Next update, 12 o'clock sharp. Also, my brothers, on the book's main page under the "Author's Bounty" section, I've posted a reward for soliciting a synopsis. Those skilled in writing blurbs, please lend a hand! Deeply appreciated! (^^)/~

……

The sounds around him failed to stir Nie Kong’s focus in the slightest. With a surge of spiritual energy, the slenderest of the Heavenly Needles erupted in a soft, emerald glow.

"Hum!"

Amidst a sharp, ringing cry, the Heavenly Needle slowly pierced the center of the Shadowed Bone Beast's skull. Nie Kong's cultivation was inferior to Cheng Zixuan's, and since he couldn't employ the "Medicine Cauldron Illusory Body" now, refining a potion to counter the poison would take too long to control within a quarter of an hour. Only by using the golden needles did he have a chance of winning.

Fortunately, in his previous life, Nie Kong had experimented with the "Nine Revolutions Golden Needle Technique" on countless animals, accumulating considerable experience. Just like the creatures of his past life, the spirit beasts of the Heavenly Spirit Continent also possessed meridians. Though different from human meridians, theirs were comparatively simpler.

Moreover, Nie Kong's ancestral "Nine Revolutions Golden Needle Technique" differed significantly from ordinary acupuncture methods. As long as the precise insertion points could be located, allowing the nine needles to form a cycle within the spirit beast's body, assisted by spiritual energy, the power of the technique could be unleashed even on a spirit beast's meridians encountered for the very first time.

Halfway through inserting the Heavenly Needle, Nie Kong felt the tip brush against a meridian in the Shadowed Bone Beast’s brain.

With a thought, Nie Kong’s acupoints vibrated, and spiritual energy, fine as silk threads, traveled through the needle tip and into the meridian. Then, with a delicate twist of his fingers, the Heavenly Needle began to vibrate at a marvelous frequency. The spiritual energy immediately spread along the cranial meridians, swiftly enveloping the entire spirit beast like a spider's web.

In just a brief moment, the entire meridian network inside the spirit beast was rendered vividly in Nie Kong’s mind, along with the spread of the "Poison Dragon Pill's" medicinal potency. At this point, Nie Kong perceived that much of the blood within the spirit beast had already solidified into clumps.

The situation was basically grasped; the next step was to find the nine acupuncture points necessary to form a circulating cycle. Nie Kong slowly closed his eyes, sinking his concentration deeper into the spirit beast's meridian network, constantly searching for the points where the meridians intersected.

"Why hasn't he made a move for so long?" Cheng Feiliu murmured. Not just him, but several of the surrounding judges also appeared utterly perplexed.

"Wait, the golden needles Nie Kong is using actually have Spirit Patterns carved onto them? Brother Tianxin, I heard that the Second Elder of the Nie family is a Spirit Pattern Master. Did he craft these golden needles himself?" Que Yu suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Feiliu and the others looked thoughtful. For the Second Elder, who held a higher seniority than Nie Xingyun, to personally forge Spirit Patterned weapons for a clansman of the Spirit Comprehension Realm's 'Feng' generation, seemed utterly incredible. If true, this matter alone was enough to warrant their attention and serious consideration.

Lian Tianxin shook his head, giving a wry smile. "This was all orchestrated by Old Fifth. He dotes on this little fellow to an extreme. Hearing that Nie Kong wanted a few such Spirit Patterned Golden Needles, he pestered the Second Elder for a full ten days until the Elder finally consented. It's a good thing the Second Elder is Old Fifth’s own uncle; otherwise, even if he had worn out his lips, the Second Elder wouldn't have bothered, as forging Spirit Patterned weapons is incredibly draining."

Lian Tianxin knew that set of golden needles was a reward given to Nie Kong by the Second Elder after he left the "Hall of Life and Death," but facing Cheng Feiliu and the others, Lian Tianxin naturally wouldn't speak the truth.

Cheng Feiliu and the others nodded in understanding; this explanation was indeed reasonable. Thus, they let the matter of the Spirit Patterned Needles drop and continued to observe Nie Kong’s actions.

"Hum!"

Nie Kong’s eyes snapped open, and the Heavenly Needle was swiftly withdrawn from the spirit beast's head.

