It was generally assumed that Lei Dong’s greatest gain was securing control over that Chaotic Dimension, and many lamented the loss of so many Heart-Devouring Demon Puppets. But only Lei Dong truly understood that he had profited immensely. Both the more than one hundred Chaos Crystals refined from the remnants and the one-tenth piece of Chaos Origin were incalculably precious. The latter, especially, lived up to its name, Chaos Origin, being the very source from which all life sprang during the universe’s genesis.

Only this item possessed such heaven-defying effects, gradually transforming Lei Dong’s above-average aptitude into that of a true genius—rivaling that of Wanyan and the others. Of course, at this juncture, Lei Dong also felt a massive bottleneck in his aptitude progression. Just like those whose aptitude was already exceptional, like Wanyan, any further improvement now required more than just a mere fraction of the Chaos Origin.

It was for this reason that Lei Dong hadn't shared even that tenth piece of Chaos Origin with anyone. Rather than having its effects too dispersed to be significant, it was far better to propel his own aptitude forward exponentially.

With his aptitude elevated to the genius level, Lei Dong finally experienced the swiftness and efficiency in cultivation that Wanyan and the others enjoyed. A single Chaos Crystal, now, yielded at least seven or eight times the benefit it offered before his aptitude enhancement.

Soon after, while in seclusion within the Grotto-Heaven blessed land, Lei Dong used a single Chaos Crystal to forcibly push his cultivation, already at the peak of the Nascent Soul Early Stage, up another full tier, settling him firmly into the Soul Transformation Middle Stage.

Upon reaching the Soul Transformation Middle Stage, Lei Dong immediately felt a massive leap in strength; every movement felt more robust and substantial. At this point, even without resorting to devastating abilities like Annihilation Law or the True Word Incantation, he could single-handedly contend against two or three cultivators in the Nascent Soul Early Stage with mere brute force and ordinary spells. If he unleashed everything, he could handle at least five or six opponents at that level alone.

Combined with his battle pets, the Ghost Servant and the puppets, Lei Dong could likely contend with and defeat even those in the Soul Transformation High Stage. His greatest triumph, perhaps, was the intensity of his Divine Sense, which had now reached the level of the Soul Transformation Peak. When fully unleashed, it could directly ensnare even a cultivator in the Primordial Spirit Early Stage.

In essence, even cultivators at the Primordial Spirit Early Stage were now utter ants in Lei Dong’s eyes.

With his cultivation reaching this height, the Emperor Demon Seed dormant in Lei Dong’s glabella began to subtly swell, suggesting that the time for the Demon Emperor’s next inheritance might not be far off. Yet, it still seemed faintly insufficient. He estimated that his cultivation needed to break through again to meet the threshold set by the Demon Emperor.

Having just advanced to the Soul Transformation Middle Stage, Lei Dong already felt a faint restlessness in his vital energy. He knew that advancing too quickly through the Chaos Crystals had caused his foundation to become slightly unstable. Consequently, he dared not use another Chaos Crystal to continue boosting his cultivation.

For the immediate future, Lei Dong decided to slow his pace, dedicating more energy to solidifying his current realm and strengthening his foundation. Moreover, there were several matters he had previously neglected that now required his attention.

With everything arranged in the Chaotic Dimension, Lei Dong, accompanied by the Ghost Servant and piloting the Harem Ship gifted by the Netherworld Ghost Emperor, began his return to the Great Desolate Continent. Firstly, the Demon Emperor Palace awaited him there for his inheritance. Previously, his strength was insufficient to fully master it, but now, at the Soul Transformation Middle Stage, with his Divine Sense at the Peak Soul Transformation level, he was confident he could take control.

And then there was the Hall of the Underworld King—another place Lei Dong absolutely had to revisit.

Naturally, Lei Dong headed first for the Great Desolate Continent. Utilizing ancient teleportation arrays in the Abyss Domain, he arrived at the Netherworld Ghost Domain, then transferred again to reach Kang Prefecture. Upon reaching Kang Prefecture, Lei Dong’s first stop was to pay his respects to his parents.

Significantly, Lei Dong’s parents were still alive. Though the lifespan of mortals is limited, and achieving cultivation without a spiritual root is difficult, not all things are absolute. With Lei Dong’s wealth, showering them with countless heavenly treasures could eventually strengthen even a pig. How much more so for two living human beings?

Of course, constrained by the lack of spiritual roots, despite the vast amounts of cultivation resources and rare treasures invested, Lei Dong’s parents remained only at the Foundation Establishment level. However, thanks to various heavenly materials and precious elixirs that extended life, their lifespan far surpassed that of ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators. Furthermore, they didn't need to engage in constant combat; merely practicing longevity techniques sufficed.

Lei Dong left each of them a Chaos Crystal. For cultivators at the Foundation Establishment level, even those lacking spiritual roots, a single Chaos Crystal brimming with boundless chaotic spiritual energy could forcefully elevate them to the Golden Core level. Once they reached the Golden Core Stage, their lifespan would drastically increase again, alleviating Lei Dong’s worries about them dying of old age anytime soon.

