After spending time with Li Hentian and Tuoba Lie, and training under the two of them, Ji Changkong’s progress was rapid. In terms of both cultivation realm and handling matters, he had seen great improvement. The desert bandits were notoriously brutal, and the Lamm Sect even believed that all life in the desert deserved death. Consequently, as soon as Ji Changkong emerged from seclusion, those desert bandits and the Lamm Sect disciple riding the giant scorpion immediately viewed him as a dead man.

“Hah!” the man on the scorpion cried out in a strange, distorted voice.

A dozen or so desert bandits suddenly looked up, their eyes cold. They rose from their kneeling posture, drew the scimitars from their waists, and charged toward him as one. Among these dozen men, only two were San Cai Heavenly Masters; all were covered in thick beards and wore no thick veils over their faces.

Aoo!

A heaven-shaking roar erupted. The sound waves of the Heavenly Thunder Roar actually stirred up the swirling desert sand, obscuring the ten charging figures.

Thunder boomed within his body, his chest expanding, and Ji Changkong suddenly plunged into the tempest of sand. Without resorting to any weapons, relying purely on the Heavenly Thunder Force, he charged into the midst of those ten men in a display of fierce and unrestrained power.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Like heavy hammers striking the ground, successive, thunderous impact sounds echoed from within the billowing sand. Where the Heavenly Thunder burst landed upon the desert bandits, the crisp sound of bones shattering could be heard.

In the span of just a few breaths, all ten desert bandits collapsed limply, devoid of skeletal structure, their bodies fragmented, bleeding profusely.

Li Hentian and Tuoba Lie watched his slaughter with impassive faces from atop their camels.

The first wave of ten men was instantly annihilated. The remaining five desert bandits, possessing cultivation levels of San Cai Heaven or Si Xiang Heaven, showed no fear; instead, they seemed enraged like cornered beasts, charging forward with their scimitars raised.

Grinning, Ji Changkong unleashed a powerful force field from the three Heavenly Thunder Fields swirling before him. A stretch of space ahead suddenly gave the illusion of collapsing downward. The five desert bandits who rushed into that area felt as if they were trapped there, struggling to move.

Blood boiled in his veins, releasing a slightly crazed power from his very essence. “Boom! Boom! Boom!” A series of Heavenly Thunder explosions erupted from the collapsing space ahead, the thunderous energy churning up flying sand and stones.

None of the five desert bandits who entered that zone could break free. Under the explosive might of the "Heavenly Thunder Transformation," they were all blown into shreds of meat, their blood spraying across the ground like a sudden rain shower.

Having spent this period with Li Hentian, under his guidance, he had finally recognized that his blood was indeed different from ordinary people's. Gradually, he began trying to find ways to harness the power within his blood. After repeated explorations of that strength, he had slowly discovered a method for utilizing the power of his vital essence.

Testing it today, the power of the "Heavenly Thunder Transformation" had indeed increased dramatically, causing the forward space to collapse and continuously generating Heavenly Thunder Bursts, leading to the gruesome deaths of the five formidable desert bandits within the illusory, yet real, "Heavenly Thunder Field" simulated by the Heavenly Thunder Transformation.

The dozen or so desert bandits died in increasingly gruesome ways. The Lamm Sect disciple riding the giant scorpion showed clear surprise; he clearly hadn't expected the young Ji Changkong to possess such malicious techniques and astonishing strength.

“Come on!” Ji Changkong beckoned with a defiant attitude.

The Lamm Sect disciple let out a low growl and fiercely slapped the giant scorpion he rode. The scorpion lowered its head and burrowed, plunging into the sand and rock, disappearing into the swirling dust along with its rider.

“Just ran off? How cowardly?” Ji Changkong expressed surprise.

“Quick!” Just as he spoke, he suddenly cried out. The Mysterious Void Record, that miraculous Heavenly Master secret art, immediately alerted him to someone moving rapidly beneath the sand beneath his feet.

Hmph. Thinking coldly, Ji Changkong drew his small dagger. Before the man on the scorpion could draw closer, he flicked the dagger. Four colors—blue, red, white, and black—erupted simultaneously from the blade. The blood in his body surged, and a force derived from his blood filled his arm. He immediately let out a long shout, raising the dagger and stabbing fiercely toward the sand below.

Hua!

The dagger plunged deep into the sand. Pfft, a spurt of blood emerged from beneath the dust.

The Lamm Sect disciple riding the scorpion suddenly burst from the sand. A bloody hole marred his back, and his eyes were filled with terror. He couldn't understand why his repeatedly successful tactic had been seen through by Ji Changkong, allowing him to be struck even while hidden beneath the dunes.

Sand billowed up, swirling rocks coalescing, and they surged toward Ji Changkong along with the Lamm Sect disciple. The giant desert scorpion also crawled forward, brandishing its claws, raising its massive tail to sting him.

“Seeking death!” He threw the dagger in his hand, transforming into a streak of silver light aimed at the scorpion. He himself suddenly closed the distance, rushing into the sandstorm. With his eyes shut, ignoring the stinging pain of the sandstorm battering his body, he locked firmly onto the Lamm Sect disciple, gradually closing the gap between them.

