The entire process, from the successful condensation of the "Violet Illusory Spirit Incense" to the swelling and bursting of the bud that shattered the Violet Thunder Whip, and then to the sprouting and aggressive spread of the Violet Illusory Spirit Incense branches to this extent, happened in a flash, despite seemingly taking a long time. In the mere instant it took for Shan Xiong to falter, the canopy of branches lunged forward, every visible space a dazzling, shimmering viridian glow.

What shocked Shan Xiong the most was that within that dense, swirling mass of viridian branches, he detected a powerful aura that sent a tremor through his very spirit.

Could it be that Nie Kong launched a spiritual attack concurrently with his physical strike? But surely, wielding spiritual intent in an attack was only possible upon reaching the Spirit Command realm? Nie Kong had revealed that he only reached the ninth grade of Spirit Transformation yesterday. Had he lied? Had he truly already touched upon the mysteries of spiritual command, placing one foot into the Spirit Command realm? After all, as long as one hadn't truly broken through to the first grade of Spirit Command, entering the "Abyssal Fire Spring" was still possible. At this thought, Shan Xiong could no longer maintain his composure!

"Aargh!"

Like a great ape, Shan Xiong roared, his palm-fan sized hands slamming shut. The small pocket of air between his fingers seemed to explode under the pressure, a sound like thunder accompanying a magnificent violet radiance that seeped out from his fists. Immediately, those two orbs of violet light fractured, transforming into countless sharp, needle-like points that pierced the void, shooting outward in a fan shape toward the mass of viridian branches.

"Hiss! Hiss!"

"Chh... chh..."

The sound was akin to razor-sharp blades grating against iron, a succession of piercing, grating noises echoing in the air. However, to Shan Xiong’s astonishment, just as the violet light from his fists was about to make contact with the viridian mass, the enormous leaves simultaneously curled inward, engulfing every sharp streak of violet light. When the leaves unfurled again, the violet light had vanished without a trace.

Shan Xiong’s eyes widened in shock, his expression growing intensely grave. He abruptly released his clenched fists, his ten fingers curling into hooks. Instantly, thick Violet Thunder Whips shot out from his fingertips, weaving and crisscrossing high above, coalescing in a blink into a net-like structure that descended upon Nie Kong from above.

"Vwoom!"

As the thunder-net plunged down, it seemed to cause the surrounding ten meters of space to tremble violently. Only now did Shan Xiong unleash the full power of his ninth-grade Spirit Transformation cultivation.

Seeing this, Nie Kong felt an unbidden surge of excitement.

Today, within the Ascendant Hall, Nie Kong had already endured six matches; this was now the seventh.

It was only in this bout that Nie Kong fully utilized the Heart Manifestation of the "Violet Illusory Spirit Incense." Previously, Nie Kong had merely integrated the Heart Manifestation into his body, a method that allowed him to borrow the Incense's power but failed to unlock its full potential. Even now, the Heart Manifestation’s complete might was yet to be revealed, but what he had shown was more than enough to boost Nie Kong’s confidence tenfold.

"Swish!"

Nie Kong's figure flickered, vanishing into the dense foliage. In the next instant, the branches seemed hyper-stimulated, spreading at an even faster pace, instantly extending to half a meter in front of Shan Xiong. Shan Xiong's face darkened, and he retreated rapidly, his ten fingers dancing nimbly before him.

"Boom!"

Vast swathes of Thunder Spirit Elemental energy surged from the void, condensing in the blink of an eye into a broad Violet Thunder Barrier, halting the advance of the viridian branches. Unfortunately, the barrier held for less than a second before shattering into starlight, and the lush green branches surged toward Shan Xiong once more.

But at that precise moment, the resplendent violet thunder-net from above swooped down, tightly entwining the viridian foliage, finally halting its rampant growth.

Clusters of violet spirit elemental energy materialized from the void, adhering to the thunder-net, causing the condensed Violet Thunder Whip to grow thicker and more substantial. For a moment, a brilliant violet light illuminated the entire Ascendant Hall, almost as if a purple sun had descended, its dazzling brilliance drawing the gazes of the surrounding inner-city disciples and instructors alike. Upon seeing the spectacle, looks of surprise flickered across almost every face.

"Contract!"

Shan Xiong roared the command. The thunder-net rapidly contracted. In the blink of an eye, the branches trapped within shrank considerably. At this point, Shan Xiong secretly breathed a sigh of relief; victory seemed in sight. Although this match hadn't lasted long, he had already expended over half his internal spiritual power. Now that Nie Kong was bound by the thunder spirit energy, merely sending him outside the boundary line would secure the "Abyssal Fire Spring" slot.

"Whoosh!"

In the next instant, Shan Xiong waved his hand, and the branches enveloped by the net lifted into the air, drifting toward the boundary line...

"..."

"It's over! Just as expected, even though Nie Kong is ninth-grade Spirit Transformation, he’s still no match for Shan Xiong!"

"The spiritual skill Nie Kong used is incredibly bizarre. If it were me, I'd have certainly lost already."

"What a pity! If the 'Abyssal Fire Spring' opened next year, and Nie Kong and Shan Xiong met again, I suspect the one securing the spot wouldn't be Shan Xiong, but Nie Kong..."

"... Huh? What is it? Ah, ah, ah..."

"..."

