The moment Nie Kong sensed that faint trace of vibrant green, he felt a strange connection blossom between himself and the seed, a tether originating directly from his soul.
Instantly, an image flooded his mind—memories delivered by the seed itself. These recollections largely confirmed Nie Kong's prior suspicions.
When he was struck by lightning, the Demon Server had malfunctioned catastrophically. The data for the ultimate B-rank spirit, the Ziluo Huan Ling Xiang (Amethyst Illusory Spirit Incense), which was enveloped by its own leaves, somehow merged with the data of Alchemist Nie Kong. This fusion transformed into the seed form, which then penetrated his still-lingering soul consciousness via the game helmet, ultimately accompanying him to the Tian Ling Continent. During this process, a significant amount of data related to both the Ziluo Huan Ling Xiang and the Alchemist seemed to be lost.
Game data merging with a human soul! Nie Kong marvelled at such an inconceivable occurrence, yet considering that transmigration and rebirth into another world were possible, finding demon game data within himself was perhaps not so difficult to accept.
Once the seed sprouted, the rate at which it absorbed that sliver of inky green **quickened. Within seconds, every last trace of the ** on the seed’s surface flowed into its core through the nascent gap of the sprout.
“Blood absorption complete. Pet ‘Ziluo Huan Ling Xiang’ successfully bound to master. Please assign a name!” A directive suddenly echoed directly into his consciousness.
“Eh? A pet?”
As Nie Kong blinked in astonishment, the link between himself and the Ziluo Huan Ling Xiang grew sharper, as if it had become an inseparable part of his own body.
The directive transmitted into his mind once more: “Blood absorption complete. Pet ‘Ziluo Huan Ling Xiang’ successfully bound to master. Please assign a name!”
“Xiang Xiang?”
A thought sparked within Nie Kong as he tentatively held the two syllables in his mind, wondering if it could receive the message.
“Name assigned successfully!”
Following the highly formulaic mental reply, a wave of distinct joy and delight emanated from the Ziluo Huan Ling Xiang. Nie Kong immediately felt an intense affection woven into this emotion—the sensation of a small pet clinging to its owner, seeking affection.
“Ziluo Huan Ling Xiang pet, I really am its master? Xiang Xiang?” Nie Kong called out internally.
“Ayaya!” The Ziluo Huan Ling Xiang trembled slightly, as if acknowledging him.
“Xiang Xiang!”
Hearing this faint sound, Nie Kong’s interest piqued. The “Ayaya” was the signature cry of the Ziluo Huan Ling Xiang in the game; it would always let out that sound just before launching an attack, much like the high-pitched death wails of monsters like the ‘Crimson Eye Demon.’ However, the current sound from the Ziluo Huan Ling Xiang was incredibly juvenile, as if a mature, seductive woman had suddenly transformed into a little girl.
“Ayaya…” The Ziluo Huan Ling Xiang shivered again, the pitch shifting minutely, conveying a sense of coquettishness.
“Xiang Xiang!”
“……”
It felt like a strange uncle teasing a little girl with a lollipop. Nie Kong, thoroughly entertained, called out its new name back and forth dozens of times.
Finally abandoning this mischievous game, Nie Kong felt a strange dissonance. If this were still the game world, owning the ultimate B-rank Ziluo Huan Ling Xiang as a pet would cause an uproar across all Demon factions; it was the ultimate symbol of status and strength. But now, he wondered what function this hybrid of the B-rank spirit and the Alchemist would possess?
“Useful or not, having such a little companion around is nice. It came from the same world as I did,” Nie Kong chuckled quietly, then recalled the consciousness transmitted during the spirit’s bonding.
“Blood absorption complete?”
Could that inky green ** separated from the blood vessels also be considered blood?
Doubts swirled in Nie Kong’s mind. He lightly manipulated the celestial needle, focusing his attention on the mass of ** inside the Yao Chi acupoint. He could sense an immensely vast power within the **. But because it was separated from the bloodline and trapped in the Yao Chi acupoint, that power lay dormant, and he couldn’t tell if it would ever erupt again.
That power possessed devastating destructive capability. Nie Kong’s chronic illness, blocked meridians, and slow progress in spiritual power cultivation were all attributable to its interference. Yet, it felt utterly foreign. Nie Kong searched his memories but found no related information; perhaps it was inherited from his mother?
