"Arrogance!"

Huang Mu roared in fury, never expecting a mere junior to dare aim for his life. This profound insult completely ignited his rage.

The squat Huang Mu, comparable in stature to the Zhu Ru, began to make sharp cracking sounds as his body swelled with the wind, growing rapidly. In the span of a single breath, Huang Mu's bones elongated violently, transforming him in an instant into a terrifying giant, three meters tall, his muscles knotted like a colossal, imposing mountain.

A sky-piercing stone pillar suddenly stood erect before Huang Mu. With a mighty shout, Huang Mu seized the golden, radiant pillar with both hands and charged straight at Ji Changkong like a descending god. His feet hammered the earth, sending deep tremors booming from beneath the ground; with every stomp, the unyielding soil fractured like common stone.

"How dare you!" Gui Rong shrieked. Hundreds of malevolent ghosts howled down from above his head, marching in perfect formation. Upon closer inspection, the spectral host was divided into seven clusters, slowly shifting in the pattern of the Big Dipper. Amidst howling winds of Yin energy, they suddenly enveloped Huang Mu’s colossal stone pillar from the void.

"Die! Die for me!"

Huang Mu unleashed a ghastly, mournful howl. The sky-piercing stone pillar grew ever larger, resembling a small mountain thrust vertically toward the heavens. Blinding shafts of golden light erupted from its surface, converging into an incredibly thick, massive beam of pure light that extended for a hundred meters, slamming down into the cluster of specters arranged in the Big Dipper formation.

Screech! Screech! Screech!

The hundreds of malevolent ghosts shrieked, trembling violently within the golden light. The Big Dipper formation shattered instantly, the spectral host scattering in all directions, unable to reform.

Simultaneously, Huang Mu closed the distance to Ji Changkong in an instant. He reached out, and a gigantic palm glowing with golden light materialized in mid-air. Its five fingers were like golden hooks, radiating an aura of murderous, ferocious energy from their tips.

"Hao!"

Ji Changkong roared, his vital blood churning fiercely within him. Terrifying thunder rumbled from deep within his body, causing him to spew a mouthful of blood. The blood exploded mid-air, individual droplets hanging suspended, refusing to fall, while tendrils of visible cyan smoke spontaneously emerged from the void, tightly wrapping each crimson droplet.

In a flash, the Wood elemental energy permeating heaven and earth converged frantically toward that cyan smoke, and bolts of thunder, each the size of a fist, instantly took shape.

Hundreds of these heavenly thunders hovered beside Ji Changkong, emitting the booming sound of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, resonating throughout the world.

Huang Mu’s golden, gigantic palm descended sharply, pressing down directly toward Ji Changkong’s head!

Boom! Rumble! Boom!

A world-destroying explosion erupted above Ji Changkong. Each fist-sized heavenly thunderbolt collided with the golden giant palm, immediately unleashing a deafening roar.

Golden light shot through the void, intermingled with lightning and thunder, as terrifying fluctuations of power wrestled together. The empty space—smooth as a mirror—suddenly fractured, revealing long, narrow fissures shimmering with bewildering colors. "Good boy! If I let you live today, you will surely become a major threat in the future!" Huang Mu’s expression changed drastically. His three-meter frame launched into the air, roaring: "Golden Strength Giant Spirit Palm!" Golden light sprinkled across the sky and converged, causing two hand-shaped formations, each as massive as a small mountain, to materialize once more out of thin air, slamming down upon Ji Changkong.

"Hundred Ghosts Possession!" Gui Rong let out a fierce cry toward the heavens, and the spectral figures gathered upon his body. As the ghosts entered Gui Rong’s form, his face immediately turned ashen, dark green. Lines of malevolent spirits coiled around his neck, forehead, arms, and waist. Half of each ghost remained inside Gui Rong, while the other half emerged, baring fangs and claws. After the hundred ghosts returned, Gui Rong’s body seemed to inflate by half, and his aura surged explosively.

As the golden, radiant sky-piercing stone pillar charged forward, Gui Rong let out a deep shout. His voice resonated like towering waves, condensing in the void into visible black light that forcefully shoved the stone pillar aside. Gui Rong seized the momentum and instantly appeared above Ji Changkong. Seven soul-summoning banners, shining with dark light, materialized in the void. Malevolent spirits writhed lifelike upon the banners, their faces ferocious and terrifying, still arranged in the Big Dipper formation, suddenly shrouding Huang Mu.

