The scorching radiance of the Nine Luminaries Life Tree, erupting in the firmament above the Heavenly Mountains, sent a profound tremor through every Celestial Master of the Qiankun Sect. All the powerhouses of the Heavenly Mountains gazed upon the Tree in the heavens and saw hope—the hope that their Saint, Gu Ya, might yet be reborn into vitality!

Many Qiankun Sect Celestial Masters were moved to tears when the Nine Luminaries Life Tree manifested. They understood that their Saint, Gu Ya, could once again serve as their spiritual anchor, leading them forward in the ongoing struggle against any force of supreme mastery in the world.

The Nine Luminaries Life Tree finally descended upon the Heavenly Mountains. The peaks, perpetually encased in solid ice, began a slow thaw under the Tree's influence; even the snow that eternally drifted seemed to cease its ceaseless flurrying.

"Sect Master, Changkong has brought the Nine Luminaries Life Tree back from the Heart of the Sun!" In the depths of the Heavenly Mountain, Li Hentian’s eyes blazed, and he rose abruptly to his feet.

Gu Ya, looking significantly aged, slowly straightened his frame. Watching his grandson and the others enter, he felt every silent anticipation of years had been worthwhile. He felt that everything he desired to attain would be realized through this grandson.

Before Gu Ya could utter a word of refusal, Ji Changkong smiled and tossed the Nine Luminaries Life Tree to Li Hentian. "Grandfather, I await your return to the peak."

With those words, Ji Changkong immediately turned and left the mountain core without a backward glance, swiftly departing the Heavenly Mountains.

He feared that Gu Ya would reject his gesture, which was why he entrusted the Nine Luminaries Life Tree to Li Hentian, confident that Li Hentian would ensure Gu Ya utilized it.

"This child..." Gu Ya chuckled, "He has truly come into his own. It seems not much longer now before he, too, can enter the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm."

Gu Ya had once been a powerhouse at the peak of the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm. Although his cultivation had been entirely lost, his sheer perception allowed him to discern the transformation in Ji Changkong. He understood that Ji Changkong must have gained a marvelous fortune within the Heart of the Sun, and he believed it wouldn't be long before Ji Changkong broke through his current peak—the Profound Heaven Realm—and ascended to the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm.

"If Changkong can rapidly break through to the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm, and you, Sect Master, can regain your peak, then henceforth, we shall have no need to fear anyone in this world. We must also rewrite the destined fate of every generation of Xuanyuan! Sect Master, for Changkong’s future, you must make use of the Nine Luminaries Life Tree," Li Hentian urged.

Gu Ya frowned deeply. After a long pause, he slowly nodded. "For this child, I will struggle against this very Heaven. Every generation of Xuanyuan experiences a major transformation upon reaching the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm, but I will not allow my grandson to follow in the footsteps of those before him! I shall use this Nine Luminaries Life Tree."

Li Hentian nodded emphatically.

Xuanyuan Valley.

Upon arriving at Xuanyuan Valley, Ji Changkong proceeded directly to the Grand Assembly Hall within the valley. Using his divine soul, he summoned Xiao Xing, Mo Yunyi, and the others, intending to question these elders of the Xuanyuan Valley about the recent movements across the world.

With the combined intelligence networks of the Xiao, Duan, and Chen families, the Xuanyuan Valley’s intelligence grid now permeated nearly every corner of the realm. In the distant Western Regions, the Northern Barbarians, the Southern Tribes, and the Eastern Sea, there were eyes and ears of Xuanyuan Valley actively operating. Any subtle shift in those faraway lands would be relayed back to Xuanyuan Valley, allowing them to grasp any major global changes in the shortest possible time.

Once Xiao Xing arrived, without preamble, he immediately began recounting the latest developments.

"Your father has not been active since his disappearance in the Northern Barbarians. We surmise he is likely still recovering from his injuries, perhaps seeking a secluded spot to recuperate. Until his injuries are fully healed, he won't show himself. Our people have searched extensively throughout the Northern Barbarians for traces of him but found nothing. It seems those Northern Barbarian tribesmen also have difficulty locating him, so you need not worry about that matter."

"The Demon King who escaped from the Northern Barbarians has not reappeared. Strangely, the Demon King of the Eastern Sea has also vanished as if by magic."

"During this period, the Eastern Sea has been remarkably peaceful; no Celestial Sect there has been harassed by the Demon King."

"The Blood Emperor in the Eastern Sea has seen his influence grow exponentially. He is currently gathering the remnants of the Blood Pool across the Eastern Sea, reintegrating the various sects that originally belonged to the Blood Pool. The Blood Emperor is now the sole Celestial Master in the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm in the Eastern Sea. Almost all the Blood Pool factions have sworn allegiance to him. The Blood Pool, which the Xuanyuan lineage sought to annihilate, has been resurrected under the power of this Blood Emperor, and their resurgence is ferocious—perhaps even more terrifying than the original Blood Pool. We must be wary of the Blood Emperor and the Blood Pool!"

"The Blood Emperor?" Ji Changkong sneered, shaking his head dismissively. "Just keep an eye on that Blood Emperor; there's no need to concern ourselves too much with him. He only recently entered the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm. He can only cause trouble in the Eastern Sea. If he dares set foot in our Xuanyuan Valley, I will ensure he meets his doom."

