Reimu clearly froze at his words, falling silent for a long moment before slowly nodding. "You are quite something!"

Ji Changkong smiled, and without waiting for Zi Han to say anything more, he addressed Ji Du beside him. "We are leaving this place."

Ji Du assented.

With a mere thought, the pure land they occupied suddenly emitted intense magnetic field fluctuations—a force tearing through the void that forcefully injected itself into the previously sealed luminous aperture. Under the influence of this power, the entrance, sealed for a thousand years, gradually began to crack open, allowing the surging power of heaven and earth to flood in wildly.

"Let's go." Ji Changkong's figure shimmered, seemingly traversing the distance of the void to materialize instantly at the opening of the light passage, then vanishing swiftly.

Ji Du was not slow either, disappearing through the luminous aperture in the space of a single breath.

Reimu, Zi Han, and Osotkin remained in the pure land. After Ji Changkong's departure, the power of heaven and earth within the land immediately became uncontrolled, descending into chaos. Even the several continents Ji Changkong had previously condensed began to crumble into dust.

"Hurry and leave. While the Master is gone, the power of the pure land will continue to surge in, filling every corner until it clogs the entire space. If that happens, leaving will become a massive headache," Zi Han said, her delicate brows deeply furrowed, her mind swirling with doubt. She murmured, "This fellow seems to have suddenly transformed into a different person. How could a mere thousand years of cultivation bring about such a monumental change in temperament..."

"Don't forget," Reimu stated, "fused with his soul is the Heavenly Venerable of our universe, the progenitor of all Dao techniques!"

"That is true." Zi Han showed a look of sudden realization, then seemed to recall something, glancing toward Reimu with slight astonishment. "If that is the case, will our subsequent actions change at all?"

A strange light flashed and vanished in Reimu's eyes. "It shouldn't matter; nothing will change for the moment. However, we need to adjust the attitude we hold toward him. In my view, he is no longer someone we can casually deceive. Let me ponder this carefully; we might need to have a serious discussion with him!"

"You intend to explain our plan to him?" Zi Han exclaimed, startled.

"If he demonstrates sufficient strength, it's not out of the question," Reimu replied. Having said this, Reimu casually swept her gaze over Osos at her side and smiled. "If you can prove you possess the necessary strength to assist us, you can qualify to participate. Otherwise, you had best stop following us; it won't do you any good."

While these two spoke, for reasons unknown, they did not attempt to hide their conversation from Osos, seemingly unafraid that he would relay their discussion to Ji Changkong.

Osos paused, then managed a wry smile. "I will do my utmost to prove my usefulness."

Reimu nodded, then ceased speaking, flying toward the luminous aperture where Ji Changkong had disappeared, exiting in an instant. Zi Han followed closely behind.

Osos lagged at the rear, hesitating briefly before murmuring, "It’s best I don't involve myself in the affairs of these two factions; I can afford to offend neither." With a sigh, Osos also departed the pure land.

Amidst the Golden Purity Annihilation Wind, Ji Changkong’s expression remained unchanged as he walked outward, neither fast nor slow, maintaining an unhurried pace.

The predatory Golden Purity Annihilation Wind, which ravaged souls, now failed to whip up even the slightest ripple in his soul ocean. Within the wind, he felt utterly at ease, experiencing not a trace of pain, as if strolling through his own backyard.

The Golden Purity Annihilation Wind was merely a peculiar manifestation of the energy between heaven and earth, and his newly acquired Agile Chaos Profundity allowed him to manipulate all existing energies in the cosmos.

Agility and Primordial Unity were like two complementary Chaos Profoundities; their combination yielded infinite utility.

The Primordial Unity Profundity allowed him to discern the operational patterns of all energies in the universe, granting him intimate knowledge of their structures, enabling him to evade the intrusion of any energy.

The Agile Profundity went a step further, allowing him to command these cosmic energies. Just as Osos could combine soul power with incantations to wield the energies of the world, Ji Changkong, utilizing the Agile Profundity, needed no chanting of spells; merely a shift in thought could cause the power of heaven and earth to bend to his will.

In this regard, it seemed more profound than Osos’s so-called magical civilization.

In contrast, Reimu and Zi Han clearly held a superior reserve of internal power compared to him. However, immersed in the Golden Purity Annihilation Wind, both were affected and had to expend energy to resist it.

Osos fared even worse, constantly needing to deploy mental power to condense strange light shields to protect his soul.

Had it not been for the nature of the Golden Purity Annihilation Wind—that it strengthened against the strong and weakened against the weak—Osos might not have endured at all, his soul shattering under the wind, vanishing completely.

Logically, having undergone the austere training in the pure land and having already experienced the Golden Purity Annihilation Wind once, the return to this area should have been relatively easier for Osos, Reimu, and Zi Han. Yet, the three of them, once inside, began to frown again, seemingly falling back into a severely passive state.

Ji Changkong delicately extended his divine sense to probe, immediately understanding the situation.

