Luo lay sprawled on the grass, his face contorted in pain, enduring the searing agony of shattered shoulder bones, his gaze fixed venomously upon Ji Changkong.

Ji Changkong appeared completely unruffled, spreading his hands innocently under the scrutiny of the crowd. "I told you, you couldn't stop me. You simply refused to believe it."

Zhou Qiangwei and Zhou Miaomu had already anticipated this outcome. Seeing Duo suffer at Ji Changkong's hands, Zhou Miaoshan wore a look of smug satisfaction, while Zhou Qiangwei frowned slightly, a hint of concern for Ji Changkong crossing her features.

"Ah!" Zhongli Hui covered her mouth, her face a mask of astonishment. She stared strangely at Ji Changkong standing there and Duo collapsed on the ground, taking a moment to process what had happened.

"How audacious! Daring to injure someone in our Chiyi tribe—you Central Plains people must be tired of living!" A burly Chiyi tribesman with a thick beard suddenly bellowed.

Glancing at the man, Ji Changkong let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "My dear sir, this fellow insisted on blocking my path and forcing me to collide with him. As the saying goes, a good dog doesn't block the road; he brought this suffering upon himself. Who is there to blame?"

With that, Ji Changkong shrugged, looking helplessly at Zhongli Jingyi. "It seems your tribesmen do not welcome me. Since that is the case, I should take my leave sooner rather than later. Brother Jingyi, if you have time in the future, you and Xiao Hui can visit me at Xuanyuan Valley in Blood Rain Mountain. I will not impose further today."

"Big Brother Changkong!" Zhongli Hui cried out, rushing forward quickly. She stopped before Ji Changkong and softly urged, "You haven't had my wine yet."

"Changkong, allow me to see you off," Zhongli Jingyi said after a moment of hesitation. He instructed Zhongli Hui, "Sister, prepare a few jars of Thunderstorm Fragrance for Changkong."

Upon hearing this, Zhongli Hui obediently murmured, "Oh," and brought over several jars of the fragrance she had personally brewed. Ji Changkong was certainly not one to refuse; knowing Zhongli Hui would be heartbroken if he declined, he casually scooped up the jars, and they vanished into his mustard seed pouch.

Xiao Hui. I have something to give you. You absolutely must not refuse. A thought flickered in Ji Changkong's mind, and he suddenly recalled the Sun Radiance Bow he had obtained from Bage Jiu. The Sun Radiance Bow had come to Bage Jiu through clandestine channels and had never been shown to others before.

After acquiring the Sun Radiance Bow, Bage Jiu had been secretly preparing to use it against Qu Le. Even the Divine Archer Gong and the members of the Divine Archery Sect were unaware that the long-lost Sun Radiance Bow of the Southern Barbarians was in his possession. After its disappearance during the Spiritual Treasure Assembly, no one knew its whereabouts.

Only a Heavenly Scholar cultivating the archery arts of the Southern Barbarian Divine Archery Sect could fully unleash the power of the Sun Radiance Bow. To Ji Changkong, who did not understand the profound secrets of the Southern Barbarian Archery Codex, the bow was effectively useless in his hands.

Ji Changkong vaguely perceived the deep affection Zhongli Hui had held for him over the years, having brewed so much Thunderstorm Fragrance for him. However, he did not harbor any romantic feelings for her, regarding her only as a sister. Since he estimated he would not return after leaving the Chiyi tribe, giving the Sun Radiance Bow to Zhongli Hui was a way to repay her earnest feelings.

Before Zhongli Hui could utter a word, a large bow, clearly no common artifact, settled into her palm. Three exquisitely crafted small arrows bore patterns of the sun, moon, and stars. Just a single glance confirmed that both the bow and arrows were exceptional items.

As Zhongli Hui gripped the Sun Radiance Bow, she suddenly felt the power of the Archery Codex she cultivated stirring restlessly within her body, accompanied by an intense urge to draw the string and shoot.

The Sun Radiance Bow had been missing from the Southern Barbarians for many years. Although the surrounding Chiyi tribesmen found the bow and arrows quite marvelous, they didn't immediately dwell on their significance, merely thinking the young man was quite generous.

"Brother Jingyi, there's no need to escort me further. Just come to Blood Rain Mountain if you have time in the future," Ji Changkong chuckled, and before Zhongli Jingyi could approach, he strode away into the distance.

