Hearing the questioning voices of the three high-tier Nether Alchemists, Zhan Feihong maintained a constant, gentle smile. Their reactions were entirely within his expectations.

Not having even finished half of a notebook, relying only on tasting ten types of Nether Pills and sampling over a hundred medicinal herbs to rapidly devise an entirely new Nether Pill formula; condensing the "Kindling" with ease in half a day, and successfully refining a sixty-percent Nether Pill on the very first attempt... Such miracles were unprecedented in history. Had he not witnessed it with his own eyes, no matter how eloquently others might boast, Zhan Feihong would never have believed such a monstrous genius could exist in the Nether Realm! Even now, recalling the events of that afternoon at the "Pill King Tower," Zhan Feihong still felt a sense of unreality. If he, the direct witness, felt this way, how much more so must Zhan Baige, Zhan Feixing, and Zhan Tianhe feel? Once their barrage of doubts subsided, Zhan Feihong chuckled calmly, "Gentlemen, this young fellow named Nie Kong is within the Zhan Clan. I witnessed everything that happened today from beginning to end; there cannot be any falsehood. I still possess that much certainty."

"..."

Zhan Baige and the other two exchanged glances, falling silent. No matter how incredible the matter sounded, as they voiced their doubts, they had already believed the words of Zhan Feihong by seven or eight parts. As fellow high-tier Nether Alchemists of the Zhan Clan, despite their differing seniority, their ages were not vastly separated. Having spent decades together, they understood Zhan Feihong’s abilities and temperament intimately, knowing he wouldn't joke about something like this, as the truth could be confirmed with a mere inquiry. After a long pause, Zhan Baige stroked his white beard and stated, "So, this young fellow... I absolutely must see him!"

"Indeed."

Zhan Feixing and Zhan Tianhe both nodded in agreement without restraint. If Zhan Feihong's words contained no exaggeration, then given Nie Kong’s astonishing aptitude in alchemy, it was highly probable he could become an Apex-tier Nether Alchemist in the future. In that moment, profound curiosity welled up uncontrollably within the three of them.

"However...", just then, Zhan Feihong frowned slightly, his tone becoming somewhat hesitant, "With our four skill levels, teaching ordinary apprentices is more than sufficient. Even exceptionally gifted apprentices would find us competent enough. But this young fellow, Nie Kong...", he paused briefly, then sighed softly, "I fear we are willing but unable to guide him further." There was an air of helplessness about his expression.

Zhan Baige, Zhan Feixing, and Zhan Tianhe exchanged stunned looks. Zhan Feihong was known for his fiery temper, strong competitive spirit, and immense confidence in his own alchemy skills. They never expected him to suddenly utter words so disheartening. Could that young fellow really cause such a shift in the usually arrogant Zhan Feihong? Thinking of this, Zhan Feixing exclaimed in surprise, "Feihong, this doesn't sound like you. Although the four of us old men have no hope of becoming Apex-tier Nether Alchemists in this lifetime, guiding this young fellow Nie Kong to that rank should still be manageable!"

Zhan Feihong countered with a wry smile, "Apex-tier Nether Alchemist is not the issue... what about the Pill King?"

"Pill King?" Hearing those two words, Zhan Feixing was utterly dumbfounded. Zhan Baige and Zhan Tianhe beside him were equally struck speechless. They had never imagined Zhan Feihong held such lofty expectations for that young fellow named Nie Kong—he actually intended to nurture him into a Pill King! The Pill King—that was the highest honor a Nether Alchemist could achieve. In two thousand years, only one Nether Alchemist from the "Tiantian Sect" had ever attained this title. That individual could ensure every single Apex-tier Nether Pill they refined reached above the fifty-percent success mark; such a success rate was absolutely astounding. For the title of Pill King, that person was truly deserving. Yet Nie Kong had been in contact with alchemy for less than a day, not even yet classified as a low-tier Nether Alchemist, and Zhan Feihong harbored such massive ambition for him! If this spread, both Zhan Feihong and Nie Kong would likely become the laughingstock of the entire Nether Realm.

After a considerable time, the three finally recovered their senses. The title of Pill King was simply too remote for the Zhan Clan. Although the Zhan Clan's level of alchemy was quite respectable, no Zhan Clan Nether Alchemist had ever dared to entertain such an aspiration. Zhan Baige chuckled, unable to help himself, "Feihong, this idea of yours is truly..."

Zhan Feihong roared with laughter, "If you all had witnessed the entire process—him creating the formula, condensing the Kindling, and refining the Nether Pills—you would certainly share this aspiration."

"If that is the case," Zhan Tianhe suddenly declared, his voice ringing clear like clashing metal, "Even if this old man were to forfeit his life, I would journey to the Nether Sea Fire Source to let the young fellow absorb the purest Nether Fire to temper his 'Kindling'."

"Well said! Even Tianhe is willing to make such an exception. For the sake of the Zhan Clan, what restraint would this old man, who is already nearing the grave, have?" Zhan Baige gently stroked his long beard.

"If Nie Kong truly possesses the potential to become a Pill King, taking this risk is well worth it!" Zhan Feixing led the agreement.

"Good!" Zhan Feihong slapped his hands together forcefully and laughed aloud. This outcome was precisely what he desired. If the goal was merely refining Apex-tier Nether Pills, an ordinary "Kindling" would suffice. But to reach the standard of a Pill King, one absolutely needed to temper it with the purest Nether Fire found at the core of the Nether Sea Fire Source. That was precisely what the Nether Alchemist of the Duntian Sect had done back then!

