After a few words, Gu Dan, Li Hentian, Xiao Poushan, and the others seemed to have realized something, and all decided to temporarily leave Xuanyuan Valley to travel more in the mortal world. Cultivation had reached their realm, and "blind ascetic practice" was no longer necessary; what they lacked now was not quantity, but comprehension.

Ji Changkong knew that the methods left behind by the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon must have touched them, as each breakthrough was unique and irreplicable, so he naturally would not interfere.

After Gu Dan, Li Hentian, and Xiao Poushan departed from Xuanyuan Valley, he did not rest either, starting the process of forging a second body on the unfamiliar continent.

Barren, ash-grey mountains stretched out, and dense demonic clouds permeated the heavens. Although the Ancestral Demon was gone, the heaven and earth demonic energy on this continent was still significantly richer than in other places. Within a valley where demonic clouds blotted out the sky, Ji Changkong hovered mid-air, sending down streaks of light from his hand.

Massive pits were dug into the earth. From his palm, item after item flowed ceaselessly into the void: dark water, strange bones, and crystalline stones... "Together!" Ji Changkong commanded, raising his left hand slightly.

A small protrusion of a distant hill was ripped out by its roots like wild grass and crashed down into the massive pits. "Pfft!" He opened his mouth and spat out flames the size of millstones, all falling into those pits. "Boom!" As the flames entered the pits, the thick, dark liquid within them ignited fiercely, and scorching heat suddenly enveloped the surroundings.

Ji Changkong’s expression grew solemn. He slowly extended his left hand, and five plumes of verdant flame suddenly seeped from his fingertips. The moment the five flames appeared, the ambient heat instantly dropped. "Chirp chirp chirp!" The five flames seemed to possess a life of their own, writhing at his fingertips, desperate to break free of restraint.

"Hmph!" He glanced coldly at the five flames and murmured, "The 'Kun Bi Cold Flame' from the Tianyun Continent has actually developed its own consciousness. Very good; you will be the primary material needed for refining bone powder shortly!"

"Chirp chirp chirp!"

Upon hearing this, the five green flames abruptly transformed into five ferocious, mad little faces, glaring fiercely at him from his fingertips, adopting a fighting posture.

"What's all the noise about!" Ji Changkong snorted coldly. "In the Tianyun Continent, you were known as ominous objects, bringing icy cold wherever you passed. Today, merging into my second body is your great fortune!"

Saying this, a flickering, elusive flame suddenly appeared in Ji Changkong's eyes. As this flame escaped his gaze, it emitted a vast wave of life fluctuation.

The flame that flew from his eyes split into five, merging entirely into the extremely cold, green flames. The five flames that had been chirping incessantly immediately quieted down, as if imprisoned by some external force. "Go!" Ji Changkong flicked his five fingers.

The five plumes of 'Kun Bi Cold Flame' finally broke free from the restraint of his fingertips but dared not flee, obediently flying into the five massive pits.

The flames within the pits gradually turned a beautiful, enchanting azure blue after incorporating the five 'Kun Bi Cold Flames.'

"The Fire of Life is indeed extraordinary. It's a pity that every bit wasted is gone. This Fire of Life originates from the Heart of the Sun, said to be a peculiar, minute manifestation of the Source of Life. I wonder what miraculous uses the Source of Life truly holds..." Ji Changkong murmured softly, yet his hands never stopped, tossing materials gathered from the Solar Star Field one after another into the five pits.

Following the memories of the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon, he utilized some of the rarest materials in the universe to construct the second body. According to the Azure Dragon, once the second body was formed, it would initially be immune to the disruptive forces of stellar chaos.

After all, one of the main components of this body was the bone of the Ancestral Demon, and the Ancestral Demon was a terrifying creature that roamed the star fields hundreds of thousands of years ago.

This meant that once this body was formed, even if Ji Changkong’s main body had not reached the Realm of Ten Directions Heaven, the second body could freely traverse the star fields, unaffected by the chaotic and disordered region of the Planet of Life, just like Dick.

This was why Ji Changkong placed such importance on this second body.

Calming his mind, piece by piece, the rare and precious materials collected from the major Planets of Life in the Solar Star Field dropped into the five great pits.

The azure flames burned continuously. After an unknown amount of time, the flames gradually began to subside.

One day, Ji Changkong suddenly opened his eyes, a spark of excited light flashing briefly in his pupils.

