A fellow from the Dark Star race named Disu came by, and Ji Changkong learned a great deal from him about the Endless Star Field, gleaned from a conversation with Bian Ke.
Through some of Bian Ke’s narration, he understood that the Four Holy Beasts and the giant old tree within the Sun’s Heart were remnants of ancient life from before the Great Destruction, one of the most ancient and highly intelligent races.
These massive ancient beings possessed immense power; throughout their long existence, they had uncovered countless secrets of the Endless Star Field, naturally grasping the profound truths behind various manifestations of power. That they could survive until the present day meant they were naturally far stronger than ordinary creatures.
However, such ancient life rarely gathered in groups; their numbers were simply too scarce.
It was rumored that before the Great Destruction, even a single race of these ancient beings might only number a few dozen. After the cataclysm, many of these species were wiped out, and those who managed to survive were exceptionally rare.
According to Dick, the Four Holy Beasts and the ancient being within the Sun's Heart belonged to this fortunate category, and there were still others like them scattered across various corners of the Endless Star Field.
In the Dead Star Field, which intrigued Ji Changkong the most, it was said that these ancient beings were most numerous. Moreover, the Dead Star Field held many powerful races from before the Great Destruction, and most humans who broke through to the Ten Directions Heaven realm would congregate there.
As Dick explained, the Dead Star Field was a nexus for all the higher races in the Endless Star Field. During the previous Great Destruction, many beings managed to preserve their lives precisely because they were within the Dead Star Field.
Furthermore, the Dead Star Field was the singular miraculous region that managed to retain a portion of its stars during the Great Destruction!
The reason so many highly intelligent beings gathered in the Dead Star Field was because relics from before the Great Destruction still existed there!
As the magical land that preserved some of its stars during the cataclysm, it was a place teeming with experts, higher races, a strict hierarchy, and constant struggles over the relics from before the Great Destruction.
There resided the supreme powerhouses of the Endless Star Field, the ancient life forms from before the cataclysm, various higher races, and countless rare treasures.
It was said that there, one could grasp the deepest truths of the various powers within the Endless Star Field; anyone who could survive there could obtain everything unattainable elsewhere.
Dick mentioned that the Dark Star race had also lived on the periphery of the Dead Star Field for a time, but unable to adapt to the brutal slaughter within, they were forced to migrate to this star system.
Dick proved easy to get along with. Once he deemed Ji Changkong worthy of friendship, he held nothing back, answering every question Ji Changkong posed with complete candor.
From Dick’s mouth, Ji Changkong truly began to understand some of the ancient legends of the Endless Star Field, realizing that the Sun Star Field where he resided was merely a drop in the ocean; compared to the boundless expanse of the Endless Star Field, the Sun Star Field was smaller by countless billions of times.
“Excellent. The Star Essence from this living star can be used as a Star Seed. This area, which hasn’t been cultivated, is very promising. Many other living stars should also be suitable for use as Star Seeds. Ji Changkong, you’ve helped us immensely,” Dick exclaimed excitedly after emerging from the Sun’s Heart.
“It’s hardly a help; I was simply doing what I ought to do,” Ji Changkong chuckled.
The Dark Star race’s reliance on Star Essence from living stars far surpassed that of humans!
Only when a Celestial Master reached the Nine Palaces Heaven realm did they require Star Essence for cultivation. Once they gathered the Star Essence needed for all the acupoints throughout their bodies, the Nine Palaces Celestial Master would no longer depend on it.
The Dark Star race, however, was different.
To them, Star Essence was akin to the food humans required; their bodies had an almost endless need for it. This was precisely why they were so diligent in protecting the Star Essence.
For this reason, they held a deep hatred for those Celestial Masters who turned vibrant living stars into dead ones, as the Celestial Masters’ actions directly severed their lifeline!
“Yes, you can freely extract the Star Seed from this area. However, I must declare upfront that my friends will also come here to cultivate. Of course, I guarantee that anyone permitted to cultivate here by me will absolutely not engage in any short-sighted behavior; they will certainly not turn a living star into a dead one!” Ji Changkong stated seriously.
“I believe you!” Dick nodded. “I will not interfere with your people cultivating here. Furthermore, I can even allow them access to my territory for cultivation. I know you need Star Essence from over seven hundred different stars. Although the Star Essence in this area is vast, the quantity might not be enough, but combined with the Star Essence from my star domain, it will suffice for your people to cultivate.”
“Rest assured, as long as your people strictly adhere to your guidelines, if the amount of Star Essence in this area and mine proves insufficient, I can take them to the territories of other members of my clan, guaranteeing they will have enough Star Essence to cultivate.”
This was precisely what Ji Changkong had hoped to hear!
