This chaotic anomalous space was not excessively large; if measured, its diameter likely spanned only tens of millions of li. It was drastically smaller than the Six Domains and Nine Continents. Yet, even so, an area spanning tens of millions of li was still a considerable territory. If one could thoroughly strip-mine the land, the scattered gains would be far from insignificant.

The previous fierce battle had been devastating, and Lei Dong had incurred substantial losses. However, the gains far outweighed the costs. Moreover, despite the brutality, the entire war was brief, concluding in victory or defeat in less than half a day. The Emperor of the Dark Night, though immensely powerful, lacked the necessary resources for extensive reconnaissance. It was likely that even now, he had not discovered that the three major encampments were still functioning normally and circulating their resources.

With no lingering concerns, Lei Dong initiated a full-scale sweep across the territory, commencing the 'strip-mining' operation. Having integrated the strength of the Abyss Domain and the Light Domain, Lei Dong now commanded personnel without constraint, allowing for complete deployment.

Over twenty thousand Nascent Soul stage powerhouses began to disperse, meticulously combing through the chaotic anomalous space. Simultaneously, large-scale Chaos Spirit Gathering Formations were deployed to collect the lingering Chaos Spiritual Qi scattered throughout the environment.

This efficiency was certainly more than ten times the income Lei Dong had accrued in the preceding six months. Furthermore, Lei Dong invested a significant amount of Chaos Crystals into his subordinates with excellent aptitudes, striving to accumulate greater overall strength.

As for the Emperor of the Dark Night, though Lei Dong respected his power, he no longer felt the same degree of apprehension. Setting aside the fact that his overall strength now held a considerable advantage over the Emperor of the Dark Night, even if the Void Refinement stage Emperor possessed superior individual might, Lei Dong now possessed trump cards capable of restraining him.

Rather than confronting the Emperor now, it was better to wait longer, accumulating more power to add further leverage to his own standing. For Lei Dong, the paramount concern was cultivating more Deity Transformation stage powerhouses. He increasingly sensed that the Nascent Soul stage was becoming insufficient for future conflicts; the primary combat force would necessarily have to shift to those at the Deity Transformation level.

The battle against the Glorious King earlier had already highlighted this sense of insecurity. While thousands of Nascent Soul stage experts could indeed suppress a Void Refinement expert through sheer numbers, in reality, if a Void Refinement powerhouse went berserk or engaged in indiscriminate slaughter, dispatching Nascent Soul experts was as easy as cutting vegetables.

Even a thousand Nascent Soul experts, without aid from higher-tier allies, could potentially be wiped out entirely by a single Void Refinement expert. Thus, Lei Dong now focused more intensely on advancing his highly talented subordinates from the Nascent Soul stage to the Deity Transformation stage.

With a greater number of Deity Transformation experts, they could effectively constrain the Void Refinement level.

As for achieving the Void Refinement stage, that seemed impossible in the short term. Even for existences like the Netherworld Ghost Emperor and the Purgatory Demon King, who had just reached the peak of the Deity Transformation stage, making another breakthrough to Void Refinement would not be simple. Many matters could not be resolved merely by possessing Chaos Crystals; they required time for accumulation and enlightenment.

The only Void Refinement expert Lei Dong could currently mobilize was the Glorious King—a figure coerced by special means to possess only three years of life remaining. Having burned his soul, even the treasure of the Winged God Clan, the Water of Life, could not save him.

Fortunately, Lei Dong never expected the Glorious King, who harbored deep hostility toward him, to live long; he merely needed the King's assistance for immediate concerns. The only way forward was to accelerate the enhancement of his own true strength; that was the ultimate way.

As the main force searched the wilds, unrefined Chaos Crystal ore was continuously delivered to Lei Dong. These were polished into precious, crystal-clear Chaos Crystals, then introduced into the Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Lands, transforming into tangible combat strength among Lei Dong’s subordinates.

Facing the threat of future Void Refinement experts, Lei Dong also began cultivating genuinely high-end combat power. In the short term, fostering a cadre of imposing Void Refinement experts who could both strike and endure had become an urgent necessity.

After careful consideration, Lei Dong listed the first echelon candidates. The primary focus was on those most intimately connected to him: figures like Heavenly Demon, Wan Yan, Little You, Lei Qing'er, Mo Chou, Dongfang Fu, Blood Demon, Myriad Ghosts, Thunder Dragon, Yi Kong, and Qi Feifei.

Although some of this group remained at the Nascent Soul stage, these individuals had shared significant experiences with Lei Dong and were deeply trusted core members. Furthermore, none possessed poor aptitude; even those who might not qualify as geniuses were considered top-tier.

Given sufficient Chaos Primordial Essence, Lei Dong was absolutely confident in elevating all their aptitudes to the level of super-geniuses. Insufficient aptitude could be enhanced; insufficient strength could be bolstered by resources. But those who could command Lei Dong's absolute trust were few and required full dedication of resources. It didn't matter if some were currently outside this chaotic realm; Lei Dong could send people to retrieve them once the spatial rifts reopened.

