For the first time, he communicated fully with the Heavenly Origin Orb, suddenly realizing that in some aspects, his close connection with the Orb already far surpassed the rapport the High Priest once shared with it; it was just that he had never known the true method of controlling it or its profound mysteries before.
Until this moment!
Having obtained all of the High Priest's memories, he finally understood the profound secrets of the Heavenly Origin Orb, what it truly signified, and how to maximize the extent of its power!
The Grand Void Secret Codex in his mind sprang into effect once more!
The profound essence of the upper scroll of the Soul-Quelling Dirge, obtained from High Priest Ouro, manifested within the ocean of his soul. Correspondingly, the profound essence of the lower scroll of the Soul-Quelling Dirge, hidden deep within his memory, also appeared in the soul ocean. Under the influence of the Grand Void Secret Codex, the profound essences of the upper and lower scrolls of the Soul-Quelling Dirge began to merge!
Marvelous symbols overlapped one after another, and the true meaning behind the Soul-Quelling Dirge's mysteries surfaced in his mind, rapidly converging. The most fundamental essence regarding the profound mysteries of the divine soul poured into the ocean of his soul, becoming his most precious possession…
His condensed divine soul continued to change. The ocean of his soul churned with staggering waves. His divine soul transformed into a small sphere, upon which countless realms seemed imprinted, appearing to connect to billions of universes—it bore a slight resemblance to the Chaotic Sea of Realms.
This was the divine soul after achieving a new state, termed the “Heavenly Soul”!
With a mere shift in his intent, the Heavenly Soul could form at any moment, instantly possessing the mysterious insights into the true essence of the power governing heaven and earth!
He employed the power of the Heavenly Soul for the first time. The Heavenly Soul descended into the Heavenly Origin Orb, and the Heavenly Origin Orb settled within his body!
He opened his eyes for the first time!
The Heavenly Origin Orb became an eye within his body, seemingly capable of illuminating everything.
Across layers of intervening realms, the thought of the Heaven-Piercing Ghost Mother arose in his mind. In less than an instant, he pinpointed the Ghost Mother’s location.
In a desolate star field, there was a massive meteorite plunging toward the darkness. This meteorite constantly rotated, emanating heavy layers of light that rendered it impossible for anyone to perceive even the slightest trace of Heaven and Earth power from within.
At the heart of the meteorite resided a strange realm: a vast river resembling a pool of blood, upon which rested a small piece of land.
This was the world the Heaven-Piercing Ghost Mother had carved out within the meteorite's core. Within it resided members of the Purgatory Ghost Clan. The Heaven-Piercing Ghost Mother sat solemnly atop a divine temple. Below the temple, the Purgatory Ghost Clan members knelt cross-legged, conversing in low tones, their brows furrowed with worry over the clan's future.
Suddenly, in the void above the temple, an effigy of Ji Changkong materialized abruptly.
The Heaven-Piercing Ghost Mother’s eyes blazed with divine light, and she whipped her gaze toward the appearing, colossal face of Ji Changkong, shock surging across her features.
“Ji Changkong!” the Heaven-Piercing Ghost Mother hissed.
Across the numerous intervening realms, the ethereal projection of Ji Changkong, having appeared from thin air, slowly shifted. Before long, this projection solidified into a soul-body, standing beside the Heaven-Piercing Ghost Mother with a faint smile. “Divine Mother, is everything well?”
“Where are you?” The light flickered in the Heaven-Piercing Ghost Mother’s eyes, her lips trembling slightly. She seemed to realize something. “You are not here, are you?”
“I am still in the Chaotic Sea of Realms,” Ji Changkong replied with a smile.
The Heaven-Piercing Ghost Mother’s body shook, and she sprang to her feet, excitement coloring her tone. “You finally merged the Soul-Quelling Dirge and formed the Heavenly Soul? And you grasped the mysteries of the Heavenly Origin Orb?”
“Indeed.” Ji Changkong nodded with a slight smile, saying slowly, “It turns out that no matter how vast the distance, even spanning layers of realms, the power of the soul is never obstructed by time and space. Wherever a thought can reach, the soul can cross all spatial barriers. Only today do I realize this.”
“You truly merged the upper and lower scrolls of the Soul-Quelling Dirge. Heavenly Soul—you have achieved the Heavenly Soul!” The Heaven-Piercing Ghost Mother burst into loud laughter. “My gamble paid off! You lived up to my expectations and attained the Heavenly Soul! From this day forward, that Wood God and Yu Lian will never be able to destroy you again!”
“Heh heh, I have already obtained the Origin Fire from them. I have also stepped into the Primal Realm and assimilated all the memory imprints of the High Priest. Even if I encounter Nine-Tails and the Wood God again, I will not fear them. From this day forward, no one in the Dead Star Domain can destroy me,” Ji Changkong stated frankly.
“Excellent!” The Heaven-Piercing Ghost Mother looked pleased and inquired, “Then do I no longer need to continue hiding?”
“No, you still need to endure for a while longer,” Ji Changkong shook his head, speaking calmly. “For now, I do not plan to return to the Dead Star Domain. Although I no longer fear pursuit from Nine-Tails and the others, I still have unfinished business in the Chaotic Sea of Realms. I sought you out because I wanted to tell you that you need not worry about the Plague Demon issue. Once the nine types of Origin Fire are completely fused, the Plague Demon will cease to be a threat; I can control him completely!”
