In the boundless expanse of the starfield, the Life Stars are the constellations most suited for sustaining life, and upon each such star, all manner of terrestrial energies exist—be it primal Yuanqi or demonic Moqi.
However, every Life Star inherently contains vast reserves of power, and at the core of some celestial bodies lie mystical substances found only in the sea of stars, such as unique crystals, which can be converted into usable energy in crucial moments.
A Life Star is distinct from a Dead Star or a Living Star; because they support human habitation, they are typically inhabited. Even if not by highly intelligent races, they host creatures akin to fierce beasts or devils. Only a Life Star teeming with life truly earns that designation.
Life Stars often harbor immense power. The energy contained within a single Life Star might surpass the combined total strength of an entire Ten Directions Celestial (Shi Fang Tian Shi). Should one devise a miraculous method to command the energy of a Life Star, the resulting might could be devastating enough to shatter the heavens and earth.
The ultimate form of the Ancient Nine Transformations Grand Array (Shang Gu Jiu Bian Jue Zhen) utilizes eighty-one Life Stars as its structural components, drawing upon the fundamental power of these eighty-one stars to unleash the array's final, absolute strength.
Anyone who contemplates this understood the terrifying might unleashed when the Ancient Nine Transformations Grand Array reaches its zenith. With eighty-one Life Stars forming the array's body, channeling their innate energy through the formation structure, its power is unequivocally capable of annihilating the world.
It was not only Xiao Xing and his companions in Xuanyuan Valley, unfamiliar with such sights, who were stunned into silence; even Shang Bingjie and Lan Fen from the Hailan Continent, along with Dick, wore expressions of utter stupefaction, barely daring to process the implications.
Ji Changkong was unsurprised by their reactions, offering a slight smile. "Naturally, this requires unleashing the full potential of the Ancient Nine Transformations Grand Array, and further, I would need to refine this formation hundreds of times over, melting in more materials to augment it. Furthermore, I must ascend to the profound realm of the Ten Directions Heaven (Shi Fang Tian); only then will this hope be attainable." The assembly nodded dully.
"As I stand now, I can only draw out thirty percent of this incomplete array's power. It is sufficient only to contend with figures like Master Tianlu and the leader of the Death Pact (Si Meng). Against truly formidable experts, this grand formation might prove ineffective," Ji Changkong observed, looking at the crowd. Lan Fen and Shang Bingjie exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with a strange look.
"Who else do you intend to oppose?" Lan Fen asked with a wry smile. "Within the Solar Star Domain, Master Tianlu and the Death Pact Leader are the most powerful experts. If we can eliminate those two, who else in the Solar Star Domain would dare cross you?"
That was true enough. Ji Changkong let out a soft laugh, thinking to himself that if he could slay those two, few in the entire Solar Star Domain would dare show him disrespect thereafter.
"Ji Changkong, you can help me, help me..." Dick, seeing a renewed glimmer of hope, urged him immediately.
He had long desired to leverage Ji Changkong's power to transform the Solar Star Domain into a farm for the Dark Star Race (An Xing Zu), hoping to alter the region's current state. Previously, because Ji Changkong lacked sufficient power, Dick could not act.
Now, witnessing Ji Changkong capable of manifesting the Ancient Nine Transformations Grand Array, Dick was convinced that if its power could be brought to its absolute limit, Ji Changkong could certainly help him realize his aspirations.
Ji Changkong was fully aware of Dick's ambition. As soon as Dick opened his mouth, he preemptively stated, "Rest assured. The reason I must eliminate Master Tianlu and the Death Pact Leader is to bring benefits to everyone! Your Dark Star Race is tremendously important to us. For the sake of all Nine Palaces Celestials (Jiu Gong Tian Shi) in the Solar Star Domain, and for the generations to come, I will certainly assist you!" Dick was deeply grateful but could only nod repeatedly, unsure how to express the excitement surging within him. The Dark Star Race people were, after all, taciturn and poor at articulating their emotions, a fact Ji Changkong knew well and did not mind.
