The Origin Poison, still shaken, emerged from the Tianyuan Pearl, "Lao Si [Fourth Brother] kept babbling about how dangerous it was inside the Tianyuan Pearl."

Ji Changkong's expression shifted slightly. He suddenly asked, "How did you get confined? You've been in the Tianyuan Pearl for so long; shouldn't you know every corner of it by now?"

The Origin Poison shook its head helplessly, wearing an expression that suggested memories best left untouched. "You don't know the true nature of the Tianyuan Pearl. It forms a world unto itself. I used to think I was extremely familiar with it, but only after it absorbed enough soul power did I realize that the area I moved in previously probably accounted for less than a tenth of the Pearl's space. Every bit more soul power the Tianyuan Pearl absorbs, the more its internal space expands. I have no idea how vast its limit is."

Ji Changkong stared blankly, looking at the Tianyuan Pearl in his hand, then at the still-shaken Origin Poison, falling silent for a long moment.

Xiao Xing and Gui Hai's group gathered beside Ji Changkong, faces etched with astonishment. Gui Hai asked, "Changkong, was that power from before truly yours?"

Ji Changkong nodded. "It was."

"Such immense power! How—how could you suddenly unleash something so terrifying?" Xiao Xing asked, baffled.

He gave a wry smile, shaking the Tianyuan Pearl in his hand, and told the truth. "That power wasn't mine to possess. It was due to the Tianyuan Pearl's effect. Without it, my strength would have been wholly insufficient to destroy that small mountain."

Gui Hai, Xiao Xing, and the others stared at him, surprised, but chose not to press the matter further.

Bai Qingya walked up to Ji Changkong's side, gazing at him with concern, and whispered softly, "Changkong, since even you found the power within the Tianyuan Pearl difficult to control, perhaps it's best to use it sparingly in the future. Before, the energy it released nearly made us lose ourselves. For a time, I almost forgot who I was."

At these words, several people from the Great Chu Kingdom and the Water Cloud Kingdom nodded in agreement. Most of them were cultivators at the Sixth Heaven or Seventh Heaven realm, and under the pressure of the Tianyuan Pearl’s power, their souls had been profoundly affected, nearly losing their identities as the Pearl's influence overwhelmed their spiritual strength.

Regarding the Tianyuan Pearl, these people displayed deep-seated dread. Even though that intense surge of power had subsided, they still kept a considerable distance from the artifact, fearful of further influence.

Bai Qingya cared for him, worried that he too might be assimilated or affected by the Pearl's strange energy, which was why she urged him to use it less often.

Ji Changkong nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. He, too, realized the Tianyuan Pearl was a double-edged sword; mishandling it could harm others and himself. If he hadn't intervened in time, Bai Qingya, Chu Shanxin, and the others, under the Pearl's influence, might have genuinely lost their minds and consciousness forever.

If his physical body hadn't been exceptionally sturdy, even daring to employ the power of the World-Ending Gauntlet earlier might have resulted in the entire arm being shattered by the recoil.

Even the Origin Poison, residing long-term within the Tianyuan Pearl, displayed such a slightly fearful demeanor. This made Ji Changkong realize that the Tianyuan Pearl was indeed difficult to manage.

"Do you still wish to enter the Tianyuan Pearl?" Ji Changkong asked the Origin Poison after a pause, his tone serious.

The Origin Poison also hesitated noticeably. After a moment, it gave a bitter smile and nodded. "I still must go in. Although it’s somewhat dangerous, it’s also very interesting. I’ve been inside for so long; I must have some understanding of it by now. Now that the space within the Tianyuan Pearl has expanded again, perhaps I can gain something new from it inside." The Origin Poison said uncertainly.

Ji Changkong nodded. "Very well. Since you insist on staying inside, I won't stop you. But be extremely careful, as I still cannot truly comprehend this Tianyuan Pearl. I might not be able to help you every time in a critical moment. If you encounter danger, you can send me a message, but send it quickly, lest the person needing help cannot reach me."

"Understood," the Origin Poison replied playfully. "Then I'll go in first. You should spend time studying that World-Ending Gauntlet; its power is truly immense, and it will certainly be of assistance to you. I'm heading in now. Once I understand more secrets within the Tianyuan Pearl, I will tell you. Wait for my good news!"

Saying this, the Origin Poison's body dissolved into a faint wisp of smoke and merged into the Tianyuan Pearl, vanishing in an instant.

