The nebula-like spirit instantly stirred, and nearly imperceptible soul-lights shot silently towards the nebula. The first portion of the spirit was pierced by a soul-light, suddenly erupting in a spray of glimmering motes that scattered everywhere—its soul utterly disintegrated!

A vast surge of mental power was brought to bear upon another segment of the spirit. Driven by the Nebula Soul Refining Technique, the will was forcefully imposed upon the opponent's soul, seizing control over every consciousness within its mind, compelling this spirit segment to violently rush backward and intentionally detonate itself.

The spirit shattered, and the chaotic mental waves, like myriad arrows, engulfed the remaining five spirit segments. The five segments affected by the mental waves suddenly felt as if burdened by ten thousand jin, making any movement of their spirits arduous.

Seizing this opportunity, streaks of soul-light erupted from Ji Changkong’s spirit. The lights shot out in all directions, vanishing into the five spirit segments, causing them to begin glowing brilliantly, one after the other.

In the span of a breath, the seven spirit segments occupying "Yin Peak"... were executed; their spirits annihilated!

Ji Changkong, who had diligently cultivated the Nebula Soul Refining Technique, had become increasingly adept at its most venomous soul skills through this period of tempering. With his spirit vastly enhanced, the deployment of his various soul techniques possessed limitless power. These seven unsuspecting spirit segments were almost instantly annihilated due to their lack of preparation.

Ling Xiao watched the events on "Yin Peak" from afar. He had been preparing to assist Ji Changkong against these Eastern Sea spirits, but before he could even approach "Yin Peak," he witnessed the seven spirit segments violently flash with brilliant light and instantly dissipate.

Ling Xiao found it almost impossible to believe what Ji Changkong had accomplished. A cultivator at the Seven Star Heaven Realm, yet Ji Changkong could instantaneously kill seven experts whose spirit strength was comparable to his own. It was utterly inconceivable.

“That’s enough. We can keep this Yin Peak for cultivation now. None of the seven escaped, so we don't need to worry about them calling for reinforcements,” Ji Changkong sent a soul-thought to Ling Xiao. His spirit remained on "Yin Peak," rapidly absorbing the starlight threads entwined around it.

Ling Xiao didn't know what to say. After offering his thanks, he also settled silently on "Yin Peak," utilizing the entwined starlight threads to purify and cleanse his own spirit.

Having previously tempered his physical body using the essence of the stars from Tian Shu Star, both Ji Changkong’s spirit and body now carried the power of the stars. When his Yuan Li flowed through his meridians and bones, it seemed capable of drawing out some of the latent star power within, greatly increasing the might of his Yuan Li.

With his experience cultivating with starlight threads and star essence on Tian Shu Star, cultivating on Tian Xuan Star felt effortless. This "Yin Peak" was wrapped with numerous starlight threads, which were sufficient for him to wash his spirit, imbuing it with the unique aura of this particular star.

After an unknown amount of time, when his spirit began to register fatigue, he noticed Ling Xiao had long since vanished. Apparently, Ling Xiao had also suffered massive mental exhaustion and his spirit had returned to his physical body to recover.

With a thought, Ji Changkong’s spirit withdrew from Tian Xuan Star, drifting back toward his physical form.

Slowly opening his eyes, Ji Changkong casually retrieved a piece of Black Jade Yuan Crystal from his Jie Zi pouch and immediately began using it to restore his mental energy. In a short time, the energy contained within one Black Jade Yuan Crystal was completely absorbed, leaving behind an ordinary gray-white stone.

Tossing the depleted crystal aside, Ji Changkong took out a new one, continuing to draw upon the contained power to replenish his spirit’s mental energy.

While cultivating, Ji Changkong failed to notice a viscous mass suddenly floating out of the discarded Black Jade Yuan Crystal. This mass was a pale, milky white, slowly writhing as if possessing life. It moved out from the spent crystal, inching toward Ji Changkong, then suddenly sprung like a coil, landing directly onto the Black Jade Yuan Crystal he was currently holding.

Silken, transparent threads were drawn out from the crystal, vanishing into the pale white, strange mass. Gradually, the strange mass seemed to solidify, taking on the exact texture of the Black Jade Yuan Crystal. Under close inspection, it appeared to merge seamlessly with the crystal. Moments later, Ji Changkong discovered that the crystal in his hand could no longer provide him with sufficient power. Frowning slightly, he tossed this newly gray-white crystal aside and retrieved another fresh one to continue his practice.

“Why is the consumption so fast?” he wondered with a hint of confusion, but he didn't dwell on it, continuing to use the Black Jade Yuan Crystals for his cultivation.

Not long after, the crystal he had just discarded began to soften. It transformed from a gray-white lump into a liquid state, slowly writhing again, and then hopped onto the Black Jade Yuan Crystal held in Ji Changkong’s hand.

