On Dragon Peak, Tianlu and Death Pact forces conferred with people from the Shang family and Vajra Mountain. The Battle of Kun had just begun, and there had not yet been widespread casualties, when suddenly, Ji Changkong descended out of thin air. He appeared right before their eyes.
Behind him, Lan Fen—a master from Feihua—Gu Hai, Li Hentian, Dick, and the Origin Poison followed, emerging one after another from that glowing aperture.
Every master who had reached the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm had come from Tianqi Mountain to assist Ji Changkong in this battle.
The arrival of Ji Changkong and his group disrupted the combatants locked in battle on Dragon Peak; those masters who had been fighting suddenly paused their engagement.
“You—how are you back here again?” The old matriarch of the Shang family glared at Shang Bingjie, filled with intense vexation. “What good does it do for you to return? You are the only hope for our Shang family!!”
It was precisely because Shang Bingjie had escaped that the old matriarch had felt some measure of peace; now, seeing Shang Bingjie return at this moment, the flickering ember of hope in the old lady’s heart seemed to be instantly extinguished. She became immediately angry.
In her view, even if Ji Changkong and his group returned, the overall situation could not be changed; everyone was still doomed to perish together.
“Grandmother, I’ve returned to save you,” Shang Bingjie said.
“You foolish child, it’s enough that you are alive, what does it matter about us!” The old matriarch was furious. She urged sternly, “Go back! Hurry back, this is no place for you to be!”
“Take us away, please!”
“As long as you can get us away, we will listen to everything your Xuanyuan Valley says from now on!”
“We were wrong, we shouldn’t have doubted you. As long as you save us, we will obey whatever your Xuanyuan Valley commands in the future!”
These people, who had scorned Ji Changkong and his group just half a month ago, now exhibited a fundamental shift in attitude. The moment they saw Ji Changkong return, the flame of hope in their hearts was reignited, and they began clamoring.
Those who had been in despair suddenly saw a chance for rebirth in Ji Changkong, hoping he could lead them all away through that glowing aperture, giving them a future to live for.
“I will naturally save you, but not by this method,” Ji Changkong smiled faintly. “Wouldn’t killing these masters from Tianlu and Death Pact ensure you a more permanent peace? Otherwise, even if you escape this time, how many times more can you run away?”
“Kill them? What nonsense are you spouting?” One man’s face shifted dramatically. He urgently stated, “Do you know what you are saying? In the Solar Star Domain, what power exists that can deal with them?”
Many others nodded in agreement, urging Ji Changkong to quickly take them away, hoping to leave this place—the Hailan Continent, this hotbed of trouble—as far behind as possible.
Unfortunately, after Li Hentian was the last one to emerge from the aperture, the glowing hole slowly healed, leaving no trace or gap; no one could traverse it again.
Ji Changkong paid no mind to their pleas, instead focusing his attention on the Master of Tianlu and the Leader of Death Pact. He smiled slightly, “Gentlemen, what is the purpose of your massive invasion of the Hailan Continent?”
At this moment, the Master of Tianlu and the Leader of Death Pact had also temporarily halted their subordinates' attacks, merely surrounding Jade Dragon Peak from a distance.
The eyes beneath the smiling mask of the Master of Tianlu flickered with confusion. He looked repeatedly at the location where the aperture had manifested behind Ji Changkong, clearly astonished by this miraculous method.
“There are no Spatial Turbulence Zones here—how did you arrive?” The Master of Tianlu asked after observing for a while.
The Leader of Death Pact also stared at Ji Changkong with two balls of ghostly fire for eyes, obviously very interested in this matter. These two were top figures in the Solar Star Domain, yet even they could not traverse two life-bearing stars without utilizing the Spatial Turbulence Zones.
To these two, the abrupt appearance of Ji Changkong and his party was extremely bizarre and contrary to reason. They could see that Ji Changkong’s group had emerged through the aperture that had just appeared, but that aperture was clearly not a feature of the Spatial Turbulence Zones; it must have been some other method.
“I naturally have my means,” Ji Changkong replied, his expression aloof, showing not a shred of fear toward the Master of Tianlu or the Leader of Death Pact. He calmly smiled toward the old matriarch of the Shang family, then glanced at the exhausted bald man from Jinwang Mountain. “Though you people haven't treated me particularly well, I treat others with sincerity. Returning this time, I hope we can stand shoulder to shoulder against these invaders.”
With matters having reached this pass, whether it was the Shang family matriarch or the bald man from Jinwang Mountain, they knew a bloody battle was unavoidable. Even a junior like Ji Changkong dared to return from the Five Elements Continent; what more could they say?
The old matriarch nodded and sighed. “If my Shang family can fortunately survive this time, Ji Changkong, our family will certainly treat you anew!”
The bald man was stunned, then added, “If we can survive this time, Jinwang Mountain will abandon our rigid doctrines and kill these demonic evildoers at any cost!”
Having experienced a baptism of life and death, these two finally saw some clear realities.
Ji Changkong smiled. “That is precisely what I desire!”
