The control Li Hentian possessed over his power had reached the pinnacle of perfection. The scorching radiance emanating from the Chou Fu Chi Lun (??) had just been unleashed over the oasis. Under such an overwhelmingly dominant heat, logically, at least the majority of the oasis’s water source should have been vaporized.

However, as Ji Changkong approached the oasis, he discovered that the water source within it remained completely untouched. The sparse vegetation growing nearby seemed entirely unaffected by the searing sunlight, which fully attested to the exquisite precision Li Hentian had achieved in controlling his power.

Yi Jia and Yi Rou, the two young sisters, trailed pitifully behind Ji Changkong. Now that his appearance was restored, Ji Changkong was extraordinarily handsome. Although the two girls were somewhat reluctant, they weren't entirely resistant. Considering that Ji Changkong and the other two had rescued them from that group of thugs from the Lam Sect, and that they had willingly offered to become his maids, they had no choice but to comply.

Li Hentian adopted an attitude of complete indulgence toward Ji Changkong. Except for being quite strict with him regarding cultivation, he did not interfere with any matters of daily life. Tuoba Lie cared even less; seeing Ji Changkong beckon Yi Jia and Yi Rou with a finger and stride directly toward the oasis ahead, he let out a hearty laugh, seemingly finding the sight highly amusing.

Upon reaching the oasis, Ji Changkong stretched out both arms, gesturing for the sisters Yi Jia and Yi Rou to undress him.

The two women wore pained expressions, as if they had never performed such a task before. They were clumsy and inept, taking considerable effort just to manage to unfasten the azure robe from Ji Changkong. When his well-proportioned, powerful, and smooth pale skin was revealed, the faces of Yi Jia and Yi Rou instantly flushed crimson.

After three years, the Ji Changkong of today was no longer the frail, powerless youth he once was. After more than three years of rigorous training, he now possessed well-defined musculature, pale skin, and a lean, tall physique that exuded a pleasing aesthetic appeal.

Yi Jia and Yi Rou were both young women untouched by intimacy, never having seen a young man’s bare torso. They were too shy to look directly, yet they were also filled with curiosity. Turning their heads away, they covertly glanced at his bare back from the corner of their eyes, their demeanor quite comical.

“If you want to look, then look. Why be so secretive?” Ji Changkong chuckled softly, walking boldly to the edge of the oasis. “Hurry up, draw some water to wash me.” He wasn't truly that delicate; it was just that his lingering resentment hadn't subsided. He had saved these two sisters from the Son of Darkness, and later protected them from Xie Mazi and his cohorts. Unexpectedly, these two little girls hadn't shown gratitude but had instead sought out the Ye family in Black Stone City to deal with him.

If not for the marvelous nature of the Tai Xu Secret Record he cultivated, which allowed him to detect the Ye family’s ambush beforehand, he might have genuinely fallen into the hands of these two young women. Although he had exacted revenge afterward, that lingering grievance wasn't easily erased. Now that the two young girls had fallen into his grasp again, he intended to tease them mercilessly.

“Who—who’s looking at you? Shameless!” Yi Jia retorted, her face red, quickly turning her head away. She randomly grabbed a ladle, scooped up a large basin of water, and without a second thought, dumped it directly over Ji Changkong’s head.

“Ahem!” The stream of water flowed down from his head, causing Ji Changkong, who was about to speak, to choke. Annoyed, he spun around and glared at Yi Jia, snapping, “Are you blind? You can’t even manage something this small!” “You—you actually scolded me!” Yi Jia grew angry, pointing a slender, jade-like finger at Ji Changkong, her face turning bright red.

“So what if I scolded you? If you annoy me again, this young master might just strip you naked!” Ji Changkong sneered. “You begged us to let you be my maids. Remember your station! Heh heh, this is the Western Regions. Those people from the Lam Sect outside would be more than willing to have me hand you over. If you fell into their hands, I imagine things wouldn't be as comfortable as simply being a maid.”

“Stop talking!” Yi Rou cried out in alarm, quickly interrupting whatever Ji Changkong was about to say next. She then stepped forward, taking Yi Jia’s place, scooped up a ladle of water, and suppressing the shyness in her heart, boldly poured it onto Ji Changkong’s chest before quietly pleading, “Please, don’t turn us over.”

Yi Rou was not as willful and spoiled as Yi Jia; she possessed a fundamentally kind heart. Her plea worked its magic. Ji Changkong, who was not truly malevolent at core, nodded readily, fixing Yi Jia with a cold stare as he gave a soft snort of derision. “Forget your pampered Yi family status sooner rather than later. Today, on account of your sister, I won't pursue this matter further. But watch yourself next time.” “You!” Yi Jia was filled with indignation.

“Hmph!” Just then, Yi Rou let out a sharp sound and quickly signaled to Yi Jia with her eyes. Yi Jia resigned herself to fate, muttering a few disgruntled words under her breath before finally submitting to Ji Changkong's overwhelming authority. Blushing deeply, she obediently joined Yi Rou in scooping water to wash his body.

Not far away, Li Hentian and Tuoba Lie were conversing in low tones.

