Those people, in this world, are like Xi Yang. When they lack sufficient foundation to support them, they remain docile and low-key.

Once they acquire backing, a pillar of support, their true nature immediately surfaces; they become conspicuous, arrogant, fond of stirring up trouble, eager to prove themselves through some means or another.

Huangfu Jingwei and Murong Hui are exactly this type of person.

Before Huangfu Tong arrived, both men conducted themselves cautiously, tails tucked between their legs, meticulously avoiding any clash with the Ji family. The moment Huangfu Tong appeared, they assumed her strength meant they could justifiably suppress the Ji family, and they proceeded without hesitation.

As Murong Hui uttered these words, before Huangfu Tong could react, Murong Tuo unexpectedly shot him a harsh glare, seemingly rebuking him for his lack of tact.

Murong Hui looked at his father, bewildered, unsure why Murong Tuo was glaring at him.

Whether it was because Mu Luo had just dealt with the Dark King, or because the Ji family’s power was truly overwhelming, most people said nothing further, unlike Murong Hui and Huangfu Jingwei who continued to press Mu Luo about his identity.

Huang Xuejiang, Chen Yihui, and Bai Canghai remained silent, veiled contempt flickering in their eyes as they looked towards Murong Hui and Huangfu Jingwei.

“Zhu Can,” Mu Luo, his chest stained with blood, stood bent over with his head lowered, attempting to say something to Ji Changkong.

Ji Changkong raised a hand for silence, a placid smile on his face. Instead of exploding in anger against Murong Hui and Huangfu Jingwei, he quietly observed Huangfu Tong, the Empress of the previous generation of Shuiyun Garden.

Huangfu Tong frowned slightly, her gaze sweeping over Murong Hui and Huangfu Jingwei before finally settling on Mu Luo and Ji Changkong.

Ji Changkong was looking up at the sky, their gazes meeting in mid-air.

Huangfu Tong studied him for several seconds, then stated coolly, “This is a matter from Bloody Rain Mountain; it is none of our concern. You two need not worry your heads over it.” Murong Hui looked stunned.

Huangfu Jingwei’s heart tightened, and he couldn't help but exclaim, “Auntie—”

“Shut up!” A sharp glint flashed in Huangfu Tong’s eyes as she stared coldly at him. “Did you not hear what I said?”

“Yes.” Huangfu Jingwei’s expression shifted instantly, and he quickly lowered his head, daring not utter another sound.

Huangfu Tong snorted, clearly dissatisfied with him. She then turned toward Li Hentian, her face now wreathed in smiles. “Li Hentian, if there is nothing else, perhaps we should pay a visit to Black Rock Cliff first?” Huangfu Tong’s eagerness seemed to have no effect on Li Hentian. He glanced at Ji Changkong, then at Ghost Butterfly and Ghost Sea, but did not volunteer to speak.

Liao Zhenshu in the sky looked puzzled, studying Ji Changkong strangely, pondering: Why is Li Hentian looking at this kid? What capabilities does he possess that would make a fierce devil like Li Hentian hesitate? Could it be? Could it be… Huangfu Tong’s heart also gave a jolt. Her smile remained bright as her gaze finally fixed on Ji Changkong: “Shouldn't we go to Black Rock Cliff first? The experts from the He family and Star Stone Sect should still be imprisoned there. Taking this opportunity… we can rescue them.”

“Ji Changkong.” He Liying had somehow managed to stand beside him silently, her bright eyes full of pleading.

Ji Changkong let out a breezy laugh and nodded. “Of course. Rescuing the He family and Star Stone Sect was our objective all along. We delayed because our strength was insufficient before, but now, with you all here, that is naturally no longer an issue.” He looked up at Ghost Charm and Ghost Sea, raising his voice. “Why don’t you come along to Black Rock Cliff? Although this has nothing to do with your Ghost Sect…” Ghost Charm and Ghost Sea both nodded simultaneously. “We’ll follow your lead!” Ji Changkong then turned to Mu Luo. “Let’s go, Mu Luo. If anyone dares bring up opposing you again, don't be polite—slap the mouth of whoever speaks!”

