Peak of the Seven Star Heaven Realm! One, the Origin! Poison gasped, his face full of disbelief. "How could it be, how could it be so fast?"

Originally, when Ji Changkong was in the Seven Star Heaven Realm, his spirit could roam the Heng Star. Following the normal procedure, he should have wandered to Kaiyang Star before proceeding to Yaoguang Star. Only after his spirit had been repeatedly tempered by passing through Kaiyang and Yaoguang could he truly be considered to have reached the peak of the Seven Star Heaven Realm.

Yet, Ji Changkong hadn't even fully refined the power of the Heng Star within his spirit, and now, after emerging from that colossal ancient tree, he claimed to have reached the pinnacle of the Seven Star Heaven Realm. This was simply unbelievable.

He glanced back at the lush, towering ancient tree behind him, his gaze lingering deeply on the seven stars, now diminished to a fraction of their former size. Ji Changkong nodded. "Indeed, I am at the peak of the Seven Star Heaven Realm. This ancient tree has truly helped me immensely."

His spirit had gained immense benefits within that marvelous space. Although he should have been wandering Kaiyang and Yaoguang Stars, in that strange dimension, he had unknowingly absorbed the power emanating from those two stars. The energy from these stars had tempered his spirit, causing it to undergo a complete transformation and achieve successive breakthroughs.

Origin Poison stared blankly at Ji Changkong, then followed his gaze to the massive ancient tree, finally beginning to understand why, when he had attacked the tree with all his might earlier, it had maintained its vitality.

Having spent so much time with Ji Changkong, Origin Poison knew some of the secrets of his body. He was aware of the miraculous ability in Ji Changkong's blood that could bring withered things back to life. Now, he understood: it was because Ji Changkong’s spirit had undergone an astonishing transformation with the ancient tree. No wonder, no wonder the tree could sustain its life force for so long.

"Kongkong, your luck is truly unparalleled," Origin Poison sighed with emotion. He realized that in the time he had spent with Ji Changkong, every good thing seemed to have happened to him. Thinking of this, his resolve to stick tightly to Ji Changkong only strengthened.

"...Perhaps, it won't be long before I break through to the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm..." Ji Changkong gazed deeply at the ancient tree behind him, a strange, subtle smile gracing his lips. He said softly, "In any case, I should be grateful to you, even if... even if your original intent wasn't quite this..."

Swish! Swish!

The ancient tree, piercing the sky, swayed its thick trunk, as if silently speaking volumes.

Ji Changkong turned around, offering a calm smile. "Let's go. We should leave this place. I now have a lead and know the general location of Old Li on White Bone Island."

"How do you know?" Origin Poison resettled himself on Ji Changkong's shoulder, asking doubtfully. "Isn't your soul's range of influence also affected on this island?"

"Yes, my soul is still affected by White Bone Island," Ji Changkong nodded with a smile. "However, the reason I can sense his general location is because, in that miraculous realm just now, I was able to perceive him through the roots of this ancient tree, which are buried deep in the earth of White Bone Island..."

"So that's how it is..." Origin Poison looked enlightened, muttering under his breath. "That old tree is definitely not an easy character to deal with. Hmph, who knows how many millennia that ancient monster has lived..."

Ji Changkong and Origin Poison conversed lightly as they slowly descended. After quite some time, they reached the vast, dense shade beneath the canopy. The four Sky Turtle Winged Dragons were still circling nearby. Upon seeing Ji Changkong appear, the four creatures suddenly let out joyous cries, flying around him repeatedly.

The Sky Turtle Winged Dragons seemed afraid of the massive ancient tree. As soon as they saw Ji Changkong emerge, they tugged at his sleeves with their large mouths, trying to pull him away from that dangerous area as quickly as possible.

Ji Changkong paused, immediately recognizing the terror the winged dragons felt toward the ancient tree. He chuckled lightly and indulged their actions, leaping onto the back of the leading dragon and gripping its neck firmly. The four Sky Turtle Winged Dragons escorted Ji Changkong, flying straight toward the cliff face where they were staying.

A while later, the four dragons and Ji Changkong landed back on the precipice. Tang Yang and the other five people had somehow awakened. The six of them were pacing anxiously along the cliff edge, seemingly discussing when to leave.

