The crowd turned toward the sound and saw a young man, perhaps eighteen or nineteen, pushing through the throng and striding in. He was clad in black, possessed a delicate countenance, and carried a somewhat slight frame. His long, dark hair was loosely tied back, a faint downy beard shadowed his lip, and a subtle smile played across his face.

The five individuals clearly hadn't anticipated an intervention; they paused, their gazes turning sharp and cold toward the sudden appearance of the man in black.

"Nie Kong?"

The young woman also turned her head quickly. Upon seeing the face of the man who had entered, a subtle look of surprise touched her tender features.

"So you know each other! Excellent. Perhaps you're prepared to compensate each of us with three and a half million gold coins as well?" the white-robed youth opposite burst out laughing.

"I certainly don't have her deep pockets,"

Nie Kong waved his hand, shaking his head with a smile. "I only wished to inquire of the five gentlemen: is this crushed medicinal powder on the ground truly the 'Jade Leaf Glazed Pill'?" After leaving Jiyang City, Nie Kong had ridden his second-grade spirit beast, the Uthi Chasing Wind Beast—capable of eight hundred li a day—for a full month to reach Zhaoyang Town just outside Lingyu City. He hadn't expected to encounter the small girl, Bai Yuqing, with the youthful face and prodigious curves, so soon after entering the town.

Nie Kong observed for a moment, surmising that the alleged 'Jade Leaf Glazed Pill' had likely been intentionally dropped near Bai Yuqing's feet by the five young men, only to be ground under her heel. Such extortionary tactics were common in his previous life and held no novelty in this world either.

Seeing they were about to come to blows, Nie Kong quickly moved to intervene. After all, he and Bai Yuqing had shared hardships and both hailed from Jiyang City; he could not stand by and watch her be cheated.

"What do you mean? Do you suggest we would try to swindle people with a fake elixir? That’s laughable! So many Spirit Masters around saw it, and not one questioned the authenticity of this 'Jade Leaf Glazed Pill.' What, do you fancy yourself smarter than all these people?" the white-robed youth sneered mockingly. His words had inadvertently dug a trap for Nie Kong; a wrong answer might easily offend every Spirit Master present.

"No Spirit Master saw it was fake, but what if it were a Spirit Apothecary?"

Nie Kong remained unfazed, smiling as he crouched down. With a sweep of his right hand over the ground, the pile of azure medicinal powder instantly settled into his palm. A soft greenery suddenly flashed forth, and the crowd noticed nearly half of the crushed powder absorbed into his skin at a speed visible to the naked eye.

A Spirit Apothecary?

The five young men exchanged rapid glances. Seeing Nie Kong drawing the powder with that verdant spiritual energy, a feeling of absurdity surfaced in their minds: he was actually a Wood Spirit Master, a rarity seen once in a century. Since when could a Wood Spirit Master also be a Spirit Apothecary?

At this point, the five ceased their urgent demand for "gold coins" from Bai Yuqing and instead stared at Nie Kong with strange expressions, eager to see what trick he intended to pull!

The surrounding crowd buzzed with astonishment, whispering and exchanging glances. To them, Spirit Apothecaries were figures of myth. Most people might never see someone with a Wood affinity in their entire lives, let alone a living Wood Spirit Master.

In truth, what Nie Kong had just employed was not Wood spiritual energy at all, but the Violet Illusionary Spirit Incense from within his 'Yaochi Acupoint'! With just a thought, the small entity drew out the medicinal power contained within the powder, swirling it back into the tender sprout within the Yaochi Acupoint, where it began its separation process.

Nie Kong closed his eyes, sensing intently.

After a long moment, the one with the perpetually grim, mournful expression—the 'Bitter Gourd Face'—grew impatient and snorted coldly. "A trashy Wood Spirit Master, daring to pretend to be a Spirit Apothecary! You’re wasting my time! Little girl, let me first sample that sword of yours worth three and a half million gold coins!"

As the words fell, a sharp hissing sound accompanied the intense trembling of the Bitter Gourd Face’s longsword. Instantly, a dazzling burst of purple mist erupted. Then, the man moved his arm, and the sword itself behaved like a purple spirit serpent, its tip darting forward like a flickering tongue, twisting and shooting toward Bai Yuqing with lightning speed.

Bai Yuqing let out a cold laugh, her right wrist giving a slight flick. A layer of ghostly white aura rapidly enveloped the broad expanse of the blade. In that instant, everyone nearby felt an intense, bone-chilling cold, involuntarily retreating backward. Immediately, the greatsword swept out, showering the area with pervasive icy intent.

"BOOM!"

Amidst the violent collision, the Bitter Gourd Face felt as though he had been plunged into an ice cavern. The freezing aura forced an involuntary shiver from him. His purple sword, conjured from spiritual power, shattered instantly, dissolving into specks of starlight that returned to the void.

Only a fleeting blush colored Bai Yuqing's cheek. The heavy broadsword in her hand completed an arc and flashed back like lightning, its gleaming tip once again aimed at the man opposite. The few purple electric serpents that had adhered to and crawled up the blade gradually dissipated.

One exchange, and the surroundings erupted in uproar.

