"They really didn't follow us," Taiyan kept looking back, a look of eager anticipation on his face. By this time, several figures had appeared on the back of the Ghost Eagle King; Lan Ling, Qing You, Xiang Xiang, and Húlu (Gourd) had all scrambled out, having been terribly cooped up recently.

"They were all scared stiff by you, the Spirit God," Nie Kong laughed heartily.

"Not at all, they were afraid of the 'Chaos Heavenly Fire,'" Taiyan pouted, smiling sweetly. "If the Heavenly Fire hadn't been present, they would have attacked long ago."

"Nie Kong, the Alchemist Immortal Sect definitely won't let this go after you snatched the 'Chaos Jade Scroll.'"

Lan Fa couldn't help but interject. She hadn't shown herself recently, but she was perfectly aware of everything happening around Nie Kong.

Nie Kong smiled, "It doesn't matter. Between the new Spirit Gods in the Divine Void Realm, two from the Alchemist Immortal Sect, and one from the Grandmist Heavenly Mansion—even if Marquis Wu and Zhuang Yu bring over the Spirit Gods from the Grandmist Heavenly Mansion, we have no need to worry. Besides, they have to be able to find us first. Perhaps we can return home sooner than expected."

"That’s good then."

Seeing Nie Kong looking so assured, Lan Ling stopped worrying and turned her gaze toward Xiang Xiang, Qing You, and Húlu, who were chasing and frolicking on the eagle's back.

Taiyan asked curiously, "Brother, where are we going now?"

"Straight East!"

"..."

As early as the end of the "Alchemist Palace Immortal Gathering," Nie Kong had extracted a small portion of Yu Longyue’s aura from the Sea God Pearl and cast a 'Blood Shadow Puppet' spell. The puppet’s direction pointed precisely eastward. Afterward, Nie Kong gathered more intelligence from Luan Yexin, learning that there was a vast inland sea in the eastern part of the Divine Void Realm: the Immortal Zither Sea!

A great number of Sea Clan dwelled there; they were the descendants of aquatic spirits who achieved godhood when the Illusionary Spirit Continent still existed. In essence, they were akin to the Fish Spirit Clan inhabiting the deep seas of the Heavenly Spirit Continent. Of course, the Sea Clan boasted myriad species, far surpassing the singular Fish Spirit Clan, and they had been mortal enemies of the mainland sects in the Divine Void Realm for millennia.

Since the 'Blood Shadow Puppet' pointed East, Yu Longyue must be in the Immortal Zither Sea. To the Sea Clan, Yu Longyue was entirely one of their own kind.

Finding Yu Longyue was both Fish Ting Lei’s entrustment and necessary for Nie Kong himself.

Currently, only Yu Longyue knew the location of the secret passage connecting the Divine Void Realm and the Heavenly Spirit Continent. Qing You knew the entrance on the Heavenly Spirit Continent side, but the route within the Divine Void Realm absolutely required questioning Yu Longyue. If he tried to find it himself, it might take a hundred years just to get back.

In the following days, the Ghost Eagle King flew eastward almost without rest.

Nie Kong did not waste time either, but he did not immediately absorb the 'Chaos Heavenly Fire.' Instead, he used his own Chaos Origin Power to nurture it, constantly wearing down the fire's violent nature.

In the eyes of the Alchemist Immortal Sect members, Nie Kong appeared capable of manipulating the 'Chaos Qin Fire' smoothly and effortlessly. However, the reality was far from that. Nie Kong was merely utilizing his 'Chaos Divine Power' and his own spiritual intent to activate the will inherently contained within the 'Chaos Heavenly Fire,' guiding it slightly.

Moreover, at the moment the Heavenly Fire broke through the 'Dantian Sealing God Array,' Nie Kong had completely burned away the small cluster of Chaos Divine Power he had just refined.

This was a considerable distance from true mastery.

The Heavenly Fire in the Lower Scroll was inherently savage. Although Nie Kong possessed Chaos Origin Power due to fusing with the Upper Scroll’s fire, preventing active backlash during absorption, his physical body could hardly withstand absorbing large quantities. If he absorbed it bit by bit, it might take until the Year of the Monkey before he could fully assimilate the Lower Scroll's Heavenly Fire!

Thus, Nie Kong adopted this slightly cunning method. Every day, he would draw the Heavenly Fire out of the 'Chaos Jade Scroll,' merge it with his Chaos Origin Power, and then return it to the Scroll. As time passed day by day, this method gradually began showing results.

The Lower Scroll's 'Chaos Heavenly Fire' was slowly transforming from violent to mild.

Once it reached the gentleness of the Upper Scroll's fire, Nie Kong could begin the absorption process. With Chaos Origin Power as the foundation, refining the Lower Scroll's fire would certainly be far faster than refining the Upper Scroll's.

Hope spurring him on, Nie Kong persisted relentlessly, losing vast amounts of Chaos Origin Power. Fortunately, the spiritual energy essence in the Divine Void Realm was exceptionally abundant, and recovery was extremely swift.

Day dawned and set; twenty days flashed by.

"Brother, I see the sea!" Taiyan suddenly cheered excitedly.

Nie Kong, whose consciousness had been immersed in the Pet Backpack, snapped awake, hastily pulling his attention away from the 'Chaos Jade Scroll.' Looking up, he saw the distant horizon, washed in a clear azure, the waves appearing as a single, undulating line fiercely rising where the sea met the sky—a truly magnificent vista.

"That must be the Immortal Zither Sea."

Lan Ling's face broke into a smile, while the three little ones, Qing You, Húlu, and Xiang Xiang, were practically bouncing with excitement; they were long tired of being cramped on the Ghost Eagle King’s back.

Finally, they arrived!

Nie Kong let out a long breath. Although he had never been to the Immortal Zither Sea, judging by the time elapsed, they were about right. The ocean in the distance was boundless; even with Nie Kong's current spiritual sense, he couldn't perceive its end. It was rumored that the Immortal Zither Sea occupied thirty percent of the Divine Void Realm’s territory.

Nie Kong had already witnessed the vastness of the Divine Void Realm.

It had taken twenty days just to travel here from the western side. If one were to traverse the entire realm from West to East, it would take at least two months, and that was while riding the Ghost Eagle King. If a Ninth Rank expert flew under their own power, needing rest stops along the way, it would consume even more time.

"Ghost, find a place to stop. We’ll rest by the sea tonight," Nie Kong commanded as the setting sun dipped low.

"Caw!"

The Ghost Eagle King’s cry was shaky, almost weeping. Twenty days of grueling labor, its two wings nearly snapped from exhaustion, and now it could finally rest—tonight! As for whether it would be forced back into labor after dawn, the Ghost Eagle King no longer had the mental capacity to consider it.

Aiming for a mountain hollow seven or eight li from the sea, the Ghost Eagle landed without delay.

Upon landing, the creature immediately folded its wings and curled into a ball to rest. Only then did Qing You and the other little ones slide off its back, immediately sprinting and frolicking wildly in the dense woods. Nie Kong, Taiyan, and Lan Ling descended one after another. A gentle sea breeze, faintly carrying the scent of brine, blew over them, offering a distinctly different sensation.

"Taiyan, Lan Ling, wander around casually, but don't go far," Nie Kong instructed, his mind sinking back into the Lower Scroll within the Pet Backpack.

"..."

Taiyan and Lan Ling were intensely curious about the Immortal Zither Sea, home to countless Sea Clan members. Their figures flickered away in succession, laughing as they left the hollow, the smaller creatures quickly following suit. About half an hour later, when the two returned from their enjoyment by the seaside, they were startled by the scene before them...