The moment Ji Changkong descended from the sky, the unease vanished from the faces of the six. They looked at him with mixed surprise and joy. Xue Hai couldn't help but exclaim, "Brother Ji, where did you run off to?"

"Just a small issue, it's fine now," Ji Changkong smiled, asking, "How are you all feeling? How is the absorption of the power from the Yuan Pills going?"

Tang Yang smiled calmly. "How could we absorb all the power from the Yuan Pills in such a short time? I noticed you weren't here and worried something happened to you, so I woke them all up. We were just discussing whether to leave to find you, but then worried that if we left, we might not find you and instead get ourselves lost..."

"Brother Ji, are you okay?" Kong Yuan chuckled honestly. "Brother Ji, if anything happens, you must tell us. We'll handle it together."

Kong Yuan was simple-minded; once he considered someone a true friend, he would genuinely look out for them in every matter.

"It's fine, really nothing serious, don't worry," Ji Changkong reassured the six for a moment. Then, he hesitated. "I've found traces of Old Li. I want to go check the situation out. I'll communicate with the Sky Turtle Winged Dragons shortly; they can stay behind so you can continue your cultivation here..."

"No!" Jin Hao's expression shifted abruptly, and he stated firmly, "Since there's a situation, we act together. What? Do you think we'll drag you down?"

Jin Hao meant well, but his method of expression was always unsuitable.

Ji Changkong understood Jin Hao's sentiment and sighed softly, intending to explain.

Before Ji Changkong could speak, the six members of Tang Yang's group voiced their unanimous and resolute decision to accompany him. No matter how much Ji Changkong tried to persuade them, they refused to listen.

Ji Changkong sighed in resignation. "Fine, since you insist, we'll go together. But all of you must be extremely cautious. I know the people who came to White Bone Island to hunt him are also in that area. We just don't know his exact location. If we go over there, it's unavoidable that we might run into them."

"What are we afraid of!" Liu Ye lifted his chin proudly. "The six of us have roamed the East Sea for so many years; we haven't really suffered any major setbacks."

Since the matter was settled, Ji Changkong stopped pressing. He nodded. "Alright then, we go together. Everyone be careful. If it truly proves too difficult to handle, we can retreat and find another way."

Tang Yang and the others agreed readily.

Ji Changkong communicated with the Sky Turtle Winged Dragons again. Under his persuasion, the other three dragons lowered their bodies to allow the six people to mount them, while Ji Changkong remained seated on the one that had been carrying him all along.

Ji Changkong directed the dragon beneath him, flying toward the area he had already pinpointed in his mind.

Midway, the four Sky Turtle Winged Dragons suddenly stopped. Their fierce eyes glared hatefully ahead, as if they were hesitating about proceeding in that direction.

"What's wrong? Is this the direction? It is correct," Ji Changkong inquired softly.

The dragon carrying him shook its massive head slightly, its eyes brimming with ferocity, staring fixedly at the area ahead.

Ji Changkong stared intently at the winged dragon for a moment, his expression turning cold, an overwhelming surge of killing intent rising within him. He spoke in a chilling voice, "Is the lair of that Golden Fur Giant Bear in the direction we need to pass through? Are you hesitating because you want to avoid that giant bear?"

Caw!

The four Sky Turtle Winged Dragons let out soft cries simultaneously.

Having spent many years interacting with creatures like the Winged Dragons, Ji Changkong knew this cry signified affirmation.

Clearly, the Golden Fur Giant Bear's territory lay in their path. The dragons were obviously wary of it and wanted to bypass that direction, yet they seemed afraid of delaying Ji Changkong's mission, which caused their hesitation.

"Go forward! I don't believe that even if we can't kill it, we can't make it pay a price!" Ji Changkong snorted coldly.

One of the Sky Turtle Winged Dragons had died protecting him at the hands of that Golden Fur Giant Bear. Knowing the truth, Ji Changkong had been secretly blaming himself for days. If he had understood the true situation during their first encounter and attacked the giant bear in concert with Origin Poison and the six others, perhaps that winged dragon's life could have been saved.

Because of his own cowardice and hasty retreat, one of the Sky Turtle Winged Dragons was killed by the Golden Fur Giant Bear. Every time he thought of it, Ji Changkong felt an unforgivable guilt.