With a thought, Ji Changkong raised both hands in the void and commanded, "Emerge!"

From the dark liquid within the five huge pits, five skeletal limbs emerged: a skull and four limbs. However, these limbs were entirely made of azure bone, pulsating with strange light that flowed within the bones like living things.

Astounding demonic energy poured forth from these five skeletal parts, giving a soul-stirring sensation.

"Merge!" As one bone structure took shape, Ji Changkong exclaimed with overwhelming joy, commanding without hesitation, "Merge!"

The five skeletal limbs immediately assembled in the void, connecting flawlessly with the sound of "crackling."

An azure skeleton thus manifested in the air, looking from afar like a corpse left after poisoning. This skeleton overflowed with blue light, and its demonic energy soared to the heavens! "It's done!" Ji Changkong laughed heartily, looking at the skeleton, instantly feeling that this was now a part of him.

Without hesitation, with a move of his mind, the vast Star Sea Map hidden deep within his mind suddenly flew out from the crown of his head. The Second Soul within that vast Star Sea Map opened its mouth and inhaled a portion of dark aura from his main soul.

As the Vast Star Sea Map entered the skull of the skeleton, eye sockets in the hollow orbits immediately gained eyeballs, appearing like two massive black stars from the heavens—unfathomable and strange. Inside the skull, the Vast Star Sea Map manifested as a nebula, slowly revolving.

Suddenly, the Second Soul within the Vast Star Sea Map began to change. A ring of black ripples started spreading from the skull, gradually extending to every bone in the body. A vast, bizarre power was released from this skeleton.

From the bones of the skeleton, meridians and flesh began to grow at a visible speed. Massive demonic energy churned, and the demonic clouds in the sky seemed drawn by some force, pouring frantically into this body. Under the infusion of its own power and the surging demonic qi, this skeleton transformed into a body of flesh and blood in just a few minutes—another Ji Changkong! Except for skin that was slightly darker and a face full of sinister charm, it was indistinguishable from the main body.

"Good! Good! Good!" This Ji Changkong shouted a few times and began testing his movements. At first, his joints clicked and cracked as he adjusted to the new state, but soon, the noise ceased.

His figure flickered, and this Ji Changkong left behind thousands of long afterimages. With a light shout, "Thousand Nether Shadow Slip!" this Ji Changkong arrived before a mountain peak, flashed a fierce grin, and placed one hand on the rock of the peak. An earth-shattering wave of demonic energy erupted from his palm, shimmering with dark light.

A massive roar immediately followed. The giant mountain peak instantly collapsed, its solid rock scattering like ash and sand.

"Heh heh, not bad, not bad! Just the physical strength surpasses the Nine Palace Heaven Scholar. If I unleash the profound mysteries of the Aolu Divine Cult's demonic arts, I might advance even further, ha ha!" This Ji Changkong roared with laughter. "Come back! Stay well within the Tianyuan Pearl!" The main body of Ji Changkong, who had been watching with a smile, suddenly moved his main soul.

The other Ji Changkong instantly transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the Tianyuan Pearl held in his palm, beginning his silent cultivation within it.

"This way, all the evil aura in my main body has been channeled into the Second Soul. From now on, there will be no trace of evil power affecting me internally. That's good; only with pure internal power is there a possibility of breaking through to the Ten Directions Heaven," the main body of Ji Changkong murmured.

He looked up at the sky, closed his eyes to sense for a moment, and then said, "The heaven and earth demonic energy on this Planet of Life has been completely exhausted. What a pity. Hmm, I wonder how much time has passed. I should go back and check the situation first."

Saying this, his figure flickered, disappearing from the spot. The next moment, he appeared before the Spatial Turbulence Domain and plunged into it.

Xuanyuan Valley.

As his figure stepped into the valley, Mo Yunyi rushed up with a heavy expression. "Changkong, there are some developments in the Fading Sea Star Domain." "Granny Mo, how long did my cultivation take this time?" Ji Changkong asked with a gentle smile, unconcerned.

"Ten years," Mo Yunyi replied casually, then continued, "The messengers who brought the news this time were Hei Luo, Tuolei, and Tuolie from the Fading Sea Star Domain. Those three even risked entering the fringes of the Solar Star Field to explain the situation to the experts of this Planet of Life. If the situation they described hadn't been so grave, their souls might have been extinguished."

Hearing Mo Yunyi say this, Ji Changkong's demeanor turned serious, and he finally showed concern. "What exactly is happening?"

