Nine blood dragons, each a hundred zhang long, erupted from the Longyao Saber. As they soared forth, the nine dragons slowly coiled around one another, finally enveloping the experts of the Libie Tianzong as they arrived, strangling them tight like hemp ropes.
Kaqi Lue! Lue Kaqi!
The intertwining of the nine blood dragons even produced sounds startlingly real; each dragon roared and shrieked, vivid and lifelike, their bloody aura surging skyward like beacon smoke.
The faces of the Libie Tianzong experts—the one with the long eyebrows and the square-jawed man—changed instantly. They exchanged a look and immediately split, one to the left and one to the right, preparing to meet the wild bombardment unleashed by Ji Changkong.
The long, sweeping eyebrows of the long-browed master suddenly moved. He reached down toward the sea beneath the island and snatched, manifesting a tiger shark condensed purely from seawater. It shot forth, directly blocking in front of him.
As the blood dragons surged in, the tiger shark, pure manifestation of the long-browed master's power, bore the brunt of the strangulation force. Amidst splashing water, the shark vanished swiftly, allowing the long-browed master a chance to retreat. The square-jawed man, whom the long-browed master called Senior Brother, attacked without the slightest hesitation. He formed an exquisite fayin with both hands, and a colossal, shimmering disk flew out from his palms, emanating a strange aura of division.
Several blood dragons slammed into the disk and seemed immediately affected. In an instant, the vital blood-energy of three dragons drained away completely, and those three dragons quickly dissipated.
Whether it was the long-browed master or the square-jawed man, both possessed cultivation at the peak of the Jiugong Tianshu realm. The square-jawed man, in particular, had a cultivation level no inferior to figures like the Lord of the Demon’s Den. He met Ji Changkong’s assault with a composure that bordered on unhurried.
Under the combined defense of him and the long-browed master, the Nine Dragons Overturning Heaven formation was neutralized: either the dragons’ power was exhausted and they scattered, or they were blocked by the tiger shark, failing to reach their true target.
The other two Jiugong Tianshi standing near the long-browed master were furious, having been unaffected by the Nine Dragons Overturning Heaven formation initially. Seeing the power of the nine blood dragons contained, their mounting rage drove them to suddenly bellow, "You court death!"
The Libie Tianzong was one of the eight supreme powers in the Solar Star Domain. On the Ancient Desolate Continent, it was the supreme, most formidable force among the Tianshi; any person originating from the Libie Tianzong, no matter where they traveled in the Ancient Desolate Continent, was revered and worshipped.
Subconsciously, these experts from the Libie Tianzong carried a natural sense of superiority, which had never faded, even upon arriving at the Hai Lan Continent.
In their view, the Five Elements Continent was merely an insignificant world-star. In the boundless Solar Star Domain, life-stars like the Five Elements Continent were countless, and none had ever produced any truly remarkable figures.
Consequently, they looked down on the Tianshi of the Five Elements Continent from the bottom of their hearts. Yet, here on the Hai Lan Continent, despite their leader declaring a temporary truce, Ji Changkong dared to strike—this clearly crossed their line.
For inherently arrogant people, being insulted by someone deemed lowly triggered an intense sense of humiliation, driving them to hysteria. They cast aside all concern for the rules of the Hai Lan Continent.
Thus, spurred by overwhelming shame, the two charged straight toward Ji Changkong.
Seeing the two rushing forward, Dick hesitated for barely an instant. He let out a cold snort and immediately joined the fray. The luster of his scales flashed, and a massive power derived from the essence of the stars suddenly manifested upon him.
Dick’s innate divine ability was unleashed once more.
His scales shimmered, and an exceedingly profound power erupted from Dick.
Like a gigantic magnet, the energy radiating from Dick possessed the peculiar ability to draw in the essence of all stars. Everyone nearby who had cultivated to the Jiugong Tian realm and possessed the essence of stars within their bodies was irresistibly pulled toward Dick.
