Even though those spirit beasts were frantically assaulting the "Prison Fire Nether Spring," rashly plunging into the fiery chaos amidst the stampede was perilous; one couldn't guarantee they wouldn't be targeted by those powerfully strong sixth or seventh-grade spirit beasts.

Furthermore, under the current circumstances, it was clearly unsuitable to expose oneself to the public gaze.

Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing and Mu Hongling initially concealed themselves in a corner, their intent being to guard against sneak attacks from the spirit beasts. In hindsight, that decision proved entirely correct.

After all, the "Phantom Eagle King" itself offered little deterrence; only the sword-shaped mark upon its head instilled a degree of instinctive awe in the other spirit beasts. However, this reverence was not entirely reliable, especially considering the presence of many formidable sixth and seventh-grade spirit beasts among them.

Naturally, Nie Kong was unwilling to entrust the safety of his trio to the spirit beasts' respect for the "Phantom Eagle King." Who knew that later on, all the spirit beasts involved in the attack would become completely fixated on the "Prison Fire Nether Spring"? In the end, Nie Kong had maintained his vigilance for so long to no avail.

If he revealed himself now, those spirit masters would surely assume Nie Kong could control the spirit beasts in this hall. In that case, Nie Kong would truly become the thorn in their side, the enemy they were determined to eliminate.

If Nie Kong truly possessed the ability to command all the spirit beasts, that would be one thing. But the frenzy of these beasts had nothing to do with him. Should those spirit masters take a desperate gamble and move against him, relying only on himself, Bai Yuqing, Mu Hongling, and the "Phantom Eagle King," they absolutely could not hold out for long.

Although Qing Yue, that powerful soul, was present, she was not omnipotent. The gathering inside and outside this hall included the cream of the younger generations from various sects and noble clans across the Celestial Spirit Continent. Having come to a place like the "Prison Fire Nether Spring," it was highly improbable they would lack protective treasures.

If someone managed to counteract Qing Yue's disembodied soul, the situation would become quite dire.

"This is rather self-defeating!"

Glancing at Bai Yuqing and Mu Hongling resting against the wall with their eyes closed, Nie Kong muttered to himself, wondering if the "Yin-Yang Spirit Devouring Art" would be effective against this type of source soul.

As the thought crossed his mind, his acupoints vibrated, and the spiritual art quietly began to circulate... Moments later, a murky vortex gradually spread out from behind the "Phantom Eagle King," continually expanding and swelling...

"..."

"Look! What is that spirit beast doing? It's creating such a massive vortex?"

"Cultivating?"

"It must be cultivating! A spirit beast capable of cultivating like this must be at least sixth-grade!"

"..."

Upon witnessing the huge vortex suddenly appear in the corner, the spirit masters who had been secretly observing the "Phantom Eagle King" gasped and muttered, their expressions of apprehension growing even deeper. At this moment, several spirit masters hesitantly retreated outside the hall, ready to slip away at any moment.

Their reaction was exactly what Nie Kong had anticipated.

The reason he used the "Yin-Yang Spirit Devouring Art" to create such a spectacle was precisely to keep those spirit masters from acting rashly. After all, only disciples from the Spirit Control City and the Ink Snow Sect had witnessed this technique before, and neither group was currently present. Thus, he need not fear revealing his identity.

However, what frustrated Nie Kong greatly was that once the spirit beasts' assault intensified, the soul power permeating the hall grew exponentially denser, causing Nie Kong's absorption rate to slow dramatically. He couldn't even fully absorb the soul power immediately surrounding him, let alone affect the source soul far in the distance.

"The spiritual art isn't working!"

The murky green vortex gradually contracted, vanishing without a trace a moment later.

Sensing the ball of flames nearing the ceiling, Nie Kong’s mind raced. Suddenly, an idea struck him: the small, ink-black sword.

That dark sword had another function besides being a key!

When he acquired the dark sword in Sunset City, Nie Kong had pulled out the "Phantom Eagle King's" soul, intending for it to confirm something. Unexpectedly, the "Phantom Eagle King's" soul was actually drawn into the key. Although Nie Kong later managed to recall its soul back into his Heart Image, the soul itself had been severely weakened.

With a surge of intention, Nie Kong quickly drew out the dark sword and channeled a stream of spiritual power into it... "Buzz!"

The dark sword trembled slightly, emitting a peculiar fluctuation that resonated outward in rapid pulses.

In the next instant, the source soul seemed to react to an inexplicable pull, drifting lightly like cotton fluff towards the corner where Nie Kong stood, while the ambient soul power floating in the hall remained entirely undisturbed.

When he drew out the dark sword, Nie Kong hadn't placed much hope in it; he hadn't expected it to actually function.

Nie Kong was overjoyed. Unfortunately, his elation was short-lived. The ball of flames began to dim, dissipating completely into the surrounding soul power while still twenty meters away from him, leaving no trace of its former existence.

Nie Kong was undeterred, continuing to sense the activity around the high platform in the corner.

"Roar!"

After a long pause, a mournful howl echoed through the hall.

A spirit beast, flung off the platform by the "Prison Fire Nether Spring," began vomiting blood in great gulps. Before long, it died, and another puff of pink fire floated upward.

Nie Kong’s heart lifted slightly, and without hesitation, he soared upwards.

