The moment the man and woman learned that Ji Changkong’s main body was in the Dead Star Domain, they immediately abandoned the idea of exploring it further. Having obtained the Essences of Stars, their objective was achieved, and they saw no reason to linger. After notifying Ji Changkong, the couple hastily departed.
After their departure, Ji Changkong did not rush back to cultivation. Instead, he waited silently for a period. Only when he was certain the couple had genuinely left did he refrain from impulsively beginning the fusion of the Essence of Stars with his soul.
The human heart is unpredictable. Those two, after all, were Nine Palaces Heavenly Sages. Although they had expended immense spiritual energy during their long journey, he had as well. If those two harbored ill intentions and returned, and he was in the critical phase of soul fusion with the Essence of Stars, his fate would be sealed.
To avert such a catastrophe, he remained motionless long after the couple had departed.
After a considerable stretch of time, believing the couple was unlikely to return, he still did not act rashly. He merely simulated the process of soul fusion with the Essence of Stars without actually proceeding, retracting the sensory reach of his soul.
If the couple harbored any malicious intent, they would naturally return. Once they detected movement from his soul, they would confirm he was truly fusing with the Essence of Stars and absolutely would not pass up such a golden opportunity.
After all, if they could eliminate Ji Changkong and claim his spiritual energy, not only would their own spiritual power be restored, but they could also press further into the surrounding areas, searching for more stars containing the Essence of Stars.
This potential gain was indeed significant; they might very well commit such an act just to perfect the cultivation of their own acupoints.
Waiting for another considerable duration and still not sensing the couple’s return, Ji Changkong finally relaxed. He began fusing the Essence of Stars present with his soul at the fastest possible speed. After marking the location, he flew out from this massive star.
Re-entering the boundless starry expanse, he allowed his soul freedom. He continued his search, hoping to locate other stars suitable for cultivation.
As expected, he saw no further stars nearby. His soul explored ahead but ultimately returned empty-handed.
Wandering for a while in the vast, infinite Star Domain, Ji Changkong sensed his spiritual energy being rapidly depleted moment by moment. He gradually felt it was time to return to his main body.
Having made up his mind, Ji Changkong hesitated no longer. He immediately set course back the way he came, hoping to return to that unfamiliar continent, integrate the Essence of Stars within his soul into his main body’s acupoints, and then, once his spiritual energy recovered, venture back into this Star Domain.
Suddenly, Ji Changkong’s vigilance flared; a profound sense of unease washed over his soul!
An intensely powerful pulling force erupted from a nearby Dead Star. This immense suction was aimed directly at the Essence of Stars enveloped by his soul!
In that direction, it felt as if a peculiar lodestone capable of attracting the Essences of Stars was dragging his soul toward it.
From there emanated a strange energy that even made him feel a tremor of dread—an energy he had never encountered before, a novel power capable of twisting the soul and causing it to utterly collapse!
Involuntarily, Ji Changkong’s soul was rapidly sucked toward that spot. His soul and the Essence of Stars were fused; as the Essence of Stars was drawn, his soul could only follow passively, completely beyond his control.
Gradually, he drew nearer to that Dead Star. Upon the surface, a lizard-like monster, standing three meters tall and shimmering with starlight, dragging a long tail, fixed its cold, merciless dark-green eyes upon Ji Changkong.
Embedded upon the lizard-like monster’s body were scales formed from the Essences of Stars. Essences from different stars were integrated into its body like armor plating. Ji Changkong sensed the aura of hundreds of different Essences of Stars emanating from it!
That overwhelming attractive force was also being released from its body.
The couple who had bid him farewell earlier were actually here too, and their plight was horrifyingly tragic!
The woman’s soul had been shattered; she was already completely dissipated. The Essence of Stars she had contained reappeared in the infinite expanse of the Star Domain. The monster remained motionless, and the immense suction force from its body abruptly snatched that Essence of Stars away.
Clang!
