For within the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, many endured Tribulations, and though quite a few departed to complete their advancements outside, essentially, someone ascended within the Grotto-Heavens every few days. Fortunately, the Heavenly Tribulation served to prune the heaven-defying, not to dismantle spatial constructs.

Thus, despite the Heavenly Tribulation's immense power and frequent arrival, it caused no detriment to the Grotto-Heavens; in fact, it brought some benefit, as it deposited a significant surge of spiritual energy after its passing, enriching the environment considerably.

Originally, the Ghost Emperor of the Nether intended to advance outside as well. However, the Emperor of the Dark Night was currently hunting maniacally for Lei Dong's whereabouts externally. A minor Heavenly Tribulation accompanying the breakthrough from Golden Core to Nascent Soul was manageable; its power was slight, and its spectacle muted. In an environment as complex and harsh as this Chaotic Strange Space, it wouldn't be conspicuous.

But the transition from Spirit Transformation to Void Refinement—that spectacle would be tens of times grander than a minor tribulation. Lei Dong did not wish for such an event to draw the Emperor of the Dark Night’s attention. Therefore, after careful deliberation, Lei Dong decided to let the Ghost Emperor of the Nether undergo his advancement within the Grotto-Heavens.

The resulting spectacle was naturally vast, but thankfully, the Ghost Emperor of the Nether was already an exceptionally formidable figure and managed to weather it without excessive difficulty. The sky-filling tribulation clouds transformed into abundant spiritual energy, dissipating and integrating into the Grotto-Heavens, causing the ambient spiritual energy reserves within to instantly surge by twenty percent. This acquired spiritual energy, while far less precious than the Chaos Spiritual Energy, still counted as a modest gain.

Lei Dong observed this Heavenly Tribulation from afar, a sense of awe stirring in his heart. Achieving Spirit Transformation was difficult, but reaching the Void Refinement stage seemed even harder. Assessing himself, he doubted he could withstand that savage and peerless Heavenly Tribulation, even with the support of the Indestructible Profound Yin Shield.

The Ghost Emperor of the Nether truly lived up to his title, weathering such a daunting tribulation with effortless grace and composure.

Unexpectedly, the just-dissipated tribulation clouds suddenly coalesced again, their intensity matching that of the Void Refinement Tribulation the Ghost Emperor had just passed. Lei Dong blinked in surprise, then his expression turned wildly joyful; this must be the Purgatory Demon King preparing for his own tribulation.

Originally, the Purgatory Demon King required a slightly longer interval than the Ghost Emperor to break through his shackles and achieve Void Refinement. It seemed the stimulation from the Ghost Emperor's success had spurred him to instantly clear the bottleneck and commence his ascension.

Both were tribulations of the Void Refinement level. Where the Ghost Emperor was elegant and natural, the Purgatory Demon King was dramatically different. His already tall and robust physique suddenly swelled, reaching seventy to eighty feet high, almost brushing against the heavy tribulation clouds. His reddish-brown muscles were as hard as refined iron, his crimson scales gleamed brilliantly, his tail coiled around his waist, and his demonic wings flared high above.

A defiant expression crossed his face as he arrogantly gazed at the heavenly lightning.

"Boom!"

As the first bolt of heavenly lightning descended, the Purgatory Demon King grinned contemptuously and met it with a direct punch. Where fist met thunder, savage energy ripped outward in all directions.

"Exhilarating, exhilarating! I, Old Demon Purgatory, have lived to see this day!" The Purgatory Demon King, scorched black by the lightning, roared with fierce delight. "I never imagined I would advance to the Void Refinement stage! Again, again!"

Hong~ Another bolt of heavenly lightning arrived precisely on schedule. The Purgatory Demon King again neither dodged nor evaded, charging headlong into it. Defiant, stubborn, yet undeniably dominant—this was the Purgatory Demon King, the overlord of the strongest race in the Purgatory Domain. Compared to the regal bearing of the Ghost Emperor, the Purgatory Demon King was more akin to a warlord or fierce general, charging across battlefields and drinking the blood of his foes.

In moments, streak after streak of heavenly lightning was annihilated by the Purgatory Demon King's seasoned fists. Simultaneously, his body underwent rapid refinement under the tempering of the lightning, becoming even mightier and more awe-inspiring.

When the tribulation clouds dispersed, the spiritual energy within the Grotto-Heavens condensed and thickened significantly once more. It was clear that achieving Void Refinement brought substantial benefits to the Grotto-Heavens.

"Old Ghost, how was that? Although I advanced half an hour later than you, my tribulation was more magnificent than yours!" Having survived the Heavenly Tribulation, the Purgatory Demon King was now undeniably a figure of the Void Refinement stage. Standing tall, with his feet planted on the earth, he laughed freely.

"Hmph, a mere brute," the Ghost Emperor of the Nether scoffed, stepping upon the void to materialize before the Purgatory Demon King without the slightest hint of worldly concern. "Only a simple-minded lunk like you, all brawn, would take the lightning head-on. Purely doing something just because you can."

"Awoo, Old Ghost, are you jealous of the strength of my Purgatory Demon Race?" The Purgatory Demon King seemed in exceptionally high spirits, roaring with laughter. "Old Ghost, now that we are both Void Refinement experts, why don't we spar a bit while we're fresh from our breakthroughs and see who ranks first?"

