As the final two streams of sparks sputtered out, the chaotic, colliding Fire Spirit power elements within the meridians had finally fused entirely into the Wood Spirit power.

At this moment, the spiritual power within his body was still Wood Spirit power, yet it was vastly different from before. Previously, when traversing the meridians, the Wood Spirit power flowed smoothly like water; now, however, it resembled surging currents of liquid fire, sparking constantly.

It was just that this fire was verdant green.

Noticing the scent wafting from the medicinal herbs had faded considerably, and the Purple Illusionary Spirit Incense had regained its vitality, Nie Kong retrieved it and tucked it into his Pet Bag. He then circulated the spiritual power in his body using the "Five Star Teleportation Art."

With a mere thought, the spiritual power in his meridians began to boil.

Like dragons of flame, the spiritual power within every channel roared, surging toward the "Three Spiritual Orifices of the Divine Spirit." Nie Kong’s spiritual power had increased significantly since he first broke through to the second layer of Spirit Unveiling, and its nature had fundamentally changed—it possessed both the ethereal agility of Wood Spirit power and the intense ferocity latent within Fire Spirit power.

"Boom!"

Vaguely, a barrier vanished under the fierce surge of spiritual power.

Spirit Unveiling Third Layer!

The four words surfaced in his mind, and Nie Kong felt an extraordinary calm.

From initial shock to anger, from subsequent unwillingness to despair, and finally to numbness—in this brief span, Nie Kong's state of mind seemed to have undergone countless metamorphoses. Now, even instantly leaping from Spirit Unveiling to Spirit Fusing would hardly cause a ripple in his heart. For him, enduring that torment of nearly dying and coming back felt hardly surprising to warrant a single-grade advancement in cultivation.

The only thing Nie Kong could not fathom was why the intensely concentrated Fire Spirit power elements contained within the blood cocoon had entered his body.

"Hiss!"

With a flick of his finger, the blood cocoon, riddled with cracks, burst apart, dissolving into specks that melted into the void. The instant Nie Kong opened his eyes, he saw a doll-like face dominated by a small nose and small eyes.

The expression on that face was exceedingly complex: surprise, joy, excitement, anxiety, worry, disbelief... but in the instant Nie Kong opened his eyes, it all transformed into elation. Then, his mouth split open, features compressing toward the center of his face—the Ninth Elder, Nie Xingdong, was grinning like a giant steamed bun.

Nie Xingdong slapped Nie Kong’s shoulder and boomed with laughter, “Little fellow, you’re finally awake!”

“Nie Kong!”

Nie Qingfeng’s silhouette emerged from beside the Ninth Elder, his rugged face etched with joyous smiles. Beside him, Nie Fenghan also wore an expression of immense delight.

“Ninth Elder, Uncle Qingfeng.”

Nie Kong rose to his full height and glanced around, realizing the entire Hall of Life and Death was deserted save for the four of them and himself. The Illusory Realm at the center of the hall had returned to its original appearance, emitting a pure white light from its surface markings.

After a pause, Nie Kong couldn't help but ask, “Ninth Elder, how long has it been since the Illusory Realm trial ended?”

Hearing this question, Nie Xingdong’s face broke into a wide smile, causing his already small eyes to narrow almost to slits. “Fifteen days! Fifteen days, ah!”

“Fifteen days?”

Nie Kong was startled.

Seeing the vast emptiness of the Hall of Life and Death, he knew the life-and-death trial had long concluded. However, in his estimation, only a day or two had passed. This was assuming he generously extended the time limit. Based on his own experience, the time from crossing the white jade wall to committing suicide by seizing the herb before the crimson jade wall had been a matter of mere minutes. While the agony of being scorched by the Fire Spirit power after his soul returned to his body had been somewhat prolonged, it couldn't have exceeded a day at most. Never did he expect the figure emerging from Nie Xingdong’s mouth to be a number that left him dumbfounded.

Fifteen days! That was more than double the duration of the Illusory Realm trial itself!

Nie Qingfeng laughed loudly, “Nie Kong, you have no idea. Fifteen days ago, after that little lass Bai Yuqing came out, everyone assumed you would also exit before the time limit expired, securing the top spot for this Illusory Realm trial. But somehow, you little rascal, you managed to wander into the second layer of the Life and Death Illusory Realm…”

“The second layer of the Illusory Realm? You mean that was the second layer?”

