The Ghost Demon Gui, having arrived from ancient cliffs, was swept into a light aperture under Ji Changkong’s Grand Star Sea Map before he could utter a few words, vanishing entirely from the Five Elements Continent.

That light aperture led to the Heaven’s Doom Continent, the main base of Tianlu.

When it came to dealing with the Ghost Demon King, Ji Changkong had always had a massive headache. Over the years, he had engaged in numerous battles, large and small, with the Ghost Demon King, yet never once managed to truly annihilate him.

Although the Requiem was indeed capable of completely eradicating the Ghost Demon King, the demon’s extreme cautiousness meant that Ji Changkong could never fully draw his soul into the Soul Pillar, nor could he destroy it entirely.

Even Ji Changkong himself felt utterly helpless against the Ghost Demon King, and naturally, the masters from other sects living on the Five Elements Continent were even more powerless when confronting him.

The Ghost Demon King had always been the bane of every Heavenly Master sect on this continent. Everyone dreamed of eliminating this threat, and many had tried, but tragically, all paid a heavy price without achieving any tangible results.

Since he could not be utterly slain, leaving the trouble for others to deal with was the only option!

This was the first time the experts from Lan Fen and Feihua had seen the Ghost Demon King; they were unaware of his true strength until the noblewoman from Feihua shakily recounted her experience battling him. Only then did Lan Fen grasp the terror that the Ghost Demon King embodied.

Shang Bingjie and Meng Gang hailed from the Hai Lan Continent and knew, to some extent, how fearsome the Ghost Demon King was. When they witnessed Ji Changkong directly wrenching the demon into a light aperture, both showed looks of sheer astonishment.

“Little brother, where in the blazes did you send him?” Meng Gang exclaimed. “To the main base of Tianlu, the Heaven’s Doom Continent. Let Tianlu deal with this nuisance; he just annoys me too much,” Ji Changkong stated calmly.

“Ugh, you really are ruthless! Heaven’s Doom Continent is going to be incredibly busy now. I reckon with you doing this, Tianlu will be utterly crippled,” Meng Gang gasped, shocked.

“Is that fellow truly that powerful?” Lan Fen was still somewhat unconvinced. She clearly discerned deep-seated fear on everyone’s faces—not just from many on the Five Elements Continent side, but even Meng Gang and Shang Bingjie wore expressions of lingering dread, which puzzled her.

“Extremely powerful!” Dic supplied the answer, his face grim. “The life form of this creature is incredibly bizarre; it seems never to have appeared before. Its soul can instantly split into thousands of threads, invisible and intangible, making it incredibly hard to detect and even harder to deal with.”

Dic paused. “The most crucial part is that this creature’s soul possesses regenerative capabilities. As long as a single thread of its soul escapes, it can grow and recover by consuming the souls of others. Considering this miraculous ability, he is indeed exceptionally difficult to handle.”

Dic, originating from the Dark Star Race, was well-versed in the various oddities of the Endless Star Domain. Even he claimed the Ghost Demon King was hard to subdue, which illustrated just how terrifying the demon truly was.

Lan Fen finally believed it, followed by a secret chill of alarm. She silently warned herself never to offend Ji Changkong. He is a bit too vicious, she thought. By sending the Ghost Demon King’s soul to the Heaven’s Doom Continent, he has guaranteed terrible luck for them.

Consider this: If he used the Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array on Misty Isle to annihilate the Tianlu experts in one fell swoop, with Tianlu forces severely depleted, and the Ghost Demon King then rampaging across the Heaven’s Doom Continent where they were based, would Tianlu’s power ever truly recover?

That was highly probable!

How poisonous! If that were the case, wouldn't the number one powerful force in the Solar Star Domain be utterly destroyed by one man?

Lan Fen’s expression shifted between light and shadow. She secretly resolved never to become an enemy of Ji Changkong; it would be best to forge an unshakable alliance with Xuanyuan Valley. Only then would it benefit the development of their Feihua.

“We wait one more day, then we begin refining the Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array!” Ji Changkong said solemnly, having flown back to hover above the Nine Levels of Ice and Fire Abyss, sitting cross-legged on the dense vapor clouds above it.