"Changkong!" Zhongli Jingyi called out. After chasing a few steps, he was horrified to find that his spiritual sense could no longer locate Ji Changkong's trace.

Zhongli Jingyi was already the top master among the younger generation in the Chiyi tribe, but regrettably, he was still far inferior to Ji Changkong. If Ji Changkong wished to conceal himself, there were very few people in the world capable of tracking him with spiritual sense alone. Thus, as soon as Zhongli Jingyi emerged, he realized the target was lost and could only return.

"Stop looking; the man is long gone," Zhou Miaoshan murmured, lightly tugging her daughter's sleeve. "Jingyi is back. Be careful not to lose your composure."

Zhou Qiangwei's delicate features betrayed unconcealed melancholy. She nodded bleakly. "I understand."

"Duo, your shoulder bones are completely shattered. Recovery will be difficult," Zhongli Chongjun said calmly as he approached Duo, gently pressing the injured shoulder. He suddenly looked up toward Zhou Qiangwei in the distance, precisely catching the look of sadness and dejection on her face.

Hesitating for a moment, Zhongli Chongjun called out loudly, "Qiangwei, could you perhaps come over and examine Duo's injuries?"

Zhou Qiangwei started, but after feeling her mother gently tug her sleeve again, she suddenly came to her senses and gracefully walked toward Duo, saying faintly, "Let me take a look."

Duo's face was ashen. He had initially intended to stalk off in anger, but the thought of how shattered bones might affect his future cultivation rooted him to the spot. Forcing himself to stand, he bit his lip and stared at Zhou Qiangwei.

A trace of undisguised disgust flickered in Zhou Qiangwei's eyes. She thought: If it weren't for this man's aggressive meddling, why would he have left so quickly? With that thought, Zhou Qiangwei's movements lacked their usual gentleness; she roughly pressed and kneaded Duo's shoulder again and again.

"Hiss, hiss!" Duo grimaced, appearing to be in excruciating pain, nearly bringing tears to his eyes. He felt confused: When the benevolent goddess treats others, her touch is always so soft. Why is she suddenly so rough today?

"It's fine. I was merciful to your right side. Although the bones are broken, they haven't shifted position. It will take a year or so of rest to recover." Zhou Qiangwei flicked her hand away, and as Duo let out a cry toward the heavens, she turned and walked off, too annoyed even to write a prescription for him.

This little slut! It must be because I challenged her future man that she's deliberately tormenting me. Duo cursed inwardly, but dared not show any displeasure on the surface, as he didn't know if he might need to beg Zhou Qiangwei for help concerning this injury later on.

"Alas, with injuries this severe, that person actually showed mercy? If he hadn't shown mercy, what would he look like?" a young Chiyi tribesman exclaimed loudly.

Zhou Qiangwei's delicate eyebrows knitted tightly. Her steps faltered, and she cast a cold glance back at Duo before saying coolly, "If the other party hadn't shown restraint, those shattered bone fragments in his shoulder could have pierced his heart and lungs. Even if Duo had ten lives, it wouldn't be enough to save him!"

At these words, the young Chiyi tribesmen who had been clamoring with Duo all turned pale, seeming to grasp the terrifying power of Ji Changkong only now.

"Eh, Sun Arrow, Moon Arrow, Star Arrow—these three little arrows even have names," Zhongli Hui suddenly gasped, lifting the three exquisite arrows to examine them closely.

Zhongli Chongjun, who had exchanged a meaningful glance with Zhongli Jingyi and was about to lead him into the tent for a private discussion, suddenly stiffened.

He spun around abruptly, his eyes blazing with a light so intense it was difficult to look at. His gaze fixed entirely on the bow and arrows in Zhongli Hui's hands, his voice trembling slightly: "Little Hui, what did you just... just say?"

"These three small arrows are inscribed with ancient characters of our Southern Barbarians: Sun Arrow, Moon Arrow, and Star Arrow, respectively. Grandfather, this longbow is very unusual. When I hold it, the Yuan Power I cultivate inside me actually stirs restlessly. It feels..." Zhongli Hui's explanation faltered as Zhongli Chongjun took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the shock surging within him, and spoke word by deliberate word: "Xiao Hui, does that bow have many little sun patterns on it?"

Zhongli Hui gasped, nodding. "Yes, Grandfather, how did you know?"

Zhongli Chongjun swayed, taking several deep, shaky breaths before slowly extending a trembling hand. "Xiao Hui, give the bow and arrows to your grandfather so I can see them."

