Nie Kong’s heart stirred slightly, but his movements didn't pause in the slightest. His right hand formed a hook, reaching for the gaunt man’s left shoulder.

The gaunt man, as he retreated, had been tracking Nie Kong’s every move intently. Yet, he had absolutely not anticipated that Nie Kong, standing twenty meters away, would suddenly materialize beside him—so fast that his eyes couldn't even register a reaction before his shoulder was seized.

"Crack!"

The sound of breaking bone echoed. Nie Kong wrenched the gaunt man’s entire left arm free, simultaneously catching the falling body of Hua Mei.

"Ah!"

A heart-rending agony ripped through him. As the gaunt man shrieked, he managed to retreat over ten meters before stumbling to a halt. Blood welled profusely from his left shoulder, his face turned deathly pale, and sweat poured from his brow. His eyes, however, fixed on Nie Kong with venomous intensity, like a wounded beast.

Nie Kong did not pursue. Instead, he gripped Hua Mei’s wrist. His priority now was detoxifying her; as for the sneak attacker, he certainly wouldn't be allowed to escape.

“Xiangxiang!” Sensing Nie Kong’s intent, the little creature stirred with vigor, chirping an "Ah-yah-yah!" sound. The emerald essence of its life-force medicine rushed out of the Yaochi Acupoint, flowing along Nie Kong’s arm into Hua Mei’s body. In the blink of an eye, a verdant glow spread through her limbs and bones, rapidly commencing the arduous process of neutralizing the poison.

Seeing Nie Kong’s action, the gaunt man endured the agonizing pain and tugged at the corner of his mouth, a cold sneer seeming to form. Meanwhile, the sudden reversal of the situation prompted Hua Tang and the others nearby to cease their standoff and rush with maximum speed to Nie Kong and Hua Mei’s side. Conversely, the seven remaining figures simultaneously converged around the gaunt man.

As for the Spirit Masters still lingering in the passage who hadn't managed to leave, they knew this situation could not be resolved peacefully.

They quietly retreated toward the sides and ends of the passage to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Soon, the area around Nie Kong and his group became clear; only a sparse handful of unrelated Spirit Masters remained.

Observing the continuous, thread-like green glow emanating from Nie Kong’s fingertips, Hua Tang and the others knew he was treating Hua Mei’s poison. However, having never witnessed Nie Kong employing such a technique, anxiety gnawed at them.

But just as they prepared to ask Nie Kong to hand Hua Mei over to them, they were astonished to see the black filaments on Hua Mei’s skin steadily receding. They hadn't expected this uncle of Hua Mei to possess such an ability. The four exchanged delighted glances, swallowing back the words that had rushed to their throats.

Ten meters away, the eight gathered men instantly noticed the change in Hua Mei.

“How is this possible?”

The gaunt man, having somehow managed to staunch the bleeding from his left shoulder, blurted out in disbelief as he watched Hua Mei’s fair skin gradually return to normal. “Wugu Snake Venom… That was my Wugu Snake Venom… You can actually neutralize it?”

“Wugu Snake Venom?”

Hua Tang and the three others’ complexions shifted slightly.

Initially, they, like everyone else around, assumed these attackers targeted Hua Mei because they had discovered the unusual connection between her and Nie Kong, intending to threaten him into surrendering the “Prison Fire Nether Spring.” However, the reaction of the gaunt man had already caused Hua Tang and the others to discard that theory and form different suspicions about the attackers' identities. Now, hearing the four words "Wugu Snake Venom," they understood the assailants’ origins completely.

Hua Tang’s face turned icy as she ground out, “The Serpent Spirit Clan… truly inescapable ghosts!” Among the Five Great Spirit Clans, the Flower Spirit Clan possesses the keenest senses, but when it comes to concealment and dormancy, the Serpent Spirit Clan leads. Their cultivation levels were roughly equal to these Serpent Spirit Clan members, and coupled with not paying close enough attention to their surroundings, detecting their presence was exceedingly difficult. If a Flower Spirit Clan member at the Void Spirit Realm were present, these Serpent Spirit Clan members would likely have been discovered long before they could approach.

“They are Serpent Spirit Clan members?”

“They look exactly the same as us!”

“What about those five women? Those Serpent Spirit Clan members seemed to be after them… And that guy, what is his relationship with them?”

Hearing Hua Mei utter the three words “Serpent Spirit Clan,” a clamor erupted among the onlookers. Everyone already knew that the Five Great Spirit Clans had dispatched members into this space, but after a month or so, they hadn't encountered a single one. Under normal circumstances, members of the Spirit Clans never revealed their true forms in plain sight, and even if they did, they would employ various means of disguise. Even if people saw them, recognizing them would be difficult.

“There’s a good show to watch!” A strong current of excitement instantly washed over the crowd.

While Hua Tang and her companions were furious, the Serpent Spirit Clan members were utterly frustrated. After they had stealthily slipped into the passage, Nie Kong had already charged out from the inner hall. To avoid alerting Hua Tang, Hua Mei, and the others, they had begun subtly maneuvering closer to them by blending with the shifting crowds.

This process was painstakingly slow. During this time, having witnessed Nie Kong defeat multiple young experts at the Jade Spirit Realm, including Gu Feng, they were already awed by his capabilities. Consequently, even after spotting the “Prison Fire Nether Spring” on Nie Kong’s shoulder, despite their covetousness, they held back from attacking him directly.

