Raising his eyes to the sculpture, Zhan Xinzi let out a soft hum. "It was indeed hidden quite discreetly; it took the old man nearly three months to finally locate you!" As he spoke, Zhan Xinzi took a stride forward, his figure flashing as he passed through the crimson circular barrier.

"Hmm?" The moment he entered the high platform, Zhan Xinzi’s voice suddenly held a note of surprise. "This is... the aura of the Ghost Domain?" His body moved like a streak of white light, and Zhan Xinzi instantly traversed three hundred meters of space, arriving above the square altar. A massive black hole loomed directly into his sight, and the sculpture floated silently within the void of the hole. Yet, the dark space beneath the sculpture's feet was violently churning, with ceaseless booming sounds, as if countless roars were vibrating and swirling within.

"Hiss!" A sharp cry suddenly echoed out.

Immediately following, a thick, long red shadow rushed out of the black hole—it was a serpentine nether-beast with three heads. After exiting the hole, the nether-beast seemed not to notice Zhan Xinzi. Its body writhed violently, and in an instant, it pierced through the circular barrier and melted into the Nether Sea.

"It is indeed a nether-beast emerging from the Ghost Domain!" Zhan Xinzi mused for a moment, having seemingly grasped the situation. He looked up at the sculpture and spoke in a cold voice, "You have quite the scheme, linking the Ghost Domain and the Nether Sea. You must be plotting against him! But this old man has been searching here for days, and you still haven't shown yourself. It seems my gamble paid off; your true form must indeed be slumbering. By the time you awaken, this old man will already be a Spirit Venerable, and I shall have no fear of you!"

"Roar!"

As his voice faded, another nether-beast roared and charged out of the black hole. Zhan Xinzi advanced, using a single finger to detonate the beast's body before leaping into the black hole. His figure shrank rapidly, turning into a single point of white light that was swiftly swallowed by the profound darkness within the aperture...

"Two months and twenty-five days!"

On the Heart of Flame, Zhan Feihong crushed another 'Void Valley Pill' and let out a weak groan. None of the five people, including Zhan Baisong, reacted to his sickly moaning. Growing increasingly bored, Zhan Feihong stood up and began pacing around Nie Kong.

Having cultivated to this point, Nie Kong's figure was completely obscured. The crimson energy enveloping him was so dense it seemed nearly corporeal, appearing like a giant red cocoon standing erect on the 'Heart of Flame.'

However, the scorching heat contained within this giant cocoon made even Zhan Feihong, an Eighth-Rank master, feel deeply uneasy. If not for the 'Heart of Flame,' and if the cocoon were to explode, none of the six Eighth or Ninth-Rank Black Spirit Masters present, apart from Nie Kong, could possibly withstand it.

Just as Zhan Feihong was lost in thought, the pillar of flame connecting the flame and the cocoon suddenly dissipated, and a crack immediately split the cocoon open—Nie Kong stepped out from within.

The little fellow has stopped cultivating?

Zhan Feihong’s eyes immediately lit up; immense joy surged in his chest. He didn't want to spend another minute in this cursed place, and now he could finally be freed!

"Third Uncle."

Zhan Feihong was just about to wake Zhan Baisong and the others when Nie Kong quickly approached him, beaming with smiles. Zhan Feihong readily agreed. However, the next sentence Nie Kong spoke stunned him: "Third Uncle, do you have any spare Nether Pills on you?" Zhan Feihong’s eyeballs nearly popped out: "You still need more?" "Yes, the more the better, anything except 'Void Valley Pills.'" Nie Kong's expression was quite urgent.

"Didn't we give you dozens of Mid-Rank Nether Pills before?"

"I ate them all."

"You, you... what about those few High-Rank Nether Pills?"

"Ate those too!"

"Ate them too?" Zhan Feihong stared at Nie Kong in disbelief. This fellow was only a Fifth-Rank Black Spirit Master, yet he could consume High-Rank Nether Pills. When he and Zhan Baige had first given him these pills, they only intended for him to study them; they never expected him to actually consume them.

Was this little guy afraid that if he couldn't handle the medicinal power, his bones would shatter and he would die?

But judging by the outcome, that question was no longer an issue; otherwise, how could Nie Kong be standing before him alive? Zhan Feihong’s lips moved a few times; he intended to lecture the boy but swallowed the words that reached his throat, turning them into a soft sigh.

"Third Uncle, do you have any more Nether Pills?" Seeing Zhan Feihong remain silent, Nie Kong couldn't help but ask again. His cultivation had reached the most critical juncture, but the vital medicinal essence for his innate life force had been largely depleted, requiring replenishment before he could continue. However, all the Nether Pills acquired earlier had been consumed by the little fellow over the past few days. With no other choice, Nie Kong had to temporarily halt his cultivation and reach out to Zhan Feihong again.

"No!" Zhan Feihong snapped back to attention, rolling his eyes, and shook his head without hesitation.

Nie Kong didn't believe him and smiled. "If you don't have Mid-Rank ones, High-Rank ones will do. When you gave me the pills last time, I seemed to see one remaining in your bottle."

"You..."

Zhan Feihong felt a bit dizzy. He hadn't expected that even though he had acted so discreetly, Nie Kong had noticed. That was a High-Rank Nether Pill, fifty percent potent, which he had cherished for many years, always reluctant to consume it, only taking it out to admire from time to time.

