In two worlds, Ghost Demons ran rampant, and few dared to oppose them; those who did were almost entirely eradicated by him.

Yet, ever since encountering Ji Changkong, the Ghost Demon King had suffered repeated defeats, narrowly escaping death at Ji Changkong's hands several times. Thus, if the Ghost Demon King harbored hatred for anyone, Ji Changkong was undoubtedly the one he resented the most.

The moment Ji Changkong appeared, the Ghost Demon King immediately sensed that familiar aura about him. Without the slightest hesitation, the Ghost Demon King lunged forward, his target naturally locked onto Ji Changkong.

Ji Changkong only spared the Ghost Demon King a single glance, and a shock ran through his heart.

The Ghost Demon King was no longer the same as before!

The current Ghost Demon King possessed an imposing aura so mighty it could shake the heavens and earth!

As he charged forward, the bamboo groves along his path shattered one by one, the wave of energy unleashed like a hurricane in the ocean—unstoppable and all-destructive.

The merged Ghost Demon King had finally attained ultimate power; the new entity surpassed the old one in both wisdom and might!

This strength was perhaps comparable to that of a peak expert at the Nine Palaces Heaven Peak realm. Coupled with the Ghost Demon King's bizarre, almost immortal soul form, there were few in the world who could genuinely threaten him.

"A new species!" Po Ke's expression shifted slightly. He spun the Soul-Gathering Plate in his hand and exclaimed immediately.

This was Po Ke’s first descent onto humanity’s planet of life. In his view, all existing life forms here should be species already known to him.

However, in less than half a day here, he had stumbled upon this novel creature, the Ghost Demon King, instantly piquing Po Ke’s curiosity.

Dick turned the Soul-Gathering Plate again, and it flashed with an unusual luster as it searched for life forms similar to the Ghost Demon King.

At that very moment, the Ghost Demon King descended from the sky, landing directly above Ji Changkong. The dense, icy, murderous soul-yin energy, under the Demon King's command, plummeted down, enveloping Ji Changkong from a distance.

With a cold snort, Ji Changkong boomed, "Ghost Demon King, long time no see. You’ve successfully completed your fusion, but even merged, I can still kill you!"

If the Ghost Demon King was no longer the old Demon King, then Ji Changkong was certainly no longer the old Ji Changkong either.

Back when they fought in the Northern Barbarian lands, Ji Changkong was merely at the peak of the Eight Trigrams Heaven realm. Now, he had cultivated to the Nine Palaces Heaven realm!

Not only that, but on that unfamiliar continent, he had forcefully infused the essence of the stars into his meridians, and his soul had undergone a complete sublimation.

As the Ghost Demon King advanced, Ji Changkong had progressed just as rapidly. Their current reunion meant they were truly matched rivals.

With a loud laugh, Ji Changkong shot towards the sky. This time, he did not use the World-Ending Gauntlets nor wield the Spirit Dragon’s Luminous Saber; he merely donned the Soul-Control Crown drawn from the Heavenly Origin Pearl. Immersed in the thick soul-yin energy, Ji Changkong unleashed only the Soul Radiance from his Nebula Soul Refining Art.

In an instant, the sky filled with interwoven Soul Radiance, forming a massive net. Under the power of the Soul-Control Crown, the number of these soul rays increased dramatically, and their condensation was far stronger than before!

The multitude of Soul Radiance shot out, instantly shattering the soul-yin energy emanating from the Ghost Demon King. This energy could no longer coalesce to bind Ji Changkong’s soul.

With a flicker of thought, two Heavenly Fire clones sprang forth. The Heavenly Fire clones possessed the power to incinerate any soul. Once they appeared, the aura radiating from the Ghost Demon King rapidly disintegrated, and soon, all the soul-yin energy was completely burned away by the Heavenly Fire clones.

The Ghost Demon King's face contorted in horror. He had not anticipated Ji Changkong’s current power. Stunned by this rapid succession of attacks, he momentarily failed to react.

