On a low peak, Han Han stood with a cold expression, her eyes glittering, while Huo Feng stood nearby, looking uneasy and pacing restlessly, as if burdened by some worry that kept her from settling down.
“What, already regretting it?” Han Han sneered mockingly, “What’s so worthy of missing in a person like that? Charging into the City Lord’s Mansion at the risk of death for an Ice Slave—that’s clearly a death wish.”
“Did you really leak his whereabouts here?” Huo Feng frowned.
“Of course,” Han Han said with undisguised glee. “I imagine the masters of the Wood Tribe and Feather Tribe have already reached the Golden Sea, and the Yang Family and Thunder God Mountain, not to mention the Dragon Python King, certainly won’t sit still. Just wait and see, even if he possesses heaven-defying abilities, he won’t escape this time!”
Huo Feng sighed silently.
“Serves him right!” Han Han snorted, laughing coldly. “This is all his own doing. If he had shown his heart to our Miss Feng earlier, instead of risking his life for an Ice Slave, perhaps he could have escaped this calamity. You knew Tuk would return soon, yet you tricked him into going to the City Lord’s Mansion—you must truly hate him for being heartless, right?”
“It has nothing to do with you!” Huo Feng erupted in fury.
“Hahaha! Hahaha!” Han Han laughed wildly, a sharp, almost insane sound. “Huo Feng, Huo Feng, in truth, you and I are the same—we are both extremely selfish people. You are even more pathetic; that boy never gave you a second glance, did he? Haha, this is for the best!”
“Perhaps he can escape,” Huo Feng murmured softly. “He possesses many mysteries and understands the Profundity of Chaos…”
“I knew it!” Han Han’s hatred deepened in her eyes. “In that Vortex of Life, holding the Tian Yuan Bead, he must have assimilated that black vortex. It seems his luck is truly good!” Han Han gritted her teeth, spitting venomously, “But his good luck has run out. Facing so many pursuing experts, even with profound means, his mere cultivation at the Ruyi Realm means only death!” Hearing her words, Huo Feng hesitated, wanting to speak, but ultimately remained silent.
Inside Ice Rock City.
Clutching Shang Bingjie, Ji Changkong transformed into a streak of electric light, charging straight out of Ice Rock City.
Mobilizing the essence within his body, every pore seemed to contain overwhelming power. Driven by this force, his speed was incredible; in just a breath, he was about to break free of Ice Rock City.
The North City Gate suddenly appeared in his sight.
A flash of joy lit his heart, and Ji Changkong accelerated. In a blink, he reached the gate. The barrier restriction in the sky, utilizing his Profundity of Primordial Unity, was pierced without the slightest obstruction.
Finally emerging from Ice Rock City, with a thought, he was about to summon his Demon Body to deploy the vast Star Sea Map. With Shang Bingjie in his arms, having achieved his objective for the day, he intended to leave Fire Prison Star immediately.
Once the vast Star Sea Map was manifested and unfurled, his divine sense immediately scanned the surrounding star fields. He quickly discovered numerous stars near Fire Prison Star.
However, just as he prepared to harness the power of the Star Sea Map to tear open a light-hole leading to a nearby star, he suddenly froze.
An incomparably profound power, like a shooting star __4$, descended from the heavens of Fire Prison Star, suddenly interfering with the Star Sea Map and disrupting the frequency required to open the light-hole. The light cluster flickered for a moment but stubbornly refused to open the passage!
His expression changed. “Not good!” Ji Changkong exclaimed.
“Yang Haili’s Vast Star Sea Map!” a gentle voice suddenly came from afar. The next moment, Tuk’s figure materialized. He looked at the ocean of stars appearing overhead with surprise, grinning, “So, you are a successor of Yang Haili. No wonder you are so audacious as to steal the woman I desire.”
“It’s Tuk!” Shang Bingjie shrieked.
Ji Changkong’s heart sank instantly; he finally realized the gravity of the situation.
“The Vast Star Sea Map is a divine weapon refined by Yang Haili, possessing the power to traverse stars. However, the Star Sea Map is not omnipotent. Fire Prison Star is heavily restricted, and space is distorted. Your Star Sea Map will have difficulty moving freely here,” Tuk said, a smile playing on his lips, approaching Ji Changkong unhurriedly, chuckling warmly.
“She is my woman!” Ji Changkong said grimly, his voice deep.
“This girl is clearly still a virgin; when did she become your woman?” Tuk chuckled dumbly, saying very politely, “I’m taking this girl back. Have Yang Haili come to demand her return. As long as Yang Haili comes in person to ask for her, I won’t interfere with this girl. Rest assured, I won’t touch her until Yang Haili arrives.”
A rhomboid ice mirror suddenly appeared behind Tuk. A strange light flashed within it, enveloping Shang Bingjie’s body. Then, Ji Changkong watched in disbelief as Shang Bingjie vanished from his embrace.
Focusing his gaze, he saw Shang Bingjie’s image flickering within the rhomboid ice mirror behind Tuk. This mirror had instantaneously imprisoned her—a feat so mysterious and unpredictable.
