Under the dim night, a powerfully built youth burst from the shadows of the dense woods, wildly flinging his hairy arms in exhilaration. Trailing closely behind him, three other youths of similar age stumbled out, each gasping for breath, clearly relieved to have escaped.

These were Nie Fengbo, Nie Fengtao, Nie Fengting, and Nie Fengxin.

For days, they had wandered the Illusionary Realm of Life and Death, searching for Nie Kong while constantly being ambushed by other youths and attacked by spirit beasts. Now, though miraculously alive, they were haggard, their clothes torn and stained with blood, looking like savages just emerged from the primeval jungle.

Nie Fengting, whose face was pocked with acne, grumbled irritably, "We’ve searched for so long, not even a shadow of him. Is he dead, or hiding somewhere? Fengbo, you had such a perfect chance that day—how did you let him slip away? If we can’t find him, how are we going to explain this to Third Brother once we get out?"

Nie Fengbo had been scolded countless times by his companions over these days. Hearing Nie Fengting’s words, his eyes immediately reddened. "Shut your mouth! You think I wanted him to run? If that little brat Nie Xiuge hadn't suddenly shown up to cause trouble, I’d have captured him alive!"

Nie Fengting shot back, "It’s just because your own ability is too low."

"You…"

Seeing the two about to start bickering again, Nie Fengtao and Nie Fengxin quickly separated them, soothing them until a semblance of quiet returned to the forest edge. Thinking about the seven-day deadline fast approaching—when the spirit beasts in the realm would grow even more frenzied—and the fading hope of finding Nie Kong, all four were deeply disheartened.

Suddenly, Nie Fengbo broke the surrounding silence, his voice trembling with excitement, "Nie Kong! Nie Kong! Look quickly, Nie Kong is right there!"

"You must be crazy from looking for Nie Kong!"

Muttering a derisive remark, Nie Fengting nevertheless instinctively followed Nie Fengbo’s gaze. A moment later, Nie Fengting’s eyes snapped wide open, immediately followed by an expression of uncontrollable ecstasy. Seeing this, Nie Fengtao and Nie Fengxin couldn't help but turn their heads as well.

At the mouth of the ravine a hundred meters away, a figure burst forth in disarray. Judging by his appearance, even if he were reduced to ash, Nie Fengbo and the others would have recognized him instantly as Nie Kong.

"Heaven hasn't been cruel to me; I've finally run into you."

Nie Fengbo abruptly channeled his spiritual power and charged toward Nie Kong, his heart surging with emotion so intense he felt like weeping—it was like being utterly starved only to have a perfectly baked pie suddenly drop from the sky. Nie Fengting, Nie Fengtao, and Nie Fengxin laughed heartily in shared excitement and chased after Nie Fengbo.

"Heaven hasn't been cruel to me!"

Seeing the four figures suddenly appear in his line of sight, Nie Kong also shouted internally with ecstatic delight: They’ve arrived at the perfect moment; they are truly a timely rescue!

In that instant, Nie Kong found the four distorted faces on the opposite side, twisted in excitement, incredibly dear. He rushed toward them, tears welling up in his eyes—his expression was that of a parched desert traveler who has suddenly discovered a bottle of mineral water, desperately wanting to swallow the entire bottle, water and all.

Noticing Nie Kong’s movement, a flicker of doubt crossed Nie Fengting's mind: He’s not running away; he’s running towards us? Isn't that suicide?

"Haha, isn't that exactly what we want?"

Nie Fengbo couldn't be bothered to decipher such a pointless question; capturing Nie Kong would clarify everything. Thus, Nie Fengbo pushed his speed to the absolute limit.

In mere seconds, the distance to Nie Kong shrank to less than ten meters.

"Nie Kong, big brother has searched so hard for you. Now, let big brother give you a proper welcome." Letting out a wild, unrestrained laugh, Nie Fengbo's robust frame launched into the air, like a hawk diving for a hare, slamming a punch toward Nie Kong’s shoulder. Wherever the fist traveled, the air shimmered with heat.

"Oh dear, don't use such suggestive language; it's giving me goosebumps."

