Much like the Four Sacred Beasts, the Progenitor Demon was an ancient mandate from before the Great Cataclysm, brought into being by the adherence to... and formation through. They are adept at manipulating the primordial demonic energy of heaven and earth; wherever a Progenitor Demon resides, this demonic energy will supersede Yuan Qi, becoming the foundation of primal power.

Born from the very essence of heaven and earth's demonic energy, the Progenitor Demons possess dispositions that are inherently frigid and malicious, harboring a strange ability to bewitch sentient minds and demonize living creatures. Since they, too, are ancient beings predating the Great Cataclysm, the Progenitor Demons have grasped the profound mysteries of power, understanding the fundamental mechanics of the earliest energies in the cosmos. Consequently, they wield terrifyingly immense strength.

Before the Great Cataclysm, the Progenitor Demons were also vast entities wreaking havoc across the Endless Starfield. Although few in number, they possessed the terrifying capability to demonize lifeforms. They would often ensnare the hearts of the populace, completely transforming the inhabitants of a world into Yaomo (demons) and Moren (demon people), utilizing these corrupted legions to seize other life-bearing planets.

The Progenitor Demons of that era constituted one of the most feared races, a formidable branch among the ranks of malevolent entities, causing dread in all who encountered them.

Following the Great Cataclysm, the gathering sites of the Progenitor Demons suffered devastating blows. The majority perished in the destruction, with only a minuscule handful surviving, and even those survivors were grievously wounded, now hiding in the forgotten corners of the New Era.

Dick briefly explained the situation regarding the Progenitor Demons, his face grim. “I never expected there would be a Progenitor Demon here. It seems your troubles are far greater than anticipated.”

After securing the Soul-Gathering Plate, Puke hesitated, saying, “Ji Changkong, if you don’t mind my bluntness, the Progenitor Demons are currently beyond our capacity to handle. Only the experts of the Ten Directions Heaven Realm, along with the super-masters of my Dark Star Clan, might stand a chance against one. Our current strength is clearly insufficient.”

As ancient lifeforms from before the Great Cataclysm, the Progenitor Demons were incredibly powerful and skilled at manipulating demonic energy, making them assuredly difficult adversaries. Ji Changkong was unsurprised by Dick’s rational assessment.

“Don’t worry. Although there is a Progenitor Demon beneath the surface of this life-bearing star, it will not cause trouble. That being is temporarily sealed and should not interfere with us.”

After comforting Dick, Ji Changkong continued, “He may be immensely strong, but currently, he can only influence the creatures on this world through the pervasive demonic energy. He cannot personally engage with us. Therefore, the only things we need to face are the Yaomo on this planet.”

“Sealed away?” Dick was slightly startled. “Whatever sealed a Progenitor Demon must be an exceptionally formidable entity. Do you know what kind of being sealed it?”

“The Four Sacred Beasts.”

“The Sacred Beast Clan?”

Dick was astonished again, retrieving the Soul-Gathering Plate and turning it. “I detect no traces of Sacred Beast life signs. It is said the Sacred Beast Clan played an extremely crucial role in the World-Ending War before the Great Cataclysm. However, precisely because of that, they suffered catastrophic losses. Many believed the clan was wiped out. I never expected any Sacred Beasts to have survived in the Endless Starfield.”

“The Sacred Beast Clan?” This was the first time Ji Changkong had heard any information regarding the Four Sacred Beasts. Without much hesitation, he quickly asked, “Are there many types of Sacred Beasts in the Sacred Beast Clan? Aren’t there only four?”

“Of course, it’s not just four,” Dick replied, looking as if the question was rather strange. He explained, “The Sacred Beast Clan was another peculiar race from before the Great Cataclysm. They were immensely huge; many Sacred Beasts were not much smaller than a small star. There are many kinds of Sacred Beasts, such as the Azure Dragon, Qilin, White Tiger, Celestial Serpent, Golden Crow, Vermilion Bird, and so on. The Sacred Beast species is numerous, and they live for an extremely long time—far longer than our Dark Star Clan.”

“Qilin, Celestial Serpent, Golden Crow—so there are other such Sacred Beasts,” Ji Changkong murmured, finally gaining a general understanding of the Four Sacred Beasts.

“Before the Great Cataclysm, the Sacred Beast Clan was antagonistic to the faction led by the Progenitor Demons. It makes sense that the Sacred Beasts would seal the Progenitor Demons. Hmm, the Progenitor Demon was born from the demonic energy of heaven and earth, making it very difficult to kill. The Sacred Beasts must have suffered devastating losses after the Great Cataclysm, perhaps lacking the power to destroy the Progenitor Demon completely. That is likely why they resorted to sealing it,” Dick mused, nodding slowly.

“Kongkong, your friend here seems to know a great deal,” the Poison of Origin, who had been silent until now, suddenly interjected with considerable interest.

Ji Changkong smiled. “The Dark Star Clan once lived in the Death Star Domain. It’s natural they would understand some secrets of the Endless Starfield. What is it? Do you have any questions?”

