"What's so funny?"

Qing Yue cried out in exasperation. The moment the voice sounded, a dense, almost substantial azure aura drifted out of the Beast Token, coalescing into the form of a small girl. Hands on her hips, she stood behind the token, glaring with narrowed, angry eyes at Nie Kong.

The little girl wore a light blue dress, her delicate, pristine little feet bare. Her features were exquisitely sculpted, her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears seeming carved by divine artistry, brimming with ethereal spirit. The skin of her face was rosy and so tender it looked as if water could be squeezed from it.

Her hair was fiery red, braided into twelve tight plaits that hung down her back. As she grumbled, the little braids swung back and forth, full of lively motion. If placed outside, this little girl would undoubtedly be a peerless beauty capable of overturning cities and nations. Sadly, she was just too small...

Only the size of two fingers!

The thought that such a sprite-like girl claimed to be his grandmother nearly made Nie Kong burst with laughter. After a long while, Nie Kong managed to suppress the mirth churning in his belly, wiping away the tears brought on by laughter: "Ahem, then? Qing Yue, you are only this small?"

"What's wrong with being this small? Hmph, don't judge me by my current size. That's because my soul power weakened after I left the Spirit Sealing Stele. Wait until I recover to the Celestial Spirit level, then you'll see; you'll be scared to death then!" Qing Yue finished speaking in a huff, then suddenly burst into joyful leaps. "Hahahaha, Nie Kong, you little scoundrel who doesn't respect your elders, you actually tickled Grandma's soles! Oh, no, I can't take it, ha ha ha..." Nie Kong froze, then looked back at the Beast Token. He saw a wisp of green emerge—the little one was curiously probing the inherent medicinal power. Seemingly sensing Qing Yue’s reaction, the little thing became highly engaged, treating it like a rare toy. Wherever Qing Yue jumped, the green wisp followed.

"I'm... dying, dying... Beautiful Grandma Qing Yue is going to laugh herself to death! Hahaha, Nie Kong, you tickled Grandma's soles... If Grandma dies, you won't survive either..." Qing Yue’s small, exquisite figure floated back and forth over the Beast Token, her intermittent laughter echoing through the hall.

Nie Kong quickly called the little thing to a halt.

"Ah ya ya?"

The little thing chirped in confusion, somewhat reluctantly retracting that wisp of inherent medicinal power back into the Jade Pond Acupoint. Only then did Qing Yue stop moving, sitting breathlessly on the Beast Token, her small face flushed a deep red, looking even more delicate and desirable. Nie Kong clicked his tongue in amazement. He knew this little girl was an illusion conjured by Qing Yue Huanxin Lan using soul power, but he never expected her to exhibit such human-like reactions when stimulated.

"Nie Kong, you went too far."

After catching her breath, Qing Yue gritted her teeth in anger, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks toward Nie Kong.

A moment later, Qing Yue suddenly stopped her assault, tilting her little head in confusion, knitting her brows: "No, no. If Grandma's senses are correct, what tickled my soles wasn't Wood Spiritual Power, but a tremendously condensed medicinal power. Yes, it’s medicinal power! Nie Kong, do you have a Medicine Spirit inside you?"

Upon hearing this, Qing Yue immediately grew excited, waving her hands and feet as she shouted: "Quick! Quick! Nie Kong, call that little one out! How mischievous! Seeing Grandma here and not even offering a greeting, and daring to tease Grandma! I must teach her a good lesson!"

Seeing her instantly pierce the disguise of the Purple Luo Illusionary Fragrance, Nie Kong felt a secret dread in his heart!

This Qing Yue Huanxin Lan was indeed a thousand-year-old Medicine Spirit cultivated to the Celestial Spirit realm; her perception was incredibly sharp. When outside, the little one's medicinal power had been revealed several times, yet no one had ever seen through the green haze as anything other than the Wood Spiritual Power he cultivated.

"Ahem, this..."

Nie Kong chuckled awkwardly. Before he could finish speaking, the ground began to tremble violently. The circular walls and pillars of the Spirit Sealing Hall emitted a grating sound, and long, narrow cracks instantly appeared. The palace seemed on the verge of collapse.

