Once the initial two hundred copies of the Compendium of Materia Medica were sold out, every piece of prior hearsay surrounding it was definitively confirmed. This pharmacopoeia not only cataloged the pharmacology and properties of nearly forty thousand herbs but also contained the formulas for all known thousand-plus Spirit Medicines on the Tianling Continent, even including the Ninth-Grade Spirit Medicine recipes pioneered by Nie Kong himself.

This news spread with even greater velocity. In an instant, even those Spirit Masters who had initially harbored skepticism toward the Compendium developed immense anticipation for the work. Spirit Apothecaries, especially, were desperate to get their hands on it immediately, yet the limited number of copies released by the Red Mansion made it nearly impossible.

No one dared approach the Red Mansion again; they could only suppress their excitement and wait.

Seven days later, the capitals of the three great empires—Dacheng, Dachang, and Shatu—simultaneously released the book, increasing the quantity to one thousand sets, while the price dropped to five thousand gold coins.

After seven days of brewing anticipation, the public's yearning for the Compendium of Materia Medica had reached its zenith.

On that day, the book sales in the three capitals triggered a frenzy of buying. Fortunately, the Red Mansion had already invited local Tianling experts to maintain order, thus preventing any major chaos.

Through this second release, the contents of the Compendium were once more validated. Particularly after word spread that high-ranking Spirit Apothecaries such as You Li, Hua Zhan, and Tailan Xiang all hailed the Compendium as the "Sacred Canon of the Way of Medicine," sects and noble clans who failed to secure a copy were gripped by desperate anxiety.

Some sects even offered millions of gold coins just for the privilege of borrowing the book for a review.

Another seven days passed...

The sixty-three Red Mansion branch stores across the Tianling Continent held the third release of the Compendium of Materia Medica, removing all sales restrictions. The price per set was:

One hundred gold coins!

This monumental work, being hailed as the "Sacred Canon of the Way of Medicine," was now being sold at such an astonishingly low price it was practically being given away. For ordinary citizens, one hundred gold coins was a significant sum, but for Spirit Masters and Spirit Apothecaries, even the poorest among them could scrape together that amount.

Consequently, even Spirit Masters who had not initially planned to purchase the Compendium began to reconsider.

Thus, as soon as the news of the unlimited release of the Compendium of Materia Medica broke, long queues formed outside almost every Red Mansion branch, stretching from dawn till dusk without cease.

This situation persisted for a full five days before finally showing a slight ease. However, as more Spirit Masters and Spirit Apothecaries streamed in from distant regions, although queuing was no longer strictly necessary, the Red Mansion pharmacies remained ceaselessly bustling, with a continuous stream of buyers acquiring the Compendium.

Soon, the number of Compendiums sold surpassed one hundred thousand sets.

In an instant, virtually everyone on the Tianling Continent was discussing Nie Kong.

Because of his prior seizure of the Spirit Mansion, the defeat of the Spirit God Hall, and his challenges to high-ranking Spirit Apothecaries across the land, Nie Kong’s name was already renowned among all Spirit Masters. But back then, when people spoke of him, it was either in amazement at his youth and strength or shock at his profound ability in alchemy.

Now, when Spirit Masters and Spirit Apothecaries discussed him, their tone had subtly shifted to one of reverence. This transformation was most evident among the lower-grade Spirit Apothecaries.

The major powers of the Tianling Continent guarded their Spirit Medicine formulas with zealous secrecy; even when they discovered a new medicinal herb, they would conceal it, rarely publicizing the findings. In the past ten thousand years, Nie Kong was the only individual willing to lay bare all Spirit Medicine formulas and herb properties to the world without reservation!

Of course, those who despised Nie Kong were not entirely absent.

Some Spirit Masters harbored intense resentment towards him because he had cracked the secret medicines of their sects and clans. However, compared to the entirety of the Spirit Masters on the Tianling Continent, they did not even constitute one-tenth, or even one-hundredth, of the total. Their opinions had absolutely no bearing on the mainstream sentiment across the continent.

