When at Poison Dragon Pool, Ji Changkong spent his days battling the ferocious beasts there. The Nine-Headed Serpent, far more vicious and powerful than the three-headed messenger hawks, and the Three-Eyed Python Dragon—facing these, how could he possibly be troubled by simple messenger hawks?

Swish!

He smoothly navigated through the gaps between the three-headed hawk, effortlessly dodging their encirclement. In a swift countermove, he seized one hawk by the neck and flung it away.

“Don’t you dare touch them! You can’t break the rules!”

Duan Xiaoqi cried out anxiously from the side when she saw him act, waving her small fists with an indignant expression.

“You can push the hawks away, but you are forbidden from harming or attacking them!” Duan Lingyue was slightly excited too, but she didn't make things too difficult for him, shouting clearly.

“So many rules!”

He muttered under his breath, then abruptly retreated to a corner of the iron cage, staring coldly at the three swooping hawks. Just before they could close in, he struck out with astonishing speed and precision, grabbing the hooked talons of one hawk. With a sharp tug, the bird dropped from mid-air onto his chest.

The other two diving hawks collided instantly with the first one whose talons he held. The three birds crashed together, emitting low cries.

His extensive combat experience against the beasts of Poison Dragon Pool meant that dealing with three messenger hawks presented no difficulty whatsoever. He easily evaded their coordinated attack, occasionally grabbing one or tossing it aside. Soon, the three hawks were dizzy and disoriented, losing the strength to remain airborne.

“This fellow, how can he be more agile than a monkey? He actually exhausted the strength of three messenger hawks just like that?” Duan Xiaoshan held the cage, looking utterly astonished.

“Ladies, the hawks are spent. Can you let me out now?” Ji Changkong, still inside the cage, smiled calmly.

“You pass the test!” Duan Lingyue nodded, unlocking the cage and letting him out. She murmured to herself, “People who come out of Poison Dragon Pool are truly extraordinary. Three messenger hawks were indeed too easy for you. I’ll let this matter go today; I will arrange for the delivery of the item, don't worry. Someone commissioned us a long time ago to relay news of you to the Ji family, so you don't need to fret.”

“Who commissioned you?” Unburdened by any resentment over Duan Lingyue’s previous deception, Ji Changkong was inwardly delighted to hear that someone had long ago arranged for them to send a message to the Ji family, and he quickly inquired.

“Confidential.” Duan Lingyue giggled. Seeing his wry smile and shaking head as amusing, she added with another laugh, “Bai Qingya. Besides her, who else would care about you so much?”

“Ji Changkong, you’d better be careful. I don't know who spread the news, but it seems many people know you will be passing through Gaoyang City on your way to Tianwu Kingdom. Quite a few people in Gaoyang City are already tracking you. You should alter your appearance slightly. Hehe, if you don't mind, I can help you; I’m very skilled in that area.” Duan Xiaoqi, standing nearby, offered proactively.

“Oh? You know my identity?”

“The three of us specialize in gathering intelligence about you. We've all seen your portrait. And Sister Lingyue said you came from Poison Dragon Pool—that makes it obvious, doesn’t it?” Duan Xiaoqi explained excitedly. “Come here, let me disguise you. I’m genuinely good! If you agree, I’ll tell you two pieces of news that most people don't know yet.”

“You’re really capable?” Ji Changkong asked after a moment of hesitation.

Duan Xiaoqi nodded eagerly. Before Ji Changkong could react, she excitedly took his arm and led him to a spot with better sunlight. She pulled out various small bottles and jars from her brocade pouch and began applying unguents to his face without preamble.

Duan Xiaoshan and Duan Lingyue watched with strange, amused smiles, clearly intrigued.

Colorful pigments were smeared and blended across his face. Some spots felt cool, others strangely hot. After a while, Duan Xiaoshan and Duan Lingyue couldn't help but cover their mouths and let out soft chuckles, while Duan Xiaoqi remained dead serious, intensely focused on adding more paint.

After a moment, Duan Xiaoqi sighed softly, nodding with satisfaction. “Done! Take a look!” She produced a bronze mirror and held it before Ji Changkong.

A hideous middle-aged man stared back from the reflection: a man with livid birthmarks across his face and sallow skin. A flat nose, a thick, unkempt beard, swollen cheeks, and those bluish-red birthmarks plastered on either side of his face made him look utterly repulsive, even slightly savage.

“Not bad, very good indeed. Xiaoqi truly has a knack for this!” Duan Xiaoshan stifled the urge to burst out laughing, maintaining a serious tone.

“How do I remove this later?” Ji Changkong, afraid to look at the face in the mirror again, urgently asked.

“I’ll give you a bottle of solution. Dilute it in a basin of clean water, and it will wash right off,” Duan Xiaoqi said, clapping her hands, quite pleased with herself. “Now for your two pieces of news: Your friend from Southern Yi has unexpectedly returned from Mount Tian with the last three pages of the Nine Yi Divine Archery Manual; he is already on his way back. Also, Li Hentian, missing for many years, is rumored to have reappeared recently within Tianwu Kingdom. Many of his old enemies are sharpening their knives, preparing to deal with him.”

