Soon, the two arrived before the Fish-Shaped Palace. The architecture of this palace was quite peculiar: its base was slightly arched in the center, resembling an open fish mouth. Within this "fish mouth," a long staircase spiraled upward, leading directly into the greatly distended "fish belly."

Following behind Yu Leithunder, Nie Kong ascended the steps.

In less than a minute, he reached the top of the staircase. What unfolded before Nie Kong was an empty hall, yet, as he stepped over the final riser closely behind Yu Leithunder, the hall's scenery underwent a miraculous transformation in an instant.

The entire hall shimmered with rippling light, as if the entire space were condensed seawater. Not only the surrounding walls and the severely prominent pillars, but even the floor beneath their feet emitted faint, clear, and soft blue light, casting the space in a dreamlike and illusory glow.

Nie Kong couldn't help but marvel slightly. From the outside, the Fish-Shaped Palace looked like a wooden structure; unexpectedly, the interior held an entirely different realm. Especially the pervasive cool atmosphere everywhere—being within it felt like soaking in a pure spring during the height of summer, making every one of his thirty-six thousand pores open up, enveloping him in an exquisite sense of comfort from within and without.

"Brother Nie Kong, please wait a moment. My mother will be here shortly," Yu Leithunder said with a smile, turning back to look at Nie Kong.

"Buzz!"

As Nie Kong nodded, the void several dozen meters ahead wavered slightly.

In the blink of an eye, a cyan shadow stepped out of the void. It was a woman appearing to be around thirty years old, with a figure that was curvaceous and richly endowed, yet showed no trace of being bloated or fat. At this moment, a charming smile graced her beautiful features, full of seductive allure.

Though it was their first meeting, just by observing the facial resemblance between her and Yu Leithunder, Nie Kong knew she must be the Fish King of the Fish Spirit Clan. Back in the Yin Ruins, Nie Kong had heard his mother, Mu Xueyi, mention that the current Fish King of the Fish Spirit Clan seemed to be named Yu Longyue.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Fish King," Nie Kong said with a slight bow.

In the Netherworld, Nie Kong had encountered countless powerhouses, even Spirit Gods like Great Evolution Spirit Venerable and Zhan Xinzi. Yet, towards this graceful woman, he held not the slightest hint of disdain. Because after Yu Longyue appeared, though Nie Kong knew she stood right before him, he could not sense any of her peak aura—as if she had completely merged with the surrounding space.

If Nie Kong’s judgment was correct, Yu Longyue's cultivation would certainly not be much weaker than Zhan Xinzi's before he broke through to the Spirit God realm. If they were to fight in water, given the innate abilities of the Fish Spirit Clan, Zhan Xinzi at that time might not have been Yu Longyue’s match.

"Young friend, please take a seat." Yu Longyue gracefully approached, examining Nie Kong for a moment. A strange glint flashed in her eyes, which quickly softened into a beaming smile as she nodded. Before her words had even settled, the floor, resembling the surface of the sea, rapidly swelled upward, instantly coalescing into three exquisite chairs, also shimmering with watery light.

This space could change shape at will? Nie Kong sat down, slightly surprised.

Yu Longyue sat opposite Nie Kong, her face radiating an endless, captivating charm. "Young friend, I have long heard Leithunder speak of you. Back then, you seemed to be only at the first stage of Spirit Taming. I never expected that in just about a year, you would have broken through to the Core Pill Spirit realm."

"Promoted to Spirit?" Hearing this, Yu Leithunder, who had just sat down, was greatly startled, nearly springing up from her chair. The calm expression on her face was instantly overlaid with unconcealed shock.

Since returning from the Nether Fire Deep Spring, Yu Leithunder had diligently practiced, managing to advance from the second stage of Spirit Taming to the fifth stage, and the leap from the third to the fourth stage even relied on a spiritual medicine. Even so, the speed of her cultivation growth was already astonishing.

On the way bringing Nie Kong to the Sea God Palace, Yu Leithunder had guessed Nie Kong's cultivation might have broken through to Void Spirit. But what she never imagined was that Nie Kong's cultivation speed had far surpassed her estimation, skyrocketing directly from Spirit Taming to Core Pill Spirit!

Yu Leithunder couldn't help but ask, "What stage of Core Pill Spirit are you at now?"

"Sixth stage," Nie Kong smiled. He indeed only possessed the cultivation of the sixth stage of Core Pill Spirit, but anyone who truly regarded him as merely a Core Pill Spirit Master would be profoundly mistaken.

Yu Leithunder felt utterly speechless; with such a gap, it was impossible for her to catch up to Nie Kong.

"To reach the sixth stage of Core Pill Spirit in one's early twenties is rare in history. Perhaps in a few more years, young friend, you will become the youngest Heaven Spirit Master on our Heaven Spirit Continent," Yu Longyue also remarked with deep emotion. The Heaven Spirit Continent had countless young geniuses, but one as exceptional as Nie Kong was unparalleled.

"Your Majesty flatters me."

Nie Kong didn't give much thought to Yu Longyue’s praise.

For the current Nie Kong, the Heaven Spirit realm was merely a new starting point; his ultimate goal was the Spirit God realm. Otherwise, how would he cope if Great Evolution Spirit Venerable managed to break the seal?

Nie Kong had considered seeking refuge under the Wood Ancestor, but unfortunately, the Elder had been injured by the Dark Blood Spirit Worm and was now in deep slumber. Even if awakened, given his current strength, he likely wouldn't be a match for Great Evolution Spirit Venerable. After much consideration, the only one he could rely on was himself.