Qing Yue’s tiny figure zipped back into the Beast Token, her clear voice emanating from within: "That shattered Illusionary Realm was supposed to vanish long ago; it’s only been preserved until now thanks to my soul. Over these years, the Illusionary Realm and the Spirit Sealing Hall became one. Now that my soul has left the Spirit Sealing Stele, the Illusionary Realm has lost its support and is about to dissipate. This place will be dragged down with it and completely collapse."

Nie Kong’s expression shifted slightly, and he spun around, rushing toward the hall entrance. After taking only two steps, Nie Kong abruptly sprinted back toward the stone monument, focusing his concentration upon it.

Qing Yue’s little head poked out of the Beast Token, anxiously shouting: "Nie Kong, what are you doing? Run quickly! If you’re late, you’ll be turned into meat paste! If you die, Grandma can’t live either! Ah, it’s all that damned 'Life and Death Spirit Seal'—it has utterly ruined Grandma!"

With a slight sound of air parting, the Spirit Sealing Stele suddenly vanished without a trace.

Qing Yue blinked in confusion, calling out doubtfully: "Huh? Where did the Spirit Sealing Stele go?"

Nie Kong remained silent, striding toward the exit of the hall, though his heart was filled with elation. Just before leaving, he suddenly remembered that the Spirit Sealing Stele wasn't connected to the ground, and his pet inventory had eight cubic meters of space—enough to contain it if he could successfully stow it away.

Putting aside the fact that the Spirit Sealing Stele was a treasure that even a peak Celestial Spirit expert would struggle to shatter, the large volume of toxic mist it contained was enough to sustain the 'Fire Tree Silver Flower' for a very long time. Thus, Nie Kong seized the moment to try, and astonishingly, he succeeded!

"Nie Kong, it seems you must have stored the Spirit Sealing Stele! You little rascal have quite a few secrets. Not only do you have another Medicine Spirit inside you, but you can hide something as large as the Spirit Sealing Stele completely out of sight, without even Grandma noticing!" Qing Yue muttered curiously inside the Beast Token.

As if the sky were falling and the earth cracking, amid a huge roar, half of the palace crumbled, and shattered stones plummeted from the high ceiling like rain.

Nie Kong narrowly dodged several stones and finally reached the nearest exit at the hall door.

The area outside the door was pitch black, completely devoid of light, making it impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face. The Spirit Sealing Hall behind him was collapsing faster and faster. Without hesitation, Nie Kong plunged into the darkness.

"This is the underground labyrinth built by that old fossil, Ni Zhao Shi. There are many illusions in the tunnels. But don't worry, this is Grandma's territory. With me here, we can definitely get out. Keep walking straight ahead now, and when I tell you where to go, you follow my instructions exactly!"

Nie Kong had been waiting for Qing Yue to say this. The moment her voice fell, Nie Kong furiously circulated his spirit arts, mobilizing the spiritual energy within his body, pushing the speed of the 'Flower Shifting Evasion' skill to its absolute maximum. The emerald glow blooming like flowers beneath his feet added a slight luminescence to his surroundings.

"Forward! Keep going!"

"Left! To the left!"

"Right! Right side!"

"Jump over it, with all your strength!"

...Under Qing Yue’s guidance, Nie Kong sped through the tunnels and indeed encountered no obstacles.

However, Nie Kong dared not let his concentration lapse in the slightest. The booming sound behind him, like rolling thunder, chased relentlessly. Any pause, even for two or three seconds, would result in Nie Kong being swallowed by the collapsing underground labyrinth. At that point, he would have no chance of survival.

"Nie Kong, what spiritual technique are you using? It’s so fast, it probably rivals that of an average Spirit Master!"

"Good! Keep going like that! Jump again!"

No one knew how long it took, but finally, a faint, hazy light appeared in the passage ahead. Nie Kong recognized it instantly—it was sunlight.

The exit was near! Nie Kong’s spirits soared.

