A joint effort had become an inevitable trend. Neither the Saint Radiance King nor the Abyss Lord, nor even Lei Dong, would ever submit to that inexplicable, suddenly appearing Emperor of the Dark Night. Moreover, judging by the current circumstances, this Emperor of the Dark Night clearly seemed to have planned all along to lure everyone in.

What would he do once he got them inside? Naturally, it would be to press them into service and bolster his strength. Merely increasing his power would be one thing, but the predicament was that within this Chaotic Alien Space, there were an abundance of Mind-Seizing Demons. In other words, even if this Night Emperor painted a future for them as beautiful as a blooming flower, no one would follow him. Who could guarantee this Night Emperor wouldn't use the Mind-Seizing Demons to control everyone?

Using Mind-Seizing Demons to control others was something everyone present, assuming they weren't bleeding-heart saints, would willingly do. But to be controlled by another using those same demons? One might as well choose a swift death.

In this environment starved of resources, to have grown to this level and become a dominant, overlord-level powerhouse—no one would silently accept that outcome.

“Lei Dong, are you confident you can win?” The Saint Radiance King also set aside his airs and began sending a divine sense fluctuation toward Lei Dong.

“Win? Of course, I’m not confident. But if we unite our forces,” Lei Dong’s voice was filled with gravity, “then we have a chance to survive. Saint Radiance King, perhaps we were enemies moments ago, but I urge you to look closely at the situation. This Emperor of the Dark Night clearly intends to use us to expand his army. Look around him—there are at least thirty Soul Transformation stage cultivators, and every one of them is controlled by a Mind-Seizing Demon. Once we falter, not one of us will escape.”

“Lei Dong, you’ve always been quite capable in this regard. You take the lead in handling this matter, and the Abyss and I will support you unconditionally.” The Saint Radiance King was a clear-headed ally; when matters reached this stage, there was no room for fantasy.

Given this, Lei Dong had no room to refuse. Not only were his allies, partners, and subordinates all trapped in this Chaotic Alien Space, but even his wife and close confidantes were within it. If this situation couldn't be resolved, everything would be ruined. The so-called Chaos Crystals and Chaos Origin were, at this moment, utterly illusory.

“Senior Night Emperor,” Lei Dong stood with his hands behind his back, looking up fearlessly at the powerful figure radiating immense pressure, “on what grounds do you demand that we bow down and submit to you?”

“Boy, with the strength of your mere Soul Transformation stage, you dare to question Us?” The Night Emperor sneered, “Truly the height of arrogance. Are you harboring a delusion, believing that We cherish wealth and won’t act against you?”

“While your personal strength is formidable, regrettably, we are all sovereign rulers. Without substantial benefits, why would we ever join your ranks?” Lei Dong spoke without the slightest hint of fear. “Moreover, we are not entirely without leverage. If the three factions unite, I fear even taking us down would result in catastrophic losses for you, Senior?” At this moment of life-or-death crisis, Lei Dong had no patience for pleasantries or attempts to forge alliances. No matter the circumstances, this Emperor of the Dark Night did not appear to be the sort who could be swayed by mere words.

Since words would not move him, the only remaining option was to settle the matter through the most primitive means: strength.

“Jie jie, you are truly impudent, boy.” The Night Emperor let out a sinister laugh, and his vast divine sense, laced with coercion, slammed down heavily upon Lei Dong.

As for sheer presence and momentum, as long as one's state of mind was lofty, one would not be overly affected. In terms of divine sense, Lei Dong himself possessed the strongest pure divine sense among those present at the Soul Transformation stage, rivaling that of a late-stage Soul Transformation cultivator. Although the opponent’s divine sense was exceptionally powerful, it would likely take more than just that to crush Lei Dong.

It was akin to how Lei Dong could use his divine sense to overwhelm a peak Core Condensation cultivator, but could not directly suppress a Nascent Soul stage entity with it. Furthermore, Lei Dong was exceedingly confident in his mastery, believing that if the Night Emperor intended to strike him down, it would take at least seven or eight rounds before he was eliminated. By that time, the forces he commanded would not be merely for show. The Abyss Lord and the Saint Radiance King certainly wouldn't stand by and watch him fall, otherwise, they would be next in line.

“Impudent is hardly the word,” Lei Dong kept his hands clasped behind his back. Despite enduring immense pressure, he appeared completely unaffected, his demeanor calm and detached. “However, Senior Night Emperor, you attempting to coerce our group into surrender using unreasonable demands is likely beyond your capabilities. Though Lei Dong and the others are not entirely reckless regarding death or obsessed with glory, we are all overlord-level figures holding significant power. Every one of us possesses trump cards for self-preservation. I believe that once deployed, even if you are a Void Refining stage expert, you might not be able to withstand them. Void Refining stage does not equate to being invincible, nor does it mean you are the supreme power above all else.”

