Gradually, as immense changes swept the outside world, an equally strange shift occurred within the Primordial Orb. After each vortex entered the Heaven Origin Orb, the world within seemed to expand limitlessly once more, the territories inside repeatedly pushed back until they became endless.

The various vortices, differing in size, hung suspended in the void of the Heaven Origin Orb's world, spinning rapidly. Each time a vortex entered, the power contained within the Heaven Origin Orb would strengthen slightly. Even Ji Changkong, the master of the Heaven Origin Orb, could barely perceive all of this.

Though numerous, the smaller and larger vortices within the Life Vortex were not infinite. As they disappeared one by one into the Heaven Origin Orb and the monstrous beast’s gaping maw, and as the incoming flow of vortices from afar began to dwindle, the force sustaining the Life Vortex started to collapse.

Anyone caught within could sense this tangible shift; the powers restraining their vital essence and souls vanished entirely.

In the brutal fighting, the Blood Clan gradually lost ground. Many high-ranking Blood Clan masters, those at the Subtle and Nirvana Refinement realms, sustained grievous injuries under the relentless bombardment of their besiegers, with some dying instantly.

The Blood Clan's propagation was difficult; every Blood Clan master was born through eons of nurture. The entire Augustus family comprised fewer than three hundred members. In this short span, over a dozen had already been slain. The three Great Elders of Vikjin ground their teeth in impotent rage, their eyes blazing crimson, yet utterly helpless.

He had not anticipated such a scenario arising, nor had he expected Ji Changkong to transform into a Purgatory Ghost Clan member and possess deep ties with the Heaven-Reaching Ghost Mother.

Faced with all these developments, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and press forward.

As an Elder of the Augustus family, he knew the intimate connection between the Blood Clan and the Purgatory Ghost Clan. Especially with the divine might of the Heaven-Reaching Mother, who, with dedicated calculation, could discern nearly everything that had transpired through time.

Under these circumstances, he could not simply abandon Ji Changkong. If the Heaven-Reaching Mother learned that Ji Changkong had been killed before the Augustus family, their clan would surely face extinction. He had no choice! He could only clench his jaw and fight on!

When the last two vortices vanished, one into the monstrous beast's maw and the other into the Heaven Origin Orb, the monstrous beast suddenly transformed again, reverting into that black vortex. Simultaneously, the Heaven Origin Orb ceased its towering rainbow radiance and hung quietly above Ji Changkong’s head, spinning slowly.

The black vortex and the Heaven Origin Orb settled into stillness, yet continuous roars echoed from all directions. “Bad! The Life Vortex has completely collapsed!” Vikis’s expression shifted drastically. He looked up overhead and shouted, “We must leave Yun’er!” “Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!”

Deafening explosions erupted from the surroundings. Intense heat and piercing cold emanated from the left and right sides, respectively. Seawater scorched red and seawater mixed with chunks of ice surged in from both sides, pouring into this Life Magnetic Pool.

As the individual vortices disappeared, the Life Vortex collapsed, and the force maintaining the Life Magnetic Pool was gone, signaling that the pool had lost all power of resistance.

The seawater from the territories of the Ice Clan and the Flame Demon Clan rushed uncontrollably into the Life Magnetic Pool. The intensely cold and scorching hot currents thoroughly mingled within the pool. As these two energies appeared, the power of the Flame Demons and the Ice Clan surged dramatically.

The Flame Demons willingly plunged into the crimson waters, while the Ice Clan stepped into the chilling, icy seawater. The energy these two alien races had expended began to recover swiftly.

Strangely, these two opposing currents did not mix upon entering but behaved precisely like the "Blazing Thunder Sacred Fire" and "Netherworld Cold Flame" held in Ji Changkong’s palm. They bizarrely formed the shape of a Tai Chi diagram, swirling distinctly without merging.

Because of this, the powers of the Ice Clan and the Flame Demon Clan not only failed to decrease significantly but actually gained strength.

Under these circumstances, the Blood Clan found themselves in even greater difficulty. Clan members were surrounded and slaughtered one after another. Vikis, already heavily wounded, began to show signs of giving way.

The Blood Clan could no longer guarantee Ji Changkong’s safety completely.

Members of the Three-Eyed Clan, Winged Clan, Wood Clan, and others took advantage of the Flame Demons and Ice Clan fiercely cornering the Blood Clan, finally reaching Ji Changkong’s side. Xiao Han and Fire Phoenix were among this group!

The White Bone Skeleton acted ferociously; anyone daring to approach Ji Changkong within a certain radius immediately became a target for its attacks.

After five Wood Clan members at the Subtle Realm and two Winged Clan experts at the Nirvana Refinement Realm were cut down by the White Bone Skeleton, the attacking crowd immediately grew cautious.

More experts from the Wood Clan, Winged Clan, and Three-Eyed Clan focused their attention on the White Bone Skeleton. The crowd began to coordinate their efforts, creating distance from the skeleton while bombarding it relentlessly with various principles of power and profundity.

Obeying its orders, the White Bone Skeleton dared not stray too far from Ji Changkong, forcing it to endure the long-range assaults head-on.

It was unclear what material or rare treasure the White Bone Skeleton was forged from, but under the relentless barrage of attacks and divine weapons, it stood proudly, its snow-white bones showing not even a hairline crack.

The three Blood Clan Elders of Vikis had initially thought all was lost. When they discovered how terrifying the White Bone Skeleton Ji Changkong summoned was, they breathed a sigh of relief and shifted their focus to the Ice Clan and Flame Demon Clan. While the White Bone Skeleton parried the sky-filling attacks, and no cracks appeared on its surface, the ghostly fire within its hollow eye sockets slowly dimmed under the relentless bombardment from all directions.

