North of the Dacheng Kingdom lay the Shatuo Empire. The Nu Cang Mountain Range spanned the entire breadth of the Shatuo Empire from east to west, vast and boundless, stretching over thirty thousand li.

The peaks of the Nu Cang Mountains were perpetually shrouded in white snow, yet nestled within a valley in the central section of the range, the scene bloomed with flowers, warm as spring.

“Buzz!”

The serene void abruptly trembled with a nearly inaudible hum. At the valley entrance, a proud, fully bloomed crimson flower swayed gently. Its petals continuously drew inward toward the center, condensing in a mere moment into a perfectly round, red bud, actually large enough to hold a water vat.

With a slight shake, the flower transformed into a woman as exquisite as jade, appearing to be around twenty-five or twenty-six. Her skin was milky white with delicate rosy undertones, soft and supple. A tight red dress cinched her voluptuous figure, fully revealing the exquisite, translucent curves beneath, enhancing her allure.

“A spirit scroll sent by Hua Yu’er?”

Her cherry lips parted slightly as the woman in red murmured softly. Her fair, jade-like hand brushed across her proud chest, and in her fingers now rested a white jade tablet, two fingers wide. The surface of the tablet was intricately engraved with dense, complex spiritual patterns, which were currently emitting a faint, shimmering red light.

A speck of red light, the size of a firefly, emerged from between her eyebrows and sank into the white jade tablet. In the next instant, the woman in red lightly covered her crimson lips, undisguised astonishment blooming across her charming face: “‘Fire Tree Silver Flower’? It’s actually appearing at an auction in Jiyang City, Dacheng Empire?”

“Fire Tree Silver Flower… Fire Tree Silver Flower…”

The surprise fading, the woman in red furrowed her delicate brows, repeating the words over and over. Suddenly, her slender body twisted, scattering countless scarlet petals, while her figure began to fade until, in the blink of an eye, both the petals and her form completely dissolved into the void…

…

One hundred li south of Jiyang, Zhenhai City.

“…The ‘Fire Tree Silver Flower’ appeared in Jiyang City… and was acquired by the Cheng Kingdom's Imperial Family for one billion gold coins, hiss…” In a pavilion, a lean, middle-aged man holding a spirit scroll sucked in a sharp breath. After a long moment, he muttered quietly, “Cheng Feiliu went to Jiyang City for the ‘Myriad Spirits Apothecary Convention,’ so he definitely won’t have many top experts with him. With such a miraculous medicine, Cheng Feiliu and the others probably wouldn't trust the Nie family to guard it either. This is a prime opportunity…”

“If we succeed, we return immediately to the Chang Kingdom; it will be difficult for the Cheng family to even trace us. If we wait another two days for reinforcements from the Cheng Imperial Family to arrive in Jiyang City, then all hope of success will vanish. I never expected that coming to the Cheng Kingdom this time would lead to such a situation. Could this be fate’s decree?”

The middle-aged man stroked his short black beard, chuckled darkly, and then suddenly called out loudly, “Little Three, go invite Elder Huo. Tell him I have something vital to discuss.”

“Yes, sir.”

A young voice answered, followed by the sound of quick footsteps fading away…

…

Jiyang City.

Nie Family’s Hidden Blade Courtyard. Nie Qingsong, Nie Xingdong, Nie Longshan, along with Nie Xinghai and Nie Xingyun, who had only recently returned, were gathered together, consulting with nervous tension.

The emergence of the “Fire Tree Silver Flower” was bound to attract numerous Spirit Master experts from various nations. In a short time, Jiyang City would suddenly host a large influx of unfamiliar masters. If preparations were not made early, it was highly likely to lead to chaos. Should any Spirit Masters engage in battle within the city, it could result in heavy, innocent casualties.

Jiyang City owed its prosperity to the Nie Clan. Even residents not bearing the Nie surname had some connection, however slight, to the family. In essence, Jiyang City was the bedrock of the Nie family. No matter what occurred, this city could not be allowed to descend into disorder.

Consequently, under the arrangements made by the Clan Head and the Elders, a series of measures were implemented throughout the clan and Jiyang City to ensure that the city would not suffer any major upheaval in the coming period.

Ice Flame Grotto.

In a stone chamber near the end of the second segment, heat waves rolled in torrents. Dense spiritual energy elements of Fire and Wood mingled as if igniting, and an increasingly scorching aura converged around Nie Kong, causing a faint, reddish luminescence to ripple around his body.

After leaving the auction, Nie Kong returned to the Nie residence and soon made his way to the Ice Flame Grotto.

Perhaps because the little creature hadn't obtained the “Fire Tree Silver Flower,” it was curled up in the Yaochi Acupoint, sulking with muffled cries of “Aiya ya.” As Nie Kong soothed it with the ‘Electric Light Vine,’ he himself also refined and absorbed a massive amount of the medicine’s potency. Ultimately, he unintentionally brushed against that intangible barrier signifying an imminent breakthrough.

Nie Kong was keenly aware that reaching the peak of the Fourth Grade of the Spirit Unification realm so quickly was primarily due to the ‘Electric Light Vine.’ Had Nie Xingyun not produced the ‘Electric Light Vine’ yesterday, it would have taken Nie Kong at least another ten days to half a month to reach his current state.

Since the barrier had appeared, Nie Kong naturally had to seize the time to cultivate. Originally, he intended to completely drain the medicinal power within the ‘Electric Light Vine’ in one go, but seeing the little creature still drooping with a bent stem and wilting leaves, he suppressed his urge and came to the Ice Flame Grotto to train instead.

As for the ‘Electric Light Vine,’ it was best kept as an emergency reserve.

“Hiss! Hiss…”

The Wood-Yang True Spirit Art circulated frantically. Nie Kong’s mind was utterly focused; the burning spiritual energy elements surged into his body like crashing tides, causing him to sweat profusely. His entire body resembled a giant shrimp being steamed, his bare upper torso taking on a dazzling scarlet hue.

The heat outside was oppressive, and inside, his body was in turmoil.

Under Nie Kong’s control, the spiritual power within his meridians behaved like a breaching flood, rolling into the ‘Spirit God Three Apertures’ in his Dantian, striking that barrier again and again. In this continuous cycle, Nie Kong’s perception remained acutely sharp. He could almost distinctly feel his three apertures swelling and expanding millimeter by millimeter under the fierce impact of the spiritual power…

Repeated, fruitless impacts built up a large amount of fiery energy within Nie Kong’s body, making him feel as though his physical form was painfully congested, on the verge of exploding.

“Aiya ya!”

The little creature also seemed to sense that Nie Kong’s cultivation had reached a critical juncture. Forgetting its own dejection, it cried out with waving limbs, cheering Nie Kong on.

“Boom!”

A deafening roar erupted in his mind. In a trance, Nie Kong, whose eyes were closed, seemed to glimpse a flash of light. With a movement of his thought, the spiritual power within his body instantly found an outlet, surging and churning like terrifying waves. In an instant, Nie Kong felt the stifling sensation completely dissipate. His insides felt suddenly clear, and an indescribable sense of euphoria spread from the depths of his soul, instantly flooding every limb and bone…

Fifth Grade of Spirit Unification!

Sensing the significantly more imposing spiritual power within him, Nie Kong sprang up from his meditation cushion like a startled leopard. He threw two rapid punches like lightning, generating piercing sonic booms one after another. Bursts of emerald light instantly exploded within that small, scorching space, accompanied by a continuous series of sharp cracking sounds…

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