Now, the opportunity for revenge was before him, and that direction was unavoidable. Detouring would mean an immeasurable delay. Supported by these two reasons, he was no longer willing to evade the confrontation.

Roar!

The winged dragon beneath him let out a low cry, seemingly trying to dissuade him from such recklessness.

"Forward! Charge for me! Be good! I don't believe it—even if we can't kill it, we must make it pay a price!" Ji Changkong declared resolutely.

Tang Yang and the others, who had initially only thought of fleeing far from the Golden Fur Giant Bear, were now moved by Ji Changkong's sincerity. They all displayed determined expressions, looking prepared to face death.

Origin Poison gazed deeply at Ji Changkong, nodding inwardly. Today, Ji Changkong was willing to risk death for the Sky Turtle Winged Dragons; this meant that in the future, Ji Changkong would also fight recklessly for Origin Poison. From this event, Origin Poison recognized Ji Changkong's true character. Suddenly, Origin Poison became even more convinced that staying with Ji Changkong was most advantageous for his future development, and only by his side would he not have to worry about certain things...

The four Sky Turtle Winged Dragons hesitated for a long time before finally roaring loudly, carrying Ji Changkong and his group charging straight ahead.

Awoo! Awooo-awoo!

As they charged forward, the four Sky Turtle Winged Dragons continuously emitted mighty roars. They seemed to be challenging the Golden Fur Giant Bear, letting it know they were coming to avenge their fallen comrade!

The Dragon Radiance Long Saber was already gripped tightly in Ji Changkong's hand. Although his murderous intent was deep, his expression remained utterly calm, not at all like someone preparing for a major battle with the Golden Fur Giant Bear, showing not the slightest emotional fluctuation.

The continuous howling of the four dragons seemed to be a way to bolster their own strength. The speed of the Sky Turtle Winged Dragons increased until they were almost streaks of faint light.

Hooowl!

Suddenly, an earth-shattering, colossal roar erupted violently from ahead. This single roar managed to completely suppress the cries of the four Sky Turtle Winged Dragons. The world-shaking roar resonated across the heavens and earth like a massive tremor.

Although they were still quite far away, the ears of Ji Changkong and the others faintly ached from the sound. Xue Hai was startled by the roar and nearly lost his balance, almost falling off the dragon's back.

This was definitely the Golden Fur Giant Bear's roar. Only such a terrifying ancient beast could cause Xue Hai to lose control of his body with just a single sound.

Without any hesitation, the six members of Tang Yang's group immediately drew their divine weapons and spiritual treasures. The six concentrated all their power onto their bodies, preparing for a desperate fight.

The mountain-sized body of the Golden Fur Giant Bear slowly became visible ahead.

Thump-thump-thump! Thump-thump!

The sound of the earth shaking violently hammered against the chests of Ji Changkong and the others like war drums. The bear, vast as a mountain range, seemed enraged by the roars of the four Sky Turtle Winged Dragons, and its colossal body moved swiftly, rushing toward them from the front.

When the Golden Fur Giant Bear was fully revealed, Ji Changkong and his group finally understood why this ferocious beast could dominate White Bone Island. Not only was the Giant Bear immensely large, but the furless flesh exposed around its neck was as black and glossy as steel, looking incredibly tough—it seemed impervious even to the strikes of swords and blades.

The Dragon Radiance Long Saber transformed into a massive arc of blood-red light. Its fierce sword intent, swift as lightning, struck fiercely toward the Golden Fur Giant Bear's chest.

The Golden Fur Giant Bear's entire attention was focused on the four Sky Turtle Winged Dragons charging toward it. It completely failed to notice the small figure riding on one of the dragons...

Consequently, when the light of Ji Changkong's Dragon Radiance Long Saber suddenly manifested in the void, the Golden Fur Giant Bear paused slightly, showing no reaction or resistance. A massive, crimson-red streak of light landed precisely and accurately on the Giant Bear's sternum.

Boom!

It sounded as if striking the hardest iron. The blood-red light slammed violently against the Giant Bear's chest, producing a deafening explosion!

But it was only one explosion...

After the sound faded, the Golden Fur Giant Bear slowly lowered its head to look at its chest. Golden fur flew everywhere, but its chest hadn't even sustained a single crack.