“When will you return to the Dead Star Domain?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps soon, perhaps it will take some time. Nine-Tails and the others should have already returned. They might vent their anger upon you, so you must continue to hide with your clan for a time. I promise that when I eventually reach the Primal Realm, I will protect this clan from any harm. I will fulfill my promise when I return from the Chaotic Sea of Realms,” Ji Changkong said with a gentle smile.
“Understood,” the Heaven-Piercing Ghost Mother nodded slightly, watching the projection of Ji Changkong slowly fade. She urged him softly, “Be careful in all things.”
At the same moment, on Ye Yue Star.
Shang Bingjie, Gu Dan, and Li Hentian gathered together, distressed by Ji Changkong’s departure. With them was Leo of the Three-Eyed Clan.
Leo repeatedly insisted that in the vast sea of stars, he had no idea where Ji Changkong had gone.
“A thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye; I wonder where he has gone,” Shang Bingjie murmured softly. She had already broken through to the peak of the Ruyi Realm and was nearing the Tong Shen Realm.
With the assistance of Leo, Li Hentian and Gu Dan enjoyed an endless supply of cultivation resources. In less than a thousand years, both Li Hentian and Gu Dan reached the peak of the Nirvana Realm, standing at the crossroads of breaking through to the Ruyi Realm.
“Leo, you can utilize all the resources of the Three-Eyed Clan and find every cultivation resource we require. Why can’t you find any news of Changkong?” Gu Dan asked.
Leo smiled bitterly, pondered for a moment, and then said, “Five hundred years ago, my ancestor—the only being in the Primal Chaos—sought me out and told me I could use all the resources of the Three-Eyed Clan to help you cultivate. As long as we could fulfill your requests, the Three-Eyed Clan would do its utmost. I don’t know why the ancestor gave this order, but I suspect it might be related to Ji Changkong.”
“Di Te, you certainly did not disappoint me.” A melodious voice sounded out of nowhere.
A projection of Ji Changkong slowly materialized in the center of the four individuals, smiling as he looked at his familiar kin. “Grandpa, Uncle Li, Bingjie, I am relieved to see you are all well.”
“Changkong!” the three exclaimed in unison.
“Where did you go? Why was there no news for another thousand years?” Shang Bingjie asked with a touch of melancholy.
“I was in the Chaotic Sea of Realms…” Ji Changkong simply explained the course of events, then urged them, “Cultivate here with peace of mind. I will return to find you once I have dealt with matters. During this time, stay put and do not reveal your relationship with me to anyone, lest Nine-Tails and the others return, find you in their rage, and cause trouble.”
Ji Changkong’s words deeply shocked the three. They could not imagine that in this span of time, he had achieved so many earth-shattering feats.
Hearing that he had actually attained the Primal Realm, the three were even more dumbfounded.
“Good lad! Within a thousand years, he actually entered the Chaos Realm!” Leo jumped up abruptly. “No wonder my ancestor sought me out five hundred years ago and told me to look after you all—it really was because of you!”
“Leo, thank you. I just communicated with your ancestor. I will not forget the kindness shown by your Three-Eyed Clan. When I return to the Dead Star Domain, I will certainly repay it!” Ji Changkong stated resolutely.
Then, changing the subject, he smiled again. “Grandpa, Uncle Li, Bingjie, my bitter cultivation over these years has yielded great returns. I will share some insights into the mysteries of power with each of you to aid your progress.”
Three visible grey vortexes suddenly emanated from his palm. Before Gu Dan and the other two could react, these three vortexes flowed into them, drilling into their minds, calming them down and allowing them to begin fully assimilating the myriad of wondrous insights into the true essence of power that had suddenly appeared in their minds.
“Leo, the power you cultivate comes from the Three-Eyed Clan. I imagine your ancestor will provide you with better guidance; it is inconvenient for me to interfere. When those three awaken, tell them I miss them very much, and thank you.” Ji Changkong looked at Leo with a smile. The projection gradually faded, finally vanishing into nothingness, completely disappearing from Ye Yue Star.
—Within the Pure Land.
Ji Changkong’s true body slowly stood up. As he moved, the layers of barriers separating the four continents were one by one eliminated without a trace.
With a shift of his intent, the three continents seemed to be propelled by an invisible great hand, drawing closer to the area where he stood.
Ling Meng and the other two were startled awake. Watching the continent they were on merge with the continent where Ji Changkong resided, the three flew over in confusion. Zi Han shouted from a distance, “What mischief are you up to?”
“Let’s go out,” Ji Changkong said calmly.
“Go out?” Zi Han blinked, then frowned. “Perhaps those liquid metal beings are still around. Going out now, we might run into them, and it will be endless trouble.”
“It’s fine, they already left,” Ji Changkong replied with a slight smile.
Zi Han didn't believe him, turning to look at Ling Meng. “Is this guy just talking nonsense?”
“No, those three liquid metal beings have indeed departed,” Ling Meng shook her head, then looked at him with surprise. “How did you know?”
“I saw them when they left,” Ji Changkong said with a smile.