As he reached the valley entrance, Nie Kong ceased using the Shifting Flower Evasion technique, proceeding instead with a steady walk. Before long, he navigated along the cliff face on his left, entering the valley proper.
The valley floor was a mess of crisscrossing ravines and dense pits, and the forms of the two spirit beasts became startlingly clear in Nie Kong’s sight.
That eight-legged Blood-Armored Beast was in a truly wretched state, its body covered in gashes so deep they exposed bone. Blood still pulsed sluggishly from the wounds, and its two blood-red eyes remained wide open, but its head had been split clean down the middle, vaguely revealing the gray matter within. It was undeniably dead.
As for the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle…
“Caw!”
With a faint cry, the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle managed to stagger upright.
“It’s really not dead!”
Nie Kong felt a brief spike of surprise.
Fortunately, he had already anticipated various possible outcomes before making his move. Seeing the Eagle was still alive, his mind quickly settled. The motion of rubbing the Heavenly Needles in his right hand was barely affected, and his footsteps continued their measured advance deeper into the valley.
A moment later, the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle fixed its gaze upon Nie Kong. A flicker of deeply human confusion crossed its icy eyes; it seemed unable to comprehend why the figure before it, though clearly active, gave off no discernible aura of life, appearing more like a lifeless object.
As long as it doesn’t charge me immediately! Nie Kong thought internally, shifting his feet slowly, his eyes locked unblinkingly on the Eagle.
After about half a minute, under the unwavering stare of the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle, Nie Kong finally reached his objective.
Peering into the crevice of the cliff face, Nie Kong’s peripheral vision caught sight of the Hundred Silk Dragon Blood Vine. Amidst a thick tangle of thread-thin tendrils, nine blood-red fruits hung—each only the size of a ping-pong ball from his past life—their skins taut and almost splitting, glistening with a moist clarity, like genuine rubies.
Nie Kong held his breath, his stance tight. With a sudden burst, he sprang upward, his left hand plunging into the crack to wrench the entire Hundred Silk Dragon Blood Vine from its roots. Simultaneously, his right hand swept out like lightning, brushing past the nine vital hidden acupuncture points. By the time Nie Kong’s feet touched the ground, all nine golden needles were tucked securely within his robes.
“Whoosh!”
With virtually no hesitation, Nie Kong activated the Shifting Flower Evasion, rocketing out of the valley like a meteor. To increase his speed during the launch, Nie Kong deployed spiritual energy. Even the Nine Revolutions Golden Needle Art could not mask this fluctuation of power, nor could it possibly continue to deceive the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle.
Although the Eagle appeared severely injured and Nie Kong might still stand a chance in a fight, now that the medicine was secured, a clean retreat was infinitely preferable to a desperate, costly battle. If escape proved impossible, then the situation would naturally warrant a different course of action.
“Caw!”
The Ink Snow Thunder Eagle paused for a moment, only snapping out of its daze after Nie Kong had cleared twenty meters. The confusion in its eyes instantly transmuted into pure fury. With a piercing shriek, it beat its wings fiercely, soaring into the air and diving toward Nie Kong in a fit of rage and haste, spattering a trail of blood droplets onto the ground from its abdomen.
Sensing the commotion behind him, Nie Kong remained unperturbed.
The little companion in his possession grew ecstatic now that the medicine was acquired, its stems, leaves, and roots writhing violently. This energy perfectly complemented Nie Kong’s use of the Shifting Flower Evasion, causing green petals to continually erupt beneath his feet, making his trajectory increasingly unpredictable.
“Boom!”
A flash of violet light streaked by, and a bolt of lightning slammed down beside Nie Kong.
Sand and dust erupted as a deep crater bloomed like a flower where the strike landed. The sound of the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle’s wing beats cutting through the air followed closely behind, sharp and distinct.
This Ink Snow Thunder Eagle is truly formidable, Nie Kong thought, marveling that it could launch such violent attacks even after sustaining such grievous injuries. He affirmed that avoiding prolonged engagement was the correct choice. This wasn't cowardice; the Eagle was desperately trying to reclaim the Hundred Silk Dragon Blood Vine, guaranteeing a frenzied assault. Even if he managed to fell the wounded spirit beast, he would likely be utterly exhausted afterward.
Nie Kong entered the Illusory Realm to find herbs; engaging the Eagle in a death match was clearly unwise.
“Caw!”
Failing to connect, the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle let out an enraged cry, and the lightning strikes became more frequent, though each one was deftly evaded by Nie Kong. Aside from accumulating a considerable amount of dust, Nie Kong sustained no harm. The Ink Snow Thunder Eagle, meanwhile, grew wilder, its furious screeches echoing ceaselessly.
“Whoosh!”
After a fierce chase, they finally reached the edge of the dense forest. Nie Kong’s heart leaped with joy, and he slipped into the woods like a wisp of smoke, vanishing swiftly.
The Ink Snow Thunder Eagle shrieked its refusal to quit.
In this terrain, Nie Kong moved like a dragon in the deep ocean or a tiger bounding through the mountains. The dense trees failed to impede his movement; instead, his figure became even more elusive and flickering.
Behind him…
The pursuit continued—the beast’s furious cries, the thunderous explosions of lightning, the sharp crack of breaking timber—all interwoven into an unending cacophony!
Seven or eight li passed in a blink.
The sounds from behind grew fainter. The Ink Snow Thunder Eagle was clearly beginning to falter, falling further and further behind Nie Kong, yet it refused to surrender.
