“Get off me!”

Hua Mei suddenly twisted her delicate body, tossing Nie Kong from her back, biting her lip as she glared fiercely at him, her face flushed scarlet, her brows filled with indignant shame.

As if doused head-to-toe with ice water, Nie Kong’s mind went blank for a moment before he snapped back, irritably exclaiming, “Hua Pianxian, why did you emerge again?”

As he spoke, Nie Kong’s expression darkened. Had Hua Pianxian now gained the ability to replace Hua Mei and seize control of this body at any moment? This was absolutely not a good sign. If that were truly the case, Nie Kong would have no choice but to employ extreme measures to weaken Hua Pianxian’s soul, in order to maintain the dominance of Hua Mei’s soul.

“And you have the audacity to ask me that?”

Hua Pianxian used the blanket to cover her tender, pale bosom, gritting out, “If you hadn’t been so shameless, do you think I would have bothered coming out?”

“What business is it of yours when I’m being intimate with my woman!” Nie Kong sneered, lunging forward once more…

“Wait a moment, don’t you want to know who you offended in that altar?” Hua Pianxian urged hastily.

“Hm?”

Nie Kong paused his motion, raising his head to stare deeply into Hua Pianxian’s eyes. “You know?” After a beat, Nie Kong let out a cold snort. “I see. You’re using this matter as an excuse to make Hua Mei hand over control of the body to your soul without even having time to warn me?”

Hua Pianxian felt a sliver of reassurance, snorting through her nose, “Exactly. Nie Kong, you have offended a Divine Sovereign…”

“Divine Sovereign?”

Nie Kong frowned. “What does that mean?”

“Don’t you dare touch me again, or I won’t tell you anything at all!” Hua Pianxian fixed her gaze on the hands Nie Kong had placed on her chest. “And take your hands off immediately!”

Nie Kong looked at her mockingly. “Who do you think you are?”

Hua Pianxian grew agitated. “Then don’t expect to know anything!”

Nie Kong waved a dismissive hand. “Since I’ve already offended him, what difference does knowing his identity make? Besides, that person will surely appear at my Medicine King Palace’s founding ceremony. I’ll naturally learn his origin then.” Saying this, Nie Kong squeezed gently on her chest.

“You, you…”

Hua Pianxian was so furious she felt like spitting blood.

She had taken control of the body from Hua Mei under the pretext that Nie Kong was about to face a grave life-or-death crisis, but ultimately, between the two souls, Hua Mei remained primary; she was secondary.

“Nie Kong, don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking.”

Hua Pianxian took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. “Do you think that because that person descended from the Divine Envoy of the Spirit God Palace into the ‘Grand Sovereign Spirit Realm,’ the power he can utilize is at most at the level of Kou Xi’lai, making you feel perfectly safe and reckless?”

Nie Kong countered casually, “Isn’t that so?”

“Of course not,”

Hua Pianxian sneered. “If you cling to that notion, by the time of the Medicine King Palace founding ceremony, you might not even know how you died!”

“Oh?”

Nie Kong paused, looking somewhat suspicious. “That formidable? Tell me about it.” When Hua Pianxian spoke those words, her soul aura showed no significant fluctuation; she was likely not lying.

However, Hua Pianxian suddenly closed her mouth, subtly glancing at Nie Kong’s arm.

Seeing him raise his hand, Hua Pianxian then spoke. “The current Guardian of the Grand Sovereign Spirit Realm has five Divine Sovereigns; they are the strongest among the peak Spirit Gods. The one you offended is the ‘Dark Night Divine Sovereign’ among them.”

“How do you know?”

Nie Kong sounded genuinely surprised, suddenly tightening his grip on those two crimson jade orbs.

Hua Pianxian winced in pain, her delicate brows furrowing. She glanced at Nie Kong’s hands, and her cheeks seemed to catch fire: “The Spirit Gods from the Spirit God Palace who entered the ‘Grand Sovereign Spirit Realm’ have all defected to the ‘Dark Spirit Cave Heaven.’ And that ‘Dark Night Divine Sovereign’ is the Cave Master of the ‘Dark Spirit Cave Heaven.’ Being a Dark-attribute Spirit God, and able to command the Spirit God Palace to wholeheartedly assist, who else could have secretly carried out the Gan Soul Sacrifices for the Guardians in the Faluo Mountain Range but him? Most importantly, ten thousand years ago, the Dark Night Divine Sovereign was a disciple of the very Spirit God who created the ‘Soul Sacrifice’ technique.”

