The air became thick and saturated with potent demonic energy! Instantly, it enveloped Ji Changkong’s body. Within that miasma churned the lingering spiritual impressions of the Demon Cave Master, rolling through the darkness and attempting to burrow into Ji Changkong.
These spiritual impressions were utterly impossible to resist. In a flash, they pierced Ji Changkong’s defenses and surged into his mind.
What the Demon Cave Master sought—to extract memories of the Ancestral Demon from Ji Changkong’s mind—was nothing less than the complete shattering of Ji Changkong’s psyche, designed to strip his very soul of self-defense and force him to surrender everything to the Master. Naturally, this included all of Ji Changkong’s memories.
Manipulating the soul is one of the most sinister and venomous arts in the Endless Star Field. Ji Changkong was familiar with such power; the soul-driving techniques of the Nebula Soul Refining Art were themselves a form of soul manipulation, often allowing those proficient in it to effortlessly glean the memories of others.
Clearly, this Demon Cave Master was deeply versed in the power to command souls. His current strategy against Ji Changkong was precisely to seize control of his spirit and extract what lay within his soul.
As the Master’s spiritual impressions infiltrated Ji Changkong’s body, the demonic energy of the cave followed suit, flowing into every acupoint throughout his frame.
The demonic energy released by the Demon Cave Master was distinctly different from the miasma covering the Grand Heavenly Demon Consumption Barrier. The Master’s personal demonic aura carried his unique essence, perhaps even a sliver of his will. This was not energy to be absorbed casually.
On the contrary, this demonic energy possessed an intensely corrosive nature. Once it drilled into Ji Changkong’s acupoints, its purpose was singular: locate the Ancestral Demon Tendrils and drag them out from within his body’s network of channels.
If the Demon Cave Master were not an enemy, Ji Changkong might have welcomed the removal of the Ancestral Demon Tendrils; he never intended to keep them and understood they were surely no blessing.
Unfortunately, the Demon Cave Master was unequivocally their foe. Now that the Master had achieved such terrifying strength, obtaining the Ancestral Demon Tendrils would propel him even further—a prospect disastrous for Ji Changkong.
Therefore, the moment Ji Changkong sensed the demon qi, tainted with the Master’s consciousness, entering his acupoints, he immediately mobilized the Heavenly Fire. When his soul manifested as the three-flame configuration, the Heavenly Fire flared forth, plugging the entrance of every acupoint housing an Ancestral Demon Tendril.
The moment the demonic energy belonging to the Demon Cave Master tried to emerge, the Heavenly Fire was ready to act. If the demonic energy managed to drag the Tendrils out of the acupoints, it would be an even greater stroke of fortune.
If that happened, Ji Changkong could not only incinerate the Master’s demonic energy but also annihilate the Ancestral Demon Tendrils simultaneously, resolving a major internal threat in one swift action!
The Demon Cave Master seemed to intuit Ji Changkong’s strategy. The demonic energy that had entered his body remained lodged within the acupoints, seemingly waiting for the Heavenly Fire to dissipate.
Simultaneously, the Master’s spiritual impressions surged into Ji Changkong’s mind.
“Impressive!” the Master’s thoughts boomed within Ji Changkong’s skull. A miniature soul replica of the Demon Cave Master suddenly flickered into existence inside.
This spectral form darted around Ji Changkong’s mental domain, scrutinizing the three-flame manifestation of Ji Changkong’s spirit, yet it dared not press deeper, nor did it dare to directly seize the soul memories.
Within each of the three flame forms, a brilliant, alien light shimmered from the core, intensely hot, resembling the True Sun Fire.
This power stemmed from the Heart of the Sun. Within that ocean of Heavenly Fire, Ji Changkong had unintentionally absorbed dozens of streams of mysterious solar power. These vital energies saturated his mind, and whenever his soul shifted into the three-flame shape, these powers embedded themselves onto the flames like scattered diamonds.
