A single, brief statement instantly seized everyone's attention. On Tianlong Peak, the masters from the various life-bearing stars stared at him, their eyes gleaming—some with suspicion, others with fury.

Only a small fraction seemed to hold a sliver of belief. "Kid, cracking jokes at a time like this is hardly appropriate, is it?" "The Devouring Rat comes from the Dead Star Domain.

Your Five Elements Continent hasn't produced a Ten Directions Celestial Master in a thousand years; you probably haven't even heard of a Devouring Rat, have you?" Some frowned, looking thoroughly displeased. They felt Ji Changkong’s words were nothing short of mockery, given their already frayed nerves.

The old matriarch of the Shang family merely spared him a glance before turning her head away, returning her focus to Master Tianlu, seemingly calculating her next course of action. On Tianlong Peak, more than half the assembled crowd was unconvinced, deeming his words utter nonsense.

Even Dick looked utterly bewildered, asking, "What weakness does the Devouring Rat have? I've never even heard of it." Dick’s ignorance only fueled the scorn of the others.

They thought: If even this monster from the Dark Star Race, who should have heard of the Devouring Rat, knows nothing, how could this boy possibly know? The only ones who truly placed their complete faith in Ji Changkong were Gu Dan, Li Hentian, Origin Poison, and Manganese Steel.

Lan Fen was half-convinced, half-doubtful. After staring at Ji Changkong for a moment, she pressed, "If you know the Devouring Rat's weakness, speak quickly!

We don't have a single moment to waste!" "The Devouring Rat doesn't just devour Heaven and Earth Origin Qi; it can also consume other powers. The Devouring Rat refuses no power; it will swallow all kinds of energies.

As long as power appears, it won't let it go," Ji Changkong stated calmly. "Stop the nonsense!" someone sneered coldly.

"Enough with the useless talk. I don't even want to hear your drivel.

If you have the ability, show us now; if not, just shut your mouth!" The man most dissatisfied with Ji Changkong suddenly hissed coldly. This man hailed from the Nether Moon Continent and was named Zhang Haishan.

He was the one who had initially proposed sacrificing Xuanyuan Valley to allow Ji Changkong and his group to leave Misty Island and save their own lives. Even after the Shang family's old matriarch suppressed that notion, he still believed that Misty Island was facing the siege from Tianlu and the Death Pact entirely because of the trouble caused by the people from Xuanyuan Valley.

Deep down, Zhang Haishan held intense resentment toward the Xuanyuan Valley group, especially after they discovered Dick couldn't truly meet their demands or provide them with sufficient Star Essence for cultivation; their disdain for the Xuanyuan Valley members only intensified. Ji Changkong suddenly fell silent, shrugged, and said nothing.

"I knew you were just bragging!" Zhang Haishan’s face was etched with cold severity as he forcefully suppressed the anger boiling within him. Giving a subtle look toward Gu Dan, Li Hentian, Dick, and Origin Poison, Ji Changkong deliberately distanced himself from the crowd.

Seeing his gesture, Gu Dan and the others also moved away from the mass, gathering beside him. Tianlong Peak was vast, spanning several acres.

Ji Changkong’s group deliberately withdrew from the main assembly, putting several hundred meters between themselves and the others. Manganese Steel naturally joined their ranks.

Though he didn't know what would unfold, he steadfastly moved to stand with these individuals. "Ji Changkong, what exactly is the Devouring Rat's weakness?" Lan Fen urged anxiously.

Ji Changkong grinned but remained silent, displaying a leisurely air. "Hmph, playing tricks.

If he truly knew the Devouring Rat's weakness, he would have said so already. When Tianlu and the Death Pact break through, no one can evade it; they will all face certain death.

Moreover, Tianlu and the Death Pact's primary targets are them!" Zhang Haishan sneered again. The masters from the smaller life-bearing stars gathered around Zhang Haishan nodded in agreement, looking upon Ji Changkong’s group with palpable disgust, viewing them as a tremendous liability.

