There have always been those who cling to life and fear death. Whenever their own lives face impending doom, they resort to hysterical actions.
Clearly, this fellow belonged to that ilk.
Upon hearing that the masters of Tianlu and the Death Pact were about to launch a massive invasion, this man realized his family’s defenses were inadequate. A different scheme immediately took root in his mind: to preserve his own life, others could easily be sacrificed.
Most lamentably, people of his sort were not one or two in number.
After that man spoke, a chilling killing intent suddenly erupted in Ji Changkong’s heart. He felt utter fury toward these people, suddenly thinking that uniting with them to oppose Tianlu and the Death Pact seemed like a joke.
“Yes, Elder Changmei is clearly here for Xuanyuan Valley. As long as the people of Xuanyuan Valley leave, Changmei likely won’t trouble the Shang Family.”
“Mhm, if the people from Xuanyuan Valley are not on Misty Isle, Changmei and those others probably won’t come to Misty Isle. Perhaps they’ll search for you elsewhere, maybe even heading to the Five Elements Continent.”
Many agreed with his sentiment. At this moment, a few others began murmuring quietly.
Ji Changkong’s rage surged to the heavens, yet he suddenly fell silent.
He wanted to see just how many of these shameless individuals there were, to see what role the Shang Family would play. Only by seeing through their true colors could he decide how to proceed later.
Good, recognizing the true face of these people sooner is a blessing. If he discovered it during actual confrontation, the blow would be far greater.
Thinking this, Ji Changkong suppressed the anger churning inside him, gazing coldly at these people without uttering a word.
Gu Bang, Li Hentian, and the others all frowned deeply, looks of disgust clouding their faces. They were clearly profoundly disappointed in these people as well.
“We cannot allow the Xuanyuan Valley to endanger all of us, don’t you agree?”
“Right, if you voluntarily leave Xuanyuan Valley, I believe Changmei and those others definitely won’t bother Misty Isle anymore. Old Madam, what do you say?”
Suddenly, everyone’s gaze fell upon the Shang Family’s Old Madam.
She was the current mistress of the Shang Family, and at this critical juncture, her words held decisive weight. On Misty Isle, the Shang Family’s power was currently the greatest, after all, this was their territory.
Her opinion was paramount now; it could even determine whether Ji Changkong and his party stayed or left!
“Grandmother!” Shang Bingjie happened to return just then, crying out involuntarily.
“It’s useless. Tianlu and the Death Pact moving together clearly isn’t just about Xuanyuan Valley. Even if the people of Xuanyuan Valley depart, Misty Isle cannot avoid this matter.” The wrinkles on the Old Madam’s face twitched slightly as she frowned deeply. “The ambitions of Tianlu and the Death Pact are known to all; their objective is not merely the Star of Life, but absolute control over the entire Solar Star Domain.”
Although the Old Madam was driven by profit, she possessed broad perspective. She knew that even if the people of Xuanyuan Valley were driven out now, Misty Isle would still face a massive invasion.
Once she spoke, those individuals from other Stars of Life who had been clamoring to abandon Xuanyuan Valley immediately lowered their heads. Some might not have agreed with the Old Madam’s view, but when the leader had spoken, they ceased their demands.
Ji Changkong coldly observed those people, secretly marking their faces and soul signatures, thinking: You will have cause to seek my help!
“Everyone, prepare yourselves. Although the ancient arrays protecting Misty Isle are robust enough, I have no certainty how long they can hold against the combined arrival of Tianlu and Death Pact masters,” the Old Madam sighed softly, murmuring low, “This battle is inevitable. All we can do is give it our all!”
The crowd fell silent, standing with the Shang Family members atop the highest peak of Misty Isle, Tianlong Peak, gazing into the distance.
After a world-shattering transformation, the entire Misty Isle had become unrecognizable. However, when the Shang Family Old Madam arrived at Tianlong Peak, with just a wave of her hand, the layers of colorful clouds that had veiled the sky above Misty Isle seemed to be wiped away. The exterior of Misty Isle was instantly revealed to everyone’s sight.