"Heh heh. You have indeed grown stronger, but I have grown faster than you!" Ji Changkong sneered. He suddenly used his soul essence to condense six Soul Pillars and began chanting the Soul-Suppressing Anthem with his spirit.

As the six Soul Pillars materialized, a flicker of true terror crossed the Ghost Demon King’s expression. It seemed this soul technique from the Purgatorial Ghost Race, capable of destroying souls, was indeed the Demon King's true nemesis.

When the Soul-Suppressing Anthem sounded, the Ghost Demon King’s form blurred violently, then vanished in a flash. In the next moment, streams of intensely concentrated hatred gathered like fine threads, converging from all directions, surging toward Ji Changkong.

The Ghost Demon King’s life form was extremely peculiar, existing between the tangible and the ethereal. As long as he wished to change, his soul could manifest in any form; splitting into hundreds of streams was effortless for him.

Clearly, the Ghost Demon King deeply feared the six Soul Pillars suspended in the void. Thus, the moment he saw those six power pillars appear, he instantly concealed his soul form, splintering into millions of threads scattered across the vast expanse.

This dispersal made it impossible for Ji Changkong to pinpoint his location, preventing him from trapping the Demon King with the Soul Pillars or truly annihilating him. Split into millions of threads, the Ghost Demon King could still utilize his immensely vast soul power to gather the resentment, despair, and other emotions of the Heavenly Masters he had tortured, blasting them all at Ji Changkong.

Soul power was one aspect, and while formidable, Ji Changkong had means to counter it. However, the resentment, despair, fear, and aura of destruction layered within the soul-yin energy were things the Heavenly Fire could not burn away.

This destructive force, rooted in decay, was less a form of soul power and more a kind of seductive, invasive consciousness aimed at the soul.

That was the hardest to deal with!

The negative forces like hatred within the soul-yin energy originated from the Heavenly Masters killed by the Ghost Demon King, as well as some of the deathly energies from graveyards steeped in heavy yin. These powers were the Ghost Demon King's greatest asset!

"Impressive!" Even Dick gasped. He detected many inexplicable phenomena emanating from the Ghost Demon King. The creature’s ability to shift forms between tangible and ethereal deeply unsettled Po Ke.

The Primordial Poison was not with Ji Changkong but beside Dick. He glanced curiously at the Soul-Gathering Plate in Dick’s hand and pursed his lips. "So what if he splits his soul into many streams? It’s not that big of a deal."

Dick was astonished. He looked at the Primordial Poison and asked, "You can do that too?"

"Of course," the Primordial Poison replied casually, as if it were nothing difficult.

This declaration slightly deflated Dick. He shook his head strangely. "It seems our understanding of the soul is far inferior to yours. We Dark Star Clan focus solely on body cultivation. However, as far as I know, soul forms like this rarely appear even in the Dead Star Domain. Those who can split their souls into hundreds of streams are usually the most powerful entities among high-level races. I didn't expect to receive such a huge surprise on this life-bearing planet."

"Is that so..." The Primordial Poison became thoughtful, casting a serious gaze toward Ji Changkong suspended in the void, his mind clearly calculating something.

The Ghost Demon King, having fragmented his soul into hundreds of streams, intended to use the endless torrent of hatred and resentment to cloud Ji Changkong’s mind, eventually causing him to be overwhelmed by these negative forces and become a Ghost Demon under his control.

Unfortunately, the Ghost Demon King discovered that his meticulous plan was likely to fail. When those negative forces struck Ji Changkong’s mind, they initially seemed to have some effect—at least, a trace of confusion appeared in Ji Changkong’s eyes. But quickly, that confusion vanished without a trace. The Soul-Control Crown Ji Changkong wore flashed faintly, pulling him back from the verge of bewilderment.

Afterward, no matter how the Ghost Demon King deployed his negative forces, he could no longer influence Ji Changkong’s state of mind. The despair and fear originating from the countless dead, upon striking Ji Changkong, vanished as if sinking into the ocean.

