The clans of Ice and Flame Demon joined forces, attacking the Blood Clan with full might. Xiao Han, Huo Feng, and even Ji Changkong, after transforming into the Purgatory Ghost Clan, no longer treated him as an ally, watching coldly from the sidelines, even showing intentions of moving against him. The battle raged fiercely.

Surrounded tightly by the Blood Clan at the center, Ji Changkong remained cautious, viewing everyone as an enemy, even guarding meticulously against the Blood Clan itself. He dared not trust them!

The Elders of the three major Blood Clans—Vickers’ lineage—did not move against him. On the contrary, they protected him as if he were a priceless treasure, fearing he might be assassinated by the Ice Clan and Flame Demon Clan.

Both engaged sides focused their attention on their opponents, failing to notice that the black vortex and the vortex containing the "Netherworld Cold Flame" were subtly changing under the radar.

The black vortex slowly ceased its spinning, and a strange, malevolent power began to breed within it, its strength quietly increasing. The vortex holding the "Netherworld Cold Flame" similarly stopped its rotation, and a cold, eerie strange flame manifested, hovering quietly in place.

Suddenly, a massive sucking force erupted from the Celestial Origin Orb. Before Ji Changkong could react, the Essence Qi stored in all his acupuncture points surged into the Celestial Origin Orb like a mountain torrent breaking through a dam.

The Celestial Origin Orb burst into brilliant light!

A faint, mystical rainbow aura spread outward, centered on the Celestial Origin Orb, like spreading ripples, instantly enveloping the surrounding area. Simultaneously, the black vortex underwent a drastic transformation!

A monstrous, terrifying ghost face suddenly appeared. This huge face opened a mouth like a black hole, a darkness within that seemed poised to devour all living things.

Two violent sucking forces exploded forth, one from the demon's gaping maw and the other from the Celestial Origin Orb. These ferocious pulls were utterly abrupt yet possessed astonishing power.

Vortices of varying sizes, scattered across the distance, flew in from all directions, seemingly affected by these two powerful attractions, rushing towards the demon's gaping mouth and the Celestial Origin Orb, respectively.

Individual, strange vortices vanished into the giant mouth and the Celestial Origin Orb. Within every vortex was a certain amount of soul energy. The Vortex of Life descended into complete chaos.

The expressions of the three major Blood Clan Elders shifted. Upon noticing the change in the black vortex, Viccen and the other two exchanged a glance and roared in unison, "This is bad!"

The experts of the Ice Clan and Flame Demon Clan, hearing the Blood Clan Elders shout, were inwardly delighted. Although they didn't understand what was happening, they knew the Blood Clan was certainly in trouble.

Under the command of Bina and Huo Tuo, the attacks from the Ice Clan and Flame Demon Clan against the Blood Clan intensified.

"Sss-sss-sss!"

The leaping "Netherworld Cold Flame" suddenly moved, shooting toward Ji Changkong. Any Flame Demon or Blood Clan expert it touched along the way was instantly frozen solid without even a chance to scream, their vital energy extinguished immediately.

Ji Changkong’s face was filled with horror. The Essence Qi in his body had been drawn out in an instant; at that moment, he couldn't muster a single trace of strength.

The strange vortices were swallowed by the demon’s giant mouth and the Celestial Origin Orb. The power restraining everyone within the Vortex of Life began to vanish rapidly.

Whether Blood Clan, Ice Clan, Flame Demon Clan, or figures like Xiao Han and Huo Feng, their Essence Qi and divine souls began to stir actively. Everyone's power was no longer constrained!

Magnificent and potent martial profundities began to interweave in the void, colorful rainbow lights and miraculous divine weapons manifested incessantly from the hands of the assembled people.

With unobstructed meridians and unrestrained souls, everyone could unleash their full power. Those who previously relied on innate divine abilities no longer held an overwhelming advantage. Under these circumstances, Ji Changkong, lacking even a sliver of Essence Qi, instantly became the weakest among them.

Fortunately, the transformation technique of the Purgatory Ghost Clan utilized the power stored within the flesh and blood. Although all the Essence Qi in his body was devoured by the Celestial Origin Orb in a flash, the Purgatory Ghost Clan transformation remained intact.

"Swish!"

A strange light flashed from the Celestial Origin Orb, and the demonic body concealed within suddenly rushed out, stopping beside him.

Although the demonic body had emerged, it felt no joy.

This was because the demonic body hadn't left at the behest of Ji Changkong's will but was forcefully expelled by the mystical power within the Celestial Origin Orb! His divine sense was unrestricted, and even after his Essence Qi vanished, his sea of souls remained active.

Seeing enemies with ill intent all around, viewing everyone as potential foes, he hastily retrieved a bell and shook it. The white bone skeleton at the center burst forth, two ghostly fires flickering in its hollow eye sockets, sizing up those beside him with sinister appraisal. Only when the white bone skeleton appeared did Ji Changkong breathe a sigh of relief. A skeleton powerful enough to make even Xiao Han and Huo Feng wary must possess the power of a Heaven Master at the Ruyi realm. Having such a bizarre guardian beside him meant he didn't have to worry excessively.

