A few minutes later, the little one curled into a tight ball and fell into a deep slumber within the Spirit Aperture, while the 'Black Ling Fruit' and 'Cold Snow Divine Heart Grass' in the pet backpack had entirely lost their medicinal potency, and nearly half of the 'Yellow Dragon Spirit Dew' in the vial was gone. "I didn't expect the advancement to Sixth Order to begin right now." Following the surge of joy, a thread of worry inevitably surfaced in Nie Kong's heart.

Xiang Xiang's deep sleep meant Nie Kong had lost one reliance, though thankfully, there were still more than three months until the journey to the Ghost Domain, suggesting Xiang Xiang might awaken by then. A moment later, Nie Kong composed himself, left Fuling's side, and sat cross-legged opposite Pan Hu, smiling, "Senior Pan Hu, this 'Coiling Silk Silkworm Absorption Art' is truly marvelous; it effortlessly draws over all of this Fuling's fundamental power." "Are the spiritual techniques of my Pan Star Clan something ordinary?" Pan Hu opened his eyes, his smile as gentle and benevolent as ever, yet his voice carried a hint of arrogance.

He quickly offered a slight smile again, "Nie Kong, the fourth benefit I promised you is to contact Chi Lian and help you regain the Chi Star Clan's inheritance. However, the Nether Sea and Mount of War God are too far apart, and executing one secret art of my Pan Star Clan requires too great a toll.

We can only fulfill that promise once we return to Mount of War God." Nie Kong nodded instinctively at first, but then his heart stirred, and he smiled, "Senior Pan Hu, might I request a change to this fourth benefit?" His main body's cultivation had now reached Sixth Order, granting him the qualification to enter the War Clan's 'Nether Source.' If Chi Lian's initial summons were indeed meant to pass on the Chi Star Clan's spiritual techniques to Nie Kong, even without Pan Hu's assistance, Nie Kong would likely find an opportunity once he returned to Mount of War God. Having Pan Hu help contact the Chi Star Clan's Grand Elder would, at most, merely simplify the process.

It would be better to make a slight alteration to the fourth benefit Pan Hu promised rather than waste it. Pan Hu still needed Nie Kong's help to leave the Nether Sea and scheme against the Great Evolution Spirit Venerable.

As long as Nie Kong's request wasn't too excessive, Pan Hu likely wouldn't refuse. Pan Hu looked somewhat surprised: "Oh?

Let me hear it." Nie Kong smiled, "Senior, you know I hold a weak soul within my Heart Manifestation. I wonder if you have a method to fuse Fuling's soul with it?" Pan Hu narrowed his eyes at Nie Kong, as if trying to see through his thoughts.

After a moment, he said with a half-smile, "Little fellow, you guessed correctly. This is not difficult for me.

I only need to extract Fuling's soul, erase its memories, and then forcibly blend the two souls together. Are you certain you want to substitute this for the fourth benefit?" "Indeed, I trouble Senior," Nie Kong replied, a smile spreading across his face.

Then, with a mere thought, the 'Purple Luo Illusory Spirit Incense' Heart Manifestation shot out from his brow, releasing the frail wisp of soul belonging to the 'Ghostly Soul Eagle King.' Instantly, the Ghostly Soul Eagle King's voice, filled with gratitude, rang out: "Big Brother, thank you so much! I haven't been out for fresh air in so long; this feels great...

Ah, you red-haired fellow, how dare you try to grab this old man! Do you know who my Big Brother is?!" As soon as Pan Hu gripped it, the Ghostly Soul Eagle King struggled violently and shrieked.

Pan Hu snorted lightly, his right index finger poking directly at the remnant soul of the Ghostly Soul Eagle King. The Eagle King instantly let out a heart-rending scream, as if pierced by countless sharp blades.

Nie Kong was utterly speechless. This 'Ghostly Soul Eagle King' actually dared to call Pan Hu 'Red Hair'—truly audacious, the fearlessness of the ignorant.

What was even more exasperating was that this creature dared to use him to threaten Pan Hu, unaware that his own life was now entirely subject to Pan Hu's control. Hearing the cries of agony, Nie Kong felt a slight concern that Pan Hu might accidentally poke the soul to death.

However, just as he was about to speak, the Ghostly Soul Eagle King's screaming abruptly ceased. The remnant soul huddled timidly in Pan Hu's palm, not daring to breathe heavily.

"Hoo!" A flash of crimson light, and Pan Hu instantaneously appeared before Fuling, his hand resting upon its head. Now, having lost all its fundamental power, Fuling was barely clinging to life, its massive head pressed against the ground, merely blinking its eyes weakly upon sensing Pan Hu’s movement.

Suddenly, Fuling’s eyes snapped wide open, and its mouth opened as if to roar. But before any sound could escape its throat, its eyelids drooped, and its mouth closed.

A mass of dark red essence rushed out from its skull, adhering to Pan Hu's palm like iron filings drawn to a magnet; no matter how much it struggled, it could not break free from Pan Hu's right hand. "That is Fuling's soul!" Looking at the mass of dark red energy, Nie Kong felt a shift in perception.

A brilliant golden luminescence then bloomed from Pan Hu's right palm, enveloping Fuling's soul. Several seconds later, the golden light receded, and Fuling's soul reappeared, now utterly quiescent.

Pan Hu slightly shook his right palm, and the mass of dark red essence drifted upward, suspended several meters in the air. "Go!" With a light shout, Pan Hu flicked his left index finger.

