To this day, even if he was unwilling to admit it, he knew he could not deny the connection between himself and the Azure Dragon Hall. The Xuanyuan blood within him possessed the power to bring dead wood back to life, making him realize that the blood coursing through him was certainly unusual.

If the Azure Dragon had claimed that his blood existed within the Xuanyuan lineage, he might not have been too surprised. But the fact that the Azure Dragon announced there was more than just his own strange blood within him was entirely beyond his expectations.

His Divine Soul trembled, and strange light continuously gathered. Soon, in this dark expanse, Ji Changkong’s Divine Soul, just like the Azure Dragon’s, condensed into a tangible phantom form with a clearly discernible face.

“Could it be?” The phantom form that Ji Changkong manifested shifted in expression, his look filled with astonishment.

Nodding affirmatively, the Azure Dragon smiled with a hint of amusement. “Indeed. Within your body, there is also the blood of the White Tiger, the Vermilion Bird, and the Black Tortoise.”

“How is that possible!” Ji Changkong’s face was a mask of disbelief; he shook his head repeatedly, muttering, “Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! How could such a thing happen?”

Though he strained against believing it, the voice in his heart knew that since the Azure Dragon had spoken, the truth must indeed be so.

After a long pause, Ji Changkong managed a wry smile, chuckling bitterly at himself. “So, that means… I achieved my current realm entirely because of the four streams of blood within me? Ha! I always thought my talent was exceptionally rare; turns out it was just the influence of your blood at work.”

The Azure Dragon watched Ji Changkong quietly, stating calmly, “Child, the blood of our four might make your physique somewhat extraordinary, but it will not enhance your cultivation realm or your temperament. The most crucial aspects of the path of cultivation are comprehension and effort; neither of these was bestowed upon you by us.”

“Therefore, your achievements today have little to do with our blood; they are entirely due to your hard work! Your talent is indeed rarely seen in this world; that is a fact, not something we granted you!”

The Azure Dragon was the most ancient life form on this continent. In such an immense span of time, what had he not witnessed? He immediately discerned the knot in Ji Changkong’s heart, knowing that if this inner turmoil was not resolved, it might impede his future advancements in cultivation.

Hearing the Azure Dragon’s words brought some relief to Ji Changkong. After a moment of thought, he asked, “The successive Xuanyuan Emperors—did their bodies always contain the blood of the four of you?”

“The earlier generations of Xuanyuan only carried a single drop of my blood. Only you possess the blood of all four of us!” The Azure Dragon shook his head, sighing softly as he explained, “Many years ago, we selected certain individuals and bestowed power upon them, tasking them to guard us and to guard this continent. However, over the long passage of time, the families belonging to those individuals were all exterminated. Because we had an agreement that the blood could only be mingled with their own lineage, once their families perished, we could no longer cooperate with them.”

“Only your Ji family, due to the extraordinary innate talent of every Xuanyuan Emperor, has survived to this day despite its ups and downs. By now, in this world, you are our sole guardian. The families chosen by the Vermilion Bird, the White Tiger, and the Black Tortoise have all withered away.”

“The vital essence blood they had prepared for their earlier guardians was ultimately planted into your body for this very reason, which is why your blood still retains its inherent nature. However, up to this point, only the single drop of vital essence blood I planted within you has completely fused with your own blood. The vital essence blood implanted by the other three remains unassimilated by you.”

“If you can manage to fully fuse the vital essence blood planted by the other three, your cultivation of the Taixu Secret Record will become even more potent. Even without external aid, with the marvel of the Illusory Realm of Taixu within the Taixu Secret Record, you could contend with the Ghost Demon King.” The Azure Dragon seemed intimately aware of every secret concerning his body, even knowing clearly about the esoteric technique of the Illusory Realm of Taixu.

“The vital essence blood planted in my body?” Ji Changkong was stunned, his expression odd. He mused internally how the vital essence blood seemed like mere seeds in their eyes. After a pause, Ji Changkong asked, “How do you know about the Illusory Realm of Taixu?”

“You will understand in time,” the Azure Dragon smiled enigmatically, his once clear figure gradually blurring. “That is all. My main body remains in slumber. Bringing your Divine Soul here was solely to impart these things to you. You only need to know that within your body, there are still the bloodlines of the other three yet to be merged. They reside deep within your body; you must explore that slowly.”

The Azure Dragon did not grant him time for further inquiry. After speaking these words, Ji Changkong’s Divine Soul was gently propelled by a soft force, soaring toward the surface. In a haze, his soul felt lighter, piercing through the thick earth to return to Xuanyuan Valley.

Hoo!

Taking a soft breath, Ji Changkong, whose soul had returned, slowly opened his eyes, only to find everyone staring intently at him.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Changkong asked curiously.

“What just happened to you? Did you know, you suddenly glowed with an intense cyan light, as if you had become someone else entirely?” Mo Yunyi frowned, perplexed.

“Nothing much…” Ji Changkong smiled. “Hehe, don’t worry. Nothing is wrong.”

