Dozens of colossal, ten-thousand-ren peaks formed a ring, guarding an unusually flat expanse dotted with countless buildings and bustling with human activity—a clearly prosperous city.

Several thousand meters west of the city, high in the air, a massive eagle sliced through the sky with its wings spread wide.

Perched upon the eagle’s back were a woman of exquisite beauty clad in crimson, and a rugged, powerfully built man. These two were Tai Yan and Nie Kong, who had altered his appearance.

Just as Nie Kong suspected, Kou Xilai had indeed notified them about the activation of the teleportation array leading into the Shenkong Realm. As soon as the "Blood Shadow Dharma Form" was unleashed, it reacted immediately. Subsequently, Nie Kong summoned the Nether Soul Eagle King and, following the guidance, they flew almost ceaselessly for four days and nights.

"Something is odd!"

Looking at the shimmering phantom figure floating before him, Nie Kong frowned slightly.

This was the second time Nie Kong had extracted Kou Xilai’s aura; the initial phantom manifestation of the "Blood Shadow Dharma Form" had already dissipated.

The phantom was linked directly to Nie Kong’s consciousness, allowing him to clearly sense the fluctuations within the "Blood Shadow Dharma Form."

Just moments ago, the "Blood Shadow Dharma Form" had abruptly ceased providing directional guidance, as if Kou Xilai’s true body's aura had vanished without a trace.

There were only two possibilities for this situation: either Kou Xilai was completely dead, or his true aura had been entirely obscured by something.

If it were the first case, it wouldn't be entirely surprising, but Nie Kong preferred to believe it was the latter.

Tai Yan snuggled closer to Nie Kong’s arm, asking with concern, "Brother, what is it?"

"Kou Xilai’s true aura has been blocked; the 'Blood Shadow Dharma Form' is useless now," Nie Kong sighed, shaking his head.

"What should we do?" Tai Yan’s delicate eyebrows furrowed.

"Don't worry."

Nie Kong pinched her soft, delicate cheek and smiled broadly, "Judging by the fluctuations of the 'Blood Shadow Dharma Form' just now, we aren't far from Kou Xilai—probably within a thousand li. Since they’ve just arrived and his cultivation is severely weakened, trying to reestablish contact with the Spirit Gods of the 'Tai Zun Spirit Realm' will certainly be difficult using only their own strength, unless they ally themselves with some major power here."

Tai Yan tilted her head, pondering for a moment, then her eyes suddenly lit up. "Brother, I understand! If we can find out which sects are within a thousand li ahead, we can roughly pinpoint where they are hiding."

"Clever girl!"

Nie Kong lowered his head and pecked her earlobe. Hearing Nie Kong’s praise, Tai Yan immediately beamed with joy and hugged his arm even tighter.

After briefly savoring the softness and resilience of Tai Yan’s chest, Nie Kong’s gaze returned to the phantom before him. "This 'Blood Shadow Dharma Form' is about to dissipate too... The Nether Soul should fly straight in this direction, and the first city we encounter will be where we rest."

"Screech!"

After flying for four days, the Nether Soul Eagle King was utterly exhausted. Hearing Nie Kong’s words, it couldn't help but let out an excited cry, steeling its spirit to fly desperately onward...

"Shenglong?"

Dozens of minutes later, Nie Kong, hand-in-hand with Tai Yan, stood beneath a towering city wall. Carved above the arched city gate were these very two characters. The calligraphy was grand and vigorous, like a flood dragon bursting forth from the stone, inducing a strange sense of dizziness when looked up at.

By the standards of calligraphy alone, these two characters were merely average, yet the spiritual essence contained within the brushstrokes was startling. The creator of these characters was likely a powerful Spirit God.

Tai Yan had already covered her face with a veil and glanced around the surroundings, whispering, "Brother, there are many powerful Illusionary Spirit Masters in this city. Perhaps this place is the stronghold of a major sect."

