A piercing whistle shrieked, millions of vines shooting out like arrows, engulfing the area. The space within a dozen meters was utterly pulverized.

"Crimson Star War Body!"

Nie Kong let out a cold laugh, and his colossal form, dozens of meters high, instantly materialized.

From deep within the thicket of vines, the surprised, soft "eh?" of the God-Devouring Flower could be heard, seemingly taken aback that Nie Kong’s size could inflate to such an extent. However, her assault did not pause for an instant. In the next breath, the surrounding vines plunged down, their terrifying force impacting Nie Kong's body like a sudden downpour of raindrops.

Bang, bang, bang, bang...

The roar was continuous.

It felt like being pricked by mosquito bites, a faint stinging sensation coming constantly, yet it inflicted no substantive damage upon Nie Kong. Realizing her attack was akin to tickling him, the God-Devouring Flower’s offensive faltered, only to immediately surge back with even greater, tide-like ferocity.

If only I were at the Eighth Layer War Body now. If I had come here just over a month ago, under the God-Devouring Flower’s assault, even if I managed to tear through the vine wall and escape, I would have been severely wounded. With that thought, Nie Kong grasped out with both hands, tearing away dozens of obstructive green vines before striding towards the heart of the vortex.

"Whoosh!"

Just then, a massive volume of vines roared up from below, swiftly plugging the vortex.

Immediately after, virtually all the vines from every direction began to move frantically, weaving together to wrap Nie Kong up like a giant zongzi (sticky rice dumpling).

"This is exactly what I wanted!"

Nie Kong chuckled inwardly, transmitting a thought to Xiangxiang.

The little creature had long been poised and ready. Upon receiving Nie Kong's command, a green essence erupted from his body like a breached dam.

Although its physical form was small and exquisite, having reached the Ninth Tier, the inherent medicinal power it contained had reached a terrifying magnitude. Especially after absorbing the Evernight Heaven, its vital medicinal power had surged by another thirty percent. Now, in mere moments, the vines ensnaring Nie Kong were saturated and permeated by its innate power.

"Ah, ya ya."

The little creature cheered, its roots, stalks, and leaves twisting distinctly. In the blink of an eye, vast swathes of medicinal energy contained within the God-Devouring Flower’s vines were being drawn away.

"Hm?"

The surprised cry of the God-Devouring Flower sounded again from the depths of the vines. "Wha—what are you doing?" As if a mortal suddenly touched a glowing-hot iron brand, the millions of vines hurriedly recoiled from Nie Kong’s body, retreating into the distance. Even the ground beneath Nie Kong’s feet became clear.

"Absorbing your medicinal power!"

Nie Kong made no move to pursue, merely speaking slowly. "You can devour soul power and mental focus, but I possess a Spirit of Medicine capable of absorbing any kind of medicinal essence. For these past few millennia, the Dragon Taming Grass and the Evernight Heaven, ranking alongside you as the Five Great Rare Treasures, though less powerful than you, have also achieved complete sentience..."

Saying this, Nie Kong narrowed his eyes, a faint, almost mocking smile playing on his lips. "God-Devouring Flower, do you know their current fate?"

The God-Devouring Flower subconsciously asked, "What fate?"

Nie Kong’s smile remained, but his voice turned sharp. "On Dragon Spirit Isle of the Dragon Spirit Clan, that Dragon Taming Grass became food for my Spirit of Medicine. In the Icebound Snow Domain, the Evernight Heaven likewise became food for my Spirit of Medicine. Of the Five Great Rare Treasures, my Spirit of Medicine has already consumed two. Do you wish to become the third?"

The God-Devouring Flower was a mixture of shock and rage. "You... you are truly ruthless! With only one of the Dragon Taming Grass and Evernight Heaven left, you actually caused them to vanish from the Heavenly Spirit Continent?"

"Vanish is perhaps too strong a word."

Nie Kong smiled faintly. "I possess another Spirit of Medicine. Using their roots as the source, I cultivated saplings of both the Dragon Taming Grass and the Evernight Heaven. They are now planted in my Medicine Garden, providing me with a continuous supply of medicinal herbs for refining Ninth-Grade and Tenth-Grade Spirit Pills in the future."

The God-Devouring Flower was visibly panicked. "You..."

"I will ask one more time: submit, or... die?" Before the God-Devouring Flower could finish her next words, Nie Kong cut her off with a cold shout.

"..." The God-Devouring Flower fell silent, but the surrounding vines trembled incessantly.

"If there is no answer within ten steps, then die!"

Nie Kong floated down onto the bare ground and strode towards the bottom of the valley.

Those green vines dared not touch Nie Kong’s body again. Following the movement of his steps, the vines ahead continuously parted to the sides.

One step, two steps, three steps...

The thudding sound of his footsteps echoed thunderously across the wide expanse covered in green vines. Time slipped away, and the surrounding vines shook more violently.

Five steps! Six steps...

Nie Kong’s expression was stern, but his heart was quite relaxed.

