Within a bleak expanse encircled by seven black holes, Ji Changkong regarded the white-bearded elder, Osuos · Ji Du, with an air of unhurried composure, while the elder stood nearby, glaring with eyes that were cold, sinister, and poised for a sudden pounce.

Osuos’ face was a picture of woe as he sighed, “What exactly do you want? I don’t even want that little fellow anymore. I’ve burned through every single scroll I treasured, and my body is injured. I’m clearly no match for you. Just tell me what you intend to do.”

Since being severely chastised, Osuos had become compliant. Injured and acutely aware of his limited energy, and thoroughly terrified by Ji Changkong, he no longer harbored any thought of resistance.

“Why did you come here? And where did you come from? Tell me about the story of your universe?” Ji Changkong chuckled. “Considering you tried to snatch my treasure but didn't try to kill me, I won’t do anything drastic to you. I’m a complete newcomer here, knowing nothing. That kid has absorbed your Origin Fire and is now undergoing a long digestion process; he won't be of any help to me soon. I can only rely on questioning an old bird like you.”

“Old bird?” Osuos froze for a moment, then turned his head to glance behind him, stammering, “I haven’t spread my Wings of Light. How could I be an old bird?”

Saying this, Osuos subtly channeled his spiritual energy, and a pair of enormous Wings of Light, stretching nearly ten zhang, burst forth from his back. Viewed from a distance, he bore a striking resemblance to members of the Winged Clan.

However, Ji Changkong knew this fellow was no member of the Winged Clan. The wings of the Winged Clan members were innate; this one had merely condensed them with a special type of energy just now. Their fundamental nature was clearly different.

“Uh…” Ji Changkong felt utterly speechless. When people from different universes converse, communication barriers are inevitable; the two universes possessed distinct understandings of the world.

“‘Old bird’ means an elder who is familiar with this place,” Ji Du snorted, his tone grim. “Old man, how long have you been here? Why did you come? What are you trying to achieve here? And how much do you know about this place? If you don’t explain everything clearly, we’ll kill you!”

Ji Du’s threat proved significantly more effective. The elder named Osuos pondered for a moment before immediately answering, “I don’t even know how long I’ve been here. The reason I am here is that I reached the pinnacle of magical cultivation and could find no further breakthroughs. Therefore, I entered one of the most ancient and mystical magic arrays in our realm. I don't know when that array was established; even I couldn't decipher its mysteries. It took me several thousand years of comprehension to figure out how to activate it. Once I opened that array, I arrived here…”

Osuos recounted his experiences to Ji Changkong and Ji Du with a mournful face. In his home universe, he was the supreme figure, revered like a deity by thousands, his comprehension of all branches of magic having reached its zenith with no path for further ascent. Utilizing the ancient magic array, he had descended directly into this Sea of Realms.

Here, he discovered that all forms of power were overwhelmingly abundant, far exceeding his normal comprehension—a completely unfamiliar and miraculous place. His understanding of power took a new leap forward as he began to utilize the marvelous aspects of this location, allowing him to advance further.

Even Osuos himself did not know what he could accomplish here; he had no objective. He had encountered other cultivators here before, but every one he met was terrifyingly strong; he was simply no match for them and could only watch from the sidelines, continuing his solitary cultivation.

Osuos’s narrative was quite straightforward. After recounting his experiences, Ji Changkong and Ji Du still had not obtained any useful intelligence.

“Your answers are utterly useless to me, Osuos. Are you perhaps deceiving me?” Ji Changkong asked coldly, squinting his eyes.

“No! I truly haven’t deceived you! My knowledge of this place is even more ignorant than yours! I only know that people here call this place the ‘Heart of the Universe,’ saying it is the center of all universes. I wanted to know more, but those people wouldn’t pay me any attention!” Osuos said, his face full of grievance and misery.

“How many beings have you encountered here in total?” Ji Changkong frowned slightly.

Osuos wasn't as utterly useless as he claimed. He possessed a unique methodology for utilizing power; by purely employing spiritual energy as the medium, he could reach such a height. This fellow becoming an invincible expert in his own universe certainly meant he was no ordinary character. If he hadn't had Ji Du's assistance and hadn't suddenly entered that state he couldn't intentionally access during the fight, they might not have managed to shatter the protection of this old man’s Firelight Barrier. Even he admitted that the figures he encountered were terrifyingly strong, which implied there must indeed be even older and more powerful entities residing here.

“Not many. I—I only encountered two people in total, and both were female. I wanted to ally with them, but they flatly refused. In my anger, I fought them, and I was utterly defeated,” Osuos confessed, filled with shame. “I couldn't even beat a girl who looked barely in her teens. I summoned my light barrier, and she shattered it casually with a stone. The power she displayed was in no way inferior to everything you exerted. That nasty girl was fierce; though small, her attacks were extremely vicious. The last time I was injured by her was even worse than this time. If not for the peculiar energies here, I might not have recovered by the time I met you. Once I grasp the ultimate profound mysteries of magic, I must find that venomous brat for revenge!”