“The Dark Star Clan members!” The Master of Tianlu suddenly exclaimed sharply, staring at Dick with a serious expression. “I know your Dark Star Clan possesses peculiar methods to turn dead stars into living ones. I am very willing to cooperate with you. You can see that our power far surpasses yours; if you cooperate with us, I guarantee that other factions in the Solar Star Domain...”
From Chang Mei, the Master of Tianlu and the Leader of Death Pact had learned some things about Pu Ke. The Master of Tianlu had previously heard news about the Dark Star Clan through the Dead Star Domain and knew they possessed the ability to alter dead stars; this is why, upon hearing that members of the Dark Star Clan had appeared on the Hailan Continent, they rushed over without hesitation.
The forces of Tianlu and Death Pact were immensely powerful in the Solar Star Domain. If Tianlu and Death Pact truly committed to helping Pu Ke, his chances of success would indeed be high.
Unfortunately, Dick knew that Tianlu and Death Pact were the two most unscrupulous powers in the Solar Star Domain. These two factions had committed too many heinous acts over the years that outraged both gods and men. Such evil forces focused only on self-interest were definitely not what Pu Ke wanted.
Dick shook his head and pointed to Ji Changkong. “We already have a better choice.”
“Him?” The Master of Tianlu’s eyes were full of disdain. “Just this junior? Is he worth the Dark Star Clan investing in? You also know that without joining me, you have no hope of realizing any ambitions in the Solar Star Domain. I will destroy anyone who cooperates with you, and this kid will soon cease to exist!”
Dick shook his head again. “The one who will cease to exist won't be him, I know that.”
This was clearly mocking the Master of Tianlu?
The people on Dragon Peak were all stunned. Not only the masters from Tianlu, but even the Shang family matriarch and the bald man were extremely puzzled, wondering how this monster dared to speak such nonsense? By what merit, and with what resources, could that boy contend with the Master of Tianlu and the Leader of Death Pact?
Except for Shang Bingjie, Lan Fen, and the few others who had come from the Five Elements Continent, none of the masters on Dragon Peak believed Ji Changkong could stand against the Master of Tianlu and the Leader of Death Pact.
“Don’t kill him. Later, we will imprison his soul, and we must properly interrogate him about his method of arrival,” the Leader of Death Pact, noticing the killing intent in the Master of Tianlu’s eyes, pointed toward Ji Changkong and reminded him.
“Mm, I know what I’m doing,” the Master of Tianlu nodded, signaling his understanding. Then he pointed toward Ji Changkong and calmly commanded, “Kill this brat first, let this foreign race member see our might.”
Behind him, a white-haired youth at the peak of the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm stepped out, instantly appearing before Ji Changkong. He flung his long white hair, and hundreds of sharp beams of light shot out. As these sharp beams traveled through the air, they continuously intertwined, coalescing into a skeletal white net—a Heaven’s Net—that swiftly descended toward Ji Changkong’s head.
He had seemingly heeded the advice of the Leader of Death Pact; though his aura was full of killing intent, he was actually preparing to capture Ji Changkong to force out the method of arrival without using Spatial Turbulence Zones.
This white-haired youth possessed the cultivation of the peak of the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm. The chilling killing aura emanating from his body was almost tangible. Once the skeletal Heaven’s Net solidified, his killing aura, like threads, attached itself to every line of the net, imbuing the massive web with a cold and violent essence.
The lines of the great net emitted endless sounds of resentment audible only to the soul. These threads seemed woven from the final resentments of those facing death. As the net descended, the power of that resentment struck deep into Ji Changkong’s soul, as if a voice was trying to make him surrender his mind.
Grinning, his mind remaining empty, Ji Changkong was completely unaffected by the power of resentment carried by the light threads. He scoffed, “Petty tricks.”
Flames suddenly erupted, one after another. The fierce burning power of the Samadhi True Fire, upon manifesting, immediately incinerated the lines of the great net. The various resentments, influenced by the Heavenly Fire mixed within the Samadhi True Fire, all vaporized into gaseous form.
With the combined use of Samadhi True Fire and Heavenly Fire, the descending great net rapidly depleted all its energy and eventually dissolved into wisps of smoke, dissipating into the heavens and earth.
This white-haired youth had the cultivation of the peak of the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm; though the essence of the stars he collected came from somewhat inferior living stars, all his acupoints were fully refined. For such a master to fail to instantly kill Ji Changkong—who had not refined a single acupoint—and not even inflict any injury was simply unimaginable.
The white-haired youth also seemed to lose face. The rigid lines on his face suddenly softened. The youth who had appeared heroic and powerful now had a shifting countenance; his body slowly became delicate and weak. Even his once flat chest began to swell.
In just a few dozen seconds, a strapping young man transformed into a dainty woman. Except for his eyes, which remained sinister and icy, at a casual glance, this was practically another person!
As his appearance changed, his temperament also became feminine and evil, yet the fluctuation of his soul grew stronger, like a mire eager to swallow another’s spirit whole.
Anyone who met his gaze would unconsciously be drawn in, their souls becoming disoriented and lost, before being pulled into an even more bewildering soul trap.
