The figures hailed from the Thousand Meteor Sea Starfield, all within the Ninth Palace Heaven Realm, their phantom bodies conjured by Soul Pods, each emanating an immensely profound soul aura, clearly indicating they were accomplished masters.

There were eleven arrivals in total. The leading figure possessed phantom shoulders of immense breadth and a robust, imposing physique. At a glance, he resembled a bipedal savage bear, his soul dense and dark, radiating unconcealed killing intent.

The other ten individuals evidently belonged to the same cultivation sect or noble family; their souls seemed to share a dark, somber hue, saturated with astonishing malevolence. The color of the soul was not visible above the phantom body; only true masters of exquisite cultivation, or those possessing secret cultivation methods, could perceive it.

Ji Changkong was precisely one such person.

The eleven masters from the Meteor Sea Starfield descended together from the murky clouds, instantly surrounding the people on the Dead Star. Their gazes were hostile, their killing intent coalescing into a torrent that writhed around Ji Changkong and his companions, threatening to unleash a savage assault at any moment.

“Be careful!” Lan Fen’s delicate face showed a flicker of worry.

“They are Heavenly Soldiers from the ‘Black Heaven Altar’ of the Meteor Sea Starfield. In the Meteor Sea Starfield, the ‘Black Heaven Altar’ holds considerable power. Although not as influential as the ‘Cloud-Flipping Heavenly Vein,’ they are still exceedingly difficult to deal with,” a Ninth Palace Heavenly Soldier from a merchant faction immediately warned, hoping to alert Ji Changkong.

The leading expert from the ‘Black Heaven Altar,’ resembling a savage bear, let out an exclamation of surprise upon arriving here: the Thoray and Torley brothers were actually present. Without overthinking, this figure assumed the two brothers had been restrained.

“You despicable wretches from the Sun Starfield! Not only do you dare to interfere with the living star territories discovered by our ‘Black Heaven Altar,’ but you’ve even imprisoned our Heavenly Vein descendants—truly courting death!” The bipedal savage bear unleashed an angry wave of soul storm, materializing killing intent around him that suddenly surged towards Ji Changkong’s side.

The killing intent churned in the air, blasting open the very atmosphere with sharp paka sounds. Where the colliding malevolence struck the rocks of the Dead Star below, the stones exploded, sending fragments flying wildly.

Frowning slightly, Ji Changkong suddenly raised his hand and flicked his wrist. A brilliant, five-colored light screen instantly enveloped the area.

The five-colored light screen was condensed from the power of the Five Elements. The five colors intertwined, rendering the screen extraordinarily beautiful, laced with faint currents of chilling and scorching power emanating from its surface.

Hiss! Hiss!

The surging tide of killing intent from the bipedal savage bear struck the five-colored light screen, producing a strange sound. The malevolence was instantly scattered, and the soul essence attached to it vanished entirely, falling away in dissipation.

“The main body has descended!”

The bipedal savage bear suddenly turned pale with shock. Realizing the situation was strange now, he scrutinized Ji Changkong intently. Threads of subtle mental energy stretched out, cautiously brushing against the five-colored light screen before quickly retracting.

“It truly is the main body descended!” another person gasped, true horror finally surfacing on their face, their gaze becoming complicated.

The main body descending—only a Tenth Heaven Heavenly Soldier could accomplish such a feat! This youngster was clearly only at the Ninth Palace Heaven Realm; how was he able to manifest his physical body here?

For a moment, all the Ninth Palace Heavenly Soldiers from the ‘Black Heaven Altar’ froze, staring at Ji Changkong in bewilderment. Not one dared to make another move.

Those possessing physical forms could utilize all the power within their bodies, making their attacks far more effective than those relying solely on the divine soul. Everyone understood this point!

All of them being in divine soul form, they would need to instantly shatter Ji Changkong’s soul attack. Otherwise, in a true confrontation, they suffered an inherent disadvantage—a disadvantage that would become more pronounced the longer the fight lasted.

This was because those with physical bodies could replenish their mental energy, a feat impossible for those in mere soul form.