"Old Patriarch, is it? Is it that one..." Another elder of the Chiyi tribe trembled all over, asking in disbelief.

Zhongli Chongjun took the Sun Radiance Bow from Zhongli Hui's hand, handling it as if it were a priceless treasure, stroking it repeatedly with an almost possessed demeanor. After a long silence, faint tears began to well in Zhongli Chongjun's eyes.

"Old Patriarch, what's wrong? What has happened to you?"

"Grandfather!"

"Old Patriarch, is it? Has it truly returned?"

"Grandfather, is there something special about this bow and arrows?"

The men, women, and children of the Chiyi tribe watched him with doubt and astonishment, peppering him with questions. Even Duo momentarily forgot his pain, staring blankly at the old man.

After a long while, Zhongli Chongjun suddenly knelt down, clutching the Sun Radiance Bow, and cried out to the heavens in elation: "Heaven has taken pity on our Chiyi tribe! The Sun Radiance Bow left behind by our Chiyi Ancestor has finally returned to the tribe! Back then, Elder Chi Mian of our Chiyi tribe did not hesitate to slaughter people in the Central Plains, yet failed to retrieve the Sun Radiance Bow. Who would have thought, who would have thought it would be casually gifted away by a young man..."

His expression turned solemn. Zhongli Chongjun declared: "From this day forward, Ji Changkong is the eternal benefactor of our Chiyi tribe. Every one of you must remember this. No matter what happens in the future, the Chiyi tribe shall never harbor any ill will toward Ji Changkong or the Ji family. Should any Chiyi tribesman travel in the Central Plains and encounter a member of the Ji family, they must perform the three bows of great courtesy according to our tribal rites!"

"Ah!" Zhongli Hui stared, mouth agape in shock, her beautiful eyes gazing toward the direction where Ji Changkong had vanished.

No matter how much she imagined, she never conceived that the bow and arrows Ji Changkong entrusted to her were the sacred relics left by the Chiyi Ancestors. Such immense kindness—even brewing Thunderstorm Fragrance for him her entire life would not repay it.

After departing the Chiyi tribe, Ji Changkong did not linger in the Southern Barbarians. He journeyed at an unhurried pace toward the vast Yunmeng Marsh. Seven days later, under a night sky thick with stars, Ji Changkong finally returned to Venomous Dragon Pool.

Venomous Dragon Pool was utterly silent, save for the low chirping of minute insects. However, the moment Ji Changkong's foot touched the ground, the Sky Serpent Dragon, usually hidden deep beneath the pool, sensed his arrival. It erupted from the depths with a surge of water, soaring into the air.

The various rare savage beasts hidden around Venomous Dragon Pool also sensed the disturbance, emerging one by one from secluded corners, blinking their large eyes happily as they looked at him.

The bright moon hung overhead, the stars glittered brilliantly. Ji Changkong felt as if he had returned to a time several years prior. All the world's superficial glamour seemed to fade away. In this moment, his eyes held only these exotic beasts, which seemed to have been waiting for his return. The beasts, without words, conveyed an ineffable emotion in their gaze that only he could truly understand.

"Very well, I will cultivate here at Venomous Dragon Pool for a while and spend time with you all," Ji Changkong said with a carefree smile, stroking the massive head of the Sky Serpent Dragon.

Venomous Dragon Pool was a forbidden area within the Yunmeng Marsh. Even powerful figures like Bage Jiu, an Eight Trigram Heavenly Scholar leading numerous Southern Barbarian experts, could not gain any advantage from the beasts here. Ordinary people naturally dared not trespass into this fierce territory. Precisely because of its unique nature, Venomous Dragon Pool remained undisturbed by the outside world.

The vicinity of Venomous Dragon Pool was carpeted with rare flora and strange grasses, and deep beneath the pool lay Black Jade Primordial Crystal, a rare substance that enhances the soul. Ji Changkong had known for many years that this was an exceptionally suitable place for cultivation. To cultivate here in the deep quiet of the night gave one a marvelous feeling of closeness to nature.

After spending a day playing with the Sky Serpent Dragon and the other savage beasts, Ji Changkong began to focus his energy on quiet, rigorous practice.

At the Heaven's Horizontal Peak realm, the Essence, Qi, and Spirit had begun to faintly trend toward fusion. It seemed only a further advancement in his spiritual sense would allow him to break through to the Seven Star Heaven realm. At this juncture, dedicating a period to obsessive cultivation could yield remarkable effects. With the Ji family in Xuanyuan Valley no longer requiring his constant attention, he could safely remain away for a time.

