Nie Kong blurted out, surprised not by the blood-red script on the stone tablet, but by the pattern beneath the writing!

In the center of a cluster of dense, crescent-moon-like leaves, twelve slender stalks stood tall, only to curve downward like fish hooks near the tip, where azure flowers bloomed proudly facing the ground. Though it was an illustration, it was carved with lifelike detail, the lines imbued with a sense of vitality.

"Crescent Moon Blue Hook!"

The pattern on the stele bore an uncanny resemblance to the "Crescent Moon Blue Hook" drawn by Tai Ji! The only difference was that Tai Ji's drawing showed only one hook-shaped azure flower, whereas this one boasted a full twelve, matching the number of doors on this black palace exactly.

"Who on earth are you? Why can you absorb my life force?" A faint wisp of black mist circled the stele, and the woman's voice sounded again, laced with anger, shock, and disbelief.

Nie Kong didn't reply, staring at the stele with bewilderment, muttering, "You are not human!"

"Correct, I am not human. So what?"

The woman’s voice paused for a beat, then repeated her earlier demand with indignant fierceness, "Who are you? Why can you absorb my life force?"

"Me?"

Nie Kong snapped back to reality and smiled faintly, "Don't you feel it? In fact, your feeling is right; I am a Wood Spirit Master of the first rank of Spirit Transformation."

"Impossible! Impossible! A Spirit Transformer can absorb my life force too?" The black mist fluctuated violently, clearly refusing to believe Nie Kong's claim.

"Believe it or not!"

Seeing the "Seal Spirit Stele" only made Nie Kong more at ease. "If I'm not mistaken, you must be sealed within this stone tablet. Can you tell me what your original form is? Is it... the Crescent Moon Blue Hook?"

As he uttered the last phrase, Nie Kong's voice became slightly urgent.

It was rumored that medicinal herbs of this caliber could only gain the ability to speak after cultivating to the realm equivalent of a Celestial Spirit by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Only after surpassing the Celestial Spirit realm could they manifest a human form, just like the "Fluttering Jade Butterfly Spring," which left behind a lineage of the Flower Spirit Clan on the Celestial Spirit Continent.

"Fire Trees, Silver Flowers, Never-Night Sky, Seated Dragon, God-Devourer, and the Fluttering Dance!"

Nie Kong had not expected that, in addition to the Fire Tree Silver Flower, Never-Night Sky, Seated Dragon Grass, God-Devouring Flower, and Fluttering Jade Butterfly Spring, there would be such an extraordinary medicine as the "Crescent Moon Blue Hook."

"Crescent Moon Blue Hook?"

The voice paused, then huffed, "It’s no harm telling you; my true form is the 'Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid.' Calling it 'Crescent Moon Blue Hook' isn't entirely wrong. If that old relic from the Beast Taming Sect hadn't sealed me here, could you little fellow be absorbing my life force?"

After speaking, the voice still sounded indignant.

"Well said."

Nie Kong chuckled. "Since you can speak like a human, you must have possessed Celestial Spirit cultivation before being sealed. If that were the case, you could have ended me instantly."

"Celestial Spirit?"

The Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid sneered, "If I were at the Celestial Spirit realm back then, would that old relic from the Beast Taming Sect even be worthy of sealing me?"

"How so?" Nie Kong asked curiously.

"I am different from ordinary herbs!"

Having been sealed for so long, the Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid had an intense desire to talk. It ceased prying into why Nie Kong could absorb its life force and poured out its story incessantly. "After reaching the Spirit Fusion realm, I could start changing my body shape. By the time I reached Void Spirit, I could transform freely into any flower or grass."

"Relying on this ability, I managed to cultivate to the Cave Spirit realm. If nothing unexpected happened, given another thousand years, becoming humanoid like the 'Fluttering Jade Butterfly Spring' wouldn't have been impossible."

"Alas, before I even reached the Celestial Spirit realm, that cunning old thing discovered me! Hmph, the old man promised me a pile of benefits, wanting me to serve him like a foolish spirit beast—dream on! How could the beautiful 'Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid' become his slave?"

As she spoke, the black mist swirling around the Seal Spirit Stele grew thicker, and the Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid's voice became angrier. "When the old man failed to make me submit, he imprisoned me in the 'Seal Spirit Stele' and then laid a massive amount of 'Ink Bell Flowers' in the palace, hoping to weaken my soul with their poison. But that old fool forgot who I am—I am the beautiful 'Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid!' I spent three hundred years completely absorbing the toxicity of the 'Ink Bell Flowers.' Not only did my soul not weaken, it actually advanced to the Celestial Spirit realm!"

"Though my soul improved, my original body completely vanished. Fortunately, that old fool is long dead too! Little fellow, do you know? Just a few days after he sealed me, a truly formidable being showed up—someone apparently titled the Master of the Moluo Sacred Mountain. I heard it was because the old man stole something from the Moluo Sacred Mountain. That's too funny, hehehe..."