At this point, Ji Changkong had regained his clarity. He glanced at the Demon King and even chuckled. "So, you only increased the sheer volume of negative soul energy. You haven't gained any greater comprehension of the profound essence of soul power. Nothing more than that."

As the words fell, Ji Changkong’s thoughts shifted again. Clusters of Heavenly Fire erupted from within his body. These fires flew out, swirling in all directions according to his will.

The Ghost Demon King, whose soul was fractured into millions of threads and lurking in the shadows, was scorched by the power of the Heavenly Fire. Many threads of his soul aura began to dissipate, and the Demon King’s strength started to wane visibly.

As if enraged, the soul, which had split into hundreds of streams, instantly merged back into one. Furthermore, the Ghost Demon King, previously vague and ethereal, suddenly became perfectly distinct, taking the form of a lean middle-aged man!

Blood splattered, veins writhed like earthworms across his face, and bones cracked loudly as the Ghost Demon King’s body underwent a miraculous transformation.

Ji Changkong's expression finally sobered!

At this moment, the Ghost Demon King seemed to be finally unleashing his true power. The blood and the writhing veins on his face were definitely not illusions; the flesh condensed from the strange energies circulating between heaven and earth was absolutely real!

Dense, ineffable yin and killing qi from the cosmos gathered entirely within the Ghost Demon King's body. Soon, a physique identical to a normal human manifested before Ji Changkong.

It was a physical body!

The body was dark cyan, the eyes were ice-cold and devoid of emotion, the irises also cyan, and a mane of cyan hair cascaded over his shoulders. An aura of pure wickedness erupted from him. Key areas like his shoulders and waist were covered in dark cyan armor that fused harmoniously with his flesh, as if it were merely a part of his anatomy.

A supremely potent soul hovered within the Demon King’s skull—the form resulting from the re-convergence of hundreds of soul streams.

One body, one bizarre, inscrutable soul—this was the new Ghost Demon King, a Demon King whose power had reached its zenith!

The six Power Pillars descended, enveloping the newly formed physical body from a distance. Ji Changkong activated the might of the Soul-Suppressing Anthem.

However, the Soul-Suppressing Anthem of the Purgatorial Ghost Race had lost its effect. As the anthem sang, the six Soul Pillars spun rapidly, releasing intricate symbols that circled the Ghost Demon King.

The Demon King's soul, now housed within the physical body, stirred restlessly. It was indeed drawn by the Soul Pillars, seemingly wanting to break free from the Demon King’s shell and be annihilated by the six pillars.

Yet, held tightly by the new body, the restless soul was firmly anchored within the skull. No matter how much power Ji Changkong exerted, the soul would not fly out of its new physical casing.

Judging by this manifestation, the Soul-Suppressing Anthem, a technique known to shatter all physical defenses of the Purgatorial Ghost Race, was proving ineffective against the Ghost Demon King's flesh. This was truly unprecedented.

The Soul-Suppressing Anthem should be capable of annihilating the Ghost Demon King’s soul. Otherwise, the soul would not stir under its influence. However, the current situation indicated that for the anthem to work, the Demon King’s new body must first be destroyed! Only when his physical form was ruined and his soul was exposed to the air, unprotected by flesh, could the Soul-Suppressing Anthem possibly succeed; otherwise, it was useless.

"Ji Changkong, you underestimate me. Like you humans, I have finally condensed a physical form. I realized long ago that lacking a solid body was a disadvantage. After my two souls merged in the Eastern Sea, the first thing I did was gather the yin energy and all useful auras from heaven and earth to forge this flesh. But usually, the power within this body is distributed among my soul streams. Since you wish to see my true power, then I shall show you!"

The Ghost Demon King’s cold, merciless voice sounded again. As the new body spoke, his dark cyan pupils burned with killing intent.

