Caijing and Dali, the two Great Dharma Kings, shielded Palidai tightly. The two Dharma figures unleashed their power, forming an incomparably vast shield of light. This light shield shimmered with radiance, dazzlingly bright, resembling an inverted bowl of white jade porcelain.

Both Great Dharma Kings possessed the power of the pinnacle of the Eight Trigrams Heaven Number Realm, making them exceptional figures even on the Five Elements Continent. They channeled all their strength into the light shield, transforming it into a magical defensive treasure as hard as iron.

However, under the fierce power unleashed by Ji Changkong, even this light shield struggled to cope. As Ji Changkong's power gradually increased, the cracks on the surface of the light shield became increasingly obvious, as if it could shatter at any moment.

Palidai, concealed behind the two Dharma Kings, held twinkling, strange light in her beautiful eyes. At this moment, as the Saintess of the Manichaeism, Palidai showed not the slightest trace of timidity, watching Ji Changkong and Ayiguli calmly, seemingly searching for an opening to strike.

A cold, sharp smile played on Ji Changkong's lips as he observed the two Dharma Kings opposite him. He quietly instructed Ayiguli, "You retreat further away."

Ayiguli nodded, then silently moved backward, clearing a larger space for Ji Changkong.

Upon seeing Ayiguli yield, the complexions of the two Great Dharma Kings changed drastically. They hastily urged, "Saintess! Leave first, we will stay and hold him off!" They understood that Ji Changkong was likely about to unleash an even more formidable power.

Palidai’s pupils contracted slightly, but she declared firmly, "I will help you!"

Threads of crystalline light emerged from Palidai’s slender ten fingers. This brilliant light resembled incredibly tough silk, yet possessed a spiritual quality that silk could never match. Once the crystalline silver threads left her fingers, they were entirely injected into the light shield.

The already cracked light shield suddenly released a new, blinding brilliance upon receiving the injection of crystalline light, piercingly dazzling.

Palidai had only just entered the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm; her spirit soul should only have been tempered by the essence of moonlight. Logically, her power should be far inferior to the two Great Dharma Kings. Yet, after injecting the crystalline light from her ten fingers into the light shield, the shield underwent a profound transformation, appearing even stronger than the power the two Dharma Kings had jointly maintained for so long.

"Lines of Holy Light!" Great Dharma King Qingjing exclaimed, astonishment coloring his face. "The Saintess is indeed an unparalleled genius of our sect; her mastery over the power of Holy Light has reached such a level!"

All three were profound cultivators of Manichaeism. Their vital energies possessed a strange ability to merge. When Palidai’s peculiar vital energy transformed into the Lines of Holy Light and flowed into the light shield, it immediately fused with the power of the two Dharma Kings already within, instantly boosting the shield's might significantly.

With Palidai’s intervention, the cracks on the light shield vanished in an instant. The fierce edge released by Ji Changkong continued to rage in all directions, but when those edges struck the light shield, they could no longer make it tremble precariously.

"Oh?"

With a soft exclamation, Ji Changkong smiled slightly. "The Saintess of Manichaeism truly isn't just for show; she certainly has skill."

Saying this, his eyes suddenly turned icy. He stretched out his right hand abruptly, and the Dragon Glory Saber immediately settled into his palm. A killing aura, vicious and steeped in bloodlust, immediately permeated the air, seeming to drown the entire space.

With a sweep of the Dragon Glory Saber, a gigantic swath of blood-red light shot toward the heavens. Where the light passed, the already flattened earth emitted continuous explosive sounds, sending hard stones blasting out, scattering in all directions.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The blood-red light savagely cleaved down upon the light shield. Amidst a deafening, earth-shattering roar, the light shield split in two, shards of light flying everywhere.

"Saintess! Run!" The two Great Dharma Kings, Qingjing and Dali, cried out involuntarily. Seeing the situation turn dire, they unhesitatingly blocked in front of Palidai. Dali Dharma King even summoned his life-bound divine weapon, the Great Strength Golden Net Staff, using it to intercept the residual force of the blood-red light.

"Pfft!"

Dali Dharma King could not withstand the wild power of the blood-red light. He immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, the veins in his arms gripping the Great Strength Golden Staff bulging and about to burst, his expression utterly wretched.

Palidai finally panicked. She glanced quickly at the indifferent Ji Changkong. She understood that the current Ji Changkong was likely beyond her ability to handle. Thinking this, Palidai ceased her resistance. Giving the Dali Dharma King one last look, she prepared to flee instantly. "Trying to leave? Not so easy!" Ji Changkong chuckled, showing no hint of chivalry. With a flick of his right hand, the Dragon Glory Saber shot out with a whistling sound, trailing a long streak of blood-red light, aiming directly at Palidai.

Palidai was the new Saintess painstakingly cultivated by Manichaeism. Her aptitude was no less than Saint Mother Youlan's. To reach the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm at such a young age meant limitless potential for the future. Today, the Kings of Dali and Qingjing might be spared, but this new Saintess of Manichaeism—he absolutely had to kill her!