"Because of the scarcity of Star Essence and lacking our aid, the Fading Sea Star Domain has been exploring further star fields for years. They actually encountered a high-level race at the edge of another star field—the Hidden Demon Clan. You know them, don't you?" "Yes, I've heard a little. I heard they were routed by those Hidden Demon Clan members, many losing their souls and fleeing back, very few surviving."

"It is that Hidden Demon Clan! In the period before Luo entered seclusion, three masters from the Hidden Demon Clan actually traversed the vast distance of the star sea to the Fading Sea Star Domain and wreaked havoc there..." Mo Yunyi spoke with gravity, detailing what she knew to Ji Changkong.

"Are you saying? Three-quarters of the Spatial Turbulence Domains on the Planets of Life in the Fading Sea Star Domain have been destroyed, and the surviving experts can only take refuge on the remaining one-quarter of the Planets of Life?" Ji Changkong's face grew heavy after listening for a while.

"Yes. According to them, if the Fading Sea Star Domain does not receive aid within another five years, all Heaven Scholars above the Seven Star Heaven Realm will be executed by those three Hidden Demon Clan masters," Mo Yunyi said with a bitter smile. Ji Changkong suddenly fell silent, strange light swirling in his eyes as he seemed to ponder something.

"I understand," he said after a long pause, taking a deep breath. "Just three Hidden Demon Clan members have caused such a massacre in the Fading Sea Star Domain; it shows those three must be incredibly powerful. I could lend them the 'Dark Star,' but I don't know if that would be the right thing to do." "What do you mean?" Mo Yunyi froze slightly. "If those Hidden Demon Clan members discover the 'Dark Star' and follow it to our Solar Star Field, I don't know if we can avoid this disaster," Ji Changkong stated. At these words, Mo Yunyi's expression drastically changed. "You mean?"

"The Fading Sea Star Domain's inability to resist proves those three Hidden Demon Clan masters are terrifying. If the 'Dark Star' lures them to the Solar Star Field, the battlefield shifts, and the Solar Star Field might also suffer devastation," Ji Changkong said solemnly. "Then what should we do? We can't just watch them die, can we?" Mo Yunyi sighed.

"I will personally travel to the Fading Sea Star Domain," Ji Changkong said cautiously. "I'll rendezvous with those Hidden Demon Clan members first. If I can kill them, that's best, but if those Hidden Demon Clan masters prove too strong, I will have to find another way." "Are you confident?" Mo Yunyi asked. "I don't know, but if it's just about escaping, with my Vast Star Sea Map, it's a sure thing, so you don't need to worry," Ji Changkong smiled.

"Heh heh, I almost forgot you possess such a wondrous treasure. In that case, I am relieved," Mo Yunyi nodded. After a pause, she asked again, "Oh, right, can your Vast Star Sea Map take you directly to the Fading Sea Star Domain?"

"I have tried over the years, but it doesn't work," Ji Changkong did not hide anything. "The Vast Star Sea Map can only be used within a single star field; it seems to have a distance limitation. If it's too far, the map cannot function effectively." "I see..." Mo Yunyi nodded. "It makes sense. If the Vast Star Sea Map could truly traverse star fields, who holding it could ever be killed?" "I had better stick to using the 'Dark Star' to traverse the distance between the two star fields," Ji Changkong said. On an unremarkable dead star, a bright flash cut through the darkness. After the flash, a strange light-hole appeared.

Ji Changkong leaped out of the light-hole. His divine sense spread out, and he almost immediately sensed that the "Dark Star" buried deep within the dead star was still there. Without hesitation, he began using his immense power to push aside the thick layer of rock covering the "Dark Star." Soon, the sealed entrance to the dead volcano was revealed.

He flew into the "Dark Star" and retrieved several strange stones obtained from ten thousand zhang beneath the surface of the Five Elements Continent, inserting them into the corresponding slots. Amidst tremendous roaring, the "Dark Star" spewed out fire snakes, and a violent thrust erupted from it. The "Dark Star," dormant on this dead star for many years, finally broke through the surface. Aiming towards the Fading Sea Star Domain, the "Dark Star" began its journey at an extremely high speed. On the Sea of Meteors, two "Light Stars" were also flying slowly, spewing tongues of fire.

Inside one of the "Light Stars," a Zaker tribesman clad in dark-gold armor suddenly saw his compass light up.

