"This time, once we get close, do not hesitate. Immediately move within the fixed range of the Feng San Jue—those Northern Barbarians can sense our presence with extreme clarity. There is no way for us to alter this fact, regardless of the method we employ. Therefore, as soon as I give the word, we charge at full speed, giving them no chance to prepare!"

Ji Changkong slowly approached the dense woods ahead, spreading his divine sense outwards. He perceived that the Northern Barbarians were gathered directly in front. The Northern Barbarians had their own methods. He understood that with so many of them present, it was absolutely impossible to evade the spiritual probes of the Northern Barbarians, which was why he had proposed this tactic.

Following these recent skirmishes, the masters from the Great Chu Kingdom and the Water Cloud Kingdom had come to acknowledge the strangeness of his spiritual perceptive ability. They knew that having cultivated the Tai Xu Secret Codex, he could sense anomalies beyond their perception within a certain radius. Hearing his words, everyone nodded in understanding, signaling that they would certainly follow his command when the time came.

By Ji Changkong’s side were top experts like Han Feng and Xiao Po Shan. They clustered around Ji Changkong, partly to ensure his safety and partly hoping to work with him at the critical moment to diminish the power emanating from the mace held by Jialuo.

When Ji Changkong took a step forward, Han Feng and the others would advance a corresponding distance, never leaving his side, their expressions grave.

Suddenly, a flicker of confusion crossed Han Feng's eyes. He frowned and pulled out a sliver of white beast bone from his cuff. The bone segment looked like fine white jade, shimmering with an ivory-white halo. Just then, a faint, whirring sound, "ying ying," began to emanate from the minute pores on the bone, gradually growing louder.

Han Feng's eyes instantly brightened. The arm holding the bone began to freeze over at a visible rate. A bone-chilling coldness spread from his limb, and milky-white vapor drifted up from his palm, seeping into the beast bone through its small holes.

Han Feng adopted a look of extreme caution, pouring his painstakingly cultivated power into the bone. In the span of a single breath, the bone segment was frozen solid, and the sound ceased completely.

Ying ying! Ying ying ying ying!

The sound from Han Feng’s beast bone had barely quieted when strange noises erupted simultaneously from others. Every person who had obtained one of their exotic treasures from the Northern Barbarians during the previous battles suddenly heard the irritating sound emanating from the item on their person.

Everyone took out the beast bones they carried and discovered that the bones were covered with small pores of varying sizes. That vexing sound was originating precisely from these openings.

Whether they were Heavenly Masters from the Great Chu Kingdom or experts from the Water Cloud Kingdom and Xuanyuan Valley, they were all momentarily stunned, looking perplexed. They stared blankly at the bones in their hands, unable to fathom what was happening.

They had possessed these bones for days, not just a day or two. Over these days, many had expended considerable effort studying them, hoping to understand how to utilize the beast bones—which held seemingly infinite power in the hands of the Northern Barbarians—and how to unleash that power.

Yet, whether they were **Heavenly Masters or Seven Star Heavenly Masters, or even Eight Trigrams Heavenly Masters like Han Feng, they could all sense that the bones contained strange power. However, the moment they attempted to release that power, they found themselves utterly helpless.

They had tried countless methods, yet none succeeded in liberating the energy stored within the beast bones!

At this juncture, the sudden, bizarre noise emerging from the tiny circular holes on the bones made everyone freeze, taken aback by surprise.

They realized that the power contained within the bones was slowly converging, the energy intensifying. Even those who did not possess the bones could deeply feel the surging power.

On the other side, deep within the dense forest.

Jialuo, Xue E, and a contingent of Northern Barbarian Heavenly Masters lay prone on the ground in grotesque positions. Some were upside down with their feet towards the sky; others were crouched like toads; some bodies were twisted into shapes unrecognizable as human.

In their varied postures, they vaguely formed a massive character for "Four." A strange aura gradually radiated from them. The spirit treasures—beast bone relics usable only by Northern Barbarian Heavenly Masters—were casually placed in various spots, and from these bones, peculiar "ying ying" sounds also arose.

Jialuo’s face was etched with cold hatred. His mace was plunged straight into the earth, its sharply pointed spikes gleaming with an eerie light.

"Rise," Xue E suddenly called out in a low voice. From the hexagonal shield before him, a mesmerizing power erupted. A massive spirit beast resembling a fierce tiger surged out from the shield, letting loose a cry imperceptible to normal human ears, directed towards the location of Ji Changkong and his company.

