The scent of the mountain flowers, the great rice-head of Jīnwǎng Mountain, all demonstrated an intent to negotiate with Xuānyuán Zhī Bǔ. Seeing how eager both sides were, it was clear they didn't wish to linger on the Hǎilán Continent for another moment.

These two supreme powers, who had originally been invited by the Shāng Family, suddenly leaving at this juncture—wouldn't that be slapping the Shāng Family in the face in full view of everyone?

What the Shāng Family found even harder to swallow was that, under Dīkè's descriptions, some of the Nine Palace Heavenly Masters on the Hǎilán Continent who previously followed the Shāng Family’s lead were now showing expressions of intense interest.

For any Heavenly Master who had not reached the peak of the Nine Palace Heaven realm, the opportunity to not worry about the essence of the stars was an irresistible lure.

The Shāng Family members clearly recognized this.

The Nine Palace Heavenly Masters of the Hǎilán Continent, who were originally preparing to make a move against Jī Chángkōng and his group under the urging of the Old Madam Shāng, now wore faces full of anticipation, their eyes glittering, all wandering between Biān Kè and Jī Chángkōng, looking as if they wanted to discuss terms.

For a moment, it seemed as if all the experts of the Hǎilán Continent were causing problems in the eyes of the Old Madam Shāng.

Faced with benefits that were impossible to resist, the Shāng Family’s authority was challenged for the first time!

This absolutely would not do!

The Old Madam Shāng realized the gravity of the situation. At this critical juncture, without waiting for the Nine Palace Heavenly Master named Shāng Bīngjié to return, she coughed lightly. She forced an extremely awkward smile onto her face and said with embarrassment, "Well, since everyone is already on Misty Isle, why don't we discuss things here? Wouldn't it be a waste of time to rush off to the Five Elements Continent from here?"

"That's right, that's right. We can talk wherever; it’s better to talk here on our Hǎilán Continent."

"Please come in, please come in. Our Hǎilán Continent is the most hospitable. We can discuss anything. Since you're here, why not spend some time on our Hǎilán Continent?"

"Exactly, exactly. It’s rare for you to visit, don't be in a hurry to leave. Our Yúnfēng Mountain highly respects all of you."

"Our Tiānyún Sea Domain boasts beautiful scenery. You can take a tour over there too."

Some of the Heavenly Master experts from the Hǎilán Continent, before Jī Chángkōng could speak, began inviting them one after another, their faces plastered with fawning smiles.

The Old Madam Shāng felt rage surging to the heavens, yet she was helpless; she still had to maintain a smile.

"No need. Misty Isle does not welcome us. We were just denied entry when we tried to go in. This place is not hospitable to us; there’s no point in staying," Jī Chángkōng replied, his gaze sweeping past the young girl named Xiǎo Mán.

Xiǎo Mán, who had been acting so aggressively moments before, looked completely flustered. She stepped forward pitifully, tears welling in her eyes, pleading, "It was my fault for being disrespectful to the honored guests. You can punish me however you like."

The Old Madam Shāng glared fiercely at Xiǎo Mán, seemingly wanting to vent the anger in her heart through her. "Blind thing! You can’t even tell an honored guest apart! Just wait to see how I deal with you later!"

"It has nothing to do with her," Jī Chángkōng frowned, seemingly pondering something.

Just then, a figure flew from within Misty Isle. Clad in long, plain white robes, with a cool expression, her long ponytail trailing behind her, she descended through the air with peerless grace.

Shāng Bīngjié.

She stepped through the air, her eyelashes fluttering, appearing somewhat unable to believe what she saw. Her bright eyes shone, gazing at Jī Chángkōng from afar. After a long moment, she whispered, "It's you?"

As soon as these words fell, Shāng Bīngjié’s face, as white and delicate as jade, suddenly flushed. She seemed to recall something and became somewhat ill at ease.

Behind Shāng Bīngjié was the Nine Palace Heavenly Master from the Shāng Family who had gone to find her earlier. This Shāng Family Nine Palace Heavenly Master looked distressed and secretly shook his head at the Old Madam Shāng, as if conveying that he had failed to persuade the young mistress.

"It is I." For some reason, upon seeing Shāng Bīngjié, Jī Chángkōng felt a little guilty. He, who had been so imposing moments before, became somewhat timid and shrinking, as if he owed Shāng Bīngjié silver.

