Outside the grand sanctuary of the Oro Cult, the faithful knelt in a vast expanse, led by two elders of the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm. No member of the Oro Cult dared remain standing.

Li Hentian and Tuoba Lie were stunned into silence. While they had vaguely suspected that the Celestial Origin Bead within Ji Changkong might be connected to the Oro Cult, they never imagined every single follower would kneel before him.

The young girls, Yi Jia and Yi Rou, covered their mouths in astonishment, momentarily speechless.

“What are you… what are you doing?” Ji Changkong asked with a wry smile, waving his hands frantically to signal them to rise. “I’m not even from the Western Regions. I still don’t understand why I ended up here. What does this kneeling mean?”

“Chang-kong, after that green-haired person left, you entered a bizarre, mysterious realm while cultivating that night,” Tuoba Lie called up from below. “Then, with your eyes closed, you walked all the way here. When you arrived, the Celestial Origin Bead in your body fluctuated, and those two Oro Cult elders invited you into the temple…”

The Oro Cult elder who spoke the Central Plains tongue exclaimed excitedly, “Sect Master, did you remember all the murals on the walls inside the Sacred Land just now? Some of those murals detail our Oro Cult's doctrines, and others contain the secret techniques and profound skills of our cultivation. Only the Sect Master of the Oro Cult can receive the profound heritage inscribed there. Now that you have received it, you are the new Sect Master we have awaited for a thousand years…”

“New Sect Master?” Ji Changkong was utterly bewildered. After a moment of contemplation, he mused thoughtfully, “Indeed, on the walls of that hall, I seem to recall many patterns, along with some ancient script from the Western Regions. However, I have no idea what those patterns represent, nor can I read those scripts. Are those patterns and writings your profound heritage?”

At this utterance, the two Oro Cult elders became instantly ecstatic. Through his words, they were finally certain that Ji Changkong had truly obtained the profound heritage from the Sacred Land. They gazed at him eagerly, nodding repeatedly and chattering excitedly in the language of the Western Regions.

“Stop!” Ji Changkong made a silencing gesture, his brow furrowed. “I am a man of the Central Plains; I will never remain in the Western Regions permanently, nor am I interested in becoming your new Sect Master. The Celestial Artisan Bead in my body was also acquired accidentally. If you have a way to remove it from me, I wouldn't object in the slightest. Moreover, I can write down those patterns and scripts I memorized for you. How about that?”

The Celestial Origin Bead had been inside him for so long; while it granted him a strange power, it also made him vaguely uneasy. Recently, he could clearly sense that the Bead was undergoing some change—a change beyond his control—which filled him with deep apprehension.

Having the Celestial Origin Bead within him, yet being unable to understand or skillfully control it, was decidedly not a good thing for him.

As for the supposed patterns and writings of the Oro Cult, he couldn't discern any connection to cultivation secrets or profound skills. Those cryptic scribbles and symbols held no interest for him whatsoever. Considering the presence of two elders at the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm, plus so many experts at the Six Harmonies Heaven and Seven Star Heaven Realms, in this location, even with Li Hentian present, they stood no chance of winning. This understanding was the very reason he made his proposal.

“No, those things belong entirely to you, Sect Master. We would never dare lay a hand on them,” the old, desiccated figure cried out in terror. “Sect Master, the Oro Cult needs you! We need you! You cannot abandon us!”

“Gentlemen, explain what is going on,” Li Hentian interjected with a slight hum of impatience from the side.

Seeing Li Hentian speak, Ji Changkong did not rush to say more. He turned to the elder and asked, “Exactly what is going on? Is the Celestial Origin Bead in my body a spiritual treasure of your Oro Cult?”

The Oro Cult elder nodded hurriedly. “Yes, yes, it is the spiritual treasure passed down through generations of our Oro Cult. Because it can gather the vital energy of heaven and earth, it is called the Celestial Origin Bead. We never expected it to fall into your hands, and you even call it the Celestial Origin Bead. Throughout history, whoever held the Celestial Origin Bead was unquestionably recognized as the Sect Master of our Oro Cult—it is the rule passed down through generations!”

“The Celestial Origin Bead is both our cult’s military treasure and the key to opening the Sacred Land. Only someone possessing the Bead can enter the Sacred Land and receive the profound heritage of our Oro Cult,” the elder continued. “Two thousand years ago, our previous Sect Master did not possess the Bead. He only received the heritage from the one before him and managed to cultivate only to the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm before his advancement stalled completely.”

