The emergence of the Manichaean experts immediately led to Lei Jia's rescue. Lin Mao and Meng Gang created distance between themselves and immediately started shouting, "Number twenty-four. Meng Gang, you actually dared to ambush me so sneakily. This is utterly against the rules! Good thing I'm not alone. I'll make you all regret this."

Lei Jia seemed to have completely forgotten his own vile actions against Ji Changkong in the Moon Heart the previous time. Now, in the presence of these masters from the Manichaean sect's Children of Darkness, he stood with an air of righteous indignation. Anyone unaware of his true nature would genuinely believe him to be impeccably upright.

Ji Changkong couldn't be bothered to exchange pleasantries with Lei Jia. He focused his attention on the Children of Darkness and the other Manichaean experts. This Child of Darkness must have been in the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm for some time now. Although Ji Changkong hadn't encountered him in the Moon Heart before, judging by the immense power of his soul, this individual was certainly not a newcomer to this place.

Apart from him, there were five other Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm Manichaean cultivators by his side. These five likely served as characters akin to the sect's Mo—their purpose for being on the moon was twofold: to protect the Child of Darkness and to assist him in perpetrating evil deeds upon the lunar surface.

Although these five Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm Manichaean masters were present to safeguard the Child of Darkness, their soul auras were notably weaker than his. From Ji Changkong’s perspective, it seemed more probable that these five would be used as cannon fodder at a critical juncture.

Meng Gang’s face darkened as he coldly observed the Manichaean group. He turned to Ji Changkong beside him and asked, "You know these people?"

Ji Changkong nodded slowly. "Old friends. We were quite friendly back on the Five Elements Continent. Since we meet here now, we naturally have to share a proper reunion."

Hearing this, Meng Gang immediately grasped the depth of the enmity between Ji Changkong and these Manichaean masters. Meng Gang nodded heavily. "Since they are enemies, we must certainly have some fun. Moreover, these fellows have always been close to Lei Jia. I was somewhat puzzled last time in the Moon Heart that they weren't around; I even suspected they had fallen out with Lei Jia. I never expected they simply hadn't come to the Moon Heart then, which is why Lei Zhong ended up alone."

This statement, however, astonished Ji Changkong. He stared blankly at Meng Gang and inquired, "Their cooperation with Lei Jia isn't a first-time occurrence?"

"Heh heh, Lei Jia is the guide within the Moon Heart. How could we operate here without Lei Jia leading the way?" Before Meng Gang could reply, the Child of Darkness let out a casual laugh. He motioned for the five beside him to shield Lei Jia, then addressed Lei Zhong, "I didn't expect you and Ji Changkong to be enemies as well. Excellent! We share common interests again this time!"

Lei Jia nodded chillingly. "Anyone who stands with Meng Gang is my enemy. This fellow sneak-attacked me basely in the Moon Heart last time; he is the enemy of my enemies!"

Ji Changkong had long since grown accustomed to Lei Jia's shamelessness and chose not to waste any more words on him. He told Meng Gang, "You just need to keep an eye on Lei Zhong. Leave everything else to me!"

Meng Gang froze, exclaiming in shock, "How can that be acceptable?"

"Ji Changkong, you are becoming increasingly arrogant! Can a mere individual like you possibly defeat the six of us? Currently, our Manichaean sect is purging the power of the Aoro Divine Cult. If we kill you, the Aoro Divine Cult will lose its leader and will certainly be utterly annihilated by our sect!" one of the Manichaean experts behind the Child of Darkness sneered.

The Child of Darkness also let out a strange, chilling laugh. As he laughed, the Manichaean experts scattered, surrounding Ji Changkong in the center.

As for Meng Gang, they had automatically discounted him. Their eyes were fixed solely on Ji Changkong, their true adversary.

"Hah! I was only worried you weren't numerous enough!" Ji Changkong’s Divine Soul sent out an intensely violent soul fluctuation. The next instant, a power capable of influencing minds erupted from his Divine Soul, engulfing all nearby souls like a tempestuous storm.

The five Manichaean experts who had surrounded Ji Changkong bore the brunt of it, all falling under the influence of Ji Changkong's soul power.