Murong Hui and Huangfu Jingwei looked utterly aghast, lowering their heads to discreetly observe Murong Tuo and Huangfu Tong.

Under the gaze of everyone present, Ji Changkong dared to be so audacious, threatening them right in front of the patriarchs of the Huangfu and Murong families. Based on their understanding of the two patriarchs, they expected Murong Tuo and Huangfu Tong to immediately fly into a rage, possibly even initiating a fight right there in Xuanyuan Valley.

No matter how powerful the Ji family was, challenging the Murong and Huangfu families was courting death! Murong Hui and Huangfu Jingwei inwardly gloated, ready to watch the spectacle.

“Then let’s head to Black Rock Cliff. We must be fast. If we can arrive before those others do, things will be much easier for us.” Huangfu Tong appeared composed, as if she hadn't noticed the threatening undertone in Ji Changkong’s words. She turned and slowly walked toward Black Rock Cliff.

Murong Tuo frowned deeply, remaining silent, and followed Huangfu Tong away.

Murong Hui and Huangfu Jingwei, who had been inwardly smug, exchanged a look filled with shock and a sliver of terror. “Let’s go.” In Xuanyuan Valley, Ji Changkong gave Mu Luo an instruction.

Mu Luo grabbed Ji Changkong, and they shot into the sky toward Huangfu Tong and Murong Tuo. As they passed Murong Hui and Huangfu Jingwei, whether intentionally or not, Mu Luo deliberately slowed his speed for just a moment—enough for them to clearly see Ji Changkong.

The two instinctively glanced over and saw Ji Changkong looking back at them with a smile. He was smiling brightly, looking genuinely happy.

But a sudden chill washed over Murong Hui and Huangfu Jingwei; their necks felt cold, as if they could be severed at any moment.

Black Rock Cliff.

Ji Changkong and the Ghost Sect experts arrived here with Huangfu Tong, Murong Tuo, and the others, only to discover that the Dark King, Zheng Jieshi, and others seemed to have vanished without a trace. Not a single person remained at Black Rock Cliff.

Not just the Dark King and Zheng Jieshi’s group, but even the experts from the He family and Star Stone Sect were gone. The prison cells beneath Black Rock Cliff were empty, devoid of any Tian Shi, or even the slightest trace of life.

Huangfu Tong, Murong Tuo, and the other Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters all possessed the ability to probe for life using their Divine Souls. Upon reaching Black Rock Cliff, they all used their souls to scan for nearby life fluctuations but found no one.

Several Seven Star Celestial Masters, following orders, scouted the area around Black Rock Cliff but discovered nothing unusual.

The experts from the He family, Star Stone Sect, and various sects from Bloody Rain Mountain—totaling nearly a thousand people—had vanished without a trace.

Huangfu Tong and Murong Tuo looked grim. The visiting experts like Liao Zhenshu were also deeply frowning, momentarily at a loss for what to do.

Since the Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters like Bai Canghai and Chen Yihui remained silent, the Seven Star Celestial Masters followed suit.

The crowd that had rushed over from Xuanyuan Valley stood silently on Black Rock Cliff, no one speaking for a long time.

“Ahem.” Ji Changkong ignored Huangfu Tong and instead looked at Li Hentian, asking, “Old Li, is there any method to move this many people at once? Nearly a thousand people, in a comatose state—it's impossible for them to be moved that quickly. If anyone woke up, they certainly wouldn't follow the Dark King’s group willingly. There isn't a single body here, nor a single person. Isn't that strange?” His opening remark prompted everyone else to begin considering a solution.

Li Hentian’s gaze continuously roamed over Black Rock Cliff, a strange light flickering in his pupils as he seemed to be deep in thought.

After a moment, Li Hentian said, “There are many methods. One could use a spatial spirit treasure similar to a Mustard Seed Bag to achieve this. Furthermore, Zheng Jieshi, being at the Eight Trigrams Celestial Realm, is extremely proficient in the Five Elements Earth power. He can even alter the terrain; using his strength, he could shift a large section of the area beneath Black Rock Cliff…”

“I’ll go take a look.” Before Li Hentian could finish, Ji Changkong’s heart stirred, and his body melted into the earth like water merging with the sea, gradually disappearing.

