The darkness was absolute, sunlight unable to penetrate the depths where the immense aura of the Azure Dragon, the Sacred Beast, permeated every corner of the underground world. Sinking further, Ji Changkong knew he was nearing his destination when a faint, milky-white luminescence began to shimmer up from the earth below.

A moment later, crystalline Origin Stones appeared in his sight, accompanied by a thick, almost intoxicating wave of primordial energy that carried an unusual, fragrant aroma.

These were truly wondrous Origin Stones; when the celestial energy condensed to a certain degree, they could actually emit a delicate fragrance. The energy contained within these stones was countless times denser than that found in ordinary ones.

Piece by piece, the Origin Stones were stacked together, forming an unbreakable natural barricade. Beneath this crystalline barrier lay the colossal form of the Sacred Beast, the Azure Dragon.

Sinking to the bottom, before Ji Changkong could even initiate contact, the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon’s vast consciousness echoed within his mind: "Please allow your soul to leave your body so we may converse!"

Simultaneously, the auras of the Vermilion Bird, the Black Tortoise, and the White Tiger, the other three Sacred Beasts, also permeated upward from the depths.

The Four Sacred Beasts had convened!

Ji Changkong started, realizing that this gathering meant something major required his attention. If it were minor, the Azure Dragon alone could have sent a mental summons; there was no need to involve the other three.

Lost in thought, Ji Changkong grew perplexed. He could not fathom why the Four Sacred Beasts needed him at this particular juncture.

Toward the Four Sacred Beasts, however, he harbored no suspicion. He directly manifested his divine soul and, following the guidance of the Azure Dragon's mental projection, floated toward a region where the light shone brightly. Upon manifesting his soul there, he found the Four Sacred Beasts had already been waiting for some time.

The leading Azure Dragon retained the appearance of a benevolent, kind-faced elder, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You have arrived."

"Mm." Ji Changkong looked upon the illusory forms of the other three Sacred Beasts, sensing the ancient resonance of their longevity, and asked with confusion, "May I inquire as to the weighty matter that necessitated this summoning?"

"The peak of the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm, young fellow—you truly have not disappointed us. To reach this realm in such a short time is nothing short of a miracle." The White Tiger was more eager, cutting straight to the point after his declaration: "We have summoned you because we require a favor."

"To slay the Ancestral Demon?" Ji Changkong’s expression shifted slightly, followed by a wry smile. "Sirs, if you require me to assist you in slaying the Ancestral Demon, I fear you will be disappointed. I currently lack the capacity for such a task."

Over the past two decades, he had visited that unfamiliar continent more than once, cautiously investigating the subterranean conditions there, and was intimately familiar with the Ancestral Demon.

Like the Four Sacred Beasts, the Ancestral Demon predated the Great Calamity, and the sheer magnitude of its soul signature was beyond his current comprehension. Even having cultivated to the pinnacle of the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm, he dared not boast of being able to confront the Ancestral Demon.

If he could fully unleash the power of the Ancient Nine Transformations Grand Array and reach the Ten Directions Heaven Realm, perhaps he would stand a one or two percent chance. But in his current state, attempting to slay the Ancestral Demon would simply be courting death.

"Certainly not," the Azure Dragon smiled faintly, explaining, "How profoundly powerful the Ancestral Demon is, we four understand intimately. We know that in your current state, you are still no match for him. Today we sought you out to entrust you with a different matter."

"What matter?" Upon hearing it wasn't about slaying the Ancestral Demon, Ji Changkong breathed a sigh of relief.

At this statement, the Four Sacred Beasts fell silent, their eyes showing complex emotions, as if caught in a distant memory.

From them, Ji Changkong sensed a profound wave of yearning, as if they were dwelling on some past event, momentarily unable to extricate themselves from the recollection.

Hearing the state of the Four Sacred Beasts, Ji Changkong became even more curious. "Just what is the matter?"

"We wish to leave the Five Elements Continent." The Azure Dragon sighed softly before continuing, "After so many years of recovery, our strength is nearly sufficient to depart this life-bearing star. Of course, we still lack a small fraction, so we hope to receive your assistance."

"Leave the Five Elements Continent?" Ji Changkong froze, staring blankly at the Four Sacred Beasts. After a long, long moment, he finally asked, "Why must you leave?"

"This is, after all, not our true home. We have a home of our own, and many more of our kind. We wish to leave the Five Elements Continent for where we belong, to see if any of our kin remain from those times. I wonder if you can understand; only in our true home can we find genuine belonging," the Black Tortoise murmured, his gaze dim.

To go home? The Four Sacred Beasts wanted to go home?