Another thread of spiritual power pierced into the dark sword.

"Buzz!"

Accompanied by the sword's resonance, that ball of flame immediately drifted over. In mere seconds, the source soul's pink fire arrived before Nie Kong, drawn toward the dark sword. At this moment, Nie Kong’s long-prepared Heart Image struck swiftly, its colossal leaves enveloping the fire.

With a thought, Nie Kong sent the pink fire into his brow.

Immediately, something delighted Nie Kong: as soon as the pink fire entered his brow, it automatically merged into his Heart Image. For the Spirit Race and Half-Spirit Race, a stronger Heart Image meant stronger spiritual thought and a stronger soul.

For Nie Kong, however, it also meant that Xiangxiang's soul would advance alongside it. The "Violet Illusion Spirit Incense" Heart Image was effectively Xiangxiang's manifestation; how could the manifestation be stronger than the true body?

"Nie Kong, you are truly amazing," Qing Yue mumbled enviously in his mind. "You can even absorb this kind of source soul. Your... Spirit Treasure Essence, formed by the fusion of vitality and death energy, is truly closest to the origins of heaven and earth! If only Grandma Qing Yue had such Spirit Treasure Essence!"

"Qing Yue, don't envy me, or you'll suffer greatly," Nie Kong teased, while his Heart Image continued to monitor the spirit beasts nearby. If he could absorb the source souls of all those hundred-plus spirit beasts, to what extent would his Heart Image advance? The mere thought made Nie Kong unable to suppress the excitement surging in his chest; he wished the spirit beasts over there would just collapse from exhaustion immediately.

"Hmph, Grandma Qing Yue envies you?" Qing Yue snorted dismissively, though a hint of sourness laced her tone. "The stronger you become, the faster my soul recovers, and the faster my true body condenses. I'd rather envy myself than envy you!"

After a brief pause, Qing Yue mused, "But speaking of which, the Spirit Master who built the Illusionary Space back then was truly miraculous, managing to imbue the spirit beasts' bodies with soul power. If they were like the spirit beasts outside, this kind of source soul flame would never have appeared."

"Indeed, that Spirit Master was at least a Celestial Spirit, likely having already achieved Spirit God status," Nie Kong agreed. But before he could nod fully, Qing Yue's voice cut in, even more eager than Nie Kong's, "Hurry, hurry! Another spirit beast just died..."

Time flew like an arrow. More and more spirit beasts died from exhaustion, and the hall filled with wretched screams, permeated by an aura of despair, like hell itself.

The number of spirit masters gathered at the entrance also grew, reaching nearly a thousand in less than two days. Watching the endless stream of spirit beasts collapsing near the edge of the high platform, their expressions showed a hint of unbearable pity. They looked towards the "Prison Fire Nether Spring," wondering if they would suffer the same fate as the spirit beasts if they dared to attack and seize it. Unconsciously, everyone started to worry.

Compared to them, Nie Kong's mood was entirely different.

As puff after puff of source soul flame was absorbed, Nie Kong's Heart Image advanced rapidly.

Up to this point, he had absorbed over a hundred source soul flames. If calculated using the cultivation system of the Celestial Spirit Continent, his current Heart Image, spiritual thought, and soul were nearly all at the peak level of Ninth-Grade Spirit Control.

Of course, this didn't mean Nie Kong's overall strength had reached the high ranks of Spirit Control.

While absorbing the source soul pink fire did enhance the potential strength of Nie Kong's spiritual power, the primary benefit was the advancement of his Heart Image realm. However, if his cultivation level caught up, the power his Heart Image could wield would undoubtedly be even more formidable. Nie Kong understood clearly: once his cultivation reached the Spirit Control level, even if it was only First-Grade, he could command the spiritual thought of a Ninth-Grade expert to fight! Moreover, there were still four sixth or seventh-grade spirit beasts in the hall; the advancement of Nie Kong's Heart Image had not yet reached its zenith.

Sensing the condition of the remaining spirit beasts, Nie Kong’s spirit could not help but fluctuate.

"Nie Kong, the people from Spirit Control City and Ink Snow Sect have arrived."

Just then, Qing Yue's voice sounded in his mind.

Without alarming any spirit masters, Nie Kong’s vast spiritual sense quietly extended, and he indeed discovered Lan Shang, Nie Fenghua, and over a dozen others appearing in the crowded passage outside.

However, they stopped tens of meters away from the hall entrance, not drawing any closer.

"Almost two days!" Nie Kong sighed internally, the joy from his Heart Image's advancement largely dissipating.

Through the "Heart Shadow" planted in the "Phantom Eagle King's" soul, Nie Kong could accurately judge how much time had passed. Now, only a little over an hour remained until the two-day mark. The majority of the spirit masters had already come to the Dark Soul Hall, yet Qing Yue had still not sensed any trace of the Flower Spirit Race members.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

Suddenly, three spirit beasts that had fallen from the high platform simultaneously let out low growls and collapsed onto the ground, utterly still.

Sensing the three rising plumes of source soul flame, Nie Kong quickly roused his spirits, using the dark sword's resonance to draw them over. At this point, only one massive, solitary Seventh-Grade spirit beast remained on the platform, roaring continuously as it attacked the "Prison Fire Nether Spring..."