“That makes a degree of sense,” Nie Kong nodded slightly. “You mentioned earlier that he could cause me to die without even knowing how. What did you mean by that?”

“Show me!” Hua Pianxian pursed her lips, glancing pointedly at Nie Kong’s body, her meaning entirely clear.

“Hua Pianxian, don’t push your luck. Don’t forget, you’ll need my help to condense a physical body in the future. Do you want to become a woman with a crooked mouth and eyes, or transform into a man, or perhaps… just a spirit beast?” Nie Kong looked at Hua Pianxian askance, a cold edge crossing his face.

“Nie Kong, you, you… you are truly shameless!”

Hua Pianxian trembled with rage but remained helpless. “That Gan Dark Night Divine Sovereign possesses a divine ability called ‘Dream Shadow Scar Puppet.’ If your aura was left behind in that soul altar, he can use that aura as a root to draw you into a dream, unknowingly refining you into a puppet.”

“Dream Shadow Scar Puppet?” Nie Kong murmured the words, his brow subconsciously knitting together.

“…”

“Brother, is that ‘Dream Shadow Scar Puppet’ really as terrifying as Sister Pianxian described?” After a long moment, Hua Mei’s soul replaced Hua Pianxian’s, regaining control of the body. Her fragrant, fiery, delicate body nestled into Nie Kong’s embrace, her cheeks rosy and dripping with dew, exceptionally alluring.

“It’s hard to say right now.”

Nie Kong’s hand moved unconsciously, stroking Hua Mei’s silky, smooth back and hips, but the thought of Qi Shi had completely vanished from his mind. Although he hadn’t shown much concern in front of Hua Pianxian, the information she provided had commanded Nie Kong’s utmost attention. That individual was one of the five great Divine Sovereigns of the ‘Grand Sovereign Spirit Realm.’ Even if his main body couldn’t arrive, caution was paramount. He was certainly not comparable to those upper gods from the Spirit God Palace.

However, regardless of how enraged the Spirit God Palace was, or how much Nie Kong prepared, the incident at the ‘Soul Altar’ in the Faluo Mountain Range caused no ripples whatsoever on the Tianling Continent. On the contrary, the pharmacopoeia Nie Kong compiled, the Compendium of Materia Medica, caused an even greater sensation across the continent.

Following the news that Nie Kong was about to establish his sect, the Red Chamber released abridged and introductory versions of the pharmacopoeia. Instantly, a new wave of frantic buying erupted at Red Chamber locations everywhere. Even Spirit Masters who had initially found the volumes too numerous, and even common civilians, began to feel stirrings of desire.

This was because, within the abridged Compendium of Materia Medica, Nie Kong had added several dozen methods for enhancing bodily permeability, along with corresponding medicinal prescriptions. Especially since Nie Kong explicitly asserted at the end that adhering to those methods for half a year could increase bodily permeability by at least one-tenth.

As a result, how could ordinary people, whose cultivation was hindered by insufficient bodily permeability, not flock to obtain it? If the methods provided in the abridged Compendium of Materia Medica proved effective, then a vast number of ordinary people on the Tianling Continent would step onto the path of cultivation and become Spirit Masters.

As this fervor continued, the day for the official establishment of the Medicine King Palace drew ever closer.

Due to its proximity to the Forbidden Marsh, Jiangtian City’s population exploded several times over in just a few days. This included numerous representatives from invited sects and clans who came to cleanse their qi, as well as a large number of uninvited Spirit Masters who came to join the excitement. The figures of some Heavenly Spirit experts could also be seen from time to time.

“…”

“Wow, there are so many Heavenly Spirit experts in Sky-Blasting City! I just saw the Mountain Master of the Moluo Holy Mountain!”

“Tomorrow is the Medicine King Palace founding ceremony. By then, nearly half the experts of the Tianling Continent will probably gather near the Forbidden Marsh.”

