A bizarre scene suddenly unfolded: the body of the Source Poison once again melted into a viscous goo, adhering to the black iron stele and slowly vanishing, merging into it.

Watching him burrow into the black iron tombstone, Ji Changkong was initially worried. He released his soul sense and could clearly feel the vitality of the Source Poison remaining robust, not having diminished in the slightest.

Relieved all at once, as long as the fluctuation of vitality remained unchanged, the Source Poison would surely be fine. Focusing his attention, he glanced back at the Ink Jade Bone Dragon struggling fiercely within the solid ice. After a moment's hesitation, Ji Changkong reached out a hand to beckon it from afar.

Seven-colored rosy clouds spilled from his palm, showering down upon the Ink Jade Bone Dragon.

As the radiance shimmered, the struggles of the Ink Jade Bone Dragon abruptly ceased. A look of sheer terror flashed in its pair of hollow eye sockets, as if struck by profound fear.

The seven-colored rosy clouds originated from a special location within the Ancient Nine Transformations Grand Array in the Illusory Void Realm—a light capable of silently rotting even stone as hard as iron, especially non-living matter; once illuminated, it would corrode without a sound.

The Ink Jade Bone Dragon seemed to be subtly manipulated by some power within the Black Iron Tombstone; it appeared to have no true soul, yet under the illumination of the rosy light, it exhibited such palpable dread, which was quite strange.

It settled down, and Shang Bingjie also quietly let out a sigh of relief. The ice-crystal-like short sword in her hand was quietly sheathed again, the faint glimmer of cold light receding inch by inch into her pale, radiant palm, her entire aura of icy coldness vanishing completely at that moment.

On the other side, the brothers Tore and Tole continued to release their mental energy. Clusters of sticky blue light drifted from their mouths, coalescing around the power that imprisoned the evil dragon souls.

Both Tore and Tole were powerful Heavenly Vein masters of the Cloud-Turning Heavenly Vein. They spared no effort in expending their mental energy to restrain the already confined evil dragons, which naturally had an effect.

Under the combined force of the two brothers, the seven evil dragon souls quieted down one by one, never stirring up trouble again.

At the bottom of the dormant volcano, the rock collapse gradually ceased, though dust and debris still flew about, filling the air below and severely obscuring everyone’s vision.

Indecipherable creaking sounds intermittently echoed from all corners of the dormant volcano. Whenever those sounds arose, the volcano would seem to shudder lightly, as if nudged by some unseen force.

Ji Changkong frowned, deeply concerned.

From those "creaking" sounds, he keenly perceived the intertwining forces deep within the volcano. Under the influence of the power beneath the Black Iron Tombstone, this dormant volcano, though seemingly still, was actually brewing a far greater danger. If the Black Iron Tombstone were to undergo a significant change, this volcano was likely to collapse catastrophically.

Blocks of rock, scorched red like branding irons by the Heavenly Fire, would crush down upon their collapse, burying them all alive.

Except for him—whose physical body was immensely powerful, his soul and flesh tempered by the Vermilion Bird Fire, thus safe from this disaster—Shang Bingjie and the Tore brothers, if buried alive by those searing-hot rock walls that had existed for untold ages, would surely suffer grievous harm, and escaping the volcano would become a serious problem.

"You all leave first!" After a moment of contemplation, Ji Changkong suddenly spoke.

Shang Bingjie paused slightly, a beautiful arc of questioning doubt touching her lips, and asked with surprise, "What is it?"

Looking up at the not-so-wide crater of the dormant volcano, Ji Changkong’s expression was grave. "This place could collapse at any moment. I'm worried... I'm worried you might be in danger."

Shang Bingjie gazed at him blankly, then nodded gently after a few seconds, saying, "Alright, we’ll head up first. You be careful, and if anything happens, soul-transmit to me... You know I can sense it."

"Yes, I understand," Ji Changkong nodded.

Generally speaking, among lovers in the Star Domain, the sensitivity of soul connection is exceptionally strong; the mutual soul awareness between lovers is far keener than that of ordinary people.

The Tore brothers showed no excessive hesitation, merely cautioning Ji Changkong to be careful of the seven evil dragons. Then, without another word, they followed Shang Bingjie as they slowly flew toward the volcano's crater.

