"That's right, Nie You. That time was truly perilous; our entire group nearly didn't make it back!" Tai Hong finally seized an opening to interject, and even now, the memory made him sound genuinely shaken. "As for the 'Crescent Hook,' wait until you cultivate to the Spirit Transformation realm before going after it. Better yet, don't ask any of the older students for help collecting it." Shen Kong greedily took another look. Tai Hong’s final remark seemed to carry an ulterior meaning?

"Nie Kong, once you enter the Inner City, make sure to seize every moment to cultivate and break through to the Spirit Transformation realm quickly. We'll accompany you then. Although it's dangerous there, it's also a rather good place." Tai Hong glanced around a few times, then suddenly leaned close to Nie Kong’s ear, whispering mysteriously, "I didn't say anything."

"Oh?"

Nie Kong’s heart stirred.

He turned to look at Tai Hong, only to see him let out an "ahem" and look up at the sky—a clear expression of "I said nothing." Looking at Tai Ji, however, she wasn't mimicking her brother. Instead, she cleverly winked her brilliant blue eyes at Nie Kong and bit her lip in a delicate laugh, clearly amused by Tai Hong's demeanor.

Forget it then; he’d better cultivate quickly to the Spirit Transformation realm and see what wonderful place Tai Hong was referring to. Nie Kong smiled faintly. He was already at the fifth rank of Spirit Integration now, and after feeling that invisible barrier five days ago when leaving the Illusionary Chamber, breaking through to the sixth rank felt imminent.

The Red Tower possessed the "Heavenly Origin Pill," which allowed breakthroughs from the seventh rank of Spirit Integration up to the ninth.

Although after the first monthly assessment, the woman—who he suspected was Long Xuechan—had mentioned giving him one pill of the "Phoenix Eye Pulp" once he reached the seventh rank of Spirit Integration. However, after the accident during the pill refinement that day and everything that transpired with Long Xuechan, asking for the "Heavenly Origin Pill" now felt awkward.

However, Nie Kong had another method: he could analyze the medicinal components of the "Heavenly Origin Pill" after receiving it and then re-refine it, giving Long Xuechan an identical spirit medicine in return. The concern was how to ensure the fusion degree was exactly the same as the original "Heavenly Origin Pill."

Nie Kong’s strength wasn't quite enough yet. Moreover, Long Xuechan and the Red Tower’s origins were extremely mysterious. If she knew he could discern the entire formula just by consuming one spirit medicine, it would be terrifying, as the "Heavenly Origin Pill" was different from the "Jade Leaf Glazed Pill."

The "Jade Leaf Glazed Pill" had already had several components identified after years of effort by numerous apothecaries; Nie Kong only needed to discern the last few. But for the formula of the "Heavenly Origin Pill," not a single component's name had been circulated. All the ingredients Nie Kong needed to identify were completely unknown to the outside world.

During this period, Nie Kong’s performance in the Spirit Imperial City had been quite high-profile. This high-profile status still required a degree of restraint; too much would easily invite danger.

If he refined a spirit medicine with an identical fusion degree, Long Xuechan wouldn't be suspicious. Apothecaries could indeed detect the refinement time of a spirit medicine through certain means—but this required sacrificing one spirit medicine. Long Xuechan couldn't possibly casually waste a precious "Heavenly Origin Pill."

Lost in thought, Nie Kong noticed that the surrounding Inner City disciples were once again looking up at the sky—another black dot had leaped over the cliff edge, growing larger!

"Feng Biao."

It was another disciple from the Medicine Heart Hall that Nie Kong recognized!

Time slipped away, and as the sunlight filtering through the canopy began to slant heavily...

Throughout the entire afternoon, it seemed that every few minutes, a figure would drop from the sky; sometimes, even two or three figures plunged into the abyss simultaneously.

Besides the Inner City disciples who had come just to watch, the figures of Outer City disciples increased, and the area near the city gate gradually became lively. Outer City disciples who knew each other gathered in small groups, muttering and discussing, almost everyone's face showing unconcealed excitement.

The few Medicine Heart Hall disciples Nie Kong was familiar with were also present. Miao Ge had seventeen maps, while Ru Ji and Ye Xinlian each had thirteen—such results were already quite good. Even Feng Biao, the fourth to enter the Inner City, and Jiang Liu, who had just arrived, only had ten maps each.

Given that Nie Kong, Tai Hong, and Tai Ji alone accounted for nearly two hundred map slots, ten maps each for them should be more than enough to enter the Inner City. Furthermore, both Feng Biao and Jiang Liu were disciples who emerged from the sealed Illusionary Space, granting them an additional three points.

Aside from them, among the Inner City disciples who successfully arrived, two had maps exceeding twenty—one from the Purple Thunder Hall and one from the Fire Cloud Hall. Both appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old and were rumored to be at the ninth rank of Spirit Integration. Such cultivation surpassed many existing Inner City disciples. The highest cultivation among the hundred Inner City disciples who entered the Illusionary Space five days prior was only comparable to theirs.

Logically, with their strength, they should have entered the Inner City long ago, but like Feng Biao and Jiang Liu, they were delayed by the "Six Halls Grand Competition" due to some unfortunate twist of fate.

During this year’s Six Halls Grand Competition, their luck wasn't great. When the recorded beasts drawn by Nie Kong scattered, they were fiercely besieged. Finally, with their spiritual power depleted, they had to leave the Illusionary Space prematurely. If not for today’s additional trial, they would have missed out on this year’s quota for Inner City disciples.

