Among the countless halls, one steep peak had been cleanly severed halfway up its ascent; in place of the upper portion now stood a magnificent, eighteen-story pagoda.
The tower body was as black as ink, yet within this inky darkness, three clusters of snow-white, radiant light pulsed vibrantly, occasionally revealing three grand characters:
Tower of Divine Ascent!
At that moment, a deep voice echoed from within the pagoda: "We have received word from Zhan Qiong at Zhanloulou Heavenly City. After he and Zhan Song arrived at the 'Forbidden Spirit Marsh,' they hadn't even deployed the Dark Divine Blood Pendant... when they suddenly discovered their spiritual power could be utilized. They then clashed with a ninth-rank spirit beast and a Cave Spirit Master. Zhan Song perished, and Zhan Qiong fled, gravely wounded..."
"In the 'Forbidden Spirit Marsh,' spiritual power is actually effective? Could there have been some major change there?"
"Both Zhan Qiong and Zhan Kui possessed the Dark Divine Blood Pendant... Zhan Qiong was even carrying the Shadow Spirit Evasion Talisman... Both these talismans contain divine power. Even powerhouses like Long Tiangong, Hua Caidie, or Yu Longyue might struggle to hold him if he wished to escape. How could he be defeated by just a ninth-rank spirit beast and a Cave Spirit Master, resulting in one death and one severe injury?"
"If not for the Shadow Spirit Evasion Talisman... perhaps Zhan Qiong would have died like Zhan Song!"
"......"
Sounds of shock repeatedly erupted from within the tower.
A moment later, the deep voice sounded again: "Zhan Qiong transmitted one more piece of information: that Cave Spirit Master also possesses divine power and can move freely within the marsh."
This statement stirred up immense waves within the tower:
"Divine power? In the entire Tianling Continent, besides our Spirit God Temple, who else can wield divine power?"
"That's not certain. The Ancestor of the Dragon Spirit Clan is rumored to still be alive. If this is true, he should possess the ability to forge spirit-patterned artifacts using divine power, though their effect would be slightly inferior to true talismans."
"There is also the Mount Moluo, the Heaven and Earth Sect, the Dragon Spirits, Fish Spirits, and other sects and spirit races—all have produced Spirit Gods. They might also possess spirit-patterned artifacts with similar capabilities."
"Right, and what about the Ancestral Heavenly Divine Luo Tree within the Yin Ruins? It has lived for over ten thousand years; it absolutely possesses Spirit God-level strength, and it existed since the Illusory Spirit Era. It should also be capable of crafting talismans."
"Is that Cave Spirit Master from the Yin Ruins, Mount Moluo, the Heaven and Earth Sect, or one of the five great spirit races?"
"・・・・・・"
"Stop arguing!"
The deep voice suddenly commanded, "Where that person comes from is irrelevant right now. Following Zhan Qiong and Zhan Song, three more Heavenly Spirit Masters are only five thousand li from the 'Forbidden Spirit Marsh' and will arrive soon. Besides those three, four more elders from our Spirit God Temple will proceed. You all discuss amongst yourselves which four elders will go. If that Illusory Realm does not appear, so be it. But if it does appear, our Spirit God Temple is determined to claim it."
"Yes, Hall Master!"
"・・・・"
The next morning.
As Tianzhou was just beginning to brighten, the Soul Ghost Eagle King carried Nie Kong above the "Forbidden Spirit Marsh." The King's talons still clutched a thick vine, bound to which were over a dozen deceased spirit beasts, including Zhan Song. A towering black mist shrouded each carcass, emanating palpable death energy.
To create this effect, Nie Kong had completely exhausted the remaining Nether Pills and pitch-black medicinal herbs in his Pet Pack, especially the high-tier Nether Pills he had never used before; not a single one remained. Originally, Nie Kong had intended to keep them for future study, but for the sake of the Illusory Realm, he had to part with them reluctantly.
"Hoo!"
