A few silent, lonely stars suddenly flared with a dazzling, brilliant aperture... shimmering with glazed light. All sorts of bizarre powers emanated from it, giving off an indescribably uncanny and strange aura.

Tore and Toli, the two brothers, froze instantly, gathering their soul power, ready to face any unknown peril.

However, in the very next moment, the physical forms of Ji Changkong and Shang Bingjie emerged strangely from that aperture.

The soul forms of Ji Changkong and Shang Bingjie, which had been suspended before the two men, plunged back into their bodies, vanishing from the sight of the Tore brothers.

The main soul entering the body immediately reclaimed complete authority over it. The second soul within the Vast Star Sea Chart receded to a secondary position, yielding all rights, and continued to lie dormant within the Star Chart.

Beams of starlight converged to illuminate his head, forming the Vast Star Sea Chart. His body absorbed these streams of starlight like a sponge.

The Vast Star Sea Chart settled back into dormancy within his mind. All familiar sensations surfaced in his heart. He suddenly realized his guess had been correct; he had succeeded!

He had succeeded in descending directly here from the Five Elements Continent, arriving at this dead star, untold billions of miles away—a place now at the very edge of the Solar Star Domain, separated from the Meteor Sea Star Domain by only a thin line.

He had arrived here, in an area only accessible to bodies possessing the cultivation of a Ten Directions Heavenly Master!

A sudden excitement surged within him. Looking at the pitted and desolate star, observing the dead volcanoes, he released his spiritual sense—only to find utter silence, unable to detect any life fluctuations.

Yet, standing in this place, a powerful feeling surged through him. Because this was his physical body standing on solid ground, truly and genuinely appearing here, not just the wandering of a soul.

The body is still the foundation. Now that the main soul was back in place, standing upon this dead star, Ji Changkong felt an incomparably wondrous sensation. His divine sense's perceptive ability had also increased dramatically, instantly plunging into the dead volcanoes to locate the whereabouts of the Seven Calamitous Dragons.

Unexpectedly, the seven Calamitous Dragons, which should have been roaming beneath the dead volcano, were now coiled back atop the Black Iron Gravestone. Having lost their target, the seven Calamitous Dragons seemed to have transformed once more into patterns carved on the Black Iron Gravestone. Although their soul auras remained, their power was clearly diminished tenfold.

Only that Ink Jade Bone Dragon had not fallen apart because of the enemy's departure. Though lifeless, it remained safe beside the Black Iron Gravestone, seemingly guarding it secretly, preventing strangers from approaching.

With the main soul back in his body, the vast Origin Energy within him, the power of the Four Sacred Beasts, the Heavenly Origin Bead, the World-Ending Gauntlets, and all those myriad wondrous abilities could be wielded again. Compared to his purely soul form, the power he could exert at this moment was more than ten times greater!

Furthermore, the Ancient Nine Transformations Grand Array could still be summoned. Relying on just the Ancient Nine Transformations Grand Array, he could venture below to explore!

"What a marvelous feeling!" Shang Bingjie remarked, her exquisitely beautiful face filled with joy. Her true body had descended directly onto the dead star—something only a Ten Directions Heavenly Master could achieve. In the past, Shang Bingjie might only have dreamed of such a thing, but today, her physical body stood right here on the dead star!

Tore and Toli, the two brothers, were utterly stunned, staring at Ji Changkong and Shang Bingjie in utter astonishment, speechless for a long time.

It was the first time Ji Changkong and Shang Bingjie’s physical bodies had arrived on the dead star, and they were not entirely accustomed to it. There was no breathable oxygen on the dead star, forcing them to use the Origin Energy within their bodies to convert the strange energy of the dead star into the gaseous form most suitable for them.

They simultaneously formed a glittering, flowing shield around themselves. Inside the shield was the oxygen they needed to breathe, and it also prevented the strange radiant energy of this dead star from invading. Although it required consuming some Origin Energy, they could genuinely survive here.

After a while, once the two had adapted to the environment of the dead star, Ji Changkong smiled faintly and transmitted a soul message to the Shang brothers: "This is my main body."

Tore and Toli had already recognized that the figures before them were living entities. They had no idea how Ji Changkong and Shang Bingjie had accomplished this; all they felt now was astonishment, finding the situation almost unreal.