Once the three—Tore, Shang Bingjie, and the other brother—were gone, Ji Changkong finally relaxed completely. Observing for a while, he noticed the Source Poison had still not emerged from the Black Iron Tombstone. He wondered what exactly it was doing inside.

Slowly taking a deep breath, Ji Changkong suddenly took out the Celestial Origin Pearl and remotely cast it over the seven evil dragon souls.

The evil dragons were anomalous soul forms residing within the Black Iron Tombstone. They had no physical bodies, only a wisp of their evil dragon consciousness, which was deeply contaminated with the fierce and malevolent energy of the evil dragons, making them extremely difficult to tame.

However, the Celestial Origin Pearl possessed a peculiar devouring ability against life forms in soul states. Before, when the Tore brothers were present, he feared the Pearl might inadvertently affect their souls too, which is why he hadn't revealed it.

A dark-red halo emanated from the Celestial Origin Pearl. The already bright dormant volcano appeared even more vividly crimson, releasing a sinister energy. Beams of light, like ropes, tethered the souls of the seven evil dragons.

The imprisoned seven evil dragons displayed expressions of terror and unease, struggling violently against being assimilated and drawn into the Celestial Origin Pearl. They desperately tried to move closer to the Black Iron Tombstone, attempting to burrow back inside.

It was as if entering the black iron stele would render them immune to the Pearl's devouring.

"Hmph! Since you've come out, don't even think about going back in!" Ji Changkong snorted coldly, injecting more power.

The dark-red radiance of the Celestial Origin Pearl grew brighter and brighter, its sinister energy exploding outward. Beams of intense light shone upon the seven evil dragon souls, making their struggles increasingly futile.

The beams of light were like unbreakable chains, firmly binding them, pulling them one after another into the Celestial Origin Pearl.

Crack!

Suddenly, a crisp shattering sound came from the Black Iron Tombstone. The area engraved with the pattern of the evil dragons on the stele exploded first.

After the seven evil dragons were absorbed by the Celestial Origin Pearl, some defensive power within the Black Iron Tombstone seemed to be broken. The explosion around the dragon pattern was merely the beginning.

Crack! Crackle!

Dense breaking sounds followed one after another from the Black Iron Tombstone. The massive structure began to rapidly disintegrate, much like a stone tower battered by an earthquake, finally unable to withstand the stress.

The shattering of the Black Iron Tombstone triggered the collapse of the dormant volcano beneath it, just as he had predicted; those "creaking" sounds from the four corners of the volcano were the activation of its sealing restrictions.

The depths of the dormant volcano finally broke open, scattering scalding-hot rocks everywhere. These rocks contained millennia of volcanic flame energy, previously sealed by ice, but now erupting all at once with astonishing force. In almost an instant, the dormant volcano roared down, completely burying the area.

Ji Changkong, at the epicenter, remained calm, forming strange hand seals. Five-colored light blossomed from them, first manifesting as a seven-colored shield enveloping himself and the Black Iron Tombstone fragments. Then, smaller azure heavenly lightning bolts flew out, smashing the falling massive rocks.

Rocks the size of an acre would possess terrifying power under the impact of a collapse. Even the five-colored shield might struggle to withstand them, but under the bombardment of the azure heavenly lightning, those colossal stones were reduced to fist-sized fragments. Upon striking the shield, they merely made light patter sounds, losing most of their destructive impact.

The dome-shaped, five-colored shield acted like a colossal fan, weathering the impact of the chaotic stone rain. Some fist-sized, searing-red rock fragments, after landing, would slide off along the edges. In a short time, a pile of shattered stones had accumulated around Ji Changkong.

Once the debris gathered to a certain degree, the top of the umbrella-like five-colored shield began to accumulate rocks like a mountain, the thick layer weighing tens of thousands of pounds.

Even a highly accomplished master, pressed down by such weight, would likely have their bones shattered, especially with the residual flame energy contained in those rocks. This situation would be exceedingly difficult even for a Nine Palaces Heavenly Scholar to resist.

It was fortunate Shang Bingjie had left earlier; otherwise, being struck by the fiery fragments from above would have been excruciatingly painful.

Gradually, the sound of explosions subsided. When the booming within the volcano’s belly ceased, the Black Iron Tombstone had also shattered into pieces. From within the debris, a peculiar crystal, about the size of a human head, emerged.

Hexagonal, like a magnificent crystal, it dazzled the eye, shining brilliantly. Flowing light coiled around its surface, exquisitely beautiful, resembling a colossal, flawlessly cut diamond, possessing a breathtaking beauty.

