With Nie Fengbo and the others holding the line for a few vital minutes behind him, Nie Kong managed to widen the gap between himself and the Golden-Silked Silver Wolves. Sufficient distance meant he would have the time necessary to thoroughly neutralize this significant threat. As for the fate of Nie Fengbo and the other three, Nie Kong gave it not a single thought.

Given how they had relentlessly hunted him for days, it was highly likely these people were acting under Nie Fengxing’s orders, intending to torment him, or perhaps even end his life, within this Illusionary Realm. If such individuals could contribute to his escape from the pursuing wolves, it wouldn't have been entirely in vain.

"Buzz! Buzz…"

Golden needles shot out from his pet pack, vibrating with a faint tremor as they embedded themselves in his body.

As Nie Kong rapidly twirled his right thumb and forefinger, his nine Hidden Acupoints vibrated intensely. Then, with a flick of his left hand, six bottles of Huichun Lu materialized in his palm. With almost no hesitation, he popped the stoppers and gulped down the entire contents of each jade vial.

Guided by the golden needles, threads of the medicinal liquid flowed toward the areas contaminated by wolf blood. At this moment, twenty to thirty spots on Nie Kong’s body were stained with that blood—apart from his initial injury on his left index finger, the rest were from kills made while escaping the Golden-Silked Silver Wolves.

Once this wolf blood touched the skin, even after being wiped away, it left behind a pungent, strange odor. If that smell wasn't eliminated, the Golden-Silked Silver Wolves would find him, no matter where he fled.

Because of this, the clan elders in past years never intentionally provoked the Golden-Silked Silver Wolves, unless attacked first.

The strange wolf blood odor would dissipate after soaking in water for a time. However, Nie Kong currently lacked the luxury of time to search for a water source, forcing him to rely on this specialized method.

In moments, all the Huichun Lu liquid had reached its destinations.

"Hummm…"

The golden needles vibrated more violently, and it felt as though a fierce furnace fire had ignited within Nie Kong's core, causing his skin to grow scorching hot. Unable to withstand the intense heat, the Huichun Lu medicine began to vaporize into wisps of white mist, steaming upwards from the patches tainted by the wolf blood.

Accompanying this mist was the noxious wolf blood scent clinging to his pores.

"Awoo! Awoo…"

By now, Nie Fengbo and the others were likely in dire straits. The Golden-Silked Silver Wolves were closing in again from behind, their frenzied howls becoming clearly audible.

Nie Kong stilled his mind and remained outwardly calm.

Ten seconds later, the final wisp of mist finally dispersed from his pores. By this time, the nearest pursuing Golden-Silked Silver Wolf was less than fifty meters away.

"Success!"

Nie Kong felt a surge of exhilaration, retracting his golden needles and letting out a loud laugh. With a sharp ’Chila’, he tore off the blood-stained clothing and tossed it aside, leaving him clad only in a loose pair of shorts.

With no scent trail left to guide the wolves, Nie Kong was finally unburdened. He increased the speed he had been forced to maintain while using the golden needles. In this terrain, Nie Kong truly moved like a fish in water; his Feihua Liuying technique was displayed to its utmost perfection.

Conversely, after passing the spot where Nie Kong had shed his garments, the pursuing wolves slowed, sniffing the ground as they ran, their formation gradually spreading apart.

After about half an hour, Nie Kong could no longer see the blood-red wolf eyes or glinting gold light behind him, only catching the faint, resentful howls drifting from the distance.

He ran on for a considerable distance before finally letting out a heavy sigh of relief. He climbed to the very top of a towering tree and sat down cross-legged.

The moment he stopped, exhaustion washed over him. Having been chased by the Golden-Silked Silver Wolves for over an hour, his spiritual energy was nearly depleted.

"I wonder if Bai Yuqing managed to escape?"

Nie Kong muttered to himself, resigning himself to wishing her good luck. Intermittent, shrill roars of spirit beasts echoed around him, but Nie Kong ignored them, concentrating his mind to begin cultivating. This forest was fraught with hidden dangers; only by rapidly restoring his spiritual power could he ensure his own safety…

…

As the sky brightened, a new day dawned.

The valley entrance was serene. If not for the messy sprawl of paw prints covering the ground, no one would have guessed that over a thousand Grade Two spirit beasts, the Golden-Silked Silver Wolves, had passed through here late yesterday evening.

