Nie Kong’s heart gave a jolt. The ball of dark-green blood in his Yaochi Cave had been still for ages; why was it suddenly fluctuating like this?

As the blood rippled like water, the Ziluo Huanling Fragrance floating above it trembled precariously. Fortunately, the little fellow, still dormant before its true ascent to the Fourth Tier, would certainly not awaken because of this, or Nie Kong would have a new headache to deal with.

Retreating a few steps against the current, the mass of dark-green blood gradually calmed down!

Nie Kong suddenly realized that somewhere upstream in this cold current, something must be attracting it, much like Long Xuechan and that colorless spiritual energy. When he carried Long Xuechan’s colorless spiritual energy within him, the energy would rebel the moment he got close to her.

Understanding this, Nie Kong's heart swelled with excitement. His Half-Spirit race bloodline originated from the Yin Ruins; only something originating from the Yin Ruins could attract this substance. Hadn't he come to Lingyu City, single-mindedly aiming to become an inner disciple, precisely to enter the Yin Ruins?

If he could locate an object upstream in the cold current capable of attracting the dark-green blood, it might greatly benefit the plans he was hatching. With this thought, Nie Kong quieted his agitated spirit, stabilized his body, which was slightly swaying from the current, and began moving step by step upstream against the flow.

Midway, he surfaced twice to catch his breath. Nie Kong was drawing closer to the steep slope ahead, and the fluctuations in the dark-green blood grew more intense.

Simultaneously changing were the force of the current and the pressure descending from above. Nie Kong struggled, his body sinking lower and lower.

Finally, between two narrowly spaced stones, a small ball of dark-green luminescence caught Nie Kong’s eye.

"That's it!"

Joy surged through Nie Kong.

At that moment, the dark-green blood in the Yaochi Cave was boiling violently, like water at a rolling boil. It tossed the Ziluo Huanling Fragrance, curled up like a seed, back and forth, seemingly on the verge of bursting through the cracks of the Four Spirit Apertures to reintegrate into his entire circulatory system.

After persevering for ten seconds, Nie Kong reached out his arm, plunging his fingers with blinding speed into the fissure between the two stones.

"Hah!"

The instant the mass of dark-green light met his grasp, a surging wave washed over him, throwing him backward, unable to maintain his footing. Nie Kong remained unruffled, constantly adjusting his posture to conform with the current, ensuring he never strayed outside the area covered by the emerald radiance in the center of the river.

Washed back several dozen meters, Nie Kong barely managed to steady himself.

In a calmer stretch of water, Nie Kong focused his gaze and found he was clutching a dark-green stone, three fingers wide, perfectly round and crystalline. Merely holding it in his palm, he sensed a dense, strange aura emanating from the small round stone, seeming intent on overwhelming him.

"Whoosh!"

Inside the Yaochi Cave, the dark-green blood surged high, instantly pressing the Ziluo Huanling Fragrance floating above it to the bottom of the hidden aperture. Nie Kong’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly focused his concentration on the dark-green stone in his hand. A moment later, he secured it within his Pet Backpack.

Without the dark-green sphere, the blood in the Yaochi Cave rapidly settled. In less than ten seconds, it was completely still again, and the little fellow floated serenely once more.

What a bizarre aura!

Nie Kong was desperate to study the stone properly. He quickly surfaced and saw Bai Yuqing sitting quietly on the riverbank, her beautiful eyes swiftly scanning the water's surface. He waved his arm vigorously, immediately drawing Bai Yuqing's attention...

...

About half an hour later, in the attic lodging.

After coaxing the awakened little lasses Long Ping and Long Ting to the thirty-third floor to find Miao Ge and Tajii, Nie Kong quickly took out the small round stone.

The dark-green blood boiled once more.

"Buzz!"

A deep, resonant hum sounded as the slender Celestial Array, prepared beforehand, pierced into his lower abdomen.

A flash of brilliant emerald light erupted, and the intricate spirit patterns covering the needle flared with dazzling brightness. Simultaneously, the sharp tip of the needle vibrated violently within the Yaochi Cave. Instantly, the Yaochi Cave was completely sealed by the golden needle; no matter how the dark-green blood surged, it could not escape its confinement.

While continuing to manipulate the Celestial Needle with his right hand, Nie Kong held the round stone in his left, observing it closely.

Upon inspection, Nie Kong discovered that the perfectly smooth surface of the stone was covered with countless minute holes, fine as ox hair, resembling human skin. Threads of faint dark-green luminescence seeped out from these dense pores, giving the entire stone its dark-green hue.

"The blood is dark green, and the stone is dark green..."

Nie Kong murmured to himself. After a moment of silence, he cautiously directed a weak thread of spiritual energy into the small dark-green stone.

"Boom!"

A violent tremor erupted. The dark-green light emanating from the stone abruptly intensified several times, forcing Nie Kong to narrow his eyes involuntarily.

At that moment, the thread-like, weak spiritual energy vanished as if swallowed by the sea. Almost simultaneously, a strange aura snaked into Nie Kong’s palm like a spirit serpent. Then, as if guided by old familiarity, it traveled up his arm to the exterior of the Yaochi Cave.

"What is this?"

