As Nie Kong and Hua Mei departed the Spirit Abode, Gu Changgong, Yang Tian, Houtu, and Yuan Xunyu had already vanished. It was presumed they knew Nie Kong would emerge, leading Gu Changgong to take the others away beforehand.

Nie Kong placed complete trust in Gu Changgong. However, his trust in Yang Tian and the others was not nearly as deep. Although the fact that he had obtained the Spirit Abode would eventually be uncovered by the Spirit God Hall, keeping it secret for even one more day was better; fewer people knowing for the time being was preferable.

Once the people from Lingyu City and the Muxue Sect departed, only those from the Yin Ruins remained near the Spirit Banning Stone Stele.

This time, accompanying Mu Xueyi were not only Mu Qingyi and Mu Jinzhu, but also Mu Lengxing, the City Lord of Xiluo City, and Mu Yaotong, the City Lord of Dongwu City. As for the final young, beautiful, dignified, and serene woman, it was Nie Kong's first time seeing her. But upon learning her identity, Nie Kong couldn't help but be astonished.

His mother was none other than the Medicine King of the Yin Ruins, Mu Wanqing.

After the meeting, Mu Xueyi, Mu Qingyi, Mu Lengxing, and Mu Yaotong were most interested in Hua Mei, with the Spirit Abode coming in a distant second. Mu Wanqing, however, cared most about the Medicine Pagoda. After entering the Spirit Abode and exchanging only a few words, she urgently asked Nie Kong to take her to see the Medicine Garden inside.

Nie Kong had no choice but to have Youhun and Hulu guide his mother and the others, along with Hua Mei, around the Spirit Abode, while he, along with Qingyue and Mu Wanqing, broke away from the main group and returned to the Medicine Pagoda.

The Medicine Pagoda had nine stories. According to Hulu's explanation, during the era of the Phantom Spirit Continent, medicinal herbs were divided into nine grades based on their potency. The first level of the Medicine Pagoda cultivated Grade One herbs, the second level Grade Two, and so on, with the ninth level cultivating the most precious Grade Nine herbs.

At the center of every floor of the Medicine Pagoda, there was a small Illusion Array.

These Illusion Arrays were closely connected to the Spirit Abode's Illusion Array beneath the pagoda. Only when the Spirit Abode's main Illusion Array was fully restored and operational could the Talismans forming the smaller Illusion Arrays be lit up.

"This is it."

In an instant, Nie Kong's spiritual sense enveloped the Illusion Array spanning several meters, carefully perceiving the vitality contained within every single Talisman. After a mere few seconds, a smile flickered across Nie Kong's face. He pressed his right thumb onto the pivot point of the Illusion Array, and the power of the Natural Origin surged out.

With a hum, countless streams of verdant emerald light burst forth from the Talismans, and immediately, the entire Illusion Array was enveloped in a hazy green aura.

Nie Kong smiled, "Aunt Wan, please, you first."

"Impressive. I couldn't discern a single trick, and you’ve already activated this array. My apprentice couldn't catch up to you even if he tried to flatter you."

Mu Wanqing, though appearing dignified and serene, actually possessed a very impatient nature. After praising Nie Kong with a smile, she directly stepped into the array. Her blue silhouette quickly merged with the green emanating from the array, and in the blink of an eye, her body vanished from within.

"Nie Kong, let's hurry too!"

Qingyue urged him fiercely.

Nie Kong himself was extremely eager about the Medicine Garden within the Spirit Abode. He quickly stepped in, feeling a rapid flicker of green light before his vision cleared again. A vast, flat expanse first came into view, followed by a rush of fresh herbal fragrance assaulting his nostrils.

"Wow... what a huge medicine garden."

Little Dumpling couldn't help but cheer, then hopped off Nie Kong's shoulder and scampered into the herb fields.

Nie Kong gazed intently, feeling a slight awe in his heart. The flat ground was divided into countless small plots, neatly arranged and stretching outwards in all directions, with small lakes dotted between the clearings. By Nie Kong's estimation, this first-level garden spanned at least several thousand meters in circumference.

However, what was planted here were basically ordinary medicinal herbs. Within a radius of ten meters, Nie Kong recognized several herbs he had tasted before. According to Hulu, this level of the garden also contained herbs that were common but exceedingly rare; the herbs in this Medicine Pagoda were graded solely by their medicinal potency.

Even if there were only one or two specimens of a certain herb in the world, if its potency only met the standard for Grade One, it could only be planted on the first floor of the Medicine Pagoda. In contrast, precious herbs like 'Golden Summit Tassel' or 'Hansei Divine Heart Grass,' even if they were abundant, would have to be placed on higher floors due to their inherent potency.

This was determined by the conditions of each level of the Medicine Pagoda.

During the Phantom Spirit Continent era, there existed a very rare 'Six Spirit Medicine Heart Stone.' This jade was the foundation of every garden level. No matter what herb was planted, its essence would travel through the soil down into the interior of the jade, and the 'Six Spirit Medicine Heart Stone' would then regulate the six elemental spirits—Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, and Dark—according to the herb's essence, creating a micro-environment perfectly suited for its growth.

Generally speaking, for Grade One herbs, one 'Six Spirit Medicine Heart Stone' was sufficient to oversee them.

Grade Two herbs required two... and Grade Nine herbs required nine. This Medicine Pagoda alone consumed a full forty-five 'Six Spirit Medicine Heart Stones.' However, such a garden was not without its drawbacks: once the herbs matured, they would cease to grow, regardless of how much longer they were cultivated—a stark contrast to the medicinal gardens in the Butterfly Secret Realm.

In the Butterfly Secret Realm's garden, it was possible to cultivate two types of herbs that possessed sentience, but within this Medicine Pagoda, even the highest-grade herbs could never develop any spirituality. It was fortunate, otherwise, after ten thousand years, one couldn't imagine how many herbs in this pagoda might have evolved into spirit entities.

"Let's go, Mù Kōng, to the second floor."

With a flash of blue shadow, Mu Wanqing's tall and graceful figure returned to Nie Kong's side.

Upon entering, Nie Kong saw Mu Wanqing's figure constantly flashing everywhere. Within a few minutes, she had explored almost the entire garden. Seeing Mu Wanqing still in such a rush, Nie Kong couldn't help but smile, "Aunt Wan, any discoveries here?"

"About half of the common herbs found on the Heavenly Spirit Continent are here. The other half are either ones we haven't discovered yet, or they are extinct on the Heavenly Spirit Continent..." Before she even finished speaking, Mu Wanqing's figure had already passed through the Illusion Array and left the garden.

"..." Nie Kong shook his head with a wry smile and followed her out. Little Qingyue had somehow slipped out and was bouncing on Nie Kong's shoulder again.

Minutes later, Nie Kong activated the Illusion Array for the second floor of the Medicine Pagoda.

This time, the three of them stayed inside for about ten minutes before emerging. When they reached the third floor, their stay extended by nearly half an hour.

The fourth floor, the fifth floor...

The duration of their stay grew longer with each ascending level.

When Nie Kong, Mu Wanqing, and Qingyue stepped out of the Illusion Array on the eighth floor of the Medicine Pagoda, it was already nighttime.

But as night fell, this jade-white pagoda began to emit a dazzling, brilliant white light. It not only illuminated the interior of the pagoda completely but also lit up an area several thousand meters outside its walls as brightly as day.