On the desolate, pockmarked far side of the dead moon, a faint, milky white light hovered over a slab of grayish-white rock. Numerous dead volcanoes dotted the landscape nearby, around which various Celestial Masters cultivating on the moon were wandering, awaiting a summons to enter the Moon’s Core together for deeper practice.

That faint ball of milky light was nestled among the nearby dead volcanoes, drawing in the essence of the surrounding moonlight for cultivation. Although it was far inferior to the moonlight essence within the Moon’s Core, it was vastly stronger than the lunar power found elsewhere in this vicinity.

The milky white light twisted and shifted, at times resembling three flames, and at others, an image of a flowing starry sky, mysterious and unpredictable.

Nearby, numerous Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters from various continents materialized human forms, gazing intently at the light from a distance, yet none dared to approach within half the distance.

This was because, prior to this, three Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters, greedy for the dense moonlight essence, felt the person holding it must possess a great treasure and moved to provoke them. However, in the blink of an eye, they were enveloped by that faint white light. Before the three Celestial Masters could react, they exploded into nothingness, their souls utterly annihilated.

In that instant, the spiritual fluctuation emanating from the ball of white light was terrifyingly profound, making everyone realize the sheer horror of that person’s power. That was why no one dared provoke them further; they could only watch from afar, afraid to make the slightest move.

The faint white light drifted slowly amidst the major dead volcanoes. As its position shifted, the surrounding Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters panicked, scrambling to get out of the way, fearful that they might accidentally block the path of this baleful star and be casually dealt with.

After an unknown period, a colossal figure gradually emerged from the distance. He laughed heartily, exclaiming, “Brother, I didn’t expect it to actually be you. I extended my soul’s aura and wondered if I was mistaken.”

The faint ball of milky white light twisted and transformed for a moment, gradually condensing into human form, revealing Ji Changkong’s true appearance. After a brief glance at Meng Gang, Ji Changkong chuckled, “I thought you had already been killed in the Southern Dipper Star Domain.”

“How could that be?” Meng Gang strode over casually. Upon reaching Ji Changkong’s side, he laughed, “It was sheer luck, really. Back in the Southern Dipper Star Domain, the experts of our continent joined forces against that Ghost Demon King. Originally, the Ghost Demon King had focused its attention on our sect, and I thought I was doomed, but unexpectedly, at the most critical juncture, the Ghost Demon King abandoned us and flew directly in one direction. By the time the Nine Palaces Celestial Masters from our Vast Ocean Continent arrived, the Ghost Demon King had vanished without a trace.”

Ji Changkong smiled faintly, understanding that the Ghost Demon King must have detected spatial rifts tearing near the Southern Dipper Continent and seized the opportunity to slip through, finding a way back to the Five Elements Continent.

“You have extremely good luck, fellow,” Ji Changkong smiled. “I see your soul is now potent enough to cultivate in the Heart of the Sun; why are you still here?”

“Ha! This is my final visit to the Heart of the Moon. I want to absorb the moonlight essence one last time to give myself a greater assurance of adapting to the scorching heat of the Heart of the Sun. Brother, you’re lucky; if you hadn't come this time, we would only meet on the Sun next time.” Meng Gang laughed, sizing up Ji Changkong. Suddenly, he said, “You brat, your soul’s power has improved immensely in such a short time. It seems… seems even more formidable than mine. How did you manage it?”

Ji Changkong had absorbed the pure soul power from the Heavenly Origin Pearl, merging that energy with his own soul. This allowed his mental power, which could previously only wander the moon, to rival that of an expert at the peak of the Eight Trigrams Heaven realm. With such profound spiritual strength supporting him, he no longer feared any danger within the Moon’s Core. If he remained there for just a day or two, his soul would surely be saturated with lunar essence, allowing him to advance to the next stage of cultivation on the Sun.

“Now that you’ve appeared, it means the passage to the Moon’s Core should be opening, right?” Ji Changkong asked with a smile.

Meng Gang laughed heartily, “Exactly. Follow me. This time, just the two of us will suffice; I don’t plan on bringing any more unreliable fellows inside with me!”

“Meng Gang!”

“Meng Gang! We’ve been waiting for you!”

“How can you not take us? When we left last time, you promised us that if you returned to the moon, you would definitely bring us into the Heart of the Moon!”

“If you don’t take me into the Heart of the Moon, what are we supposed to do?”

Those loitering near the dead volcanoes, upon hearing that Meng Gang intended to break his word, were greatly alarmed and immediately began shouting.

