Chi Lian fixed his gaze on Nie Kong, speaking with grave sincerity, "Without this heart, Pan Hu won't perish, but his strength will be severely diminished, allowing my true form to seize the chance to break free from his control. And in the process of consuming his heart, you too will gain unimaginable benefits. Pan Hu's memories, the various inheritances of the Pan Xing Clan, his insights upon breaking through to Star God, and the vast reserves of Nether Force contained within his heart—all of it will be yours."

Nie Kong couldn't help but be moved; the benefits Chi Lian spoke of were enough to make anyone’s heart pound.

However, successfully devouring Pan Hu’s heart was certainly no simple feat. But since Chi Lian had brought it up, he must surely possess a means of execution. Thus, Nie Kong refrained from interrupting, quietly watching Chi Lian, awaiting his next words.

As expected, Chi Lian quickly continued, "Pan Hu once transmitted the news of Great Evolution Spirit Venerable's significantly weakened cultivation through my true form to Zhan Xinzi. Although the purpose was to scout the Ghost Domain for him, the information itself was genuine. Pan Hu is now implanting his heart within you, likely preparing to counter Great Evolution Spirit Venerable in the Ghost Domain. That moment will be the optimal time for you to strike at his heart."

Seeing Nie Kong listening intently, Chi Lian’s expression grew solemn. "Little fellow, although you have absorbed Pan Hu's Spirit Marrow, and his heart is now implanted within you, for now, you are still the host, and he is the guest. In my Chi Xing Clan, there is a secret art called the 'Nine Suns Heart Devouring Art,' which is perfectly suited to deal with fellows like Pan Hu who attempt to 'reverse the guest and host'!"

"Of course, before that, you must first cultivate our Chi Xing Clan's 'Chi Xing Battle Body.' Only the third layer of the 'Chi Xing Battle Body,' combined with the 'War God Star Seal,' will allow your body to withstand the backlash caused by executing the 'Nine-Nine Heart Devouring Art' secret technique..."

"..."

Nie Kong remained silent, nodding occasionally. But after a few minutes, a slight joy involuntarily surfaced in the depths of his brow. If Chi Lian's method held no exaggeration, the success rate of devouring Pan Hu's heart could reach at least ninety percent.

Ten minutes later, Chi Lian let out a long breath. "Have you memorized everything I said?"

Nie Kong nodded. "I have!"

"Good! Pan Hu believes the primal energy he left in your body is the foundation for his possession, yet he doesn't realize it will become the root of his great downfall. Little fellow, cultivate the 'Chi Xing Battle Body' diligently. You must reach the third layer before Pan Hu makes a move against that woman, otherwise, everything is just talk. Moreover, if you miss this opportunity, you might never find such a perfect window again."

"Understood."

Nie Kong said solemnly.

Chi Lian hummed, satisfied. "I have stated all the necessary precautions; success rests entirely on you. Little fellow, you may leave now."

"Uh, Senior Chi Lian, aren't you going to give me the Chi Xing Clan's inheritance?"

Nie Kong was startled. "Even if not all of it, you must give me the 'Chi Xing Battle Body' and the 'Nine-Nine Heart Devouring Art,' right? Otherwise, how can I devour Pan Hu’s heart?"

"Everything that should be given has been given!"

Upon hearing this, Chi Lian burst into loud laughter.

Just as Nie Kong stood dumbfounded, Chi Lian waved his wide sleeve, and the surrounding space instantly shattered inch by inch, a sky full of scarlet light engulfing Nie Kong. In the next instant, Nie Kong suddenly found his wisp of spiritual thought become dozens of times thicker... No, it should be said that this wisp of spiritual thought had unknowingly merged into a far more powerful spiritual thought, much like a small stream suddenly pouring into a great river, the two currents, large and small, becoming one.

"Boom!"

In a flash, the spiritual thought returned to his body.

Nie Kong awoke as if from a dream; his previously dull eyes regained their agility. He quickly turned to look—the scenery around him remained unchanged, Chi Lian’s statue still stood silently before him, and the ceaseless flow of death energy still permeated from the sculpture.

With a moment of reflection, Nie Kong understood. Most likely, when his spiritual thought was drawn into the sculpture, the majority had gone to Chi Lian's true form, with only an extremely minute trace being secreted away by Chi Lian within the soul extraction of the "Chi Yan Battle Robe" to conduct the recent conversation.

Changing his thought, Nie Kong immersed his consciousness into that wisp of spiritual thought. In an instant, a massive amount of information suddenly flooded into his mind.

"This is... the War God Star Seal!"

"Chi Xing Battle Body!"

"Nether Blade Record! Heart Sword! Ink Spirit Sword Song!"

"Heart Drum Battle Sound! Six Path Battle Heart!"

"..."

Spiritual arts and secret techniques, some familiar, some strange, continuously surfaced. Nie Kong’s face lit up with delight, and he couldn't help but exclaim out loud. The "Nine-Nine Heart Devouring Art" was among them, but Nie Kong automatically ignored it. That secret art was the key to dealing with Pan Hu; he absolutely could not draw attention to it at this moment.

Pan Hu's buzzing voice sounded: "Little fellow, did you obtain the Chi Xing Clan's inheritance?"

"I did! I did!"

Nie Kong responded repeatedly, yet his heart surged with excitement. The Chi Xing Clan was one of the three great Star Clans of the 'Great Evolution Spirit Realm'; their inheritance must be immense. To think he had now acquired it all in one go! If the Zhan Clan knew, even those Ninth-Rank powerhouses would go mad. To know that the Zhan Clan had only obtained a portion of the Chi Xing Clan's inheritance, and yet it was enough to elevate them to an ultra-tier sect in the Nether Land!

