Tendrils of pale gold thread spilled out from the Golden Underworld Star, weaving intricately through Nie Kong's body. After a few minutes, his entire form seemed to transform into a vast spider’s web, encompassing his Spiritual Divine Apertures, meridians, bones, the Nine Great Underworld Stars, and even the Heart-Visage in his brow.

A moment later, the flashing frequency of the Underworld Stars abruptly shifted. The web-like golden threads coiled inward, coalescing into an enormous golden cocoon that began to slowly contract and pulsate. As time wore on, the pulsations quickened, and a strange suction instantly pervaded his entire being.

When he had previously absorbed the Origin Power of the Fu Ling in the Underworld Sea, only one Underworld Star had transformed to gold, producing a maximum of seventy-two golden threads. Now, however, Nie Kong possessed five Golden Underworld Stars, generating a staggering one thousand one hundred and forty-four threads woven from condensed Divine Power.

This massive increase in thread count made the effect of the "Coiling Silk Cocoon Siphon Art" far surpass its former capability. Before long, wisps of Dark Origin Power began to separate from the main bulk, merging with Nie Kong’s Spiritual Treasure Essence. Stimulated by this Dark Origin Power, his Spiritual Treasure Essence became significantly more vibrant.

The Nine Great Underworld Stars flashed with increasing intensity. Finally, the five Golden Underworld Stars shone like miniature suns, their brilliance so constant that it was hard to distinguish between flashing and perpetual radiance. This dazzling golden light flooded his body, accelerating the pulsing of the golden cocoon and intensifying the suction force.

More and more Dark Origin Power was drawn in, melding with Nie Kong’s Spiritual Treasure Essence. Simultaneously, his Spiritual Divine Apertures throbbed wildly. The speed of the Yin-Yang Spirit Devouring Art began to approach his peak operational state, surging an influx of vitality into him.

Vast swathes of life force leaked out from the crimson walls, completely enveloping the sphere into which Qing Yue had transformed. As time passed, the thick emerald green seemed to condense into something tangible. The redness in the surrounding walls grew fainter, completely suppressed by the verdant vitality.

"Isn't this movement a bit excessive?"

A small, leaf-condensed phantom of Qing Yue glanced around, unable to help but click his tongue internally, a faint worry stirring in his heart. "The speed at which Nie Kong is absorbing this vitality now is even greater than before he passed out—enough to provoke that Medicine Spirit into attacking with nearly a hundred types of toxic gases, ultimately achieving its goal with a 'Tenth Grade Drunken God Incense.' Now that Nie Kong is causing such a violent disturbance, how could that Medicine Spirit possibly let this rest?"

But what utterly perplexed Qing Yue was that the vitality continued to be drawn in ceaselessly and rapidly integrated into Nie Kong’s body, without the slightest pause... It seemed Nie Kong was no longer under any attack, as if the Medicine Spirit had never noticed the changes happening here.

"Is it too preoccupied absorbing 'Human Qi' to break away, or has something unexpected detained it in the Spirit Ban Marsh?"

Qing Yue tilted his tiny head, pondering deeply for a long while before finally giving up his obsessive speculation. It was best if the Medicine Spirit didn't interfere, allowing Nie Kong to recover in peace. The phantom gradually faded, soon reverting to the single emerald leaf, which silently merged back into the sphere.

Within Nie Kong's physical form, the Coiling Silk Cocoon Siphon Art continued its relentless absorption of Tai Yan's Origin Power...

The little fellow occasionally infused a wisp of his inherent medicinal power into Tai Yan’s energy. Nie Kong remained completely immersed, utterly unaware of the passage of time.

"Ayayaya!"

After an unknown duration, a cry of excited joy from the little fellow suddenly startled Nie Kong awake. Only then did Nie Kong realize that the dark green hue of his Spiritual Treasure Essence had actually faded somewhat, and the very nature of this essence seemed to have undergone subtle changes.

The Spiritual Treasure Essence was undergoing a transformation!

After a brief moment of stunned realization, Nie Kong understood, and an irrepressible delight surged through his chest. Absorbing Tai Yan's Dark Origin Power had indeed caused the Spiritual Treasure Essence to change. Nie Kong quickly checked Tai Yan’s power again and, finding no anomalies, finally set his mind at ease.

After his spirits were briefly lifted, Nie Kong sank even deeper into the process.

Integrating vitality with the Yin-Yang Spirit Devouring Art, controlling Divine Power with the War God Star Seal, and siphoning Dark Origin Power using the Coiling Silk Cocoon Siphon Art... using the Spiritual Treasure Essence as the foundation, these three divine arts formed a miraculous cycle within Nie Kong’s body, with Tai Yan's power serving as the engine for this loop.

Time ticked by. The color of the Spiritual Treasure Essence grew fainter, gradually tending toward transparency...

"Just a little bit more!"

Sensing the change in the Spiritual Treasure Essence, Nie Kong felt remarkably calm. However, as the essence became more transparent, the siphon art’s absorption became easier. By this point, the Dark Origin Power flowing into his body had diminished by nearly thirty percent, which caused Nie Kong a touch of concern.

Fortunately, this siphoning would cease soon!

"The transformed Spiritual Treasure Essence is no longer Spiritual Treasure Essence. Perhaps it can be called... Natural Origin Power..." Such a thought surfaced involuntarily in Nie Kong's mind. "Relying on Natural Origin Power, I should be able to interrupt this cycle between myself and Tai Yan."

"Ayayaya..."

The little fellow was now dancing energetically inside the Spiritual Divine Apertures. Upon sensing it, Nie Kong realized the transformation was complete: the once dark-green Spiritual Treasure Essence had become completely transparent.

This was Natural Origin Power!

Success!

Nie Kong quietly let out a breath. With a mere shift of intent, the massive golden cocoon inside his body instantly stopped pulsating. It reverted to its web form, then divided back into over a thousand slender golden threads, quietly retreating into the five Golden Underworld Stars. The flashing frequency of the Nine Great Underworld Stars began to slow down accordingly.

But immediately following this, an unexpected scene unfolded before Nie Kong. The newly transformed Natural Origin Power inexplicably followed the current of Dark Origin Power, flowing through the meridians, passing through the bones and the Nine Great Underworld Stars, and then surging out violently through the Heart-Visage in his brow, seemingly flowing into Tai Yan’s body.

"This... what is happening?"

Nie Kong was utterly astonished. Was the Natural Origin Power he had worked so hard to transform simply being sucked away by Tai Yan? However, less than a second later, Nie Kong was filled with joyous surprise to find that the Natural Origin Power that had just flowed out was now surging back in through the spiritual passage, following that same stream of Dark Origin Power.

Moreover, both streams of incoming Origin Power seemed to have grown slightly thicker. Consequently, Nie Kong's own Natural Origin Power joined the cycle between him and Tai Yan.

This change initially left Nie Kong utterly bewildered, but it quickly morphed into an indescribable delight.

He discovered that with the companionship of his own Natural Origin Power, the circulation speed of Tai Yan’s Dark Origin Power showed a tendency to decrease. Although the decrease was extremely slow and barely perceptible, Nie Kong was now so intimately familiar with Tai Yan's power that he easily sensed this subtle shift.

This was a positive sign!

As long as this downward trend continued, the two Origin Powers would eventually cease their mutual circulation entirely, and then they would each go their separate ways.

... ...RO