The first group of Bone Race members to arrive numbered seven, all of them cultivators at the Nirvana Realm. These Bone Race individuals were truly fearless; knowing Ji Changkong possessed profound cultivation and was currently in the form of a Purgatory Ghost Tribe member, they still dared to charge forward.

A cultivation level of Nirvana Five might be considered quite formidable in ordinary regions, but on the Blazing Flame Star, due to the intense heat from the flames, the Heavenly Masters remaining there were, at their weakest, at the Nirvana Realm, and masters of the Ruyi and Spirit-Penetrating Realms were not uncommon. Thus, at this juncture, Heavenly Masters at the Nirvana Realm were truly nothing special.

The group of seven Nirvana Realm Bone Race cultivators besieged Ji Changkong, seemingly paying no heed to the fact that the "Star-Devouring Flame" and the "Sacred Sun Heavenly Flame" had both targeted Ji Changkong with their attacks. Clearly, their priority was to slay Ji Changkong first.

These individuals were not rash; having recognized Ji Changkong's high cultivation, they avoided engaging in close-quarters combat. After all, this was where the Purgatory Ghost Tribe was at its strongest. The Bone Race members were well aware of the Purgatory Ghost Tribe's might and naturally understood that in this vast starry expanse, the Purgatory Ghost Tribe was the most terrifying race in close combat.

The seven Nirvana Realm Bone Race members halted before Ji Changkong. Without much hesitation, they each extracted a section of pale white bone from their own bodies. Whether these bones were mere physical parts or weapons cultivated with their very lives was unclear, but each one shimmered with an ethereal glow and appeared incredibly sharp.

Once the seven Bone Race members had drawn out a bone each, they settled cross-legged in the void. A stream of pale white energy was expelled from their mouths, poured into the bone held in their hands. "The Jade Bone Needles created by the Dry Bone Hermit!" exclaimed an informed Three-Eyed Tribe member involuntarily.

As his cry rang out, the Bone Race members sprang into action. One of the white bones suddenly fragmented, instantly transforming into numerous incredibly fine bone needles. The needles were minuscule, almost invisible to the naked eye, manifesting as streaks of white light that shot toward Ji Changkong.

The Bone Race members at Nirvana Five clearly understood that ordinary attacks would likely be ineffective against Ji Changkong. This Jade Bone Needle secret technique, devised by the Dry Bone Hermit, used a bone section cultivated within their own bodies as a foundation, merging it with the Bone Race's peculiar bone power, infused with mental energy and vital essence. The result was not only swift as lightning but possessed terrifying piercing power.

The smaller the projectile, the harder it was to deal with. After the seven bones of the Bone Race transformed into needles, there were likely thousands, densely showering down upon Ji Changkong.

Ji Changkong, currently disguised in the appearance of a Purgatory Ghost Tribe member, was straining to suppress the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame" transformation. While the physical strength gained was substantial, the attraction exerted by the two source flames on the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame" still existed. However, the pressure exerted by these two source flames on Ji Changkong had significantly lessened. He could barely manage to contend with them.

Yet, when the Bone Race's swarm of bone needles descended, he had no time to defend and could only rely on the brute defense of his physical body to withstand the assault.

A series of dense "crackling" sounds erupted against his body. The needles that struck him mostly shattered, the majority failing to penetrate his form.

But a few needles, with incredible subtlety, managed to slip through the gaps in the scales covering his body, lodging deep into the flesh beneath.

The pain was not intense, but the needles contained the unique bone power characteristic of the Bone Race. This was a peculiar force, derived from the bone power extracted from the remains of fierce beasts and powerful experts, then fused with their own mental energy and vital essence. It was highly specialized and possessed unique esoteric effects. Bone power possessed the ability to soften bone!

With dozens of bone needles deeply embedded in his flesh, faint traces of bone power seeped in. Ji Changkong felt a strange numbness permeate his bones, an indescribably comfortable sensation, like basking in the sunlight, inducing a lazy pleasure that made him drowsy.

Evidently, at such a crucial moment, succumbing to sleep would make it impossible to suppress the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame" and equally difficult to resist the attacks of the two source flames.

The bone power originated from the needles and was extremely faint—so faint that he initially ignored it, failing to mount an effective defense against it. By the time he recognized the strangeness of the bone power, it seemed too late. Due to the relaxation of his spirit, the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame," hidden deep within him, finally slipped from his control. The "Flame Thunder Cold Flame" actually flew out of his body!

The "Star-Devouring Flame" and the "Sacred Sun Heavenly Flame," which had been waiting, surged toward the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame" the instant it appeared, attempting to devour it as quickly as possible.

Almost the moment the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame" surfaced, the three source flames converged. They transformed into three distinct auras that violently intertwined, their energies clashing irreconcilably. A wondrous sensation flooded his mind.

