As dawn broke, the Hall of Ascendant Sovereigns began to fill with disciples from the inner city. They buzzed with excitement and anticipation over the impending spiritual medicine auction, their hushed conversations echoing through the hall, creating a truly boisterous atmosphere.

"......"

"Brother, how many points did you scrape together today?"

"Ugh, not much. I begged and borrowed and only managed forty-three. That definitely won't be enough to snag a third-grade spiritual medicine with high fusion purity!"

"Hah! I have eighty. Why don't you just lend me all forty-three of yours? If that guy Liu Hemang doesn't make a move, even if Nie Kong has refined another 'Nine Heavens Azure Nether Pill' with 97% fusion, I’m going to fight for it. Maybe I can actually buy it!"

"Get lost! Why don't you lend me your eighty?"

"......"

Before long, the Hall of Ascendant Sovereigns was nearly packed, boasting close to four hundred people. Even those inner city disciples who had previously crossed swords with Nie Kong during the Grand Competition of the Six Halls couldn't suppress their curiosity, flocking to the hall to witness whatever was about to unfold.

"Thump! Thump!"

As the morning light streamed through the entrance, loud, heavy footsteps suddenly resonated from outside, striking the hearts of the assembled crowd like the pounding of massive mallets. Could it be Nie Kong? The inner city disciples in the hall instinctively turned their expectant gazes toward the doorway.

However, to their surprise, the one entering was not Nie Kong, but an unusually massive young man. His features were rugged, carved as if by a blade, his lines stark and hard. He strode into the hall with such powerful momentum that the very floor seemed to tremble slightly beneath him.

"Shan Xiong!"

A chorus of surprised murmurs rose from the crowd. No one expected this fellow to show up at the Hall of Ascendant Sovereigns to join the fray. Shan Xiong lived up to his name; his frame was as mighty as a mountain, and his strength was astonishingly formidable. He, too, was a Ninth Grade Spirit Transformation cultivator, and the final contest for the inner city's foremost position this year was slated to be between him and Lan Shang.

"You scoundrels, you got here even earlier than I did."

Shan Xiong’s bronze-bell eyes swept across the hall before suddenly locking onto a corner. He let out a booming laugh and strode swiftly toward it.

The crowd followed his gaze and suddenly noticed several figures quietly occupying the northwest corner of the Hall of Ascendant Sovereigns. Upon recognizing their faces, a slight shock registered among them.

"Lan Shang! Liu Hemang!"

"Those two women over there, aren't they Wei Zhao and Jing Lan? I can’t believe these people, who rarely show themselves, have all turned up today......"

"It’s a good thing that only Liu Hemang among them is an Alchemist, and Nie Kong is only auctioning third-grade spiritual medicines. Otherwise, we’d just be spectators today!"

"......"

While surprised by the appearance of Lan Shang and the others, the crowd secretly felt a measure of relief. Though these individuals were considered top-tier geniuses within their own families, the young men and women in that corner were geniuses among geniuses—they simply did not operate on the same level.

Putting aside Lan Shang, the current foremost disciple of the inner city, the likes of Liu Hemang, Shan Xiong, Wei Zhao, Jing Lan, and several other freakishly talented individuals who had yet to appear were all top contenders for that ultimate position. The amount of points they possessed was simply incomparable to what the general crowd could muster.

The northwest corner of the Hall of Ascendant Sovereigns.

Shan Xiong slapped Lan Shang heavily on the shoulder and boomed with laughter, "Lan Shang, I haven't seen you since that last match. Honestly, I was never fully satisfied letting you take the inner city's top spot. Interested in another bout with your brother here? Let's see who breaks through to Spirit Control first!"

Shan Xiong's voice was frighteningly loud, causing the inner city disciples still struggling in the Spirit Fusion realm to break out in cold sweats. They were still grinding away to reach Spirit Transformation, yet this man was already gunning for Spirit Control, looking as if he regarded the bottleneck between the two realms as nothing more than a slight inconvenience.

As fellow inner city disciples, comparison was sometimes inevitable. Fortunately, the general populace wasn't utterly demoralized. The reason Lan Shang, Shan Xiong, Liu Hemang, and the others possessed such fearsome cultivation bases was due not only to their superior natural aptitude but also because they had spent three or four years in the inner city, whereas even the longest-tenured Spirit Fusion masters had managed only two years.

They maintained faith that if they spent four years in the inner city, even if they couldn't match Lan Shang and the elite group, breaking through to the Fourth or Fifth Grade of Spirit Transformation should certainly be achievable.

"Not interested."

Lan Shang’s usual gentle smile touched his lips.

Those three simple words felt like a punch hitting empty air for Shan Xiong, leaving him feeling utterly deflated. He grunted a couple of times through his bull-like eyes, then waved a massive hand with a chuckle, "If you won't compete, then so be it! But we’re setting a wager: whoever breaks through to Spirit Control first gets the other to agree to grant one favor. It’s settled!"

Seeing this, Liu Hemang offered a slight smile without speaking. However, the two beautiful women nearby, Wei Zhao and Jing Lan, couldn't help but cover their blushing mouths and titter softly, though their expressions betrayed no great surprise, suggesting they were quite accustomed to such displays.

Without giving Lan Shang a chance to object, Shan Xiong immediately turned his gaze back toward the entrance, surveying the scene. "Hmm? Why hasn't that kid Nie Kong shown up? Making this many people wait for him... Huh? Is that Nie Kong? That guy is too popular! So many beautiful young girls surrounding just one person?"

Shan Xiong's eyes suddenly widened to their limit as Nie Kong finally appeared at the doorway of the Hall of Ascendant Sovereigns.

