... ...

"Putting on a show?" Nie Kong chuckled. "I am merely demonstrating to the Four Sect Masters whether I am qualified to spar with your esteemed Grand Sect Master.

If the Second and Third Sect Masters share a similar interest, I certainly won't disappoint you. If you are uninterested, then please do not block the path here!" "You..." Kui Yin was furious, but just then, a clear, melodious voice drifted down from the mountain peak.

"Martial Uncle Kui Yin, Martial Uncle Lei He, and Junior Brother Ming Tai, there is no need to stop Nie Kong. Let him ascend." Within the Hunter Immortal Sect, rank was determined solely by strength, not seniority.

Anyone who reached the Celestial Spirit realm was eligible for the Sect Master position, and the ranking of the Sect Masters followed suit based on their power. If a junior possessed peerless talent and cultivated to the Celestial Spirit realm, they might even surpass their elders—much like the current Grand Sect Master of the Hunter Immortal Sect, You Li.

"Yes, Grand Sect Master!" Kui Yin, Lei He, and Ming Tai exchanged a look and could only comply. "Nie Kong, please proceed!" Kui Yin forcibly suppressed the rage churning in his chest and gestured an invitation toward Nie Kong, though his face was taut as iron.

He had heard of this Nie Kong long ago. If it were merely about the Spirit Control City, that would be one thing, but the Shadow Ruins behind him commanded deep apprehension.

That colossal, sky-obscuring tree shadow from not long ago still lingered like an inescapable specter, causing his spirit to tremble every time it crossed his mind. "Forgive my presumption." With a slight smile toward the Fourth Sect Master, Ming Tai, Nie Kong's figure flickered almost imperceptibly, and he instantly appeared a hundred meters away.

This action stunned Kui Yin, Lei He, and Ming Tai into silence. Although Spirit Masters at the Void Spirit realm could all employ the technique of 'Body Fusing with the Void,' even Celestial Spirit Masters like themselves doubted they could achieve Nie Kong's silent subtlety.

Whether merging into the void or stepping out of it, he exhibited not the slightest sign of transition. Exchanging shocked glances, the three quickly followed suit.

Crossing the hundred-meter staircase led to a broad, flat expanse hewn from the mountainside, where towering, lush trees grew amongst various structures. At the far end of this level, the cliff face abruptly rose twenty or thirty meters high, revealing another wide plateau, slightly smaller than the one below due to the mountain's contour...

Thus, it ascended step by step, tier upon tier, until the summit, resembling a colossal staircase. The auras scattered across these 'steps' grew progressively stronger: from the Spirit Gathering Masters and Spirit Communicating Masters on the first tier, to the Spirit Fusing Masters and Spirit Transforming Masters on the second...

By the fourth tier, only about ten presences belonging to Cave Spirit experts remained. As for that immense aura at the mountain's absolute apex—one so vast it seemed capable of swallowing the heavens and devouring the earth—that must be the current strongest individual in the Hunter Immortal Sect: Grand Sect Master You Li!

The intelligence compiled by Mu Chonglou had already noted that You Li was a rare female Medicine King. The voice from earlier had confirmed this fact.

Having shaken off the three Sect Masters, Nie Kong blinked through the void almost without pause, arriving at the mountain peak in the span of a breath. Shrouded by dense foliage, the hall appeared dimly, exuding an air of secluded elegance.

"Whoosh!" Another flicker, and Nie Kong reached the entrance of the hall directly. However, just as he was about to step across the threshold, a colossal force surged out from within, pressing down from all sides like an overwhelming tide, as if intending to crush Nie Kong into a paste.

Nie Kong sneered internally, allowing the power of the Primal Nature to instantly permeate his entire body, making him seem as though he had completely merged with the void. The savage pressure slammed into him, yet it was like a light breeze skimming a pond—it merely created faint ripples without causing any actual damage to the water.

Effortlessly crossing the threshold, Nie Kong stepped inside, and a figure immediately came into his line of sight. It was a woman who appeared to be only in her early thirties.