Ji Changkong froze. By this time, the Sky Turtle Winged Dragon had carried him past the stunned Golden Fur Giant Bear's flank. The dragon abruptly lifted its body, and its anchor-like claws fiercely raked across the back of the Giant Bear's neck.

Hoooowl!

The Golden Fur Giant Bear roared to the heavens in fury, its massive arms swinging wildly in the air. The Sky Turtle Winged Dragon carrying Xue Hai, being very close, had its wing accidentally brushed by one of the Giant Bear's huge limbs. The dragon staggered violently, pulling back a great distance before finally managing to stabilize itself.

"Careful!" Tang Yang shouted.

Xue Hai and Liu Ye, who were in front, clung desperately to the dragon's neck, barely managing to steady themselves and avoid falling.

The Golden Fur Giant Bear turned its head, fixing its gaze intensely on the Sky Turtle Winged Dragon carrying Ji Changkong. Its colossal body pivoted abruptly. The bear's eyes, the size of human heads, were now fixed directly on that dragon.

Caw...

The Sky Turtle Winged Dragon let out a low growl, its eyes equally fierce. Its gaze moved over the Giant Bear's neck, forehead, and cheeks, as if subtly indicating to Ji Changkong which parts of the Golden Fur Giant Bear might be weaker.

Having tested the sheer toughness of the Giant Bear's body with that first strike, Ji Changkong's usually indifferent eyes suddenly focused on the areas of the Giant Bear's neck and cheeks, where the golden fur was sparser.

"Attack its neck and face! Any place with less golden fur is fair game! These are the weak points of this Golden Bear. Remember, focus your attacks only on these less-furred areas!" Understanding the hint, Ji Changkong immediately yelled out to Xue Hai, Tang Yang, and the others.

Tang Yang and the others were momentarily stunned, then immediately understood. They nodded in assent. From the backs of the Sky Turtle Winged Dragons, the six of them unleashed their power, maintaining a distance from the Golden Fur Giant Bear, and began bombarding its neck and face with firelight and various other attacks.

The Golden Fur Giant Bear, facing Ji Changkong directly, naturally couldn't guard all sides. Ji Changkong rode his dragon, drawing the Giant Bear's full attention. His attacks, thanks to their long range and tricky angles, were aimed directly at the Giant Bear's eyes, the size of human heads, forcing the creature to concentrate all its energy on him.

With the Giant Bear focused entirely on Ji Changkong, it created opportunities for Tang Yang's group. They maintained a safe distance from the beast and continuously launched assaults, leaving more and more marks on the Giant Bear's neck and face.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Streaks of blood-red light flashed and vanished across the Giant Bear's neck. Whenever an opportunity arose, Ji Changkong did not let up. The group of seven relentlessly attacked, causing continuous damage to the Giant Bear, albeit with difficulty.

Under Ji Changkong's strict instruction, the four Sky Turtle Winged Dragons essentially became spectators, maintaining a safe distance from the Golden Fur Giant Bear and not recklessly charging in for a decisive fight.

The dragons utilized their advantage in flight to support Ji Changkong's group of seven. With their help, even Ji Changkong didn't need to expend extra Yuan Power to sustain his own flight, allowing him to dedicate all his energy to the Giant Bear.

In this manner, the seven worked together, continuously inflicting wounds on the Giant Bear's neck and face. The Giant Bear’s earth-shattering roars were accompanied by furious chases as it pursued the four Sky Turtle Winged Dragons, which had separated into four directions.

If the Giant Bear managed to catch up to one dragon, that dragon, under Ji Changkong's loud commands, would immediately break away. Taking advantage of this, the people riding the other three dragons would unleash their full power to bombard the Giant Bear. Under this strategy, the seven people plus the four Sky Turtle Winged Dragons remained unharmed.

Meanwhile, the Golden Fur Giant Bear became a moving target, constantly subjected to a barrage of attacks. The injuries on its face and neck gradually worsened, and finally, bright red blood began to flow.

"...No wonder ferocious beasts, despite their formidable power in ancient times, were nearly driven to extinction by your ancestors," Origin Poison remarked after watching for a long while from Ji Changkong's shoulder.

The sheer brute strength of this colossal, golden-furred bear far surpassed that of the seven individuals combined, along with the four Sky-Ray-Winged Dragons. If the Golden Bear landed a single punch or kick on any of the seven, only Ji Changkong, thanks to his freakishly resilient physique, might endure for a short while longer; the other six would likely not survive even one blow from the beast.

