The Grand Array of Ten Thousand Ancient Changes originates from before the Great Destruction. Legend has it that the Grand Array of Ten Thousand Ancient Changes possesses... ten variations, each with distinct power, yet all sharing the same objective: to annihilate souls and slay gods!

When this formation is pushed to its zenith, it is said to be capable of slaughtering even mighty Ten Directions Celestial Masters, and even ancient life forms—meaning it could execute beings like the Four Sacred Beasts, even at their peak strength! Consider the immense frames and the long lifespans and terrifying might of the Four Sacred Beasts; the fact that the Grand Array of Nine Ancient Changes could eliminate them speaks volumes of its overwhelming power.

Within the Abyss of Nine Layers of Ice and Fire, various rare materials were continuously tossed in. Each material, upon entry, had to undergo repeated scorching and freezing, nine times over through the ice-flame cycle. A rare chunk of metal dropped into the Abyss of Nine Layers of Ice and Fire. First, it was enveloped by an icy aura, then it fell to the next layer, where it was intensely burned by the flame element until glowing red-hot. Under Ji Changkong’s manipulation, impurities within the metal block were partially purged. It then entered the next layer, where it was solidified once more by extreme cold. This process of alternate heating and freezing repeated. After several cycles of quenching and solidification, the impurities were entirely removed. When the metal reached the very bottom, its refinement level was almost beyond imagination.

Through endless quenching and constant tempering, even materials burdened with numerous impurities would become incredibly precious after repeated condensation, rendering them supremely suitable as the foundational stones for the Grand Array of Nine Ancient Changes.

The colossal illusions of the Four Sacred Beasts manifested behind him, positioning themselves at the four cardinal points to surround him in the center. They emitted four streams of light—cyan, crimson, white, and black. Some light flowed into his body, while the rest plunged directly into the Abyss of Nine Layers of Ice and Fire below.

Gu Bo, Li Hentian, and the others were dispersed throughout the valley corners. Guided by his soul-thought, they tossed different materials into the Abyss of Nine Layers of Ice and Fire at precisely timed intervals. The temperature control was critical; for instance, the most common Fire Demon Stone had to be introduced immediately after a significant volume of Snow Cloud Rock had already entered. Being even a moment too early or too late was unacceptable. Fortunately, Gu Yu and his companions were all at the Realm of the Nine Palaces Celestial, allowing them to maintain psychic connection with him. Over such a short distance, a mere flicker of Ji Changkong’s soul-thought was enough; with their cultivation, they could execute tasks with perfect timing. It was only thanks to the assistance of these experts in the Nine Palaces Celestial Realm that he could remain completely focused on the refinement process, integrating the power derived from the Four Sacred Beasts with the might of the Abyss of Nine Layers of Ice and Fire to give shape to the molten materials cast below.

