Just as Lei Dong felt his overall strength was rapidly advancing, nearly reaching a level where he could contend with the Emperor of the Dark Night, an unexpected turn of events suddenly occurred. Initially, some teams searching for Chaos Crystals acted with perhaps too much boldness, repeatedly clashing with the Emperor of the Dark Night's patrol units. This likely stirred the Emperor of the Dark Night's displeasure, making it difficult to maintain the original plan of waiting a full year.

An even greater surprise for Lei Dong came from another group of powerful figures whose actions were extremely erratic. The first discovery of this group wasn't made by Lei Dong, but by the Emperor of the Dark Night’s own patrols.

Facing such a formidable enemy as the Emperor of the Dark Night, even with a strategy of temporary inaction, Lei Dong would never slow down his probing and reconnaissance efforts. The Shadow Demon Clan, the Nether Phoenix Clan, and some of Lei Dong’s fierce Ghost Soldiers skilled in stealth were organized into scout legions, actively investigating the Emperor of the Dark Night’s forces.

As his own strength gradually swelled, Lei Dong began to entertain the idea of possibly foregoing a decapitation strike and instead engaging the Emperor of the Dark Night in a direct, pitched battle. Based on the comprehensive strength of both sides, Lei Dong now held a slight advantage over the Emperor of the Dark Night.

It was widely known that powerhouses controlled by the Mind-Stealing Demon displayed impressive might on the frontline but were far inferior to clear-headed experts in large-scale warfare. Lei Dong’s subordinates, who had rapidly advanced thanks to Chaos Spiritual Energy, were in dire need of a whetstone to properly hone their skills.

No matter how excellent Chaos Spiritual Energy was, it was still an external path. Without the accumulation gained from countless life-and-death battles and the passage of time, strength purely built up by Chaos Spiritual Energy was ultimately just a sandcastle, incapable of withstanding the tide.

The Hidden Dragon and Fierce Ghost armies were the very foundation upon which Lei Dong’s future stability relied. If they weren't properly tempered through the crucible of blood and mortal peril, how could they ever become dependable? Cultivation itself was an act against the will of Heaven and the laws of the cosmos. While external aids were beneficial, reliance on one's own formidable heart and unyielding willpower was paramount. Furthermore, one crucial point remained: the Emperor of the Dark Night’s great army could be entirely broken down by the Chaos Soul Devouring Pagoda into Chaos Crystals and Chaos Origin essence—the latter being what Lei Dong valued more.

However, the reports trickling back from the scout teams caused Lei Dong a slight start. He had not anticipated that in this seemingly isolated Chaotic Space, a third party existed besides his own faction and that of the Emperor of the Dark Night.

The scouts used their Shadow-Fixing Talismans from a distance to record a skirmish that erupted between an Emperor of the Dark Night patrol unit and a small team from the opposing force. On the surface, their strengths appeared roughly equal—both sides seemed to be composed of about a hundred Nascent Soul Realm experts.

But only after the clash did Lei Dong realize the combat prowess of that other team was astonishing. Their cultivation methods were uniform and exceptionally potent, their bodies enveloped in an aura of Blood Fiend energy. They were well-trained, utterly fearless, and grew fiercer the longer they fought.

In a mere half-hour confrontation, the hundred-man squad belonging to the Emperor of the Dark Night was completely decimated, suffering heavy casualties. Meanwhile, the mysterious Blood Fiend experts lost only about fifty of their own. Their overall combat capability surpassed that of the Emperor of the Dark Night by more than just a small margin.

The sudden appearance of such a clearly uniformed army naturally put Lei Dong’s forces on high alert. Fortunately, their current operational zone was diametrically opposed to Lei Dong's sphere of influence, with the Emperor of the Dark Night positioned squarely between them. Theoretically, there should be no immediate conflict between the two factions for the time being.

Yet, this army of unknown origin and unknown numbers presented Lei Dong with a significant quandary. After consulting with allied powerhouses like the Ghost Emperor of the Netherworld, everyone agreed this required the utmost seriousness. Regardless, they had to ascertain where this mysterious army came from, what their strength truly was, and whether they had reinforcements. Consequently, the Ghost Emperor of the Netherworld personally led a detachment to attempt capturing some prisoners for interrogation.

In truth, the composition and quality of this army had already allowed Lei Dong and the others to form some preliminary suspicions. But they were somewhat reluctant to confront the possibility in their minds, showing signs of psychological evasion. After all, given the state of the Six Realms and Nine Continents, cultivating an army of such caliber seemed nearly impossible. Lei Dong’s Hidden Dragon Army was a pure anomaly; without Lei Dong obtaining specific, unique inheritances, it would never have reached this stage.

Only a few days later, the Ghost Emperor of the Netherworld contacted Lei Dong via the communication array, his expression grim. After a round of capture and Soul-Searching techniques, the interrogation confirmed the vague suspicions harbored by Lei Dong and the others. The newcomers were not from the Six Realms and Nine Continents, nor were they natives of this Chaotic Space.

They hailed from the Demon Realm.

The Demon Realm, since ancient times, symbolized power, tyranny, and even invincibility. The name alone exerted immense psychological pressure on Lei Dong and his allies. Moreover, the intelligence gleaned from the Soul-Searching revealed that this contingent was led by two Void Refinement-level powerhouses, one of whom was in the Mid-stage of that realm.

