The Demonic Sludge rolled and soared upward. Ancient, towering peaks stood between heaven and earth, surrounded by dark, inky clouds that had condensed in the vicinity. Powerful demons gathered there, harnessing the surging demonic energy for cultivation, gathering it within themselves for some strange form of evolution.

Along the way, more than half of the Origin Stones in his Mustard Seed Pouch were depleted. He continuously drilled into mastering the control of the power within his body, ensuring that the force released by every Soul Skill did not leak out into the surroundings. This allowed every move he executed to adhere to the natural laws of heaven and earth while maximizing the output of his power.

As he gradually grasped the profound mysteries of his own strength, the remainder of the journey became somewhat easier. He cleaved through any demons that dared to approach, using his powerful aura to drive back nearby vegetation. He was in no hurry, walking slowly toward the colossal peak where demonic energy surged toward the heavens.

He didn't know how long it took before a dense swarm of demons suddenly appeared before his eyes. They occupied the mountainside alone; looking out, the ground was carpeted with countless demons. Although these outer-ring demons were not overwhelmingly powerful, their sheer numbers were staggering—perhaps several thousand.

These outermost demons were roughly equivalent to the Seven-Star Heavenly Scholars of the Five Elements Continent, possessing similar vitality. Although they lacked the secret techniques of the Heavenly Scholars, they possessed incredibly resilient physical bodies.

On this strange continent, the demons could absorb the pervasive, dense demonic energy. Influenced by this energy, these demons were frenzied. Once they detected a foreign race intruding, they would attack without hesitation, tearing the intruders to shreds.

The moment Ji Changkong spotted the masses of lizard-like demons, each possessing the strength of a Seven-Star Heavenly Scholar, with only a pair of ghastly green eyes, those demons also spotted him.

They afforded him no time. These lizard-like demons suddenly surged down from above. They reached Ji Changkong with incredible speed, hundreds of them instantly encircling him and immediately launching their assault.

Hundreds of demons, each wielding the power of a Seven-Star Heaven, attacked simultaneously, charging toward him in a frenzy, forming a truly terrifying might. The dense mass of demons completely blotted out the sky; in his vision, there was nothing but these creatures.

With no other choice, Ji Changkong had to unleash the Three Ultimate Fires of Heaven and Earth, using the burning flames to deal with the horde. When the Samadhi True Fire formed a massive fire cage, imprisoning him within it, any demon charging inside would instantly be speckled with sparks of the Samadhi True Fire.

These lizard demons, possessing the strength of Seven-Star Heavenly Scholars, were naturally afraid of fire. Even the slightest touch of the Samadhi True Fire was enough to incinerate them completely in moments.

The Heavenly Fire, Earthly Fire, and Samadhi True Fire—sparks of flame danced wildly across the expanse, shaping themselves into fire snakes, the image of the Vermilion Bird, and monstrous beasts of various forms. These emerged from the fiery cage, turning the demons to ash, one after another, as they plummeted from the sky.

Escaping souls danced in the air, hundreds of demon souls attempting to flee after their bodies were destroyed.

He quickly summoned the Heaven Origin Bead. As soon as it appeared, not a single demon soul could escape. One by one, they were dragged into the bead, and in a brief moment, the soul power within the Heaven Origin Bead was greatly enhanced.

After hundreds of demon souls entered the Heaven Origin Bead, the Origin Poison that should have remained within suddenly flew out. Upon emerging, its small face was full of confusion. It surveyed the surroundings and then shrieked, "Kongkong, this is not the Five Elements Continent! I am certain! This definitely isn't the Five Elements Continent!"

"You guessed right; this is indeed not the Five Elements Continent." Ji Changkong gave a wry smile. Before the Origin Poison could press further, he quickly added, "As for what this place is, even I am unclear. Perhaps we are not even in the Solar Star Domain. Here, I cannot sense the sun or the moon of the Solar Star Domain. I was..."

He quickly explained the current situation to the Origin Poison: "I am lost here. I don't know if I can find another Spatial Turbulence Domain, or if I can ever return to the Five Elements Continent. Here, I haven't even encountered a single highly intelligent being. This is truly vexing!"