“Five Elements Earth power!” Liao Zhenshu started, turning to look at Bai Canghai, curiously asking,

“Which element did this kid cultivate in the Five Elements Heaven? Back in Xuanyuan Valley, I thought I saw him using Heavenly Thunder power. Heavenly Thunder possesses such immense force; in the Five Elements Heaven, he should have cultivated Wood power, right?”

“In Xuanyuan Valley, he unleashed waves of surging strength. If my eyes weren't deceiving me, he must have dabbled in the Five Elements Water power as well…” Bai Canghai said with a wry smile. He had personally witnessed Ji Changkong utilizing waves, accompanied by the sound of rushing water, while countering Huangfu Jingwei’s ‘Golden Heaven-Shattering Strike.’

This remark stunned not only Liao Zhenshu but also Huangfu Tong and Murong Tuo, leaving them wide-eyed with astonishment and confusion.

“This, this is impossible!” Liao Zhenshu repeatedly shook his head, refusing to believe it. He exclaimed, “This kid is barely over twenty years old. To cultivate Wood, Earth, and Water powers concurrently in the Five Elements Heaven—he couldn't possibly have broken through to the Six Harmonies Celestial Realm this quickly!” After a pause, Liao Zhenshu added, “Even Ji Family’s Xuanyuan couldn’t do it this fast!”

Ghost Butterfly and Ghost Sea exchanged odd looks listening to the discussion, thinking: What if they knew he had not only mastered Wood, Earth, and Water powers but had also refined and fused Fire and Metal powers? Would their eyes pop out?

Circulating the internal Yuan Force through his bones and meridians, gathering the Five Elements Earth power stored within his body, Ji Changkong, deep beneath the ground, radiated an earthy yellow aura. He zipped unimpeded through the earth, like a fish in the ocean, feeling no resistance from the ground at all.

His body, having been tempered by the Five Elements Earth Yuan Crystal, was already accustomed to the Earth power; the ground offered him no constraint, allowing him to roam freely.

Gradually, he penetrated deep beneath Black Rock Cliff, swimming through the thick, hard soil, using his Divine Soul to sense the strength of the Earth Yuan power in the area.

The Island Master of Falling Sunset Island, having reached the Eight Trigrams Celestial Realm, could convert Yuan Force to form a massive Earth Yuan power. By activating a special secret technique, he could indeed shift the position of a large area underground. However, executing spells using Earth Yuan power underground would invariably cause uneven distribution of the Earth Yuan power below the surface.

Searching along this logic, he could confirm whether Zheng Jieshi had truly employed such immense power underground.

His mind was perfectly clear, his Divine Soul like infinitely separable fine threads extending outwards from him in all directions— At this moment, he felt a wondrous sensation of merging with the earth itself, as if he had become a part of it, able to sense its weight and might. The Earth Yuan power hidden deep within the ground gradually converged on him from all directions. In his Divine Soul, the flow of that Yuan power underground was displayed with absolute clarity: where it was weak, and where it was strong.

His eyes suddenly lit up. Taking a deep breath, Ji Changkong abruptly awakened from that wondrous state.

The Earth Yuan power converging on him from the front, back, left, and right halted as his state of mind shifted, then slowly began to flow back along its original trajectory, abandoning him.

A faint smile appeared on his face. With a movement of his consciousness, Ji Changkong slowly floated upward from the depths of the earth, like a balloon ascending.

A moment later, Ji Changkong surfaced beside Li Hentian, emerging from the ground.

He brushed the dust from his body and pointed in one direction. “Zheng Jieshi did it. He must have shifted them in this direction.” After emerging, his gaze had been following Huangfu Tong, Murong Tuo, and the others who were gathered around him. Hearing his words, they all froze in surprise.

“Let’s go take a look over there,” Li Hentian nodded.

As soon as Li Hentian spoke, Ghost Butterfly, Ghost Sea, and Mu Luo immediately moved in the direction Ji Changkong pointed without a second word. The Seven Star Celestial Masters who followed from the Ghost Sect also quickly fell in line.

