Nie Kong handed the jade bottle back to Qing Yue, glancing at Hua Pianqian with some surprise, "I didn't realize you knew about the 'Sumeru Divine Fetus'?" This 'Sumeru Divine Fetus' was a peculiar type of spiritual medicine, situated somewhere between the ninth and tenth grades. It neither boosted cultivation rank nor had healing properties; it functioned solely as a vessel capable of storing immense spiritual power.

Once used, the spiritual power would be released continuously, proving incredibly effective in combat—far surpassing any conventional spiritual recovery elixirs. When Nie Kong first ascended to the ninth level of the Medicine Pagoda, the formulas he discovered included that for the 'Sumeru Divine Fetus.' After days of deduction and study, he successfully converted it into a spiritual medicine recipe.

This specific formula, however, Nie Kong had omitted from his Compendium of Materia Medica. Just now, Nie Kong had coincidentally recalled that Qing Yue had obtained the primary ingredient, 'Sumeru Golden Jade Dew,' from the Spirit God Hall, which sparked the idea of refining the 'Sumeru Divine Fetus.' Even if the attempt failed, the loss would be minimal, but success would save a considerable amount of time.

"This spiritual medicine is notoriously difficult to refine; I simply don't believe you can succeed!" Hua Pianqian snapped back to attention, hastily masking the shock on her face with a heavy snort. "Besides, Hua Mei only possesses Void Spirit strength; her body absolutely cannot withstand power of Heavenly Spirit intensity." "That's something you don't need to worry about," Nie Kong waved his hand dismissively, chuckling.

"Uh..." Hua Pianqian grew instantly furious, but Nie Kong paid her no further mind, his gaze shifting to Hulu. "Hulu, get ready." The little meatball quickly nodded and hopped onto Nie Kong's shoulder.

The smile faded from Nie Kong’s face; his expression turned serious and grave. He then took a light breath, his right hand sweeping out swiftly.

In an instant, twenty-six different medicinal components entered the cauldron. Clang!

The lid sealed shut. Nie Kong lightly waved both hands, and ten nearly transparent white flames pierced forth from his fingertips, wrapping around the cauldron body like ten coiled dragons.

With a sizzling sound, the flames coiled upward. Though not fierce, their searing heat immediately began to press outward in all directions.

Qing Yue, Lan Ling, and Hua Pianqian all unconsciously shuffled backward slightly, only Hulu seeming completely oblivious. "Ten Spirits Gathering Divinity?" Watching the ten light, agile, twisting flames, Hua Pianqian’s heart skipped another beat.

In the 'Grand Sovereign Spirit Realm,' there were many formidable alchemists, and 'Ten Spirits Gathering Divinity' was one of their signature techniques. It typically required Spirit God strength to be executed smoothly and naturally.

To see Nie Kong, who was still only at the Heavenly Spirit level, mastering this technique—and employing it with such practiced ease, without a hint of awkwardness—was astonishing. Hua Pianqian was shocked, yet immensely surprised.

Perhaps this fellow Nie Kong genuinely could refine the 'Sumeru Divine Fetus.' But what did he intend to use this spiritual medicine for, involving herself? As she pondered this silently, Nie Kong’s movements shifted dramatically.

His ten fingers trembled subtly, and the flames seemed to obey an unseen command, drilling down into the interior of the cauldron. "Buzz!" The cauldron vibrated violently, threatening to break free from Nie Kong’s control, yet it was held fast by the ten streams of flame.

Qing Yue and Hulu were long accustomed to such a sight, but Lan Ling was wide-eyed with amazement, her gaze darting ceaselessly between Nie Kong and the cauldron. Time flew by, and the cauldron's shaking grew increasingly violent...

Fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on Nie Kong’s brow, and a trace of fatigue involuntarily showed in his expression. By the look of it, even for Nie Kong, hailed as the 'Number One Medicine King' of the Heavenly Spirit Continent, refining a spiritual medicine like the 'Sumeru Divine Fetus' was proving quite arduous.

Lan Ling and Qing Yue couldn't help but exchange a glance, feeling a touch of nervousness. Though Hua Pianqian showed no overt reaction, a flicker of unnoticeable attention arose in her eyes.

