"Has it been that long already? Why hasn't he come out yet?" At Stone Chamber No. 38, Nie Qing'an poked his head out again, muttering through gritted teeth.

"It’s nearly noon! Could he have died in there?" Several hours later, Nie Qing'an called out darkly, his face sullen. He had lost count of how many times he'd opened the door to check; the entire morning had been spent repeating the motion of opening and closing the door.

"Could it be... that scoundrel snuck out while I wasn't paying attention, and then deliberately left the red marker up to fool me?" Nie Qing'an could stand it no longer. He leaped out of his room and scurried to the outside of Stone Chamber No. 88, giving the door a hard shove. It didn't budge—it was clearly bolted from the inside.

"Damn it... Hey! Hey, that's my room, you bastard..." Nie Qing'an cursed, turning around, only to see a youth stepping into Stone Chamber No. 38. Fury instantly surged through him, shooting out like lightning. By the time he rushed to the chamber door, it slammed shut with a bang, nearly smashing his nose.

"You've got guts!"

Nie Qing'an's face blackened, yet he was helpless. Even if he reported this to the Ninth Elder, he wouldn't have a leg to stand on; the Elder could simply retort, "Who told you to step out?" and leave him speechless. That was the rule of the Ice Flame Cave: if a stone chamber was vacant, anyone could claim it!

The first level chambers of the Ice Flame Cave were all occupied. Nie Qing'an cursed back and forth between the two rooms until his throat grew hoarse before finally leaving in exasperation. The deep, unconcealed resentment on his face made him look like a young maiden who had been violated countless times...

...

His mind focused entirely on cultivation, Nie Kong remained utterly oblivious to the passage of time. The continuous growth of his spiritual power immersed him in a profoundly mystical sensation. It felt like ten-plus hours had passed, yet also like the blink of an eye. In a daze, Nie Kong was startled awake by the chirping of the little creature.

He checked the condition of his three Spiritual Shen Apertures and a satisfied smile bloomed on his face. Compared to the Five-Star Shifting Art, the Wood Sun True Spirit Art was significantly more potent. Whether it was absorption, refinement, or the speed of spiritual power circulation, it was a whole tier above that generic spiritual art.

"Already hungry?"

Seeing the little creature looking listless, Nie Kong chuckled helplessly. With a thought, the medicinal herb brought back from the second layer of the Illusion Realm flashed out of the pet backpack. Nie Kong quickly cupped its roots in his palm and circulated his spiritual art. After a long moment, not a single wisp of medicinal fragrance escaped.

Nie Kong felt a headache coming on. Back in the Life and Death Illusion Realm, he and the little one had absorbed a large amount of the fragrance. In the Hall of Life and Death, they had absorbed more to restore the creature's vitality. Yesterday, the little one had been fully fed again. It seemed the medicinal fragrance had now been entirely depleted.

This fragrance carried intense medicinal power, and the power locked within the herb itself was likely even stronger. However, without fully understanding its origin and properties, Nie Kong dared not consume it rashly.

Although the little one had grasped the "Scent-to-Discern-Medicine" skill, if it contained potent toxins, Nie Kong might be poisoned to death before the creature could even work its magic. This concern was not without basis; judging from the situation on the second layer of the Illusion Realm, the giant snake had clearly been guarding the herb, and the blood mist it spewed could instantly melt his physical form. Who could guarantee that the herb wasn't contaminated with the toxicity of that mist?

Better to be cautious!

He put away the herb and stood up straight, leaving the stone chamber...

...

As evening approached, the red sun dipped low. Bathed in the vivid afterglow slanting down from the horizon, Nie Kong hurried to the entrance of the Spirit Medicine Hall.

The guards at the door were no longer Nie Qingfeng and Nie Qinghong, but two different middle-aged men. Relying on his incredible cultivation speed, and especially the reputation he had earned from his trials in the Illusion Realm, after presenting his clan token, Nie Kong needed no verification of his cultivation base. He entered the Spirit Medicine Hall under the gaze of four curious pairs of eyes.

Having collected two liang and eight qian of Fragrant Silk Glazed Root, three liang and five qian of Dragon's Sprout Algae, two liang and one qian of Spirit Dream Grass, and one liang and four qian of White Star Powder, Nie Kong proceeded directly to the second floor.

Upon reaching the Tongling (Spirit Perception) stage, one was permitted to ascend to the second floor, where the rules were the same as the first: a maximum of five types of medicines could be claimed per visit, with a total weight not exceeding one jin, twice per month.

The layout of the second floor was similar to the first, but there were far fewer herbs. Scanning the shelves, Nie Kong realized that apart from Ice Plate Water, he recognized none of the medicines displayed.

Sighing at the poverty of his herbal knowledge, Nie Kong finally took half a jin of Ice Plate Water and casually bagged half a jin of non-toxic herbs to serve as a stopgap for the little creature.

Now that Xiangxiang had advanced to the Second Order, its demand for medicinal power had soared. Herbs like Dragon's Sprout Algae had become almost negligible in effect for it. If Nie Kong wanted to prevent Xiangxiang from starving to death, he had no choice but to find some higher-grade herbs.

If Xiangxiang were still at the First Order, the sixteen thousand gold coins on his spirit card would have been sufficient. But now, to purchase superior herbs, those ten thousand-plus gold coins probably wouldn't even cover a few leaves. The only immediate solution was to refine more "Rejuvenation Dew."

This time, Nie Kong planned to take the refined "Rejuvenation Dew" directly to the Alchemy Hall to find Lian Tianxin, hoping to exchange it for one or two decent herbs. If the medicinal power was strong enough, it should last a few days. After exhausting his monthly quota from the Spirit Medicine Hall, the gold on his spirit card could be used to purchase materials outside for refining "Rejuvenation Dew." In this cycle, at least until the little one advanced to the Third Order, he wouldn't have to worry.

As for the Third Order...

A shudder ran through Nie Kong's heart. If Xiangxiang advanced to the Third Order too quickly, the amount of "Rejuvenation Dew" required for the exchange of herbs would probably reach a terrifying level. At that point, dedicating only two hours a day to alchemy would absolutely result in a supply shortage.

Nie Kong muttered under his breath, "Little one, you have to take it easy. At least wait until I can refine some Second-Grade Spiritual Medicines before you advance to the Third Order."

"Ayaya?"

"Don't understand!" the little creature chirped blankly.

"Little fellow, long time no see." A voice suddenly cut into Nie Kong's ears.

"Old Sir, it is you."

Nie Kong turned and saw a figure descending from the third floor—the bald old man he had encountered twice downstairs. A smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

Nie Kong was truly grateful to this elder; without the Ice Plate Water he gifted, he might not have started true alchemy until much later.

"To reach the second floor, your cultivation must have reached Tongling. Not bad, not bad." The bald old man nodded approvingly, then glanced at the small gourd in Nie Kong's hand. "Ice Plate Water? Weren't you planning to refine 'Rejuvenation Dew' last time? How did that turn out?"

"Not bad," Nie Kong replied with a smile.

"Oh?"

The old man visibly paused, then his eyes suddenly gleamed with deep interest. "It just so happens I'm free right now. Come, come, little fellow, accompany this old man upstairs and demonstrate your process for refining Rejuvenation Dew." Without waiting for a reply, the old man took hold of Nie Kong and headed toward the third floor.

Under the grip of the old man's hand, Nie Kong had no means of resistance and could only follow his upward steps. Behind them, the Spirit Pharmacist stationed on the second floor widened his eyes in astonishment...