A strange light flickered in the eyes of the Zaker expert. He suddenly exclaimed, "That 'Dark Star' has finally started up! Excellent, I was just worrying about not having a fight. Now that it has energy stones, I can finally sense it again." "My Lord, that 'Dark Star' seems to be heading toward the Fading Sea Star Domain. Isn't our target that new creature?" a Zaker expert nearby asked.

"Indeed, our target is that new creature, but we can't let that thing go either!" the Zaker leader snorted, then continued, "That new creature must be related to that thing. As long as we find the 'Dark Star,' we have a chance of tracing all their whereabouts." "My Lord is wise."

"Speed up! Head to the Fading Sea Star Domain! We must reclaim that 'Dark Star.' It cost my clan a tremendous price to acquire it from the Artifact Forging Clan; every single one is irreplaceable."

"As you command, My Lord!" On an unfamiliar dead star.

A tall figure was busy atop a perfectly straight mountain peak, surrounded by huge meteorites scattered on the ground. In many caves carved into the mountain, there were fragments of shattered meteorites.

Before Ji Haotian now stood a massive stone coffin, ten meters long. The coffin was pitch black, engraved with demonic runes that seemed to contain some bizarre power.

"I don't know how many years it took, but I finally gathered enough Meteorite Essence to forge this stone coffin. Since the extraterrestrial meteorites could descend here, they must be able to exist in the star sea. With this stone coffin, I should be able to leave this wretched place," Ji Haotian muttered to himself. Ever since he was tricked and transported to Yun'er last time, Ji Haotian had been trapped here.

In Yun'er, his soul wandered for many years but failed to find any Planet of Life, nor did he find any nearby souls cultivating. Over time, he began looking for alternative methods. After many years, he saw a meteor fall in this location and suddenly had an idea.

Since meteors could appear here, it meant they could navigate the star sea. He found the spot where the meteor landed and discovered it was a massive meteorite. The outer rock had burned away, becoming soft like sand and stone.

Upon seeing this, after careful investigation, he realized that meteorites were not completely immune in the star sea; they were also eroded by the power of the star sea, gradually shrinking. Disappointed and furious, Ji Haotian blasted the meteorite into pieces.

However, when the meteorite shattered, he found a small piece of strange stone inside. No matter what power he used to strike it, he could not destroy this stone.

Overjoyed, Ji Haotian flew into the sky holding this stone, tossed it into the star sea, and immediately let his soul emerge, secretly following the stone.

After repeated observation, he discovered that the stone truly was unaffected by the power of the star sea while navigating it.

At this point, Ji Haotian was certain he had found a way to leave. Over the subsequent years, he searched the entire dead star, finding many pieces of this Meteorite Essence. After numerous attempts, he figured out how to smelt this type of stone and crafted this massive stone coffin.

Looking up at the star-strewn sky, Ji Haotian showed an expression of longing and murmured, "I wonder if I can return, but I must take the risk."

Saying this, Ji Haotian slowly settled into the stone coffin, closed the heavy lid, and began to activate his great power.

The strange demonic runes on the stone coffin lit up simultaneously, thick demonic energy surging. The coffin seemed instantly charged with power and finally flew out from the dead star, soaring towards the vast starry sky.

Only after the stone coffin entered the vast star domain did Ji Haotian's hanging heart gradually relax, because although the power outside the coffin was terrifying, it truly failed to affect it. With this, Ji Haotian discerned a direction and flew straight that way, without hesitation. However, not long after, Ji Haotian sensed trouble.

Within the vast star domain, he was controlling the stone coffin purely by the power within his body. But he hadn't anticipated that the moment the coffin appeared in the star domain, the power required to control it increased several times over!

The coffin could indeed resist most natural disasters in the star sea, but under the impact of various forces, the coffin became extremely difficult to control.

To make the coffin fly in the direction he intended required an extra tenfold amount of power applied to it. Even letting the coffin drift aimlessly required many times more power than on the dead star.

Otherwise, the coffin would hover motionlessly in the star sea, and even then, it still required energy to sustain it.

It was only at this moment that Ji Haotian realized this method, while seemingly viable, had enormous drawbacks. Recklessly using this method, he was now beginning to suffer the consequences. After some more time, the power within Ji Haotian was no longer sufficient to control the coffin's direction. Helpless, Ji Haotian had no choice but to relinquish control over the coffin's trajectory, letting it navigate the star sea as it wished.

