"I'll break through to the Seventh Grade of Spirit Soul Realm soon enough!"
Nie Kong awoke from his meditation, feeling the thin barrier in his spiritual aperture trembling, on the verge of shattering under the surge of his primal power. A satisfied smile touched his lips.
"Good news, absolutely great news!"
A booming voice called from outside, followed by a sharp thud as Tai Hong burst in, his face alight with disbelief and excitement. "Imperial Great-Aunt took one look at the scroll and immediately agreed to see you! She told me to fetch you to the Celestial Heaven Tower right now. I never would have imagined it, truly!"
"Nie Kong, what exactly was the scroll you had my brother deliver to the Imperial Great-Aunt?"
Following Tai Hong, Tai Ji's graceful figure drifted in, her azure eyes similarly filled with puzzlement and keen curiosity.
Tai Hong urged eagerly, "Yes, yes, tell us quickly!"
The Imperial Great-Aunt they spoke of was named Tai Lanxiang.
Except for the rare occasion she ventured out, Tai Lanxiang spent almost all her time within the Celestial Heaven Tower, either cultivating or delving into medicinal research. She never saw outsiders, so her immediate exception for Nie Kong was genuinely astonishing, making the Tai Hong and Tai Ji siblings intensely curious about the scroll Nie Kong possessed.
"If your Imperial Great-Aunt is willing to tell you, then you’ll naturally find out," Nie Kong responded with a knowing, mysterious grin.
Tai Lanxiang, the aunt of the current Emperor of the Shatu Empire, was someone Nie Kong had met once before in the Lin Residence in Fallen Goose City. Now, seeing the contents of that scroll, how could she possibly remain unmoved?
"Then never mind," Tai Hong deflated like a leaky balloon, though his heart felt as if a cat's claws were furiously scratching at it. If he had known how utterly shocked the Imperial Great-Aunt would be upon viewing the scroll, he would have dared to sneak a glance on the way, regretting his obedience to Nie Kong’s instructions.
"Let's depart; we shouldn't keep your Imperial Great-Aunt waiting too long," Nie Kong laughed heartily and strode out the door.
"..."
The Tai Hong and Tai Ji siblings exchanged a look, following helplessly behind, quickly exiting the Grand Virtue Hall. About fifteen minutes later, the trio arrived at the Celestial Heaven Tower. After accompanying Nie Kong to the twelfth floor, Tai Hong and Tai Ji were stopped by guards at the stairwell entrance; only Nie Kong was permitted to ascend to the top level.
In less than fifteen minutes, Nie Kong descended with a smile on his face.
"Brother Tai, Sister Tai Ji, I have urgent matters to attend to, so I cannot linger. If you have time, feel free to visit my quarters sometime. Here are two keys for entry..." Before Tai Hong and Tai Ji could fully process the thin jade tablets in their hands, Nie Kong had already vanished from their sight.
They rushed to the window just in time to see Nie Kong standing on the back of a giant eagle high in the distance, receding further and further until he became a mere black speck dissolving into the horizon.
"Tai Hong, Tai Ji, you have certainly found a friend of boundless promise here in Spirit Control City. Very good, very good. Hold on tightly to what he gave you; in a few days, Great-Aunt will take you to see that place herself." A benevolent voice drifted down from above, imbued with unmistakable admiration.
"..."
Tai Hong and Tai Ji stared at each other, increasingly bewildered. What exactly transpired between their Imperial Great-Aunt and Nie Kong just now? And what secrets did that scroll conceal?
...
Date, Bazhou City, Shatu Empire: Tai Lanxiang, Seventh Grade Spirit Alchemist, Defeated!
Date, Ren Family, West Pass, Shatu Empire: Ren Ruyi, Seventh Grade Spirit Alchemist, Defeated!
Date, Sect Master of Star-Moon Sect, Seventh Grade Spirit Alchemist, Xing Shuang...
...
Over twenty days later, to the northeast of the Celestial Spirit Continent, in the Northern Sea Nation.
A dozen li east of the coast, a sea island sat like a colossal disk, immovable amidst the crashing torrents. The ocean here was perpetually tumultuous, with waves churning year-round. Even Spirit Masters would find it difficult to reach the residence of the Langya Sect, 'Sea Heart Island,' without a spirit-patterned iron boat.