Drip, drip, drip!

Late that night, the moon retreated behind dark clouds, and a light, sporadic rain began to fall. Seated cross-legged upon a smooth, round stone, Ji Changkong kept his eyes tightly shut. Following the profound principles of the Grand Void Secret Record and integration with Heaven and Earth, he allowed his spirit to become empty, merging his mind and body into the rainy, dark night.

The world suddenly stilled. In this moment, Ji Changkong forgot himself. His spirit was vast and empty, yet it moved according to the celestial paths of the Star Cloud Soul Refining Art.

He knew not how long passed before his spirit faintly established a subtle connection with the rivers of stars light-years away. His spirit took on a nebula-like form, seemingly floating out of his head, drifting unbound and formless. Yet his intent extended infinitely, following that faint connection, his spirit surging toward the heavens!

His physical body remained seated cross-legged, but Ji Changkong discovered he had risen into the air. His consciousness and intent ascended with his spirit toward the sky, moving farther and farther away from his own body...

Passing through the impossibly thick poisonous miasma hanging over Venomous Dragon Pool, through the dense canopy of towering trees, through the heavy cloud layer shedding rain from the Yunmeng Marsh above, his spirit, free of all restraint, pressed forward resolutely toward the vast expanse of the starry heavens, impossibly far away.

A day or a year, he could not tell; his spirit simply continued soaring heavenward. The thick cloud layers prevented his awareness from spreading like silk in all directions. As his spirit ascended, he increasingly felt his own trace disappear...

Brilliant radiance suddenly appeared in all directions. Stars shone like celestial discs, points of starlight pouring down like water onto his spirit, seeming like silken threads pulling him forward, guiding him rapidly past one dazzling star toward another.

An intensely powerful gravitational pull suddenly emanated from one particular star. His spirit accelerated toward that brilliant celestial body at an unimaginable speed.

With a sudden jolt, his spirit felt as if its feet had found solid ground. Looking up, he saw desolation and profound stillness. The ground was pocked and uneven, and strands of strange light drifted through the void. When those threads touched him, his spirit experienced a profoundly marvelous sensation.

With a mere thought, his spirit could float. As it connected with strand after strand of the wondrous light, he was horrified to realize he had become a point of light, continuously emitting luminescence, slowly absorbing the omnipresent light lines that permeated this marvelous realm.

In a distant area, another marvelous point of light was also moving slowly. The moment that light spot saw him, it hurriedly retreated, vanishing in an instant, as if fleeing from him.

Let us each cultivate our own way; water from different wells should not mix, a faint, subtle message drifted over long after the light spot disappeared.

Initially bewildered, Ji Changkong could not grasp the meaning of the message from the light spot. After a moment of digestion, the spirit, shaped as a light point, trembled slightly.

He finally understood: he had unconsciously advanced to the Seven Star Heaven realm. His current state was that of his spirit leaving the body, wandering upon one of the Seven Stars! The light lines permeating this space were a marvelous energy existing on this star, which could be absorbed by the spirit to temper and strengthen one's own soul. The light spot that transmitted the message was another Seven Star Heavenly Scholar whose spirit had also left its body to cultivate on this star. Battles between spirits were extremely perilous, and that person had clearly intended to cultivate without conflict, which was why they withdrew so quickly...

After a string of thoughts raced through his mind, Ji Changkong suddenly recognized his predicament. The next moment, he felt a surge of excitement and wonder at the extraordinary realm he now inhabited.

His spirit had left his body, traversed infinite spatial distances, and descended upon a star in the heavens to cultivate. Since light points representing spirits appeared here, there must be more than one Seven Star Heavenly Scholar cultivating on this star. Might there be dangers here? Could battles between spirits erupt?

In this utterly unfamiliar environment, standing upon a star perhaps unimaginably distant, the sheer wonder of what had occurred made him unable to contain his excitement.

Ji Changkong began to truly observe this marvelous world with focused attention.

Desolation, stillness, and gloom seemed to be the eternal, unchanging theme of the ground in this realm. Even the wondrous light threads drifting through the void seemed only to possess light themselves, yet the luminescence they emitted could not spread far, revealing themselves only in a small radius, bringing little illumination to the ground of this world.