The Essence of Stars suddenly adhered to the monster’s body. Its bizarre form writhed, and thick, black tendons, the size of fingers, tightly bound that Essence of Stars, forcibly locking it onto its left shoulder.
The newly acquired Essence of Stars transformed into a scale, becoming a part of its body. Upon gaining this piece, the monster’s aura instantly grew stronger!
This monster could devour the Essences of Stars!
Ji Changkong watched, dumbfounded, as it slapped the woman's soul into pieces, seizing the Essence of Stars from her shattered soul and transforming it into a scale on its body to augment its own strength.
Although the monster stood upon the Dead Star, it was clearly not indigenous to it. Ji Changkong distinctly remembered investigating that Dead Star when he arrived; at that time, there had absolutely been no life upon it!
This meant this monster must have appeared later.
“Xiaofang!” The man’s soul emitted a shrill shriek. A dizzying array of soul techniques, without regard for his own safety, bombarded the monster’s body.
Starlight flared, but the monster stood rooted, absorbing all of the man’s soul techniques without sustaining any damage whatsoever.
This monster was physical!
Its soul was sheltered within a body covered in the Essences of Stars. The Essences of Stars possessed an almost perverse defense against soul attacks. All the soul techniques striking it were refracted by the twisting force of the hundreds of Essence-of-Star scales covering its body, scattering into mere specks of light.
Its soul remained completely unharmed.
“Damn Heavenly Sages! How dare you trespass into the territory of my Dark Star Clan! This entire Star Domain is the domain where we Dark Star Clan cultivate. All the Essences of Stars here are the foundation for our clan members to physically cultivate! You dare contend with us for the Essences of Stars—you seek death!”
The monster spoke, its long tail lashing furiously, striking the solid rock of the Dead Star and grinding massive chunks of stone into dust!
“No wonder all the nearby stars have become Dead Stars and their Essences of Stars are gone. It seems it was the work of you damned Heavenly Sages!”
“I’ll fight you to the death!”
The man screamed in madness, unleashing soul techniques belonging to the Meteor Sea Star Domain in a torrential downpour against the monster, attempting to smash it to pieces.
Alas, the monster’s life form was fundamentally different from that of humans. Their cultivation methods diverged widely from humans; they seemed to place no emphasis on soul cultivation, channeling all their power into the physical body.
Their souls were tucked away inside bodies encased in scales made of the Essences of Stars. As soul techniques flew in, they were all twisted and scattered by the Essences of Stars; the soul remained untouched, continuing to condense its power.
Suddenly, an even stronger pulling force surged from the monster’s body, dragging Ji Changkong—whose soul enveloped the Essence of Stars—and the other man toward it at an even faster speed! Slap! Slap!
By the time the man reached the monster, the creature extended a hand and struck. Starlight erupted, forming beams of light that instantly entangled him.
Boom!
The monster slammed a palm against the man’s ethereal soul-form. Just like his wife, the man’s soul-form violently exploded, dissolving into a flurry of scattered light that vanished.
The man’s soul was completely destroyed, and the Essence of Stars he carried naturally reappeared. The monster snorted coldly, and the suction force drew that Essence of Stars in, enveloping it in the same manner, causing it to land on the monster’s left shoulder.
The Essence of Stars from the same star seemed destined to merge. After the man’s demise, his Essence of Stars, landing on the monster’s left shoulder, fused with the scale that had just formed.
Fueled by the new Essence of Stars, that scale became darkly lustrous, with strange black light flowing across it like electrical currents.
That couple had been utterly destroyed and stripped of their Essences of Stars in just this brief span—a truly tragic end.
After killing the couple, the monster immediately shifted its attention to Ji Changkong, apparently preparing to deal with him in the same manner.
Watching two Nine Palaces Heavenly Sages, just like himself, being slain so effortlessly, a chill spread through Ji Changkong’s heart, yet his body continued to move toward the monster uncontrollably.
The Essence of Stars!
