A minute or two later, the little fellow chirped triumphantly, its huā bào held high. By then, that blood-red aura had coalesced inside the Lingshen Qiaoxue into a mass the size of a thumb.

Sensing the situation within the qiaoxue, Nie Kong frowned slightly. He had no awareness of when these things had merged with his own death energy, nor how they had entered his 【body】. However, since they had been discovered by a skill the little one had newly grasped, "Chōusī Lùjiǎn," they could be nothing good.

"Is it Chìliàn, or Pánhú?"

Rapidly recalling his experiences after entering the Underworld, Nie Kong's heart couldn't help but leap. His mind raced. The encounters before War God Mountain could be ruled out, meaning Nie Kong must have been contaminated by these things during his time after arriving at the War Clan.

From listening to the "Heart Drum War Sound" to proceeding to the "War Spirit Listening Altar," from entering the "Underworld Sea Fire Source" to being drawn into his spatial body by Pánhú... across this sequence of events, both Chìliàn and Pánhú were suspects.

Compared to seeing them both, Pánhú was the more likely culprit.

Although Chìliàn had once sent a summons to Nie Kong, he had been unable to move, and the spirituality of his red robe was rather stiff and mechanical. Pánhú, however, was entirely different. This man had recovered considerable strength; his divine abilities were vast, making it effortless for him to secretly plant something within Nie Kong's 【body】.

Most importantly, Nie Kong had already suspected Pánhú's motives were not pure beforehand. The appearance of those red auras now naturally deepened Nie Kong's doubts.

Qīngyuè drifted over to Nie Kong, looking somewhat puzzled. "Nie Kong, what's wrong?"

"Nie Kong, what's wrong?"

The same question sounded immediately, but this time it was Qīngyōu, swaying as she coiled on Nie Kong's shoulder. She parroted the phrase, blinking her large, watery eyes, then pulled at the corners of her eyes with both hands, grinning a cute grimace at Qīngyuè. Annoyed, Qīngyuè glared and promptly lunged onto Nie Kong’s shoulder as well. Soon, the two little ones were brawling on Nie Kong's right shoulder, trading blows.

"Nothing," Nie Kong chuckled dryly at the sight, though he inwardly asked, "Xiāngxiāng, what exactly are those things?"

"Ah-ya ya..."

Having reached the sixth rank, the little one's spirituality had greatly increased. Sensing Nie Kong's query, a thought was immediately transmitted to his mind.

"Source of Illness?"

Nie Kong was startled, but after receiving another transmission from Xiāngxiāng, he suddenly understood.

In the game "Yāomó" from his previous life, the "Curse" that inflicted various negative effects on players was called the "Source of Illness." Now, Nie Kong’s "Source of Illness" was those red auras in the qiaoxue. They were formed by the intrusion of spiritual power, and after being extracted, they could increase Nie Kong's spiritual power.

As Nie Kong understood it, the little one's so-called "spiritual power" was essentially soul, spiritual thought, and divine consciousness.

"To draw out with Chōusī Lùjiǎn—this skill is truly timely rain!"

Nie Kong suddenly felt fortunate. Fortunately, the data for the "Chōusī Lùjiǎn" skill had not been lost when the Apothecary role merged with the Amethyst Illusory Spirit Incense. Otherwise, he might not have noticed these things until their harm manifested, by which time it would have been too late to remedy.

"The Source of Illness was latent within the 【body】. Now that it's been extracted, I wonder if I've alerted the enemy? If they originate from that Grand Elder of the Scarlet Star Clan, there's no immediate worry. But if the perpetrator was Pánhú..."

"Hmm... he hasn't shown any reaction yet. It seems Chōusī Lùjiǎn didn't alarm him, or perhaps he is deliberately feigning ignorance..."

"If it's the former, that's easy to handle. If it's the latter..."

Nie Kong’s thoughts whirled. Suddenly, he willed the red aura concentrated in the Lingshen Qiaoxue to dissipate. In an instant, it reintegrated with the death energy.

After pondering for a long time, Nie Kong felt the possibility that he hadn't alarmed them was higher.

After all, Xiāngxiāng was a complete unknown variable. Pánhú wouldn't have detected its existence, and neither should Chìliàn. Even if they sensed the disturbance within his body just now, at most they would be slightly puzzled, not immediately convinced that the deeply hidden "Source of Illness" would be discovered so easily. If Nie Kong had truly absorbed and refined those sources, that would have been "alerting the enemy"!

However, now that the lurking danger was discovered, it was best to guard against it in advance.

"Huāyǐng Bīn... Míméng Diézhàng... Fúguāng Lüèyǐng... Yàowáng Huàshēn... Xūshí Huànzhēn... Chōusī Lùjiǎn..." The sixth-rank skills the little one had recently mastered flashed through his mind. A thought moved in Nie Kong’s heart, and he suddenly conceived of a much more effective method of escape.

"The method I worked out before was too dangerous. Using this current method would be much safer!" His eyes flashed, and Nie Kong immediately sat down by the edge of the water pool. Plop! Plop!

"..."

Within the vast chest space, the enormous heart still floated high in the air, its beat resounding like a great bell, steady and powerful.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, a light sound of surprise rang out.

Immediately afterward, wisps of crimson mist overflowed from the heart, coalescing into Pánhú's face.

Two gazes looked toward the pitch-black space ahead. Pánhú’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Something isn't quite right..."

"Could I have missed something? No, impossible... I have seen through everything about that little creature; he holds no secrets from me. Moreover, he has cultivated in my Línglóu for so long; there will be no further mishaps. Ha, ha, my Línglǒu isn't so easily absorbed..."

"..."

Pánhú smiled slightly, his expression as kind as ever. Moments later, his face gradually blurred, soon dissolving into red mist and merging back into the heart.

About a few hours later, Pánhú’s face reappeared. He grinned, looking forward. In that dark, inky neck space, a single point of golden light grew larger and larger. In just ten-odd seconds, Nie Kong, his body enveloped in brilliant golden light, arrived before the heart.

Pánhú scrutinized Nie Kong with a smiling gaze. "Nie Kong, it seems you are very satisfied with the results of your cultivation in my Língmĕng?"

"Thank you for your favor, Senior Pánhú," Nie Kong replied with a smile.

"No need for thanks. This is just a part of our transaction. Furthermore, your cultivation advancing is also greatly beneficial to me," Pánhú chuckled heartily. "All told, we've been delayed here for over two months. In about two more months, we can enter the Ghost Domain. Nie Kong, I have fulfilled my promise. Are you prepared now?" In the final words, Pánhú’s expression grew solemn.

"..."

Nie Kong took a deep breath, remaining silent, merely nodding gently.

"Good!"

Pánhú nodded with satisfaction, and his face immediately retracted.

Plop!

Almost simultaneously, the massive heart trembled violently, its beat abruptly increasing by a full double its previous rate, causing the entire space to roar and shake....