Chen Yihui hesitated for a moment, nodded to the Chen family members accompanying her, and followed suit.

“We should go take a look too. This kid, he truly is hard to fathom. Maybe he can actually find those people,” Liao Zhenshu smiled, leading the group from Moon Radiance Sect, including Bai Canghai, away.

Huang Xuejiang and the others who followed from Xuanyuan Valley hesitated. They wanted to follow, but since Huangfu Tong hadn't moved, they remained frozen.

The Chen family and Moon Radiance Sect held considerable influence in Shuiyun Garden and didn't need to show excessive deference to the Huangfu family’s power. Their situation was different; even on Bloody Rain Mountain, they were not considered top-tier sects. Facing someone as lofty as Huangfu Tong required them to be cautious.

“Shall we go take a look as well?” Huangfu Tong smiled faintly, looking at Murong Tuo.

“Yes.” Murong Tuo nodded, though somewhat reluctantly.

“But—” Huangfu Jingwei started to say something.

Huangfu Tong glared severely at him. “Shut up! From now on, I don’t want to hear any opinions from you. If you dare speak carelessly again, immediately hand over the ‘Golden Heaven-Shattering Strike’ and go home!” Huangfu Jingwei was struck dumb with fear, hastily nodding and meekly agreeing, not daring to utter another word afterward.

Within the Huangfu family, Huangfu Tong held supreme authority; no one dared challenge her majesty. If Huangfu Jingwei displeased her, he would have no standing within the Huangfu family in the future.

Sooner or later, everyone followed along.

Mu Luo led Ji Changkong at the forefront, followed closely by Li Hentian, Ghost Butterfly, and Ghost Sea. Behind them were the elders and disciples from the Ghost Sect, and then Chen Yihui, Bai Canghai, and Huangfu Tong, who trailed at the rear, their expressions still laced with doubt and distrust.

Ji Changkong, who was leading the group, simply closed his eyes. Since Mu Luo was carrying him, there was no need for him to expend energy.

After flying for about an hour, within the sight of the group, they spotted several members of the Myriad Poisons Sect who had retreated from Xuanyuan Valley. Losing their Sect Master, Qu Le, these Myriad Poisons Sect members hadn't retreated to Southern Barbary but had instead remained, mixing with the calculating and sinister elements like Zheng Jieshi and Liuyun Haifeng.

As the dozen or so Myriad Poisons Sect members came into view, the Murong and Huangfu family members, who had been reluctant to follow, suddenly realized that Ji Changkong might actually be on the right track, as they had encountered the Myriad Poisons Sect members so quickly.

Liao Zhenshu glanced far away at Ji Changkong, who appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, growing increasingly curious.

“The direction shouldn't be wrong.” Chen Yihui whispered to several Chen family members, “Start being careful from now on. We might run into Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters like Zheng Jieshi and the Dark King at any moment. Since our Chen family doesn't have an Eight Trigrams Celestial Master present, we need to be extra cautious.”

Behind them, Huangfu Tong and Murong Tuo also grew solemn and repeatedly warned their family members not to be careless.

“Since the Myriad Poisons Sect members dared to come to Bloody Rain Mountain, they should know the price. Qu Le is dead, yet they still dare to stay; it seems they are incorrigible!” Ji Changkong suddenly opened his eyes, frowning. “Since it’s on the way, let’s take care of these few Myriad Poisons Sect members easily enough.” As soon as he spoke, naturally, someone scrambled to take action.

The Ghost Sect experts were eager to move, led personally by the Eight Trigrams Celestial Master, Ghost Sea, accompanied by several Seven Star Celestial Masters. Descending from above the Nine Heavens, amidst the mournful cries of the ghostly horde, those Myriad Poisons Sect members below would never have the chance to return to Southern Barbary again; they were to be permanently left on this land.

Of all the enemy sect experts who came to Bloody Rain Mountain, the Myriad Poisons Sect suffered the worst fate. With Sect Master Qu Le dead, and without him acting as their backbone to fight for their interests on Bloody Rain Mountain, they were forced to the front lines and used as cannon fodder by ruthless figures like Liuyun Haifeng and Zheng Jieshi, suffering heavy losses.

