Clutching the Heaven Origin Pearl, Ji Changkong transformed into a streak of ethereal light, blazing across the northernmost reaches of the Dead Star Domain.

He pierced through dead stars and skimmed past colossal meteorites, hurtling toward a specific location imprinted in his mind. The faint, shimmering threads of light within the void glittered brilliantly as he flew at extreme velocity—the residue of collisions between himself and the void’s inherent power.

Before High Priest Auro was surrounded and slain, his soul had fractured into countless fine strands. Among this myriad of fragmented souls, only a single strand constituted the main soul—a core essence holding all of the High Priest’s consciousness and memories. This main soul was the indelible imprint of the High Priest; as long as it endured, the High Priest would never truly vanish.

When his divine soul was about to shatter, the High Priest must have sensed that his enemies would not spare him. Thus, within the fragments of his soul that exploded outward, the main soul sought out the most secure hiding place possible: a black hole.

Black holes are the most mysterious locales in existence. Legend holds that a black hole is a “door” connecting to another universe. Within them lie secrets so profound that even masters of the Chaos Realm struggle to perceive the scenes unfolding inside. By concealing his main soul there, any powerhouse attempting to erase that crucial soul imprint would find themselves utterly helpless.

The audacity to hide his main soul within a black hole demonstrated that the High Priest’s understanding of the divine soul had reached an incredible echelon. The dangers lurking within a black hole—this legendary “door” to another cosmos—were beyond the comprehension of ordinary individuals.

Even experts in the Chaos Realm might find it impossible to penetrate the secrets of a black hole; once drawn in, whether one could ever emerge remained an unknown factor. That the High Priest dared such a feat suggested he possessed an absolute certainty, perhaps the ultimate power derived from the Soul Requiem.

The Star Nebula Soul Refining Technique originated with the High Priest; it was likely crafted from his comprehension of the upper volume of the Soul Requiem. Ji Changkong knew the wonder of this technique lay in its ability to split the soul. By sending a single strand into a black hole, relying on the connection maintained with his other soul fragments, perhaps he could orchestrate a return.

Only by possessing the capacity to split the soul could one afford to lose a strand in a black hole without catastrophic results. Since the High Priest created the Star Nebula Soul Refining Technique, his mastery over it would naturally be deeper. Viewed this way, hiding his main soul in a black hole was a calculated gamble he was equipped to take. Ji Changkong mused inwardly, yet he did not slow his pace, speeding rapidly toward his objective.

Eight hours later, Ji Changkong arrived beneath a colossal meteorite. The stone was inky black, utterly devoid of vitality. This single mass was larger than many inhabited life-bearing planets, yet it bore no flora, no predatory beasts, nor any trace of other life.

The black hole Ji Changkong had sensed was located directly beneath this meteorite, being pinned down by its immense weight.

This black hole was only the size of a fist, perfectly black, and rotating ceaselessly. Astonishingly, it did not devour the surrounding matter; it appeared as a mere pinprick of darkness, emitting not even a whisper of a unique aura.

Beneath such a massive stone, there was only this minuscule black hole, nestled among some protruding rocks near the underside of the meteorite. It was pure black, void of any peculiar emanations, remarkably inconspicuous.

Had Ji Changkong not sensed its precise location, searching for a black hole deliberately in the Dead Star Domain would likely never have revealed its existence.

The High Priest must have chosen such an odd black hole precisely for its concealment. Perhaps he had long ago secured this contingency, allowing him to instantly plunge his soul within at the critical moment to prevent the destruction of his main soul, Ji Changkong reflected. Arriving beneath the meteorite, he paused before the fist-sized black hole. Having found his target, he suddenly hesitated.

The High Priest, an ancestor of the Purgatorial Ghost Clan, had long ago seen his physical body destroyed, existing solely as a soul in the world. With cultivation in the Chaos Realm, boundless power, and terrifying intellect, might such a formidable entity turn against him? Dispersing a strand of his own soul into the black hole—if he could not return, losing that fragment would be the least of his worries. The High Priest’s expertise in soul matters was horrific; if he harbored ill intent and deployed some secret method to ensnare Ji Changkong’s other soul fragments, what recourse would there be? The objective was right before him, yet Ji Changkong wavered, unable to commit.

This hesitation stemmed entirely from his unfamiliarity with High Priest Auro; he couldn't gauge the man's true nature, nor be certain if he intended harm.

“What are you afraid of? You still have me!” Ji Yuan suddenly declared. “If that fellow still possessed both body and soul, perhaps we couldn't best him. But if it's just a main soul strand, we have absolutely no need to fear him. Now that I have fused four kinds of Origin Fire, I have significant confidence against entities existing purely in soul form, even if he is in the Chaos Realm!” “Are you certain?” Ji Changkong frowned slightly. “I am certain!” “Fine, then I will go in and try.”

Having made his decision, Ji Changkong did not act immediately. He first summoned his Demon Body and the White Bone Skeleton, then instructed Ji Yuan, “The Heaven Origin Pearl came from this guy; I cannot take it inside. I fear he might have left some restrictions upon it that he could use against us. You should also wait outside for now. I will first split off a wisp of my soul to check the situation. If things go south, I will tell you what to do.”

Over the years, Ji Changkong’s main body had avoided practicing the mysteries of the Auro Divine Cult. Ever since forging his Demon Body, all evil and negative energies had been channeled to the Demon Body for cultivation. Consequently, the Demon Body held the most profound grasp of the Star Nebula Soul Refining Technique. He intended to use a wisp of the Demon Body's spiritual sense to scout ahead.

After giving instructions to Ji Yuan, Ji Changkong’s main body held the Heaven Origin Pearl as if facing a great enemy. The Demon Body abruptly closed its eyes, attempting to cleave a strand of its soul from its divine essence, slowly guiding it toward the black hole...

The separated soul fragment did not dare rush in immediately but approached with extreme caution, moving agonizingly slowly.

However, the moment this soul wisp made actual contact with the black hole, it had no time to react. The strand was instantly sucked into the void. A bizarre, potent gravitational pull erupted from the black hole, exerting an influence magnified by billions upon souls!

Forget a single wisp of Ji Changkong’s soul; even if both his souls approached the black hole, under the suction of that inherent influence, he would possess zero resistance. The outcome would be the same: utter absorption.

This soul fragment felt as if it were perpetually spinning within a vortex of absolute darkness, where time held no meaning. He had no grasp of what was happening, only that he was adrift in endless night, hurtling toward the deepest recess of the black hole.

After what felt like an eternity, a faint, almost imperceptible glimmer of light appeared ahead. As that single point of light manifested, it began to grow, and in a flash, it expanded into the aged face of a Purgatorial Ghost Clan elder, deeply wrinkled, as if he had lived for eons. “High Priest Auro?” Ji Changkong breathed.

“Child, I prefer you call me Great-Grandfather. I was a sworn brother to the God-King of the previous generation. You are here because you cultivated the lower volume of the Soul Requiem and obtained the Heaven Origin Pearl. You carry the royal blood of my clan; thus, I am your great-grandfather, many generations removed,” Auro smiled.

“What are these?” Ji Changkong gestured toward the colossal net and the oval spheres suspended upon it.

“It is a soul array I constructed, using the black holes of the various star domains as focal points to continuously absorb the lingering dead souls from those regions,” Auro stated calmly. “The entities within those oval spheres are the fallen warriors of my clan; I intend to resurrect them.”