“Old Li, will Changkong be alright? That fellow is at the Wu Xing Heaven realm; he’s a whole level below. Can he really win?” Tuoba Lie asked Li Hentian beside him with some concern.

Li Hentian squinted, watching the sandstorm ahead, his expression indifferent. “The Xuan Gong Manifestation and the Mysterious Void Record are the two most miraculous things in this world. Their combination possesses infinite possibilities. Killing opponents above his own rank is not a difficult matter for him.”

Ming!

A piercing shriek echoed from the center of the sandstorm, its tone strange and clearly not Ji Changkong’s.

A while later, Ji Changkong, covered in sand, emerged from the gradually subsiding dust storm. He wiped the sand from the corners of his eyes and flashed a brilliant smile, shouting loudly, “Done for.”

Li Hentian nodded and urged, “Keep moving.”

Tuoba Lie looked at Li Hentian with an odd expression, then back at Ji Changkong, who was nonchalantly mounting his camel again. He felt that the old man and the youth were both strange people, which explained why they had gotten along so well for so many years.

“Changkong, the Mysterious Void Record emphasizes the concept of ‘Fusion.’ It can merge with any power in existence. While most people might find it difficult to communicate with the Four Sacred Beasts simultaneously at the Si Xiang Heaven realm, this is not an issue for you. Not only at the Si Xiang Heaven realm, but when you reach the Wu Xing Heaven realm later, you must cultivate all Five Elements power, and cultivate it meticulously. The Mysterious Void Record you practice is uniquely blessed; you must utilize it well!”

After Ji Changkong rode up alongside him on his camel, Li Hentian spoke with a stern face.

Nodding, Ji Changkong felt deeply moved. “Indeed. I’ve truly discovered how miraculous the ‘Fusion’ aspect of the Mysterious Void Record is. Back when I was with the Ji family, Granny Mo explicitly stated that Heavenly Thunder Force and Raging Waves couldn't be cultivated together, otherwise, I might fail to master either. Yet, I encountered no hindrance practicing both Heavenly Master techniques; their fused power became astonishingly greater.”

“But you must also be careful. Sometimes, when two Heavenly Master techniques merge, it isn't always a positive thing. If certain powers merge, their efficacy might actually weaken. You need to be cautious about this point; be prudent during fusion and don't blindly blend every power together,” Li Hentian cautioned, frowning.

“Got it,” Ji Changkong replied with a light, easy laugh.

Two days later, at the hottest time of the sun, the three sensed a cool, gentle breeze and smelled moist air.

A small oasis appeared ahead. Beside the oasis stood many buildings in the style of the Western Regions. Numerous travelers were gathered there, either exchanging goods or refilling water supplies. Some Western Region beauties, draped in sheer gauze, stood smiling invitingly, holding either scimitars or water pouches.

“Ha, after so many hot days, we’ve finally seen water,” Tuoba Lie laughed heartily, dismounting his camel and saying to Li Hentian, “Old Li, let’s stop and rest ahead today. Where there are people, there is news. We can ask around and get an update on the recent situation in the Western Regions.”

Li Hentian frowned as he looked ahead, seeming reluctant to linger at the oasis.

Ji Changkong was curious about everything. After traveling through the desert for so long, finally seeing an oasis with local Western Region inhabitants, he called out, “Old Li, come on, let’s go check it out. We aren't in a rush to get anywhere anyway.”

He didn't treat Li Hentian with the reverence Tuoba Lie did. Having spent so many years with him, he always viewed Li Hentian as an older friend. Even knowing Li Hentian’s true identity now, his attitude hadn't changed.

Hearing him say that, Li Hentian nodded reluctantly, dismounted his camel, and walked toward the oasis ahead with Tuoba Lie.

“Are the three of you from the Central Lands? Haha, welcome to Shahaizhou. You can replenish your water here and rest well. If you wish, we also have beautiful women to offer. And, of course, if you need bodyguards, we are happy to serve you.”

A thin, elderly Western Region man greeted them enthusiastically from a distance, speaking fluent Central Lands Mandarin.

“Changkong, want to find a woman to entertain you? Haha, just nod, and I’ll sort everything out for you,” Tuoba Lie teased, winking.

“We have all kinds of women. Perhaps you haven't experienced exotic charms? If you are interested, I’ll call for the matriarchs of various tribes right away,” the old man said with an ingratiating smile. Judging by Tuoba Lie’s attire, he was clearly wealthy, making the elder even more eager.

“Uncle Tuoba, that’s not my taste,” Ji Changkong quickly smiled and shook his head. His eyes swept over Shahaizhou, and his expression suddenly turned cold, as he noticed that while some people in Shahaizhou had changed their clothing, their auras were unmistakably those of roaming desert bandits.

“Mmm… mmm…” From a tent ahead came low moaning sounds. The young girl making the noise was likely gagged, her voice muffled.

“Let me go!” A willful, sharp female voice called out from another direction of the same tent.

Frowning, Ji Changkong’s expression grew strange. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, and he walked directly toward that tent.