Seven—a full count of seven Eighth-Layered Heaven masters gathered at Xuanyuan Valley. In contrast, the periphery of Xuanyuan Valley hosted only Li Hentian, Gui Rong, Gui Hai, and Mu Luo; even adding Murong Tu, who had arrived seeking vengeance, meant only five Eighth-Layered Heaven experts—a force entirely incapable of matching the opposition.

The moment Huang Mu and Luo Tieqiang, those two Eighth-Layered Heaven masters from the Shadowless Sect, manifested in the void, the faces of Gui Die and Gui Hai immediately darkened. The Shadowless Sect’s collusion with the Three Great Ghost Demon Kings in the Gray Mountain Range, gathering unknown materials for them, meant the very existence of the Shadowless Sect gravely threatened the survival of the Ghost Sect.

Seeing Huang Mu and Luo Tieqiang emerge from the Gray Mountain Range and join forces with the Dark King and other monstrous fiends, Gui Die and Gui Hai were consumed by furious impotence.

“Mu Luo, you truly believe the Ouroboros Sect can rise again relying on this brat? How laughable. A dignified elder of the Ouroboros Sect must take orders from a mere Central Land youth. The Ouroboros Sect truly is declining,” the Dark King sighed, shaking his head, his gaze lingering on Mu Luo in the rear mountain.

Many were unaware of the mysterious Mu Luo's identity, including many within the Ji family; this declaration from the Dark King caused numerous onlookers to stare at him in astonishment.

“He’s an outsider!” Huang Xuejiang scoffed from a distance, his tone filled with clear dissatisfaction.

The Heavenly Master sects on Blood Rain Mountain harbored an inherent distrust of outsiders. When they learned the Ji family had aligned themselves with these Western Regions outsiders, their opinion of the Ji family soured in turn.

Huang Xuejiang was not alone in this sentiment; the expressions of several other experts from families and sects on Blood Rain Mountain also shifted subtly, casting unfriendly glances at the veiled Mu Luo.

“So, he’s from the Western Regions Ouroboros Sect. Hmph, another cult!” Murong Tu sneered coldly at Ji Changkong.

The Dark King inwardly chuckled. Observing the attitudes of Huang Xuejiang, Murong Tu, and the others, he realized his words had achieved an unexpected effect: leveraging Mu Luo’s Western Regions origin to make the Ji family of Xuanyuan Valley the target of universal scorn, beginning the internal collapse first.

With an external threat looming, not only were figures like Murong Tu and Huang Xuejiang failing to unite against the enemy, but they were actively leveraging Mu Luo’s origin against him. Under such circumstances, how could they possibly fight?

Mu Luo, however, remained composed and unmoved. He lifted his head to meet the Dark King’s gaze and stated, “Our Ouroboros Sect and your Manichaeism are sworn enemies. If we become strong, you won't even have the capacity to stir trouble in the Central Lands. For the people of the Central Lands, a stronger Ouroboros Sect is advantageous. I am here precisely to oppose your Manichaeism!” Though usually aloof and quiet, Mu Luo was far from foolish; these words were delivered with considerable skill.

Those who had just voiced reservations about Mu Luo’s identity—like Huang Xuejiang—paused, suddenly realizing that the power of the Ouroboros Sect in the Western Regions could indeed check the ambition of Manichaeism. If the Ouroboros Sect could keep the Manichaeans occupied fighting on their own turf, the latter would have no leisure to cause trouble on Blood Rain Mountain.

“The Ouroboros Sect dares challenge us? Truly overestimating yourselves. Don't think the Heavenly Origin Bead can restore your former glory,” the Dark King shook his head lightly, smiling at the Sect Leader Ram beside him. “Then today, we shall extinguish the hope of your Ouroboros Sect and plunge you into utter despair.” Unbeknownst to him, Ji Changkong had become the hope for the Ouroboros Sect’s resurgence as well as the survival of the Ghost Sect; the combined pressure of these two sects settled heavily upon his heart.

Above the swirling black clouds, the Dark King, Sect Leader Ram, Lan Lin of Lanyuan Garden, Huang Mu, Luo Tieqiang, and the masters from the Blood Pool coldly surveyed Xuanyuan Valley below. From the depths of the earth came ceaseless, despairing wails. Those unfortunate enough to fall into the chasms were within the attack range of the Eighth-Layered Heaven master Zheng Jieshi, leaving them no chance of survival.