Clusters of flames and shards of solid ice occasionally escaped the Abyss of Nine Layers of Ice and Fire, exploding above it and dispersing as pure energy essence. Hovering cross-legged above the Abyss of Nine Layers of Ice and Fire, Ji Changkong’s expression was solemn, like an ancient monk in deep meditation, controlling the flow of energy beneath the abyss using only his soul. This process continued for an entire day and night. Every material piled up in the valley had now been thrown into the Abyss of Nine Layers of Ice and Fire. At this juncture, the illusory forms of the Four Sacred Beasts that had been circling him suddenly plunged into the abyss below. As the power of the Four Sacred Beasts unfolded, that aura of eternal, ancient existence immediately permeated the heavens and earth. The phantom forms of the Four Sacred Beasts blazed with dazzling light, seeming almost tangible, churning within the abyss below. They shot out bursts of cyan, crimson, white, and black light that fused together, violently reshaping everything beneath. The mountain ranges spanning thousands of miles began to destabilize. In the far distance, peak after peak suddenly exploded, rivers dried up, and the earth cracked open! Aside from the area around Tianqi Mountain, which remained relatively stable, the surrounding mountain ranges underwent earth-shattering transformations. Deep within the ground, it was as if primeval ferocious beasts were rampaging, wreaking havoc upon everything between heaven and earth! Gradually, within the span of one day, all the terrain within a radius of ten thousand miles, except for Tianqi Mountain itself, disintegrated. Mountain ranges formed over millennia vanished completely in a single day. Other peaks, after being flattened, sank deep into the earth, submerged by seawater, transforming from mountains into oceans. The land was scarred and ravaged; the Five Elements Continent seemed at that moment to be enduring an unbearable catastrophe. The distant Eastern Sea, the desolate Northern Wilds, and the scorching Western Regions all began manifesting various anomalous, spectacular phenomena. Tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, collapsing mountains, rivers freezing over, glaciers melting... For a time, the Five Elements Continent became unfamiliar to many. The land seemed cursed, beset by natural disasters that erupted within a few days. The experts of Xuanyuan Valley, having prepared in advance, moved across the world, relocating vast numbers of commoners to safe areas to protect them from harm. Factions across the world that had been raided by Xuanyuan Valley began spreading rumors, claiming that Xuanyuan Valley’s actions had incurred the wrath of Heaven, which was descending its fury to punish everyone. Many groups began organizing across the major powers, calling for a united campaign to subjugate Xuanyuan Valley. Unfortunately, these were all bluster and no substance. Without a powerful Ten Directions Celestial Master leading the charge, their secret machinations and clamor remained pale and ineffective, posing not even the slightest threat to Xuanyuan Valley. The changes around Tianqi Mountain also alerted many formidable experts. However, upon hearing that Xuanyuan Valley was responsible for the activities here, no master dared approach. Xuanyuan Valley was known as the most terrifying force on the Five Elements Continent. Now, any location where Xuanyuan Valley experts were stationed was avoided by all, with people deliberately keeping their distance. The continent-wide, catastrophic natural anomalies continued... Within such a short period, the Five Elements Continent underwent massive transformations: many mountains became seas, rivers turned into wastelands, and oases became deserts... It seemed that the only things that remained unchanged were Tianqi Mountain and the valley nestled beneath it. Gu Yu and his companions were no longer in the valley. Once all the rare materials had been cast into the Abyss of Nine Layers of Ice and Fire, they flew up above Tianqi Mountain, looking down upon the valley and the central Abyss of Nine Layers of Ice and Fire. Ji Changkong was seated cross-legged there, motionless for a very long time, his face numb. If not for the powerful, high-intensity operation of his vast soul magnetic field, people might have assumed his soul had departed his body, journeying to the Solar Star Domain. He hovered, suspended and unmoving above the Abyss of Nine Layers of Ice and Fire, yet the abyss itself remained extremely volatile. The massive forms manifested by the Four Sacred Beasts occasionally flickered into view within the abyss, and the cyan, crimson, white, and black lights continuously flashed inside, releasing torrents of energy. The density of the world's elemental energy within the valley now surpassed that of any other location on the Five Elements Continent—it was even ten times stronger than at Misty Island on the Vast Sea Continent! It was as if