The Dragon Glory Saber moved with the majesty of a rainbow. Midway through its flight, the saber suddenly transformed into a dazzling giant dragon, roaring and covered in dripping, bloody armor. Anyone who saw it would instinctively feel a surge of dread in their hearts.

Under Ji Changkong's ferocious power, Palidai was already growing fearful. Seeing the Dragon Glory Saber transform into a massive blood dragon hurtling towards her, Palidai grew even more flustered. She suddenly realized that the new generation of Xuanyuan was truly worthy of its reputation; she was now witnessing the terror of the Ji family's Xuanyuan firsthand.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Suddenly, a sound like a great wind howling echoed through the air. That sound came from above Palidai’s head. Palidai, who was bracing herself to deal with the blood dragon attack at any cost, suddenly brightened. She saw a huge, hideous demonic monster descending from the sky, directly intercepting the blood dragon condensed from the Dragon Glory Saber.

The enormous monster had three ferocious and terrifying heads, each spewing forth flames, frost, and acid venom, respectively. All three heads roared simultaneously, unleashing the flames, frost, and acid venom together to bombard the blood dragon.

Under the assault of these three powers, the thick blood energy of the blood dragon, transformed from the Dragon Glory Saber, began to weaken. In just a short while, the blood dragon had completely vanished, reverting to the shape of a long saber.

"Who are you?" Ji Changkong's expression instantly turned cold as he looked at the stranger descending from the sky and spoke coldly.

Standing proudly atop the three-headed Cerberus-like monster was Yao Kui. Beside him stood a girl whose face was veiled, revealing only a pair of light-purple eyes. Ji Changkong glanced at the girl, and a strange, familiar feeling suddenly rose in his heart, as if he had seen this girl somewhere before, yet he couldn't recall where when he tried to think carefully.

The girl only spared Ji Changkong a glance before immediately lowering her head. Her graceful shoulders trembled slightly, suggesting a loss of composure.

"Who are you?" Yao Kui, standing arrogantly on the three-headed demonic beast, wore an expression of absolute coldness, like the harshest, coldest wind from the Northern Savage lands, his voice sending chills through anyone who heard it.

Ji Changkong frowned, impatient. "No matter who you are, this is not your business to meddle in. I intend to kill this woman. I advise you not to interfere again, or I will kill you too!"

Yao Kui was momentarily stunned, then suddenly threw his head back and laughed wildly. The laughter was filled with a bone-chilling coldness. "Good! Very good! I, Yao Kui, have roamed freely above the Moon and the Sun for many years, encountering countless experts from beyond the domains, yet no one has ever gained the upper hand against me. I thought that on this plane of the Five Elements Continent, there were no young masters brave enough to challenge me. To think I would encounter you today! Haha! Clashing with you before facing Ji Changkong will be quite the pleasure!"

"He is Ji Changkong," Palidai said, looking up at Yao Kui and taking the opportunity to remind him.

"You are Ji Changkong?" The cold chill on Yao Kui's face intensified. He snorted coldly, "Very good, very good! I was planning to visit the Xuanyuan Valley after things in the Western Regions conclude, but it seems that won't be necessary. The strongest genius of the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm, the new generation Xuanyuan—I truly must have a proper contest with you!"

"Yao Kui!" Hearing that name, Ji Changkong reacted instantly, his eyes sharp as lightning as he fixed them on him. "Yao Kui? When you were at the Heart of the Sun, did you go on a massive killing spree, slaughtering many experts from the Shang family of the Ocean Continent?"

Last time at the Heart of the Sun, Shang Bingjie had asked him to inquire about Yao Kui's whereabouts, mentioning that Yao Kui was from the Five Elements Continent. It seemed that this must be the man.

"I have killed countless people on the Five Elements Continent; how would I know which ones were from the Shang family!" Yao Kui replied dismissively and coldly. "However, I suspect I killed quite a few Shang family members. A few times, a group of fellows, right before they died, claimed to be from the strongest family in the Ocean Continent, thinking I would hesitate. In the end, I killed them all. Later I learned that the most powerful family in the Ocean Continent was apparently called the Shang family."

"So?" Yao Kui sneered. "You want revenge for the Shang family?"

Shaking his head, Ji Changkong replied, "It has nothing to do with me; I just promised someone I would ask about it."

He paused, then added, "It seems even without these Manichaeism fellows, you would have sought me out, Yao Kui. Who exactly are you?"

"He is the most valued son of Asura King! He grew up in the Asura Realm and rarely operated on the Five Elements Continent. It’s normal that you don't know him," Palidai chuckled, suddenly pulling down the veil from her face and smiling charmingly at Yao Kui on the monster. "Yao Kui, I am the Saintess of Manichaeism. Welcome to the Western Regions."

Her delicate, rosy cheeks and captivating eyes were revealed, her features exquisitely set against her picturesque contours, as if sculpted by the very hand of creation. She was truly a beauty on par with Ayiguli!