"I expended considerable effort refining the Ancient Nine Transformations Grand Array. Although the formation is complete now, I require time to recover my energy. Once my strength is restored, I will return to the Hailan Continent with you all," Ji Changkong reassured Shang Bingjie, adding, "Don't worry, your Shang Family won't collapse that quickly."
Though inwardly anxious, Shang Bingjie knew haste was futile. Only Ji Changkong possessed the means to reach the Hailan Continent, and only he could deploy the Ancient Nine Transformations Grand Array; all of this demanded adequate reserves of power.
If Ji Changkong rushed to the Hailan Continent now and lacked the necessary strength to deploy the Grand Array, they would surely suffer disaster there. If he also lacked the power to retreat, their return would mean certain death. Therefore, Shang Bingjie refrained from pressing him, merely nodding calmly to show her understanding.
Smiling faintly, Ji Changkong ceased speaking and settled down on the spot, communicating with the Four Sacred Beasts (Si Sheng Shou) to quickly gather some strength for him.
This time, the Four Sacred Beasts were remarkably agreeable. Unbeknownst to the others, they had made some clandestine arrangements deep underground. An endless flow of Heaven and Earth Yuanqi surged forth from the earth like magma, showering down upon Ji Changkong in the valley above.
Having cultivated to the Nine Palaces Heaven (Jiu Gong Tian) realm, he immediately settled his mind into a state of ethereal clarity, merging entirely with the heavens and earth. Soon, the Yuanqi seemed to become part of his physical being, flooding rapidly into him, quickly replenishing his depleted vitality.
As his cultivation deepened, he found the Mysterious Record of the Great Void (Tai Xu Mi Lu) increasingly wondrous. By stabilizing his state of mind and allowing his soul to enter that clear, empty state, he could instantly unite with heaven and earth, blending into any natural landscape and sensing any divine power existing in the world.
According to Gu Dan, the Mysterious Record of the Great Void originated from beyond the heavens, and the Poison of Origin (Ben Yuan Zhi Du) had once mentioned that it seemed to come from the Dead Star Domain. It differed from conventional cultivation manuals; it had always resided within his mind like a divine weapon, seemingly fused with his soul.
When not actively practicing it, the Mysterious Record of the Great Void would shrink into an invisible speck hidden in a corner of his soul. However, whenever he needed it, the record would miraculously manifest, providing him with an ineffable level of assistance.
This record had aided him countless times; during the last incident, it had even managed to suppress the Vast Star Chart (Hao Han Xing Hai Tu).
Vaguely, he sensed that the Mysterious Record of the Great Void likely held secrets of its own, secrets his current low cultivation level prevented him from perceiving.
With his advancing realm, he increasingly realized the growing magnitude of the record's help. Take the current recovery of his strength, for example: other Nine Palaces Celestials who expended this much internal Yuanli would require at least a year or more to recover, even with ample surrounding Yuanqi.
Masters at the peak of the Nine Palaces Heaven realm, having refined all their acupoints, could utilize those channels to recover somewhat faster, but still needed several days.
Yet, despite having not refined a single acupoint, he needed only one day to fully restore his Yuanli by merging with heaven and earth.
This phenomenal speed, faster than anyone else, he knew must be inextricably linked to the marvelous scripture, the Mysterious Record of the Great Void!
As he sat cross-legged, recovering peacefully, ten thousand feet below the ground, the soul forms of the Four Sacred Beasts gathered once more.
This time, the three—White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—who had initially opposed surrendering five centuries of their power, fell silent.
The three unleashed their energies without hesitation, manipulating the underground Yuanqi structure to release the power they had amassed over long ages, pouring it into Ji Changkong in the valley above. The three now appeared remarkably generous, not uttering a single word of inquiry.
After a long, long while, once they perceived that sufficient power had accumulated beside Ji Changkong, the three ceased their efforts. "Truly unbelievable..." White Tiger relaxed, his face etched with surprise.