"What's there to spar about?" the Ghost Emperor of the Nether snorted. "I advanced half an hour before you; naturally, I come first. Furthermore, can a clumsy giant like you possibly be my match?" Though the Ghost Emperor maintained a cold facade, he was internally ecstatic. In the Nether Domain, after the ancestors of the Ghost Race were sealed in the Nine Continents of the Six Realms, their ranks were redefined: Nascent Soul became King, Spirit Transformation became Emperor—a change only fully adopted by those in the Nether Domain, while many other races scoffed at it. Now, having finally reached Void Refinement, proclaiming himself Emperor was only fitting.

"Keke, Old Ghost, I think you're scared. You should know that the Purgatory Demon Race has been famous since ancient times as a race of warriors, no less significant than the Asura Race," the Purgatory Demon King crowed proudly. "Your Ghost Race only rose to prominence due to the scarcity of heaven and earth spiritual energy; you simply can't compare."

The Ghost Emperor's face darkened. With his hands clasped behind his back, he huffed, "Old Demon, since you wish to suffer, I shall oblige you. If we fight, we fight outside the Grotto-Heavens; don't damage Lei Dong’s precious domain."

Seeing this unfold from afar, Lei Dong quickly initiated a spatial shatter, blinking between the two of them. He cupped his hands with a warm smile. "Congratulations to the Ghost Emperor of the Nether and the Purgatory Demon King on achieving the Void Refinement stage. It has been ten thousand years since the Six Realms and Nine Continents produced an unparalleled expert of this caliber. This is a grand occasion! If you must spar, perhaps it would be best to postpone it, just a little."

"Fine. Little Lei is the supreme commander of our group. Since you’ve spoken, Old Ghost, we will certainly give you face. Let's postpone our sparring until after we settle our main business. Heh heh, once our affairs here are concluded, I'll return to the Purgatory Domain, and then we'll see who dares obstruct my unification of that domain." The Purgatory Demon King was deeply grateful to Lei Dong. His current success was largely thanks to him. Not only had Lei Dong provided this excellent opportunity to seize power, but he had also handled countless difficulties. Furthermore, he had prioritized providing the incredibly precious Chaos Crystals, enabling the Demon King to reach Void Refinement. The only minor regret was that despite his frantic haste, he was a beat behind the Ghost Emperor.

"Return?" The Ghost Emperor of the Nether sneered. "Old Demon, you still plan to return and unify the Purgatory Domain? What a pity, what a pity—you can't go back."

"Old Ghost, don't curse me like that!" the Purgatory Demon King retorted irritably. "No matter how powerful the enemy, surely the two of us and Little Lei aren't easy targets?"

"I'm not speaking of that. Haven't you noticed that after advancing to the Void Refinement stage, we haven't felt any repulsion from the laws of heaven and earth, but rather a sense of exhilarating ease, like a fish in water?" the Ghost Emperor scoffed.

"Eh?" The Purgatory Demon King examined himself curiously, then realization dawned. "Old Ghost, are you implying...?"

"Indeed. I am now certain that this Chaotic Strange Space is a place outside the Six Realms and Nine Continents," the Ghost Emperor sighed softly. "This place is not within the scope of rule repulsion. Therefore, if we attempt to return to the Six Realms through spatial fissures, we will undoubtedly be rejected and blocked by the power of the laws protecting the Six Realms and Nine Continents."

The Purgatory Demon King's face darkened, and he let out a bitter laugh. "Damn it, does this mean I, Old Demon Purgatory, will die of old age in this damned place? Good heavens, I was just thinking how fitting it would be to show off upon returning home after finally breaking through to Void Refinement. Now it seems we are trapped here, just like that unlucky Emperor of the Dark Night. It makes sense now—why that old fox the Night Emperor hasn't swaggered around the Six Realms and Nine Continents for so many years."

"They say you're all brawn and no brain, and it's true," the Ghost Emperor sneered again. "You fool. If this were a land of death and doom, where did those demons from the Demon Realm come from?"

"That's true too." The Purgatory Demon King suddenly became cheerful again. "That means there must be a spatial node leading to the Demon Realm here. When that time comes, we can pass through the node and go have fun in the Demon Realm! The Demon Realm, the Demon Realm—I’ve never been there before."

Lei Dong felt a line of black appear on his forehead. Who the hell had ever been to the Demon Realm? Moreover, while Void Refinement was formidable, it was hardly enough to go showing off in the Demon Realm, was it? Lei Dong immediately began coughing repeatedly. "Sirs, whether it's returning or going to the Demon Realm, let’s put those matters aside for now. The Emperor of the Dark Night is hunting us everywhere, chasing us around like stray dogs. Since you two have successfully broken through to Void Refinement as planned, please settle down and solidify your realms first. It's time to teach that damned Emperor of the Dark Night a lesson."

"Indeed." The Ghost Emperor of the Nether’s eyes sharpened, and he placed his hands behind his back with a cold laugh. "I also wish to see exactly how formidable the famed Emperor of the Dark Night, legendary ten thousand years ago, truly is. I wonder what progress he has made all these years?"

...