Just as Gong Teng and the others found themselves in a bind, a cloud of black mist suddenly drifted up from the foot of the mountain, rocketing toward the Lingzun Hall like lightning. Simultaneously, a low, yet profoundly penetrating laughter echoed in everyone's ears: "Fubo Mountain is quite lively today. Old man has arrived at just the right time..."

Following the sound, the crowd focused their gaze and saw that the approaching black cloud was actually a middle-aged man in a black robe, his face gaunt and skeletal.

"Elder Hong Shou from the Upper Sect?"

Seeing the sudden appearance of the black-robed elder, Mi Luo, Feng Hu, and Yan Luo were momentarily stunned. Zhuo Yue’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. In contrast, Gong Teng, Ao Lang, and Fu Cheng on the opposite side secretly breathed a sigh of relief, smiles gracing their faces.

"Greetings to the Elder of the Upper Sect."

In the next instant, Zhuo Yue, Gong Teng, and the others bowed almost simultaneously in welcome.

"No need for formalities."

Hong Shou waved his hand, the skin on his face twitching slightly, as if smiling. "Since you all have gathered on Fubo Mountain, you must be discussing some major matter. Would you mind sharing it with this old man so I can broaden my horizons? If the four Sect Masters have something difficult to decide, perhaps I can offer some advice."

As he spoke, Hong Shou’s eyes swept past Zhuo Yue, Mi Luo, and the other people of Fubo Mountain, landing instead on Nie Kong standing at the very back. His gaze flickered, and his dry lips slowly stretched apart, revealing two rows of ghastly white teeth, lending him an air of grim eeriness.

Sensing Hong Shou’s lingering gaze, Nie Kong offered him a slight smile.

"It seems I acted a bit too soon today!"

Nie Kong's expression remained unchanged, but a wry, helpless feeling bubbled up inside him. His original intention for acting was simply to prevent the Heart-Devouring Sect, the Wind-Hunting Valley, and the Soul-Snatching Sect from claiming the 'Dead Soul Cave,' leaving him without a place to cultivate. But just as he defeated Fu Yuan, Qing Yue sensed someone approaching the base of Fubo Mountain.

One was Hong Shou, and the other was Zhuo Yue...

Hong Shou was the same Black God Sect Elder Nie Kong had encountered on the road from Shuiyun Town to Fubo Mountain—the one who had investigated Nie Kong's true age. Nie Kong had long understood that once he chose to act, it wouldn't take long for outsiders to notice. However, for Hong Shou to discover his "astonishing" cultivation speed this quickly was far beyond Nie Kong's expectations.

If Nie Kong had known that Zhuo Yue had broken through to the Sixth Tier and could return to Fubo Mountain in time, he never would have waded into this muddy water. That way, he wouldn't have exposed himself to the scrutiny of the Black God Sect Elder, Hong Shou, so soon.

But since the deed was done, regret was useless. What Nie Kong needed to do now was figure out how to handle the aftermath. As these thoughts crossed his mind, Nie Kong’s gaze inadvertently flickered down the mountain twice, as if some secret, unknown mystery were hidden in that space.

At this point, even though Mi Luo knew Hong Shou was asking the obvious, he still provided a general outline of the situation.

"Truly absurd!"

As expected, the moment Mi Luo finished speaking, Hong Shou’s expression shifted, and he reprimanded them, "The mineral vein concerns the rise and fall of a Sect; how can it be so casually staked as a wager? Furthermore, the Heart-Devouring Sect, Wind-Hunting Valley, Soul-Snatching Sect, and Fubo Mountain are all subordinate sects under our Black God Sect. We ought to be united and coexist peacefully. How could you let your disciples end up dead and injured in a mere sparring session, severely damaging harmony? In my view, today's sparring ends here!"

Nie Kong listened and chuckled inwardly.