Everyone nodded. The experts whose cultivation hadn't reached the Ninth Palace Heaven realm were arranged by him to depart the valley one by one.

In a short time, the vast valley was left with only Gu Ya, Li Hentian, and Lan Fen, alongside Shang Bingjie, Dic, and the others. Even Meng Gang, who was at the peak of the Eighth Non-Heaven realm, temporarily left the valley.

Following Ji Changkong’s instructions, everyone sat down in various corners of the valley, sensing the subtle shifts in the surrounding Yuan Qi. Gu Ya, Dic, and the noblewoman from Feihua who had returned from the Gray Dark Mountain Range began silently recovering.

The valley, which should have been extremely barren of Yuan Qi, had begun to change inexplicably since some time ago.

Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi gathered from all directions, enveloping the valley in a faint cloud of energy within a very short time. After half a day, this energy became as dense as mist, much more pronounced.

Even Gu Ya found it difficult to comprehend why the valley had undergone such a drastic transformation, and the experts who came from other continents were naturally even more perplexed by the phenomenon, filling them with confusion.

However, there was one thing these people understood clearly: this change in the valley was definitely linked to Ji Changkong!

Otherwise, why would he abandon the resource-rich Xuanyuan Valley just to travel thousands of miles to this desolate place to refine the Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array?

In the minds of the assembled group, Ji Changkong seemed increasingly mysterious, to the point where they were gradually unable to understand him.

Demon Continent.

Amidst a sky full of fiends and monstrous shadows, the imposing figure of a man stood before a terrifying ancient castle teeming with demons. Nine demonic dragons roared around him, while behind him stood the contingent of demons and monsters from the Demon Continent.

Giant fiends danced around the castle, issuing terrifying, piercing roars, seemingly to intimidate the approaching group.

“Go!” The mighty man, his body churning with demonic energy, his eyes cold and resolute, suddenly roared deeply.

The Nine Demonic Dragons immediately shot out like lightning bolts toward the ancient castle, tearing through the demons gathered before it. The nine dragons wreaked havoc, utterly annihilating hundreds of demons within a short period.

“Impressive!” the bald old man behind the mighty man said with a fawning smile. “Hao Tian, as long as you can help me eliminate the Master of the Demonic Grotto, I guarantee you can return to the Five Elements Continent.”

Ji Hao Tian’s expression darkened. Without even glancing at the bald old man, he stated, “Zhong Huang, I think I’ve heard of this Master of the Demonic Grotto you speak of.”

The bald old man, named Zhong Huang, suddenly froze. So the Pure Heart Extinction Pill wasn't entirely effective on this fellow, he thought. Good thing he only cares about returning to the Five Elements Continent, otherwise, I really wouldn't be able to use him.

“How could you have heard of the Master of the Demonic Grotto?” Zhong Huang chuckled, finding it strangely odd himself. He mused: Did this fellow really return from the Five Elements Continent alongside the Master of the Demonic Grotto?

“I don’t know,” Ji Hao Tian said vaguely, shaking his head. “I can’t remember. I don’t remember many things, but there are some memories in my mind, and it seems even my soul has gained something. Han Tian, Can Lang—who are those two? Why do I feel so familiar with them?”

Zhong Huang’s expression shifted slightly. He said gravely, “Han Tian and Can Lang were the two strongest experts under the Master of the Demonic Grotto. It was rumored—it was rumored they died on the Five Elements Continent. Could it be that you killed them?”

He shook his head again. “No, I didn’t kill them. I just… I just seem to have gained some of their power. In a massive vortex, I think I gained some of the residual power from their tragic deaths. Strange, I remember a few more people…”

Zhong Huang stared at him, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. Han Tian and Can Lang died on the Five Elements Continent, and he claims to have gained some of their power? Then, even if he didn’t kill them personally, he must have been involved. This fellow must still be handled with extreme caution.

The experts behind Zhong Huang also wore grim expressions, keeping their heads bowed as they calculated their next moves.

