PS: The third update for the 12th is finished. There will be another update tonight, but it won't be until after midnight, so everyone can read it tomorrow.

The reason for the appearance of the Jade Chamber of Absolute Spirit only strengthened Nie Kong's prior speculation: that mass of black vapor likely possessed consciousness, and Lin Tianjun was probably being controlled by it. Whether it was someone's soul or the lingering thought of a powerful Spirit Master, Nie Kong couldn't draw a firm conclusion before clarifying the matter.

“Qingyue.”

Nie Kong softly called out.

“Using Grandma again as cheap labor!”

Qingyue darted out of the Beast Tablet, clutching her small skirt, grumbling as she crawled out from Nie Kong's chest. She then floated down onto Lin Tianjun’s forehead, tapping her brow with a finger. A thick plume of cyan energy instantly surged from her fingertip, rapidly permeating Lin Tianjun’s body.

Mu Lengxing had vaguely known of this little medicine spirit’s existence. Seeing her lovely figure now, she wasn't overly surprised, though a flicker of focused attention appeared in her beautiful eyes.

At this moment, Nie Kong had closed his eyes.

Souls were ethereal and fleeting, but probing with Qingyue’s soul power was the appropriate medicine for the ailment.

Though the connection between Nie Kong and Qingyue’s minds wasn't as telepathic as his with Xiangxiang, Nie Kong could still sense whatever Qingyue’s sliver of soul power detected.

“Ah!”

However, before Nie Kong could discover anything, Qingyue shrieked, jumping up from Lin Tianjun’s forehead like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Immediately, the dense black vapor resurfaced from Lin Tianjun’s brow, churning violently, seemingly preparing to ascend.

His figure flashed briefly, and Qingyue landed on Nie Kong’s shoulder, puffing up indignantly. “So wicked, so wicked! It actually consumed Grandma’s soul power!”

Seeing this, Mu Lengxing’s delicate brows furrowed, and she stepped forward again.

“Just as I thought!”

Nie Kong also opened his eyes. Seeing the black vapor, which had been obscured by the Heaven Reverting Elixir Codex, reveal itself once more, his gaze sharpened. He then pinched Qingyue’s waist, bringing her before him. “Qingyue, did you sense what devoured your soul power?”

Qingyue pouted gloomily. “It’s likely the soul of a spirit beast! It’s truly vicious; Grandma’s soul power has diminished again!”

“A spirit beast’s soul?”

Nie Kong was astonished. He had originally assumed it was a lingering thought like the one controlling Mu Qingyi, or perhaps the soul of a powerful Spirit Master, but he hadn't expected a spirit beast. Since the spirit beast's soul could invade Lin Tianjun’s body, its original form must have been formidable back then.

Seeing Qingyue still sulking, appearing highly indignant, Nie Kong couldn't help but say, “It’s not that it’s too vicious, but that you were too tempting. If it could devour all your soul power, it would be a massive supplement. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have rushed out so quickly after lying dormant.”

“Go away!”

Qingyue was so angry she rolled her eyes heavenward.

Still, Nie Kong was right. She was a thousand-year medicine spirit who had condensed tangible soul power. To a spirit beast’s soul, she was a rare, coveted treat—a millennium’s worth of opportunity. Her effect on a spirit beast’s soul was surely greater than the Void-Penetrating Golden Elixir’s effect on a Void Spirit Master.

Nie Kong chuckled faintly. The mass of black vapor seemed highly reluctant to part with the taste of Qingyue’s soul power, continuously undulating above Lin Tianjun’s brow. He murmured to himself, “Since it’s a soul, this is manageable. While souls and lingering thoughts aren't the same, they share common ground. Ancestor Mu’s Spirit Treasure Essence Qi could expel the lingering thought in Auntie Qing’s body; I wonder if my Spirit Treasure Essence Qi has the same effect?”

“That’s right!”

Upon hearing this, Qingyue instantly beamed, her voice bubbling with delight. “I was wondering why it slowly retreated just now! It seems it was frightened by your Spirit Treasure Essence Qi! It feared you would deploy more, stronger Spirit Treasure Essence Qi—that’s why it pretended to be expelled by you, hoping you’d stop paying attention. But alas, its wishful thinking was easily exposed by Grandma! Not only am I beautiful, but I’m also formidable!”

The little medicine spirit called out with a touch of narcissism, and her body floated back to Lin Tianjun’s forehead. She chirped and called out, her tiny form suddenly pressing close to Lin Tianjun’s brow, then bouncing away. The mass of black vapor seemed to sense her presence and actually surged out from her brow. However, Qingyue was prepared this time; she wouldn't let it devour her again. Thus, Qingyue and the black vapor began chasing each other like a fishing lure, bobbing up and down.

Witnessing this scene, Nie Kong was left speechless, and even Mu Lengxing couldn't prevent the corners of her lips from curling upward slightly.

“Alright, Qingyue, stop playing around. If we delay further, Madam Lin will surely grow anxious.”

Taking advantage of Qingyue’s upward bounce, Nie Kong seized her waist and placed her on his shoulder. Then, a purple light flickered above his brow—the Purple Luo Illusionary Spirit Incense Mind Manifestation enveloped Lin Tianjun.

In an instant, a vast, inky green aura billowed out from the Mind Manifestation. In the blink of an eye, Lin Tianjun’s figure became indistinct and dreamlike. Meanwhile, the black vapor on her brow rapidly faded, like a mouse encountering a cat, and soon the skin tone on her forehead returned to normal.

Nie Kong’s spirit immersed itself within the Mind Manifestation.