After settling these matters, Lei Dong piloted the flying vessel directly across the Transverse Mountain Range, taking the most direct route toward the Demon Emperor Palace. Lei Dong held deep affection for the Great Desolate Continent beneath him.

When he was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he shared an inseparable fate with this region. Now, with his vastly superior strength, he no longer needed to tread cautiously as before. He simply activated the flying vessel to its maximum, pursuing the shortest and fastest route.

Along the way, a few arrogant Nascent Soul level monstrous beasts, leading a retinue of Golden Core and Foundation Establishment lackeys, tried to harass Lei Dong’s vessel. However, Lei Dong couldn't even be bothered to acknowledge them. He dispatched Lei Hu, allowing him to revert to his true form, shrink down, and perch on the vessel while emitting his aura.

The terrifying pressure exuded by a Soul Transformation level beast was immense. All the lesser beasts, upon catching the scent from afar, either fled in disarray or prostrated themselves in submission. Frankly, Lei Dong was reluctant to slaughter the beasts of the Great Desolate Desert indiscriminately, as he held some sentiment for them. Otherwise, he wouldn't even need to move a finger; his Divine Sense alone could easily obliterate a Nascent Soul level beast.

Different strengths lead to different perceptions of distance. When Lei Dong first faced the Great Desolate Desert, it felt like an endless ocean; he thought he might wander for a lifetime and never chart its entirety. But now, with his strength incomparable and his perspective broadened, the desert seemed merely average—a rather small patch of land. Its danger level was also low; he hadn't even encountered a Soul Transformation level beast here.

A distance of several million li now seemed negligible to Lei Dong. After Elder Li's flattering modifications, the Harem Ship's speed was far beyond what it once was. At full throttle, it could cover at least a million li a day. In just a few days, Lei Dong arrived like a shooting star outside the Demon Emperor Palace.

The area around the Demon Emperor Palace, once desolate, had transformed entirely. The now formidable Barbarian race had aggressively occupied the region, building a city here that served as the foundation for the Guardian Clan, established partly to protect the Demon Emperor Palace itself.

The cultivation world of Zhao Prefecture, while harboring resentment, dared not provoke the Barbarians further after several failed challenges, given their increasing might. In any case, the Barbarians currently had no inclination for invading Zhao Prefecture, so the cultivators chose to turn a blind eye.

Of course, the Demon Emperor Palace remained largely buried within the mountains; the Barbarians lacked the strength to fully unearth it. Furthermore, they regarded the place as sacred and dared not damage it carelessly, choosing instead to guard it diligently, awaiting Lei Dong’s return and instructions.

Lei Dong infiltrated stealthily and sought out the Saintess Lan Qisi. After a long separation, the reunion between old lovers naturally involved a tender exchange. Supported by ample resources, Lan Qisi had cultivated to the peak of the Primordial Spirit realm, achieving a level of strength and cultivation unprecedented among past Saintesses.

Naturally, Lei Dong gifted her three Chaos Crystals, instructing her to enter seclusion immediately to prepare for the breakthrough to the Soul Transformation stage. Reflecting on it, when Lei Dong allied with various factions to seize the Chaotic Dimension, he never anticipated it would yield such immense returns. His initial motive was merely to prevent rare resources from falling into the hands of potential enemies.

But now, that seemingly reckless action appeared incredibly astute. Had he allowed King Shengyao or the Lord of the Abyss to occupy that space, or if the Emperor of the Dark Night had succeeded in his plot, the Lei Dong of the not-too-distant future would first face a massive threat emerging from the Chaotic Dimension. Instead, all the treasures had fallen to Lei Dong—truly a matter of destiny and timing.

After comforting Saintess Lan Qisi, Lei Dong shifted into an intangible, formless state and instantaneously teleported to the entrance of the Demon Emperor Palace. It was this entrance, preserved in its original state, where many significant events had transpired, events that, though years had passed, remained vividly etched in his memory.

Just as Lei Dong was about to lift the seals and step into the Demon Emperor Palace, his exquisitely sharp Divine Sense detected a subtle fluctuation of energy not far away. Within that seemingly faint aura emanated a powerful force, one that felt familiar yet one he couldn't quite place.

For an enemy deliberately lurking near the Demon Emperor Palace, hiding their presence, Lei Dong certainly wouldn't show mercy. With one hand behind his back, he raised the other and launched a Netherworld Ghost Claw attack.

The Netherworld Ghost Claw was a spell Lei Dong had always mastered, and with his surge in power, it had become incredibly potent. Though still only several zhang in size, it was condensed into near-substance, radiating infinite might. To Lei Dong's slight astonishment, the hidden individual managed to narrowly evade that seemingly inescapable claw with extreme speed.

Lei Dong made an ‘Yi’ sound, frowning as he prepared to attack again, when the person cried out in a sweet, delicate voice, "Brother Lei, spare me! I was wrong; I shouldn't have spied on you secretly."