If one-fifth of the Star Essence from every living star was retained, even a large living star could only sustain six or seven Nine Palaces Celestial Masters. Smaller living stars could only support three or four.
Without harming the living star—meaning this region of living stars could only support three or four Nine Palaces Celestial Masters from Xuanyuan Valley—the situation was the same for the living stars in Dick’s territory.
If Ji Changkong intended to transform Xuanyuan Valley into a powerful entity akin to the Merchant Guild or the Demon’s Den in the Sun Star Field, this domain alone would clearly be inadequate. However, with Dick’s promise, the situation changed dramatically.
As a member of the Dark Star race, Dick maintained connections with many of their experts. Most Dark Star experts possessed their own fertile grounds of living stars, much like tending a farm. With Dick’s assistance, even if Xuanyuan Valley one day produced more Nine Palaces Celestial Masters, they likely wouldn't need to worry about the Star Essence required for the Nine Palaces Heaven realm.
This was an absolute, massive boon! It was the greatest gain he acquired by being dragged into this dangerous place after entering the narrow path!
“Thank you, friend!” Ji Changkong expressed his gratitude sincerely. He paused, then gave a wry smile. “However, I need to return quickly. My mental power is severely depleted, and I must replenish it with my main body soon. Heh, I still have significant troubles to deal with, so I won’t stay here with you any longer.”
“Trouble? What kind of trouble?” Dick looked puzzled.
Ji Changkong recounted his experience of being pulled into the chasm and landing on the continent swarming with devils and demons, concluding, “I must return to my continent sooner rather than later. My continent is surely facing greater trouble now, and I need to go back quickly to resolve those issues. Once I settle things over there, I will come back to find you.”
“Let me help you. Devils and demons are merely low-level creatures. My body can withstand almost any attack from them. We are partners, and since you helped me, I ought to repay you,” Dick offered.
At these words, a joy sparked in Ji Changkong’s heart. The Dark Star race’s bodies were notoriously formidable; their overlapping scales could deflect the impact of chaotic forces within the star fields, so the assaults of devils and demons should be child’s play to him.
The reason Dick was subdued by him was only partially due to the Heavenly Fire; what he feared most was the Soul Suppressing Hymn of the Purgatory Ghost race. However, the devils and demons were far inferior in their mastery of soul power; perhaps even the most powerful demon could do nothing against Dick.
With Dick’s assistance, he might resolve the troubles on that continent quickly, returning directly to the Five Elements Continent from the peak of that giant mountain.
After only a brief hesitation, Ji Changkong dropped his false modesty and smiled. “Then I truly thank you as well.”
“Let’s go; I’ll accompany you and help you resolve the trouble,” Dick agreed readily.
His soul returned to his physical body, and Ji Changkong opened his eyes, a smile playing on his lips.
Boom!
Like a meteorite impact, Dick’s colossal body crashed down beside Ji Changkong’s main body, smashing a massive crater into the earth.
When Dick emerged from the pit, dragging his long tail, the Primordial Poison was utterly shocked and prepared to unleash toxic arts against Dick. “Don’t move; he’s not an enemy,” Ji Changkong hastily restrained it, smiling as he addressed the Primordial Poison. “Come, let me introduce you to a friend. This is Dick, a member of the Dark Star race.”
“Ah?” The Primordial Poison looked extremely surprised. It stared at Dick for a long time before asking, “Kong Kong, how… how did you?”
“We only met recently. Remember, he is our friend,” Ji Changkong said with a smile, briefly explaining what had transpired in the star field. The Primordial Poison listened with great envy, repeatedly saying it wanted to visit the Endless Star Field someday too.
After landing, Dick introduced himself to the Primordial Poison, then took out a compass covered in mysterious patterns. After turning the compass for a moment, Dick’s expression suddenly changed drastically. “There are Ancestral Demons underground!!”
The compass in Dick’s hand was called the Soul Manifestation Compass, a treasure used by the Dark Star race to detect signs of life. Because the Dark Star race rarely dedicated effort to soul cultivation, they acquired the method for crafting the Soul Manifestation Compass in the Dead Star Field to compensate for this shortcoming.
Almost every member of the Dark Star race possessed one.
The Soul Manifestation Compass could not only detect life signs but also use those signs to determine the creature's race. Dick only needed to give the compass a few turns to discover the Ancestral Demon hidden deep underground, illustrating how marvelous the device was.
“You know about Ancestral Demons too?” Ji Changkong asked, surprised.
Dick nodded, his expression grave and visibly tense. “Ancestral Demons are also ancient life forms from before the Great Destruction, incredibly terrifying! No wonder this place is infested with so many devils and demons; it turns out an ancient being like an Ancestral Demon exists beneath the earth.”