Both Xie Jue and Sha Li were perfectly aware of Qu Le's character. Xie Jue and She Chuan'er, with the masked Ji Changkong, mistook him for Qu Le. They also knew Qu Le was vengeful to the extreme and would never tolerate the slightest hint of betrayal from his subordinates. Since Xie Jue and Sha Li had already harbored thoughts of betrayal, in their minds, Qu Le would certainly not let them go.

The only reason Xie Jue and Sha Li had hesitated for so long was precisely because they knew Qu Le’s temperament. From the moment they refused Qu Le, they knew there was no turning back for them.

Moving with their knees as a means of locomotion, painfully making their way toward Ji Changkong, the two suddenly launched their attack out of sheer necessity.

The moment the ferocious roar erupted from Gong Ba, Wan Xiongjie, and Ba Ge Jiu, the massive boulder that had been weighing on their hearts finally crashed down.

Without any hesitation, Gong Ba, Wan Xiongjie, and Ba Ge Jiu struck simultaneously, showing no precedence among them. As Elders of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, both Gong Ba and Xie Jue understood that Qu Le’s mastery of poison was unmatched. Even after rebirth through possession, the new body would undoubtedly possess an immunity to poison that others could not attain.

Therefore, Gong Ba, Xie Jue, and the others, without exception, refrained from using poisons in their attack, opting instead for the most direct methods capable of physical destruction.

Although Gong Ba, Wan Xiongjie, and Xie Jue all specialized in poison arts, at their core, they were all Bagua Heavenly Masters. A Bagua Heavenly Master capable of letting their spirit wander among the stars possessed internal strength already terrifyingly potent, even without the aid of any auxiliary poison techniques.

Xie Jue and Sha Li attacked first. The moonlight glow erupted brilliantly in their palms, condensing into the forms of spiders and centipedes—two venomous insects—which sprang toward Ji Changkong with lifelike ferocity.

Gong Ba raised his Silver Snake Branch; a heavy force, weighing more than ten thousand jun, suddenly surged toward Ji Changkong. Wan Xiongjie let out a deep shout, and a dense fan of dark crimson needles materialized in the void, descending upon Ji Changkong from above.

Ba Ge Jiu retreated instead of advancing, aiming his Sun Blazing Bow remotely at Ji Changkong. The Star Arrow, one of the three minor arrows of Sun, Moon, and Stars, was instantly notched. Without hesitation, the bowstring was pulled taut, and the Star Arrow shot out with violent force. A piercing whistle ripped through the stone cavern with agonizing intensity.

Xie Jue and Sha Li struck first. Gong Ba, Wan Xiongjie, and Ba Ge Jiu followed a fraction behind. Gong Ba and Wan Xiongjie lunged at Ji Changkong with full force immediately, while Ba Ge Jiu backed up a few steps, drawing his bow from the farthest distance.

Five individuals attacked, yet the strike that reached Ji Changkong first was from the one who attacked last and was farthest away: Ba Ge Jiu.

As the Star Arrow from the Sun Blazing Bow was unleashed, the entire sky was awash with brilliant starlight. That single flying arrow vanished instantly, replaced by a deluge of star-dust fragments, resembling a silver river, that enveloped the area.

In an instant, the stone chamber was flooded with blinding light. It seemed as if the myriad stars from the high heavens had suddenly fallen to the mortal realm, all converging upon Ji Changkong.

An intensely strong sense of dread surged through his spirit. Suddenly, Ji Changkong could not pinpoint the location of the Star Arrow. He felt that both his body and soul were locked down by the light of the countless stars, generating a hopeless sense of defeat—a feeling that no matter how he dodged, he could not escape the celestial bombardment.

With the Star Arrow unleashed, he felt there was nowhere to flee. Wouldn't the subsequent, more powerful Moon and Sun Arrows be capable of devastating destruction?

His focus sharpened to an unprecedented degree. Ji Changkong had never been so calm. His spirit moved according to the trajectory of the Star Cloud Soul Refining Art. This time, the speed of completing one cycle was suddenly ten times faster than before!