"What are you here for?" Shāng Bīngjié walked straight over, ignoring everyone else beside her. By the time she stood before Jī Chángkōng, her face had returned to coldness. "Are you here to cause trouble for our Shāng Family?"

"No." He shook his head, Jī Chángkōng let out a wry smile, thinking to himself that this girl was even more beautiful and moving in person than in her spirit form—a beauty that transcended the mundane, one that made people feel inadequate from the depths of their hearts.

"Oh." Shāng Bīngjié looked indifferent. "If you aren't here to cause trouble, then you should just leave..."

With that, Shāng Bīngjié turned to go, seemingly having no intention of exchanging another word with Jī Chángkōng.

"Bīngjié!" The Old Madam Shāng and the three other Shāng Family experts couldn't help but shout when they saw her attitude.

Shāng Bīngjié ignored them all, her face utterly devoid of emotion, as if she hadn't heard the calls from her elders. She turned impassively and began walking back toward Misty Isle.

Watching Shāng Bīngjié's graceful back and the complete lack of fluctuation in her expression, Jī Chángkōng suddenly felt his heart fill with bitterness, as if something precious was slipping further and further away from him.

"Uh..." He opened his mouth, and Jī Chángkōng suddenly felt his voice grow dry. As he watched Shāng Bīngjié's figure disappear into the white jade pavilions inside Misty Isle, he finally couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. "Let's go. It seems no one really welcomes us."

Shāng Bīngjié's coldness had extinguished all of Jī Chángkōng's enthusiasm. He truly hadn't expected Shāng Bīngjié, whose soul had once merged with his within the Heart of the Sun, to behave with such indifference when finally facing him in person. The way Shāng Bīngjié looked at him was like looking at a complete stranger.

This deeply stung Jī Chángkōng. He suddenly felt that coming to the Hǎilán Continent had been a mistake. In that instant, everything seemed to become pointless.

Could it be that, in her heart, the soul merging within the Heart of the Sun was merely a mistake? In her eyes, had he always been nothing more than an insignificant character?

A string of thoughts flashed through his mind. Jī Chángkōng’s brow furrowed deeply, and his chest felt tight with emotion.

Gǔ Chán and Lì Hèntiān had been watching him and Shāng Bīngjié with cold detachment. From Jī Chángkōng’s expression, these two could tell that there must have been something between him and Shāng Bīngjié. However, given Shāng Bīngjié's current display of indifference, they understood that whatever might have been between them before was likely over now.

"Let’s go," Gǔ Yá said, patting Jī Chángkōng’s shoulder. "If this place doesn't want us, there are plenty of other places that will. Chángkōng, I heard there are many beautiful young ladies waiting for you back on our continent. Heh heh, your old grandpa is getting on in years. When we return this time, I must properly vet them for you, eh? It’s time for you to marry and have children."

Jī Chángkōng was stunned, managing only a wry smile. "Grandpa, what are you talking about?"

Gǔ Yá chuckled. "Let’s go. When we get back, I'll look into things for you and arrange your marriage. You child, you have so many confidantes, yet you never tell your old grandpa! You make me have to inquire myself!"

Jī Chángkōng felt utterly bewildered. Gǔ Yá had never spoken to him like this before. At a moment when he was feeling deeply disheartened, Gǔ Yá suddenly said such a thing, leaving him confused and completely uninterested.

"Yes, on our Five Elements Continent, several girls are very fond of Chángkōng. Right now, in Xuānyuán Valley, there are a few girls who are clinging on and refusing to leave. This matter really does need to be settled quickly," Lì Hèntiān also nodded, acting as if this was an urgent matter.

Gǔ Yá and Lì Hèntiān both possessed cultivation at the Nine Palace Heaven realm. When they spoke, their voices weren't loud, but they carried across the entire Misty Isle; it would be difficult for any nearby Heavenly Masters not to hear them.

Jī Chángkōng didn't know whether to laugh or cry, unable to understand why these two were suddenly acting so strangely. But he didn't say much. Feeling somewhat sad inside, he just wanted to leave this place that brought him no joy as quickly as possible.

"Let's go, we're leaving."

Turning around, he smiled at Lánfēn and the big bald man. Jī Chángkōng was about to fly away from Misty Isle.

"You are not allowed to leave!"

To everyone's surprise, Shāng Bīngjié, who had already retreated into Misty Isle, suddenly reappeared from somewhere. Standing atop a piercingly white jade pagoda, she declared coldly, "You harmed someone on my Misty Isle, and you think you can just leave?"