The Tianyuan Pearl flickered faintly once, then returned to its ordinary, unremarkable appearance. Ji Changkong tried to sense it using his soul power, only to find his consciousness plunging into an endless void, unable to grasp anything at all.

He suddenly understood: the space inside the Tianyuan Pearl had indeed expanded significantly.

"Changkong, those Gāluó and Blood Crocodile people have already escaped," Xiao Poshan's figure suddenly materialized in the distance. He quickly approached Ji Changkong, looking helpless. "In just a moment, that Blood Crocodile and that Jīnmán fellow managed to break through the air and fly away. Meanwhile, Han Feng and I were still affected by the phenomenon here, unable to control our bodies with soul power for a time, so we could only watch Gāluó and the Blood Crocodile escape. By the time we regained the ability to fly, those Northern Barbarians had long vanished."

Han Feng, standing beside Xiao Poshan, stared at Ji Changkong, utterly bewildered. "Kid, what in the blazes did you do? At the critical moment, why did your Pearl drag things down?"

Ji Changkong forced a bitter smile and explained that he also couldn't wield the Tianyuan Pearl skillfully at that moment, then added, "Those Northern Barbarians were farthest from the Tianyuan Pearl, so naturally, they were the least affected by its power, allowing them to fly out first. Your delay of a moment was inevitable. If we can't catch them now, we can't. I believe those Northern Barbarians won't dare return here anytime soon. At the very least, they need time to gather experts again in Beiman, so things should be relatively stable on our side for now."

"What a pity we couldn't wipe out all those Northern Barbarians," Chu Yunlong sighed, gasping for breath. "These Northern Barbarians haven't been in this mountain range for long, yet they've caused untold slaughter here."

"Enough," Xiao Poshan shot Chu Yunlong a look, neither warm nor cold. "We've already killed quite a few of the Northern Barbarians recently. If we had pressed the pursuit relentlessly, and those Barbarians knew they couldn't leave alive, the confrontation wouldn't have been so manageable. It's a good thing we have time to rest now. Many of your Great Chu Kingdom experts have expended too much vital energy and soul power; without a period of recovery, fighting again will only invite danger."

"That is true," Chu Yunlong nodded slightly, glancing at the Great Chu Kingdom masters, and said with a faint smile, "We should return to Bei'an City first and rest well."

Everyone agreed.

Back in Bei'an City, within the same manor, the returning victorious cultivators of the Great Chu Kingdom were given a grand reception by those recuperating within the estate.

Some of the Chu Kingdom experts who had been left in the manor to heal had regained their fighting strength after this period of recovery. They had been eagerly preparing to join the fray, only to be informed that the Northern Barbarians had fled the mountain range and that their side had paid a heavy price.

Upon hearing this news, the remaining experts of the Great Chu Kingdom erupted in sheer delight, eagerly inquiring about the detailed sequence of events.

The manor became lively instantly. The cultivators who participated in the battle vividly recounted their experiences in the (Lianmian Mountain Range), emphasizing the crucial role of the Xuanyuan Valley contingent. They especially highlighted the miraculous effects of Ji Changkong's poison.

Having secured such a major victory, these Great Chu Kingdom men kept recounting their tales tirelessly.

Chu Yunlong, in high spirits, ordered his clan’s young men to spread the news of the victory, bring out the best wines from the Chu family, and prepare sumptuous feasts to welcome the returning victors.

The people from the Water Cloud Kingdom, just like the experts from Xuanyuan Valley, showed no ceremony toward the Great Chu Kingdom contingent. They drank the Chu family's treasured vintage dry, chatting animatedly.

The Great Chu Kingdom cultivators deliberately sought to flatter the experts from the Water Cloud Kingdom and Xuanyuan Valley. After fighting side-by-side in the Lianmian Mountain Range, many in Xuanyuan Valley and the Water Cloud Kingdom no longer harbored hostility toward these Great Chu cultivators. Coupled with the Chu men's efforts to ingratiate themselves, they naturally stopped maintaining stern expressions.

This banquet was a resounding success, with everyone thoroughly satisfied.

Ji Changkong only toasted Chu Yunlong a few times before his mind drifted away. Preoccupied with his maternal grandfather's safety, he felt increasing anxiety after arriving in Bei'an City and finding no news of his grandfather or Li Hentian.