Seeing that Lei Dong could easily withstand the pressure of his divine sense, the Night Emperor was slightly startled, but his expression remained cold. “Good boy, you must be human. Looking at your age, you aren’t very old, yet your divine sense is as potent as a late-stage Soul Transformation cultivator. You are indeed a character. I will give you one last chance. As long as you are willing to bow down and submit to Us, joining Us to unify the Six Domains and Nine Continents, I will appoint you as a regional Lord.”

Lei Dong adopted the casual air of watching flowers bloom and clouds drift, stating lightly, “Senior should speak of something substantial. Such empty promises are long outdated. The three of us combined command an army of a million, over ten thousand Nascent Soul experts, and dozens of Soul Transformation cultivators. Although you are a senior at the Void Refining stage, we could potentially overwhelm you through sheer numbers alone. So, stop with these hollow theatrics.” Several Soul Transformation experts had already gathered by his side, along with a large contingent of Nascent Soul experts. They were not afraid of the Night Emperor making a sudden move; if he dared to act, he might achieve momentary dominance, but Lei Dong was confident enough to make him pay dearly. In fact, Lei Dong harbored a slight expectation for the Night Emperor to attack, as he felt he had a decent chance of leaving him with a souvenir.

Void Refining stage cultivators were formidable, yet they were not invincible. Under a war of attrition relying on sheer numbers, he might not be able to act as arrogantly as he wished.

Lei Dong’s uncompromising words somewhat revitalized the morale of the Soul Transformation experts present, whose spirits had been flagging. Indeed, even if the Void Refining stage was powerful, they were not immortal. With unified will, they could drown him in sheer numbers. The initial fear stemmed from his Void Refining cultivation and the reputation of the Night Emperor. Once things were thought through, perhaps they weren't as terrifying. For instance, no matter how mighty a Soul Transformation cultivator was, would he dare challenge a battle formation composed of thousands of Golden Core experts? That would purely be courting death.

Lei Dong’s composure stemmed from two factors: firstly, the grim situation demanded composure—he had no other choice. Secondly, since the beginning of his journey, Lei Dong’s enemies had generally been far superior to him in rank and realm. Facing such class disparities had forged in him a temperament immune to undue praise or fear—that is, when facing a higher-realm expert, the first thing one must do is suppress any overwhelming fear. Otherwise, even possessing ten-tenths of one's true ability, one might only manifest five-tenths.

In reality, the Night Emperor never anticipated that this young man before him would be so formidable. Facing an entire realm difference, not only was he not suppressed, but he dared to act so defiantly.

Immediately, the Night Emperor began to sneer repeatedly: “Good boy, you certainly have the nerve. Impressive. It's no wonder that at such a young age, you managed to organize an army of considerable strength, one that even the Abyss Lord and the Saint Radiance King suffered losses against. I admit that relying solely on my Void Refining cultivation, I truly cannot suppress so many of you. Unfortunately, I command an army of forty thousand, among which there are no less than ten thousand Nascent Soul experts, and over thirty Soul Transformation cultivators. These are loyal warriors who were prepared to march with Me to conquer the world and unify the Six Domains and Nine Continents. Boy, on what grounds can you stand against Me? You might as well surrender obediently to Me. Once I unify the Six Domains and Nine Continents, you will certainly have a place, and Chaos Crystals will not be lacking for you.”

Lei Dong found this increasingly amusing. “Lord Night Emperor, I don't know how you passed such a long period of dormancy. You claim your forty thousand troops are loyal subordinates, yet you subjected even your loyal subordinates to Mind-Seizing Demons. How much more so for outsiders like us? Granted, everyone present acknowledges your power and that of your army. However, you might as well ask every Soul Transformation expert here: who hasn't clawed their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood? Since we know it means death, and we know we'll be controlled by Mind-Seizing Demons, how could we possibly not fight back desperately? With our strength, perhaps we cannot defeat Lord Night Emperor, but gnawing away half of your military might is more than achievable. At that point, Lord Night Emperor, what will you use to unify the Six Domains and Nine Continents?”

Although their allegiances differed, Lei Dong's words resonated deeply with the Saint Radiance King and the Abyss Lord. It was preferable to fight to the death than to be controlled by Mind-Seizing Demons. Besides, none of them were inexperienced fledglings; war was war, and mutual destruction was a possibility. Those who walked this path knew the debt must eventually be paid.

The Night Emperor paused, struck by the question. He knew perfectly well that the control exerted by so many Mind-Seizing Demons over his forces was a critical vulnerability. But he had to press on. Faced with Lei Dong’s assertive stance, his voice softened slightly. “Young Lei, you misunderstand. There were special circumstances behind why we were controlled by the Mind-Seizing Demons. If I were to recruit you as subordinates, I certainly would not use Mind-Seizing Demons to control you. What use would I have for subordinates who only know how to obey orders and lack independent judgment?”

Lei Dong pretended to waver, hesitating slightly before speaking. “Since you show sincerity, Night Emperor, then grant us one year to discuss and consider this matter. After all, this is a decision of monumental importance.” Lei Dong played the card he had long prepared.