Vast, pure soul energy slowly leaked out from the six corners of the hexagonal Dragon Crystal. This pure soul essence felt like the distilled essence of a soul that had cultivated for years—immensely powerful and incredibly clear, seemingly capable of being absorbed immediately to enhance oneself.

The Evil Dragon Dragon Crystal, the essence soul of a dragon—a treasure beyond doubt!

Ji Changkong’s eyes shone brilliantly as he stared, unmoving, at the beautiful Dragon Crystal, utterly mesmerized by its shocking splendor, unable to shake himself out of that wondrous state for a long time.

The Source Poison slowly squirmed over the shards of the Black Iron Tombstone. Strangely, under its movement, the immense fragments of the tombstone gradually vanished into its body.

The Black Iron Tombstone had contained the Evil Dragon’s Dragon Crystal for many years, absorbing a considerable amount of the crystal’s peculiar power. Even the smallest remaining fragment of the shattered tombstone was much larger than the body of the Source Poison.

Yet, as the Source Poison moved, the Black Iron Tombstone disappeared piece by piece, becoming integrated into its form—truly miraculous.

Soon, the Source Poison had entirely consumed the vast Black Iron Tombstone. Not only that, but it crawled out from beneath the five-colored shield, found the Ink Jade Bone Dragon, and, using the same method, directly devoured it as well.

Both the Black Iron Tombstone and the Ink Jade Bone Dragon became part of the Source Poison’s body within a mere quarter of an hour. Ji Changkong watched in a daze, and suddenly another image flashed in his mind.

On the Vast Sea Continent, the specter of the Dead Alliance, distorted by the power of the Ancient Nine Transformations Grand Array, consumed everything after transforming into a monstrous demon, devouring Nine Palaces Heavenly Scholars whole to gain immense power and rapidly evolve into something increasingly terrifying.

The current actions of the Source Poison were identical to that demon!

A sudden worry surfaced: If he were ever gone, and no one could restrain this entity, to what heights might it grow? What kind of monster might it become?

Faintly, he sensed that the threat posed by the Source Poison might be even greater than that of the demon!

That demon only achieved its strange power through a bizarre transformation of its life form under the influence of a distorting energy. But the Source Poison was different; it seemed to possess this marvelous power from the moment of its inception!

After consuming the Black Iron Tombstone and the Ink Jade Bone Dragon, the Source Poison’s vitality grew even stronger, and even its life form seemed to undergo a new change, one that even Ji Changkong’s powerful spiritual intuition could barely grasp.

The Source Poison lazily drifted to Ji Changkong’s side, pointed at the magnificent hexagonal Dragon Crystal, and said, "Kongkong, this crystal is for you. I have enough already."

"Enough?" Ji Changkong frowned, his face grave. He said solemnly, "Tell me honestly, can you devour anything, using this method to improve your life form and become stronger?"

"No," the Source Poison hesitated, looking deeply at him. "I only devour things that feel compatible with my life and beneficial to me, allowing my body and life to gain new characteristics."

After a slight pause, the Source Poison asked, "Kongkong, you don't trust me?"

Nodding, Ji Changkong gave a wry smile and admitted frankly, "I truly worry that one day you might become another one of those entities. I fear that if I am not here, you will become a scourge upon the world. I know that if you turn evil, your threat might even surpass that of the Ghost Demon King and that other demon."

Taking a deep breath, Ji Changkong’s expression was solemn: "Promise me! No matter what, do not become an irrational monster!"

"I promise you," the Source Poison replied, surprisingly serious instead of flippant.

Without another word, Ji Changkong reached out to take the Dragon Crystal, intending to secure it first. However, the moment his hand touched the crystal, a surge of massive soul energy erupted from within, rushing directly toward his body.

"Be careful!" the Source Poison shrieked, instantly appearing on Ji Changkong’s shoulder. Silver light flashed in its small eyes, and it abruptly unleashed its own soul power to counteract the influx.

The soul energy from the Dragon Crystal surged into his body, one stream aggressively forcing its way toward his mind, another pouring into the Celestial Origin Pearl within him.

The evil dragons were ancient life forms predating the Great Destruction, and the Dragon Crystal was the essence of their dragon souls. Such a massive influx of soul energy—could Ji Changkong withstand it?