That was not the beat of a heart, but the spiritual seed in Nie Kong's brow thrumming! As that mass of blood erupted and gathered with the bloodline power in the space onto his skin, the bloodline power within Nie Kong fully boiled, merging with the powerful layer outside his body, initiating the condensation of his Inner Manifestation.

Originally, the spiritual seed had no role in this process. Because almost all the Half-Spirit race members were still quite young when their bloodline awakened, at most having just managed to cultivate the "Three Apertures of Spirit God."

The Spirit Gatherers who had only recently achieved that stage had not yet formed a spiritual seed.

But Nie Kong was different; he was already at the Fifth Grade of Spirit Transformation.

For the Half-Spirit race, the spiritual seed was the Inner Manifestation, and the Inner Manifestation was the spiritual seed. Once the Inner Manifestation successfully condensed, the spiritual seed would fully integrate into it, and from then on, the spiritual thought would derive from the Inner Manifestation.

Now, Nie Kong's process of condensing his Inner Manifestation was, in essence, also the process of integrating his spiritual seed.

On the way to this giant tree, Mu Xueyong had educated Nie Kong on some knowledge about the Inner Manifestation, but as for what kind of Inner Manifestation he would condense, Nie Kong was still in the dark.

The Inner Manifestations of the Half-Spirit race could be flora or trees; the specific kind would be chosen by the bloodline power as the most suitable for the owner's body. This choice was not only beyond their own control but even difficult for the Wood Ancestor to interfere with; it changed completely independent of one's will.

Thus, Nie Kong did not bother contemplating it, simply feeling the fluctuation of the bloodline power in quiet stillness.

“Thump… thump…”

Nie Kong’s heart was calm as still water, yet the spiritual seed in his brow pulsed with increasing intensity. After an unknown amount of time, Nie Kong suddenly noticed that the fluctuation of the bloodline power had become somewhat strange—it was suddenly fast then slow, suddenly light then heavy. Seemingly chaotic, yet inherently carrying a subtle, wondrous rhythm.

“Ayayaya!”

The little creature, originally curled up soundly asleep in the Yaochi Aperture, suddenly awoke. After a curious little cry, its roots, stem, leaves, and that small flower bud uncontrollably swayed—fast then slow, light then heavy—following the rhythm of the bloodline power, making an endearing and amusing sight.

“Xiangxiang.”

Nie Kong felt a slight surprise and sent a thought toward the little creature, but it seemed completely unaware.

It continued to dance to the rhythm within the bloodline power.

Gradually, the fluctuation of the bloodline power grew frenzied, and the little creature's movements intensified. After observing for a long time, Nie Kong’s mind could no longer remain calm. A strange idea involuntarily surfaced in his mind: the bloodline power fluctuated to condense the Inner Manifestation; what was the little creature dancing for? Could his Inner Manifestation be related to this little creature?

“Violet Illusionary Spirit Fragrance?”

These five words surfaced in his mind, and Nie Kong’s heart leaped with excitement.

At that moment, a faint trace of an afterimage suddenly appeared around the tender seedling. As Nie Kong observed closely, that afterimage drifted away, dissolving into the bloodline power, and then, a new afterimage appeared, only to be absorbed by the bloodline power in turn… this cycle repeated ceaselessly… After a long while, the bloodline power gradually calmed, and the little creature’s movements also eased until the bloodline power ceased fluctuating entirely, and the afterimages no longer appeared.

“Ayayaya?” The little creature seemed to awaken from a dream, tilting its tiny flower bud, muttering vaguely before coiling back up and falling asleep again. That dance seemed to have left it utterly exhausted. Nie Kong quickly probed through the psychic link but found nothing of substance.

Everything that had happened just now was done by the little creature unconsciously.

“Hoo.”

A gentle breeze seemed to sweep over the surface of his body, which had just quieted down, and the bloodline power began to gather in front of Nie Kong. At this moment, not only did the dark green cocoon covering Nie Kong’s body begin to melt, but the bloodline power within him also flowed out simultaneously…

“Hmm?”

A clear, resonant hum still floated steadily from the green cocoon, echoing in this small, dim green space. Qing Yue, unnoticed until now, had landed on Mu Xueyi’s shoulder from Nie Kong’s body.

Sensing the cocoon beginning to melt, she let out a low sound of confusion.

Mu Xueyi smiled gently: “It seems Kong’er’s bloodline power has chosen the Inner Manifestation most suitable for him. We will see it soon.” As she spoke, Mu Xueyi’s voice held a slight tremor of excitement. Having watched for so long, she was intensely eager to see her son’s Divine-Grade Inner Manifestation.

“Really?”

Qing Yue’s eyes lit up, and she waved her two little arms, fluttering excitedly in front of Nie Kong.

The dark green sphere also began to radiate a brilliant luminescence. Clearly, even the Wood Ancestor could not suppress its curiosity about the “Divine-Grade Inner Manifestation” that was about to reveal its true form on Nie Kong.

The speed at which the green cocoon melted continuously accelerated… After only a short time, under the thin green cocoon, Nie Kong’s vague figure began to emerge. A moment later, even the thin green cocoon had melted away, clearly revealing before Mu Xueyi and Qing Yue, besides Nie Kong’s body, a dark green sphere—a sphere condensed from bloodline power!