Simultaneously, the divine weapons held by the prone Northern Barbarian Heavenly Masters also released various strange beast spirits. As soon as these spirits flew out of their weapons, they all cried out towards Ji Changkong's group, seemingly summoning kin and transmitting a signal.

Jialuo’s cold eyes suddenly cracked into a vicious grin, and he spat out hatefully, "Our Northern Barbarian divine weapons and spirit treasures are not for the likes of you to wield!"

"Throw away the divine weapons in your hands! Far away!" Ji Changkong suddenly roared, his expression severe, his tone urgent: "Quickly!"

Many looked bewildered, staring at Ji Changkong, yet they made no move. These were Northern Barbarian divine weapons they had painstakingly acquired from the fallen enemies, weapons infused with mysterious power. During battles with their foes, they had witnessed the marvelous nature of these weapons firsthand. Now, Ji Changkong was suddenly ordering them all to discard them, and most found it unacceptable.

"Throw them away! All of them! Immediately!" Ji Changkong roared again. "If you don't want to die!"

Bai Canghai’s face shifted slightly. He was the first to hurl away a beast bone he had taken from a Northern Barbarian Heavenly Master. He sternly commanded the disciples of the Moon Splendor Sect: "Throw away whatever you are holding!"

The masters from the Moon Splendor Sect, though reluctant, threw away the beast bone divine weapons in their grasp. At this moment, the experts from Xuanyuan Valley and the Water Cloud Kingdom also successively discarded the divine weapons they held. As for the skilled fighters from the Chen family, they naturally hesitated even less. The Chen family was wealthy and powerful; they hadn't truly cared about these Northern Barbarian relics anyway; they had only intended to take them back for research... Hearing Ji Changkong’s words, they immediately realized these items were cursed and let go cleanly.

Only the Heavenly Masters from the Great Chu Kingdom—the majority—still clutched the beast bones. These individuals were mostly not from the major sects or powerful families of the Chu Kingdom; they belonged to second or third-rate sects and were therefore more attached to obtaining the bones.

The major sects and powerful families, such as the Chu family and the Wei Chi family, were obedient and had long since discarded the items in their hands.

Ji Changkong looked sternly at those unwilling to let go and suddenly said in a deep voice, "They seek their own demise. Everyone, move away from them!"

The experts from the Water Cloud Kingdom and Xuanyuan Valley, without a word, immediately retreated a distance, clearly separating themselves from the Great Chu Kingdom masters, maintaining a safe gap.

Ying ying! Ying ying ying ying!

The sound emanating from the beast bones grew increasingly high-pitched, sounding quite chilling. By this point, everyone realized the strangeness of the situation.

However, several people still held tightly to the beast bones, exhibiting an expression of disbelief that these items could cause harm.

Chu Yunlong gasped, looking at the members of the minor sects who were so unwilling to part with their treasures, and suddenly commanded, "Forcefully seize the Northern Barbarian beast bones from their hands! Quickly!"

Experts like Changsun Deyun and Song Yu were about to move upon hearing this, preparing to strike at those stubborn, misguided sect members.

"It's too late!" Ji Changkong called out lightly. "Move away from them!"

Pa pa pa! Boom boom boom!

Intense fluctuations suddenly burst from the beast bones. The next moment, all the bones shattered violently. As the bones exploded, strange beast spirits manifested, flying directly towards Jialuo and his group in the distance.

As for those few Heavenly Masters from the minor Chu sects who refused to let go, they were caught completely off guard. In the explosions of the beast bones, some were killed while others were grievously wounded; the scene was utterly tragic.

"Hmph! Trying to flee? Not so easily!" Ji Changkong snorted coldly, suddenly releasing the Heavenly Origin Bead within his body. The strange light emitted by the bead instantly enveloped many of the beast spirits.

Any beast spirit caught within the strange light of the Heavenly Origin Bead began to struggle fiercely. But no matter how hard they strained, they could not escape the devouring light of the bead. Under the bead's power, the covered beast spirits fell into it one by one.

About a dozen spirits that were not covered by the Heavenly Origin Bead were about to vanish from sight when thunder suddenly boomed from the sky. Following the thunderclap, those dozen spirits were instantly annihilated.

