"Xiangxiang?" A thought was projected across the void. "Ya ya ya?" The little fellow awoke as if from a dream, turning its flower bud with a hint of doubt.

But instantly, it sprang up in alarm, startled by the terrifying surge of power rushing into the Ling Shen Acupoint. Strands of its life-force medicine permeated its body, extending like tendrils to every limb and bone of Nie Kong within a flash.

"Ya ya ya, ya ya ya..." Anxious cries erupted one after another. "Return to Simplicity?" In an instant, Nie Kong grasped the meaning behind the little creature's words and couldn't help but pause.

This was a skill the little one had comprehended upon advancing to the Eighth Tier. In the previous life's 'Demon God' game, it was a formidable auxiliary skill exclusive to Apothecaries.

In 'Demon God,' there was a supreme entity second only to the 'Violet Illusionary Spirit Incense'—the 'Snow Domain Demon King.' Once its health dropped to thirty percent, it would unleash an area-of-effect skill called 'Snowstorm Collapse Heaven,' causing players to bleed continuously for a full minute. That was the mild consequence.

More severely, it would drive players into a state of frenzy, making them run about like headless flies for thirty seconds. This negative status could not be resolved by other auxiliary skills of the Apothecary; only the high-tier Apothecary skill, 'Return to Simplicity,' could thoroughly eradicate it.

When considering ways to remedy his current condition, Nie Kong had also thought of this skill, though it was merely a fleeting notion at the time, never fully explored. After all, he had no idea when the little creature would awaken!

Furthermore, there was the possibility that the skills the little one comprehended might undergo alterations, leaving the actual efficacy an unknown variable. Most importantly, he had assumed that even if the little one woke up, it would only have reached the Seventh Tier, whereas 'Return to Simplicity' was an Eighth Tier Apothecary skill.

What Nie Kong hadn't anticipated was that after absorbing the medicinal power of the Dragon Taming Grass, the little creature managed to advance two tiers consecutively, and the 'Return to Simplicity' skill was still intact. This outcome was a blend of sheer luck and past efforts.

If Nie Kong hadn't entered Dragon Island and located the Dragon Taming Grass in the Dragon Temple passage for the little one to absorb, it would never have reached the Eighth Tier, and without reaching the Eighth Tier, the skill 'Return to Simplicity' would naturally not exist. Even if Xiangxiang had awakened, she likely wouldn't have been able to resolve his current abnormal state.

Time was critical, and Nie Kong couldn't linger on his good fortune. He mused inwardly, "Although nature cannot be moved, the power of Tai Yan is violently colliding within my body, much like a state of frenzy.

And the 'Return to Simplicity' that Xiangxiang comprehended is a technique that guides one back to their inherent natural state." "Perhaps this skill truly will be effective!" With that thought, Nie Kong painstakingly mobilized a speck of 'Spirit Treasure Essence' from a corner of his Ling Shen Acupoint and merged it into the little creature's body. During this period, Nie Kong had continuously searched for ways and attempted repeatedly to make his Ling Shen Acupoints and the Nine Great Nether Stars function again; this speck of Spirit Treasure Essence was the fruit of those efforts.

The vast majority of the Spirit Treasure Essence within his body had been forcefully displaced by Tai Yan's power. Fortunately, this small amount had been compressed between a pair of minor acupoints; otherwise, mobilizing it would have been impossible.

Nie Kong had thought he might never have a chance to use it, never imagining it would be needed so soon. "Ya ya ya..." Stimulated by the Spirit Treasure Essence, the little creature chirped happily.

A moment later, the life-force medicine that the little one had extended into Nie Kong's body began to rotate rapidly. Emerald green vortexes coalesced one after another inside Nie Kong's body.

In the blink of an eye, there were hundreds of them, and a wondrous power began to spiral outward from these vortices. Influenced by the force of the vortices, Nie Kong's Spirit Treasure Essence quickly began to stir.

First around the Ling Shen Acupoints, and then through the meridians... Eventually, even the divine power within the Nether Stars started to fluctuate faintly.

Several minutes later, as the emerald vortices dissipated, Nie Kong's internal condition became even more peculiar. Tai Yan's power still poured in and flowed out ceaselessly, but his own Spirit Treasure Essence and divine power were no longer being expelled or compressed.

Instead, they flowed thread by thread through the acupoints, meridians, and Nether Stars. However, the speed was significantly slower compared to before.

With a thought from Nie Kong, the forty-one Ling Shen Acupoints and the Nine Great Nether Stars, which had been stagnant for so long, vibrated and flickered almost simultaneously. The 'Yin-Yang Devouring Spirit Art' and the 'War God Star Seal' began to operate together.

This development caused an immense thrill in Nie Kong’s heart. He hadn't expected a single 'Return to Simplicity' to be a permanent solution to restore his body to its original state; after all, Tai Yan’s power was too overwhelming.

The ability for his Spirit Treasure Essence and divine power to resume natural circulation, as it was now, was already an unexpected joy for Nie Kong. As long as the 'Yin-Yang Devouring Spirit Art' and the 'War God Star Seal' could operate, this presented a rare opportunity to break free from this cyclical entrapment.

"Ya ya ya..." Suddenly, the little creature's cry sounded again. "Fusion?" Understanding Xiangxiang's meaning, Nie Kong first paused, then couldn't help a wry smile.

The little one seemed to be dreaming too extravagantly. Fusing with Tai Yan's power—how could that possibly be achieved?

Although his 'Spirit Treasure Essence' possessed the strength of the Second Grade of Cave Spirit, compared to the terrifying might of Tai Yan, the gap was immense, one being subterranean while the other was celestial. They were entirely incomparable.

Yet, after his initial amusement, Nie Kong couldn't help but ponder. Great Yan Spirit Venerable cultivated by absorbing the deathly aura of the netherworld to achieve the Spirit God realm.

To transform her main body and avatar, she transferred the bulk of her power into Tai Yan. Although Tai Yan was a Spirit God Herb Spirit, she only possessed power equivalent to a Spirit God, not the true status of the Great Yan Spirit Venerable.

Therefore, Tai Yan's current power was not yet pure divine power, but rather the power of the Dark Origin. His own Spirit Treasure Essence was formed by wood spirit energy absorbing a touch of fire spirit elements, then condensing vitality and death qi.

Death qi, in essence, was the ultimate, extreme power reached by dark spiritual energy. One step beyond extreme power was Origin Power.

Heaven and earth were naturally composed of life and death. His Spirit Treasure Essence also gathered the two paths of life and death, making it a power closest to the Origin of Heaven and Earth's nature.

However, in the final analysis, Spirit Treasure Essence was not true Origin Power, and the difference between it and genuine Origin Power was vast. If it were the little creature's life-force medicine, perhaps it could truly merge with Tai Yan's Dark Origin Power, enabling his Spirit Treasure Essence to become a complete Origin Power.

But as the thought formed, Nie Kong hesitated. What if he truly absorbed Tai Yan's Dark Origin Power?

Wouldn't she then have no power left to protect herself? If that were all, it would be one thing.

But what if losing this power caused her strength to regress so severely that she could no longer assume human form, or worse, the entire 'Returning Glance Grass' withered? That would be a disastrous complication!

... ...RO