“Before you obtained the Celestial Origin Bead, it had been missing for too long. Legend claims that within it lies the profound secret for cultivating the Ten Directions Heaven Realm of our Oro Cult. The previous Sect Master, stuck at the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm and unable to break through, searched everywhere across the Nine Provinces but could not find the Bead. Certain that the Bead was not here, he allowed his spirit to wander the Great Void, hoping to trace the Bead’s whereabouts in the endless expanse…”

“However, for reasons unknown, after his spirit ventured into the Great Void, he never returned. The vast starlight is filled with all manner of strange perils. Having not returned in over two millennia, he must have met with misfortune. According to our Oro Cult’s precepts, only one who has received the previous Sect Master’s heritage or who possesses the Celestial Origin Bead can be considered our new Sect Master.”

“The previous Sect Master’s spirit never returned, and the Celestial Origin Bead had long vanished. Our Oro Cult has been without a true leader for many years, and much of our ancient heritage has been lost. Now that you have arrived carrying the Celestial Origin Bead and have also received the profound heritage of our Sacred Land, you are undeniably the new Sect Master of the Oro Cult. You are the hope of us all, so you absolutely cannot abandon us!”

“The profound heritage you obtained must be passed on by you to us. The Celestial Origin Bead has become an inseparable part of your body. As long as you cultivate the soul secret techniques of the Oro Cult, the Bead will only become your aid. Sect Master, besides gathering the vital energy of heaven and earth, the Celestial Origin Bead can also gather the power of the soul. When combined with the unique soul secret techniques of the Oro Cult, the Celestial Origin Bead possesses an even more marvelous function!”

The Oro Cult elder knelt before him, hurriedly revealing this secret part, pleading for Ji Changkong to stay.

Hearing this, Ji Changkong was momentarily stunned. He truly hadn't expected the Celestial Origin Bead to have such a significant origin—that it was a sacred object passed down through generations of the Oro Cult. According to the elder, he was now the Sect Master, bearing the responsibility of revitalizing the cult.

“Is that so…” After a long pause, Ji Changkong finally nodded, looking at the figures kneeling on the ground. “Whether I refuse or not, you will all still consider me the Sect Master of the Oro Cult?”

The two elders nodded eagerly.

“Is there truly no way to remove the Celestial Origin Bead from my body? And is it truly harmless to me?”

“Yes, yes.”

“And everything I say, you will listen to?”

“Of course, of course.”

“Very well then…” Ji Changkong nodded. “Tell me how to revitalize the Oro Cult. If it is within my power, I am willing to lend you a hand. But, remember this: I must have absolute freedom. No matter where I go, you cannot control me. If anything comes up, you can send people to contact me.”

“Sect Master, to revitalize the Oro Cult, the first step is for you to write down the heavenly master secret techniques that were previously lost. They have become a part of your memory. You must first learn the script of our Oro Cult; only by understanding our script and basic doctrines can you help us,” the elder said, his face alight with surprise. “We will not restrict your freedom, but please allow some of us to follow by your side so we may listen to your teachings.”

“Follow me?” Ji Changkong paused. “No matter where I go, you will follow? What if I go to the Central Plains?”

“No matter where you go, we will follow!” the elder affirmed.

“Agreed!” Before Ji Changkong could fully respond, Li Hentian, standing below, let out a light reprimand with a stern face.

Tuoba Lie, meanwhile, was ecstatic, constantly gesturing below for him to accept the arrangement.

Although these Oro Cult members were strange, their organization possessed no shortage of masters. The strength of the assembled followers alone surpassed some families in the Central Plains: two masters of the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm, more than a dozen cultivators of the Star Manifestation Heaven Realm, and even more at the Six Harmonies and Four Symbols Heaven Realms.

They hadn't even obtained the Oro Cult's profound heritage yet. Once they did, wouldn't their power become even more formidable? To possess such a force, in Tuoba Lie’s eyes, was akin to skyrocketing overnight. Refusing such an opportunity would make one a fool.

Hearing Li Hentian’s low call, Ji Changkong’s face clouded over. He understood Li Hentian’s implication perfectly. However, the thought of always having a group of peculiar Western Region people trailing him made him deeply uncomfortable. But seeing the signals from Li Hentian and Tuoba Lie, he felt helpless and could only agree reluctantly, “Fine, but there can’t be too many—five people. I can only keep a maximum of five people by my side.”

“Excellent!” The chief elder immediately agreed, excitedly pointing toward three desiccated figures at the Seven Star Heaven Realm chair, and then glancing at the stunningly beautiful Western Region woman below. He instructed, “Ayiguli, you and Tagan, the other two, along with myself, will accompany the Sect Master!”

The Western beauty named Ayiguli, possessing eyes of brilliant sapphire, looked up at Ji Changkong with a strange expression, but obediently nodded.