It was as if the veil covering the heavens above Misty Isle had been casually torn away by the Old Madam. Those within Misty Isle could clearly see the outside landscape.
Outside Misty Isle, the sky was weighed down by dark clouds. A suffocating, evil power was rapidly approaching beneath the evening glow.
The Master of Tianlu, wearing a smiling mask, and the leader of the Death Pact, resembling a phantom, appeared in the distance under the guidance of Changmei. Rolling black clouds converged, and the group seemed to be riding those clouds from above, blotting out the twilight glow.
Soon, led by Changmei, this contingent appeared above Misty Isle, looking down upon it. Changmei, standing at the fore, pointed towards the island below and addressed the Master of Tianlu and the Death Pact Leader with apparent deference: “That monster is within Misty Isle.”
“We only require the individual from the Dark Star Clan and those few from Xuanyuan Valley. If you send them out, before your Shang Family, Flying Flower Sect, or Golden Net Mountain take any action detrimental to us, we will not engage you. You have fifteen minutes to consider.” The Master of Tianlu’s voice was stiff, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, as if passing judgment that tolerated no rebuttal. “Isn’t that right? I knew it! The purpose of Tianlu and the Death Pact coming here is solely for Xuanyuan Valley; we have nothing to do with this!” The man who had been the most eager to dismiss Xuanyuan Valley suddenly became animated. Those who had previously agreed with him nodded repeatedly, urgently looking toward the Shang Family Old Madam, urging her to decide quickly in this manner.
These individuals all hailed from remote, minor Stars of Life. Their home stars were deficient in cultivation resources, and their experts were extremely limited—inferior even to the Five Elements Continent.
These people held an instinctual fear of supreme powers like Tianlu and the Death Pact within the Solar Star Domain.
They had come at the Shang Family’s invitation hoping to gain their assistance to overcome their difficulties and avoid becoming mere puppets of Tianlu and the Death Pact. However, when the moment arrived, upon seeing the masters of Tianlu and the Death Pact descend, the deep-seated terror within their hearts overwhelmed any thought of resistance.
“You are truly pitiful.” Ji Changkong let out a dry laugh, shaking his head with mockery. “With a mindset like yours, I don’t know how you ever managed to reach the Ninth Palace Heaven realm.”
“It’s just that they’ve lived long, averaging five hundred years old. When they were young,” Meng Gang said softly from behind Ji Changkong, “they weren’t so timid and afraid of trouble. The older they get, the more fearful they become. It’s truly tragic that after living so long, they still haven't found enough Star Essence to cultivate.”
Meng Gang had previously been responsible for hosting these experts from other Stars of Life. Through all the Shang Family's records, he had some understanding of them. He knew that they had broken through to the Ninth Palace Heaven realm long ago. In those days, they were all spirited and high-strung, knowing no fear in the face of anything.
However, after reaching the Ninth Palace Heaven realm, they discovered how scarce suitable cultivation grounds were within the Solar Star Domain. The one or two Stars of Life they occasionally found were usually already occupied by the Eight Great Supreme Powers of the Solar Star Domain. Many had even been besieged and attacked by other factions while drifting through the Solar Star Domain.
Gradually, those fearless individuals whose edges were sharp and who feared nothing were worn down by repeated setbacks over the long passage of time. Their original sharpness was blunted, their inner courage vanished, and their entire mentality underwent a dramatic reversal.
“Five hundred years old…” Ji Changkong smiled and slowly nodded. “No wonder. Even if these people obtained Star Essence and perfected their acupoints, so what? Is there any hope for them to break through to the Tenth Direction Heaven realm in this lifetime? Haha!”
Ji Changkong’s words were neither loud nor quiet; everyone on Tianlong Peak could hear them.
The few he mocked saw their complexions flicker between ashen and white. Though somewhat ashamed, they masked their feelings with expressions of anger, glaring coldly at Ji Changkong, as if to say: Stubborn until the very end!
“Our enemy is them,” the Shang Family Old Madam finally exploded in anger, glaring at those few timid individuals. She snorted, “Do you truly believe they will spare you? Just think about the way Tianlu and the Death Pact operate; you will understand what they’ll do to you after they kill the people of Xuanyuan Valley!”