Now, with these straggling Myriad Poisons experts being brutally slaughtered by Ghost Sea’s group, the Southern Barbary Myriad Poisons Sect would suffer a massive decline in strength, perhaps even struggling to maintain dominance in Southern Barbary.

They did not waste much time on these Myriad Poisons Sect members. In a short while, the scattered remnants were completely wiped out by the Ghost Sect members under Ghost Sea.

The group continued flying in the direction Ji Changkong pointed. Along the way, they encountered people from the Falling Sunset Island and the Manichaean Cult. No one showed mercy. By this point, Ji Changkong didn't need to say anything further; as soon as they spotted isolated enemies, the entire group swarmed them, often concluding the battle in a very short time.

No one held any fondness for these invaders from other lands, especially while the status of He Haoran and Baili Da remained unknown; they showed no quarter to these enemies.

They fought their way forward.

Finally, deep within a dense forest canopy, Ji Changkong loudly instructed Mu Luo to slow down his flight speed.

At this point, any expert at the Seven Star Celestial Realm could sense the gathering of many Tian Shi ahead in the jungle. The auras emanating from those people were impossible to conceal; even cultivators at the Four Symbols or Five Elements Celestial Realms could not hide their presence from the probing Divine Souls.

Clearly, the enemy was close at hand.

Murong Tuo and Huangfu Tong, who had been lagging behind, quietly moved up to stand beside Li Hentian and Ji Changkong. Their expressions were grave, and they gazed vigilantly toward the depths of the dense woods ahead.

“They know we’re here. Be careful; it looks like this battle is unavoidable,” Huangfu Tong said.

“I wonder how many Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters like the Dark King will show up. If they are all present, rescuing He Haoran and the others will still be very difficult,” Liao Zhenshu frowned, unwilling to make any rash moves.

If they charged rashly into the woods and provoked the enemies hidden within, and if those enemies realized they could no longer keep He Haoran and the others imprisoned, they might resolve to kill them. In that case, their efforts would backfire, not only failing to rescue anyone but also bringing disaster upon He Haoran and Baili Da.

With the situation unclear, no one dared to act rashly.

A figure slowly emerged from the depths of the dense woods. The person was thin, with cold and sinister eyes—it was Liuyun Haifeng, the Sect Master of Flowing Cloud Sand.

Liuyun Haifeng stood alone in the shadows of the forest, his cold, vicious eyes sweeping over the assembled group one by one. He suddenly sneered, “The Huangfu family, the Murong family, the Chen family, the Moon Radiance Sect, the Ji family”… It seems all the prominent celestial sects and families of Shuiyun Garden have gathered. Good, very good.”

“Liuyun Haifeng, are He family, Star Stone Sect, and those people from Bloody Rain Mountain all inside the dense woods?” Huangfu Tong stepped forward, confronting Liuyun Haifeng face-to-face.

Liuyun Haifeng chuckled sinisterly and nodded. He said malevolently, “That’s right. Those stubborn fellows, He Haoran and Baili Da, are deep in the woods right now. They are alive for the moment, but if you dare take another step forward, I cannot guarantee their safety.”

“In the valley, there are only two Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters—likely Luo Hongxue and Lan Fu,” Li Hentian said calmly, narrowing his eyes.

“Liuyun Haifeng is ruthless and despicable; he’s capable of anything. If he dared to step out, he must have made thorough arrangements. Be extremely careful!” Huang Xuejiang murmured quietly.

Huangfu Tong, standing close enough to overhear the exchange between Li Hentian and Huang Xuejiang, furrowed her brow deeply. After a moment of silent contemplation while gazing at Liuyun Haifeng, she suddenly spoke, “Liuyun Haifeng, do you realize that if you unleash a full massacre upon the He family and the Starstone Sect, you will never escape death, no matter how far you flee to the ends of the earth?”

“Heh!” Liuyun Haifeng scoffed, utterly unmoved by Huangfu Tong’s warning. His tone was chillingly cold: “I don’t need you to remind me of that. The moment I moved against Blood Rain Mountain, it was predetermined that I would become your enemy. Even if I let the He family and the Starstone Sect off now, I still couldn’t evade your relentless pursuit. I see that clearly, so spare me the tiresome pleas for dissuasion; they are useless against me.”

