Nie Kong jumped, wondering if he had misheard. "Aunt Qing, the Nie Shen Gong you speak of, is he that Lord Nie Shen Gong from Jiyang City in the Great Dacheng Empire?"

"Exactly, that's him!"

Mu Qingyi nodded resentfully, then asked with surprise, "Mu Kong, how do you know so much about him?" Before Nie Kong could answer, she laughed, "Oh, right. Aunt Qing forgot; you only entered from outside the Yin Ruins a few months ago. Hearing about Lord Nie Shen Gong wouldn't be surprising."

Pausing, Mu Qingyi sneered with grim satisfaction, "Back then, he was afflicted by my Blood Toxin. So many years have passed; even if he hasn't died by now, he must be close to death, right?"

"Blood Toxin?"

Nie Kong's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly recalled the inky green blood inside the old man in Jiyang City, and a thought—one he found almost unbelievable—surfaced.

Seeing Nie Kong's puzzled face, Mu Qingyi explained with a smile, "The power of our Semi-Spirit race's bloodline is quite different from the Five Great Spirit Races. That Blood Toxin, when all is said and done, is derived from our own Semi-Spirit bloodline power. However, once injected into another person using a special technique, it transforms into a fatal poison. Unless a member of our race extracts it using a specific method, anyone below the Heaven Spirit realm who takes it is certain to die."

"As for the specific technique, it’s too complex to explain in a sentence or two, so Aunt Qing won't go into detail. Your mother will naturally teach you later." Mu Qingyi continued, "That old fellow, like me back then, was only a Cave Spirit Master. After being poisoned by my Blood Toxin, death was inevitable for him sooner or later."

"Not only did he not die, but he should still be living quite well now."

Nie Kong grumbled internally but dared not voice it, afraid of how agitated Mu Qingyi might become. At this moment, Nie Kong was certain that the old man he bumped into in Jiyang City—who was subsequently knocked down by Hua Mei and had his inky green blood drained by Nie Kong—was none other than Elder Nie Shen Gong of the Nie Family.

The workings of this world were truly bizarre!

Judging by Mu Qingyi's demeanor when speaking of Lord Nie Shen Gong, she must hold a profound grudge against him. He never imagined he had inadvertently saved her enemy. Moreover, according to Aunt Qing, Nie Shen Gong was the main culprit behind her spiritual coercion. After being controlled, she sealed her mother twenty years ago, then poisoned Mu Shang, who had smuggled Nie Kong and Nie Qiong out of the Yin Ruins. Subsequently, Nie Kong and Nie Qiong were actually saved and raised by Nie Qingyang, who hailed from the Nie Family of Jiyang City! In the end, Nie Qiong died because he failed to awaken his bloodline, while Nie Kong barely escaped with his life.

Tracing the entire convoluted path, the Nie Family became the benefactors of Nie Kong and Nie Qiong, while the Nie Family Elder, Nie Shen Gong, became the indirect murderer of Nie Qiong? He never expected the genesis of the twenty-year mystery, twisting and turning, to ultimately loop back to the Nie Family of Jiyang City, where he grew up—it was utterly inconceivable.

Lost in thought, Nie Kong couldn't help but ask, "Aunt Qing, what exactly happened back then?"

Mu Qingyi sighed, "At that time, I heard news that a 'Seven-Colored Spirit Leaf' had appeared in the 'Spirit Tethering Mountain Range' in the southern part of the Great Chang Empire. I had often heard mention of the Seven-Colored Spirit Leaves during my travels outside. Legend held that there were exactly seven of them, treasures crafted personally by a Spirit God thousands of years ago, who left behind insights from his breakthrough to the Spirit God realm within them. If one could gather all seven 'Seven-Colored Spirit Leaves' and comprehend their mysteries, the hope of successfully breaking through to the Spirit God realm would be greatly enhanced. I considered breaking through to the Ninth Grade of Heaven Spirit no difficult task; how could I not be tempted by such a thing?"

