A cyan, crimson, black, and white halo of light suddenly burst forth from the Tianyuan Pearl at that precise moment.

The entire stone chamber seemed suddenly veiled in a multicolored twilight, dazzling and strange, blinding the eye. Before this, the Tianyuan Pearl had been ceaselessly absorbing wisps of divine souls from the surrounding Oro Divine Sect disciples. But the instant Ji Changkong’s divine soul entered the Tianyuan Pearl, it abruptly stopped absorbing those other disciples’ souls. A strange, intimate connection immediately transmitted itself from the Pearl; Ji Changkong suddenly grasped the exquisite feeling of being able to command the Tianyuan Pearl. A flow of power from the Pearl surged into his mind along with his soul—it was like an epiphany. Suddenly, streams of marvelous energy floated out from within the Tianyuan Pearl, following curved paths, penetrating the minds of the surrounding Oro Divine Sect disciples.

The Oro Divine Sect disciples, who moments before had been terrified, suddenly grew utterly still. Mu Luo and Ayiguli wore expressions of profound peace, their divine souls tranquil, wholly accepting the marvelous energy emanating from the Tianyuan Pearl. The other disciples of the Oro Divine Sect, including Adili lying on the ground, were similarly calm and serene, as if in an instant, all agitation had vanished... A sliver of power from the Tianyuan Pearl flowed into his mind, circulating gently through the method of the Nebula Soul Refining Art, gradually converging with the soul essence within his own mind. A sudden craving, like the desire to suckle Black Jade Primal Crystal, arose from the depths of his heart. This feeling… felt like his divine soul was steadily strengthening!

The exquisite sensation lingered for a long time. The Tianyuan Pearl still hovered at the center of the stone chamber. Li Gentian and Tuoba Lie, at some unknown point, had already stepped up beside him. Within the chamber, all the Oro Divine Sect disciples sat cross-legged on the ground, their faces peaceful. Faint streams of ethereal energy, invisible to the naked eye, emanated from the Tianyuan Pearl suspended above their heads, distributing themselves into the minds of every single Oro Divine Sect disciple. For powerful disciples like Mu Luo, the soul essence received was slightly thicker; for those mere Heavenly Lords at the Fifth Heaven Realm, the soul essence gathered was finer. Nevertheless, every single Oro Divine Sect disciple had established a connection with the Tianyuan Pearl.

Ji Changkong sank delightfully into the state of the Void-Self, his divine soul circulating according to the trajectory of the Nebula Soul Refining Art. Gradually, without his conscious awareness, the illusory forms of the Four Sacred Beasts began to manifest within his mind. These illusory forms were purely condensed from the primordial energy of Heaven and Earth, ethereal and dreamlike, giving an intensely unreal impression. Yet, upon closer inspection, one could discern that the phantom forms of the Four Sacred Beasts held subtle differences; they seemed to exude happy divine states, drifting around Ji Changkong’s body, conveying a strange sense of... attachment to him!

Li Gentian and Tuoba Lie stared blankly, utterly aghast, at Ji Changkong sitting peacefully on the ground. Tuoba Lie vigorously rubbed his eyes and lowered his voice: “Old Li, am I seeing things? Why are there illusions of the Four Sacred Beasts behind Changkong? And why do those illusions look so happy? Can the Four Sacred Beasts really exhibit such rich expressions of consciousness?” Li Gentian’s pupils contracted, his divine consciousness deeply concentrated. After a stunned silence, he replied gravely, “Little Lie, it is within the realm of possibility that strange things happen around Changkong. He carries the Violet Bloodline of the Xuanhuang Clan, cultivates the Great Void Secret Record, and it seems he has also mastered some secret arts of the Oro Divine Sect. Violet Bloodline, Great Void Secret Record, the secrets of the Oro Divine Sect—these are not things ordinary people can comprehend...”