This was a catastrophe; for anyone within Xuanyuan Valley, facing so many formidable enemies was a despairing prospect.

The Dark King, Sect Leader Ram, and their contingent ceased their idle chatter in the sky and jointly launched another assault on those still standing in the center of Xuanyuan Valley.

Darkness once more enveloped Xuanyuan Valley. The power of the Eighth-Layered Heaven masters was terrifying; even those hiding in the caves of the rear mountain could not escape the combined assault of the seven masters. As the Dark King and his allies struck, mountains trembled, and massive boulders began to shatter… At this moment, everyone in Xuanyuan Valley was shrouded in the shadow of death, seemingly inescapable.

Li Hentian, Gui Die, Gui Hai, Mu Luo, and even Murong Tu finally abandoned their passive defense within Xuanyuan Valley. In an instant, these five soared upward, charging directly toward the Dark King and his group hovering above the black clouds.

Huangfu Jingwei hesitated no longer. With a flash of brilliant golden light, his “Golden Heaven-Piercing Cone” lunged toward Lan Lin within the black clouds. Perhaps having learned from his failure against Ji Changkong, Huangfu Jingwei immediately shouted after releasing the Cone: “Everyone, combine your strength to aid me!” This call was naturally directed at the other Huangfu family members. The experts accompanying him from the Huangfu family promptly unleashed the Light of the Seven Stars, channeling it into the “Golden Heaven-Piercing Cone.” With the combined might of several Seven-Layered Heaven masters augmenting Huangfu Jingwei’s power, the “Golden Heaven-Piercing Cone” erupted with an intensely sharp, golden radiance.

With the combined force of several Seven-Layered Heaven masters driving it, the power of the “Golden Heaven-Piercing Cone” was significantly greater than when it faced Ji Changkong. As the indestructible “Golden Heaven-Piercing Cone” shot toward Lan Lin of Lanyuan Garden, she adopted a look of intense gravity, sensing in the weapon a power capable of injuring, perhaps even killing her.

The battle between the Eighth-Layered Heaven masters ignited suddenly in the void.

It was only at this juncture that streams of masters from Luoxia Island, the Myriad Poison Gate, Manichaeism, Lanyuan Garden, and the Shadowless Sect arrived from outside Xuanyuan Valley, launching attacks upon the experts from the participating sects like Chen Yihui, Bai Yanhai, and Huang Xuejiang.

The grand battle commenced. The Ghost Sect and Ji family experts, who had been hiding in the caves behind, realizing the Eighth-Layered Heaven masters in the sky were preoccupied, emerged once more from their hiding places. They immediately joined forces with Chen Yihui, Bai Lunhai, and the others, clashing with the invading enemies.

Ji Changkong had never before witnessed a battle on this scale between Heavenly Masters. Xuanyuan Valley was instantly engulfed in a clamor of war cries, divine weapons danced overhead, phantoms of the Four Sacred Beasts—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise—flickered across the void, the light of the Five Elements shot wildly, and the power of the Seven Stars surged.

In this moment, a fierce, inexplicable desire to fight suddenly ignited within him.

His entire bloodstream boiled, burning like a raging inferno. Now, he finally understood the uniqueness of the Xuanyuan bloodline; even under such dire peril, an unyielding fighting spirit remained within his veins, as if nothing were impossible with the sheer blood flowing through his body.

As his blood burned, the Heavenly Origin Bead appropriately channeled a surging power into every limb and bone. Infinite strength instantly filled his body, once again giving him the urge to unleash it.

Howl!

He let out an excited roar toward the heavens. Ji Changkong’s eyes suddenly shot out beams of intensely cold, deathly white light. As the two beams of frigid light flashed, two Myriad Poison Gate masters wearing animal skins directly ahead instantly began to tremble, their flesh rapidly covered in a layer of solid ice.

Next to the two Myriad Poison Gate members, Huang Kun seized the opportunity and quietly delivered a sword strike.

Crack!