Ji Changkong looked at the Old Madam with slight surprise; his impression of her improved slightly.
Indeed! She would do anything for the benefit of the Shang Family, disregarding sentimentality and focusing only on profit! But, she could at least discern the broader trend and knew how to act most advantageously for the Shang Family and herself in times of danger.
No wonder she could become the mistress of the Shang Family, and no wonder the Shang Family could become one of the Eight Great Supreme Powers of the Solar Star Domain. With her here, the Shang Family would not fall into major chaos.
After reprimanding those individuals, the Old Madam suddenly soared into the void, facing the people of Tianlu and the Death Pact with only layers of invisible barriers between them. She snorted coldly, “This is Misty Isle. No matter who it is, anyone wishing harm upon our Misty Isle must pay a price!”
“We only want the people from Xuanyuan Valley and that Dark Star Clan member!” the Master of Tianlu repeated.
“Bullshit! Stop playing those games,” the Old Madam roared impatiently, sneering. “Don’t try those petty tricks of breaking us down one by one in front of this old woman. If you have the guts, fight your way in; otherwise, get out of the Hailan Continent!”
The Master of Tianlu was silent for a moment. The cold, evil eyes beneath the large, smiling mask suddenly erupted with endless killing intent. He nodded and stated, “Tear down the defenses, leaving nothing alive.”
The eerie, ghost-fire-like pupils of the Death Pact Leader suddenly emitted cold flames. He separated from the Master of Tianlu, taking the few specters behind him, and moved to the opposite side of Misty Isle.
The Master of Tianlu unhurriedly took a strange beast resembling a rat from his robes. The beast shimmered with dark light and possessed three small eyes: one red, one green, and one purple. As the beast emerged from the Master of Tianlu’s robes, the three eyes suddenly shone with red, green, and purple light.
The beast, originally the size of a rat, slowly writhed and began to shrink. In a short while, it was no bigger than a fingertip, and it crawled onto the layers of defensive barriers above Misty Isle.
The fingertip-sized beast perched upon the defense layers, opened its mouth, and bit down on the barrier.
Suddenly, the dense Heavenly Yuan Qi gathered on Misty Isle began to flow away at an extremely rapid pace. Meanwhile, the finger-sized, rat-shaped beast rapidly grew larger.
In just this short period, the fingertip-sized beast swelled to the size of a tiger.
Flashes of electric light flickered around its sharp jaws. The dense Heavenly Yuan Qi seemed drawn by its gaping maw, originating—
“Not good!” A Ninth Palace Heaven expert from the Shang Family exclaimed. “The power of the twelve-layered defenses has lost its support from the Heavenly Yuan Qi. It’s—it’s breaking!”
The Old Madam’s expression shifted abruptly, and she shouted, “How is this possible?”
The members of the Shang Family, along with the experts from other Stars of Life, all turned pale, watching helplessly as the strange beast ferociously devoured the Heavenly Yuan Qi of Misty Isle, gnawing through the Shang Family’s thousand-year defensive barrier layer by layer.
No one knew the name of this strange beast, but their hearts turned to ice, and their fear of the Master of Tianlu intensified.
“Sky-Swallowing Rat!” Po Ke muttered, turning his Soul-Capturing Plate, his eyes also blazing with astonishment.
Hearing Po Ke’s words, everyone turned their gaze to Dick, seemingly hoping he could provide an answer.
“The Sky-Swallowing Rat is a strange beast from the Abandoned Lands of the Dead Star Domain. One Sky-Swallowing Rat can devour all the Heavenly Yuan Qi on an entire Star of Life! The Sky-Swallowing Rat is a terrifying beast from the Abandoned Lands; after swallowing Heavenly Yuan Qi, they can form a Yuan Power Crystal Core—an item tens of thousands of times more precious than a top-grade Yuan Stone!”
“This singular ability of the Sky-Swallowing Rat was considered too tyrannical by many ancient lifeforms in the Dead Star Domain. Many years ago, the powerful races of the Dead Star Domain launched a joint operation to hunt the Sky-Swallowing Rats. It seems the Sky-Swallowing Rats were wiped out in the Dead Star Domain a few thousand years ago. This creature should be extinct,” Dick said, watching the Sky-Swallowing Rat absorb the Heavenly Yuan Qi of Misty Isle one by one, unable to hide his shock.
