"Tai Yan suddenly said, 'Qing Yue, is there any way you can shield Brother and me?' 'That's easy enough to manage.'

Qing Yue glanced with a touch of envy at Tai Yan's voluptuous and captivating form, letting out a sour remark before her delicate and exquisite body suddenly shifted into its true shape. The leaves, stems, and petals of the Qing Yue Illusionary Heart Orchid intertwined layer upon layer, and in moments, a sphere nearly two meters in diameter materialized in that space.

Seeing this, Tai Yan quickly scooped up Nie Kong and slipped in through the opening Qing Yue had left. The inside was filled with a soft, greenish light, so it didn't feel dark at all.

As she set Nie Kong down, the opening behind her sealed shut.

Tai Yan surveyed her surroundings with a few glances, laughing happily, "This is perfect. Brother said this sort of thing shouldn't be seen by outsiders."

Her innocent words nearly made Qing Yue spit blood. With this setup, even if that Medicine Spirit outside tried to spy again, it would see nothing. Yet, not only was she being asked to supervise this act, but it was happening inside her own body! Did she truly think Grandma wasn't an outsider?

"Qing Yue, what's next?"

"..."

...

The Underworld, deep within the Ghost Domain, the Realm of White Bones.

In the palace constructed entirely of bone, the Great Yan Spirit Sovereign floated cross-legged above the Blood Pool, fine threads of crimson light perpetually seeping from the pool and drawing into her body.

"Hah!"

Suddenly, as if a massive stone had been dropped into the calm Blood Pool, the surface began to ripple violently.

"Hmm?"

The Great Yan Spirit Sovereign's eyes snapped open abruptly, and she murmured with confusion, "Why? Why... is my spirit fluctuating so intensely?"

A faint red shadow flickered, and the Great Yan Spirit Sovereign drifted toward the edge of the Blood Pool.

"Ugh."

The moment her feet touched the ground, the Great Yan Spirit Sovereign trembled, letting out a muffled groan, nearly collapsing. She quickly sat down, her perfect face instantly flushing a deep red, a look of sheer shame and rage crossing her features. "What is happening? Why am I feeling... this sensation?"

Before her words faded, her body began to tremble slightly again, her breathing growing rapid, an unfamiliar and bizarre feeling that made her cheeks glow as if they might bleed.

"How can this be... Ah?"

Suppressing a cry that was about to escape her throat, the Great Yan Spirit Sovereign managed only a low moan before she involuntarily began to hum softly.

Hearing the melodious, tender sounds emanating from herself, the Great Yan Spirit Sovereign could hardly believe her ears. The feeling of shame and indignation instantly flooded her entire being.

"Damn it! Could it be that practicing too eagerly has led to a deviation in my cultivation?"

The Great Yan Spirit Sovereign gritted her teeth and cursed angrily, tightly pressing her lips together, struggling desperately to endure. Her full chest rose and fell sharply, her gasps clearly audible.

"Endure... I can't hold back anymore..."

Before long, the Great Yan Spirit Sovereign could no longer suppress the urge to cry out. After this initial sound, it was like a breached dam unleashing a tidal wave—rolling and unstoppable. In an instant, fluctuating tones, soft and charming voices echoed throughout the vast Hall of White Bones.

After an unknown length of time, the heart-pounding sounds abruptly ceased with a high-pitched shriek. The successive gasps gradually subsided until they vanished entirely.

Lying flat on the ground, the Great Yan Spirit Sovereign looked as if she had just survived a fierce battle, unmoving, staring upward. Her cheeks were flushed like overripe apples, fiery red and glistening, her temple locks disheveled, and her crimson robe was soaked with sweat, revealing the exquisite contours of her body.

"It's not a deviation in cultivation; this is absolutely not a deviation..."

After a long pause, the Great Yan Spirit Sovereign, eyes still closed, murmured weakly a few times through her slightly parted crimson lips. Then, as if recalling something, her beautiful eyes, brimming with spring warmth, suddenly opened wide.

"Nie Kong! It must be Nie Kong!"

The Great Yan Spirit Sovereign roared and flipped herself upright. "That despicable, shameless, vulgar scoundrel! He must have used some method to awaken my avatar! My avatar has no memories, her mind is pure, and this bastard seduced her and defiled her body! Vile! Vile! Nie Kong, I swear eternal enmity with you! One day, I will shatter the seal of the Underworld, capture you, and grind your bones to dust!"

