huā’s eyes darted evasively, unwilling to meet Nie Kong’s gaze. Thinking back to what she had just said, she felt her body as if it were being roasted on a fiery grate—intensely hot. Her heart felt ready to leap from her throat, and a blush quickly crept over her face, spilling up her fair, jade-like neck.

Nie Kong was even more puzzled. Seeing that she had only managed to utter "no" twice before sealing her lips tightly, he knew it would be difficult to get more out of her, and his mind began to spin rapidly. After only a moment, Nie Kong’s heart skipped a beat. He tested the waters, saying, "huā, do you know if my Aunt Qing has another daughter?"

"..."

huā made no sound, but the hands that had been resting on Nie Kong’s shoulders instinctively tightened.

"I understand now." Nie Kong could finally confirm his suspicion was correct, and a wry smile touched his lips. He had always told her about these matters; he hadn't expected her to find out in the end.

His thoughts racing, Nie Kong turned serious and said, "huā, actually, that marriage arrangement in Yin Xu—"

"Aunt Xue and Aunt Qing both said they forced you to agree," huā mumbled. Mu Xueyi and Mu Qingyi, and the others, clearly felt that Nie Kong marrying two women was no big deal. If Nie Kong was willing, there were plenty of young, beautiful women in Yin Xu waiting for him to choose from, so they always spoke of the matter with smiles.

But after huā learned of it, she somehow felt a strong sense of crisis, and this surge of emotion led to the surprising reaction that had just stunned Nie Kong.

"I don't know how to handle this right now either."

Nie Kong sighed with a touch of frustration. He wasn't just worried about Mu Qingying, but also Long Xuechan, Tai Yan, and the already pregnant Long Meixian. However, huā's place in his heart remained unshaken. "huā, no matter what happens in the future, you will be my wife."

"Brother, I believe you."

Although Nie Kong’s words were somewhat vague, huā finally felt her worries ease. Content, she leaned against him softly. After a moment, huā seemed to recall something and looked up again, asking curiously, "Brother, Aunt Xue said she also adopted a goddaughter—why haven't I seen her?"

"Sister huā, I am here."

A muffled voice suddenly emerged from between their tightly pressed chests.

huā jumped in fright and hastily straightened her delicate frame, looking down. She saw a vibrant red flower slowly unfurling from the opening of Nie Kong’s robe—except its petals were flattened. Fortunately, after emerging, it shook gently a few times, and its shape quickly normalized.

huā’s face turned crimson. She had assumed it was just the two of them, Nie Kong and herself, and never imagined he was concealing a little sister in his arms. She felt doubly ashamed. But as the entire Recollection Grass climbed out from his chest, the shyness in huā’s eyes gradually gave way to curiosity: "Brother, I've met her before."

During their time in the Huadie Mystic Realm, huā often saw Nie Kong take out the Recollection Grass, and she knew that Mu Xueyi’s adopted daughter was a spirit of medicine. However, huā had never connected the two, mainly because she only listened when Mu Xueyi and the others spoke and never asked questions.

"Yes, she is Tai Yan."

Nie Kong felt a bit awkward. The girl Tai Yan was simple-minded; if he mentioned the word "fight" in front of huā, it would become troublesome to explain. But after a few minutes, Nie Kong was completely relieved—Tai Yan might be pure-hearted, but she wasn't foolish, and she never mentioned the word "fight."

After a few peaceful days, huā finally departed Wu Yi, leaving with a reluctant reluctance for the Ghost Soul Eagle King.

Accompanying her were Mu Yaotong and Mu Lengxing. Mu Yaotong needed to return to Lingyu City to substitute for Mu Xueyi in suppressing the Yin Xu spiritual veins. Mu Lengxing was tasked by Nie Kong to return to Yin Xu to select some reliable personnel to reinforce the Spirit Abode. They could conveniently escort huā. Before they left, Nie Kong gave each of them a "Returning Spirit Jade Token," allowing them to enter this Spirit Abode anytime in the future.

Once the three departed, the vast Spirit Abode became even quieter. However, outside the Abode, on the Tianling Continent, the situation was already stirring beneath the surface.

The Spirit God Hall had mobilized an array featuring the Hall Master, two High Gods, and multiple Elders—a force of over a dozen powerful experts—yet they still suffered a crushing defeat in the "Spirit Banning Swamp." This news could not be contained; by the time they returned to the Spirit God Hall, it had already spread like wildfire across the entire Tianling Continent.

Kou Xilai was furious, and an edict was quietly issued, causing the tentacles of the Spirit God Hall in various locations to mobilize. Almost simultaneously, a team of nearly ten people left the lair of the Snake Spirit Clan, the "Myriad Snake Immortal Nest." Their destination? Jiyang City of the Dacheng Empire!

