Gu Changgong! Standing at the entrance of the loft was none other than the Hall Master of the Medicine Heart Hall, Gu Changgong! Nie Kong had intended to return to "wait for the rabbit," but instead, the man had come looking for him himself. A flicker of joy sparked within Nie Kong, though his face remained impassive as he quickly stepped forward, bowing slightly: "Greetings, Hall Master!"

"Nie Kong, I presume you know why I am here?"

Gu Changgong smiled faintly, turned, and walked into the loft, seating himself in a chair inside. As he spoke, the two little lolis, Long Yan and Long Ting, quietly ascended to the second floor of the loft via a side door, ensuring they would not interrupt the conversation between the two men.

Nie Kong cut straight to the chase, following Gu Changgong into the loft. "Hall Master must be here regarding the spirit medicine I formulated and refined, 'Spring Flower Autumn Dream'!"

Nie Kong was acutely aware of what a spirit medicine capable of easily boosting cultivation by two grades meant to a sect. Even though this was only a third-grade medicine capable of elevating someone from the Seventh Grade of Spirit Fusion to the Ninth Grade of Spirit Fusion, its significance was undeniable. Nie Kong’s decision to disguise the formula and auction it off was precisely to draw the attention of the high-ranking figures in Spirit Guard City. Gu Changgong’s arrival proved that his objective had been achieved.

Relatively speaking, third-grade spirit medicines were safer. If it were a fifth-grade medicine that could boost a Spirit Commander's cultivation by two grades, even if Nie Kong could refine it, he would never dare to put it up for open auction like this. Without sufficient power, such an action would be tantamount to courting death, unless Nie Kong intended never to leave the inner city of Spirit Guard City in his life, or until his cultivation reached the Spirit Penetration realm before departing.

That, clearly, was impossible.

Gu Changgong’s face was wreathed in smiles, and he appeared quite moved. "Among the spirit medicines unique to our Spirit Guard City, we possess first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh-grade medicines capable of elevating the cultivation grade of Spirit Masters. We are only missing a third-grade spirit medicine to fill the gap. Since becoming the Hall Master of the Medicine Heart Hall, I have always desired to research a spirit medicine akin to Mo Xue Sect’s Heavenly Dust Elixir, yet despite years of tireless effort, I have never succeeded. Who would have thought that in the end, it would be achieved by you, young fellow? The younger generation is truly formidable!"

Nie Kong replied with a smile, "Hall Master flatters me. My ability to formulate this 'Spring Flower Autumn Dream' was merely a stroke of fortune."

"Indeed, in matters like this, strength matters, but opportunity matters even more," Gu Changgong nodded, stroking his beard.

Gu Changgong harbored no doubt about Nie Kong's words. The Heavenly Spirit Continent held countless herbs, and even one intimately familiar with all their properties might not necessarily be able to devise a new medicine. Many herbs concealed subtle medicinal properties that spirit apothecaries could hardly detect. Their presence caused minute, wondrous changes when their medicinal powers mingled, and it was these endless variations that led to the diverse array of spirit medicines with differing effects across the Heavenly Spirit Continent.

Consequently, many spirit medicines were discovered by spirit apothecaries purely by accident.

Pausing, Gu Changgong focused his gaze on Nie Kong and, surprisingly, adopted a tone of negotiation, asking softly with a smile: "Nie Kong, your 'Spring Flower Autumn Dream' perfectly fills the void for third-grade spirit medicine in Spirit Guard City. Are you willing to bestow the formula for this spirit medicine upon Spirit Guard City?"

"This..."

Nie Kong rejoiced inwardly. This was precisely the offer he had been waiting for from Gu Changgong.

Although 'Spring Flower Autumn Dream' was a superb medicine, the demand within Spirit Guard City would soon reach saturation. Furthermore, under normal circumstances, inner-city disciples were forbidden from giving what they bought here to anyone outside Spirit Guard City. If he continued selling the medicine, it was uncertain how long it would take to accumulate the required eighty thousand points. Therefore, Nie Kong had to pin his hopes on the spirit medicine formula. Of course, even though Nie Kong was willing a hundred percent, he couldn't agree too readily.

