Kou Xilai was furious, and Lu Rong and the others also wore expressions of deep anger.

Nie Kong’s action—kicking aside the Medicine Altar belonging to the Spirit God Hall—was an outrageous move. Given Nie Kong’s current influence, if the various levels of Medicine Academies were established, they would likely draw away the vast majority of Spirit Alchemists on the Heaven Spirit Continent, especially with Meng Feiyang and You Li, both Eighth-Grade Medicine Kings, serving as principals of the Medicine King Academy.

Given time, the continent’s most gifted alchemical geniuses would probably be entirely absorbed by the Medicine King Palace, leaving the Medicine Altar to be utterly neglected.

Sensing the shift in Kou Xilai and the others' expressions, Nie Kong inwardly smirked.

The Primary, Intermediate, and Advanced Medicine Academies, along with the Medicine King Academy, that he planned to establish were the functional equivalents of primary school, middle school, high school, and university from his previous life. Students from the Primary Academy, upon passing assessments, could advance to the Intermediate, Advanced, or even the Medicine King Academy.

If this model developed, within a few years, the most outstanding Spirit Alchemists on the Heaven Spirit Continent would all congregate at the Medicine King Palace.

Nie Kong’s Medicine King Palace was founded upon alchemy; Spirit Alchemists were its core.

For thousands of years, others had contemplated gathering all the continent’s Spirit Alchemists, and some powerful sects had even attempted it, yet none succeeded. This was because no single Medicine King had ever been capable of subduing the others, nor could any command the universal respect of all Spirit Alchemists.

Nie Kong had achieved absolute victories against numerous Seventh-Grade Spirit Alchemists and Eighth-Grade Medicine Kings, compiled the definitive text, the "Compendium of Materia Medica," and successfully refined Ninth-Grade Spirit Medicine...

Any one of these feats was enough to shake the ancient and modern worlds.

Nie Kong had accomplished what other Spirit Alchemists could not, meaning the moment his Medicine King Palace appeared, it would instantly supplant Spirit Imperial City as the sacred ground for all Spirit Alchemists on the continent. Establishing academies across the continent would further cement the title "Medicine King Palace" as fully deserving.

However, opening the academies was merely Nie Kong’s first step.

The next step would be for Nie Kong to reform the Spirit Alchemist Rank Evaluation System established by the Spirit God Hall, abolishing the nine-rank system and dividing Spirit Alchemists into four tiers: Primary Spirit Alchemist, Intermediate Spirit Alchemist, Advanced Spirit Alchemist, and Medicine King, ensuring every Spirit Alchemist on the Heaven Spirit Continent would bear his mark.

This restructuring would significantly aid Nie Kong in gathering the power of faith.

Of course, whether this venture would unfold exactly as Nie Kong predicted depended entirely on his success today. As the thought crossed his mind, Nie Kong raised his hand and pressed down lightly. Seeing this gesture, the crowds lining the square quickly quieted. Not just the Spirit Alchemists, but even the Spirit Masters looked upon Nie Kong with growing fervor.

Everyone could foresee that if the academies were successfully established, it would not only benefit Spirit Alchemists but also bring tremendous advantages to Spirit Masters, as potent elixirs would no longer be monopolized by sects and noble clans. Even commoner disciples with sufficient talent would gain the opportunity to study alchemy.

"There is no need for haste, everyone."

Nie Kong laughed loudly, "My Medicine King Palace has already prepared thirty thousand copies of the plan for establishing the academies. You may each collect one as you depart the Spirit Manor."

Hearing this, the surrounding noise erupted into thunderous cheers once more.

But just then, a harsh shout suddenly suppressed the clamor: "Nie Kong, enough empty talk! When will the founding ceremony for the Medicine King Palace commence?"

The crowd turned to see the speaker was a powerhouse from the Spirit God Hall.