One Golden Strength Giant Spirit Palm was instantly encircled by the seven soul-summoning banners. Amidst howling Yin winds and flashing black light, the golden radiance of the Giant Spirit Palm was entirely masked by the Yin aura and black light, preventing it from pressing down even a fraction of an inch further.

However, at that precise moment, the other Golden Strength Giant Spirit Palm took the opportunity to slam toward Ji Changkong, who remained on the ground.

Thump!

The giant palm struck the earth, sending a muffled, massive boom echoing from the ground. A huge crater, ten mu in radius, was blasted open by the palm strike.

"Hehehe! Hahahaha!" Huang Mu burst into maniacal laughter. "Gui Rong, Gui Hai, Ji Changkong is dead! Now let’s see how your Ghost Sect contends with the Three Great Ghost Demon Kings!"

Gui Rong, Gui Hai, and the assembled Ghost Sect members stared fixedly, their fury reaching its zenith, and they began to attack all the disciples of the Shadowless Sect in a frenzy.

"The Sect Master is indeed mighty! Without Ji Changkong, the Ghost Sect has utterly lost hope! The Sect Master is incredible!" Luo Tiecheng, who was fighting Gui Hai on the other side, suddenly burst into laughter, his face alight with smug satisfaction.

"It was also due to the Great Protector’s excellent coordination; otherwise, killing that brat would have been truly difficult! The new generation of Xuanyuan of the Ji Family has now perished!" Huang Mu sneered.

"So you are the Sect Master of the Shadowless Sect! Luo Tiecheng is merely the Great Protector! How insidious!" Gui Rong trembled with rage. With Ji Changkong dead, his hope suddenly turned to ash. The hope he had nurtured for years had suddenly shattered, a blow Gui Rong could barely withstand. His spirit faltered, and even the power of the Big Dipper Soul-Summoning Array formed by the seven banners weakened noticeably.

"It’s too late to realize that now."

Huang Mu laughed wildly, waving his hand. The sky-piercing stone pillars standing tall between heaven and earth rolled toward them amidst the whistling wind and thunder. A Ghost Sect expert at the Six Harmonies Heaven Realm was struck by the shining golden pillar, his bones instantly shattering. The pillar passed through him, leaving only a gruesome smear of flesh and blood on the ground.

Huang Mu had been concealing his true strength while fighting Gui Hai. When he finally unleashed it, the resulting might was utterly world-shaking, far surpassing anything the Great Protector Luo Tiecheng could muster.

The sky-piercing stone pillar blazed with golden light, spinning horizontally in the void, sending beams of golden energy shooting out toward Gui Rong.

Gui Rong clearly had not anticipated Huang Mu to be this terrifying. Coupled with his current despair, his momentum flagged. As the golden light struck, his hurried defense lacked sufficient power, and he was forced into continuous retreat by Huang Mu’s relentless bombardment, unable to withstand the onslaught.

"Hahaha! After today, the Gray Mountain Range belongs to our Shadowless Sect. It is time for your Ghost Sect’s long reign to end," Huang Mu declared, having gained complete advantage, finally revealing his arrogant demeanor, no longer placing the Ghost Sect in his eyes.

The Ghost Sect experts present were thrown into chaos. On the other side, Luo Tiecheng was gaining the upper hand against Gui Hai. The Ghost Sect, which had held the advantage since the conflict began, gradually lost its fighting spirit and was now being pushed back by the disciples of the Shadowless Sect.

Gui Lao Qi stood stunned, gazing blankly at the massive, deep pit ahead. He hadn't expected Ji Changkong to be killed so quickly and still found it hard to believe.

Staring at the huge pit, Gui Lao Qi’s eyes gradually brightened. He noticed that within the massive depression carved into the earth, there was no corpse of Ji Changkong—not a single drop of blood, not a piece of shredded flesh.

"This is..." Gui Lao Qi whispered, a sudden realization dawning, bringing a flicker of joy to his face.

A faint, flickering shadow, like a ghost, drifted out from the depths of the pit. From a distance, it looked like a tree rapidly growing taller. The blurred shadow elongated, flickered, and then vanished from the pit altogether.

Gui Lao Qi was overjoyed and opened his mouth to shout.

