"..."

The sound of a heartbeat followed one after the other, ceaselessly.

Soon, a heart the size of a fist detached itself from that colossal organ. Nie Kong realized that the frequency of the large and small hearts beating was precisely identical, their rhythmic pulses constantly overlapping, which was what caused such a massive disturbance in the spatial area beside his body.

Great swathes of crimson energy spilled out, merging into the smaller heart. The huge heart continued to beat, yet it faded visibly before his eyes at a rate that could be tracked.

Roughly two minutes later, the separated smaller heart resembled a blazing red sun suspended in the air, scattering billions of rays of red light, dazzling and brilliant, illuminating the surrounding space brightly. The previously radiant, enormous heart was reduced to a faint, faint red glimmer, seeming as if it might extinguish at any moment, though its beat remained steady.

"Rise!"

Pan Hu's sharp command suddenly rang out.

The massive heart, as if compelled by an external force, rapidly ascended, vanishing from Nie Kong's sight in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, the smaller heart shot toward Nie Kong. Nie Kong felt a flash of crimson light before his eyes, and the heart plunged into his right chest.

"Ah, it really went in!"

Qing Yue floated before Nie Kong, her small mouth involuntarily agape, her face filled with astonishment.

Qing You's soft, yielding body draped across Nie Kong's shoulder like a saddlebag. Her bright, watery eyes widened into perfect circles, and her small hand gently poked Nie Kong’s right chest.

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

"..."

Nie Kong subconsciously raised his left hand to his right chest. He could clearly feel the vibration within his ribcage beneath his palm. Before long, it synchronized with the beat of his own heart, though its volume rapidly diminished. In less than ten seconds, the space surrounding him fell into absolute silence.

Even Nie Kong could no longer sense the slightest stir from Pan Hu's heart, as if it had never entered his body at all.

"Senior Pan Hu?" Nie Kong’s brow twitched slightly.

"Go!"

Pan Hu's voice emanated from his right chest—a buzzing resonance. Immediately following, a mass of red light spread out from Nie Kong’s right chest like a vine, enveloping his external body. In an instant, Nie Kong felt as if the weight of his body had completely vanished; he lifted into the air as lightly as a wisp of catkin.

"Whoosh!"

Nie Kong streaked upward like a bolt of blood-red lightning. Suddenly, a narrow, elongated rift appeared in the void above, spilling down a torrent of scarlet light. Nie Kong’s momentum did not pause; he plunged directly into it. Instantly, Nie Kong felt as if his entire being was immersed in an intense crimson space, much like when he was absorbed by the Fire Source previously.

The last time, Nie Kong had felt no searing heat. This time, however, a fierce atmosphere surged toward him. Yet, it caused him no harm; the surrounding warmth seemed to transform into a part of Nie Kong's own body. Being immersed in it gave him a feeling of being utterly merged, like water mingling with water.

Nie Kong understood—this was due to Pan Hu's heart.

With a mere thought, Nie Kong continued to ascend. Moments later, the scenery before him abruptly changed. The familiar vista snapped into view: the viscous, fiery-red sea surface, the colossal heart suspended above it, and the blazing flames flickering before that heart...

More than two months later, Nie Kong finally returned to the place where he had cultivated. His body descended onto the significantly dimmed 'Heart of Flame.' The events of the past period flashed rapidly through Nie Kong's mind, still feeling dreamlike. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, who would have believed that this 'Heart of Flame' was actually a person's heart, and that person was a powerful Star God who perished in the 'Grand Sovereign Spirit Realm' ten thousand years ago? Even more incredible was that the major part of this individual's heart now resided within his own body.

"After dwelling here for ten millennia, leaving now feels a touch regretful," Pan Hu sighed briefly as the crimson aura retreated like a tide back into his right chest. Then, he suddenly chuckled, "However, once that woman is dealt with, I can return here and continue my peaceful cultivation."

"Senior Pan Hu, you must be absolutely certain about this endeavor?" Nie Kong took a deep breath.

"Nie Kong, you overestimate this old man. That woman possesses the cultivation of a Spirit God Apex. Even though she is weakened, success will not be easy," Pan Hu chuckled, "But don't worry, with me here, I will absolutely ensure your safety. Furthermore, I don't have ten parts of certainty, but I have seven parts of hope. Seven parts of hope are enough for me to risk everything."

"..."

As they spoke, Nie Kong had already leaped onto the sea surface and sped away...

...

"..."

"No movement for so long; this Nether Sea truly seems to have settled down!"

"Hard to say. The Nether Sea has seen frequent anomalies these past few months. Who knows what’s truly happening? If only some powerful figure would venture in to investigate!"

"Isn't Zhan Xinzi of the War Clan powerful enough? Yet, he hasn't reappeared since entering the Nether Sea. Until his situation is confirmed, I fear no one will dare enter the Nether Sea again..."

"..."

At the edge of the Nether Sea, the Black Spirit Masters stationed there watched the calm surface of the water, muttering amongst themselves, their discussion lingering. For the past two months, the Nether Sea had raged like a wounded Nether Beast, its violent fluctuations unnerving these Black Spirit Masters.

Although the Nether Sea had returned to its usual tranquility now, no one could be certain it wasn't brewing another change, so everyone remained vigilant.

