Inside the Spirit Mansion, seeing Tai Yan’s indignant look, Nie Kong couldn't help but smile wryly. "It’s not that easy. Kou Xilai is the Lord of the Spirit God Hall. Even powerhouses like Long Tiangong or Hua Caidie might not defeat him, let alone me right now? But, I believe it won't take long."

As he spoke, Nie Kong had already walked to the mountain peak.

The place where he and Tai Yan currently stood was the highest summit in the Spirit Mansion. He had named this peak "Caimei Peak" after Hua Mei’s nickname.

When he returned to the Spirit Mansion more than half a month ago, Nie Kong had successfully refined a 'Ruyi Fire Lotus' with ten-tenths fusion degree and used that spiritual medicine to smoothly advance his cultivation to the third rank of Heavenly Spirit.

Following that, Nie Kong spent ten days condensing a statue at the summit of Caimei Peak.

This statue not only bore his likeness but also contained his imprinted consciousness. Most importantly, Nie Kong expended vast amounts of strength and energy, through the manipulation of the Spirit Mansion’s Illusion Array, to completely merge this statue with the array’s core. Now, even standing atop Caimei Peak, Nie Kong could control the Illusion Array located at the base of the Medicine Pagoda via the statue.

After completing this, Nie Kong visited the peak daily to check on things, and Tai Yan would obediently follow him. Just moments ago, the two had been discussing the feud between Hua Mei and the Spirit God Hall. Nie Kong hadn't expected the usually pure and gentle Tai Yan to declare, with such commanding (bàqì - dominance/presence), that she wanted to wipe out Kou Xilai.

"Brother, once I can control the last bit of power I have left, I can help you destroy the Spirit God Hall Lord," Tai Yan puffed out her cheeks, grunting twice.

"Difficult."

Nie Kong pinched Tai Yan’s round, puffed-up cheeks, shaking his head with a smile.

After all this time, there was still a hidden power within Tai Yan's body that remained beyond her control. If she were to transform into her true form, that power was concealed within the ovary of the 'Hui Mou Hua' blossom’s stamen. No matter how Nie Kong and Tai Yan tossed and turned, it showed no sign of stirring.

Nie Kong had speculated more than once that the reason it remained uncontrollable was likely due to Grand Yan Spirit Venerable failing to successfully differentiate between her true body and her avatar. If his guess was accurate, it would be almost impossible for Tai Yan to achieve complete control over the power within her body. Therefore, he had stopped considering the matter for now.

"It's not difficult."

Tai Yan, however, beamed with joy. "Brother, I figured it out. The reason that bit of power is uncontrollable is because it’s nutritional sustenance prepared for my little baby. If I controlled it, I couldn't have a little baby. So, the solution is simple: as long as I do what Sister Mei Xian does, that power will be completely absorbed by the baby, and my own power will no longer be constrained."

Nie Kong was left speechless, blinking rapidly, and only recovered after a long moment. "Tai Yan, who told you that?"

Tai Yan quickly replied, "Brother, no one told me, I figured it all out myself."

"It must have been Qing Yue!"

Noticing Tai Yan’s shifty eyes, Nie Kong became even more suspicious. His eyes darted around, and he frowned sternly, pretending to be angry. "That little brat, wait until I get back and deal with her."

Tai Yan was startled and hastily pleaded, "Brother, don't! I think what Qing Yue said makes a lot of sense. She also said the reason my belly isn't getting bigger is because our fighting method is wrong. She even taught me some new methods. Tonight, we’ll try them all; we’re sure to succeed."

Nie Kong was dumbfounded. "So you admit Qing Yue told you."

"Ah?"

Seeing the anger vanish instantly from Nie Kong's face, Tai Yan was momentarily stunned, realizing Nie Kong had tricked her. She pouted indignantly, "Brother is lying again! I won't talk to you for the whole day today." Realizing that three days sounded too long, she quickly changed it to one day.

Nie Kong quickly coaxed her. "If you don't talk to your brother for half a day, it makes him feel terrible—don't be angry, be good!"

"Really?"