Not only the two recklessly charging experts, but even the long-browed master, the square-jawed man, and even Ji Changkong and Gu Zhan were all influenced by this power, involuntarily drawn toward Dick.
Dick's innate ability completely shattered the sequence of everyone's attack!
It was only at this moment that Ji Changkong truly understood: the power of the Dark Star Clan was not solely effective against souls possessing the essence of stars. It turned out that as long as the essence of stars was present—whether contained within the soul or lodged in the body’s acupoints—it would be drawn by this force.
For a time, Dick resembled a colossal magnetic field, pulling all Jiugong Tianshi within the vicinity whose bodies contained the essence of creation toward himself.
Dick floated arrogantly in the void, his long tail striking the air, which split apart with a crisp chi-chi sound.
His scales gleamed brilliantly. Dick’s strange hands were already poised, ready to deliver merciless strikes the moment his targets drew near.
Among those present, only Li Hentian and the Primeval Poison were immune to Dick's power.
The life form of the Primeval Poison differed fundamentally from ordinary Tianshi; it required no essence of stars for cultivation. Although Li Hentian needed the essence of stars to cultivate, he had only just entered this realm and had yet to find a living star containing that essence.
Because of this, the two individuals who should have been the weakest were, under the influence of this parasitic power, paradoxically the most active.
These two were entirely unaffected by Dick’s magnetism. The Primeval Poison danced quietly within the magnetic field, spreading toxins harmful to Jiugong Tianshi. Li Hentian, naturally, showed no mercy, targeting the two Jiugong Tianshi standing closest to Dick.
“What kind of monster are you?” The long-browed master, helplessly surging toward Dick, unleashed various secret techniques of the Libie Tianzong, all aimed at him.
However, due to the effect of Dick’s scales, all forces hurled at him were deflected by the essence of stars coating the scales; not a single trace of power managed to penetrate Dick’s defense.
“Senior Brother?” The other two Jiugong Tianshi of the Libie Tianzong drew closer to Dick, unleashing the various powers of their sect, yet they could make no headway against Dick. Finally, they couldn't help but cry out in alarm.
The square-jawed man’s face darkened. Because of the sheer power he wielded, he was the least affected by Dick’s magnetic field. Although he continued to move step by step toward Dick, his speed was slow.
At this moment, seeing his two junior brothers in jeopardy, the square-jawed man finally ceased resisting the suction emanating from Dick. Instead, he accelerated his approach toward him.
A long, slender dagger appeared in the square-jawed man’s hand. This dagger was only an arm’s length long, entirely jade-green, its surface etched with patterns resembling lake water and vegetation. As the dagger swept out, a fresh, rich aroma drifted forth, invigorating the senses. However, as the dagger neared Dick, it became thinner and thinner until it was as delicate as a blade of paper, no thicker than a fingernail.
An extremely sharp blade-light suddenly shot out from the jade-green dagger, now thin as a fingernail. Upon emerging, this blade-light did not immediately cleave toward Dick; instead, as if embodying the principles of heaven and earth, it carved a magnificent, sweeping arc through the void.
Jade waves rippled, the lake water appeared clear, and a marvelous painting gradually materialized as the blade-light traversed the space.
This was a miraculous realm!
Dick’s magnetism, which affected the essence of stars within everyone's body, vanished without a trace the moment this scene appeared, as if the blade-light had instantly severed every magnetic field emanating from Dick.
The other two Libie Tianzong experts, who were about to collide with Dick, froze strangely in mid-air, then suddenly shifted their attack toward Ji Changkong and Gu Fu, who were beside Dick.
The battle instantly ignited.
Dick, Gu Bang, Ji Changkong, Li Hentian, and the Primeval Poison immediately plunged into a chaotic melee with the four Libie Tianzong experts.
Gu Bang, as expected, made the long-browed master his target. Ji Changkong had originally intended to engage the square-jawed man, but that man seemed uninterested in fighting him, directing all his power toward Dick.