Hearing this, Nie Kong felt quite puzzled. "Within the Yin Ruins, Ancestor Mu is a Spirit God. With the Old Man here, why seek something so far away?"

Mu Qingyi paused, then burst into a wry laugh, "You haven't been in the Yin Ruins long; it’s no wonder. Mu Kong, you’ve fundamentally misunderstood one thing: although Ancestor Mu possesses strength equivalent to a Spirit God, he has remained stuck at the Heaven Spirit realm for these ten thousand years, not a true Spirit God."

"Ah?"

Nie Kong couldn't help but look a bit stunned. Such an inexplicable thing existed in the world—Ancestor Mu had the power of a Spirit God, yet his realm remained fixed at Heaven Spirit?

Aunt Qing smiled, "What's so strange about that? It’s just like the person who founded the lineage of Spirit Control City in the Heaven Wolf Mountain Range back then; she was our Yin Ruins' Wood Sect Master of that era. By external standards, she was always just a Spirit Controller, yet her Heart Aspect was terrifyingly strong. In the Yin Ruins at that time, no one below Ancestor Mu could defeat her. Sometimes, the external spirit power cultivation system simply cannot measure the strength of our Semi-Spirit race members."

Nie Kong nodded involuntarily, feeling his horizons broaden. When he first heard tales of the Ancestral Spirit Controller of Spirit Control City, he assumed she was merely a highly skilled female Spirit Controller proficient in summoning. Even after learning she originated from the Yin Ruins, he thought she was just an ordinary woman from there, never realizing she was the Yin Ruins' Wood Sect Master.

"Actually, not everyone who possesses the 'Ancestral Heaven Divine Luo Tree' Heart Aspect can become the Wood Sect Master. Within the Yin Ruins, those whose main body is the 'Ancestral Heaven Divine Luo Tree' are only one type of Heart Aspect. Like the Wood Sect Master at the Spirit Controller realm back then, her Heart Aspect was just an ordinary Snow Glazed Qilin Tree. Historically, the Yin Ruins has had several Wood Sect Masters like her. Only when they couldn't fight against those with stronger Heart Aspects did they use the 'Ancestral Heaven Divine Luo Tree' Heart Aspect as the standard for selecting the Wood Sect Master."

Mu Qingyi was speaking with a smile, but then couldn't help but sigh, "It's a pity that no matter how powerful the Heart Aspect, it’s useless. Over thousands of years, countless experts at the Ninth Grade of Heaven Spirit have emerged, yet none have achieved Spirit God status. Otherwise, when I heard news of the 'Seven-Colored Spirit Leaves' back then, I wouldn't have rushed to the 'Spirit Tethering Mountain Range.' If I could have obtained such a treasure, even just one leaf, our Yin Ruins would have benefited endlessly."

"By the time I arrived at Spirit Tethering Mountain, many Cave Spirits and Heaven Spirits were already there, and even quite a few Malignant Spirit Masters and Elixir Spirit Masters were hanging around. Thousands of people searched there for half a month without finding anything, leading everyone to believe the news about the 'Seven-Colored Spirit Leaves' was deliberately spread as a false rumor. Consequently, everyone slowly dispersed. Initially, I also thought it was false news, but being a bit unwilling to give up, I stayed behind to search for a few more days."

"I cultivate the 'Clear Spirit Mirror Heart Tree' Heart Aspect, which allows me to maximize my sensory capabilities by drawing upon the surrounding flora. In areas dense with vegetation, strictly in terms of sensory perception, even Heaven Spirit experts cannot compare to me. Previously, I was affected by the interference of so many powerful spiritual thoughts, which hampered my senses. After those experts left, my advantage in this area gradually manifested. After spending a few days scouring Spirit Tethering Mountain, I actually sensed the existence of the 'Seven-Colored Spirit Leaves.'"