Suddenly, the ambient Wood energy that had been gathered earlier converged again at a frantic speed. A cyan heavenly thunderbolt, the size of a millstone, seemed to materialize out of thin air, flashing fiercely in the void.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

Within the millstone-sized cyan thunderbolt, streams of crystalline, violent lightning snaked and danced. A terrifying aura suddenly erupted from the cyan thunder, and only then did the world-ending sound of terrifying thunder transmit—like a collapsing mountain range, shaking heaven and earth. The brazen Huang Mu was currently fully engaged, battering Gui Rong with the golden sky-piercing stone pillar, laughing triumphantly.

An incomparably terrifying aura suddenly surged up from behind him. Huang Mu frowned, unable to resist looking back, and his face paled instantly.

"Ji..." "Ji Changkong, you’re not dead!" Huang Mu ground his teeth, finding it almost impossible to believe what he was seeing.

Ji Changkong, with a chillingly cold expression, held the millstone-sized cyan thunderbolt with both hands. Electric light coiled around his body. A massive illusion of a Holy Beast Azure Dragon, a hundred zhang tall, hovered in the void behind him like an ancient, divine mountain. Wisps of cyan Five Elements Wood energy sprayed from the mouth of the Holy Beast Azure Dragon illusion into the giant cyan thunderbolt he held, continuously amplifying the terrifying power within the thunder.

The Holy Beast Azure Dragon controlled the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, merging it with the Five Elements Wood energy to boost its might. The two combined created thunder that shook the nine heavens! "Huang Mu, taste this newly forged Nine Heavens Divine Thunder!" Ji Changkong said grimly, exerting force with both hands, hurling the cyan thunderbolt he held.

The moment the millstone-sized Nine Heavens Divine Thunder left his hands, it unleashed a thunderous roar that sounded like the void itself shattering. Streaks of lightning as thick as arms coiled around the thunderbolt, continuously enhancing its savage power.

Gui Rong, whose spirit had been crushed, suddenly showed an uncontrollable ecstasy, laughing wildly, dancing with delight: "Hahahaha! He’s not dead, he’s actually not dead!" Hope reignited, Gui Rong suddenly became maniacal, as if suddenly imbued with new strength. His arms thickened fivefold, and he instantly braced against Huang Mu’s golden sky-piercing stone pillar, using all his strength to shove it aside. He then joined Ji Changkong, attacking Huang Mu from front and back.

With Ji Changkong in front and Gui Rong behind, Huang Mu’s expression grew extremely grave. With a movement of his spirit, two "Golden Strength Giant Spirit Palms" materialized in the void; one lunged for Ji Changkong, and the other went to block Gui Rong.

Crack!

The millstone-sized cyan thunderbolt slammed directly into one of the "Golden Strength Giant Spirit Palms." Unexpectedly, the cyan thunderbolt, wrapped in lightning and roaring with thunder, did not instantly explode. The lightning on the thunderbolt seemed to spring to life, wriggling free from the thunderbolt and instantly coiling around the "Golden Strength Giant Spirit Palm."

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

As electric light flashed, cracks began to appear on the "Golden Strength Giant Spirit Palm," and it shattered instantly. The lightning on the thunderbolt vanished, and the perfectly round cyan thunderbolt continued its destructive path straight toward Huang Mu.

Huang Mu’s face finally changed drastically. He forcefully withdrew the golden sky-piercing stone pillar, embracing it with both hands, utilizing a domineering, world-turning force like an ancient demon god to smash the pillar against the cyan thunderbolt. "Huang Mu, don't forget about me!" Gui Rong chuckled chillingly. The seven soul-summoning banners instantly enveloped the other "Golden Strength Giant Spirit Palm," while he himself lunged toward Huang Mu, resembling a giant ghoul, baring fangs and claws in a terrifying form.

Only now did Ji Changkong and Gui Rong truly have the chance to fight together.

Rumble! Rumble!

The millstone-sized cyan thunderbolt collided with the sky-piercing stone pillar and finally exploded completely. The explosive force of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder is one of the most savage and overbearing powers in existence. Such a massive thunderbolt, amplified by the power of the Holy Beast Azure Dragon, became even more terrifying.

The sound of crimson thunder continued ceaselessly, making even the air seem to detonate. The golden, radiant stone pillar, caught at the epicenter of the blast, finally developed several cracks—a testament to the mysterious materials used in its forging!