In a flash, the stream of falling stars, which had descended like lightning, abruptly slowed down tenfold in his eyes!

The blinding starlight suddenly softened considerably. Minute, invisible slivers of cold light deep within Ji Changkong’s pupils suddenly sank deeper into his eye sockets.

A pair of cold, ruthless eyes suddenly gained a trace of inhuman, icy chill!

Amidst the star-strewn sky, an arrow, exquisitely detailed and as thick as a middle finger, constantly shifted its position behind the scattered points of starlight. The flashing light of the shattered stars concealed its trajectory, making it incredibly difficult to detect.

Hao!

With a furious roar, Ji Changkong retreated instead of advancing. His body moved in a flickering, elusive curve, advancing forward in a spectral manner. His mighty frame plunged directly into the cluster of descending starlight.

Pa pa pa! Pa pa pa pa!

Patches of scattered light rained down on Ji Changkong like raindrops, producing a dense series of explosions. In the span of a breath, Ji Changkong’s imposing body was covered in finger-thick wounds, dripping with blood.

Peng!

A pair of heavily wounded right hands, clutching a small, silver dagger, struck directly against the finger-thick Star Arrow.

All the starlight vanished in an instant. Upon impact with the silver dagger, the exquisite Star Arrow, following a loud boom, lost all momentum and fell to the ground with a patta sound.

The strange and unpredictable assault of the Star Arrow was thus miraculously broken by Ji Changkong.

All of this happened in a mere flash, too fast for anyone to discern the trajectory. Only after the Star Arrow landed did the attacks from Xie Jue and Sha Li arrive belatedly, just as Gong Ba and Wan Xiongjie managed to rush to Ji Changkong's side.

His pupils contracted. Ji Changkong moved like a phantom, suddenly transforming into dozens of illusory figures, real and false, indistinguishable, rapidly sweeping toward Wan Xiongjie and the others along the stone walls of the cavern.

Wan Xiongjie, Xie Jue, and the others, who had intended to coordinate their assault against Ji Changkong, suddenly found themselves bewildered. While the target wasn't lost, there were suddenly dozens of them. Unable to use their spirits to probe the reality of the illusions in time, they were forced to abandon their surging offensive and reluctantly adopt defensive postures.

“Ba Ge Jiu, watch out!” Wan Xiongjie exclaimed in alarm.

Wan Xiongjie, the first to calm down and use his spirit to discern the true illusions, discovered that all the moving phantoms around him possessed only faint traces of soul power, except for one figure heading toward Ba Ge Jiu, which radiated profound Yuan Power and soul fluctuations.

Indeed, Ji Changkong’s target was Ba Ge Jiu, who held the Sun Blazing Bow!

Ba Ge Jiu stepped backward suddenly, retreating over ten meters. As his feet moved back, the Moon Arrow—one of the three arrows of Sun, Moon, and Stars—was already notched onto the bowstring, moving faster than lightning. Before Wan Xiongjie’s warning of "watch out" had fully faded, the Moon Arrow shot out like a meteor chasing the moon!

A force akin to an erupting mountain torrent enveloped Ji Changkong the instant the Moon Arrow flew out. The Moon Arrow seemed to absorb all the moonlight from the firmament. As it flew toward Ji Changkong, the pores on his body cracked open; the moonlight, even from several meters away, seemed to seep into his meridians.

Unlike the Star Arrow, the Moon Arrow held no intent to conceal itself. It locked onto Ji Changkong with the most domineering and fierce momentum, allowing him no room to dodge or retreat.

This arrow was one of pure dominance—impossible to avoid!

The blood energy within his heart suddenly ignited. At this moment, Ji Changkong ceased hiding his power and his identity. As the Xuanyuan Blood surged, the Dragon’s Glory Saber fell into his palm.

An aura of looking down upon all creation was unleashed from Ji Changkong the moment the Dragon’s Glory Saber was drawn. His supreme, unchallenged arrogance solidified. A deafening dragon’s roar echoed from the saber’s body, shaking the stone cavern violently. The rock walls, hard as iron, suddenly showed faint cracks.

