Nie Kong scoffed, "Mo Tieliu, you overestimate yourself far too much, and underestimate me too deeply! Do you think I hadn't considered scenarios like this when I broke free of the seal? Furthermore, knowing full well there are numerous powerful Nether Beasts deep within the Ghost Domain, why would I still charge this way when the War Clan experts were pinned down by two Ninth-Rank Black Spirit Masters? Don't you find that the least bit suspicious?"

"I must admit, I am quite curious about your reasons for acting this way," Mo Tieliu replied, his eyes shifting slightly.

In his previous statement, he hadn't specified how many people were holding back Zhan Yunqing, yet Nie Kong had stated precisely two Ninth-Rank Black Spirit Masters. Mo Tieliu hadn't seen it himself; how could he possibly know? Especially since Nie Kong’s solo penetration into the Ghost Domain reeked of something treacherous.

"You want to know, but I certainly won't tell you. Regrettably, even in death, you’ll only remain a confused ghost." Nie Kong flashed a teasing smile at Mo Tieliu.

"Death."

At the utterance of that word, Mo Tieliu couldn't help but burst into loud laughter.

Nie Kong spoke slowly and deliberately, "Mo Tieliu, if my senses don't deceive me, you haven't been a Ninth-Rank cultivator for more than a year, have you?"

"Hmm?"

Mo Tieliu’s laughter abruptly ceased, and a flicker of astonishment involuntarily crossed his eyes. As Nie Kong stated, he had indeed only become a Ninth-Rank Black Spirit Master last year. Moreover, before arriving in the Ghost Domain, he had been in secluded cultivation for years; even many within the Sky-Shunning Sect were unaware, so the information should never have leaked. How, then, did Nie Kong know? While his mind raced, Mo Tieliu sneered, "Nie Kong, are you trying to distract this old man with such words? Even if I only broke through to the Ninth Rank a year ago—it is more than enough to deal with you. You little ant-like thing—you expect to cause my death? Do you imagine you are also a Ninth-Rank powerhouse?"

"While I myself am not a Ninth-Rank powerhouse, I carry one with me!" Nie Kong laughed heartily. "Qing Yue—up!"

"Little brat—you dare command your grandmother!"

Qing Yue grumbled, her petite, exquisite body wriggling out from Nie Kong's chest, flapping her arms like a butterfly. Mo Tieliu had been momentarily startled by Nie Kong’s preceding statement, but upon seeing the small figure of Qing Yue, he froze, only to then throw his head back in uproarious laughter. "Nie Kong, this is the Ninth-Rank powerhouse you speak of? Hahaha, you’re killing me, old man, hahahaha…"

"How dare you look down on Grandmother! Prepare to die!"

Qing Yue’s small face flushed with anger. Her tiny form transformed into a cloud of verdant mist that rapidly spread, then twisted and shifted violently. In an instant, a nearly ten-meter-tall 'Qing Yue Illusionary Heart Orchid' manifested, exuding an overwhelmingly immense aura from its branches and leaves.

Mo Tieliu froze, his eyes widening instantly. He cried out involuntarily, "A Medicine Spirit! This is a Medicine Spirit! And one capable of taking human form!" A look of sheer fanaticism then dawned in his eyes. "If I capture this Medicine Spirit and present it to the Pill King to refine into a Nether Pill, my cultivation is certain to reach the peak of the Ninth Rank in an instant. Hahaha… Nie Kong, I never expected you to carry such a treasure! I truly must thank you."

"You think you have the ability to capture Grandmother?"

As the words faded, the leaves and branches of the Qing Yue Illusionary Heart Orchid began to thrash wildly, and the spreading aura intensified with alarming speed.

"A Medicine Spirit with Ninth-Rank strength!"

Mo Tieliu’s expression changed drastically. The ecstatic joy in his eyes curdled into stark terror. Given his power, capturing such a potent spirit was almost impossible.

"Leave!"

After a brief hesitation, the thought flashed through Mo Tieliu’s mind. However, before he could act on the impulse, the sickle-shaped, drooping flower of the Qing Yue Illusionary Heart Orchid suddenly exploded, splitting into one, then two, then four, then eight… In the blink of an eye, dozens of meters of space were saturated with countless petals.

"Illusion!"

Qing Yue’s crisp voice echoed in the void. The myriad petals seemed fiercely compelled, rotating like a vortex, their speed accelerating constantly.

Then, a sight that amazed even Nie Kong unfolded. Mo Tieliu, enveloped by the falling petals, adopted a vacant stare, now chuckling foolishly, now screaming curses, now gesticulating wildly… "... Is he insane?" Nie Kong murmured.

"Wrong! He is merely entranced by Grandmother's illusionary art. Little brat, have you forgotten the word in my name? Illusionary techniques are my strongest means of attack," Qing Yue’s slightly smug voice penetrated Nie Kong's ear, as if sensing his mutterings.

"Oh." Nie Kong suddenly understood, delight coloring his tone. "So, if I encounter an opponent I can't handle in the future, I can just have you unleash an illusionary technique to resolve it."

"Don't even think about making Grandmother your errand girl! No way!" Qing Yue yelled back angrily. "Little brat, do you think this illusionary art is easy to cast? Every time I use it, Grandmother needs a good ten days to half a month of rest. Moreover, this technique is only effective against those whose souls are weaker than mine! If I run into a monster with low physical strength but an incredibly robust soul, Grandmother will be the one to suffer."

"…"

Nie Kong was left speechless.