Nie Kong suddenly understood.

Indeed, if it had only been the first layer, how could such terrifyingly powerful spirit beasts have appeared? Thinking back to the perilous moments when he seized the herb and took his own life, Nie Kong still felt a lingering fear. Compared to the giant serpent in the second layer, the one-horned blood lion in the first layer was practically trash.

Furthermore, the second layer of the Life and Death Illusory Realm was known as the "Blood Fire Purgatory," and anyone emerging from it had to endure the baptism of the Fire Spirit power within the blood cocoon.

Therefore, the minimum requirement for Nie family members to enter the second layer was Spirit Transformation. If their cultivation was too low, both their souls and bodies risked being damaged by the Fire Spirit power upon emergence. Nie Kong’s ability to cling to life, besides luck, was largely thanks to the vital essence provided by the Purple Illusionary Spirit Incense.

Recalling Nie Qingfeng's earlier description of the "Blood Fire Purgatory," Nie Kong suddenly grasped much.

“Of course.”

Nie Qingfeng continued, “It was on the seventh day after you entered the Illusory Realm that cracks began to appear in the blood cocoon. You’re truly formidable; even after your soul returned, you managed to hold on motionless for a full eight days. Had the Ninth Elder not insisted, preparations for your funeral would likely have already begun outside.”

Recalling the nearly eight days of waiting, Nie Qingfeng was greatly moved.

While Nie Kong sat motionless, his vital signs had steadily weakened. By the sixth day, Nie Qingfeng had almost believed Nie Kong had stopped breathing and had even prepared to announce his death, but the Ninth Elder had managed to suppress the matter temporarily.

On the seventh day, just as the Ninth Elder was about to give up hope, an extremely faint trace of life force suddenly emerged from the deathly silent blood cocoon. After that, the vitality Nie Kong displayed grew stronger until the evening of the eighth day—which was now—when he finally broke free.

“Eight days!”

Nie Kong murmured, realizing why that ordeal had felt so endlessly long; it had spanned a full eight days. A wave of emotion washed over him.

Nie Xingdong smiled knowingly, “Little fellow, tell us, what is your current cultivation level?”

“Spirit Unveiling Third Layer,” Nie Kong replied with a slight smile.

“What?”

Nie Qingfeng and Nie Fenghan nearly bulged their eyes out. After a long moment, Nie Qingfeng managed to swallow hard, speaking with difficulty, “So, in this life-and-death trial, your cultivation not only advanced a major realm but also two minor grades! Such a thing has never happened in the history of our Nie family. Heavens, even the First Elder only advanced two grades during his trial, and Nie Fenglei advanced one grade upon soul return and another grade the next day. You advanced three grades, surpassing both of them.”

Knowing that Nie Kong had reached Spirit Unveiling First Layer shortly after entering the Illusory Realm, Nie Qingfeng had prepared himself to accept the fact that Nie Kong would reach Spirit Unveiling Second Layer upon emerging, matching the First Elder, Nie Shengong, the only person in the Nie family history to advance two grades in the trial.

However, the reality was far more exaggerated than his guess. This Nie Kong had not only extended the life-and-death trial to twenty-two days but had miraculously advanced three cultivation grades continuously within those twenty-two days. Based on performance in this trial alone, he far surpassed Nie Fenglei and was even stronger than the First Elder, Nie Shengong.

One must remember that although the First Elder Nie Shengong's performance in the Illusory Realm was stronger than Nie Fenglei’s, Nie Fenglei’s cultivation speed was like a sudden storm, surpassing even the First Elder of his time. For this reason, Nie Fenglei was hailed as the most outstanding genius in Nie family history. But now, Nie Kong's performance in the Illusory Realm far exceeded Nie Fenglei's, and even the speed he had recently displayed greatly outpaced him.

Nie Qingfeng could already envision the sensation that would sweep through the entire Nie family once this news spread.

Compared to Nie Qingfeng and Nie Fenghan, the Ninth Elder’s expression, though also agitated, remained relatively calm, wearing an expression of, "I knew it." He said, “From Spirit Gathering Ninth Grade to Spirit Unveiling Third Layer. Well done, little fellow. Perhaps in a few decades, the Nie family will rely on you and Nie Fenglei to hold it up. Come, follow me to see the Clan Head and the other elders; they should all know by now that you have awakened!”

...