Despite her deep-seated hatred for Nie Kong, if he could truly grant her temporary Heavenly Spirit strength via the 'Sumeru Divine Fetus,' she would certainly dedicate herself to helping him repair the illusory teleportation array. After all, because of Hua Mei, Hua Pianqian and Nie Kong were currently in the same precarious situation.

If the 'Dark Night Divine Sovereign' managed to invade the Heavenly Spirit Continent using the likes of Kouxi who had escaped to the Divine Sky Realm, Nie Kong would likely face grave danger. Should Nie Kong meet with disaster, Hua Mei might follow him in death.

This would be an absolute catastrophe for Hua Pianqian, especially since she needed Nie Kong to separate her soul from Hua Mei's and help her reconstruct her physical body. Lost in thought, Hua Pianqian involuntarily raised a hand to brush her temple, wiping away the perspiration that had seeped out due to the encroaching heat.

About another fifteen minutes passed. The thermal energy emanating from the flames became even more intense, with powerful heat waves washing over the room, filling every inch of space.

Lan Ling and Qing Yue, with their robust cultivation, could withstand it, but Hua Pianqian, whose true strength remained at the Void Spirit stage, was already drenched in perspiration. Her thin clothing clung to her skin, making her delicate figure appear even more pronounced and exquisitely curved, radiating a captivating allure from head to toe.

Nie Kong was equally drenched, his arms trembling slightly, yet the ten flames issuing from his fingertips remained steadfast, weaving in an unbroken thread. "Jing Lu!" Nie Kong’s half-closed eyes snapped open, and he roared the command.

Hulu spun rapidly, pressing its mouth tightly against the cauldron lid. A moment later, its round belly began to inflate at a rate visible to the naked eye.

After nearly a minute, Hulu, having expanded a hundredfold, floated gently upward. The instant its lips left the lid, a strange, faint fragrance wafted out through the opening.

This scent was milder than the 'Sumeru Golden Jade Dew,' yet far more intoxicating. "That should be about right." With a flick of his fingers, the white flames vanished abruptly.

Nie Kong wiped his forehead and let out a long breath, a visible sense of relief washing over him. Restricted by his insufficient cultivation, refining this 'Sumeru Divine Fetus' was vastly more difficult; it not only required the 'Ten Spirits Gathering Divinity' technique but also the aid of Hulu, and it was only barely successful.

"Quickly, take it out and let us see," Qing Yue urged impatiently. Lan Ling's eyes shone even brighter, and even Hua Pianqian couldn't resist peering over.

"Alright." With a movement of intent, the cauldron lid sprang open, and Nie Kong snatched the emerging pill into his palm with lightning speed. This 'Sumeru Divine Fetus' was pale blue, only the size of a thumbnail fragment, shaped like a small seashell.

To the touch, it felt surprisingly soft and elastic, like a sponge. Qing Yue couldn't resist reaching out to pinch it lightly a few times, feeling immense curiosity; this was the first time she had encountered such a spiritual medicine.

"The medicinal efficacy integration is only seventy-nine percent, but it should be barely usable." For Nie Kong, this level of integration essentially equated to refinement failure. However, since the 'Sumeru Divine Fetus,' while still falling within the ninth-grade spiritual medicine category, bordered extremely closely on the tenth grade—surpassing the 'Ruyi Fire Lotus' by a significant margin—and this being his first attempt, achieving seventy-nine percent integration was a result he found satisfactory.

The spiritual medicine passed from Qing Yue to Lan Ling, and soon landed in Hua Pianqian’s hand. Holding it delicately between her fingers for a close inspection, Hua Pianqian couldn't help but purse her lips.

"Only seventy-nine percent integration? Even fully charged with spiritual power, it will only last about three days." Nie Kong laughed.

"After three days, can't you just refine another one?" Hua Pianqian tossed the medicine casually back to Nie Kong, rolling her eyes. "Fine, pretend I never said that.

It’s just that my body cannot withstand the medicinal power of a ninth-grade spiritual medicine. If I take it forcibly and something goes wrong, don't blame me for not warning you—this is your woman's body, after all."

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