“Kid, who are you? Why has your physical body been able to come here directly? Furthermore, do you know the two behind you are Heavenly Vein descendants of the Cloud-Flipping Heavenly Vein? Do you realize the consequences of offending a Heavenly Vein descendant?” The bipedal savage bear halted his attack, his expression flickering darkly, and grunted.

“That has nothing to do with you!” Ji Changkong sharply retorted, then questioned Lan Fen beside him, “Where exactly is my maternal grandfather?”

Lan Fen offered a wry smile, pointing toward a distant star, saying helplessly, “He should still be near that star. We separated after the fighting began. I don’t know which star he ended up on.”

“You will all eventually be ruined by your own greed!” Ji Changkong snorted. He glanced back at Thoray and Torley, then at the bipedal savage bear. Taking a deep breath, he declared, “You will all remain here for now. Once I confirm my grandfather is safe, I will release you. If anything happens to my grandfather, humph! I will slaughter every last one of you ‘Black Heaven Altar’ members!”

“Insolent brat!” the bipedal savage bear roared back, his face contorted in fury. “Don't assume that just because your main body is present, you are invincible. Here, the eleven of us attacking together means you have only one path: death.”

“Is that so?” Ji Changkong sneered coldly. With a thought, pillars of primal energy materialized out of thin air, descending from six directions to encompass them.

Simultaneously, another colossal, five-colored light screen abruptly flashed into existence from the clouds, blanketing the heads of all the intruders.

As the six primal energy pillars appeared, the group led by the bipedal savage bear realized their peril. They attempted to flee upwards, planning to deal with Ji Changkong by other means.

Just as they prepared to act, they discovered the five-colored light screen manifesting above them. From this screen, the elemental power of the Five Elements—fire, ice, water, metal, and earth—visibly manifested.

An invisible pressure suddenly radiated from the light screen. As the bipedal savage bear prepared to surge upward, he felt his soul abruptly sink, as if weighed down by massive, intangible mountains. He found himself utterly unable to break free of the constraint.

The six primal energy pillars descended from six directions, instantly filling the six corners surrounding the eleven figures. A sinister, chilling aura began to breed near the men trapped beneath the five-colored screen. When Ji Changkong slightly agitated the Soul Calming Melody, the eleven souls suddenly showed signs of being split and disintegrated.

All eleven showed expressions of sheer terror, staring at him fearfully and screaming:

“The Suppressing Soul Melody of the Purgatorial Ghost Clan?”

“Since you recognize the Suppressing Soul Melody, you should also know that slaying you would be effortless for me. Behave yourselves!” Ji Changkong coldly snorted, then ceased activating the soul technique, leaving only the six primal energy pillars active.

The Suppressing Soul Melody of the Purgatorial Ghost Clan was a vicious soul skill renowned throughout the Boundless Starfield for its ability to execute souls. In ancient ages, as the Purgatorial Ghost Clan wrought widespread havoc across the Boundless Starfield, the Suppressing Soul Melody became synonymous with the most evil soul techniques. Experts from every starfield deeply feared this ultimate skill, which remains widely known even now.

Indeed, once he displayed the Purgatorial Ghost Clan's Suppressing Soul Melody, the eleven Ninth Palace Heavenly Soldiers of the ‘Black Heaven Altar,’ led by the bipedal savage bear, immediately calmed down. Not one dared to issue another challenge, nor did they dare attack Lan Fen’s group again.

“Lan Fen, what exactly happened?” Having dealt with those men, Ji Changkong turned back, snorted, and inquired.

Lan Fen, having suffered a major setback and now rescued by Ji Changkong, had long lost her usual arrogance. Under his questioning, she answered truthfully: “My grandmother and I, along with the Merchant faction, set out from Xuanyuan Valley and spent half a year reaching this location. Our goal, naturally, was the living star territory, so we headed straight for the destination.”

“Within that living star territory, it was guarded by two factions from the Meteor Sea Starfield: the ‘Black Heaven Altar’ and the ‘Vast Expanse Sect.’ When we arrived, only a few experts from the ‘Vast Expanse Sect’ were present; their strength was far less than ours.”