“Old Li, the Yi family isn't bad. Perhaps we should offer some assistance if we can. If we stand by and do nothing, these two little girls definitely won't make it out of the great desert; they’ll surely be recaptured by the Lam Sect.” Tuoba Lie lowered his voice. “I observe that these two seem to have known Changkong before—indeed, before he saved them. Heh heh. But it seems these two little fellows have learned their lesson. Changkong appears to be deliberately tormenting them.”

Li Hentian nodded indifferently. “Chang Kong is ultimately a Ji, descended from the Xuanyuan bloodline. He cannot be without capable people around him in the future. In this world, while individual might is key, many things become cumbersome without reliable subordinates. The Yi family… can be considered for integration.”

“Mmm, Old Li, rest assured, Changkong will not lack for allies. As you instructed, we’ve been arranging things for him since ten years ago. Upon his return from the Western Regions, as long as Changkong wishes it, he can fully restore the Ji family’s prestige! I, the Chen family, and the He family of Blood Rain Mountain will all assist him from the shadows!” Tuoba Lie chuckled.

Li Hentian uttered a soft “Mmm,” adding, “Little Lie, Changkong is different from other generations of Xuanyuan; he does not seek the spotlight. Following him is the right course.”

“Even without that layer of identity, Old Li, if you had given the order, I would carry it out without hesitation. Back then, if Old Li hadn’t intervened to help me, my entire family…” Tuoba Lie’s old eyes reddened, and his voice grew choked with emotion.

“Enough, how many years ago was that? Don't keep bringing it up!” Li Hentian frowned, speaking with impatience.

“Mmm, I won’t mention it, won’t mention it. Heh heh, when one gets old, it’s easy to recall past events,” Tuoba Lie quickly agreed.

That night, the bright moonlight poured down like flowing water, casting the barren desert as if shrouded in a faint, delicate veil.

Li Hentian and Tuoba Lie each occupied a corner, their eyes closed in meditation. Li Hentian placed the Lie Ri Zhi Lun across his knees. The usually blazing Lie Ri Zhi Lun now felt as cool as the moonlight, emitting a soft, pale-white light that seemed to merge entirely with the moonbeams.

Faint starlight occasionally flickered around Tuoba Lie. Cultivating within the Seven Stars Heaven Realm, he utilized the power of the Seven Stars. His spirit detached from his body, drifting away to an unknown destination under the radiance of the Big Dipper.

The sisters Yi Jia and Yi Rou, unable to focus on cultivation in the open desert, huddled together whispering, occasionally glancing toward Ji Changkong from afar.

After a full day, the two little girls calmed down, gradually growing accustomed to their roles. The sisters, after some unspoken communication, not only ceased resisting their status as maids but later found the task enjoyable, as if this new identity had suddenly become intriguing.

The bright moon hung like a flawless disc, and the starlight scattered like broken silver ingots, ceaselessly shedding light across the heavens.

Sitting cross-legged on the cold sand and stones of the night, Ji Changkong’s heart was as clear as a mirror. He slowly released his spirit, allowing it to merge with the sea of consciousness of the Four Sacred Beasts. Upon sensing their auras, his spirit flowed into the Beasts’ consciousness without any obstruction.

Being in the Western Regions, he felt the aura of the White Tiger most strongly; the Sacred Beast White Tiger, residing in the West, governed the power of slaughter.

As his spirit wandered through the consciousness of the White Tiger Sacred Beast, an overwhelming aura of killing rose within his heart. Whether it was due to his desert surroundings or the excessive killing he had committed recently, this surge of murderous intent seemed to resonate with the Tian Yuan Pearl within his body.

Unconsciously, Ji Changkong felt as if he were submerged in an endless sea of blood, his entire being saturated with a towering murderous aura. He engaged in savage slaughter within that boundless blood sea, vanquishing one illusion after another.

Gradually, an intense killing intent enveloped him, soaring upward and echoing with his spirit, causing his skin to turn a terrifying blood-red, his face contorted and savage.

Ji Changkong himself was unaware of the abnormality afflicting him. Under the pressure of this overwhelming killing intent, he actually rose from his cross-legged posture, his eyes tightly shut, his expression vacant, walking directly toward the extreme west of the desert.

Yi Jia and Yi Rou had been closely observing him. At first, they paid little mind, but when they saw him walking westward with his eyes closed in the darkness, the two sisters suddenly sprang up, looking in panic toward Li Hentian and Tuoba Lie.

Li Hentian seemed to have anticipated Ji Changkong’s anomaly. As the two young girls looked to him, Li Hentian already followed Ji Changkong with a cold expression. Tuoba Lie, after a moment of surprise, hastily woke from his meditation in the Seven Stars Realm, his face etched with alarm, hurrying after Li Hentian. He called out anxiously, “Old Li, what’s happening?”

Yi Jia and Yi Rou scrambled to their feet and followed Li Hentian and Tuoba Lie in a flurry, pressing their small ears close, intently listening to the conversation between the two elders.

“He has entered a strange state, which is linked to the entity inside him. We shouldn’t interfere; just follow him. If anyone approaches, you must drive them out of a certain radius. Just ensure they don't disturb Changkong,” Li Hentian stated with a solemn expression.

“Will something happen to him?” Tuoba Lie’s face shifted slightly.

“I don’t know. For him, this state may be a blessing or a curse; I cannot tell yet. Let’s follow for now,” Li Hentian frowned.