Streaks of light flickered through the void. Above Xuanyuan Valley, the stars resembled perfect disks, shining far brighter than in other places. Prismatic light and energy swirled, bathing the entire valley in an ethereal, dreamlike mist, making it appear like a genuine immortal realm.

Within Xuanyuan Valley, one could distinctly feel that the surrounding Heaven and Earth Origin Qi was dozens of times richer than elsewhere. Every breath felt refreshing and exhilarating, as if the air itself transformed into wisps of Origin Force, silently permeating the limbs and bones.

As dusk settled and the myriad stars began to emerge in the sky, everyone looked up to behold the heavens above Xuanyuan Valley filled with colossal stars. The distance between Xuanyuan Valley and the Endless Star Domain seemed to have instantaneously shrunk tens of thousands of times. Stars that were once the size of mung beans now appeared as large as dinner plates.

All sorts of marvelous auras drifted through the valley. Some carried the frigid, sinister energy of malevolence, while others exuded a vast, ancient righteousness. Any Celestial Master entering Xuanyuan Valley could immediately sense the anomaly of these overlapping energies.

A tall, lean figure stood at the absolute center of Xuanyuan Valley, his hands releasing waves of energy that rippled outward in all directions like surging tides. Wherever this aura passed, the entire valley echoed with sharp cracks. The towering stone pillars positioned in several directions seemed to suddenly spring to life, twisting and swaying with uncanny motion.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! The sound of the earth shaking resonated from every corner of the valley, the deep tremors echoing ceaselessly. From the rivers that had been artificially excavated, tendrils of pure white mist suddenly rose, floating into the void and casting a hazy veil over the Endless Star Domain.

The deafening roar persisted for quite some time. Xuanyuan Valley felt as though it had endured a massive earthquake, shaking without pause.

After a long while, the clamor in Xuanyuan Valley gradually subsided. The figure at the center swayed slightly, then abruptly sat down cross-legged, remaining motionless for an extended period.

Mu Luo, Xiao Poshuan, Gui Rong, Gui Li, and the others watched the resting young man with solemn expressions.

After a moment, Ji Changkong let out a slow breath and opened his eyes, a smile blooming on his lips. "The Star Sea Grand Array is nearly complete. However, it cannot immediately unleash its full power. The Star Sea Grand Array can form an ocean of stars above Xuanyuan Valley, forcefully altering the rules of the world and drawing upon the Origin Qi beneath the earth. This Star Sea, formed from the convergence of celestial and terrestrial power, will only grow more formidable as its various formations and restrictions mature over time. We shall wait and see."

"Master, thank you. Thank you for bringing the Ancient Formation of the Divine Sect back to the mortal realm," Mu Luo bowed deeply, his eyes overflowing with uncontrollable excitement as he murmured softly.

Ji Changkong shook his head with a smile. "You don't need to thank me. I did this not for the Divine Sect, but for myself alone."

"Changkong, these past three months, the Ghost Demon Kings have rampaged everywhere, bringing disaster to countless Celestial Masters. Though the world is vast, it seems no one can subdue them. If one day a Ghost Demon King grows powerful enough, they will surely come to Xuanyuan Valley and Tianshan for revenge. The Star Sea Grand Array... I wonder if it will be effective against them?" Xiao Xing frowned, looking deeply troubled.

Over the past few months, in the East Sea, the Gray Mist Mountain Range in the Central Lands, and near the Rou Country, two Ghost Demon Kings had been wreaking havoc, assaulting Celestial Master sects and clans. These two were incredibly powerful, completely impervious to the searing effects of the Blazing Sun. Even coordinated efforts by the Eight Trigram Celestial Masters proved ineffective against them.

It was rumored that Huangfu Yue, Wang Bai, and some evildoers from the Shadowless Sect were aligned with the Ghost Demon Kings. With their aid, these fiends could operate freely, and very few clans or sects could withstand them. In just three months, over a dozen Celestial Master sects and clans in the surrounding areas of the East Sea, Gray Mist Mountain Range, and Rou Country had been annihilated.

The Ghost Demon Kings were born from the world’s cold, dark, and malevolent energies, devoid of any human compassion. They caused chaos everywhere, plunging these regions into turmoil, making every person fear for their safety, dragging countless families into an endless abyss.

Gu Dan had traveled to Tianshan once more and battled the Ghost Demon King—the same one previously seen at the Imperial Palace of Shuiyun Country—in Rou Country. However, this Ghost Demon King, having grown even stronger recently, was now a foe even Gu Dan could not defeat. Furthermore, the creature was extremely cunning; upon sustaining injuries, it immediately fled. Once a Ghost Demon King escapes, it can become formless, its soul dispersing into a thousand fine threads, making true annihilation impossible for Gu Dan.

Suddenly, all the major sects and clans across the world realized the threat the Ghost Demon Kings posed. Many spontaneously organized joint efforts to hunt them down, hoping to eliminate this menace to all humanity.

Alas, repeated attempts to encircle and kill the Ghost Demon Kings invariably ended in failure. No one could truly destroy them.

The Ghost Demon Kings instantly became public enemies. Consequently, the Huangfu and Murong families, along with sects like the Shadowless Sect, who sided with them, were immediately categorized as heretical organizations, targets for immediate extermination.

Upon hearing the mention of the Ghost Demon Kings, everyone in Xuanyuan Valley’s expressions darkened.