"Third Uncle, my cultivation is at the final stage; can you really bear to watch me fail at the last hurdle?" Nie Kong pleaded with a sincere expression.

"Enough, enough!"

Although Zhan Feihong didn't know how Nie Kong managed it, he knew the boy's demand for Nether Pills must be for his cultivation. Seeing Nie Kong’s expression now, his heart softened involuntarily, and he snatched the medicine bottle from his (huái - embrace/bosom) and tossed it toward Nie Kong. The moment the bottle left his hand, the old man’s heart twitched several times.

Receiving the bottle, Nie Kong impatiently uncorked the stopper and saw that it indeed contained the High-Rank Nether Pill he had spotted. He was instantly overjoyed. "Thank you, Third Uncle."

"Fell for it!"

Zhan Feihong suddenly realized Nie Kong had been pretending to be pitiful, but the medicine was already sent; it was too late to take it back. He could only curse Nie Kong in his heart between gritted teeth.

However, the next sentence Nie Kong spoke made him explode in fury: "Third Uncle, is that really the only one?"

"You little brat, I have four more here! Do you want a Void Valley Pill?" Zhan Feihong glared at Nie Kong, his eyes red, like a raging lion. Nie Kong offered a sheepish smile; one High-Rank Nether Pill was truly insufficient. He had no choice but to brazenly continue asking for more.

Just then, a voice came from the side—it was Zhan Baige, smiling broadly. "Little fellow, come here... This old man has two more; I'll give them all to you." Zhan Feixing's eyes also showed a benevolent smile: "Nie Kong, I have one left too; take it."

"The last three, they’re yours, little fellow," Zhan Tianhe boomed with laughter, a crimson jade bottle already appearing in his hand.

"Thank you, thank you."

Nie Kong was greatly grateful, collecting the Nether Pills from Zhan Baige, Zhan Feixing, and Zhan Tianhe, bringing his total to seven High-Rank Nether Pills. If these pills were sold, the amount of Jia currency they could fetch would be astronomical, yet Nie Kong shoved them into his mouth without hesitation.

Seeing Nie Kong eat them like this, not only Zhan Feihong, but also Zhan Baige and Zhan Feixing, exchanged glances, feeling a sharp pang of loss.

After consuming the Nether Pills, Nie Kong lingered no longer. He gave the few of them a slight bow before darting back into that area of crimson, scorching energy. In almost the blink of an eye, the gradually dispersing heat immediately condensed back into a solid red giant cocoon, enveloping Nie Kong once more.

"This little fellow's cultivation speed is truly astonishing. He is already at the peak of the Fifth Rank, only half a step away from the Sixth Rank. He could break through at any moment," Zhan Baisong said, his tone filled with admiration. He then looked at Zhan Feihong and smiled. "Feihong, stop complaining all day. If this old man is not mistaken, Nie Kong will become a Sixth-Rank Black Spirit Master in two days at the most."

Zhan Baige and the others nodded in agreement. The reason they had readily given away the High-Rank Nether Pills was to help Nie Kong break through. However, beneath their anticipation, the doubts in their hearts only deepened: a Fifth-Rank Nether Alchemist being able to advance his cultivation using High-Rank Nether Pills—this strange phenomenon was unheard of.

"He's that fast?"

Zhan Feihong blinked, and after recalling Nie Kong's energy fluctuations from a moment ago, he realized Zhan Baisong was correct, and a wide smile spread across his face. The heartache over losing a precious Nether Pill diminished significantly. Yet, moments later, the old man's head drooped again. Two more days to wait—how was he supposed to endure that?

"Whoosh!"

With a fierce sound of tearing through the air, a pillar of flame erupted once more from the apex of that giant flame ahead, shrouding the red cocoon outside Nie Kong’s body. Compared to before, this newly appeared pillar of flame seemed slightly thicker. Zhan Baisong and the others exchanged glances, and a thought flashed simultaneously through their minds: Nie Kong’s cultivation speed had increased again!

Time flowed quickly. The fiery red sky finally showed a trace of darkness, signaling that night had descended upon the 'Nether Sea Fire Source.' But that trace of darkness lasted only two or three hours before the vast celestial curtain was once again filled with dazzling fire-red light.

A new day had arrived.

"Two months and twenty-six days!"

Zhan Feihong collapsed onto the 'Heart of Flame' like a heap of mud, muttering weakly, his eyes darting toward the red cocoon not far away every few moments. Suddenly, Zhan Feihong sprang up as if he had been electrocuted, his eyes instantly widening to their limits. At the exact same moment, Zhan Baisong, Zhan Baifeng, and the other five also opened their eyes and looked toward the red cocoon.

For many days, although the red cocoon had been constantly expanding and condensing, it had maintained a general tranquility. But now, the cocoon seemed to have been violently stimulated, flipping and surging wildly like a sea whipped by a gale.

Pulled by the red cocoon, the arc-shaped crimson pillar of flame also twisted incessantly, as if drunk. Even the flame, which had maintained a bowed posture for over two months, refused to remain calm, suddenly straightening, then bending, swaying violently.

Vaguely, an even stronger light seemed to penetrate from the fire source, making the space saturated with crimson glow even more magnificent and dazzling.