Experts from the Ghost Sect, including Gui Rong and Gui Hai, released the Heavenly Thunder power they had painstakingly cultivated at a mere glance from Ji Changkong. Heavenly Thunder held immense destructive power against soul-like entities. These beast spirits were, after all, not Ghost Demon Kings. Under the bombardment of the Heavenly Thunder, not a single one of the dozen spirits escaped; all were blasted into dust.

Jialuo, whose appearance was originally ferocious, sat there with a pale face, his hand gripping the mace trembling faintly, having expected to heavily wound Ji Changkong's side by leveraging control over the beast spirits.

"Pfft!" Xue E spat out a mouthful of blood. Two intersecting cracks had suddenly appeared on the hexagonal shield before him.

Xue E was the initiator of this entire scheme. By using the combined spirits to issue the call, he served as the primary focal point for the attack. Once the combined formation was broken, he naturally suffered the greatest injury. Every single beast spirit annihilated would impact his own spirit. Since none of the spirits returned, the spirit within his hexagonal shield suffered a devastating blow.

Similar to Xue E, all Northern Barbarian experts who participated suffered injuries to varying degrees. Not only did they fail to gain an advantage in this fight, but they ended up damaged themselves.

After withdrawing their power, these Northern Barbarian Heavenly Masters began to question Jialuo’s decisions, believing his command had caused their losses. The memory of repeated failures flashed through their minds, and they immediately shifted the blame onto Jialuo, beginning to doubt his competence.

"Though we failed, at least all the divine weapons are destroyed. Our possessions did not fall into the enemy's hands," Xue E panted, suddenly standing up, his voice muffled.

Seeing Xue E rise, although they still looked indignant, the others ceased their complaints, merely expressing their displeasure with cold faces.

Xue E was a renowned expert among the Northern Barbarians, possessing formidable strength and highly valued by the Yaksha King. These individuals, lacking the inner influence of their clans and having lower cultivation than Xue E, chose to fall silent.

However, this did not stop them from looking down on Jialuo, who relied on his family's power to lord over them. Even though Jialuo’s use of Yaksha Clan power had saved them several times, they still felt his leadership was incompetent because they had failed to gain the upper hand in these recent engagements. Jialuo sensed their growing dissatisfaction and scoffed disdainfully. "If any of you think you can show us the clear path to defeating these Central Plains people, I don't mind letting you take my leadership!"

His words immediately quieted the Northern Barbarians. They had witnessed the opponent’s strength in the previous fights. This realization made them understand that even if they were in command, failure would likely be the only outcome. If Jialuo remained the leader, at least he could take the blame if the Asura King became angry later. If it were them, they would have to bear responsibility for failure.

Everyone knew the Asura King had a terrible temper. If this battle ended in defeat, the leader would undoubtedly face the Asura King’s wrath. No one dared to endure the fury of the Asura King, so upon hearing Jialuo’s statement, they immediately settled down.

"They're here," Xue E suddenly stood up straight, his face grim. "We've been surrounded."

"What?" The Northern Barbarian Heavenly Masters stared, dumbfounded. Many cried out, "Those cowardly Central Plains people actually dare to surround us! Do they really think they can defeat us?"

Since ancient times, these people living in the harsh, cold north had never held the Central Plains Heavenly Masters in high regard. Upon entering this continuous stretch of mountains, the timidity and flight of the Great Chu people only confirmed their belief that Central Plains cultivators were timid as mice, far inferior to the strength of the Northern Barbarians.

The recent losses in battle, in their view, were solely due to the enemy employing poisons. If it were a true contest of strength...

Jialuo’s face darkened. He gripped his mace tightly and coldly surveyed those who had just expressed dissatisfaction with him. "If you have the skill, I’d like to see if you can lead everyone out when the time comes!"

Those men immediately quieted down.

They understood that in the most critical moments, they still needed to rely on the mace held by Jialuo. Without that mace, their casualties over the last few battles would have been far higher than they were now.

What was due had finally arrived. Led by Ji Changkong and Xiao Po Shan, the experts from Xuanyuan Valley and the Great Chu Kingdom slowly encircled the resting Northern Barbarians deep within the forest from all directions.

When Ji Changkong once again revealed his true form, Jialuo mocked him, "How did that feel just now? How many of you died? Our divine weapons are not for weaklings like you to use, hah!"

