The spirit of the Fiery Phoenix entered the Tianyuan Pearl, and its remains fell into the Mustard Seed Pouch. The surging lava pool instantly calmed, no longer showing any abnormal movement. (Read the full novel at Shiliu Literature Net)

Having joyfully obtained a rare treasure, Ji Changkong was naturally delighted, but how was he supposed to get back up?

He had fallen from the crater into the lava pool, passing through a pitch-black void with nowhere to land. Now at the bottom of the lava pool, climbing back to the crater rim presented a significant challenge.

Fortunately, the Tianyuan Pearl was infinitely marvelous; the power it emitted firmly protected Ji Changkong's body, leaving him unafraid of the scorching heat of the lava.

After some thought, he decided to adopt the most rudimentary method: stabbing his dagger into the cliff face and climbing back to the crater, inch by inch.

No sooner thought than done. He walked to a section of the rock wall at the bottom of the pool, leaped upward, and as he broke the surface of the lava, he fiercely plunged the dagger in his hand, embedding it deep into the glowing red rock face.

The stone walls surrounding the lava pool were exceptionally hard, but the small dagger in his hand had once been the Natal Divine Weapon of an Eight Trigrams Heavenly Master, making it incomparably sharp. The searing rock wall yielded, and the small dagger carved out a shallow hole.

Using the dagger to blaze a trail, this laborious and mentally draining method required him to inch his way upward. In the darkest sections, he took out a piece of the Fiery Phoenix's jade-like bone. The darkness was instantly flooded with a brilliant red light, allowing him to ascend smoothly all the way out of the crater.

Looking down at the black abyss below, Ji Changkong was filled with lingering fear. If the Tianyuan Pearl hadn't suddenly exhibited strange phenomena today, falling to the bottom of the lava pool would have meant certain death. In previous years, perhaps other Heavenly Masters sensed the anomaly beneath the volcano, but few would have been as fortunate as him.

Once one fell to the bottom of the lava pool, escape was likely impossible; the intense heat would burn them away until not even bone fragments remained.

Having acquired the remains of the Fiery Phoenix, and with the Tianyuan Pearl having absorbed its spirit, Ji Changkong left Black Cloud Town, satisfied and proceeding unhurriedly towards Black Stone City.

Along the way, Ji Changkong was filled with curiosity about the Tianyuan Pearl. The Pearl, capable of absorbing the spirit of the Fiery Phoenix, was clearly peculiar, yet he still had no idea how to properly utilize it.

Mid-journey, he attempted to probe the Tianyuan Pearl with his consciousness. However, as soon as his consciousness made contact, he was hit with dizziness and nausea, his divine soul fluctuating violently, forcing him to retreat immediately.

He perceived that the surface of the Tianyuan Pearl seemed to be covered in layers of obstruction. Once his consciousness entered, it was instantly blocked, unable to penetrate those barriers. After trying several times without discovery, he reluctantly gave up for the time being.

Perhaps only when his divine soul reached a certain level of strength would he have a chance to break through those layers of resistance. After another failure, he reluctantly reached this conclusion, feeling that only when his divine soul was powerful enough, capable of piercing like a thousand steel needles, could he shatter the barriers on the Tianyuan Pearl's surface.

The secrets of the Tianyuan Pearl remained locked away for now, and since its presence inside him caused no apparent side effects, Ji Changkong stopped dwelling on it. Instead, he pondered which of the Four Sacred Beasts he should prioritize communicating with.

Because he had previously cultivated the Heavenly Thunder Force and the Raging Waves Art, his focus had oscillated between the Azure Dragon and the Black Tortoise of the Sacred Beasts. After finally deciding to primarily cultivate the power of the Azure Dragon, he unexpectedly obtained the withered bones of the Fiery Phoenix at the bottom of the small volcano.

With the remains of the Fiery Phoenix, he could follow the path of the Four Symbols Heavenly Lord by cultivating the power of the Vermilion Bird. Furthermore, cultivating the Five Elements Heavenly path required Five Elements Fire power. By utilizing the Fiery Phoenix's fire-jade bones, he could not only advance rapidly but also temper his own body and even reserve some bones for forging divine weapons.

The fortuitously acquired Fiery Phoenix skeleton made him hesitate once more. The phoenix's remains lay before him, presenting a much broader avenue that could help him swiftly pass two crucial barriers.

However, if he specialized solely in the Phoenix power, the Heavenly Thunder Force and Raging Waves Art he had previously cultivated could not be fully unleashed.

"This is hard to choose," Ji Changkong sighed inwardly, feeling restless but unable to make up his mind.

The Four Sacred Beasts—could he cultivate the powers of all four? Although it would be taxing, would cultivating the powers of the four Sacred Beasts lead to mutual repulsion or cause complications? If there were no issues, would cultivating all four simultaneously allow him to maximize the potential of each Sacred Beast's power?

A string of questions continuously surfaced in his mind, causing him immense anxiety as he pondered from every angle.

A day later, he finally arrived at Black Stone City, a stronghold of the Tianwu Kingdom. However, the defensive scrutiny at this city gate was surprisingly lax.