Tuoba Lie managed a wry smile and nodded internally, thinking that this youngster truly was a freak. If the Tianyuan Pearl inexplicably attached itself to him, it wasn't entirely out of the question for the Four Sacred Beasts to be drawn to him. In the stone chamber, aside from Li Gentian and Tuoba Lie, all the Oro Divine Sect disciples remained seated cross-legged, their expressions serene, showing not a shred of vigilance. Above their heads, the Tianyuan Pearl hung high, like a bizarre sun, radiating light and warmth exclusively for the people of the Oro Divine Sect. Li Gentian and Tuoba Lie conversed in low voices while guarding Ji Changkong, waiting for him to awaken. Their wait was not long; in just half an hour, Ji Changkong suddenly snapped out of the wondrous Void-Self state. The Tianyuan Pearl, which had been continuously emitting light and heat, suddenly retracted its halo. Like a living creature, it floated lightly back to Ji Changkong and settled into his lower abdomen to slumber.

Awakening from the marvelous Void-Self state, Ji Changkong’s divine soul still flowed along the path of the Nebula Soul Refining Art. However, he suddenly noticed that his soul seemed to carry a trace of the Four Sacred Beasts' aura, as if his spirit was still steeped in their sea of consciousness and had not fully emerged. This feeling was extremely peculiar, giving him an illusion of profound closeness and affection for the Four Sacred Beasts. Without delving into the implications of this situation, he immediately stood up and looked with shock at Mu Luo and Ayiguli beside him.

Mu Luo and Ayiguli suddenly opened their eyes at that moment. A look of overwhelming joy flashed across Ayiguli’s stunningly beautiful face; she seemed to have acquired some unparalleled spiritual treasure out of nowhere. Unable to contain herself, she sprang up, her beautiful eyes shining as she gazed intently at him. Mu Luo, looking as pale and withered as an old corpse, also opened his eyes simultaneously. In that instant, he seemed to have gained a hundred times his previous spirit, appearing extraordinarily vigorous. But only for a moment—Mu Luo took a deep breath, and the vibrancy instantly faded from his face. He immediately prostrated himself again, Mu Luo saying with reverence, “Sect Master, thank you for your grace!”

It was not just Mu Luo. The moment his words fell, all the masters of the Oro Divine Sect in the stone chamber prostrated themselves simultaneously, crying out in unison: “Many thanks to the Sect Master for your grace!” Even Adili, though reluctant, knelt down and echoed the sentiment in a subdued voice. Ayiguli immediately knelt again.

Only after Mu Luo gave thanks did she dare to explain: “Sect Master, you activated the Tianyuan Pearl, the sacred object manifested, and bestowed upon us a strand of soul essence energy. In that instant, all of our souls received grace from the Tianyuan Pearl.” “So that is how it is,” Ji Changkong nodded, then swaggered back onto the Sect Master’s throne, looking down at the disciples below: “Do any of you still have objections?” Nothing moves people as effectively as tangible benefits. Those disciples who had previously followed Adili in causing trouble in the Oro Divine Sect were now genuinely subdued. Seeing the crowd of worshipers sincerely convinced, Adili knew that no matter how hard she tried, she could not shake Ji Changkong’s position within the Oro Divine Sect. With a helpless sigh, Adili could only accept her fate, lowering her head and saying no more. The Tianyuan Pearl had not only appeared, but through the unusual transformation of Ji Changkong’s divine soul, it had also bestowed grace upon all the disciples. Coupled with the menacing presence of Mu Luo, the sect’s enforcer, this combination of reward and pressure left no room for further rebellion.

Logically, these elites of the Oro Divine Sect, having traveled from various tribes in the Western Regions, truly recognized him as their new Sect Master. Under Mu Luo’s arrangement, he spent several days listening to the narratives of these elites, brought from different Western Region tribes, with Ayiguli translating for him. He simply listened attentively to her translation without offering any opinions in between. This was Mu Luo’s instruction; he wanted Ji Changkong to convey his regard for these disciples through this method. As long as Ji Changkong listened seriously and made a show of it, that would be enough. Between Mu Luo’s deterrence and the grace bestowed within the stone chamber, regardless of the previous motives these disciples held, they were all quieted now.

