After leaving the Hong Lou Apothecary, Nie Kong walked slowly along the bustling street. The exquisitely beautiful twin sisters, Long Ping and Long Ting, followed closely beside him, undoubtedly stirring envy in the hearts of many surrounding men, which gave Nie Kong a great sense of emotion.

Within the Yin Ruins, the Yin energy was overwhelmingly dense. As a man walking down the street there, he could only attract gazes as fierce as those of wolves and tigers. While it wasn't quite the predatory attention he received in Fengyi Town or Nandong City, the environment still made him feel profoundly uncomfortable. How could it compare to the ease and clarity he felt outside?

However, Nie Kong also knew that this period of pleasant comfort wouldn't last long. Yesterday evening, upon returning to the inner city, he had visited Bai Yuqing, Miao Ge, and the others. This morning, he came out to the outer city to see Long Xuechan and the two little sprites. Once he returned to the inner city, Nie Kong would have to resume his cultivation.

The "Prison Fire Nether Spring" was fraught with peril; even Meng Tianjun, the head of the inner city who had relied on it for fifty years, had his soul possessed by a spirit beast. Who knew if something even more bizarre than the "Phantom Eagle King" lurked within? Before entering, the stronger his cultivation, the better—as long as he didn't break through to the Du Ling realm.

Regarding how to quickly elevate his cultivation to the ninth stage of the Hua Ling realm, Nie Kong had already formed a plan after meeting Patriarch Xuba yesterday: he would cultivate in the room outside the spiritual.

Patriarch Xuba had not vacated that room due to Mu Lengxing’s arrival, which gave Nie Kong a bold idea: to absorb the death energy within him and then bestow vitality upon him. This way, he could not only advance his own cultivation but perhaps even extend Patriarch Xuba's lifespan.

Of course, whether this plan would truly help the Patriarch live longer, Nie Kong couldn't be certain yet. Everything would have to wait until he tested it. But even before this plan could be put into action, upon returning to his residence in the inner city with the two young maids, Nie Kong found the Palace Master of Yaoxin Hall, Gu Changgong, waiting downstairs.

"Nie Kong, the moment you returned to Lingyu City, you went looking for women. You certainly have the leisure. I’ve been waiting for you for quite some time," Gu Changgong said with a chuckle, stroking his beard, though there was no hint of complaint in his voice. Mu Lengxing's arrival put Gu Changgong in an excellent mood. Given the immense contribution Nie Kong had made to Lingyu City, letting him wait for half a day was nothing; he wouldn't mind waiting ten days.

Hearing Gu Changgong's teasing, Long Ping and Long Ting’s delicate faces blushed, yet they were reluctant to let go of Nie Kong's arm, as if afraid that if they released him, Nie Kong would vanish before their eyes.

Nie Kong felt speechless. Go looking for women as soon as he returned to Lingyu City? That sounded so awkward, making him sound like some kind of lustful fiend! He coughed twice and said, "Palace Master, did you wait for me here specifically because you want to ask about the situation in the Yin Ruins?"

"Stop calling me Palace Master. From now on, call me Grandpa, just like Xiao Qi," Gu Changgong declared grandly, his face wreathed in smiles. "I didn't come because of the Yin Ruins this time. If I wanted to know about that, I’d just ask Elder Mu. I came because the City Lord wishes to see you."

"The City Lord?"

Nie Kong paused. After learning the identities of Madam Lin and Meng Tianjun in Luoyan City, he had hoped to find an opportunity to see what strange illness afflicted Meng Feiyang. He never expected that after returning to Lingyu City, only one night had passed before Meng Feiyang requested an audience. Could he have learned about the events in Luoyan City?

Indeed, Gu Changgong patted Nie Kong’s shoulder with a beaming smile. "Little fellow, I only received a message from the City Lord this morning. When I rushed to see him, I learned that not only did you render a great service to Lingyu City in the Yin Ruins, but you achieved another great feat in Luoyan City. For fifty years, countless Spirit Apothecaries couldn't cure the strange ailment afflicting that little girl Tianjun’s soul, yet you managed to fix it with such ease."

Speaking of this, Gu Changgong sighed in wonder. "Because Tianjun remains unconscious, the City Lord and Si Xian haven't become outright enemies over these fifty years, but their communication has almost completely ceased. In the first twenty-plus years, the City Lord even needed to pass medicinal herbs for his daughter through us Palace Masters. Now, with you having healed Tianjun’s illness, perhaps in a year, perhaps a few years, the City Lord and Si Xian may finally have a chance to reconcile. It’s a pity your cultivation is still too low. If you had reached the Dong Ling realm, with your healing skills, you might even have been able to cure the City Lord, who has been tormented by illness for over twenty years. When I made an exception for you to participate early in the Grand Competition of the Six Halls and enter the inner city, this consideration was part of my thinking."

Only then did Nie Kong learn that Madam Lin’s name was Lin Sixian. Whether she and the City Lord could reconcile was not Nie Kong’s immediate concern, but the City Lord’s illness piqued his curiosity even more—it required Dong Ling cultivation to treat, a level of Spirit Apothecary rarely seen across the entire Tianling Continent.

"Palace Master..." Seeing Gu Changgong's eyes widen, Nie Kong quickly corrected himself, "Uh, Grandpa Gu... what exactly is the City Lord suffering from?"