"I noted the location and deliberately left Spirit Tethering Mountain. I stayed outside for a month before returning. By then, there were almost no people left on the mountain, and the presence of the 'Seven-Colored Spirit Leaves' felt even stronger. So, I followed the feeling to retrieve the treasure. After immense effort, I finally managed to obtain a 'Seven-Colored Spirit Leaf.' But I never expected that at that moment, that old bastard Nie Shen Gong would suddenly appear and try to snatch it away." As she said this, anger flashed across Mu Qingyi's face.

"Just as I thought."

Nie Kong sighed secretly. It was no wonder his Aunt Qing spoke the name "Nie Shen Gong" with such hatred. Anyone in that situation would harbor such emotions. However, on second thought, a treasure like the "Seven-Colored Spirit Leaf" was truly too alluring. If he had been in the Spirit Tethering Mountain Range at that time, with sufficient cultivation, and happened to see the "Seven-Colored Spirit Leaf," he might also have tried to seize it.

Mu Qingyi continued, "The rest, you can probably guess. I fought a fierce battle with Nie Shen Gong. I was severely wounded, and Nie Shen Gong was afflicted by my 'Blood Toxin.' That 'Seven-Colored Spirit Leaf' was also split in half—one piece in Nie Shen Gong's hand, and the other remained with me."

"My severe injury was partly due to the aftereffects of casting the 'Blood Toxin.' I needed to return to Ancestor Mu to heal. At the time, I couldn't pursue Nie Shen Gong and hurried toward Spirit Control City. Unexpectedly, on the way, my body was invaded by the spiritual thought of that 'Great Evolution Spirit Venerable.' If my strength hadn't been diminished, even the spiritual thought of a Spirit God couldn't have affected me much, as the thought's main body was in the Abyss of Fall, a great distance away."

"After a struggle, I ultimately could not resist that spiritual thought and ended up being possessed. Only later did I realize that the spiritual thought was also drawn to the Spirit Tethering Mountain by the 'Seven-Colored Spirit Leaf.' Upon discovering my identity as a Yin Ruins Semi-Spirit, it quietly followed, waiting for an opportunity to strike."

"Aunt Qing, you were already controlled at that time?" Nie Kong interjected. In truth, not only Nie Kong, but even Ancestor Mu and Mu Lengxing all believed Mu Qingyi was controlled by the 'Great Evolution Spirit Venerable's' spiritual thought twenty years ago. They never imagined the real time was even earlier.

"That's right."

Mu Qingyi nodded. "At that time, that spiritual thought coveted Ancestor Mu's Tree Heart but didn't dare act, so it remained latent in the Yin Ruins, observing the situation. Twenty years ago, it made me leave the Yin Stump once more and go somewhere—I don't know where—but I eventually brought back three 'Dark Blood Spirit Worms.' After you were born, Xueyi was extremely weak, and she finally found the perfect moment to strike. She first used the Dark Blood Spirit Worms to ambush Ancestor Mu, then controlled the Five City Lords, and then moved against Xueyi."

Hearing this, Nie Kong finally understood the entire sequence of events, feeling quite emotional. She had been controlled for so many years, and fortunately, she hadn't allowed that spiritual thought to bring irreversible disaster upon the Yin Ruins—this was a blessing in disguise. Otherwise, his mother might not have survived, and he himself would surely be dead too.

"Ultimately, the root of this entire affair lies with Nie Shen Gong. If he hadn't tried to steal the 'Seven-Colored Spirit Leaf,' none of the subsequent events would have occurred!" Speaking of Nie Shen Gong, Mu Qingyi was furious again, "That old bastard is dead, but the Nie Family of the Great Dacheng Empire should still exist. In twenty years, if I am still alive, I will definitely go out and exterminate the entire Nie Family! Only then can I quell the hatred in my heart!"

"Uh?"

Nie Kong was startled. Such immense killing intent! Such profound resentment!