One Sky-Swallowing Rat capable of consuming all the Heavenly Yuan Qi of a Star of Life—its ability was truly terrifying!
Ji Changkong’s expression changed slightly. Staring at the ever-expanding Sky-Swallowing Rat, he said gravely, “The Yuan Power Crystal Core being tens of thousands of times more precious than top-grade Yuan Stones, providing immense energy to a Celestial Master, means that some experts in the Dead Star Domain must have hidden Sky-Swallowing Rats for personal gain. Those individuals dared not use the Sky-Swallowing Rats recklessly in the Dead Star Domain, so they used special methods to bring them to the outer star fields. The situation is clear: those figures within Tianlu who originate from the Dead Star Domain are also utterly ambitious!”
“Since you have seen the Sky-Swallowing Rat, I cannot allow any of you to live,” the Master of Tianlu declared from high above, speaking in that same rigid, emotionless tone.
He didn't need to explain. After hearing Dick’s account, everyone on Misty Isle understood that the Master of Tianlu likely would not spare them.
The Sky-Swallowing Rat was forbidden even in the Dead Star Domain. If the news were leaked—if it accidentally reached the Dead Star Domain—then some elements within Tianlu would surely be jointly eradicated by other powers! The Master of Tianlu needed to silence them; only by killing everyone who had witnessed the Sky-Swallowing Rat on Misty Isle could he prevent the leakage of information.
At that moment, everyone grasped the Master of Tianlu’s intent.
“What should we do?” Those timid individuals looked appealingly at the Shang Family Old Madam, hoping she could offer a solution.
They had initially believed the Shang Family’s defenses were sufficient to withstand the massive invasion by Tianlu and the Death Pact, or at the very least, exhaust some of their strength, giving them an advantage in combat. Unexpectedly, the Master of Tianlu hadn't even launched an attack, merely presenting the Sky-Swallowing Rat, and all their plans were ruined.
The Old Madam’s face darkened, her brow deeply furrowed, showing an expression of helplessness, unsure of what to do.
“Once the island’s defensive barrier is destroyed, we will have no choice but to fight with all our might. If there’s a chance, we can flee toward those spatial turbulence zones,” the Old Madam murmured after a moment of hesitation, sighing, admitting her powerlessness.
“The Hailan Continent has five spatial turbulence zones in total. When we arrived, we already destroyed four. For the last remaining turbulence zone, the Death Pact Leader and I have jointly set up a defensive perimeter. I doubt anyone on the Hailan Continent can breach the defensive circle we set up together,” the Master of Tianlu seemed to know what they were thinking, dropping another heavy bombshell that cut off everyone’s escape route.
At these words, despair manifested on every face.
The last path of escape was utterly destroyed. What were they to do now? Was there truly no option left but a fight to the death?
Tianlu and the Death Pact together had fourteen Ninth Palace Heaven experts; seven from each side, eight of whom were at the Horizontal Peak realm!
The Master of Tianlu and the Death Pact Leader were the two most powerful Ninth Palace Heaven experts in the Solar Star Domain. Not only were their cultivation realms profound, but they also possessed numerous miraculous treasures from the Dead Star Domain. No one knew their true strength.
Even before fighting, these people realized they faced certain doom.
As everyone panicked, no one noticed that Ji Changkong’s expression had once again become distant. His eyes were blank, and strange scenes continuously shifted within his pupils, as if some memory deep within his soul was being summoned, assembling into profound segments of recollection that he was absorbing.
Gradually, the blankness in Ji Changkong’s eyes faded, and his vision returned to clarity.
A composed smile curled the corner of his lips. Ji Changkong tilted his head back to gaze at the sky and suddenly said, “The Sky-Swallowing Rat also has a weakness.”
At this statement, the crowd froze, then all eyes turned toward him, a torrent of emotions flickering across their faces: some surprise, some confusion, some doubt, some anger.