Manganese Steel hailed from the Haive Continent, where he was notorious as a vengeful and ruthless figure. He and Lei Jia had long been bitter rivals on the Haive Continent, their animosity a well-known fact, and their conflicts frequently spilled over to the Moon, given their shared habit of frequenting the lunar core. In most of these confrontations, Lei Jia invariably found himself at a disadvantage, with several instances where Manganese Steel nearly ended his life within the lunar core.

Manganese Steel possessed an intimate familiarity with the Moon, knowing precisely when and where to gain entry to the core. Coupled with his astonishing personal strength, he could often enlist more formidable allies to enter the core alongside him. Consequently, Lei Jia was naturally disadvantaged. Lei Jia’s true strength clearly paled in comparison to Manganese Steel's, and with fewer elite fighters under his command, he often suffered losses whenever conflict erupted with Manganese Steel inside the Moon.

This time, the rivals crossed paths unexpectedly right before entering the Moon, suggesting that once inside, a massive battle would be unavoidable the moment they encountered each other.

Some individuals who had initially followed Lei Jia, upon seeing the superior strength amassed by Manganese Steel's contingent, naturally defected to Manganese Steel's side, which dealt another significant blow to Lei Jia's strength.

It was precisely because of this shift that Lei Jia insisted on evading Manganese Steel first, to prevent an immediate clash upon entering the Moon.

Numbers Twenty-Five, Twenty-Six, and Twenty-Seven all sided with Manganese Steel. That Heavenly Scholar who had clashed with Yu Ziling in the passage also pragmatically joined Manganese Steel's group. The one who had a minor dispute with Number Twenty-Seven, however, remained behind. Looking at the situation, even without the existing feud between Manganese Steel and Lei Jia, a confrontation between the two factions seemed inevitable.

Ji Changkong certainly held no fear of Manganese Steel and his entourage. In his view, while Manganese Steel’s soul power was formidable, he would never shy away from a direct contest.

While attack power has a correlation with soul strength, potent Soul Techniques are far more terrifying. He was confident that the power of his Star Cloud Soul Refining Art would not be inferior to Manganese Steel’s. If the situation devolved into a fight to the death, unleashing all his soul techniques would certainly leave Manganese Steel incapable of defending himself.

Therefore, after Lei Jia spoke, everyone else appeared grave, yet only Ji Changkong remained unperturbed, even daring to arrogantly jest, "I haven't yet killed anyone from another continent."

Though Lei Jia suspected Ji Changkong possessed hidden depths, he didn't believe Ji Changkong could actually defeat Manganese Steel. Hearing this, he merely smiled and said nothing more. The others, burdened by their own worries, paid even less attention to his boast, thinking that anyone who didn't grasp basic common sense was indeed frighteningly ignorant.

Two similar female gossip Heavenly Scholars, adopting alluringly tall figures, had faces that seemed perpetually encased in ice, radiating cold indifference. They were Number Five and Number Six. They looked at Ji Changkong with pronounced disdain. One of them coldly muttered, "A rash youngster. I just hope he doesn't cause us trouble later. He understands nothing, yet speaks so arrogantly." "Sister, we should keep our distance from that fellow later, lest Manganese Steel targets him and we get caught in the crossfire," the slightly younger female scholar mocked.

Aside from Yu Ziling, most of the surrounding Heavenly Scholars likely viewed Ji Changkong as arrogant and naive, but only these two sisters voiced their opinions openly.

Ji Changkong paid them no mind, smiling gently at the two icy sisters and asking, "Which continent are you from?"

Ever since learning that the Heavenly Scholars on the Moon originated from various continents, Ji Changkong had become intensely curious about the others and pressed on.

"None of your business, and definitely not from your Five Elements Continent! Rash youngster!" Number Five looked utterly unwilling to engage, impatiently urging Lei Jia, "Let's hurry up; don't waste time."

"Yes, it’s about time. We shouldn't be so unlucky as to run right into Manganese Steel," Lei Jia nodded, then took the lead. "Let's go. Everyone be careful. We might run into other groups too. Besides Manganese Steel's people, there will certainly be others here. Manganese Steel didn't attack immediately in Moonstone Valley for two reasons: first, he avoids unnecessary fighting before reaching the designated location; and second, he fears being ambushed by other teams. Manganese Steel has quite a few enemies too."