"Indeed. Who could have imagined this boy would forge the Ancient Nine Transformations Grand Array? If the array’s power truly is as he claimed, then one day, when his realm breaks through to the Ten Directions Heaven, he might indeed slay the Ancestral Demon (Zu Mo)!" Vermilion Bird sighed in awe.
Black Tortoise nodded, murmuring, "This child constantly surprises us. He is so young, yet he has already reached the Nine Palaces Heaven realm, and now he harbors so much Star Essence (Xing Chen Zhi Jing) within his acupoints. At this pace, it won't be long before he breaks through to the Ten Directions Heaven." "You three finally see that our power wasn't wasted, do you?" Azure Dragon chuckled happily. The other three nodded in unison, completely putting their minds at ease.
"When he reaches the peak of the Nine Palaces Heaven, I will seek a conversation with him. If he is willing to aid us, we might even emerge from the depths earlier, perhaps... perhaps enter the vast starry heavens to pursue the endeavors we desire," Azure Dragon pondered before muttering.
Upon hearing this, the faces of the other three Sacred Beasts immediately displayed strange expressions, each wearing a look of longing. Hailan Continent, Misty Bird (Piao Miao Niao). Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amidst earth-shattering explosions, the barrier and restrictions enveloping Misty Island were finally utterly destroyed. As mountains began to detonate across the isle, the ambient Heaven and Earth Yuanqi that had been contained dispersed, rushing out in all directions.
Around the perimeter of Misty Island, the ground collapsed, and spatial rifts crisscrossed the sky, marked by interlacing light.
After a considerable period, the celestial spectacle above Misty Island gradually subsided. It was then that Master Tianlu and his retinue descended unhurriedly from the sky, heading directly toward Dragon Heaven Peak (Tian Long Feng).
On Dragon Heaven Peak, the aged matriarch of the Shang Family and the three bald figures from Vajra Mountain (Jingang Shan) wore expressions of extreme solemnity. Experts from other Life Stars looked ashen-faced, yet their features were contorted into ferocious visages set for a desperate final stand.
Fully aware of the peril, these individuals shed their fear. Many had already abandoned any hope of surviving this day, content only to inflict heavy damage upon the enemy before death.
They understood the methods of Tianlu and the Death Pact; even before battle commenced, they were prepared to shatter their own souls.
They knew that if their souls fell into the hands of Tianlu or the Death Pact Leader, they would become raw materials for refining divine weapons and elixirs, doomed to eternal torment in endless agony. Better, they thought, to detonate their souls entirely when resistance proved futile, vanishing completely from the cosmos.
Master Tianlu and the Death Pact Leader, flanked by their subordinate experts, encircled Dragon Heaven Peak in a ring before slowly descending onto the peak.
The smiling mask on Master Tianlu’s face appeared grotesquely terrifying beneath his cold, malevolent eyes. His gaze swept over the assembled group one by one, nodding slowly. "Not bad. You actually managed to withstand us for half a month after killing my Sky-Swallowing Rat, consuming a significant portion of our strength. The Ji Family is indeed extraordinary..."
The Death Pact Leader, his form flickering like a restless spirit fire, let his ghostly eyes linger momentarily on the tall bald figure from Vajra Mountain before murmuring darkly, "A very pure soul. I shall claim this one."
"You will never have that chance!" the Vajra Mountain figure roared, his body suddenly swelling. His robes ripped apart as, in an instant, he transformed into a powerfully built man about five meters tall, his muscles brimming with explosive force.
Simultaneously, his enlarged frame radiated dazzling golden light, conveying an aura of unbreakable solidity.
The other two bald figures, with a synchronized roar, also morphed into similar diminutive giants, their bodies shimmering with golden radiance, appearing as majestic as the Vajra Bodhisattvas enshrined in mortal temples—truly imposing and awe-inspiring.
"The Vajra Sacred Body (Jingang Sheng Ti) of Vajra Mountain is indeed formidable," the Death Pact Leader commented coolly. "A pity, I do not rely on physical attacks against you. How strong can your body be?"
