The instant Nie Kong's voice sounded, the dark green stalk and leaves that occupied a space spanning ten meters instantly exploded, as if thousands of catties of explosives had been ignited simultaneously. The void violently rippled, appearing torn by fissures, and the earth-shattering roar exploded near the ear like thunder, causing temporary deafness.

"It's over!"

This thought flashed through everyone's mind simultaneously, accompanied by a silent lament. Engulfed in such a violent spiritual energy explosion, without a powerful protective treasure, even nine lives wouldn't be enough to survive the blast. For a moment, the way they looked at Nie Kong grew increasingly wary. Was this fellow truly only at the first rank of Spirit Command? Perhaps after entering the "Netherflame Abyss" space, his cultivation had already soared to the second or even third rank of Spirit Command...

"Po!"

Before the lingering resonance of the explosion had faded, a figure suddenly broke through the dense, dark green aura filling the void and landed lightly beneath the cliff—it was the man in green robes. Strands of faint cyan light, like living things imbued with spirituality, constantly coiled around him.

Not dead?

The crowd felt a surge of pleasant surprise, only to immediately notice the green-robed man’s pale complexion; clearly, even Zhou Cai's spiritual energy explosion had not been easy for him.

"Truly formidable. If I hadn't been carrying a protective item, I would likely have been reduced to dust by now."

The man in green robes gazed at Nie Kong, his eyes holding not anger, but deep admiration. A moment later, he broke into a smile, saying, "I possess a rather decent spirit skill. If you can withstand it, I can leave here with peace of mind. What do you say?"

"Agreed!"

Nie Kong accepted without hesitation, nodding readily. This person had just escaped Nie Kong's "Floating Flower Shadow Dance," albeit by relying on a protective treasure, yet his inherent strength was formidable. Among the Spirit Masters within the "Dark Soul Hall," those who could surpass him could likely be counted on one hand.

Most importantly, this man's temperament suited Nie Kong's own. Of course, this was merely Nie Kong's feeling; he had encountered plenty of people who were one thing to your face and another behind your back in his previous life. No matter how much he appreciated this person's nature, his guard would not relax in the slightest.

Seeing Nie Kong nod, the man in green suddenly closed his eyes and began tracing patterns in the void with his palms. The movement appeared extremely slow, as if a massive weight of a thousand catties hung from his wrists. But as his palms moved, a patch of cyan energy emerged from the empty space.

"Whoosh!"

As if a hurricane swept across a calm sea surface, that patch of cyan spiritual energy suddenly began to fluctuate violently, like surging tides and raging waves. The fierce kinetic force and inexorable pressure continuously swept toward Nie Kong, wave upon wave, each one faster and stronger than the last.

"Thud!"

Nie Kong staggered back half a step, instantly feeling as if he were standing in the middle of a boundless ocean. Towering, surging waves crashed down upon him with the force of uprooting mountains, impossible to evade, useless to retreat from. He could only charge forward, meeting the assault head-on.

His brow trembled. The heart-form of the "Purple Luo Illusionary Spirit Incense" and the little fellow in the Yaochi Acupoint stirred almost simultaneously. Nie Kong punched out, and a dense cloud of dark green energy vibrated from his fist. Like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, it cleaved the cyan energy in two, surfing the waves directly toward the man in green robes.

"Medicine Spirit Armor Break!"

This fourth-tier skill, using the little fellow’s innate medicinal power as the catalyst, and spurred by the heart-form of the Void Spirit realm and the fifth-tier little fellow, was countless times more potent than before—invincible, breaking through all defenses. The spirit skill the man in green was currently using was, in essence, a different kind of 'armor.' "Boom!"

The mass of dark green energy tore through several meters of space and struck the man in green’s chest.

In the violent collision, a cyan barrier instantly sprang up from the man's chest, dissolving the dark green energy, but he couldn't help but stagger several steps backward, leaning against the cliff. His face paled even further, and the cyan aura vanished without a trace.

"You win!"

The man in green took a deep breath and smiled faintly, "That spirit skill, 'Boundless Azure Sea,' was indeed no match for you. To continue fighting would only result in my defeat. Let this contest end here."

After a pause, the man in green chuckled aloud, "My name is Ting Lei. Should fate allow, perhaps we will meet again someday."

With that, the man in green glanced at the "Netherflame Abyss" resting on Nie Kong's shoulder. Then, under the gaze of countless astonished eyes, he drifted away without the slightest hesitation, slipping through the gaps in the crowd like a swimming fish, vanishing instantly.

"Ting Lei..."

Muttering the name, Nie Kong couldn't help but smile. This person left as promptly as he arrived, without any hint of indecisiveness or lingering. If they truly met again, such a person would be worth befriending; perhaps they could even become good friends.

"Ting Lei?"