Gu Changgong, being old and shrewd, understood Nie Kong’s hesitation immediately upon seeing his slight hesitation. He chuckled, "Nie Kong, this matter is purely voluntary. If you do not agree, I will absolutely not force you. If you concur, Spirit Guard City will certainly grant you suitable compensation."

Nie Kong spoke up, "What compensation?"

Gu Changgong grew serious. "As long as you remain in Spirit Guard City, no matter when you break through to the Spirit Transformation, Spirit Command, Void Spirit, or Spirit Core realms, I will personally gift you a unique spirit medicine from Spirit Guard City that elevates your cultivation grade. That is just one part. The remaining compensation can be proposed by you."

"One hundred and fifty thousand!"

Nie Kong declared decisively. "The Hall Master owes me, and this disciple still needs one hundred and fifty thousand points. 'Phoenix Feather Illusion Immortal Flower,' eighty thousand; 'Red-Backed Sky Net,' fifty thousand. These two herbs together require one hundred and thirty thousand. After redeeming them, Nie Kong will still have twenty thousand points left, enough to freely engage in spirit medicine research without worrying about running out of supplies."

"One hundred and fifty thousand?"

Hearing this figure, even Gu Changgong couldn't help but freeze for a moment, then he shook his head and laughed. "Nie Kong, you young fellow certainly drives a hard bargain! Do you know that one of your inner-city seniors, even after formulating a fifth-grade marvelous medicine, was only rewarded with one hundred thousand by the inner city?"

Nie Kong spoke loudly, "This disciple has heard of that senior. It is said that the spirit medicine he refined is only useful to Spirit Masters under certain specific conditions. However, the 'Spring Flower Autumn Dream' formulated by this disciple can benefit all disciples of Spirit Guard City for countless years."

Pausing slightly, Nie Kong added, "Hall Master, points can be earned, but a formula like that for the 'Spring Flower Autumn Dream' is not something one stumbles upon regularly." "Very well, I agree to your terms," Gu Changgong chuckled wryly. "If you young fellows like you appeared two more times, the points I've accumulated over many years would be emptied. As he spoke, Gu Changgong swept his right hand across his waist, and a waist token, blazing like fire, appeared in his palm.

"Thank you, Hall Master."

Nie Kong breathed a sigh of relief, unable to suppress his joy any longer. He impatiently pulled out the small jade tablet from his bosom and inserted both his and Gu Changgong’s waist tokens into the grooves. His fingers traced the inscriptions, and the number displayed on Gu Changgong’s token dazzled Nie Kong’s eyes.

One million and three thousand!

No wonder Lan Shang had suggested in the inner city's Medicine Hall that he should target the high-ranking figures of Spirit Guard City. They were truly tycoons. With so many points, they still dared to complain about being poor, claiming that a few more visits like this would empty them out. Nie Kong felt he should have squeezed them for even more.

Nie Kong muttered silently for a moment, then continued to rapidly sketch patterns on the jade tablet's spiritual lines. The tracing of 'Sun and Moon Alternating Faintness' made his fingers tremble slightly. Thump—a slight stutter from his hand as he manually adjusted the inscription. After securing the points, Nie Kong’s figure flickered, and he swiftly retrieved paper and brush, writing at high speed. The tip of his brush moved like flowing clouds and water, laying out fifteen types of medicine in one sweep.

Looking at the prescription, Gu Changgong couldn't help but let out a soft gasp, and his brow furrowed slightly. But after a moment, the frown smoothed out, and his gaze toward Nie Kong filled with admiration. "No wonder Sha Yan said you are accustomed to turning decay into wonder. I never expected that in the formula for this 'Spring Flower Autumn Dream,' you would think of incorporating 'Half-Moon Flower' and 'Stone-Spotted Butterfly Moon.' When fused with 'Crested Gecko Gall Elixir,' these two drugs can indeed shorten the medicinal effect of 'Spring Flower Autumn Dream' to just half an hour. Unfortunately, the medicinal property of 'Crested Gecko Gall Elixir' is bizarre and can only be used as a primary ingredient; otherwise, this addition method might be applicable to other spirit medicines that elevate cultivation grades."