The others watched him silently. They knew something significant must have occurred, but seeing his reluctance to speak, they did not press further.

“The Ghost Demon King has retreated. He was frightened off by the illusion of the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon. The current Ghost Demon King is far stronger than he was near the Blood Rain Mountain. If he continues to grow at this pace, perhaps no one will be able to deal with him in the future,” Gui Rong sighed with a troubled expression.

The others fell silent.

“Rest assured, as long as the Four Sacred Beasts exist in this world, the Ghost Demon King cannot run rampant across this continent. Once the Four Sacred Beasts awaken from their slumber, a mere Ghost Demon King will be no issue at all!” Ji Changkong reassured them. He knew the Four Sacred Beasts certainly would not allow the Ghost Demon King to destroy the continent, and his own existence was one of the means the Four Sacred Beasts employed to deal with the Ghost Demon King.

Since the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon had manifested behind Ji Changkong, everyone clearly understood his connection to the creature. Hearing his words, the families present gradually felt a sense of ease, believing that as long as Ji Changkong remained in Xuanyuan Valley, the threat of the Ghost Demon King was not a primary concern.

The rogue cultivators who had flocked from all corners of the realm immediately recognized Xuanyuan Valley as their true refuge after this battle. In their eyes, however vast the world, only by remaining within Xuanyuan Valley could they ensure safety from the Ghost Demon King’s menace.

Due to the potent threat of the Ghost Demon King, no one dared leave Xuanyuan Valley for the time being. The not-so-large Xuanyuan Valley was now teeming with people, with Celestial Masters from various factions everywhere. As so many people crowded into the limited space, Xuanyuan Valley immediately felt congested.

Because they did not know if the Ghost Demon King might linger nearby, everyone was resigned to their fate; even accommodation was cramped. No one dared venture out rashly at this time.

With so many people, many in Xuanyuan Valley were forced to sit out in the open, with no shelters available. With such a large gathering, the valley was noisy day and night, never finding a moment of quiet.

The Ji family, the Ghost Sect, and the Xiao family deliberated and decided this arrangement was unsustainable. They had no choice but to commence intensive excavation of the peaks behind them, carving the entire rear mountain into a labyrinth of caves to temporarily house the influx of people.

“Changkong, He Haoran and Baili Ke have arrived with all the experts from the He family and the Star Stone Sect. They are waiting outside Xuanyuan Valley and demanding entry,” Xiao Xing reported, bringing new tidings while Ji Changkong was still busy settling the valley's current residents.

A headache forming, Ji Changkong sighed resignedly. “Let them in.”

He knew the people from the He family and the Star Stone Sect must also be terrified of the Ghost Demon King. After learning that the Ghost Demon King had appeared near Blood Rain Mountain with over a thousand ghost demons, they instantly felt a sense of crisis. Recently, many sects and families had been wiped out. The He family and the Star Stone Sect dared not take chances, and upon hearing that Xuanyuan Valley had remained unharmed under the Ghost Demon King’s attack, they immediately treated it as a sanctuary.

“The valley is already overflowing with people now. I fear there’s no place to settle these two groups,” Xiao Xing said with a wry smile.

“If there’s nowhere to settle them, just let them find a spot to sit somewhere. Can I really turn away those in need of saving?” Ji Changkong was equally helpless.

Nodding, Xiao Xing said no more. He knew Ji Changkong was a man of deep loyalty and would never turn away the He family or the Star Stone Sect at such a time, so he went to grant them entry.

“Haha! Changkong, we old folks had no choice but to seek refuge in Xuanyuan Valley! We hope you don’t mind. As soon as the Ghost Demon King’s threat is gone, we’ll leave immediately and won’t cause any trouble for you!” He Haoran boomed, leading He Liying and the rest of the He family members forward.

He Liying kept her head down, avoiding Ji Changkong’s gaze. Those members of the He family who had previously shown dissatisfaction with Xuanyuan Valley were now all subdued, their expressions somewhat awkward.

They had clashed with some people in Xuanyuan Valley before, even deliberately causing trouble for some residents. Now, forced to seek refuge in Xuanyuan Valley due to the Ghost Demon King’s threat, they naturally felt ashamed.

The Star Stone Sect members were much the same; many looked down, not daring to meet the eyes of the Xuanyuan Valley people.

Only Baili Xiu held her head high, displaying an air of entitlement. Her beautiful eyes were fixed firmly on Ji Changkong, as if she had many unspoken words for him.

“Changkong, there are more people outside,” Xiao Xing approached Ji Changkong, saying with a bitter smile, “Some sects from other parts of Blood Rain Mountain, upon hearing that Xuanyuan Valley repelled the Ghost Demon King, have also come here with their entire clans, hoping to take refuge in the valley. What should we do?”

“Ah! More people?” Ji Changkong couldn't help but exclaim, truly feeling overwhelmed.

The valley was already packed to capacity, and now the Star Stone Sect and the He family had arrived. He was fretting over arrangements, and now even more people were crowding the entrance. What was he to do?