"Shenglong, Shengfeng..."

Nie Kong nodded in agreement, repeating the two names silently a few times, before his expression suddenly changed, and he exclaimed softly, "Shenglong City! The Pill Immortal Sect!" No wonder the names felt vaguely familiar. The relationship between Shenglong City and the Pill Immortal Sect was much like that between Ring Moon City in the Nether Soil and the War Clan.

Noticing Tai Yan's puzzled gaze, Nie Kong quietly explained, "Shenglong City is the base of the Pill Immortal Sect."

"Such a coincidence?"

Tai Yan covered her mouth, her beautiful eyes widening in astonishment.

"It is indeed quite a coincidence," Nie Kong nodded. His own Spirit Mansion originated from the Pill Immortal Sect of ten thousand years ago; he hadn't expected to arrive at the Pill Immortal Sect so quickly after entering the Shenkong Realm. According to the Chronicles of the Shenkong Realm, the Pill Immortal Sect was one of the paramount powers in the Shenkong Realm, and it should be no different now.

"In that case, it's highly likely they..."

"Hard to say. Let’s enter the city and investigate first."

"..."

As they spoke, Nie Kong led Tai Yan forward.

This was the west gate of Shenglong City. The area around the gate was thronged with people, the vast majority of whom were Illusionary Spirit Masters—a sight rarely seen on the Heavenly Spirit Continent. Although this was partly due to Shenglong City being the Pill Immortal Sect's base, it still offered insight into the proportion of cultivators in the Shenkong Realm.

Following the flow of people, they passed through the gate and entered the city. Nie Kong looked around.

The streets of Shenglong City were exceptionally wide and smooth. Though the thoroughfare was busy, it didn't feel crowded; everything was orderly. On both sides of the street, various stalls were neatly arranged, surprisingly displaying numerous items inscribed with Illusory Talismans—the variety was staggering.

This discovery brought a wave of emotion to Nie Kong; such a scene would be almost impossible to witness on the Heavenly Spirit Continent. Although both the Shenkong Realm and the Heavenly Spirit Continent originated from the ancient Illusory Spirit Continent, after ten millennia of separation, they were worlds apart, separated by an immense gulf.

Tai Yan was also quite fascinated, constantly looking around, but Nie Kong’s attention had already shifted to the Illusionary Spirit Masters within the city. After walking along just two streets, Nie Kong spotted more than a dozen Eighth-Tier experts and faintly detected the auras of three Ninth-Tier powerhouses.

A glimpse of the whole through a tube—a small indication of the greater whole.

The strength of this Pill Immortal Sect was truly astonishing!

Nie Kong’s brow furrowed, feeling a slight headache. If Kou Xilai and his group weren't in the Pill Immortal Sect, that would be one thing, but if they were indeed hidden here, finding and eliminating them would be exceedingly difficult. However difficult it might be, this task had to be accomplished; leaving them alive posed a grave danger to both him and Hua Mei and the others.

After a moment of deep thought, Nie Kong leaned closer to Tai Yan and sent a soft voice directly into her ear.

"I know."

Tai Yan quickly nodded, responding with a smile, "Brother, leave this to me."

From the high sun to the setting sun, Nie Kong and Tai Yan wandered the city for several hours. To avoid attracting attention, they couldn't use their spiritual power, meaning that even after such a long time, they hadn't covered even a third of Shenglong City. Only when night fell did they find an inn.

As soon as they entered the room, the Dharma Form surged out of Nie Kong’s body, spreading a dark-red aura that sealed the space within a radius of several meters. No sound from inside could escape, and no sound from outside could penetrate. Only then did Nie Kong ask with relief, "Tai Yan, what's the situation?"

Tai Yan removed her veil. "Brother, I’ve found out. There are ninety-eight Ninth-Tier Illusionary Spirit Masters in Shenglong City, and thirty-four of them are at the peak of the Ninth Tier!"