A single direct hit from the Golden Bear, and those six would instantly splatter like crushed flies, utterly annihilated, beyond any hope of recovery.

In terms of power, vitality, and even speed, this Golden Bear was superior to the group of seven. Alas, the creature lacked intelligence. Its current passive state, constantly enduring the onslaught from the seven, was entirely due to it being merely a savage beast.

In ancient times, while individual Celestial Masters might not have possessed the strength to eliminate an ancient fierce beast alone, once they united and pooled their wits, they could always devise a method to destroy such a creature.

The way Ji Changkong and the seven were handling this Golden Bear now subtly suggested why such a massive beast was confined to White Bone Island.

“A fierce beast is just that—a beast. If they possessed supreme intelligence, there would truly be no room left for humanity to exist.” Ji Changkong chuckled, “Little Poison, if every fierce beast were as full of trickery as you, we might genuinely struggle to survive in this world.” “Hmph! I am quite benevolent!” The Origin Poison retorted disdainfully.

Ji Changkong grinned, thinking to himself that if this creature was benevolent, then this world held few truly wicked individuals. If he hadn't kept a constant watch and carefully guided it, this entity might be far more terrifying than the Ghost Demon King.

“Brother Ji, this might not be the right approach!” Teng Yang shouted from a distance.

Ji Changkong paused, his Dragon Radiance Saber releasing a fierce burst of light. He sidestepped to gain some distance, drawing the Golden Bear’s attention back to himself before asking, “How is it not working?”

“Brother Ji, aren't you trying to locate someone? Won't expending so much power here be detrimental to us? Furthermore, the hide of this Golden Bear is simply too thick; killing it might take more than a day or two!” Teng Yang called out.

As he spoke, he and Hong Ge did not cease their assault, striking hard at the charging Golden Bear directed towards Ji Changkong.

Ji Changkong, who had been thoroughly enjoying the brawl with the Golden Bear, was jolted by Teng Yang’s reminder, suddenly realizing the urgency of their situation. Indeed, this massive beast was confined to White Bone Island; as long as he lived, he could always return to cause trouble for these Golden Bears.

However, the matter concerning Li Hentian was pressing. If they could not find Li Hentian soon, or if they failed to arrive at a critical juncture, it could place Li Hentian in an extremely precarious position.

Continuing this arduous fight against the Golden Bear would only deplete everyone’s strength continuously. Even if they reached their destination, they would be unable to unleash their peak power once the real battle commenced.

A string of thoughts flashed rapidly through his mind. Ji Changkong immediately commanded, “Teng Yang, you are right. We don’t need to fight it to the death. We’ll leave now and deal with it later.”

“Brother Ji, you need to tell this to the four Sky-Ray-Winged Dragons; we have no way to command them.” Teng Yang admired Ji Changkong’s composure in this tense moment, but glancing at the evident excitement in the eyes of the four Sky-Ray-Winged Dragons, he knew he stood no chance of directing them.

“Understood,” Ji Changkong responded loudly, patting the Sky-Ray-Winged Dragon beneath him vigorously. “Go, let’s leave this place for now. We’ll settle scores with that brute later!”

Surprisingly, the Sky-Ray-Winged Dragons actually ceased entanglement with the Golden Bear. The one bearing Ji Changkong first circled around the beast and flew off toward the direction Ji Changkong had originally intended to go.

Roar!

The leading Sky-Ray-Winged Dragon let out a low, measured roar.

The three Dragons carrying Teng Yang and the remaining six received the signal. They let out several reluctant snarls before following the Dragon carrying Ji Changkong. During their flight, these three Dragons kept glancing back, their eyes lingering on the Golden Bear.

Howl!

The Golden Bear, its neck and cheeks streaked with blood, roared like a furious deity, swinging its massive paws and chasing after Ji Changkong’s party.

... Once this creature went berserk, it disregarded everything else.

Ignoring the beast, Ji Changkong guided his mount, the Sky-Ray-Winged Dragon, along the path fixed in his memory. Under his continuous direction, the Dragon’s speed increased, climbing ever higher, gradually leaving the ground-bound Golden Bear far behind.