"Then see how I break my Adamantine Soul of Stone and Metal (Jin Shi Tie Hun)!" the Vajra Mountain figure bellowed. Behind his shining golden head, a seven-colored radiance suddenly erupted, like the light of the blazing sun flashing from behind his crown, forming a massive nimbus that enveloped his entire body. The Death Pact Leader, struck by this golden light, had his soul beginning to smoke, as if being incinerated by fierce flames.
"Your soul is laced with rare metals and stones—quite interesting, but not unbreakable," the Death Pact Leader murmured. His spectral form slowly drifted away, and suddenly, the single ghost separated into six, each instantly enlarging to become six terrifying, monstrous demons.
The six demons—some sporting giant horns, others covered in scales, one possessing a long tail—formed a hexagon around the Vajra Mountain figure and struck simultaneously, fiercely clawing toward the circle of light behind the giant’s head. Crack! Crack! Crackle!
Under the violent assault of the six demons, two layers of the seven-colored nimbus behind the bald man's head were instantly shattered. The six demons opened their mouths in unison, exhaling spectral demonic energy that sprayed onto the seven-colored ring, seemingly attempting to corrode it this way.
This method proved effective. In just a short time, the seven-colored nimbus behind the bald man's head was eroded, leaving only two layers remaining.
The bald figure roared to the heavens like an ancient giant, his muscles bulging and golden light blazing. He grappled with the descending six demons, pinning one down and violently ripping off its sharp horn.
"What good does that do?" the six demons chimed in with their spectral voices.
In an instant, the sharp horn torn from the demon that the bald man had wrestled down regrew completely, and that demon was unharmed.
"Sacred Light Shines Upon All (Sheng Guang Pu Zhao)!" the bald figure cried out piously toward the heavens. His body erupted like the sun, shooting forth intensely brilliant solar light, within which resided the mystical power of the Life Fire from the Heart of the Sun, spreading outwards.
The six demons began to smoke under the assault of the bald man’s power; it appeared this technique truly was effective against them.
"Kill them. Once they are dead, we proceed to the Five Elements Continent (Wu Xing Da Lu). There is a Dark Star clansman there who can resolve your issue of lacking Star Essence," Master Tianlu stated coolly, watching the confrontation between the Vajra Mountain figure and the Death Pact Leader. After a while, he spoke again.
The heretical figures from other Life Stars who had gathered under Master Tianlu and the Death Pact Leader did so precisely to obtain sufficient Star Essence to cultivate their acupoints. Hearing his words, these Nine Palaces Celestials from other Life Stars finally engaged.
The Nine Palaces Celestials from the Tianyun Continent behind Master Tianlu, along with the Death Pact's specters, also attacked simultaneously, finally launching a full-scale assault on the people of Misty Island.
Alas, the enemy's strength clearly far surpassed their own. Many of the experts allied with Tianlu and the Death Pact Leader were at the peak of the Nine Palaces Heaven realm; the rest had cultivated to extremely profound stages within that realm.
Over the years, these forces had occupied too many Living Stars, leading to the demise of one Living Star after another in the Solar Star Domain. Moreover, the two factions had even warred with the Yunhai Star Domain for cultivation resources, seizing Star Essence that originally belonged to the Yunhai masters through slaughter and interception.
It was precisely due to their rapacious conduct that their internal Star Essence surpassed others', allowing them to cultivate more of their acupoints, giving them a superior overall strength.
Coupled with the rogue experts from other Life Stars who had pledged allegiance, Master Tianlu observed that the situation was within his grasp, even without engaging personally.
Virtually every Nine Palaces Celestial on Dragon Heaven Peak was entangled by two or more enemies. Since Master Tianlu and the Death Pact Leader had already destroyed the spatial turbulence region leading to the Hailan Continent, even if these defenders managed to escape now, they would only be hunted down and suffer a more agonizing end. Under this grim realization, not a single person on Dragon Heaven Peak fled; they resolved to fight to the death. Just as the fierce battle reached its peak, brilliant, searing light suddenly erupted amidst the melee, and a moderately sized, luminous aperture manifested. A majestic youth, a calm, unhurried smile playing on his lips, stepped through. "I have returned..."