Never mind the Mid-stage; even an Early-stage Void Refinement expert was a terrifying and difficult foe to handle, one that could only be overcome by sacrificing lives in overwhelming numbers. For a time, Lei Dong and the other experts fell into silence.

"Senior Netherworld, Senior Purgatory," Lei Dong finally broke the silence after a long pause, asking in a deep voice, "If resources were fully directed towards you, approximately how long would it take for you both to advance to the Void Refinement stage?" The two he addressed were not only incredibly powerful but also possessed supreme aptitude. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to cultivate to the peak of the Mid-stage of Spirit Transformation—becoming the absolute apex in the Six Realms and Nine Continents—under such resource scarcity.

Within the communication array, the Ghost Emperor of the Netherworld frowned slightly but quickly responded with confidence, "If I were to dedicate myself fully to breaking through to the Void Refinement stage, supported by abundant Chaos Crystals, it would take no more than ten years."

The Demon King of Purgatory was equally confident, "I am much the same as Old Ghost. We both have long periods of stable foundation at the Spirit Transformation stage. Although we have only recently reached the late stage of Spirit Transformation, our realm foundation is solid. I am confident I can break through to the Void Refinement stage within ten years as well. The prerequisite, however, is consuming at least thirty Chaos Crystals."

Thirty Chaos Crystals? And at least thirty? Lei Dong sucked in a sharp breath. Ten years was not a long time; if augmented by the blessings of a Grotto-Heaven, the time outside would only need to stretch another year. But the sheer quantity of sixty Chaos Crystals was excessive.

However, the visitors from the Demon Realm possessed two Void Refinement experts, one of whom was Mid-stage. Without experts of the same level to restrain them, lives would have to be the price paid. In battles of that magnitude, no one could guarantee survival—not even Lei Dong.

Lei Dong dared not take such risks; after all, many of his top generals were people closest to him. If there were casualties in a fight against Void Refinement experts, Lei Dong himself might never forgive himself.

Lei Dong also knew that the quotas of Chaos Crystals allocated to the Ghost Emperor of the Netherworld and the Demon King of Purgatory were insufficient to support such extravagant cultivation plans. Moreover, most of the crystals they received had already been distributed to their most promising core subordinates. Asking them to scrape together thirty Chaos Crystals on their own would be pure cruelty.

As for Lei Dong's direct lineage, while their potential was limitless, expecting them to reach the Void Refinement stage in just ten years was utter fantasy. Even if it were remotely possible, the consumption would far exceed thirty Chaos Crystals.

"Very well," Lei Dong said after a brief contemplation, chuckling heartily, "I will cover the sixty Chaos Crystals for both seniors. However, I cannot provide them all at once; I can only have my people deliver them periodically while you are in seclusion. I sincerely hope both seniors can advance to the Void Refinement level as quickly as possible, so you can tie down their Void Refinement experts during the conflict, sparing my elite forces from excessive damage."

The Ghost Emperor of the Netherworld and the Demon King of Purgatory were both deeply moved. Although Lei Dong’s action served the greater strategy, sixty Chaos Crystals were an immense sum! His magnanimity was truly extraordinary. While Void Refinement experts were formidable, the saying ‘many ants can kill an elephant’ held weight. If he feared losses among his subordinates, he could easily deploy the Abyssal Demons and the Winged God Clan.

Yet, Lei Dong chose to foot the bill himself to support the advancement of the Ghost Emperor and the Demon King. This stunned the two leaders momentarily. Simultaneously, the representatives from the Winged God Clan and the Abyss Domain who were present at the meeting also looked upon Lei Dong with new appreciation. These two armies were currently under punitive status and had not yet earned the right to receive Chaos Crystals. Lei Dong could easily use them as cannon fodder against the Void Refinement experts.

In an instant, both the four-armed Naga, Brielis, and the King of Judgment showed deep gratitude towards Lei Dong.

The Ghost Emperor of the Netherworld, being Lei Dong’s senior who had always looked out for him, wished to maintain his own pride. Hearing Lei Dong’s proposal, he did not reveal excessive delight but stated gravely, "Lei Dong, your strategy to create high-end combat power for containment is sound. Advancing to Void Refinement is also the lifelong ambition of Old Demon and myself. We are honor-bound to this task. However, for you to bear such a colossal expenditure, we cannot accept it so easily. Your Chaos Crystals were not acquired easily but through risking your life. How about this: we are currently short on crystals, so let you support our initial breakthroughs, and we will deduct the amount from our share of spoils after the war is tallied."

"Old Ghost speaks wisely. I, the Demon King Purgatory, am a supreme overlord in my own right; how could I take advantage of young Lei?" The Demon King of Purgatory, always straightforward, laughed loudly, "We have yearned for the Void Refinement realm for a long time. The fact that Young Lei is willing to lend us crystals for cultivation first is already a monumental favor. I agree with Old Ghost’s terms: settlement post-war. But, Young Lei, you must let us borrow your Grotto-Heaven for another visit. Tsk tsk, you are truly lucky to have acquired such a heaven-defying treasure."

……(To be continued)RQ