Tuk easily secured Shang Bingjie within the ice mirror and laughed loudly. “Young man, for Yang Haili’s sake, I won’t make trouble for you. You should leave. If you truly want this girl back, we’ll see how much Yang Haili cares for you. I’ll give you ten years; I won’t touch her during this time. If Yang Haili doesn't show up after ten years, don’t blame me for being impolite.”
“I can’t wait that long! I’m taking her now!”
With a shift of his mind, the Vast Star Sea Map was withdrawn into his Demon Body, which in turn flew into the Tian Yuan Bead in an instant. The White Bone Skeleton moved nimbly once, then shot toward Tuk.
Simultaneously, Ji Changkong executed the Myriad Heavens Star River Art. The phantom image previously created by the vanishing Star Sea Map suddenly became immensely real. Dots of starlight shimmered, and rivers of starlight were drawn from the endless sea of stars, converging over the sky.
Stars, like dazzling gems, were embedded in the river, and a force heavier than ten thousand jun suddenly descended from the sky, smashing down upon Tuk.
Tuk, who had not taken Ji Changkong seriously before, suddenly grew solemn and roared, “Profundity of Chaos!”
After his shout, the rhomboid ice mirror behind him flashed, and a realm of nothingness emerged from within it. As the rivers of starlight cascading from the highest heavens impacted, they were reflected by the scene of nothingness in the mirror and violently surged toward it.
Tuk faced a formidable enemy, realizing that a Chaos Profundity like the Myriad Heavens Star River Art was difficult to deal with. Not daring to be careless, he exhaled another breath of stale air, which transformed into an ice pellet in the atmosphere. The pellet condensed rapidly until it became invisible to the naked eye.
The ice pellet burst, fragmenting into even smaller, sharp points that could only be sensed by divine consciousness, surging overwhelmingly toward Ji Changkong.
The countless sharp points were capable of destroying anything. Within every single point of sharpness was contained the power equivalent to a full-strength strike from the Ruyi Realm. Ji Changkong, having just grasped the Profundity of Primordial Unity, keenly sensed the power of the sweeping sharpness attacking him.
A twitch in his temple signaled sudden danger.
The Myriad Heavens Star River Art shifted again. Rivers of water from the endless starry sea suddenly gathered, coalescing into a surging tide. His divine sense continuously changed, using the method of the Star River Art to mobilize the Nine Levels of Raging Waves within his body, constantly amplifying his internal strength. Nine layers of violent fluctuations erupted from his front, intended to neutralize the onslaught of sharp points.
“It won’t work,” Tuk pulled at the corner of his mouth, revealing a faint smile. The rhomboid ice mirror behind him shifted again. A strange power surged out from the world of nothingness, interfering with the rivers of starlight from the highest heavens, making it impossible for Ji Changkong to focus on both fronts.
As tens of thousands of sharp points struck, the starlight summoned by his internal essence proved insufficient. Ji Changkong felt true alarm for the first time.
The essence of the Myriad Heavens Star River Art was merely to stimulate the power of all meridians, blood, bones, marrow, and cells within the body, amplifying internal strength without any consumption. The true nature of the Profundity of the Star River Art lay in physical combat; the explosive power instantly unleashed was its greatest strength. Long-range attacks like this were not what it excelled at.
To fight a powerhouse of the Tong Shen Realm while only at the Ruyi Realm already demonstrated the might of the Myriad Heavens Star River Art, but it was not enough to secure victory for Ji Changkong. Watching the endless sharp points close in, Ji Changkong activated the “Source Fire”!
Centered on him, wisps of flame suddenly appeared in the void. The flames connected, forming a visible sea of fire. Strange lightning energy, intense heat, and even icy coldness fused together, swirling around him, creating an extremely profound magnetic field nearby. All the sharp points were instantly reduced to ash, not a single one remaining!
Tens of thousands of sharp points, upon entering that sea of fire, instantly vanished without a trace; not a sliver of power managed to pierce through to Ji Changkong’s body. Profundity of Primordial Unity controlled the “Flame Thunder Cold Flame”!
The “Source Fire,” inherently possessing life and its own consciousness, under the control of the Profundity of Primordial Unity, seemed to transform into an infinitely wise spirit. It skillfully evaded the numerous restrictions Tuk imposed and, with divine ingenuity, approached Tuk, wrapping around him. Tuk panicked for the first time, crying out, “You have ‘Source Fire,’ too?!”
The “Flame Thunder Cold Flame” pursued him relentlessly. Unbeknownst to him, bolts of lightning began appearing in the sky. Wherever Tuk moved, thunderbolts struck, bombarding him relentlessly. Heavenly thunder crashed down, lightning bolts assailed him, and alternating extremes of heat and cold surged around Tuk, making him feel so sick he almost vomited blood.
The “Flame Thunder Cold Flame” seemed to deliberately toy with him, following him with a thousand transformations. It forced him into a wretched state; no matter how he dodged, he could not escape the pursuit of those wisps of flame.