"You... how did you achieve this?" Tore transmitted a soul message.

Since only Ji Changkong and Shang Bingjie possessed physical bodies, their communication still relied on soul messages. Another factor was that sound was difficult to transmit in this environment; extra energy would be needed to isolate and alter it for propagation.

"I have my methods." Ji Changkong smiled, then unhurriedly walked toward the dead volcano. "You two come down with me. This time, we will have a good time playing with those Calamitous Dragons and retrieve the Dragon Crystals they guard."

Tore and Toli clearly hesitated, but eventually, they agreed, following Shang Bingjie and Ji Changkong toward the dead volcano.

The reason they were willing to take the risk was that they found Ji Changkong profoundly mysterious and believed he might truly have the ability to obtain the Calamitous Dragons' Dragon Crystals, prompting them to take the gamble.

Ji Changkong alerted Shang Bingjie, signaling her to stay behind with Tore and Toli, while he took the lead, descending first into the depths below.

"You two are only in soul form. Be careful down there; you absolutely must not be touched by the souls of the Calamitous Dragons, and of course, be wary of the Ink Jade Bone Dragon," Shang Bingjie reminded Tore and Toli as they descended.

Tore and Toli, having reached the peak of the Celestial Realm, merely nodded. They couldn't help it; they were supporting characters now. Their mental energy was already depleted, and they weren't in soul form; their contribution below would likely not be significant. Although their realm remained high, their strength was insufficient, leaving them dependent on the arrangements made by Shang Bingjie and Ji Changkong.

Ji Changkong summoned a protective five-colored light shield around his physical body and swiftly descended.

As he flew downward, five-colored radiance emanated from the shield, revealing the undeniable power of the Five Elements of Heaven and Earth!

In the Five Elements Heavenly Realm, having cultivated Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, he harbored the power of the Five Elements within his body. Coupled with the blood of the Four Sacred Beasts, the five-colored light shield he condensed implicitly adhered to the principles of Heaven and Earth, fusing the Five Elements' power through the mysterious integration technique of the Grand Void Secret Record.

Once the five-colored shield was summoned, all influences on the physical body from this dead star were blocked outside. The baleful aura emanating from beneath the dead volcano was entirely repelled by the five-colored shield; not a trace of the malevolent energy could penetrate it.

Soon, Ji Changkong returned, descending again from outside the dead volcano, reaching the very spot where he had previously performed the Soul Calming Chant.

The Ink Jade Bone Dragon was indeed still there. The moment he manifested below, the Ink Jade Bone Dragon, which had been lying down, seemed suddenly injected with power, leaping up again to coil protectively on the Black Iron Gravestone, its hollow eye sockets staring coldly at him, seemingly ready to attack at any moment.

Simultaneously, the patterns of the Calamitous Dragons on the Black Iron Gravestone reformed into the shape of the seven Calamitous Dragon souls, reappearing within the dead volcano. As the seven Calamitous Dragons emerged, an overwhelmingly fierce baleful aura erupted from beneath the dead volcano, surging like a terrifying tidal wave directly toward Ji Changkong alone.

Smash! Clang!

The dense, malevolent aura transformed into piercing beams of light in the void, striking the top of his five-colored shield. A sound like metal striking metal actually echoed.

The five-colored light shield, condensed from the power of the Five Elements of Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, showed signs of shattering under the impact of the immense malevolent aura—a testament to how terrifying that energy was.

"Impressive!" Ji Changkong roared, his voice wave containing one-tenth of the power within his body. The shout shot out from inside the shield like a sharp sword, slamming directly toward the Black Iron Gravestone.

The Black Iron Gravestone held a profound mystique. From the moment he entered, his main target had been the gravestone. Using one-tenth of his internal power as an attack, unleashing the violent sound waves of the Heavenly Thunder Roar from the Heavenly Thunder Force, he sought to gauge the Black Iron Gravestone’s reaction!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound wave formed by the Heavenly Thunder Roar exploded violently against the Black Iron Gravestone. Black light burst forth from the gravestone, the black rays resembling wisps of ghostly souls winding around it. Waves of violent, murderous aura drifted out, instantly drilling into the bodies of the Ink Jade Bone Dragon and the other spirits.

