As Granny Yu and the experts from the various major races arrived, he was locked in a fierce, life-or-death struggle against the two Origin Fires: the 'Star-Devouring Flame' and the 'Sacred Sun Celestial Flame.' Both had failed to secure a victory and were now contemplating a desperate, all-or-nothing gambit. The two Origin Fires encircled him, great whorls of flame swirling like fire clouds, completely enveloping the area around him.

As fellow Origin Fires, the 'Star-Devouring Flame' and the 'Sacred Sun Celestial Flame' naturally perceived Ji Changkong as their mutual foe. Initially, the two flames kept each other in check, but eventually, they joined forces, jointly applying pressure on Ji Changkong—a combined assault that proved complex and fraught with turns.

At first, they fought independently, striking from the left and right against the peculiar light shield Ji Changkong had conjured. Once they realized this tactic had limited effect, they began to orbit Ji Changkong incessantly, launching wave after wave of continuous attacks. Under this onslaught, Ji Changkong clearly struggled to defend, though he could still manage.

After some time passed, their powers, before even reaching Ji Changkong, began to converge mid-air. Origin Fires possess a unique property: any one of them can be integrated into all things if the right method is found. Thus, the fusion between one Origin Fire and another was inherently easier.

The moment the strange flames of the 'Star-Devouring Flame' and the 'Sacred Sun Celestial Flame' merged, they underwent an immediate transformation. A new flame, interwoven with the power of meteor fire and solar might, instantly took shape. At the very instant of its formation, this mass of fire displayed astonishing, unparalleled destructive power.

Before it even neared the light shield conjured by Ji Changkong, the shield began to buckle, showing visible, hairline cracks. This is bad!

Ji Changkong felt a jolt of alarm. The new flame formed by the fusion of the two Origin Fires exhibited extreme incineration capability; under the assault of this power, he knew his conjured shield stood little chance of holding.

He had hesitated to deploy the 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame' because he knew it was inferior to these two Origin Fires. He feared that if he unleashed it, the 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame,' guided by its similar elemental origin, would be drawn in by the power of the 'Star-Devouring Flame' and the 'Sacred Sun Celestial Flame,' causing it to depart and be absorbed and assimilated by them—precisely what the two other flames intended.

However, when the flames of the two Origin Fires merged, the resulting power instantly escalated by more than tenfold. The emergence of this new force delivered a massive shock to him. The instant the light shield fractured, he ceased to hesitate; he had no choice but to mobilize the 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame' within his body.

Waves of ghostly blue ripples spread out beneath the expanse of white mist. Centered on Ji Changkong, an aura of extreme, deathly cold began to emanate, instantly engulfing the entire area.

Deep within the frigid aura, threads of crystal-bright lightning danced agilely, and the faint sound of thunder could be heard. Amidst the thunder, a hint of scorching heat was contained.

The mix of lightning, fire energy, and frigid air formed a highly peculiar defensive boundary. The outer layer consisted of water mist, within which lightning flashed, and a trace of fiery energy seemed to flicker in and out of existence. The inner layer was composed of the ghostly blue ripples, with intensely cold air swirling outward, enveloping his entire body.

The 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame' was a new Origin Fire born from the fusion of the 'Blaze-Thunder Sacred Fire' and the 'Nether Cold Flame.' Because the 'Blaze-Thunder Sacred Fire' and the 'Nether Cold Flame' possessed limited intelligence and power before their fusion, the resulting 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame' did not manifest terrifying power initially.

Yet, the 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame' was fundamentally a new Origin Fire, a composite of two others. Its life-form structure was a step above the 'Star-Devouring Flame' and the 'Sacred Sun Celestial Flame,' meaning the defensive boundary it created possessed unusual, profound utility. And indeed, the facts bore this out!

Protected by this bizarre, dual-layered defense, the merged flame from the 'Star-Devouring Flame' and the 'Sacred Sun Celestial Flame,' upon impact, was actually intercepted.

Specks of multi-colored flame shot out against the hazy outer barrier, resembling the most brilliant fireworks. Within, the ghostly blue ripples continuously released chilling energy, surging into the mist and imbuing the lightning within the mist with incredible strength.

Threads of crystal lightning crackled and jumped, electrocuting the incoming flames until they shattered into pieces. They actually forced the new flame, formed by the union of the 'Star-Devouring Flame' and the 'Sacred Sun Celestial Flame,' to violently separate, shattering the combined assault of the two Origin Fires.

With the offensive split, the merged flame's power was drastically reduced, rendering it incapable of threatening Ji Changkong. Upon impact, it didn't just fail to cause him harm; instead, it strangely dissipated, vanishing as if dissolved into the vast ocean.

At that very moment, Ji Changkong clearly sensed the vitality of the 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame' growing stronger. It seemed to have gained a mysterious benefit from the opponent's attack...

The transformation of the 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame' brought Ji Changkong great delight. This allowed him to relax, even wishing the enemy's assault would become more ferocious so the 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame' could reap greater rewards.

