In less than half an hour, Nie Kong had collected over thirty kinds of rare herbs. Simultaneously, Nie Kong had also advanced more than ten li towards the central area of the Forbidden Spirit Marsh.

"Nie Kong, we're almost at the center of the marsh. That fellow is about to make his move," Qing Yue's voice echoed in Nie Kong's mind, tinged with both tension and excitement.

"Mm."

Nie Kong let out a soft snort, but his turbulent heart had long since calmed. At this moment, not only was the Phantom Eagle King following closely overhead, but Tai Yan was also fully prepared.

In Nie Kong's estimation, the strongest that Herb Spirit could be was on par with the Dragon-Taming Grass; even if it could control this entire Forbidden Spirit Marsh, it would be difficult for it to achieve a single, fatal blow against them. Otherwise, it would have already driven them out instead of lingering for so many days only to lure him with medicinal herbs.

Nie Kong knew perfectly well that there was definitely a trap waiting in the center of the Forbidden Spirit Marsh, one that the Herb Spirit had a very high chance of succeeding with.

If one doesn't enter the tiger's lair, how can one capture the cub?

However, he couldn't let the Herb Spirit achieve its goal so easily either!

As the thought crossed his mind, Nie Kong suddenly halted before a wide expanse of mire, glanced up at the sky, and said with a smile, "Tai Yan, Qing Yue, we've gathered enough herbs for today. Why don't we head back to Lou Tian City first, handle these herbs, and then come back tomorrow morning?"

Tai Yan swung her little legs dangling from Nie Kong's shoulder and said sweetly, "Yeah, Brother, let's hurry back. I'm so hungry."

Qing Yue immediately understood the intention: "Fine by me. This swamp is full of muck; just looking at it makes me uncomfortable."

"Since everyone agrees, let's go!"

Nie Kong laughed heartily and shouted toward the sky, "Phantom!"

Those two syllables resonated far and wide. The small black dot circling high above immediately descended, its silhouette growing larger until the form of the Phantom Eagle King was clearly visible in the blink of an eye.

"Brother, look!"

"Oh my, so many herbs!"

Tai Yan and Qing Yue exclaimed simultaneously.

Nie Kong retracted his gaze and looked forward. His heart skipped a beat. In the marshy mounds dozens of meters away, five or six more medicinal herbs had suddenly appeared. Although he was seeing them for the first time, judging by the rich herbal fragrance wafting over, Nie Kong could immediately confirm that they absolutely surpassed any herb he had picked before.

What an extravagant display by that Herb Spirit!

This "Herb Spirit Illusion Realm" originated from the Illusion Spirit Era, and the herbs here, having grown for ten thousand years, must have reached an incredibly terrifying quantity. If these herbs appeared at an auction, nearly every single one could incite a frenzy of bidding among Spirit Masters, but to the Herb Spirit, they were likely commonplace.

However, this also showed how desperately that Herb Spirit wished for him to press onward. Nie Kong was almost certain that if he hesitated any longer, the herbs ahead would only increase. This was its overt scheme: making you feel the irresistible urge to jump in, even when you clearly know a trap lies within.

"Brother, with so many herbs, are we still going back?" Tai Yan asked happily.

Well asked! Nie Kong praised inwardly, deliberately pausing for a long while before saying with a hint of frustration, "I'd actually like to pick those few herbs before leaving, but alas, my divine power is nearly depleted. This muddy land is too vast, and it might not be easy to cross. Even if we could barely pass, the danger would be too great."

"..."

Qing Yue pouted upon hearing this. She had just been full of energy, and now her divine power was almost exhausted? That was too fake. And what about the Phantom Eagle King hovering above—was it just for show? But soon, the little one stopped pouting as she noticed the surrounding spiritual energy elements suddenly becoming active.

After a moment of stunned silence, Qing Yue exclaimed in disbelief, "The spiritual power is effective!"

"Indeed!"

Nie Kong nodded with a smile.

The sudden shift in the state of the spiritual energy elements around him, from stagnant to active, meant that Spirit Masters could now communicate with the spiritual energy elements just as they could outside, allowing their spiritual power to exert its effect. From this, it was clear that Zhan Qiong and Zhan Song had been specially attended to by the Herb Spirit to be able to fly without using the "Dark Spirit Blood Pendant." Nie Kong realized that his poorly constructed statement had unexpectedly confirmed his previous guesses.

"Let's go!"

Nie Kong waved at the Phantom Eagle King in the sky, then directly merged with the void, crossing the mire to land on the marshy mound ahead. He carefully collected the few herbs into his pet inventory. Sure enough, when he straightened up, another cluster of very conspicuous herbs appeared on a marsh mound a hundred meters away.

The quantity had increased to ten stalks.

Nie Kong stopped teasing the Herb Spirit and continued forward with a smile, though his vigilance remained fully alert. With spiritual power now functional, Nie Kong’s speed increased. Perhaps it was because of Qing Yue’s earlier complaint, but the muddy flats ahead began to decrease.

After several li, it had transformed into a stretch of firm, green grassland. Walking on it only caused a slight wobble, and even vigorous bouncing didn't bring any fear of sinking.

"Nie Kong, I can see the stone tablet."

Hearing Qing Yue’s voice, Nie Kong pulled out the last herb in front of him and looked up. A bright crimson stone tablet instantly came into view. The tablet stood three meters tall, etched with two jade-green characters: Forbidden Spirit! The name "Forbidden Spirit Marsh" originally derived from this very marker.

Nie Kong had seen this stone tablet multiple times over the past few days while soaring high above on the Phantom Eagle King.

However, at that time, the area within a thousand meters surrounding the tablet was covered in mire and standing water, so Nie Kong hadn't bothered to descend and inspect it. But now, the stone tablet was encircled by lush green grass. To lure Nie Kong forward, the Herb Spirit had continuously made massive adjustments to the landscape ahead.

"Wow, there are herbs everywhere!"

As Tai Yan gasped in amazement, Nie Kong simultaneously noticed that surrounding the Forbidden Spirit Stone Tablet, herbs were densely packed, one right next to the other.

There were familiar ones such as the previously seen "Red-Backed Heavenly Net," "Yellow Hairy Grass," "Golden Jade Gourd," and "White Silk Speckled," alongside many that Nie Kong had never encountered before.

In total, there were probably several hundred stalks.

Although he already knew that the Herb Spirit possessed the ability to conjure herbs instantly, Nie Kong couldn't help but be startled by the sudden appearance of so many precious medicinal herbs all at once. After only a moment, Nie Kong snapped back to his senses, his desire to conquer the "Herb Spirit Illusion Realm" intensifying.

"Whoosh!"

A gentle breeze swept toward him, and all the herbs bent toward Nie Kong as if cheerfully beckoning him. Along with this breeze came various complex herbal scents; just inhaling lightly gave Nie Kong an intoxicating feeling of refreshment and release.

Giving a meaningful look to Tai Yan and Qing Yue on his shoulder, and sending a thought to the Phantom Eagle King circling a hundred meters above, Nie Kong took a deep breath and began to walk step by step toward the Forbidden Spirit Stone Tablet ahead...

... ...RO