The suppressed anger in Jī Chángkōng’s heart suddenly flared up. He snorted coldly. "What do you want?"

Shāng Bīngjié froze for a moment, seemingly unprepared for Jī Chángkōng’s sudden anger. However, after only a slight pause, she asserted forcefully, "Harming someone in our Shāng Family is unacceptable!"

"Auntie Bīng," the Old Madam Shāng pleaded with a pained expression, "Stop causing trouble. Look at the time."

"In any case, he is not allowed to leave!" Shāng Bīngjié coldly snorted, ignoring even her own mother’s words.

Gǔ Yá and Lì Hèntiān exchanged another glance, their expressions growing increasingly peculiar. Even the Original Poison let out a strange chuckle, clearly ready to watch the show unfold.

Lánfēn and the big bald man from Jīnwǎng Mountain seemed to sense the history between Shāng Bīngjié and Jī Chángkōng. Both let out wry smiles, thinking: It looks like they really can't leave today.

Just as they suspected, after a brief moment of anger, Jī Chángkōng suddenly calmed down, shrugged, and said, "If I’m not allowed to leave, then I won't leave. I'd like to see what you can do to me."

As soon as these words were spoken, before Shāng Bīngjié could react, the expressions of the other experts from the Hǎilán Continent shifted, revealing peculiar smiles and looks of sudden understanding.

"Since you are staying, why don't you come to our Shāng Family for a proper chat?" The Old Madam Shāng finally felt a weight lifted from her chest, forcing another awkward smile onto her face.

"Fine," Gǔ Yá replied on Jī Chángkōng’s behalf.

Dīkè looked utterly perplexed. He glanced at Gǔ Yá, then at Jī Chángkōng, and asked doubtfully, "Why the sudden change? Why aren't we leaving anymore?"

"Heh heh, don't ask so many questions, you wouldn't understand," the Original Poison replied, shooting Dīkè a sideways glance with a grin.

Tuō Hūn watched the situation take a massive turn, his face turning ashen. He first glared fiercely at Chángméi, then said to the Old Madam Shāng, "We have matters to attend to; we'll take our leave first!"

Tuō Hūn was relatively perceptive. Seeing that Jī Chángkōng's party was suddenly being welcomed by the entire Hǎilán Continent, Tuō Hūn immediately realized that his group had likely been relegated to the cold palace. Staying in the Hǎilán Continent now would only lead to self-humiliation.

Upon hearing Tuō Hūn announce their departure, Jī Chángkōng snorted through his nose, casting a hostile glance at Tuō Hūn, seeming to signal his readiness to continue the confrontation.

At this moment, Gǔ Yá gently patted his shoulder and whispered, "The timing is not right."

Jī Chángkōng paused, then nodded slightly, saying no more.

The Old Madam Shāng looked from Tuō Hūn to Jī Chángkōng, clearly conflicted about whom to try and keep.

"Oh, then please take your leave. We won't see you out," in the end, the Old Madam Shāng chose Jī Chángkōng’s side over the other.

The prospect of not having to worry about the Nine Palace cultivation related to the Star Realm, and the ability to injure the Lord of the Demon Cave—these two attractions made the Old Madam Shāng realize that Jī Chángkōng and his group held greater value than Tuō Hūn and his Lìbié Heavenly Sect.

Under her words, Tuō Hūn’s eyes showed immense humiliation. Clearly, the Old Madam Shāng’s statement had greatly angered Tuō Hūn.

However, Tuō Hūn also knew that this was the Hǎilán Continent, and he understood that the strength of their four people was insufficient to cause any major ripples here.

Therefore, although Tuō Hūn harbored resentment, he didn't say a word, merely nodding before leading Chángméi and the two injured Nine Palace Heavenly Masters away in a sorry state, without even setting foot on Misty Isle.

Those two individuals injured by Jī Chángkōng and Lì Hèntiān shot looks of undisguised hatred at Jī Chángkōng and Lì Hèntiān before leaving, as if they wished to devour them alive.

"Heh heh, you probably won't ever get the chance," the Original Poison muttered in a low voice after the Lìbié Heavenly Sect members departed, laughing eerily.

"Please," after the Lìbié Heavenly Sect left, the Old Madam Shāng personally adopted a posture of deference, gesturing for Jī Chángkōng and his group to enter Misty Isle.

With matters having come to this, some issues had been resolved satisfactorily. Although Jī Chángkōng still held some reservations about the Old Madam Shāng's purely self-interested behavior, in consideration of the larger plan, he didn't press the issue deliberately.

