Having cultivated the "Spring and Autumn Life Force Art" for so long, the more life essence that merged within Nie Kong's spiritual power, the deeper his perception of life essence became.

By now, the life essence contained within his spiritual power had almost fused into a single entity with the vitality of the surrounding flora. As long as Nie Kong retained any spiritual power, no fluctuation in the vitality around him could escape his senses. This perception had become as instinctive to him as eating or sleeping.

That thicket of bushes felt profoundly unsettling to Nie Kong.

Like the surrounding vegetation, the thicket represented a dense cluster of life essence, yet enveloped within this vitality was a surge of violent, tyrannical aura. It was like a single black flower sprouting amidst fields of brilliant crimson blossoms—utterly discordant and out of place in the environment.

Nie Kong had passed by that specific bush many times during his days in and out of the valley; even when entering today, it had shown no abnormality.

Why did it change only upon his exit?

Unable to let the matter rest, Nie Kong strode quickly toward the thicket. The closer he got, the stronger the tyrannical aura enveloped by the life essence became.

After a moment, parting the branches, Nie Kong froze. In the very center of the bush lay a wooden spike, about a foot long and the thickness of two fingers, its bark as vivid and red as fresh blood, layered like fish scales. The tyrannical aura Nie Kong sensed emanated entirely from this object!

"Blood Scale Parasol!"

Nie Kong’s heart skipped a beat, instantly recalling the peculiar medicinal items his master, Nie Xingyun, and Lian Tianxin had mentioned to him just before he left Mangyang City.

The Blood Scale Parasol rarely grew taller than a meter, branching out neither leaves nor boughs; it was entirely a smooth, blood-red trunk, named for its scale-like bark, and it was quite rare.

Most strangely, when soaked in the juice of the "Golden Horn Mystic Needle Flower," the Blood Scale Parasol released a fragrance detectable only by spirit beasts.

That scent maximized the spirit beasts' violent emotions, driving them into a frenzy, causing them to charge mindlessly toward wherever the Blood Scale Parasol was planted, with an influence radius stretching over ten miles!

For large-scale spirit beast hunting, the Blood Scale Parasol was the ultimate lure.

Now, the Blood Scale Parasol was clearly stuck here outside the valley only recently. This situation reeked of conspiracy and scheme, ninety-nine percent certain to be aimed directly at him!

Focusing his mind on the Blood Scale Parasol, Nie Kong hastily collected the dangerous item into his Pet Bag.

"Aiya ya!"

In the Yaochi Acupoint, the little fellow’s stems, leaves, and roots suddenly began to writhe rapidly, tendrils of green light surging in and out, probing various parts of Nie Kong's body. After a few seconds, the little fellow quieted down, and Nie Kong noticed a considerable amount of medicinal power condensed within its roots!

Nie Kong instantly understood: that medicinal power stemmed from the scent of the Blood Scale Parasol. Even though humans couldn't smell the fragrance, it was undeniably present and could penetrate the body through the pores. While it caused no lasting physical harm, it would remain in his system for several days.

The person who planted the Blood Scale Parasol at the valley entrance was truly venomous!

Due to the peculiar properties of the Blood Scale Parasol, regardless of whether Nie Kong discovered it, as long as he was nearby today, his body would absorb large quantities of the medicinal scent. The spirit beasts drawn by it would attack him madly, unless he could instantly return to Lingyu City.

If Nie Kong had remained inside the valley, the outcome would have been far more tragic—perhaps a classic case of being caught in a trap. The Blood Scale Parasol's scent covered a radius of ten miles, and this area frequently hosted second and third-grade spirit beasts, with even fourth-grade ones sometimes seen.

If Nie Kong had gone out of the valley, he might have a slim chance of survival; staying put meant certain doom!

Fortunately, Nie Kong sensed the Blood Scale Parasol through the anomaly in the life force, and he had the Pet Bag to isolate it from the outside world, plus his pet, the "Purple Luo Phantom Incense," which could absorb and consolidate all the medicinal potency contained within the Blood Scale Parasol's fragrance in his body.

Otherwise, Nie Kong would certainly have fallen for the trap today! Thinking of being besieged by a horde of berserk spirit beasts, cold sweat involuntarily beaded down his spine.

Back in the Life and Death Illusory Realm of the Nie family in Jiyang City, although he had been attacked by countless maddened spirit beasts, in that place, caution meant avoiding actual death, and Bai Yuqing had shouldered the majority of the attacks beside him, making it relatively safe.

However, facing a massive swarm of violent spirit beasts today, no amount of caution would help; the beasts could find him at any moment. Nie Kong ordered Xiang Xiang to send the concentrated medicinal power of the Blood Scale Parasol into the Pet Bag and let out a breath of relief, though his mind was filled with rising doubts.

Since arriving in Lingyu City, he had rarely ventured out and seemed to have made no enemies. First, someone deliberately tried to poison him at the Apothecary Hall trial with the highly toxic "Eight-Star Conch." Now, they had deployed something as dangerously potent as the Blood Scale Parasol!

Could it be his entry-level master, Luo Ren?

Unlikely. Although Luo Ren’s resentment, born from the situation at Honglou, had developed into baseless hatred, his greatest wish was probably just to see him expelled from the Medicine Heart Hall; it hadn't reached the point of taking his life out of spite. The fellow disciples in the Medicine Heart Hall who envied him for winning the monthly assessment three times in a row would certainly not stoop to such a level either.

Perhaps someone from before his time in Lingyu City?

