It should have dawned on me that this youngster, always by my side, had never ceased his silent cultivation. Unlike the Ghost Demon King, he had never suffered any real persecution, and his path of cultivation had always been smooth.
The fact that he could swallow the Black Iron Tombstone outright, and even consume the massive form of the Ink Jade Bone Dragon—all these signs pointed to the truth: this fellow was already far beyond what he seemed!
It was only because he had remained so close that I failed to notice; it is naturally difficult to discern the terrifying nature of someone who is not your equal.
A string of thoughts flashed through his mind, and Ji Changkong gradually accepted the reality—accepted the immense power of the Primal Poison.
As his thoughts shifted drastically, above, the Ghost Demon King and the Primal Poison were already locked in combat.
The confrontation between these two alien entities was vastly different from any typical human conflict; it was less a battle and more a process of mutual assimilation and consumption!
In the heavens above this dead star, the mists formed by the two alien entities suddenly surged together. The multicolored cloud formed by the Primal Poison instantly mingled with the black mist conjured by the Ghost Demon King.
Hiss!
A strange sound resonated from the sky as electric light sparked between the merging clouds of vapor. Peculiar, light smoke drifted out from the nexus, dissipating into the void.
The collision of two equally malevolent presences impacted the dead star itself. The electric arcs erupting between the mists struck the dead volcano below, causing the rocks on the volcano to emit harsh, grating sounds.
When the phantom wind swept through, those massive stones were actually lifted and scattered into fine dust.
The clash between the two entities was a process of mutual assimilation, a contest to see whose soul could gain the upper hand, who could swallow the other first and absorb its power.
Standing on the dead star, Ji Changkong’s expression was solemn as he cautiously allowed his soul aura to spread out, sensing the situation with extreme care.
For a moment, he couldn't find an opening to strike!
The two clouds of mist, formed by the Primal Poison and the Ghost Demon King, had, without anyone noticing, spread across the entire sky of the dead star, even faintly drifting out into the vast sea of stars beyond.
The multicolored mist and the black mist were now interwoven, seemingly fused into a single entity.
Regardless of the forms they had manifested or their life auras, they were now intricately connected, each possessing an element of the other.
In this state, even if he wanted to intervene and assist the Primal Poison, he couldn't find a suitable way to do so. Because within the body and soul of the Primal Poison, the aura of the Ghost Demon King was present; any action he took could not guarantee he wouldn't harm the Ghost Demon King as well.
Therefore, he could only watch the battle raging above, momentarily helpless.
On the dead star, the masters from the Sun Star Domain and the Meteor Sea Domain gradually began to emerge from the dead volcano’s depths.
The two "Light Stars" of the Zac race had already departed, meaning no more beams of intense light would shoot down from the surface. Those who had hidden beneath the dead volcano sensed that immediate danger from above had temporarily subsided, and thus they reappeared.
The Sun Star Domain faction was divided into two camps: one comprised of masters recuperating their souls from Xuanyuan Valley, and the other, the united forces of Tianlu, Death Pact, and the Demon’s Grotto.
The Meteor Sea Domain side had only a pitiful three individuals remaining: Tore, Torel, and Heiluo. All other masters from that domain had been too eager to hide deep within the dead volcano earlier.
Tragically, only Tore and the two others emerged.
"They have already succumbed to the poison."
Both the Four Great Elders and the people of the Black Heaven Altar had suffered internal poison outbreaks during this time, leading to the complete dissipation of their souls.
The remaining three—Tore, Torel, and Heiluo—wore expressions of utter dejection and broken spirit. Having lost their sister and brother, their gazes occasionally swept toward the sky, a flash of sharp malice briefly crossing their eyes.
At this point, all three knew that the ultimate culprit was the Primal Poison.
Shang Bingjie was among the group including Feihua and those from Diamond Mountain. Beside her, Gu Dan’s mental power had already recovered to its peak.
"You all return to Xuanyuan Valley first!" Ji Changkong suddenly flashed to Shang Bingjie and the others’ vicinity. Without another word, he immediately used the Vast Star Sea Map to open a light-hole.
They could offer no assistance in the current battle here; the group that had descended via soul projection, in particular, would only become a hindrance. The sooner they were sent away, the better.
Gu Ji and his group were sensible people; they all nodded in understanding upon hearing this. Gu Dan cautioned Ji Changkong to be careful before stepping into the light-hole.
The soul-form group vanished instantly. Only Shang Bingjie lingered for a moment, insisting, "I might be able to help you!"
"You should go back too. I’ll watch here; perhaps I’ll need to flee soon as well." Ji Changkong offered a wry smile. What help could she possibly provide? The power of the Ghost Demon King was beyond her comprehension; no matter what means she employed, she absolutely could not destroy the Ghost Demon King’s life imprint.
"No, I really can help." Shang Bingjie continued to persist.
"If you go back now and watch over my maternal grandfather, that is helping me. Truly." Ji Changkong smiled, then ceased arguing with her. He retracted the light-hole, essentially swallowing Shang Bingjie into it.
Across from him, the masters from Tianlu, Death Pact, and Demon’s Grotto watched with grim expressions, seemingly contemplating an attack on Ji Changkong, yet perhaps hesitating due to concern for those who had just left. Ji Changkong let out a cold chuckle. "Perfect. I'll start by taking you lot down first!"