"Kongkong, ahead, in that area where the nightmare energy is extremely dense, there is a being of unimaginable vitality. A creature whose life force has reached such a degree must know methods of direct soul communication. Perhaps we should head there; maybe we can glean some useful information." The Origin Poison suggested.

"I know there is a being of immense vitality ahead, possibly a supreme powerhouse among the demons. Its life force is even stronger than Cao Xuanqi’s on the Five Elements Continent. These demons cultivating through demonic energy are all ferocious and violent. I worry we might not get the information we seek."

"But we can always run, can't we?" the Origin Poison asked.

"That shouldn't be a problem, but breaking through the demon attacks to reach the front requires constant effort. Every time the demons attack, it consumes a good deal of my Origin Power, and the ambient Heavenly Origin Energy here is extremely scarce," Ji Changkong explained the predicament.

"And you still have me! Before we reach our destination, leave those demons to me. Kongkong, I can dispatch these merely brute-force demons much faster than you can. Leave them to me!" the Origin Poison declared confidently.

"Leave them to me? Are you truly confident you can eliminate those demons? You must remember, the further in we go, the more powerful the demons become. Some deeper ones possess strength comparable to a Gossip Heavenly Scholar."

"No problem!"

"Very well, give it a try then."

Together with the Origin Poison, they advanced toward the summit of the giant peak. The Origin Poison took the lead, assuming the critical role of clearing the path and slaying enemies.

Strangely, when the demons saw Ji Changkong approaching, they would immediately launch a suicidal assault. However, when the Origin Poison moved ahead, the demons along the path exhibited clear signs of fear.

Wherever the Origin Poison passed, many demons would retreat. Even some of the noticeably stronger demons merely watched the Origin Poison with covetous eyes but did not attack proactively.

Occasionally, one or two demons would charge at Ji Changkong, seemingly perceiving him as the easier target. Whenever this happened, the Origin Poison would glare at those daring demons. Before they could reach Ji Changkong, they would imperceptibly succumb to poison. Some would drop stiffly to the ground, dead, while others would smoke and dissolve into a pool of blood shortly after.

Having stayed within the Heaven Origin Bead for so long, the Origin Poison seemed to have evolved again. Its methods of deploying toxins had become increasingly bizarre and unpredictable. Even Ji Changkong could only sense the aura of the poison but could not discern the slightest trajectory of its movement.

One by one, the demons charging at Ji Changkong were swiftly poisoned to death by the hand of the Origin Poison.

Soon, the surrounding demons realized that Ji Changkong was under the protection of the Origin Poison. After many demons were poisoned, the remaining ones dared not act rashly. They settled down obediently, watching the pair proceed toward the summit of the peak without daring to interfere.

"They fear you but not me. It's strange. I've allowed my soul and internal power to radiate outward; can they not sense it?" Ji Changkong found it bizarre, feeling like he had become a mere escort.

"Kongkong, the way demons judge things is different from what you imagine. Although our life forms are different, there are similarities in certain aspects. After staying in the Heaven Origin Bead for so long, I’ve learned some methods for dealing with demons," the Origin Poison stated lazily.

Hearing this, Ji Changkong understood that the Origin Poison must have achieved another breakthrough in power and evolution while inside the Heaven Origin Bead.

"Kongkong, if you retrieve and wear the Soul Governing Crown, or if you unleash the malevolent Soul Skills from the Star Cloud Soul Refining Art, I believe that alone would be enough to repel these demons. If you don't believe me, try it."

"Oh? There's such a thing?" Ji Changkong was slightly startled. He immediately tried to summon the Soul Governing Crown from the Heaven Origin Bead and placed it upon his head. The hideous, malevolent mask instantly covered his face, making his entire presence seem cold, wicked, and profoundly toxic—a warning to stay away.

Miraculously, the moment he donned the Soul Governing Crown, the demons that had been eyeing him menacingly scattered in terror, as if startled birds.

Even those powerful demons that the Origin Poison hadn't feared retreated far away in dread. Suddenly, none of the nearby demons dared to bother him.

