Third watch approaches; votes and collections requested!^^ ... Nie Kong was speechless, giving his arms a rueful glance—weren't they just like two oversized radishes? The little girl was practically falling over with laughter, though it was purely amusement, not malice. Nie Kong certainly wouldn't hold it against her. Once Mu Hongling’s laughter subsided slightly, Nie Kong casually asked, "Little sister, judging by your tone, you seem quite knowledgeable about this spinning top?"

Mu Hongling tossed her pretty face up. "Of course, I've been practicing with this thing since I was little. Watch me demonstrate, and then you’ll know what to do." She walked over to the top, rolled up her sleeves, revealing two delicate, pale arms like tender lotus roots. "By the way, what did you just call me?"

"Little sister," Nie Kong shrugged.

"Hey, we’re practically the same age, how can you call me that? It makes you sound like an old man."

Mu Hongling planted her hands on her hips and pouted playfully. Then, her eyes darted around cunningly. "Tell you what: If you call me 'Master,' I’ll tell you all the secrets to using this top." As if to prove her claim, she added enthusiastically, "I really am an expert."

"Master," Nie Kong chuckled inwardly, letting the word slip out easily.

"What did you call me?"

Mu Hongling didn't react immediately. She stared blankly at Nie Kong for a good while before blurting out foolishly, "Nie Kong, you… you really agreed?"

"That’s right."

"Wonderful! I have an apprentice!"

Mu Hongling beamed, her smile so wide her eyes narrowed into crescents, revealing two perfectly round dimples at the corners of her mouth. After savoring her joy for a moment, she bounced back excitedly, "Apprentice Big Radish, watch your Master show you a few tricks." As she spoke, the girl puffed out her chest, causing the two full, proud mounds of jade to tremble captivatingly. They were indeed quite substantial.

Apprentice Big Radish?

Nie Kong let out a silent laugh. In just the blink of an eye, this young slip of a girl had already given him such a comical nickname.

"Here we go."

Mu Hongling cried out sweetly, a look of dignified mentorship gracing her pretty, round face. As soon as she finished the final syllable, her figure sprang into motion. She began circling the top rapidly, her two crystal-clear arms darting in and out like flexible serpents, probing the gaps.

Tiki-tiki-tiki-tiki...

The continuous tapping sound her fingers made against the iron rod was ceaseless, like pearls scattering onto a jade plate, or raindrops drumming on banana leaves—weaving a melody both beautiful and pleasing to the ear. Accompanying the sound, Mu Hongling’s graceful movements made her look like a fluttering red butterfly dancing around the top, flashing back and forth, a delightful spectacle.

Witnessing this, Nie Kong was suddenly stunned. He had a faint premonition: though this young girl was small, her cultivation level likely surpassed the Spirit Manifestation realm and had already entered the Spirit Fusion realm.

Nie Kong had always known about the extraordinary genius Nie Fenglei in the Nie Family, and many others with slightly lesser talent, but he hadn't paid them much mind. Now, seeing Mu Hongling's performance firsthand, he truly grasped the immense chasm separating him from his peers.

If he didn't want to be forgotten and buried in the dust, Nie Kong could only seize every available moment and resource to chase after them fiercely. Even if he couldn't catch up, he absolutely could not fall too far behind. Otherwise, Nie Kong would merely become a small pawn in the family, forever unable to grasp his own fate, perhaps becoming cannon fodder in a conflict with another clan, dissolving into a mound of yellow earth.

"Spirit Gathering, Spirit Manifestation, Spirit Fusion, Spirit Transformation, Spirit Command, Spirit Void, Spirit Elixir, Spirit Cave, Spirit Heaven... Hmph, there's still a long way to go."

Nie Kong gathered his thoughts, focusing his spirit entirely on Mu Hongling.

Indeed, just as Mu Hongling had claimed, she was intimately familiar with the top. Her arms flew up and down, her palms weaving left and right; the iron contraption that had given Nie Kong so much trouble seemed like a mere common toy in her hands, something she could manipulate however she pleased.

Before long, Nie Kong began to discern the difference between Mu Hongling and the other Nie Clan disciples practicing nearby.

