※Qingya gazed at him, her expression distant and dazed. Merely a few short years had passed, yet the once obscure youth had become a figure renowned across the land. More than that, his mind had rapidly matured; he was no longer a puppet without his own will, subject to the whims of others.

Looking at Ji Changkong before her, Bai Qingya instinctively compared him to her own father, only to be shocked to find that in certain aspects, Ji Changkong had already surpassed him! “Chang কং, you truly have matured,” Bai Qingya sighed. Ji Changkong chuckled.

“It can’t be helped. Under the urging of certain people, how could I not mature?” Saying this, he retrieved the Tiger Shark Jade Bead from his Mustard Seed Pouch and handed it to Bai Qingya. “Sister Bai, this bead genuinely possesses the effect of preserving beauty.

Hehe, I always intended to give it to you.” “Where did you get this Tiger Shark Jade Bead? I heard such a rare item can only be found in the East Sea. Honestly, any woman would have a hard time refusing this,” Bai Qingya smiled radiantly, accepting the bead with undisguised delight, turning it over and over in her hands.

“Sister Bai, you should rest now. Hehe, I have business to attend to in Tianshui City. It won't be long before Huangfu Zhu comes looking for me.” Ji Changkong paused, then added, “For the duration I’m in Tianshui City, I will be staying at the Chen family residence.

Sister Bai can easily find me. Once these matters are concluded, come visit XuanYuan Valley. It’s vastly different now than it was before.” “That sounds wonderful!

I’ve been missing Aunt Yun for ages.” Bai Qingya readily agreed, feeling utterly pleased. She understood that due to her status, it wasn't appropriate for Ji Changkong to linger in her room, as it could greatly compromise her reputation. Knowing he was at the Chen family home was enough; she could find him easily enough, so there was no need to press for a lengthy conversation immediately.

They spoke for a while longer before Ji Changkong finally left Bai Qingya’s room, asking Chen Yirong and Chen Yihui to help arrange a relatively secluded chamber for him within the Chen household. The night deepened, and silence reigned. In an underground secret chamber surrounded by the Chen family’s rockery, Ji Changkong sat with his eyes tightly shut.

Light shimmered in his hand, and strange streams of luminescence coiled around his body, each manifesting the five elements in a marvelous, utterly unique display. Through Huangfu Zhu, he was confident he could enter the Tianshui City Imperial Palace and meet Huangfu Yue. The Huangfu family was currently in dire need of capable individuals, so they certainly wouldn't cast aside a master who had already demonstrated such power.

An Eight Trigrams Heavenly Scholar alone would command enough attention from Huangfu Yue for a personal audience. However, to avoid exposing any weakness before Huangfu Yue, he could not reveal any of the Heavenly Scholar secret techniques he had previously employed. Both the techniques from the Ji family and those from the Aurorean Divine Cult had to be concealed.

Fortunately, the Heavenly Essence Pearl had devoured many souls, and those souls possessed their own cultivated Heavenly Scholar techniques. For Ji Changkong to remain undetected while still commanding awe with his strength, he needed to manifest other secret techniques capable of showcasing his power. Time was pressing; he needed practice to master them.

Singular, peculiar halos rippled out from his palm. These multicolored arcs were condensed purely from Origin Energy, connecting and interweaving with each other, suffusing every corner of the chamber. At first glance, the room transformed into a vibrant, flowing world of fantasy.

It was fortunate this was a subterranean chamber belonging to the Chen family; had this occurred elsewhere, the aberrant light and intense energy fluctuations swirling in the room would have undoubtedly drawn unwanted attention. Few in the world knew the secret of his cultivation of the Great Void Scripture, and while legends abounded regarding its miracles, very few had actually witnessed them. The Great Void Scripture possessed an extremely peculiar function: Fusion!

It seemed capable of serving as a marvelous medium to blend all manner of power from across the realms! This meant that the vast array of Heavenly Scholar precepts and secret techniques flooding Ji Changkong’s mind could be refined through the Great Void Scripture, potentially forging even more terrifying and wondrous arts. At this moment, Ji Changkong was working to synthesize his own unique offensive techniques from the multitude of precepts and skills stored within his consciousness.

The formation of the seven-colored halos was due partly to his simultaneous cultivation of the Four Symbols and Five Elements; the intermingling of these forces naturally generated these wondrous rings. It was also partly due to his exquisite control over Origin Energy! Within each colorful halo were traces, threads, and streams of his internal Origin Energy, writhing and extending like the tentacles of an octopus.

In mere moments, the entire secret chamber was awash with these dazzling, multicolored rings. A strange smile suddenly curved Ji Changkong’s lips, and he spat out a torrent of blood essence. The blood swirled through the room, miraculously transforming into a miniature blood dragon.