all the elemental energy from every corner of the Five Elements Continent had converged within this single valley. Under the influence of such potent elemental energy, ordinary stones in the valley began faintly transforming into low-grade Origin Stones within these few days. The special stones ejected from the Abyss of Nine Layers of Ice and Fire, after this period of settling, became smooth as fine jade, shining with variegated brilliance. The once desolate valley sprouted all manner of vegetation, luxuriant and dense, as if it had transitioned from deep winter to spring overnight. Another day passed. Under the cool moonlight, the Abyss of Nine Layers of Ice and Fire within the valley began emitting tremendous, rumbling vibrations. At this moment, Ji Changkong, suspended above with a numb expression, broke out in a cold sweat and suddenly tensed up! Simultaneously, powerful streams of energy erupted from his body, plunging into the abyss below. As this energy entered, the abyss grew increasingly unstable, accompanied by a sound like muffled beating: "Thump-thump!" Several hours later, this beating sound grew louder, and streams of seven-colored halos shot out from it. Before long, these halos merged, and a massive heart slowly emerged from within the Abyss of Nine Layers of Ice and Fire! It was a heart resembling a human one, yet far larger than a small mountain. It seemed imbued with life, entangled with sinews, beating rhythmically: "Thump-thump!" The sound was deafening, truly like the beat of a human heart. Those watching atop Tianqi Mountain were utterly stunned, their faces etched with terror. It was at this precise moment that Ji Changkong suddenly opened his eyes. He extended ten fingers downward, sending ten streams of bloody essence flying out, all striking the giant heart. Gushing blood sprayed from his ten fingertips, drenching the massive heart. Under the irrigation of his blood, the heart beat with ever-increasing vigor, faintly echoing the soul aura emanating from Ji Changkong himself. "Thump-thump! Thump-thump!" Powerful beats resonated from the giant heart, extremely forceful, transmitting a profoundly strange power. Under the gaze of the onlookers, the heart began to rapidly absorb the concentrated world elemental energy of the past few days, like a sponge. In just a few short minutes, the elemental energy gathered from all directions of the Five Elements Continent seemed to be entirely consumed by this single heart. "Thump-thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump!" The beating sound grew louder, making the onlookers’ eardrums faintly ache. Finally, with one massive "BOOM," the giant heart violently exploded. Nine small hearts, crystal clear as jade, suddenly materialized from the great blast. Each tiny heart was about one mu in size, resembling the most beautiful gemstones in the world—crystalline, glittering, and emitting an enchanting, multicolored halo. The nine hearts hovered near Ji Changkong, emitting rhythmic "thump-thump" sounds, their frequencies perfectly synchronized, as if coming from a single organ. Everyone on Tianqi Mountain stared, dumbfounded, filled with disbelief. After such a prolonged refinement, producing nine strange hearts—this was simply too bizarre. Even Dick, in a moment of realization, shook his head and murmured, "How could this be? Once the Grand Array of Nine Ancient Changes takes form, is this what it looks like? It’s utterly strange..." As Dick spoke to himself, Ji Changkong offered a faint smile. "Thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump!" The nine hearts suddenly split, each dividing into nine millstone-sized hearts. In an instant, eighty-one hearts appeared beside Ji Changkong. Each one beat with the identical frequency and color, a truly bizarre sight. The onlookers were even more astonished, frozen in place, not knowing how to react. Just then, a fierce explosion erupted from the Abyss of Nine Layers of Ice and Fire. Under everyone’s watch, the abyss violently collapsed, and countless stones flew in from all directions, quickly filling it completely. "Changkong, what is this?" Gu Yu asked from Tianqi Mountain, his face full of confusion. "Changkong, is this truly the Grand Array of Nine Ancient Changes?" Smiling, Ji Changkong nodded. "Indeed. This is the Grand Array of Nine Ancient Changes, but it is merely a nascent form." With that, Ji Changkong moved his mind and began to attempt casting the Grand Array of Nine Ancient Changes. Suddenly, the eighty-one hearts flew outward, scattering in all directions, moving faster than even a Nine Palaces Celestial Master flying at full speed. Simultaneously, Ji Changkong ascended to the high heavens, slowly standing amidst the clouds. Gu Yu, Li Hentian, and the others, filled with doubt, also flew up to the clouds, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him, eager to see what unique attributes this Grand Array of Nine Ancient Changes possessed. Lan Fen and Shang Bingjie stood