Days passed, and within the Spirit Banning Swamp, the Spirit Abode underwent earth-shattering changes.

Winding paths threaded through the mountains; palaces and pavilions had shed their dust; the overgrown grounds had been thoroughly cleaned. Furthermore, deep within the mountains, a hot spring spanning dozens of meters had appeared. Steam rose from the lake, spreading outward, making the vibrant Spirit Abode resemble a fairyland.

All of this was the contribution of Nie Kong, Mu Xueyi, and the others.

After huā, Mu Yaotong, and Mu Lengxing left, Nie Kong and the others began renovating and cleaning the Spirit Abode. After more than ten days, the Spirit Abode, abandoned for ten thousand years, looked brand new.

"The Spirit Abode is fixed, and Tai Yan still hasn't returned. This is truly boring," Qing Yue grumbled.

Nie Kong, having just replenished the depleted Natural Origin power within the illusory array beneath the Medicine Pagoda, heard her complaint and couldn't help but chuckle.

When huā and the others left, Nie Kong had instructed Mu Lengxing to take Tai Yan to Yin Xu as well. His primary goal was to see if her power could absorb the three "Dark Blood Spirit Worms" lodged near the Heart of the Wood Ancestor.

Nie Kong felt absolutely no worry about Tai Yan's safety; he had an instinctual trust in the Wood Ancestor.

Originally, Nie Kong had planned to take time to return to Yin Xu to handle this matter himself. However, Mu Qingyi's arrival slightly altered his plans. While Nie Kong was in the "Abyss of Depravity," Mu Qingyi had left Yin Xu for the "Icebound Snow Territory" at the far north of the Tianling Continent. She had only returned recently with a piece of "Snow Essence," successfully condensing the three "Dark Blood Spirit Worms" into a single mass.

With this development, the Wood Ancestor's suppression of the "Dark Blood Spirit Worms" would become significantly easier, leading to a great recovery. Only then did Nie Kong allow Tai Yan to travel to Yin Xu alone with Mu Lengxing.

Since the "Dark Blood Spirit Worms" were created by the Great Evolution Spirit Venerable, there was a high probability that the Wood Ancestor could assist Tai Yan in devouring them once he was free to focus. However, whether things would truly proceed as Nie Kong wished was yet unknown; he would have to wait for Tai Yan to return to the Spirit Abode to find out.

Now that the Spirit Abode was secured, the second step of the plan was complete. It was time to begin the third step.

But before embarking on the third step, he needed to finish the lingering tasks from the first step. Fortunately, his mother, Aunt Qing, and Granny Zanchu were all present, which made things much easier.

As for security after leaving, Nie Kong was entirely unconcerned about the Spirit Abode.

The Spirit Abode's illusory array was functioning again, and the nine barriers at the entrance, along with the illusion talismans at the Spirit Banning Stone Tablet, had been repaired. Even if the Spirit God Hall brought out the authentic "Spirit Intent God Sealing Diagram," it would be difficult to breach it in a short time. Moreover, the Spirit Abode’s illusory array now bore his divine imprint; if the talismans were attacked, Nie Kong would sense it immediately. With the "Returning Spirit Jade Token," no matter the distance, he could return to the Spirit Abode instantly to control the array.

Given the current situation on the Tianling Continent, a Spirit Abode with a master was impregnable; unless the Abode was opened voluntarily, no one could force their way in.

The entry of Hua Chen and Jing Rong into the illusory array many years ago was an extremely rare accident.

Over these ten thousand years, the illusory array had ceased operation. Approximately every hundred years, the Spirit Abode's entrance would mechanically open a small fissure to draw in the "vital essence" from heaven and earth, preventing the Abode from collapsing. Nie Kong wasn't entirely clear on what this vital essence was, and neither was the Gourd.

The Gourd had thrown out medicinal herbs to lure Spirit Masters into the swamp to absorb this essence, learning from the Spirit Abode's method. However, the Spirit Abode did not need to do this; as soon as the fissure opened, the "Spirit Banning" function in the swamp would fail, and the vital essence within a hundred-mile radius would rush in.

Hua Chen and Jing Rong had encountered precisely such a fortunate moment, allowing them to pass through the fissure into the Spirit Abode. But not long after they entered, the fissure showed signs of closing, so the two didn't linger, casually taking a few talisman artifacts from inside.

When they left, there were still faint traces of the fissure above the Spirit Banning Stone Tablet.

Yet, months later, all signs of the Spirit Abode’s manifestation vanished completely. At that time, the Spirit God Hall had not yet asked the High Gods of the "Grand Venerable Spirit Realm" to create the "Spirit Intent God Sealing Diagram," so despite exhausting every effort, they could not find the Spirit Abode’s whereabouts and assumed Hua Chen and Jing Rong had lied to deceive them.

