PS: The second update for the " bổ " supplement. There will be another one tonight, but it will be quite late; everyone can read it tomorrow morning...

Roughly two hours later, Nie Kong and Mu Lengxing stepped out of the Medicine Platform gate. By this time, Nie Kong held a thin piece of paper, specially made by the Spirit God Hall. Exquisite spirit patterns were etched onto its surface; by inputting spiritual power, Nie Kong's information would be revealed upon the paper.

That thin sheet was the Fourth-Grade Spirit Alchemist credential Nie Kong received after passing the appraisal assessment. When accepting it from the blue-robed old man, Nie Kong also paid five hundred gold coins, which served as the manufacturing cost for the Spirit Alchemist credential. Among the six individuals undergoing the appraisal assessment alongside Nie Kong, only two others obtained Fourth-Grade Spirit Alchemist credentials; one of them was the very old man who had first struck up a conversation with Nie Kong.

In the room on the third floor of the Medicine Platform, only the blue-robed elder and the two middle-aged individuals remained. The trio stood by the window, watching the figures of Nie Kong and Mu Lengxing gradually recede. Even though the assessment had concluded over fifteen minutes ago, a look of shock still lingered in their eyes.

When assessing the refinement of Fourth-Grade Spirit Medicines, the young man who just departed had brought them too much astonishment!

After Nie Kong and Mu Lengxing completely vanished from sight, a considerable time passed before the three let out nearly simultaneous sighs of relief. The middle-aged man shook his head with a wry smile. "In total, six types of Fourth-Grade Spirit Medicines were refined. Others either failed or only achieved a fusion rate of sixty to seventy percent. But this fellow—not a single spirit medicine had a fusion rate below ninety-five percent. Moreover, judging by his demeanor, he didn't even exert his full strength when refining those Fourth-Grade Spirit Medicines. In all my decades, this is the first time I've encountered a Fourth-Grade Spirit Alchemist capable of producing spirit medicines with such high fusion rates."

The woman couldn't help but nod, her heart filled with admiration. Then, she turned to the blue-robed elder beside her, a trace of confusion in her voice. "Senior Brother Yan Kang, you clearly intended to recruit him into the 'Spirit God Hall' earlier, yet you didn't mention it until he left the Medicine Platform?"

The blue-robed elder, named Yan Kang, replied softly, "A young man like this is not easily swayed by a few casual words. He refused outright before without any hesitation. If I pressed the recruitment again, I fear I would only be rejected once more. To recruit such a genius, someone more significant within the Spirit God Hall needs to make an appearance."

"That is true," the middle-aged woman murmured, nodding thoughtfully.

"Senior Brother Yan Kang, in my opinion, we should just capture him and take him directly to the 'Spirit God Hall.' He is merely from a collateral branch of the Nie family in Jiyang City of the Dacheng Empire, and this location is extremely far from Lingyu City. Even if we secretly apprehended him, I doubt anyone would suspect our Medicine Platform," the middle-aged man offered with a slight smile.

"It's not that simple," Yan Kang responded with a faint, knowing chuckle. "Junior Brother Lü Jun, Junior Sister Feng Rong, you both observed the woman beside Nie Kong. Did you perceive her cultivation level?"

Lü Jun frowned. "No, that woman appeared just like an ordinary person."

Feng Rong’s voice also held a hint of surprise. "Indeed. She sat in the corridor outside for so long, and I couldn't sense any fluctuation of aura from her. Furthermore, when the assessment ended today, I deliberately walked past her to sense her presence, and still found nothing."

"She is likely a Cave Spirit Master!" Yan Kang stated with a smile.

"Cave Spirit?"

Lü Jun and Feng Rong harbored no doubt regarding Yan Kang's conjecture. They exchanged a glance, seeing astonishment mirrored in the other's eyes. If that woman was indeed a Cave Spirit Master, gathering all the personnel at the Luoyan City Medicine Platform might not even be enough for her to crush in one hand. Attempting to seize Nie Kong while she was nearby would be no different than courting death.

"Regardless of these matters, we will report this incident. As for how to handle it, that is for them to decide," Yan Kang concluded with a smile, stepping away from the window. "Junior Brother Lü Jun, instruct someone now to send a message to the Medicine Platform in Jiyang City, Dacheng Empire. Have them investigate this Nie Kong further; the more detailed, the better."

"Understood!" Lü Jun walked briskly out of the room...

When Nie Kong and Mu Lengxing returned outside the Lin Residence, a significant number of spirit alchemists were still gathered there.

Several hours had passed. Although the crowd gathered outside the Lin Residence to watch the spectacle had swelled with many new faces, quite a few spirit alchemists still recognized Nie Kong and his companion. Now, seeing their return, the onlookers were filled with doubt, yet there was no longer any cold mockery or sarcasm. Mu Lengxing's seemingly effortless sweep of her sleeve had left too deep an impression on them!

At the main gate of the mansion stood the same old man and four middle-aged men. Seeing Nie Kong and Mu Lengxing push through the crowd toward them, the complexions of the five men were somewhat grim. Especially the old man; his face was darker than a few pounds of coal dust could account for. Throughout the afternoon, he had endured countless gazes, some sympathetic, some mocking, filling his chest with such stifled frustration he nearly spat blood. Having served as the steward of the Lin Residence in Luoyan City for nearly ten years, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? If Nie Kong and Mu Lengxing had left and never reappeared, that would have been the end of it. But after only a few hours, the pair returned openly and brazenly to the Lin Residence gate. Was this not equivalent to slapping him twice across the face in public? Instantly, rage surged upward. However, the old man was well aware that Mu Lengxing possessed formidable strength far beyond his own capacity to resist, so he did not act rashly, merely casting a cold glare at the pair.