on Ji Changkong’s left and right, their beautiful eyes clouded with bewilderment. Under everyone's gaze, Ji Changkong smiled slightly. "This Grand Array of Nine Ancient Changes is rather peculiar; it requires physical entities to form the array body, providing the necessary power support for the dependent formation. Of course, those hearts can also absorb energy from the array body; it is a mutually beneficial relationship." They all nodded silently, mystified but asking no further questions, watching the distance as the eighty-one hearts sped further away. Finally, the first heart stopped, hovering above a mountain peak a thousand feet tall for a brief moment, before instantly vanishing inside it. At that instant, the onlookers strangely noticed that Ji Changkong’s aura shifted, becoming as immense as a mountain, and it seemed as if the essence of that mountain was now affixed to him. Under their observation, the thousand-foot mountain peak shuddered violently and actually lifted itself off the ground, slowly suspending in the air. Following the subtle shifts in Ji Changkong’s mental command, the thousand-foot mountain began to rotate slowly. The onlookers' gazes glazed over in utter shock! A mountain peak thousands of feet high, wrenched from the earth and lifted into the sky, performing graceful maneuvers—such a scene was beyond their wildest dreams! It wasn't just one peak. As one heart after another settled into the mountainsides, more peaks began to soar into the sky. Each heart acted like a seed dropped into the mountain, carrying the thousands-of-feet-high peaks aloft, arranging themselves under the control of Ji Changkong’s soul into the pattern of the Grand Array of Nine Ancient Changes. Since he chose not to unleash the full array over the Five Elements Continent, Ji Changkong willed it, and the mountains that had flown up slowly descended back to their original positions. The mountains suspended in the sky landed safely back in place, remaining as steadfast and unmoving as if they had never been disturbed. Soon, every mountain that had ascended returned to its spot. The eighty-one hearts that had flown out were summoned by his mental call, returning from all directions. Soon, they appeared beside him, and under the influence of his power, they entered the specially prepared space within the Illusory Void Realm. "The power of this Grand Array of Nine Ancient Changes is quite astonishing. I fear deploying it here would destroy the Five Elements Continent, so I chose not to unleash its full might upon the land. Please forgive me," Ji Changkong said with a slight, unhurried smile. Everyone was stunned into silence. Xiao Xing, Xiao Poshang, Han Feng, and even the Eight Trigram Celestial Masters like Mo Yunyi from Xuanyuan Valley felt their minds reeling. Mu Luo and Batul were momentarily frozen, then suddenly knelt in mid-air, proclaiming in unison, "Sect Master, such divine skill is likely capable of slaying Ten Directions Celestial Masters! Sect Master is truly the 'True God' of our sect!" It wasn't just Mu Luo and Batul; even old guards like Xiao Xing found themselves thinking, Has this young man cultivated to the Ten Directions Heaven Realm? Otherwise, how could he be this terrifying? The ability to move mountains and displace seas was a technique legendary among the Ten Directions Celestial Masters. Not only could he perform it, but he could lift so many peaks simultaneously! This capability surpassed legends! For a moment, everyone stood dumbfounded, at a loss for words. It was only at this moment that Mo Yunyi truly believed that the current Ji family Xuanyuan line was incomparable to previous generations. The power of this generation of Xuanyuan might exceed the combined might of all previous Xuanyuan ancestors! "Is this the true power of the Grand Array of Nine Ancient Changes? It is terrifying. The legends were not false; I finally believe it," Lan Fen murmured with a solemn expression. "Incredible, truly magnificent. No wonder they say the Grand Array of Nine Ancient Changes can execute Ten Directions Celestial Masters. It really is this frightening!" Dick exclaimed in awe. Shaking his head, Ji Changkong offered a wry smile. "The current Grand Array of Nine Ancient Changes cannot yet slay Ten Directions Celestial Masters. It can only contend with Nine Palaces Celestial Masters right now; its true potential is still far off." "True potential?" Lan Fen asked, startled. "What exactly is its true form?" Everyone looked toward Ji Changkong. This was the crucial topic for all of them. If the current iteration had already left them speechless, just how powerful was the actual Grand Array of Nine Ancient Changes? They could barely imagine it. "It relies on attaching itself to eighty-one 'Stars of Life,' using these eighty-one Stars of Life as the array body, and controlling them with the soul to activate the great array. That is its true power!" Ji Changkong stated gravely. The entire group froze instantly!