The Great Yan Spirit Sovereign's eyes blazed with fury, and she violently hammered her fists onto the floor, causing cracks to spiderweb across the surface at a visible rate. However, after only a moment, the anger draining from her face, it became stiff, and then, biting her lip in a mixture of shame and rage, she muttered, "Bastard! Bastard! Is it over already? It's happening again..."

...

This time, the Hall of White Bones fell silent at an even faster pace.

"Bai Lian!"

The Great Yan Spirit Sovereign took a deep breath and shouted. Using some unknown technique, the flush on her cheeks instantly vanished, her face regaining its usual pallor.

"Mistress."

Only a few seconds later, Bai Lian's figure suddenly appeared in the hall. Seeing the Great Yan Spirit Sovereign completely drenched in sweat, she was greatly alarmed. "What happened?"

The Great Yan Spirit Sovereign said urgently, "Nothing. Quickly help me sever the connection with my avatar."

Bai Lian paused, looking doubtful. "If we do that, it will waste a significant amount of Master's divine power, and it won't be permanent. Could Nie Kong be doing something to harm the Mistress's avatar?"

"Don't ask questions."

Shame and annoyance colored the Great Yan Spirit Sovereign's cheeks as she said sternly, "Hurry up and act!"

"Yes!"

Bai Lian had no choice but to nod her assent. A mass of hazy white energy burst forth from her body, wrapping around the Great Yan Spirit Sovereign like a tight cocoon.

A faint, blood-red glow flickered intermittently inside the white cocoon...

After this pulsing continued for half an hour, the Great Yan Spirit Sovereign's soft exhalations could finally be heard. With a crisp cracking sound, the white cocoon shattered like an eggshell, revealing the slender figure inside. With the severing of the link to her avatar, a look of profound relief washed over her face.

But soon, the Great Yan Spirit Sovereign's expression darkened again. "Bai Lian, when you return, immediately send word to Zhan Xinzi, Mo Huang, Jing Ji, and Hua Ruxian. Tell them your Mistress agrees to negotiate with them."

"What does the Mistress mean?" Bai Lian asked, slightly stunned.

"A truce is acceptable, but should the need arise in the future, they must assist this Sovereign in breaking the seal on the 'God Extinguishing Cave'!"

"I understand!"

Bai Lian's figure quickly dissolved into the void. The Hall of White Bones returned to silence, but the Great Yan Spirit Sovereign’s face shifted between dark scowls and pained expressions... After a long while, she almost spat the words through clenched teeth: "Nie Kong, just you wait!"

...

The Spirit-Restraining Marsh.

Inside the Red Wall space, the sphere woven from Qing Yue's true form was permeated with a peculiar floral fragrance.

"..."

"It's over... it's over... the sixth time is done... the medicinal power still hasn't come out. Qing Yue, it's really not working. Should we try another method?"

"What other method do you have?"

"None! How about we rest for a day and try again tomorrow!"

"If we try again tomorrow, we'll have to start over. Tai Yan, just hold on a little longer. This is the last time."

"Really the last time?"

"Really, really!"

"..."

After a brief period of soft whimpering, a voice filled with both a plaintive tone and undeniable joy arose from within the sphere: "Ah ya... it's coming out! It's coming out! Qing Yue, your method really works... The medicinal power seems like it’s about to emerge... This time it’s real."

"Wonderful!"

"We succeeded! So much medicinal power came out, and Brother absorbed it all..."

"Grandma really is clever to think up a method like this."

Qing Yue giggled, gently placing Tai Yan's soft, yielding body onto Nie Kong's chest. Then, her leaves retracted into the inner wall of the sphere. However, before her joy could fully settle, Tai Yan cried out in panic, "No! Qing Yue, pull me away quickly! The power inside my body is coming out along with the medicinal essence!"

"What!"

Qing Yue was instantly horrified. Dozens of leaves shot out, wrapping tightly around Tai Yan's slender torso. "Tai Yan, what is it? I can't pull you away!"

"I can't move either! What do we do? It's going to devour Brother."

"Don't panic, don't panic yet..."

"..."

...

...RO"