"Young friend is too modest."

Seeing that Nie Kong displayed no arrogance, Yu Longyue secretly nodded. After a moment, she dispensed with pleasantries and smiled lightly. "Young friend, Leithunder invited you here primarily because I wish to borrow a treasure from you. I wonder if you would agree?" Borrow a treasure?

Nie Kong was momentarily stunned that the Fish King’s purpose for inviting him to the Sea God Palace was this. After a brief pause, his mind raced. A flash of insight suddenly struck him, and he probed cautiously, "Your Majesty the Fish King, might I ask what treasure you wish to borrow?"

"Nether Fire Deep Spring." The four words left Yu Longyue's lips.

"Just as I thought!"

Nie Kong took a shallow breath. The Fish King’s answer was not unexpected. Up to this point, the only treasure he possessed that was widely known as such was the "Nether Fire Deep Spring."

"Not borrowing, not borrowing."

Before Nie Kong could figure out how to respond to Yu Longyue, a crisp voice sounded from his chest. Immediately following, accompanied by a sound like splashing water, a red glow shot out from beneath his robes—it floated gently onto his shoulder. It was Qing You, petite and exquisite in form.

The little creature widened her big eyes, glaring fiercely at Yu Longyue opposite her. Her small hands gripped Nie Kong's ear, seemingly afraid that he would lend her out.

"The Nether Fire Deep Spring has achieved complete sentience?" Seeing the petite crimson figure, Yu Leithunder was full of amazement. Based on what she had sensed within the "Nether Fire Deep Spring" space previously, the spring water possessed spiritual awareness, but it was very weak. Yet, unexpectedly, after Nie Kong visited the Fallen Abyss, that spring water had transformed into a genuine Water Spirit.

"Wonderful."

A flicker of surprise crossed Yu Longyue's beautiful eyes first, but then an irrepressible joy surfaced on her seductive face.

"Her name is Qing You now," Nie Kong patted Qing You's head and smiled. "Your Majesty the Fish King, do you need Qing You's help with something?" Nie Kong had heard Hua Mei mention that the Flower Spirit Clan and the Fish Spirit Clan had extremely close relations and frequent interactions. If the Fish King truly needed Qing You’s assistance, lending the little creature to her would be acceptable.

Of course, this was only on the condition that Qing You consented. The relationship between this little creature and Nie Kong was not like that of Xiang Xiang and Qing Yue. Xiang Xiang was Nie Kong's pet, and Qing Yue was bound by a beast token; Nie Kong could issue direct commands to them if he wished. But Qing You was an exception.

"Indeed," Yu Longyue nodded. "Young friend, I believe you have heard that the place where we live was once called the Phantom Spirit Continent... In reality, the Phantom Spirit Continent back then was at least five times its current size. Ten thousand years ago, the Phantom Spirit Continent underwent a massive upheaval, and the land split into three parts. The western portion is our current Heaven Spirit Continent, the middle is the sealed Fallen Abyss, and as for the largest eastern landmass, no one has ever managed to reach it..." Nie Kong was somewhat surprised. He had thought that only the Wood Ancestor of the Yin Ruins, who had lived for ten thousand years, knew about the events of the past on the entire Heaven Spirit Continent, but he hadn't expected the Fish King to know something as well. Seeing her pause, Nie Kong couldn't help but interject, "I heard that eastern continent floats in the sky."

"Young friend, you know about that too?"

This time, it was Yu Longyue's eyes that showed astonishment.

The only reason Yu Longyue knew about the secret from ten thousand years ago was by sheer coincidence; she hadn't even had time to tell her own daughter. She believed she was the only person on the entire Heaven Spirit Continent who knew, and Nie Kong's casual remark completely overturned her understanding.

As for Yu Leithunder beside her, she was even more astonished. This was the first time she had ever heard the information hinted at by her mother and Nie Kong. Currently, almost everyone knew that the Heaven Spirit Continent was formerly the Phantom Spirit Continent, and many sects possessed Phantom Realms dating back to that era. However, the history of ten thousand years ago was practically a blank slate to people now.

Seeing Yu Longyue staring at him with a look of surprise, Nie Kong offered a dry laugh. "I also learned about it accidentally in the Fallen Abyss."

"I see."

Yu Longyue was finally relieved. "A few years ago, my cultivation stalled. On a whim, I decided to see just how wide this sea region was. So, I swam eastward. It took me two months, and I still hadn't reached the edge of the sea. Just as I was preparing to return, I discovered this item outside a sea canyon." As she spoke, Yu Longyue flipped her right hand, and a piece of red jade materialized in her palm.

"Oh?" Nie Kong quickly looked up. The jade piece was crystal clear, square in shape, only two fingers wide and one finger long, with what appeared to be many fine, dense patterns on its surface.

Yu Longyue waved her hand gently, and the jade piece transformed into a streak of red light, flickering before Nie Kong.

Nie Kong snatched it, realizing the jade was as thin as a cicada's wing; through it, he could clearly see the lines on his palm. After examining it closely for a moment, Nie Kong's heart gave a sudden jump. The patterns on this jade piece were strikingly similar to those of the Phantom Realm, as if they shared the same origin.

Yu Longyue’s eyes flickered slightly. "The third landmass split off from the Phantom Spirit Continent back then indeed floats in the sky. Those living there called it the Divine Sky Realm... This jade piece contains records of many secrets from ten thousand years ago and information about the 'Divine Sky Realm.' Young friend, this jade piece must have drifted from the Divine Sky Realm to our Heaven Spirit Continent."