As the words fell, six pillars of elemental force abruptly manifested in the void, and the Purgatorial Ghost Tribe’s Soul-Wrecking Melody was activated instantly.
The Nine Palaces Heavenly Scholars from Tianlu, Death Pact, and Demon’s Grotto, upon seeing the elemental pillars appear, all showed expressions of terror and frantically began to flee towards the Vast Star Domain.
The soul-killing aura emanating from the elemental pillars was unmistakable. The soul consciousnesses they had sent out to scout were instantly shredded between the pillars of elemental force. They clearly discerned the terrifying essence at the center of those pillars.
"Trying to run? Not so easy!" Ji Changkong sneered, his eyes sharp and icy. Two Heavenly Fire clones soared out, followed by barrages of cyan heavenly lightning bolts.
Both the Heavenly Fire and the Heavenly Lightning were sharp tools for slaying souls. Any soul touched by the Heavenly Fire or the cyan heavenly lightning would instantly have its life force drained away.
Boom! Pop-pop!
Three wraiths from the Death Pact instantly exploded upon contact with the cyan heavenly lightning.
More enemies found their souls uncontrollably drawn towards this position, struggling against the peculiar energy emanating from the elemental pillars, appearing unable to resist.
Even the masters of Tianlu, the leader of the Death Pact, and the master of the Demon’s Grotto were similarly affected by the Purgatorial Ghost Tribe’s Soul-Wrecking Melody.
"Leader! Save us!" the master of Tianlu cried out toward the heavens.
His call did nothing but invite utter ruin!
The Ghost Demon King, engaged in its confrontation with the Primal Poison, seemed to sense this available reserve of power. A section of black mist, about ten mu in size, descended from above and suddenly enveloped the souls of the masters from Tianlu, Death Pact, and Demon’s Grotto.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
Strange sounds echoed from within the black mist as the souls of the masters belonging to those three factions began to decompose one by one.
"No! Leader, we have always been loyal to you!"
The masters of Tianlu, Death Pact, and Demon’s Grotto screamed in utter terror. Alas, in this situation, the Ghost Demon King only sought to maximize its own power, and the souls of these individuals happened to offer a timely boost.
Soon, the divine souls of the Nine Palaces Heavenly Scholars from these three evil factions were completely swallowed by the black mist, rapidly decomposed, and became a part of the Ghost Demon King.
If the masters of the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm, whose bodies and souls were unified, were no match for the Ghost Demon King, how could these purely soul-based entities possibly stand a chance?
Watching helplessly as the masters of the three evil forces became nourishment for the Ghost Demon King one after another, Ji Changkong’s expression remained impassive—he had anticipated this outcome all along!
When the Ghost Demon King desperately needed power, these people dared to draw its attention—weren't they asking for death?
A creature like the Ghost Demon King possessed no trace of human emotion; why would it care about their fate? If they hadn't shouted so loudly, the Ghost Demon King might not have noticed them and would have ignored them. Their clamor was practically an open invitation to death!
Serves them right! he cursed internally. Ji Changkong recalled the six pillars of elemental force. The reason he had acted to collect the souls of Tianlu’s people was precisely to prevent the Ghost Demon King from consuming them to increase its strength.
He had urged his maternal grandfather’s group to leave early for the same reason—to avoid precisely this scenario.
Unfortunately, the people of Tianlu, Death Pact, and Demon’s Grotto failed to grasp this point, and thus they all perished.
The leaders of the three major evil forces that once dominated the Sun Star Domain became mere snacks for the Ghost Demon King in the blink of an eye—truly a case of reaping what they sowed.
Henceforth, the eight supreme powers of the Sun Star Domain would likely exist in name only.
Tianlu, Demon’s Grotto, and Death Pact were finished today. The people of the Heavenly Serpent Cult had been wiped out by him and the corrupted dragon soul two days prior; Changmei from the Parting Heaven Sect was long dead, and their Sect Master was missing; Old Madam Shang had also been killed, along with many other Shang family masters; as for Feihua, it seemed only Lanfen remained; and Diamond Mountain still had two bald monks...
Unbeknownst to all, the supreme powers of the Sun Star Domain had declined to this extent.
The situation on the Meteor Sea Domain side was equally disastrous: the Five Great Elders of the Upsurging Heaven Vein were dead, and the Vast Mist Sect and the Black Iron Altar had been almost completely annihilated...
What had caused all this turmoil?
If the situation continued like this, before the Essence of the Stars completely vanished, the Nine Palaces Heavenly Scholars in both the Sun Star Domain and the Meteor Sea Domain would face extinction.
How tragic!
Glancing back at Heiluo, Tore, and Torel, Ji Changkong sighed softly. "Gentlemen, at this juncture, only the three of you remain as divine souls on this star. I know you are unwilling to leave, but if you stay, within five minutes, the Ghost Demon King will devour you. Go now, the sooner the better."
The three from Tore exchanged a look, their eyes clouded with sorrow. Without saying a word to Ji Changkong, the trio emerged from the dead volcano and silently slipped into the Vast Star Domain from the opposite direction.
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