The inner-city disciples, who had been muttering amongst themselves, believing the match concluded, suddenly let out involuntary gasps of astonishment, their faces filled with shock. They all turned their gazes toward the space behind Shan Xiong, as if witnessing something utterly preposterous.

Sensing the surprised voices and astonished looks from the crowd, Shan Xiong’s heart gave a jolt. He sensed something was wrong and was about to turn when large, viridian leaves suddenly shot out from behind him, followed by thick, robust branches. Before he could react, the foliage enveloped Shan Xiong like a giant zongzi (rice dumpling), sealed so tightly that hardly any gaps remained.

This sudden turn of events plunged the surroundings into profound silence, broken only by the fierce roar of spiritual energy emanating from the adjacent battle ring.

"Explode!"

Just then, a clear voice cut through the thunder-net, reaching everyone’s ears.

Immediately following, the viridian foliage, which had largely been compressed, swelled violently. The thunder-net was stretched and forced to expand. A moment later, the massive clump of branches detonated like explosive powder with its fuse lit.

"Boom!"

Violet light shattered, viridian mist sprayed everywhere, and a fierce blast of energy rippled outward. Nie Kong’s figure drifted down gracefully from the heights. Almost simultaneously, a high-pitched shriek pierced the crowd’s eardrums—the viridian branches clinging to Shan Xiong’s body were also exploding.

Before the onlookers could assess Shan Xiong’s condition, Nie Kong swept over to him like a gentle breeze. A streak of viridian light flashed through the air, and Nie Kong's palm pressed against Shan Xiong's chest.

"Whoosh!"

Shan Xiong’s robust body shot backward. While still airborne, the clothing covering him disintegrated into fine powder. When his body crashed heavily onto the ground, everything from his waist up to his upper thighs was completely exposed to the view of the crowd, with only a scrap of fabric remaining around his waist for modesty.

The crowd stared dumbfounded at Shan Xiong on the ground. His chest and arms were covered in thick body hair, but otherwise, there were no visible injuries.

After a moment of stunned silence, they realized the truth: his clothes must have been blasted into fragments when the spirit-energy branches Nie Kong controlled exploded. Nie Kong’s final palm strike had only propelled the man out of the boundary line. It was truly remarkable that Nie Kong, while restrained by the thunder-net, could still manipulate his spiritual energy with such exquisite precision.

"Ugh!"

Shan Xiong suddenly groaned, abruptly rolling over and sitting up. He blinked around, his expression bewildered, seemingly still somewhat disoriented.

"Nie Kong wins!"

The instructor's voice suddenly rang out. Shan Xiong snapped back to attention, leaping to his feet, staring blankly at Nie Kong as he walked toward the boundary line. His rugged face was etched with disbelief; he had actually lost at the very last moment, and lost so bewilderingly?

Even now, Shan Xiong couldn't fathom how Nie Kong’s spirit-energy condensed branches had emerged silently from behind him!

Stopping before Shan Xiong, Nie Kong grinned. "Senior Brother Shan Xiong, it seems you didn't lose too badly; you weren't entirely exposed."

"Hm?"

Shan Xiong frowned, suddenly feeling a chill. He quickly looked down.

Several seconds passed before Shan Xiong processed what he was seeing. His face instantly flushed a purplish-red, followed by a mortified yelp of "Aow!" He immediately clutched at his front with one hand, his back with the other, and bolted out of the hall, legs clamped together.

"Whoa!"

Watching Shan Xiong’s pathetic retreat, the Ascendant Hall erupted into deafening laughter. The female disciples couldn't help but let out soft snorts, blushing as they averted their eyes. A moment later, Shan Xiong's enraged, shame-filled roar echoed faintly from outside the hall: "Nie Kong, you morally bankrupt scoundrel!"

"That guy is indeed a bit lacking in morals!"

Not far away, Miao Ge couldn't help but chuckle while watching the smiling Nie Kong.

Miao Ge, Tai Ji, and the others had experienced an emotional rollercoaster watching the match between Nie Kong and Shan Xiong. From their initial worry upon learning Shan Xiong was Nie Kong’s opponent, to the elation when Nie Kong shattered Shan Xiong’s attack, then to the helplessness when Nie Kong was restrained, and finally, to this moment of pleasant surprise—their emotions shifted constantly. Regardless of the journey, Nie Kong had ultimately secured the victory and the slot for the "Abyssal Fire Spring."

Tai Ji smiled sweetly. "Whether he’s lacking in morals or not is irrelevant, as long as he wins. I am curious about that spiritual skill Nie Kong used just now. Did he create it himself during the more than six months he spent in seclusion? Hmm, very possible; most of the techniques Nie Kong uses seem to be self-created."

"..."

While Miao Ge and Tai Ji rejoiced for Nie Kong, on the other side, Jing Lan felt a touch of sympathy for Shan Xiong, shaking her head helplessly. "Lan Shang, you were indeed right; that fellow Shan Xiong was actually defeated by Nie Kong, and so humiliatingly at that?"

Liu Hemin said dismissively, "The fellow deserved a lesson. If he hadn't provoked things earlier, even if he lost, it wouldn't have been in such a manner."

Lan Shang smiled gently. "The Shan family is quite a significant lineage in the Chang Kingdom, holding two slots for the 'Abyssal Fire Spring.' Given his strength, even losing here, he should still secure a spot within his family. I imagine his elders won't be stingy."

"That would still be quite embarrassing..."

"..."