"I will say this one last time: Those willing to treat our Xuanyuan Valley as allies and advance or retreat with us—come to my side. I guarantee their survival." After a moment of silence, Ji Changkong finally spoke, pointing a finger toward Zhang Haishan’s group.

"As for you lot, don't bother coming. You are certainly doomed." The people on Tianlong Peak exchanged glances, utterly bewildered by Ji Changkong’s proclamation at this critical juncture.

What ability did Xuanyuan Valley possess now to guarantee anyone's safety? There were many masters on Tianlong Peak, hailing from various life-bearing stars, but very few genuinely trusted Xuanyuan Valley or Ji Changkong.

Lan Fen was one such person. After hesitating slightly, she nodded to the two masters from the Flying Flower sect and slowly walked toward Ji Changkong’s location.

Lan Fen was still deeply suspicious, yet having witnessed the marvel within Ji Changkong’s eyes earlier, she found him profoundly enigmatic. Perhaps driven by curiosity, she felt a faint inkling that the mysterious Ji Changkong might indeed be able to help them navigate this crisis.

Especially since the Shang family's old matriarch had already declared her inability to help; when no one else could offer aid, Ji Changkong’s claim, even if barely believed, was worth a desperate try. Only Lan Fen’s faction moved!

Apart from Flying Flower, no other force crossed over. Even the three bald monks from Vajra Mountain remained motionless, clearly not trusting him.

As for the other scattered masters from different life-bearing stars, they naturally stayed put. In the eyes of some, there was even barely concealed rage, suggesting they might lash out at Ji Changkong at any moment.

Shang Bingjie hesitated briefly, taking a few steps in this direction, but was stopped by the Shang family matriarch. "It's only your Flying Flower sect then," Ji Changkong noted, nodding.

"I understand." He seemed to have anticipated this outcome, his expression unchanged. "Changkong, did you...

did you actually find it?" Gu Dan asked, his voice sudden, as if guessing something profound. Ji Changkong nodded lightly, signaling that Gu Dan’s speculation was correct.

After a moment, he beckoned Shang Bingjie over. "Come here, I have something to tell you." A look of confusion flickered in Shang Bingjie’s cool eyes.

After a moment of hesitation, she complied and walked toward them. "Don't go!" the Shang family matriarch commanded sternly.

Shang Bingjie paused mid-stride but continued walking toward Ji Changkong, defying her grandmother for the first time. The matriarch’s face changed drastically, anger burning like fierce flames in her eyes.

"Fine! You’ve really turned rebellious!

After I nurtured you so diligently for so many years, you won't even listen to your grandmother now!" "Grandmother, I just want to hear what he has to say," Shang Bingjie replied softly without turning back. "If you stay with them, you will be the first to be killed by Tianlu and the Death Pact!

If you stay with me, I can at least protect you," the old woman argued heatedly. Sadly, Shang Bingjie offered no further reply, eventually arriving before Ji Changkong, following Lan Fen.

"Speak. What is it you wanted to tell me?" Shang Bingjie asked, her expression detached and cold.

"The Devouring Rat can swallow any power, but it cannot effectively merge those powers. It is rumored that if the power within a Devouring Rat exceeds three types, its body cannot sustain it; the chaotic energies will cause it to explode." Ji Changkong stated with grave seriousness, "If Origin Qi, Demonic Qi, Extreme Cold, and Extreme Heat—even small amounts of the Demonic Qi, Extreme Cold, and Extreme Heat—are channeled into the Devouring Rat's body, it will be enough to throw the energies within into chaos, causing it to detonate." "Are you saying we can try flooding the Devouring Rat with Origin Qi, Demonic Qi, Extreme Cold, and Extreme Heat all at once?" Shang Bingjie inquired.

Nodding, Ji Changkong continued, "Exactly. Given the speed at which the Devouring Rat devours Origin Qi, if we act now, at least half of the island’s formation integrity can be preserved." Shang Bingjie turned back, anxiously looking at her grandmother.

"Grandmother, hurry up and do it!" "Who knows if what he says is true or false," Zhang Haishan immediately interjected with cynical remarks. "You...

will you leave with me?" Ji Changkong suddenly softened his tone, looking deeply at her as he stammered. Shang Bingjie froze, staring at him obediently.