The surrounding vines were trembling, and so was the vitality within them. Through the changes in this vital energy, Nie Kong could clearly gauge the God-Devouring Flower's emotions—her life force surged wildly, then abruptly slumped. It was clear the God-Devouring Flower was agonizingly torn between the options of death and surrender.

If there was no response after the tenth step, Nie Kong supposed he would have no choice but to cruelly destroy the flower. After all, even the fully sentient Dragon Taming Grass and Evernight Heaven had been converted into Xiangxiang’s vital medicinal power and the saplings in his garden; adding this one God-Devouring Flower made little difference.

Perhaps if Xiangxiang absorbed the God-Devouring Flower, she might advance to the Tenth Tier.

Eight steps! Nine steps!

"Hm?"

Nie Kong let out a soft snort, golden light blazing fiercely from his body as his left foot took the final step. The "War God Star Seal" erupted layer upon layer from Nie Kong's right palm. "Since you insist, then I shall grant your wish! Rest assured, the God-Devouring Flower will not become extinct. Perhaps in a thousand years, you may attain sentience again!"

"Stop!"

Just as Nie Kong’s "Eighth Layer Overlap Seal" was about to strike, the terrifying, world-destroying power contained within the Star Seal seemed to become the last straw that broke the camel's back. An urgent, delicate cry suddenly rang out. The green vines in front parted layer by layer, revealing the massive God-Devouring Flower, its azure light swirling, ethereal and dreamlike.

Nie Kong flicked his right palm, and the poised "War God Star Seal" quietly retracted.

A moment later, the figure of the blue-haired woman reformed within the azure blossom. Her once beautiful face was filled with dejection. She conceded helplessly, "What do you want me to do to submit?"

"It's simple. Enter here!"

Nie Kong took out the Beast Taming Sect’s Beast Token and smiled casually.

Since the restraint on Qingyue was lifted, the token had grown dim. As he spoke, Nie Kong lightly pressed the small protrusion on the 'Sect' character of the token. A burst of splendid crimson light erupted. As the power of the Natural Origin flowed in, the red light subsided, and nearly transparent threads spread outward from the inscriptions on the token. In the blink of an eye, the dark beast token became crystalline and translucent, shimmering brilliantly, exceptionally eye-catching.

The beast token had been activated again. The last time it was activated, it shone like green jade; now, it resembled white jade. This difference was due to the input of different spiritual powers.

"What is this?"

The God-Devouring Flower frowned in suspicion. Although she had never seen this object, the words "Beast Taming" clearly indicated its purpose. Although she was not a beast, she was a spirit entity, and she could sense that if she entered, she might never escape this man’s control.

"Your future residence!"

"Can it be done another way? I can swear a 'Soul Oath' of loyalty to you!"

"You have no choice!"

"..."

After a long pause, an imprint of the God-Devouring Flower appeared on the beast token: a shimmering azure blossom surrounded by tight, intricate coils of vines.

The overwhelming green vines surrounding Nie Kong vanished completely. The God-Devouring Flower solidified into human form, following barefoot at his side, her curvaceous figure now covered by a loose blue robe.

"Do you have a name?" The colossal body rapidly shrank back to its original form. Nie Kong tied the beast token to his waist and took a step forward. Without the concealment of the God-Devouring Flower's main body, a deep, dark hole was revealed at the valley floor—this must be the entrance to the prison.

"Lan Ling!" A listless voice sounded.

"That's a good name."

Nie Kong glanced back slightly, noticing that the God-Devouring Flower looked like a wilted eggplant, her head drooping dispiritedly. He couldn't help but chuckle. "Lan Ling, do you know how many Spirits of Medicine I have by my side?"

Lan Ling mumbled gloomily, "Aren't there just two?"

"There are four."

Nie Kong stated calmly. "Besides the 'Purple Luo Illusory Spirit Fragrance' that absorbs your medicinal power, and the Qingyue Illusionary Heart Orchid that can separate herbs, there are two others: the Spirit of the Ninth-Grade Pill, 'Emperor Snow Gourd Pill,' from ten thousand years ago, and one that achieved sentience from the 'Glance-Back Flower,' who possesses power comparable to a Spirit God expert."

"What?" Lan Ling gasped, horror flashing in her azure eyes. She hadn't expected Nie Kong to command such formidable Spirits of Medicine.

"She shares your instinct for consumption. You devour souls and focus, while she devours any form of power, provided that power contains elemental essence of the Heaven and Earth. Before you cultivate Divine Power, if you fought her, you would only be devoured by her." Speaking of Taiyan, a flicker of warmth crossed Nie Kong's brow. He wondered how the little life in her flower room was doing after being away for so many days.

"..."

Though Lan Ling felt a degree of unwillingness, she offered no rebuttal. She knew clearly that if the Spirit of Medicine Nie Kong mentioned truly possessed Spirit God power, she would certainly not be its match. Originally, she felt immensely frustrated at being forced into submission by Nie Kong, but learning that even stronger Spirits of Medicine had been subdued by him somehow brought her a sense of balance.