Before cultivating in the Heart of the Sun, he possessed the capability to eliminate the Yaksha King of the Northern Barbarians. Now, returning from the Heart of the Sun, he had reached the pinnacle of the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm and might well break through to the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm shortly! With his current realm and strength, he had no fear of the Blood Emperor, especially considering Li Hentian was still present, and his maternal grandfather, Gu Ya, had just acquired the Nine Luminaries Life Tree. Giving the Blood Emperor a hundred reasons not to provoke Xuanyuan Valley at this juncture.

"Both Demon Kings have disappeared simultaneously?" He was more concerned about this matter, his expression turning grim as he inquired after a moment of thought.

Xiao Xing nodded.

"Keep a close watch on the Eastern Sea. Forget the Blood Emperor for now; focus surveillance on any place in the Eastern Sea saturated with heavy Yin energy. The moment you detect any trace of the Demon King or a Lesser Demon King, report it to me immediately, no matter where I am!" Ji Changkong stated gravely.

Xiao Xing was slightly startled. "Changkong, are you worried the two Demon Kings might merge into one?"

"Yes. Both Demon Kings disappearing at the same time is clearly unnatural. The purpose of malevolent creatures like the Demon Kings, it seems, is to destroy people like us. As long as they exist on the Five Elements Continent, they will never let go of those who cultivate the Celestial Way. If they have been inactive for this long, they must be planning something!" Ji Changkong frowned deeply. "We don't need to worry about a mere character like the Blood Emperor, but the Demon Kings cannot be ignored. One Demon King is already immensely difficult to deal with; if these two manage to merge, it will spell disaster for the entire Five Elements Continent!"

"I understand. I will redirect our forces in the Eastern Sea. We will temporarily disregard the Blood Emperor's movements and focus all efforts on tracking the whereabouts of the two Demon Kings," Xiao Xing assured him.

"What movement is there in the Western Regions?" Ji Changkong shifted the topic, his expression darkening further. "When I returned from the Southern Tribes, I passed through the Cloud Dream Marsh. The Heavenly Scale Winged Dragon in the Poison Dragon Pool is gone. Could it be those people from the Manichaeism in the Western Regions?"

Xiao Xing looked quite surprised. "Changkong, how can you know something like that?"

"Which person from the Manichaeism was responsible? And where is the Heavenly Scale Winged Dragon now?" Ji Changkong did not explain the matter of the Serpent Beauty, pressing directly for answers.

Xiao Xing did not press for further explanation and nodded towards Han Hai.

Han Hai, who had remained silent, spoke with a grave expression. "This information came from the Chen family. Chen family members observed activity from the Manichaeism in the Cloud Dream Marsh, and subsequently discovered the Heavenly Scale Winged Dragon was missing, leading them to suspect the dragon's disappearance is connected to the Manichaeism. According to the Chen family, several Grand Dharma Kings of the Manichaeism appeared near the Poison Dragon Pool. Furthermore, there were also some individuals from the Eastern Sea..."

"Some people from the Eastern Sea?" Ji Changkong snorted, a thought crystallizing: "From the Blood Emperor's side, perhaps?"

Han Hai nodded.

"I knew the Blood Emperor wouldn't dare openly seek trouble with our Xuanyuan Valley. It seems he believes that only by relying on the strength of the Western Regions can he counterbalance our Xuanyuan Valley. This Blood Emperor, much like his son, is cunning, yet overly cautious. He must have used the Poison Dragon Pool as a rendezvous point to discuss matters with the masters of the Western Regions Manichaeism. The Heavenly Scale Winged Dragon was likely just a secondary target."

A scene flashed through his mind: the Blood Emperor and the Dharma Kings of the Western Regions Manichaeism, meeting somewhere in the Cloud Dream Marsh, plotting sinister schemes against Xuanyuan Valley. After their discussion, the Blood Emperor proposed capturing the Heavenly Scale Winged Dragon along the way. Both sides readily agreed. With the Blood Emperor, a Nine Palaces Heaven Realm master, present, combined with several Manichaeism Dharma Kings, the Heavenly Scale Winged Dragon was naturally no match and was subsequently imprisoned and taken away.

"The Blood Emperor!" Ji Changkong scoffed. "This man might not even be in the Eastern Sea anymore. Perhaps he is in our Shuiyun Nation, or maybe he has gone to the Western Regions, taking the Heavenly Scale Winged Dragon as a welcome gift to meet the Holy Mother Youlan."

"They only imprisoned the Heavenly Scale Winged Dragon, they didn't kill it, Changkong. Could they be trying to lure you to the Western Regions?" Mo Yunyi suggested.

"Regardless of whether they are trying to force me to the Western Regions, I must go! The Manichaeism has pledged allegiance to the Demon Caverns of the Solar Star Domain. They are surely planning something big soon! Regardless, I am the current leader of the Aoluo Divine Cult. Mu Luo followed me for so long, and I have even cultivated some of the Aoluo Divine Cult's secret techniques. I cannot stand by and watch the Aoluo Divine Cult be annihilated by the Manichaeism. It seems I must make a trip to the Western Regions," Ji Changkong stated after some thought.

"The Holy Mother Youlan possesses the strength of the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm, and the Blood Emperor is also in the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm. The two of them might be planning to kill you in the Western Regions. You cannot act so rashly!" Mo Yunyi cautioned.

"Youlan's injuries after fighting my grandfather were even more severe than his. She surely hasn't recovered yet. As for the Blood Emperor, he only just broke through to the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm not long ago. I could slay the Yaksha King, and I can certainly slay this Blood Emperor!" Ji Changkong sneered coldly. "They scheme against me; I will make them weave their own doom!"

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