The leaf was as crystalline as jade, its veins clearly visible. The brilliant red light Nie Kong had seen beneath the octagonal high platform originated from this very object. If the green leaf in Nie Kong’s pet backpack were whole again, this red leaf would likely be identical to it in shape and size, differing only in color!

Indeed, it was the "Seven-Colored Spirit Leaf"!

Nie Kong rejoiced inwardly and cautiously approached it.

At this moment, the crimson "Seven-Colored Spirit Leaf" hovered in mid-air, seemingly drawn by the half-green leaf in Nie Kong’s pet backpack, trembling slightly. Directly beneath the red leaf was a small, circular pool, about a foot high and a meter in diameter. The water within was blood-red, filling the basin precisely to the brim without a single drop spilling over. Faint, gentle ripples undulated across the surface.

Nie Kong couldn't help but quicken his pace, arriving at the edge of the pool and gazing intently. The water was deep and clear, seemingly bottomless, like a thousand-year-old spring. As Nie Kong neared the edge, an extremely strange aura rushed towards him—intense coldness interwoven with a piercing heat.

"This is…"

A thought flashed through Nie Kong’s mind, and he exclaimed excitedly. Before he could finish, a surprised voice picked up his words, “…The Prison Fire Nether Spring?”

It was Mu Hongling and Bai Yuqing who had also arrived at the pool's edge, astonishment gleaming in their eyes.

"That seems unlikely."

Nie Kong initially shared Mu Hongling's thought, but after a brief rush of excitement, he sobered up. He spoke with some uncertainty, "It is said that the spring's source constantly moves. How could it be fixed here? The water here clearly cannot move elsewhere."

"That's true."

Mu Hongling also calmed down, sounding slightly dejected. "I knew it. How could we find the Prison Fire Nether Spring so easily?" As she spoke, Mu Hongling’s gaze drifted back to the leaf suspended above the spring’s eye. "What is this red leaf, then?"

"This is a great treasure."

Nie Kong circled the spring with a slight smile. Although his heart stirred with desire, he did not rashly reach out.

Back in the stone pillar space at the bottom of the Flame Mountain deep pit, he had accidentally absorbed the soul of the "Prison Fire Soul Heavenly Dragon," causing the pit to collapse and nearly crushing the three of them. This "Seven-Colored Spirit Leaf" might be connected to other things. If taking it down caused another dramatic shift in heaven and earth, regret would be too late. Good luck once in that stone pillar space did not guarantee continued fortune.

"A great treasure?"

Mu Hongling looked suspiciously at the red leaf, then at Nie Kong, before huffing, wrinkling her nose. "No matter how good it is, it's not as good as my 'Dragon Heart.'" With that, she picked up the Dragon Heart again to admire it, looking as if she couldn't wait to use it for cultivation immediately. For her, even the legendary "Prison Fire Nether Spring" paled in comparison to this Dragon Heart.

Bai Yuqing merely glanced at the red leaf a few times before losing interest, sitting down directly on the high platform, laying her broadsword across her lap, and beginning to meditate.

"Phantom Soul!"

Nie Kong set his sights on the "Phantom Soul Eagle King." With a thought, the mental image of the "Purple Luo Illusory Spirit Incense" enveloped it, quietly coaxing it outside his body.

Since the Phantom Soul Eagle King was currently just a faint, small residual soul, Nie Kong didn't worry about Bai Yuqing or Mu Hongling sensing it. His only concern was keeping it from escaping. Though it appeared obedient now, if given the slightest opportunity, the creature would undoubtedly attempt to flee by any means necessary.

"Ah!"

As soon as it left his brow, the Phantom Soul Eagle King's shriek echoed in Nie Kong's mind.

"Dark Soul Hall? No, no, the Dark Soul Hall—how could it be this small? And there are no high platforms or leaves like this in the Dark Soul Hall…" Nie Kong questioned in surprise. "In the Prison Fire Nether Spring, are there any other places besides the Dark Soul Hall with architecture like this?"

"It seems not…" the Phantom Soul Eagle King replied.

"Are there or aren't there?" Nie Kong frowned.

"No! Really no!"

The Phantom Soul Eagle King was startled, stammering repeatedly.

"…"

Nie Kong grew confused. Although the Phantom Soul Eagle King had never left the Dark Soul Hall before possessing Meng Tianjun, meaning it couldn't have found the constantly moving spring source, its inherited memories were extensive. If it claimed that similar architecture only existed in the "Dark Soul Hall" area, there was likely no mistake.

Could this be the rear hall of the Dark Soul Hall?

Nie Kong suddenly considered a major possibility, his eyes sweeping the surroundings until they settled on the entrance of the hall. That massive door was firmly shut, obscuring whatever lay beyond. After a moment’s thought, Nie Kong asked the Phantom Soul Eagle King again, "Try to recall—do you have any memories of this spring source and this red leaf?"

"No memories of the red leaf, but this spring source… could it really be the Prison Fire Nether Spring?"

The Eagle King's voice was slow and tentative, as if afraid of displeasing Nie Kong. The searing pain of having its soul forcibly injected back at the peak of Flame Mountain was still vividly fresh.

