Yele grew even more convinced that Feiyun and Ji Changkong had nothing to do with each other. Harboring the intent to capture Ji Changkong to curry favor with Feiyun, Yele nodded to Kalu and the others, saying, "Attack!"

Kalu and the other three relaxed. At Yele's signal, they immediately took positions according to the Five Elements orientation, instantly encircling Ji Changkong's group in the center. In that moment, an extremely potent Wood elemental force emanated from the five Wood tribe members—Kalu and Yele among them.

The Five Elements Wood force poured into the earth relentlessly. Underneath the ground, bizarre, strange-shaped plants began to sprout, emerging one after another at a speed visible to the naked eye.

These peculiar plants were all vine-like. In an instant, they obscured the sky and covered the entire area, shrouding the surrounding space.

Yele and his group of five Wood tribe members vanished. A careful look would reveal that five clusters of strange, tangled vines now stood in their place outside.

In a flash, this area transformed into a strange land enveloped by vegetation. As if possessing eyes, the plants turned toward Ji Changkong, Huo Feng, Xiao Han, Asura King, and Yao Chi, coiling around them. Before they could react, these plants had bound all five individuals, covering them completely in tendrils. "Tighter!" Yele's shout was heard from outside. The Wood force within the earth intensified further, and the branches and leaves snaked forward, wrapping everything so tightly that no air could penetrate.

Huo Feng and Xiao Han, despite being in the Nie Qing realm, found themselves severely restricted by the binding vines. They unleashed the power within them, and under the assault of flames and icy aura, some vines were scorched, and others were frozen stiff.

However, even more vines followed, surging forward again to entangle Huo Feng and Xiao Han's limbs. Faint traces of Wood energy even began to seep into their bodies, subtly influencing the activity of their vital essence.

In the span of just a few breaths, under the "Wood Spirit Life-Death Array" cast by the five Wood tribe members, Ji Changkong's entire group was completely ensnared.

Among them, Yao Kui, who was weaker, gradually found it harder to breathe under the relentless restraint of the creeping vines.

The "Wood Spirit Life-Death Array" was a rather famous formation of the Wood tribe. When five members joined forces, they could surround an opponent one realm higher. If the five Wood tribe members possessed sufficient strength, there was a real possibility of trapping and exhausting a powerhouse of a higher realm.

Huo Feng and Xiao Han were filled with anger and internal anxiety, constantly urging the power within them, desperate to break free from the "Wood Spirit Life-Death Array." Yet, no matter how hard they struggled, their flames and solid ice could not withstand the onslaught of more vines, leaving them completely immobilized. "Tear it apart!" Ji Changkong suddenly snorted from within the formation.

The White Bone Skeleton, left outside, suddenly charged in. Its bony arms, stark white and skeletal, slashed ferociously through the vines. It suddenly located a human-shaped plant formed by a dense gathering of vines and began tearing at it savagely. "Ah!" A sharp, miserable scream suddenly echoed from the humanoid plant. As layer after layer of vegetation was ripped away, the face of a Wood tribe member was revealed.

At Ji Changkong's signal, the White Bone Skeleton showed no mercy. Its gleaming white bones plunged into the Wood tribe member's chest, releasing a violent burst of death energy.

The man groaned once and immediately ceased to breathe. The "Wood Spirit Life-Death Array" shattered in that instant.

The vines were no longer endless. With the combined efforts of Huo Feng and Xiao Han, more and more vines disintegrated, and fire and cold energy spread outward as the vegetation receded. "Go!" Yele finally realized something was wrong. With the "Wood Spirit Life-Death Array" broken, he knew trying to deal with two experts in the Nie Qing realm was simply courting death.

Yele and Kalu, quick-witted, managed to slip out a step ahead before the vines completely vanished.

The other two were slightly slower and were intercepted by the enraged Xiao Han and Huo Feng, respectively. Under the assault of flames and icy aura, those two were first frozen into human icicles by Xiao Han's cold energy; as soon as Huo Feng's flame struck, their bodies instantly melted, turning into pools of blood in the blink of an eye. "Let's go!" Huo Feng shouted again.

Ji Changkong wasted no more words. He sent a mental command to the White Bone Skeleton. The skeleton abruptly snatched the weakest member, Yao Kui, and dashed toward the vast ocean ahead. Ji Changkong signaled to the Asura King, then rushed after them. A quarter of an hour later, Feiyun, Yele, and Kalu arrived at the same location.

Yele looked down, his face contorted with bitter resentment, and hissed, "We lost three men, Elder Feiyun. What exactly are the identities of those people?" Feiyun remained outwardly calm, holding Yin Jiyue in one hand, and asked lightly, "What are their identities?" "I don't know either," Yin Ji repeatedly shook his head, then hastily added, "I do know Huo Feng and Bu Han! But I don't know the origin of that boy. If you're going to that place, I can take you. But you have to promise not to kill me." "I only want to ask about the White Bone Skeleton—why is a mere skeleton so powerful?" Feiyun demanded.

