Nie Kong, nestled within the carrying basket, was overjoyed. Inside, there were three herbs, entirely jet-black, where vital energy and death qi had achieved a perfect balance, just like that "Demon Spirit Black Demon..."

A place capable of nurturing such herbs must be incredibly suitable for cultivation.

He wondered where the man had gathered those three herbs from?

Nie Kong instinctively wanted to find an opportunity to reveal himself and investigate, but after a moment's thought, he suppressed the urgent impulse. Currently, his knowledge of the "Fallen Abyss..." was virtually nil; recklessness was out of the question. Caution was the wiser path!

Ten li or so later, the mountain path gradually widened.

The burly man’s pace also increased steadily, until finally, he moved as swiftly as a galloping steed. Nie Kong was greatly surprised. In his perception, there wasn't the slightest fluctuation of qi within the man’s body, yet his speed rivaled that of an average Spirit Channeler.

It was truly astonishing for an ordinary person to possess such a level of skill.

Moreover, the man was not only fast but also possessed incredible stamina, maintaining this swift momentum without stopping.

Four or five hours passed before he finally slowed down.

Nie Kong's interest stirred, and he crept to the edge of the basket, his small bud looking around. Moments later, a dark silhouette suddenly entered Nie Kong’s line of sight. To the east, a towering mountain range pierced the sky; the most peculiar thing was that the higher it rose, the darker it became, until the mountainside above was utterly black.

First, surprise flooded Nie Kong’s mind, followed by an uncontrollable surge of elation.

Death qi! Such potent death qi!

Nie Kong estimated he was separated from that mountain range by perhaps twenty or thirty li. Yet, even at this distance, he could clearly sense the intense death qi radiating from it, and within that death qi pulsed vibrant life.

At this moment, Nie Kong hesitated: should he continue following this fellow, or should he immediately head toward that mountain range to begin his cultivation...

"Silang, you're finally back. You were gone for a full ten days; your mother was worried sick..." A booming voice carried over. Nie Kong followed the sound and saw, in the fields dozens of meters away, a middle-aged strongman waving enthusiastically toward them.

"Follow him..."

Nie Kong made his decision instantly.

Along the way, they occasionally encountered one or two figures. From the brief greetings exchanged, Nie Kong learned that this burly young man was named Huang Shan, the fourth son, a native of Huang Village ahead. He lived only with his elderly mother, making a living by gathering herbs.

After nearly ten li, houses could be vaguely discerned scattered about—that was Huang Village...

About fifteen minutes later, in the courtyard of a home north of the village, Huang Shan began removing the herbs one by one from the basket, his face filled with confusion: "It's not here either... Where did it go... I distinctly remember putting it right on top..."

In the small corner next to the door, the "Purple Luo Illusory Spirit..." was curled up in a tiny ball.

Hearing Huang Shan’s murmuring, Nie Kong secretly chuckled.

"Uncle Lin, how much are these herbs worth?" After a long while, as the basket neared empty, Huang Shan finally gave up searching for that purple herb and looked toward the old man with a goatee standing nearby.

That Uncle Lin stroked his beard and smiled thinly, "Silang, the herbs you gathered this time are all good. They are worth thirty Black Armors..." Saying this, Uncle Lin fumbled in his pocket and pulled out thirty dark objects, no bigger than fingernails, shaped like fish scales.

Nie Kong observed curiously, never imagining that the currency of the "Fallen Abyss..." was like this.

At that moment, Huang Shan suddenly gave a simple, honest laugh and grabbed the three black herbs from the basket: "Uncle Lin, what if we add these?" "Black Heart Grass..."

Uncle Lin's face changed drastically. He, who had been squatting, suddenly plopped onto the ground, crying out, "You... you went to Fubo Mountain to gather herbs? Don't you want your life anymore..." As he spoke, undisguised panic showed on his face.

Huang Shan smiled, "Uncle Lin, how would I dare? I went this time, near the God Annihilation Cave, and searched for these three 'Black Heart Grass' for a whole five days. Otherwise, why would I have been gone for ten days this time..."

"That's true..."

After this explanation, Uncle Lin calmed down somewhat and murmured: "...Black Heart Grass, one is worth thirty Black Armors; three would be ninety. Silang, I'll give you one hundred Black Armors. Remember, you must never go near 'Fubo Stop'..."

Huang Shan nodded quickly, "I know, thank you, Uncle Lin..."

"..."

Uncle Lin finally stood up, walking toward the house with a limp, apparently to fetch the money. Listening to their conversation, Nie Kong’s mind raced, speculating. Huang Shan’s "God Annihilation..." might be the black hole he emerged from, but he wondered what sort of place the "Fubo Stop..." was that made Uncle Lin so fearful?

After a short while, Uncle Lin returned with a money pouch, speaking earnestly, "Silang, in a couple of days, Fubo Mountain will be recruiting disciples again. With your aptitude, you will certainly pass the assessment. You aren't young anymore; you need to think about your future. What prospect is there in gathering herbs..."

