In a palace of extraordinary, delicate floral design, Hua Mei sat poised. The vibrantly colored, beautiful flower beneath her would suddenly bloom proudly, then close its petals to completely obscure her figure. A pattern on her brow pulsed with a soft, ethereal glow. "Finally, some peace."

Before Hua Mei, suspended in the empty space, a richly hued "Dancing Jade Butterfly Spring" floated, resembling a fluttering, colorful butterfly, from which a faint sigh drifted out.

Hua Yanlian frowned slightly. "Since her bloodline awakened, the girl's cultivation has been soaring, but her soul remains extremely unstable. Even now, I cannot grasp what is truly happening. This is the first time in millennia of the Flower Spirit Clan's history that such a situation has arisen."

"Indeed!"

Another soft sigh emanated from within the flower. "It’s as if a new soul is currently gestating within Hua Mei's original soul. This nascent soul is extraordinarily powerful, yet Hua Mei’s own soul, though inferior, is incredibly resilient, suppressing the speed of its growth to a bare minimum. However, if this continues, either Hua Mei’s original soul will be consumed, or the two souls will completely merge—or... there shouldn't be a third possibility."

Hua Yanlian fell silent. Although Her Majesty the Empress mentioned two possibilities, the first scenario was clearly more probable. She had not spent a long time with Hua Mei, yet she cherished this seemingly fragile yet inwardly strong young girl, and could not bear to see her soul devoured.

After a long pause, Hua Yanlian asked, "Your Majesty, is there truly no way to save her?"

The Empress sighed. "The 'Netherfire Abyss Spring' is about to open. If we can locate the spring's source, perhaps we can condense a second incarnation and transfer one of the souls into it. However, the chance of success is minuscule. Even if it succeeds, the one transferred is very likely to be Hua Mei’s original soul, as the nascent soul surpasses her by far. In that case, Hua Mei's primary soul would exist only as a puppet avatar for the new soul."

Hua Yanlian bit her lip and offered a wry smile. "Having any hope is better than watching her be swallowed whole."

"I think so too."

The colored flower trembled slightly, as if nodding, and the Empress's voice followed, "The other four girls who possess royal blood and have cultivated the royal 'Dancing Jade Butterfly Spring' heart-state will enter the 'Netherfire Abyss Spring' alongside Hua Mei to search for the source. Moreover, take that item with them as well. Regardless of whether a second incarnation can be condensed, you must guarantee the absolute safety of the five of them; no mishap can occur."

Pausing, the Empress added sternly, "Yanlian, you will lead the party to escort them. Remember, nothing can go wrong; their safety is tied to the rise and fall of our Flower Spirit Clan."

"I understand!"

Hua Yanlian nodded.

In an instant, the Empress's voice suddenly sounded distant and uncertain. "I have checked thoroughly. None of our Flower Spirit Clan ancestors left any traceable bloodlines outside. This girl did not drift out of the 'Flower Butterfly Secret Realm,' and now another soul is emerging within hers. If my guess is correct, she... might be connected to our Flower Spirit Clan ancestors."

"Connected to the ancestors?"

Muttering these words, Hua Yanlian started in shock. She looked in disbelief toward the quietly seated Hua Mei, exclaiming strangely, "Your Majesty, do you mean... this girl Hua Mei might be the reincarnation of our Flower Spirit Clan ancestor's soul? This... how is this possible? The ancestor left the Heavenly Spirit Continent long ago!"

"Perhaps not a soul, but a sliver of spiritual thought!"

The Empress spoke faintly, her emotion ambiguous, whether pleased or worried...

Sunset City, a small town in the far west of the Heavenly Spirit Continent, meaning the City Where the Sun Sets. West of Sunset City, vast yellow sands stretch out. Between that sea of sand and the small city lies a narrow, towering mountain range—the Sunset Mountain—blocking all the sands. West of this mountain range, it has served as the city's barrier for thousands of years.

The population of this small city is less than ten thousand, all bearing the surname 'Zhan.'

Fifteen hundred years ago, hundreds of Zhan clan ancestors fled here to escape feuds and slaughter, bringing their families to settle beneath the remote Sunset Mountain Range in the western part of the Heavenly Spirit Continent. A hundred years later, the 'Netherfire Abyss Spring' opened for the first time and was detected by several powerful figures. From then on, people continuously came to this far western region to investigate, and Sunset City gradually became known to the world. A thousand years ago, a member of the Zhan family named 'Zhan Donglai' emerged, challenging dozens of experts from various sects and clans consecutively, rarely suffering defeat. Zhan Donglai's name echoed throughout the land, and the Zhan family's reputation reached its zenith.

Alas, Zhan Donglai later vanished under mysterious circumstances, and the Zhan family consequently declined.

By now, the entire Zhan clan can barely field a few notable masters. The vast majority of clan members make a living by raising and taming the 'Snow Wave Sand Camel,' unique to this area. Fortunately, even when the 'Netherfire Abyss Spring' is not open, many Spirit Masters travel across the Sunset Mountain Range every year to explore the boundless desert. To venture deep into the sands, one absolutely requires a 'Snow Wave Sand Camel,' making the Zhan family's business extremely lucrative.

This year marks the quinquennial opening of the 'Netherfire Abyss Spring.' Starting from the beginning of the sixth month, the number of Spirit Masters arriving in 'Sunset City' began to increase daily. By early July, the influx of Spirit Masters arriving daily surged dramatically.