Yin Ji shook his head again. "I truly don't know. This is only the second time I've seen that White Bone Skeleton. It seems to be an anomaly from the Nine-Layered Pagoda; I'm not clear on who refined it." "The Nine-Layered Pagoda?" Feiyun started, suddenly recalling something, and exclaimed, "You mean the star you belong to has a Nine-Layered Pagoda on it?"

"Yes, that Nine-Layered Pagoda is profoundly mysterious. Because of its existence, that star has always been bound by a certain power; no one could leave that star's soil until that boy snatched the treasure from it, disrupting the star's power, and then the binding disappeared." Yin Ji, apparently having suffered greatly, faithfully recounted his experience within the Pagoda. "What?" Feiyun gasped mid-sentence again. "You say that Ancient Giant Crocodile was also inside the Nine-Layered Pagoda?" Yin Ji hurriedly nodded.

Feiyun's expression shifted between dark and bright, as if remembering something terrible. He nodded slightly, closed his eyes to sense for a moment, and then stated, "We'll return first. This matter is too significant; I must discuss it with the Clan Leader."

With that, he grabbed Yin Ji with one hand and the young man from the Feather tribe with the other, soaring straight up into the sky, vanishing without a trace in moments.

After Feiyun and his group departed, Kalu’s face was also full of shock. He muttered, "=▲r, +■■The Nine-Layered Pagoda, I seem... I seem to have heard Master mention it." "Master knows about the Nine-Layered Pagoda too?" Yele was startled and quickly asked.

Kalu nodded. "Last time I went to see Master, I overheard Master speaking with an elder from the clan, and they seemed to mention something about the Nine-Layered Pagoda. I only caught a couple of sentences; I don't know the specifics."

"We must report this to Master immediately!" Yele pondered for a moment, then decisively stated, "With this news, perhaps Master won't blame us for what happened. Otherwise, Master will surely hold us accountable for the deaths of those three." "Alright," Kalu agreed.

After flying continuously for three hours, Ji Changkong’s group appeared in an incredibly dense forest, reaching a valley filled with crawling creatures. Ji Changkong stopped first, saying, "They shouldn't be able to catch up, right? Otherwise, that old fellow would have been here already." Huo Feng and Xiao Han also stopped, looking exhausted.

Asura King arrived and immediately went to Yao Chi's side. After confirming Yao Chi was unharmed, he relaxed before looking at Ji Changkong, "When did you arrive in the Dead Star Domain? Huh! You've broken through to the Shi Fang Tian realm too?"

"This boy hasn't just broken through to the Shi Fang Tian realm; his vital essence has also been refined. It’s deeper than your cultivation," Xiao Han stated coldly, glancing warily at the White Bone Skeleton beside Ji Changkong. "That old man seems to be an elder of the Feather tribe, possessing the cultivation of the Ru Yi realm—a difficult fellow to provoke. It was truly lucky that we managed to escape him." "I don't know why, but he didn't pursue us constantly. If he had, we wouldn't have escaped either," Huo Feng shook his head, pondered for a moment, and asked Ji Changkong, "What are your plans?" "What plans?" Ji Changkong was taken aback.

"That old man might come looking for you again. Are you planning to stay in the Abandoned Land?" After a pause, Huo Feng added, "After you left, the Sky-Reaching Ghost Mother of the Purgatory Ghost Clan came, specifically looking for you. She's delayed now, which is why she hasn't arrived at the Abandoned Land. If you keep staying there, the Sky-Reaching Ghost Mother will certainly find you." "The Sky-Reaching Ghost Mother?" Ji Changkong looked utterly confused and shook his head. "I don't know her. Who are you talking about?" "A terrifyingly horrifying pervert!" Xiao Han's expression was solemn as she recounted her experiences on that star.

By the time she spoke of the Ghost Corpse, Ji Changkong knew who she meant, and he let out a wry, bitter smile, mumbling, "Why is she looking for me?"

"I don't know either," Xiao Han replied. "The Sky-Reaching Ghost Mother is one of the most powerful individuals in this world, the last surviving master of the Purgatory Ghost Clan. She rarely appears in the Dead Star Domain these days. I don't know why she insists on finding you—what is your relationship with her?"

Ji Changkong shook his head, his mind racing with thoughts. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him: Could the abnormality in his body be related to the Purgatory Ghost Clan? "It certainly won't be anything good," Huo Feng snorted, then suddenly said viciously, "Boy, you must come with us to a certain place, or we won't stop hounding you!" "You cannot stay in the Abandoned Land anymore. If you come with us, I won't treat you unfairly either. How about it?" Xiao Han tried to tempt him with benefits. "Ji Changkong, what about my sister?" Yao Chi, seeing them engrossed in their own conversation, couldn't help but ask...mF