He began to release his Divine Sense, sweeping the nearby space for any life-bearing star, even a dead one, not even sparing the meteorites suspended in the stellar expanse. He simply longed to quickly locate a place to land!

However, within the vast stellar domain, all manner of bizarre things could occur, and his humble wish suddenly seemed fraught with difficulty.

Finally, one day, the power within him was about to be completely exhausted. With no recourse, he could only seal himself inside the stone coffin, suspending himself in the sea of stars.

Uncertain how much time had passed, a colossal meteorite quietly drifted by, heading directly toward the stone coffin where he lay hidden. Boom! Boom! Boom! The stone coffin was forged from the essence of meteorites, possessing extraordinary hardness. Under the immense impact, the coffin did not shatter, but was violently knocked off balance and sent flying far to one side. Conversely, under the huge concussive force, the massive meteorite itself exploded apart.

As the meteorite detonated in the void, twelve small flags suddenly shot forth, fluttering wildly in the emptiness. One of these small flags, quite by chance, landed directly upon the stone coffin where Ji Haotian was concealed.

The remarkably sturdy stone coffin, tempered from meteorite essence and capable of resisting the stellar forces, was instantly pierced by the small flag, plunging directly into the chest of Ji Haotian lying within.

Ji Haotian, who had willingly embraced damnation, possessed a fiercely powerful physical body, yet the small flag pierced his chest, and his internal blood instantly drenched the sharp tip of the flag. Suddenly, a wondrous sensation bloomed within Ji Haotian's mind.

Before Ji Haotian could process further, the other eleven small flags scattered across the starfield seemed to be drawn by some unseen attraction, rushing over with a whoosh.

The stone coffin, refined from meteorite essence, was like thin air to these small flags. One by one, they gracefully entered, all embedding themselves in Ji Haotian's body, each one now stained with his blood.

Lying in the coffin, Ji Haotian's face immediately contorted into a savage grimace, and he let out a painful howl from within the stone sarcophagus.

Waves of pitch-black halo pulsed outward from Ji Haotian’s body, like ripples in water, and a vast, boundless demonic power began to churn within him.

Inside the stone coffin, Ji Haotian's bones and flesh twisted and morphed incessantly: one moment he became a monster with gigantic horns sprouting from its head, the next, a grotesque aberration covered in scales, or perhaps a ferocious beast with the body of a man and the limbs of a serpent...

In a short while, Ji Haotian transformed into twelve distinct forms. Each time he changed, one of the flags piercing him would flash brightly. When a transformation concluded, one of the twelve small flags would display a hideous, monstrous pattern, a perfect replica of the aberrant form he had just assumed.

After twelve cycles, Ji Haotian gasped for breath, returning to his original appearance. Then, the twelve small flags one by one sank entirely into his body.

Hoo! Hoo!

Ji Haotian breathed in huge, ragged gasps, and a snap-snap sound emanated from within him. A colossal surge of power suddenly erupted from his body, shaking heaven and earth!

The stone coffin, forged from meteorite essence, instantly exploded. Fragments of the essence flew everywhere, exposing Ji Haotian to the sea of stars.

In that instant, sparks erupted across Ji Haotian's body as if struck by some force, his face contorted in unbearable agony. But this only lasted a moment before he gave a cold snort, and a small flag emerged on his forehead.

Strange mist billowed from his nostrils, instantly enveloping his entire body. Under the influence of this vapor, wisps of energy began to form a defensive shield, completely neutralizing the incoming stellar forces. "A blessing in disguise, after all," Ji Haotian murmured under his breath. "The Twelve Ultimate Celestial Demon Banners—that legendary treasure of demonic cultivation—has been wandering the stars all this time..."

A massive wave of energy exploded outward from within his body. Guided by this air current, Ji Haotian shot toward the distance. Tuoman Continent.

Recently, high-level experts from other life-bearing stars had been arriving here through the spatial turbulence zones, one after another, each one panic-stricken and utterly desolate in expression.

This continent lay at the remote edge of the Vast Sea Star Domain, surrounded by countless dead stars, exceedingly far from any inhabited world.

Long ago, the Tuoman Continent had been a forgotten corner, scarce in primordial energy, lacking any cultivation materials, and frequently ravaged by natural disasters.

A place like this was undesirable even for ordinary mortals, let alone Celestial Masters who required the energy of heaven and earth to cultivate!