“Ayaya, ayaya, ayaya…”
Xiang Xiang’s childish cries interrupted Nie Kong’s musings, carrying an undertone of impatience, as if questioning why he had ignored it for so long.
The little thing was quite clingy?
Nie Kong smiled internally, suppressing his worry about the pool of inky green blood. He called out “Xiang Xiang, Xiang Xiang” again, while simultaneously withdrawing the golden needles inserted into the Nine Great Hidden Acupoints one by one.
Nie Kong modulated his tone and pitch, teasing the little spirit until it trembled ceaselessly. Eventually, the “Ayaya” cries grew weaker until the pet seemed to drift into sleep.
“Finally got it settled,” he sighed in relief, then began attempting the ‘Five Star Teleportation Art.’ Moments later, Nie Kong was pleasantly shocked. Without the obstruction of that inky green blood, the speed at which he could draw in and refine the wood-elemental spiritual energy had increased nearly tenfold. This efficiency was now on par with that of a normal Spirit Master.
If he could manage to clear the Twelve Primary Meridians and the Eight Extraordinary Channels, his cultivation efficiency would surely increase substantially beyond this point.
He held considerable confidence regarding this prospect.
After about two hours, the empty trio of Spiritual Acupoints was brimming with vibrant green wood-elemental spiritual power. This was starkly different from the last time, when he had practiced the ‘Five Star Teleportation Art’ for half a day just to accumulate a minuscule amount of energy, which was then scattered and blocked his meridians by that inky green blood.
With spiritual energy surging in his acupoints, Nie Kong felt a sense of overall refreshment. With a soft creak, the room door suddenly swung open. Nie Kong quickly looked over and saw Hua Mei slumped on the floor, leaning against the doorframe, sound asleep—she must have accidentally brushed against it.
“Sister-in-law?” Nie Kong approached and called out softly.
“Uncle, be careful…”
Hua Mei murmured indistinctly but did not wake. Seeing her tightly furrowed brows and exhausted face, worrying about him even in sleep, Nie Kong felt a small hand grip his heart. Filled with both tenderness and gratitude, he cast aside any formality regarding their brother-in-law/sister-in-law relationship and gently lifted Hua Mei into his arms.
She gave a soft moan, and Hua Mei’s arms suddenly wrapped around Nie Kong’s neck. Her full, soft mounds pressed against his chest, jostling with every step he took. He felt the yielding, resilient touch, even sensing the hardened points of her nipples, yet at that moment, no lustful thoughts entered his mind.
Hua Mei’s body was not heavy, but lifting her proved somewhat strenuous. Finally, he had to draw upon the spiritual energy in his acupoints to carry her into the adjacent room.
The red candle in the room was less than half burnt. The candles on the Tian Ling Continent burned far longer than those in his previous life; they were made from the rendered fat of a specific spirit beast, and a candle a foot long could burn for ten days or half a month.
Her sleeping quarters were just as simple, lacking only a small wardrobe compared to Nie Kong’s room. Gently setting Hua Mei onto the bed, Nie Kong carefully removed her shoes and tucked the blanket around her.
Hua Mei’s complexion was delicate, her features exquisite, though a faint red mark remained on her forehead—the result of her collision with the wall yesterday. Fortunately, it was only a scrape that would leave no scar upon healing. Nie Kong couldn't help but reach out and gently trace the red mark a few times.
Recalling the events of the previous day, Nie Kong suddenly felt a surge of gratitude toward Er Lin and San Mu. Had they not restrained Hua Mei in time, she might have perished yesterday—a result Nie Kong could never have accepted.
If his feelings for Hua Mei yesterday stemmed only from the memories of this body, now, he genuinely liked this good girl. Of course, this liking was pure; it wasn't the reverent respect the original Nie Kong held for his sister-in-law, nor was it tainted by romantic attraction.
After a long moment, Nie Kong stood up, lowered the bed curtain, blew out the candle, and left the room.
In the darkness, Hua Mei covered her face, gasping for breath. Her heart hammered as if trying to leap from her chest, and a wave of heat spread from her cheeks across her entire body, leaving her weak. She had actually been carried to her bed by her Uncle, and she had embraced him so tightly—how mortifying.
……