The bodies of the two Myriad Poison Gate experts violently burst apart, the frozen, icy chunks falling to the ground like broken popsicles, shattering into numerous pieces.

A chilling glare emanated from his eyes; whomever his gaze focused upon was met with a bone-piercing chill. Weaker individuals were instantly frozen solid. Those at the Six Harmonies Heaven or Seven Stars Heaven realms, due to their high cultivation bases and deep internal Yuan energy, were not immediately encased in ice.

However, under the gaze of Ji Changkong’s icy silver eyes, a deep chill rose from their core, and their bodies were naturally affected by the cold. Not only did their speed slow down during their attacks, but their power was also greatly inhibited—ten parts of their strength could suddenly yield less than seven.

Even without actively attacking, merely by sweeping his silver eyes across the battlefield, he caused Myriad Poison Gate, Luoxia Island, and Manichaeism members to suffer, either becoming frozen statues on the spot or being cut down by opportunistic strikes.

Just by standing there, his silver gaze sweeping over Xuanyuan Valley, whoever was targeted by his eyes would quickly be finished off by others taking advantage. Though he didn't strike himself, he played an extremely crucial role.

The experts from the Myriad Poison Gate, Luoxia Island, and Manichaeism never anticipated his silver eyes possessed such a miraculous effect; those caught in the sweep of his gaze invariably suffered.

Jiji! Jiji Jiji!

A piercing, harsh laugh erupted from a crazed, blood-soaked old man from the Western Regions. Covered in his own blood, he charged directly toward Ji Changkong, clearly intending to kill him swiftly.

Manichaeism, the Slaughter Demon.

The cold beams of light in Ji Changkong’s eyes suddenly converged on the Slaughter Demon. The charging figure abruptly halted, clearly affected by the cold emanating from Ji Changkong’s silver eyes. However, given the Slaughter Demon's cultivation at the Seven Stars Heaven realm, he quickly reached Ji Changkong despite the chilling influence.

“Daddy!” Just then, Bai Qingya cried out in alarm.

The Greed Demon and Fear Demon had surrounded Bai Yanhai in the center, grinning malevolently as they attacked him. Being of the same Seven Stars Heaven realm, the combined assault of the two demons clearly overwhelmed Bai Yanhai, who struggled desperately to fend them off on both sides.

“Little beauty, I failed to capture you last time, but I won’t miss you today, hehe. A while from now, we’ll have our fun, and I guarantee your father will scream louder than he is now.”

The Lust Demon, one of the Five Demons, advanced toward Bai Qingya from another direction with a lewd grin, licking his lips. His lower body was highly distended, and he thrust forward with every step toward Bai Qingya.

Nearby young women and wives screamed in terror upon seeing his demeanor and scrambled far away from this ugly old demon who made no attempt to conceal his lust.

“Boy, I am your opponent! Why are you looking around?!” The Slaughter Demon roared in anger as Ji Changkong glanced about while he charged, a wave of hot, insane, bloodthirsty aura suddenly surging toward Ji Changkong.

His spirit suddenly swayed, as if influenced by this aura, causing his state of mind to waver slightly, and the frigid light in his eyes dimmed momentarily.

The Slaughter Demon seized the opportunity, finally reaching Ji Changkong. He spread both hands, his bloody five claws slamming down toward Ji Changkong’s forehead. Starlight occasionally seeped from the claws, an incongruous sight against the gruesome nails.

Taking a shallow breath, the profound essence of the Great Void Secret Record took effect, and in an instant, he regained his calm. Seeing the Slaughter Demon’s five claws descending, Ji Changkong grinned—a slightly savage smile—and suddenly extended his hands, forming claws exactly like the Slaughter Demon’s, reaching out to meet his opponent’s hands.

In that instant, their fingers intertwined, resembling the intimate clasp of two lovers at the peak of affection.

Chak! Chak! Chak!

A horrifying sound of snapping bone erupted from the Slaughter Demon’s hands. A sensation of excruciating pain flooded the demon’s nerves, causing him to scream out involuntarily, casting aside all dignity.

“Hehe… Does it hurt? The pain ahead will be worse!”

Ji Changkong’s eyes were filled with chilling malice, and the smile on his lips grew more venomous.

He abruptly yanked upward on the Slaughter Demon’s clasped fingers.