Meng Gang’s expression remained calm, and he shrugged dismissively, “Today, I’m only taking him in. What about it? If anyone objects, I’ll kill them right here. You lot can go find Lei Jia, can’t you? He’s always around, and if he leads the way, you can get in just as well.”

“Lei Jia is too treacherous. We fear… fear he’ll plot against us inside the Moon’s Core,” one Eight Trigrams Celestial Master, clearly somewhat familiar with Lei Jia, said with a bitter smile.

“That has nothing to do with me. You’ve always followed Lei Jia before; I can’t worry about that,” Meng Gang chuckled sinisterly. “Brother, let’s go. The two of us together are better than bringing a bunch of useless waste. Besides, this waste bites when things get critical.”

The surrounding Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters, seeing Meng Gang insulting them so arrogantly, dared not speak out in anger. Meng Gang had a fearsome reputation on the moon, killing at the drop of a hat. Now that an even more unfathomably dangerous entity stood by his side, the combination of the two was simply too terrifying. They dared not take the risk.

Ji Changkong clearly paid these people no mind either. Having experienced the dangers within the Moon’s Core, he even felt that these people entering it with their current strength would only be courting death. He considered it a good thing that Meng Gang wasn't taking them along.

Meng Gang was still intimately familiar with the passage into the Moon’s Core. Once the entrance opened, he led Ji Changkong inside. Just like last time, after passing through Moonstone Valley, they proceeded directly to the heart region of the moon, materializing in the incredibly dense concentration of moonlight essence.

“Brother, let’s go find Moon Peak. This time, with the two of us joining forces, we must claim all the treasures atop Moon Peak for ourselves!” Meng Gang declared heroically.

Ji Changkong smiled and declined, “You go ahead. I don't want to waste time rushing around. I just want to find a secluded spot to fully utilize the moonlight essence for cultivation. I hope that before this Moon’s Core closes, every single thread of my soul can be tempered by the moonlight essence. Once I leave, I will immediately proceed to the Sun. The treasures on Moon Peak hold little attraction for me.”

He thought of heading to the Heart of the Sun to seize the Life Tree; naturally, he no longer cared about the Earthly Treasures of the Moon Continent.

Meng Gang paused, staring at Ji Changkong for a moment before slowly nodding. He said, “If that’s the case, then I won’t go to Moon Peak either. We should conserve our strength and first temper our souls with the Moon’s Core essence one last time, then accompany you to the Sun. Brother, the Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters on the Sun are considerably stronger than us. We don’t need to fear anything here, but once we reach the Sun, we must be extremely cautious. If you and I travel together, we’ll have someone to watch our backs and won’t have to worry about being bullied. What do you think?”

Ji Changkong was indifferent, feeling that having one more person like Meng Gang made little difference, so he nodded, “Very well.”

Meng Gang was overjoyed. Being able to ascend to the Sun alongside a trustworthy and powerful expert like Ji Changkong was definitely more beneficial than detrimental for him. The two abandoned the search for Moon Peak and, under Meng Gang’s guidance, found an area seldom visited by others to cultivate in peace.

Both Ji Changkong and Meng Gang possessed incredibly strong soul power. They were both at the final threshold. Cultivating wholeheartedly within the Moon’s Core, their souls were rapidly and thoroughly cleansed and purified by the moonlight essence from every angle.

Before the Moon’s Core closed, both awoke from their cultivation and exchanged smiles. They understood that they had both broken through the final barrier simultaneously and were truly ready to enter the Heart of the Sun.

Meng Gang laughed heartily, “Now I finally have the confidence to enter the Sun. Continuing to draw in moonlight essence now would be useless for me. It’s a pity the Moon’s Core hasn’t closed yet, and I can’t find the exit temporarily. How about we wander around the Moon’s Core?”

“Do you think Lei Jia is still around? After this time, I likely won't come to the moon again. If I can eliminate Lei Jia before leaving, it will settle one lingering concern,” Ji Changkong mused for a moment, proposing the idea.

Since they couldn't leave the Moon’s Core immediately anyway, and both he and Meng Gang were now at the peak realm, their combined strength meant that even Lei Jia, who was like a fish in water within the Heart of the Moon, might not be a match for them. This thought sparked in Ji Changkong’s mind.

“He’s definitely still here. If nothing unexpected happens, he should be at Moon Peak right now!” Meng Gang grunted.

