It had been years since leaving the Demon Emperor's Void Fortress, and although prolonged seclusion for high-ranking demons of the Integration Stage often spanned decades or even centuries, being missing for too long invariably invited unnecessary trouble, like being summoned by one's direct superior for an explanation of one's whereabouts.

The direct superior of the Great Strength Demon King was the Destruction Demon Emperor, Aedro, one of the Ten Great Masters of the Three Realms, who had lived for tens of millions of years—cunning, experienced, and terrifyingly powerful. Lei Dong was far from confident that he could successfully conceal his tracks from a being of this caliber.

Thus, any avoidable trouble should be avoided. After reforming his Demon Body, he tidied up with the two female Immortals and Demons and prepared to depart this Crystal Ancient Clan Holy Land, which had long since offered little reward.

However, just as they flew toward the vicinity of the void rift outside the small space—beyond that pitch-black tear in reality—a vast, almost suffocating pressure washed over them.

Several stout, dark giants phased through one after another, each radiating an imposing aura, clearly possessing the cultivation strength of the Integration Stage. Following behind them trailed more than a dozen green beings. After devouring the memories of the Demon King Zagu, Lei Dong now knew these black giants were called the Nether Giants, and those green creatures were the Die People—powerful races under the Barbarian Ancestor God, the Manzu.

"Bad news, it's a barbarian army, and they are strong!" the Queen of Sorrow growled deeply, her face turning grim as dark water. "Zagu, what shall we do?" To prevent exposure, Lei Dong had insisted they call him Zagu when outsiders were present.

Lei Dong's heart sank; he knew this was dire. Not only were these Nether Giants powerfully built, but the leader bore an ominous, evil eye on his forehead, signaling he was no ordinary foe. While the giant’s aura was contained, making his true depth difficult to gauge, Lei Dong’s sharp divine sense detected a faint yet terrifying pressure emanating from him—a pressure capable of instantly crushing his very existence.

"Retreat!" Instinctively, Lei Dong immediately abandoned the plan to break through the void rift. He decided to hide back within the Crystal Ancient Clan Holy Land; its bizarre and complex spatial structure was perfect for guerrilla tactics.

The Queen of Sorrow and Fairy Cang Lan were now completely obedient to Lei Dong’s command. Without a word, they followed closely behind him. The three of them transformed into two dark streaks and one white streak of light, fleeing rapidly.

"Despicable Immortal and Demon races, daring to covet the Crystal Ancient Clan Holy Land! Surrender at once!" The evil Nether Giant in the center did not even open his mouth, yet a voice filled with supreme majesty pierced the ears of the trio, vibrating them until their eardrums rang and their souls trembled.

What a powerful being. Lei Dong felt his Demon Body shake, and the demon blood within him surged turbulently. Yet, this giant spoke with excessive arrogance.

But then, Lei Dong froze. The evil Nether Giant shimmered, vanishing instantly from the air without the slightest ripple. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared directly in front of the three, bringing a mountain-sized fist down upon Lei Dong with an overhead strike.

The immense force generated shockwaves that were utterly unstoppable. Even Lei Dong’s iron-hard will nearly fractured under the might of this world-shattering punch, leaving him feeling like an ant battling a colossal giant.

"Master, watch out!" In desperation, the Queen of Sorrow whipped out the Whip of Sorrow. With a flick of her wrist, it blossomed into countless layers of whip shadows, striking towards the incoming fist.

However, that punch was terrifyingly absolute; it completely ignored the whip shadows and drove straight toward Lei Dong. Whoosh! Fairy Cang Lan suddenly darted forward, positioning herself in front of Lei Dong. She parted her rose-tinted lips and exhaled a plume of intensely chilling energy. The cold air coalesced instantly, forming a crystal-like barrier of profound ice. Since advancing to the mid-stage of the Integration Stage, Fairy Cang Lan’s Extreme Yin Profound Ice Chill had clearly strengthened significantly.

"Bang—" The punch shattered the profound ice barrier effortlessly and continued toward Fairy Cang Lan. Judging by the momentum, if that blow landed solidly, even with her power, she would be severely injured.

At the critical juncture, Lei Dong lunged forward, wrapping an arm around her slender waist. He unleashed the Ghost Shadow Escape technique, moving with speed faster than lightning, appearing formless and ethereal, narrowly evading the devastating punch.

Supreme Being? Lei Dong screamed internally. But he quickly dismissed the absurd notion. When did Nether Giants start achieving Supreme status? Only if they ate Primordial Chaos Essence and Chaos Crystals for breakfast.

But this individual’s strength was terrifyingly immense. Even if not a Supreme-level expert, he was undoubtedly beyond the peak of the ordinary Integration Stage—likely an (Quasi-Saint).

A chill washed over Lei Dong. If they faced only one peak Integration Stage expert, perhaps they would have a sliver of a chance to escape. However, facing a Quasi-Saint was nearly a dead end. Even Lei Dong, with all his self-confidence, didn't believe he could contend with a Quasi-Saint even after activating his 'Dominating the World' state.