Moreover, even the vegetation that had frequently harassed him along the way became completely docile, remaining perfectly still. As he approached, some malignant grasses even flattened themselves to the ground, as if in submission.

"Hmph!" Ji Changkong let out a surprised exclamation, looking at the Origin Poison, and asked, "Why is this happening?"

"The plants and demons on this strange continent evolved under the influence of demonic energy. They have an innate aversion to light and normal power, but they possess an intense craving for wicked power. That... Kongkong, the Oro Sect is essentially a heretical cult, and the Heaven Origin Bead, the World-Ending Gauntlet, and the Soul Governing Crown are all incredibly sinister treasures. Demons are most drawn to this kind of power."

"Are you saying that all the power I cultivate from the Oro Sect is evil power?" Ji Changkong sighed internally.

The Heaven Origin Bead collects souls; the World-Ending Gauntlet possesses tyrannical power filled with the killing intent to destroy everything; the Soul Governing Crown controls souls, enslaving them to one's will...

Thinking it over carefully, Ji Changkong was suddenly struck speechless. It seemed those three items were indeed inextricably linked to wickedness.

"Kongkong, you might not have noticed, but this continent is actually quite suited for you. You can fully utilize the demonic energy here to elevate your strength to a new realm!" the Origin Poison suddenly became excited.

"What—What did you say!?" Ji Changkong was completely stunned, staring blankly at the Origin Poison:

"What do you mean? What are you implying?"

He suddenly recalled his father, Ji Haotian. After falling to demonic corruption, Ji Haotian, at the level of the Gossip Heavenly Peak, possessed world-shattering power, so strong that even the Yaksha King was no match for him. It wasn't until the Asura King, who was at the Nine Palaces Heaven Peak, intervened that Ji Haotian was defeated.

The demonized Ji Haotian had left an indelible impression on his mind. Though powerful, Ji Haotian had lost his own consciousness, retaining only the instinct for slaughter, seeking to destroy every living thing, not much different from the Ghost Demon King.

Now, for the Origin Poison to suddenly claim that the Oro Sect power he cultivated was a form of evil, and that this strange continent was perfectly suited for him to borrow the surging demonic energy to achieve yet another breakthrough—he found it almost impossible to accept.

"No! Once one succumbs to demonization, they lose their consciousness and only know endless slaughter. What's the difference between that and being a walking corpse?" Ji Changkong repeatedly shook his head, refusing to agree.

"Kongkong, it's not the same as succumbing to demonization. Demonic corruption is the heart entering the demonic path. Only those whose entire heart inclines toward the demonic gradually lose themselves. This is the advanced stage of deviation and possession—such people are no longer truly human." The Origin Poison was aware of some details regarding Ji Haotian and thus chose its words carefully.

"What I mean by cultivation is that you utilize the demonic energy here to practice all the secrets of the Oro Sect. Guiding the demonic energy into your body can temper your physical form to a higher degree and make your divine soul more bizarre and unpredictable. This is fundamentally different from wholeheartedly following the demonic path. Demonic energy is merely a more aggressive and brutal manifestation of Heavenly Origin Energy. Powerful individuals can control this force freely. Look at Youlan and the Asura King—their powers carry traces of demonic energy, and their intentions carry a hint of demonic will, but would you say they lack autonomous consciousness?"

"Kongkong, don't be so rigid. Your cultivation technique, the Grand Void Secret Record, allows for the fusion of any power in heaven and earth—demonic energy included—to be controlled and utilized by your body and soul. If you can master demonic energy, even while remaining at the Nine Palaces Heaven realm, the power you can wield will undoubtedly surpass anyone else!"

"Borrowing demonic energy for cultivation... Is this truly feasible?" Ji Changkong frowned, struggling to make up his mind.

"Kongkong, as long as you can skillfully wield the demonic energy and cause a new transformation in your internal Origin Power, I can guarantee you will be the first Heavenly Scholar on the Five Elements Continent to break through to the Ten Directions Heaven realm! Furthermore, within the Nine Palaces Heaven realm, you will be able to surpass everyone!" the Origin Poison asserted confidently.

"I... I can try," Ji Changkong admitted, wavering.