The Ink Jade Bone Dragon ceased merely defending the Black Iron Gravestone. It suddenly charged out, its massive skeletal tail swinging wildly, causing tremendous explosions along the cavern walls of the dead volcano.

For a moment, it seemed all the ancient power within the dead volcano had been triggered. Continuous explosions echoed inside, turning rocks into dust that scattered everywhere.

The Ink Jade Bone Dragon swooped high, its massive claws reaching out to envelop Ji Changkong from a distance.

Suddenly, Ji Changkong’s soul felt as if it had been seized by the dragon claws. Even from dozens of meters away, his soul ached sharply, and all the power in his body seemed bound. The Origin Energy within him felt frozen solid, unable to gather at all.

The Ink Jade Bone Dragon’s claws moved swiftly, their shadows covering the sky. The surrounding rock walls shattered under the mere aftershock of its power. With this strike, the dead volcano nearly collapsed entirely.

"Fierce!" Ji Changkong's expression shifted slightly. He took a deep breath inside the five-colored shield; lightning flashed within his chest, and then a massive azure Heavenly Thunder coalesced within the five-colored shield.

As the Ink Jade Bone Dragon's claw shadows repeatedly struck the five-colored shield, the shield, condensed from the power of the Five Elements of Heaven and Earth, finally could not hold on and shattered completely.

However, at the very instant the five-colored shield exploded, Ji Changkong's figure vanished strangely from within it, and the enormous azure Heavenly Thunder detonated violently.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Boom! Boom!

The dead volcano was subjected to the furious bombardment of the azure Heavenly Thunder. More rocks fell, directly crashing onto the Black Iron Gravestone.

Strangely, as the stones rained down, none came near the Black Iron Gravestone; they all disintegrated into dust, scattering like snowflakes and drifting slowly downward, without a speck of grime staining the stone.

The World-Ending Gauntlets manifested on his left arm. Ji Changkong suddenly appeared out of thin air above the Ink Jade Bone Dragon’s head. The World-Ending Gauntlets radiated circles of strange ripples, accompanied by the sound of surging waves and roaring thunder. A monstrous tsunami surged forth from the Gauntlets, directly submerging the Ink Jade Bone Dragon.

Shang Bingjie descended coldly from above, enveloped in a chilling light. A frigid aura flowed from her fingertips, injecting into the giant wave that imprisoned the Ink Jade Bone Dragon.

The spray was immediately suppressed. The strange liquid, purely condensed from Origin Energy, solidified instantly into hard ice under the influence of Shang Bingjie's cold energy, completely freezing and immobilizing the Ink Jade Bone Dragon within.

At a glance, the Ink Jade Bone Dragon resembled a beautiful ice sculpture, devoid of any aura.

The souls of Tore and Toli followed behind Shang Bingjie, slowly descending from above. The two instantly cast the divine defense barrier from the Cloud-Reversing Heavenly Pulse, forming a pale blue defensive circle. The difference was that they used this circle not to protect themselves, but to imprison the souls of the two Calamitous Dragons.

"Changkong, you go to the gravestone; we will watch the Dragons!" Shang Bingjie called out softly.

Small, ice-crystal-like swords slowly materialized in Shang Bingjie's white jade palm. Chilling cold air drifted from the ice swords. With a gentle wave, she froze the soul of one nearby Calamitous Dragon, instantly pacifying its rage.

These Calamitous Dragons that appeared in the dead volcano were only in soul form. Without the help of the massive power residing in their physical bodies, their true strength was limited.

When dealing with Ji Changkong and his group, who were also in soul form, they could gain the upper hand. However, when facing the physical form of Shang Bingjie, the soul-only Calamitous Dragons seemed somewhat inadequate.

Under Shang Bingjie's power, two more Dragon souls were sealed, neutralized as threats.

Tore and Toli joined forces, helping Shang Bingjie apply a second layer of restraint to the sealed Dragons, preventing them from causing further trouble.

With the combined efforts of the three, the souls of the Dragons gradually lost their deterrent power, and the Ink Jade Bone Dragon was already encased in solid ice.

Suddenly, the creatures that posed a threat to the group were no longer threats.