Thus, under the enthusiastic invitation of the Shāng Family, the entire party entered the celestial Misty Isle, led by the Shāng Family to a row of exquisite and magnificent buildings made entirely of white jade in the island's center.

During this procession, Shāng Bīngjié kept a stern face, watching Jī Chángkōng coldly, her eyes flickering with unspoken thoughts.

Jī Chángkōng ignored her completely, pretending not to see her, and instead conversed with the big bald man and Lánfēn, the courtesan from Fēihuā, who were beside him.

The coldness on Shāng Bīngjié's face intensified as time passed, as if she were suppressing the fury in her heart, occasionally letting out a sharp hum.

Finally, led by the Old Madam Shāng, the group arrived at the Shāng Family's main hall of deliberation. The hall was circular, supported by nine massive, towering stone pillars. The floor was covered in soft, tanned animal-hide carpets, and the white jade walls were carved with various beautiful patterns.

As soon as they were seated on the smooth, circular platform, the Old Madam Shāng clapped her hands, and rows of delicacies from the Hǎilán Continent flew in through the void, suspending themselves before each person within easy reach. Many of the Hǎilán Continent's delicacies were vastly different from those on the Five Elements Continent, especially the fruits, which were bizarre and strange: watermelons shining pure white, cherries the color of tender green, and fruits as large as millstones—a dazzling array floating beside them.

The Shāng Family members politely explained the differences between these fruits and snacks, prioritizing hospitality over business, repeatedly urging everyone to taste them.

Jī Chángkōng and his group accepted without ceremony, understanding that the Shāng Family was extending an olive branch. He reached out, took some of the floating fruits and pastries, and began to eat heartily.

Perhaps intentionally arranged by the Old Madam Shāng, Shāng Bīngjié was seated right next to Jī Chángkōng. Her beautiful eyes kept darting toward him, and she ground her teeth audibly.

Paying her no mind, Jī Chángkōng conversed with Lánfēn beside him, exchanging opinions on the various foods. Lánfēn smiled charmingly, seemingly very interested in Jī Chángkōng. A few words exchanged would result in a string of bell-like laughter as they conversed happily.

Watching Jī Chángkōng converse so animatedly with Lánfēn, the anger in Shāng Bīngjié’s heart grew stronger, and the expression on her face became even colder.

After a while, the Old Madam Shāng sensed that the atmosphere had relaxed slightly and then smiled faintly. "It is truly an honor to have you cross realms to grace Misty Isle. My granddaughter has been exceptionally gifted since childhood..."

She first delivered a round of pleasantries. Noticing that everyone seemed uninterested in these formalities, the Old Madam became slightly awkward before continuing, "Since our Shāng Family learned from our ancestors how to traverse the realms using the spatial turbulence domain, we have always been worried about the ambitious forces in our star domain—for example, the Heavenly Slaughter, the Demon Cave, and the Death Pact. These three major forces have always acted with impunity in the Sun Star Domain, deriving pleasure from hunting souls from other continents on the living and dead stars through their spirit bodies."

"In the past, because their physical bodies could not cross over, although their spirits posed a great threat to all of us, they could not threaten the living stars where we reside. However, now they have also learned the method of utilizing the spatial turbulence domain. This means we are likely to suffer."

"Therefore, to resist the invasion of these evil forces, we must unite. Otherwise, our living star... will surely be ravaged, becoming a place enslaved by these evil forces. What do you all think?"

Present at the meeting, besides the experts from Xuānyuán Valley, Jīnwǎng Mountain, and Fēihuā, were masters from other living stars. The living stars they hailed from were not as powerful as the Hǎilán Continent and did not possess as many supreme experts. They were most worried about the invasion of those evil forces.

Hearing the Old Madam speak, these individuals were the first to voice their opinions, shouting that everyone must stand together against a common foe, demanding that the defenses be strengthened so that the evil forces could not enter.

"Why must we always think only of defending?" Jī Chángkōng suddenly interjected. "The Lord of the Demon Cave is already injured, Xiǎo Yù is even more severely wounded, and Hàn Tiān and Cán Láng are dead. The Demon Cave is currently at its weakest. Knowing they harbor ill intent, why don't we launch an offensive and eliminate the threat of the Demon Cave first?"

The faces of the assembled group subtly changed upon hearing this. They thought: This boy is indeed ruthless!