Instantly, a torrent of spiritual energy surged out from Nie Kong, penetrating the cores of the nine golden needles. Following this, dazzling green lights soared up from his palms. Nie Kong shifted his stance, rapidly weaving around the beast's robust physique, his right arm darting in and out like a striking serpent.

Earth Needle, Human Needle, Time Needle, Sound Needle, Rhythm Needle, Star Needle, Wind Needle, Wild Needle… each needle faster than the last, all were plunged into the spirit beast’s body.

When Nie Kong completed his swift circuit and returned to the Shadowed Bone Beast's head, the last remaining Heavenly Needle drilled back into its skull from the original insertion point.

"Boom!"

The Heavenly Needle moved, and the other eight needles responded in concert. A fierce roar, accompanied by blossoming green light, spread outward. The Shadowed Bone Beast remained unconscious, but stimulated by the golden needles, its massive body thrashed violently. The amplitude of its movements was clearly visible even to the spectators in the front rows of the courtyard.

"He is actually using golden needles to detoxify the spirit beast? That's simply unbelievable…"

"Heh heh, just wait and see! If this works, pigs could fly. Alas, this kid is such a waste, even using Spirit Patterned golden needles!"

"Exactly. I heard that the smaller the implement carrying Spirit Patterns, the more difficult it is to inscribe them?"

"I wonder who helped him make these. The effort required to inscribe these nine tiny Spirit Patterned golden needles is enough to forge nine superior Spirit Patterned blades or swords."

"..."

The crowd held little hope for Nie Kong passing this final test; instead, their attention turned to the nine Spirit Patterned Golden Needles he was using.

In the VIP seats, Nie Xingyun's expression remained placid, but his internal confusion deepened. The little fellow was using the Spirit Patterned Golden Needles crafted by the Second Elder for detoxification?

Up front, Mu Xiaoling and the others wore expressions of worry. The Fourth Prince beside them maintained his usual smile, yet the satisfaction bubbling inside him was beyond words.

"Drip, drip…"

The timer continued its unhurried count.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on Nie Kong's forehead. Spirit beasts in this world could instinctively absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to temper their bodies, but this Shadowed Bone Beast was only a Rank Two spirit beast; its internal meridians were severely congested with impurities, requiring Nie Kong to expend far greater energy to execute the "Nine Revolutions Golden Needle Technique."

It was a small mercy that the "Poison Dragon Pill" was also only Rank Two in potency; otherwise, Nie Kong truly couldn't guarantee that with his current strength, he could successfully expel the toxicity.

The golden needles vibrated intensely, and Nie Kong’s twisting motions grew faster.

Spiritual energy surged like rolling tides within the Shadowed Bone Beast, causing the meridians, blood, muscle, and even the outer fur to ripple. The medicinal potency of the Poison Dragon Pill was being painstakingly drawn out thread by thread, while the blood clots that had formed were continuously shattered.

"Huh?"

While others couldn't discern any clues, the expressions of the few judges involuntarily underwent subtle shifts.

Their demeanor transformed from initial disappointment to gravity, and then from gravity to sheer astonishment. Though they couldn't pinpoint the exact changes occurring inside the Shadowed Bone Beast, they could sense the gradually recovering vitality through the fluctuations of the heaven-and-earth spiritual energy.

"Tianxin, since when did you and Old Wu develop such a detoxification method? You kept it well hidden from me!" Mu Zisi exclaimed in amazement.

"Ahem."

Sensing the gazes filled with inquiry, Lian Tianxin let out a dry chuckle. In truth, he was even more bewildered than Mu Zisi and the others. Judging by the recovering life force emanating from the Shadowed Bone Beast, the little fellow's detoxification was likely succeeding, yet how he achieved it was entirely beyond his comprehension.

Just then, Nie Kong's figure flashed suddenly.

The eight golden needles were removed in sequence. However, as Nie Kong’s fingers prepared to twist the Heavenly Needle, he gave it a slight flick with his right middle finger, causing the spiritual energy flowing into the needle to surge dramatically. Immediately, Nie Kong swept his right arm upward, and the golden needle sharply vibrated as it left the Shadowed Bone Beast's head.

"Roar!"

The spirit beast suddenly awoke, roaring as it violently rolled over. As it staggered to its feet, it spewed out a mouthful of black blood, its thick limbs trembling uncontrollably...

……