The black mist was the soul power sealed within the sculptures! Though they had once merged with the soul power of the Spirit God in the "Grand Reverent Spirit Realm," the soul power itself possessed no independent consciousness, and that Spirit God was counting on using these souls to ascend to the Grand Reverent realm, making it all the less likely he would permit them to gain awareness. Now, the Spirit God's spiritual thought within the Soul Orb was annihilated, yet the Orb’s pull remained. Upon sensing the attraction, they surged toward it like moths to a flame. They were not absorbed by Nie Kong’s Dark Stars, but rather condensed within the Soul Orb via them; the nine Dark Stars acted as bridges and passageways. Nie Kong’s eyes were greedy for the soul power contained within these ninety-six sculptures. But greedy as he was, Nie Kong currently dared not even contemplate refining them. The weakest soul within these ninety-six sculptures was at the level of High Celestial Spirit, and the vast majority were Spirit God strength, not to mention over thirty souls at the peak of the Spirit God level. Nie Kong was merely an Eighth Grade Celestial Spirit Master; a single peak Spirit God soul could burst him open, let alone dozens. If he truly dared to absorb the soul power here, this Soul Altar would undoubtedly become the place of his demise, and the anniversary of this day would mark his death date next year.

"Hoo hoo hoo…" The whistling of the black mist, mingling with the humming of the sculptures, was strikingly clear. Vast soul power, like an unending black tapestry, flowed ceaselessly, and simultaneously, an intensely terrifying aura spread outward from the Soul Altar in all directions. For a hundred meters around, birds and beasts trembled in fright, and the world fell utterly silent.

Nearly half an hour later, the soul power inside two of the sculptures was completely drained. Thump! Thump! The sculptures successively tumbled onto the wide steps, crumbling into fine black powder. Thump… The sound of falling sculptures occurred intermittently, while the humming gradually weakened.

By noon, only the thirty-four outermost sculptures remained among the ninety-six. The soul power they possessed was even stronger, requiring more time to absorb. The scorching sun traversed the high sky and began its gradual descent.

Several more hours passed, and the humming within the Soul Altar had become very faint. At this moment, only two sculptures stood on the lowest tier of steps. Inside the golden circular shield, the blue vortex at the apex spun slowly, while the eight golden vortices surrounding it were individually linked to the two remaining sculptures.

"Nie Kong, I can’t hold on much longer." Lan Ling’s weak, panting sound echoed in Nie Kong’s mind; this was the thirteenth time she had spoken these words. "Almost done, just hold on a bit longer!" Nie Kong sent back a thought, smiling bitterly to himself. It wasn't just her who was reaching her limit; Nie Kong himself was nearly spent. Prolonged exertion had almost depleted his Primal Source Power. Fortunately, the remaining soul power in those two sculptures was dwindling fast. With a faint tremor, the black mist seeping from the sculptures grew increasingly thin.

Thump! Thump! Four or five minutes later, the sounds Nie Kong and Lan Ling had long awaited finally rang out: the last two sculptures dissolved into two piles of black dust. "Scatter!" Nie Kong gave a sharp cry, and the vortexes reverted to Dark Stars, the divine power condensing the shield receding like a tide. In an instant, the eight golden Dark Stars returned to his body. With a whoosh, a plume of blue vapor detached itself from the Ninth Dark Star, transforming into Lan Ling as she drifted down to the ground. The moment her feet touched the steps, Lan Ling could hold on no longer and collapsed softly, her beautiful face pale as ice and snow, completely devoid of color.

Taking the Ninth Dark Star back into his body, Nie Kong let out a long breath. His gaze shifted, and the Soul Orb immediately caught his eye. It was no longer spewing forth black mist. After absorbing the soul power from ninety-six sculptures, it stood on the altar like a basin-sized black hole, seeming to devour even the golden radiance emitted by the divine power permeating Nie Kong’s body. What was even more chilling was the terrifying aura faintly emanating from the Soul Orb—it seemed capable of annihilating heaven and earth. If it suddenly burst, it would be a catastrophic disaster for every living creature on the Celestial Spirit Continent; perhaps even the Wood Ancestor might not escape the calamity.

Lan Ling’s weary eyes also turned toward it, and upon seeing it, she nearly suffocated.

"Gulp!" After a long pause, Nie Kong managed to swallow hard. With a flicker of thought, he drew the inky-black Soul Orb into his Pet Pack. The moment the Soul Orb left its place, cracks began to spread rapidly outward from the center of the altar, accompanied by incessant snapping sounds.

Lan Ling’s fixed eyes finally managed to move, horror and disbelief still etched on her face. Looking at Nie Kong, she murmured, "Did we really create this thing?" "Yes." Nie Kong nodded instinctively. After storing the Soul Orb away, the sensation of his heart pounding and scalp tingling finally subsided, and he felt significantly relieved. If he could absorb all the soul power within this Soul Orb, he would probably reach the peak of the Spirit God realm instantly. Thinking of this, Nie Kong couldn't help but feel a surge of wild ecstasy. However, a moment later, he calmed down completely. Even if this Soul Orb was to be absorbed, it could only happen after his cultivation broke through to the Spirit God realm. To rashly attempt it now would be tantamount to inviting his own death. If Nie Kong were to operate the "Yin-Yang Spirit Devouring Art" targeting the Soul Orb, the soul power contained within would inevitably erupt in a massive surge, turning him to dust in the blink of an eye.

"Lan Ling, thank you for your hard work this time. When we return to the Spirit Prefecture, I will…" Nie Kong’s words suddenly caught in his throat, followed by a change in expression: "Damn it, someone’s coming! Lan Ling, get inside quickly!" "It must be people from the Spirit God Hall!" Lan Ling cried out, her delicate form flashing into a streak of blue light, shooting toward the beast token at Nie Kong’s waist. In her current state, even an ordinary Celestial Spirit Master from the Spirit God Hall could easily destroy her. But hiding inside the beast token didn't feel safe either; if the Spirit God Hall blocked the exit, she and Nie Kong would still face certain death. Before her warning was even finished, Nie Kong moved like a whirlwind, sweeping over to Hua Chen and Jing Rong, his arms swinging as he snatched up their bodies like lightning. Almost simultaneously, a "Spirit Return Jade Tablet" appeared in his right palm. Immediately after, Nie Kong’s Dark Stars flickered, and his nearly exhausted divine power was poured entirely into the tablet. In a blink, a layer of brilliant golden light permeated from the jade, enveloping Nie Kong, Hua Chen, and Jing Rong.

"Whoosh!" As if whipped up by a gale, a string of whistling sounds suddenly appeared in the passage, growing increasingly violent. An instant later, a dense mass of black mist rushed in, coalescing into a tall, slender man in black robes. Upon seeing the scene on the altar, a flush of blood rose to his fair face, black mist churning in his eyes as he roared and lunged forward: "How dare you! Die for this venerable one!" In a flash, the black-robed man arrived at the altar, his face contorted, his five fingers hooked like claws, snatching at the ball of golden light enclosing Nie Kong.

"Riiip!" Just as the two were about to collide, the golden light abruptly vanished, and the black-robed man's right claw only tore a dark rift in the empty space. "Damn it! Damn it! This is my Soul Altar… Two thousand years, two thousand years…" The black-robed man’s face twisted, his hands clawing wildly, causing dark, empty rifts to bloom one after another. The altar beneath his feet, crisscrossed with fissures, could no longer sustain itself and shattered with a crash. "This… this…" Kou Xilai and Lu Rong arrived one after another, staring dumbfounded at the frenzied black-robed man and the ruins beneath him.

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