Sensing Nie Kong's excitement, Pan Hu couldn't help but chuckle, "The Chi Xing Clan has many good things, but my Pan Xing Clan has even more. If this operation succeeds perfectly, after leaving the Ghost Domain, this old man might just pass on some of the Pan Xing Clan's spirit techniques to you. Then, possessing the inheritances of two great Star Clans, breaking through to Star God will be effortless; cultivating to Great Evolution is even highly probable."

"Then I thank you, Senior Pan Hu."

Nie Kong's heart beat faster and faster, his face flushed red with excitement, displaying the very picture of overwhelming joy, yet in his heart, he muttered to himself: his body could indeed bear the inheritance of two great Star Clans, but the one who would ultimately reap the benefits was this old fellow.

"Hahahaha..."

Pan Hu laughed a few times, seemingly very pleased with Nie Kong's reaction.

After a long while, Nie Kong’s emotions finally calmed down, but he did not leave the area. Instead, he immersed himself in scrutinizing the cultivation method for the "Chi Xing Battle Body" within his mind.

This "Chi Xing Battle Body" was entirely a method for tempering the physical body. Upon successful cultivation, the toughness of the fleshly body would become terrifyingly formidable. The three great Star Clans of the 'Great Evolution Spirit Realm' all possessed similar body-tempering secret arts, but the Chi Xing Clan’s "Chi Xing Battle Body" was the strongest.

Even among peak Star Gods, only those with the "Chi Xing Battle Body" could withstand the full-force strike of an opponent relying solely on their physique. In the 'Great Evolution Spirit Realm' ten thousand years ago, the reason Chi Lian could become the strongest below the Great Evolution level was precisely because of the "War God Star Seal" and the "Chi Xing Battle Body."

If the "War God Star Seal" was the sharpest spear, then the "Chi Xing Battle Body" was the most unbreakable shield. With the two complementing each other, Chi Lian was naturally invincible among all Star Gods and Spirit Gods. Back then, the reason Chi Lian was successfully ambushed by Pan Hu was mainly because he had been injured by the Great Evolution expert from the invading Spirit God camp; yet even so, the fate of the ambusher, Pan Hu, was equally tragic.

Of course, this was all according to Chi Lian.

"With my current Seventh-Rank cultivation, if I cultivate the 'Chi Xing Battle Body' to the third layer, I can sweep aside all Seventh-Rank Black Spirit Masters. I would even have the strength to contend with Eighth-Rank Black Spirit Masters. Hmm, if facing a Ninth-Rank powerhouse, as long as they aren't a freak like Zhan Xinzi, I won't be instantly obliterated."

"Furthermore, according to Chi Lian, my body has already been completely tempered by the 'Heart Drum Battle Sound,' so cultivating the 'Chi Xing Battle Body' will yield twice the result with half the effort. I shouldn't have too much trouble cultivating the 'Chi Xing Battle Body' to the third layer before entering the Ghost Domain."

In his thoughts, Nie Kong was already eager to begin.

Without further delay, Nie Kong turned and walked out of this square space, settling down to meditate in the hazy, fiery red area outside.

After a few breaths, Nie Kong quieted his mind and subtly circulated the "War God Star Seal." As the nine Nether Stars flashed intensely, boundless death energy surged rapidly through his bones like a torrential tide, and faintly, wisps of golden light began to shoot out from Nie Kong's pores.

"Hiss! Hiss! Hiss..."

Needle-like golden lights pierced the void, the sound of tearing air rising one after another.

Immediately following this, the surrounding dense red mist violently churned, seeming like moths to a flame, rushing along the penetrating golden rays directly into Nie Kong's pores.

With a mere thought from Nie Kong, the spiritual art running in his body instantly switched from the "War God Star Seal" to the "Chi Xing Battle Body," and the flashing frequency of the nine Nether Stars became abruptly bizarre.

For a moment, it seemed an invisible power rippled out from the Nether Stars!

The red mist pouring in through his pores instantly condensed into a ball and branded itself at the center of the golden Nether Star in his Yaochi Acupoint, crimson as blood.

The Nether Star flickered, and the spot of red light flickered along with it.

Under this continuous flickering, the shape of the red light gradually began to change. In less than a minute, it had transformed into a tiny, miniature red Nether Star.

This was the "Chi Xing" (Scarlet Star)!

The Chi Xing could only be directly condensed like this within the Zhan Clan's Nether Source. If outside the Zhan Clan’s Nether Source, other methods would be required. This Chi Xing served as an initiator; with it present, it could continuously absorb the surrounding death energy to temper the body.

Once the Chi Xing shattered, it signified that the first layer of the "Chi Xing Battle Body" had been successfully cultivated. Afterward, a second Chi Xing would need to be condensed to continue cultivation. The nine Nether Stars in the body could each only form one Chi Xing, and the "Chi Xing Battle Body" only had nine layers—it was a perfect match.

"The Chi Xing is formed; I wonder what effects cultivation will have?"

A thought moved Nie Kong's heart. The nine Nether Stars suddenly calmed down, but the Chi Xing in the Yaochi Acupoint erupted with brilliant scarlet light, wisps of it permeating Nie Kong's limbs, bones, and internal organs. Almost at the same moment, the void beside him fluctuated violently once more.

Countless streams of death energy pierced into Nie Kong's body, and guided by those strands of red light, they rapidly merged into Nie Kong's skin, muscles, bones, and viscera...

Time flowed like water. Nie Kong realized his body was undergoing astonishing transformations...