"Roar!"

From the dragon-head skeleton that the White Bone Divine Monarch had transformed into, a great roar erupted. A beam of golden light shot out, not aimed at Long Que directly ahead, but arcing towards Feng Zikang and the four Divine Demons.

This golden light was unlike the techniques he usually employed, which were rooted in the Soul-Searching Grand Method of the Nine Hells and Ten Underworlds; nor was it obstructed by the brilliance of the Essence-Gazing Orb. Feng Zikang knew this must be the White Bone Divine Monarch’s innate divine power, and he dared not treat it lightly. He brought his sword up to block, positioning the four Divine Demons firmly in front.

With a resounding crash, the four Divine Demons strained mightily just to disperse the bulk of the golden light. However, faint wisps still pierced through, heading straight for Feng Zikang. Feng Zikang invoked the protective divine ability of the Starlight Great Annihilation Sword Technique, transforming himself into the universe to withstand the blow directly. He felt a violent tremor run through his body, a sickening tightness in his chest, and he secretly braced himself for the White Bone Divine Monarch’s second attack.

Who would have thought the White Bone Divine Monarch's target was not them at all? He merely used this strike to entangle them and buy a few moments of time. The giant mouth opened and closed as the monarch chanted an incantation, and from beneath his enormous skull, countless golden threads surged forth, coiling around Long Que.

"Wh-what is he doing?"

Huo Zhongguang, whose Nascent Soul Blood Shadow was concealed in the air, sensed disaster immediately. He quickly warned Feng Zikang. Feng Zikang had no idea what the White Bone Divine Monarch intended, but he certainly wouldn't let him succeed. He swung his sharp blade, a streak of white light slicing through the heavens—it was the first stance of the Starlight Great Annihilation Sword Technique: Qiming (The Brightest Star)!

The sword light struck the golden threads, producing a metallic clang, yet it could not sever even a single strand. The golden threads writhed as if alive, continuously growing and binding Long Que tightly. Strangely, Long Que offered no resistance, allowing the countless threads to wind both his body and the White Bone Divine Monarch's head into a massive cocoon.

"Not good!"

Huo Zhongguang cried out, rushing to Feng Zikang's side. "Junior Brother, this... this skull, it isn't Long Que's head, is it? Now it looks like they are trying to merge?"

"Merge?"

Feng Zikang peered closely. Beneath the dense tapestry of golden threads, Long Que’s rigidly motionless form could be vaguely discerned. Moreover, several thick golden cords were actively linking the skull—the White Bone Divine Monarch—to Long Que’s body.

"Could it be..." Feng Zikang recalled the Essence-Gazing Orb. After all, the lesser demons were mostly dead or dying, with only enough strength left to moan.

He walked slowly toward the great cocoon formed by the golden threads. Huo Zhongguang, fearing mishap, called out a warning, but Feng Zikang merely waved him off, signaling it was fine.

Feng Zikang reached out and touched the golden cocoon. It felt soft and warm, strangely familiar. He plucked at a thread with his finger; the golden filaments were incredibly tough and long, impossible to break by pulling.

"It really is..." Feng Zikang gave a faint smile, watching the head and body draw ever closer within the golden cocoon. "This is indeed a fusion. I never expected that after searching everywhere, Long Que's head turned out to be the White Bone Divine Monarch—"

"Junior Brother, stop sighing over it!"

Huo Zhongguang grew anxious. "How powerful is the White Bone Divine Monarch? If he successfully merges with Long Que, his strength will increase by many times! I fear even your Four Aspects Divine Demon Array might not be a match for him. We must hurry..."

The Four Aspects Divine Demon Array could handle Long Que alone or the White Bone Divine Monarch alone, Huo Zhongguang was confident. But once these two monsters merged, who knew what unique abilities they would possess? If the array couldn't contain it then, things would go terribly wrong!

Feng Zikang remained unhurried, still observing the situation inside the cocoon intently.