This time, Jialuo clearly had no intention of retreating immediately. He subtly signaled to Xue E, indicating he should be careful and protect their kin. Xue E nodded to show he understood and raised his hexagonal shield high, his battle-hungry eyes locked firmly onto Xiao Po Shan. In the previous battles, Xue E had always clashed with Xiao Po Shan.

Chu Yunlong’s face was contorted with fury, his killing intent blazing as he stared at Jialuo. "You despicable lot! Today, I will avenge the countrymen we lost!"

"Avenge?" Jialuo sneered, shaking his head dismissively. "You lack the power to seek revenge. If those Xuanyuan Valley people hadn't arrived, all you Great Chu fellows would already be ghosts under our blades! You speak of vengeance? Ridiculous!"

He suddenly turned to Ji Changkong and asked, "Ji Changkong, what trick do you have this time? Did you release poison somewhere again?"

"What do you think?" Ji Changkong smiled. "Perhaps it’s near you, or perhaps it’s already on you, you just haven’t discovered it yet?"

It was merely a casual lie, yet the Northern Barbarians reacted as if facing a major enemy. Many even began silently circulating their internal power throughout their entire bodies, scrutinizing every minute detail. In recent days, they had become jumpy birds under Ji Changkong’s elusive poisons, unable to withstand much more shock.

"You think mere poison is enough to defeat us?" Jialuo challenged.

"No," Ji Changkong laughed carelessly, unconcerned. "But if it can inflict some damage upon you, then my objective is achieved. Jialuo, do you think you can rely on that mace and keep running all the way back to your Northern Capital?"

"If you don't use poison, we won't retreat! Ji Changkong, do you dare to face me in an open confrontation?" Jialuo suddenly strode forward, gazing calmly at Ji Changkong. "I will not utilize the power my father infused into the mace. How about a fair fight between us? Do you dare?"

"No problem," Ji Changkong replied calmly. He turned to Xiao Po Shan and the others beside him: "Later, none of you are to interfere."

"Changkong, what that brat says is untrustworthy. Mid-fight, if he breaks his promise and suddenly releases the Nine Palace Heavenly Master power from the mace, won't you be in grave danger?" Xiao Xing objected urgently.

"Haha, are you afraid? Do you think those lackeys can protect you forever?" Jialuo taunted from a distance.

The Northern Barbarian Heavenly Masters all burst into roaring laughter.

"Changkong, don't believe him! This fellow is clearly not someone who fights honorably!" Bai Qingya stepped forward, sounding anxious.

Ji Changkong glanced at Xiao Xing, then at Bai Qingya, and smiled faintly, his expression placid. "Rest assured, I know what I’m doing."

Xiao Xing nodded helplessly. Knowing he couldn't dissuade Ji Changkong once his mind was set, he only said softly, "Be careful."

Bai Qingya persisted for a few more sentences before Ji Changkong soothed her with, "You must trust me," and she stopped pressing her point.

"Come then!" Jialuo suddenly roared. He thrust the mace he held deeply into the ground, and at the same moment, Jialuo suddenly sprang forward, charging directly at Ji Changkong.

Those who cared for Ji Changkong felt a slight relief when they saw Jialuo leave the mace behind.

While airborne, Jialuo’s long hair instantly doubled in length! The spikes protruding from his elbows and knees suddenly burst forth, shining with a sharp luster!

Jialuo’s muscles coiled, and his entire body seemed to increase in size. The extremely sharp killing intent emanating from him erupted like a mountain flood, the air currents spreading outward from him, forcing many nearby to deploy their internal energy just to resist the oppressive aura he radiated.

In an instant, all the power within Jialuo was fully unleashed. His internal Yuan energy was profound, significantly stronger than that of a master who had just entered the Eight Trigrams Heaven realm. Even compared to Eight Trigrams Heavenly Masters capable of divine travel to the sun, Jialuo's power was not far inferior.

Jialuo continuously spurred his internal power, his momentum growing stronger and stronger. When his aura accumulated to its peak, Jialuo struck!

The sky was filled with massive green claws, their edges sharp as blades. Lethal intent poured out from the claws as they continuously tore and shredded. Every large tree before Ji Changkong was sliced into segments by the green claws; every piece of hard rock turned into powder under the shadow of the claws, which the wind then dispersed into fine dust.

Thousands of green claws enveloped the space around Ji Changkong. The claw shadows overlapped continuously; every overlap locked down a small section of space. In just a few breaths, the space around Ji Changkong was entirely dominated by claw shadows.

