As the man with the aquiline nose moved, it was as if a row of dominoes had been tipped. More than a dozen hands simultaneously sliced through the void, lunging for the "Prison Fire Nether Spring" resting on Nie Kong's shoulder.

At that moment, the aquiline-nosed man’s body inflated like a punctured balloon. His frame, barely reaching five feet, unnervingly shot up to about five meters in the blink of an eye. His two hands, massive as millstones, boomed as they slammed down toward Nie Kong's head, displacing the very air around them as they moved.

"Heavenly Elephant Manifestation!..."

Seeing the towering giant before them, several gasps echoed through the crowd. The extending hands froze abruptly in mid-air, and the surrounding Spirit Masters' eyes flickered with subtle apprehension.

Heavenly Elephant Manifestation was one of the most formidable Heaven-Grade Spirit Arts in the Tiandi Sect.

This particular Heaven-Grade Spirit Art was exceedingly strange. Most Heaven-Grade Arts required a certain level of cultivation to even attempt, but Heavenly Elephant Manifestation demanded practice beginning from the first stage of Spirit Gathering. Once the "Heaven and Earth Dharma Body" was condensed, its power would grow in tandem with the cultivator's progress. Legend held that upon reaching the first stage of Heavenly Spirit, this "Heaven and Earth Dharma Body" could achieve a terrifying hundred-meter stature, capable of standing toe-to-toe with a peak Heavenly Spirit Ninth-Stage expert.

The drawback, however, was that its cultivation speed was excruciatingly slow. In the Tiandi Sect's millennia-long history, the number of Spirit Masters who achieved the Heavenly Spirit Body using this art was countable on one's fingers. This individual appeared to be in his mid-thirties, and only reached the first stage of Spirit Controlling after entering the Illusionary Space.

At his age and with his current cultivation level, he wasn't particularly outstanding among the many Spirit Masters of the "Dark Soul Hall." Yet, the fact that he practiced the Heavenly Elephant Manifestation meant that reaching Spirit Controlling First Stage by his age evidenced talent bordering on the prodigious. He was undoubtedly a highly valued junior disciple of the Tiandi Sect. If he made a move for the "Prison Fire Nether Spring," the others would inevitably be caught in the crossfire. If even one touch from that colossal "Heaven and Earth Dharma Body" connected, while it might not result in utter annihilation, it would certainly leave bones shattered and muscles torn.

The Spirit Masters present, all qualified enough to enter the space of the "Prison Fire Nether Spring," were far from foolish. They grasped this reality perfectly. The instant the Spirit Master revealed his "Heaven and Earth Dharma Body," they wisely chose to halt their attempts, forcefully suppressing their greed.

"Hmm?..."

Nie Kong was certainly surprised by his opponent's sudden, massive increase in stature.

However, this was hardly the time for curiosity. Seeing the two colossal palms descending like whistling hammers, Nie Kong’s index and middle fingers darted upward with lightning speed, each fingertip wrapped in a thick, inky-green aura.

Witnessing Nie Kong’s action, some Spirit Masters couldn't help but internally scoff: "He truly overestimates himself. Two fingers might fell a Spirit Master at Spirit Transformation Ninth Stage, but how can they withstand the Heaven and Earth Dharma Body condensed through the Heaven-Grade Art, Heavenly Elephant Manifestation!"

Yet, amid their smug satisfaction, a thread of worry tightened in their chests. If the "Prison Fire Nether Spring" remained with that man, their chances of seizing it were slightly higher. But if it fell into the hands of this Tiandi Sect disciple, the prospect of snatching it from him became considerably slimmer.

"Sister Huamei, what exactly is your relationship with Nie Kong?"

At the entrance of the hall, seeing Nie Kong surrounded, the four Flower Spirit Race women weren't in a hurry to intervene. After a barrage of questioning, they finally learned his name from Huamei, but grew even more curious about the connection between her and Nie Kong—otherwise, Huamei wouldn't have stopped them from acting.

"...He... he is my uncle." Huamei’s heart pounded anxiously as she gazed at Nie Kong in the throng. She desperately wanted to help but was held back by her four companions, forced to truthfully reply.

The four froze, then instinctively asked, "Uncle? Sister Huamei, since when did you have such a young uncle?" On the Heavenly Spirit Continent, the term "uncle" had two primary meanings: a father's younger brother, or a husband's younger brother. Naturally, they assumed the former.

"It's just... just that kind of... uncle," Huamei muttered, her delicate face flushing slightly as she glanced nervously at the others, her voice barely a mosquito’s buzz.

"Eh?"

The four covered their mouths, gasping in disbelief. So, Nie Kong wasn't Huamei’s father’s brother, but her husband’s brother? Could it be that Huamei was married before being brought back to the "Flower Butterfly Secret Realm"? They had never heard Elder Sister Yanche mention it. Furthermore, Huamei had managed to awaken the royal bloodline of the Flower Spirit Race, which meant she must still be a virgin. Otherwise, even with Her Majesty the Empress's blessing, awakening the bloodline would have been impossible! What on earth was going on?

The four looked at each other. After a brief moment of confusion, their eyes suddenly lit up with joy. If Nie Kong was Huamei’s uncle, surely he would be willing to gift her the "Prison Fire Nether Spring" if he knew she desperately needed it. Failing that, they could surely exchange something for it! Of course, the immediate priority was helping him prevent the "Prison Fire Nether Spring" from being stolen.