Nie Kong cautiously poked his head out from behind a thicket. He had left the tree where he spent the night just as dawn broke, discerned his direction, and headed toward this valley. After all, he still hadn't given up on that white jade stone wall emanating the miraculous medicinal fragrance.

Seeing no abnormalities in the vicinity, Nie Kong felt a slight easing of tension. He slipped out of the bushes, weaving and dodging his way deeper into the valley, maintaining his cautious movements. It was precisely this wariness that allowed him to travel such a distance safely today and return here; otherwise, he would have undoubtedly been killed by some spirit beast long ago.

Nie Kong encountered no danger until he reached the edge of the fissure. Pushing aside the closed entrance, the familiar brilliant white light flooded his vision.

"Swish!"

With a faint whoosh of displaced air, a large, furry paw slammed down savagely toward Nie Kong's head.

A spirit beast!!

Nie Kong narrowed his eyes. He was alarmed but remained composed. He shifted his body to the side, evading the razor-sharp claws, then flipped backward, landing outside the fissure.

"Roar!"

With a violent bellow, a hulking, dark, stout figure lumbered out of the crack, snorting heavily—it was a black bear nearly two meters in length. This bear was broad and heavily built, yet it possessed a rather peculiar appearance: its head featured white markings forming the character 'King' ($\text{}$), and its eyes were entirely white.

This was a Grade Two spirit beast, the Snow-Eyed King Bear. This creature could not see, yet its sense of smell was extraordinarily acute. Upon exiting the fissure, the Snow-Eyed King Bear showed no hesitation, reared up on its hind legs, and lunged toward where Nie Kong was standing.

A stench washed over Nie Kong, nearly making him pass out. He quickly held his breath, his steps flashing rapidly as he skirted around the bear’s two thick forepaws. He sprang into the air, gathered his right hand's five fingers, and aimed a strike from an extremely tricky angle toward the bear's small left eye.

"Bang!"

The Snow-Eyed King Bear reacted with surprising speed, hastily shaking its head and narrowly avoiding the vital eye. Nie Kong's "Cloud-Layered Flower Burst" landed squarely on its forehead.

A powerful spiritual energy explosion erupted. The bear’s forehead was instantly mangled, causing it to bellow in agony. Its massive frame staggered, then it opened its cavernous maw again, charging toward Nie Kong with heavy, stomping steps (Tūngtūngtūngtūng). Fangs jutted out menacingly, and saliva dripped steadily from the corners of its mouth as it advanced.

This brute was indeed thick-skinned. The "Cloud-Layered Flower Burst" could instantly explode the head of a Golden-Silked Silver Wolf, yet here, it merely tore the skin, causing almost no substantial damage. Nie Kong chuckled, utilizing Feihua Liuying to circle the Snow-Eyed King Bear rapidly.

The bear could only rely on scent to track Nie Kong’s movements, causing it to spin in place following Nie Kong’s motion. Before long, it seemed slightly disoriented; its body began to sway, and its gait grew clumsy. The roars rumbling from its throat became increasingly wild.

"Hoo!"

Stopping abruptly behind the Snow-Eyed King Bear, Nie Kong leaped into the air, once again gathering his right hand, and plunged it like a spiritual serpent into the creature's round little eye.

"Bang! Bang!" His five fingers crushed the bear's eyeball, and boundless spiritual energy surged outward, detonating inside its socket.

"Aroo…"

It managed only half a mournful cry before the Snow-Eyed King Bear, its brain scrambled, crashed heavily to the ground, its bulk convulsing on the earth. Nie Kong shook his head slightly. This Snow-Eyed King Bear was relatively powerful among Grade Two spirit beasts, but for a Spirit Master with high speed, it was one of the easiest types to dispatch.

Returning to the edge of the fissure, Nie Kong didn't pause for observation but squeezed straight inside. The massive commotion he caused with the Snow-Eyed King Bear outside meant that if any other spirit beasts were hiding in this stone cave, they would have already emerged to attack him instead of remaining concealed for a sneak attack.

Indeed, the cave was empty, harboring no other life besides himself.

"Thump!"

A faint sound came from just outside the cave opening, and judging by its origin, it seemed to be right at the fissure’s mouth. Could another spirit beast have appeared? Nie Kong’s gaze sharpened. He eased his footsteps and slowly approached the cave entrance…

…