Naturally. Ji Changkong could utilize the Boundless Star Sea Map to traverse most of the Five Elements Continent from Misty Isle.

However, given the rate at which the Sky-Devouring Rat consumed primordial energy, if the threat of the rat couldn't be resolved quickly, the forces from Tianlu and the Death Alliance would soon breach the barrier of Misty Isle and enter.

Once the masters from Tianlu and the Death Alliance realized they had all entered the Five Elements Continent, it went without saying: these two most powerful factions in the Solar Star Domain would surely follow suit and rapidly enter the Five Elements Continent as well.

Ji Changkong had no way of knowing how many spatial turbulence zones existed on the Five Elements Continent. If he couldn't destroy these zones before the experts from Tianlu and the Death Alliance arrived, the Five Elements Continent was destined to follow the same grim fate as the Hailan Continent once those masters broke through.

On one hand, it was to buy himself time; on the other, it was to teach those arrogant individuals on Heavenly Dragon Peak a lesson, and also to validate their claims that the Sky-Devouring Rat had a weakness. This was why, after the Boundless Star Sea Map materialized, he only brought in XuanYuan Valley, along with Lan Fen, Shang Bingyi, and their group.

The Boundless Star Sea Map was incredibly wondrous. It could form a spatial turbulence zone, create light portals for people to enter, and furthermore, it could appear at any specific location on a continent according to his will. The spatial turbulence zone in the Western Region was precisely where he chose to appear.

As expected, under the power of the Boundless Star Sea Map, the group materialized there with absolute precision, without the slightest deviation.

Behind them lay a spatial turbulence zone of the Five Elements Continent, where spatial energy was chaotic. Meteors crashed against each other, and all sorts of strange energies intertwined. Beneath the dazzling light, peculiar tunnels flickered into existence from time to time.

At Ji Changkong’s signal, the others rushed into this spatial turbulence zone. Each exerted their power, influencing the zone’s energy, causing the suspended meteorites to violently collide, and gathering the thick desert sands from the Yellow Sand Land to merge into the chaos.

The formation of a spatial turbulence zone is profoundly mysterious. Generally, it requires tens of thousands of years of natural transformation, needing not only specific topography but also certain conditions; the creation of such a zone is not an overnight occurrence, and the process is extremely complex.

But to utterly destroy a spatial turbulence zone does not require millennia of accumulation. Merely destroying the forces that sustain it, shattering the meteorites within, and severing the primordial energy supporting the zone is sufficient to obliterate it.

This process was not complicated. With the combined efforts of the group, the stones within the spatial turbulence zone were shattered, and the vital energy—the yuanqi—pouring into the zone from the depths of the earth was entirely cut off, scattering into the heavens above the Western Region.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Finally, the spatial turbulence zone emitted a series of massive roars. The huge vortex slowly ceased its rotation, and massive chunks of rock plummeted out. The chaotic spatial forces tore gashes across the void, and the spatial energy was sucked into these rents, quickly vanishing.

This stretch of sky was left riddled with holes. It took a considerable time before it slowly stabilized.

Shang Bingyi, Gu Ya, and the others stood beside the former spatial turbulence zone, watching coldly as it dissolved into nothingness, completely vanishing from the Western Region.

Ji Changkong’s expression was placid, yet his heart felt a thrill of excitement.

He intended to destroy every spatial turbulence zone on the Five Elements Continent. On one hand, it was to prevent the entry of Tianlu and the Death Alliance. On the other, it was to have leverage over all the masters from other Life Stars who entered the Five Elements Continent.

Once all the spatial turbulence zones on the Five Elements Continent were gone, then regardless of whether they were masters from the Death Alliance, Tianlu, or the Demon Lair, it would become exceedingly difficult for them to enter the Five Elements Continent, and certainly impossible for them to cause mayhem there.

As for the masters who arrived from other continents, as long as they remained here, they would be subject to his control, because he alone possessed the method to reconstruct spatial turbulence zones and utilize the Boundless Star Sea Map to traverse between Life Stars.