Standing still, Ji Changkong looked around and saw only countless overlapping claw shadows, unable to discern the presence of anyone near him.

The very earth beneath his feet suddenly bore claw marks. Ji Changkong attempted to harness the Five Elements Earth Power, only to find the ground influenced by some strange force, making it impossible to conceal his form by manipulating the earth.

Garo’s figure had vanished without a trace. There was no sound; the world was unnaturally silent. Even the endlessly overlapping claw shadows emitted not the slightest noise.

“Nether Ghost Claw.” Ji Changkong snorted coldly, watching as dots of sickly yellow-green ghostly fire began to flicker within the claw shadows. Finally, he recognized the pattern as a supreme technique of the Yaksha tribe. Through Xiao Xing, Chen Qisen, and others, he had spent the last two days intensely studying the situation in the Northern Barbarian territories. He now possessed a decent understanding of the major tribes and the secret techniques they cultivated. Among them, Xiao Xing and Chen Qilin had specifically mentioned the three ultimate techniques of the Yaksha tribe: the Evil Spirit Heavenly Diagram, the White Bone Hell, and the Nether Ghost Claw.

Among the three supreme Yaksha techniques, the Evil Spirit Heavenly Diagram was the most bizarre, the White Bone Hell the most terrifying, and the Nether Ghost Claw the most venomous.

The Nether Ghost Claw could use the overlapping claw shadows to lock down everything—sky, earth, and all directions. The claw shadows were incredibly sharp and accompanied by the unique ghostly fire of the Yaksha tribe. Those whose cultivation was insufficient would suffer grotesque decay and instantly turn to white bones upon contact with even stray wisps of that ghost fire, long before the actual claws descended.

Garo, as the Young Master of the Yaksha tribe, naturally had practiced all three supreme techniques. His immediate deployment of the Nether Ghost Claw indicated he was truly exerting his full power from the start.

The sky was filled with ghostly claws, the faint Nether Ghost Fire drifting like fireflies, slowly advancing toward Ji Changkong.

Ji Changkong’s expression was indifferent. He calmly watched the ghost fire creep closer, releasing his consciousness to sense the power emanating from the claws.

This ghost fire was refined from the phosphorescence of Heavenly Master skeletons. To ordinary people, it was an incredibly malevolent poison. However, for Ji Changkong, these so-called ghost fires exerted minimal effect. As specks of ghost fire landed on him, Ji Changkong remained composed. The fires merely corroded his outer garments; upon touching his flesh, the ghost fire vanished into smoke as if encountering molten lava, dissipating instantly.

The ghost fire disappeared automatically without him even deliberately activating the Xuanyuan Blood within his body, causing him absolutely no harm.

The overlapping claw shadows blotted out the heavens, obscuring the very space around him. The power emanating from the Nether Ghost Claw confused one’s senses, even perception. Trapped within it, one could not detect the life fluctuations of those nearby.

Ji Changkong remained unmoved, coldly watching the densely layered claw shadows close in, descending upon him like an inescapable net.

Only when the overlapping claw shadows were mere inches away did he suddenly draw the Dragon Radiance Long Saber. The power of the Dragon Radiance Long Saber erupted instantaneously. Thick waves of blood churned, forming a sea of blood that engulfed him, a palpable blood ocean with surging waves.

The layered claw shadows descended, immediately merging with the sea of blood.

Surprisingly, the sea of blood released by the power of the Dragon Radiance Long Saber could not withstand the assault of the ghost claws; the claws pierced right through the blood sea and instantly reached Ji Changkong.

Frowning slightly, Ji Changkong’s hands suddenly emanated dazzling, multi-colored light. As the light emerged from his palms, it immediately manifested as halos in the void. These seven-colored halos did not repel the layered claw shadows but instead rapidly fused with the sea of blood!

The sea of blood underwent a miraculous transformation. In an instant, it first morphed into an immensely vast blood dragon, which then suddenly split into hundreds, even thousands, of smaller blood dragons. These little dragons burrowed into the seven-colored halos, connecting the halos together.

As the two powers merged, the power shifted. In a very short time, the blood dragons vanished, and the seven-colored halos, now condensed by blood essence, abruptly took on the shape of dragons.