Zhan Xin Hall.

"Oh? There’s such a matter?" Watching Zhan Tianlun, whose face was flushed with excitement, Zhan Yunlan’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and undisguised excitement and joy appeared on his face. He had assumed the young fellow who had listened to the complete "Heart Drum Battle Sound" and obtained the "War God Star Seal" possessed extraordinary aptitude only in the path of cultivation. Who knew his talent in the Way of Alchemy was equally remarkable? This was truly an unexpected, massive surprise! "No wonder Baige, Feixing, and Tianhe rushed so urgently to the Pill King Tower just now. It turns out it was because of this," Zhan Yunlan murmured. "Given their personalities, if they knew the extent of Nie Kong's performance, they might make some rather reckless decisions..." Saying this, Zhan Yunlan suddenly rose to his feet, "Tianlun, you return first. I must go see the Ancestor! Perhaps... he already knows about this." "Yes!" Zhan Tianlun quickly bowed his head.

Black Spirit Valley.

Inside the pavilion deep in the center, Nie Kong was completely absorbed.

"Poison!" Suddenly, a thought moved in Nie Kong's heart. The Nine Great Nether Stars flickered violently, and immense waves seemed to surge within his body. The death aura within his skeleton stirred restlessly like a breaking dam, surging out, and then, following the changes in Nie Kong's thought, it traveled along extremely complex and bizarre pathways. At almost the same moment, Nie Kong perceived large amounts of death qi pouring out from beneath the black futon as if it were solid matter. In the blink of an eye, the entire pavilion was saturated with dense death qi, the surroundings turning pitch-black, completely obscuring the figure of Nie Kong sitting cross-legged. This sensation was profoundly peculiar, extremely similar to what he experienced atop Fubo Mountain. "This is equivalent to a miniature Nether Source!" Nie Kong's heart skipped a beat as he made the assessment instantly. The black futon was equivalent to the platform atop the "Dead Spirit Cave" on Fubo Mountain. If the futon were moved, he suspected a black hole would be revealed underneath, a black hole presumably connected to the depths of War God Mountain. He wondered if all the pavilions in the "Nether Spirit Valley" were like this, or only the one at the very center? The doubt flashed and vanished from his mind; in the next instant, Nie Kong's spirit settled anew, immersed in the imagery of the "War God Star Seal." As the "Nine Great Nether Stars" flashed rapidly, massive waves of death qi pierced through his pores, infiltrating his entire physical form, and were quickly absorbed into his bones. After a circuitous path, they all converged into the Nether Star within the Yaochi Acupoint. Following the sequence of those images, when cultivating the "War God Star Seal," one needed to cultivate them one by one, corresponding to the order in which the Nine Great Nether Stars were successfully condensed. Only when all nine Nether Stars turned completely golden would the "War God Star Seal" be considered perfected.

"Poison!" Within the Yaochi Acupoint, the Nether Star flickered fiercely. The death qi that had just gathered suddenly exploded outwards, returning to the limbs and bones. Soon, Nie Kong was pleasantly surprised to discover that after being tempered by the Nether Star, the death qi within his body had become significantly purer than before. Simultaneously, faint wisps of black energy continuously leaked out through his pores along with the circulation of the death qi—that was likely the impurities contained within the death qi.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "..." The speed at which the Nether Stars flashed increased incessantly. Unknowingly, the death qi within Nie Kong gradually became saturated. After an unknown period, Nie Kong finally let out a soft breath and opened his eyes, halting his cultivation. The death qi filling the pavilion swiftly retracted back into the futon. Up to this point in his cultivation, the other eight Nether Stars remained dim, but the first Nether Star condensed within the Yaochi Acupoint showed a surprising change: the originally dull Nether Star emitted a faint golden glow, and even that layer of golden light had spread inward slightly. "This place is truly suitable for cultivation. The density of the death qi far surpasses that of Fubo Mountain, and the speed of absorbing death qi has doubled after hearing the complete 'Heart Drum Battle Sound.' It seems I won't need much time to reach Fifth-Tier Black Spirit Master!" Feeling the changes within his body, Nie Kong willed it, and a small, golden-shining Nether Star appeared at his fingertip. Even though Nie Kong did nothing, a powerful, imposing aura radiated from the Nether Star, making one's spirit tremble involuntarily. "Worthy of being a Spirit God's Spiritual Art!" Nie Kong murmured his praise inwardly. With a flash of ethereal light, the Nether Star with the golden rim and black core on his fingertip melted back into his finger, returning to the Yaochi Acupoint. A Nether Star could never truly leave its original position; what Nie Kong had just used was a method of utilizing the "War God Star Seal"—the Star Seal Projection. Although it was merely a projection, it could completely replicate the power of the "War God Star Seal." The earth-shattering image in Nie Kong's mind was the manifestation of the "Star Seal Projection." As long as his own strength was sufficient, he could exert the power of the Star Seal to its fullest extent. Of course, since the Nether Star was not yet fully lit, even though it contained a powerful aura, it was currently just a decorative frame, devoid of any actual offensive power. After nearly fifteen minutes, Nie Kong finally calmed his mind, rose to his feet, and violently struck the sealed wall with his death-qi-charged right palm. The moment the wall cracked open, a layer of hazy grey light streamed in—it was already the early morning of the next day.