Huang Mu’s face instantly turned pale. His three-meter-tall body suddenly shrank, instantly becoming two meters, a clear sign of massive internal energy expenditure.

Gui Rong saw the opportunity and pressed close to Huang Mu, hundreds of ghostly claws erupting from his body to engage Huang Mu in fierce close combat.

Ji Changkong gave a cold smile, and a silver, gleaming dagger materialized in his left hand as he also charged toward Huang Mu.

The divine weapon, refined with the vital blood of an Eight Trigrams Earth Master, seemed to sense the soaring fighting spirit of Ji Changkong; the spirit within the weapon suddenly quieted, not acting as unruly as it usually did.

However, at that moment, Ji Changkong abruptly noticed that the power supplied by the Origin Pearl had diminished. It was as if the reservoir of Heaven and Earth energy stored within the Pearl had been nearly depleted by these recent battles.

Ji Changkong, dagger in hand and about to strike Huang Mu, saw his expression shift drastically. He halted abruptly midway, merely staring coldly at Huang Mu who was locked in battle with Gui Rong, refraining from further attack.

A wave of exhaustion washed over him. Without the strong support of the Origin Pearl, even with the aid of his Xuanyuan bloodline, his actual cultivation level was only Five Elements Heaven Realm. He could fight a Six Harmonies Earth Master to a standstill, but facing Huang Mu directly now, he feared he could no longer inflict any significant damage.

He had always known that the Heaven and Earth energy contained within the Origin Pearl was not infinite. After using it in the Western Regions last time, he had noticed the energy within had decreased. Including the current instance, he had utilized the Pearl’s power three times: once at the Du Family, once in the Western Regions, and just now.

Each time he borrowed the Origin Pearl’s strength, he felt his own power swell to the extreme, granting him terrifying might surpassing that of a Seven Star Earth Master. This source of immense power resided entirely within the Pearl. Each activation reduced the energy within the Pearl slightly. While the Pearl did absorb ambient elemental energy daily, it could not keep up with such immense consumption.

After three uses, the energy in the Origin Pearl seemed almost entirely exhausted. Now, he had reverted to his original state.

The gigantic illusion of the Holy Beast Azure Dragon also began to fade slowly at this moment, until it vanished completely.

Gui Rong and Huang Mu were fighting; Gui Hai and Luo Tiecheng were fighting; the people of the Ghost Sect and the Shadowless Sect were fighting—but Ji Changkong, at this point, found his momentum gone and was forced to stop.

However, even though he ceased his assault, Huang Mu’s divine weapon, the sky-piercing stone pillar, bore visible cracks. And Huang Mu’s body strength had been depleted by a third from Ji Changkong’s thunderbolt. Now, engaged with Gui Rong, Huang Mu was clearly struggling to manage, falling into a disadvantageous position, being forced into retreat by Gui Rong's relentless attacks.

Ji Changkong’s reappearance from the earth’s depths invigorated the Ghost Sect’s morale. Furthermore, his sudden display of terrifying strength, comparable to an Eight Trigrams Earth Master, instilled fear in all the Shadowless Sect members. With three Eight Trigrams Earth Masters against them, the Shadowless Sect was doomed if the fight continued this way.

With this thought in mind, the Shadowless Sect fighters engaged with waning fervor. Even Huang Mu and Luo Tiecheng sensed that the situation was turning unfavorable.

"Gui Li! Gui Li! I request your assistance!" Suddenly, Huang Mu shouted toward the depths of the dense forest.

Gui Rong and Gui Hai’s expressions changed drastically, and they cried out in unison: "Gui Li!"

Whimper... whimper... At that moment, sounds of mournful ghost cries echoed from the deep forest. Dozens of inhuman figures with cold, emotionless eyes of cyan rushed rapidly from the depths of the woods.

The leader was a middle-aged man wearing the tattered elder robes of the Ghost Sect. His face was stiff, devoid of any human emotion. An icy, evil, and bloodthirsty aura flowed from his body.

"Huang Mu, how dare you bring the Ghost Demon King into your Shadowless Sect!" Gui Rong’s eyes seemed ready to spew fire.

"According to seniority, you all should call me Ancestor. You rebellious things! For so many years, you have dared to conspire with outsiders against your ancestor. You all deserve to die!" Gui Li stared menacingly at Gui Rong and Gui Hai, his voice icy and emotionless.