By then, anyone wishing to leave the Five Elements Continent would inevitably have to beg him, which would force those individuals to behave themselves.

“Grandfather, besides this spatial turbulence zone, are there others on our Five Elements Continent?” Once this zone was destroyed, Ji Changkong turned to Gu Po, asking with focused intensity.

“To my knowledge, there are two more,” Gu Po mused. “One is in the Ashen Mountain Range, and the other is in the East Sea. That should be all. Hmm, Li Hentian, you go to the East Sea and find a way to destroy that turbulence zone. Oh, the Jiahai Sea Region is nearby; you can find help there. I will go to the Ashen Mountain Range and destroy the other one. Changkong, you can assess the situation on the continent first.”

Gu Po knew there was another spatial turbulence zone beneath the Poison Dragon Pool in the Great Marsh of Clouds and Dreams, in addition to those in the Ashen Mountain Range and the East Sea. However, that location was extremely critical, as it connected to an unfamiliar continent where the essence of the stars resided. Since he was not very familiar with that area either, and given the presence of outsiders, he chose not to mention it.

But Ji Changkong understood his meaning and nodded slightly, reassuring him.

The spatial turbulence zone beneath the Poison Dragon Pool was peculiar; it only connected to that unfamiliar continent. This was due to the influence of the Four Sacred Beasts, which constrained it to only link with the continent where the Ancestral Demon was sealed.

In Ji Changkong’s view, the turbulence zone beneath the Poison Dragon Pool posed no threat. Those fellows from the Solar Dry Region could never enter through it.

Therefore, he had no intention of going to the Poison Dragon Pool. He merely instructed Gu Ya and Li Hentian to be careful and ordered them to return to XuanYuan Valley as quickly as possible after finishing their tasks, stating there were other matters requiring attention.

Gu Po and Li Hentian agreed, responding affirmatively, and departed immediately from that location.

“Do you need our help?” Lan Fen smiled sweetly. “You’ve done us a great service. If you need anything from us at this crucial time, please don’t hesitate.”

“There will be need of your help,” Ji Changkong frowned, contemplating for a moment. “Let’s go, I need to take you to a place first.”

Soaring into the sky, Ji Changkong headed directly towards the desert where the main temple of the Ouroboros Divine Cult was located. Shang Bingyi, Meng Gang, Dick, and Lan Fen also took to the air, following closely behind him.

In the desert, dust and sand billowed, yielding only silence and desolation. There was no trace of life left.

This place was supposed to be the main temple of the Ouroboros Divine Cult, but under the immense threat of the Mani Cult, the vast Divine Cult had entirely sunk deep underground, leaving not a single sign visible. Standing amidst the swirling sands whipped up by the fierce winds, Ji Changkong’s face was grim, and he remained silent, secretly releasing his spiritual sense to permeate deep into the earth.

Only when his soul reached a thousand zhang beneath the surface did he perceive the existence of the main temple. There was not a single sign of life within the subterranean Ouroboros Cult; clearly, all the cult members had dispersed, either to other parts of the Five Elements Continent or to XuanYuan Valley.

Back then, when Batu'er, Mu Luo, and the others recognized the gravity of the crisis, upon the reminder from Yu Ziling, they activated the restrictions of the Ouroboros Divine Cult, using the power left by their predecessors to forcibly alter the laws of heaven and earth and use the massive yuanqi of the Western Region to directly sink the main temple underground.

Normally, for the underground temple to resurface through the push of power, it would require the accumulation of five hundred years of yuanqi.

However, with the assistance of a powerful external force, this long period wouldn't be necessary. If the external force was sufficient and the method of mobilization was understood, the main temple, sunk a thousand zhang deep, could rapidly—

“Help me out. I will open a few passages shortly. You enter inside, and following my soul’s direction, infuse your power into several pillars and push them together to lift the main temple, which is a thousand zhang underground, back out for me.” After a long pause, Ji Changkong suddenly spoke.

Lan Fen, along with Shang Bingyi and Dick, immediately agreed. Although they didn't know exactly what Ji Changkong intended to do, he had just brought them over from the Hailan Continent and had promised Shang Bingyi he would save the Shang family. They agreed without question.

