure of the Abyss Domain, the "Endless Abyss," via these Shadow Spaces.

Consequently, under the direction of the King of Sacred Radiance, the Bright Sacred Domain brought forth five exceedingly powerful major Sky Cities, dozens of Sky Cities, and thirty thousand Bright Flying Ships characterized by robust firepower and superior comprehensive performance.

For this expedition, the army comprised of the Winged People clan itself reached two hundred thousand, with the lowest being the Golden Core stage. Due to the higher concentration of Nascent Soul experts within the elite corps, this~~Shushu Net.

The loyal human army directly numbered two million. Although their quality was somewhat lower, their overall strength was truly not inferior to the Winged People’s two hundred thousand clan troops.

Upon learning this intelligence, Lei Dong’s brow furrowed deeply. It seemed the King of Sacred Radiance had truly mobilized on a grand scale, bringing nearly every usable force at his disposal for this campaign.

It was no wonder that even the current Abyss Lord, despite his might, placed such importance on Lei Dong as an ally, dispatching his most trusted subordinates to greet him.

Of course, after nearly a century of painstaking management, even if the current Abyss Lord had not fully mastered all the power within the Deep Abyss Domain, he had, by leveraging that uniquely advantageous otherworldly realm, forged his own powerful army. His overall strength, even if slightly inferior to the King of Sacred Radiance, was not significantly so. The biggest issue likely resided with those powerful Sky Cities brought by the King of Sacred Radiance.

Lei Dong had dealt with those things before; they were terrifying—impregnable fortresses in the sky. Previously, due to size limitations, these structures could not pass through the ancient teleportation arrays. But with the assistance of the former Abyss Lord, these defensive Sky Fortresses had suddenly transformed into formidable bastions capable of siege and conquest.

Naturally, the forces on both sides of this decisive battle were powerful. However, the alliance Lei Dong formed was by no means weak. Fifteen Soul Transformation experts were not merely figureheads; they each commanded powerful armies, and the troops they brought were the most elite corps from their respective races, ensuring their overall strength was absolutely not inferior to either side. Furthermore, under the influence of some of Lei Dong’s special methods, the armies he had secretly nurtured had reached a terrifying level.

Lei Dong’s direct line troops were his true reliance: the Fierce Ghost Army, an army upon which Lei Dong placed immense hope. Under Lei Dong’s expansion utilizing the Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land, their total number reached one hundred thousand, with the Ghost King level entities directly exceeding two thousand.

Additionally, Lei Dong’s Hidden Dragon Army numbered as high as five thousand, with over three hundred among them at the Nascent Soul stage. This Hidden Dragon Army not only possessed high overall combat capability but also exclusively cultivated the Netherworld Great Art and Ghost Control Incantation, and each member was equipped with a set of Ghost Banners. In essence, like Lei Dong himself, every soldier possessed two guardian ghosts and could command countless spectral troops.

Despite the seemingly small number, a mere five thousand, if they unleashed their full combat potential, they might not necessarily lose to the one hundred thousand Fierce Ghost Army.

Of course, Lei Dong also commanded nearly a thousand White Armor Soldiers, tens of thousands of troops unearthed from the Dawn Continent, and the traditional legions from the Great Desolate Desert. This demonstrates that if Lei Dong were to unleash his entire war capacity, it would reach an astonishing level.

Naturally, if Lei Dong intended to rely purely on overwhelming strength through his alliance to swallow both the Abyss Lord and the King of Sacred Radiance, that would be sheer fantasy. However, this world is not governed entirely by brute force.

Although the strength of both sides slightly exceeded Lei Dong’s expectations, the overall strategic landscape would not be significantly altered.

Fortunately, the unintentional acquisition of Mei’er and the King of Adjudication joining his cause tipped the scales of victory considerably in Lei Dong’s favor.

After traveling for over a month, the fleet of flying ships commanded by Lei Dong finally descended slowly into a highly central area of the Abyss Domain: the Abyss Main City.

It was a city seemingly enveloped by endless darkness, spanning an area of several thousand miles, immense and extraordinarily vast. Every successive Abyss Lord designated this location as their capital to fully rule the entire Abyss Domain, with authority radiating outward from this main city in all directions.