"Before you died, you were our Ghost Sect Ancestor. Now, you are no longer human; how dare you still claim to be an elder of my Ghost Sect!" Gui Rong refused to yield an inch. "The Ghost Demon was born because of you. If you possessed even a shred of humanity, you would exterminate the Ghost Demon for the sect. Even so, you cannot fully redeem yourself!"

"Redeem myself?" Gui Li sneered chillingly. "I am making the Ghost Sect glorious! The birth of the Ghost Demon is the Ghost Sect’s greatest creation. You should be like me, transforming into immortal, undying Ghost Demons and spreading the renown of the Ghost Sect throughout the world!"

"Words are useless," Gui Rong countered. "The new generation of Xuanyuan of the Ji Family has appeared. This generation of Xuanyuan will surpass all previous ones. You Ghost Demons are destined for total annihilation!"

Gui Li finally shifted his gaze to Ji Changkong, looking at him coldly: "You are the new Xuanyuan of the Ji Family? Very well. After today, you will become one of us!" As he finished speaking, Gui Li suddenly charged toward Ji Changkong, followed closely by dozens of Ghost Demons behind him, encircling Ji Changkong in a ring.

A dark cyan, hazy shadow drifted from Gui Li’s body like light smoke. Gui Li’s physical form suddenly swelled, drifting toward Ji Changkong like a mass of black cloud. Shadows flickered all over his body; Gui Li existed in a state between solid and ethereal, which was uncanny. An icy, evil, and mercilessly cruel power surged out like strands of seaweed, coiling toward Ji Changkong.

In an instant, those seaweed-like strands of evil energy wrapped Ji Changkong layer upon layer.

"Not good!" Gui Rong cried out in alarm. He could no longer focus on attacking Huang Mu and rushed frantically toward the scene.

"Don't ruin the great achievement of Xuanyuan becoming a Ghost Demon!" Huang Mu laughed wildly, blocking Gui Rong with all his might, forcing him to disperse his attention away from Ji Changkong.

Gui Li’s new form of life—existing between human and malevolent ghost—was something that should never have appeared in the world. It was created by Gui Li’s astounding genius out of thin air. Although Gui Li was not the first Ghost Demon to form, he was the architect; no one understood the art of refining Ghost Demons better than he did.

Ji Changkong didn't even have time to react before he was tightly bound by the strands. Waves of cold, evil energy drilled into his body through those wrappings, instantly stripping him of his mobility. "If Xuanyuan becomes a Ghost Demon, who else can stop us from dominating the world!" Gui Li used the strands to bind Ji Changkong, pouring cold, emotionless energy into his body, attempting to transform Ji Changkong into a Ghost Demon through this method.

Ji Changkong, completely enveloped by Gui Li’s strands, felt streams of extremely bizarre energy flooding his limbs and bones, drilling through his meridians, skeletal structure, and flesh. This energy was as soft and yielding as water, seeming to merge instantly with his body, becoming active in every one of his cells.

Horrified and unable to move, Ji Changkong felt utterly lost. A fear of becoming a Ghost Demon surged up from his heart. At this moment, he suddenly felt cold to the bone, as if all the passionate blood within him was being extinguished by this strange power.

Gui Rong and Gui Hai were greatly alarmed and rushed toward the area regardless of the danger. However, Huang Mu and Luo Tiecheng exerted full force, effectively blocking them and preventing them from disrupting Gui Li’s actions.

Dozens of Ghost Demons converged, tightly surrounding Ji Changkong in the center. With their backs to Ji Changkong, these emotionless demons stared forward motionlessly, clearly providing support for Gui Li’s efforts.

If anyone dared to approach, these dozens of Ghost Demons would unhesitatingly attack to buy time for Gui Li.

No one had anticipated that Gui Li, one of the Three Great Demon Kings, would be right inside the Shadowless Sect. It was evident that the Shadowless Sect's leader, Huang Mu, had deliberately kept Gui Li and his demonic horde hidden, fearing exposure of their alliance with a Demon King. Only when their secret was unveiled by the Ghost Sect, coupled with the unexpected variable of Ji Changkong's emergence, did they have no choice but to summon Gui Li for assistance.

The Ghost Sect had initially been deceived by the true identities of Huang Mu and Luo Tielian, and had gravely misjudged the strength of the Shadowless Sect. They gained absolutely no advantage in this battle; had Ji Changkong not suddenly displayed his might, the Ghost Sect members would have been completely suppressed by the Shadowless Sect forces, making Gui Li’s intervention unnecessary.