Although it shared the same color as the Wood Ancestor’s heart, it was oval-shaped, like an egg swollen dozens of times larger, floating silently before Nie Kong. The luminescence emanating from the sphere did not spread outwards in all directions but was entirely focused on the center of Nie Kong’s brow.

Then, time in this space seemed to freeze. Nie Kong and the dark green sphere had no further movement, fixed like ancient, unmoving sculptures.

Perhaps several hours had passed, or perhaps several dozen hours…

The Wood Ancestor’s heart continued to shine, and Mu Xueyi’s eyes remained fixed on Nie Kong, her gaze unchanging, flashing with anticipation. Qing Yue was initially energized, but as Nie Kong’s Inner Manifestation took so long to appear, she began to yawn heavily, lying lazily on Mu Xueyi’s shoulder, looking utterly drowsy.

“How much longer must we wait?” Qing Yue mumbled softly, her eyes half-open and half-closed. She shifted her small body on Mu Xueyi’s shoulder, appearing listless.

“Soon, very soon,” Mu Xueyi laughed. Though inwardly impatient, her face remained sweetly smiling, without a hint of haste.

“Hmph, you’re lying! At least several days have passed now!”

Qing Yue pouted, drooping her head dejectedly. “Soon,” Mu Xueyi had said those two words countless times, but none had materialized. As a result, she still hadn't seen what Nie Kong’s Inner Manifestation looked like; he seemed to have fallen asleep, showing no movement at all.

Crack!

Suddenly, a sound like an eggshell breaking echoed.

Mu Xueyi’s beautiful eyes shone brightly, gazing without blinking at the sphere near Nie Kong’s body. Not only did the Wood Ancestor’s heart shine brilliantly, but it also drifted slightly closer to Nie Kong’s body. Two huge eyes materialized from within the sphere, looking exceptionally eerie.

“Mmm…”

Qing Yue sprang up as if injected with adrenaline, her small mouth slightly agape, her two little eyes wide open. The drowsiness on her face vanished instantly. Both her gazes were fixed directly on the dark green sphere before Nie Kong, where a long, narrow crack was forming.

“Kacha.”

“Kacha.”

“…”

The sounds grew more frequent, and the cracks on the sphere’s surface multiplied. After a few minutes, the surface was covered in dense, cobweb-like fissures. Through these cracks, faint wisps of purple light penetrated. Though extremely weak, they made everyone hold their breath.

“Whoosh!”

Suddenly, the sphere exploded. The thin fragments scattered instantly, silently dissolving into the void.

Immediately, a dazzling purple radiance burst forth before Mu Xueyi and the others—a projection of a remarkably distinct purple phantom: a set of tender roots, four purple leaves, a purple flower bud, and a purple stem…

“It’s her!”

“The Little Medicine Spirit!”

The Wood Ancestor’s aged voice and Qing Yue’s astonished cry rang out almost simultaneously.

“The Little Medicine Spirit?”

Mu Xueyi turned her head sideways to look at Qing Yue on her shoulder in confusion.

Qing Yue hopped with excitement: “That’s the little medicine spirit living inside Nie Kong’s body! Last time, Elder Tree Spirit captured her out; she’s adorable, though still very small, probably not even three years old. Nie Kong said her name is Violet Illusionary Spirit Fragrance. How strange—such a young herb actually developed sentience!”

“Violet Illusionary Spirit Fragrance?”

Mu Xueyi nodded in realization, yet subconsciously repeated the name a few times.

Mu Xueyi had never heard of this herb before. She hadn't expected her son’s Inner Manifestation to be that of an herb. This type of Inner Manifestation was relatively rare; among the current members of the Yin Ruins, not many possessed herb-type Inner Manifestations. The one with the highest cultivation was the Lord of Dongwu City, Mu Yaotong…

“It really is the Violet Illusionary Spirit Fragrance Inner Manifestation!” Nie Kong grew excited. Although he hadn't opened his eyes, he could clearly sense the ethereal image of the “Violet Illusionary Spirit” outside his body. The moment it appeared, Nie Kong felt an intimate connection between himself and it; now, it seemed to have become a part of Nie Kong’s body.

With a thought, that purple phantom merged into Nie Kong’s brow.

“Thump… thump…”

The spiritual seed pulsed more violently, and the instant the phantom reached his brow, it completely melted, adhering to the surface of the phantom. In the blink of an eye, the dispersed spiritual seed was integrated into the phantom. Instantly, an even more magnificent purple luminescence burst out from the phantom.

For Half-Spirit race members like Nie Kong, who had already cultivated to the Spirit Transformation Realm, only an Inner Manifestation that had integrated the spiritual seed could be considered complete. The spiritual seed integrating into the Inner Manifestation meant that from now on, Nie Kong’s Inner Manifestation and his spiritual thought were truly and perfectly one.

“Buzz!”

Amidst violent tremors, the imprint of the “Violet Illusionary Spirit Fragrance” appeared on Nie Kong’s brow, flashing intensely. At this moment, an incomparably potent force radiated from the Inner Manifestation in his brow, instantly spreading to his limbs and bones. For a moment, it was as if a twelve-degree hurricane had struck a calm sea; the spiritual energy within Nie Kong surged violently, roaring like an overwhelming tide towards the Spirit God Apertures.