It was evident that the square-jawed man intended to use his own strength to prevent Dick from continuing to deploy the field that affected everyone. He understood that Dick’s power could alter the entire battlefield's dynamic, and he knew he was the only one capable of nullifying Dick’s influence.
Therefore, he abandoned challenging Ji Changkong and turned his attention to Dick.
Ji Changkong had no choice but to join forces with Li Hentian to face the other two Jiugong Tianshi from the Libie Tianzong. Although these two had also cultivated their acupoints using the power of the essence of stars, they were far from refining all their acupoints.
Their bodies only had one-quarter of their acupoints refined by the essence of stars—considerably inferior to Gu Fu and the long-browed master—but they were clearly superior to Li Hentian.
By ordinary standards, these two should have easily gained the upper hand against Ji Changkong and Li Hentian. This was because, despite Ji Changkong’s acupoints being filled with the essence of stars, he hadn't managed to fully refine a single one.
In fact, Ji Changkong hadn't devoted time to refining the essence of stars lately.
In this light, Ji Changkong should only be counted as an entry-level Jiugong Tianshi, theoretically far below either of those two experts.
But reality is often unpredictable.
When Ji Changkong unleashed his full power—the Nine Styles of the Blood Dragon, the World-Ending Gauntlets, the Longyao, the Yuhun Crown, all stacked together, augmented by the endless power erupting from the Tianyuan Pearl within his body—when they truly engaged, those two realized what a terrifying monster they had encountered!
Their strikes met Ji Changkong’s head-on, and in almost an instant, they were blasted backward by the sheer ferocity of Ji Changkong’s power, with no room for recovery!
They could never have imagined that Ji Changkong, newly entered into the Jiugong Tian realm, could unleash such terrifying force! No matter how hard they tried or exerted their full strength, once Ji Changkong closed the distance, they felt as if they were being stalked by a ferocious beast.
Up close, Ji Changkong was like a maddened demon. His movements unleashed power capable of shattering mountains and splitting the earth; his speed was lightning-fast, his movement elusive as a phantom.
It was precisely because of Ji Changkong’s dominance that Li Hentian, a true beginner who hadn't refined a single acupoint, was spared from bearing too much pressure, needing only to seize opportunities to lend one or two assisting strikes at the opportune moment.
The fierce clash instantly reverberated across the Hai Lan Continent. Jiugong Tianshi! And Jiugong Tianshi from foreign lands! The ripples caused by the confrontation of masters at this level could be keenly sensed by any Tianshi who had cultivated a Divine Soul.
The Tianshi cultivating on the Easternmost Immortal Island of the Hai Lan Continent sensed the terrifying wave of power emanating from Misty Island. Some sects closest to Misty Island could see the gigantic waves surging toward them and observe the strange noises in the sky as the powers collided.
Without the slightest hesitation, any expert on the Hai Lan Continent who sensed unusual activity on Misty Island converged on the location, wanting to witness which powerful masters were dueling on their continent.
In an instant, the entire Tianshi world of the Hai Lan Continent erupted in excitement. Swarms of experts converged from all directions toward the center of the conflict.
Xiao Man, who had previously blocked Ji Changkong’s party from entering, had rushed into the seven-colored glow in a panic the moment Ji Changkong made his move without hesitation, presumably to report to the senior management of the Shang Clan within Misty Island.
Before the local Hai Lan Continent experts could arrive one by one, another group appeared: three individuals, all bald, each bearing an identical, strange mountain peak tattooed on their heads.
It was peculiar: three bald men, with identical mountain tattoos on their scalps. Standing together, all three were at the Jiugong Tian realm.
The first, a stout, broad-faced bald man, merely glanced at the scene upon arrival before crying out in shock, "Tuo Hui! Long Mei!"
