The terrified spirit, fleeing without direction, barreled straight through the densest area of starlight ahead. Fortunately, its escaping soul continuously emitted warning shockwaves; otherwise, in this region of extremely concentrated starlight, it would have been nearly impossible for anyone to detect its presence.

The newcomer clearly had not emerged from Xuanyuan Valley!

The eleven individuals who had rushed into Tianheng Star alongside him from Xuanyuan Valley remained immobilized beside him, all ten of them keenly alert, watching the approaching escapee.

"Soul Devouring Fungus! The Soul Devouring Fungus is out!"

The panicked vibrational waves continued to ripple outward, accompanied by the newcomer’s own shockwaves. His mass of spirit was like a dazzling orb of light, continuously emitting fierce radiance, resembling a miniature, condensed moon. nb;nb; Ji Changkong’s heart suddenly tightened.

At that exact moment, he sensed that the strange creatures he had previously detected had abruptly drifted out from the depths of the starlight.

Those peculiar creatures had initially been gathered together; the moment they flew out from the starlight, they began to separate. Within the span of a few breaths, the group of strange creatures, which had been in a shuttle formation, dissolved into a misty vapor. Moving with incredible speed, it rapidly enveloped another fleeing spirit.

The escapee lagging behind was instantly covered by the misty, strange creatures.

The previously agile escapee’s spirit seemed suddenly paralyzed, as if struck by a potent anesthetic—all strength vanished. The strange creatures continued to split, becoming finer than the smallest needle point, instantly saturating his spirit mass.

There was no scream, no tragic cry. nb;nb; Yet, the spirit aura of that person was slowly, inch by inch, being devoured; the very addiction to life was being rapidly stripped away.

In mere seconds, that person's life aura and spiritual energy vanished entirely from the world—truly and utterly annihilated.

"You... who are you people?" The previous escapee, shouting as he ran, suddenly noticed Ji Changkong and his group halted amidst the starlight. He desperately rushed over, urgent.

"The Soul Devouring Fungus has arrived! Whoever you are, flee immediately!"

He did not linger. nb;nb; After delivering these words, this escapee darted past Ji Changkong, Old Man Ghost, Xiao Yunduan, and the others, continuing his desperate flight into the distance.

"Move!" Ji Changkong's spirit roared.

Lan Xingyun, Huang Xun, and the others, whose hearts were pounding with fear, immediately made the decision to retreat and fled backward. Old Man Ghost and Xiao Yunduan did not move at first; though terrified, they watched Ji Changkong anxiously until they saw him begin to withdraw, only then following suit.

The group of twelve retreated from the area of most concentrated starlight at an even faster pace than when they had arrived.

Strangely enough, those mist-like strange creatures hovered and swept by for a moment, then gradually retreated back toward the deepest parts of the starlight, not pursuing them all the way from that location.

The person who had escaped had not gone far either, seemingly waiting quietly for Ji Changkong and his group.

This person clearly had something to say, but he was extremely cautious. The moment he saw Ji Changkong’s group approach, his spirit quietly pulled back a safe distance, preventing Ji Changkong’s group from surrounding him for questioning or potentially acting unfavorably.

"What was that just now? What were those strange creatures?" Ji Changkong, Old Man Ghost, and Xiao Yunduan asked immediately as their spirits converged.

"That is the Soul Devouring Fungus, a miraculous creature deeply hidden within the heart of Tianheng Star. They can congregate or scatter at will, usually dwelling deep within the planet's core. Once they emerge from their subterranean nest, they gather nearby starlight to lure cultivators drawn to Tianheng Star closer."

"The Soul Devouring Fungus is cunning and malevolent. If any Heaven Practitioner grows greedy for concentrated starlight and approaches, they become the Fungus’s target."

"The Soul Devouring Fungus operates in swarms. Once they cover a spirit, they immediately devour its power. Very few can escape. They feed on spiritual essence, and after consuming one spirit, they can generate more Soul Devouring Fungus in a short time—they are terrifyingly potent!"

"I fell prey to the Soul Devouring Fungus’s trickery only because I was greedy for the concentration and richness of this starlight. Several Heaven Practitioners who came with me, Feng, also knew about the Fungus. Sadly, none of them escaped its clutches; all perished deep within that starlight."

This person’s spirit wavered as he rapidly recounted what had happened. Without waiting for further questions from Ji Changkong’s group, he added, "The Soul Devouring Fungus is extremely dangerous. If you don’t wish to die, it is best to stay far away. They hide deep within the starlight and can move rapidly by utilizing the dense light. Generally, they do not stray too far from concentrated starlight, or their speed will be severely hampered. If you are still greedy for the density of this starlight, you can cultivate on the outer edges; it's comparatively safer there."

He seemed unwilling to waste any more spiritual energy on explanations. Having said this, his spirit immediately flashed away.

Ji Changkong, Old Man Ghost, and Xiao Yunduan’s spirit masses paused there, while Huang Xun, Lan Xingyun, and the experts from the Blood Rain Minor Sect and other factions scattered, hesitating whether to cultivate on the periphery or retreat much farther away.