Nie Kong laughed mockingly, neither dodging nor evading, maintaining his previous speed. His right arm, already brimming with spiritual energy, shot out swiftly.

"Bang! Bang!"

A thick cloud of green light exploded, accompanied by two almost overlapping detonations. After the sound, Nie Fengbo was violently thrown backward. He took several heavy steps backward upon landing before he could barely steady himself, his eyes wide as brass bells, filled with utter astonishment: "This... how is this possible?"

"Forgot to mention, I'm already at Spirit Condensation First Grade now." Taking advantage of Nie Fengbo’s stunned moment, Nie Kong laughed and swept past his side.

"Spirit Condensation First Grade?" Not just Nie Fengbo, but Nie Fengting and the others were also momentarily stunned. In just over half a month, the brat had actually broken through to the Spirit Condensation realm?

"Only Spirit Condensation First Grade and you dare to be so arrogant and wild? How ridiculous!" Nie Fengtao, the highest-cultivated among the four, sneered coldly. His figure flashed, instantly positioning him in front of Nie Kong, blocking his path. However, before he could strike, he felt a sudden alarm. "Huh? What’s happening? The ground is shaking?"

At this moment, the earth groaned beneath them as if thousands of horses were galloping, accompanied by the faint, ragged sounds of heavy breathing echoing from the canyon.

Nie Fengbo and the others, who had just surrounded Nie Kong in the center, exchanged bewildered glances.

"Roar! Roar! Roar…"

A deafening chorus of howls ripped through the air, carrying an intensity of rage and killing intent that made Nie Fengbo’s group’s hearts tremble.

"That’s…"

"Wolf cries?"

"Wolves? Golden-Silver Wolves?"

"…"

A creeping sense of foreboding rose from the bottom of their hearts. Terror appeared in the eyes of the four as they watched one muscular Golden-Silver Wolf after another charge out of the ravine, flowing like streaks of gold light in the dusky night, rushing forward with menacing intensity. Their crimson eyes glowed with cold, bloodthirsty menace, and their bared fangs were terrifying to behold—it was clear these spirit beasts were in a state of utter frenzy.

"So... so many Golden-Silver Wolves…" Nie Fengbo’s face was etched with panic. Recalling the descriptions given by their family elders about these spirit beasts, he couldn't help but shiver involuntarily. Nie Fengting and the others exchanged looks, seeing undisguised fear mirrored in each other's eyes.

"Haha, gentlemen, please give my rear companions a warm welcome. I won't keep you company." While Nie Fengbo and his group were struck with dread, Nie Kong had already slipped through the gap between them and bolted away without stopping, only turning back to laugh loudly once he reached the edge of the woods.

"Despicable!"

"Shameless!"

"…"

The four snapped back to reality, shouting curses as they scrambled back the way they came. Nie Fengbo and the others hurled nearly every malicious adjective they knew at Nie Kong. If three or four hundred Golden-Silver Wolves were charging, even ten Spirit Fusion Masters would hesitate to meet their sharp edge, let alone the four of them, who were only at the Spirit Condensation level.

At this moment, they had no thought of catching Nie Kong; each one wished their parents had blessed them with two extra legs as they plunged into the woods, following Nie Kong’s retreating path. However, Nie Fengbo and the others soon regretted that decision. They stumbled and fell through the undergrowth, while the Golden-Silver Wolves moved with the agility of dragons in the sea.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!"

Amidst the dim trees, four screams echoed in succession.

...

Life and Death Hall.

"Bang!"

A cocoon shimmering with seven colors shattered violently.

"Nie Kong, I swear I will never forgive you!" A furious roar reverberated throughout the hall as Nie Fengbo, who had just reappeared, collapsed to the floor.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Within a few short minutes, three more cocoons cracked open. The three whose souls had returned to their bodies shrieked similar vows of vengeance before passing out. Sensing the intense resentment in their words, the Ninth Elder Nie Xingdong and Eighth Elder Nie Longshan, who had been keeping watch in the hall, exchanged stunned glances.

Such heavy resentment. By what method did Nie Kong kill these four little brats?