Nie Kong was also somewhat surprised. This man in green robes was one of the few Spirit Masters he had seen arrive at this "Dark Soul Hall" first. When he appeared, he seemed to be alone, and after entering the hall, he simply sat down quietly to observe.

When the "Netherfire Cold Spring" leaped onto Nie Kong, he did not strike back, still watching silently. Only now did he step forward; his actions made him stand out among so many Spirit Masters.

What Nie Kong hadn't expected was that this person already possessed the cultivation of the Second Grade Spirit Tamer. The cultivation limit for entering the "Netherfire Cold Spring" space was the Ninth Grade Spirit Transformation. This meant that in the single month or so he spent in the "Netherfire Cold Spring," his cultivation had broken through an entire major realm and a minor grade consecutively.

Such swift advancement, besides being due to his own innate aptitude, begged the question: what fortuitous encounters must he have had within this "Netherfire Cold Spring"? A sense of curiosity welled up in Nie Kong. His own cultivation had reached the First Grade Spirit Tamer, and his Heart Aspect realm had terrifyingly ascended to the Void Spirit. Why shouldn't others also enjoy good luck? Compared to that, the growth in his own strength after entering this illusionary space had absolutely surpassed this man's!

"You are rather forthright."

Nie Kong smiled slightly. Compared to the other Spirit Masters surrounding him who spoke evasively and pompously, this man in green was much more straightforward and appealing. He directly stated his desire to seize the "Netherfire Cold Spring" from Nie Kong's shoulder without making excuses or planning to lurk in the shadows.

Nie Kong naturally felt no strong aversion towards such a person. In this space, wanting to obtain the "Netherfire Cold Spring" was the normal reaction; those whose curiosity about the "Netherfire Cold Spring" far surpassed the desire to possess it, like Bai Yuqing and Mu Hongling, were rare indeed.

While Nie Kong had no immediate urge to claim the "Netherfire Cold Spring," since it had come to him willingly, Nie Kong saw no reason to simply discard it.

After a pause, Nie Kong did not inquire about the man's origins and said directly, "Brother, please make your move. If you win, this 'Netherfire Cold Spring' is yours."

"Good!"

The man in green did not lose his composure over a few words from Nie Kong, unlike Yan Mang. He smiled faintly, his figure approaching Nie Kong as if strolling leisurely, yet the azure, faint light circling his body grew denser. It was faintly discernible that this man in green was likely a Water Spirit Master.

"Whoosh!"

Since he had made his move, Nie Kong was merciless. The "Purple Luo Illusionary Spirit Incense" rapidly unfurled, shooting towards the man in green. The bud at its tip opened slightly, resembling a fierce beast ready to devour.

However, just as the bud was about to touch the man in green's body, he twisted his waist like a dragon whipping its tail, deftly evading the attack of the "Purple Luo Illusionary Spirit Incense." Yet, the distance between them had shortened by a meter, and Nie Kong's face still held a gentle smile.

"Hmm?"

Nie Kong felt quite surprised. This man was not to be underestimated! With a thought, another stalk of "Purple Luo Illusionary Spirit Incense" extended from its base, shooting towards the man in green. "Good!"

The surrounding crowd couldn't help but cheer inwardly.

They were all discerning individuals. Although Nie Kong's initial move was merely a probing attack, the man in green's evasive maneuver greatly impressed everyone. Ever since Nie Kong made his move, his speed had been heart-stopping; finally, someone could match him.

This person truly lived up to his reputation as a Second Grade Spirit Tamer. But which sect or noble clan from the Heavenly Spirit Continent did he hail from?

Not far away, the four Flower Spirit Clan women frowned slightly.

One of them moved her lips slightly, emitting no sound, yet the sound resonated in the minds of the four Flower Brow sisters: "Flower Brow sister, your uncle is truly a bit careless this time. How could he say that if the other guy wins, he’ll just hand over the 'Netherfire Cold Spring'?" This method of speaking was the Flower Spirit Clan's secret technique, "Flower Speech." "Indeed... the 'Netherfire Cold Spring' is something Flower Brow sister needs to save her life!"

"This man is a Second Grade Spirit Tamer; he won't be easy to deal with!"

"It's not his fault he doesn't know this, but we must be prepared. If he loses, we must retrieve the 'Netherfire Cold Spring' no matter what." "..."

"Uncle said that, so he must be completely confident of victory."

Flower Brow’s eyes were fixed on Nie Kong, and she remained full of confidence in him.

"..."

Seeing Flower Brow's expression, the four women were somewhat speechless, and they grew even more certain of their earlier speculation about the relationship between Flower Brow and Nie Kong. It was definitely more than just uncle and sister-in-law. Unconsciously, all four sighed inwardly, worry clouding their brows.

At this moment, the "Purple Luo Illusionary Spirit Incense" in Nie Kong's palm had already split into eight, but each assault was easily neutralized by the man in green. The distance between the two had shortened to five meters.

For an ordinary person, failing to achieve anything after several consecutive attacks would cause some panic, but Nie Kong looked at the still calm and composed man in green opposite him, a faint smile appearing on his face instead. Finally, within this "Dark Soul Hall," there was an opponent worthy of his serious attention.