As soon as the white bone skeleton emerged, a chilling aura surged close. Before he could react, the "Netherworld Cold Flame" suddenly flashed, rushing toward the "Blazing Thunder Holy Fire" held in his palm.

Joyful messages emanated from the "Blazing Thunder Holy Fire." In a brief moment, the two flames merged into a single entity, the "Blazing Thunder Holy Fire" entangling with the "Netherworld Cold Flame," forming an image resembling a Taiji diagram—one side intensely cold, the other scorching hot.

Tendrils of chilling aura leaked out from the confluence, rapidly flooding into his palm. In an instant, his entire body was coated in frost, his limbs growing stiff and numb.

"Damn it!" Bina of the Ice Clan jumped up in fury, her face contorted in a grimace, looking as if she wanted to devour Ji Changkong alive.

Xiao Han’s vision darkened. She murmured, "It's over!"

Bina and Xiao Han had entered the Vortex of Life precisely because the "Netherworld Cold Flame" within it was a rare treasure capable of helping them break through to the next realm. Xiao Han brought Ji Changkong along because the "Blazing Thunder Holy Fire" possessed the power to summon the "Netherworld Cold Flame."

She had intended to borrow Ji Changkong's strength, using the "Blazing Thunder Holy Fire" as a guide to absorb the "Netherworld Cold Flame" into her own body. Who knew that this time, Ji Changkong would benefit again, protected securely by the Blood Clan, and now the "Netherworld Cold Flame" was surging into his body. If she could approach him now using a special method, the "Netherworld Cold Flame" could still be separated from the "Blazing Thunder Holy Fire."

But if she couldn't reach Ji Changkong quickly before the "Netherworld Cold Flame" and "Blazing Thunder Holy Fire" fused completely, then even the greatest divine ability would be useless.

Life is unpredictable; she never imagined the Blood Clan would protect Ji Changkong. This turn of events completely shattered her perfect calculations. Xiao Han gritted her teeth and finally could restrain herself no longer, joining the assault against the Blood Clan.

Further away, experts from other races who had also entered the Vortex of Life—the Three-Eyed Clan, the Wood Clan, the Feather Clan, and others—saw their nearby vortices being drawn away uncontrollably. They rushed over from various directions, their faces etched with astonishment. "Kill the kid the Blood Clan is protecting! His existence will utterly destroy the Vortex of Life!" Bina roared.

"How dare you!" Viccen roared back, his crimson eyes sweeping over them one by one. "If you still wish to remain in the Earth's Core, then everyone settle down!"

"The kid protected by the Blood Clan is an evil entity of the Purgatory Ghost Clan. The Celestial Origin Orb he holds will destroy everything here. Think about it; if the Vortex of Life in the Earth's Core is destroyed, what reason do you have to stay in the Earth's Core? Your submission to the Blood Clan was solely because the Vortex of Life offered you hope!" Huo Tuo added, fanning the flames of discord.

Those gathered exchanged glances, hesitation clouding their faces. Soon, an expert from the Feather Clan nodded. "Indeed! The reason we exist in the Earth's Core is the Vortex of Life. Without it, why should we wait so miserably in the Earth's Core for so many years!"

Under the instruction of this Feather Clan expert, the experts of the Wood Clan, Three-Eyed Clan, and other races finally ceased their indecision. The fourth faction—excluding the Blood Clan, Ice Clan, and Flame Demon Clan—also treated the Blood Clan as an enemy. This coalition of various races, advancing from all directions, joined the fray! The battle became even more chaotic.

With the fourth faction joining the battle tableau, the Blood Clan could no longer act with impunity. Even the heavily injured Viccen had to intervene once more. Everyone began to target the Blood Clan, and consequently, Ji Changkong, who was being protected by them!

At this critical moment, due to the infusion of the "Netherworld Cold Flame," wisps of irresistible cold power infiltrated Ji Changkong's body, which possessed no usable Essence Qi, rendering him utterly immobile.

And this was only the chilling aura transmitted from the "Netherworld Cold Flame," not the flame covering his entire body.

Even his soul began to stiffen under the injection of that icy energy, his thoughts seemingly brought to a grinding halt. Yet, the Celestial Origin Orb suspended above his head continued to emit its misty rainbow light. Under this radiance, countless vortices of varying sizes were violently drawn into the orb. Within the world of the Celestial Origin Orb, the strange vortices previously suspended in the sky began to spin wildly. The world within the Celestial Origin Orb was also undergoing a transformation, unseen by anyone.

As the vortices poured into the Celestial Origin Orb, they miraculously merged with the sky inside, becoming those spinning vortexes, integrating seamlessly with the orb, as if they were always meant to exist there. As if they had departed from the Celestial Origin Orb and were merely returning to their rightful place now that they had entered.