Lei Dong could see that the Queen of Sorrow and Fairy Cang Lan also recognized the Nether Giant’s horrifying power, realizing he was likely a Quasi-Saint. They cried out tragically, "Master, you go first! We'll hold him off!"

With that, the two women entered a frenzied state. The Queen of Sorrow's demonic energy surged; supported by the Heavenly Demon Art, her body, originally seven or eight zhang tall, swelled to dozens of zhang. Pure Heavenly Demon Qi wreathed her sides.

"Roar!" The Queen of Sorrow let out a feral roar. Her demonic energy danced, transforming into a massive black fist that hammered fiercely toward the giant.

"Great Heavenly Demon Fist!"

Fighting desperately, the power unleashed by the Queen of Sorrow's ultimate move was extraordinary. This punch, if landed, could probably pulverize an entire meteor, and even a Quasi-Saint would undoubtedly be injured if struck squarely.

"Extreme Yin Profound Ice Sword!"

At the same moment, Fairy Cang Lan unleashed her most ruthless technique. Wisps of frosty mist condensed into a crystalline profound ice sword, which, under her rapid incantations, swept down from above.

Since his birth, though Lei Dong had fled countless times, he had never relied on his women to cover his retreat while he bolted. That had never happened before, and it would never happen again. Powerful fighting intent surged within his Demon Body; Primordial Chaos True Essence circulated rapidly, transforming into pure Nether Ghost Qi. With an eerie aura of the netherworld, the Qi instantly condensed in his right fist, which he threw out.

Black Dragon's Roar! The technique taught by his master, the Old Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts. However, after Lei Dong's constant practice and repeated research, his Black Dragon's Roar was long past its original form. Through Lei Dong's innovation and refinement, the current version not only possessed immense power but also incorporated a strand of Annihilation Law and a large quantity of Space Law.

Consequently, the dragon’s roar sounded as it moved, shuttling through the void. Within the dark, lifelike serpentine body, faint, wandering golden threads could vaguely be discerned.

"Hmm? A demon race member, using Nether Ghost Qi?" The Nether Giant was momentarily surprised. He hadn't expected a high-ranking demon to manifest such pure Nether Ghost Qi. There were many cultivation methods for the demon race, but most were Demon Arts cultivating Demonic Qi; few Demon Kings bothered with cultivating the Laws of the Netherworld.

In the estimation of high-ranking demons, the Laws of the Netherworld were neither sharp nor domineering. But only those who truly cultivated and understood them knew that Nether Ghost Qi was far from simple.

The reason these giants were called Nether Giants was precisely because they were war giants who specialized in cultivating Nether Ghost Qi.

Surprise aside, the Nether Giant's power was indeed at its absolute peak. He needed no spiritual treasures; relying solely on his pair of iron fists was enough to withstand any spell or artifact. When faced with the combined assault of the two women, he swung both fists, meeting the attack head-on.

Boom! Boom! Two massive explosions sent out great waves—one black, one white. The Nether Giant had slightly underestimated the two women; absorbing two attacks simultaneously forced his body back slightly. Meanwhile, Lei Dong's Black Dragon's Roar, howling and clawing, pounced without hesitation, slamming into his chest.

The Giant race was known as a war race, excelling in strength and defense. Even the Demon Race, which prided itself on its immense physical power, was slightly inferior to the pure Giants in these two aspects.

The power of the three strikes appeared superficially similar, but the Nether Giant chose to defend against the other two moves and relied on his physical body to withstand Lei Dong's attack. This was because the Nether Giant himself specialized in Nether Ghost Qi, particularly being adept in the Laws of the Netherworld.

In the Quasi-Saint Nether Giant's mind, relying on his profound understanding of the Laws of the Netherworld, enduring and dissolving this move—which was clearly a spell from the Netherworld series—should be the easiest option.

Due to his carelessness, the Nether Giant suffered a significant loss. Indeed, his understanding of the Laws of the Netherworld far surpassed Lei Dong’s. But how could a move interspersed with a strand of Annihilation Law be judged by ordinary standards? The black dragon danced, clouds soared; bolstered by the Annihilation Law, the black dragon tore through his defenses and body, ripping a large hole in his chest.

"Annihilation Law?" Unexpectedly, the Nether Giant did not roar in pain. Instead, the vertical, evil eye snapped wide open. His gaze focused, shooting directly at Lei Dong, as if trying to see him clearly and distinctly. The other two Nether Giant eyes glittered with extreme astonishment. "How can you possess the Annihilation Law? You are not of the Demon Race?"

His words suddenly ignited a glimmer of hope in Lei Dong. He quickly cupped his hands from a distance. "Giant Senior, please forgive my prior offense. In truth, this junior is a Human, merely occupying this Demon Race body temporarily. Furthermore, this junior once saved a Nether Giant and a Die Person from a siege by the Demon Race. This Demon Body is that of the Great Strength Demon King Zagu, whom I eliminated previously."

...To be continued)