It was not mountains surrounded by marshland, but boundless marshland besieging mountains; those peaks were merely stakes driven into the mire. This was the Forbidden Spirit Marsh!

When Nie Kong guided the Ghostly Soul Eagle King over the marsh the following morning, he instantly concluded this was the very place he sought. At the same time, he realized the map in Hua Mei’s memory was not vague, but that he had completely misunderstood its meaning. In the map, the depiction of the Illusionary Realm of Medicinal Spirits was simply a stretch of undulating peaks. Upon seeing the map, Nie Kong had naturally assumed the Illusionary Realm lay nestled amongst the mountains, never once considering that the vague areas between those peaks were, in fact, a vast, interconnected swamp—it was this very marsh that bound all the seemingly distinct surface peaks into a single entity.

“What a pity,” Qing Yue murmured from Nie Kong’s shoulder, her eyes curiously surveying the seemingly endless mire below. “If we had headed west then south, we probably would have found this place in a few days, and we wouldn't have wasted twenty days.” “Mm, yes, time is short,” Tai Yan’s affirmative voice drifted from Nie Kong’s embrace. Hearing her, Qing Yue’s face darkened, and her little head drooped instantly.

“It matters not.” Nie Kong smiled. Qing Yue’s point was valid, yet if they had followed her suggestion, a misinterpretation of the map meant they might not have discovered anything even if they had crossed this marsh back then. After all, those medicinal herbs had only recently manifested. Had they missed this opportunity, the loss would have been far more than twenty days; perhaps they would only learn of the Forbidden Spirit Marsh when news of it swept across the entire Great Success Empire. If any Heaven Spirit experts from other sects had beaten them to it, regret would have been absolute. As it stood now, despite scouring the majority of the empire before arriving here, they received accurate information immediately upon reaching the Forbidden Spirit Marsh. More importantly, no Heaven Spirit experts were likely to have arrived yet, giving Nie Kong ample time to search for the Illusionary Realm.

“Ghostly Soul, down.” To avoid causing too much commotion, Nie Kong decided traversing the marsh on foot would be preferable. Moments later, the Ghostly Soul Eagle King landed near the edge of a seemingly concealed valley. Nie Kong waved, and the Eagle King ascended several thousand meters, its massive form shrinking to a barely perceptible black speck.

“Truly worthy of being a Forbidden Spirit Land!” Nie Kong cautiously circulated the Yin-Yang Spirit Devouring Art. While the essence of his spirit treasure could be utilized, it failed to produce the anticipated dotted effect. Within this Forbidden Spirit Marsh, some mysterious force seemed to be locking down the spiritual energy elements between heaven and earth. Unable to commune with the spiritual elements, the technique of Body Merging with the Void was useless. Furthermore, even projecting the spiritual energy within his own body outward resulted in it being instantly suppressed.

Suddenly, Tai Yan asked with a hint of curiosity, “Brother, if spiritual power is useless, what about divine power?” “Divine power?” Nie Kong started, a thought stirring in his mind. He quickly circulated the War God Star Imprint within his body, and threads of golden light rushed out from the Nether Star, swirling around him. Nie Kong sensed carefully, discovering that the activity level of his divine power remained entirely unaffected. Overjoyed, Nie Kong couldn't resist planting a loud smack on Tai Yan’s delicate cheek. “Tai Yan, you were absolutely right! Divine power truly isn't affected. Now it seems the two pairs of ‘Floating Heaven Jade Slabs’ Little Ling prepared might not be needed for now.” The so-called ‘Floating Heaven Jade Slabs’ were a specialty of Lou Tian City. They were carved from a jade called ‘Floating Jade’—thin as a cicada’s wing, light as a feather, yet incredibly durable. When walking in the marsh, strapping a pair of foot-square slabs beneath the soles of one’s feet could support a man weighing over a hundred catties. Barring exceptionally muddy areas, the ‘Floating Heaven Jade Slabs’ allowed free movement across most of the Forbidden Spirit Marsh. However, these items were prohibitively expensive. The two pairs of ‘Floating Heaven Jade Slabs’ cost Nie Kong two million gold coins, and that was only after receiving an 80% discount due to his connection with the Spirit Treasure Pavilion.

“Brother, I want another one,” Tai Yan chirped, her face beaming after Nie Kong’s kiss. She turned her fair, rosy right cheek toward him, her eyes filled with eager expectation. Lost in the moment! Nie Kong chuckled sheepishly. “Uh, Tai Yan, one kiss should be enough, right?” “No, I need another one,” Tai Yan pouted. “Fine, fine.” Nie Kong sighed, and kissed her right cheek again. Only then did her puffed-out cheeks deflate, replaced by a look of pure delight. Fearing the girl would demand something else, Nie Kong hurried, “Tai Yan, get on me. We need to leave immediately.” “Mhm.” Tai Yan obediently nodded, her body dissolving into a streak of red light and sinking into Nie Kong’s chest. Qing Yue followed, slipping in right after. With a thought, Nie Kong’s Spirit Rhyme Battle Robe turned a faint green, and the fabric began to extend upward, completely enveloping his head.

“Whoosh!” The golden light retracted into the Spirit Rhyme Battle Robe. Nie Kong channeled his divine power and shot out of the valley like a meteor, traversing the uneven marshland at breakneck speed...

... “Look, quickly! There’s a Gold Jade Gourd there, bearing six seeds!” In the marsh, five or six middle-aged men were advancing slowly and cautiously. Suddenly, one man pointed excitedly toward the left front and shouted. The others quickly followed his gaze, and looks of thrilled surprise bloomed in their eyes. This group consisted of Spirit Masters native to Lou Tian City, all possessing Spirit Transformation cultivation. Hearing that many medicinal herbs had appeared in the “Forbidden Spirit Marsh,” they had ventured here together. To their astonishment, they had made a discovery only a few miles into the swamp. But upon seeing the circle of thick, fetid mud, nearly twenty or thirty meters wide, surrounding the Gold Jade Gourd, the joy in their chests instantly cooled. As locals of Lou Tian City, they were intimately familiar with the Forbidden Spirit Marsh and knew that walking across using only the wooden planks beneath their feet was impossible. Even with Floating Heaven Jade Slabs, they couldn't reach the small mound where the Gold Jade Gourd grew. While they could potentially use grappling hooks to throw a line across and drag the gourd over, the seeds would surely be lost. Without the Gold Jade Gourd Seeds, the vine itself was of little use.

“What a waste!” They felt immense regret, reluctant to abandon the prize yet unable to reach it, so they simply stared longingly from the side. A moment later, a faint green figure suddenly appeared in their sight. The men started in alarm, only to watch the figure surge toward the mound bearing the Gold Jade Gourd like an arrow released from a bow, without slowing down at all...