The saber was raised, and waves of energy rolled forth. An ancient giant dragon roared toward the sky within the blood-red waves. A crazed fighting intent, challenging the heavens, rose fiercely from the blood dragon. Beams of crimson light, like colossal stone pillars, surged forward like a bursting dam, overwhelming the Moon Arrow, overwhelming Ba Ge Jiu, overwhelming everything in a path of utter destruction.

The Great Nine Forms of the Blood Dragon: Overwhelming Destruction!

Within the stone cavern, a thick, nauseating stench of blood filled the air. Blood waves rolled, submerging the entire cave. At that moment, the cavern became a sea of blood, and no one could escape being swept away and drowned.

The immense power of Ba Ge Jiu’s Moon Arrow was eroded and nullified by the blood wave. Its fate was the same as the Star Arrow's: the Moon Arrow ultimately fell to the ground, its entire power dissipated by the crimson tide.

Furthermore, the blood wave surged forward relentlessly, preventing Ba Ge Jiu from having the chance to unleash the Sun Arrow. Ba Ge Jiu, already afflicted by potent poison, turned deathly pale after two strikes. Engulfed by the Overwhelming Destruction of the Great Nine Forms of the Blood Dragon, Ba Ge Jiu could only exert all his strength to resist the engulfment of the wave, leaving him no energy for anything else.

The wine-like blood waves churned for a moment before returning to the Dragon’s Glory Saber with even fiercer momentum. When the stone cavern returned to normal, Ba Ge Jiu could only be seen panting heavily, utterly unable to launch a continuous barrage against Ji Changkong.

In the four cardinal directions—front, back, left, and right—stood Gong Ba, Wan Xiongjie, Xie Jue, and Sha Li. All four were pale, drenched in sweat, their eyes filled with shock and exhaustion.

Ji Changkong understood that while the ferocious and arrogant surge of the Great Nine Forms of the Blood Dragon was formidable, the weakness and fatigue displayed by Gong Ba, Wan Xiongjie, Xie Jue, and Sha Li were primarily due to the outbreak of the secret poison within their bodies. Given his own cultivation level, Ji Changkong had not yet been able to injure four Bagua Heavenly Masters with a single strike using the Great Nine Forms of the Blood Dragon.

“You are not Qu Le,” Gong Ba stared intently at Ji Changkong, his eyes full of horror. “Qu Le specialized in poison arts; all his attacks were related to poison. He is absolutely not skilled in such overwhelmingly fierce power. Moreover, Qu Le never used a saber. Even after rebirth through possession, those habits wouldn’t change!”

“Who are you?” It was not just Gong Ba; Wan Xiongjie, Xie Jue, Ba Ge Jiu, and Sha Li all shouted in unison.

They were not foolish. From Ji Changkong’s combat methods, they could not discern a single technique Qu Le commonly employed. If Qu Le had truly been reborn through possession, he would not possess power as domineering and unparalleled as Ji Changkong’s.

With the situation having come to this pass, Ji Changkong knew there was no need for further concealment. He smiled, removed the mask from his face, and said, “Indeed, I am not Qu Le.”

“It’s you!” Ba Ge Jiu cried out in utter shock, pointing at Ji Changkong, “You—how can you be here? Why is it you, and why could you impersonate Qu Le?”

“Who is he?” Gong Ba inquired.

“I don't know who he is. He ruined our plans back at the Boundless Dream Marsh. If he hadn't stopped us, we might have already collected all sorts of heavenly treasures from the Poison Dragon Pool, past the guardianship of those ferocious beasts,” Ba Ge Jiu’s surprise was irrepressible. He couldn't fathom how Ji Changkong had managed to assume Qu Le's identity.

Gong Ba, Xie Jue, and Sha Li were less clear about the events at the Poison Dragon Pool, all wearing expressions of confusion.

However, Wan Xiongjie paused, then his face suddenly changed, and he shrieked, “You—you are the new generation Xuanyuan of the Ji family, Ji Changkong!”

At these words, Ba Ge Jiu and the others were stunned, looking at Wan Xiongjie in confusion, unable to understand how he could be so certain.

