Ahead, the golden gale was biting cold. That specific region was utterly silent; not a speck of dust, not a single void, not even the omnipresent ambient energies of the Chaotic Sea were detectable, as if it were an insulated vacuum, yet the chilling gale raged upon it like fiends and specters.

“Golden Shard Annihilation Wind!” Lingmeng gasped softly after merely glancing over there.

“Indeed, it is the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind! Lingmeng, shall we enter?” Zihan halted at the periphery of that area, unwilling to venture deeper, seeking Lingmeng's counsel.

Lingmeng dragged Ji Changkong to a halt beside her. After closing her eyes to sense the atmosphere for a moment, she stated, “Those liquid metal beings will arrive soon. If we don't enter a sanctuary now, it will be difficult to find another haven before those entities catch up!”

“Go in?” Zihan inquired.

“We must!” Lingmeng affirmed, her expression immediately turning solemn. “Be cautious, guard your Divine Soul, and never let your guard down!”

“Old man, you are not involved in this. Do you wish to risk it? I advise you to leave immediately!” Zihan released Aosuos and stated bluntly, “If you enter the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind, you have a near certainty of your Divine Soul extinguishing. If you leave now, those liquid metal beings won't bother you.”

“No, I want to stay with you all,” Aosuos insisted.

“Foolish to court death, hmph!” Zihan’s displeasure was evident. She paid Aosuos no further mind and was the first to plunge into the golden gale ahead.

Without a word, Lingmeng yanked Ji Changkong along and burst into the storm.

His physical body felt none of the howling, violent winds, yet the moment he entered, Ji Changkong’s soul trembled, and he couldn't help but cry out, “Fierce!”

Inside the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind, Ji Changkong’s Ocean of Soul suffered first. The ubiquitous, sharp winds blew directly into his spiritual domain, instantly causing excruciating pain in his mind, threatening the very dissolution of his Divine Soul.

In a mere instant, he realized that the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind did not target the physical body; its true power was aimed at scattering personality and spirit, causing the Divine Soul to collapse!

This was an attack far more piercing than any physical assault!

With the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind now present in his Ocean of Soul, Ji Changkong’s mind felt as if it were being sliced by a thousand blades, the stinging agony nearly forcing a scream from him. If not for his incredibly firm willpower and his rigorous cultivation of the Limit Body Tempering Great Method, he might not have endured that initial blow and his soul would have instantly shattered.

It wasn't just him. Even Zihan and Lingmeng, both formidable experts, frowned deeply after entering the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind; it was clearly not an easy resistance for them either.

“The stronger the Divine Soul, the more terrifying the attack encountered within the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind,” Lingmeng drew a deep breath. “Hold fast to your consciousness; do not succumb to the acute pain and faint. Once you faint, your Divine Soul will scatter and can never recover!”

“Understood!” Ji Changkong roared, a flash of light sparking in his eyes.

Ji Du, resting on his shoulder, underwent an immediate transformation upon entering the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind. In an instant, it was split into billions of shining motes of light, each one glittering with the essence of Ji Du.

Ji Du was an extremely unique lifeform. In the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind, its condensed soul was clearly affected, causing this immediate division into billions.

“Are you alright?” Ji Changkong called out toward the densest cluster of light, enduring the piercing agony in his mind.

“Fine, I can re-gather. I will not be annihilated, never…” Billions of voices converged, relaying Ji Du’s response.

Hearing this, Ji Changkong secretly relaxed, knowing Ji Du should be safe.

“Master, what happened?” Ji Yuan’s voice surfaced from the depths of his mind.

“It’s none of your business; stay put inside the Tianyuan Bead,” Ji Changkong commanded, then suddenly realized something and urgently added, “Ji Du, you can enter the Tianyuan Bead too!”

“Good!”

Ji Du said nothing more. The individual motes of light slowly began to converge toward Ji Changkong, disappearing into his body one by one, like billions of fireflies diving into an unknown abyss, vanishing without a trace after a moment.

Ji Du had lived within the Tianyuan Bead for many years; it was familiar to him in every aspect, allowing for an easy entry.

The dispersed light motes of his soul began to re-coalesce within the Tianyuan Bead. Soon, he reshaped his body inside the bead, returning to his original form, and sent a mental message to Ji Changkong: “This time, I am truly fine.”

“Mm, stay in there safely,” Ji Changkong quickly replied, then held his breath and focused his entire being on resisting the agonizing pain emanating from his Ocean of Soul.

During this process, a stream of indescribably cool energy quietly seeped out from the Taixu Milu, merging into his Ocean of Soul. This coolness was like a spiritual medicine that soothed all injuries and pain. With its infusion, Ji Changkong’s spirit was instantly invigorated; the rampaging Golden Shard Annihilation Wind no longer seemed so ferocious.