A tremendous wave of shock surged through Ji Changkong. He gazed at the four in astonishment. "Your bodies are immense. If you emerge from the depths, will this Five Elements Continent cease to exist? Furthermore, because of your presence, the continent possesses such rich primordial energy. If you leave, will the impact be too great?"

"Hmph!" The White Tiger let out a low grunt. "Boy..."

"It's not that I'm unwilling to help you, but the Five Elements Continent is also my home. If your departure causes devastation here, I cannot bear responsibility," Ji Changkong shook his head, his expression resolute.

"Rest assured, our departure will affect the Five Elements Continent slightly, but it won't be catastrophic," the Azure Dragon glared at the White Tiger, huffing. "I know you are impatient, but we have waited so many years; your temper should have mellowed somewhat by now, shouldn't it?"

Stung by the Azure Dragon's glare, the White Tiger frowned slightly and said no more.

"Having resided on the Five Elements Continent for so long, we have already altered its subterranean structure. Even if we depart, it won't cause significant disruption to the continent's primordial energy, as the Five Elements Continent can now draw energy from the starry expanse on its own to form celestial energy. You can set your mind at ease on this point."

The Sacred Beast Azure Dragon smiled faintly and continued, "Given the sheer size of our bodies, leaving from here will inevitably cause some impact on the surface world. However, we have discussed this; we will choose to emerge through the Eastern Sea region. As we move slowly, although the surface world will experience tremors, it will not lead to utter ruin above."

Having said that, the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon looked at him with a hint of pleading. "For so many years, all we have desired is to return. Long ago, we taught the methods of utilizing power to the beings of this continent, originally hoping to borrow some of their strength. Alas, once they possessed great power, the first thing they desired was to kill us, to exploit our power to make themselves stronger..."

"You trust me?" Ji Changkong paused, then asked again.

"We trust you. We have watched you silently for many years and know that you are different from them," the Azure Dragon nodded. "Most importantly, you now control the order of this continent and possess sufficient strength..."

"If you leave, what about the Ancestral Demon?" Ji Changkong inquired further.

"Rest assured, once the four of us break free, the Ancestral Demon will no longer be a threat; we will definitely destroy him," the White Tiger interjected, fixing his gaze on Ji Changkong. "As long as you help us, all the celestial Origin Stones in the territories we occupy will be yours, and we can help you absorb the Ancestral Demon's power—all you need to do is agree!"

Celestial Origin Stones? The power of the Ancestral Demon?

Ji Changkong's expression stiffened. The Celestial Origin Stones in the territories occupied by the Four Sacred Beasts were indeed the most precious stones in this world. They could not only forge various divine weapons and artifacts but also serve as the most direct replenishment for internal vital energy.

Most importantly, the celestial energy contained within those Celestial Origin Stones was tens of millions of times greater than that in ordinary stones. A single, fist-sized stone contained enough power to restore one-third of a Nine Palaces Heaven cultivator's energy.

The veins of Origin Stones in the Sacred Beasts' domain, accumulated over tens of millions of years, were countless. If he could obtain those stones, Xuan Yuan Valley might not need to mine Origin Stones for tens of thousands of years.

And the Ancestral Demon was an ancient lifeform from before the Great Calamity; Ji Changkong had some understanding of its terrifying strength. However, since the Ancestral Demon was the source of demonic energy, his main body could not utilize it, but the vast Sea of Stars formed by his secondary soul could—he just wasn't sure if the Four Sacred Beasts were telling the truth.

Just as he prepared to ask for further details, the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon spoke again: "In addition, I can tell you several common methods for breaking through the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm to reach the Ten Directions Heaven Realm. If you can comprehend even one of them, you might break through your current bottleneck and ascend to the Ten Directions Heaven Realm."

"Several common methods?" Ji Changkong was stunned dumbfounded, as if struck by lightning, his mind blank. To ascend from the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm to the Ten Directions Heaven Realm—was there only one way? How could they imply there were multiple methods? What was happening?

"Don't be surprised. All things in the world follow patterns, and patterns are not immutable. Any power or profound truth, once its true essence is thoroughly comprehended, can potentially lead to the Ten Directions Heaven Realm," the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon looked at him with a knowing smile. "How about it? If you help us, before we leave, I will explain in detail, telling you the various methods to break through from the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm to the Ten Directions Heaven Realm."

"Not now?" Ji Changkong asked greedily.

"No!" The White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise all stated firmly, leaving no room for negotiation.

"In the past, we selflessly answered the questions of some Nine Palaces Heaven cultivators on this matter, but the final result was..." The Sacred Beast Azure Dragon looked helpless. "Only when you guarantee our departure from the Five Elements Continent will we reveal those methods. We are truly afraid of humans..."

"Fine! I agree!" Ji Changkong pondered for a moment, then asked, "What must I do?"