The Poison of Origin nodded repeatedly. “I indeed have many questions. Hehe. Just as you are curious about the Sacred Beasts, I am also very curious about certain things.” Saying this, the Poison of Origin suddenly asked Dick with earnest seriousness, “Puke, can you tell me, what race am I?”

Dick immediately shook his head. “As soon as I descended into the Starfield, I observed you, but I found your life form unlike any race I am familiar with. Clearly, you are a new species that emerged in this New Era. Your life and soul morphology, however—your life and soul morphology is rather…”

“Is what? Spit it out clearly!” The Poison of Origin grew anxious.

The Poison of Origin had always felt incredibly lonely, an isolation rooted in species. Across the entire Starfield, even just on the Five Elements Continent, there were countless races, and surely each race had more than one individual. Yet, since gaining consciousness, he had never encountered a single peer.

This was a profound, sorrowful solitude. Like humans, the Poison of Origin craved communication with his own kind, but alas, he had never met one, nor even encountered a creature whose life form bore any significant resemblance to his own. This was, in essence, a tragedy manifesting in another form.

Since Dick hailed from the Endless Starfield and possessed extensive knowledge of various races, the Poison of Origin hoped Dick might hold some secrets about him, which is why he became so agitated.

“Your life and soul morphology is somewhat similar to a lifeform from the era of the Great Cataclysm, I would say the similarity is around sixty percent. However, that lifeform should have been exterminated during the Great Cataclysm, and even if it survived, it should not appear here. Therefore, you likely have little direct connection to that creature; it should just be a coincidence,” Dick carefully chose his words, his expression peculiar.

“A sixty percent similarity in life and soul morphology!” Ji Changkong gasped in shock. This degree of similarity was already quite high, comparable to the similarity between humans and apes. Generally, two organisms sharing such a high degree of similarity in both physical and spiritual form often share some historical connection.

“What was that creature?!” The Poison of Origin grew more desperate, grinding his teeth in frustration. “Can you please say the whole thing at once!”

“The Plague Demon,” Dick took a deep breath, his eyes complex.

“The Plague Demon? What kind of creature is that?” The Poison of Origin was stunned. He knew a little about the Death Star Domain but had never heard that name.

“It should be described as a type of pathogenic fungus; a strange lifeform formed by the fusion and convergence of hundreds of billions of these fungal toxins. The Plague Demon was one of the primary culprits of the Great Cataclysm, terrifyingly formidable. However, our Dark Star Clan only managed to gather the name ‘Plague Demon’; we do not know the specifics.”

“But it is rumored that the World-Ending War is heavily connected to the Plague Demon. In this New Era, although the various races engage in constant conflict, they share a unified understanding regarding the Plague Demon: if one is discovered, it must be killed at all costs!”

Dick shook his head slightly. “Your life and soul morphology bears some similarity to the Plague Demon. However, this Soul-Gathering Plate indicates you are not a Plague Demon. Otherwise, I would immediately attempt to kill you. If I lacked the ability, I would find a way to relay the information, and the strong ones from the Endless Starfield would willingly, regardless of the cost, destroy you to ensure you never survived in this world.”

The Poison of Origin flinched, shifting his awkward body. “Fortunately, I am not a Plague Demon. I should be thankful.”

Ji Changkong frowned, glancing repeatedly at the Poison of Origin. After a long silence, he turned to Dick. “Puke, do me a favor. Do not mention to anyone you know that his life form bears similarity to the Plague Demon, can you?”

Dick hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Alright. I understand what you are worried about.”

“Thank you.” Ji Changkong thanked him again. He feared someone would view the Poison of Origin as a potential threat and seek to eliminate him; he had to be cautious.

“Lifeforms are approaching, many of them!” The Soul-Gathering Plate in Dick’s hand suddenly displayed a multitude of light points, dense clusters of dots closing in from all directions, an extremely massive number.

Upon hearing this, Ji Changkong’s soul-sensing power registered the Yaomo encircling them from a thousand miles away. A thought flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but glance at the Soul-Gathering Plate in Dick’s hand, realizing its soul-sensing capabilities were indeed quite formidable.

“It’s the Yaomo. It seems we have work to do. Only after clearing out all the demons on this continent can I return home in peace. Well, Dick, with your help, I think I can go home soon. Come on, let’s get to work and sweep all these creatures away!”

“No problem!” Puke tucked away the Soul-Gathering Plate. His scales shone brilliantly, and strands of starlight from beyond the domain descended upon him, causing the stellar power within his body to gather ever more densely. The swarm of Yaomo surrounded their position layer upon layer, and thick, ineffable demonic energy descended from the sky like oppressive black clouds, shrouding the area.

The air crackled with sharp snaps, and space seemed to distort as if being squeezed. Beams of demonic energy shot upward, forming a dense net that enveloped the entire region.

Dozens of Yaomo, each comparable in power to a Nine Palaces Celestial Master, formed an impenetrable defensive line, clearly harboring murderous intent.

Watching the rampant chaos of demonic energy above and the warping of space, Ji Changkong’s expression shifted subtly. He suddenly realized that these Yaomo had somehow discovered the method that prevented him from using spatial translocation!