The Tianwu Kingdom enjoyed friendly relations with the Shuiyun Kingdom, and there hadn't been a war for many years. This location was far from the Western Regions, so there was no concern about invasions by foreign tribes from the West.

Troubled by his dilemma, he paid little attention to the architecture, customs, or any differences between Black Stone City and the Shuiyun Kingdom, walking silently down the wide streets of Black Stone City with a furrowed brow.

"It's him!" a harsh shout rang out from a second-story window in an inn directly facing the city gate.

This inn was situated not far from the entrance to Black Stone City. Yi Jia, who had been watching all night, had bloodshot eyes and messy hair; her spirit was in poor shape.

Yi Rou, sitting inside the room, was leaning on her hands, resting her chin on her palms, boredly contemplating something. Hearing her sister's cry, she immediately stood up, rushed to Yi Jia's side, and peered out the window, gasping, "Sister, you really waited him out! I didn't expect he'd really be behind us."

Yi Jia snorted, looking up, "I paid people to gather information. No one saw him enter the city the day before yesterday. He’s so ugly; if he had entered, those people couldn't have failed to notice."

"Heaven rewards the persistent! I've finally caught this villain. I'd like to see if he can still do whatever he wants now that he's in Black Stone City."

"Sister, just let it go. He didn't actually do anything to us, did he? Didn't we check ourselves over? Nothing happened. If anything, he actually saved us. Why are you so determined to cause trouble for him?" Yi Rou asked, her delicate eyebrows slightly knitted, clearly confused.

"You foolish girl, what do you know!" Yi Jia retorted angrily. "This ugly man is working with those others; they're no good. When he captured us, he surely intended to violate us! The only reason he didn't act was because something else intervened—maybe that little boy was still chasing him, or maybe he was delayed by something else! Hmph, while we were unconscious, this ugly man must have groped us up and down! Xiao Rou, tell me, how can we let him off so easily!"

Hearing this, Yi Rou shivered. The thought of that hideous man leering and touching her while she was unconscious sent a chill through her entire body, making her heart tremble. "No, don't say it! Sister, stop talking!" She covered her ears and screamed in alarm.

"Scared now? Disgusted, aren't you?" Yi Jia's face contorted with hatred. Gazing from a distance at Ji Changkong, who had just entered the city, she whispered, "Xiao Rou, go notify the Ye family; I'll keep an eye on him! Hmph, entering Black Stone City means you're asking for trouble!"

At Yi Jia's command, Yi Rou submitted. The two hurriedly left the inn, one rushing off to ask the Chen family for reinforcements, the other quietly tailing Ji Changkong.

Distracted by this critical decision, Ji Changkong wasn't as vigilant as usual about his surroundings. Coupled with the belief that he was now in Black Stone City, he didn't anticipate any trouble, thus failing to notice Yi Jia trailing far behind him.

As dusk approached, Ji Changkong, walking toward the north side of Black Stone City, casually found an inn to stay in. After washing up, he sat on the bed, continuing his deep contemplation.

Would cultivating them all be dangerous? He should first try communicating with the Azure Dragon of the Sacred Beasts. After thinking for so long, he finally decided to focus temporarily on the Azure Dragon, planning to see later if he could contact the Black Tortoise or the Vermilion Bird.

Facing East, Ji Changkong slowly calmed his chaotic state of mind. He released his divine soul and began trying to sense the life fluctuations of the Four Sacred Beasts in the cardinal directions.

When his state of mind reached a certain level and his divine soul completely relaxed, he suddenly perceived mystical life fluctuations emanating from the four directions. His divine soul focused intently on the fluctuation of the Eastern Azure Dragon, systematically purging the other three waves from his consciousness, and began communicating primarily with the Azure Dragon.

Gradually, the other three faint fluctuations seemed to truly vanish from his soul's perception.

In this process, the faint life fluctuation of the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon gradually intensified under his sensing. When the other three life fluctuations completely disappeared, the Azure Dragon's original weak fluctuation began to occupy the primary focus of his divine soul, growing stronger and stronger.

In an instant, it seemed as if only the aura of the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon remained between heaven and earth. Its once faint presence became boundless and immense, like an endless sea of energy. His soul wandered within the Azure Dragon's Sea of Consciousness, rising and falling with its fluctuations, completely immersing himself in the Azure Dragon's Qi.

As his divine soul merged into the Azure Dragon's Sea of Consciousness, his chest expanded and contracted with his breath. The three Heavenly Thunder Fields within his body suddenly began absorbing the vital energy contained within him. This energy spun rapidly within the Thunder Fields, miraculously transforming into the power of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder.

Unbeknownst to him, subtle changes began occurring in his body. As the vital energy flowed through his flesh and skin, his skin began to exhibit a faint azure tint wherever the energy passed.

"It's right here—that ugly brute nearly killed us both!" Yi Jia muttered through gritted teeth from a street corner outside the inn.

"Miss Yi Jia, rest assured. The Yi family and our Ye family have long been on good terms. If anyone in the Tianwu Kingdom dares to harm you, the Ye family will certainly ensure he receives the lesson he deserves…" a graceful young man with an air of arrogance stated.