They all understood that the Ghost Demon Kings would eventually come to Xuanyuan Valley to slaughter everyone within its confines. The only reason they hadn't arrived yet was that they lacked the absolute confidence to wipe out the entire valley.

"As enemies of the entire world, these creatures truly wish to transform the human realm into their own domain—how vicious and venomous. Those two Ghost Demon Kings seem immortal; after being severely wounded, they can recuperate by absorbing more souls. They are indeed a stubborn, malignant tumor."

"Changkong, is there any solution?" Gui Rong hesitated, then asked, "The Art of Thunder Moving Through Nine Heavens can utterly disintegrate soul power. If you master the Thunder Moving Through Nine Heavens, perhaps you could summon the Divine Thunder from the Nine Heavens, and that might succeed."

The Thunder Moving Through Nine Heavens technique within the Heavenly Thunder Force, if cultivated to its peak, could indeed summon the power of the Divine Thunder from beyond the Nine Heavens. Legend held that this transcendent thunder could shatter all souls, reducing them to the world's primordial energy within the lightning force.

"I don't know if the Divine Thunder of the Nine Heavens is truly viable, but it's worth a try," Ji Changkong mused, then sighed. "Unfortunately, my current realm and strength are insufficient to summon the Divine Thunder of the Nine Heavens to descend upon the mortal world. Alas, we must think harder about other ways to eliminate life forms like the Ghost Demon Kings."

"Changkong, you could try it on that being," Mo Yunyi suggested. "He is also a life form that shouldn't exist in this world, just like the Ghost Demon Kings. If you can find a way to deal with him, perhaps you can find a way to deal with the Ghost Demon Kings as well."

At these words, something stirred in Ji Changkong's mind. He knew exactly who Mo Yunyi was referring to: the Origin Poison.

Like the Ghost Demon Kings, the Origin Poison was an exceedingly strange life form, possessing formidable soul power. The last time, it had even managed to trap a Ghost Demon King, demonstrating its immense power and mystery.

Ji Changkong had not yet revealed the terrifying toxicity of the Origin Poison to Mo Yunyi and the others. In his view, the threat the Origin Poison posed to the world might not be much less than that of the Ghost Demon Kings.

The only difference was that the Origin Poison was currently under his restraint; it would fight the Ghost Demon Kings for his sake.

"I will try," Ji Changkong sighed. He then gave a few instructions to Mu Luo, telling him to carefully examine the Star Sea Ancient Formation and temporarily deactivate some of its restrictions so that those entering or exiting Xuanyuan Valley would not be harmed.

In a secret chamber, Ji Changkong stared intently at the Origin Poison, which was currently devouring a pitch-black Black Jade Origin Crystal. "Little Poison, do you know if there is anything that can destroy a Ghost Demon King?"

Having learned from the previous encounter, Ji Changkong began to loosen his control over the Origin Poison as a precaution, intentionally bolstering its strength. He no longer begrudged giving up the Black Jade Origin Crystals, tossing about ten of them to the Origin Poison every day.

A single inky-black Black Jade Origin Crystal dissolved into a grayish-white dust in mere moments.

Over three months, the Origin Poison had consumed an untold number of Black Jade Origin Crystals. Its previously vague features were gradually becoming clearer. Upon closer inspection, its outline faintly resembled Ji Changkong's. Its subtle eyebrows, mouth, and nose seemed to have been subtly molded after Ji Changkong's features.

Perhaps due to the effects of the Black Jade Origin Crystals, or perhaps simply out of habit, the Origin Poison no longer resisted being called "Little Poison."

Its small eyes, gleaming with cunning, rotated a few times. The Origin Poison stretched lazily, yawning widely. "Stop worrying. Even though that fellow keeps getting stronger, I haven't been idle either. If he truly shows up, you and I teaming up will certainly drive him back again."

"What if both of them show up?" Ji Changkong managed a wry smile.

The Origin Poison furrowed its brow. Its appearance now bore a seven or eight-tenths resemblance to Ji Changkong. It had acquired a great deal of memory through the Origin Pearl, including the memories of the third Ghost Demon King, Gui Li. Therefore, it knew the origins of the Ghost Demon Kings and was aware that, besides the one from last time, there was the very first Ghost Demon King formed in this world.

That Demon King was currently causing widespread slaughter in the East Sea.

"If both of those guys come, we can only run," the Origin Poison mumbled, looking genuinely apprehensive. "That fellow is too terrifying. My venom can only slow him down, dull his power, but it can't truly destroy him. Heh heh, but it’s fine, don't you have plenty of escape methods? I think we can get away."

"Do you have any method to destroy them?" Ji Changkong shook his head and asked.

"There is a way, though..." Surprisingly, after pondering for a moment, the Origin Poison offered this answer.

His eyes lit up, and Ji Changkong shot to his feet, stating gravely, "What method?"

Extending an arm barely the length of an ordinary person's finger, the Origin Poison pointed toward the sky and said nonchalantly, "Besides acquiring those wicked thoughts from the others in the Origin Pearl, I also gained some secrets originally held within the pearl itself. You know, the Origin Pearl came from beyond the heavens. If you can go to a specific place in the Endless Star Domain and retrieve something that originally belonged to the Origin Pearl, the pearl alone will be enough to handle both of those fiends."

For more novels, visit storyread.net.