She sat quietly upon a cushion, her eyelids slightly lowered. Beneath the white robe she wore, the elegant curves of her physique were subtly visible.

Her features were merely average, but the cascade of crimson hair loosely flowing behind her head lent her an extraordinary aura. It was as if the soul residing within that body was not that of a woman, but a raging inferno, ready to erupt with world-shaking heat at the slightest provocation.

"Greetings to Grand Sect Master You Li!" Nie Kong offered a slight bow. "Sit!" You Li flicked her sleeve, and a cushion dozens of meters away shot toward Nie Kong with alarming speed, slamming down before him like a massive, ton-heavy stone.

Nie Kong could faintly sense the explosive fire hidden beneath You Li's serene countenance, and he smiled faintly, sweeping the hem of his battle robe as he settled into a cross-legged position. "Swish!

Swish! Swish!" With the faintest sound of air being displaced, the three Celestial Spirit powerhouses of the Hunter Immortal Sect—Kui Yin, Lei He, and Ming Tai—arrived in quick succession, though noticeably slower than Nie Kong.

"Grand Sect Master!" After a brief bow, the three did not bother with cushions, instead seating themselves directly on the floor on either side of You Li. At this moment, You Li's eyes snapped open abruptly.

Her dark, lustrous pupils instantly turned crimson, as if two infernos were surging within them like tidal waves. "Hearing your reputation is not as enlightening as meeting you in person, Nie Kong.

You are far younger and more arrogant than I imagined. To force more than a dozen experts from the Spirit God Hall into a miserable retreat from the 'Forbidden Spirit Marsh' at such an age—no wonder you possess such haughty confidence, daring to breach my Hunter Immortal Sect single-handedly.

Truly magnificent audacity..." Seeing that You Li made no attempt to conceal her sarcasm, Nie Kong merely laughed it off. "The Grand Sect Master overpraises me.

If someone without strength is arrogant, it's called hubris and ignorance of the heavens and earth. But if one possesses conviction and equivalent ability, that is called self-assurance." Hearing Nie Kong boast like this, Kui Yin and Ming Tai couldn't help but give cold snorts, while Lei He threw Nie Kong a deliberately scornful glance and scoffed out loud, "Nie Kong, since you know the meaning of 'hubris' and 'ignorant of the heavens and earth,' you must possess at least some self-awareness." Nie Kong smiled.

"However, in this respect, I surpass the Second Sect Master quite significantly." "You..." Lei He's expression shifted slightly. You Li raised a hand slightly, stopping him, and looked at Nie Kong.

"Nie Kong, whether it is hubris or self-assurance, did you come to my Hunter Immortal Sect merely to exchange barbed words?" "That is not the case." Nie Kong's demeanor turned serious. "The Grand Sect Master is one of the few Rank Eight Medicine Kings on the entire Celestial Spirit Continent.

I am extremely proficient in the Dao of Alchemy, and I believe my skill in this area is comparable to that of a Medicine King. Therefore, I wish to exchange techniques with the Grand Sect Master; I hope you will not withhold your guidance!" "Comparable to a Medicine King?

Why not just claim you are a Medicine King yourself!" "What brazen talk!" "Nie Kong, since you claim mastery in alchemy, why not go to the Spirit God Hall's Altar Platform, obtain the Rank Eight Spirit Alchemist certification, and then speak with our Grand Sect Master!" This time, it was not just Lei He; even Kui Yin and Ming Tai could no longer restrain themselves and sneered in unison. They had broken through from mere Spirit Gathering Masters to Celestial Spirits step by step, cultivating for so many years, yet they had never encountered a young prodigy who flaunted himself as openly as Nie Kong.

Nie Kong completely ignored their commentary, smiling at You Li. "Does the Grand Sect Master share the same view?" "On what grounds?" You Li lifted her eyelids slightly, uttering those four words with quiet detachment.

... ...RO

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