Recalling the Spirit Masters who had been nearly broken by the Black Hawk, the group trembled with fear and soiled themselves, stumbling back the way they came. It was fortunate that the grassland in this area was firm; otherwise, given their current panicked state, every one of them would have sunk into the marsh and none would have escaped.

After fleeing dozens of meters, they finally realized that the Black Hawk had not given chase. Mustering their courage, they dared a quick glance back, only to see the Black Hawk still perched motionlessly on the stone tablet. The moment their eyes met its cold gaze, a chill ran down their spines, and they dared not linger for an instant.

"How dull, just this old bird here!"

The Soul-Ghost Hawk King grumbled in annoyance, having no interest whatsoever in the fleeing Spirit Masters. Ever since Nie Kong and the others had fallen into this predicament two days ago, the Soul-Ghost Hawk King had been restless, terrified that if Nie Kong died, it would perish with him. Thankfully, nothing had gone wrong for two days.

But just because nothing happened yesterday or the day before didn't guarantee safety today or in the future. As long as Nie Kong didn't appear, it couldn't relax. It had initially hoped that the Medicine Spirit would capture it too; being trapped inside with Nie Kong would mean an end to this constant anxiety.

However, until this moment, the Medicine Spirit hadn't made the slightest move, as if it didn't exist, which left the Hawk King deeply disappointed. With a silent sigh, the Soul-Ghost Hawk King sullenly turned its head to survey its surroundings. A moment later, its pupils suddenly snapped wide open—three tiny black dots appeared on the distant horizon.

"Heavenly Spirit Masters! And they can fly like Zhan Qiong and Zhan Song! That damned Medicine Spirit isn't ignoring me; it’s playing dirty!" The Soul-Ghost Hawk King cursed silently, discarding all other thoughts. Spreading its wings, it soared high into the air, desperately fleeing toward the south of the marsh. If it were caught by those Heavenly Spirit Masters inside the Spirit-Sealing Marsh, it would surely die. Today was unlike previous days when Nie Kong could harass enemies with his arrows.

"Chase! Hurry and pursue! That's the hawk ahead; we must capture that evil beast alive!" A sharp shout carried over the distance, the tone brimming with towering rage.

"Damn it, it's that Zhan Qiong!"

The Soul-Ghost Hawk King’s heart pounded. It hadn't expected the enemy who escaped last time to show up today. Falling into his hands would make death itself a luxury. If Nie Kong were dead, it would die even if it didn't want to, but with Nie Kong alive and well, dying first would be utterly unjust!

What brought the Soul-Ghost Hawk King some small comfort was that Zhan Qiong's injuries from days prior seemed unhealed, making his speed significantly inferior to before. The two Heavenly Spirit Masters who appeared with him were comparable in speed to Zhan Song back then, meaning the hope of escaping them was still quite high.

"Screeech!"

With a piercing cry, the Soul-Ghost Hawk King beat its wings ever more swiftly...

...

Inside the Red Wall Space, within the spherical formation woven by the main body of the Azure Moon Illusory Heart Orchid, Tai Yan remained in a straddling posture, lying quietly upon Nie Kong, her crimson lips pressed against the man's brow. As time passed, the originally flushed skin on Tai Yan's bare body had long since returned to a delicate white.

"It's been so long, and still no sign of movement."

Qing Yue's frustrated sigh echoed. "Grandmother, I've truly caused a catastrophe. I shouldn't have suggested such a foolish plan to Tai Yan. The medicinal power successfully flowed out, but I didn't expect the power hidden within her body to hemorrhage along with it. If we had waited for Xiang Xiang to wake up, even though the delay would have been longer, this situation would never have occurred. Truly... success hinges on the same cause as failure! Is that how Nie Kong puts it?"

Deep in his soul, Nie Kong still hadn't devised a solution and felt desperately anxious. He didn't know how much time had passed, but it certainly wasn't less than two days. Two days was enough time for many things to happen; if those Heavenly Spirit experts found the entrance to the Spirit Mansion and mastered the Illusory Array, his chances would become slim.

Of course, those were future worries. The most pressing matter now was to sever the cyclic connection between their bodies.

"Jingle bells!"

Just as Nie Kong was so worried his soul felt like it was about to smoke, a string of crisp sounds suddenly rang out in his mind, followed by a wisp of the little one's consciousness: "Pet 'Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance' successfully upgraded to Tier Seven; four additional slots added to the Pet Backpack; comprehended Tier Seven Symbiotic Combat Skill 'Sky-filling Drifting Flowers'; comprehended Tier Seven Symbiotic Combat Skill 'Phantom Bewitching Heart'; 'Medicine Cauldron Illusory Body' advanced to Tier Seven!"

Xiang Xiang advanced?

Nie Kong was overjoyed, neglecting to ponder the little one's newly comprehended skills. He quickly shifted his attention to the Spiritual God Acupoint, only to see the little creature still curled into a ball, showing no signs of waking. Seeing this, Nie Kong couldn't help but feel a little perplexed. According to past experience, the moment the little one advanced, it should awaken. But this time was different; perhaps Tai Yan's power had impacted it as well?

"Jingle bells!"

Suddenly, another sequence of clear sounds appeared in his mind.

A subsequent stream of consciousness followed: "Pet 'Amethyst Illusory Spirit Fragrance' successfully upgraded to Tier Eight, four additional slots added to the Pet Backpack; comprehended Tier Eight Symbiotic Combat Skill 'Sea of Flowers Surge'; comprehended Tier Eight Symbiotic Combat Skill 'Dreamlike Bubble'; comprehended Tier Eight Symbiotic Combat Skill 'Divine Shadow Lost Track'; comprehended Tier Eight Auxiliary Skill 'Return to Simplicity'; 'Medicine Cauldron Illusory Body' advanced to Tier Eight; 'Scent for Medicine Recognition' advanced!"

From Tier Six to Tier Seven, and then immediately to Tier Eight...

Two consecutive advances!

After a moment of shock, Nie Kong was overwhelmed by both surprise and delight. No wonder the little one had been dormant for three full months; it had been brewing such a massive promotion. This situation was something Nie Kong had never anticipated, as advancing became increasingly difficult for the little one the higher the tier.

But now it seemed the effect of the Dragon-Taming Grass far exceeded expectations.

It truly deserved its status as one of the Five Great Wonders that had achieved sentience. If he could acquire miraculous medicines like the God-Devouring Flower or the Ever-Night Sky, the little one might be able to leap directly to Tier Nine!

After a long while, Nie Kong managed to suppress his excitement and joy, refocusing his attention on the little creature. Just as before, Xiang Xiang, which had shrunk into the shape of a seed, began to slowly unfurl.

After this promotion, its roots had become incredibly dense—a large cluster of hazy purple—and its stalk had thickened considerably. Two more leaves had appeared, shimmering with purple light and extremely beautiful. The flower bud at its apex had swollen nearly twofold and faintly showed signs of blooming.

"The Tier Eight little one is indeed vastly different from the Tier Six version," Nie Kong was even more delighted. The little one before was agile, certainly, but it couldn't compare to an old hand like Qing Yue. Now, however, the roots, leaves, and flower bud exuded an aura of spirituality almost everywhere.

... ...RO