After observing the woman in purple for a moment, Yu Longyue suddenly uttered these words, a hint of uncertainty coloring her tone.

The woman in purple brightened. "I can't believe Your Majesty still remembers me."

"It is indeed Zi Xi."

A look of recollection softened Yu Longyue's eyes. "The last time I visited the Flower-Butterfly Secret Realm was fifty years ago, wasn't it? I recall you were just a little girl of about ten then. I never imagined that after five decades, you would be an Elder of the Flower Spirit Clan, qualified to guard this Flower-Butterfly Valley."

Hua Zixi sighed. "Yes, time flies so fast. Fifty years have passed in the blink of an eye. But King Yu, you look exactly the same as you did fifty years ago!"

"..."

Reunited after a long separation, the two were filled with emotion.

"Nie Kong, this Hua Zixi is also a Celestial Spirit Master," Qingyue's faint murmur sounded in Nie Kong's mind.

Nie Kong secretly nodded. For Hua Zixi to achieve Celestial Spirit status in her early sixties, she must be an exceptional prodigy within the Flower Spirit Clan. Yet, what struck Nie Kong the most was their appearance; time seemed to have left no mark on these descendants of the Spirit Bloodline. Living for centuries, Yu Longyue was the same; Hua Yanlian and Hua Zixi of the Flower Spirit Clan were the same; even his mother and third aunt were all identical.

He realized that as Hua Mei aged, her appearance would likely remain that of a young maiden, regardless of the years. Thinking of this, a smile inevitably touched Nie Kong's lips.

At this juncture, Hua Zixi's gaze shifted to Nie Kong. "King Yu, who is this?"

"I am Nie Kong, greetings to Elder Zi Xi."

Nie Kong snapped back to attention. Not waiting for Yu Longyue to introduce him, he quickly bowed respectfully. This Elder Hua Zixi was family to Hua Mei, and Nie Kong dared not be remiss.

Hua Zixi was startled. "Nie Kong? You are that Nie Kong from the Nie family of Jiyang City in the Grand Completion Empire?" She had initially assumed this young man was merely an attendant brought by the King, but to hear him named "Nie Kong" shocked her. Though she had never met Nie Kong before, the name was thunderous in her ears.

"That is correct."

Nie Kong could guess the reason for her surprise and let out a couple of dry chuckles.

Hua Zixi took a deep breath, gazing intently at Nie Kong. "For years, Hua Mei has never forgotten you, especially since returning from the 'Nether Spring of Prison Fire' last year. It’s astonishing that in just about a year, your cultivation has risen from Spirit Tamer to Pill Spirit realm. Very good, very good!"

She paused, then continued, "Nie Kong, are you confident in executing the 'Pill Soul Transformation' now?"

"Not yet, temporarily."

Nie Kong answered honestly. He desperately wanted to give Hua Zixi an affirmative reply, but although his current cultivation far surpassed the first stage of Pill Spirit, he still lacked absolute certainty when employing a technique like 'Pill Soul Transformation.' Fortunately, he still had ample time to prepare.

"You are not?"

Hua Zixi’s brows immediately furrowed.

"Pill Soul Transformation?"

Yu Longyue, standing nearby, was utterly confused. She knew Nie Kong was romantically involved with a Flower Spirit Clan woman, but this suggested the situation was far more complicated than she realized.

Nie Kong glanced at Hua Zixi. Seeing no objection from her, he briefly explained Hua Mei's situation and the nature of the 'Pill Soul Transformation' to Yu Longyue, deliberately omitting the detail that the new soul derived from Hua Mei's spirit was that of the Flower Spirit Clan's progenitor, the 'Fluttering Jade Butterfly Spring.'

Yu Longyue's delicate brows knitted together. "Even if the three prerequisites for casting 'Pill Soul Transformation' are met, the success rate is still not very high. This is troublesome."

"The good news is we still have a year. King Yu, Nie Kong, I will take you into the Flower-Butterfly Secret Realm now."

Hua Zixi sighed softly, turned gracefully, and led the two deeper into the valley. As she walked, the surrounding flowers obediently parted to clear a path for them.

The Flower-Butterfly Valley was shaped like a perfectly bisected ellipse. Hua Zixi, Yu Longyue, Nie Kong, and the Ghost Soul Eagle King soon arrived in the valley’s depths.

At the farthest end of the valley, an exceptionally enormous, multicolored butterfly came into view. Only after walking nearly a hundred meters closer did Nie Kong realize it wasn't a living creature, but the "Fluttering Jade Butterfly Spring" carved into a jade wall—its diameter was nearly twenty meters.

"Whoosh!"

When only a dozen meters separated them from the carving, Hua Zixi’s figure flickered, and she landed gracefully upon the 'petals.'

Then, Hua Zixi began to move like a butterfly flitting among flowers, dancing across the vibrantly colored petals with exquisite grace. Moments later, her speed increased rapidly, creating successive purple afterimages that bloomed and vanished on the petals, dazzling the eye.

Nie Kong instinctively closed his eyes and focused his senses. He realized that as Hua Zixi danced, faint wisps of purple energy constantly emanated from her delicate body, tightly merging with the "Fluttering Jade Butterfly Spring." Gradually, the woman and the carving seemed to establish a wondrous resonance.

"King Yu, please."

Suddenly, Hua Zixi's voice broke the surrounding silence.