Yet, during this recent period, this desolate continent, once shunned by all, had suddenly become bustling.

The reason was simple: the Tuoman Continent was just too remote—so remote, in fact, that even three masters of the Hidden Demon Clan had repeatedly overlooked it, seemingly unaware that such a life-bearing planet was deeply hidden among the countless dead stars.

Upon learning that the Hidden Demon Clan masters had passed through without locating this planet, many experts from the Vast Sea Star Domain converged here via the spatial turbulence zone, hoping to use it as a sanctuary to evade the Demon Clan's pursuit.

On this day, within the spatial turbulence zone near the Tuoman Continent, a pale-faced youth shimmered into view. The youth had only just reached the Eighth Trigram Heaven Realm, and he looked absolutely terrified. He immediately shouted, "Bad news, terrible news!"

"Zhang Hai, what's all the commotion about!" an old man shouted from a distance, cursing him. "What's wrong?"

"I need to tell Lord Hei Luo, and Lords Tuolei and Tuolie!" the youth named Zhang Hai immediately cried out.

"What exactly is it?" The old man's expression grew grave.

"The Tuoman Continent has been exposed; it's no longer safe here," the youth yelled. Upon hearing this, every Celestial Master nearby shot to their feet, their faces etched with despair, swarming him with anxious inquiries.

"Follow me!" The old man didn't utter another word, immediately leading the way forward.

Zhang Hai followed without hesitation. Moments later, Zhang Hai arrived at a hidden cave and found Hei Luo, Tuolei, and Tuolie meditating.

Tuolei and Tuolie, the brothers, still appeared lost in a trance, their spirits wandering, but Hei Luo's eyes were wide open. He said in a deep voice, "Explain exactly what happened."

"Those three Hidden Demon Clan fellows know the location of the Tuoman Continent and are heading this way," the youth reported hastily. "We must evacuate quickly; those three should arrive in about three months."

"How did they find out about this place?" Hei Luo's face changed drastically.

"Someone, facing imminent death, hoped to save one person by leaking this location," the youth said with a wry smile.

"Who was it?" Hei Luo sprang to his feet in fury. "If I find out who leaked it, I will tear them limb from limb!"

"You won't need to. He has already been torn limb from limb," the youth replied with a strange expression before explaining, "When he leaked the information, the three Hidden Demon Clan members didn't spare him either. I hear they pulverized him to dust."

"Who was it?" Hei Luo pressed.

"Yuan Mo," the youth replied.

"It was him!" Hei Luo was shocked. "Yuan Mo was mistreated by his sect since childhood, leaving him with a flawed temperament. After reaching the Ninth Palace Heaven Realm, he slaughtered everyone in his sect. He harbors hatred for everyone and wishes the entire world would perish with him, but his power is formidable—reportedly just one step shy of the Tenth Direction Heaven Realm. He even used the souls of millions of mortals to forge the evil divine weapon, the Demon Soul Bell. To think even he has perished..."

"What do we do?" the youth asked in terror.

Hei Luo sighed, glancing at Tuolei and Tuolie beside him. "They are still trying to reach out; I wonder if that person is truly willing to act."

"Lord Hei Luo, no one can deal with those three Hidden Demon masters. The person you mentioned in the Solar Star Domain is only a Ninth Palace Celestial Master; he has no hope either. Alas, even Yuan Mo is finished. Unless a true Tenth Direction Celestial Master descends, no one can help!"

"Not necessarily," Hei Luo murmured. Just then, Hei Luo's expression brightened. "Their souls have returned! Just as I expected." A moment later, Tuolei and Tuolie awoke simultaneously.

"How is it? Still no news?" Hei Luo asked eagerly.

Tuolei and Tuolie were initially disoriented, perhaps due to the long absence from their bodies. After adapting, Tuolie showed an expression of excitement. "We received a reply from over there. They said that person set out half a year ago. Based on the speed of the Dark Star, they should arrive at the Tuoman Continent soon."

"Really?" Hei Luo was overjoyed.

"Of course, it's true!" Tuolei finally regained full awareness of his returned soul and grinned. "With the Dark Star, we can hide in the Solar Star Domain."

"We have new developments," Hei Luo tempered the excitement with a splash of cold water. "In about three months, those three Hidden Demon masters will arrive..." Hei Luo relayed the situation.

When Tuolei and Tuolie heard this, they first leaped up and cursed Yuan Mo for a while, then began discussing countermeasures with Hei Luo.