While Hong Shou's words appeared impartial and exceedingly fair, he was actually playing favorites. He had arrived at the base of Fubo Mountain before Li Ji and Nie Kong's spar even began, and he hadn't shown himself to stop it. Yet, the moment he saw that Zhuo Yue had also broken through to the Sixth Tier and the Heart-Devouring Sect, Wind-Hunting Valley, and Soul-Snatching Sect were about to lose the mineral vein, he suddenly appeared to declare the sparring over. His intention was self-evident.

Gong Teng, Ao Lang, and Fu Cheng were secretly delighted. Before Hong Shou's voice completely faded, Gong Teng immediately took the easy way out, feigning repentance: "Elder Hong is right to instruct us. Indeed, we were too reckless today."

Hong Shou nodded with satisfaction. Seeing that Zhuo Yue remained silent, his expression instantly darkened: "Sect Master Zhuo, do you have any differing opinions?"

Looking at the smirking Gong Teng, Ao Lang, and Fu Cheng, Zhuo Yue felt unwilling to concede. If he hadn't returned in time today, the consequences would have been unimaginable; Fubo Mountain itself might not even exist. This made him deeply resentful of Gong Teng, Ao Lang, and Fu Cheng.

However, what Zhuo Yue resented even more was Elder Hong Shou of the Black God Sect.

Hong Shou had arrived at Fubo Mountain even earlier than Zhuo Yue, yet he had stood by while the Heart-Devouring Sect, Wind-Hunting Valley, and Soul-Snatching Sect ganged up to oppress Fubo Mountain. If Zhuo Yue hadn't known that Hong Shou had already become a Sixth Tier Black Spirit Master, even if Zhuo Yue had revealed himself earlier, Hong Shou would likely have stayed on the sidelines watching the show.

And yet, this very same old man was now standing before him, preaching about the four sects being "united and coexisting peacefully." What a massive joke! Zhuo Yue wanted to embarrass Hong Shou, but doing so might leave a bad impression on that person.

If that happened, the loss would outweigh the gain!

"No!"

After a moment of careful consideration, Zhuo Yue finally ground out the words, his eyes glaring fiercely at the gloating Gong Teng, Ao Lang, and Fu Cheng beside him.

However, even this brief hesitation made Hong Shou deeply displeased. He let out a cold snort: "It's good that you have no objections. I thought that now that Sect Master Zhuo has broken through to the Sixth Tier, his wings have hardened, and he no longer listens to the opinions of an Elder of the Upper Sect like myself."

Zhuo Yue took a shallow breath: "Elder Hong, you jest. Even if Zhuo Yue has broken through to the Sixth Tier, compared to the Upper Sect, I am still insignificant."

Hong Shou stated: "Sect Master Zhuo, you have not let the boost in strength cloud your mind, which is very good. Sparring among disciples to increase their combat experience is certainly a positive thing, and this old man will not object. But what happened today, where it turned into mutual harm, is not good. I hope the four Sect Masters will take this as a warning in the future."

"Yes."

The four responded in unison.

Gong Teng, Ao Lang, and Fu Cheng sighed inwardly. Hong Shou's covert assistance today was only because he didn't want to see the Heart-Devouring Sect, Wind-Hunting Valley, and Soul-Snatching Sect lose the mineral vein and suffer a significant decline in strength. If they wanted to team up against Fubo Mountain in the future, Hong Shou would likely adopt a different attitude. In the end, it was because Fubo Mountain had produced a Sixth Tier Black Spirit Master that it regained its utility value.

To the Upper Sect, the "Black God Sect," the four lower-tier sects like the Heart-Devouring Sect were merely tools for use. When they held value, they might be tossed a bone; when they lost value, they could be kicked away without a second thought. They would never be treated as equals by the Upper Sect.

Zhuo Yue, however, sneered inwardly. The future? Who knew what the future would hold!

While the four harbored different thoughts, Hong Shou's eyes suddenly shifted back to Nie Kong, and he smiled benignly: "If this old man remembers correctly, when Elder Yan brought the new disciples back to Fubo Mountain a month ago, this young friend and I should have met..."

