It stood to reason. Having seized control of that resource-rich Otherworld and acquired the Chaos Crystals, the Lord of the Abyss would inevitably use them to cultivate his own trusted subordinates. While the Abyssal Demon race was prone to infighting, frequently seeing betrayals and betrayers, as long as the Lord’s power was sufficient to awe his followers, those followers would become his most fiercely loyal enforcers.

That was the immutable law of survival in the Abyss; disrespecting the strong invited utter annihilation. Toward the even stronger, they instinctively bowed in reverence and submission, until the day they felt powerful enough to seize the throne themselves.

Outsiders often viewed the treacherous maneuvers within the Abyss Domain as excessive, a complete disregard for loyalty. Yet, this was simply the consequence of the environment. For within the Abyss Domain existed not only numerous intelligent races but also countless potent, diverse life forms. Within their own race, only by constantly purging the weak and continually spurring on the strong could they hope for the race’s survival to continue.

In truth, it was generally known that the intrinsic strength of the races in the Abyss Domain was not overwhelmingly high. Take the Abyssal Demons, for instance; their reproductive capability was immense. If they followed the maturation process of other races, a typical Abyssal Demon reaching adulthood should possess strength around the Foundation Establishment stage, comparable to the Yaksha race.

But the reality was that no adult Abyssal Demon fell below the Golden Core stage. This was because the weak had already been culled before reaching maturity, becoming sustenance and nutrition for the strong, laying the foundation for the powerful to become even stronger.

It was through this brutal internal struggle, this path of growth via mutual consumption, that the Abyssal Demons, despite having a constitution that wasn't inherently superior, managed to become the premier power in the Abyss Domain. Among all the Six Domains and Nine Continents, they ranked as one of the four traditional major powers.

A cruel environment forged a uniquely ruthless race. The once-glorious Purgatory Fiends, after enduring a long period of decline, now sat at the bottom rung among the four major powers, their overall strength lagging significantly behind that of the Abyssal Demons.

As for the strongest, the Asura Clan and the Winged God Clan, they were truly formidable—not only were their individuals immensely powerful, but their numbers were terrifyingly vast.

However, Lei Dong had always been a man who valued sentiment. The internal strife and bloody path of growth typical of the Abyssal Demons were not something he particularly favored…

But Lei Dong was no savior, nor was he a meddlesome good Samaritan. No matter how the Abyssal Demon race conducted itself, it had nothing to do with him. His current objective in coming to the Abyss Domain was centered entirely on that Otherworld.

After examining the military strength and commanding officers that the Lord of the Abyss openly displayed, and after the customary rites of welcoming and cleansing dust were performed, Lei Dong began to discuss the substantial matters in a dark, secluded chamber.

“Brother, the Holy Radiance King’s arrival this time is aggressive. With that old immortal from the Shadow Demon Clan leading the way and co-opting numerous Abyssal forces, dealing with them will be tough,” Lei Dong frowned, appearing slightly anxious. “My army, though formidable, might suffer immense casualties if we try to directly confront those terrifying aerial fortresses.”

“Younger Brother, naturally, your elder brother understands the difficulty involved. But what choice does your elder brother have? That old fiend from the Shadow Demon Clan, leveraging his old connections and acting as the Holy Radiance King’s lapdog, is undermining my foundation everywhere and gathering a host of traitors. This leaves me struggling to manage affairs on all fronts, compelling me to beg for Younger Brother’s intervention.”

The Lord of the Abyss was acutely aware that without offering Lei Dong tangible benefits, securing his participation in battle was impossible. Moreover, attempting to subdue this Younger Brother and his faction directly through Mind Controlling Demons now was fraught with immense risk; it could easily backfire disastrously.

He needed to first bestow considerable benefits upon him, then allow his forces to be worn down in battle until the entire campaign concluded, only then to stab him viciously in the back and absorb all of his power. For now, he couldn't touch him, and must instead find ways to subtly boost his strength, keeping him constantly improving while simultaneously exhausting him, ensuring he remained within a controllable range.

Having firmly decided on his strategy, the Lord of the Abyss adopted the air of a wealthy, authoritative boss. “Younger Brother, when your elder brother asks you to campaign, it is certainly not an order to march toward death. Tell me, what resources do you require? As long as I possess it, I will absolutely grant it to you.”

“Then, this junior will not stand on ceremony. The Chaos Crystals that Big Brother showed my consort today—I require one thousand pieces,” Lei Dong immediately made an outrageous demand. “To bolster the strength of my subordinates and help Big Brother sweep away those detestable birdmen.”