As if displacing space, the Ghost Demon King suddenly appeared behind Ji Changkong, without warning, as if traversing dimensions, delivering a punch directly to Ji Changkong’s heart.

A terrifying force, like a mountain collapsing, was condensed into that single blow, exploding instantly against Ji Changkong’s back!

The violently surging power hammered into Ji Changkong’s body, blasting him straight into the sky. He tumbled hundreds of times before finally managing to halt his momentum.

The Ghost Demon King vanished, his ghostly speed reappearing instantly hundreds of yards behind Ji Changkong. Again, it was the heart, and again, a punch slammed down, sending Ji Changkong flying far away.

With a physical form, the Ghost Demon King’s speed was beyond anyone’s imagination. For him, distance seemed nonexistent; wherever he willed to go, he could instantly appear and launch an earth-shattering assault.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The Ghost Demon King moved like a phantom, vanishing and reappearing near Ji Changkong again and again, unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks.

In just a brief period, Ji Changkong’s body was struck hundreds of times. Blood streamed from his seven orifices, and his face was deathly pale.

"Roar!"

Ji Changkong suddenly let out a savage roar. For reasons unknown, demonic energy surged throughout his body, erupting in a dense, world-shaking wave that formed a massive demonic barrier around him.

Bang!

The Ghost Demon King’s next close-range attack struck the demonic barrier, causing him to flash backward momentarily.

Ji Changkong, pale-faced but with eyes blazing with demonic energy, suddenly grinned hideously. "You’ve shown yourself!"

The World-Ending Gauntlets manifested on his left arm. A bolt of cyan Heavenly Thunder, the size of two acres, shot out from the gauntlet. This cyan thunderbolt seemed to possess a life of its own, immediately locking onto the Ghost Demon King and flying straight toward him.

Simultaneously, Ji Changkong, enveloped in surging demonic energy, continued to condense more cyan Heavenly Thunders, each the size of a millstone, positioning them around himself. Any entity attempting to approach him would be blasted by these thunders.

His shattered internal organs and severed meridians, broken by the Ghost Demon King’s onslaught, were rapidly repairing themselves under the power of the blood within him.

The fist-sized hole blasted through his chest to his back sprayed blood, veins wriggled like earthworms, and cells divided and reorganized. The wound underwent strange, inscrutable changes, healing at a visible rate.

In just a short while, Ji Changkong, whose chest had been pierced, recovered completely, the pallor vanishing from his face.

"Immortality!" Dick exclaimed in shock, staring intently at Ji Changkong. After a moment of frantic manipulation of the Soul-Gathering Plate, Po Ke cried out, "Incredible! All injuries recovered in such a short time! A monster! Truly a monster!"

With his internal injuries fully healed, Ji Changkong’s complexion was ruddy, as if the previous injuries had nothing to do with him. The surrounding cyan Heavenly Thunders hovered, assuring him that the Ghost Demon King could not approach so easily again.

Chased by the two-acre-sized cyan Heavenly Thunder, the Ghost Demon King showed no panic. He continuously shifted his position in space; though the cyan thunderbolts locked onto his soul form, they could never catch up.

While teleporting instantly, the Ghost Demon King secretly observed Ji Changkong. Noticing Ji Changkong’s overwhelming demonic aura and the appearance of the cyan Heavenly Thunders, the Demon King realized he would not so easily harm Ji Changkong again.

After that barrage of initial attacks, he had assumed Ji Changkong was already dead. Yet, seeing him standing unharmed, with even the hole in his chest healed, only deepened the Demon King’s astonishment.

Suddenly, the Ghost Demon King began to question who Ji Changkong truly was.

He realized that the Ghost Demon King’s bizarre physical body, combined with the surging demonic aura, made Ji Changkong look more monstrous than himself. The inherent human aura seemed faint under the pressure of such immense power.

"You are an aberration too," the Ghost Demon King muttered after a pause, his figure instantly blurring before vanishing completely.

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