Initially, even Ji Changkong fell for it. Fortunately, the Great Void Secret Record possessed a near-supernatural ability to stabilize the mind. However, once he maintained that state of emptiness, the soul trap, like a mire, proved ineffective against Ji Changkong.
Shivering involuntarily, Ji Changkong instinctively retreated a few steps, his face registering disgust. “You queer, neither man nor woman, you are truly nauseating!”
Indeed, picturing a heroic man transforming in an instant into a delicate, feminine woman could give many people goosebumps and make them want to retreat far away.
“Damn it!” The person cursed, his voice deep and somber—still a male voice.
“You pervert, get lost!” Ji Changkong couldn't help but shout. With a thought, deciding not to waste any more words, he feigned an attack on the figure and released the nine hearts hidden within the Great Void Illusion.
When the nine hearts appeared, they shot out toward all directions, vanishing from Dragon Peak in an instant. After flying a thousand miles out, each heart split into nine smaller hearts, which then flew even further away.
The eighty-one hearts—nine times nine—disappeared quickly, scattering across various islands near Misty Island.
As the eighty-one hearts were about to find their anchoring array bodies, Ji Changkong felt a great stone settle in his heart. While maintaining the stalemate with the bizarre, neither-man-nor-woman figure, he swiftly used his soul to connect with the array bodies anchored by the eighty-one hearts.
The voice of the bizarre figure was deep, and his eyes were chillingly cold, yet he possessed the body of a delicate woman. However, after transforming, his speed became lightning-fast. In a flash, he appeared directly behind Ji Changkong, and a thin rope made of dragon tendon was suddenly looped around Ji Changkong’s neck.
The thin rope made of dragon tendon possessed excellent tensile strength. He clearly intended to strangle Ji Changkong to death. As the rope tightened around Ji Changkong’s neck, he did not immediately exert full force, instead increasing the tension bit by bit.
His delicate body appeared quite fragile, but his movements were filled with malice and evil. Tightly gripping the thin rope, a look of icy killing intent filled his eyes, and his mouth curved into a ferocious angle. He gradually increased the tension, seemingly wishing to watch Ji Changkong’s head finally snap from the thin rope.
After all, possessing the strength of the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm, when he exerted his full power, he indeed surpassed Ji Changkong.
Had he used his full strength from the beginning, Ji Changkong might genuinely have struggled; his neck might not have broken, but shortness of breath and dizziness would have been unavoidable.
However, his desire to torture Ji Changkong slowly was his greatest miscalculation!
The power of the blood within his body was the first to take effect. When the essence blood of the Four Sacred Beasts began to boil within him, a new surge of power erupted internally. Ji Changkong, who should have been unable to fight back, suddenly experienced a massive surge in strength and pulled back with both hands gripping the thin rope, bringing him into a direct stalemate with his assailant.
“Hmph,” the androgynous figure snorted coldly. He hadn't exerted his full power previously. Seeing Ji Changkong’s strength suddenly surge, though surprised, he did not panic, but instead continued to increase his strength with a sinister grin.
Seventy array bodies—fast, almost done...
Ji Changkong calculated silently, continuously increasing his power. When he sensed the other party was starting to exert full force, he began to draw upon the power of the Heaven Origin Pearl within his body. Once the second surge of power flooded his body, the opponent’s strength could no longer pose a threat to him.
The Xuanyuan Body possessed incredibly strong physical structure, capable of withstanding the massive infusion of power from the Heaven Origin Pearl. The Heaven Origin Pearl, having absorbed the souls of hundreds of thousands of demons and devils, possessed a depth of power far beyond what a master at the peak of the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm could contend with. Although Ji Changkong’s body would not absorb all of it, it was more than enough for him to win a contest of pure strength and endurance.
Of course, he did not reveal his full strength immediately. Instead, he deliberately concealed his power, even feigning difficulty and panic, looking as if he was about to be subdued very soon.
At this time, his soul continued to extend, continuing to manipulate the remaining hearts to anchor the array bodies.
Neither the Tianlu/Death Pact side nor the Gu Chan/Li Hentian/Dick side intervened, all watching the confrontation between Ji Changkong and the bizarre man-woman figure.
Both sides had absolute confidence in their own people, believing their side would ultimately triumph. Unconsciously, this battle had escalated into a contest of morale.
Tianlu wished for that person to slowly torture Ji Changkong to death in front of Pu Ke, proving that Tianlu was the most powerful faction in the Solar Star Domain, thereby striking a blow to Pu Ke.
Gu Chan and his group knew that setting up the Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array required time. After the ninety-nine times nine hearts flew out, they understood Ji Changkong was already acting in secret. Knowing Ji Changkong needed time, they refrained from attacking.
Seventy-nine, eighty, eighty-one—complete!
Ji Changkong, counting silently, had finally finished setting up the Ancient Nine Transformations Absolute Array. At this very moment, a similarly sinister and cold smile bloomed on his lips. He suddenly exerted force, directly snapping the thin rope apart, instantly turning around and wrapping the thin rope around the neck of the bizarre figure.
“Pervert, I’m done playing with you. Goodbye.”