But the two Origin Fires evidently had no intention of granting him his wish. The moment these two sensed that the flame created by the 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame' not only repelled their attack but also absorbed a small portion of their power, they immediately ceased their assault and charged straight toward him.

Abandoning further attacks, the 'Star-Devouring Flame' and the 'Sacred Sun Celestial Flame' maneuvered their main bodies, transforming into two streaks of rushing fire, plunging violently into Ji Changkong's defensive perimeter. When their true forms attacked, the outer layer of water mist offered virtually no resistance.

The two entities breached the outer layer in an instant, arriving at the second layer—the ghostly blue ripples set up by the 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame'—where they halted their movement, their bodies flickering as they bobbed unsteadily within the ripples.

Two strange fluctuations suddenly emanated from the flame bodies of the two entities—the inherent mutual attraction unique to Origin Fires.

The 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame,' hidden deep within Ji Changkong's body, stirred under the pull of these two forces, beginning to move uncontrollably, yearning to emerge and merge with the two other flames.

This felt like destiny: whenever Origin Fires met, they were bound to attract and consume one another. Who would ultimately seize dominance and retain complete consciousness depended on whose life force could overwhelm the other during the act of swallowing.

Both the 'Star-Devouring Flame' and the 'Sacred Sun Celestial Flame' were extremely powerful life forms with higher intelligence and significantly greater strength. If a consumption process began, these two flames had a much higher chance of retaining complete consciousness, and neither would tolerate any trace of Ji Changkong's consciousness within.

If he allowed these two to swallow the 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame,' Ji Changkong would lose all control over it, and the newly formed fire would surely leave him. Therefore, Ji Changkong vehemently sought to prevent this outcome.

He had been deliberately expending the power of the two other flames, aiming to weaken them until their vitality matched that of the 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame.' Only then would he allow the 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame' to engage them, relying on the 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame's' unique life-form to absorb them. He had his own scheme: the three flames would inevitably meet, but absolutely not now.

He desperately fought the urge for the 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame' to leave his body, using the profound mysteries of Hunyuan to restrain it, consuming his mental energy as the price to forcibly suppress the 'Blaze-Thunder Cold Flame.' Simultaneously, he had to resist the terrifying fiery energy radiating from the 'Star-Devouring Flame' and the 'Sacred Sun Celestial Flame.'

Although the ghostly blue cold air managed to neutralize some of the two flames' intensity, being this close, with them using their true forms, made the situation difficult.

As the temperature around him rose higher and higher, seriously threatening his physical body, he finally transformed out of necessity!

"Huh! This fellow is actually a member of the Purgatory Ghost Clan!" "Not good! We absolutely cannot allow the Origin Fire to fall into the hands of the Purgatory Ghost Clan. If their kin enter the Ultimate Chaos Realm, all our races will certainly suffer!" "He is Ji Changkong! It must be him! The death of Tuk on Fire Prison Star, and the execution of the Dragon Python King, are all connected to this man!" "He really is one of the Purgatory Ghost Clan; this one must not live!"

Gasps of shock suddenly erupted from the onlookers. Their faces were etched with horror, their eyes darting uncertainly, all filled with the intent to kill. Yet, not a single person dared to strike first. On one hand, they feared the reputation of the Purgatory Ghost Clan; on the other hand—they feared Granny Tongtian Ghost Mother!

Granny Tongtian Ghost Mother, through her bloody, vengeful methods over the years, had kept many races in check. Those who previously harbored genocidal intentions toward the Purgatory Ghost Clan had suffered devastating losses because of her. She protected her clan members in her own brutal fashion, instilling fear in many hearts.

Fearing Granny Tongtian Ghost Mother's bloody retribution, these people, despite their loud pronouncements, never made a move. They seemed to be waiting for someone else to appear, hoping someone else would fulfill their inner desires.... That character soon arrived. It was the Bone Clan!

The Bone Clan and the Purgatory Ghost Clan held a deep-seated, irreconcilable feud. The Bone Clan's (Kugusánrén, Dried Bone Hermit) was also in the Chaos Realm but at a lower cultivation level. Some time ago, he had been wounded by Granny Tongtian Ghost Mother and was still in seclusion.

This very fact was why the Anti-Bone Alliance had recently sprung up to oppose the Bone Clan—they knew that Kugusánrén would not be available to back up the Bone Clan anytime soon.

The hatred between the Bone Clan and the Purgatory Ghost Clan ran deep. When the Bone Clan members on Fury Flame Star discovered a Purgatory Ghost Clan member on their territory, every Bone Clan member became indignant with righteous fury.

Any Bone Clan member who approached the area, upon realizing the fact, and unwilling to let anyone else seize the Origin Fire, charged forward without hesitation, shouting, "You damned Ghost Clan member, daring to come to our Fury Flame Star! We will surely make your life a living hell!" The onlookers instantly grew excited, eager to see the Bone Clan’s explosive assault commence so they might seize an opportunity to snatch the emerging Origin Fire and achieve their own entry into the Ultimate Chaos Realm.