In that brief span, Ji Changkong suddenly felt the link between himself and the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame" forcibly severed. Within the aura of the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame," the soul imprint belonging to him slowly diminished, vanishing bit by bit. Soon, Ji Changkong could no longer detect the subtle connection he shared with the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame." Trouble!

A sharp alarm sounded in Ji Changkong’s heart. Realizing the danger, his first thought was not to recall the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame" but how to eliminate those Bone Race members.

With a flicker of thought, the Soul Bell materialized in his palm. A shake, and the White Bone Skeleton suddenly flew out, plunging directly into the midst of the seven Nirvana Realm Bone Race cultivators.

The White Bone Skeleton was comprised entirely of the bones of Nine Night, a Chaos Realm expert. Even in this spectral state, it retained terrifying destructive power. The White Bone Skeleton possessed no trace of human mercy; upon arrival, it immediately began a massacre. Three Bone Race members, offering no resistance, were instantly slain.

The remaining four Bone Race members, seeing the tide turn, scrambled to their feet and hastily retreated backward, intending to wait for more of their kin to arrive before confronting Ji Changkong again. The White Bone Skeleton relentlessly pursued them.

Ji Changkong remained standing, closing his eyes to activate the power of the blood flowing within him. His internal blood boiled as the Blood Crystal power hidden inside was stimulated, instantly purging the numbing bone power. He immediately regained perfect clarity of mind, the languid state vanishing entirely.

With his consciousness fully restored, Ji Changkong’s spirit surged. He then realized his connection to the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame" still existed, though it was now so faint that he had to concentrate intently to sense its presence.

Time was critical; he didn't know when the main Bone Race force would arrive, nor how long the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame" could hold out. At this juncture, after a moment's contemplation, he immediately released the Demonic Body from the Heavenly Absence Pearl and swiftly sat cross-legged in the void.

Using that extremely tenuous connection, he attempted to channel the Primordial Profundity Arts, spreading his mental energy outward and pouring it entirely into the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame." He had long known that his mental energy greatly aided the sentience of the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame." As he channeled his mental energy into it, he activated the power within his body, forming concentric rings of Five Elements light curtains to envelop all three source flames.

Simultaneously, his spirit settled, his mind becoming utterly placid, plunging instantly into the "Self- Realm" of the Void Scripture.

All surrounding changes were captured in his Soul Sea as if viewed through a clear mirror. Within the Self-Realm, he could clearly perceive the clash between the three source flames and observe the dynamics of their struggle.

The "Flame Thunder Cold Flame" was indeed weaker. If the "Star-Devouring Flame" and the "Sacred Sun Heavenly Flame" weren't mutually restraining each other, the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame" might have been assimilated by one of them quickly. Half of the stellar flame energy from the "Star-Devouring Flame" entangled the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame," and half of the blazing sun energy from the "Sacred Sun Heavenly Flame" also wrapped around it.

These two source flames continuously poured into the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame," but because their energies shared the same origin, their mutual attraction also resulted in mutual restraint. With three forces mixing, the speed of integration naturally slowed considerably. It was precisely because of this that neither the "Star-Devouring Flame" nor the "Sacred Sun Heavenly Flame" could absorb and assimilate the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame" in a short time.

It was akin to three people fighting; each considered the others enemies. In this chaotic brawl, because the two stronger parties were locked in continuous combat, the weaker one wasn't immediately crushed, finding a sliver of room to survive between the two powerful forces. The "Flame Thunder Cold Flame" was that weaker party; due to the conflict between the two source flames, it was granted a reprieve, not being entirely absorbed instantly.

However, as Ji Changkong's mental energy furiously flooded into the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame," the previously weakest entity, the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame," unexpectedly began to gain a slight upper hand. Its nearly vanishing life imprint slowly clarified. It struggled intensely and actually managed to absorb a small portion of the core essence of the other two source flames.

A surge of joy coursed through Ji Changkong. Realizing this method was effective, he urgently poured his mental energy into the "Flame Thunder Cold Flame," hoping it would exert itself and absorb the remaining energies of the two source flames.

"Purgatory Ghost Tribe!" A group of over a dozen Bone Race members suddenly emerged from the distance. The leader possessed a Spirit-Penetrating Realm cultivation. Behind him were ten more Bone Race members, six of whom were at the Ruyi Realm. This was the strongest contingent of the Bone Race on the Blazing Flame Star!

In the void, a cold, malevolent light flashed in the eyes of Ji Changkong's Demonic Body. A wave of cruel and fierce demonic energy suddenly erupted from within him, sweeping across the expanse, so vast it blotted out the sky. Gigantic, swirling vortices materialized out of nowhere in the void.

From each vortex, torrents of demonic energy descended from the heavens, seemingly endless and inexhaustible.

The Demonic Body, which had diligently cultivated within the Heaven Origin Pearl for many years, finally displayed its formidable aspect at this critical moment. His body acted like an immense magnetic field, seemingly capable of absorbing the omnipresent demonic energy of the star sea, exhibiting an inexhaustible supply.