"Oh? Why are you so certain it is the Prison Fire Nether Spring?" This time, Nie Kong did not reprimand it but asked calmly.

The Phantom Soul Eagle King breathed a quiet sigh of relief and launched into an explanation. "Big Brother, although I don't know how to find the source of the Prison Fire Nether Spring, I know quite a bit about the spring itself. It is rumored that the Prison Fire Nether Spring connects two spring eyes. This spring eye here… could very well be the true source, and the constantly moving one the Spirit Marshals sought flows out from here."

Nie Kong was astonished. "There’s such a theory?"

Seeming to sense Nie Kong's surprise, the "Phantom Soul Eagle King" grew smug. "Big Brother, if you wish to consolidate your 'Second Incarnation,' the water from the source of the Prison Fire Nether Spring will certainly be much more effective than the water from the outer spring eye…"

"If I wanted everyone in the Prison Fire Nether Spring to know the location of this spring eye, what would I need to do?" Nie Kong interrupted the Eagle King’s rambling.

"Wha… what?" The "Phantom Soul Eagle King" stammered, utterly disbelieving. "Do I need to repeat myself?"

"No… no need!" The Phantom Soul Eagle King snapped back to reality and hurriedly said, "Big Brother, now that we've found the water source, it's perfect for consolidating the Second Incarnation, why would you…"

"Enough, just tell me if there's a way!"

For Nie Kong, whether he could condense a Second Incarnation was secondary. The main goal was using this spring eye to draw the Flower Spirit clan here. In Nie Kong’s original plan, after the matters of Flame Mountain concluded, he would have the "Phantom Soul Eagle King" lead the way to the "Dark Soul Hall." Having seen the terrain around the "Prison Fire Nether Spring," Nie Kong knew that causing a major disturbance in those areas would be impossible; only entering the "Dark Soul Hall" held that potential.

"Big Brother, I don't know about that!" The Phantom Soul Eagle King immediately drooped like a frost-bitten eggplant, crestfallen.

"If you don't know, then go back inside!"

"No, no, Big Brother, let me wait out here a little longer, Big Brother… Ouch!" With a cry, the Phantom Soul Eagle King was sent back into the mental image by Nie Kong.

"…"

Staring at the spring eye and the red leaf, Nie Kong felt a deep sense of helplessness. Other than determining that this was the rear hall of the Dark Soul Hall and that the spring eye might be the source of the Prison Fire Nether Spring, this fellow, the Phantom Soul Eagle King, hadn't provided a single piece of immediately useful information.

Nie Kong paced back and forth around the spring eye, his brow deeply furrowed.

"Pfft!"

Just as Nie Kong was deeply troubled, a crisp laugh suddenly echoed in his mind. "Little fellow, when facing such a huge event, you still need your Grandma to step in!" Her small, exquisite body stealthily floated to Nie Kong's collar, revealing only half of her small head, bearing an air of premature wisdom.

"You have a way?" Nie Kong ignored Qing Yue's teasing and quickly inquired.

Qing Yue smiled slyly. "Nie Kong, haven't you noticed the relationship between that 'Seven-Colored Spirit Leaf' and the spring eye below?"

"Relationship?" Nie Kong’s brow twitched. He extended his spiritual sense to investigate and suddenly realized, "The 'Seven-Colored Spirit Leaf' is actually being used to suppress this spring eye! If the 'Seven-Colored Spirit Leaf' is removed, the 'Prison Fire Nether Spring' will lose its restraint. I wonder what will happen? Will it cause this place to collapse?"

Qing Yue chuckled sinisterly. "Don't forget, you still have Grandma here!"

"You…" Nie Kong nearly laughed out loud.

This thousand-year-old little Medicine Spirit couldn't even handle the "Prison Fire Soul Heavenly Dragon" in the previous stone pillar space. If he truly placed his hope on her, he probably wouldn't even know how he died!

"You dare to look down on Grandma?"

Noticing Nie Kong's dismissive tone, Qing Yue immediately became enraged. "Little fellow, today I'll show you my skills!" As soon as the words fell, the little Medicine Spirit transformed into a dense stream of green energy, floating above the spring eye. In an instant, it burst forth with a dazzling azure radiance.

The next moment, a scene of astonishment unfolded before Nie Kong.

Bathed in the radiant light emanating from Qing Yue, the water below seemed to be intensely stimulated, the surface fluctuating violently. Immediately after, Qing Yue's soul power spun rapidly in the air like a gyroscope, and the spring water followed suit; moments later, the mass of green energy writhed erratically, and the spring water roared in response. But no matter how turbulent the surface became, not a single drop of water spilled out of the pool.

Qing Yue moves, the water moves! Qing Yue stops, the water stops!

Nie Kong found it utterly baffling. The spring water seemed to mimic Qing Yue's every action like a shadow, appearing extremely lively.

"Little fellow, now you know Grandma's power!" Qing Yue laughed triumphantly.

"…"

Nie Kong was left speechless, though inwardly he was profoundly incredulous. Qing Yue, like himself, was entering the "Prison Fire Nether Spring" for the first time and encountering this spring eye for the first time. Yet, in just a few short minutes, she could make the spring water ceaselessly move according to her will? Truly bizarre!

… 。。