"Uncle..."

Huamei suddenly slipped between two of the Flower Spirit Race women and rushed anxiously forward. The four quickly followed her gaze, their expressions shifting slightly when they saw the Tiandi Sect disciple unleashing the Heaven and Earth Dharma Body while Nie Kong met the attack with just two fingers. Nie Kong was in danger! A flash of movement, and the four swiftly followed Huamei ahead.

"Boom! Boom!"

In a blinding flash, Nie Kong's fingers slammed into the giant palms. With a deafening roar, layers of spirit energy condensed into flowers burst forth from his fingertips, sending waves of raw force rolling outward. Yet, Nie Kong’s fingers remained like supporting jade pillars, steadily holding back the two hands that seemed to carry the weight of a thousand jun of rock.

The expected scene of Nie Kong’s fingers snapping or his head exploding under the pressure of the giant palms did not materialize. The surrounding onlookers were utterly astonished. Had he really blocked the Heaven and Earth Dharma Body's assault in such a manner? Following the shock, a flicker of secretive joy surfaced in their hearts. If these two were evenly matched, that was ideal. If they ended up both injured, wouldn't that create the perfect opportunity to snatch the "Prison Fire Nether Spring"?

"His strength is quite impressive. No wonder he managed to secure the 'Prison Fire Nether Spring' first."

Seeing that Nie Kong wasn't defeated in one blow, the five women—now approaching the end of the passage—breathed a collective sigh of relief. One Flower Spirit woman whispered into Huamei’s ear, speaking cautiously to avoid alerting the surrounding Spirit Masters to her relationship with Nie Kong, "He is quite capable."

Huamei nodded, but her worry only intensified. So many Spirit Masters in the "Dark Soul Hall" were watching like hungry snakes. No matter how strong one person was, they were still in peril. Although Huamei’s temper hadn't completely mellowed, her experience had far surpassed that of the young girl in Jiyang City. On the journey from the "Flower Butterfly Secret Realm" to the "Fierce Sand Wasteland," Hua Yanche had instructed her about the various powers on the Heavenly Spirit Continent and the situation within the "Prison Fire Nether Spring" space, explaining that it contained numerous young masters. This Tiandi Sect disciple cultivating the Heavenly Elephant Manifestation was just one of them; many others, more dangerous, lurked like vipers, waiting for the optimal moment to strike.

"No wonder he dared to be so arrogant!"

At this moment, seeing his thunderous strike easily blocked by Nie Kong’s two fingers, the Tiandi Sect disciple was equally surprised. A cold glint flashed in his bell-like eyes, and he sneered, "What is your name? Being able to block those two palms of mine proves you have some meager capital to catch Gu Feng’s eye. It’s a pity, I only used fifty percent of my strength in that attack. Next, you won't be so lucky..."

"So noisy!"

Before Gu Feng could finish speaking, Nie Kong cut him off. Simultaneously, his two fingers trembled, swiftly flicking away the giant hands. The Violet Luo Illusory Spirit Incense suddenly manifested in the void.

Without hesitation, Nie Kong gripped the dense root cluster of the Violet Luo Illusory Spirit Incense, which now boasted an extra leaf. The incense instantly extended wildly to a length of ten meters, swirling forth like a green torrent toward Gu Feng. The inky-green expanse blanketed several square meters of space.

"Whap!" A sharp, loud crack suddenly echoed.

The crowd perceived only a streak of thick, dark-green phosphorescence flash by. Before they could even register what Nie Kong held, a conspicuous mark appeared across Gu Feng’s body: five massive, flat leaves, one unopened flower bud, and a long stem... Only then did they realize that the diagonal lash mark across Gu Feng’s body was identical to the dark-green object Nie Kong held in his hand.

"Ow!"

Gu Feng cried out in pain, glaring at Nie Kong in disbelief. Although he had only broken through to Spirit Controlling First Stage a few days ago, he possessed absolute confidence in his ability to withstand any Spirit Master below Spirit Controlling Fifth Stage, thanks to the miraculous Heavenly Elephant Manifestation and the formidable Heaven and Earth Dharma Body. This confidence was why, despite knowing many experts at Spirit Controlling First Stage lurked nearby, he had dared to strike first to seize Nie Kong’s "Prison Fire Nether Spring."

Earlier, when Nie Kong blocked his attack, Gu Feng was surprised but unconcerned, as he had indeed only used fifty percent of his strength in those two slaps. But this whip-like strike from Nie Kong now sparked a genuine sense of astonishment within him. Immediately following, the searing pain in his chest and abdomen ignited a blinding rage. Since reaching the Spirit Fusion realm and truly condensing the "Heaven and Earth Dharma Body," although he had suffered defeats in contests against peers, his body had never experienced pain. Now, he was forced to taste this long-forgotten sensation here!

"How dare you use a sneak attack—you’re courting death!" Gu Feng roared, opening his mouth as the furious sound ripped from his throat. He stomped a foot down toward Nie Kong, while his right palm didn't rest, swinging diagonally toward Nie Kong's head. A fierce power surged forth from his massive limbs. In an instant, it felt as if a gale had swept through the passage, with continuous howling sounds rising and falling. Sensing the oppressive pressure, the closer Spirit Masters instinctively retreated backward...