At this time, Ji Changkong reached a position directly above the Black Iron Gravestone and summoned the Dragon Glory Long Saber without a second thought, bringing it down in a cleaving strike against the gravestone.

Clang!

The Dragon Glory Long Saber struck the Black Iron Gravestone, but only sparks flew off; the stone remained utterly unscratched.

Insufficient power?

Thinking this, he gathered all his internal abilities: the colossal power from the Heavenly Origin Bead, the essence refined from the blood of the Four Sacred Beasts, combined with his own Origin Energy—three forces converging—and poured them into the Dragon Glory Long Saber before swinging it down again!

With this strike, he was confident that even a powerhouse at the peak of the Nine Palaces Heavenly Realm would be cleaved in two!

Clang!

Yet, the result defied his expectations. Under this blow, the Black Iron Gravestone showed no trace of damage whatsoever. Instead, the Dragon Soul within the Dragon Glory Long Saber emitted a frightened, mournful cry.

It was afraid?

The ancient Heavenly Barbaric Wyvern Soul housed within the Dragon Glory Long Saber displayed a look of terror when confronting the Black Iron Gravestone. This was...?

Ji Changkong was stunned.

He quickly considered the matter and seemed to grasp something. The Calamitous Dragons were a royal lineage of the Demon Dragon Clan before the Great Cataclysm, notorious for their savagery in that era.

The Black Iron Gravestone bore the terrifying, violent aura of the Calamitous Dragons. Compared to the Heavenly Barbaric Wyvern, the Calamitous Dragons were thousands of times stronger. These ancient, colossal lifeforms were a race as mighty as the Four Sacred Beasts, ranking several levels above the Heavenly Barbaric Wyvern.

Therefore, when facing the Black Iron Gravestone imbued with the Calamitous Dragon aura, the Dragon Glory Long Saber, whose soul was that of a Heavenly Barbaric Wyvern, could not unleash its true power due to fear of the Calamitous Dragon aura, naturally failing to inflict any significant damage on the gravestone.

If the Dragon Glory Long Saber wouldn't work, what could damage the Black Iron Gravestone and reveal the secrets within? Ji Changkong pondered for a moment, then immediately used the World-Ending Gauntlets to release a massive azure Heavenly Thunder, wrapping the thunder around the Black Iron Gravestone and detonating it according to his will.

But after the explosion, the Black Iron Gravestone remained completely unshaken, showing not a single mark of damage.

In desperation, Ji Changkong unleashed every secret technique he knew, hurling his various internal powers separately at the Black Iron Gravestone. However, after testing every power he possessed, the Black Iron Gravestone remained safe and immovable.

Ji Changkong suddenly found himself in a bind. He glanced back and saw that the Ink Jade Bone Dragon, held fast by ice, had begun to slowly stir, seemingly gathering strength to break the ice's restraint.

Similarly, the seven Calamitous Dragons, though confined, were inexplicably seeing their soul auras gradually strengthen, as if receiving an infusion of greater power, or perhaps recovering from their confinement.

This development was difficult to handle. Ji Changkong grew anxious, feeling utterly helpless.

"The aura of the Calamitous Dragons... this is the aura of the Calamitous Dragons!" Just then, a mental shout echoed from within the Heavenly Origin Bead—the call of the Primeval Poison.

A flash of light revealed the Primeval Poison slowly drifting out of the Heavenly Origin Bead, landing on his shoulder.

The Primeval Poison stared blankly at the Black Iron Gravestone, its small eyes shining with an inner light. After a long moment, it spoke: "Kong Kong, there is a Dragon Crystal inside. Do you want it?"

"Nonsense! Why else would I bother with all this?" Ji Changkong snapped back irritably. "If you have a way, tell me quickly. Time is short; that Ink Jade Bone Dragon is about to break free. Don't waste time!"

"Good!" The Primeval Poison nodded, appearing quite excited, and burst into laughter. "That Dragon Crystal is a great treasure! Even in the Dead Star Domain, it's a magical object everyone fights over. You've struck tremendous luck! With it, you can quickly advance to the Ten Directions Heavenly Realm!"

I'm exhausted from writing, I've done my best. But the monthly ticket count is still weak and powerless, sob.