Although this area was somewhat distant from where the Soul Devouring Fungus had appeared, the density and richness of the starlight were far superior to other places. Even compared to the peaks of the semi-starlight regions, it was not inferior. Cultivating here would undoubtedly greatly accelerate everyone's progress in consolidating their realm. However, the threat of the Soul Devouring Fungus remained; no one knew if the Fungus might emerge from the depths and selectively target individuals.

"Everyone, stay here and cultivate in peace. There shouldn't be any issues," Ji Changkong suddenly projected his spirit outward while the others were undecided. "I can sense the general location of the Soul Devouring Fungus’s activity. If they move toward us, I will notify everyone to leave quickly."

"Good." Huang Xun, who had already intended to stay, was the first to agree, his spirit settling down safely, confidently beginning to gather the dense starlight nearby.

Seeing Huang Xun so at ease, Lan Xingyun and the experts from the other sects hesitated for a moment. Driven by the desire for cultivation advancement, one by one, they also remained in place, releasing their spirits to absorb the wandering starlight around them.

The Soul Devouring Fungus was remarkably strange. Hidden deep within the epicenter of dense starlight—by whatever method they employed—the starlight surrounding Tianheng Star seemed drawn by a magnetic force, gathering from all directions and slowly drifting toward this spot.

Huang Xun, Lan Xingyun’s group, including Old Man Ghost and Xiao Yunduan, saw the starlight condense. After waiting a while and finding no sign of the Soul Devouring Fungus emerging from the depths, they secretly relaxed and began to cultivate intensely here, hoping to use this geographical advantage to rapidly consolidate their spiritual realms.

As before, Ji Changkong was not content to merely cultivate; he released his spirit and quietly monitored the movements of the starlight and the Soul Devouring Fungus.

The Soul Devouring Fungus remained hidden in the most concentrated heart of the starlight, silent as if asleep, showing no intention of causing trouble. Conversely, the spirit that should have fled long ago had circled around and ended up in another corner, quite a distance from Ji Changkong’s group, but still on the periphery of the area controlled by the Fungus.

Although that area was far from Ji Changkong's position, if one focused carefully, the spirits could vaguely sense each other's presence. That location also possessed relatively dense starlight, beneficial for Heaven Practitioners at this realm level.

The other party seemed to harbor the same idea as himself: staying far from the Soul Devouring Fungus while exploiting the local advantages for cultivation.

Although Ji Changkong sensed his presence, he didn't pay much attention at first, assuming the person would cultivate nearby because he was confident the Soul Devouring Fungus wouldn't pursue them from the center.

After observing for a while and finding that the Fungus truly showed no intent to come out, Ji Changkong gradually relaxed and decided to make good use of the advantage to cultivate seriously.

Just then—

A faint, almost imperceptible wave of provocative energy slowly drifted out from the distant spirit, stealthily floating toward the central area where the Soul Devouring Fungus was gathered.

This mischievous energy signature was exceedingly weak; if Ji Changkong’s spirit sensitivity were not so acute, he would never have detected it across such a distance. However, since Ji Changkong was capable of sensing even the most concealed and faint fluctuations from the Origin Poison, the spirit movements of that person certainly did not escape his perception.

Though weak, that energy signature was condensed and non-dispersive. Although it took longer, it eventually reached the area where the Soul Devouring Fungus congregated. This type of creature was extremely sensitive; the moment the energy wave passed, it immediately created ripples within the Fungus swarm.

The previously silent and dormant Soul Devouring Fungus was suddenly provoked and streamed out of that area in a swarm once more.

Simultaneously, a faint wave of energy slowly emanated from the other person, drifting stealthily toward the spot where Ji Changkong’s group was cultivating.

This faint energy wave acted like a guiding beacon for the Soul Devouring Fungus. The creatures charging out from the dense starlight immediately locked onto the location of Ji Changkong’s group, advancing toward them in a vast tide.

The person stirring up trouble in the shadows quietly shifted position, changing direction, and stealthily moved toward the area where the Soul Devouring Fungus had originally been hidden.

"The Soul Devouring Fungus is coming! Move immediately!" Ji Changkong’s spirit trembled, and he transmitted the message instantly.

Old Man Ghost, Huang Xun, and the others, who had already entered a state of focus, wasted no time upon hearing Ji Changkong’s warning; they decisively began to retreat.

"Old Man Ghost, Xiao Yunduan, you take the others and move away. I will stay here and sense things further," Ji Changkong instructed.

The person hiding in the shadows had by now entered the area where the Soul Devouring Fungus had first gathered. His scheming seemed designed to use their group to draw the Fungus out so he could sneak in afterward.

Was there something hidden there? Why go to such lengths to draw out the Fungus, necessitating his own presence there? Was there something attracting him?

A series of questions flashed through his mind. Ji Changkong’s heart moved, and he suddenly changed direction, concealing his spirit aura as he too quietly moved toward that location.