“We all acted together and drove the ‘Vast Expanse Sect’ experts out of that living star territory, seizing control of the place. However, we didn't celebrate for long. Before we could even harvest the Essence of the Star from that territory, more experts from the ‘Vast Expanse Sect,’ accompanied by the Ninth Palace Heavenly Soldiers of the ‘Black Heaven Altar,’ rushed over.”

“The enemies who arrived surpassed us in both numbers and strength. After a fierce battle, we suffered heavy losses and were forced to reluctantly abandon the living star territory, fighting and fleeing in all directions until we were separated.”

Lan Fen briefly explained the situation. As expected, in this matter, the Merchant faction and Lan Fen’s group played an ignoble role. They acted as bandits when seizing someone else’s living star territory, but unfortunately, their banditry failed, and they were driven out instead.

“When did my grandfather find you?” Ji Changkong muttered inwardly, asking again.

“Shortly after we occupied that place.” The man paused. “Your grandfather was rather… rather conservative. When he saw us, he urged us to return immediately rather than staying behind to risk danger. Unfortunately, at that time, our minds were clouded by greed; we never expected the enemy to find us so quickly, so… so…” Lan Fen trailed off miserably.

Nodding, Ji Changkong understood the full sequence of events. He grunted inwardly, “You deserve it!”

No matter how one looked at it, Lan Fen, the Merchant faction, and the people from Golden Net Mountain brought this upon themselves. They acted like robbers seizing a living star territory that others had discovered at the cost of their lives, only to kick an iron plate and suffer catastrophic losses. If Lan Fen and the Merchants hadn't been recuperating in Xuanyuan Valley, he wouldn't have cared about their fate.

“You damned lot, how dare you speak of it!” The bipedal savage bear, trapped by the five-colored light screen, felt rage surge from his core and couldn't help but curse.

“Shut your mouth!” Ji Changkong shot him a chilling glance.

The bipedal savage bear grunted a few times and truly fell silent. He had no choice; the situation was unfavorable, compelling him to submit.

Ji Changkong didn't ask further questions. The situation was clear now; the fault lay with Lan Fen’s side. It was inconvenient for him to be ruthless toward the ‘Black Heaven Altar’ members, but he wouldn't release them immediately either, instead brooding with a grim expression, silently contemplating something.

Whoosh! Whoosh-whoosh!

The Thoray brothers held the Dragon Crystal of the Sinful Dragon, light gleaming brightly from their seven facial orifices, undulating like tiny, shimmering crystal snakes.

Thoray and Torley, also in soul form, had their phantom bodies trembling rhythmically. Strands of brilliant light flew off them, circled them a few times, and then reattached.

Following this method, the brothers’ soul oceans were expanded bit by bit, and their mental power increased slightly during the process.

This state lasted for about the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn. The Dragon Crystal held by the Thoray brothers dimmed slightly once more, but they both awoke simultaneously.

“Thank you,” the brothers respectfully handed the Dragon Crystal to Ji Changkong, expressing their gratitude solemnly.

Ji Changkong nodded with a faint smile, taking the Dragon Crystal carefully and tucking it away. Then he gestured toward the people trapped behind the five-colored screen. “Do you know those people?”

The Thoray brothers glanced over and exclaimed, “Black Chi? How is it you?”

The bipedal savage bear looked at the brothers with utter confusion. “What is your situation? You are Heavenly Vein descendants; why are you consorting with people from the Sun Starfield? I thought, I thought you were imprisoned. I never expected you to be getting along so well with them. Were you beaten senseless?”

Black Chi found it extremely strange. In this fiercely contested border region, Heavenly Vein descendants had always served as the vanguard for the Meteor Sea Starfield. Upon discovering masters from the Sun Starfield, the Heavenly Vein descendants would invariably be the most ferocious warriors for the Meteor Sea Starfield, vehemently demanding the execution of all Sun Starfield personnel.

It was precisely because the Heavenly Vein descendants maintained such a direct and intense stance toward the Meteor Sea Starfield, always charging to the front in every battle, that the Cloud-Flipping Heavenly Vein had become the most respected and powerful force in the Meteor Sea Starfield. All masters arriving from the Meteor Sea Starfield followed the lead of the Heavenly Vein descendants.