The seven-colored dragon-shaped halo suddenly swung, emitting an incomparably tyrannical and violent power. This released power spread outward with world-shattering momentum.

The overlapping claw shadows that had enveloped him could no longer pose the slightest threat to Ji Changkong under the impact of the halo’s power. The sealed space was instantly torn apart, and the layered ghost claws naturally lost their efficacy in that moment.

The Seven-Colored Dragon Halo—this was a new secret technique Ji Changkong had created by fusing several of his skills and relying on his own power!

Over the years, Ji Changkong had never given up his passion for forging new secret techniques. After years of arduous practice, he had finally mastered its application. Today marked the first time he unleashed this new technique, which he named the Seven-Colored Dragon Halo!

He felt a sense of anticipation for the new technique’s effect.

The space sealed by the Nether Ghost Claw shattered. All the phantom claw images vanished, leaving only Garo descending from the sky, his hands shaped into claws, fiercely grasping down towards Ji Changkong’s head.

Glancing up at Garo, Ji Changkong’s eyes turned sharply cold. A beam of intense light shot out from the Seven-Colored Dragon Halo. This beam was indestructible, with surging blood essence, and instantly arrived before Garo.

Garo was startled. He had to use his own power first to block the intense light released from the Seven-Colored Dragon Halo. At this moment, Ji Changkong suddenly shot forward, aiming directly at Garo, pushing his physical power to the extreme in an instant. While Garo was preoccupied using his innate power to counter the strong light, the ferocious bombardment from Ji Changkong arrived!

In this world, few could match the sheer intensity of Ji Changkong’s physical power.

Although Garo possessed extraordinary talent, he was still far inferior to Ji Changkong in this aspect. Without employing any other ultimate skills, upon closing the distance with Garo, Ji Changkong purely utilized the fierce power of his physical body, launching a rapid-fire bombardment at the fastest possible speed.

Garo had barely managed to defend against the intense light erupting from the Seven-Colored Dragon Halo when he was immediately met by an even more violent assault, battering his physique like a furious storm.

In the Northern Barbarians, the Yaksha tribe was also renowned for their resilient bodies. As the Young Master of the Yaksha, Garo had never stopped tempering his physique. Garo had always believed his physical fortitude far surpassed that of ordinary Heavenly Masters. Yet, now, under Ji Changkong’s savage power, he swayed precariously, his entire skeleton emitting sharp cracking sounds as if he were being repeatedly struck by great mountains.

Garo’s body felt as if it were falling apart. Under this tempestuous offensive, he couldn’t even manage to channel his internal power to defend. Often, just as he managed to gather his Yuan Power, it would be scattered by one of Ji Changkong’s strikes. Peng!

Garo’s robust body suddenly crashed to the ground. As he landed, his bones let out clear, crisp sounds. His face was pale as paper; he was clearly severely wounded.

Whoosh!

At that moment, the spiked club beside Garo suddenly flew out, striking toward Ji Changkong like lightning.

Simultaneously, a power clearly not belonging to an Eight Trigram Heavenly Master erupted from the spiked club. The moment this extraordinary power manifested, everyone felt a sense of danger, and the numerous experts of Great Chu immediately began to retreat.

“Despicable!”

“Changkong, watch out!” “Retreat quickly!”

The people of Xuanyuan Valley glared furiously at Garo, cursing him for breaking his word, cursing his shamelessness.

Garo, on the verge of death, glared venomously at Ji Changkong, clearly hoping to use the power within the spiked club to slay him. His body was now critically damaged, essentially ruined, making further combat impossible. His only reliance was the power contained within that spiked club.

Ji Changkong, having battered Garo nearly to pieces, had his spirit firmly locked onto Garo, waiting for Garo to lose control and release his soul, intending to finish him off with the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder.

Unexpectedly, Garo activated the spiked club once more at this moment, immediately unleashing the power of the Nine Palaces Heavenly Master contained within it. Clearly, Garo knew he was outmatched and was preparing for a final, desperate fight.

With death imminent, he naturally discarded any previous agreement.

Seeing the power of the Nine Palaces Heavenly Master from the spiked club arrive in an instant, Ji Changkong’s expression did not change; he merely made a slight adjustment to the Seven-Colored Dragon Halo...

The Seven-Colored Dragon Halo suddenly contracted, instantly transforming into a door. Ji Changkong’s figure flickered, and he plunged into that door.