Nie Kong inclined his head with a smile. Gu Changgong truly lived up to his reputation as the Hall Master of the Medicine Heart Hall; he grasped the key point of the 'Spring Flower Autumn Dream' formula at a glance.

Suddenly, Gu Changgong’s brow knitted again. "No, no. Refining according to this formula will indeed shorten the duration of the 'Spring Flower Autumn Dream's' effect to half an hour, but the agony endured by the Spirit Master upon taking the medicine in that half-hour will absolutely increase severalfold..."

"I understand!"

In an instant, Gu Changgong realized with sudden clarity. "I thought your spirit medicine could truly eliminate the pain experienced by the Spirit Master during consumption, but I never imagined that instead of eliminating the pain, it would concentrate and erupt even more violently within that half-hour! The reason the spirit medicines you auctioned made people feel no pain must be because you imbued them with vitality. A loss, a great loss! I have been severely cheated," Gu Changgong grumbled, stroking his beard and glaring, his eyes fixed on Nie Kong's waist token, as if he could somehow reclaim the extra seventy thousand points.

"Cough, cough, you can't say that," Nie Kong chuckled amiably. "You did not ask this disciple about this issue during the transaction, and this disciple did not deceive your esteemed self with falsehoods. It was entirely consensual, was it not, Hall Master?" Nie Kong added the address "Hall Master" with heavy emphasis, his underlying meaning clear: he was the dignified Hall Master of the Medicine Heart Hall, and surely he wouldn't go back on his word.

Gu Changgong was choked by Nie Kong’s words, rolling his eyes and letting out a couple of humphs before snatching the prescription and leaving, feeling an odd mix of exasperation and amusement.

This formula was indeed powerful, but the negative side effect during consumption was something not every Spirit Fusion Master could endure. Generally, third-grade and lower spirit medicines that elevate cultivation grades are designed to prolong the medicinal effect as much as possible to mitigate the pain inflicted on the Spirit Master as the power takes hold. For this reason, among the known third-grade and lower spirit medicines, none posed a threat to the Spirit Master's life.

But Nie Kong's 'Spring Flower Autumn Dream' was different. It condensed the medicinal effect, which would normally take several hours or even days to conclude, into just half an hour. If a Spirit Fusion Master’s physique wasn't strong enough, after taking it, their cultivation might not improve, but instead, their life might be endangered. If all the spirit apothecaries in Spirit Guard City could imbue spirit medicines with vitality like Nie Kong, then the process of taking the medicine would truly feel like a dream. However, as far as Gu Changgong knew, let alone Spirit Guard City, even across the entire Heavenly Spirit Continent, there was only one spirit apothecary capable of bestowing vitality upon spirit medicines: Nie Kong! As of now, only he and Sha Yan in the entire Spirit Guard City knew this fact.

Other spirit apothecaries lacked Nie Kong’s methods. If they truly wanted to make use of the 'Spring Flower Autumn Dream,' they would have to revert to restoring its original duration. Fortunately, this was not a difficult task for Gu Changgong. Yet, just leaving felt slightly unsatisfactory.

A light breeze swept by, and Gu Changgong's robust figure surprisingly returned. He delivered a sharp rap to Nie Kong's head. "Haha, Nie Kong, if I didn't give you a rap, I fear I wouldn't sleep soundly for several days." Amidst loud laughter, Gu Changgong’s figure vanished from the loft once more.

Nie Kong winced in pain, never expecting Gu Changgong to possess such a... side to his personality. However, Gu Changgong's final action completely reassured Nie Kong; since he could resort to such a move, he clearly wouldn't harbor resentment toward Nie Kong over this matter.

Rubbing his head, Nie Kong swiftly bolted out of the loft and headed towards the inner city’s Medicine Hall...