"Don't even think about controlling Long Que with the Life Bamboo Tablet anymore. Look at how mighty the Dragon Soul within the skull is now that the White Bone Divine Monarch is merging with Long Que. It utterly dwarfs that wisp of a Dragon Soul inside Long Que's body! Once the fusion is complete, the Life Bamboo Tablet will be completely useless!"

The more agitated Huo Zhongguang became, the calmer and more composed Feng Zikang grew.

"Senior Brother, no need to rush... I've calculated the formation time for this golden cocoon; it will take at least an hour. With this much time, we can do anything. Why panic?"

Feng Zikang was a direct inheritor of the Little Bamboo Forest's calculation arts—the art of strategizing and conquering from a thousand miles away. His greatest strength lay in calculation. Merely observing the growth of the golden threads allowed him to deduce that even if the fusion succeeded, the entity inside the cocoon needed at least another hour.

"Senior Brother, when the Five-Clawed Divine Dragon skeleton reforms—one being a thousand-year-old demon, the other a mysterious mechanical beast refined by the Mohists—what kind of monster will they become when they merge? Aren't you curious?"

"Curious?" Huo Zhongguang gave a wry smile. "One needs to stay alive to be curious, don't they?"

Ever since Feng Zikang subdued him, Huo Zhongguang had become even more timid. Now that his Nascent Soul Core was in Feng Zikang's hands, their fates were intertwined; if Feng Zikang died, so would he. Thus, he was even more anxious than Feng Zikang.

Feng Zikang closed his eyes without speaking, his hand resting on the gigantic golden cocoon, slowly infusing his inner energy to probe the situation within. Indeed, the White Bone Divine Monarch's consciousness was taking the lead, guiding the connection between the skull and the body. Long Que’s mechanical beast consciousness was nowhere to be found, utterly vanished.

Had it been devoured?

Feng Zikang’s expression darkened. If that were the case, his only option was to find a way to destroy the giant cocoon and eliminate the White Bone Divine Monarch before the fusion completed. Judging by the intensifying aura emanating from the cocoon, it would be exceedingly difficult to handle otherwise.

"Come!"

Feng Zikang beckoned with both hands. The four Divine Demons flew swiftly to occupy the four cardinal directions, encircling the golden cocoon and displaying their powerful manifestations aggressively.

The Heavenly King in the East held a pagoda in one hand and a black serpent in the other. From the pagoda rained down exquisite light and blazing crimson flames, mixing with the black flames spat from the serpent's mouth to form a three-colored blaze that rolled and surged toward the golden cocoon.

The Dark Demon King in the West smirked eerily, shooting illusory flames from his eyes that ignited whatever they touched. Pale white fire enveloped the golden cocoon entirely.

The Golden Net of Wrath in the South was not to be outdone. Crimson Lotus Karmic Fire rose from its head, descending from the sky to shroud the golden cocoon.

The Hairy Beast in the North scratched its head, pondering for a long time before coming up with an idea. It rubbed its hands together fiercely, its fur igniting with a faint, ghostly blue flame—the intrinsic heart-fire of a Divine Demon, potent in its own right. Happily, it brought its hands close to the base of the golden cocoon and began to bake it.

Crimson Flame, Serpent's Black Fire, Illusory Flame, Crimson Lotus Karmic Fire, and Divine Demon Heart-Fire—five distinct True Fires burned the golden cocoon. Even the immensely resilient Dragon Soul could not help but gradually shrink. A shrill, agonizing scream echoed from within the giant cocoon—it was the White Bone Divine Monarch.

"What difficulty is there in refining the Dragon Cocoon with the Five Fires?"

Feng Zikang smiled faintly. What did the Five-Clawed Divine Dragon skeleton matter? Under the refining power of these five fires, the Dragon Soul could be refined within half an hour. Although it was uncertain whether the mechanical beast could still be used without the Dragon Soul, the White Bone Divine Monarch was definitely doomed.

Even Huo Zhongguang, reduced to a mere blood shadow, couldn't help but wipe the non-existent cold sweat from his brow. Fortunately, this method was never used against him in the Four Aspects Divine Demon Prison; otherwise, in less than three minutes, his Nascent Soul would be utterly annihilated. He swore never again to entertain any disrespectful thoughts towards his Junior Brother, lest he suffer the same fate.