After seven Black Jade Yuan Crystals were exhausted, Ji Changkong frowned deeply, gazing at the crystal in his hand with palpable doubt. He murmured softly, “It used to be that five or six Black Jade Yuan Crystals were enough to restore my mind completely after returning from the Big Dipper Star Domain. What’s happening this time? I’ve used all seven, and I’m still not fully recovered…”

The crystal in his hand remained gray-white. Ji Changkong examined it but found nothing unusual. Shaking his head lightly, he casually set the crystal aside and drew another new one from his Jie Zi pouch.

The Poison Dragon Pool contained many Black Jade Yuan Crystals; the Sky Turtle Dragon had brought him over a hundred, all of which he stored in his Jie Zi pouch to enhance his mental strength.

After retrieving this new crystal, Ji Changkong didn't rush to cultivate. Instead, he stared at it intently, trying to ascertain if the quality of these crystals had somehow degraded. He extended his spiritual perception to the crystal and carefully sensed it, finding that the stored energy was not significantly less than before.

Frowning, he then concentrated his spiritual perception onto the few discarded crystals, checking to see if he had missed any residual power within them.

“Huh!” he exclaimed, his eyes instantly brightening as he stared fixedly at the crystal he had just tossed away.

His perception extended normally to the other stones, but when his awareness fell upon the recently discarded crystal, he abruptly sensed an extremely faint flicker of life force within one corner of it. Under Ji Changkong’s gaze, that section gradually softened, seemingly melting into a gelatinous mass that slowly crawled back toward him.

“Ah, I’ve been discovered…” An extremely faint soul-thought emanated from the mass, carrying a trace of novelty mixed with slight timidity.

“Is that you? The Primal Poison?” Ji Changkong’s expression turned horrifying, and he abruptly stood up, quickly moving to the front of the stone cave to check if it was completely sealed.

This strange life form originating from the Poison Codex of the Poison Valley—whose mere excretions could poison a Nine Palaces Heavenly Scholar—demonstrated how terrifying it was. This was Xuanyuan Valley; if any scent from him diffused, the Ji Family, the Ghost Sect, the Xiao Family, and the rogue cultivators training in the back mountain—wouldn't they all be poisoned to death?

It couldn't be blamed that Ji Changkong was flustered; this life form was simply too dreadful. Ever since he entered the Heavenly Origin Pearl, whenever he recalled this entity, Ji Changkong felt a knot of anxiety, never knowing when it might emerge and act. Now, seeing it had actually emerged from the Heavenly Origin Pearl, it was no wonder Ji Changkong was tense.

“Yes. I… I was hungry, so I looked for something to eat…”

Recalling the process of its emergence from the Black Jade Yuan Crystal, Ji Changkong suddenly realized with alarm, “Did you just take a portion of the energy stored within the Black Jade Yuan Crystals?”

“Yes. After consuming that, my spirit felt much better, so… so I had the strength to speak with you…” the Primal Poison answered honestly, then asked pitiably, “I still don’t feel full. Do you have any more? Can you, can you give me… give me some more…?”

“What is your deal? How did you get out? And after coming out, will you release anything that could poison everyone?” Ji Changkong stared fixedly at the sticky, milky-white mass, not daring to relax his gaze for an instant.

“No strength, I have no strength…” the Primal Poison’s thought-projection was weak.

Ji Changkong was exasperated. He had just allowed this thing to absorb nearly half the power from seven Black Jade Yuan Crystals. Such a significant boost to mental energy had been absorbed, yet now it claimed to lack the strength even to transmit a simple thought. Was this creature trying to extort favors?

After asking a few more questions, the Primal Poison remained silent and motionless before him.

Helpless, Ji Changkong gritted his teeth in frustration. After hesitating for a moment, he walked back toward the stone cave entrance, took out another Black Jade Yuan Crystal from his Jie Zi pouch, and tossed it far away, letting it land on the stone ground about a meter from the Primal Poison.

The Primal Poison, which had just claimed to be weak, suddenly sprang up the moment the crystal landed, clinging tightly to it like a drop of sticky fluid.

Ji Changkong could clearly see the threads of power contained within the crystal being drawn out like fine fishing lines. As it absorbed the energy, the viscous body of the Primal Poison gradually solidified, becoming one with the Black Jade Yuan Crystal.

“Now you can talk, right?” Ji Changkong huffed.

“Give me three more, and I’ll tell you,” the Primal Poison’s soul-thought drifted over intermittently.

Hating the situation inwardly, Ji Changkong ground his teeth and tossed out three more Black Jade Yuan Crystals, thinking how truly greedy this thing was; one wasn't enough, and now it demanded more.

“If you don't tell me now, I’ll burn you alive!”

“I’m not afraid of fire.” An extremely faint voice came from that Black Jade Yuan Crystal.

Indeed, it was not a soul-thought, but an actual sound! Although it was extremely faint and carried a hint of a young, childish tone, it was real!