Ji Changkong did not linger long at the Grand Temple of the Oro Sect. As soon as he reached an agreement with the two Oro elders, he demanded to depart immediately.

The two elders of the Oro Sect both possessed cultivation in the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm. The one who spoke the Central Plains dialect was named Muluo; the one who did not was Batu’er. Muluo accompanied him on his departure, as he could converse with Ji Changkong in the local tongue.

Besides Muluo, there were three brothers: Tagan, Taji, and Tali. All three were formidable martial artists operating at the Seven Stars Heaven Realm. The last member of the entourage was Ayiguli, that exquisitely beautiful woman from the Western Regions. She was the most distinguished figure among the latest generation of the Oro Sect, having reached the Six Harmonies Heaven Realm at such a young age, holding great promise to become an elder someday.

From Muluo, Ji Changkong learned that Ayiguli’s parents had both been slain by the Manichaean sect. When Ayiguli was very young, she was already being regarded as the primary candidate for the Manichaean Saintess. The Manichaean method for choosing a Saintess was rather cruel: once they identified a girl with the potential to become one, they would eliminate all of her immediate family.

As the top Saintess candidate favored by Manichaeism, after her entire family was wiped out, Ayiguli was supposed to be taken to the Sacred Mountain of the Manichaeans for rigorous training. However, Muluo chanced upon the Manichaean zealots escorting her up the mountain midway. Muluo struck them down, killing them all, and rescued Ayiguli.

Ayiguli harbored a deep-seated hatred for the Manichaean sect. She diligently practiced the Heavenly Master Profundities bestowed upon her by Muluo, making rapid advances. Before long, she became a major adversary of the Manichaeans, leading a contingent of Oro Sect followers to fight the Manichaeans across the land.

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The Dark Son of the Manichaean sect, after encountering Ayiguli, openly vowed that sooner or later he would conquer her and make her his eternal slave. However, after several exchanges, the Dark Son of Manichaeism gained no advantage from Ayiguli; on the contrary, he was wounded by her on one occasion.

In the Western Regions, Ayiguli was called the "Flower of the Moon" by the people who worshipped the Oro Sect. Her beauty was already renowned throughout the entire region. Since the Manichaean sect revered the sun and championed light, their Saintess of every generation was known as the "Flower of the Sun." With the emergence of the new Manichaean Saintess, Ayiguli and she were hailed as the two most dazzling blooms in the Western Regions.

These two flowers held immense fame across the West, known almost universally. This was due not only to their genuine, captivating beauty but also to their status: one, the new Saintess of the Manichaean sect; the other, the most exceptional young master of the Oro Sect.

The Manichaean and Oro Sects had warred in the Western Regions for a millennium, being the two most influential factions there. Naturally, the new generation of masters cultivated by them drew the most attention. As for the Manichaean representative of darkness, the Dark Son, due to his relatively ** identity, only a very small minority of Heavenly Masters even knew of his existence; the common populace would never know.

Muluo, Ayiguli, Tagan, Tali, and Taji—five prominent figures from the Oro Sect—departed the Grand Temple with Ji Changkong. Muluo was intimately familiar with the Oro Sect's doctrines and was responsible for elucidating the sect’s foundational teachings to Ji Changkong. Ayiguli, proficient in Central Plains culture, communicated with Ji Changkong without any barrier; she was tasked with instructing him on the script found on the walls of the Oro Sect's sacred sites, as well as basic Western Regions dialect.

The brothers Tagan, Taji, and Tali were dispatched by the Oro Sect as sacrificial guards. The three followed Ji Changkong closely, ready to throw themselves forward without hesitation should he encounter danger.

After leaving the Grand Temple, Li Hentian spoke with Ji Changkong privately, making it clear that if the opportunity arose, he should firmly grasp control of the Oro Sect. Tuoba Lie also excitedly dropped hints, suggesting that this force of the Oro Sect should not go unused.

Tuoba Lie even basely encouraged him, suggesting Ji Changkong should leverage his authority as Sect Master to claim the Western Regions’ "Flower of the Moon," binding the future hope of the Oro Sect tightly to himself.

Yi Jia and Yi Rou happened to overhear Tuoba Lie’s instigation. Afterward, the way they looked at Tuoba Lie was filled with scorn. Tuoba Lie, being exceedingly thick-skinned, paid them no mind, even hinting to Ji Changkong, in front of the two young girls, that he ought to be bolder—preferably not sparing Yi Jia and Yi Rou either.