“Why? Why on earth would you conspire with the Mani Cult, Sunset Isle, and Orchid Soft Garden people to move against those from Blood Rain Mountain? Without these foreign elements, you, Liuyun Sha, would still be the largest sect within Blood Rain Mountain. With your capabilities, and by taking a gradual, step-by-step approach, perhaps one day you truly could have made Liuyun Sha the leading power in the Blood Rain Alliance. Why choose this path?” Huangfu Tong was genuinely confused. She knew persuading a resolute villain like Liuyun Haifeng with mere words was futile, so she sought to first understand his core motivation.

It wasn't just Huangfu Tong; everyone present was intensely curious as to why Liuyun Haifeng had taken this route.

Given Liuyun Haifeng’s ability and the strength of Liuyun Sha, if he hadn't been overly eager, a gradual consolidation of Blood Rain Mountain over a few decades might have seen him genuinely become the Blood Rain Alliance Master and achieve his ambition.

For those who cultivate the Way of the Heavenly Scholar, a few decades is not an excessively long span. Had he taken that path, Liuyun Haifeng could have secured the position of Alliance Master without incurring the wrath of the Heavenly Scholar sects of Blood Rain Mountain and Water Cloud Garden—a seemingly foolproof strategy.

Yet, he chose this extreme method, aligning himself with the villains of the Mani Cult and Sunset Isle. From the moment he embarked on this road, he was destined to become an enemy of Blood Rain Mountain and the entire Heavenly Scholar realm of Water Cloud Garden. This approach was clearly less stable and far less secure than the first option.

Everyone was perplexed, believing that a mind as sharp as Liuyun Haifeng’s shouldn't make such a fundamental error. Still, he had done precisely that, deviating from everyone’s expectations and resolutely choosing a path of no return.

Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, and surprisingly, Liuyun Haifeng turned his attention to Ji Changkong, sneering, “If the Ji family hadn't come to Blood Rain Mountain, perhaps I genuinely would have waited patiently, using that gradual method to take control. However, now that the Ji family is here, if I were to wait decades, I fear I would gain nothing and might not even live to see the outcome.”

At these words, everyone present was stunned. Ji Changkong let out a wry laugh, pointing a finger at himself and asking, “Does this have anything to do with my Ji family?”

“To be precise, it has to do with you! Without you, perhaps He Haoran and Baili Da wouldn’t have suffered their fates, and I wouldn't have been forced to strike so quickly against Blood Rain Mountain,” Liuyun Haifeng hissed.

“How so?” Liao Zhenshu, clearly intrigued, called out loudly.

“The Xuanyuan of every generation of the Ji family eventually manages to cultivate into a Nine Palaces Heavenly Scholar. This generation’s Xuanyuan will not be an exception; in fact, he might be even stronger. Allowing him to live freely, it would be strange if the Ji family didn't rise rapidly within Blood Rain Mountain. The hatred between Liuyun Sha and the Ji family was already forged at the Fissure Valley. If the Ji family were allowed to develop unchecked to that extent, I fear Liuyun Sha would have already been annihilated.”

“I was originally planning to find some way to destroy the Ji family, but I never expected the Ji family to harbor an Eight Trigrams Heavenly Scholar. With an Eight Trigrams Heavenly Scholar holding the line, I could barely find a way to kill Ji Changkong. Under these circumstances, his strength would only increase with every passing day, leaving me constantly uneasy!”

“Most importantly, this brat is ruthless and cruel; his methods are hardly more merciful than mine. Looking at it from my perspective, I naturally don’t wish to see him live another day! Every day he lives increases the threat he poses!” Liuyun Haifeng ground out through clenched teeth.

Ji Changkong wore a look of bitter resignation, gazing at the fiercely hostile Liuyun Haifeng, unsure what to say. Unknowingly, he had accrued such significant weight, and by a twist of fate, he had caused the grim tragedy unfolding in Blood Rain Mountain. Was this a good thing, or a bad one?