Another hour or two passed. Looking outward along the abyss, the setting sun had already slipped below the mountaintop, leaving the sky dotted with a gorgeous, blood-red, magnificent afterglow.

At this moment, some Inner City disciples began showing looks of worry.

Up to this point, the number of people who had successfully passed the trial and reached the Inner City had already exceeded the quota. Under such circumstances, when the scores were meticulously tallied, some were bound to be regretfully eliminated. If scores were tied, the entry time into the Inner City would determine the ranking.

One or two figures occasionally dropped from the high altitude.

The Outer City disciples with low scores and later arrival times were extremely anxious, wishing the sky would darken immediately so the assessment could conclude, putting an end to this agonizing suspense.

If those latecomers’ scores surpassed theirs, even if they entered the Inner City later, the ones who had to leave in the end would still be them.

The emotions of the crowd seemed to be influenced by them.

Beneath the city wall, the murmuring grew louder, and the atmosphere gradually grew heavy. Everyone looked up, silently awaiting the end of the assessment.

"Time’s up! The additional trial is over!"

Suddenly, a clear voice echoed between heaven and earth. All the Outer City disciples recognized it instantly—it belonged to the man in crimson robes atop the cliff. They were momentarily stunned, then immediately overjoyed, their brows flying up. But before they could cheer, a loud yell erupted from overhead.

"Waaah!"

The black shadow grew larger, the sound drawing nearer and louder.

Upon seeing the person's posture, many outside the city wall couldn't help but gasp, a few even letting out choked laughs. The guy currently plunging into the abyss looked like a toad yanked from a pond—head tucked in, limbs flailing chaotically in the air. The sight was utterly comical.

"Huai Song!"

After identifying the person’s face, Nie Kong exchanged glances with Miao Ge, Du Ji, and the others beside him, all showing a degree of surprise.

"Time’s up! The additional trial is over!"

At almost the exact same moment, these seven words reverberated violently. Outside the boundary, on the twenty-mile-long path—whether they were anxiously rushing toward the Inner City, hiding in the shadows planning a sneak attack, or fiercely battling over maps—all the Spirit Imperial City disciples froze.

Immediately following, the dim void began to undulate violently, and everyone’s vision rapidly shifted as their bodies were dragged up by an overwhelming force, as if the world were turning upside down, like eons passing in a blink. When their feet touched the ground again, the surrounding scenery had completely changed.

The crowd snapped back to attention. Upon looking around, they realized the forest behind them was the road they had just traveled, but the path ahead was utterly unfamiliar. Without a doubt, the path specially opened for this additional trial had been completely obscured by the illusion. Even if they continued forward, they would never reach the Inner City.

For them, the quota for this year's Inner City disciples was no longer theirs to claim.

"Damn it!"

A Spirit Imperial City disciple in black clothes, his face flushed, furiously pulverized a nearby tree trunk into splinters. "After working hard all day, I finally snatched twelve maps, almost securing the Inner City disciple spot by passing the illusionary barrier. Who knew I'd be sent back here!"

Hearing this, the surrounding Spirit Imperial City disciples looked at this fellow disciple with pity.

They could still be messing around outside the illusionary realm even after nightfall, meaning their personal strength wasn't high, but they had acted cautiously and secretly, preventing their maps from being snatched. Now that they were ejected by the illusion, they had no real complaints.

But this fellow, who managed to snatch over a dozen maps, was different. If he had been allowed to successfully pass the final illusion, he might genuinely have squeezed into the top hundred and realized his dream of becoming this year’s Inner City disciple.

Seeing a fellow disciple encounter the same fate, while feeling sympathy, the others couldn't help but feel a touch of schadenfreude: snatching so many maps—what good did it do if he couldn't enter the Inner City? In the end, he was still stuck in the Outer City like them.

Heh heh, accept your fate, brother.

The Inner City. Beneath the towering, snow-white city walls, where Huai Song landed like a discarded, flaccid toad, the figures of Sha Yan and the six Vice Hall Masters floated down, followed by the strong man in crimson who had been guiding the Outer City disciples from the cliff edge.

Now, the six Vice Hall Masters had entered the Inner City, and the roster detailing the additional trial results was in the crimson-robed man’s hand. Everyone craned their necks, looking on with anticipation. Sweat beaded on many foreheads, especially Huai Song, who had passed last; his face was pale, veins bulging on his forehead, the tension extreme.

"Esteemed sirs, I am Lan Shang, the First Seat of this year's Inner City. I will announce the results of this additional trial." The blue-robed man smiled gently, his gaze slowly sweeping over the Outer City disciples—it was as if two clear springs had gently flowed through their hearts, instantly calming their anxious nerves.

The Inner City’s First Seat!

Hearing this title, Nie Kong, Miao Ge, and the others felt a touch of surprise.

It was rumored that the Inner City held a competition annually, with only one method: battle! After rounds upon rounds of fighting, the one who emerged victorious would be the Inner City’s First Seat for the year. This blue-robed man becoming this year’s First Seat meant his cultivation must be extraordinarily high.

Spirit Transformation realm—that was the absolute minimum!

They hadn't expected that the one dispatched to guide the Outer City disciples for this additional trial would actually be such a young master! At this moment, Lan Shang’s gentle gaze landed on Nie Kong, and he slowly uttered a few characters: "First place: Nie Kong, score one hundred and twenty-four!"

Author's Note: First watch is done. The second watch will be ready soon.