"What's going on?"

Gong Teng, Ao Lang, and Fu Cheng exchanged glances. Hong Shou actually knew Nie Kong, and he referred to him as 'young friend,' with a hint of warmth in his voice.

Mi Luo, Feng Hu, and Yan Luo, seeing this, inwardly cried, This is bad. Hong Shou had indeed taken notice of Nie Kong. In their minds, their gazes instinctively darted toward Zhuo Yue. Seeing that his expression remained unchanged, Mi Luo and the others felt a slight shift in their hearts, forcing down the anxiety rising within them.

"Remarkable!"

Hong Shou exclaimed with profound emotion, slowly pacing toward Nie Kong. "A month ago, this young friend was merely an ordinary person, and his age was well over twenty... I never imagined that in just this short span of one month, this young friend would successfully condense the Nine Nether Stars and reach the peak of the Third Tier. Such speed is rare even in the ten thousand years of Netherworld history; if one considers his age, there is no precedent."

"One month..."

Gong Teng, Ao Lang, and Fu Cheng, as Sect Masters, possessed a far stronger will than the ordinary Black Spirit Masters around them, but upon hearing Hong Shou’s words, they were utterly dumbfounded. The disciples behind them were even more petrified, their eyeballs nearly popping out of their sockets.

That Fubo Mountain disciple named Nie Kong actually managed to successfully condense Nether Stars and reach the peak of the Third Tier in just one month? The most unbelievable part was that Nie Kong’s age greatly exceeded the eighteen-year limit.

By all logic, such a person, even if they worked diligently, might succeed in condensing one or two Nether Stars. But to condense the "Nine Nether Stars" and become a true Black Spirit Master was as difficult as ascending to heaven—let alone breaking through consecutively to the Third Tier in such a short time!

Yet, the impossible had happened to Nie Kong! If the person revealing this news hadn't been Elder Hong Shou of the Black God Sect, and if they hadn't just witnessed the power Nie Kong displayed moments ago, Gong Teng and the others would never have believed it.

After a considerable pause, the shock in their hearts finally subsided.

Gong Teng suddenly began to understand. Even if Zhuo Yue hadn't stepped in to help earlier, Nie Kong likely wouldn't have died. And the reason Hong Shou ordered the three sects to stop oppressing Fubo Mountain going forward was likely not just because Zhuo Yue was a Sixth Tier Black Spirit Master, but even more so because of this Nie Kong.

Thinking of this, Gong Teng’s face darkened.

Nie Kong's cultivation was clearly not restricted by age. With his aptitude—breaking through to the peak of the Third Tier in one month—his future potential was limitless. Once he joined the Black God Sect, he would surely look out for Fubo Mountain. At that point, where would the Heart-Devouring Sect, Wind-Hunting Valley, and Soul-Snatching Sect have any foothold?

Ao Lang and Fu Cheng instantly grasped the implications too, worry clouding their eyes.

"Elder Hong flatters me too much," Nie Kong said, instantly understanding Hong Shou's intention, and couldn't help but smile faintly. "The speed of my cultivation to its current state is due to a stroke of luck, coupled with the fact that after condensing the 'Nine Nether Stars,' I received the approval of my Master and three Martial Uncles to enter the 'Dead Soul Cave' to cultivate. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to become a Third Tier Black Spirit Master in one month."

"This also shows that Sect Master Zhuo and the others have a keen eye for talent,"

Hong Shou glanced at Zhuo Yue, his expression improving slightly, then proceeded to recruit Nie Kong as if no one else were present. "Young friend, I wonder if you have any interest in joining my Black God Sect? Within the Black God Sect, there are cultivation areas far superior to the 'Dead Soul Cave.' With your aptitude, your cultivation speed in the Black God Sect would undoubtedly far surpass what you have here."