Nie Qingsong? Impossible. With Elder Nie Shen publicly giving his word, even if Nie Qingsong held a grudge, he couldn't arrange for someone to act in Lingyu City. Fourth Prince Cheng Zixuan of the Cheng Kingdom? This fellow was a possibility, as many people from the Great Cheng Empire were in Lingyu City, and he only needed to quietly send a few instructions.

Besides Cheng Zixuan, were there others? Nie Kong's mind raced, and several figures flashed before his eyes—those guys he encountered in Zhaoyang Town while trying to help Bai Yuqing escape. They were reportedly disciples of Lingyu City as well. Since he had ruined their plans, it was natural for them to hold a grudge against him, and the leader looked distinctly narrow-minded; perhaps they were involved!

"Ao!"

"Hoo!"

Suddenly, several earth-shattering roars echoed through the mountains, interrupting Nie Kong's thoughts. The nearest spirit beasts had already been drawn by the Blood Scale Parasol's scent!

Nie Kong’s expression darkened, a chill flashing in his eyes. The perpetrator who planted the Blood Scale Parasol likely hadn't gone far; perhaps they were watching from a distance to witness his gruesome demise surrounded by beasts! Since he possessed the Blood Scale Parasol now, with luck, he might even find them!

With that thought, Nie Kong glanced quickly at the surrounding terrain, and a realization struck him. He stepped onto "Flying Flower Flowing Shadow," his figure streaking rapidly through the woods...

"Hahaha, damn it, the spirit beasts have finally arrived! That bastard is only thinking of running now—too late!" On the peak of a high mountain several miles away, Lü Jian heavily clapped the shoulder of Luo Teng beside him and chuckled, "Luo Teng, this was executed beautifully! How did you figure out he was cultivating over here?"

Luo Teng grinned sheepishly, "Luck, pure luck. If it weren't for the 'Blood Scale Parasol' you prepared, we wouldn't have witnessed such a wonderful show. It won't take long for the spirit beasts here to gather in larger numbers; the show will only get better!"

Lü Jian crawled out from the undergrowth, gazing at the figure flickering in and out of sight in the distant woods, laughing confidently, "You're right, and this vantage point is excellent! Perfect for watching the spectacle! By the way, Luo Teng, you were the one who planted the Blood Scale Parasol; you didn't get any of its scent on you, did you?"

Luo Teng replied smugly, "Rest assured. I sealed it with wax when handling the 'Blood Scale Parasol' a few days ago. The wax only melts when exposed, and by the time it dissolved, I was already back here. This location is about four miles from the Blood Scale Parasol. Its scent can reach here, but it’s impossible for it to seep into our bodies unless we get within ten miles of the Parasol!"

Lü Jian looked surprised, "Luo Teng, I didn't realize you knew so much!"

"My older brother is an alchemist; I heard it from him."

Luo Teng also stood up and peered down into the distance, stating with enthusiasm, "It's a shame those other three didn't come. Missing out on this grand show—they deserve to be deprived of the sight..." He paused, scanning the distant woods, "Huh? Where did that guy run off to? Why can't I see him?"

"Probably hiding in some corner, chickening out," Lü Jian sighed, a look of false pity on his face. "Stop looking. Since the bastard wants to pull his head into his shell before dying, we'll grant his final wish. Look at the spirit beasts running over there; it won't take long for them to find that turtle. Just wait and see!"

In moments, the roars of the surrounding spirit beasts grew increasingly intense, and standing on the peak, they could faintly feel the ground tremble. It was clear that the number of beasts attracted by the Blood Scale Parasol's scent was significant! Lü Jian and Luo Teng watched the beasts that had already revealed themselves, their mocking smiles widening.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Luo Teng gasped in surprise, "Look, look! Why are the spirit beasts turning around and running?" Lü Jian started, looking into the distance, and indeed saw the beasts slowing down, some sniffing left and right before turning back the way they came.

Lü Jian and Luo Teng exchanged bewildered glances. The target clearly hadn't removed the Blood Scale Parasol. Since the Parasol remained at the valley entrance, it should continuously emit its scent. How could the beasts, which had clearly been driven into a frenzy, suddenly calm down?

This phenomenon defied all logic!

After a long while, all nearby spirit beasts had gone. Lü Jian's cheek twitched slightly, and he let out a sound that was more like a painful grimace than a laugh, "This is outrageous! He escaped again for no discernible reason! The poisonous grass last time was like this, and now the Blood Scale Parasol! Is the Spirit God protecting him or something?"

"Ao!"

"Hoo!"

The spirit beasts' ferocious roars suddenly sounded again. Lü Jian and Luo Teng stared excitedly at the agitated forest, hardly daring to believe their eyes.

"They're back, they're back!"

"I knew it! How could the Blood Scale Parasol fail? That guy is just waiting to 'get intimate' with these frantic beasts. Hahahaha..."

"Wait, why are they running toward us?"

"Who cares where they run?"

"It matters! If I'm not mistaken, that bastard must have taken the Blood Scale Parasol with him. If the beasts are running this way, it means he’s this way too. If we’re close, we might also be contaminated by the scent... Ah, damn it, we're in trouble! We might already be tainted!"

"You, you... Luo Teng, this is all your fault! I told you not to come look, but you insisted... Look! Now you've brought the fire upon yourself!"

"Stop talking, run! That guy is too detestable! If I ever run into him again, even if I get eaten by spirit beasts, I’ll take him out first..."