“Ah!” The Slaughter Demon suddenly howled like a distressed ghost, a scream unbearable to the ear.

All ten of his fingers were ripped out by Ji Changkong in one swift motion. The Slaughter Demon’s extended hands were left dripping blood, ten digits gone!

With the ten fingers connected to the heart, the pain of having them instantly torn off was almost unbearable for the Slaughter Demon. Amidst his cries, he frantically lunged at Ji Changkong.

Xuanyuan bloodline, cultivation in the Four Symbols and Five Elements—his body had been tempered by the power of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. His physical resilience was beyond ordinary imagination. Coupled with the infusion of power from the Heavenly Origin Bead, engaging in close combat with a mere Slaughter Demon—wasn't this courting death?

Rumble!

The Heavenly Thunder Force slammed into the Slaughter Demon’s chest. A violent thunderous sound emanated from within his torso as his body was hurled far back. While airborne, the Slaughter Demon’s body convulsed violently under the force of the Heavenly Thunder Force. Before he could land, he was blasted to death, a trace of the thunderous power even penetrating his mind and scattering his soul.

In a single exchange, the ferociously charging Slaughter Demon was slain by Ji Changkong.

Meanwhile, Bai Qingya was desperately fending off the harassment of the Lust Demon. Had it not been for Chen Yihui occasionally diverting her attention to protect Bai Qingya, the latter would surely have fallen victim to the Lust Demon’s relentless pursuit.

Even so, when the Lust Demon managed to grab hold of Bai Qingya once, a section of the silk trousers on her leg was ripped away, exposing a portion of her crystal-white, tender left leg. As she drifted away, the sight of her smooth, alluring leg excited the Lust Demon even further, his lower body swelling so tightly that his robes seemed on the verge of tearing.

Any woman fighting the Lust Demon would inevitably be affected by his obscene and grotesque behavior; managing to utilize seven or eight tenths of their strength was considered good. This demon’s movements were disgusting, and his eyes were shamelessly filled with carnal desire. Any woman meeting his gaze, unless she was mad or a complete wanton, would be unnerved.

The Lust Demon chuckled lewdly, seemingly intent on toying with Bai Qingya. He didn't press for the kill, instead making grotesque gestures and reaching toward Bai Qingya’s intimate areas, forcing her to constantly evade and abandon any attempt at counterattack.

The Manichaean faction was clearly much stronger than the Xuanyuan Valley defenders. To the Lust Demon and his kind, the defeat and death of those in Xuanyuan Valley was only a matter of time, so he was in no hurry. While pursuing Bai Qingya, he occasionally reached out to harass other nearby women.

Any woman he spotted, regardless of age, was fair game. If he could touch them, he would; if not, he would lean in to sniff their scent—utterly debauched.

Bai Qingya evaded and dodged, her bright eyes suddenly lighting up as she swiftly fled toward Ji Changkong.

The Lust Demon followed closely, chuckling endlessly. “Little beauty, you think that pale-faced boy can save you? You escaped us once before; today we’ll take care of both of you.” This demon had a decent memory, actually recalling the previous encounter. Bringing it up only served to remind Ji Changkong of how wretched he and Bai Qingya had been while fleeing the pursuit of the two demons back then.

Because the Lust Demon had been so focused on pursuing Bai Qingya and harassing every nearby female, he had failed to notice the Slaughter Demon had already been killed by Ji Changkong… The Lust Demon, unaware of Ji Changkong’s true strength, only knew that Bai Qingya, having witnessed Ji Changkong defeat Huangfu Jingwei (who wielded the ‘Golden Heaven-Piercing Cone’), recognized Ji Changkong had the power to deal with the Lust Demon; otherwise, she would never have led the Lust Demon toward him.

Bai Qingya, pale-faced and frantic, fled toward him with a ripped trouser leg exposing a section of her crystalline calf. The gleam radiating from that exposed skin fueled Ji Changkong’s rising anger even more.

“Changkong!” Bai Qingya reached his side, her delicate face etched with panic.

For women, perhaps death was not the worst fear; what terrified them was falling into the clutches of a disgusting fiend like the Lust Demon. To suffer such a fate would be far more agonizing than death itself.

