Nie Kong hadn't actually gone with Luan Yexin to seek out the leaders of sects like the Lingxiao Heavenly Sword Pavilion. Not long after leaving Shenxiu Peak, he used the excuse of needing to study medicinal herbs to return to the Creation Villa.

Luan Yexin harbored no suspicions regarding this.

About fifteen minutes later, Nie Kong stepped into his residence within the villa. Almost as soon as he placed the bundle of herbs on the table, two of the herbs—one red, one purple—leapt up.

It was the Recollection Grass and the Violet Illusory Spirit Incense.

A flash of red light, and the Recollection Grass transformed into Tai Xian, her pretty face alight with joyous laughter. The little fellow cheerfully wiggled its stalk, striking a pose of self-triumph, though this moment of glory for the little contributor lasted barely two seconds before Nie Kong called it back into the Spiritual Divine Aperture, separating its physical form from its Dharma Aspect.

A dark-red aura diffused outward. Nie Kong employed the power of his Dharma Aspect to seal the space within a two-meter radius around himself, only then taking Tai Yan’s small hand, saying with some excitement, "Tai Yan, you and Xiangxiang were extremely clean and efficient. You hid well too; they didn't discover a single trace."

Regarding tonight's operation, Nie Kong had discussed matters with Tai Yan at length before heading to the Thousand Mechanisms Hall. Now, he had finally achieved his goal, thoroughly eliminating Kou Xilai and the others. Although the threat of the Dark Night Divine Venerable was not truly gone forever, at least for the next two years, there was no need to worry about it.

"Brother, here’s this for you." Hearing Nie Kong’s praise, Tai Yan broke into a broad smile and took out an exquisitely crafted jade-green finger ring from her embrace.

"This is Kou Xilai's spatial talisman artifact!"

Nie Kong’s eyes lit up with joy. There were no spatial talisman artifacts on the Tianling Continent; this must have been obtained by Kou Xilai after arriving in the Divine Void Realm. Spatial talisman artifacts were not uncommon in the Divine Void Realm, valued at roughly the same price as a "Hibiscus Falling Petal Pill," an eighth-grade spiritual medicine used to boost cultivation.

Of course, the space inside such an artifact was very small.

Its length, width, and height would not exceed two feet; they could only be used to carry very small objects, making them incomparable to Nie Kong’s pet backpack.

Tai Yan sat beside Nie Kong and said with a squinted smile, "The upper volume of the 'Chaos Jade Codex' is inside. I personally watched Kou Xilai put it away. It’s a pity Kou Xilai reacted too quickly, and I didn't have time to stop him. Now that Kou Xilai is dead, I don't know how to open it."

"It's fortunate you didn't stop Kou Xilai from putting the jade codex into the spatial artifact, otherwise your whereabouts might have been discovered."

Nie Kong felt a measure of relief. Even encased in a box, the aura of the 'Chaos Jade Codex' was still quite pronounced. Marquis Wu was already a Spirit God and had been in contact with the Chaos Jade Codex for a very long time; he would certainly be extremely sensitive to its aura. Tai Yan might not have been able to fully conceal it, whereas this tiny finger ring made things much easier.

Pausing briefly, Nie Kong chuckled, "To freely control a spatial talisman artifact, one must integrate one’s own spiritual imprint into it. Now that Kou Xilai is dead, his spiritual imprint has naturally vanished with him. This artifact is engraved with an Illusory Formation; as long as we find the formation point, we can open the space inside the finger ring."

"Brother, hurry up then." Tai Yan was also very eager to see the jade codex.

"Don't rush. Before we start working on it, we need to figure out a way to isolate the codex’s aura." Nie Kong frowned in thought. He couldn't guarantee that the space sealed by his Dharma Aspect power could completely mask the aura of the 'Chaos Jade Codex.' Any slight leak might allow Marquis Wu to detect it.