A short while later, the Golden Bear completely vanished from sight. Ji Changkong readjusted his composure, allowing himself to relax. Guided by the information gleaned from that towering ancient tree, he flew straight toward an abyss of seemingly bottomless depth.

After some time...

A massive abyss spanning a hundred mu slowly emerged into their view. It was impossibly vast, disappearing into darkness, offering no clue as to where it led.

“There are people!” Teng Yang cried out softly before they even neared the edge, pointing his finger toward the colossal chasm.

Ji Changkong nodded slowly. “More than one person, in fact...”

He could sense that many beings were lurking within the depths of the abyss. Their auras were peculiar, faintly carrying a fishy odor.

“Be cautious!” Ji Changkong whispered a warning to the six others as he slowly guided them closer to the edge of the abyss.

“Hand over the person! Otherwise, we will annihilate your clan!” A familiar voice echoed up from the depths. It belonged to Zheng Jieshi, the Island Master of Luoxia Island, who, after being relentlessly pursued by the four Sky-Ray-Winged Dragons, seemed to have regained some semblance of authority within that abyss.

“This is the forbidden zone of our Sea Clan, the key to the Sea God! We permit no one to enter!” A voice spoke with great awkwardness, sounding utterly strange. The speaker seemed unaccustomed to using human language. Had they not spoken slowly, Ji Changkong and the others might not have understood at all.

“If that person could enter, why can’t we?” The sharp voice of the Rakshasa Ghost Hag suddenly pierced the air, her sound like a chilling wail that raised the hairs on one’s neck.

Ever since the Rakshasa Ghost Hag suffered at Ji Changkong’s hands and witnessed the death of Qu Mo, her inherently vicious and cruel nature had begun to surface more distinctly. Especially after being wounded by the attack from the Sky-Ray-Winged Dragons, she had become somewhat hysterical and utterly frenzied.

“That person... he already died inside,” the halting, bizarre voice replied. “Anyone who enters our Sea Clan forbidden zone will die. He is dead; you must retreat immediately, or else... you will die too!”

“Heh heh, we of the Guiyuan Sect are not afraid of death. We have patiently spoken with you Sea Clan members this long only because we hoped you would be accommodating and not force our hand. We are not afraid of you; we are doing this for the Sea Clan’s own good. I advise you to step aside and let us pass. Then, everyone can be happy.” Another familiar voice sounded—it was the voice of Elder Zhuang Bufu of the Guiyuan Sect.

Upon hearing Zhuang Bufu’s voice, Ji Changkong’s expression drastically changed. The elders of the Guiyuan Sect had truly arrived at White Bone Island. All three Grand Elders of the Guiyuan Sect possessed the realm of Eight Trigrams Heaven; any one of them was a difficult opponent. Their presence on White Bone Island meant Li Hentian faced immense trouble.

“I repeat: anyone who attempts to enter our Sea Clan forbidden zone... we will not be polite!” A ruthless, broken voice transmitted, laden with killing intent.

“Forgive our intrusion!” Zhuang Bufu offered a slight smile. Suddenly, a burst of golden light erupted from the abyss, and a gleaming golden staff materialized from the pitch-black depths.

As one of the three Grand Elders of the Guiyuan Sect, Zhuang Bufu’s divine weapon was precisely this shimmering golden staff. Among the three, Zhuang Bufu was the most impatient. The moment Zhuang Bufu made his move, noisy cursing erupted from the hundred-mu wide abyss. Multicolored lights suddenly flared from within, and shadowy figures could be faintly discerned shifting and colliding, the sound of clashing powers echoing throughout the chasm.

“They are down there!” Jin Hao exclaimed, judging the flickering lights within the abyss. However, when he extended his divine soul, he could detect nothing of the situation below; the abyss seemed to be another layer of defense atop White Bone Island's natural suppression of spiritual probing.

Only those proficient in soul power, like Ji Changkong and the Origin Poison, could vaguely sense the spiritual fluctuations deep within. This abyss appeared to be a peculiar place, adding another barrier to the soul probing that was already difficult on White Bone Island.

“If there is no necessity, do not make enemies of those Sea Clan people,” Teng Yang advised Ji Changkong quietly. “The Sea Clan traditionally dwells beneath the ocean, rarely interacting with the Celestial Masters on our islands. The Sea Clan is different from us, yet they also practice the Way of the Celestial Master. Every member of the Sea Clan firmly believes in the existence of Sea Demons and worships them as true gods.”