Among these Spirit Masters, very few actually held the permits required to enter the 'Netherfire Abyss Spring.' They came here primarily to try their luck in the 'Wild Sand Valley' during the period the spring was open. Whenever the 'Netherfire Abyss Spring' opened, the 'Wild Sand Valley' region would also reveal many miraculous items, and with sufficient luck, one could reap substantial rewards.

The arrival of these Spirit Masters brought a positive outcome for the Zhan clan: the sales of 'Snow Wave Sand Camels' skyrocketed.

"I didn't expect this spirit beast to be so beautiful."

In the evening, in a wide, lush green pasture south of Sunset City, hundreds of 'Snow Wave Sand Camels' paced leisurely. These spirit beasts possessed slender, pointed heads, long necks, thick limbs, and broad hooves. Their bodies stood nearly two meters tall. The most striking feature was the fur covering their bodies—pure white as snow, without a single trace of discoloration, and each strand over two feet long. As they moved, their coats rippled like surging snow waves.

Scanning the pasture, Nie Kong couldn't help but marvel. Blue-robed Lan Shang, Liu Heming, and Gu Ruofei, standing around Nie Kong, all nodded in agreement.

Not two days after the Insect City competition concluded, Nie Kong and the other ten inner-city disciples departed from Spirit Control City, led by Hall Master Gu Changgong of the Medicine Heart Hall and Vice City Lord Que Tian. After trekking for a full month, the party of twelve finally arrived at Sunset City, situated on the edge of the boundless desert.

Upon reaching the city gates, the group was enthusiastically ushered here by an elder named Zhan He, who waited outside.

"Naturally," Zhan He declared with immense pride. "The 'Snow Wave Sand Camel,' a unique peak Tier Three spirit beast of this region, is not only beautiful and docile but also possesses great stamina, speed, and the uncanny ability to locate water sources. Spirit Masters below the Soul Comprehension realm absolutely cannot survive long in the 'Wild Sand Valley' without a 'Snow Wave Sand Camel.'"

These spirit beasts bore a striking resemblance to the camels celebrated as the 'ships of the desert' in his previous life!

Nie Kong secretly smiled. Glancing over, he saw Vice City Lord Que Tian had pulled Zhan He aside and was smiling as he haggled over the price.

Que Tian had barely performed his duties as Vice City Lord for decades. Normally, leading inner-city disciples to the 'Netherfire Abyss Spring' wouldn't fall to him. However, he incessantly wheedled and pestered Gu Changgong until the latter finally relented and allowed him to accompany the group. Knowing this, Nie Kong had felt a slight concern.

But Nie Kong soon realized his worries were misplaced. Que Tian never brought up the matter of soul power again, as if he had forgotten it entirely. After more than a month together, Nie Kong observed that Que Tian was extremely miserly; he would haggle for half an hour with innkeepers over the mere few dozen gold coins in daily lodging fees, let alone purchasing these 'Snow Wave Sand Camels,' each priced at twenty thousand gold coins! Indeed, after nearly half an hour of entanglement, just as everyone grew impatient and prepared to pay themselves, the tug-of-war between the stout old man and Zhan He finally concluded: each spirit beast was sold for nineteen thousand gold coins.

By this time, Nie Kong and the others had already selected the spirit beasts they favored. Just as Zhan He claimed, they were all tamed to be extremely gentle. With just a light pat on the neck, the 'Snow Wave Sand Camel' would gallop across the pasture like lightning, its speed swift, resembling a streak of white flowing light. Two pats to the neck would stop the beast; two taps meant a slow trot, and four taps for...

After mastering the movements required to command the 'Snow Wave Sand Camels,' the ten disciples returned one by one to the pasture entrance.

"Nineteen thousand gold coins gone in one go."

Gazing at the ten magnificent mounts before him, Que Tian’s small, bean-like eyes darted around. He tightly clutched the spirit card in his hand, his face clearly pained. The others pretended not to notice and rode their 'Snow Wave Sand Camels' out of the pasture. Spirit Control City, with its millennia of heritage, possessed wealth rivaling nations; nineteen thousand was merely a drop in the ocean. It was simply Que Tian’s nature—he would feel the sting even if they cost a thousand gold coins apiece.

Gu Changgong also ignored the old fatty's complaints, following Nie Kong and the others with the casual grace of a leisurely stroll...

Based on past experience, the opening day for the 'Netherfire Abyss Spring' should be July seventh. Since it was only July second, with five days to spare, Gu Changgong decided not to rush Nie Kong and the others into the 'Wild Sand Valley' overnight but planned to stay one night in Sunset City first.

This suited Nie Kong’s intentions perfectly. He also wished to gather information in Sunset City. If luck favored him, he might encounter those Flower Spirit Clan members without even needing to enter the 'Netherfire Abyss Spring.' Flower Spirit Clan members were not like those in the Yin Ruins, with a massive imbalance favoring females; their entire race consisted only of women, without a single man.

Inquiring along this line would greatly narrow the scope of his search.

However, before Nie Kong could put this plan into action, upon entering an inn with Gu Changgong and the others, he spotted two figures whose presence in Sunset City at this time was entirely unexpected by normal logic: they were none other than Lin Sixian and her mother, Meng Tianjun!