It was precisely this solar life energy clinging to the flames that gave the Demon Cave Master pause.
Though the Demon Cave Master wielded power at the peak of the Nine Palaces Heaven realm—making him one of the foremost experts in the Solar Star Field, with profound insight into soul manipulation—he hesitated to make a rash move against Ji Changkong’s three-flame spirit.
“Fire of Life!” the Demon Cave Master scoffed in Ji Changkong’s mindscape. “Brat, your luck is truly immense to have obtained so much Life Fire from the Heart of the Sun! It seems destroying your soul will indeed be troublesome.”
With that pronouncement, the Master’s spiritual impression instantly retreated from Ji Changkong’s mind.
Life Fire? Ji Changkong was stunned, realizing for the first time the vital, living power residing in his mind had such a designation.
Life Fire—the name sounded auspicious. It was precisely because of their presence that the Heavenly Fire avatars condensed by Ji Changkong possessed their own life force, capable of independent action, and even surprising degrees of intelligence.
It was also due to the Life Fire that the Demon Cave Master, who had expected to easily corrupt Ji Changkong’s soul and rapidly acquire his memories, was forced to withdraw.
The Life Fire possessed such a heaven-defying power!
Ji Changkong secretly rejoiced, immediately maintaining his three-flame spiritual form, standing still and watching the Demon Cave Master with unwavering focus. “If you cannot extract my memories directly from my soul, what else do you intend?”
He understood that within the Master’s Nine Nether Demon Grotto, even manifesting the Grand Illusionary Realm would not allow him to escape the Nine Nether Realm.
This Demon Cave Master was unlike Holy Mother Youlan. The worlds conjured by Holy Mother Youlan were riddled with flaws that Ji Changkong could easily exploit with the Grand Illusionary Realm. However, the Demon Cave Master’s Nine Nether Realm possessed not a single discernible flaw!
More accurately, at his current cultivation level, he could not locate any weakness.
Without a flaw to exploit, he could not break out of this world. Within this domain, the Demon Cave Master was the creator; he could wield the power of everything here! Here, he was a god!
Under such circumstances, how could he possibly win?
Ji Changkong knew this battle would be grueling, so he dared not relax even slightly. After the Master’s spiritual impression fled his mind, Ji Changkong maintained the Heavenly Fire blockade over all his acupoints, preventing any chance for the Master’s internal demonic energy to escape.
“It seems I must first destroy your physical body. Once your soul flies out of the shell, I can slowly use the demonic energy to refine your soul imbued with the Fire of Life,” the Demon Cave Master frowned, clearly irritated but lacking a better immediate option.
Saying this, the Demonic Eye—the divine weapon the Master had intended to use against Cao Xuanqi—suddenly materialized within the Nine Nether Realm.
The Demonic Eye manifested in the Nine Nether Realm, transforming into a massive demon bristling with countless eyes. This creature exuded an aura typically found only on Demon King-level fiends, rivaling the serpentine demon from the strange continent.
What astonished Ji Changkong further was that the demon’s soul was completely sealed within an iron cage, layered with chains—a structure designed both to imprison the soul and protect it.
“Brat, I know you understand the Requiem of the Purgatorial Ghost Clan, but their soul-destroying techniques are not omnipotent. As the Master of the Demon Cave, I am aware of secrets within the Endless Star Field. This iron cage on the demon is sufficient to prevent your Purgatorial Ghost Clan techniques and ensure the Demonic Eye remains safe from the Soul Annihilation Chant!”
Ji Changkong placed no trust in his words. Before the Master had even finished speaking, Ji Changkong unleashed the Purgatorial Ghost Clan soul technique. Six soul pillars instantly enveloped the Demonic Eye demon, and he began chanting the Soul Annihilation Chant within his spirit.
It was not entirely useless. Under the Purgatorial Ghost Clan technique, the soul within the Demonic Eye’s iron cage stirred restlessly, clearly affected by the chanting.