“Perhaps because of this, the Sea Clan seems genuinely favored by the Sea Demons. Even within the Sea Clan forbidden zone, many lethal restrictions and bizarre areas that would certainly kill us are navigated by the Sea Clan members without hindrance, completely unaffected by those strange forces.”

“The Sea Clan lives deep underwater for years and rarely leaves the sea. However, their true strength is terrifying, perhaps greater than all the Celestial Masters living on the sea islands combined. If we antagonize them, it will cause significant trouble in the East Sea.”

Teng Yang was clearly worried Ji Changkong might clash with the Sea Clan, meticulously explaining their background to him.

“I understand. If there is no need, I certainly won’t fight the Sea Clan,” Ji Changkong replied, frowning slightly as he pondered Teng Yang’s words inwardly.

“Let’s go down,” Teng Yang signaled to Xue Hai and the others, repeating what he had told Ji Changkong, specifically urging Xue Hai to avoid unnecessary conflict.

The Sky-Ray-Winged Dragons suddenly swooped down, plunging straight toward the seemingly bottomless abyss.

“Sky-Ray-Winged Dragons! Ji Changkong!” The Rakshasa Ghost Hag’s ear-splitting shriek suddenly echoed in the deep. She immediately abandoned her current opponent, pointing forward and screaming, “Kill him! He’s here to save Li Hentian!”

As Ji Changkong and his group dove downward, riding their Dragons, their vision was filled only with dense, dark gloom, making it impossible to discern the situation.

The moment the Rakshasa Ghost Hag shrieked, Ji Changkong suddenly felt himself and his Dragon violently pierce through a subtle, almost imperceptible barrier, thin as a cicada’s wing. The next instant, brilliant light erupted around them.

They found themselves in an incredibly clear lake, its water filled with various glittering, strange stones and aquatic plants resembling banana leaves and coral.

A colossal underwater palace stood majestically in the seawater. In front of this immense structure lay an expanse paved with shattered stones—shattered stones of every color, equally radiant, making the palace look exquisitely beautiful, like something from a fairy tale.

Before the palace was a ten-mu square area paved with smoothly polished stone, its corners marked by towering white jade pillars carved with images of giant pythons.

Currently, amidst these four massive white jade pillars, a group of several dozen individuals was locked in fierce combat.

Ji Changkong’s gaze swept over the familiar faces—the three Grand Elders of the Guiyuan Sect, Zheng Jieshi, and the Rakshasa Ghost Hag’s contingent—before passing over them.

It was the Sea Clan members fighting against them that captured most of Ji Changkong’s attention. They were a bizarre race with skin tinged light blue, scales covering their arms and thighs, and stunning sea-blue eyes. As they fought, their scales shimmered, and bubbles constantly rose from them, as if this was their method of respiration.

“Look up!” Xue Hai’s astonished cry suddenly rang out.

Ji Changkong followed his gaze and saw a gigantic protective shield above them, enclosing everything, like an inverted bowl of the sea, trapping all of it within. They must have passed through this encompassing barrier upon entry.

This inverted-bowl shield held back all the seawater, preventing even a drop from rising into the abyss, and it seemed to dampen light to some extent, which is why Ji Changkong and the others couldn't clearly see the world beneath until they arrived.

“Who are you people?” A burly man, almost entirely covered in scales except for a clean face, suddenly looked up and roared in anger.

“We are here to help you, to wipe out these intruders who want to breach your Sea Clan forbidden zone. We do not wish to enter your sacred grounds; we just want to ensure they remain outside!” Ji Changkong called out with a laugh.

“Ji Jia Xuanyuan! You actually came to White Bone Island!” Zhuang Bufu laughed. “You came alone, intending to save Li Hentian. How laughable. Do you think you can stop us just by teaming up with the Sea Clan?”

“Why not?” Ji Changkong asked calmly, without haste.

“Xuanyuan, Xuanyuan...” The Sea Clan warrior looked stunned, staring blankly at Ji Changkong before suddenly shouting, “Are you truly Xuanyuan of the Ji family? You can enter! Only you are permitted to enter our Sea Clan forbidden zone!”