The monster’s body could attract the Essence of Stars. The reason his own spirit was uncontrollably drawn to it was because his soul was wrapped around the Essence of Stars, fused with it!
Unlike the other two, the moment Ji Changkong understood this principle, he did not hesitate in the slightest. He immediately began separating his soul from the Essence of Stars.
Just as Ji Changkong closed within dozens of meters of the monster, he succeeded in separating the Essence of Stars from his soul, ceasing to concern himself with it. Ji Changkong’s soul instantly broke free.
The moment the Essence of Stars flew away from his soul, Ji Changkong felt the binding force vanish completely. With a thought, he immediately gathered his soul and hurried to absorb the spiritual energy released from the dissipated souls of the couple.
The monster seemed utterly uninterested in the souls and spiritual energy of the Heavenly Sages; its sole target was the Essences of Stars!
After killing the couple, it had focused only on obtaining their Essences of Stars, without sparing any effort to claim the spiritual energy within their souls.
Clearly, that spiritual energy was useless to it.
If the spiritual energy was useless to the monster, it was incredibly useful to Ji Changkong!
Having escaped that powerful attraction, Ji Changkong silently offered an apology to the couple in his heart but unhesitatingly began absorbing the spiritual energy that was about to vanish into the cosmos after their final dissipation.
They were already soul-scattered; their spiritual energy would soon disperse into the heavens. Even if Ji Changkong didn't absorb it, they could not be revived, and their spiritual energy would simply be wasted.
Better this way, he reasoned, for it to benefit Ji Changkong—perhaps by acquiring their spiritual energy, he could avenge them.
With that thought, Ji Changkong felt no guilt or unease.
Even as he absorbed their spiritual energy, the Essence of Stars that had left his soul fell into the monster’s left shoulder, merging with the brilliantly shining scale that had just formed, making that section on the monster’s left shoulder even more dazzling with starlight.
After Ji Changkong finished absorbing the spiritual energy of the two, the monster also integrated the Essence of Stars originally belonging to Ji Changkong into its body.
“Not bad. Knowing to abandon the Essence of Stars to save your life shows you are slightly smarter than those two.” The monster glanced coldly at Ji Changkong, its icy eyes filled with killing intent. “However, you still face only death! Those who dare to trespass into my Dark Star Clan’s territory—not one shall leave alive!”
Ji Changkong’s expression shifted slightly. He could not fathom the monster’s true capabilities but knew many of his soul techniques were useless against it. Hearing the monster state its intent to attack, Ji Changkong, while inwardly guarding himself, slowly retreated backward, maintaining some distance from the creature.
“You could kill them only because they were greedy for the Essence of Stars, leading their souls and the Essence of Stars to you, allowing you an easy kill. I don't want that Essence of Stars now. Let’s see how you intend to deal with me,” Ji Changkong slowly calmed himself, remaining wary but speaking unhurriedly.
“Ridiculous! Do you think abandoning the Essence of Stars will allow you to escape our pursuit? Very well, I shall show you the might of our Dark Star Clan!” The monster sneered. It suddenly launched itself from its stationary position on the star, rushing toward Ji Changkong like a cannonball, its speed lightning-fast.
Ji Changkong started, unsure of the monster’s true nature, and hastily fled into the vast expanse of the Star Domain beyond the Dead Star.
The monster pursued, continuing its mockery from behind: “You humans focus on cultivating the soul. Below the Ten Directions Heaven realm, your physical bodies cannot travel in the endless Star Domain. But we Dark Star Clan are not subject to such limitations, boy. Don’t think reaching the wide Star Domain means you can escape!”
Indeed, the monster flew out from the Dead Star. Its body, constructed of the Essences of Stars, shone brilliantly. The destructive natural forces outside the Dead Star’s atmospheric layer, which would devastate fleshly bodies, struck its form but were all deflected by the scales formed from the Essences of Stars.
The monster was completely unharmed. It could truly travel directly through the Star Domain in its physical form!