However, the iron cage proved remarkably effective. Whenever the demon’s soul attempted to surge out, the cage blocked it.
The iron cage within the Demonic Eye’s mental core imprisoned its soul, dulling the extinguishing effect of the Purgatorial Ghost Clan technique, preventing Ji Changkong from using it to kill the Demonic Eye.
It was precisely while Ji Changkong was employing the Purgatorial Ghost Clan’s Soul Annihilation Chant that the Demon Cave Master seized the moment and thrust his spiritual impression back into Ji Changkong’s mind!
Because he was casting the Purgatorial Ghost Clan technique, Ji Changkong’s soul form was inevitably reverted from its three-flame shape to its original, fluctuating basic spiritual form.
The Demon Cave Master seemed to have anticipated Ji Changkong’s move; perhaps this was what he desired all along. He had provoked Ji Changkong with words, deliberately tempting him to try the technique, thus creating an opening.
It seemed that despite claiming he would take his time, the Demon Cave Master had never abandoned the thought of a decisive victory!
With virtually no delay, just as Ji Changkong prepared to shift his soul form again, he realized the Master’s spiritual impression had already breached his soul!
With another soul present within his own, his spirit was no longer pure, and attempting to shift into the three-flame configuration suddenly became exceedingly difficult.
He tried to will the three flames into existence, but with a mere thought, that shape vanished.
“The Fire of Life requires a pure soul, untainted by any impurity! Brat, you are still too naive!” the Master’s mocking voice echoed from within his spirit.
With the Master’s spiritual impression lodged inside, the Demonic Eye demon outside did not remain static; instead, it lunged down upon him.
A dual assault! The Demon Cave Master was attempting to seize control of Ji Changkong’s soul psychically while simultaneously maintaining the external physical assault. If either strategy succeeded, Ji Changkong would be doomed.
Since the soul form imbued with the Fire of Life demanded purity, altering the form was now restricted. However, the Nebula Soul Refining Art of the Orphic Sect, which involved a nebula structure, presumably did not have such limitations. Thinking this, Ji Changkong abruptly changed his soul form again, attempting to manifest a nebula-like spirit.
This time, there was no difficulty. With a flicker of thought, his spiritual form immediately morphed into the nebula shape. The impression of the Demon Cave Master inside Ji Changkong’s soul suddenly became disoriented, as if lost in a sea of stars, wandering aimlessly.
The threat from the Master’s soul within was neutralized. Ji Changkong immediately focused on the attacking Demonic Eye, channeling his power into the World-Ending Gauntlets. Without hesitation, Ji Changkong conjured a massive, several-acre-wide bolt of cyan Heavenly Thunder!
As this bolt erupted, seven more cyan Heavenly Thunders shot continuously from his World-Ending Gauntlets, slamming directly into the demon known as the Demonic Eye. Simultaneously, Ji Changkong’s Dragon Glory Saber began to unleash dazzling rays of light.
Ignoring the Demon Cave Master lurking in his mindscape, Ji Changkong relentlessly bombarded the Demonic Eye. He knew this manufactured world could not hold him for long. Cao Xuanqi and Dick were fighting outside; they would not allow the Demon Cave Master unlimited time. He trusted that if he could hold out for a while, Cao Xuanqi, Dick, and his maternal grandfather, Gu Ju, would find a way to force the Master out of this realm.
Externally, with Dick and the Origin Poison joining the fray, coupled with the Master being distracted by him, the scales of victory were likely tilting subtly toward the Five Elements Continent. If he persisted, the Demon Cave Master would inevitably be forced to leave this pocket dimension to deal with the external situation.
With this thought, Ji Changkong poured even more focus into annihilating the Demonic Eye. Although this demon was also of the Demon King level, it still fell short of the serpentine demon from the strange continent.
After all, the Ancestral Demon Tendrils had once resided on that serpentine demon, and their immense power had significantly amplified that creature’s strength.