Compared to the other Black Spirit Masters, Zhan Tianlun was far quieter. He sat alone about thirty meters from the shore, his eyes closed, the Nether Star on his brow occasionally flashing. Wisps of inky black energy could be seen separating from the surrounding void and drilling into his body.

With the coastline as the boundary, there was a vast difference in the density of death energy between the Nether Sea and the shore. For a Seventh-Rank Black Spirit Master like Zhan Tianlun, cultivating here was essentially a waste of time; the speed of his cultivation improvement was even slower than at a minor sect like Fubo Mountain.

"Eh, everyone, look! What is that?" A light exclamation suddenly rang out.

"Looks like a person?"

"Impossible, impossible. Given the recent state of the Nether Sea, how could anyone foolishly venture inside?"

"That person is coming out of the Nether Sea—could it be Zhan Xinzi?"

"..."

"Ancestor?"

Zhan Tianlun suddenly snapped his eyes open and sprang up, his tall, sturdy figure swirling like a whirlwind to the front of the crowd. He gazed intently and saw, where the sea met the sky, a spot of golden light flickering faintly amidst the churning black mist. Judging by the shape, it was indeed a small human figure.

Just as the others around him had remarked, the person was speeding toward the shore. As time passed, the golden silhouette grew clearer.

"It’s a young man, looks barely twenty. I thought it might be Zhan Xinzi."

"At this age, having Fifth-Rank cultivation would be good enough. Where did he even enter the Nether Sea from? Such audacity—isn't he afraid of being attacked by Nether Beasts?"

"..."

Ten seconds later, the features of the golden figure were vaguely discernible. The crowd was surprised that the person emerging from the Nether Sea was such a youthful man; their expressions turned curious. Zhan Tianlun was particularly struck with disbelief, his eyes widening like bronze bells.

"I’ve seen this person before! A few months ago, Zhan Baisong and the others were escorting this very young man! What was his name again? Nie Kong? Yes, Nie Kong!"

"It’s him? Wasn’t he supposed to have died inside long ago?"

"How is that possible? Are you sure? There are countless powerful Nether Beasts in the Nether Sea; how could he traverse it alone?"

"..."

A clamor broke out; everyone found it utterly incredible. Zhan Tianlun was startled by the chatter and flushed with excitement.

"Brother Nie Kong!"

Zhan Tianlun rushed into the Nether Sea in joyous excitement, traversing several dozen meters in an instant, enveloped by a black wind, and landing before the golden figure.

That golden figure was indeed Nie Kong.

Because Pan Hu's heart was assisting him, Nie Kong had encountered no danger whatsoever on his journey. The undercurrents around the Fire Source and the Nether Beasts that had spilled out from the Ghost Domain had all vanished without a trace, allowing Nie Kong an unimpeded passage to the edge of the Nether Sea.

With a thought, the golden light covering his body rapidly retracted and merged into his Nether Star. Nie Kong said, rather surprised, "Brother Zhan, why are you here?"

"The Nether Sea has been unstable recently. After my third uncle and the others left, I was assigned here to monitor the situation," Zhan Tianlun quickly explained. He clapped Nie Kong heavily on the shoulder with his fan-like hand, his excitement showing clearly, "Brother Nie Kong, I never thought you’d walk out of the Nether Source alive. This is wonderful! If I had known you were alright, I wouldn't have mourned for so long, haha..."

"Yes, I didn't expect to make it out alive either."

Nie Kong was also deeply moved. When he was suddenly swallowed by the Fire Source that day, how could he have foreseen the bizarre experiences that followed?

"It's good that you're alive! Alive is what matters! Brother Nie Kong, how did you manage to hold on for these two months?" Before Nie Kong could answer, Zhan Tianlun waved his hand, saying, "We’ll talk about those details on the way. Let’s hurry back to War God Mountain. If my third uncle and the others learn you’re alive, they’ll be overjoyed!" As he finished speaking, Zhan Tianlun pulled Nie Kong and stepped onto the shore.

"Brother Zhan, should we send word to the Clan Leader first?"

"Right! Right!"

Zhan Tianlun slapped his forehead and quickly pulled out the 'Golden Armor Jade Tablet,' sitting down cross-legged.

A short while later, he stood up, grinning broadly like a giant steamed bun, "Indeed, the Clan Leader has also ordered us to return immediately. The two Grand Elders will also set off at once... Right, I still need to observe the Nether Sea situation... Forget it, let it go to hell!"

"Brother Nie Kong, let’s hit the road!"

"..."

Seeing Zhan Tianlun rushing impatiently, eager to return to War God Mountain in one leap, Nie Kong couldn't help but smile faintly. However, there was indeed no need to continue observing the Nether Sea situation; others might not know the reason for the anomalies of the past few months, but Nie Kong knew it intimately.

The two figures shot off like lightning, vanishing into the horizon in a flash.

On the shore of the Nether Sea, the Black Spirit Masters stared dumbfounded at the spot where Nie Kong and Zhan Tianlun disappeared, their minds struggling to process the sight.

After a long pause, everyone finally retracted their gazes, looking at each other with deep astonishment: Currently, even Ninth-Rank powerhouses risked death if they entered the Nether Sea without companions. Yet, this guest disciple of the War Clan had stayed in the Nether Sea for several dozen days and emerged completely unharmed, without a single scratch?

...

...