Nie Kong quickly opened his eyes. Hua Zixi had stopped dancing, and the now-opened "Fluttering Jade Butterfly Spring" had closed, reverting to the shape of a budding flower. Delicate sheens of light permeated the surface of the bud, making it look iridescent, radiant, and dazzling.

Yu Longyue paced forward gracefully, her distance to the "Fluttering Jade Butterfly Spring" shrinking until her figure melted into the interior of the bud, vanishing from sight.

"Nie Kong."

Hua Zixi turned her attention to Nie Kong.

Nie Kong wasted no time. He signaled the Ghost Soul Eagle King and shot like an arrow towards the massive bud. In an instant, he felt as though he had entered a space filled with vibrant colors—sheets of colored petals danced before his eyes, inducing a dizzying, blurring sensation in his mind.

It felt like an instant, yet also like ten thousand years, before Nie Kong's mind cleared, and his vision sharpened. The first thing that greeted his eyes were countless exotic flowers blooming brilliantly, each vying for attention—a sea of flowers in every conceivable hue stretched before him.

Scattered throughout this sea of flowers were numerous pavilions and towers.

Nie Kong currently stood on the floor of a spacious pavilion, beneath which was carved another colossal "Fluttering Jade Butterfly Spring."

"Nie Kong, your speed of cultivation is truly astonishing. To reach Pill Spirit so quickly," a familiar voice suddenly called from behind.

Nie Kong quickly turned to see Hua Yanlian, dressed in red, looking at him with a bright, charming smile, a hint of surprise evident on her beautiful face.

Standing beside Hua Yanlian, besides Yu Longyue who had entered earlier, were two pretty little girls, perhaps ten years old. It seemed Hua Zixi must have relayed the message through some secret art while they were still outside in the Flower-Butterfly Valley, prompting Hua Yanlian to come and greet them specially.

"Master," Nie Kong called out with a wide smile.

Hearing Nie Kong address her with that title, Hua Yanlian couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Nie Kong, I am not your master."

Nie Kong brazenly replied, "You are Hua Mei's master, so naturally, you are mine as well."

"..."

When they last met, Nie Kong had started calling her "Master." Hua Yanlian felt a degree of helplessness but let it pass. The two young girls beside her, however, couldn't help but widen their watery eyes, continually observing Nie Kong, their gazes suggesting they had discovered some novel toy.

"Whoosh!"

The void cracked open again, and the bulky form of the Ghost Soul Eagle King suddenly materialized, startling the two little girls into sharp screams. But after a brief moment, they were captivated by the bird's glossy, beautiful plumage and imposing figure, clearly seeing such a massive Spirit Beast for the first time.

Hua Yanlian had received Hua Zixi's message and already knew that a powerful Ninth-Rank Spirit Beast accompanied Yu Longyue and Nie Kong. Still, seeing it firsthand now, she couldn't help but be somewhat surprised; with her cultivation level, she could naturally judge the immense power of the black eagle before her.

A moment later, the turbulent void settled. Hua Zixi had not followed them into the Flower-Butterfly Secret Realm; it seemed she was staying outside to guard the Flower-Butterfly Valley.

"King Yu, please follow me."

Hua Yanlian withdrew her gaze and led Yu Longyue and Nie Kong out of the pavilion.

In the sea of flowers, many flagstone paths were laid out like a fishing net. After walking several hundred meters, a round flower bud by the path suddenly bloomed, and a plump toddler, perhaps one or two years old, clad only in a little red bib, tumbled out. The child was very chubby and cute. As soon as he appeared, his jewel-like eyes locked onto the Ghost Soul Eagle King, and he began babbling incomprehensibly.

By the time they exited the flower sea, the Ghost Soul Eagle King had gained more than a dozen small companions trailing its tail—the older ones about five or six, the youngest still wobbling when they walked. Their fascination with this peak Ninth-Rank Spirit Beast far exceeded their curiosity toward the unfamiliar Nie Kong and Yu Longyue; they kept running around it, their innocent laughter rising in waves.

Initially, Hua Yanlian and the two girls kept looking back, a little worried, but when they saw the Ghost Soul Eagle King behaving so docilely and well-behaved, they finally relaxed.

"Ghost Soul, stay here and play with them." Seeing these lively, adorable little girls, Nie Kong’s mood became much lighter, infectiously cheerful. He finally gave the Ghost Soul Eagle King a direct order: "No matter what they ask, you must fulfill it."

"..."

The Ghost Soul Eagle King froze in place, only snapping out of its stupor after Nie Kong and the others had walked twenty or thirty meters away. It cursed inwardly but dared not disobey Nie Kong’s command, so it reluctantly remained at the edge of the flower sea. However, looking at the pairs of bright, shining eyes surrounding it, it let out a silent, agonizing lament.

Beyond the flower sea, various houses gradually became more numerous.

These structures bore the distinct hallmark of the Flower Spirit Clan; not only were they carved with intricate, beautiful patterns, but some buildings were entirely shaped like flowers. As Hua Yanlian guided Yu Longyue and Nie Kong past, they often saw one or two graceful figures moving in and out of the dwellings.

After about fifteen minutes, Hua Yanlian brought the pair before a spectacularly colored palace.

This palace was shaped like a flower, but only the petals at the very tip were slightly separated, making it resemble a blooming Fluttering Jade Butterfly Spring.

... ...RO