Through countless years of resource investment and construction, the defensive capabilities of the Abyss Main City were virtually unparalleled. Even if the King of Sacred Radiance’s million-plus army attacked in full force, conquering this city through sheer brute strength would by no means be easy.

As an ally, Lei Dong and the current Abyss Lord had fundamentally never met face-to-face. However, through the communication array left by the Dawn King, they had exchanged messages many times, achieving what could be described as "harmonious communication" and "regret for not meeting sooner." Furthermore, due to their shared enemy, the Winged God Clan, once Lei Dong displayed his considerable power, the two parties reached an immediate agreement and ratified an alliance.

With the King of Sacred Radiance’s army pressing close, the Abyss Lord, who needed Lei Dong’s strength all the more, personally led his beloved generals and elite troops out of the city to welcome him.

Lei Dong, in turn, needed to flex a bit of muscle. He displayed some of his forces, including the five thousand Hidden Dragon Army, fifty thousand Fierce Ghost Army, and nearly a thousand White Armor Soldiers. These were the bargaining chips Lei Dong laid out, the strength he revealed.

Of course, the Soul Transformation experts surrounding Lei Dong, as well as the Soul Transformation Puppet, Zhen Yao, standing solemnly behind him, were forces that inspired awe.

“Lei Dong, my good brother! I have yearned for you day and night, and finally, I have you here!” A seemingly hearty voice carried from afar, emanating from the main gate of the Abyss Main City. Looking into the distance, one could see a tall, robust Abyss Demon overflowing with a fierce aura, striding forward with imposing steps.

“Haha, Brother Udis!” Lei Dong also displayed visible joy. Without any apparent movement from him, his figure instantly traversed space, crossing over to stand before the Abyss Demon, who was the current Abyss Lord, Udis. He grinned happily, examining his counterpart up and down: “Good, good! Truly worthy of being my Brother Lei Dong. You’ve already reached the peak of mid-stage Soul Transformation, haven’t you? One step more, and you’ll reach the late stage of Soul Transformation. Remarkable, truly remarkable.”

The two embraced, affectionately slapping each other’s shoulders.

“My dear brother, you are not lacking either. So young, yet already reached late-stage Nascent Soul, and you control a Soul Transformation puppet, reaching the pinnacle. Tsk, tsk, that spatial traversal you just performed was truly masterful, reaching the zenith of perfection. It seems I, the elder brother, have grown dull; my mastery of Spatial Laws is far inferior to yours, dear brother.”

“Brother, don't mock your little brother. As an Abyss Demon, your mastery of space is surely profound.” Lei Dong offered a modest deflection, then affectionately grabbed the Abyss Demon, beginning his introductions: “Come, come, let your little brother introduce you. Those few are my wives. Wanyan, Yanmei, Fuer, Xiaoyou—come and pay your respects to Brother.” (Of course, Dongfang Fuer was an imposter; she was merely claiming to be Lei Dong’s wife to avoid unnecessary trouble upon entering the Abyss.)

“Wanyan pays her respects to Brother,” Ding Wanyan stepped forward first, performing a graceful curtsy. The others followed, greeting him according to plan. Although each held their own agenda, they had to maintain appearances. This was currently the honeymoon period of their cooperation; the time for open hostility was far from arrived.

Abyss Lord Udis, hailing from the Abyss Demon Clan, was momentarily stunned upon seeing this situation. Although he had heard from Lei Dong that he owed his rise to his wives, who were all quite formidable, witnessing it firsthand struck him deeply. Four Soul Transformation experts! He had initially thought having two Soul Transformation wives would be impressive, but he never expected four.

However, anyone who manages to ascend to the position of Abyss Lord is bound to be a generation's hero. His shock quickly vanished, replaced by the cheerful demeanor of an older brother. He laughed heartily: “Dear brother, what can I say about you? You’ve snatched up all the luck in this world! Four dear sisters-in-law, since this is our first meeting, your elder brother wasn't well prepared, but I have a little token for each of you. Please do not refuse.” As he spoke, he produced several small crystals, pale gold in color and emitting an ethereal, mysterious glow. Fine, swirling golden threads within them were clearly a wondrous manifestation of condensed Chaos Spiritual Energy.

... (To be continued)