It seemed the White Bone Skeleton was not invincible; the incoming attacks from everywhere were also depleting its power, albeit subtly. After some time, the spectral fire in the skeleton's eyes faded further, and its movements grew progressively stiffer. “Kaka! Kaka!”

The joints of the White Bone Skeleton shook violently, and the ghost fire in its eyes suddenly extinguished. The power contained within the skeleton seemed utterly exhausted. “Clang!”

A snow-white flying knife, no larger than a finger, bypassed the White Bone Skeleton and shot toward the center of Ji Changkong’s back. However, it struck as if hitting steel, repelled by the scale armor covering Ji Changkong’s body.

The attackers’ faces lit up with joy, realizing the skeleton’s power was spent. Reassured, they charged toward Ji Changkong one after another. A small, delicate figure suddenly appeared beside him—it was Xiao Han.

Xiao Han’s face brightened. Without thinking, she reached out to grab Ji Changkong, releasing wisps of pale white mist from her palm, like fine threads, attempting to burrow into his body. “Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!”

Streams of crimson flames unexpectedly erupted, appearing before the white mist and incinerating every wisp into ash.

“Fire Phoenix! What are you doing?” Xiao Han’s expression changed drastically, and she spat venomously, “You gained benefits here, but I got nothing! You must remember, if I hadn't brought you, you wouldn't have received anything!”

Fire Phoenix stood to Xiao Han’s left, and clusters of five-colored flames billowed out beside her, spreading outward. The alien experts closing in hurriedly retreated in panic under the torrent of flames, their gazes fixed on Fire Phoenix filled with fury. “Xiao Han! Do you truly intend to oppose me?” Ji Changkong’s demonic body, which was busy dealing with another Winged Clan expert who had attacked first, turned back and cast a cold glance at Xiao Han.

When Xiao Han approached, this demonic body was engaged in fending off an initial attacker and hadn't reacted in time to stop her. She had nearly succeeded in ambushing him. “Why are you helping me?” This Ji Changkong looked at Fire Phoenix with confusion.

Fire Phoenix had already broken through to the As-You-Wish Realm. Here, aside from the three Blood Clan Elders and perhaps Bi Na of the Ice Clan and Huo Tuo of the Flame Demon Clan, Fire Phoenix possessed the greatest strength.

Although the Three-Eyed Clan, Winged Clan, and Wood Clan had many members, they were all masters of the Subtle and Nirvana Refinement realms; there were no As-You-Wish powerhouses among them. Fire Phoenix stepping forward now was an enormous help to him. Yet, he couldn't fathom it—he couldn't understand why Fire Phoenix would help him at this crucial juncture.

“Because I feel like it!” Fire Phoenix grunted irritably. “I want to kill you myself! No one else is allowed to touch you!”

“Fire Phoenix, are you mad?” Xiao Han jumped about like a furious little tiger, raging, “Have you forgotten who snatched your ‘Blazing Thunder Sacred Fire’? In that vortex, this brat took advantage of you again! If you kill him, the ‘Blazing Thunder Sacred Fire’ inside him goes to you, and the ‘Netherworld Cold Flame’ goes to me—wasn't that our agreement just now?”

Xiao Han was desperate. She and Fire Phoenix had previously struck a deal. Who knew Fire Phoenix would suddenly attack and stop her? How could she not be anxious?

“I’ve changed my mind!” Fire Phoenix scoffed, then added dismissively, “Xiao Han, you are only at the Nirvana Refinement Realm. Out of respect for you bringing me here, as long as you step aside voluntarily, I won’t make things difficult for you.”

“Mad, you are certainly mad! Do you even know what you’re doing?” Xiao Han hopped and skipped. “If we wait a little longer, until his body fully adapts to the ‘Netherworld Cold Flame,’ until the ‘Netherworld Cold Flame’ and the ‘Blazing Thunder Sacred Fire’ completely fuse, neither you nor I will gain anything!” However, no matter what Xiao Han said, Fire Phoenix remained unmoved.

As they argued, suddenly, an immense soul magnetic field surged forth from the Heaven Origin Orb and the black vortex. These two wondrous objects, which had been still for a while, grew unstable once more. Those near the black vortex and the Heaven Origin Orb had their gray, misty souls forcibly extracted and flung toward the vortex and the Orb. At the same instant, Ji Changkong, who was frozen stiff, suddenly smiled—a smile cold and cruel.

A: I recommend a great new urban novel, The Samsara of Ten Thousand Realms, Book Number: l7gqgq2. There is a direct link on the site, it’s really interesting, you should check it out. Synopsis: The first life, also the beginning of his ability to retain memories. As the foremost imperial physician, he was sentenced to death after mistakenly consuming an immortality pill refined for Emperor Jiajing. He thought death was the end. Little did he know, it was just a new beginning! The second life, he was born into a martial arts family during the Guangxu era. Before the age of ten, he was slow-witted and people thought he was a fool. But after turning ten, he awakened his memories and his medical skills. In this life, he not only passed down his medical heritage but also became a grandmaster of martial arts! The third life is in the modern metropolis of the twenty-first century. His awakening came even later; at twenty years old, he was insulted as mentally deficient due to his low IQ and suffered discrimination from everyone... Until one day after turning twenty, he finally awakened with the memories of two lifetimes, miraculous medical skills, and masterful martial arts abilities!!!!C

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