They finally settled on a plan: they would remain on the Tuoman Continent for two months. If Ji Changkong hadn't arrived by then, they would risk venturing through the spatial turbulence zone to check another life-bearing star.

In the dim, star-filled void, a vessel named the Dark Star sailed slowly onward.

Inside the Dark Star, Ji Changkong sat with his eyes tightly shut, his entire body emitting a brilliant, strange light.

Light continuously flashed within his primary soul's mind; the sea of his soul seemed to be enduring fierce storms, growing increasingly unstable. Throughout this process, he suffered splitting headaches, feeling as if his brain might explode.

However, he endured it all with astonishing willpower.

Tiny specks of light drifted within his soul sea, lacking any pattern, like elusive sprites, difficult to tame.

The Flame of Life burned within the sea of his soul. Under the relentless pursuit of this flame, those scattered specks of light seemed to be affected. Under the immense force of his spirit, they began to slowly coalesce and move with some regularity within the soul sea.

Nevertheless, the majority of the light points still floated aimlessly in the soul sea, unaffected by the Flame of Life.

After an indeterminate amount of time, some of the lights finally began to fall into formation, darting through his soul sea in an ordered manner.

At this moment, memory fluctuations began to occur, and a segment of memory manifested in his mind, imprinted deep within his soul.

"Hah!" Ji Changkong exhaled deeply, slowly opening his eyes. His gaze gradually regained clarity, and he whispered, "The first layer incantations of the Heavenly Derivation Ancient Art—I finally have them all..."

In the years prior, Ji Changkong had expended immense effort searching the memories left behind by the Tenth Direction Celestial Master within his mind.

However, those memories were entirely disordered. It had taken him a full year just to find a way to sort them, acquiring only a small fraction of the knowledge.

This recovered fragment contained a description of the Heavenly Derivation Ancient Art. According to that memory, this art could only be cultivated upon reaching the peak of the Ninth Palace Heaven Realm, and only after intensely refining the Five Elements Energy during the Five Elements Heaven stage.

The cultivation requirements for the Heavenly Derivation Ancient Art were exceptionally stringent, yet it seemed tailor-made for him. During his time in the Five Elements Heaven Realm, he had indeed methodically built a solid foundation, refining the energies of the Five Elements of heaven and earth, storing them entirely within his body and soul.

The Heavenly Derivation Ancient Art had three stages, purportedly detailing the profound truths of cosmic rule derivation. Achieving each stage granted immense divine abilities.

According to that memory, successfully cultivating the first layer of the Heavenly Derivation Ancient Art would allow one to break directly through from the peak of the Ninth Palace Heaven Realm to the Tenth Direction Heaven Realm!

Because the process of cultivating the Heavenly Derivation Ancient Art was the process of understanding the rules of cosmic derivation; mastering the first layer would lead directly to the Tenth Direction Heaven Realm! This was an immense temptation!

If he could complete the first layer of the Heavenly Derivation Ancient Art, he could advance to the Tenth Direction Heaven Realm. Faced with such a lure, Ji Changkong hesitated not at all! During this period, he had devoted all his energy to reassembling the chaotic memories in his mind.

After enduring many bouts of excruciating torment, he had only just managed to acquire the complete memory of the first layer incantations for the Heavenly Derivation Ancient Art!

However, the Heavenly Derivation Ancient Art was profoundly abstruse. He possessed the incantations but could not even grasp the meaning of the first few lines. Carefully reviewing the retrieved memories one by one, Ji Changkong realized that comprehending the meaning in a short time was unrealistic. Moreover, he was nearly at the Tuoman Continent, making secluded cultivation impossible now.

Thinking this, Ji Changkong had no choice but to temporarily halt his contemplation of the Heavenly Derivation Ancient Art. He stood up from within the Dark Star, preparing to release his Divine Sense to locate the Tuoman Continent.

Just as he moved, Ji Changkong’s expression suddenly changed. He detected a massive, world-shattering wave of demonic energy flash briefly from another direction near the Tuoman Continent.

Could the Hidden Demon Clan members have arrived already? No, based on the intelligence from the Vast Sea Star Domain, those three Hidden Demon masters shouldn't have found the Tuoman Continent so easily.

Filled with confusion, Ji Changkong used his spirit to command the Dark Star to slowly navigate through the chaotic and disordered region and descend toward the Tuoman Continent...mF