Seeing he had reached the forest’s edge, Nie Kong finally halted his steps.
Turning back, he observed that the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle was still at least two hundred meters away. Satisfied, he lowered his guard slightly, lifting the Hundred Silk Dragon Blood Vine to examine it. Seeing that none of the fruits had fallen during his rapid flight, he focused his mind and stored it safely in his pet inventory.
That fellow is certainly tenacious, Nie Kong mused with a cold smirk, looking at the relentlessly pursuing Eagle. Fighting the fifth-rank spirit beast head-on in the valley—even a victory then would have been costly. But things were different now. The Eagle had chased him for such a long distance that it couldn't even muster its lightning-coalescing attacks; it was spent, near collapse. Another fight now, and he could win with ease.
“Caw!”
After nearly half a minute, the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle finally arrived directly above Nie Kong, its body swaying precariously, appearing ready to plummet at any second. Yet, it still glared at Nie Kong with blazing anger, clearly wishing to tear the herb-thief to shreds, but notably, it refrained from launching an immediate attack.
Seeing this, Nie Kong felt a touch of suspicion.
This spirit beast was evidently intelligent; their earlier clash with the eight-legged Blood-Armored Beast had proven that—it had used tactical baiting to secure the defeat of a beast of equal strength. Its current restraint, not attacking rashly, suggested it was capable of judging the gap in their remaining strength.
Given the Eagle’s supposed intelligence, it should have abandoned the Hundred Silk Dragon Blood Vine long ago. Why was it clinging to the pursuit? Was it not afraid of losing its life? Or was there some other reason? The thought flashed through his mind, but Nie Kong instantly dismissed it.
No matter how desperately the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle needed the Hundred Silk Dragon Blood Vine, Nie Kong had no intention of returning what he had seized! Nie Kong inwardly scoffed, a killing intent flashing in his eyes. He reached into his robes and grasped the stoutest of the nine needles—the Wild Needle. However, before Nie Kong could draw it, the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle overhead let out a sudden, panicked shriek, wheeled around, and began flying back the way it came, wobbling badly.
“What’s going on?”
Noticing the beast’s sudden change of direction, Nie Kong’s heart sank. The Eagle’s retreat was certainly not due to sensing the killing intent in his hand!
If it wasn't about him, then it must be heading toward…
Nie Kong spun around swiftly and finally noticed that the landscape before him had subtly transformed. The previously flat grassland had risen into two low peaks, and between these peaks, a deep, shadowy ravine cut straight toward the distance. Strangest of all, the ravine floor was slick and barren, utterly devoid of vegetation.
“Palm Print!”
Nie Kong’s heart skipped a beat, and the two words burst from his throat. The image he saw before entering the passage resurfaced: the very end of the little finger of the massive palm imprint featured two protruding low peaks. Could it be that, in chasing the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle, he had run right to the vicinity of the little finger of the Palm Print?
The notion sounded absurd, but not impossible! According to Tai Hong, after the Illusory Realm shattered, certain areas had linked up with the outside world, a fact confirmed by the appearance of the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle and the Blood-Armored Beast, as fifth-rank spirit beasts should never have existed within the Realm otherwise.
However, perhaps Tai Hong himself did not know that one of these external connections led to the little finger of the Palm Print, or he wouldn't have accompanied Nie Kong here.
If the shattered Illusory Realm could connect to the little finger of the Palm Print, perhaps it also connected to the other four fingers. Where the fingers of the Palm Print were located, that black poisonous mist might also be present.
When outside, the black mist only reached the massive pit at high noon. But since the five fingers of the Palm Print were the source of the mist, whether it appeared at noon here was uncertain. If he encountered it, Tai Hong, relying only on the few detoxification pills he carried…
The odds would be grim!
Nie Kong’s thoughts raced. He suddenly recalled the Eagle turning tail and fleeing, and a clear notion struck him: had it fled because it sensed something? In certain regards, the instincts of spirit beasts surpassed human perception, especially intelligent fifth-rank ones like the Ink Snow Thunder Eagle.
“Go!”
Nie Kong made a decisive choice, mirroring the Eagle’s action. Yet, before Nie Kong could even shift his weight, a massive patch of black mist erupted from the barren, finger-like ridge ahead. Like a primordial beast breaking free of its cage, or a massive wave cresting from a breached dam, it rolled toward Nie Kong!
The speed at which the black mist advanced was unbelievable…
In the blink of an eye, the nearly hundred-meter gap was halved! Nie Kong frowned slightly. Even the magic of the Shifting Flower Evasion could not outpace this fog.
Xiangxiang, prepare yourself! Nie Kong shouted mentally. The Spring and Autumn Life Creation Art suddenly spun into motion. The colossal Spirit God Aperture in his Dantian vibrated at an unprecedented frequency. The mutated Wood Spiritual Energy surged within him like a tide, and in an instant, a deep emerald luminescence began to shimmer around Nie Kong’s body.
“Aiyayaya!”
The little companion shrieked excitedly, showing no concern at all. In its view, this black mist was poison, and poison could be absorbed for the enjoyment of the Fire Tree Silver Flower. When the Fire Tree Silver Flower was satisfied, it would secrete copious amounts of red liquid beads, and then the companion would enjoy itself too!
Thus, upon receiving Nie Kong’s intent, the creature twisted its body, extending threads of native medicinal power—a vibrant green—to every part of Nie Kong.
“Hoo!”
A split second later, the black mist rolled in and engulfed Nie Kong…