The immense drain on spiritual power, even for one with a stronger soul than average, was not a simple matter; dizziness and confusion were inevitable.

This was merely the normal reaction of a body pushed past its limits, nothing strange about it.

However, this time, things seemed a little different…

His spiritual energy had been excessively depleted, leaving him momentarily dizzy. He slumped onto the "Guang Chen," thinking of nothing, yet the various techniques of the deeply buried "Tian Yan Ancient Arts" seemed to spring to life! For a moment, he even suspected the soul-bewitching melody of the Purgatory Ghost Clan was at work, as every time he performed their Soul-Quelling Dirge, strange symbols of the dirge would flash within his soul.

When the techniques of the "Tian Yan Ancient Arts" suddenly manifested, he was momentarily disoriented, mistaking them for the Purgatory Ghost Clan’s Soul-Quelling Dirge, and felt a strange confusion.

But it was only for an instant before he noticed the difference.

His exhausted spiritual energy seemed to be slowly nourished by some mysterious power after those ancient arts appeared. In a flash, he felt a profound sense of ease spreading through him, like sinking into cold water after a scorching heat—an indescribable relief.

Looking inward, he discovered wisps of strange primal energy instantly dividing into five currents within his body. These five auras were saturated with the power of the five elements of heaven and earth, acting like a spiritual elixir nourishing his soul, slowly flowing toward his mind.

Once these five currents appeared in his mind, his depleted and fatigued spiritual power immediately began to recover. The vanished spiritual energy rapidly gathered, granting him a revitalizing power in an extremely short time.

Soon, the once exhausted man’s eyes shone with renewed vigor.

Hong Mandun, who had kept his eyes closed, maintaining an indifferent attitude toward him, also opened his eyes at this point. He stared at Ji Changkong with slight surprise, nodding almost imperceptibly.

In about half an hour, aided by the power of the five elements within his body, Ji Changkong’s spiritual power had astonishingly recovered by fifty percent, and his entire being once again radiated vitality.

“Hoo!” He suddenly sat up from his cross-legged posture and smiled at Hong Mandun. “So, when you’re too tired, you can actually give yourself some insights. What a strange experience…”

Hong Mandun’s lips curled into a faint smile, and he said softly, “You kid are truly interesting. To recover your spiritual power so quickly—it seems the soul profound principles you cultivate are somewhat peculiar.”

“Heh, naturally so.” Ji Changkong offered no denial. He let his soul disperse, continuing to roam outside the “Guang Chen,” slowly exploring.

They had already exited the peculiar region of swirling meteorites and truly entered the territory of the Hidden Demon Clan. This area consisted only of dead stars, with many scattered lifeless celestial bodies nearby. These dead stars possessed no life aura; it seemed the Hidden Demon Clan was uninterested in them as well.

“Relax. This entire region is composed of dead stars, so we shouldn't encounter any Hidden Demon Clan masters. Just like us humans, dead stars are useless to the Hidden Demon Clan members. Dead stars lack the substances needed for their cultivation,” Hong Mandun glanced at him.

Hearing this from Hong Mandun put Ji Changkong at ease. He relaxed his tension and even recalled the soul consciousness he had allowed to wander outside.

“How long will it take us to cross the Hidden Demon Clan’s star domain?” Ji Changkong asked.

“About three months, if luck is on our side. If we run into Hidden Demons midway, that’s another story. Most ordinary Hidden Demon Clan members aren't too powerful, but if a four-headed Hidden Demon appears, things get troublesome. If a Hidden Demon has five heads, we’ll have to flee for our lives,” Hong Mandun explained.

“What is the difference in realm strength between the Hidden Demon Clan members and our Heavenly Scholars?”

“An average Hidden Demon Clan member with two heads is considered an expert. A three-headed Hidden Demon equates to the strength of our Nine Palaces Heaven Realm. Of course, given the powerful physical bodies of the Hidden Demons, they might be slightly stronger than Heavenly Scholars of the same rank. A four-headed Hidden Demon is a true master among them; this stage places them between our Nine Palaces Heaven and Ten Directions Heaven Realms—stronger than a Nine Palaces Heavenly Scholar but weaker than an expert of the Ten Directions Heaven Realm.”

“As for a five-headed Hidden Demon, that is a genuine powerhouse of the Hidden Demon Clan, with strength comparable to an expert of the Ten Directions Heaven Realm. If we actually encounter one of these, we can only run immediately; there’s absolutely no possibility of engaging in combat!”

Hong Mandun explained the situation regarding the Hidden Demon Clan in detail.

“I see. Last time I encountered a Hidden Demon, it changed from three heads to four, and then the four heads merged back into one. Do you know what that was about?” Ji Changkong recalled his experience on the Tuoman Continent and inquired of Hong Mandun.

Hong Mandun’s expression shifted, and he said gravely, “How did you encounter that kind of Hidden Demon?”