Qing Yue suddenly shrieked, causing Nie Kong’s heart to jump slightly. He instinctively marshaled all his remaining spiritual energy, and a faint, wavering green light enveloped his body surface.

A world-shattering blast of noise came from behind, and with it, an incredibly powerful force. It was as if a long-suppressed flood had suddenly found an outlet at the base of a dam, surging forward with fierce kinetic energy like a tidal wave from deep behind.

Nie Kong’s body was propelled like a cannonball shot from its muzzle, rocketing toward the opening ahead.

In an instant, brilliant light filled Nie Kong’s vision. Before he could adjust, the canopy of a giant tree appeared. Nie Kong crashed into the dense foliage like a stone, snapping branches with continuous cracking sounds; countless limbs broke.

Smashing heavily onto the ground, Nie Kong was dizzy, his entire body feeling as if it had fallen apart.

Ignoring the pain in his body, Nie Kong gritted his teeth and sat up. Peering through gaps in the trees, he glanced sideways to see that nearby mountain range collapsing at a speed visible to the naked eye. Amidst the rumbling sounds, vast clouds of dust and startled birds rose into the air.

He had escaped!

Nie Kong let out a long breath, feeling an almost exhilarating relief of surviving a disaster. Had he been even slightly slower in his dash, he would probably be a smear of mud beneath that mountain range now! However, his relief was short-lived as Tai Hong’s image flashed in his mind, filling him with worry. "Damn that Death Spirit Beast! It’s just because I took one herb from it; why is it still chasing me!"

At the edge of the huge crater, Tai Hong clawed at the stone wall, climbing out looking disheveled and weary. He plopped onto the ground and cursed loudly, "I’ll rest outside for a while before going back in. See how you chase me then! You can’t possibly show up in front of me unluckily again next time I go in!"

"This herb must be quite good. Later, I’ll ask Nie Kong..."

After venting, Tai Hong happily tucked the herb into his embrace. But before he could finish speaking, his body began to shake, his eyes widening like copper bells as he stared at the continuously collapsing peaks in the distance. Moments later, Tai Hong snapped back to reality: "Damn it, Nie Kong is still inside!"

As Tai Hong was about to climb down the stone wall, a rumbling sound echoed from beneath the earth. Immediately, a massive wave of earth shot diagonally into the sky. Tai Hong couldn't dodge in time, and his body shot out like an arrow released from a string, carried by the earth wave toward the deep, long canyon behind him...

"Qing Yue, how far is this place from that palm print?"

Nie Kong took out the Beast Token and asked with some urgency.

To a large extent, Tai Hong had come to this shattered Illusionary Realm early to guide Nie Kong, who wanted to search for the 'Crescent Moon Hook' and other herbs. If Tai Hong were to meet with any misfortune because Nie Kong took Qing Yue's soul, Nie Kong would feel deeply uneasy.

"Stop calling me 'Grandma' right there." The finger-sized girl's figure emerged from the Beast Token. Qing Yue puckered her lips in reminder, then replied, "At least sixty or seventy li!"

Nie Kong frowned. "That far? Impossible!"

Qing Yue snorted, "What’s impossible about it? Didn't I tell you? There are many illusions in that underground labyrinth. You feel like you haven't traveled long, but in reality, you've gone a great distance."

"Sixty or seventy li!"

Nie Kong was filled with worry. At such a distance, even attempting a rescue seemed unlikely.

By the time he arrived, the situation would be over, and based on what he saw here, the landscape around the crater must have changed drastically after the Illusionary Realm shattered, making any search impossible.

I just hope nothing happens to him!

Nie Kong sighed inwardly, sat cross-legged beneath the tree, took out a spirit-restoring pill, and began circulating the "Spring and Autumn Life-Giving Art."

After running at full tilt using 'Flower Shifting Evasion' in the underground labyrinth for such a long time, Nie Kong's spiritual energy was almost completely depleted. Furthermore, his internal organs and meridians had suffered considerable impact at the final moment of leaving the tunnel. He needed to recover quickly to ensure his own safety.

After all, this place was deep within the Heavenly Wolf Mountain Range, where danger could arise at any moment.

