"..." "Hey, Junior Brother, guess who I just saw? Lord Pei Yuan, the Sixth-Grade Spirit Alchemist of our Shatu Empire." "Forget about Sixth-Grade Spirit Alchemist Lord Pei Yuan; even Seventh-Grade Spirit Alchemist Lord Tai Lanxiang has personally arrived. Plus, I saw the Supreme Emperor Cheng Feixing from the Dacheng Empire—word is he’s also a Sixth-Grade Spirit Alchemist, just like our Shatu Empire's Lord Pei Yuan." "Tsk, tsk, that 'Golden-Tipped Tassel' is truly something fierce to have drawn so many major figures from the Tianling Continent to this Luoyan City." "It's a pity, but I doubt anyone will get it. I heard that two Sixth-Grade Spirit Alchemists from the Daxi Empire left yesterday, dejected and unsuccessful." "Who cares? We're just here to watch the excitement." "..." Nie Kong strained his ears, listening intently for a moment, and his heart couldn't help but stir. He had heard Miao Ge mention the name 'Golden-Tipped Tassel' before—an extremely rare medicinal herb, said to be usable as the main ingredient for refining the Eighth-Grade Spirit Medicine, the 'Void-Penetrating Golden Elixir,' capable of elevating a Void Spirit Master's cultivation from the Third Grade to the Fifth Grade.

Below the Void Spirit level, a spirit medicine that could raise a Spirit Master's cultivation by two grades, while valuable, wouldn't typically cause such astonishment. However, once one reached the Void Spirit realm, such spirit medicines were exceedingly rare, especially at the Spirit Cave realm where medicines capable of raising one's cultivation were limited solely to this 'Void-Penetrating Golden Elixir.' Many spirit alchemists existed on the Tianling Continent, but Seventh-Grade Spirit Alchemists were pitifully few, and Medicine Kings were scarce. Refining the 'Void-Penetrating Golden Elixir' would likely require a Medicine King at the very least, coupled with the difficulty of sourcing the main ingredient, the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel.' Consequently, perhaps not a single 'Void-Penetrating Golden Elixir' appeared in several decades.

Nie Kong hadn't expected to hear news of such a precious herb as the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel' right after exiting the Yin Ruins. Yet, learning that those spirit alchemists had gathered in Luoyan City for the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel' did not soothe him; instead, it deepened his confusion. He wondered who currently possessed the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel' and by what means they had attracted those high-grade spirit alchemists.

Seeming to perceive Nie Kong's bewilderment, Mu Lengxing offered a faint smile. "Someone in this Luoyan City has contracted a strange ailment. After fifty years of slumber, the condition suddenly worsened, which is why that person's mother offered the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel' as a reward. With such a miraculous medicine on the line, it’s natural that those high-grade spirit alchemists would flock here, competing to reach Luoyan City."

"A strange ailment?"

Nie Kong nodded in sudden comprehension.

His Third Aunt, being a Celestial Spirit expert, naturally gathered more information than he could. If someone was offering the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel' as a cure, it made perfect sense for so many spirit alchemists to appear in Luoyan City. However, once a miraculous medicine like the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel' became widely known, the envious eyes would surely multiply. Someone might resort to outright theft. For the owner to have kept the herb safe, they must also be a powerful figure.

His eyes darted, and Nie Kong lowered his voice with a grin. "Third Aunt, you're a spirit alchemist too. Are you interested in making a move and obtaining that 'Golden-Tipped Tassel'?"

Mu Lengxing shook her head. "Your Third Aunt has no interest in alchemy, nor am I skilled in healing the sick. For the past twenty years, my focus on researching and cultivating poisonous flora was solely to find a method to counteract the 'Nightmare Spirit Black Demon Vine' and rescue your mother. Now that your mother is safe, I might never touch medicinal herbs again."

She paused, then smiled faintly. "Why, Nie Kong, are you interested in that 'Golden-Tipped Tassel'?"

Now that they were outside, Mu Lengxing no longer addressed Nie Kong as 'Mu Kong.' Actually, even when they were in the Yin Ruins, Mu Xueyi, deeply grateful for Nie Kong raising her two sons, hadn't insisted Nie Kong change his surname. However, if Nie Kong were to have children in the future, they would naturally take the Mu surname; if he had more than one son, one would still need to carry the Nie name to uphold Nie Qingyang's lineage.

Nie Kong had no objection to this arrangement.

"Me..."

Nie Kong chuckled dryly and also shook his head. "Forget it."

If the spirit energy within his body hadn't been transformed into 'Spirit Treasure Essence Qi,' Nie Kong certainly would have attempted to acquire that miraculous herb, the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel,' to feed the little fellow. As it stood, the little one could sustain itself on Spirit Treasure Essence Qi, and its need for herbs was no longer desperate. Henceforth, he only needed to prepare herbs that would aid the little fellow's advancement.

Moreover, for the disease to stump two Sixth-Grade Spirit Alchemists from the Dachang Empire, the patient’s ailment must be extraordinary. Nie Kong was profoundly knowledgeable in medicine and possessed the 'Nine Revolutions Golden Needle Technique.' Even without seeing the patient's condition, he wasn't afraid, though treating it would undoubtedly require significant mental exertion.