Nie Kong’s heart leaped. He abruptly flipped his hand, intending to release the dark-green stone, but it adhered tightly to his palm like a suction cup. The strange aura continuously poured out of the stone, entering Nie Kong's palm and then gathering around the Yaochi Cave.

Had his action backfired?

Frowning, Nie Kong willed his aperture to vibrate intensely, sending a surge of potent spiritual energy down his left arm, which exploded from his palm. Yet, the stone showed no sign of dislodging, clinging stubbornly to his palm, while the strange aura seeping from it grew stronger.

It seemed the stone wouldn't drop until it had been completely absorbed!

Nie Kong felt a definite headache coming on. He had hoped to uncover secrets of the Yin Ruins here, but instead of finding secrets, he had unearthed a pile of trouble.

The strange dark-green auras clustered around the Yaochi Cave, restless and eager. Once Nie Kong released the seal on the hidden aperture, they would undoubtedly pour in.

Furthermore, since spiritual energy couldn't shake the dark-green stone loose, he knew the dark-green auras around the Yaochi Cave would be impossible to expel from his body, just like that mass of blood.

"Rather than let them rush in, I might as well let them in bit by bit!"

Nie Kong gritted his teeth inwardly and made a swift decision. The speed at which his right hand manipulated the needle became suddenly fast and slow, causing slight gaps to appear in the Yaochi Cave sealed by the Celestial Needle. The dark-green auras, previously dashing around like headless flies, seemed to have found an exit and rushed frantically toward the opening.

As if sensing the entry of the dark-green energies, the blood in the Yaochi Cave became even more "agitated," surging toward the gap.

In an instant, the thread of dark-green aura was swallowed by the surging blood...

Nie Kong’s mind raced. He widened the gap in the Yaochi Cave further, allowing more dark-green energy to flood in. To Nie Kong’s surprise, as the absorbed dark-green energy increased, the blood actually began to calm down, focusing only on devouring the incoming auras...

...

"Thud!"

A jarring sound suddenly echoed.

The dark-green round stone finally detached from Nie Kong's left palm and dropped to the floor. By then, the stone, previously shimmering faintly, had become dull and lusterless. Its smooth surface was now covered in dense depressions, each the size of a soybean, making it resemble a honeycomb from a distance.

"Hah!"

With a soft exhale, Nie Kong slowly withdrew the Celestial Needle. The moment the stone hit the ground, the dark-green auras surrounding the Yaochi Cave had all been absorbed by the mass of blood.

Clearing his mind, Nie Kong observed carefully...

The dark-green blood had not expanded as it had after treating Old Master Shen Gong previously. Despite absorbing all the dark-green energy, the volume of the blood had not changed. However, Nie Kong could sense that the latent power within the blood seemed to have strengthened slightly.

Tucking the Celestial Needle back into his Pet Backpack, Nie Kong stood up and paced around the bedroom... If the dark-green blood in the Yaochi Cave gained strength by absorbing the strange energy from the dark-green stone, did that mean the energy served as nourishment?

"Nourishment for the Half-Spirit bloodline?"

Nie Kong murmured to himself. The Half-Spirit bloodline originated from the Yin Ruins, so the nourishment should also come from the Yin Ruins. Yet, it was found in the cold current of the Senluo Ancient Cave...

"Could that cold current also originate from the Yin Ruins?"

Suddenly, a bold hypothesis flashed across Nie Kong’s mind.

If that river truly flowed out of the Yin Ruins, then following the river upstream might lead him to the Yin Ruins that Hua Yanlian spoke of?

At this thought, Nie Kong couldn't help but feel an irrepressible excitement, itching to return immediately to the Senluo Ancient Cave and investigate along that cold current. However, just as he took a step toward the door, he restrained the impulse in his heart and returned to sit quietly on the chair.

Upon further reflection, Nie Kong realized his idea was perhaps too wishful.

The Tianling Continent was vast. Although the energy within that dark-green stone could serve as nourishment for his Half-Spirit bloodline, such a peculiar substance might not be unique to the Yin Ruins. Moreover, since Lingyu City held some connection to the Yin Ruins, perhaps Lingyu City itself possessed such items, which might have later fallen into that hidden current due to some accident. While the probability was small, it wasn't impossible.

The most critical point was that Nie Kong's current cultivation level was insufficient. Even if the cold current led to the Yin Ruins, he could not reach it safely with his current strength.

After all, the exposed section of the cold current deep within the Senluo Ancient Cave was only about a thousand meters long. Not far past the steep slope upstream was a gloomy stone cave, which, unlike the stretch in the ancient cave, lacked riverbanks on both sides for rest. Furthermore, Nie Kong had no idea how long that inner cave extended. Staying submerged in such an environment for too long, even if he avoided freezing to death, he would suffocate.

"It won't be too late to investigate after reaching the Spirit Transformation realm. The most pressing matter now is to raise my cultivation!" Nie Kong silently resolved. Just as he bent down to pick up the stone, which had turned completely black, the Ziluo Huanling Fragrance, curled like a seed in the Yaochi Cave, suddenly unfurled.

"Jingle bells..."

A string of crisp and melodious sounds echoed in Nie Kong’s mind...

... PS: Third chapter update complete... ... ...

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