As Lei Jia spoke, he led the way, and everyone followed him towards the Moon's core. The two sisters, whose continent of origin remained unknown, walked just ahead of Ji Changkong and Yu Ziling, communicating softly. "If we really run into that Manganese Steel fellow, we should just leave. There's no need to worry about other people's lives. That guy's strength is profound; it's best to avoid provoking him." Yu Ziling deliberately kept a distance from the leading sisters and quietly transmitted her soul thoughts to warn Ji Changkong.

"I'm afraid that fellow won't let us go. I noticed his soul sense lingered over you and those two sisters in front for a moment..." Ji Changkong replied secretly with a slight smile.

Yu Ziling glanced at the two sisters ahead, a hint of disdain curving her lips. "Those two sisters must have revealed their true appearances, which is what caught Manganese Steel's interest. That man is clearly not only brutal but also a lecherous fiend. The sisters up front probably realized this, which is why they dared not walk into Manganese Steel's trap. If Manganese Steel were to strike, he would target those two reckless girls first; he certainly wouldn't bother us immediately."

"Oh, this is actually the first time I've learned that cultivators from other continents come to the Moon. If their souls can come here, can their souls reach our Five Elements Continent as well?" Ji Changkong asked curiously.

"In principle, yes. But generally, people from other continents won't use soul power to travel to our continent. You must understand, the farther a soul travels from its body and the longer it stays away, the weaker its power becomes. Another point is that a soul is at an absolute disadvantage when encountering those Eight Trigram Heavenly Scholars who possess physical bodies. Think about it: a Heavenly Scholar from another continent, expending immense spiritual energy to send their soul here, arrives already exhausted. If they unfortunately encounter some ill-intentioned Eight Trigram Heavenly Scholars on our continent, their fate is predictable. A soul separated from its body cannot recover strength, and if injured, they face only a dead end."

Yu Ziling paused before continuing, "However, the Moon and the Sun are different. The Moon and Sun are considered central locations among the continents, so cultivators coming from various continents have similar travel distances and corresponding soul energy depletion. Here, it means that individuals of equivalent cultivation levels have roughly comparable soul strengths. Even if conflicts arise, as long as there isn't a huge numerical advantage, a one-on-one fight usually allows for an easy escape. The most critical point is that there are no Eight Trigram Heavenly Scholars with physical bodies on the Moon, so there is no need to fear being at an absolute disadvantage." Yu Ziling explained.

With her explanation, Ji Changkong began to understand. He knew that Eight Trigram Heavenly Scholars whose souls remained within their bodies held an absolute advantage over those wandering souls separated from their corporeal forms.

This is because a soul residing in its body can draw upon the Heaven and Earth Yuan Force within it, and the attacks formed from this Yuan Force are often terrifyingly potent, sometimes far exceeding the power of soul techniques. It was similar to when he confronted the three elders from the Guiyuan Sect accompanying Zhuang Bufu; their souls left their bodies, yet he could mobilize the Heaven and Earth Yuan Force and bloodline power within him to unleash Heavenly Thunder, directly obliterating their souls.

Only in regions of the Endless Starry Domain, accessible solely via soul travel, are all participants on the same footing, allowing for relatively friendly and equal interaction. "I see. So, if an Eight Trigram Heavenly Scholar could directly descend to the Moon with their physical body, wouldn't they be invincible?" Ji Changkong asked. "That is correct," Yu Ziling nodded, explaining further, "But even Ninth Palace Heavenly Scholars find it exceedingly difficult to bring their physical bodies here, let alone Eight Trigram Heavenly Scholars. Legend says only Ten Directions Heavenly Scholars can truly roam the Endless Starry Domain in their corporeal forms; it is an almost impossible feat even for Ninth Palace Heavenly Scholars!"

"Hmm, I know that much," Ji Changkong murmured, recalling information shared by his maternal grandfather and Li Hentian.

The Endless Starry Domain harbored countless dangers. Even above the Nine Heavens of the Five Elements Continent, immense oppressive forces existed, along with hurricane-like streams of pulverized rock, strange energies leaking from spatial fissures, and fleeting fire meteors—dangers that might not harm ethereal forms like souls but were devastating to physical bodies.