If Gu Bang and Li Hentian weren't in Bei'an City or Tianshan, they had most likely gone to Beiman. If they had truly gone there, perhaps clashes had already occurred. He desperately needed news of his grandfather and Li Hentian, and even driving Gāluó and the others out of the Lianmian Mountain Range brought him no joy.

He poured the potent, fiery spirit known as Dragon’s Breath Fire into his gut, feeling its intense heat. Ji Changkong’s brow furrowed deeply as he secretly considered whether he should take this opportunity to journey to Beiman to check on the situation.

"Why are you hiding over here drinking alone?" Chu Shanxin approached quietly, swaying slightly with a flushed face, a bottle held delicately in her slender hand. Her beautiful eyes looked hazy as she stood beside him, breathing out soft words.

Frowning, Ji Changkong glanced at Chu Shanxin. "It's too noisy over there; I wanted some quiet."

"Yes, it is quite noisy over there. I really must thank you this time; without you, we absolutely wouldn't have held off those Northern Barbarians," Chu Shanxin smiled happily, raising her wine bottle towards Ji Changkong and saying sweetly, "Let's finish this bottle!"

Ji Changkong remained outwardly calm, raising the Dragon's Breath Fire to his lips and taking several deep gulps. Then he gazed northward without speaking.

"Eh! What are you drinking? It looks incredibly strong. Can I have a taste?" Chu Shanxin exclaimed softly, naturally moving closer to Ji Changkong, her curiosity piqued by the bottle he held—the Dragon's Breath Fire. The wine jars provided by the Chu family were generally rounded, but the vessel holding the Dragon's Breath Fire was a small, distinct flask.

Ji Changkong was momentarily stunned, looking strangely at Chu Shanxin, then nodded lightly. "Take it."

Gulp! Gulp!

To his surprise, as soon as Chu Shanxin took the flask from Ji Changkong, she didn't hold back, instead tilting the vessel—which Ji Changkong had just drunk from—and taking large swigs directly, without bothering to pour it into a separate container as he expected.

Ji Changkong froze, his expression growing increasingly peculiar.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!" Chu Shanxin had clearly underestimated the potency of the Dragon's Breath Fire. She coughed violently, her pretty face flushed crimson, as if it might drip blood. Her eyes were dazed and unfocused as she stared blankly at Ji Changkong, muttering, "Such strong liquor... This wine is far more potent than ours. No wonder you don't drink ours; the taste is completely different."

Ji Changkong frowned, watching Chu Shanxin, who seemed utterly intoxicated.

"Ji Changkong, am I beautiful?" Chu Shanxin suddenly asked, a strange ripple flashing in her eyes as she gazed at him intently.

Ji Changkong blinked, looking deeply at Chu Shanxin before responding plainly, "Passable."

"Passable?" Chu Shanxin’s lips curved into a strange smile, looking at him with genuine interest. She giggled, "That's the most unusual description I've ever received since childhood. Heh, passable. So I'm just passable. Were those others, those others all lying to me? Lying about me being peerlessly gorgeous? It turns out... it turns out it was all false!"

"Miss Chu, you are drunk," Ji Changkong stated.

"Am I drunk? I'm not drunk!" Chu Shanxin’s voice rose slightly, her delicate body swaying. Suddenly, she leaned straight back.

Ji Changkong sighed helplessly, reaching out to steady her body and prevent her fall. "Let's go; I'll take you over there."

"I'm not going, I don't want to go over there." Chu Shanxin swayed precariously but refused to move. She clutched Ji Changkong tightly with both hands, leaning most of her weight against him, murmuring, "Ji Changkong, do you... do you perhaps hate me? Do you think I'm a wicked woman?"

"No," Ji Changkong shook his head. It was the truth. He simply felt that Chu Shanxin was calculating and ambitious. While such women weren't endearing, it was understandable given her background in a royal family like the Chu clan.

"I'll tell you a secret, a secret you absolutely wouldn't expect..." Chu Shanxin leaned her crimson lips close to Ji Changkong's ear, her eyes half-lidded, smiling sweetly. "I actually... actually haven't been with a man before. Do you believe that? You probably don't! Hehe!"

Ji Changkong paused, about to reply, when a figure shrouded in plain white suddenly appeared in front of them. The figure glanced over in their direction, then turned away with an expression of profound anger before departing. If you wish to know what happens next, please log on to [Website Address], where more chapters await. Support the author, support legitimate reading!