It turned out that as their realms advanced, the power of the Golden Purity Annihilation Wind had increased in tandem, as if possessing a consciousness that knew precisely what degree of pressure to exert against which level of opponent.

As his Heavenly Soul transformed, the Heavenly Origin Pearl within Ji Changkong shifted into an ocular form, penetrating the entire flow of the fierce winds in the Golden Purity Annihilation Wind with microscopic clarity. He could perceive the cosmic rules embedded within the wind, knowing that it existed according to a specific pattern.

Smiling faintly, Ji Changkong moved his thoughts. Within his soul ocean, a miniature reflection of this entire region materialized. Combining the Primordial Unity and Agile Chaos Profoundities, and influencing through his Heavenly Soul, he subtly utilized the power of the Heavenly Origin Pearl to begin altering the celestial track of the Golden Purity Annihilation Wind...

Reimu, Zi Han, and Osos were struggling mightily to resist the enhanced Golden Purity Annihilation Wind. While Reimu and Zi Han maintained some composure, Osos looked visibly distressed, clearly struggling to hold on.

Just then, Osos felt the pressure ease; the fierce winds transmitting into his soul suddenly seemed to become gentle. He instantly relaxed and exclaimed, "Eh!"

Like him, Reimu and Zi Han also stiffened abruptly, then looked around suspiciously.

The Golden Purity Annihilation Wind swirling around the area, influenced by some unknown power, began to cease its random ravaging. Instead, it contracted into a very small zone.

Within that smaller zone, the fierce wind became even more sharp, emitting sounds like ghostly wails and howling wolves.

Spatial rifts manifested under the intense wind, seeming capable of tearing everything apart, inducing a tremor originating deep within the soul.

The power of the Golden Purity Annihilation Wind had not diminished; rather, it had been condensed and controlled within a minuscule area.

In that confined space, the might of the Golden Purity Annihilation Wind had been amplified by more than tenfold!

Reimu and Zi Han wore expressions of absolute horror. Being individuals of profound cultivation, they instantly grasped the terror of the wind within that small zone. They questioned themselves, admitting that if they were within those specific regions, it would likely be extremely difficult to escape.

"Energy between heaven and earth does not vanish without cause, nor does it intensify without reason. If the energy in one area diminishes, it must become fiercer in another," Ji Changkong said with a smile. "Hurry and step out; we don't need to linger here."

As he spoke, the Golden Purity Annihilation Wind in that localized area slowly moved, drifting further and further away from Reimu, Zi Han, and Osos.

"You are controlling the Golden Purity Annihilation Wind?" Zi Han’s expression shifted subtly.

She realized a terrible possibility: if Ji Changkong wished to deal with them in this area, merely deploying this condensed Golden Purity Annihilation Wind could make their situation agonizing, perhaps trapping them for millennia.

"Yes," Ji Changkong affirmed calmly.

This time, even Reimu was stunned. "How did you manage that?" Her beautiful eyes opened wide, showing surprise at Ji Changkong for the first time.

Ji Changkong smiled enigmatically, offering no further explanation.

Reimu did not press the matter. She nodded to him and swiftly darted toward the area outside the influence of the Golden Purity Annihilation Wind. Zi Han and Osos followed without hesitation. In an instant, all three passed through the non-threatening zone and reached the periphery of the wind.

They did not know when Ji Changkong might change his mind. Before he did, they needed to escape the Golden Purity Annihilation Wind as quickly as possible, lest he entertain malevolent thoughts, putting them in an exceedingly vulnerable position within this region.

After Ji Changkong also emerged from the Golden Purity Annihilation Wind, the localized zone instantly reverted to its original state. The wind, which had been compressed into a small area, spread out again, returning to the condition it was in before they entered.

Zi Han’s look of astonishment had not fully subsided. "You can command the Golden Purity Annihilation Wind; why didn't you strike at us?"

"Why would I strike at you?" Ji Changkong let out a dry laugh, teasing, "Have you held ill intentions toward me all along?"

Zi Han looked startled.

"I believe you know that the only reason we brought you along is because you have value," Reimu said after a moment of hesitation, as if having made a firm decision. "Originally, we planned to cast you aside the moment we entered the Heart of the Universe, and we even considered other options..."

When Reimu mentioned 'other options,' a trace of killing intent flickered in her bright, expressive eyes.

"You will abandon those plans," Ji Changkong laughed. "Even if we reach the Heart of the Universe, it won't just be the few of you. Super-strong experts from every universe covet the power of the Heart. The Liquid Metal Men were merely one wave; you can barely handle them. You will face immense peril within the Heart of the Universe."

"You know about that?" Zi Han asked suspiciously.

Ji Changkong nodded lightly. "You need me for more than just locating the Heart of the Universe; you need me within it as well. You cannot find the weakness of the Liquid Metal Men, but I can. My value to you far exceeds what you currently imagine."

Pausing, Ji Changkong chuckled heartily. "Very well, we can talk as we walk. I will take you to the Heart of the Universe now."

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