Gui Li’s arrival immediately threw the field into chaos. If Ji Changkong were to be assimilated by Gui Li, the Ghost Sect's demise would be certain, extinguishing any hope of ever eradicating the Demon Kings. The Ghost Sect itself would then face utter annihilation by the Three Great Demon Kings.

As the Ghost Sect's greatest hope, Ji Changkong being entangled by Gui Li plunged every member of the Ghost Sect into despair.

Gui Li focused on Ji Changkong, his gaze utterly devoid of human emotion, continuously channeling insidious power into Ji Changkong’s body. He was using his most profound secret art to assimilate Ji Changkong, attempting to turn him into one of his own kind.

Utterly paralyzed, Ji Changkong lost all control over his body, forced to watch Gui Li opposite him with absolutely no means of defense. The disparity in power was too vast; he couldn't even muster his Yuan Power, and the Ghost Demons specialized terrifyingly in soul manipulation. Under these circumstances, death seemed his only possible outcome.

Even if I die, I will not become a demon! I refuse to become such a cold-blooded, inhuman thing!

Suddenly, an intense surge of conviction erupted within Ji Changkong. He resolved, even knowing his demise was certain, not to give Demon King Gui Li the chance to corrupt him. He prepared to detonate his body and soul simultaneously, a final desperate measure to prevent his transformation.

Just as he was about to trigger the violent rupture of his blood vessels using his Xuanyuan bloodline to force the Heavenly Thunder Energy to destroy him from within, the quiescent Heavenly Origin Pearl suddenly emitted an extraordinarily fierce suction force. In an instant, the Pearl transformed into a miniature vortex that pulled everything toward it, drawing away all the strange, corrosive energies flowing within his body.

Gui Li’s emotionless eyes flared with an ominous, sinister light. He seemed momentarily bewildered, unsure what was happening.

The ribbons winding around Ji Changkong's body continued to feed him more and more power, yet it was all being continuously absorbed by the Heavenly Origin Pearl. The Pearl acted like a black hole capable of containing everything, siphoning off all the sinister energies entering Ji Changkong’s body without Gui Li realizing it.

Gui Li remained unaware. He only sensed that the flow of energy was accelerating at a rate far exceeding his expectations!

Initially, Gui Li took no action. Although he felt something was amiss, he assumed everything was proceeding normally. However, after a short while, upon noticing that Ji Changkong’s body showed no transformation and his pupils remained normally black, Gui Li finally recognized the gravity of the situation.

Gui Li attempted to retract the ribbons binding Ji Changkong, as the speed of the energy flow was becoming dangerously rapid—it was now consuming more than half of his own internal energy!

The moment Gui Li moved, the formidable suction force from the Heavenly Origin Pearl intensified. The ribbons snapped taut, but they felt anchored to a mountain; they simply would not budge!

At this point, Ji Changkong realized that the ribbons were not physical objects but a bizarre form of energy composed of Yuan Power, soul essence, and Yin Qi from heaven and earth. This energy was utterly novel to him, yet the Heavenly Origin Pearl, which specialized in absorbing souls and Yuan Power, held these ribbons firmly against his body, forcefully utilizing them to draw the evil energy directly from Demon King Gui Li.

Gui Li’s emotionless pupils flickered strangely as he struggled desperately against the terrifying sucking force emanating from Ji Changkong.

Suddenly, the Heavenly Origin Pearl erupted from Ji Changkong's lower abdomen, releasing a streak of pale light as it slowly ascended. Before Gui Li could comprehend the situation, the Pearl dropped directly above his head, generating an even more terrifying suction force.

Gui Li looked up, dispersing a wisp of his soul power in an attempt to escape the Pearl’s pull. Unfortunately, this extraordinary treasure seemed inherently capable of commanding souls; just as the soul of the Fire Phoenix before it could not escape, Gui Li, a Demon King, suffered the same fate.

In mere moments, Gui Li’s essence, dispersed into wisps of soul power, was entirely enveloped by the Heavenly Origin Pearl. Not a single fragment escaped; all of it was devoured, including every trace of the strange energy Gui Li possessed.

Gui Li’s body, deprived of this energy sustenance, began to melt at a visible rate, quickly reducing itself to a pool of murky liquid.

