Nie Kong's vision was utterly obscured, the mist, so dense it felt almost tangible, coiled and leaped around him like grotesque dragons...

At this moment, the emerald green of the mutated Wood Spirit Power already wreathed Nie Kong's body, mixed with the innate medicinal power of his little companion.

Sensing the approach of the black mist, the little creature let out an excited shriek.

Under its control, those tendrils of green danced rapidly, and the black toxic fog seeped through the Wood Spirit Power coating Nie Kong’s skin like silk, plunging into his body as if moths were drawn to a flame, only to be absorbed and then transformed into black droplets that sprinkled upon the leaves of the 'Fire Tree Silver Flower'.

“Screeech!” A tragic cry echoed faintly in the distance. That sound belonged to the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle! He had guessed correctly—it hadn't managed to escape!

Nie Kong's heart skipped a beat. If it hadn't been for the innate medicinal power of Xiangxiang which sucked in the surrounding toxic fog as soon as it made contact with the Wood Spirit Power on his skin, once truly touched by the black mist, with his cultivation level at the first grade of Spirit Transformation, his outcome would likely be no different from that of the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle.

“Aiya-ya!”

In the pet pack, after absorbing the black poison transformed from the toxic fog, the speed at which the 'Fire Tree Silver Flower' secreted red liquid beads had increased several times compared to before. The little guy was so delighted it was practically 'dancing on its hands and feet,' with every root, stem, leaf, and bud seeming to radiate amusement.

“Hm?”

Nie Kong's brow furrowed slightly. An incredibly potent suction force surged from within the toxic mist, dragging his body forward. At this moment, Nie Kong felt as if he were trapped in a swamp; the sticky pull came from all directions, making escape impossible no matter which way he moved.

“Is it retracting its swallow?”

Nie Kong instantly gauged the movement trajectory of the toxic mist, and instead, calmed his mind, remaining perfectly composed. Since escape was difficult now, it was better to abandon pointless struggling and follow this black mist to see what lay at its end. Whether danger waited there or not, worrying was useless now.

With his decision made, Nie Kong simply sat down cross-legged.

Gradually, Nie Kong began to sense something amiss. This black mist actually contained vitality, and the further his body moved forward, the richer that vitality became.

Although this vitality, like the 'Blood Scale Pomegranate,' exuded an extremely violent aura, it was undoubtedly life force.

If it were only this, it would be tolerable!

What astonished Nie Kong was that this vitality was of the same type as the life force of flora. If Nie Kong were to cultivate here, he would undoubtedly be able to absorb this vitality into his body.

“Could the source of this toxic fog be some kind of poisonous grass?”

Nie Kong found it quite incredible. If it were poisonous grass, what colossal cluster would be required to generate such vast and dense toxic fog?

Perhaps—

Was it his perception?

As the thought crossed his mind, Nie Kong tapped his finger on his brow. Immediately, the Spirit Seed radiated an emerald green luminescence, and Nie Kong's perception ability began to increase at an astonishing speed. Moments later, Nie Kong's frown tightened further; his feeling was correct—the toxic fog did indeed contain the vitality of plants!

Nie Kong was both suspicious and curious, his thoughts uncertain.

The suction force emanating from the toxic fog grew stronger, and Nie Kong's forward movement accelerated. There was no light whatsoever around him, so Nie Kong could not discern the changes in the scenery beside him, but he could tell that the black mist was winding and turning him through what felt like a labyrinth.

“Plop!”

After an unknown period, the suction force abruptly vanished, and Nie Kong plummeted to the ground. A wave of coldness washed over him, causing Nie Kong to involuntarily shiver.

The little creature was still absorbing the toxic fog, eager to suck it all dry in one go. Nie Kong, however, could not be as relaxed as it. The instant he landed, his fists were clenched, his body taut, perpetually vigilant for any movement, ready to react with utmost speed should any change occur.

“Eh?”

Faintly, what seemed to be a low sigh sounded, its volume weak, like a mere thread of sound.

Someone was there?

The moment this thought crossed Nie Kong’s mind, the surrounding black mist surged like a tide. In a blink, Nie Kong's vision gradually returned, and astonishment involuntarily filled his eyes. He had been drawn by the toxic fog into a colossal black palace!

The ground was black, the walls were black, the ceiling was black, and even the twelve pillars supporting the palace were black. Only on the surface of those pillars were densely carved patterns, now flickering with a faint, soft light, making the somber black palace slightly brighter.

This immense circular palace had twelve open doorways.

Nie Kong landed near one of these doorways. Before him, the twelve streams of toxic fog had just retracted from the entrance and were converging towards the center of the hall. In the span of a single breath, the overwhelming black fog was reduced to a mass about ten meters in diameter, churning within the hall...

Like a ferocious beast baring its fangs and claws!

When being dragged forward by the black fog, Nie Kong had imagined the end of the mist countless times, but he had never conceived it would be a palace!

Taking a shallow breath, Nie Kong's mind spun rapidly...

The Shattered Illusionary Realm belonged to the Beast Taming Sect; this palace must also have been built by the Beast Taming Sect. But what exactly was this 'Purple' substance? Furthermore, the moment he entered the palace, he seemed to hear a human voice. If the black fog was manipulated by humans, how could it contain the vitality of plants?

