"Young fellow, I never expected your medicine identification skills to be so outstanding! To think you could discern all four herbal components of the 'Azure Countenance Pill' just by absorbing a tiny bit of medicinal power with your spiritual energy!" an amiable old man said with a chuckle as he saw Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing turn back.

"Elder, you also know that what they call the 'Jade Leaf Glazed Pill' is actually the 'Azure Countenance Pill'?" Nie Kong couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.

"Those five little rascals, I know them. They are all outer city disciples of the Spiritual Command City. They often deliberately craft the 'Azure Countenance Pill' into the shape of a leaf and pass it off as the 'Jade Leaf Glazed Pill' here in Zhaoyang Town, trying to trick passing merchants, fleecing them out of at most tens of thousands of gold coins. Making things as excessive as they did today is a first; I suppose it's all because of this young girl. I never thought they’d end up having their trick so easily exposed by you, leaving them utterly humiliated. They got off lightly this time; otherwise, I wouldn't have let them go so easily."

"For them to commit such an act while being disciples of the Spiritual Command City, doesn't the city impose any discipline?" Learning the five men's background, Nie Kong felt a slight shock.

Bai Yuqing glanced at Nie Kong, then stated bluntly, "The rules of the Spiritual Command City have always been this way. They are strict with inner city disciples, but very lenient towards outer city disciples. Once they leave the confines of the Spiritual Command City, everything those outer city disciples do has absolutely no connection to the city. Like those five just now, even if they were killed outside, it would be their own doing, and the Spiritual Command City would never intervene!"

If that were the case, it made sense!

Nie Kong nodded in sudden realization. He had vaguely heard Nie Xingyun mention the division between the inner and outer cities of the Spiritual Command City, but this specific regulation was news to him.

"Well said."

The old man nodded with a smile, his gaze shifting back to Nie Kong.

Clearly, the old man's interest in Nie Kong far surpassed his curiosity about the young girl, Bai Yuqing: "Young fellow, others may not believe you are a Spiritual Pharmacist, but I do. If I am not mistaken, your Wood spiritual energy must be a mutated type, having fused elements of Fire spiritual energy."

"How did you know?"

Nie Kong instinctively asked, but the moment the words left his mouth, he realized he had asked a self-evident question.

As expected, the old man chuckled, "For a Wood Spirit Master to become a Spiritual Pharmacist, besides spiritual power mutation, is there any other path? Young fellow, since you possess such profound medicine identification skills, are you interested in working at my apothecary? There is an establishment called the 'Crimson Tower' in the outer city of Spiritual Command City, and I am Long An, the head manager of the 'Crimson Tower'."

"Crimson Tower?"

Nie Kong vaguely felt he had heard that name before. Of course, this familiarity had nothing to do with the famous classic novel Dream of the Red Chamber from his previous life.

"Is this 'Crimson Tower' the same one as the 'Crimson Tower' in the imperial capital of the Great Prosperity Empire?" Bai Yuqing's voice held a hint of surprise.

Hearing her question, Nie Kong immediately recalled.

Nie Xingyun had once mentioned that in February, the 'Crimson Tower' in the Great Prosperity Empire's capital would host a large-scale spiritual medicine auction. The ability to host such a significant auction, and the fact that even Nie Xingyun seemed moved upon receiving an invitation, suggested its strength was certainly no less than the Mu Family’s 'Spiritual Treasure Pavilion' in Luocheng.

"Precisely."

Long An smiled. "Young fellow, are you interested?"

Nie Kong felt a stir in his heart. Since the 'Crimson Tower' dealt in medicines just like the 'Spiritual Treasure Pavilion,' the variety of medicinal herbs it collected must be incredibly complete. If he joined the 'Crimson Tower,' accessing herbs for testing would be much more convenient. The more herbs he could sample, the greater the effect of his 'Sensing Fragrance to Identify Medicine' ability would be.

In his thoughts, Nie Kong couldn't help but ask, "Elder, if I join the 'Crimson Tower,' what would I be required to do?"

"The 'Crimson Tower' has many high-grade Spiritual Pharmacists. You could choose to be their assistant, or you could try identifying the components within spiritual medicines, much like you just did..." After a slight pause, Long An added, "Furthermore, joining the 'Crimson Tower' will present no hindrance to becoming a disciple of the Spiritual Command City. Young fellow, take the night to consider it carefully. If you are interested, you can find me at the 'Crimson Tower' anytime."