Ji Changkong smiled and nodded. “Correct, I am Ji Changkong.” Ye Youshan must have been the one to reveal his identity to Wan Xiongjie for him to piece it together.

“How could you impersonate Qu Le? Why is the Sect Master’s token that Qu Le carried in your hand?” Gong Ba demanded.

With an indifferent smile, Ji Changkong remained unhurried and slowly stated, “Qu Le died by my hand. By a strange twist of fate, I obtained some secrets from Qu Le, which is why I have some understanding of the situation within the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect.”

All four of them were afflicted by the secret poison; the longer the delay, the more detrimental it would be to them. Ji Changkong was not stingy with explanations because, as time passed, their bodies would grow weaker until the vital energy in their meridians was completely consumed by the secret poison, ultimately paralyzing their bodies.

No matter how one looked at it, his calm, unhurried explanations benefited him. That was why he offered such kindness.

After a brief explanation, Gong Ba and the other three had trembling lips and dull, lifeless eyes, devoid of spirit. Ba Ge Jiu, who had expended the most energy, could barely remain standing; he leaned his back against the wall, his breathing growing significantly heavier.

“We have no grievance with you; why would you go to such lengths to deal with us?” Wan Xiongjie asked.

Glancing at Ba Ge Jiu, Ji Changkong sighed softly. “Ba Ge Jiu wanted the rare flowers and exotic herbs of the Poison Dragon Pool, yet he didn't know that the Poison Dragon Pool was originally my territory. All the ferocious beasts there are my friends. You wished to destroy my home and slaughter my kin; naturally, I would not let you have your way.”

Gong Ba remained silent, his face growing increasingly grim. After asking his question, Wan Xiongjie also ceased speaking.

After a moment, Gong Ba, Wan Xiongjie, Xie Jue, and Sha Li exchanged glances, their expressions suddenly firming. The four cried out simultaneously, and their pale faces suddenly flushed slightly.

From the apex of their skulls, illusory forms of a long snake, a venomous scorpion, a spider, and a centipede suddenly materialized. As the four illusions appeared, the inside of the stone cavern instantly grew chillingly cold. The moment the long snake, scorpion, spider, and centipede phantoms emerged, all light vanished from the eyes of Gong Ba, Wan Xiongjie, Xie Jue, and Sha Li.

As Elders of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, Gong Ba and the other three naturally possessed a unique cultivation method. These four illusions emerging from their crown were truly their soul spirits, cultivated with their very lives. As soon as the four soul spirits manifested, they immediately lunged toward Ji Changkong.

The secret poison affecting their meridians and internal Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi could not affect these intangible soul spirits. The spirit, being the most crucial origin point for a Heavenly Master, also possessed inscrutable offensive power. Attacks from spirit upon spirit are often the most difficult to defend against.

Knowing they couldn't easily dispel the secret poison afflicting them, Gong Ba and the other three decided to risk everything, attempting to force Ji Changkong onto the defensive through soul attacks and instantly reverse the situation.

Ba Ge Jiu catalyzed the last remaining power within his body, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The extreme paleness on his face receded slightly. Seizing this opportunity, Ba Ge Jiu once again raised the Sun Blazing Bow, aiming remotely at Ji Changkong.

He knew this would be his final chance. Only by acting while Gong Ba and the others were attacking could he possibly fire the Sun Arrow amidst Ji Changkong's preoccupied spirit defenses. The Sun Arrow was a soul-destroying arrow; he believed that once it was loosed, it might truly turn the tide.

“I have waited this long precisely for you to take a desperate gamble. You have not disappointed me,” Ji Changkong suddenly laughed loudly, bringing forth the Celestial Origin Pearl hidden deep in his lower abdomen. “Gong Ba, Wan Xiongjie, I will send you to meet Qu Le.”

The ethereal light of the Celestial Origin Pearl suddenly enveloped the soul spirits of Gong Ba, Wan Xiongjie, Xie Jue, and Sha Li together. The four, who had intended to use the power of their spirits to attack Ji Changkong, felt their souls bound by an invisible, massive net. No matter how they struggled, they could not break free from its restraint.