In the early morning, on the surging shoreline, dozens of Langya Sect disciples sat cross-legged in the water, allowing the pounding tides to wash over them without budging. After several tens of minutes, some of the weaker disciples finally could not hold on, seizing the moment when the tide receded to scramble onto the shore, gasping for breath.
"Senior Brother, someone is over there."
Suddenly, a Langya Sect disciple, about sixteen or seventeen, shouted out in astonishment.
Several nearby disciples immediately looked in the direction he indicated...
In the distance, amidst the towering, sixty-foot-high waves, a tall, slender figure appeared to be strolling casually, stepping directly upon the crests and cutting through the spray. In an instant, the dark silhouette vaulted over the high waves, reaching the beach ahead of them, his robes fluttering as he headed toward the island's center.
Throughout the entire approach, not a single speck of water from the exploding spray managed to dampen his clothing.
The disciples on the shore stood frozen, staring dumbly as the dark shape advanced across the waves like a phantom, then swept away with the wind.
"Nie Kong!"
A young man sitting immersed in the seawater opened his eyes just as he cried out the name. Distracted, he was nearly swept away by the sudden surge of the tide.
As if hearing the voice, the dark silhouette paused and glanced back briefly.
"Yan Mang?"
After searching his memory for a long time, Nie Kong gently uttered the name. Running into an acquaintance immediately upon entering the Langya Sect was a minor surprise for him.
Though 'acquaintance' was the term, 'enemy' was perhaps more accurate.
Several years ago, within the 'Prison Fire Nether Spring' domain, a Langya Sect disciple from the Yan royal clan of the Northern Sea Nation had attacked him, attempting to seize a Water Spirit. That person was knocked unconscious by Nie Kong.
That person’s name was Yan Mang.
The current Yan Mang possessed a High Grade Spirit Control cultivation, but Nie Kong’s ascent was far quicker; just a few days prior, he had reached the Seventh Grade of Spirit Soul Realm. A Spirit Controller versus a Spirit Soul practitioner—there was almost no comparison. Yan Mang’s figure flickered briefly in Nie Kong’s vision before being dismissed entirely.
His presence would have no bearing on Nie Kong's objective at the Langya Sect.
Currently, Nie Kong’s focus was on the immense aura coiled at the center of the island. If his information was correct, that presence belonged to his true target: Ling Xiao, the former Sect Master of the Langya Sect.
Everyone knew Ling Xiao was the sole Celestial Spirit Realm expert in the Langya Sect, and indeed, the entire Northern Sea Nation. However, few knew he was also an exceptionally skilled Medicine King, specializing in refining an Eighth Grade spiritual medicine called 'Sea Heart Divine Dew.' Reportedly, his success rate for this specific elixir reached a staggering ninety percent.
All this intelligence had been provided to Nie Kong by Mu Zhonglou.
"Ling Xiao, since you excel at refining 'Sea Heart Divine Dew,' I shall use this very 'Sea Heart Divine Dew' to make you willingly submit!" A faint smile curved Nie Kong's lips as his figure blurred rapidly through the void. Without disturbing anyone beyond Yan Mang and the other disciples on the beach, Nie Kong materialized outside a courtyard nestled in the central depression of the island. The fluctuating aura of the Celestial Spirit expert originated from within.
"Nie Kong?" A voice as gentle as a spring breeze sounded from inside the courtyard.
"Indeed! Nie Kong pays respects to Sect Master Ling!" Nie Kong was unsurprised that the Langya Sect Master had called his name instantly. Medicine Kings maintained contact with one another; it had been nearly a month since he left the Immortal Hunting Sect, meaning You Li had likely already informed all the other Medicine Kings, including Ling Xiao, of his situation.
"Nie Kong, you have arrived several days later than I anticipated. Enter, then. Let me see what ability you possess that made three Medicine Kings bow their heads consecutively?" Although the words carried a faint note of confrontation, Ling Xiao’s tone remained soft, devoid of any heat.
"I believe Sect Master Ling will know soon enough!"
"..."
...
...