The moment Ji Changkong's body ignited with a raging inferno, the Samadhi True Fire surged through him under his command. Wisps of flame began to escape from his pupils and nostrils, his entire frame turning a searing crimson, radiating immense heat.

The Samadhi True Fire possessed the power to incinerate nearly everything, yet because Ji Changkong’s soul had transformed into three separate flames, he too had become a fire body, perfectly synchronized with the Samadhi True Fire. Aided by the power of the Vermillion Bird's blood, he remained immune to the fire's assault.

The Samadhi True Fire raged within his body, tearing through him, determined to burn away every last impurity.

The Ancestral Demon Tendril that had infiltrated Ji Changkong’s interior immediately burrowed into his viscera, preparing to fuse with his bones and meridians, to become an integral part of his physical form.

However, once inside, the Ancestral Demon Tendril could not breach Ji Changkong’s bloodstream. The instant the Tendril neared his blood, the power of the Four Holy Beasts latent within would erupt, immediately expelling it. The confrontation between the Four Holy Beasts and the Ancestral Demon was not confined to any single location; even within Ji Changkong’s body, they were locked in mortal combat, instantly clashing.

The Ancestral Demon Tendril, helpless against the Holy Beasts' essence already merged with Ji Changkong’s blood, had no choice but to retreat into the bones and organs, intending to establish a long-term garrison there.

Unfortunately, this pleasant wish of the Ancestral Demon Tendril could not be realized either. Once the Samadhi True Fire ignited within Ji Changkong, the Tendrils immediately sensed a power of utter annihilation.

As the Samadhi True Fire burned inside him, the Ancestral Demon Tendrils began a comprehensive rout, scattering chaotically throughout Ji Changkong’s body, desperately seeking refuge.

The True Fire could reach the bones, the flesh, and the meridians alike. Its burning power was terrifying; any Tendril touched by the Samadhi True Fire was swiftly incinerated.

At the most critical juncture, a few strands of the Ancestral Demon Tendril, fleeing without direction, finally discovered a superb sanctuary.

Ji Changkong’s multitude of acupoints!

Over seven hundred of them were scattered across his body. Each acupoint was minuscule, yet having been refined by the essence of the stars, these tiny points had become self-contained worlds, possessing their own inherent universe.

When those few strands of the Ancestral Demon Tendril entered the acupoints and discovered the Samadhi True Fire struggled to follow, the greater mass of Tendrils finally found their hiding spots.

Suddenly, all the Ancestral Demon Tendrils inside Ji Changkong’s body surged into his acupoints. Every single point imbued with the essence of the stars was immediately invaded by numerous Tendrils. In mere moments, they all found refuge within Ji Changkong’s points.

The Samadhi True Fire continued to roam every corner of his body. Ji Changkong attempted to command the True Fire to enter the acupoints, only to find that although the fire could reach every extremity of his body, it could not penetrate those specific points housing the essence of the stars.

After burning for a while, Ji Changkong employed every method he knew to try and purge the Ancestral Demon Tendrils hidden in the acupoints, but to no avail; no matter his attempts, the Samadhi True Fire could not enter those infinitely minute spots.

Frustrated, Ji Changkong switched tactics, utilizing the Earthly Fire to try and bore into the acupoints, but the result was the same—the Earthly Fire proved ineffective.

With both the Samadhi True Fire and the Earthly Fire failing, Ji Changkong finally resorted to Heavenly Fire, hoping its power could drive out the Ancestral Demon Tendrils lurking within the acupoints.

Unlike the Samadhi and Earthly Fires, the Heavenly Fire originated from Ji Changkong’s soul power. Once manifested, it indeed reached every nook and cranny of his body, including every single acupoint without exception.

However, as soon as a single thread of Heavenly Fire entered an acupoint, before Ji Changkong could even attempt to burn the Tendril, he cried out in agony.

The moment the Heavenly Fire entered, the star essence within the acupoint immediately began to glow a violent red. In an instant, an unbearable, intense pain erupted from within the point, forcing Ji Changkong to immediately abandon his pursuit and recall the Heavenly Fire.

One reason was the sheer agony; the other was the unsettling change he observed in the star essence under the influence of the Heavenly Fire.

Fearing some catastrophic mutation of the star essence under the Heavenly Fire’s power—which could jeopardize his future cultivation or even severely injure his body—he hesitated only for a moment before withdrawing the Heavenly Fire from the acupoints.

Having tested all three Absolute Fires of Heaven and Earth with no effect on the Ancestral Demon Tendrils, and with his soul having changed form, Ji Changkong then began employing the Nebula Soul Refining Technique, unleashing various soul skills to extract the Tendrils.

Again, it was useless.

Those Ancestral Demon Tendrils embedded deep within his acupoints displayed incredible resilience. Against any soul technique he deployed, the Tendrils remained utterly unharmed within his body’s points.

After a short while, Ji Changkong took a deep breath, his expression heavy.