Nie Kong smiled. "You might feel uncomfortable now, but in the future, you will certainly be grateful for the choice you made today. This is for you, a meeting gift." As he spoke, Nie Kong flicked his finger, sending a dense burst of Natural Origin power shooting toward Lan Ling's brow.

Lan Ling instinctively wanted to dodge, yet perhaps because Nie Kong had already activated the beast token, although the thought crossed her mind, her body showed no reaction of evasion. She could only watch helplessly as the nearly transparent white light flashed across her brow and entered.

"This is..."

She stopped instinctively, remaining stunned for a moment before recovering. Astonishment surfaced on her beautiful face. After a while, she caught up to Nie Kong, a trace of irrepressible delight appearing between her brows.

She had already sensed that the substance she just absorbed was an extremely marvelous form of origin power, seemingly containing the profound mysteries of life and death in the cosmos. If she could absorb such origin power frequently, not only would the time before the descent of her Spirit Tribulation be greatly shortened, but her success rate in overcoming it would also see a significant boost.

At this moment, Lan Ling suddenly felt that submitting to this person, though it meant losing freedom, didn't seem as unacceptable as she initially thought.

Sensing the shift in Lan Ling's emotions, Nie Kong smiled internally. The carrot-and-stick approach indeed proved effective.

In less than a minute, Nie Kong and Lan Ling reached the mouth of the cave. A long staircase stretched downward. Except for the first twenty or thirty steps near the entrance, the interior was pitch black, exuding a sinister, gloomy aura, like a beast with its mouth wide open, ready to devour anyone.

Nie Kong turned to the God-Devouring Flower. "Lan Ling, in the last decade, have any prisoners been sent by the Spirit God Palace? One male and one female, both Heavenly Spirit Masters!"

"How did you know?"

Lan Ling was pondering how to extract more origin power from Nie Kong when she heard this, causing her to pause briefly. "A few years ago, two prisoners, one male and one female, were indeed sent. They were called something like Hua... something Rong..." Lan Ling frowned, racking her brain.

"Hua Chen! Jing Rong!" Nie Kong’s heart skipped a beat.

"Yes, yes, those were the names," Lan Ling nodded repeatedly. "I was asleep at the time, and since I knew the visitors were Elders of the Spirit God Palace, I didn't pay much attention."

"Are they still alive?" Nie Kong urgently pressed.

"I'm not sure about that."

Lan Ling shook her head, explaining, "Past this set of stairs is the Spirit Suppression Zone. It’s impossible to probe with spiritual sense, and the passage inside is blocked by a large gate carved with Illusory Talismans. Unable to use spiritual power, I couldn't open the gate with mere physical strength."

"Spirit Suppression?"

Nie Kong frowned and took the first step into the cave.

Descending the steps, after a dozen meters, a golden sheen enveloped Nie Kong’s body, illuminating the passage brightly. After walking ninety-nine steps, a flat, arched passage wound forward. When Nie Kong’s feet touched the level ground, he indeed found that the spiritual energy elements within the passage seemed to have solidified. This situation was identical to the Spirit Suppression Marsh—both were effects derived from the "Spirit Suppression Illusory Talisman."

Winding forward for a hundred meters, an arched gate two meters high blocked the way.

The surface of the gate was covered in dense lines, forming an array composed entirely of Illusory Talismans.

Nie Kong had spent a long time studying the array beneath the Medicine Pagoda floor to ensure smooth control over his Spirit Mansion, giving him some understanding of Illusory Talismans. While the Illusory Talismans on the gate before him were intricate and subtle, they showed a significant difference compared to those within his Spirit Mansion.

It was clear that the skill level of the Talisman Master who constructed this Spirit Suppression passage and gate was not very high. Of course, this was relative; compared to the Spirit Patterns of the Heavenly Spirit Continent, these Illusory Talismans were superior.

The Spirit God Palace, being the native sect of the Heavenly Spirit Continent, did not possess Talisman Masters themselves. It was likely that some Spirit God from the Spirit God Palace had learned a bit about Illusory Talismans in the 'Grand Sovereign Spirit Realm,' descended through a Divine Envoy, and oversaw the construction of this prison. With the "Spirit Suppression Illusory Talisman" inside and the God-Devouring Flower guarding the outside, it was indeed impregnable.

Unfortunately, the Spirit God Palace could never have imagined that a monstrous combination like Nie Kong and the "Purple Luo Illusory Spirit Fragrance" would exist. By joining forces, they had actually subdued the Spirit of Medicine of the "God-Devouring Flower," who had passed one stage of the Spirit Tribulation, allowing them to arrive here effortlessly.

Gazing at the dense lines on the gate, Lan Ling’s eyes were filled with reverence. "These Illusory Talismans are very powerful. I often came here to study when I was bored, but after so many years, I could never discern any secrets."

"Powerful? To me, such Illusory Talismans are like clay figurines and rotten dogs!"

A strange smile crept onto Nie Kong's face. He pointed his fingers like a sword, gently touching a convergence point of several talismans on the gate. Like a great rainbow sucking up water, the vitality contained within the array was instantly drained clean. The talismans, which had been emitting a faint black glow, instantly dimmed.

... ...RO