“Lust Demon, tsk tsk, truly quite vile,” Ji Changkong said with disgust. Before the demon could approach, he suddenly struck.

A single azure Heavenly Thunder materialized beside the Lust Demon. As if triggering a chain reaction, as soon as this first azure thunder appeared, more and more Heavenly Thunders sprang up around the Lust Demon without warning.

One of the azure Thunders happened to align perfectly with the Lust Demon’s arousal, and at that moment, habit made the demon momentarily freeze, even causing him to jut his rear slightly… Rumble!

The azure Thunder exploded violently. A foul, putrid smell wafted out amidst a spray of gore.

In an instant, the source of the Lust Demon’s depravity—his manhood—was blown to shreds. His lower body was a bloody mess, the tendons in both thighs exposed.

The Lust Demon let out a shriek that was no longer human, his face contorted in madness. He charged at Ji Changkong with a frenzy surpassing even the Slaughter Demon’s suicidal rush.

“Seeking death!” Ji Changkong sneered, releasing a five-colored halo. As the halo emerged, the Lust Demon’s spirit was momentarily disrupted, and his body froze abruptly in the void.

His figure moved like lightning—eyes, body, hands—all arrived at once. The Heavenly Thunder Force erupted, and a bolt of thunder was driven by Ji Changkong straight into the Lust Demon’s brain.

With a loud bang, the Lust Demon’s head burst open; he was dead beyond reprieve.

The death of the Slaughter Demon earlier had already drawn the attention of the Eighth-Layered Heaven masters above. When the Lust Demon was also blasted dead by Ji Changkong’s Heavenly Thunder Force, the Dark King, who was currently locked in battle with Mu Luo, experienced a sudden shift in expression. He clearly had not anticipated Ji Changkong possessed the strength to kill two of his demons so quickly.

At this moment, the Dark King and Sect Leader Ram were pressing Mu Luo, forcing him into a wretched state where he could only rely on the Thousand Shadows Evasion technique to dodge. His left arm was already injured, showing traces of blood.

Huangfu Jingwei and the Huangfu experts were using the “Golden Heaven-Piercing Cone” to engage Lan Lin of Lanyuan Garden. Lan Lin also hadn't expected several Seven Stars Heaven masters, aided by a divine weapon, could force her into such a defensive posture. The “Golden Heaven-Piercing Cone,” a divine weapon tempered by the Huangfu experts over many years, was indeed indestructible, requiring her full effort just to manage it.

Gui Die and Gui Hai were naturally locked in battle with Luo Tieguo and Huang Mu of the Shadowless Sect. They considered the Shadowless Sect a major enemy of the Ghost Sect, and regardless of what the sect was gathering for the Ghost Demon Kings, they only desired the death of the Shadowless Sect members so they would cause no more trouble for the Ghost Sect.

Li Hentian had charged skyward first, intending to strike at the Blood Pool expert. However, Murong Tu moved faster, taking on the Blood Pool expert of the Eighth-Layered Heaven realm, splitting the threat.

Seeing Murong Tu engage, Li Hentian didn't contest him. Instead, he passed through an underground fissure and burrowed deep into the earth. Once Li Hentian entered the ground, the depths of Xuanyuan Valley fell silent. It seemed the Luoxia Island Master, hiding deep underground, held no advantage against a ferocious demon like Li Hentian.

Seeing the Slaughter Demon and the Lust Demon killed, the Dark King’s face changed, and he prepared to order Sect Leader Ram to descend and deal with Ji Changkong.

Just then, Zheng Jieshi, the Luoxia Island Master, suddenly emerged from the earth. Before the ground fissures could seal completely, Li Hentian also flew out from the deep earth, looking coldly at Zheng Jieshi and remarking, “Luoxia Island Master, is hiding in the earth depths to ambush people all you know how to do?”

"But I'm out now, aren't I?" Zheng Jieshi laughed, showing no fear of Li Hentian in his demeanor.

"Good." Li Hentian nodded, and the Wheel of the Scorching Sun pushed toward Zheng Jieshi amidst billowing heat waves, unleashing a full-scale slaughter upon him.

In the sky, the Bagua Heavenly Master from the Blood Sun Sect of the East Sea suddenly evaded Murong Tu and plummeted from the heavens. Thick blood mist enveloped him as he charged straight toward Ji Changkong.