Lan Fen and the others possessed peak cultivation at the Ninth Palace Heaven realm. Shang Bingyi was also at the Ninth Palace Heaven realm. Dick’s power was even more astonishing. The combined strength of these five individuals would generate an terrifying force—enough power to compensate for the slow accumulation of five hundred years of terrestrial yuanqi, giving the main temple the momentum to break free from the earth.

Meng Gang, being self-aware, stood still. He knew he couldn't help and would only cause trouble if he tried.

With his eyes closed, Ji Changkong stood in the yellow sands, slowly sinking into them until he entered the earth’s core, spiritually communicating with the main temple a thousand zhang beneath. Under the influence of his power, five tunnels leading directly into the deep earth suddenly appeared from five corners.

Lan Fen, Dick, and Shang Bingjie plunged into the earth through these five passages, descending a thousand zhang until they each found a colossal, heaven-reaching stone pillar before them.

Receiving the soul transmission from Ji Changkong, the five of them embraced the immense pillars, unleashing their Ninth Palace Heaven strength. Following Ji Changkong’s psychic prompts, they applied force to the pillars.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

The earth shook violently, producing massive booms from the depths. The yellow sands swirled, practically obscuring the entire area. Sounds from underground intensified, and the sand began to pour into the earth through various pitted holes.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Earth-shattering noises echoed from the depths, lasting for a full half an hour. Then, colossal temples were seen literally emerging from the earth, re-establishing themselves in their original positions amidst the immense roar.

Ji Changkong sat cross-legged atop the main temple. His expression was solemn; his soul had merged with all the structures. Using a special method, he distributed the power of the individuals below across various points of the main temple, activating the mechanisms that sustained its operation and forcibly yanking the structure, a thousand zhang deep, back to the surface.

Finally, amidst the resounding tremors of the earth, the main temple settled back into its original place.

Shang Bingjie, Lan Fen, and the others stood panting next to Meng Gang. They had clearly expended a great deal of energy. The three experts at the peak of the Ninth Palace Heaven realm, especially Lan Fen, had depleted more than half of the yuanqi in their bodies.

After a while, Ji Changkong, who had been sitting cross-legged, finally opened his eyes and smiled. “Thank you for your help. Without your assistance, it would have taken a very long time for this main temple to reappear from the depths.”

“Why the rush to bring this main temple out?” Meng Gang looked utterly puzzled.

“To deal with the Lord of Tianlu and the Alliance Leader of the Death Alliance,” Ji Changkong stated with gravity.

The others were surprised. Shang Bingyi asked curiously, “What is your relationship with the Lord of Tianlu and the Alliance Leader of the Death Alliance?”

Lan Fen was also perplexed. “Since you destroyed the spatial turbulence zones of the Five Elements Continent, you could just enter Heavenly Dragon Peak and bring everyone still alive to the Five Elements Continent, couldn't you? Why go to all this extra trouble?”

“Exactly,” Meng Gang nodded in agreement.

Under their gaze, a cold, sinister smile curled the corner of Ji Changkong’s lips. “It’s not that simple. I trust the Shang family followed my advice and destroyed the Sky-Devouring Rat. Once the rat is gone, Misty Isle, at the very least, can hold off Tianlu and the Death Alliance for over ten days. During that time, they will surely be safe.”

He paused, then added, “We have over ten days. If we only use that time to escape, it would be a terrible waste.”

At these words, the others grew even more astonished. Lan Fen asked, “What do you intend to do?”

“Counter-attack!”

Ji Changkong’s face hardened, his intent to kill palpable. “The Lord of Tianlu and the Alliance Leader of the Death Alliance will certainly be our enemies; we cannot change that fact. Since that is the case, we must also deal with them at all costs. Their aggressive entry into Misty Isle this time is a massive opportunity for us.”

If this battle was handled correctly, there would be no need to accumulate more reputation and fame; XuanYuan Valley would instantly become renowned, replacing the status of Tianlu and the Death Alliance in the Solar Star Domain! Ji Changkong schemed with fierce ambition.