A body not sufficiently tough, one that hadn't endured numerous purifications, would face various natural calamities if it rashly attempted to break the shackles of the continent. Even Ninth Palace Heavenly Scholars like Gu Dan, upon forcefully exiting the Five Elements Continent, risked their bodies being shattered by those natural forces, leaving them with a near-certain death.

Thus, without achieving the Ten Directions Heaven realm and tempering one's body and soul through the profound mysteries of the Endless Starry Domain, one must never attempt to defy natural laws or break the innate constraints of the continent.

"So, everyone can only roam the Moon and Sun using soul power. But when the soul is separated from the body for too long, and spiritual energy remains unreplenished, it will eventually deplete. This forces everyone to avoid traveling too far and to return periodically. These are natural laws. Without sufficient power, do not foolishly challenge natural law; otherwise, you’ll only end up bloody and broken, never even knowing how you died!" Yu Ziling spoke with the air of someone who had experienced it all.

While they conversed, Ji Changkong sensed the sudden appearance of another team far behind them.

His heart stirred slightly; he realized Yu Ziling and Lei Jia were not exaggerating. There was more than one passage leading to Moonstone Valley, and naturally, more than one team would descend.

The cultivators arriving came from many surrounding continents. While the number from any single continent might be limited, the combined total from numerous continents could be astonishingly large, making the formation of several groups on the Moon entirely predictable.

"There’s another team behind us; they should also be heading for the Moon's core, just like us." Ji Changkong slowly extended his soul sense, and after a brief moment, whispered to Yu Ziling, "That team has slightly more people than us—sixteen. Should I inform Lei Jia?"

Since this was his first time here, he was unfamiliar with many aspects of the situation. To avoid further embarrassment, he sought Yu Ziling's counsel first.

"Good. I'll ask him to be mindful, as we are technically a group for now," Yu Ziling whispered back. "Everyone treats you as an utterly ignorant youngster; if you say there’s a team behind us, many won't believe you, so let me handle it." "Mm," Ji Changkong nodded and smiled, glancing involuntarily at the two leading sisters. He hoped those two beauties wouldn't suffer under Manganese Steel's malice later.

Yu Ziling flew forward, positioning herself beside Lei Jia, and said, "A team is quickly approaching from behind. Should we speed up, or slow down and wait?"

Lei Jia started, looking at Yu Ziling with a puzzled expression. He tentatively let his soul sense drift outward, feigning confusion. "I didn't sense anything."

"I felt them," Yu Ziling stated, steeling herself. She glanced behind, and after seeing Ji Changkong nod slightly, she continued, "They are some distance away. If we maintain our current speed, we probably won't encounter them until we reach the core. However, if we slow down, we might meet them sooner."

Lei Jia looked at Yu Ziling, half-believing her. After pondering for a moment, he addressed the group. "What does everyone think? If we maintain this speed, we might reach the core quickly, but then we are very likely to run into Manganese Steel and his group immediately. Yet, we don't know who the group behind us is—they could be friends or foes..."

"...There are sixteen people behind us," Yu Ziling interjected before Lei Jia could finish.

"...Sixteen people? I think we should wait a bit. As long as they aren't deeply antagonistic toward us, I can tell them about Manganese Steel, and perhaps persuade them," Lei Jia said, somewhat excitedly. "If those sixteen join us, and we encounter Manganese Steel in the core, at least we won't be completely passive. We might even have a fighting chance."

"None of us noticed it, yet she did? I don't think her cultivation level is necessarily higher than ours. Isn't she just guessing?" Number Five, who had previously mocked Ji Changkong, began to harbor doubts again. She felt that Yu Ziling, who associated with Ji Changkong, was also untrustworthy. "Yes, none of us felt anything, and her level isn't necessarily higher than ours. Could it be an illusion?" Others began to question Yu Ziling's claim as well. Faced with these doubts, Lei Jia hesitated. He hadn't detected anything unusual either. However, for some reason, as he wavered, he found himself looking at Ji Changkong. Unsure of his own motive, he saw Ji Changkong looking perfectly composed. Seeing Lei Jia look at him, Ji Changkong gave a slight nod.

Lei Jia frowned. "Perhaps we should wait a moment. It won't take too long. If everyone still can't sense anyone approaching from behind, we’ll proceed then. We are currently grouped together, and I trust she wouldn't trick us at a time like this."