In Black Chi’s view, once the Thoray brothers were freed, they should immediately launch a massacre against Ji Changkong. Yet, to his surprise, the two brothers appeared respectful and handed a strange object to Ji Changkong, thanking him sincerely. What sort of act was this?

“The matter is somewhat complex; I will explain it to you slowly,” Thoray said after a moment’s thought, seemingly realizing it couldn't be explained in a few words, so he refrained from elaborating.

“No need to explain!” Black Chi shook his head resolutely. “The Sun Starfield and our Meteor Sea Starfield are mortal enemies; this fact will never change! This time, these despicable wretches from the Sun Starfield occupied a small living star territory we worked hard to find and even killed people from the ‘Vast Expanse Sect’ and ours. We must avenge this!”

“Avenge?” Ji Changkong swept him with a cold glance, his tone neither hot nor cold. “If you have that idea, none of you eleven will leave here alive!” He was most annoyed by those who couldn't grasp the situation and were controlled solely by hatred.

“How about we handle this matter?” Torley’s soul projected toward Ji Changkong, sincerely requesting, “The Vast Expanse Sect and the Black Heaven Altar are powerful Heavenly Soldier sects in the Meteor Sea Starfield. If our two sides are to cooperate, we need broader recognition. Since you wish to resolve the enmity between the Sun Starfield and the Meteor Sea Starfield, you cannot kill them.”

“Then I shall grant you that consideration.” After pondering, Ji Changkong nodded slightly, then cast a frigid gaze at Black Chi. “You all behave yourselves. I don't wish to engage in a massacre, but don't provoke me either!”

Just then, Shang Bingjie also slowly regained consciousness. Her spirit was high, and a luster like white jade overflowed on her pretty face. Her eyes were dazzling and brilliant, like the brightest stars.

“What’s wrong?” After standing up, Shang Bingjie moved directly to Ji Changkong’s side, shot a glance at Black Chi, and casually asked, “Are you going to kill them? I’ll help you.”

Black Chi and his group felt a chill in their hearts. This girl is quite ruthless, they thought.

“It’s nothing,” Ji Changkong shook his head. “Your grandmother and the others should be near the star ahead. My physical body cannot travel between stars; I must separate my soul again. You stay by my side and guard me.”

Shang Bingjie nodded. “Okay, be careful. I’ll manage things here.”

“Torley, you all stay put for now. Hmm, talk with that big bear in the meantime. I’m going to search for traces of my relatives and hope to bring them here as well to settle everything at once.” Ji Changkong instructed Torley, then sat cross-legged in place, allowing his primary soul to depart.

After his primary soul left, his physical body closed its eyes and concealed the aura of his secondary soul, ensuring no one could detect it.

He did this precisely to test whether the Thoray brothers or Black Chi’s group harbored any ill intentions while his soul was away—to test these people.

If they entertained any disloyal thoughts, like trying to seize the Dragon Crystal he held, his secondary soul would unleash the Ancient Nine Transformations Ultimate Array and annihilate them all.

The primary soul departed from this Dead Star, soaring into the vast star domain, traveling between stars.

Following Lan Fen’s directions, he rapidly flew toward the distant star, intentionally releasing his soul aura, hoping someone would sense his presence first and actively approach him.

That star appeared only as large as a fist in his soul’s vision, meaning it was neither too near nor too far. Activating his soul energy, Ji Changkong’s phantom body shot through the starry sky like a meteor, rapidly heading toward that celestial body.

Suddenly, Ji Changkong’s soul perceived a marvelous sensation. Vaguely, he realized that due to the changes in his soul ocean, the flow of energy within it had accelerated significantly.

His phantom body streaked through space, his speed easily more than five times faster than before!

His soul energy remained unchanged, but because his soul ocean had been expanded, and his potential had been stimulated to the peak of the Ninth Palace Heaven Realm, he had evidently gained immense benefit. He hadn't noticed it before, but now, flying at full soul speed, he immediately felt the tremendous advantage derived from the expanded soul ocean.

The star that should have taken a long time to reach was now large and prominent in a very short period, saving him several times the effort.