The fire intensified, and the White Bone Divine Monarch’s screams grew more horrific.

Huo Zhongguang laughed heartily. "Junior Brother, I once heard tales of people spinning a cocoon around themselves to self-immolate, and today I actually witness it. If he hadn't used this evil merging technique, it might have taken us considerably more effort to subdue him. Instead, he's simply being roasted alive. This White Bone Divine Monarch truly is foolish!"

The White Bone Divine Monarch was enraged, his three corpses leaping in fury, roaring incessantly.

Feng Zikang, however, frowned, deep in thought.

"Bad!"

Feng Zikang suddenly leaped up, summoning his full concentration and preparing for defense. The golden cocoon inside suddenly blazed with a dazzling golden light, accompanied by continuous, booming thunder.

"He’s breaking out early! I didn't expect him to possess such a treasure!"

Feng Zikang drew his sword back swiftly, weaving a net of sword light in front of him. He heard a thunderous roar from within the cocoon—it was the White Bone Divine Monarch’s voice, "You damned brat! You forced my hand, Divine Monarch!"

With a violent burst, the golden cocoon shattered. The four Divine Demons groaned in unison and were forced back simultaneously. A ball of white shadow revealed a head, from which a massive claw thrust out, lunging for Feng Zikang. It treated the tens of thousands of sword lights as nothing, batting them away with sharp clinks and clangs. Fortunately, the claw had already lost most of its momentum. A golden light flashed over Feng Zikang; he activated the Indestructible Golden Net divine ability, blocking the giant claw’s attack, and was thrown back several dozen zhang before planting his feet, his face pale.

"Hahahaha!"

The golden cocoon completely broke open, revealing a white figure nearly ten feet tall. He bore a massive dragon head, his eyes like two terrifying black hollows. His two giant claws had transformed into feet, allowing him to stand steadily on the ground. Besides a giant white bone claw sprouting from each shoulder, another giant claw emerged from his chest, waving incessantly.

"Junior! You forced this Divine Monarch to use the Myriad Wood Spirit Elixir, preventing my body from completing its growth! You stole my treasure, harmed my disciples, and wounded my body—for these three grave sins, this Divine Monarch vows to take your life!"

Though he laughed toward the sky, there was no joy in it; he gnashed his teeth, his hatred surging.

"Hmph!"

Feng Zikang sneered. "If you had taken an hour to restore your dragon form, perhaps I would fear you a little. But you are forcibly accelerating the process with elixirs. Even if your head and body are united, what use is it? Can you break my Four Aspects Divine Demon Array?"

With a shout, the four Divine Demons snapped out of their daze, soaring up to occupy the four directions again, surrounding the newly formed White Bone Divine Monarch!

"Petty Divine Demons, how significant are they!"

The White Bone Divine Monarch spoke with immense arrogance. He brandished his three claws simultaneously and opened his mouth, spitting out four beams of golden light directly at the four Divine Demons. The demons had expended considerable effort refining the golden cocoon with the Five Fires and were currently weakened. Seeing the golden light approach, they dared not meet it head-on and scattered to evade. However, the golden light seemed to have eyes, pursuing and battering the demons. The demons were exhausted trying to defend themselves, unable to utilize the subtle intricacies of the Four Aspects Divine Demon Array.

Feng Zikang’s brow furrowed. He shielded himself with his sword, and with a single finger movement, tens of thousands of sword lights descended from above, merging into one, aimed at the White Bone Divine Monarch. The Monarch, currently controlling the golden lights with his three claws and mouth, could not spare a hand to defend. Yet, he was not panicked. He merely shook his head, and a mass of black energy materialized above his skull, transforming into a giant palm that seized the incoming brilliant light, attempting to crush it. It couldn't crush it, however, leading to a stalemate between the two forces.

Huo Zhongguang watched anxiously. Since he was merely a blood shadow, his voice offered little help, so he could only jump around on the sidelines.