While the other Nie Family Spirit Masters might be fast, their movements often appeared somewhat stiff and mechanical. Mu Hongling, however, was entirely different. With every move she made—the swing of the arm, the flick of the shoulder, the twist of the waist, the turn of the hip, the pivot of the leg—her entire body moved as a seamless whole. When her arm moved, the whole body followed.

Every gesture was imbued with a sense of spirit.

"Excellent!"

Nie Kong couldn't help but clap his hands in praise.

The red blur abruptly stopped. Mu Hongling gracefully leaped and, trailing a faint, delicate fragrance, arrived before Nie Kong, her face alight with excitement. "Apprentice Big Radish, what are your thoughts now?" Her bright, dark eyes sparkled, and her face seemed to be screaming, 'Quick, good apprentice, praise your Master!'

Nie Kong did not disappoint her. Recalling Mu Hongling's movements, he summarized, "Your movements are exceptionally beautiful and gentle, connecting with superb fluidity, like flowing water without a hint of the mundane. It looks like a dance honed countless times; it’s truly a pleasure to watch."

The little girl flushed slightly, a hint of pink spreading across her cheeks from the praise, but inwardly, she was ecstatic. Her dimples trembled. "Oh, Master isn't as good as you say..." She quickly pressed, "Apprentice Big Radish, what else? What else?"

"Your footwork is also very unique. With just a casual crossing of steps, you flash from the front of the top to the back. If you used that in a fight, the effect would surely be excellent."

"Mm-hmm, that’s a Spirit Art I learned. Can't tell you that one, though! Anything else?"

"There's also..."

"..."

"When you strike, every part of your body coordinates beautifully—the arm drives the shoulder, the shoulder drives the waist, and the waist drives the legs. Moreover, even before your hand makes contact, your legs, waist, and shoulders are already preparing to withdraw the arm. This means that after your fingers strike the iron rod along the line of momentum, it creates a slight rebound effect, allowing you to pull your arm back with maximum speed."

"Your entire body acts like a spring."

"You noticed all that!"

Mu Hongling looked at Nie Kong with a flicker of surprise in her eyes. Treating the body like a spring was the ultimate secret she had discovered while training with the top, something she was eager to explain to Nie Kong to enjoy her role as Master. But now that Nie Kong had articulated it so clearly, she felt a strong sense of anticlimax.

"And?" Mu Hongling pouted slightly.

"I've mentioned all the strengths, now for a weakness."

Seemingly oblivious to the beautiful eyes that had already fixed upon him, Nie Kong continued with a slight smile, "Little Master, why do you always wiggle your backside twice every time you twist your waist? Once should be enough."

"You... you..."

This was her little secret, and the movement was incredibly subtle. To think Nie Kong had spotted it! Mu Hongling’s pretty face immediately burned crimson. She stomped her foot and pouted in charming irritation, "I am your Master! Why are you fussing about how many times I wiggle my whatsit? Bad apprentice Big Radish, you’re not being good at all."

Seeing her charming, shyly indignant appearance, Nie Kong burst into loud laughter. Mu Hongling’s cheeks reddened further, and she made a motion to twist Nie Kong’s ear to assert her authority as Master.

"Hongling, what are you doing over there? Hurry up and come here!" A sweet voice drifted over from a hundred meters away—it was four or five girls waving vigorously towards them.

"Bad apprentice, I’ll let you off this time." Mu Hongling quickly pulled back her hand, which was halfway extended, and lectured sternly, though her facial features made it impossible for her to truly look severe. "Also, Master is Master. Don’t put 'Little' in front of it anymore."

Mu Hongling spoke as she ran, and by the time her voice faded, she was already ten meters away.

Watching Mu Hongling rejoin the group of girls, chasing and laughing as they faded into the distance, Nie Kong couldn't help but suppress his mirth over the strange experience of the last few minutes. He shook his head, sat down cross-legged before the spinning top, and let Mu Hongling’s movements replay in his mind, constantly comparing them with the Nie Family Spirit Masters currently practicing. In his heart, Nie Kong gained a deeper enlightenment... ...