How did you get in here? Morok’s face was grim, a flicker of astonishment in his eyes. It was precisely because he couldn’t fathom how Ji Changkong had bypassed the myriad restrictions and barriers that he held back from attacking immediately.

The two commanders, Li Hu and Zhou Mou, felt a surge of relief upon discovering the newcomer possessed only the cultivation of the Ruyi Realm, settling into a composed, unhurried posture.

From their perspective, the three Ruyi Realm experts present could easily dispatch a peer of the same level, especially since this individual was so young, clearly not having lingered in the Ruyi Realm for an extended period, making him even easier to handle. “I am looking for a woman named Shang Bingjie. Is she here with you?” Ji Changkong calmly retrieved the Heart Soul Exquisite Bell, shook it, and released the skeletal figure of white bone.

He allowed his divine sense to expand, sweeping across the City Lord’s Mansion once, and immediately noted that only three Ruyi Realm guardians remained. Discovering this fact, just like Li Hu and Zhou Nian, he subtly relaxed. “Hmph, what are you looking for her for?” Before Morok could reply, Li Hu interjected, sneering, “Boy, if you’re here to snatch her, you’ll likely just end up dead here.” “Shut up!” Morok glared at Li Hu.

Li Hu’s expression shifted. Being publicly reprimanded by Morok naturally chafed, especially when he noticed Zhou Mou smirking secretly, which only intensified his irritation. “Good, she’s here then.” Once his target was confirmed, Ji Changkong felt even more assured. Without waiting for Morok to say more, he inquired again, “Where is she?” “Who are you?” Morok snorted, his face gradually turning grim. “That Shang Bingjie is about to become the concubine of our Lord Tuke. Have you come to offer congratulations?” “Congratulations to your entire family!” The internal volcano of rage, ignited by Morok’s statement, erupted. With no more words exchanged, he struck instantly.

A massive palm print, a hundred Zhang high, manifested abruptly in the void. As the print unfurled, stars glittered within its palm, as if hundreds of celestial bodies were inlaid upon it. A surge of stellar power, emanating from the vast firmament, poured down from the palm print, slamming towards the ground below. “Not good!” Morok was aghast. His soul was sharp, and he instantly perceived the terrifying power contained within that palm print, far surpassing what an ordinary Ruyi Realm master could wield. Only the rash Li Hu sneered and took out a Heaven-Shattering Hammer, charging toward the palm print.

That Heaven-Shattering Hammer was Li Hu’s life-bound divine weapon, forged from hundreds of rare metals. Li Hu had tempered it for over a hundred years to completely purge all metallic impurities, fusing every bit of metal into a single entity.

As the Heaven-Shattering Hammer ascended, peals of explosive thunder echoed from it, resounding through the sky above the City Lord’s Mansion like firecrackers. Millstone-sized clusters of lightning burst forth from the hammer, seeming to surround the giant palm print.

Ji Changkong stood calmly, a cold smile touching his lips. With a flicker of thought, a wisp of soul intent from his Sea of Souls was injected into the palm print.

The twinkling starlight suddenly flashed, as if the Nine Heavens Milky Way had burst its banks, and torrents of river water descended from the heavens, gushing out between the fingers of the palm print. Every cluster of lightning, before it could even approach the palm print, was scattered into fragments by the river of starlight.

The palm print then pressed down, seizing the Heaven-Shattering Hammer tightly. A surging power erupted from the hammer, its magnitude far exceeding the capacity of Li Hu to bear. “Crack!” The Heaven-Shattering Hammer was crushed in one hand, the hundreds of refined metals transforming into specks of flying dust, drifting down like ashes.

Li Hu’s chest felt as if struck by a massive weight; he collapsed onto the ground, the divine light in his eyes rapidly dimming. With just this one blow, Li Hu had sustained a grievous injury.

“Encircle the soul!” Morok roared.

Ten Heaven Masters, each possessing the cultivation of the Nie Qing Realm, formed a semi-circle. The divine souls of the ten masters instantly soared out, merging into the clouds and electrical net above the City Lord’s Mansion. In an instant, the power of the clouds and net surged, and clumps of azure light descended from above, resembling a giant, inverted sea bowl, poised to encompass Ji Changkong entirely. “Break!” Ji Changkong’s expression remained unchanged. With a mere shift of his will, he softly uttered a single word.

The palm print changed again. The starlight intensified, and the stars within the print suddenly came alive, instantly forming a magnificent pattern of a sea of stars. Then, without waiting for the sea bowl from above to descend, the palm print flipped and struck again.

The azure electrical light had not yet fallen when it was completely dispersed by the star-sea pattern of the palm print, illuminated by the light of myriad stars.

A bead shining with a strange halo suddenly flew out, and a compelling force capable of twisting souls immediately manifested. The ten protruding divine souls were yanked one after another from the clouds and electric net above, all showing expressions of terror as they were drawn into the bead. Deprived of their souls, the ten Nie Qing Realm Heaven Masters turned into corpses devoid of any vital signs.