The Soul Skill Command being deployed now exhibited far greater power than when he used it in the Moon Heart previously. After acquiring the mysterious soul power from the Tianyuan Bead, Ji Changkong’s Divine Soul had undergone a transformation. His understanding of the various soul skills recorded in the Aoro Divine Cult's Nebula Soul Refining Art had reached an unprecedented level!

Both his comprehension of the realm and his soul power had significantly increased. When he unleashed the Command soul skill once more, its effect was naturally vastly different.

The five Manichaean experts who had surrounded him appeared instantly like imbeciles upon contact. The soul skills they were about to execute died in their infancy—not a single one was successfully deployed. In the span of a few breaths, the five Manichaeans became Ji Changkong's puppets, immediately charging towards Lei Jia and the Child of Darkness.

In that instant, the five Manichaean masters transformed into sharp weapons in his hands, instruments of slaughter against his enemies. This swift reversal caught everyone present by surprise.

The Child of Darkness and Lei Jia, both formidable figures who intensely cultivated esoteric arts and possessed unwavering wills, were slightly farther from Ji Changkong. Under the coverage of the Command soul skill, they merely experienced a brief stupor before recovering fully.

Just as the five Manichaean experts were about to reach Ji Changkong, they suddenly stopped, as if controlled by an unseen hand, and immediately turned to charge toward the other two. Both the Child of Darkness and Lei Jia were dumbfounded, momentarily caught completely off guard.

"Soul Control!" Lei Jia shrieked. He suddenly shouted, "Darkness, your subordinates have been seized!"

The Child of Darkness’s sinister eyes suddenly shot out cruel and ruthless light. His Divine Soul instantly transformed into pure black, conspicuously visible in the moonlight of this heart of the moon.

He deployed a special secret technique from the Manichaean sect. The five streams of soul power rushing towards him suddenly began to collide and fight amongst themselves. In a very short time, the Divine Souls of the five Manichaean masters violently shattered, vanishing completely from this world.

"Ruthless enough!" Ji Changkong sneered coldly.

It was clear that the five masters who came to the moon to protect him had some specific vulnerability implanted in their Divine Souls. The Child of Darkness utilized this method to prevent their betrayal; with a single thought, he could trigger that strand of soul thought—planted at some unknown time—to instantly kill these five.

The aura and intent emanating from that soul thought were purely geared towards the demise of these five. This intent was direct and struck at the very foundation of their Divine Souls. They erupted so suddenly that even Ji Changkong couldn't react. Before he could even deploy the power of the Abyss Edge Blade to try and control the five, they had already perished.

The sheer viciousness and treachery the Child of Darkness displayed when dealing with his own men was evident. It was no wonder he and Lei Jia were cut from the same cloth.

Both the Child of Darkness and Lei Jia were beings of strong will, insidious and heartless. Furthermore, their specialized soul power cultivation was unique. Ji Changkong knew that using the Command soul skill might not be effective against them.

He mused silently for a moment, then glanced at Meng Gang and stated calmly, "Meng Gang, Lei Jia is already severely wounded. You keep him busy for me while I take care of that other brat!"

Meng Gang was momentarily stunned, then responded, "That Lei Jia is already a dead fish. Let me help you dispatch that venomous little one first. We can deal with Lei Jia slowly once we've settled this one."

"No need, this one is mine!" Ji Changkong ignored the shifting spectral visage of the Child of Darkness and suddenly shifted sideways towards him. His own Divine Soul transformed in mid-air into a turbulent river, descending to cover the Child of Darkness.

The Child of Darkness curled his lips into a vicious smile, a stark contrast to his deceptively innocent appearance. He watched coldly as Ji Changkong approached. When Ji Changkong finally drew near, the Child of Darkness abruptly made his move!

His target was not Ji Changkong!

Lei Jia suddenly screamed in agony, his body snatched up uncontrollably and dragged in front of the Child of Darkness. Lei Zhong’s face twisted grotesquely, his body, resembling that of a Lunar Demon, convulsed, making cracking sounds from within.

An extremely fierce power trembled inside Lei Jia’s body. His face was etched with terror, and his jade-white skin seemed to be dyed black with ink. He cried out in despair, "Darkness, no! I can get you out! If you kill me, you won't be able to leave!"