The Celestial Origin Pearl floated slowly to the center of the four soul spirits. Under the shroud of the misty light, Gong Ba and the others’ spirits were gradually drawn into the pearl’s radiance. The clear visages on their souls twisted together, screaming in agony, but their cries were futile.

The moment Ba Ge Jiu had notched the Sun Arrow, he realized the situation had drastically changed. As he prepared to draw the bow to shoot the Sun Arrow, a silver-white dagger whistled through the air, slicing slowly toward his neck.

Ba Ge Jiu watched the dagger approach his neck, but his limbs felt powerless, completely unable to move. By the time his head separated from his body, Ba Ge Jiu still showed no reaction, not even registering pain.

The light of the Celestial Origin Pearl enveloped him. Ba Ge Jiu’s soul spirit, still within his flying head, could not escape the terrifying suction power of the pearl. Just like Gong Ba and Wan Xiongjie, Ba Ge Jiu was absorbed, his chance for rebirth through possession completely stripped away.

In the blink of an eye, Ji Changkong used the Celestial Origin Pearl to suck away the soul spirits of all five Bagua Heavenly Realm experts: Gong Ba, Wan Xiongjie, Xie Jue, Sha Li, and Ba Ge Jiu. The four whose souls remained had their bodies turn ashen and lusterless, and all their life force finally drained away.

Gong Ba and the five were all killed, but Ji Changkong felt no elation. Everything had unfolded within his expectations. From the moment he issued the initial command, the fate of Gong Ba and the others had already been sealed. Only the Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect could have known all the details here.

If Wan Xiongjie and the others dared to fight him here, it was absolute suicide.

If Gong Ba and the others had not risked bringing out their soul spirits to attack, dealing with them would have been somewhat difficult for Ji Changkong. Had they all abandoned their physical bodies and attempted to flee via their spirits instead of taking the desperate risk, Ji Changkong, even with the Celestial Origin Pearl, might not have been able to capture all five in one sweep.

Unfortunately, they had all overestimated the power of their souls and failed to anticipate that Ji Changkong possessed a supreme weapon specifically designed to deal with spirits. Consequently, they lost utterly, losing even their souls and taking nothing away.

After absorbing the five souls, the Celestial Origin Pearl brightened slightly. Ji Changkong smiled and walked directly to Ba Ge Jiu’s side, reaching out to collect the Sun Blazing Bow. He walked around the scene, then picked up the Moon Arrow and the Star Arrow, packing the Sun Blazing Bow and the Sun Arrow together into his spatial pouch.

After a moment of thought, Ji Changkong’s mind moved again, and he proceeded to strip the spatial pouches off Ba Ge Jiu, Gong Ba, Wan Xiongjie, Xie Jue, and Sha Li one by one. As five Bagua Heavenly Masters who held high positions, the treasures within their spatial pouches were certainly not insignificant. Ji Changkong swept up everything without leaving anything behind.

The half-cup of Celestial Poison that Wan Xiongjie had collected naturally fell back into his hand. All of Wan Xiongjie’s painstaking schemes had ultimately come to naught, and he himself had failed to escape death; it could only be attributed to bad luck, having precisely encountered a ruthless man like Ji Changkong.

Eager to leave, Ji Changkong didn't take the time to inspect the treasures in the five men’s spatial pouches here. He kept the thought of examining them slowly after leaving, gathering everything and ensuring that no valuable spiritual treasures remained on their bodies. Ji Changkong then took out a small, dark green vial, pouring a tiny bit of the green liquid from it into the nostrils of each person.

Soon, the bodies of the five poisoned Bagua Heavenly Masters rapidly dissolved under the effects of this green liquid. In a short while, the flesh and bones of all five had melted away completely under the influence of this venomous fluid, leaving not a trace behind.

Seeing the cave return to its original state, Ji Changkong nodded with satisfaction, preparing to retract the Celestial Origin Pearl and depart with ease.

Just as he looked up to put the Celestial Origin Pearl back into his abdomen, Ji Changkong’s expression flickered.

At some unknown point, the Celestial Origin Pearl had vanished before his eyes. Alarmed, Ji Changkong suddenly felt a moment of disorientation. His eyes scanned the stone cavern continuously, yet he could not find any trace of the pearl.