Tai Yan instantly brightened, but then her pretty face stiffened again. "I’ll talk to you, but only if you try those methods Qing Yue taught me tonight."

"We’ll try! We will definitely try!"

Nie Kong said this with utmost sincerity, and Tai Yan indeed broke into a radiant smile.

Seeing this, Nie Kong felt a pang of tenderness. This girl could never truly bring herself to be angry with him, and even if she threw a small tantrum, placating her was always easy. He hoped she could remain this happy forever. If Tai Yan ever learned the truth of her origins later, would she resent him?

The thought flashed and was immediately suppressed. Nie Kong focused his mind, his gaze falling upon the statue.

He slowly raised his arm, placing his right palm against the statue’s body. A wisp of primal origin force instantly surged inward, instantaneously penetrating the imprinted consciousness within the statue.

Moments later, Nie Kong suddenly noticed a cluster of dense, golden aura surrounding the imprinted consciousness.

"This... this..."

Nie Kong sensed it carefully for a long while, and an undisguised smile suddenly spread across his face.

He turned sideways and swept Tai Yan’s soft, delicate body up into his arms. Nie Kong roared with laughter, overjoyed like an explorer who had just discovered a hidden treasure. "Tai Yan, it worked! I succeeded, hahaha!"

His laughter echoed far and wide, nearly startling everyone in the Spirit Mansion.

"Success?"

Inside the Medicine Pagoda, Mu Wanqing lifted her head in confusion. "That's Nie Kong's voice. Did he manage to concoct a new Ninth-Grade spiritual medicine so quickly?"

Atop Caimei Peak, the profound joy radiating from Nie Kong's expression was deeply felt by Tai Yan. Though she didn't fully grasp the meaning of Nie Kong's words, she tightly gripped his neck, pressing their bodies even more intimately together. Her beautiful eyes curved into two crescent moons of happiness.

After a while, Nie Kong's laughter subsided, and Tai Yan couldn't help but ask curiously, "Brother, what did you say succeeded?"

"The Power of Faith! Tai Yan, I discovered the Power of Faith in here!"

Nie Kong fiercely kissed Tai Yan’s red lips, his excitement palpable. "I challenged Seventh-Grade Spiritual Alchemists and Eighth-Grade Medicine Kings everywhere, invited them to the Spirit Mansion, forced them to hand over their medicinal formulas, then spent nearly a year testing and deciphering those formulas to compile that single volume, the Compendium of Materia Medica, and distribute it across the world. It was all for the sake of gathering this Power of Faith. Now it seems my efforts were not in vain!"

Tai Yan looked puzzled. "The Power of Faith? What is that for?"

"It can transform into Divine Power!"

Nie Kong’s smile was captivating. "As long as there is enough Power of Faith, I can rapidly enhance the Crimson Star Battle Body and the War God Star Seal and reach the ninth rank of Heavenly Spirit in an extremely short time. By then, defeating Kou Xilai won't be difficult at all."

Tai Yan’s eyes shone brightly, and she gasped, "The Power of Faith is so amazing!"

"Indeed."

Nie Kong took a deep breath. He had learned this method from the Netherworld. On that continent, countless sects worshipped statues of the Grand Yan Spirit Venerable, even super-tier sects like the Heaven-Defying Sect and the War Clan were no exception. The Power of Faith condensed by those sculptures, combined with the insights formed when numerous peak Ninth-Grade Black Spirit Masters transitioned towards Godhood, was entirely absorbed by the Grand Yan Spirit Venerable. Her cultivation grew ever stronger, and if not for the constraints of her physical body, she would have long since become the sole Grand Venerable of the Netherworld.

Nie Kong’s approach was even more astute than the Grand Yan Spirit Venerable's. The Black Spirit Masters of the Netherworld were forced to worship her, whereas the appearance of the Compendium of Materia Medica caused the Spirit Masters of the Heavenly Spirit Continent to willingly venerate Nie Kong, offering their devotion from the deepest parts of their hearts. The Power of Faith thus formed would surely be purer.

Originally, Nie Kong worried that his idea might be difficult to realize, but the appearance of that golden aura within the statue removed all his apprehension.