Now, the strong experts of the Spirit God Hall could locate the Spirit Abode, but even if they worked themselves to death, they could never smash through its barrier as they had done recently.

After drifting aimlessly across the Tianling Continent for so long, he finally possessed a piece of territory entirely his own. Thinking of this, a smile bloomed on Nie Kong’s face...

The matter of the Spirit Banning Swamp had long since settled. The gathered Spirit Masters gradually dispersed, and Lou Tian City slowly returned to its former appearance. However, in the streets, tea houses, and taverns, people could still occasionally be heard discussing the incident of the previous days that had nearly shocked the entire continent.

Especially when describing the scene of the Green Robe Bandit confronting his Flower Spirit and the Spirit God Hall Master, they would gesture wildly and speak with animated enthusiasm, saliva flying, their excitement palpable, as if they had been standing in the depths of the swamp, witnessing that heaven-shaking spectacle firsthand.

And the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, as the most reputable pharmacy in the Dacheng Empire, had made a massive profit during this period. Due to its strong financial backing and fair prices, whenever Spirit Masters found medicinal herbs in the Spirit Banning Swamp and wished to sell them, the Spirit Treasure Pavilion was the first place they thought of.

A few days prior, nearly a thousand medicinal herbs were sent to the Imperial Capital by the two Cave Spirit Masters of the Mu family in Luocheng. Mu Xiaoling was supposed to return with them, but a lingering concern kept postponing her departure from Lou Tian City, day after day, until this morning when she finally made up her mind.

"Perhaps he really met with an accident in the swamp and never managed to get out..."

Shouldering her small bundle, Mu Xiaoling gazed toward the Spirit Banning Swamp and sighed quietly, feeling an indescribable sense of guilt.

The struggle for the Spirit Abode deep within the Spirit Banning Swamp was long over, yet Nie Kong and Tai Yan remained untraced. Mu Xiaoling had a strong intuition that they had likely lost their lives in the swamp. It was rumored that during the days when the Green Robe Bandit was active, the competition for herbs in the swamp was extremely fierce.

Although the Green Robe Bandit had killed some people impersonating him, the number of Spirit Masters who died in the swamp during those days was nearly several times greater than those killed by the Green Robe Bandit himself.

Tai Yan was so beautiful; it was hard to believe some scoundrels wouldn't be overcome by lust. Even though they both possessed the "Floating Sky Jade Plate," which made moving through the swamp easier, if others had planned ahead and possessed superior numbers, how could Nie Kong and Tai Yan possibly stand against them?

If she had known Nie Kong was so desperate to find herbs, if she had known so many people would emulate the Green Robe Bandit's actions, she never would have mentioned the Spirit Banning Swamp. If she hadn't, perhaps Nie Kong would have left Lou Tian City the next day without knowing anything.

Mu Xiaoling withdrew her gaze, shaking her head with a bitter smile. If Mu Hongling asked where her disciple had gone later, what would she say? That her disciple was indirectly killed by her?

"Little Sister Xiaoling, why the long face? Where are you going? Are you heading back to get married, missing your big brother?" A teasing laugh suddenly broke into her ears. Mu Xiaoling paused in her step, abruptly turned around, and saw a young man several meters away looking at her with a mischievous grin.

"Nie Kong?"

Mu Xiaoling was stunned, then rushed forward with a mixture of shock and joy, paying no mind to his teasing. Her cheeks flushed slightly with excitement. "You're actually alive? Where have you been hiding all this time? Why didn't you show yourself? You made me think you were done for! Oh, right, where is your little sister Tai Yan? I don't see her? Did something happen to her... Impossible, if something happened to her, you wouldn't be grinning like a ripe melon!"

Nie Kong was overwhelmed by the torrent of questions that burst from Mu Xiaoling like firecrackers. He managed, "Little Sister Xiaoling, with so many questions, which one should I answer first? Are you heading back to Luocheng? Why don't you come with me to Jiyang City first, and then we can go to the capital together? I happen to need your help with something..."

Without waiting for Mu Xiaoling to reply, Nie Kong took her arm and walked toward the right side of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion. "Come, come. I'll introduce you to a few people first; they are also coming with us to Jiyang City."

"..."

Mu Xiaoling had no choice but to follow Nie Kong's lead, stepping forward while glancing up. She saw three stunning, mature women not far away smiling warmly at her and felt utterly speechless. This Nie Kong was truly a philanderer; they hadn't seen each other for only a short time, and he had already picked up three more beautiful women.

But Mu Xiaoling quickly grew embarrassed, her cheeks flushing slightly, as she realized these three women were all Nie Kong’s elders—one was his mother, one his aunt, and one his mother-in-law.