“Kongkong, the energy fluctuation that resulted from your fusion of various powers during your near-comatose state could reduce ten Star Systems of Life to fine dust. That level of power is certainly beyond the capability of a regular expert at the God-Reaching Realm. If this old man isn’t talking nonsense, that woman must possess the cultivation of the Chaos Realm, perhaps even the Ultimate Chaos!” Ji Du exclaimed in shock.

Hearing Osuos’s words, Ji Changkong’s heart also lurched violently. He suddenly realized that there might be masters here far more powerful than the Nine-Tails or the Ghost Mother of the Heavens. Otherwise, why would the Ghost Mother of the Heavens allow him to hide here, and why would the Nine-Tails and the others be so constrained, with even the use of their divine senses completely obstructed?

“Old man, even though we are a hundred thousand li apart, I can hear you slandering this Venerable One. Did you think I was merciful last time for not killing you?” A crisp voice pierced through the layers of mist, seeming to originate from the depths of the void.

Osuos looked terrified. “I was speaking nonsense! I have a foul mouth! Your Magnificence, please forgive me!” Osuos was clearly deeply afraid of her. Upon hearing her voice, he immediately exhibited extreme panic, hastily apologizing toward the direction where the sound originated, fearful that the other party might suddenly strike. However, the voice did not return. After an unknown length of time, the layers of mist dispersed, and two dazzling beams of electric light manifested from a great distance away. It seemed like several years passed before those two beams of light gradually resolved into clarity, shooting directly toward this area.

After yet more time, Ji Changkong finally discerned that the two beams of electric light were two young women flying at high speed. One looked truly like she was only fifteen or sixteen, while the other was slightly older, but at most twenty-three or twenty-four.

The appearances of these two young women were not particularly outstanding; in fact, they could be described as quite ordinary. On their plain, unremarkable faces, only their eyes were unforgettable. The younger girl’s eyes, perhaps fifteen or sixteen, were exceptionally lively, like the flowing water in a mountain stream—clear and pure, without a trace of impurity. The slightly older girl’s eyes resembled stars, dazzling and sharp, with electric light flickering within them, radiating an aggressive and commanding aura. Ji Changkong only took one glance and felt he was suddenly diminished by a full measure—a feeling he hadn't experienced even when facing the Ghost Mother of the Heavens.

Not long after, the two young women descended together. Once they arrived, the slightly younger girl merely glanced at Osuos, and Osuos immediately began bowing and apologizing repeatedly, his manner far better than when he faced Ji Changkong, showing much greater fear.

The slightly older one, upon arrival, fixed her dazzling gaze directly onto Ji Changkong, unmoving.

“Kongkong, has this woman taken a liking to you?” Ji Du muttered quietly. For some reason, even he felt somewhat intimidated facing these two girls, always feeling that he somehow measured up poorly against them—this emotion was profound and difficult to articulate in words.

“I am Lingmeng, and this is Zihan. We pay our respects to the Heavenly Sovereign.” The slightly older girl, after staring intently at Ji Changkong for a long while, suddenly broke into a smile, gentle as a spring breeze, inspiring immediate goodwill.

“Heavenly Sovereign?” Zihan exclaimed in shock, pausing. “Fellow Daoist Lingmeng, you—you called him Heavenly Sovereign? What—what do you mean by that?”

“Can’t you tell?” Lingmeng smiled faintly, speaking softly. “He has completely fused with it; it has become a part of his mind. Shouldn’t we address him as the Heavenly Sovereign?” This chapter was uploaded by members of Shushuw.cn, the novel portal.

Zihan was stunned, then suddenly a divine light erupted in her eyes, sharply enveloping Ji Changkong’s body. Ji Changkong’s expression shifted slightly; he tried to channel his power to resist, but the divine light covering him seemed utterly nonexistent. He couldn’t detect any trace of power in his vicinity! Everything around him seemed to be nothingness!

Feeling no power to resist, Ji Changkong frowned deeply and asked in a low voice, “Why do you two address me as the Heavenly Sovereign? What does Heavenly Sovereign mean?”

“You are completely unaware?” Lingmeng knitted her delicate eyebrows slightly, showing a trace of surprise.

“Unaware of what?” Ji Changkong asked blankly.

“There is the ‘Great Void’ within your mind. It resides in your consciousness and has integrated with you. You should know everything by now.”

“What? The Great Void? You mean the Secret Record of the Great Void?!”

“Yes. We refer to it as the Heavenly Sovereign of the Great Void. Since you have obtained it, haven't you learned what happened in our universe?” Lingmeng was also surprised. Then she continued, “Whether you understand or not, it is the progenitor of all Daoist arts in our universe. Since it has completely merged with you, you are now the new Heavenly Sovereign of our Void Sect.”