“That settles it then. You lead the way. We’ll join forces and eliminate Lei Jia before we leave, so I won’t have any regrets,” Ji Changkong said with a smile.

Meng Gang also hated Lei Jia to the bone, and upon hearing Ji Changkong’s suggestion, he readily agreed. The two reached an immediate understanding. With Meng Gang leading, they headed straight toward the location of Moon Peak.

Meng Gang was indeed intimately familiar with the Moon’s Core. Under his guidance, they reached Moon Peak without wasting much time.

Lei Jia was indeed there!

A battle of extreme ferocity was unfolding around Moon Peak. Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters from various continents had converged near the peak. At this moment, they had already gone bloodthirsty over the rare spiritual herbs and wondrous stones atop the peak. Lei Jia, with a cold sneer, was not participating in the slaughter but was coldly observing those who had fallen into a frenzy.

Meng Gang and Ji Changkong shared the same objective. They accelerated their pace simultaneously, one on the left and one on the right, instantly bypassing the warring crowds surrounding them and arriving directly beside Lei Jia.

Lei Jia started in shock, immediately sensing the arrival of the newcomers. Lei Jia’s soul convulsed violently as he cried out, “Meng Gang! Twenty-Four!”

Meng Gang and Ji Changkong remained silent, both unleashing their soul attacks. As Meng Gang launched a savage torrent of negative hatred toward Lei Jia, Ji Changkong moved his mind, directly using Soul Light to lock down the space surrounding Lei Jia.

Lei Jia’s face changed drastically. Under the fierce assault from both Ji Changkong and Meng Gang, he appeared panicked. He condensed a body resembling a Moon Demon to physically withstand the soul attacks from the two.

However, both Meng Gang and Ji Changkong now possessed peak-level soul power. When they focused their combined strength onto Lei Jia, even his Moon Demon-like physical form began to strain. Under Meng Gang’s relentless bombardment, Lei Jia was forced to dedicate all his attention to him.

At this moment, the Soul Light that had sealed off the space around Lei Jia suddenly erupted, piercing into his body.

Lei Jia’s Moon Demon-like body, under the onslaught of so many pervasive beams of soul light, was smashed into shards of flying light. The minuscule power of the soul light was something even the Moon Demon feared, and naturally, Lei Jia could not escape it.

Caught off guard while being engaged by Meng Gang, Lei Jia’s soul suffered a severe blow. He couldn't help but release all his soul power and cried out, “Darkness! Darkness! Save me!”

Among the many souls on the moon, one humanoid figure condensed from soul energy was extremely conspicuous. This figure was enveloped in black mist and was quite short. A few Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters stood firmly guarding him, and this group was unstoppable in the melee around Moon Peak, slaughtering everyone nearby with mad intensity.

The short figure shrouded in black mist glanced impatiently toward the source of Lei Jia’s cry, then his soul trembled as he exclaimed, “The Star Cloud Soul Refining Art of the Aurore Sect—Ji Changkong!”

The short figure immediately abandoned his fight with those beside him and flew toward Lei Jia without a second thought, shouting, “Only Lei Jia knows the way out; he cannot die!”

The short figure rapidly flew to Lei Jia’s side, and the Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters who had been weakly surrounding him followed close behind. The short figure, originally shrouded in smoke, had his appearance completely revealed as he reached Lei Jia.

“Son of Darkness!” Just by looking at the short figure, Ji Changkong immediately cried out in shock.

“Darkness, save me! Only I can get you out of the Heart of the Moon! Hurry and save me!” Lei Jia shrieked.

The newcomer was none other than the Son of Darkness whom Ji Changkong had encountered in the Western Regions—the son of the Holy Mother Youlan. Those accompanying him were clearly experts from the Manichaeism.

The Son of Darkness appeared as a child of about ten years old, but his pupils were profoundly sinister and unpredictable. He waved a hand, and the Manichaeism experts surrounding him immediately enclosed Lei Jia in their center.

He chuckled sinisterly, and the Son of Darkness said excitedly, “I truly didn’t expect to run into the Xuanyuan of the Ji family in the Heart of the Moon! This is too great a harvest! If I kill you, the Aurore Sect will be finished instantly, haha! Today, I shall extinguish the hope of the Aurore Sect!”

He sought to extinguish the hope of the Aurore Sect, while Ji Changkong intended to use him to exact severe revenge upon the Holy Mother Youlan and the Dark King.

This battle was inevitable! Vote for monthly tickets, roar! Give me monthly tickets, and I will repay you!