A feeling, unexpectedly akin to returning home, surged within him—a heat that felt almost scalding. Yet, his body, long tempered by relentless trials, showed no discomfort. On the contrary, the surging waves of heat permeated his very being, causing the blood within him to faintly boil. Strands of Five Elements Wood Qi, emanating from the dark green liquid below, nourished his body through some arcane means, leaving him feeling as comfortable as if soaking in a hot spring.

Suddenly, he recalled his experiences long ago in the Ghost Valley of the Gloomy Mountain Range.

Back then, Guī Róng and Guī Hǎi, in order to ascertain if he was the new-generation Xuānyuān of the Jī family, had once required him to mix his blood with water to irrigate an ancient, dying tree. The result was astonishing: that old tree suddenly sprouted anew, bursting forth with vigorous life. Guī Róng and Guī Hǎi had remarked back then that only the blood of a Xuānyuān possessed such a miraculous ability to restore life to an ancient tree.

However, this dark green liquid oozing from the earth’s depths allowed plants and flowers to grow far more robustly. While it lacked the singular miraculous effect of his own blood, a careful consideration revealed that the action of this dark green liquid bore a subtle similarity to the function of his blood.

He had never truly pondered the nature of the Xuānyuān blood. Why was his blood different from others? Why could every generation of Xuānyuān break through to the realm of the Nine Palaces Heaven? In a sudden rush, a string of questions flashed through his mind. He sharply realized that the difference between himself and others might stem from a specific, underlying cause.

Gradually sinking lower...

Jī Chángkōng, his body immersed in the dark green liquid, used his heart to perceive the strange sensations coursing through him. He felt increasingly that this marvelous fluid shared some profound connection with himself. Within this peculiar substance, his heart attained an extraordinary stillness, and the circulation of his Primal Force was significantly faster than normal.

Even the spiritual power of his Divine Soul seemed to increase without him even noticing...

Outside.

Guī Róng and Guī Hǎi wore expressions of peculiar astonishment, staring intently at Jī Chángkōng as he descended deep into the subterranean fissure. They clearly saw him completely submerged in the dark green liquid, his face placid and at ease, even bearing a faint hint of joy.

Xiāo Pòshān and Xiāo Xīng, filled with confusion, waited until Jī Chángkōng’s body vanished from sight beneath the earth before finally unable to restrain themselves from questioning Guī Róng and Guī Hǎi about the Nether Ghost Domain and the Ghost Demon King.

Now, the Jī family, the Guǐ Sect, and the Xiāo family were united as one front; their cooperative relationship, established with the creation of the Star Sea, was poised to last for a considerable period. The Ghost Demon King, however, was a critical, long-standing threat to the Guǐ Sect, and Guī Róng and Guī Hǎi felt they might require the Xiāo family’s strength when the time came to deal with the Demon King.

Therefore, Guī Róng and Guī Hǎi made no attempt to conceal the truth, candidly recounting the formation of the Ghost Demon King in the Gloomy Mountain Range and the secret history of the Jī family Xuānyuān pursuing and attacking the Demon King several times. They continued until the account reached how Jī Chángkōng had used the Heavenly Origin Pearl to devour one of the Ghost Demon Kings in the Gloomy Mountain Range a few years prior.

Xiāo Pòshān and Xiāo Xīng, unaware of the situation with the Ghost Demon Kings in the Gloomy Mountain Range, immediately recognized them as extraordinarily terrifying and bizarre entities upon seeing the look of lingering dread on Guī Róng and Guī Hǎi’s faces as they described them.

“Are you saying,” Xiāo Xīng asked with surprise, “that this dark green liquid oozing out only exists in the Nether Ghost Domain of the Gloomy Mountain Range? And the Nether Ghost Domain is precisely where the Ghost Demon King has long entrenched itself?”

Guī Róng nodded, his smile bitter. “I truly don’t know why this dark green liquid is surfacing here. To be frank, I have never seen this dark green liquid before; all my knowledge about it comes from what my elders told me.”

“It can make plants and flowers incredibly vibrant with life—this is…” Guī Hǎi muttered under his breath. Suddenly, Guī Hǎi exclaimed in shock, “Doesn’t the Xuānyuān bloodline possess the miraculous power to restore life to an ancient tree? This… this shares a similar wonder with this liquid!”

At these words, Guī Róng’s expression shifted. “That is indeed the case!”