However, Nie Kong was not alone for this spiritual medicine auction. Accompanying him were six graceful and stunning figures. Not only had Miao Ge, Tai Ji, Ru Jie, and Ye Xinlian arrived together, but even Sister Long and the young girl Long Ting had tagged along.

This was mainly because Nie Kong felt somewhat guilty that they spent their days confined to the pavilion attending to his daily needs, so he seized this opportunity to take them out for some fresh air.

If these twin sisters, identical in looks, figure, and possessing sweet, charming faces, were seen outside, they could easily attract the predatory gaze of certain individuals. But within the inner city of Spirit Control City, there was no need to worry about other inner city disciples harboring ill intentions toward them.

The two young girls seemed to be experiencing such a scene for the first time. Their watery eyes sparkled brilliantly, and their delicate, fair cheeks flushed pink with excitement, looking utterly alluring.

After Nie Kong, Miao Ge, and the others appeared, the Hall of Ascendant Sovereigns gradually quieted. But soon, the inner city disciples couldn't help but mutter their confusion, as Nie Kong was empty-handed, and so were Miao Ge, Tai Ji, and the others flanking him. They looked nothing like people bringing a large stock of spiritual medicine.

While the crowd was filled with suspicion, Nie Kong leaped onto the high platform alone. He casually fished small jade bottles, each only two fingers wide, from his robes and lined them up neatly along the edge of the platform. When Nie Kong finished, the onlookers did a quick count and realized there were no fewer than ten small jade bottles.

"Esteemed guests!"

Nie Kong smiled slightly, holding up a single small jade bottle. "There is only one type of spiritual medicine up for auction this time, and that is this!" Saying so, Nie Kong pulled out the stopper and poured out three pills, each the size of a thumbnail. They were vividly green and exquisitely shaped, resembling proud, blooming hydrangeas.

"......"

"Only one type? Is this bastard mocking us?"

"I was actually hoping to see if he’d refine another 'Nine Heavens Azure Nether Pill.' Now it seems there’s no hope. I even swallowed my pride and begged people for points recently!"

"The medicine does look beautiful, but what are its effects?"

"......"

Upon hearing that only one type of spiritual medicine would be auctioned, a wave of uproar swept through the Hall of Ascendant Sovereigns. Many inner city disciples, their faces etched with indignation, were already preparing to leave.

"Spring Bloom Autumn Dream!"

Nie Kong paid no mind to the crowd's reaction. Pointing to the three flower-shaped spiritual medicines in his hand, he announced, "This is the name of the medicine. The formula was personally devised by myself. It can raise a Spirit Master's cultivation base from Seventh Grade Fusion to Ninth Grade Fusion. Its efficacy is identical to the 'Heavenly Dust Pill,' but there is one area where 'Spring Bloom Autumn Dream' far surpasses the 'Heavenly Dust Pill': after taking this medicine, the Spirit Master will feel absolutely no pain. The process of cultivation breakthrough will be just like dreaming—you wake up, and you’ll find your cultivation has already reached Ninth Grade Fusion!"

"......"

"Impossible! A third-grade spiritual medicine whose effects surpass the 'Heavenly Dust Pill'?"

"Heh... This so-called 'Spring Bloom Autumn Dream' is really that miraculous? Allowing a Spirit Master to feel not the slightest bit of pain during cultivation advancement?"

"The 'Heavenly Dust Pill' was reportedly developed over decades by several Sixth Grade Alchemists from the 'Ink Snow Sect.' Does a mere Third Grade Alchemist dare to boast that his self-devised medicine can surpass the 'Heavenly Dust Pill'? Doesn't he fear being laughed out of the city?"

"......"

Before Nie Kong’s words had fully faded, gasps of astonishment erupted throughout the Hall of Ascendant Sovereigns. Even the disgruntled disciples who had been ready to leave froze in their tracks, turning back with faces full of shock.

Among the Spirit Masters present, many were stuck at Seventh or Eighth Grade Fusion. If they possessed a 'Heavenly Dust Pill,' they could immediately ascend to the Ninth Grade. Unfortunately, the 'Heavenly Dust Pill' was exceedingly rare; even when the inner city occasionally produced one, it was reserved as a reward for outstanding disciples.

Most Seventh and Eighth Grade Spirit Masters had to rely on their own grueling efforts, cultivating day after day within the 'Spiritual Cultivation Illusory Realm.' Now, Nie Kong suddenly claimed that his self-formulated 'Spring Bloom Autumn Dream' was equal to or better than the 'Heavenly Dust Pill.' The crowd’s reaction was easily imagined.

It wasn't just the Spirit Fusion cultivators gathered near the high platform; even the Spirit Transformation masters who came just to observe, including Lan Shang and Liu Hemang in the northwest corner, were taken aback.

How difficult it was for an Alchemist to devise a new formula, especially one capable of advancing cultivation by two full grades? If this 'Spring Bloom Autumn Dream' had been created by a Sixth or Seventh Grade Alchemist, it might have been plausible. But Nie Kong was only a Third Grade Alchemist—this fact alone invited deep suspicion.

Lan Shang frowned slightly. "For a Spirit Fusion Master to take medicine that raises their cultivation grade, especially by two consecutive grades, there should logically be some pain! Hemang, you are an Alchemist; you should understand this best. Do you believe what Nie Kong just claimed is true or false?"

"That's hard to judge," Liu Hemang shook his head. "Since Nie Kong dared to produce that 'Spring Bloom Autumn Dream' in public, he must have something to back it up."

"That's true. Let’s wait and see!" Lan Shang’s frown eased, and he chuckled softly.

"......"

.., ..