"Elder, do you still remember me?" Nie Kong asked with a slight smile.

"Why have you returned?" The old man’s expression was icy, suppressing the anger in his chest, he spoke in a low voice.

"Naturally, to treat your young mistress's illness!" Nie Kong acted as if he hadn't noticed the old man's sour face, the gentle smile still lingering at the corner of his lips.

The old man gritted his teeth. "I already said, without a Fourth-Grade Spirit Alchemist..."

Before he could finish speaking, a thin, light-blue piece of paper appeared before his eyes. Nie Kong gently flicked the paper. "Are you referring to this thing?"

"Hmm?" The old man was momentarily stunned, then his pupils constricted slightly. Since taking on the role of Lin Residence steward, he had welcomed countless spirit alchemists and viewed countless spirit alchemist rank credentials. The moment this light-blue paper appeared, his mind instinctively made a judgment: this credential was authentic. The certificate displayed Nie Kong's name, age, nationality, and various details including his Spirit Alchemist rank. Especially notable was the issuance date from the Medicine Platform: today! Seeing the old man somewhat dazed, Nie Kong smiled faintly and channeled a stream of spiritual power into the paper. A dark-green radiance suddenly flashed, and the spirit patterns on the paper’s surface shifted rapidly. In an instant, another layer of text emerged, completely consistent with the information already printed on the surface.

Nie Kong slowly folded the credential and smiled. "Fourth-Grade Spirit Alchemist credential, just obtained. Elder, do you have any further questions?"

At this point, the onlookers who had seen Nie Kong and Mu Lengxing earlier were dumbfounded. They never expected that the fellow who didn't even possess a First-Grade Spirit Alchemist credential would actually run to the Medicine Platform and come back in just a few short hours with a Fourth-Grade Spirit Alchemist credential.

"..." The old man was struck dumb, his face as gloomy as still water.

Nie Kong tucked away the credential and walked straight inside. "Since Elder has no further questions, we shall proceed in." The four middle-aged men glanced at the steward. Seeing his somber, silent expression, they hesitated only slightly before stepping aside. Since Nie Kong possessed the credential, it was improper for them to block his way.

"Stop!" The old man suddenly squeezed out two words through clenched teeth.

Nie Kong turned back, looking at the gritting-toothed old man, feeling a little amused inside. It seemed this old fellow was still quite resentful about the slight he suffered under Third Aunt earlier! However, with the credential now in hand, Nie Kong wasn't afraid of being made difficult by the old man. Of course, what truly gave Nie Kong his confidence was his medical skill.

During this interval, the crowd at the entrance had been exchanging whispers and murmuring, having mostly grasped the preceding events. Now, seeing another turn in events, the spectators couldn't help but feel energized. They had come to watch a spectacle, and naturally, they wished to see a good show unfold.

The old man spoke with forced indifference. "I truly regret to inform you both, but currently, Master Tai Lanxiang, a Seventh-Grade Spirit Alchemist from the Shatu Empire, Master Pei Yuan, a Sixth-Grade Spirit Alchemist, and Master Cheng Feixing, a Sixth-Grade Spirit Alchemist from the Dacheng Empire, are treating my young mistress. At such a critical juncture, as the steward of the Lin Residence, how could I possibly allow a lower-ranked spirit alchemist to enter and disturb them? If any accident were to occur, who would bear that responsibility?" The old man concluded with an expression of helplessness and regret.

"Are you finished? If you are finished, then I also have something to tell you. Please step over here," Nie Kong beckoned toward the old man with an expression of feigned sorrow. The old man walked toward Nie Kong with a sneer in his heart. He wanted to see what tricks this fellow could pull! When the old man reached him, Nie Kong narrowed his eyes and mocked him with a grin, "Old dog, you truly mistake kindness for weakness!"

"You, you..." The old man was stunned for a moment before reacting, bursting into furious anger. His fingers trembled violently as he pointed at Nie Kong, shaking with rage, wishing he could strike the smiling Nie Kong dead with one blow. But glancing at Mu Lengxing, whose eyes held a cold glint beside him, his reason suppressed the impulse.

"Third Aunt, let's go!" Nie Kong ignored the old man further, giving Mu Lengxing a meaningful look. Mu Lengxing nodded almost imperceptibly and took a light step forward.

"Thump!"

The instant his foot touched the ground, it was as if the heavens and earth split apart. The entire ground of the Lin Residence suddenly shook violently, and a resounding crash struck the spirits of everyone nearby. In that moment, the surrounding crowd turned pale, their bodies swaying, and several people collapsed to the ground on the spot. Among everyone present, only Nie Kong remained completely unaffected.

One step, powerful enough to shake the world, caused the old man's expression to change in horror as he struggled to steady himself. Mu Lengxing, however, continued to move her feet slowly, as if nothing had happened.

"Thump!" The shaking of the crowd's bodies intensified.

"Thump!" As the third footfall sounded, figures tumbled to the ground. Even the old man began to sway back and forth like a drunkard, his face devoid of color. The Lin Residence grounds shook even more fiercely; the buildings within this estate seemed on the verge of collapse at any moment.

"Which distinguished guest graces my humble residence?" Suddenly, a clear female voice echoed in everyone's ears.