“Release—ugh.” A wave of wicked fire surged in the Lord of the Abyss’s heart; he nearly blurted out an obscenity. After forcefully suppressing his ire, he forced a pained smile. “Younger Brother, you certainly know how to joke. If I possessed a thousand such treasures, I would have already scattered them among the army, helping those Golden Core tribesmen achieve successive breakthroughs. At the absolute maximum, I can spare twenty pieces for you.” He cursed inwardly: How much manpower did I commit to that mad Otherworld? So many of my disciples died within. After a hundred years, I only managed to harvest six hundred small Chaos Crystals using the Chaos Spirit Gathering Array. Forty were expended helping King Chenxi form the White Armor Army, and the remaining three hundred were used to forge the Iron Army bit by bit. One hundred went toward strengthening my generals and winning over key figures. Now, I’m left with only a little over a hundred pieces. And you ask for a thousand at once? Do you think small Chaos Crystals are common cabbage, available in any quantity you desire?

“Twenty pieces? Hmph, that will barely increase our army’s strength at all?” Lei Dong shook his head, clearly dissatisfied. “Big Brother, I am risking my life and men to fight for you. A mere twenty pieces—that bargaining chip is far too low and doesn't match the reality. It must be at least eight hundred. One piece less, and I won’t do it. Big Brother, I did not travel thousands of miles merely to gain meager benefits and send my army to die for nothing.”

From the perspective of profit sharing, Lei Dong’s demand for eight hundred pieces was somewhat reasonable, yet that calculation required a basis of a significant period of time. The Lord of the Abyss calmed himself, considered carefully, and then said gravely, “Younger Brother, your appetite is too large. To tell you the truth, in nearly a hundred years of mining in that alternate dimension, incurring significant losses, I acquired a total of only four hundred pieces. The figure you demand roughly equals two centuries of my output. How can you expect me to agree?”

“That can’t be said so simply, can it?” Lei Dong’s smile widened. “Given the current situation, if this pressure isn't controlled, Big Brother will still struggle against the Holy Radiance King. Rather than losing everything later, it’s better to offer me more benefits now so I can fight with my full strength. If the Chaos Spiritual Qi of the Otherworld is secured, is asking for a mere two centuries’ worth of production too much for me to request?”

“If this were after the war, Younger Brother’s request would indeed be reasonable.” The Lord of the Abyss inwardly sneered: Boy, I’ll choke you to death when the time comes—see if you even have the capacity to digest it? But outwardly, he showed agreement. He said gravely, “However, during this critical period, how can your elder brother possibly have such a large inventory? Forty pieces—that is the absolute limit. It’s enough for Younger Brother to advance that contingent of Golden Core peak soldiers you’re looking to promote, pushing their numbers up to a thousand.”

Lei Dong estimated that he had squeezed about as much as he could. The Lord of the Abyss certainly wouldn't have an abundance of Chaos Crystals, unless he was entirely foolish. After a brief deliberation, Lei Dong stated firmly, “Sixty pieces. Just sixty pieces, and this junior is willing to deploy my army to fight for Big Brother.”

This boy’s greed is too dark. Sixty small Chaos Crystals! The Lord of the Abyss felt a sharp pang of pain in his heart. Nevertheless, after a moment’s thought, he made up his mind to concede. After all, this scoundrel named Lei would eventually be devoured by him, and his army would become his own. He could consider it an early investment in cultivating his own forces.

Of course, he could use these Chaos Crystals to enhance his own troops, which would certainly boost his overall strength. However, first, finding a sufficient number of loyal and high-aptitude Golden Core peaks was not easy. Second, if he had brought the ally Lei Dong here, he couldn't possibly expect him to fight tooth and nail without offering some advantage. No fool would undertake a venture devoid of benefit. Wanting the horse to run hard while expecting it not to eat grass was unrealistic.

Giving sixty small Chaos Crystals to Lei Dong would not only increase the strength of this "ally" but also send his already considerable forces into battle. By all accounts, this was far more cost-effective than spending them on himself and gaining perhaps one or two thousand Nascent Soul-level troops out of thin air. The value of Lei Dong's strength was far more complex than just sixty small Chaos Crystals.

Once the Lord of the Abyss reconciled himself to the decision, he finally agreed, handing over sixty small Chaos Crystals with a noticeable twinge of pain, along with a storage ring containing exactly that amount.

Lei Dong swept his divine sense over the contents; the count was flawless. After showering the Lord with extravagant praise, he continued, “Oh yes, Big Brother, I also need some Celestial Spirit Stones. I wonder if Big Brother has any stock left? I don’t need many—perhaps a hundred or so will suffice. I have some unique magical artifacts that require Celestial Spirit Stones to power them.”

“Celestial Spirit Stones? A hundred or so?” The Lord of the Abyss was suddenly overwhelmed by the impulse to murder. Damn it, does this punk think I’m a pushover? Did I become the Lord of the Abyss by spending my days in vegetarian meditation? Are Celestial Spirit Stones also common cabbage?

Just as the Lord of the Abyss was about to erupt, Lei Dong chuckled. “Big Brother, please don’t be angry; listen to your junior first. While Celestial Spirit Stones are quite valuable, highly prized even by many Spirit Transformation experts, that holds true only before one possesses Chaos Crystals. Big Brother, you know as well as I do that in terms of enhancing cultivation, ten Celestial Spirit Stones combined are far inferior to a single small Chaos Crystal, aren’t they?” (To be continued)

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