To encounter the very culprit who plotted against Huā Méi in Luocheng was something Nie Kong was unwilling to let happen easily. Almost the instant Ye Haoran and Zhan Tianfeng departed the room, Nie Kong's spiritual sense quietly trailed after them.

Even when he was merely at the Cave Spirit stage, the Heavenly Spirit Masters of the Serpent Spirit Clan could not detect Nie Kong's spiritual sense; now, having advanced to the second rank of the Heavenly Spirit stage, his presence was even more concealed.

After leaving the Red Chamber Auction House, Ye Haoran and Zhan Tianfeng headed straight toward the north of the city, completely unaware they were being tracked.

The moment Nie Kong left his room, he pursued relentlessly, the distance between them subtly closing. However, just as Nie Kong neared them—only two or three hundred meters away—the auras of Ye Haoran and Zhan Tianfeng abruptly vanished just outside Luocheng’s north gate. It wasn't a simple disappearance; rather, they had fled at a speed too swift for even spiritual sense to grasp.

“The Shadow-Stealing Spirit Escape Talisman?”

Nie Kong’s rapidly traversing form froze mid-air. He cursed inwardly. He was certain his spiritual sense had given off no warning whatsoever, yet he hadn’t expected Ye Haoran and Zhan Tianfeng to be so exceptionally cautious, deploying the ‘Shadow-Stealing Spirit Escape Talisman’ the moment they left the auction house grounds.

Yet, with a second thought, Nie Kong calmed himself. He and the Spirit God Hall were already entrenched enemies. For the two of them to dare attend the auction in Luocheng, they must have been thoroughly prepared. If they hadn't seen him, that would have been one thing, but since he had revealed himself during the auction, how could they not take precautions?

Nie Kong had witnessed the effects of the Shadow-Stealing Spirit Escape Talisman in the Forbidden Spirit Swamp. If he had been at the city gate moments earlier, perhaps with his current strength, he could have intercepted them. But now, the chance to pursue was gone.

“Enjoy your few extra days of life!”

Nie Kong withdrew his gaze from the direction the two had fled, turned, and sped back toward the Red Chamber...

At that very moment, an earth-shattering cheer erupted outside the Red Chamber Auction House.

A large contingent of Spirit Masters, gathered there to gather information, were frustrated that the main doors remained sealed. Just as they began to assume the auction had been canceled, news suddenly filtered out from a Red Chamber attendant: the auction had just concluded!

The crowd was utterly astonished, swarming the attendant to ask who had won the ‘As-You-Wish Fire Lotus’ and what the final hammer price had been. Such details were beyond the attendant’s knowledge; he could only state that the auction had been held secretly on the second floor, and the outcome was unknown to him.

As disappointment settled over them, the attendant suddenly broke into a wide smile and posted a notice. It contained only a few stark words: Compendium of Materia Medica, sales begin tomorrow sharp at noon!

For sale... ...

Ten thousand gold coins!

“……”

“Ten thousand gold coins? That’s extortionate! Are they robbing us blind?”

“Expensive? You absolute pauper! The Compendium of Materia Medica is the only pharmacopoeia the Heavenly Spirit Continent has seen in ten thousand years! It collects the pharmacology of every herb, the properties of every medicinal plant, and every known formula for spirit elixirs. For such a miraculous book, never mind ten thousand gold—people would pay millions, even tens of millions!”

“He’s right. I need to send word back immediately.”

“……”

It was a classic case of ‘gaining the mulberry while losing the elm.’ They failed to learn the details of the Ninth-Grade Spirit Medicine Auction, but instead obtained the exact news of the Heavenly Spirit Pharmacopoeia, the Compendium of Materia Medica, going on sale. For this crowd, the latter was far more significant. In less than a minute, the Spirit Masters gathered outside the auction house scattered.

Soon after, even more Spirit Masters streamed in to view the notice, only to depart in even greater haste.

The news spread like a hurricane, originating from the Red Chamber and engulfing all of Luocheng.

Then, with the Imperial Capital of Cheng Nation as its epicenter, it swept frantically across the entire Heavenly Spirit Continent. One told two, two told four, four told eight—the existence of spirit slips ensured this news permeated every corner of the land.

Consequently, the continent was once again plunged into a wave of excitement, far more fervent than a month prior. In Luocheng, the sale of the Compendium of Materia Medica became common knowledge, known by everyone, rich or poor.

Even the Heavenly Spirit powerhouses who had remained, disappointed after the auction ended, now stayed on with renewed vigor. Many Heavenly Spirit experts even returned to the auction house, hoping to persuade Nie Kong to grant them a look at a copy of the pharmacopoeia. Alas, not only was Nie Kong nowhere in sight, they couldn't even sense his aura.

Ultimately, these Heavenly Spirit experts had no choice but to follow the ordinary Spirit Masters, suppressing their impatience and waiting for the following noon.

They were completely unaware that Nie Kong was currently residing in a nearby pavilion, enjoying himself as a true knight, riding that voluptuous, alluring steed—galloping fiercely, unrestrained and unrestrained...

Fierce and enchanting battles played out again and again, concluding only when both the knight and the fiery mare were near exhaustion, by late afternoon.

Under the anticipation of the masses, time passed agonizingly slowly.

A single day usually slipped by in a flash, but this time, it felt like an age.

As soon as twilight began to settle, numerous Spirit Masters were already queuing outside the auction house.

This was because, during the evening, a new notice had been posted, specially emphasizing in bold red ink that the Compendium of Materia Medica on sale tomorrow would be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, requiring queuing.

Seven days later, the second release of the Compendium of Materia Medica would take place simultaneously at the Red Chamber branch stores in the capitals of the three great empires—Dacheng, Dachang, and Shatu—also as a limited release. Half a month later, the third release would occur across the entire Heavenly Spirit Continent, available wherever there was a Red Chamber branch, and without any limitation on quantity.

Although everyone knew they could acquire the Compendium of Materia Medica if they simply waited a few extra days, since they were already in Luocheng and happened to be present for the first release, who would patiently wait seven days or even half a month? It was far better to queue early and secure the pharmacopoeia by tomorrow afternoon.

As the bright lanterns illuminated the night, a line stretching a hundred meters had already formed outside the Red Chamber Auction House, and this queue continued to snake further into the distance.

While the masses displayed immense enthusiasm for the Compendium of Materia Medica, Nie Kong, the primary compiler of this monumental work, was upstairs in the pavilion, clinging to Long Xuechan’s delicate, yielding body and sleeping soundly.

The intense coupling with Long Xuechan had fully drained Nie Kong’s desires, leaving him utterly exhausted.

Long Xuechan was even more so, her face pressed against Nie Kong’s neck, her jade peaks resting heavily on his chest, her legs still locked around his waist in the riding posture. Her skin, like congealed, tender snow, bore prominent red marks here and there—irrefutable evidence of their passionate entanglement.

Nie Kong and Long Xuechan lay embraced, sleeping deeply, the earth-shaking commotion outside the pavilion only occasionally drawing an unconscious murmur from Long Xuechan’s lips.

“Jingle-jingle.”

After an unknown span of time, a crisp sound suddenly resonated within Nie Kong’s mind.