Nie Kong had been listening silently to the Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid’s narrative, but he didn't expect her to suddenly bring up the Moluo Sacred Mountain. His heart gave a slight jolt; it seemed the massive palm print and the cracked mountain peak outside were the results of the battle between the 'old relic' and the Master of the Moluo Sacred Mountain she had just mentioned.

"The two of them fought here for three days and three nights. Everyone from the Beast Taming Sect died. In the end, the old man and that Master of the Moluo Sacred Mountain perished together..." The Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid sighed. "Alas, after the old man died, I was the only one left here—it was so boring. Oh, later, a City Lord from somewhere called Spirit Control City seemed to have visited outside. He looked very powerful too, probably a Celestial Spirit Master."

"I was manipulating the toxic mist outside for a stroll that day when he spotted me. But he didn't bother me; he just told me not to let my range of movement exceed the palm print and not to kill anyone. Hmph, how could the beautiful 'Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid' kill people? At most, I'd only kill a few spirit beasts that delivered themselves to me!"

"Of course, even if he wanted to cause trouble, it would be useless. This 'Seal Spirit Stele' cannot be damaged without power surpassing the Celestial Spirit realm! As long as I hide in the 'Seal Spirit Stele' and don't come out, what can he do to me? This 'Seal Spirit Stele,' though it traps me, is also a wonderful protective treasure!"

"..."

Nie Kong suddenly understood. He now knew why the sky-obscuring black mist at noon had only moved within the pit and hadn't dragged him and Tai Hong, who were so close, down into it. It must have been due to the agreement the Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid had with the City Lord of Spirit Control City back then.

Nie Kong's presence in the Seal Spirit Hall was also hardly anyone else's fault—he had walked right onto the little finger of that giant palm print. Recalling the scene earlier, Nie Kong realized he had been standing at the very tip of the palm's finger. Because so much time had passed, the tip had become quite level, and the black mist controlled by the Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid probably rarely visited that spot, which is why grass and trees had grown there.

According to her account, even if he hadn't had the little fellow helping him absorb the toxic mist, he wouldn't have been in danger. However, this was all her side of the story; such things were hard to ascertain, and Nie Kong wasn't naive enough to believe everything the "Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid" said.

The Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid continued to chatter incessantly before letting out a gentle sigh after a long while. "It’s been so long since I've spoken this much. It feels wonderful." Nie Kong smiled slightly. He could actually sympathize with the Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid's feelings. Having been isolated in this Seal Spirit Stele for so many years, meeting someone she could finally confide in would naturally prompt her to speak her fill. If he were in her shoes, he might react the same way.

"Little fellow, since you listened to me for so long, I won't make things difficult for you. You may leave!" the Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid huffed twice.

If he hadn't been able to absorb her life force, she wouldn't be this agreeable! Nie Kong chuckled internally. "Before I go, could I ask you one question?"

"What question?"

"How long have you actually lived?"

"Before that old relic from the Beast Taming Sect discovered me, it seemed to be about a thousand years. Then, I spent another seven or eight hundred years in the 'Seal Spirit Stele.'"

"A thousand-year medicine spirit!"

Nie Kong sighed emotionally, then added silently in his mind, "And a very narcissistic one at that!"

Suddenly, an idea popped into Nie Kong's head. The life force contained within the Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid was so rich. What would the result be if he absorbed all its life force and toxic mist? He probably wouldn't need to find toxic herbs for the little fellow for a very long time.

"What are you planning?"

The Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid suddenly became alert and coldly snorted. "Little fellow, don't assume that just because you can absorb life force, I truly can't touch you! If I risk losing half my soul power, forget the Spirit Transformation realm—even if you were at the Void Spirit realm, I could kill you instantly."

"Perhaps," Nie Kong replied with a smile, avoiding argument. Although the Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid was nearly two thousand years old, she had little contact with the outside world and still seemed somewhat naive. Nie Kong easily detected the underlying lack of confidence and the outward bluster in her words. While she might indeed be able to kill him by sacrificing half her soul power, doing so would likely cause irreparable harm to herself!

"It's good that you know," the Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid seemed slightly reassured.

Looking at the Seal Spirit Stele, which appeared indistinct under the shroud of black mist, Nie Kong suddenly spoke. "You’ve been here for seven or eight hundred years. Don't you ever want to get out and see the world?"

"Of course, I do," the Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid sighed mournfully. "Being stuck in the 'Seal Spirit Stele' every day is incredibly stifling, and there's no one to talk to in this 'Seal Spirit Hall.' But I am sealed, and my original body has dissipated. Unless a powerhouse exceeding the Celestial Spirit realm helps me shatter this Seal Spirit Stele—but that's impossible! Such powerful beings would have long since left the Celestial Spirit Continent and wouldn't linger here!"

Nie Kong frowned. "Besides shattering the Seal Spirit Stele, is there no other way?"

"There is another way," the Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid huffed. "That is to enter the special beast token made by the Beast Taming Sect. But if I did that, I would never be free again! The thought of my beautiful 'Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid' being permanently controlled like a stupid spirit beast—I’d rather die."

"Beast token?"

Nie Kong's heart stirred. He concentrated, summoning the small black plaque he had picked up outside the Illusory Realm from his pet inventory. "Is this what you mean?"