The Soul Ghost Eagle King exerted force with its sharp talons, and a dark, heavy spirit beast plummeted into the mire below.
Although Nie Kong felt very confident after hearing Tai Yan's words, he couldn't help but feel a knot of tension now. If this method proved ineffective, he would truly suffer a catastrophic loss.
After watching the spirit beast be swallowed by the marsh, Nie Kong instinctively pulled open his lapel, glancing at Le Yan cradled in his embrace. Though he didn't ask aloud, the meaning in his eyes was clear.
Tai Yan, who had shrunk to a tiny size like Qing Yue, had his eyes closed, sensing quietly. After a moment, he opened his eyes and nodded with a gentle smile.
"Soul Ghost, continue!"
Nie Kong exhaled in relief, a relaxed smile spreading across his face.
"Understood!"
The Soul Ghost Eagle King chuckled smugly, its talons occasionally exerting force... body after body dropping down. When Zhan Song's corpse was finally consumed by the swamp, Nie Kong vaguely felt a strange sensation, as if the entire marsh surface rippled slightly, like disturbed seawater, suggesting the Medicinal Spirit's rage had reached its zenith.
Though this feeling vanished in an instant, Nie Kong felt immensely invigorated.
A moment later, Nie Kong willed it, and the Soul Ghost Eagle King descended onto a mountain peak. Nie Kong then leaped off, preparing to observe the marsh's movements alongside the King.
"Look, an herb!"
Just as the Soul Ghost Eagle King soared into the air, Tai Yan and Qing Yue, nestled on Nie Kong's chest, cried out simultaneously.
Nie Kong turned his gaze and saw a patch of magnificent red light shimmering in the undergrowth about fifty meters away at the base of the mountain. If Nie Kong wasn't mistaken, when he descended, there had definitely been no red glow there. This meant it had appeared within that single, fleeting moment.
"Let's go take a look."
Nie Kong moved his feet, his figure flashing downwards, instantly landing before that patch of red light.
"Red-backed Heavenly Luo?"
Nie Kong gasped in surprise. It was a blood-red medicinal herb, about a foot and a half long, with leaves as fine as silk threads, densely woven together like a fishing net. Nie Kong had once seen this type of herb in the hands of the little girl Gu Qi in the inner city of Lingyu City. This "Red-backed Heavenly Luo" was nearly half the size of the one he had seen, and its blood-red hue was deeper, indicating significantly stronger medicinal potency.
This herb could be used to refine the sixth-grade spiritual medicine, the Coagulating Blood Divine Fire Pill, making it exceedingly rare. Since no one had entered the "Forbidden Spirit Marsh" for a long time, the herbs Nie Kong and the Soul Ghost Eagle King had seen were mostly ordinary ones. Herbs like the Red-backed Heavenly Luo were something Nie Kong was seeing for the first time in the past two days.
In a flash, Nie Kong uprooted the Red-backed Heavenly Luo and placed it into his Pet Pack.
"Brother, there's another one over there!"
Just as Nie Kong straightened up, Tai Yan's sweet, crisp voice sounded again.
Nie Kong quickly looked forward and saw another herb emerging from the grassy mound thirty or forty meters away. This one was entirely yellow, with a slender stem as thick as a chopstick, topped with a small, fuzzy sphere.
"Yellow-haired Grass!"
This time, before Nie Kong even took a step, he recognized it. Just like the Red-backed Heavenly Luo before it, this Yellow-haired Grass had appeared only moments ago. Nie Kong hesitated no longer, advanced again, carefully pulled up the Yellow-haired Grass, and stored it in his Pet Pack.
Immediately following, Qing Yue called out: "There's another one, another one, Nie Kong, ahead!"
"Double-eared Peacock Orchid!"
"The fourth one, the fourth one has appeared."
"......"
"There must be a fifth one... Sure enough, sure enough!"
"…………"
Precious herbs appeared one after another. Nie Kong couldn't help but feel a rising excitement; the Medicinal Spirit had finally lost its patience and was using herbs to lure him!
………RH