Time slowly passed. The dust and smoke dissipated, and the mountain range, disturbed by the shattering of the Illusionary Realm and the collapse of the labyrinth, gradually settled into calm.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed through the heaven and earth.

The sound seemed to contain a strange power that pierced the heart. Nie Kong’s spirit trembled, and he was abruptly pulled out of his cultivation. Looking up, he realized it was already night. The bright moonlight spilled down, bathing the forest in a hazy, dreamlike glow.

"Roar! The hissing sound came again.

The sound was closer this time, tinged with alarm and anger. Nie Kong’s heart stirred. Feeling that his spiritual energy and body had mostly recovered, he quickly climbed up the nearby giant tree. In the blink of an eye, Nie Kong was perched on a branch, looking in the direction of the sound.

"Roar!"

The sound drew nearer.

Not long after, a white shadow shot out from the low-lying jungle in the distance.

Under the moonlight, its massive body was immediately captured by Nie Kong’s eyes. It was a giant, snow-white python, its body thicker than the giant tree he was clinging to. What shocked Nie Kong even more was that the python did not have a snake’s head, but rather a ferocious dragon’s head.

Qing Yue climbed up Nie Kong's arm and perched casually on his shoulder, adopting the posture of someone surveying a vast landscape: "See that? That’s a Rank Six Peak Spirit Beast, the 'Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon.'"

"How do you know?"

Nie Kong had been startled earlier when Qing Yue mentioned a Rank Six Peak Spirit Beast, as such a powerful spirit beast was completely beyond his current ability to resist. However, seeing Qing Yue appear so calm and composed, he felt reassured—if she wasn't afraid, why should he be?

Qing Yue said proudly, "Grandma has known this 'Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon' for a long time. This creature has been near that palm print several times. But it’s extremely cunning and escaped my toxic mist more than once. Looking at its current pathetic state, it must be being hunted."

As Qing Yue finished speaking, another white shadow rushed out from the jungle behind.

It was a woman in white, her figure graceful, her robes fluttering as if she were strolling casually behind the 'Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon.' Her demeanor was elegant, like an immortal descended from the Nine Heavens Palace.

Nie Kong focused his gaze on the white shadow, his brow unconsciously furrowing. Although the distance made it impossible for him to clearly see the white-robed woman’s face, as soon as she appeared, an instinctive feeling of familiarity washed over him, as if he had seen her somewhere before. "The woman behind her is a Void Spirit Master!" Qing Yue delivered another judgment.

Nie Kong responded absentmindedly, continuing to watch the distant white shadow. He saw her suddenly take a step, and her figure vanished into thin air. The next moment she reappeared, she had already blocked the Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon’s path. Merging with the void—it was indeed a technique only attainable by Spirit Masters above the Void Spirit realm.

The Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon twisted its body and actually turned to flee, moving like a bulldozer, crushing trees with continuous loud cracks wherever it passed.

Seconds later, the white figure materialized again in front of it, blocking its path. The Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon quickly tried to escape in another direction. However, the white figure blocked its way a third time.

And then a fourth time, a fifth time...

Roars echoed between heaven and earth.

After being blocked over a dozen times consecutively, the surrounding hundred-meter patch of jungle had been ground into flat earth by the massive body of the Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon, leaving chaos everywhere.

"Roar!" Finally, the Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon roared in desperation and charged toward the woman, sending a white beam of light like a bolt of silk out of its gaping maw. Instantly, the air within a hundred-meter radius seemed to freeze, and fist-sized snowflakes materialized out of nowhere, swirling violently toward the woman. "Roar!"

Another roar sounded in the void. But this sound was entirely different from the Serpent Dragon’s fierce, ear-piercing cry. This sound was extremely crisp, like pearls dropping onto a jade plate, bringing a sense of profound pleasure to the listener.

The sound came from within her!

Nie Kong was astonished, then watched as a brilliant, jade-white figure rushed out from inside the white-robed woman—a dragon! It was a phantom dragon image! As it coiled around the woman’s body, the snowflakes filling the world transformed into birds, and the white phantom image then lunged toward the Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon.