"The pet backpack?" Tai Yan’s eyes darted around.

"Use that?"

Nie Kong hesitated. The pet backpack was indeed safe, but he had never tried deploying his own power inside the pet backpack before. "Let’s give it a try then." With a single thought, the jade-green finger ring was placed into the backpack. To avoid drawing too much attention, Nie Kong immediately retracted the surrounding Dharma Aspect power.

But then, Hong Kong was slightly stunned.

He didn't know by what means he was supposed to send his power into the pet backpack. Previously, he had only used his will to retrieve items. Intent required no path, but power did.

"Right, Xiangxiang’s innate medicinal power!"

Nie Kong's mind raced, and a sudden flash of inspiration brought him an idea.

Upon learning that Nie Kong intended to open the finger ring and view the 'Chaos Jade Codex,' the little fellow, who had been somewhat sullen, immediately grew excited again. A dense surge of innate medicinal power streamed out of the Spiritual Divine Aperture, probing into the pet backpack. The little fellow's innate medicinal power was precisely the pathway Nie Kong was searching for.

The primal source power adhered to the innate medicinal power, moving forward along it.

In the blink of an eye, it reached its destination. Nie Kong couldn't bother savoring the sensation; the primal source power immediately enveloped the finger ring completely.

Searching for the Illusory Formation's point, Nie Kong was already adept at it.

He had performed such tasks countless times in the Spirit Mansion; even the medicinal gardens of the Spirit Mansion’s Herb Tower had been opened by him in this manner. Under the stimulation of the primal source power, the illusory runes on the finger ring's surface emitted brilliant, vibrant green light. Subsequently, the abundance of vitality contained within each rune was displayed in his mind.

"Boom!"

A muffled explosion echoed inside the pet backpack, and a vast surge of power struck the Illusory Formation point.

Vaguely, the finger ring seemed to transform into a square foot of emerald-green space, within which a wooden box lay silently, radiating a scorching heat.

"That’s it!"

Under Nie Kong’s manipulation, a wisp of primal source power, like a vine, tightly wrapped around the wooden box, pulling it directly out of the emerald space. The next moment, the small space vanished, and the radiant glow on the finger ring’s surface gradually receded, quickly returning to its appearance before it was opened.

"Ay-yah-yah."

The little fellow cheered, its innate medicinal power rushing over.

Before Nie Kong could stop it, the little fellow had already flipped the wooden box open. An even more oppressive heat surged out, startling the little fellow badly. That wisp of innate medicinal power hastily retreated to the edge of the pet backpack, observing cautiously, seemingly ready to bolt at any moment.

Seeing this, Nie Kong chuckled inwardly, shifting his attention to the wooden box.

At the bottom of the wooden box, the fiery-red codex lay quietly, exactly the same as the 'Chaos Jade Codex' Nie Kong had seen in the underground secret chamber of the Thousand Mechanisms Hall—its cover was exquisite and translucent, smooth as jade, beneath which flames burned fiercely, condensing into the word "Chaos" with meticulous regularity.

The primal source power materialized into a palm, lifting the thin 'Chaos Jade Codex' from the box. The moment it made contact, a feeling of intimacy washed over him again.

In that instant, Nie Kong suddenly understood the biggest difference between the upper and lower volumes of the 'Chaos Jade Codex.'

Both volumes sealed immense 'Chaos Heavenly Fire,' and the heat emanating from them was equally intense. The Heavenly Fire in the lower volume was exceptionally violent, like a torrential rain or a fierce gale, while the upper volume was the complete opposite; the heat radiating from the jade codex was gentle, like a drizzle or a soft breeze.

Sensing the aura of the upper volume, Nie Kong felt an impulse. His primal source power, having fused with fire spirit energy elements, had already derived the aura of the 'Chaos Heavenly Fire.' Perhaps absorbing the 'Chaos Heavenly Fire' from the upper volume would be easier, given its gentle temperament.