Li Hentian, Tuoba Lie, Yi Jia, and Yi Rou stopped together before that hazy temple. Only after Ji Changkong had entered did the Oro Cult followers, who were prostrating themselves, dare to rise. They all stood before the main gate of the temple, seemingly trying to prevent Li Hentian and the others from rushing in recklessly.

"Old Li, will he be alright?" Tuoba Lie lowered his voice, sounding a little worried.

The sisters Yi Jia and Yi Rou both looked towards Li Hentian. They knew Li Hentian had only agreed to bring them along because of Ji Changkong. If something happened to Ji Changkong inside, it was highly uncertain whether Li Hentian would still care about them.

Li Hentian frowned, shook his head slightly, and murmured, "They need Changkong." Tuoba Lie said no more, simply staring fixedly at the ancient temple before them. At this moment, he had no good solution either; all he could do was wait silently, hoping nothing happened to Ji Changkong inside.

Inside the ancient temple, Ji Changkong still wore a dazed expression, yet he seemed strangely familiar with the structure. He proceeded up the steps toward the temple's summit. Along the way, many Oro Cult followers watched him with expectant, excited expressions, as if something they had long awaited was finally within grasp.

Two 'mummies' at the Eight Trigrams Heaven realm had descended at some unknown time, positioning themselves on Ji Changkong's left and right, accompanying him step by step toward the temple's highest point.

This ancient temple was as tall as a small mountain, its winding stone steps spiraling toward the heavens. After nearly half an hour of climbing, Ji Changkong finally reached the temple's apex.

A massive stone door barred the way forward.

The two 'mummies' of the Eight Trigrams Heaven realm suddenly halted before the stone door, watching Ji Changkong with tense looks, seemingly awaiting some action.

Like them, Ji Changkong stopped before the door. With a vacant, dreamlike look, he extended his right hand and gently pressed it against the stone surface.

Ripples, like water disturbed by a pebble, spread outward from his outstretched hand, converging upon the stone door.

The door, previously smooth as a mirror, suddenly displayed intricate, strange lines as the ripples merged into it. These complex lines intersected to form an esoteric and convoluted pattern. The eyes of the two 'mummies' behind him suddenly brightened, and their bodies trembled slightly, betraying extreme excitement.

Rumble!

The sound of rolling stones echoed from within the door. The convoluted, mysterious pattern on the door suddenly ignited, beautiful and inscrutable like the vast cosmos.

The stone door slowly opened, revealing a dark passage. Strands of faint, greenish light points drifted within, like Will-o'-the-wisps, moving with an almost living quality toward Ji Changkong.

Taking one step, Ji Changkong entered the gloom. As soon as he passed through, the stone door behind him slowly closed again.

The two Oro Cult 'mummies' watched wordlessly as Ji Changkong entered the sacred ground the Oro Cult had cherished for a thousand years. They immediately knelt, heads bowed. After the stone door sealed completely, neither of them stood up.

Once the door was finally shut, Ji Changkong, whose eyes had been tightly closed, suddenly snapped them open.

The confusion had not entirely faded; he looked around tentatively, as if just waking from a dream, seemingly unsure of his location.

The dark passage abruptly brightened, and in an instant, a grand, magnificent hall sprang into view. Above, moonlight poured down like water, the stars arrayed like a chessboard, their light shimmering softly.

He was suddenly struck by a familiar, wondrous illusion. The Heavenly Origin Bead in his lower abdomen moved of its own accord, slowly seeping out. As the bead emerged, the floating green light points in the hall suddenly surged toward it like fledglings returning to the nest, instantly dissolving into the orb.

On the walls of the hall, vivid, lifelike frescoes seemed to spring to life. Accompanied by ancient, obscure text, these detailed images appeared to drift and dance.

The Heavenly Origin Bead hovered within the hall, circling once before the most complex and difficult painting. The threads within that painting seemed to be drawn by the bead, detaching from the stone wall, transforming into a strand of faint, deep light that shot directly into Ji Changkong's mind.

In a flash, a pattern formed in Ji Changkong's mind. This pattern was like a framework. As soon as it materialized, his divine soul surged into it. His previously ethereal soul seemed to condense into streams of conscious energy, slowly rotating along the trajectory traced by the framework.

It felt as if, in that moment, his soul had entered a miraculous stellar domain, where it drifted and moved endlessly, granting him an incomparably wondrous sensation.

Whoosh!

The Heavenly Origin Bead, which had just flown out, returned to its place in his lower abdomen, and a vast surge of energy was released from it.

The patterns on the hall walls imprinted themselves deeper and deeper into his mind as his gaze tracked them. Each time a painting was absorbed, the previously active image on the wall instantly stilled, becoming inert.

This hall was immense, with over a dozen different murals covering the surrounding walls. As his eyes swept over them, one pattern after another sank into his consciousness, becoming a part of his memory.