The crowd had not expected this young girl, with her deceptively tender face and fiery physique, to possess equally explosive strength. After briefly clashing with a Thunder Element Spirit Fusion Master, not only had she avoided the crushing defeat they had predicted, but she seemed to hold a slight advantage. Most marvelous was the fact that she was a rare Ice Spirit Master.

The onlookers felt a stir of awe. For this young girl to withstand a blow from a Thunder Element Spirit Fusion Master suggested her own cultivation must have reached the Fusion Realm—she was undeniably a genius Spirit Master.

Seeing this, the four companions of the white-robed youth instantly withdrew their smiles. Their prior nonchalance, waiting for a spectacle, vanished, replaced by solemnity. The Bitter Gourd Face, noticing the change in the crowd’s expression, became enraged and roared, summoning another purple longsword in his hand.

"Haha, can't wait even this little while?"

Just then, Nie Kong suddenly opened his eyes and called out loudly. The Bitter Gourd Face instinctively halted, turning his gaze toward the white-robed youth. Nie Kong swept his look over the five men, a half-smile playing on his lips. "Gentlemen, are you truly certain that what she crushed was the 'Jade Leaf Glazed Pill'?"

"Our distinguished Spirit Apothecary sir, could the elixir really be fake?" The white-robed man’s eyes showed undisguised mockery.

"The elixir isn't fake, but it is far, far removed from the 'Jade Leaf Glazed Pill' you speak of." Nie Kong's expression darkened slightly. He pointed at the powder in his hand and scoffed, "If my identification is correct, the herbs used to refine this elixir must include Submerged Water Dark Luo Grass, Green Stamen Vine, Spotted Blue Mountain, and Needle-leaf Snow Willow Bark..." The faces of the five changed drastically. Nie Kong paused, then stated coldly, "Gentlemen, do I need to continue?"

"A complete joke! A mere Wood Spirit Master, just stating those herbs makes them so?" The white-robed youth forced a smile through gritted teeth, though a flicker of surprise showed beneath his strained expression. It wasn't just him; the other four young men and the surrounding crowd looked at Nie Kong with a measure of wonder.

"I have quite a bit of the powder left. I imagine there are many Spirit Apothecaries in Zhaoyang Town. If I name these four herbs, they should be able to verify the truth quite quickly." Nie Kong calmly circulated a thread of spiritual power, enveloping the remaining blue powder in his palm.

For a Spirit Apothecary, discerning the ingredients within a spirit medicine was exceedingly difficult, but if the components were known, verifying their accuracy became significantly simpler.

Hearing this, many in the crowd nodded slightly. This was indeed a sound method; the authenticity of the elixir could be confirmed by any other Spirit Apothecary in Zhaoyang Town.

"You..."

The white-robed youth was choked by Nie Kong's suggestion. After a long moment, he finally snorted in frustrated anger. "You think you can just leave when you say so? Who knows if you two plan to slip away in the confusion?"

Seeing his frustration turning to rage, the other four shifted their gazes evasively, but Nie Kong remained steadfast. Observing the young woman beside him, who radiated an almost seductive aura, the crowd began to dimly understand, and their looks toward the five men gradually shifted to contempt and disdain.

The five men glanced around at the crowd’s reaction. Seeing many Spirit Masters wearing looks of derision, they knew they had provoked widespread anger and began to feel a tremor of fear. Previously, they had held the moral high ground; even if they had acted excessively, others would not interfere. But now that more than half the ingredients of the elixir had been called out, the deception was clear. If a powerful Spirit Master decided to intervene, they would face severe consequences.

"If you're unwilling to verify the herbs, then do you wish to continue demanding three and a half million gold coins from my friend for that one sword strike?" Nie Kong, having sensed the dynamics of Bai Yuqing's engagement with the Bitter Gourd Face, knew that even in a full fight, Bai Yuqing wouldn't be defeated instantly. His worry was less pressing now.

The white-robed youth glared at Nie Kong, seething inwardly. He gnashed his teeth and said, "I'm feeling generous today, so I'll let this little girl off the hook for now. But if we meet again in the future, our group of five will still collect compensation for this 'Jade Leaf Glazed Pill.'"

After delivering the threat, the white-robed youth waved his hand. The five dared not linger, squeezing out of the crowd and slipping away in disarray, drawing loud bursts of laughter from their onlookers.

With his gaze following their retreating backs, Nie Kong turned to Bai Yuqing. He saw her frowning slightly, snorting dismissively. "Nie Kong, you are entirely too long-winded. According to what this old lady meant, it would have been better to just cleave all five of those scoundrels down with one strike each!"

To have displayed even his 'Scent-Based Recognition of Medicine' technique only to receive such a critique from the young girl, Nie Kong was caught between laughter and tears. "Sister Bai, we finally meet in this place, and I even solved a problem for you. Can't you say something nicer?"

"The more problems like this, the better. I wish I could fight them a few more times!" Bai Yuqing pouted, walking forward with an expressionless face.

She was truly still the formidable lass from the 'Illusory Realm of Life and Death.' While others sought to avoid fights, she actively welcomed them.

Shaking his head with a wry smile, Nie Kong suddenly became intensely curious whether this girl had reached the Fusion Realm. He hurried to catch up, intending to ask, but just as the words reached his lips, a voice called from behind them:

"Two of you, please wait! Please wait—"