Nie Kong murmured softly, and the image of that fellow named She Yan, who used the 'Wax Serpent Heart Aspect' in Jiyang City, flashed involuntarily in his mind. As Hua Yan had told him, the Celestial Spirit Continent was home to five major spirit clans: Flower Spirit, Dragon Spirit, Snake Spirit, Feather Spirit, and Fish Spirit. Hua Mei and Hua Yan were both from the Flower Spirit Clan, and She Yan was from the Snake Spirit Clan. He never expected to witness a woman from the Dragon Spirit Clan tonight in this desolate wilderness!

"Dragon Spirit Clan?"

Indeed, Qing Yue also muttered in surprise, then suddenly understood, pinching Nie Kong’s ear. "Nie Kong, I know why she’s hunting that 'Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon.' She must want to refine the soul of this Rank Six Spirit Beast to enhance the power of her Heart Aspect." Nie Kong asked, astonished, "You even know that?"

"Of course!"

Qing Yue dangled from Nie Kong’s ear, swinging her little feet back and forth, calling out excitedly, "You have no idea! There was a small room in that underground labyrinth where that old fossil Ni Zhao Shi kept his books. When I was bored, I would go look. You could say that Grandma Qing Yue knows everything on the Celestial Spirit Continent! Hahahaha, Nie Kong, you are blessed to have me as your grandmother!"

Hearing this, Nie Kong knew the little thing was boasting. He lowered his voice and deliberately asked with a serious expression, "Oh? Then do you know about Yin Xu?"

"Yin Xu? What is that?"

Qing Yue paused for a moment, then stammered evasively, "Ah, well, let Grandma think hard about it. Hmph, I looked at things hundreds of years ago, so maybe I need a long time to recall it. Don't rush, don't rush. Once I remember, Grandma will tell you."

Nie Kong laughed heartily; it was exactly as he had guessed. At most, she had glanced at a few books recording the strange tales of the Celestial Spirit Continent in the labyrinth, and likely incomplete editions at that.

"What are you laughing at!"

Qing Yue's small face flushed slightly, and she glared with her watery green eyes, but the flickering in her gaze betrayed her nervousness.

Just as Nie Kong was about to tease this grandmotherly little thing further, an earth-shattering roar interrupted his amusement.

"Roar!" The massive body of the Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon thrashed and rolled, its violent collisions sounding one after another, a huge spectacle, but failing to inflict any damage on its opponent.

The white-robed woman’s figure flickered around the 'Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon' like a phantom. The white dragon phantom above her head bared its fangs and claws, tearing shocking bloody gashes across the Serpent Dragon's pale body. In just tens of seconds, it was riddled with wounds.

"Roar!" The Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon grew more desperate. Its bloody body suddenly coiled into a ball, its ferocious dragon head raised high, and it let out a hysterical roar from its massive mouth. Then its body began to inflate rapidly, as if pumped up with air, instantly expanding by more than double its size.

"Hmph!" Nie Kong vaguely heard the white-robed woman snort. Immediately, the white dragon phantom shot out like a sharp sword, slamming into the Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon’s body.

With a loud bang, the Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon shrieked as it was knocked flying into the air like a cloud being driven by the wind. Its body inflation paused slightly, then continued to expand.

The white dragon phantom chased after it like lightning, its mouth growing wider and wider. In an instant, a vague white shape struggled out from the top of the Serpent Dragon's head and plunged into the white dragon’s mouth. As if injected with a stimulant, the white dragon let out a high-pitched roar that echoed for dozens of li.

The white shadow detached from the body in that instant, and the body of the Snow Spirit Serpent Dragon crashed down, its distended form seeming to deflate as it rapidly reverted to its original state.

At that moment, the woman in white turned, drifting towards Nie Kong with movements as smooth and flowing as flowing clouds and water. The spectral image of the white dragon immediately plunged back into the woman’s body, vanishing entirely. The closer the white shadow came, the clearer the features became. A look of utter astonishment gradually dawned on Nie Kong's face: Long Xuechan! It was Long Xuechan! ...C