In the next moment, no one could detect Ji Changkong’s aura or sense his spirit. It was as if Ji Changkong had suddenly vanished from the world, leaving absolutely no trace behind!

Naturally, the spiked club could not perceive Ji Changkong’s existence either. The club hovered in the void, constantly patrolling, yet it could never find its target, unable to strike.

Meanwhile, the experts of Xuanyuan Valley and Shuiyun Nation engaged the Northern Barbarian Heavenly Masters, launching a furious slaughter against the Blood Alligator and his kind.

Han Feng and Gui Rong remained motionless, their power fully condensed, staring at the spiked club hovering in the air, ready to react to it at any moment.

The spiked club never attacked anyone else; it merely roamed the void, relentlessly searching for Ji Changkong’s trace.

“Young Master! Young Master!” Blood Alligator roared, his face contorted in grief and despair.

It turned out that Garo’s physical body had completely lapsed into unconsciousness. Garo, aware that Ji Changkong possessed soul-destroying divine lightning and that his soul resided within his body, had dared not emerge. This led Blood Alligator to believe Garo was dead.

Because of this, the spiked club, failing to find Ji Changkong, refrained from attacking others and instead remained suspended motionlessly in the air.

“Take the Young Master’s body and leave this place immediately!” Blood Alligator roared, commanding the several Yaksha experts beside him. Hearing this, the Yaksha experts did not hesitate, lifting Garo’s body and immediately fleeing into the distance.

Blood Alligator took the lead, and the Yaksha experts covered the rear. They ignored everything else, focused solely on escaping quickly.

The spiked club suspended in mid-air possessed its own sentience. Upon seeing Garo depart, it immediately followed, and if it detected any intent to harm Garo, the club would proactively attack. Anyone who dared approach that area would instantly suffer a furious assault from the weapon.

After all, the spiked club contained the power of a Nine Palaces Heavenly Master. If it fixed its target on one person, and that person could not instantly enter the Grand Illusionary Realm like Ji Changkong, that person was doomed.

Han Feng and Gui Rong did not retreat but instead pursued Blood Alligator and his group at a steady pace. They were not afraid of the power within the spiked club because Ji Changkong had previously told them that the Nine Palaces Heavenly Master’s power within it was nearly depleted. They trusted Ji Changkong, so they pressed on relentlessly.

Xiao Poshan and his contingent showed no mercy, seizing the opportunity to launch ferocious attacks on the Heavenly Masters of the other Northern Barbarian tribes. In a short time, they had killed over a dozen of these disheartened Northern Barbarian Heavenly Masters.

The vanished Ji Changkong suddenly reappeared, smiling as he summoned the Tianyuan Pearl to continue devouring the souls of these experts.

Concurrently, Ji Changkong chased after Blood Alligator’s group, calling out to Han Feng and Gui Rong, “Let’s attack Garo together! The spiked club will automatically defend. Once the power inside is exhausted, we won’t need to worry about that club anymore!”

At these words, everyone’s expressions were galvanized. Han Feng and Gui Rong struck first, followed by Xiao Poshan, Xiao Xing, and the rest, all directing their attacks at Garo.

These individuals, all cultivators at the Eight Trigrams Heavenly Realm, unleashed their power entirely against Garo. As predicted, the spiked club actively defended, channeling all the Nine Palaces Heavenly Master’s power to ward off the combined assault. It had no spare capacity to attack others.

Although the Nine Palaces Heavenly Master’s power within the spiked club was formidable, under the coordinated assault of so many Eight Trigrams Heavenly masters, it began to struggle to manage everything.

Moreover, this power was not derived from the Nine Palaces Heavenly Master himself, and with repeated use, this residual strength gradually diminished.

“Put more effort in! The power inside the spiked club is waning!” Ji Changkong roared. His guess was correct; the power in the club was weakening, clearly signaling that it was about to run out.

Everyone’s spirits soared, as if they could already see the Northern Barbarian Heavenly Masters falling one by one.

Just then, an incredibly evil and strange power suddenly erupted from behind them. The souls of everyone present were affected; they could no longer control their bodies. The Seven Star and Eight Trigram Heavenly Masters flying in the void began plummeting one after another.

Ji Changkong’s expression changed drastically. He looked behind him in disbelief, staring at the Tianyuan Pearl standing proudly in the void.

This power—it originated from the Tianyuan Pearl! (To be continued)