“Who exactly are you?!” Morok was utterly horrified. Seemingly recalling something, he cried out, “Chaos Profundity! You must be employing the Chaos Profundity!” “Where is Shang Bingjie?” Ji Changkong remained equally calm, flipping the palm print over and pressing down. Li Hu, who had been attempting to flee, was instantly enveloped by the grip of the palm print.

The vital essence within all his acupoints began to drain madly. Within each acupoint, marvelous vortices released terrifying power, circulating relentlessly within his body. This power grew ever stronger, ultimately pouring entirely into the palm print.

The essence of the Myriad Heavens Galaxy Art was precisely to continuously amplify power, making the vital essence grow stronger within the physical body without losing even a fraction. Finally, the method of the galaxy circulation provided one last surge, forming a terrifying power that surpassed his inherent strength.

After the internal power underwent successive amplifications, the palm print swelled violently, beams of starlight shooting out. “Pfft!”

The palm print descended, and Li Hu, who was trying to escape, was flattened into a pulp, as if struck head-on by a mountain tens of thousands of feet high, instantly losing all signs of life. The Heaven Origin Bead’s strange, soul-sucking force persisted.

Therefore, Li Hu’s soul had no time to escape; under the bizarre suction of the Heaven Origin Bead, it was transformed into a strand of soul power within the bead, becoming part of its strength. “Where is Shang Bingjie?” Ji Changkong repeated his question.

“The dungeon!” Zhou Mou shrieked, pointing in one direction, “They are all there! All the prisoners are in the subterranean dungeon! There are three barriers outside the dungeon; you can enter once you break them!” “Thank you,” Ji Changkong replied politely, then summoned, “Come here.”

The skeletal figure of white bone, which had been forcing Zhou Mou into a sorry state, immediately turned upon receiving his summons. With a flash of white light, it stood beside him. Ignoring the grim-faced Morok, Ji Changkong walked directly toward the dungeon Zhou Mou had indicated. For ordinary people, the three barriers would have been incredibly difficult, but to his eyes, they were riddled with flaws.

He placed one hand on the barrier, quietly savoring the exquisite subtlety of the Primordial Mystery. The operational methods of the various powers within the barrier appeared in his mind like a vivid energy flow chart. The essence of the Primordial Mystery lay in the trajectories of various energies; he found the deployment and breaking points of the three barriers with just a single glance. His right index fingernail suddenly elongated and stabbed fiercely toward a specific point.

The triple barrier acted as if made of paper under his single touch, instantly shattering. Once one point broke, the surface tore open, and the passage leading down immediately presented itself. “Watch here.” After issuing a command to the skeletal figure of white bone, he swiftly plunged into the dungeon.

Shang Bingjie’s soul fluctuation resonated unusually strongly within the prison. The moment the barrier broke, he had already locked onto her location below.

His figure flickered, and he suddenly appeared in the cell directly in front of Shang Bingjie. Seeing her pinned by a massive icicle, his heart surged, rendering him momentarily speechless.

Shang Bingjie, looking utterly disheartened, kept her head slightly bowed and failed to notice the person who had suddenly appeared beside her. It was Shang Lingyu, who had desperately wanted to escape, who suddenly regained spirit and exclaimed with surprise, “Who are you? You are not Tuke’s man, I can tell! You are, you are here for Bingjie, right?”

Shang Bingjie’s body trembled, and her delicate, straight nose suddenly caught a familiar scent. This was—it was—

Shang Bingjie’s beautiful eyes were clouded with confusion; she didn't even dare to look up at the person beside her, murmuring only in self-mockery, “…I must be insane. It couldn’t possibly be him. So many years. I never forgot the scent of him. An illusion, a damnable illusion…” “…It’s me.” The visitor’s voice was choked, as if an ineffable emotion had clogged his throat, or perhaps a thousand words were tied tightly by a rope, making expression difficult all at once. Shang Bingjie snapped her head up!

Her confused, beautiful eyes gradually cleared, only to instantly overflow with tears, becoming blurred again. Tear tracks involuntarily streamed down her exquisite face, carving paths from her cheeks to her long neck. “Am I dreaming?” Shang Bingjie asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

“Yes, I am dreaming,” Ji Changkong said, waving a hand. The ice shards throughout the entire prison instantly melted into water droplets as if scorched by fierce fire, and the cell was immediately shattered.

He tightly embraced the beloved woman; the rich, fragrant scent reappeared, everything was so familiar—

“We must leave soon. Tuke could return at any moment; we don’t have much time.” Taking a deep breath, he forcibly suppressed his emotions and resolutely prepared to rush out. “Bingjie, what about me?” Shang Lingyu suddenly cried out, looking at her pitifully.

Finally awakening from her daze, Shang Bingjie’s eyes regained rationality after three seconds. “Changkong, help her too—” “Good.” Without asking further questions, he casually sent forth a spark of fire that vanished into Shang Lingyu’s body. The force restraining her instantly unlocked, and Shang Lingyu immediately regained her freedom.