The remnant soul of the Ghostly Soul Eagle King shot out like a black arrow released from a bowstring, plunging directly into the dark red mass of energy, instantly vanishing without a trace, having clearly entered the memory-wiped soul of Fuling. Pan Hu turned back to face Nie Kong and smiled, "Little fellow, we share a destiny.

I shall grant your request completely. If my memory serves me correctly, the 'War God Star Seal' you cultivate contains a technique called 'Heart Seal'… Hmm, the fusion of these two souls will take at least five days.

During this time, hurry and refine one 'Heart Seal.' At the very moment these two souls are about to complete their fusion, strike it with the 'Heart Seal,' and no matter how powerful the soul, it will be forever under your control." Nie Kong quickly reviewed the information regarding the 'War God Star Seal' in his mind, then sighed with a wry smile, "The 'Heart Seal' is indeed there, but with my current strength, successfully refining one within five days is virtually impossible." According to the 'War God Star Seal,' the refinement of a 'Heart Seal' requires the mobilization of Divine Power, not Death Qi. Although Nie Kong had cultivated one Nether Star, he was not a Spirit God, and the Divine Power within him was pitifully scarce.

Attempting to refine a 'Heart Seal' with such meager Divine Power was akin to a fantasy. "Isn't the old man still here?" Pan Hu chuckled, stroking his fiery red long beard.

He beckoned towards the massive heart with his right hand. A crystalline, smooth, egg-sized golden bead shot out and flew towards Nie Kong.

"This bit of Divine Power shall be my gift to you." "Then I shall not be impolite!" Nie Kong’s eyes lit up. He quickly caught the golden bead and immediately activated the 'War God Star Seal.' As the Nether Star flickered, the golden bead began to shrink in circles, transforming into wisps of golden energy that merged into the Nether Star within Nie Kong's Yaochi Acupoint.

Dazzling golden light diffused outward, bathing his body in a faint gold hue. Nie Kong distinctly felt the power contained within the Nether Star rapidly expanding...

... Five days later.

Qing Yue was still in deep sleep, but the blood-red color on her surface had almost entirely vanished. The massive body of the 'Prison Fire Nether Spring' had also shrunk considerably, and its heartbeat had grown stronger.

The soul of Fuling suspended in the void now only showed a thin layer of dark red essence, within which the soul of the Ghostly Soul Eagle King was vaguely visible; the fusion would complete soon. "Hah..." Nie Kong, who had been sitting motionless, suddenly opened his eyes and let out a soft breath.

A moment later, with a thought from Nie Kong, a ball of golden light, about the size of an infant's fist, flickered out from his body, resembling a small heart, imprinted with Nie Kong's spiritual mark. This was the result of Nie Kong's five days of effort— The process of refining the 'Heart Seal' was not complicated, but it was extremely draining of mental fortitude.

During these five days, Nie Kong’s spirit dared not relax even slightly, but fortunately, before the Divine Power was entirely exhausted, this Heart Seal was finally successfully refined. The Nether Star in Nie Kong's Yaochi Acupoint had returned to its original state; that Divine Power was external energy after all, not something Nie Kong cultivated, so it vanished once used.

He looked up at the merging souls of the Ghostly Soul Eagle King and Fuling, then rose slowly, dragging the Heart Seal with him, a faint smile in his eyes. Nie Kong knew that Pan Hu had perceived that he was not entirely at ease with him.

However, Nie Kong also knew clearly that even if Pan Hu saw this, he wouldn't take it to heart. Even after fusing with Fuling's soul, the 'Ghostly Soul Eagle King' would only be at the peak of Ninth Order—such a soul could never pose any threat to Pan Hu.

But Pan Hu didn't know that Nie Kong still kept the physical body of the 'Ghostly Soul Eagle King' in his pet backpack, and Nie Kong had never intended to use the Eagle King to contend with Pan Hu. With the 'Qingyue Phantom Heart Orchid' condensed and recovered to its strength, the highly spiritual 'Prison Fire Nether Spring,' plus the controllable 'Ghostly Soul Eagle King,' even if Pan Hu coveted his current body, Nie Kong had a means of escape.

This method was what Nie Kong had devised before asking Pan Hu to help fuse the souls of Fuling and the 'Ghostly Soul Eagle King.' In a flash of thought, Nie Kong’s focus was entirely fixed upon the mass of souls before him. At this moment, the dark red Fuling soul was growing fainter, and the soul of the 'Ghostly Soul Eagle King' was becoming clearer.

After about two or three minutes... "Now!" Nie Kong’s eyes hardened, and his right palm shot out like lightning.

"Boom!" At the instant the two souls completed their fusion, the golden Heart Seal plunged into the soul of the 'Ghostly Soul Eagle King' and then burst forth. A miniature figure, whose appearance was identical to Nie Kong's, shot like a sharp steel nail deep into its soul.

Immediately, Nie Kong felt a strange connection established between himself and the 'Ghostly Soul Eagle King.' "Hmph, strange! Strange!

My soul power hasn't just recovered; it's even stronger than before, hahahaha..." Upon regaining consciousness, the Ghostly Soul Eagle King seemed momentarily stunned before erupting into wild laughter. "Nie Kong, you bastard!

If I hadn't been so weak back then, how could I have been humiliated by a mere Spirit Transformation Master like you? Now that my soul is restored, if I don't get revenge, am I still the 'Ghostly Soul Eagle King'?!

Heh heh, don't worry about dying right away; I'll let you savor it thoroughly!" "Oh, and that red one who poked me just now... OWWWWWW..." Before he could finish, a string of agonizing screams echoed through the space.

"What was that... Ouch, Big Brother, Big Brother, I...

I dare not again, I will never dare again! Spare me, Big Brother, wuwuwu..." "..."