Soon, under the relentless bombardment of the Nine Demonic Dragons, the demons entrenched before the ancient castle were slain one by one. Some demons, realizing they were no match for the dragons, shrieked and fled into the castle, disappearing, not daring to emerge again.

“Let’s charge in!” Zhong Huang rejoiced. He had awaited this day for far too long.

Just as Ji Hao Tian was about to enter, he frowned suddenly and shook his head. “Too late. The people in the castle are gone.”

“How is that possible?” Zhong Huang cried out urgently. “Yu was heavily injured, and he sustained a serious wound too. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If we don’t seize this chance to kill him now, once he recovers, we will never have another opportunity.”

“Who is so powerful as to injure the Master of the Demonic Grotto?” Ji Hao Tian, who had been lost in a haze for a long time, found his mind gradually clearing after this period of recovery. Events from long ago slowly surfaced in his memory. Kunlun, Cao Xuanqi, wait for me, I must return for revenge! Ji Hao Tian thought inwardly.

“He’s also from your Five Elements Continent. I heard—I heard his name was something like Ji Changkong, a young lad. Truly, the younger generation surpasses the old. For someone so young to injure the Master of the Demonic Grotto—it seems the Five Elements Continent will also see the emergence of a Ten Directions Heavenly Master,” Zhong Huang exclaimed in awe.

“Ji Changkong?” Ji Hao Tian was struck dumbfounded, as if struck by lightning. After a long silence, he shook his head. “It must be a common name. It can’t be him. It couldn’t possibly be him…”

“Do you think so?” Zhong Huang asked.

“It’s nothing,” Ji Hao Tian replied, shaking his head. A sudden, intense craving erupted within him—a desperate desire to return to the Five Elements Continent, to uncover everything there and resolve the mysteries of the past few years.

“Hao Tian, as long as you help me kill the Master of the Demonic Grotto, I promise to take you to the Space Turbulence Domain immediately! And tell you how to reach your Five Elements Continent!” Zhong Huang declared.

“They are not in the Demonic Grotto beneath the castle; chasing after them now is useless,” Ji Hao Tian frowned, then turned to look at Zhong Huang and the others behind him. He suddenly said, “Zhong Huang, the Master of the Demonic Grotto has profound cultivation and is stronger than you. If he chooses to evade skillfully, it will be hard for you to find him.”

“I won’t tell you the method of departure until the Master of the Demonic Grotto is dead! In any case, I will only help you leave after you help me kill him!” Zhong Huang’s face immediately turned gloomy. He snorted coldly, believing Ji Hao Tian was deliberately stalling.

Ji Hao Tian’s expression remained unchanged, but the demonic intent in his eyes magnified infinitely. After a moment of thought, Ji Hao Tian stated plainly, “I don’t have time to waste here, Zhong Huang. Are you truly not going to help me?”

“You help me, and then I’ll help you,” Zhong Huang responded without any room for negotiation.

Nodding, Ji Hao Tian stated, “I understand. Then I will simply have to slowly kill all of you to force you to help me.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Ji Hao Tian acted without hesitation, launching a massacre against the experts standing behind Zhong Huang.

Ji Hao Tian, now deeply steeped in demonic corruption, even after regaining lucidity, still retained a deeply ingrained demonic nature in his core. The current Ji Hao Tian was no longer the person he used to be!

Misty Isle was shrouded in perpetual twilight. Violent, cold power raged overhead, and various evil forces bombarded the island mercilessly, rapidly depleting the Yuan Qi within. Around the periphery of Misty Isle, the sea swelled, already flooding into the island’s interior.

Mountain peaks floated in the sky, moving slowly according to a special pattern. Thin wisps of Yuan Qi surged up from the base of the island, infusing the peaks. This caused the summits to radiate intense light like turrets, sending beams of light into the barrier and restrictions defending Misty Isle.

The vast Misty Isle echoed with incessant explosions. On Heaven Dragon Peak, the experts from various life stars sat gloomily atop the summit, watching the island’s protective barriers and restrictions diminish day by day.

“How many more days can we hold out?” the bald man from Golden Net Mountain asked with a frown.