In the distance, the Ghost Sect members, Gui Die and Gui Hai among them, who had been watching the confrontation intently, suddenly erupted in loud cheers, their faces alight with uncontrollable excitement and ecstasy. Never had anything brought such fervor to the Ghost Sect members. The Demon King, Gui Li—a persistent scourge in the Gray Mountain Range whom the Ghost Sect had labored fruitlessly to eliminate for years, a constant source of dread—had been killed just like that! Every bit of his soul had been eliminated; it was total annihilation!

It was certain that this Demon King, evolved from the ancients of the Ghost Sect, could never resurrect, for his soul, his body, his entire existence in this world, had vanished without a trace, leaving zero possibility for rebirth.

For years, the Demon King had been the Ghost Sect’s paramount threat. Even the two previous generations of the Ji family’s Xuanyuan wielders, utilizing the cultivation of the Eighth Trigram Heaven Realm and the Thunder Movement Nine Heavens technique, could only heavily wound the Three Great Demon Kings, never truly destroying them. Before today, the Ghost Sect considered the Demon Kings virtually immortal beings, finding it hard to imagine any method that could eradicate them. Earlier, when Ji Changkong was captured by Gui Li, all hope seemed extinguished, and they believed the Ghost Sect was finished.

Yet, just as despair set in, the situation drastically reversed. A miraculous pearl emerged from Ji Changkong’s body, not only halting Gui Li’s assimilation but also eradicating the supremely strange life form of Gui Li with lightning speed.

Ji Changkong, only at the Fifth Element Heaven Realm, had accomplished what even the powerful Xuanyuans of the last two Ji generations could not: he had plucked a thorn lodged deep in the Ghost Sect’s heart! This was an outcome the Ghost Sect had dared not even imagine.

The surprise was not yet over!

After absorbing all of Demon King Gui Li’s power, the Heavenly Origin Pearl, without needing direction from Ji Changkong, moved toward the dozens of other lesser demons accompanying Gui Li. These demons, though lacking human emotion, possessed a degree of intelligence and instinctively sensed danger, scattering in all directions.

The Heavenly Origin Pearl targeted one demon, instantly enveloping it. In a flash, all the demon’s power was swallowed into the Pearl, and it too dissolved into a pool of murky fluid. Witnessing this, the remaining demons fled even faster.

Alas, the Heavenly Origin Pearl afforded them no chance to escape. Its speed through the air far outstripped that of the dozens of demons. Once covered by the Pearl, every demon was doomed—the Heavenly Origin Pearl seemed to be their nemesis; wherever it passed, demons were consumed without a single escapee.

Before long, all the dozens of demons that had appeared with Gui Li were swallowed by the Heavenly Origin Pearl; not one escaped.

“Go!” Huang Mu suddenly roared, leading the way toward the depths of the dense forest.

The Shadowless Sect disciples seemed to sense the dire turn of events and fled toward the woods as well. The Ghost Sect and Shadowless Sect were nearly equal in strength; with the former fleeing at full capacity, the Shadowless Sect could only watch helplessly.

A few slower-to-escape Shadowless Sect members, being of lower cultivation, were surrounded and cut down by the Ghost Sect forces.

“Don’t chase them. The area deep in the forest is one of the Gray Mountain Range’s perilous zones, teeming with fierce beasts.”

The Ghost Sect understood that the deeper woods were not easy to penetrate. If they faced the ferocious beasts alone, they wouldn't necessarily fear them, but if the beasts allied with the Shadowless Sect against them, the situation would become perilous. Thus, the Ghost Sect had to abandon the pursuit.

The Ghost Sect members turned back. Gui Hai and Gui Die looked at the three newly fallen Ghost Sect corpses on the ground with evident sadness. Unlike the Shadowless Sect, the Ghost Sect had suffered heavy losses over the years fighting the Three Great Demon Kings and had been isolated from the Gray Mountain Range for too long, resulting in sparse numbers. This battle claimed three more lives, further weakening the sect. Unconsciously, the once-dominant Ghost Sect of the Gray Mountain Range now struggled against even these external sects like the Shadowless Sect, a heavy blow to their morale.

“Fourth Uncle, don’t be sad. Our Ghost Sect will not continue like this…” Gui Hai approached Gui Mei, speaking with slight sorrow, though he instantly realized the inappropriateness of his words. “The Demon King is dead! You saw it—the Demon King is actually dead!”