“Ah!” Shang Bingjie was increasingly aghast. “Are you insane? The Lord of Tianlu and the Alliance Leader of the Death Alliance are the two most powerful figures in the Solar Star Domain! How could we possibly stand against them?”

“No one is invincible!” Ji Changkong sneered. “The Master of the Demon Lair was also a powerhouse in the Solar Star Domain, yet I drove him back to the Demonic Continent. In my view, as long as they haven't reached the Ten Directions Heaven realm, we have a chance to defeat and execute them!”

Shang Bingjie suddenly froze, staring at him blankly, as if seeing him for the first time.

What kind of person was he? Did he not fear death? Where did his confidence stem from? Why, why was he unafraid of the Lord of Tianlu and the Alliance Leader of the Death Alliance? Was he merely arrogant and overconfident, or did he truly possess certainty? Why was this man so utterly strange?

Shang Bingjie’s mind was in turmoil as she gazed at him dumbly, momentarily lost in thought, pondering countless things.

She recalled the scene when she first saw Ji Changkong at the Heart of the Sun...

At that time, I didn't even spare him a second glance, merely thinking he was a lucky fellow. I never took him seriously. Even when he wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Abyss, I assumed he was relying on the power of the Heavenly Fire Ocean. I never truly grasped how formidable he was.

And how much time had passed?

He could now wound the Master of the Demon Lair, and now he harbored the ambition to defeat or even execute the Lord of Tianlu and the Alliance Leader of the Death Alliance. What kind of person was he, truly?

Shang Bingjie felt bewildered, as if she were slowly sinking into a deep lake, gradually finding it difficult to pull herself out.

“How do we proceed?” While Shang Bingjie remained lost and uncertain, Lan Fen’s beautiful eyes gleamed with intense interest. “What is the plan?”

“Gather the resources of the Five Elements Continent, refine the Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array, and use it to trap them!” Ji Changkong stated after a moment of silence.

“The Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array?” Lan Fen’s eyes brightened, then she asked with disbelief, “Can we actually bring the Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array into existence in such a short time? Furthermore, can you truly unleash the full power of the Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array?”

The Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array was a legendary formation said to be capable of destroying even Ten Directions Heaven Masters. For such a profound array to be fully forged would certainly take more than ten days, even with their help. Moreover, Lan Fen had heard that only a Ten Directions Heaven Master could fully utilize its power.

Thus, she doubted Ji Changkong could succeed.

“No, we cannot,” Ji Changkong replied with a decisive shake of his head. “In ten days, it is absolutely impossible to completely refine the Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array. My current strength is certainly insufficient to unleash its full power either.”

“Then...?” Lan Fen and Shang Bingjie both hesitated, thinking: Then why do you dare to arrogantly target the Alliance Leader of the Death Alliance and the Lord of Tianlu? Aren't you tired of living?

“Indeed, even with all your help, I cannot forge the Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array, nor can I fully exert its complete power,” Ji Changkong smiled, pausing before adding suddenly, “But the Lord of Tianlu and the Alliance Leader of the Death Alliance are not Ten Directions Heaven Masters.”

Shang Bingyi and Lan Fen were briefly stunned, then suddenly exhilarated. Their beautiful eyes shone with excitement as they looked at him, joyfully asking, “You mean? You mean...?”

Nodding, Ji Changkong confirmed with a smile, “The Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array capable of executing Ten Directions Heaven Masters—even a damaged version is still the Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array! A fractured array cannot kill a Ten Directions Heaven Master, but severely wounding several Ninth Palace Heaven Masters is not difficult. The Lord of Tianlu and the Alliance Leader of the Death Alliance, no matter how powerful, have not yet broken through to the Ten Directions Heaven realm. Within a damaged Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array, they are certain to suffer a massive blow!”

Shang Bingjie, Lan Fen, and the two elegant women from the Flying Flower Sect had eyes that grew brighter and brighter, staring intently at Ji Changkong, as if suddenly realizing he was filled with infinite charisma at this moment, unable to avert their gaze from him. (To be continued)