The earth was riddled with chasms of unknown depth, pitted and uneven. There was no vegetation, let alone any fauna. Only in the sky could he occasionally glimpse life forms transformed into light points like himself; otherwise, he had not yet encountered any other form of life on this world.

No sound! Absolute silence!

Aimlessly, Ji Changkong’s spirit, shaped as a light point, drifted slowly. Where he floated was unimportant; he only wished to curiously observe what this world truly was. Occasionally, he would encounter a few other light points like himself, and those points would actively avoid him, seemingly unwilling to enter into any unnecessary conflict with Ji Changkong.

Combat between intents and spirits was terrifyingly dangerous. If a spirit suffered a severe injury here, it would permanently lose the capacity to return to the body. If the spirit were extinguished here, then everything fundamental to a Seven Star Heavenly Scholar would be destroyed—it meant absolute death! With no possibility of resurrection or rebirth!

The spirits who came here to cultivate originated from Seven Star Heavenly Scholars; they were all light points, lacking any discernible appearance or form. Without speaking, none could recognize another. Conversing here via intent was quite taxing on spiritual energy. Those who came to cultivate were dedicated to their practice, so they engaged in no conversations to discover each other's identities.

Once a spirit left its body, the body became completely undefended. If one's identity were exposed here, and an enemy happened to know it, that enemy could use means to destroy the unprotected body once the spirit returned.

People are inherently selfish. The moment of wandering the stars is the most perilous; everyone chooses the safest possible place to cultivate, or secures protection before daring to enter this marvelous state. Cultivating on the star, every second is precious; few waste time here.

Ji Changkong continued drifting east and west without any set course. Everyone diligently pursued those light threads swirling throughout the realm, but he moved freely, not focusing on gathering those light threads for his own use. Yet, even though Ji Changkong made no effort to collect the omnipresent light threads, they were drawn to him, actively converging toward his single light point.

Although his spirit manifested as a light point, if that cluster of light were magnified infinitely, one would find that his spirit was actually nebulous, with smaller points of light flowing within it, absorbing those delicate threads of light.

He did not need to actively gather them, yet the threads were attracted to him. His cluster of light gathered the threads much faster than others. Often, wherever he moved, a swath of light threads in the vicinity would converge toward him, causing the light points cultivating nearby to angrily retreat far away.

Ji Changkong did not understand why this was happening, attributing it only to the marvel of the Star Cloud Soul Refining Art. As the secret technique of the Oro Divine Sect, it was naturally unique and wondrous. This was also the only known secret technique for soul cultivation that Ji Changkong was aware of—profound and inscrutable.

Suddenly, within a vast abyss, Ji Changkong observed numerous points of light rapidly swirling. One particular point was exceedingly faint, darting erratically across the space, pursued like locusts by seven or eight other points closing in from all directions.

“Help me! Help me! Help me!” the fleeing point of light broadcasted desperate messages everywhere.

The seven or eight points finally cornered the solitary light. They surged forward, and a complex wave of subtle messages flooded into the trapped point. Instantly, the surrounded light erupted in dazzling rays, carrying intense fluctuations of spirit within them.

The seven or eight surrounding lights seemed to gather the omnipresent threads of this world, focusing the brilliant rays emitted by the exploding point. They concentrated the rather substantial spirit power within, enhancing their own auras and soul strength.

In just an instant, the calling light’s imprint of life in this world was extinguished. All power attached to its soul was devoured, causing it to vanish completely from existence.

“Asura World Burn?” A cold, malevolent message suddenly emanated from one of the pursuing lights. This burst of information carried a questioning tone.

“What do you mean?” Ji Changkong blinked, sending a confused query back.

“Not one of our Northern Barbarian Heavenly Soldiers. Devour him! The slogans didn't match; he’s not one of us Northern Barbarians. He’s not from the Central Lands either. He must be from the Western Regions—kill him!”

Waves of chaotic messages poured from the lights. Before Ji Changkong could realize the danger, those same lights that had just cornered and slain another suddenly turned and converged upon him.

For a brief moment, Ji Changkong felt a pang of doubt, but he reacted instantly. Without overthinking, he propelled himself swiftly away into the distance.

These souls clearly originated from the Northern Barbarians, possibly Asura clan Heavenly Soldiers. They possessed a unique method for hunting down Heavenly Soldiers cultivating in this world, capable of devouring their soul power. Legends claimed the Asura King Brahma of the Northern Barbarians had attained the profound realm of the Nine Palaces Heaven and cultivated the extremely wicked Asura Heretical Canon. Seeing these Northern Barbarian Heavenly Soldiers capable of soul consumption confirmed the Northern Barbarian Asura clan’s inherently evil and bloodthirsty nature.