Ji Changkong was deeply shocked. He hadn't expected Zhongli Jingyi to actually manage to secure the last three pages of the Nine Yi Divine Archery Manual from Gu Dan, nor had he anticipated that Li Hentian would show up in Tianwu Kingdom.

“Thank you for the news, and thank you for the disguise. I must take my leave.” Ji Changkong cupped his fists, then addressed Duan Lingyue, “Please pass my apologies to your brother; I will make a special trip to thank him when I have the chance.”

“Be careful. Quite a few people in Gaoyang City want you dead. Don't think changing your face means you are completely safe,” Duan Lingyue’s attitude was significantly friendlier than before, and she proactively reminded him. “Your voice, your usual mannerisms—you must change all of it. Otherwise, truly astute individuals can easily spot if you've been disguised.”

“Thanks.” Waving his hand, he departed from the three interesting young women of the Duan family, leaving the Duan residence behind.

....

Three days later, Ji Changkong appeared on the road leading to Tianwu Kingdom outside Gaoyang City. That night, a torrential downpour erupted. Amidst the crackling lightning, hoping to draw heavenly lightning into his body, he got his wish: dozens of bolts slammed into him.

Perhaps due to his previous experience, his body had naturally developed some resistance. This time, although he was still left aching all over by the thunderbolts, he wasn't miserably knocked flat on the ground, unable to move.

He did not lose consciousness this time either. Kneeling on one knee, bearing the power of the heavenly lightning, he clearly felt one bolt strike his back. The natural thunder power first surged wildly through his body.

Whenever this happened, the three Thunder Fields within him would generate a sucking force, drawing the rampant natural lightning energy into the fields. Once the lightning power entered a Thunder Field, it immediately mingled with the Yuan Power already contained there, swirling along the unique trajectory of heavenly lightning. Strands of lightning and Yuan Power rapidly intertwined.

He wondered if his Divine Soul had strengthened somewhat. Although his head throbbed slightly, he didn't pass out. As one bolt struck, his Divine Soul merely rocked violently in his mind, flickering like a flame within a confined space.

Black Jade Origin Crystal!

Suddenly, Ji Changkong remembered the remaining Black Jade Origin Crystals in his Mustard Seed Pouch. As a specialty of Poison Dragon Pool, the Black Jade Origin Crystal possessed a miraculous quality for nourishing the Divine Soul. Both Ji Yusheng and Ji Wanyun treasured the crystals they acquired, immediately using them to strengthen their souls.

If it weren't for their deep affection for him and their great expectations, those Black Jade Origin Crystals would likely have been used up long ago, saved only for him to use during his travels.

Enduring the stinging pain across his body, Ji Changkong climbed into a large tree with dense foliage and settled on a branch. He took out a piece of Black Jade Origin Crystal, gazing at the inky black, unique origin stone. He immediately sensed a peculiar energy fluctuation within it. This fluctuation was somewhat ethereal and elusive, like empty air, giving an intangible feeling.

Taking a slow breath, Ji Changkong followed the descriptions of the Divine Soul in the Grand Void Secret Record, cautiously attempting to use his spirit to perceive the strange power within the Black Jade Origin Crystal.

The Divine Soul is vast, capable of merging all things; the Divine Soul is boundless, immense and ethereal...

The most emphasized character in the Grand Void Secret Record was "Merge"—merging the self with heaven and earth, Yuan Power with all things, secret arts merging with each other; it was as if nothing could not be integrated.

His Divine Soul drifted, and in an instant, it seemed to form a connection with the Black Jade Origin Crystal in his hand. Suddenly, nearly invisible fine threads began to seep out from the crystal, following a profound, mysterious trajectory, piercing through his mouth, nose, ears, and eyes to enter his mind and converge into his Divine Soul.

His Divine Soul became like a small pool, and the fine threads flowing out of the Black Jade Origin Crystal were like trickling streams, slowly gathering in the pool, causing the pool to expand continuously.

As the power from the crystal flowed toward his soul through his eyes, a portion seemed to be intercepted by his pupils, drilling into them. His originally pitch-black eyes slowly turned silver...

The sounds of wind and thunder ceased. He didn't know how much time had passed before his pupils returned to black. He looked down at the Black Jade Origin Crystal in his hand; the once inky-black stone had turned ash-white, devoid of even the slightest trace of energy fluctuation.

Through this cultivation, he clearly felt his Divine Soul had strengthened significantly. His gaze was clearer, and the range of his sensory perception had extended another dozen meters. When moving his Yuan Power, the speed of material condensation was much faster under the influence of his soul.

Black Jade Origin Crystal, truly a marvelous thing. No wonder many people fought over it; it really could strengthen the Divine Soul, he mused inwardly.

His perception continued to extend outward as he sought to test the limits of his sensory reach.

Suddenly, a strange ripple traveled from a distance, giving him a feeling of shared bloodline.

“Huh!”

He let out a low sound, his face filled with confusion. The sensation from afar was akin to how he felt about the Black Ghost Worm in his knuckle ring—like a part of his own body, incredibly strange.

Hesitating for a moment, Ji Changkong climbed down from the tree and cautiously moved toward the source of the sensation.