“Could it be… could he have some connection to this liquid?” Xiāo Xīng inquired.

Guī Róng shook his head with a wry smile. “I do not know.”

“Eh!” Xiāo Pòshān cried out, pointing toward Jī Chángkōng, who was slowly emerging from the crack in the earth. “What is wrong with this brat? What’s going on with him?”

They watched as Jī Chángkōng’s divine body floated slowly atop the dark green liquid. His body was stained a dark green by the substance, his expression serene and composed; his eyes were closed, making him look as if he were fast asleep.

Mù Luó’s face changed instantly. He swiftly flew over and retrieved Jī Chángkōng from the dark green liquid. Strange as it was, the moment Jī Chángkōng’s body emerged, the dark green liquid, which had been gushing outward, slowly receded back into the rift that had torn open the ground.

Under everyone’s watch, not long after, all the dark green liquid that had overflowed from the massive crack surged backward, completely vanishing after a short while.

The group looked down at the fissure, finding that apart from being slightly wider, it looked unchanged from before.

Mù Luó placed Jī Chángkōng on the grass and frowned. “He has entered a mystical state. His Divine Soul, vitality, and Primal Force all seem to be merging with the cosmos, maintaining a rapid rate of growth.”

“Ah!” Mò Yúnyī, who had been silent until now, suddenly gasped. Seeing everyone turn to look at her strangely, Mò Yúnyī continued, “The Xuānyuān of the Jī family sometimes do fall into this peculiar state. It is called metamorphosis. Every generation of Jī family Xuānyuān experiences this miraculous realm several times in their lifetime. Each time they awaken, both their realm and their Primal Force will have significantly increased.”

“There’s such a good thing!” Xiāo Pòshān clicked his tongue in amazement and praised, “No wonder they say every generation of Xuānyuān can break through to the Nine Palaces Heaven realm. So, this Xuānyuān bloodline has such benefits—resting without doing anything can actually advance cultivation! No wonder their speed of advancement is so much faster than others!”

“It’s truly enviable,” Xiāo Xīng sighed. “For most people, once they reach the [omitted realm name] Heaven realm, further progress becomes extremely difficult. The breakthroughs between the Seven Star Heaven and the Eight Trigrams Heaven realms—every single step is fraught with immense hardship. For him to advance so effortlessly… this Xuānyuān bloodline truly deserves its reputation as a bizarre marvel of the world; one must concede.”

“Entering this state of metamorphosis is not an easy feat,” Mò Yúnyī said, her gaze fixed thoughtfully on the dark earth split by the fissure. “As far as I know, it seems to require a specific environment…”

“This dark green liquid probably has some connection to your Jī family’s Xuānyuān blood. By the way, what exactly is going on with your Jī family Xuānyuān? Why does only one appear after such long intervals? And why was the blood of the first-generation Jī family Xuānyuān purple?” Xiāo Pòshān inquired.

Mò Yúnyī sighed and smiled faintly. “I am not entirely clear either. Perhaps even the Xuānyuān of each generation do not know the answers. Every generation of Xuānyuān disappearing without a trace upon reaching the Nine Palaces Heaven realm is also an unsolved mystery. There are too many mysteries surrounding the Xuānyuān; even I, as a member of the Jī family, do not understand.”

“Forget it, let’s guard this young man properly,” Xiāo Pòshān grumbled, shaking his head as he walked away. “Perhaps when he wakes again, his realm will have advanced another step or two. Damn it, at this rate, this kid will probably break through to the Eight Trigrams Heaven realm soon. Truly, comparing oneself to others is maddening. Why didn’t I have such good fortune?”

Guī Róng and Guī Hǎi followed Mù Luó as they escorted Jī Chángkōng to his usual cultivation grotto. Seeing that Jī Chángkōng showed no signs of waking, Guī Róng suggested, “Brother Mù Luó, why don’t you continue setting up the Star Sea? I will watch over him here; you can rest assured.”

“Yes, Elder Mù Luó, please attend to your other duties first,” Mò Yúnyī added with a smile. “This old woman will also keep watch nearby. This is Xuānyuān Valley; if anything happens, a loud call will bring you here quickly.”

Mù Luó nodded without another word and turned to leave.

Jī Chángkōng seemed to have sunk into a long, vivid dreamscape.