“Lord Nie Kong is truly amazing. I wonder if he accepts disciples? It would be fantastic to become a disciple of the Medicine King Palace. With his guidance, my alchemy skills would surely advance by leaps and bounds.”

“…”

In every street, alley, tavern, and inn, these voices were nearly ubiquitous.

Time flowed like running water. Before long, night had quietly descended, yet Huangtian City remained brightly lit, as boisterous and noisy as it was during the day.

North of the city, in a secluded manor.

In the wide hall, the silence was so profound that a falling needle could be heard. A lingering, oppressive atmosphere permeated the air. Kou Xi’lai, the Palace Master of the Spirit God Palace, and Grand Elder Lu Rong sat motionless, eyes closed, cross-legged on their prayer cushions. Surrounding them sat nearly eighteen other figures; they were all Heavenly Spirit experts from the Spirit God Palace.

Twenty Heavenly Spirit Masters—this accounted for seventy percent of the Spirit God Palace’s expert strength.

Yet, these dozen-plus individuals were not as calm as Kou Xi’lai and Lu Rong. Though they uttered no sound, their eyes constantly darted toward the dark shadow in the corner of the hall. It was a young man dressed in black robes, his entire person seeming to merge with the shadows in the corner. If one wasn't paying close attention, one wouldn't even detect his existence.

Beside the black-robed man sat five young men and women in sequence.

These five were familiar to everyone present. They were the Upper Gods who had descended from the ‘Grand Sovereign Spirit Realm,’ and the bodies housing their souls even belonged to the descendants of those seated. The Spirit God Palace dared to mobilize on such a grand scale largely thanks to their investigation into the true nature of the Yin Ruins Wood Ancestor.

As for the black-robed man, according to the Palace Master and the Grand Elder, he was also a Spirit God from the ‘Great Sovereign Spirit Realm.’

However, those present were entirely unfamiliar with him. Almost none of them had seen him before leaving the Spirit God Palace, and even the body that carried his soul was a new sight to them. Throughout the journey, the black-robed man was extremely mysterious, never answering questions, leading everyone to speculate ceaselessly about his identity.

“Palace Master, esteemed Elders, the Mountain Master of Moluo has arrived!” Suddenly, a middle-aged man flashed into the hall, bowing extremely respectfully.

“Invite him in.”

Kou Xi’lai opened his eyes and sprang up. Lu Rong and the other nineteen individuals around him also rose, and dozens of gazes snapped toward the doorway simultaneously.

“Brother Kou, I’ll enter myself!”

A clear, loud laugh echoed from afar, and instantly, a tall, slender figure appeared in everyone’s sight. The visitor appeared to be only in his forties, dressed in a white robe, possessing an elegant bearing, handsome and jade-like, his face wreathed in a sunny smile that surprisingly made one feel bathed in spring breeze.

This was Mo Tian, the Mountain Master of the Moluo Holy Mountain!

With a sweep of his gaze, he noticed the more than twenty figures gathered in the hall, and Mo Tian was secretly shocked, though his expression remained composed. He smiled faintly. “Brother Kou, your Spirit God Palace certainly has quite the contingent.” As he spoke, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally fell upon the black-robed man seated in the corner. He had a feeling that the reason he hadn’t sensed the true state of affairs in the hall was due to that black-robed man masking everyone’s auras.

“That junior dares to openly establish a sect like this, and even set up the ‘Heaven and Earth Arena.’ If our Spirit God Palace showed a small contingent, wouldn't that betray his kind intentions?” Kou Xi’lai laughed loudly, gesturing toward a prayer cushion opposite him, looking at Mo Tian. “Mountain Master Mo, please take a seat.”

“That is well said.” Seeing Kou Xi’lai laughing like a cunning old fox, Mo Tian couldn’t help but nod meaningfully.

“Palace Master, Elders, the Lord of the Serpent Clan from the Myriad Snake Immortal Nest…” Another middle-aged man hurried into the hall, appearing highly respectful.

However, before he could finish his sentence, a scarlet figure materialized out of thin air in the hall—it was the Serpent Lord, She Qianbian.

“…”