Five days—a full five days—he remained in the underground palace of the Oro Divine Sect in Sunblaze City, acting in accordance with Mu Luo’s counsel to win hearts through his conduct. After five days, the disciples from various areas of the Western City dispersed. According to the prior agreement, Ji Changkong, along with Li Gentian, Tuoba Lie, and the trio of Mu Luo, Ayiguli, and Dagan, prepared to depart for the Central Lands. Before they could even leave the underground palace, a messenger rushed up to Ayiguli, reporting with extreme urgency. Ayiguli’s beautiful face drained of color. After the messenger finished his report, she immediately looked at Ji Changkong and Mu Luo: “We had too many people gathered this time, and we left in haste. The Mani Sect members discovered our trail. The Dark Hand and the Dark King are both in Sunblaze City; they have already started seizing people…”

“My people!” Mu Luo shouted, then immediately realized he had overstepped and quickly bowed in apology: “Sect Master, you decide.” “My people!” Ji Changkong did not blame him. He turned to Ayiguli: “Lead the way. With Mu Luo Elder and me accompanying you, we hardly need fear Sunblaze City!” “As long as Saintess Youlan does not personally come to Sunblaze City, as long as Elder Mu Luo and I are here, we can guarantee the safety of your people,” Li Gentian said, his divine consciousness unshakeable, his tone extremely firm. Though the Western City was vast, it seemed only the Saintess Youlan was someone he truly worried about.

“Hualan Heng!” Ayiguli called out a name and hurried to lead the way out of the underground palace. Hualan Heng was a relatively remote area, populated mostly by some cold, local residents of the Western City. Hualan Heng was usually not lively, and the city guards of Sunblaze City rarely patrolled there because they knew these poor folk had no profit to gain, yet were too timid to cause trouble. However, Hualan Heng today was in an uproar. Squads of Sunblaze City guards, riding camels and brandishing curved sabers, swept through Hualan Heng, going door-to-door to search and round up people. Several Mani Sect disciples, clad in the robes of Mani Sect retainers, were seen amidst the Sunblaze City soldiers, whispering instructions for them to act. The greatest power behind the Moluo Heaven Clan was the Mani Sect; in the Western City, it was the Mani Sect manipulating the Moluo Heaven Clan, not the other way around!

The people of the Oro Divine Sect were hidden in the homes of the poor and wealthy in Hualan Heng. They secretly believed in the Oro Divine Sect, which was why they permitted the core members of the Oro Divine Sect to stay there. A boy of about ten years old was lazily perched atop a camel, his pair of dark, lustrous eyes scanning everywhere. Suddenly, he sprang upright from the camel, his eyes flashing with perverse greed, fixing upon Yi Jia and Yi Rou, the two women who had followed Ji Changkong. He licked his lips with a lecherous smile: “Two little beauties, didn’t expect you to deliver yourselves right to my door.” I must apologize again today. A distant relative was picked up by ambulance after an accident near my home; alas, I had to go keep him company. Regarding the overdue chapters, I had intended to settle the debt this month, but unexpectedly, not only did I fail to pay it off, but I accrued more debt! My wife is in poor health, and I also have to manage the renovations for a new house—too many trivial matters. I fear I won't be able to clear this month's debt. I misspoke; from today onward, Little Daoist will not mention monthly tickets again until the end of the book. This shall be my explanation. The only ones I have truly wronged are those brothers who have supported Little Daoist all along. I know many of you worked hard to give monthly tickets to support Little Daoist, but it is Little Daoist who has failed you, disappointing all your efforts. I sincerely say thank you, and again, I apologize. I have been extremely busy lately trying to maintain composure. Once things settle down, I will speed up the pace. I apologize once more, hoping the brothers who have always supported Little Daoist can understand... My heart is uneasy.