Against the Demonic Eye, Ji Changkong unleashed the full spectrum of his power, quickly gaining the upper hand. The longer the fight progressed, the more convinced Ji Changkong became that the Demon Cave Master was distracted by the external situation; otherwise, the Master would not have simply sent his soul impression into his mind without his physical body taking further action.
With the Demon Cave Master’s peak Nine Palaces Heaven realm power, and fighting within his own constructed reality, he should have had the capacity to erode his soul psychically while simultaneously striking with his main body.
The fact that he only released the Demonic Eye demon, with his true body remaining inactive for a fatal blow, must mean he was preoccupied with managing the situation outside, unable to commit his full concentration here.
Holding this belief, Ji Changkong hammered the Demonic Eye relentlessly. Under his assault, the demon was soon severely wounded and forced to retreat from this fabricated world.
With that threat gone, Ji Changkong could dedicate his attention entirely to the Demon Cave Master’s spiritual impression that had invaded his mind.
His soul shimmering in the nebula form, Ji Changkong suddenly recalled the Soul Controlling Crown, an artifact capable of amplifying soul power. The moment the idea surfaced, Ji Changkong retrieved the Celestial Origin Pearl from his hand, examining it closely, ready to summon the Soul Controlling Crown stored within.
The Celestial Origin Pearl shone brilliantly, the markings on its surface growing ever clearer. A celestial map materialized in the patterns surrounding the pearl, countless points of light flashing ceaselessly within it.
An energy beyond Ji Changkong’s current comprehension was constantly evolving inside the pearl. The interior of the Celestial Origin Pearl seemed to be undergoing an even grander transformation, one that had been ongoing for some time.
Watching the pearl’s evolution, Ji Changkong frowned. Back on the strange continent, the Celestial Origin Pearl had devoured the souls of hundreds of thousands of demons, including a Demon King-level entity. Since that moment, the pearl had been in a state of change, a transformation that continued to this day.
This evolution was consistent with the emergence of the World-Ending Gauntlets and the Soul Controlling Crown, yet this transformation was proving extraordinarily prolonged!
The souls of hundreds of thousands of demons—that was an immense reservoir of power. Even the Celestial Origin Pearl required significant time to fully refine such a vast spiritual mass.
In Ji Changkong’s estimation, once the evolution of the Celestial Origin Pearl ceased, a new divine weapon would emerge from it.
This third divine weapon residing in the pearl would clearly be even more miraculous than the World-Ending Gauntlets and the Soul Controlling Crown. He held a vague premonition that this third artifact would bring him tremendous shock.
Shaking off the distractions, he summoned the Soul Controlling Crown and placed it upon his head. As the fierce mask completely covered his features, a sudden, overwhelming surge of soul power erupted from the Celestial Origin Pearl in his hand.
The pearl flared with intense light. In Ji Changkong’s spiritual perception, the world within the Celestial Origin Pearl began to expand limitlessly; new worlds started taking shape inside it.
Concurrently, under the influence of the Soul Controlling Crown, a new wave of soul power surged into Ji Changkong’s nebula-shaped spirit.
This torrent of power swept through Ji Changkong’s nebula spirit like a force tearing through rotten cloth.
The spiritual impression of the Demon Cave Master residing within Ji Changkong’s nebula soul was instantly vaporized by this influx of power. In a single instant, that strand of the Master’s soul was utterly annihilated.
Holes opened in the heavens of the world within the Celestial Origin Pearl; within each aperture, it seemed a new reality was forming.
An indescribably wondrous energy enveloped the entire pearl. The celestial map on its surface finally sharpened to perfect clarity.
Then, the star map slowly lifted away from the pearl’s surface, spreading out flatly, and gently descending into Ji Changkong’s mind beneath the Soul Controlling Crown.
The star map pierced into Ji Changkong’s mind and merged miraculously with his nebula-shaped spirit, becoming an integral part of his soul!
From Ji Changkong’s soul outward, marvelous transformations began to unfold…
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