The wrinkles on the face of the old woman from the Shang family seemed deeper. Squinting, she replied weakly, “In three more days, the barriers and restrictions on Misty Isle will be completely destroyed. Fortunately, fortunately, we managed to kill that Sky-Swallowing Rat; otherwise, most of us here would probably be dead by now.”

For some reason, the old woman felt no lingering hatred toward Xuanyuan Valley anymore. The thought that the Shang family still had a lifeline gave her a sliver of hope: if her granddaughter could return to the Hai Lan Continent someday and re-establish the Shang family’s prestige.

In the mortal world of the Hai Lan Continent, the Shang family still had some direct descendants remaining, a measure taken in case Misty Isle was destroyed. Beyond Misty Isle, the Shang family possessed other locations stocked with vast cultivation materials and complete cultivation techniques. As long as Shang Bingjie could return one day, the Shang family held the hope of standing tall once more on the Hai Lan Continent.

Perhaps precisely because Xuanyuan Valley had left the Shang family a glimmer of hope, the old woman harbored no resentment toward Xuanyuan Valley at this final moment.

“It’s a blessing we listened to him; otherwise, we wouldn’t even have this much time left,” the bald man sighed softly. “I’ve thought a lot these past few days. I realize we were all too dogmatic before. Ah, greed blinded our judgment. Before the people from Tianlu and the Death Pact arrived, we were still plotting how to seize that living star…”

The sigh from the bald man of Golden Net Mountain caused many others to show shameful expressions; it seemed only now did they truly recognize their own inherent flaws, regretting their past actions bitterly.

“If there is another chance, I will absolutely listen to that young man’s advice—I will eliminate those who threaten us at any cost. Only when we have no lingering worries can we consider anything else.”

“Indeed. If we really get a chance to survive, I’m willing to ally with Xuanyuan Valley, or even…” Even willing to follow Xuanyuan Valley’s direction for the benefit of our descendants and to contribute to the Solar Star Domain.”

“In my entire life, I only focused on cultivating and growing stronger, ignoring the beautiful scenery along the journey. If I get the chance, I will pause, go down to the mortal realm, and experience the myriad aspects of human life.”

As they knew the defensive barriers of Misty Isle were about to fail, these individuals, whose minds were once filled only with greed and profit, seemed to experience a sudden enlightenment, their regrets expanding infinitely as they finally saw clearly what they truly desired.

“Opportunities must be fought for!” the old woman of the Shang family snorted coldly. “Tianlu and the Death Pact experts have bombarded us for so long; their strength must be considerably depleted. We, however, are still at our peak. If we actually fight, it’s not impossible that we have a chance.”

“There is hope,” the bald man agreed, just about to offer some encouraging words when his face immediately fell again. He murmured, “It’s just quite slim.”

A group of about ten people appeared in the distance, all at the Ninth Palace Heaven realm. Upon their arrival, they showed respectful deference, bowing to the Master of Tianlu and the Leader of the Death Pact.

“These are rogue elements from other life stars. They must have received messages from the Master of Tianlu and the Leader of the Death Pact to rush over. These individuals come from about a dozen different life stars, and their cultivation levels are very high. With their addition, the chances for this battle look truly bleak…” one person remarked.

“We can only hope for a miracle,” the old woman muttered with a bitter smile. Could Heaven truly have forsaken her Shang family?

Five Elements Continent, Tianqi Mountain Valley.

Vast Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi surged down like thick clouds, shrouding the valley. Inside the Nine Levels of Ice and Fire Abyss, the forces of extreme heat and extreme cold clashed, erupting with earth-shattering roars.

Ji Changkong, suspended above the abyss, kept his eyes tightly closed, his expression solemn. Behind him, the illusions of the Four Sacred Beasts—Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird—stood like mountain ranges, forming a marvelous Four Symbols Array that channeled various energies onto him.

Gu Ya, Li Hentian, and the others were positioned in different corners of the valley, throwing piles of rare materials, one after another, into the Nine Levels of Ice and Fire Abyss.

As more and more cultivation materials entered the abyss, it became increasingly unstable. Strange energies erupted like fireworks, colorful and dazzling.