"You’ll know when you see for yourself," Gu Changgong let out a helpless sigh. "By my estimation, if the City Lord's condition isn't cured, he won't live beyond fifteen years at most. You are only at the Hua Ling realm now; the possibility of you breaking through to Dong Ling in fifteen years is extremely slim. Moreover, even if you somehow reached Dong Ling within fifteen years, with your methods, you would only possibly cure the City Lord, and that possibility is also extremely low."

Hearing Gu Changgong’s words, Nie Kong’s heart skipped a beat. According to him, wasn't City Lord Meng Feiyang practically on death row? This was the first time Nie Kong had ever heard of an ailment that forced a high-tier expert of Tianling to await death, and his curiosity immediately soared to its peak.

"Grandpa Gu, let's go over there now!"

The two little sprites finally let go of Nie Kong, watching him with lingering, reluctant gazes as he followed Gu Changgong out of the courtyard in front of the pavilion... Before this, Nie Kong had always assumed the City Lord, like Patriarch Xuba, would be secluded in some secret chamber deep beneath the inner city for recovery. But now, Nie Kong realized his guess was completely wrong. After leaving the pavilion, Gu Changgong led him out of the inner city, continuing north along the deep valley between the Wanren Cliff walls.

The northern deep valley of the inner city was perpetually shrouded in mist and haze. Last year, Nie Kong and Miao Ge had ventured in but discovered nothing. The valley and the surrounding cliffs seemed endless; after walking for several hours, they were forced to turn back.

This time, following Gu Changgong, they walked north only a few hundred meters before the valley became increasingly distinct. The two cliff faces gradually moved closer together until they completely sealed shut, a scene entirely different from their previous experience.

Nie Kong quietly observed Gu Changgong beside him, only then noticing that as he walked, his sleeves moved with a marvelous rhythm. After watching for a moment, Nie Kong suddenly understood: an illusion also existed in this deep valley, but this illusion existed independently, disconnected from the illusions surrounding the outer perimeter of the inner city. This was why when Nie Kong and the others entered, the identification tokens and gold badges of the inner city disciples had failed to respond as expected.

Gradually, Nie Kong began to feel a chill. The closer they approached the end of the valley, the more penetrating the cold became. Before long, the intensity of the cold rivaled that of the frigid current deep within the "Senluo Ancient Cave."

And the cold ahead continued to strengthen.

After proceeding a short distance further, with only about ten meters left to the valley's end, Nie Kong’s steps became progressively sluggish and slow. Under the assault of the cold, not only did his body begin to stiffen, but the mental landscape of the "Purple Luo Illusory Spirit Incense" also seemed on the verge of freezing over.

Gu Changgong swept his wide sleeve across Nie Kong’s body, instantly enveloping him in a ball of scorching, fiery-red energy. The bone-chilling cold was completely driven away, and Nie Kong finally relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. He truly hadn't expected such a cold place existed within the deep valley.

Gu Changgong smiled and spoke, "There is a cold pool inside. When its water overflowed, it merged with the Yin Ruins spiritual vein at the base of the inner city, creating the cold current in the 'Senluo Ancient Cave.' However, this place is far colder than that current. The fact you could endure this far is already beyond my expectation; even a Fire-attribute Spirit Master would struggle to get as close to the cold pool as you did."

As he spoke, the ten-meter space flew by in an instant.

Gu Changgong continued walking without stopping. Just as his body was about to collide with the cliff face, the wall split open, revealing a triangular fissure. Bright white light poured out from within, revealing a world of pure, crystalline ice and snow. Countless sharp ice pillars hung down from above, each uniquely shaped, breathtakingly beautiful.

The two continued forward, their crisp footsteps echoing faintly within this triangular ice cavern. After winding their way for several dozen meters, the sound of running water began to reach Nie Kong’s ears.

After advancing for another few seconds, the cold pool Gu Changgong had mentioned finally came into Nie Kong’s sight.

It was only about twenty to thirty meters across, its water crystal clear, with bubbles occasionally rising from the bottom. In the cliff wall on the east side of the pool, there was a cave opening from which the water seeped out. Around this cold pool were also various ice pillars and ice flowers, glistening and dazzling the eyes.

"That is the City Lord!"

Hearing Gu Changgong's voice, Nie Kong quickly followed his gaze. On the west side of the cold pool, a massive ice tree, so thick that several adults would be needed to encircle its trunk, stood tall. Inside the trunk, a vague silhouette sat quietly in meditation.

"Meng Feiyang!" Nie Kong subconsciously steeled his steps and moved closer to the tree. Only then did he clearly see the appearance and features of the Lingyu City Lord: dressed in a green robe, powerfully built, with a square face and features as if carved by a knife. He had a long black beard, appearing like a middle-aged man in his forties.

What astonished Nie Kong was that on Meng Feiyang's slightly exposed chest, there was a mass of deep crimson, shaped like a vibrant, blooming flower. This crimson patch did not look like an inscription on the skin; rather, it resembled a congenital birthmark, radiating an alluring, ethereal glow under the reflection of the ice.

As if sensing the arrival of Nie Kong and Gu Changgong, the eyelids that Meng Feiyang had kept closed suddenly trembled open...