Murong Tu, who had been preparing to intercept this Blood Pool Bagua Heavenly Master, froze when he saw the target was actually Ji Changkong below. He stopped obstructing the man and instead followed the "Golden Heaven-Shattering Fledgling," lunging toward Lan Lin in the Lanrou Garden.

From the moment Murong Tu arrived at Xuanyuan Valley, he had been repeatedly humiliated by both Li Hentian and Ji Changkong. Now, he finally launched his indirect retaliation.

"Luo Hongxue, once you drain Ji Changkong’s blood, you will be Xuanyuan!" Zheng Jieshi roared with laughter.

The Blood Pool was an ancient Heavenly Master sect from the East Sea. Although many factions evolved after the Blood Pool split, the secret techniques of the main Blood Pool lineage possessed a unique function: Blood Transfusion!

Back then, when Blood Pool masters besieged the Ji Family Xuanyuan, their ambition extended beyond coveting the "Great Nine Forms of the Blood Dragon"; they harbored an even grander scheme—to exchange blood with the Ji Family Xuanyuan!

The Blood Pool possessed a uniquely marvelous secret technique capable of draining all the blood from a human body. Through the blood of others, Blood Pool masters could absorb the strength contained within that blood. The blood within the Ji Family Xuanyuan body was famed throughout the world as a miraculous substance, and to the Blood Pool, this power held immense appeal.

If a Blood Pool master could completely drain the blood of the Ji Family Xuanyuan and exchange it with their own, they could instantly possess the Xuanyuan's strength, not only massively boosting their physical durability but also gaining various strange abilities, such as complete immunity to poisons.

Luo Hongxue had traveled thousands of miles from the East Sea not for revenge on behalf of the Blood Moon Sect, nor to wipe away the disgrace of the Blood Pool's past actions. He had come purely for the blood of this generation's Xuanyuan!

Amidst the surging blood mist, Luo Hongxue descended from above. Even before he arrived, a strange power suddenly enveloped Ji Changkong.

Abruptly, the boiling blood within Ji Changkong began to slip out of his control, stirring restlessly, as if a ferocious beast yearned to burst from his body.

This sensation was profoundly unsettling, causing Ji Changkong’s expression to shift slightly. His gaze toward Luo Hongxue, concealed within the thick blood mist, immediately gained a layer of gravity.

Blood absorption? Did the Blood Pool truly possess such a formidable technique?

"Changkong, be careful! The Blood Pool has always harbored wicked intentions toward my Ji family, seeking both the Great Nine Forms of the Blood Dragon and the Xuanyuan Blood. They possess this profound esoteric art. If this man drains your blood, you will instantly die. Be extremely cautious!" Far away, Mo Yunyi, seeing the Blood Pool master Luo Hongxue charge toward Ji Changkong, couldn't help but shout a warning.

"After the blood exchange, I will be Xuanyuan?" Ji Changkong's eyes were cold as frost. He continuously circulated the vital energy within his body according to the profound doctrines of the Taixu Secret Record, forcefully suppressing the restless blood.

"Precisely, after the blood exchange, I shall be Xuanyuan! I will possess the Xuanyuan Blood, and the Xuanyuan will henceforth manifest in my Blood Sun Sect. Your Ji family will have no more Xuanyuan!" Luo Hongxue declared from within the mist, his expression rapturous.

Because his entire body's blood was surging and subtly resisting his control, Ji Changkong’s face flushed red, as if blood was seeping through his skin, his expression bordering on ferocious. As Luo Hongxue drew nearer and the blood inside him became increasingly uncontrollable, Ji Changkong took deep, continuous breaths, using his spiritual consciousness to govern his body while employing the Heavenly Origin Pearl to suppress the rapidly flowing blood.

This entire mass of blood was inherently his. When he exerted his full control, Luo Hongxue's secret technique ceased to have its intended effect.

Luo Hongxue immediately sensed the situation within Ji Changkong’s body and sneered, "It seems I must first restrain you before I can safely drain every drop of your blood."

As he finished speaking, within the dense blood mist, Luo Hongxue descended from the sky, already arriving beside Ji Changkong.