Genuine panic began to set in. The more flustered he became, the less capable he was of centering his mind, and the less he could sense the pearl’s location.

Suddenly realizing his state, Ji Changkong quickly took deep breaths, expelling the chaotic thoughts from his mind and forcing himself back into that wondrous state of clarity, as if his heart were a bright mirror.

His pupils contracted. Brilliant light suddenly shot forth from Ji Changkong’s eyes, fixing them firmly on the funnel-shaped Poison Pool ahead.

He could sense it. The Tianyuan Orb, which had vanished from his sight, had somehow ended up inside the funnel-shaped Poison Codex. With the Orb lodged in the funnel, Ji Changkong’s vision could not penetrate the Codex to locate it.

Though slightly puzzled, Ji Changkong didn't dwell on it. He calmed his breath and focused his mind, establishing the connection with the Tianyuan Orb to summon it back to his body.

Ji Changkong had formed a peculiar link with the Tianyuan Orb long ago. As soon as his spirit or soul moved, the Orb would act precisely according to his will, never disobeying his soul's intention.

However, today felt different. After issuing a mental command, the Tianyuan Orb didn't immediately fly out of the Poison Codex as he willed; it remained perfectly still inside.

Ji Changkong was startled. He tried to focus his spiritual intent even more intensely, and the mysterious Star Cloud Soul Refining Technique, which had recently shown its power, began to operate again at a terrifying speed.

In an instant, Ji Changkong’s perception sharpened severalfold. Every minute change in his surroundings seemed to register in his mind. He could even sense the souls of Gong Ba, Wan Xiongjie, and the others, recently drawn into the Orb, still sending back faint, unwilling calls.

All the subtle fluctuations between heaven and earth were suddenly amplified. Emotions that were normally too faint to discern now seemed clear and visible.

An incredibly faint life signature emanated from within the Poison Codex. This signature did not resemble a human, nor any beast or exotic plant he recognized. It was hundreds of times weaker than the life signature of the most diminutive ant. Only someone as pathologically attuned to life auras as Ji Changkong could have detected that nearly imperceptible tremor.

“Who… who are you?” a timid thought echoed from that extremely weak life soul.

Ji Changkong’s spirit lifted; sudden interest sparked within him. He attempted to modulate his own aura down to an extremely faint level to communicate with the weak life form inside the Codex. “I am the Master of the Myriad Poisons Sect. Who are you?”

“Ah, I don’t know who I am. I am ‘Poison.’ I am the ‘Primal Toxin’ created by that person. That person left a very, very long time ago. Only then did I realize I existed, long…”

“Who was that person?”

“I don’t know who he was. I only know he wanted to bring me out, but I didn’t exist yet when he left. It has been ages, but this thing has kept running, always delivering the nourishment I needed. I don’t know how long it took. I realized… I existed.”

The life form in the Poison Codex seemed unable to articulate what had happened, speaking in fragmented bursts of vague words conveyed through the weakest possible fluctuations.

“What is the substance in the bottle below?” A flash of insight crossed Ji Changkong’s mind, and he suddenly inquired.

“You mean… the small bottle accepted by the bottom of the Poison Codex?”

“Yes. What are those… things?”

“That is… that is my excrement. It is… it is… my urine. The bottle is for… that person made it for me to urinate in.”

Excrement? Urine?

The Heavenly Toxin that Wan Xiongjie and Gong Ba had schemed so desperately to obtain—the Myriad Poisons Sect’s most precious, most vicious substance, rumored capable of poisoning even a Nine Palace Heavenly Scholar—was merely its waste product? Just its urine?

Ji Changkong was suddenly overcome by a feeling where laughter and tears seemed equally appropriate.

“Can… can you get me out of here? I’ve been trapped inside for who knows how many years. I want to go out; I want to see what the world outside is like. Can… can you?” the life form in the Codex asked timidly, its voice barely a whisper.

“I think,” Ji Changkong transmitted back, his brow suddenly furrowing, “we should have a good long talk first.”