"Nine out of the ten secret Seventh-Grade and Eighth-Grade Spirit Medicines hoarded by our Spirit God Hall have been deciphered by Nie Kong. The single remaining one survived only because it was never known to outsiders. Despicable! Utterly despicable!"

Inside the Spirit God Hall, Kou Xilai’s facial muscles twitched violently. By the end, he was consumed by fury, slamming his palm down onto the ground until the stone floor spanning several meters turned to dust.

Opposite Kou Xilai sat the Grand Elder Lu Rong, Ye Haoran, and Zhan Tianfeng.

Flipping through the scrolls in his hand, Ye Haoran sighed helplessly, "Though Nie Kong is our great foe, the compendium he compiled can indeed be called the 'Sacred Canon of the Way of Medicine.' This third installment has documented nearly every known formula on the Tianling Continent. From this day forward, Spirit Medicines shall hold no secrets."

Zhan Tianfeng’s chubby face was also etched with a wry smile. "Our Spirit God Hall managed to retain one, but the secret medicine of Mount Moluo has been entirely cracked, down to the formula for that 'Heavenly Vault Sacred Water.' Calculated grimly, the sects forced to surrender all their formulas, like the Heaven and Earth Sect and the Immortal Hunting Sect, were actually luckier; at least they received a Seventh-Grade Spirit Medicine with a one hundred percent fusion degree from Nie Kong."

Lu Rong’s expression darkened. "The Heaven and Earth Sect, Immortal Hunting Sect, Ink Snow Sect... they are equally detestable. If not for these sects assisting him, how could Nie Kong have gathered all those various Spirit Medicines so easily?"

Zhan Tianfeng frowned. "We don't know what Nie Kong's objective is in doing this. By fully documenting the properties of all herbs and publicizing so many Spirit Medicine formulas, aside from gaining universal praise, it yields almost no tangible benefit for him. It's truly a case of harming others while benefiting himself none!"

Lu Rong said gravely, "He is undermining the foundation of my Spirit God Hall!"

"Oh?"

Kou Xilai, Ye Haoran, and Zhan Tianfeng were all somewhat taken aback.

Lu Rong’s gaze was venomous. "The bedrock of our Spirit God Hall lies in the 'Medicine Platforms' spread throughout the world. It is because of these Medicine Platforms that our Hall gains intelligence on herbs unknown to others, collects a vast array of Spirit Medicine formulas to enhance cultivation, and recruits numerous talented Spirit Apothecaries with outstanding potential."

"Although the First Medicine King resides in Spirit Imperial City, our Spirit God Hall's strength in the Way of Medicine already surpasses Spirit Imperial City. Our superiority in this field allows our Spirit Masters to advance their power faster. But with this Compendium of Materia Medica, how many Spirit Apothecaries will come to our Medicine Platforms for assessment in the future?"

"I fear that within a decade, our Medicine Platforms scattered everywhere will become little more than empty shells."

"..."

Ye Haoran and Zhan Tianfeng understood that Lu Rong was not exaggerating the danger; their expressions instantly became grim.

"What is done is done; further talk is useless," Kou Xilai fixed his gaze on Lu Rong and said coldly, "Grand Elder, how are the Five Great Gods progressing?"

"We have some leads; I believe there will be results before long," Lu Rong replied.

"Excellent!"

Kou Xilai's voice dropped. Previously, he hated Nie Kong simply because Nie Kong had seized the Spirit Mansion, causing Kou Xilai himself to retreat in humiliation. However, since the release of Nie Kong's Compendium of Materia Medica, the impact no longer concerned only him, the Master of the Spirit God Hall, but the entirety of the Hall.

If Nie Kong were allowed to grow stronger, once he ascended to Spirit God status and departed the Tianling Continent, the Spirit God Hall could rapidly decline. His current desire to eliminate Nie Kong was no longer about personal grievances, but about the future of the Spirit God Hall. How could an institution spanning thousands of years decline under his watch?

"He must be destroyed!"

...

...RO