What they hadn't expected was that the situation they had tried so hard to avoid had actually occurred.

Their target had only been Hua Tang and Hua Mei, members of the Flower Spirit Clan. According to their original plan, one member was to launch a surprise attack, subdue one Flower Spirit Clan member, and then use her to lure the remaining four women into pursuit, thus capturing all five of them in one sweep.

But who could have imagined Nie Kong was so closely connected to the Flower Spirit Clan? Based on their understanding of the Flower Spirit Clan, such a connection was almost impossible. Although rumors circulated in the outside world that the ancestor of the Flower Spirit Clan, the “Fluttering Jade Butterfly Spring,” married after achieving Spirit Godhood, thus allowing the lineage to continue—this was merely misinformation. If it were true, the Flower Spirit Clan bloodline would have long since dried up, becoming indistinguishable from ordinary people, unable to maintain its position as the leader of the Five Great Spirit Clans to this day.

Furthermore, among the Five Great Spirit Clans, the Flower Spirit Clan was the most conservative, rarely interacting with the outside world, and even less likely to have any connection with humans from the Tianling Continent. Therefore, even though they noticed the unusual look in Hua Mei’s eyes when she gazed at Nie Kong earlier, they hadn't paid much attention, assuming her obsession wasn't with Nie Kong himself, but with the “Prison Fire Nether Spring” on his shoulder. Otherwise, they would certainly have devised a more meticulous plan before making a move.

However, now that the deed was done, no amount of frustration would help.

“Heh…”

Nie Kong suddenly let out a breath, drawing Hua Tang and the others’ gazes back to him. Though Hua Mei remained unconscious, her complexion had normalized; the black threads that had covered her skin were entirely gone. Despite this, Hua Tang couldn't help but ask, “How is it?”

Nie Kong replied in a gentle voice, “The snake poison is resolved. She should wake up after a little more time.”

“That’s wonderful!”

Hua Tang and the three others couldn't help but beam with joy. The Flower Spirit Clan and the Serpent Spirit Clan had always been mortal enemies, so they were well aware of the severity of snake poison, especially since the one the attacker used earlier was “Wugu Snake Venom”—a poison derived from the “Wugu King Snake.”

“My… Wugu Snake Venom… How could you neutralize such a potent venom using only spiritual energy?” The gaunt man could barely believe his eyes, his withered cheeks twitching involuntarily.

“Nothing in this world is impossible.” After handing Hua Mei over to a Flower Spirit Clan member standing nearby, Nie Kong slowly stepped forward and sneered, “Tell me, how do the eight of you wish to die? If your requests are not excessive, I can grant them!” His voice was like a thread of icy chill from a millennia-old ice mountain, making everyone listening feel a chill deep in their bones.

He only allowed these eight Serpent Spirit Clan members to choose their manner of death, rather than choosing between life or death. The observers were deeply shaken.

Facing the bizarre Serpent Spirit Clan members, perhaps only this man in the entire “Dark Soul Hall” dared to speak such words. They wondered what his origin was, what background he possessed, to dare kill every Serpent Spirit Clan member who entered the “Prison Fire Nether Spring” without fear of retaliation from the clan later.

“Such arrogant words!” the gaunt man hissed, shouting, “Let’s go!”

The moment his voice fell, a vividly colored, large-headed, slender, and translucent serpent shadow shot out from his body. Immediately after, his own form rapidly dissipated, while the serpent shadow swelled rapidly. By the time the small snake landed, its originally slender body was as thick as a water cask, and its broad, flat head had expanded to over ten meters wide—a truly bizarre sight, with cold light flickering in its eyes that chilled the heart.

Almost simultaneously, the other seven Serpent Spirit Clan men transformed into streaks of serpentine shadows. In an instant, the passage was filled with a pungent, foul wind that made the scalps of the surrounding Spirit Masters tingle with dread.

“Hiss,” “Hiss.” …

A series of piercing shrieks rang out. The eight serpentine shadows simultaneously opened their cavernous mouths and lunged toward Nie Kong and Hua Tang’s group blocking the passage. As they moved, their flickering crimson tongues writhed, their speed far outstripping lightning, instantly shrinking the ten-meter gap to just a few meters.

“Hoo.”

The corner of Nie Kong’s mouth lifted. The wall of dark-green vines that had sealed the passage exit suddenly flew back and erected itself in front of him and the others. Then, Nie Kong took a stride, his figure ghosting into the green wall without leaving any trace of his presence.

Hua Tang and the others, who had been preparing to act, stared in astonishment. They saw that the green wall arched forward, extending past them. Those standing on the vine wall’s side could no longer see what was behind it; conversely, the Spirit Masters remaining on the opposite side saw everything clearly. The dark-green vine wall extended over ten meters into the high air before plunging straight down, completely enveloping the eight serpentine shadows in an instant.

“It’s really not a good thing when the apprentice is too capable; it robs me of even the chance to step in and protect her. There’s no thrill of being a master at all!” Outside the vine wall, Mu Hongling stomped her foot and mumbled aggrievedly. Beside her, Bai Yuqing brought her broadsword down onto the ground with a clang, though the corner of her lips curved up almost imperceptibly…