Hua Tang whispered softly, then a light sparked in her beautiful eyes. A sudden realization echoed in the minds of Hua Mei and the other three. "It is indeed him! I once heard Master Yanji mention that several years ago, she visited the Fish Spirit Clan. The one who came out to greet her was a Fish Spirit Clan member named Yu Ting Lei. Ting Lei, Yu Ting Lei. According to Master, if nothing unforeseen happens, this Yu Ting Lei is likely the next Fish King."

After a slight pause, Hua Tang smiled. "It’s a good thing this is the Netherflame Abyss. The water spirit energy here in the 'Dark Soul Hall' is sparse. If we were in the water, Yu Ting Lei’s strength would surely double. Even if Nie Kong defeated him then, it would likely be a costly victory."

"Is he really that powerful?"

Hearing her say that, Hua Mei couldn't help but blink her large, watery eyes...

While the five of them conversed via 'Mind Whisper,' Nie Kong's gaze swept over the crowd again. He suddenly grasped the "Netherflame Abyss" in his palm and began to caress it, squinting with a smile full of temptation in his voice: "My battle with Ting Lei cost me considerable spiritual energy. Are there no Spirit Commanders among you who wish to step up and pick up the scraps? If you miss this opportunity, it will never come again!"

"..."

The surrounding crowd rolled their eyes upon hearing this: Considerable spiritual energy consumption? What nonsense. Looking at his demeanor, were there any signs of 'considerable spiritual energy consumption'? Moreover, even Ting Lei, who was at the second rank of Spirit Command, was defeated and gone. What chance would someone who had only just broken through to the first rank of Spirit Command have?

If they dared to fight, they might just end up like Mo Wuwei, losing their very lives!

However, just as everyone assumed the contest for the "Netherflame Abyss" was over, something entirely unexpected occurred. Under the eyes of all spectators, a woman stepped out from the crowd, moving gracefully and elegantly toward the fellow who had fought several battles without defeat.

This woman was clad in snow-white robes, her hair like clouds gently flowing behind her head, and her face was veiled by a white mask, concealing her features. But judging by her graceful figure and her beautiful, autumn-water-like eyes, she couldn't be much older than twenty-five.

She moved with enchanting grace, like a snow lotus blooming from an iceberg, exuding a sacred aura all over her body. Looking into her eyes, which were so pure they seemed untouched by any speck of dust, the surrounding crowd felt as if they were bathed in a spring breeze, their minds involuntarily calming down.

She stopped two meters in front of Nie Kong, her eyes darting over his face before settling on the "Netherflame Abyss" on his shoulder. She asked with sudden curiosity, "Big Brother, could you let me take a look at your water spirit? Just one look, alright?"

Her voice was melodious, like rain tapping on banana leaves or jade falling onto a plate—crisp and utterly pure. Combined with her sacred aura and the pleading look in her eyes, this strange mixture possessed a captivating charm that irresistibly influenced everyone around, making them wish they could immediately press down on Nie Kong’s head and agree to her request on his behalf.

"No."

Nie Kong, however, seemed to have a heart of stone, completely unaffected by her sacred aura. He first shook his head crisply, then pointed at the "Netherflame Abyss" coiled on his shoulder, meeting the woman's twinkling, pure eyes, and said with a smile, "Little sister, this thing isn't pretty. To be frank, it’s just a lump of water. How about I take you to see some goldfish instead? Goldfish are much prettier than water!"

The woman blinked her beautiful eyes in confusion: "Goldfish?"

"Yes, goldfish!"

"Where are there?"

"On your body."

Nie Kong stated seriously.

"On me?"

"That's right. Little sister, don't you have a very beautiful goldfish being kept right there? Let Brother take a look, just one look, alright?"

Seeing her still look dazed, Nie Kong mimicked her previous tone, but his eyes drifted downwards past her chest and abdomen, a teasing smile curling the corner of his lips. In that instant, the surrounding crowd, who had been equally confused, finally understood what Nie Kong meant by 'goldfish,' and they couldn't help but feel indignant!

Lewd! Truly too lewd!

To profane such a pure woman, white as a sheet of paper! This fellow wasn't just ruthless, his character was also despicable! Many people nearby were grinding their teeth; if that woman gave a signal, they would likely rush forward to beat Nie Kong to a pulp.

"Pfft!"

Not far away, Hua Tang’s pretty face flushed slightly, but it wasn't from shame; it was from stifling laughter. After laughing, Hua Tang's voice echoed in the minds of Hua Mei and the other three. "With such powerful and peculiar spirit sense, and being a woman, this person is likely the Saintess of Mount Moluo. We weren't affected by her spirit sense because we carry treasures from the Flower Spirit Clan. I never expected Nie Kong to be completely unaffected, and he even demands to see the 'goldfish' of the Saintess of Moluo! Haha, this is too funny! The Saintess of Moluo has finally met her match!"