The previous Gu Sa, whose "Heaven and Earth Dharma Body" condensed by the "Elephant Heaven Earthly Law" spiritual technique was wondrous, was still insufficient to draw Nie Kong's full focus. The subsequent Yan Mang and Mo Wuwei were even less significant; defeating them cost Nie Kong almost zero spiritual energy.

This man in green, however, was clearly an exception. Although his cultivation was Second Grade Spirit Tamer, his true strength likely surpassed Fifth Grade Spirit Tamer.

With a thought, the eight strands of "Purple Luo Illusionary Spirit Incense" separated from Nie Kong's palm suddenly contracted...

"Something feels wrong."

A Flower Spirit Clan woman moved her lips, her voice sounding in the minds of the four Flower Brow sisters, her tone remarkably grave and solemn. "If my intuition is correct, Nie Kong's opponent this time is very likely from one of the Five Great Spirit Clans—the 'Fish Spirit Clan.' Otherwise, for a pure Water Spirit Master, no matter how proficient his movement spiritual techniques are, he couldn't reach this level! In this fight, perhaps Nie Kong..."

She did not finish the sentence, but the implication was crystal clear.

"Fish Spirit Clan?"

The other three looked at each other, and even Flower Brow couldn't help but turn back in surprise.

A moment later, Flower Brow's gaze returned to Nie Kong. She was no longer as calm as before; if her uncle were to lose, she hoped he wouldn't be injured. Flower Brow had absolute faith in the judgment of her companion. Among the Five Great Spirit Clans, the Flower Spirit Clan ranked first in terms of perception ability.

Flower Brow and the other four Flower Spirit Clan members who entered the "Netherfire Cold Spring" this time were all disciples personally taught by Hua Yan. Among them, the eldest sister, Hua Tang, who had just spoken, possessed the strongest perceptive ability. If she suspected Nie Kong's opponent was from the Fish Spirit Clan, she was likely not mistaken.

While Flower Brow and the others worried, the distance between Nie Kong and the man in green continued to shrink: four meters, three meters, two meters...

"Whoosh!"

Nie Kong's brow trembled. With just a movement of his thought, countless "Purple Luo Illusionary Spirit Incense" stalks suddenly spread across the ground, instantly flooding the space within a dozen meters, completely obscuring Nie Kong's figure so that not a trace was visible to the crowd.

The man in green's expression tightened. Almost the moment the stems and leaves seeped out of the ground, his body floated up. His ten fingers danced rapidly in the air like butterflies flitting through flowers, emitting wisps of azure, shimmering light from their tips. In the blink of an eye, they interwove into a large net, cast over the stems and leaves of the "Purple Luo Illusionary Spirit Incense," while his feet landed on the net, his body seemingly weightless.

"Whoosh!"

The "Purple Luo Illusionary Spirit Incense" stems and leaves acted like living things, curving around from the side and continuing to surge upward.

In less than two seconds, they pressed in on the man in green from all four directions again. The man in green's expression finally changed slightly. His slender fingers continued to sketch in the void, and the azure net beneath his feet rose along with the "Purple Luo Illusionary Spirit Incense" stems towards the sky.

Seeing this scene, the surrounding Spirit Masters, except for those from Spirit Tamer City like Lanshang who had witnessed Nie Kong's methods before, were dumbstruck. Even Hua Tang and the others, who had moved several meters closer to the passage entrance, were astonished, clearly stunned by the spectacle Nie Kong created.

"Flower Brow sister, your uncle's identity seems quite extraordinary."

Hua Tang murmured, her brow tightly furrowed, finding it difficult to ascertain Nie Kong's identity for a moment.

"Impossible,"

Flower Brow responded distractedly, a relaxed smile returning to her face. Regardless of what identity Nie Kong possessed, as long as he was still him, that was enough.

"It seems we won't need to intervene!"

A dozen meters away from Flower Brow, Bai Yuqing spoke calmly in a low voice.

"Heh heh, I saw it long ago. In a one-on-one fight in the Dark Soul Hall, I doubt anyone can defeat him, not even in successive rounds."

Mu Hongling said with a smile, though she felt a slight pang of jealousy. She continuously kneaded the round Dragon Heart in her arms, and the urge to find a place to cultivate properly grew stronger. Nie Kong was becoming increasingly powerful; if his master didn't catch up, she would lose face.

"Whoosh! Hua," The stems continued to extend upwards for over ten meters and showed no sign of stopping, even obscuring the figure of the man in green at the center. Although the onlookers knew the man in green was certainly unharmed, seeing the frenzied growth of the dark green mass made their hearts clench with anxiety.

They were not Nie Kong's match and dared not make a move against him, nor did they have the nerve to try and seize the "Netherfire Cold Spring." However, they desperately hoped someone could defeat this arrogant fellow Nie Kong and take his "Netherfire Cold Spring." Only by seeing Nie Kong in a miserable state could their hearts find balance and satisfaction. If even a Second Grade Spirit Tamer was defeated by Nie Kong, how would they face themselves?

"Swish!"

But just as everyone was eagerly anticipating the man in green to unleash his divine power and break through the mass of dark green stems, a faint sound of air being torn pierced their ears. It was Nie Kong, who had disappeared for a moment, stepping out of the stalks and reappearing bizarrely within the crowd's line of sight...