The dragon writhed, splitting into two, then four, rapidly multiplying into smaller and smaller dragons. These tiny blood dragons weaved among the seven-colored halos in the chamber, twisting their forms with apparent delight, exhibiting vibrant life force. A dense, vital energy permeated the secret room, causing the surrounding weeds—perhaps spurred by this power—to sprout and grow at a rate visible to the naked eye.

One by one, the blood dragons bored their way into a single colored halo, merging into it like vapor, slowly seeping into the spectral light. Instantly, an extremely fierce wave of energy erupted within the chamber. After the blood dragons penetrated, the seven-colored halos became palpably volatile and agitated, filled with a ferocious, bloodthirsty essence that seemed bent on destroying heaven and earth itself!

The power latent within the colored halos transformed into something utterly bizarre, a force seemingly without parallel in the world—as if a new, wondrous secret technique had just been spontaneously born! The energy tides within the chamber surged ever more violently, threatening to burst the confines of the room! In the two adjacent subterranean chambers, Chen Qisen and Chen Qilin, who had been diligently cultivating, were jolted by the ferocious fluctuations emanating from the next room.

Startled, the brothers immediately exited their own chambers and rushed through the hidden passage to the exterior of Ji Changkong’s room. “Big Brother, what is… what is this?” Chen Qilin exclaimed in shock. “Yirong said that boy was using the secret chamber for cultivation; he must be in there,” Chen Qisen frowned deeply.

He probed with his divine sense and suddenly recoiled. “What a domineering, violent, destructive power! This strength doesn't seem to follow the Ji family’s path!” “What on earth is that boy doing?” Chen Qilin worried.

“We took great pains to set up this chamber, but if his power continues to grow this intense, the wards we placed might be broken. Outsiders will surely sense the anomaly underground!” “Tu Bazi and the others are still at the Spirit Treasure Pavilion. If they detect the abnormality beneath the earth, they will surely suspect us Chen family, and then the Huangfu faction might move against us!

That boy has no sense of concealment; I don’t know if this will bring us fortune or ruin.” “Don’t worry, we’ll watch it; we can ensure the energy doesn’t leak out. Fortunately, we made preparations long ago, or this would indeed be troublesome,” Chen Qisen reassured him, then grinned. “This boy truly has skill.

It seems we didn’t bet on the wrong person. As long as his strength is formidable enough, as long as he can survive this, even if XuanYuan Valley suffers a temporary setback, it will surely rise again.” “I don’t think XuanYuan Valley will suffer a setback now; they have manpower and wealth, plus that person from Heavenly Mountain… I truly don’t understand the Huangfu family’s thinking, to keep pushing them so hard. Alas, I only worry that in their conflict, some opportunist will profit.” Chen Qilin sighed.

“What is fated to come will come eventually. It cannot be blocked,” Chen Qisen stated. As the two spoke, they heard a violent surge of energy erupt from Ji Changkong’s chamber, causing the walls to tremble faintly, seeming unable to hold the pressure.

Chen Qisen and Chen Qilin exchanged a glance, both placing their hands on the wall simultaneously. Marvelous, water-ripple-like fluctuations spread from their palms, slowly sinking into the chamber walls, gradually calming the shuddering structure. With their hands pressed against the stone, Chen Qilin and Chen Qisen stared in horror.

They realized the energy pulsing from the wall was not only overwhelmingly intense but relentless, like the surging tide of a great river, battering their defensive lines and forcing both of them to exert maximum effort. Boom! Boom!

Boom! Bursts of brutal, overbearing power erupted from the secret room. Chen Qilin and Chen Qisen gave their all, channeling all their strength into the defensive perimeter woven into the chamber walls, stopping the power from leaking out again and again.

After a long while, Chen Qilin and Chen Qisen were drenched in sweat, nearly exhausted, when they suddenly felt the volatile power inside the chamber abruptly double in intensity. The two brothers looked on aghast, momentarily paralyzed by indecision. Suddenly, all the varied energy fluctuations within the secret chamber vanished in an instant, dissipating like a retreating tide.

Simultaneously, the chamber door opened. Inside, Ji Changkong, who had been seated cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes, smiling at the two men. “Thank you both for holding the line.

Otherwise, I fear I might not have been able to control my own power.” Chen Qilin and Chen Qisen exchanged bewildered glances, looking at Ji Changkong with complex expressions. After a long moment, Chen Qisen sighed and managed a wry smile. “Boy, next time you cultivate, pay attention to your surroundings.

I’ve never seen anyone act as recklessly as you.” “Haha, I knew you two would step in to help at the critical moment. That’s why I dared to be so unrestrained,” Ji Changkong laughed. “Right, what secret technique were you using just now?

That… that doesn’t look like a technique from the Ji family?” Chen Qilin asked. “Uh…” Ji Changkong’s expression grew peculiar, and he admitted frankly, “This technique doesn't have a name yet.” He was not yet mature.