Lei Jia was the initiator, and since his suggestion was reasonable and unassailable, even the two sisters, though reluctant, reluctantly agreed. The others who had chosen to stay were evidently more trusting of Lei Jia, and his proposal made sense, so they also nodded in agreement.

Thus, the entire group stopped rushing forward and waited silently to see if anyone would approach from behind.

After speaking with Lei Jia, Yu Ziling returned to Ji Changkong's side and asked in a low voice, "Is there really someone coming? Did you make a mistake?" Ji Changkong remained silent, smiling faintly, signaling her to wait.

However, after only a short wait, the previously relaxed Ji Changkong’s brow furrowed slightly. He suddenly said, "Those people took a detour. If we keep waiting here, we might not meet them."

At these words, Yu Ziling froze, looking at Ji Changkong with a distressed expression. "Are you deliberately messing with me? I recall there are no side paths in Moonstone Valley. How could they detour? Are you sure you aren't mistaken?"

"They genuinely took a detour, about twenty li behind us, heading towards this side. They drilled into a rock face right here, like this," Ji Changkong said, gesturing since he couldn't discern true cardinal directions.

Yu Ziling looked utterly vexed. "How am I supposed to tell them? Should I say they detoured again? They’ll certainly think I'm deceiving them!"

"...Uh, this is indeed tricky. Then just tell them the truth. Whether they believe it or not is up to them; we’ve done our part, and we can leave with a clear conscience," Ji Changkong shrugged, appearing unconcerned and not seeing anything amiss.

Yu Ziling felt helpless and shot Ji Changkong an exasperated glare. Her expression strange, she walked back toward Lei Jia and awkwardly repeated Ji Changkong's statement.

As expected, individuals like Number Five stared at Yu Ziling in anger, believing she was intentionally misleading them. Even Lei Jia lightly shook his head, and his gaze toward Ji Changkong held a flicker of disappointment.

Lei Jia had viewed Ji Changkong as a potential powerhouse, sensing he was unusual and might offer significant aid in future actions. It was this thought that prompted him to suggest waiting. Yet, the outcome was this.

Though disappointed, Lei Jia did not press Yu Ziling on this matter. Instead, he comforted the group, "Everyone calm down. Even if she was mistaken, she's still part of our group. This is a time when we must cooperate; we must not fight amongst ourselves!"

With Lei Jia saying this, the others could only glare resentfully at Yu Ziling a few times. The two sisters muttered something under their breath but avoided causing intentional trouble. Yu Ziling, being in the wrong, could only endure in silence, secretly glaring fiercely at Ji Changkong, likely cursing him inwardly. Lei Jia ignored Yu Ziling and turned, walking straight ahead.

Yu Ziling kept her head down, not daring to look at her watchful companions. After they all passed her, she glared hatefully at Ji Changkong. "Look what you've done!"

Ji Changkong shook his head and chuckled, giving an expression of innocent bewilderment. He didn't provoke the agitated Yu Ziling and followed Lei Jia at an unhurried pace. After only a few steps, however, Ji Changkong paused again, his expression shifting, and he whispered, "Those guys have reappeared. This time, they are in front of us!"

Yu Ziling clearly no longer trusted him. She replied curtly, "I don't care where they are. I’m not going to be your messenger again. Since they are ahead, we just keep moving forward; we’ll meet them eventually."

Shaking his head, Ji Changkong’s expression turned serious. "They’ve stopped. If I’m not mistaken, the group ahead has somehow detected our location. Perhaps they noticed us when they were behind us earlier. I don't know how they managed to take a shortcut, but now they are in front, and it looks like they are waiting for us—whether with good or ill intent..."

"...Good intent... ill intent..." Yu Ziling was stunned, asking doubtfully, "Are you saying they might be hostile towards us?"

"Perhaps," Ji Changkong lowered the fluctuation of his soul to the minimum. After sensing for a moment longer, his expression suddenly changed. "They are hiding their souls within the adjacent rock walls using some method. Even I find it difficult to clearly perceive their exact positions! Now I am certain they have set an ambush ahead, preparing to strike us intentionally!"

"Ji Changkong, you... you aren't tricking me again, are you?" Yu Ziling tested, her voice wavering.

[Ti: Dear 3Z Readers, the current chapter has reached the last page of this book]