He suddenly felt as though he could maneuver freely within his Ocean of Soul.

Conversely, Zihan and Lingmeng both wore expressions of extreme vigilance. Their soul fluctuations were bizarre and highly unstable. Ji Changkong cautiously probed with his divine sense and discovered that their Divine Souls seemed to be undergoing massive explosions, unleashing surging waves of soul energy that were mind-shattering.

Clearly, the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind faced by Zihan and Lingmeng was far more potent than what he endured.

Not far away, Aosuos had truly risked death to enter. He was seen grimacing, his face terrifyingly contorted, also striving with all his might to resist the effects of the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind, appearing on the verge of collapse at any moment.

Yet, he managed to hold on.

He chanted bizarre spells madly. A strange mental force expanded outward, forming an invisible barrier that layered itself around his head, buffering the assault of the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind.

In this peculiar zone, the more powerful one’s soul force, the fiercer the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind became. Ji Changkong, having meticulously cultivated the Limit Body Tempering Great Method, possessed a tolerance for pain far exceeding ordinary people. Even without the aid of the Taixu Milu, he could survive within the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind.

With the nurturing coolness of the Taixu Milu infusion, the impact of the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind on his Ocean of Soul was significantly reduced, allowing him to remain unharmed in this area and even find time to observe others.

Though Lingmeng and Zihan bore much greater pressure, they seemed more familiar with the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind. After initial agony, these two gradually adapted to the pain and slowly closed in on their objective.

That objective was a fist-sized point of light, shimmering with brilliant radiance, remarkably similar to the light-hole created by the Vast Star Sea Chart, as if leading to an alien world.

Judging by the expressions of Lingmeng and Zihan, that location was clearly their destination.

Ji Changkong cautiously extended his divine sense to investigate the light point, but detected no unusual aura.

“Is that the sanctuary you spoke of?” Ji Changkong asked, sounding curious.

“You—you still have leisure to speak?” Lingmeng frowned slightly in pain. Her typically placid face now held eyes full of disbelief.

She understood the horror of the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind better than anyone. The first time she ventured into such a region, she genuinely suffered excruciating pain, wishing desperately to abandon all mental resistance and let the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind disperse her soul.

Ji Changkong was clearly entering the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind for the first time, yet he was unharmed and casually conversing. By his demeanor, he seemed hardly affected by the gale, which struck Lingmeng as profoundly strange.

“This Golden Shard Annihilation Wind is indeed fierce, but my adaptability is relatively strong,” Ji Changkong chuckled, omitting any mention of the Taixu Milu. “Is that light point the sanctuary?”

“That is the entrance to the sanctuary!” Zihan ground out through clenched teeth. “Stop talking! Speaking here will distract us!”

At her sharp reprimand, Ji Changkong took a closer look. He discerned the intense struggle etched on Zihan’s and Lingmeng’s faces, realizing the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind was indeed affecting them severely, making even these two tread with extreme caution.

“Oh.” Nodding slightly, Ji Changkong gently closed his eyes, feeling the intense soul fluctuations emanating from Zihan and Lingmeng. Gradually, he understood that in such a place, the power of Lingmeng and Zihan was heavily suppressed. If he wished to leave, this was an absolutely once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

If he left the Chaotic Sea now, Jiuyue and Mu Shen, Yu Lian, and the others would have their divine senses severely impacted, making it hard for them to sense his presence again. If he departed now, he could roam the vast Chaotic Sea at will, free from the threat of Lingmeng and Zihan, two powerful entities who might strike him at any moment.

Should he leave?

Ji Changkong hesitated, pondering secretly. Leaving meant temporary safety from immediate danger, but he might run into the liquid metal beings outside. In the future, if he couldn't discover a method to hide the Taixu Milu, he could still be hunted down by Lingmeng and Zihan again…

Weighing the pros and cons, Ji Changkong ultimately decided to remain with Lingmeng and Zihan. At least, staying with them would likely guarantee his safety until they reached the source.

With this period of buffer, perhaps Ji Yuan would have already fused the Nine Source Fires, and perhaps he himself could advance further. By then, Lingmeng and Zihan might no longer be able to hold him in check.

Thinking this, Ji Changkong smiled faintly. “I’ll enter first.”

As he spoke, he cast aside Lingmeng and Zihan and swiftly flew toward the light point within the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind.

“You are forbidden to enter first!” Zihan saw his swift movement and, enduring the torment of her soul being ravaged by the Golden Shard Annihilation Wind, cried out sharply.

“Ah!” Regrettably, the only response she received was Ji Changkong’s long cry.

In that brief moment, he had already slipped inside.