"Uncle Lin, I'll think about it," Huang Shan hesitated.

"Don't think about it. I know you worry about your mother. Haven't I told you? Once you leave, we will all help look after her. The maximum age for recruiting disciples at Fubo Mountain is eighteen. If you wait until next year, you won't even be able to go..."

"But, the registration fee is three hundred Black Armors..."

"Don't worry about that. I'll take you to Shuiyun Town tomorrow, and I’ll help you borrow some..."

"I..."

"..."

A long time later, Huang Shan finally departed.

Nie Kong mused quietly. Based on the information revealed by Uncle Lin, there must be some sort of sect at "Fubo..." He wondered how the cultivation methods in this "Fallen Abyss..." differed from those on the Tianling Continent.

With this thought, Nie Kong silently slipped out of the door.

When entering Huang Village earlier, he had already noticed that the village had only two main roads. The southern path led to "God Annihilation...", while the northern road should lead to Shuiyun Town. In such a place, he would likely encounter cultivators from the "Fallen Abyss..."

Walking several li down the northern road, he no longer saw any human figures. Nie Kong then revealed his body, put his Heart Image into his glabella, and continued speeding forward.

The sky was beginning to darken when a town finally appeared nestled between the surrounding mountains. Nie Kong was delighted, quickly suppressing his spiritual energy aura before stepping into the town.

Approximately three hours later...

Night had long since fallen, the street lamps illuminating the thoroughfare brightly.

In the center of Shuiyun Town, a four-story inn rose up. Even though night had fallen, people were still coming and going, the place bustling with activity.

In a corner on the first floor, Nie Kong slowly savored the local food of the "Fallen Abyss..."

Nie Kong had been sitting there for over an hour; the surrounding patrons had already changed twice, yet he showed no sign of leaving—so much so that several inn waiters secretly wondered if this fellow planned to dine and dash.

Nie Kong, of course, had no habit of eating for free. In his possession right now were dozens of Black Armors, eleven Blue Armors, and two Red Armors. According to the local ratio, one Blue Armor was equivalent to ten Black Armors, and one Red Armor was equivalent to ten Blue Armors.

As darkness fell, Nie Kong had paid a "visit" to a notoriously wealthy merchant, and these coins were the spoils of that visit.

Subsequently, he arrived here.

Although Shuiyun Town wasn't small, it wasn't particularly large either. Logically, an inn this size, situated in a town deep in the mountains, shouldn't earn much profit. However, in reality, this inn was making a fortune year after year.

The main reason for this was that the town was a hub, connecting four major sects, with Fubo Mountain being one of them.

The presence of these four sects made Shuiyun Town exceptionally prosperous. After eavesdropping for over an hour in this inn, Nie Kong suddenly understood: the so-called Fubo Mountain was the darkened mountain range he had seen just before reaching Huang Village.

Knowing this, Nie Kong secretly congratulated himself; it was fortunate he had followed Huang Shan back to the village and hadn't rashly headed to Fubo Mountain. As a sect, Fubo Mountain must house experts, and being detected by them would undoubtedly lead to endless trouble.

This was because cultivators in the "Fallen Abyss..." were called Black Spirit Masters!

Nie Kong guessed that the humans here could only absorb death qi to cultivate, making them equivalent to the Dark Spirit Masters of the Tianling Continent.

"Big Brother, may I sit here..."

A handsome, clean-cut youth suddenly approached. Nie Kong glanced over and realized the inn’s first floor was already packed. He nodded slightly, only to find the fellow had already plopped down in the seat and called a waiter over to the table.

Nie Kong didn't pay much mind and continued to lean in, listening intently to the various sounds in the inn. It was indeed a melting pot where one could glean much useful information. However, Nie Kong felt a slight regret; up to this point, he hadn't even spotted a single Black Spirit Master from this world.

Soon, a dozen dishes were placed on the table.

The youth seemed famished, starting to devour the food like a whirlwind. After only a few minutes of noisy chewing, the youth’s belly had already bulged a bit, and all the bowls were empty.

At such speed, it was hard for Nie Kong not to notice.

Smiling sheepishly at Nie Kong, the youth leaned back comfortably in his chair, looking content. Nie Kong’s thoughts stirred; he suddenly recalled what Uncle Lin in Huang Village had said, and asked somewhat casually, "Brother, are you also heading to Fubo Mountain to seek apprenticeship?" The youth chuckled and lowered his voice, "Big Brother, I am seeking apprenticeship, yes, but not at Fubo Mountain..." He glanced at Nie Kong's face, then added, "Big Brother, are you here to seek apprenticeship too?" Nie Kong offered a noncommittal smile: "In two days, Fubo Mountain will be here in Shuiyun Town to recruit disciples. If not Fubo Mountain, then where else..."

The youth became secretive, "Ah, Big Brother, you don't know this. Let me tell you a secret: in two days, not only Fubo Mountain, but the other three sects within several hundred li of Anyuan will also be coming to Shuiyun Town to recruit disciples..."