Within this dream, he witnessed the primordial age of this continent. Back then, few people inhabited this land; giant, ferocious beasts were the true masters. Immeasurably vast, terrifying beasts, some towering dozens of feet high, and others as massive as small mountains, roamed the land, sea, and sky unchecked. Their terrifying power would make humanity tremble merely thinking of it.

Humans were forced to huddle in remote corners—in mountain caverns or deep underground. Only in the marginal, dark places unreachable by these colossal beasts could humanity barely survive.

Deep within the earth of this continent existed four ancient beings, present since the continent’s very formation. These four ancient entities could not bear to see intelligent beings like humans wiped out by the ferocious beasts. They sought to instruct humanity in their own ways, allowing those with suitable constitutions to borrow their power, thereby teaching those individuals how to utilize the various forces existing between heaven and earth.

Under the guidance of these four ancient beings, humanity rapidly grew stronger. Guided by their spiritual instruction, humans learned to harness the magical forces of the universe and grasp the fundamental laws governing the operation of all things.

At some unknown point, humanity began to emerge from the caverns and underground sanctuaries. Initially, they contended with smaller, less imposing beasts, constantly accumulating experience and learning to borrow ever-increasing amounts of power from the cosmos.

Slowly, humanity’s strength grew, gradually gaining the capacity to challenge the gigantic beasts. They utilized the power of the Five Elements, the strength of the stars, and even the power of the sun and moon, continuously augmenting their capabilities until they finally earned the right to confront the continent’s most massive ferocious beasts head-on.

Humans understood the value of unity. Hundreds, even thousands, of strong experts gathered together, capable of hunting down monstrous beasts the size of mountains. When even a single individual possessed the strength to contend with the mightiest beasts, the doomsday of the ferocious creatures finally arrived.

To become the true masters of this continent, all the powerful figures united, and in a very short time, they exterminated nearly all the powerful beasts inhabiting the land. Humans finally became the undisputed rulers, while the beasts, no longer posing a threat, were relegated to living in the vast jungles and boundless seas.

Humanity, however, was not content with this. Now powerful, they began hunting every living creature on the world, targeting not only those that could threaten their lives but even the weakest organisms. Their greed seemed boundless; they desired to seize absolute control over everything.

These powerful humans not only hunted various creatures but also began to engage in slaughter amongst themselves. Having been taught the true essence of power by the four ancient beings, these individuals possessed the ability to overturn mountains and drain seas. Their clashes often resulted in mountains collapsing and the earth splitting open, leaving the continent scarred and devastated as they recklessly destroyed everything.

The four ancient beings suddenly realized that the empowered humans had become creatures a hundred times more terrifying than the most formidable beasts. They understood that if this continued, this continent would be utterly annihilated by these powerful figures.

Thus, they attempted to intervene, striving to restrain the endless conflict among these formidable experts. However, to their surprise, these grown-powerful humans were no longer subjects they could constrain. Their relentless pursuit of power and understanding of its core truth had reached an incredibly high state over this long period.

Some of the most powerful individuals posed a challenge even to the four most ancient beings themselves. As their strength grew, these figures could roam the sun, moon, and stars in spirit; some could even ascend into the star systems, becoming utterly lawless and regarding nothing with respect.

Moreover, several of the peak experts even set their sights on the four ancient beings, believing they could exploit these most ancient entities to shatter their own inherent limitations and reach mystical realms unimaginable even to the ancients...

These human factions, treating the four beings as they would the massive beasts, banded together and delved deep underground, commencing a battle against the four lifeforms that co-existed with the continent—a battle beyond ordinary comprehension. This war grievously wounded the continent’s vital energy. Although the four ancient beings ultimately won, eradicating all those who dared challenge them, they too suffered severe injuries, forcing them into a prolonged slumber to recover.

To prevent the emergence of such individuals again, and to protect themselves from disturbance during their slumber, the four beings selected certain kind individuals who inclined towards them, establishing an agreement before they slept. They bestowed marvelous power upon these individuals, tasking them with guarding the four beings against harm while they slept.

As the lifeblood of the continent, their slumber caused the spiritual energy of the world to significantly diminish compared to before. Consequently, the rate at which people who relied on this worldly energy to grow strong decelerated, and since many of the most powerful figures had perished deep underground, much of the true essence of the power they commanded was lost along with them.

Over the subsequent years, the number of individuals truly capable of breaking through to the pinnacle on this continent grew increasingly rare, constrained by various restrictions. Yet, because the guardians remained, the continent managed to maintain a hard-won tranquility. (To be continued)