Qing Yue fell silent, but her leaves danced even more frantically, and the petals spun faster. The Mo Tieliu below grew increasingly manic. After a minute or two, Qing Yue hummed again, "One more thing—Grandmother’s illusion can only bewitch people; it cannot kill!"

"Boom!"

Just as Qing Yue finished speaking, the high-speed rotating petals violently dispersed, instantly dissolving into the void. Mo Tieliu seemed to lose all strength, slumping softly to the ground, utterly motionless. Qing Yue hurriedly cried out, "Nie Kong—attack! Use your strongest strike! Quickly!"

"Got it!"

Nie Kong hesitated for barely an instant. The Nether Star within his body flashed, and three 'War God Star Seals' layered upon each other slammed into Mo Tieliu.

"Nie…"

The moment the golden seals struck, Mo Tieliu’s eyes snapped open, as if awakened from the spell. However, before he could finish a single word, the fiercely bursting golden light annihilated his physical form. A moment later, as the golden light receded, Mo Tieliu’s figure reappeared. Nie Kong focused his gaze; the Ninth-Rank Black Spirit Master was now a man of blood, not entirely vaporized by Nie Kong’s triple 'Layered Seal.'

"Finally dead."

Qing Yue seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Her massive 'Qing Yue Illusionary Heart Orchid' body rapidly contracted, condensing back into her original petite form, which floated onto Nie Kong's shoulder, looking somewhat weakened.

"Qing Yue, it seems you were right—your illusion is indeed a bit weak. Mo Tieliu waking up just then really gave me a fright," Nie Kong also let out a long breath, joking with a smile, though his heart was filled with complex emotion. This was the first Ninth-Rank expert he had personally killed, and what a pathetic, infuriating way he died. Mo Tieliu would truly 'die with grievances.'

The 'Prison Fire Nether Spring' had also somehow slipped out. Upon hearing Nie Kong’s comment, it immediately clapped its hands, shouting, "Qing Yue is weak, Qing Yue is weak!" After receiving a sharp glare from Qing Yue’s eyes, it quickly scampered back into the Spirit-Severing Jade Bottle, even plugging the stopper in itself.

"What a coward."

Qing Yue pouted, expressing her disdain for Nie Kong. "After being dazed by Grandmother's illusion, even if Mo Tieliu woke up, he would have a two-to-three-second window where he couldn't utilize any Nether Power. If you still can't kill a Ninth-Rank Black Spirit Master who can't resist in that amount of time, you only have yourself to blame."

Pan Hu, who had remained silent, suddenly chuckled, "Indeed, this little one’s illusionary art has a unique flavor. If she one day breaks through to the Spirit God realm, this art will surely advance further. Nie Kong, you both performed well just now. There shouldn't be anyone else following; let’s leave quickly."

"That sounds right!" Nie Kong nodded with a smile. "However, since Mo Tieliu is already 'dying with grievances,' why not let him 'die with grievances' one more time."

As he spoke, a ball of Nether Fire flicked from Nie Kong’s palm and landed on Mo Tieliu’s body. Instantly, a fierce column of flame erupted, quickly burning the Ninth-Rank Black Spirit Master to ashes, which scattered with the breeze, leaving almost no trace.

"Destroying the evidence!" Qing Yue shrieked.

"There are still traces."

Nie Kong smiled faintly, his figure flashing away, vanishing into the dense forest ahead like a shooting wind, while Qing Yue swiftly darted back into the beast token hanging at Nie Kong’s waist…

Ghost Domain Exit. Seal.

Mo Yu sat quietly in the tent, eyes nearly closed, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips. In the palm of his right hand, he cradled a piece of 'Golden Armor Jade.'

"What?"

After an unknown duration, Mo Yu suddenly opened his eyes, snatching the Golden Armor Jade close. The look of shock on his face deepened. "The imprint is gone! How is this possible?"

"Second Uncle, what is it?"

The curtain stirred, and Mo Xinyue’s graceful, slender figure entered, asking with surprise.

Mo Yu took a deep breath. "Just now, the imprint left by Senior Brother Tieliu on this Golden Armor Jade completely vanished!"

"Uncle-Master is dead? How is that possible?" Mo Xinyue’s face was one of utter disbelief. The Golden Armor Jade required the mutual mental imprints of both parties for long-distance communication. If the imprint vanished, there was only one possibility: the owner of the imprint had perished, body and soul destroyed.

Mo Tieliu was dead? This was clearly hard to swallow.

"Yes, logically, he shouldn't have died, but… he is indeed dead." Mo Yu’s brow was tightly furrowed. This operation involved three Ninth-Rank Black Spirit Masters. Mo Tieliu was one; the other two came from the Feather-Plume Sword Sect and the Divine Sound Sect, respectively. With the latter two disguised to tie down the War Clan experts, Mo Tieliu moving in for the strike was supposed to be foolproof.

But now, things seemed far from smooth. What worried Mo Yu most was the possibility of evidence falling into the hands of the War Clan, which could trigger severe confrontation between the supreme sects of the Nether Earth. If there was no evidence, even if the War Clan harbored suspicions, they would be powerless.

"Nie Kong!"

As her shock subsided slightly, Mo Xinyue almost ground her delicate pearl-like teeth to dust. Mo Tieliu’s death likely meant Nie Kong had escaped, filling her with a profound sense of defeat. But as she felt the lingering pain between her legs, that defeat transmuted into an even deeper hatred for Nie Kong. Damn him!