Aside from himself, Lei Dong decided to channel the vast majority of resources toward the first echelon, providing them with the finest support to rapidly advance through Deity Transformation and break into the Void Refinement stage.

In the past, Lei Dong would never have dreamed of advancing Wan Yan and the others to the Void Refinement stage. But now, on the verge of securing the chaotic anomalous space and possessing abundant Chaos Crystal resources, significantly boosting the strength of his faction was no difficult task.

Chaos Spiritual Qi truly lived up to its reputation as a resource worth fighting wars over. It possessed unparalleled efficacy in the cultivation and advancement of cultivators. Previously, for a Deity Transformation expert to advance one level was akin to climbing to the heavens, often requiring centuries or millennia of arduous refinement. However, under the potent effect of Chaos Crystals, as long as they were willing to use them, the cultivation of Deity Transformation experts skyrocketed. It was no wonder that during the Desolate Ancient and Primordial Eras, when Chaos Spiritual Qi was abundant, Nascent Soul experts were ubiquitous and Deity Transformation experts were considered common fodder. The lifelong pursuit goal for some with supreme aptitude would never be the Deity Transformation stage, but rather Integration, with some highly ambitious individuals setting their final target at the Sovereign level.

If not for ample Chaos Spiritual Qi support, the colossal figures who once dominated the Primordial Era might, at best, have reached the Deity Transformation stage.

In addition to Lei Dong’s first echelon, he also designated a second echelon of members: Shangguan Hong, Madam Qing, Qian Luo, Black Iron Tower, along with a group of Deity Transformation experts from the Hidden Dragon Army who possessed the strongest aptitudes and performed commendably in this recent battle. Moreover, Lei Dong would not hesitate to cultivate some powerful figures from the Yin Sha Sect, provided they pledged unwavering loyalty.

Lei Dong divided the acquired resources using a ratio of four-three-two-one. Forty percent was allocated for the use of the first echelon members, while Lei Dong himself claimed thirty percent. Twenty percent went to the second echelon, and the final ten percent was distributed among those in the Hidden Dragon Fierce Ghost Army who distinguished themselves.

As for the vast majority of Golden Core and even Nascent Soul stage Fierce Ghost Soldiers and Hidden Dragon Soldiers, Lei Dong allowed them to independently absorb the free-floating Chaos Spiritual Qi in the environment, supplementing their cultivation with allocated medicinal quotas.

Regarding the overall resource distribution, the prior agreement with the Netherworld Ghost Emperor and others stipulated allocation based on contribution of effort and military strength. By any measure, Lei Dong’s side had overwhelmingly provided the most effort and deployed the largest force.

Consequently, it was ultimately agreed that Lei Dong’s faction would receive seventy percent of the Chaos resources obtained within this anomalous space, leaving the remaining thirty percent for all others. While Lei Dong claiming the lion's share seemed exaggerated, in truth, the effort he exerted genuinely justified that seventy percent allocation.

In fact, without Lei Dong, neither the Netherworld Ghost Emperor nor the Purgatory Demon King could have possibly secured this chaotic anomalous space. Therefore, everyone was generally quite satisfied with this arrangement. Considering the sheer volume of resources within this space, even half a percent represented an astronomical figure.

Thus, Lei Dong did not need to worry about the cultivation advancement of his allies. They naturally had their quotas and managed their internal distribution and cultivation. It was expected that after digesting these resources, the comprehensive strength of each faction would multiply, making their arduous efforts and risks worthwhile.

Of course, these allocated resources were strictly limited to what was found through wilderness searches or collected via the Chaos Spirit Gathering Formations. As for the Chaos Crystals Lei Dong refined himself by devouring souls, these naturally fell one hundred percent into Lei Dong’s personal revenue stream.

This outcome differed somewhat from Lei Dong’s initial expectations. He had anticipated that the gains from within the anomalous space would be the minor portion, with the major haul coming from refinement via the Chaos Soul Devouring Pagoda. However, the opposite proved true: after several major battles, the Chaos Soul Devouring Pagoda had only decomposed and refined several dozen Chaos Crystals, whereas the spoils within the anomalous space far exceeded that amount.

Naturally, in the long run, the Chaos Spiritual Qi in this anomalous space would eventually be depleted. But as long as life existed in the world, the Chaos Soul Devouring Pagoda would never lack material. In the long term, the function of the Pagoda far surpassed this small chaotic anomalous space.

Fortunately, Lei Dong’s schemes and risks had not been in vain; he was now beginning to enjoy the fruits of victory. Under the dual effect of Chaos Crystals and the Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Lands, the strength of Lei Dong’s subordinates once again began to advance by leaps and bounds. Golden Core experts were continually advancing to the Nascent Soul stage amid the ambient Chaos Spiritual Qi.

The soldiers in Lei Dong’s second echelon were also beginning to break through Nascent Soul, achieving Deity Transformation, and entering states of deep secluded cultivation, their power undergoing subtle transformation and breakthrough moment by moment.