Currently, Nie Kong and Mu Lengxing needed to hurry back to Lingyu City; they couldn't afford to linger in Luoyan City. What if Ancestor Xuba and the Six Hall Masters, upon seeing no sign of his return for an extended period, decided to cease suppressing the Yin Ruins' spirit meridian and relocated Lingyu City away from the Tianlang Mountain Range? That would be a serious problem.

"Very well."

Mu Lengxing said no more and beckoned the tavern waiter over...

After lunch, Nie Kong and Mu Lengxing headed east out of Luoyan City. After leaving the Yin Ruins, they had reappeared in the northeastern part of the Tianlang Mountain Range. To return to Lingyu City, they still needed to follow the mountain range's edge, detour through the Dacheng Empire, and then enter the territory of the Dacha Empire.

Of course, there was a shortcut: traversing directly through the Tianlang Mountain Range. That would significantly shorten the journey, but the danger would increase exponentially. The central regions of the Tianlang Mountain Range still held many areas even Celestial Spirit experts dared not enter, teeming with powerful spirit beasts, including flying ones. In such zones, Mu Lengxing wouldn't dare fly, let alone while escorting Nie Kong.

To Mu Xueyi, Nie Kong was a treasure held so carefully one feared melting him in their mouth or dropping him from their hands. Now accompanying Nie Kong, Mu Lengxing naturally prioritized safety. If any accident occurred due to crossing the Tianlang Mountain Range, she would have a difficult time explaining it to Mu Xueyi.

Moments after leaving the tavern, Nie Kong abruptly stopped. Just then, the Ancestral Heart between his brows vibrated without any prior warning. This phenomenon was unprecedented for Nie Kong, leaving him momentarily stunned. But before he could sense it closely, the little creature, curled up and sound asleep, seemed to hear a wake-up call, rolled over with a rumble, and violently unfurled its roots and leaves.

"Ah-ya-ya! Ah-ya-ya..."

Immediately following, the little creature's joyous cries resonated continuously in Nie Kong's mind, accompanied by an even more violent tremor in his brow.

Sensing the meaning within the little one’s cry, Nie Kong couldn't help but freeze—the little creature had actually detected the presence of the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel' herb.

Nie Kong wasn't surprised by this.

Since condensing and successfully refining the 'Amethyst Illusory Spirit Incense' Heart Manifestation, Nie Kong's spiritual sense had improved linearly. Moreover, that Heart Manifestation was condensed from the soul of Xiangxiang, effectively its second incarnation. Currently, the range Nie Kong’s Heart Manifestation could sense was equal to the range the little creature could sense.

What surprised Nie Kong was that the little creature claimed the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel' was crucial for its advancement! Nie Kong was momentarily stunned, then felt a surge of joy. If he could acquire the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel,' wouldn't that mean the little one could advance to the Fifth Tier before long?

But after the initial delight, Nie Kong couldn't help but offer a wry smile. Although he had considered claiming the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel' for himself, he had suppressed that thought to prioritize returning to Lingyu City as quickly as possible. Yet, barely an hour later, the little creature had rekindled that desire.

Xiangxiang, the little fellow, paid no heed to names; whether the herb was called 'Golden-Tipped Tassel' or 'Blue-Tipped Tassel' was meaningless to it. Its sensitivity to herbs stemmed purely from instinct. This explained why, back in the tavern, when Nie Kong heard the name 'Golden-Tipped Tassel,' it showed no reaction, but now that it had sensed the herb’s presence directly, it was happily alerting Nie Kong.

"What's wrong?"

Noticing Nie Kong had fallen behind, Mu Lengxing turned back, her expression concerned upon seeing his strange demeanor.

Nie Kong sighed helplessly. "Third Aunt, it seems I can't leave Luoyan City for now. How about this: you go ahead to Lingyu City first, and I'll leave in a few days. Even though you've never been to Lingyu City or met Ancestor Xuba, you should have a way to prove your identity."

"You're staying in Luoyan City?"

Mu Lengxing frowned.

Nie Kong smiled. "Third Aunt, you know I have a medicinal spirit in my body. That little one needs to absorb the essence of medicinal herbs to grow, and it just sensed the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel,' insisting I must bring the herb back."

Since the bloodline awakening, when Mu Zu revealed the origin of Nie Kong's Heart Manifestation, the little one's existence ceased to be a secret to Mu Xueyi, and Mu Lengxing vaguely knew about it too. Fortunately, the knowledge stopped with Mu Lengxing. Currently, besides Nie Kong, only Mu Xueyi, Mu Lengxing, Mu Zu, and Qing Yue knew about the little one, which provided Nie Kong some measure of relief.

Mu Lengxing stated calmly, "Since that is the case, Third Aunt can just help you snatch the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel'."

"Third Aunt, let's not resort to such brute force."

Nie Kong was startled by Mu Lengxing's straightforwardness. If the owner of the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel' were a villainous wretch, Nie Kong wouldn't have any psychological barrier to stealing it. But the herb was meant to save someone's child; how could Nie Kong bring himself to act?

Furthermore, news of the 'Golden-Tipped Tassel' had circulated for quite some time, yet the owner still possessed it, suggesting they might be a Celestial Spirit expert or backed by extremely powerful forces. If Mu Lengxing were to get injured while trying to seize the herb for him, Nie Kong feared he would never find peace in this life.