Feng Zikang’s expression became grave. The merged White Bone Divine Monarch he faced today was truly the most formidable foe he had ever encountered. Since acquiring the Four Aspects Divine Demon Array, he felt his abilities had greatly advanced, not even taking early or mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators seriously. But this White Bone Divine Monarch’s techniques were so strong they nearly rivaled late-stage Foundation Establishment masters; he could hold off the Four Aspects Divine Demon Array single-handedly with ease. Feng Zikang's painstakingly cultivated second stance of the Starlight Great Annihilation Sword Technique, Pojun (Breaking the Army), also proved ineffective.

Of the enemies he had faced before, although some were stronger, they were all within the scope of his careful calculations and could not keep him tied up for long. Even when fighting Wu Duya, he still had the trump card of the Heart-Piercing Nail, so he remained calm.

But battling the White Bone Divine Monarch now, who was fundamentally a skeleton, the Heart-Piercing Nail was useless; the two divine abilities attached to the Star River Shuttle were equally impotent; as for the Essence-Gazing Orb, it was undoubtedly refined from a dragon eye. If he summoned it, not only would it fail to harm the opponent, but it would likely be seized and turned against him.

The Four Aspects Divine Demon Array had been used, and two stances of the Starlight Great Annihilation Sword Technique had been deployed. Feng Zikang truly had few trump cards left.

His face darkened. He stood holding his sword, and with a slight exertion, the thick white sword light and the black hand emerging from the White Bone Divine Monarch's crown burst into powder simultaneously. Both figures retreated a step. Feng Zikang’s face was pale. Since the White Bone Divine Monarch was inherently bone, his expression was impossible to read.

"The Master said: 'To govern with virtue is like the North Star; it remains in its place, and all the stars turn towards it.'"

Feng Zikang slowly moved his sword, and a faint golden arc reappeared around him, enveloping him completely. He muttered incantations—phrases from the Confucian classic, the Analects.

"Junior Brother... what... what are you doing?"

Huo Zhongguang was startled. Although he disliked studying, he had heard this quote from the Analects. The meaning was: Confucius said that governing a state with virtue is like the North Star residing in its position, while all other stars revolve around it automatically.

But Feng Zikang was clearly a military strategist disciple. If he were to chant scriptures for aid now, he should be reciting passages from Sun Tzu’s Art of War—things like Dao, Heaven, General, Law. Suddenly chanting the Analects was truly bizarre.

Could Junior Brother also be a master of Confucian cultivation?

Huo Zhongguang recalled that when Feng Zikang taught him the Heavenly Demon Self-Disintegration Great Method, he had falsely claimed it was a Confucian technique, "To hear the Dao in the morning, and die in the evening is sufficient." Could he actually know it?

Was this the time to fight to the death? Huo Zhongguang grew frantic, clenching his fists, regretting that he couldn't help!

"Junior Brother, you can’t die! Old Brother’s life is still in your hands!"

Feng Zikang certainly did not possess the 'hear the Dao in the morning, die in the evening' divine ability. Even if he were fighting to the death, he would naturally use the Heavenly Demon Self-Sacrifice technique. However, this was not yet the moment for a life-or-death struggle.

This was the third stance recorded in the supplementary volume of the Starlight Great Annihilation divine ability.

Beichen (The North Star)!

Beichen, the North Star, is situated in the northern celestial pole, unchanging through all four seasons. The annotation for this sword stance precisely quoted this line from the Analects. Feng Zikang carefully pondered it and gained some insight, which also served to confirm that the Starlight Great Annihilation Sword Technique was not a purely military divine power, but a supreme technique created by a demonic path master integrating the essence of various schools.

Especially after battling the Sword Demon Old Ancestor, Huang Jiume, he finally grasped the true essence of this Beichen stance.

It was the ultimate principle of immobility in motion, and motion within stillness; one point breaks and the universe is born.

He stood holding his sword, eyes tightly closed, utterly still, yet the sword light above the tip flickered faintly, shining brilliantly!