"Can we leave the Sea Run Continent?" "I forgot to tell you, we didn't pass through the Spatial Turbulence Domain when we arrived," Ji Changkong said, coldly glancing at the crowd on Tianlong Peak before finally settling in to talk. This statement stunned everyone over there, their faces registering disbelief.

How could one traverse life-bearing stars without passing through the Spatial Turbulence Domain? Even the Shang family matriarch, the great bald monk of Vajra Mountain, and Lan Fen all looked perplexed.

The leaders of these three major factions had only recently learned the method of using spatial rifts for inter-star travel from their seniors in the Dead Star Domain. To them, this technique represented the most miraculous way to traverse space physically within a star sector; even masters in the Dead Star Domain used this method to jump between life-bearing stars.

"To be precise, I can create a Spatial Turbulence Domain." The moment the words fell, a wondrous, vast Star Sea Chart materialized above his head. As soon as it appeared, it began to expand, instantly covering several acres, ravenously absorbing the Heaven and Earth Origin Qi from Misty Island.

As the Star Sea Chart swelled, terrifying hurricanes formed. Within the tempest, the Chart shifted constantly, blasting out dazzling rays of light.

The massive floating mountain peaks on Misty Island were violently sucked into the hurricane, colliding under the storm’s force and exploding with tremendous impact energy. At that moment, the Star Sea Chart within the hurricane shone brilliantly, and miraculous light-holes began to appear.

Having prior experience, Ji Changkong, relying on the other soul within the Star Sea Chart, quickly located the Five Elements Continent. He made the light-hole leading to the Five Elements Continent flash directly into existence, and this aperture slowly moved, locking onto a specific location on that continent.

"Let's go!" Ji Changkong grabbed Shang Bingjie, and before she could struggle, he shoved her into the light-hole. "Manganese Steel, Dick, Lan Fen, go in!" Ji Changkong commanded sharply.

Gu Dan, Li Hentian, and Origin Poison, having already experienced this and trusting Ji Changkong implicitly, rushed into the light-hole immediately after Shang Bingjie, without waiting for further instruction. Dick hesitated briefly, cast a look of pity toward the people left behind, and dove in as well.

Manganese Steel followed directly after Dick. Lan Fen stood there dumbfounded.

It wasn't until she saw the entire Xuanyuan Valley group entering the light-hole one by one that she realized this was their only path to survival. Since Gu Dan, Li Hentian, and Shang Bingjie had gone in, the light-hole was clearly safe.

Realizing this, Lan Fen was overjoyed and, along with the two Flying Flower masters, plunged into the aperture. The others on Tianlong Peak who finally reacted realized this was their chance for salvation and rushed toward them desperately.

Some wore expressions of profound regret, shouting loudly while still airborne, "Ji Changkong, we were wrong, we..." The Shang family matriarch and the great bald monk also rushed over, their faces alight with surprise and hope, urgently calling for their own kin to follow quickly. Zhang Haishan, forgetting all pretense of dignity, bolted forward with all his might, his eyes blazing with the primal desire to live.

Unfortunately, the power of the hurricane stood between them and the light-hole, making the hundred-meter distance seem unreachable. The speed at which they traveled, which should have been instantaneous, crawled like a snail.

"Zhang Haishan, is it?" Ji Changkong stood before the slowly contracting light-hole, a malevolent smile on his face. "I thought you had a damned face, and it seems my judgment was correct.

You are certainly going to die soon." "Ji Changkong!! What do you want?

We can give you everything!" many people shouted. "Ji Changkong, give us a way out!

I beg you!" the Shang family matriarch screamed in despair, hoping he would extend his aid at this crucial moment. "You can beg all you want," Ji Changkong shrugged.

"Oh, right. What I told your granddaughter earlier is indeed the only way to deal with the Devouring Rat.

Follow my method, and Misty Island might hold out for another ten days. Well, that’s all I have to say.