This wicked uncle’s suggestion terrified Yi Jia and Yi Rou. For the next while, the sisters dared not approach Ji Changkong, afraid that he might act upon Tuoba Lie’s proposal and suddenly unleash his beastly urges upon them.

Late at night, under the clear, bright moonlight.

Ayiguli twisted a dry twig, sketching strange patterns onto the soft sand as she explained to Ji Changkong beside her, “You must memorize these common characters. The script of our Oro Sect is extremely ancient. The scripts of all the various tribes in the Western Regions today are derived from the writing system of our Oro Sect.”

Ayiguli slightly furrowed her crescent eyebrows, her pair of sapphire-blue eyes captivating and soul-stealing. A faint, ethereal fragrance drifted from her, making one yearn to draw closer. As Ayiguli gently squatted down, her beautiful legs tensed, her soft chest swelled, and her curves were fully displayed. Ji Changkong’s gaze lingered on her; his line of sight was constantly drawn to her.

He was in his prime, and Ayiguli was so captivating. Any normal man would be affected to some degree, and he was no exception. These past few days, Tuoba Lie’s constant whispering in his ear had strained even his normally resolute will. When he looked at Ayiguli, he often found himself suddenly lost in thought.

“You’re drifting off again!” Ayiguli’s pretty face turned cold. She set down the twig and looked up at him. She chided, “You’ve been far less serious these past few days, Sect Master. There are things I perhaps shouldn't say, but you cannot continue like this. If you don't grasp the script and doctrines of our Oro Sect, you won't be able to comprehend the profound secrets and techniques. Sect Master, for the future of our Oro Sect, I hope you can focus.”

“Insolent!” Muluo, standing not far away, let out a sharp reprimand. The old, withered figure glared at Ayiguli with displeasure and snapped, “Ayiguli, remember your station! Before the Sect Master, you are only permitted to be obedient, not to lecture or instruct!”

“Understood,” Ayiguli mumbled, seemingly very afraid of the old mummy. She nodded reluctantly and whispered, “Understood, Teacher.”

“Muluo, come here for a moment.” Ji Changkong smiled and beckoned the old mummy over. Once Muluo had respectfully approached, Ji Changkong picked up the twig Ayiguli had dropped and casually began drawing on the soft, yellow sand. His drawing was loose and disorderly, lacking any structure, yet it resembled a strange, nebulous diagram.

“When I was in the Sacred Land, the Tianyuan Pearl shifted. It seemed to impress a star cloud diagram onto my mind from the wall. The moment that diagram took shape in my mind, my Divine Soul immediately underwent a change, beginning to circulate along the trajectory of that star cloud. These past few days, I’ve gradually felt my Divine Soul altering. Muluo, do you know what this strange diagram signifies?” Ji Changkong stopped drawing and frowned as he looked at Muluo.

These days, he had slowly discovered that a region in his mind seemed to have become a nebula, and his Divine Soul was undergoing some manner of change, constantly moving within that area.

When he attempted to sense his surroundings with his spiritual awareness, he found that its sensitivity had instantly increased significantly, and his Divine Soul seemed to have gained some marvelous function, though he hadn't fully grasped it yet.

“The Nebula Soul Refining Art! This is a Heavenly Master secret technique unique to our Oro Sect for cultivating the Divine Soul. Only the Sect Master of each generation is permitted to practice it. There are countless secret techniques in the world that harness Yuan Power for attack, but techniques specifically for refining the Divine Soul are exceedingly rare. Our Oro Sect’s Nebula Soul Refining Art is precisely such a specialized technique. Once mastered, the Divine Soul gains all manner of incredible, mysterious uses, and when paired with the Tianyuan Pearl, the power of the soul becomes even more astonishing!”

Muluo became excited. “Sect Master, even the previous Sect Master never had the opportunity to cultivate the Nebula Soul Refining Art. It is said that when the Nebula Soul Refining Art is cultivated to its peak, one can know the past and the future, foreseeing fortune and misfortune. It seems your Divine Soul has already taken on a nebulous form. Truly, there is hope for the revival of our sect!”

“The Nebula Soul Refining Art? A secret technique for cultivating the Divine Soul?” Ji Changkong’s face lit up. He knew that techniques for nurturing the Divine Soul were exceedingly rare and precious, never imagining that the Oro Sect possessed such a miraculous Heavenly Master secret art.

“Congratulations, Sect Master. Once you have mastered the Nebula Soul Refining Art, you will be able to truly command the Tianyuan Pearl as you wish,” Muluo offered