“Ah? Wasn’t Tuo Hui just made the new Sect Master of the Libie Tianzong? His strength should have been sufficient for that position. Who is he fighting?” A smaller bald man behind the stout one asked in surprise.
“Who knows.” The large bald man stared at Dick with a strange expression. “What is this monster? Why is it here? This creature’s aura is bizarre; it’s clearly different from our life form. Why is it fighting Tuo Hui?”
“Hey, those bald guys? Aren’t they from Golden Net Mountain?” Some Hai Lan Continent experts familiar with the basic landscape of the Solar Star Domain exclaimed, pointing at the three bald men.
“Yes, they are from Golden Net Mountain! The one fighting is Tuo Hui, the new Sect Master of the Libie Tianzong. Those four over there—Tuo Hui, Long Mei—they are all from the Libie Tianzong.” Someone pointed at Tuo Hui and the long-browed master, confirming, “I just hosted them recently; those four are from the Libie Tianzong, invited by the Shang Clan.”
“And who are the people fighting the Libie Tianzong? Haven’t seen them before?”
“No idea. These people are unfamiliar. They certainly aren’t from the Flower Sect, because people from Flower Sect usually bear some kind of floral insignia, and their attacks manifest as blooming flowers everywhere. These people are definitely not Flower Sect!”
“Then which continent could they be from? The three strongest forces invited to the Shang Clan this time were the Libie Tianzong, Golden Net Mountain, and the Flower Sect. Aside from these three, the rest are forces far inferior to the Shang Clan. Logically, there shouldn't be any other power capable of confronting the Libie Tianzong.”
“Right! The Libie Tianzong is famous throughout the Solar Star Domain. In recent years, they’ve gradually surpassed the Shang Clan, becoming stronger than both Golden Net Mountain and the Flower Sect. How could anyone dare provoke them?”
“Those people... are from the Five Elements Continent. That youth is called Ji Changkong!” A gossipy Tianshi who had once hosted Ji Changkong promptly clarified the identities of Ji Changkong and his group.
The moment this was announced, the entire Tianshi realm of the Hai Lan Continent exploded into an uproar.
“What, the Five Elements Continent? Have you heard of this life-star? I don’t recall hearing about this continent.”
“Me neither. I only know the continents where the Eight Great Powers reside. This Five Elements Continent must be some obscure backwater, probably without any reputation.”
“I’ve heard a little. When I was at the Heart of the Moon, I met a Tianshi from the Five Elements Continent. They seem to be in the region of the Big Dipper Star Domain. It’s true, they are quite obscure; it seems no Shifang Tianshi has emerged from there in a thousand years.”
“What? How dare a Tianshi from such a place be so bold as to fight the people from the Libie Tianzong? Do they not wish to live?”
“But they don’t seem to be losing ground! The Five Elements Continent... I’ll remember this place. This ordinary life-star cannot be underestimated!”
For a moment, the surroundings were filled with the clamor of discussions among the Hai Lan Continent experts. The three bald men from Golden Net Mountain exchanged glances, their faces filled with confusion, staring intently at Ji Changkong and Gu Bang’s party, seemingly weighing the true strength of Ji Changkong’s group in secret.
“It seems we have underestimated the capabilities of some minor life-stars. A life-star capable of producing so many powerful experts is certainly a place worthy of attention.” After observing for a while, the stout bald man said gravely to the two smaller bald men beside him.
The two smaller bald men, having observed for some time, nodded, their expressions serious; they clearly regarded Ji Changkong’s group as worthy opponents.
While everyone watched silently, suddenly, the seven-colored glow above Misty Island split open, and a group of people hurried out. An old woman, spirit and energy sharp, rushed forth, shouting, “Stop! Everyone stop!”
Upon seeing the old woman emerge, the Libie Tianzong members hesitated, appearing ready to cease hostilities. However, Ji Changkong ignored her, continuing his relentless assault on the two, beating the two Jiugong Tianshi of the Libie Tianzong until they spat blood and fled in disarray.
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