"It seems some fellow practitioners are eager," Nie Kong boomed, laughing heartily, "Since that is the case, the founding ceremony of my Medicine King Palace shall begin now. All formalities are waived. According to the customs of the Heaven Spirit Continent, for a new sect to gain recognition from the major Spirit Master sanctuaries, it must establish the 'Heaven and Earth Arena' to accept challenges from experts across the lands."

"Frankly, given my reputation, there should be no need for this 'Heaven and Earth Arena' to prove the qualification of the Medicine King Palace."

"However, I am, after all, a young man in only my twenties."

"Though you are all well aware of my abilities in the Way of Medicine, you have not witnessed my personal cultivation firsthand. As your host, I certainly cannot disappoint those who have traveled so far. This very spot where I stand is today's battlefield. Is there any fellow cultivator from the Heaven Spirit willing to step forward and test me?"

As he finished speaking, Nie Kong’s gaze swept across She Qianbian and Kou Xilai, deliberately pausing on the black-robed man beside Kou Xilai, a wry smile playing on his lips. "The Medicine King Palace has only me as a Heaven Spirit Master. No matter how many people challenge, I will answer them all alone."

The words landed, and the entire plaza fell into immediate silence.

"This old man, Zhu Huan, shall be the first to seek instruction!" In an instant, a deep, vigorous voice shattered the silence of the space.

The crowd had only just registered a dark shadow stepping out from the Spirit God Hall contingent when their vision blurred. The shadow arrived instantly on the high platform at the center of the plaza. Yet, before anyone could clearly make out his features, the shadow bizarrely vanished from the platform, seemingly dissolving completely into the void.

Nie Kong’s eyes narrowed, and without warning, he shot toward the front-left. As his figure traversed the void, his right fist smashed out simultaneously.

"Boom!" Primal power surged forth, and Nie Kong’s right punch actually tore a massive black hole in the void.

"Ah!"

A piercing shriek suddenly erupted, and a dark shadow tumbled out of the black hole like a kite with a severed string. It was a thin, aged man, perhaps sixty years old. The moment he hit the ground, he spewed out great mouthfuls of blood, filling the air before him with a mist of crimson. However, the instant Zhu Huan collapsed, a mass of black mist surged out, enveloping his body, and he instantly vanished from the spot.

"You think you can run away already?"

With a sneer, Nie Kong himself instantly merged into the void. As the laughter faded, Nie Kong reappeared at the edge of the platform dozens of meters away, and in his hand, he held a ball of humanoid black mist—the very Zhu Huan who had attempted to flee the 'Heaven and Earth Arena.'

Seeing Nie Kong holding Zhu Huan by the neck, dangling him like an eagle snatching a chick, nearly all the Heaven Spirit powerhouses of the Spirit God Hall—save for the black-robed man and a few others—instinctively shot to their feet, unconcealed shock blazing in their eyes.

Kou Xilai had sent Zhu Huan out simply to probe Nie Kong’s strength, and for safety, he had even equipped him with the 'Dark God Blood Pendant' and the 'Shadowy Evasion Jade Slip.' But unexpectedly, before Zhu Huan could even activate the 'Dark God Blood Pendant,' he was gravely wounded by Nie Kong. Worse, when Zhu Huan used the 'Shadowy Evasion Jade Slip' to flee, he was still caught by Nie Kong and yanked out of the void.

In such a short span, had Nie Kong's power already escalated to this terrifying degree?

The Spirit God Hall experts who had previously clashed with Nie Kong in the Forbidden Spirit Marsh were even more stunned. Back then, although Nie Kong had managed to sever the Second Elder's arm, it was partly due to luck—the Elder happened to be using the 'Shadowy Evasion Jade Slip' to depart when Nie Kong ran into him. But the situation now was entirely different.

"The 'Shadowy Evasion Jade Slip' is nothing more than that!"

Nie Kong roared with laughter, swinging his right arm. Zhu Huan’s body shot like a cannonball out of a muzzle, rocketing toward the Spirit God Hall contingent...