“What’s going on?” the Primordial Toxin and Dick asked in unison.

After explaining the situation, Ji Changkong stated, “I’ve tried every method I possess, yet I cannot expel those Ancestral Demon Tendrils from my body. Ever since they entered my acupoints, they’ve seemed to take root there. Nothing has any effect.”

“Acupoints?” Dick looked profoundly shocked, his eyes wide with worry. “The Ancestral Demon Tendrils are hairs of the Ancestral Demon, saturated with its immense demonic qi. The reason that fiend could ascend to a Demon King level, the reason it is so powerful, is entirely due to those Tendrils on its body.” Dick’s face was etched with deep apprehension. “The Ancestral Demon Tendrils carry incredibly potent demonic qi. They can transform any living being into an overwhelmingly powerful demon. Naturally, while they bestow immense strength, they also cloud the creature’s mind, rendering the demonized being utterly subservient to the Ancestral Demon, obeying it from the very depths of its being.”

“What are we to do?” the Primordial Toxin exclaimed, alarmed.

“The Ancestral Demon Tendrils take time to corrupt a creature’s will, Changkong. You just need to find a way to control the Tendrils before they corrupt your mind! If, before the corruption sets in, you can reverse their influence, not only will you avoid being corrupted, but you will also absorb the formidable power locked within the Tendrils.”

Dick hesitated, then continued, “The Tendrils carry at least one-fifth of the Ancestral Demon’s true power, Changkong. If you can master this power without falling to the Ancestral Demon’s corruption, perhaps the sheer strength of the Tendrils alone could cause a complete transformation, allowing you to rapidly achieve the formidable physical body of a Ten Directions Celestial. If your state of mind can keep pace, then you might even break through to the Ten Directions Heaven Realm!”

“Ah?” Ji Changkong let out a soft sound, staring at Dick for a moment before murmuring, “So, if I obtain the Ancestral Demon Tendrils, provided I can conquer their corruption, I might actually benefit from this misfortune?”

“That is precisely the case!” Dick confirmed with a nod.

“Whether I can conquer the corruption of these Tendrils, I cannot say, but I guarantee they won't dare act recklessly, nor will they dare leave my acupoints. The moment they attempt to flee my points, I can incinerate them instantly,” Ji Changkong mused, then cautiously began utilizing the acupoints where the Tendrils resided, testing if he could still use them to gather starlight essence.

To his surprise, with a mere thought, the acupoints storing the essence of the stars began to gather the vital essence of the heavens without any anomaly.

Furthermore, the vast Heaven and Earth Demonic Qi swirling around this unfamiliar continent was also attracted by the acupoints within his body, rushing madly into those points housing the Ancestral Demon Tendrils, instantly filling them to the brim.

The immense Heaven and Earth Demonic Qi of the strange continent converged from all directions, pouring solely into the acupoints containing the Ancestral Demon Tendrils. The demonic energy was overwhelmingly vast, instantly granting Ji Changkong an additional colossal power within him.

Suddenly, Ji Changkong was enveloped in a swirling black aura, demonic qi rolling off him, faintly recalling the demeanor of Ji Haotian from his past.

Stop! Stop!

Ji Changkong internally yelled, sensing something was terribly wrong. The demonic qi flooding his acupoints was actually many times faster and significantly larger in quantity than the starlight essence!

However, perhaps influenced by the Ancestral Demon Tendrils, the demonic qi emanating from the strange continent completely defied his control, continuing its relentless surge into every acupoint of his body.

In just a short span, he realized that nearly one-fifth of this unfamiliar continent’s Heaven and Earth Demonic Qi had entered his five hundred and sixty-one acupoints, and it was still accumulating.

From the deep earth, thick plumes of Heaven and Earth Demonic Qi erupted like black oil, drawn irresistibly into his acupoints, making Ji Changkong appear demonized, his demonic aura soaring into the sky.

Soon, the wondrous internal spaces within the five hundred and sixty-one acupoints holding the star essence were completely filled by the demonic qi. Nearly a third of the entire continent’s Heaven and Earth Demonic Qi had plunged into one single person’s body.

The surge of demonic qi ceased. Ji Changkong, his face aghast, watched the demonic aura swirling around him and frantically tried to use his soul to command the energy, hoping to purge the swirling qi from his body.

Surprisingly, with a single thought, the Ancestral Demon Tendrils hidden in his acupoints seemed to come alive. Following the direction of his will, they swept away all the surrounding demonic qi.

Wisp after wisp of demonic qi drifted far away, like light smoke, obeying Ji Changkong’s mental command.

Stunned for a moment, Ji Changkong beckoned his hand. The distant Heaven and Earth Demonic Qi instantly gathered back into his palm, coalescing into a pitch-black sphere of demonic energy. A ferocious and malevolent power subtly emanated from the sphere.

Looking at the sphere of coalesced demonic energy in his hand, Ji Changkong himself was momentarily frozen.