When all the wall patterns had been etched into his mind, the brilliantly lit hall abruptly dimmed again.

Creak!

At that precise moment, the closed stone door behind him opened once more.

Before the door, the two Oro Cult masters of the Eight Trigrams Heaven realm remained prostrate, heads bowed. When the door fully opened, they stared at Ji Changkong with expressions of delirious joy, shouting excitedly in the Western Regions dialect—"Gong Li Gu Xi!"—while repeatedly kowtowing, seemingly praising something.

"Who are you? Why am I here?" Ji Changkong approached the two Western Regions 'mummies,' frowning and asking with genuine confusion.

The two Oro Cult masters looked stunned. The one who understood Middle Kingdom language paused for a moment before replying in broken, stiff Middle Kingdom dialect, "You are the new generation's Cult Master of our Oro Cult. In the Holy Land, you have already received the profound inheritance of our Oro Cult. From this day forward, we will all serve you as Lord."

"Ah?" Ji Changkong looked utterly perplexed. "What's going on? Explain clearly!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Just then, the sounds of clashing combat drifted in from outside. The expressions of the two Oro Cult 'mummies' changed drastically. They exchanged a quick glance and hurried toward the nearest stone exit.

Ji Changkong merely paused before following immediately, for he had already heard Tuoba Lie's shout.

Below, a young Western Regions woman with a slender figure and piercing bright blue eyes, dressed in loose, flowing robes, was attacking Tuoba Lie with frantic effort, her face set in reverence.

This young Western Regions woman was exquisitely beautiful, perhaps in her early twenties. Her sapphire-blue eyes were captivating, threatening to ensnare the soul with a single glance. Her silken hair cascaded down like a waterfall; her full, high bosom was breathtakingly prominent, like soaring peaks; and her legs were long and perfectly straight. Her figure was such that few men could resist.

Despite her youth, she possessed cultivation at the Six Harmonies Heaven realm. She wielded a long chain with a rhombus-shaped weapon suspended from each end. That silver, gleaming divine weapon lashed out in her hands like a two-headed serpent.

Even the usually ruthless Tuoba Lie seemed hesitant to strike her fatally, responding with a wry smile as he constantly dodged her attacks.

The surrounding Oro Cult followers frantically tried to intervene in the Western Regions dialect, but the woman paid them no heed. She shrieked sternly, pressing her fearless, deadly assault against Tuoba Lie.

Li Hentian stood aloof with Yi Jia and Yi Rou, making no move to intervene, merely observing the other Oro Cult followers coldly, seemingly warning them not to interfere.

The stunningly beautiful Western Regions woman, possessing only Six Harmonies Heaven realm cultivation, could gain no advantage against Tuoba Lie at the Seven Stars Heaven realm, even exerting her full strength.

The neighboring Oro Cult followers, who had initially shouted warnings, stopped once they realized Tuoba Lie showed no intent to harm her, and since her continuous attacks failed to inflict any injury, they ceased their shouting, watching warily from the sidelines.

An elder 'mummy' at the Eight Trigrams Heaven realm stood before the temple and shouted a stern rebuke in the Western Regions dialect.

Hearing the old 'mummy's' roar, the beautiful Western Regions woman reluctantly disengaged, pointing at Tuoba Lie and shouting at the old Western Regions 'mummy,' seemingly arguing heatedly.

Down below, the usually impassive Li Hentian immediately turned to Ji Changkong as he emerged from above and asked, "Changkong, are you alright?" Li Hentian's voice was not loud, but everyone present could distinctly hear it.

Smiling, Ji Changkong shook his head. "I'm fine, I just don't know what's going on." He looked down at Tuoba Lie and asked, "Uncle Tuoba, what's happening? Why is she attacking you so fiercely?"

Tuoba Lie looked slightly embarrassed. He rubbed his bald head and gave a dry laugh. "This woman just returned from outside. I thought she was beautiful and took an extra look. Who knew she'd suddenly attack me like she'd gone mad? I'm completely bewildered."

"Your gaze was too lewd, you lustful demon! I'm going to dig out your eyeballs!" The Western Regions woman, it turned out, understood Middle Kingdom language. She turned back, shot Tuoba Lie a cold glare, and spoke with chilling intensity.

Her Middle Kingdom speech was far more fluent than the old 'mummy' upstairs; it was not stiff at all.

"Changkong, come down?" Li Hentian called softly from below, sounding slightly impatient.

Nodding, Ji Changkong prepared to descend the steps without a second thought.

The two old 'mummies' of the Oro Cult above suddenly knelt down again, desperately pleading with Ji Changkong in the Western Regions dialect, seemingly begging him not to leave.

The Oro Cult followers below, seeing both elders kneel, immediately dropped to their knees in terror. Even the beautiful woman who had been relentlessly pursuing Tuoba Lie immediately knelt down before understanding what had happened.

The Oro Cult operated under strictly enforced rules; none dared to violate them.