"..."

The 'Crimson Tower' not only had a branch in the imperial capital of the Great Prosperity Empire but also in the capitals of the four nations of Dacheng, Shatu, Xingluo, and Ice Snow. After Long An left, Nie Kong asked the young girl Bai Yuqing and learned that the strength of the 'Crimson Tower' far surpassed the Mu Family's 'Spiritual Treasure Pavilion' in Luocheng.

Entering such a place would indeed offer him proximity to a better opportunity! Nie Kong calmed himself, looked at Bai Yuqing, and smiled, "Sister Bai, I didn't expect to run into you here in Zhaoyang Town. I heard on the road that after the 'Divine Birth Festival,' the Spiritual Command City will select outer city disciples. Are you also here to participate?"

Bai Yuqing's lips curled upward: "If I intended to enter the 'Spiritual Command City,' I would be an inner city disciple directly. Why would I need to participate in the selection for outer city disciples?"

"Oh?"

Seeing the confident look on Sister Bai's face, Nie Kong was momentarily dumbfounded. "I heard that to become an inner city disciple of the Spiritual Command City, one must first be a Spirit Fuser?"

"That is correct."

Bai Yuqing's expression was calm, and she hid nothing. "I broke through to Spirit Fusion First Grade last month!"

Indeed, Spirit Fusion First Grade!

Nie Kong felt a slight tinge of melancholy. He had thought his rate of progress was fast enough—leaping from Spirit Communication Third Grade to Spirit Communication Fifth Grade in a short time after leaving the 'Life and Death Illusionary Realm.' But Bai Yuqing was even more formidable, jumping from Spirit Communication Ninth Grade to Spirit Fusion First Grade!

Although Sister Bai had only advanced one grade, the breakthrough of a major realm was incomparable to two minor steps within the same realm. Of course, this was partly due to Nie Kong's psychology; after all, a minor grade improvement could never be as dazzling as a major realm breakthrough.

The melancholy passed, and Nie Kong felt happy for the young girl. He suddenly teased her with a smile, "Sister Bai, don't tell me you are already the designated inner city disciple of the Spiritual Command City?"

"Why couldn't I be?" Bai Yuqing replied with a look of complete naturalness.

"..."

Nie Kong was speechless. He hadn't even managed to step through the gates of the Spiritual Command City, yet this young girl, two years his junior, was already an inner city disciple?

In that instant, Nie Kong grew even more curious about the origins of the Bai family from Jiyang.

The reason the young girl could enter the inner city without selection must be largely due to her background, in addition to her outstanding innate talent.

At the auction house during the 'Thousand Spirits Medicine Convention,' Bai Tianjing had bid against the royal family for the 'Fire Tree Silver Flower.' Though they failed to secure it, the final bidding price was driven up by a full six hundred million. The result was not only no backlash from the royal family but also no surprise from the aristocratic clans, giving a glimpse into the standing of the Bai family.

"You are a Wood Spirit Master, but your alchemy is outstanding. If you receive a recommendation from the 'Crimson Tower,' you won't need to participate in the selection and can become an outer city disciple. In fact, entering the inner city might not be impossible either." Bai Yuqing consoled him, seemingly adding a phrase to strengthen her persuasion: "I heard that three hundred years ago, there was a Spirit Master named Xutuo in the Dacheng Empire who entered the Spiritual Command City inner city directly while only at Spirit Communication Fifth Grade."

"..."

Seeing the earnestly focused young girl, Nie Kong almost burst out laughing. This girl truly didn't know how to comfort people. Xutuo was an exceptionally rare dual-elemental Wind and Thunder Spirit Master who achieved the Heavenly Spirit Body in just sixty years. Using him as comfort would only crush others' confidence more.

Of course, this crushing effect was for others; Nie Kong's confidence remained high.

He already had a plan for the next two years. Entering the Yin Ruins and becoming an outer city disciple of the Spiritual Command City was only the first step. The second step was to become a core inner city disciple, a goal he absolutely had to achieve within one year, by any means necessary. For Nie Kong, this was no small challenge!

The greater the challenge, the greater the motivation, especially when it was tied to preserving his own life!

...