Farewell, good sirs." With a wave and a smile, Ji Changkong's figure shot into the light-hole just before it vanished. The Star Sea Chart flashed once more, soaring into the light-hole, and the strange energies constructing the hurricane followed suit, instantly vanishing into the aperture.

Where the Xuanyuan Valley group had stood, there was now nothing but empty space. The Xuanyuan Valley group, along with Lan Fen, Dick, Manganese Steel, and Shang Bingjie, had disappeared into thin air.

Anyone looking on would know that this contingent had truly left the Sea Run Continent via a light-hole, creating something as miraculous as a spatial turbulence domain right there on Misty Island. Not a single one remained; only the desperate were left on Tianlong Peak.

Thump! Thump!

Three masters from other life-bearing stars seized the opportunity to ambush Zhang Haishan, striking him as he reached their vicinity, shattering his bones. "You...

you guys?" Zhang Haishan, covered in blood, looked at those who attacked him, trying to utter something, but felt his strength rapidly draining away. The cultivation of these three was slightly higher than Zhang Haishan's.

Together, Zhang Haishan stood no chance. "It's all your fault!

If you hadn't offended Ji Changkong, we could all have survived. He abandoned us because of your cruel words," one spat through gritted teeth, full of hatred.

After delivering these words, the three turned their attention to the others who had been stirring up trouble with Zhang Haishan, looking as if they intended to vent their frustration now that death seemed inevitable. At that moment, Zhang Haishan’s soul drifted out, slowly floating toward the center of Misty Island, where it was swallowed directly by the Devouring Rat after merging with the Shang family's defensive barrier.

After devouring Zhang Haishan's soul, the Devouring Rat's body swelled violently and unstably. The red glint in its three small eyes flashed intensely, appearing highly abnormal.

Even Master Tianlu seemed unaware of the Devouring Rat's weakness, merely casting a strange glance at the creature without taking any corrective action. "Stop!

We still have hope! What that kid said is actually true!

The Devouring Rat has a weakness!" The matriarch, with her sharp eyes, noticed the change in the creature immediately. "If the Devouring Rat dies, our Misty Island's defenses can hold for at least ten more days.

It will take them considerable effort to break through, so we still have a chance to survive!" Hearing the matriarch’s words, the others ceased their internal strife and began organizing a plan to deal with the Devouring Rat. Five Elements Continent.

In front of the Western Region Spatial Turbulence Domain. Ji Changkong's group tumbled onto the yellow sand before the Spatial Turbulence Domain, looking disheveled.

They hadn't emerged from the domain but materialized directly from the light-hole that appeared from the void. As Ji Changkong was the last to fly out of the light-hole, Lan Fen, Manganese Steel, and the others rejoiced in their narrow escape, showing the joy of those who had narrowly cheated death.

Only Shang Bingjie, upon seeing him emerge, fiercely grabbed his lapel, raging, "My grandmother! My Shang family relatives!

They are all still on the Five Elements Continent! Ji Changkong, you are too selfish!

Just because those people didn't trust you, scorned you, and treated you maliciously, you would send so many others to their deaths? How could you do that?!" For the first time, tears welled up in Shang Bingjie's eyes.

"Changkong!!" Gu Dan’s expression was grave, ready to interject. "Grandfather, we don't have much time.

We must complete things here before Misty Island is torn apart. Only by destroying the entire Spatial Turbulence Domain of the Five Elements Continent can we save them.

Otherwise, we won't escape even here on the Five Elements Continent," Ji Changkong stated with a solemn expression. "Ji Changkong?" Shang Bingjie was stunned.

"You mean... you mean...?" "They could be inhumane to me, but I cannot be unjust.

The reason I returned to the Five Elements Continent first is that I needed to settle things here. If I can return, I naturally have a way to go back and save them," Ji Changkong declared, feigning benevolence.

But in his heart, he thought: These people are the most crucial force for dealing with Tianlu and the Death Pact later. Of course, I must keep them safe first.

However, to ensure they behave obediently in the future, they need to be taught a hard lesson now, so they don't keep complaining to me later.