In his soul form, Ji Changkong could not utilize the power of the Tian Yuan Pearl for combat. Techniques like Dragon's Radiance, Blood Dragon’s Nine Forms, or Heavenly Thunder Force were all inaccessible. Furthermore, having only just reached the Seven-Star Heaven realm, he had zero experience in soul combat. His initial reaction when faced with seven or eight Northern Barbarian fiends specializing in hunting outsiders was to evade their initial thrust.

It had to be said, even in soul form, his speed of ethereal movement was faster than lightning, perhaps attributable to the Star Cloud Soul Refining Technique. With a mere thought, the trajectory of his drifting soul became incredibly erratic, shifting curves constantly. For a moment, the group from the Northern Barbarians couldn't keep up.

Seven or eight lights swept past him, and waves of cold, negative emotions crashed over him like a tide. Malicious curses and hexes surged like a raging river, seemingly intent on overwhelming Ji Changkong’s soul.

The immense influx of negative, chilling, murderous emotion, amplified by these soul power fluctuations, immediately threw Ji Changkong’s spirit into disarray, causing a faint sense of powerlessness that slightly slowed his rapid flight.

“Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill these outsiders!” Terrifying killing intent coalesced into a fierce, surging torrent, blasting toward Ji Changkong’s soul.

His soul convulsed violently, and a mental piercing agony—hundreds of times worse than physical pain—suddenly spread through Ji Changkong’s spirit!

For one agonizing moment, Ji Changkong’s soul felt weighted with lead, utterly immobilized. Seeing the seven or eight fierce lights closing in, laden with oppressive negative emotion, Ji Changkong’s soul vibrated intensely. The star cloud-like soul suddenly fractured into thousands upon thousands of even smaller, denser points of light, which shot out like steel needles in every direction.

In a flash, Ji Changkong’s soul fragmented into over ten thousand minute light motes, escaping the siege of the Northern Barbarian souls.

For a brief second, Ji Changkong experienced a strange sensation of infinite shrinkage, as if he had become countless selves. This feeling lasted only an instant before he was overcome by a sudden, powerful illusion of expansion. His perception slowly stretched out, and he suddenly realized that the thousands upon thousands of “selves” were re-coalescing.

The ten thousand fragmented, dense, tiny light points instantly merged back together, reforming into the previous star cloud configuration.

Without hesitation, while the seven or eight lights were momentarily stunned, the star cloud-shaped soul of Ji Changkong accelerated away, soon disappearing entirely.

“Soul fragmentation! What—what was that?”

“The soul taking a star cloud shape—that seems to be the long-lost Star Cloud Soul Refining Technique of the Aoluo Sect from the Western Regions! Only a soul cultivation method known for its ‘indestructible soul,’ like the Star Cloud Soul Refining Technique, could allow the soul to fragment and instantly reform like that!”

“Impossible! The Star Cloud Soul Refining Technique has been lost for so long; it shouldn’t manifest so easily! Furthermore, if this person cultivates the Star Cloud Soul Refining Technique, they should know its unique soul attack methods. Why were they so ineffective?”

“It definitely is the Star Cloud Soul Refining Technique. The former Sect Master of the Aoluo Sect relied on it to rampage across the Endless Star Domain, surviving several perilous encounters unscathed. It’s said he vanished after his soul ventured into the Shepherd’s Dead Star Domain. Back then, the Asura King of our Northern Barbarian territories battled him several times in the Star River but couldn't completely annihilate him, who had cultivated the Star Cloud Soul Refining Technique. Only those who practice the Star Cloud Soul Refining Technique know the secrets of soul splitting and reassembly. He must be from the Aoluo Sect!”

“Another master of the Star Cloud Soul Refining Technique has appeared. It seems we must report this to the Lord quickly.”

“Indeed. Let’s pursue a bit longer. Judging by his current state, he hasn't fully mastered the technique yet. One soul fragmentation costs him considerable energy. If we can force him to fragment his soul a few more times, we can drain his spirit to death! Anyone who masters the Star Cloud Soul Refining Technique is an undisputed hegemon in the Endless Star Domain. Such a figure must be eliminated early!”

These souls exchanged messages and continued to chase the direction where Ji Changkong’s soul had fled.