Nie Kong grew more confused the more he thought. He couldn't help but glance back. The exit was only a few meters away, but the area outside the doorway was pitch-black, leading to an unknown destination. If the black fog was indeed controlled by someone, the moment he showed any inclination to flee, he would probably be caught up with again instantly!

With a sudden grit of his teeth, Nie Kong sprang up and began walking slowly toward the center of the hall.

“Thump! Thump!”

The sound echoed continuously. In the vast, empty hall, other than Nie Kong’s footsteps, there was no other sound. An overwhelming sense of oppression permeated the air. The black fog in the center of the hall seemed to be attracted by Nie Kong’s movement, undulating like a living thing, surging toward his path.

Even with Nie Kong’s considerable courage, seeing this bizarre sight caused fine beads of cold sweat to break out along his spine, the chill spreading throughout his body.

“Clack! Thump…”

After a while, Nie Kong was only about ten meters from the mass of black fog.

It was then that Nie Kong suddenly noticed a faint white gleam flickering within the black fog.

“Hee-hee-hee—”

A silver bell-like light laugh suddenly echoed through the hall. The black fog fluctuated more violently, instantly expanding by over ten meters, arriving right in front of Nie Kong.

There really was someone!

And it was a woman!

Nie Kong's heart leaped, and he abruptly stopped, staring directly at the mass of black fog. The voice emanated from within the black mass.

“Who are you?”

Nie Kong narrowed his eyes, slowly articulating the three words, his voice already clear. He no longer needed to be suspicious or jumpy; his mind settled, and he felt a wave of relief wash over him.

“Little fellow, you have quite the nerve!”

The crisp laughter abruptly ceased, and the black fog churned. “It has been so many years since the Beast Taming Sect was destroyed, and you are the first person unafraid of the toxic fog to enter this ‘Spirit Sealing Hall.’ Truly… lonely! Little fellow, since you’ve come in, don’t even think about leaving! Don’t worry, I won't take your life. I’ll keep you here forever, so you can talk to me every day, hehehe, what do you think of my idea?”

“Your idea is excellent!”

“It seems you agree?”

“No!”

Nie Kong shook his head.

The voice sank, followed by a cold snort: “Whether you agree or not, you don't get a say. I do. Once you enter this ‘Spirit Sealing Hall,’ do you think you can still get out?”

As the voice faded, the black fog rolled over, enveloping Nie Kong completely once more.

The little creature chirped "Aiya-ya" twice in delight, quickly twisting its stems and roots, busying itself non-stop. The black fog was sucked into Nie Kong’s body like threads of silk, then sent into the pet pack. Around the 'Fire Tree Silver Flower,' dense red liquid beads secreted themselves, piling up.

Nie Kong’s expression, however, changed subtly. This time, the black fog did not bring suction, but an unparalleled pressure. The moment the black fog descended, the pressure slammed into him like a tidal wave, overwhelming him from all sides. While the little creature could absorb the toxic fog, it could not resist that pressure.

“Hoo!”

In just one or two seconds, Nie Kong’s face turned crimson, his breathing rapid, as if a weight of ten thousand jun had descended from the heavens, crushing him until he couldn't breathe.

The voice chuckled lightly: “Little fellow, how does it feel?”

Nie Kong let out a cold laugh, suddenly sitting down cross-legged, and circulated the ‘Spring and Autumn Life Spirit Art,’ beginning to cultivate directly in the hall. Patches of vitality continuously detached from the surrounding black fog.

Inside this ‘Spirit Sealing Hall,’ the vitality contained within the black fog was concentrated to the extreme. In the blink of an eye, Nie Kong’s body was already shrouded in verdant green.

“Ah!”

A scream of terror pierced through the black fog, as if encountering something extremely horrifying. The black fog convulsed violently, retracting towards the center like a receding tide, then becoming thinner and thinner, until it completely vanished from the hall without a trace.

A brilliant white light burst forth, and a stone tablet nearly two meters tall revealed itself in the center of the hall!

Even so, large swaths of vitality continued to spill out from the pure white stone tablet, condensing around Nie Kong before he absorbed them.

“Ah—!”

The voice became increasingly panicked. “Stop! Stop it quickly! You, you, you bastard… Who, who, who exactly are you?”

“Hoo—!”

Nie Kong ceased running the ‘Spring and Autumn Life Spirit Art’ and opened his eyes, letting out a long breath, a slight hint of joy arising in his heart.

Regardless of whether the owner of the voice was a ghost or a human, as long as the black fog contained the vitality of flora, his ‘Spring and Autumn Life Spirit Art’ could absorb it. A decrease in vitality meant the passing of life. Faced with such a situation, Nie Kong doubted she could remain composed!

Sensing the panic and fear in the voice, Nie Kong felt a degree of reassurance.

“Eh?”

With no trace of black fog remaining, Nie Kong felt a bit bewildered. Although he heard the voice cry out while cultivating, he hadn't noticed any movement from the black fog. The moment the surprised low cry left his throat, Nie Kong’s gaze fell upon the snow-white stone tablet at his side, where three blood-red characters were strikingly visible:

The Spirit Sealing Stele!