“Is there something strange about it?” Ji Changkong wondered. Hong Mandun’s reaction seemed unusual. Was that specific type of demon difficult to provoke?

“The transformation from three heads to four isn't strange. A typical three-headed Hidden Demon, by forcibly stimulating its potential, can regenerate an additional head in a short time. However, it will inevitably suffer a severe injury afterward, possibly taking ten years to recover. It’s a self-damaging technique.”

“But a Hidden Demon capable of merging four heads must belong to a high-ranking species of the Hidden Demon Clan, much like the Asura Clan among the Barbarian Tribes. How did you run into such a high-grade Hidden Demon? What was the final outcome?” Hong Mandun looked very serious.

Seeing his alarm, Ji Changkong sensed something was amiss and recounted the events that occurred on the Tuoman Continent.

“What? That Hidden Demon was killed by the Zake Clan?” Hong Mandun was utterly shocked.

“Is there a problem?” Ji Changkong asked, puzzled. “If the Zake Clan killed them, it has nothing to do with us. Why are you so agitated?”

Hong Mandun took a deep breath, his expression stern. “When this type of Hidden Demon ventures out, there must be a Soul Lamp remaining in their clan’s territory. The Soul Lamp is an artifact unique to the Hidden Demon Clan. It records every experience of a venturing Hidden Demon. If a venturing demon dies, the corresponding Soul Lamp will automatically extinguish, but other Hidden Demons can learn everything that happened before their death through that lamp!”

“So, you mean the experiences of those Hidden Demons on the Tuoman Continent will all be recorded and known by other Hidden Demons?” Ji Changkong was surprised.

“It must be so,” Hong Mandun replied with a wry smile. “This means a great war is inevitable between the Hidden Demon Clan and the Zake Clan. If that level of Hidden Demon is killed, the Hidden Demon Clan will certainly not let it rest.”

“What does it matter to me? Both races are outsiders. Let them fight each other,” Ji Changkong shrugged, completely unconcerned.

“Kid, this will make our mission much harder because, besides crossing this star domain, we also have to pass through the intersecting star domains where the Zake Clan and the Hidden Demon Clan are clashing. A place where these two major races fight will certainly not be peaceful. And since your ship, the ‘Guang Chen,’ was obtained from the Zake Clan, once we arrive there, the Hidden Demon masters will undoubtedly treat you as an enemy of the Zake Clan,” Hong Mandun explained.

“I see,” Ji Changkong frowned, then immediately asked, “Can we avoid that area?”

“No,” Hong Mandun sighed. “Forget it. Let’s not overthink it. Let’s hope our luck holds out and we don't pass through while they are fighting. If that happens, we must prepare for a bloody battle. Those Hidden Demon guys don’t adhere to rules, nor will they waste time talking; they will immediately attack us head-on.”

“Understood.” Ji Changkong pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, “Old man, do you have any more of those stones?”

“I have one piece left. What are you planning?” Hong Mandun asked curiously.

“Give it all to me. Later, I might be able to make this ‘Guang Chen’ unleash a strange power, which might help us break through the contested zone between the two races.”

Hong Mandun looked surprised. After hesitating, he pulled out another Purple Gold Star Crystal and tossed it to him from a distance. “This is the last one. I didn’t know this stone was useful back then, so I didn’t collect much. You figure it out…”

This piece of Purple Gold Star Crystal was even larger than the previous one! Ji Changkong was thrilled and said repeatedly, “Wonderful, wonderful! With this Purple Gold Star Crystal, I’ll accompany you on this trip. Otherwise, I was honestly thinking of going back, hehe!”

“Kid, you’re already this deep; there’s no turning back now. I’m telling you, whether you want to or not, you have to go now!” Hong Mandun snorted. “Taking payment to solve trouble—now that you have taken my things, you must work for me.”

“No problem.” With the Purple Gold Star Crystal secured, Ji Changkong’s face was wreathed in smiles.

In his view, one Purple Gold Star Crystal might be enough to play a decisive role. If the battle zone wasn't excessively vast, he could use this crystal to completely scatter the souls of both the Zake Clan and the Hidden Demon Clan.

Having an extra Purple Gold Star Crystal made the journey seem much safer. Time flew, and three months passed in the blink of an eye.

In this Hidden Demon Clan star domain, the two expected to encounter masters of that race and proceeded with extreme caution along the way. Yet, after three months, they realized all their worry had been for naught. During these three months, they passed through the domain safely and smoothly.

Even when passing through living stars that possessed Essence of Stars, they detected no aura of Hidden Demon masters, which greatly relieved them.

Another month passed, and the “Guang Chen” finally traversed the Hidden Demon Clan star domain and entered the borderlands between the Zake Clan and the Hidden Demon Clan.

As soon as they arrived, Ji Changkong released his senses and immediately froze.

The circular display on the “Guang Chen” suddenly showed a dense scattering of tiny dots, each dot representing a powerful soul magnetic field.