Before long, he distinctly sensed a resisting force fluctuating within Lin Tianjun’s body, actively forcing out all the inky green aura that had permeated her physique. Nie Kong’s heart stirred; he intensified the inky green aura, yet the opposing force within her also strengthened in response.

Just then, Lin Tianjun’s brow furrowed tightly, indicating extreme pain.

If this confrontation continued, it might seriously harm Lin Tianjun’s body. Nie Kong hastily ceased intensifying the Spirit Treasure Essence Qi, and the resistance immediately vanished. However, the next moment, the black vapor reappeared on Lin Tianjun’s brow, seemingly provoking Nie Kong.

It seemed Nie Kong’s previous retreat had emboldened it.

“Why wasn’t that soul forced out?”

Qingyue muttered doubtfully.

“I forgot one thing.”

Nie Kong offered a wry smile. “Auntie Qing possesses the bloodline of the Half-Spirit Race, which descends from Ancestor Mu. That’s why Ancestor Mu’s Spirit Treasure Essence Qi could easily drive out the lingering thought of the Great Evolution Spirit Venerable. Furthermore, in terms of intensity, Ancestor Mu’s Spirit Treasure Essence Qi far surpassed mine. Lin Tianjun, however, has no bloodline connection to me, which caused my Spirit Treasure Essence Qi to clash with that soul inside her body.”

“Then what should we do?”

Qingyue asked glumly.

“No problem!”

Nie Kong smiled strangely. “Since I can’t use the Spirit Treasure Essence Qi to force it out, I’ll simply eat it!”

“Eat it?”

Hearing the word “eat” leave Nie Kong’s lips, Qingyue was startled. She suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She rapidly floated towards Nie Kong’s chest, burrowing into his collar. Seemingly still insecure, she darted into the Beast Tablet. Yet, moments later, she burst out again, floating behind Nie Kong, then to the top of his head. After only a few seconds, she actually returned to the Beast Tablet again.

“What are you doing?”

What was wrong with this little thing? Nie Kong was utterly bewildered.

“Nie Kong, you’re not planning to eat me too, are you?”

Qingyue squeezed out of the Beast Tablet, her small head poking out from Nie Kong’s chest, her mouth downturned pitifully. Her soul power was a great supplement for the spirit beast soul inside Lin Tianjun, but it was also a huge supplement for a human like Nie Kong.

“Eat you? Why would I eat you?”

Nie Kong found it both ridiculous and funny. He immediately said with annoyance, “Even if I wanted to eat you, I wouldn't dare. Have you forgotten our Life and Death Spirit Seal?”

Qingyue paused, then grinned happily, jumping out from Nie Kong’s chest. “Oh, right, right! How could Grandma forget that? Nie Kong, hurry up and eat that villain then! He dared to devour Grandma’s soul—hmpf, he’s simply tired of living.”

“……”

Nie Kong was speechless. This little thing was sometimes clever and sometimes hopelessly muddled. With a thought, Nie Kong’s Spirit God Aperture vibrated intensely. His eleven pairs of minor apertures spun rapidly. After a moment, a completely inky green Yin-Yang diagram materialized clearly within the Spirit God Aperture.

“Hoo!”

Under the Mind Manifestation's shroud, the inky green aura began to turn slowly. As time passed, its speed increased until, in less than ten seconds, a palm-sized vortex manifested above Lin Tianjun’s brow. The base of this vortex was connected to the Mind Manifestation.

Seeing the vortex, a faint, almost imperceptible smile crossed Mu Lengxing’s face. Back outside the Wood Spirit Hall, the residual thought of the Great Evolution Spirit Venerable had intended to kill Nie Kong, but it ended up being completely absorbed by the giant vortex outside Nie Kong’s body, leaving not a trace behind.

Now, Nie Kong intended to use the same method to siphon out the spirit beast soul inside Lin Tianjun!

The inky green aura emanating from the Purple Luo Illusionary Spirit Incense Mind Manifestation was continuous, and the vortex it formed gradually expanded. After a minute or two, the vortex was already the size of a washbasin.

Then, with a thought from Nie Kong, a large mass of inky green rushed out from the Mind Manifestation and re-entered Lin Tianjun’s body.

Instantly, the resistance surged out from within Lin Tianjun, trying to expel the Spirit Treasure Essence Qi. This caused Nie Kong to inwardly sneer relentlessly.

“Hold!”

Amidst a fierce resonance, the rotation speed of the inky green vortex suddenly increased more than tenfold, and a powerful suction force vibrated out from it. Almost simultaneously, Nie Kong abandoned the confrontation with the soul, and the mass of inky green aura that had entered Lin Tianjun’s body rapidly withdrew.

The soul clearly hadn't expected Nie Kong to retreat so quickly this time. By the time it reacted, the vortex’s suction had already completely enveloped Lin Tianjun’s body and permeated every corner of her physique, effectively capturing the resistance that had just begun to radiate outward.

Consequently, a mass of black vapor surged out from Lin Tianjun’s brow, flowing into the vortex like a silken thread.

With such a start, it would be difficult for the spirit beast to escape. A soul was like a cocoon; once the head of the silk thread was grasped, the entire cocoon could be smoothly drawn out.

Indeed, after absorbing that initial wisp of black vapor, Nie Kong discovered that more black vapor spontaneously manifested within Lin Tianjun’s body, converging toward her brow. Then, the black vapor was drawn, strand by strand, into the depths of the vortex, merging into Nie Kong’s Purple Luo Illusionary Spirit Incense Mind Manifestation.

“Ah!”

Faintly, Nie Kong seemed to hear a scream of pure rage...