After one soul fragmentation, Ji Changkong’s spiritual power had greatly diminished, leaving him feeling weak all over. His soul was utterly exhausted.

Instinctively, Ji Changkong only desired his soul to return to his body. Only after the soul found its resting place could it recover by drawing nourishment from the vital energy of the physical form.

Glancing back wistfully at the marvelous and bizarre Star Realm, relying on that faint connection to his body, Ji Changkong’s soul struggled onward, flying toward his physical form, however distant it might be.

Crossing the magnificent Star River, sweeping past chunks of fleeting meteors, he absorbed the wonder of the vast starry sky, yet he resolutely aimed for that massive, sapphire sphere.

Passing through the clouds, through all resistance, his soul descended from the heavens, landing in the Cloud Dream Marsh, ultimately returning to his own self sitting cross-legged by the Poison Dragon Pool.

The tendons and veins in his limbs twitched first. In the next moment, Ji Changkong finally regained consciousness. The instant he opened his eyes, he found the Poison Dragon Pool transformed into a world draped in silver. Everything in sight was covered in pure, white snow. Snowflakes were still drifting down above him.

The Flying Sky Blood Serpent coiled beside him, shaking off the snow covering his body to prevent him from turning into a massive snowman. The Three-Eyed Dragon Python and the Eight-Horned Giant Sloth lay lazily beside him, appearing listless and drowsy.

Ji Changkong knew that the season before his meditation had been late autumn. Now, with snow everywhere, it meant winter had arrived. Unconsciously, at least two or three months had passed. Such a miraculous period of cultivation had consumed nearly three months, which surprised Ji Changkong somewhat.

The experience of his soul wandering the Endless Star Domain was vivid and clear; Ji Changkong naturally wouldn't dismiss it as mere hallucination. After moving his limbs slightly, he stood up. Ji Changkong took a deep breath and looked inward at his body and soul. He distinctly noticed faint strands of light within his soul, strands carrying the aura of stars—clearly residual energy gathered during his astral journey.

There was no need for further testing. Ji Changkong knew he had reached the Seven-Star Heaven realm. The star aura within his soul proved that it had been tempered by the essence of the stars, a condition exclusive to Seven-Star Heavenly Soldiers.

“The Northern Barbarians, Northern Barbarian Heavenly Soldiers…” Ji Changkong murmured softly, his eyes turning cold.

“Hiss, hiss, hiss! Qi Qi! Qi Qi!”

The ferocious beasts of the Poison Dragon Pool surrounding him let out excited chirps upon seeing him finally move his limbs. Ji Changkong had been seated motionless for months, his very life aura extremely faint. These strange beasts had feared something terrible had happened to him.

“Splash! Splash! Splash!” Amidst the sound of splashing water, the Sky-Warping Winged Dragon flew up from the depths of the Poison Dragon Pool and headed straight for Ji Changkong.

Pat, pat, pat! Pat, pat, pat!

Chunks of black jade elemental crystals, each the size of a fist, dropped from the great claws of the Sky-Warping Winged Dragon, piling up before Ji Changkong. Over a dozen of these extremely high-quality black jade elemental crystals shone with a dazzling, pure black luster.

“Heh heh, you are the most considerate; you actually knew my soul was heavily depleted.” Ji Changkong smiled. He picked up the largest black jade elemental crystal, rubbed it lightly with his finger, and the crystal immediately emitted foot-long plumes of black light. Smiling, Ji Changkong focused his eyes sharply onto the crystal.

The black light emanating from the black jade elemental crystal suddenly transformed into wisps of smoke visible to the naked eye, severing their connection to the crystal and drilling into his nostrils.

The Sky-Warping Winged Dragon stood guard silently nearby, watching him. The other spirit beasts that had been waiting for so long, seeing the Sky-Warping Winged Dragon emerge, lazily shifted away, each finding a place to rest.

Three days later, the largest black jade elemental crystal in Ji Changkong’s hand had been reduced to an ordinary stone. He tossed it aside casually and took out a new, pure black black jade elemental crystal, continuing to use the black jade elemental crystals to recover the soul power heavily consumed in the Endless Star Domain.

Half a month later, ten black jade elemental crystals were exhausted, yet Ji Changkong’s soul power had not diminished but had, in fact, increased significantly.

“Endless Star Domain, Endless Star Domain, I am coming again,” Ji Changkong whispered under his breath.