"If you die, I can still cooperate with the Soul Hunting Group! Rest in peace!" The Child of Darkness chuckled coldly. He twisted his hands, wrapping around Lei Jia’s body as if wringing a towel.

Suddenly, Lei Jia was propelled towards Ji Changkong. The power surging inside him grew exponentially, his white body turning completely inky black. As he neared Ji Changkong, he exploded like a black sun, showering the area with billowing black miasma. These black tendrils writhed like earthworms, seeking to ensnare any nearby life form.

"Ji Changkong, you can withstand the Asura King, so I’m not foolish enough to fight you to the death. Mutual destruction is not what I desire," the Child of Darkness sneered. As the torrent of black mist spread, he swiftly flew towards the distance.

Ji Changkong retracted his Divine Soul, blocking the encroaching dark energy. With a mental command, streaks of soul-light, previously hidden in the shadows, shot out imperceptibly towards the fleeing Child of Darkness.

The rapidly escaping Child of Darkness was evidently struck by the soul-light. He grunted in pain, cursing under his breath as he sped away, not daring to look back.

As the pervasive black mist gradually dissipated, Lei Jia had vanished completely from existence. The Child of Darkness, too, had slipped away while Ji Changkong and Meng Gang were preoccupied. Meng Gang stared at the scattered dark energy and remarked strangely, "Lei Jia was truly unlucky to run into that fellow. They are indeed cut from the same cloth—at a critical moment, they are willing to sacrifice everyone around them, even their own allies!"

Meng Gang turned to Ji Changkong. "That guy is formidable—vicious, ruthless, and very shrewd. The moment he senses the situation turning unfavorable, he retreats immediately. If you encounter him again on your continent, you must be wary. People like that are incredibly difficult to deal with."

Ji Changkong smiled casually. "If he were on our continent now, that brat probably wouldn't even dare to face me."

Hesitantly, Meng Gang mumbled, "It seems that fellow must have secretly placed some technique within Lei Jia's Divine Soul a long time ago. At the crucial moment, Lei Jia couldn't react at all and was instantly trapped. Say, little brother, you didn't treat me the same way, did you?"

As Meng Gang said this, he cautiously released his spiritual power, subtly examining his own Divine Soul.

"If you didn't trust me, you would have already died when we were in the Moon Heart last time," Ji Changkong replied, his expression unchanging, his tone flat. "After we leave here, you and I should probably go our separate ways. If there is no mutual trust, it’s better to act alone on the Sun than together."

Ji Changkong's words made Meng Gang even more awkward. He forced a dry chuckle, hurried closer, and quickly apologized, "Brother, don't be like that. You know I was just being cautious; I had no ill intentions towards you. It's hard enough to make friends from other continents here on the Moon. I apologize; I shouldn't have doubted you. Please, brother, don't take it to heart."

With a stern expression, Ji Changkong scrutinized Meng Gang for a moment. Seeing that his apology was genuine, he finally snorted. "I hope that during our time at the Heart of the Sun, you won't harbor such thoughts again. Otherwise, the friendship between us will be over." Ji Changkong held no malice toward Meng Gang, yet Meng Gang was so carefully guarding against him, which naturally displeased him.

"Understood, understood!" Meng Gang nodded repeatedly. Then, before Ji Changkong could say more, he eagerly smiled, "According to the time, we can depart now. Heh heh, follow me, follow me! Let's leave the Moon Heart quickly; I can't wait to head to the Sun!"

Saying this, he took the lead, searching for a way to exit the Moon Heart.

Although Ji Changkong still felt a little uncomfortable, seeing Meng Gang's sincere demeanor, he let it go. He followed Meng Gang out of the Moon Heart, traversed the passage of the Moon Stone Valley, and reappeared on the lunar surface.

The distance between the Moon and the Sun was not particularly vast. Neither of them had expended much spiritual energy in the Moon Heart. After a brief discussion, they decided not to linger on the Moon. Having ascertained their direction, the two walked side-by-side towards the Sun, which blazed like a gigantic fireball.

Ji Changkong was filled with anticipation. He decided that the moment he entered the Sun's domain, he would immediately use the True Fire of the Sun to temper his Divine Soul and master the method for condensing and utilizing the Sky Fire.