As he spoke, Gui Hai could no longer contain the surging excitement within him. “The Demon King is dead! The Demon King is truly dead! He is actually dead!”

All the Ghost Sect members, hearing Gui Hai’s words, were unable to suppress their excitement. The Gray Mountain Range, long deprived of sunlight, seemed to find a glimmer of dawn in those pronouncements.

The sadness was largely washed away by the wave of excitement. All the Ghost Sect members gathered around Ji Changkong, only to watch in horror as the miraculous pearl that had swallowed the Demon King slowly sank back into Ji Changkong’s body.

With the Heavenly Origin Pearl re-entering his body, Ji Changkong did not immediately regain consciousness. To the Ghost Sect’s surprise, Ji Changkong slowly closed his eyes.

Suddenly, the illusory forms of the Sacred Beasts—Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise—manifested behind him. Azure, white, crimson, gold, and earth-yellow lights formed a massive, five-colored halo centered on him.

The four Sacred Beast illusions continuously circled outside the five-colored halo, seemingly searching for a way to enter the sphere. The entire sky was filled with the Four Beasts and the multi-hued light. The eternally sunless Gray Mountain Range was instantly transformed into a place of brilliant color.

The illusory Four Sacred Beasts were immense, like four small mountains, while the five-colored halo centered on Ji Changkong expanded outward. Any nearby trees or stones struck by the light instantly shattered. The Four Beasts hovered longingly outside the halo, struggling to find the passage inside.

All the Ghost Sect masters watched the changes occurring in Ji Changkong, completely stunned.

“The Four Sacred Beasts, the Five Elements Power… what is happening here?” Gui Hai muttered, astonishment etched on his face.

“He is in the Fifth Element Heaven Realm, yet he cultivates more than just Earth Element power! Earlier, when I saw him emerge from underground, only someone whose body and soul had been tempered by the Five Elements Earth Power could move freely within the earth. Clearly, he is proficient in the Earth Element!” Ghost Seventh quickly explained to Gui Hai and the others after his initial shock subsided.

“It’s not just Wood and Earth; he must have cultivated Fire, Water, and Metal as well…” Gui Die’s expression grew grave. “In the Four Symbols Heaven Realm, he managed to master the powers of all Four Sacred Beasts… this… this fellow is even more relentless than any Xuanyuan in the Ji family!”

“How is that possible? Look at him; he seems barely twenty years old! Even the Ji family Xuanyuans, cultivating so many powers simultaneously, shouldn't reach this level!” Gui Hai expressed profound disbelief.

“Look at what he’s doing now; it might be even more incredible! Did you see how the Four Sacred Beasts circle the halo, seeking a path in? This is a precursor to the fusion of the Four Symbols and the Five Elements!” Gui Die marveled, utterly awestruck, admitting even his vast experience left him speechless.

“No wonder such a miraculous pearl would choose him as its master. A person like this, provided he doesn't perish, will certainly surpass all previous Ji family Xuanyuans! Perhaps… perhaps he can reach the Ten Directions Heaven Realm!” Gui Hai exclaimed in admiration.

“Indeed, he genuinely has the potential to reach the Ten Directions Heaven Realm! He is a living miracle!”

Gui Mei nodded, then suddenly instructed Gui Hai and the others, “We must protect him well. No one is to disturb him during this process. Once he successfully fuses the Four Symbols and Five Elements, the other two Demon Kings will cease to be a threat!”

At Gui Mei’s signal, the Ghost Sect members formed a wide circle around the central Ji Changkong, taking up the roles of protectors.

The moment they settled into position, the body of Ji Changkong at the center underwent another transformation. His entire body seemed engorged with blood, turning dark purple-red. A scroll of scripture flew out from his mind, hovering a meter above his head, and the azure, crimson, white, gold, and yellow light rings began to spin violently at high speed.

Just then, the Four Sacred Beasts, which had been orbiting the five-colored halo without success, finally seemed to find the method to enter, one by one diving into the swirling multi-hued sphere.

Once inside the five-colored halo, the Four Sacred Beasts began to rotate rapidly together with the light rings. Gradually, the Azure Dragon merged with the azure light, the Vermilion Bird with the crimson light, the White Tiger with the golden light, and the Black Tortoise with the white light. The earth-yellow light settled at the outermost edge of the five-colored halo.

The power of the Four Symbols and the Five Elements began their thorough integration in this manner.

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