Nie Kong lifted his right palm slightly, uttering the syllable softly.

Instantly, the area spanning ten li seemed to echo with the sound. The ambient spiritual energy that had just flooded in was subjected to an irresistible attraction, rushing madly toward the depression in the mountain, continually condensing in the center of Nie Kong’s right palm, where a small, transparent orb soon manifested.

Whoosh! Whoosh...

Vast swaths of elemental spiritual energy poured into the orb!

The orb remained small and exquisite; its size did not swell further, but the spiritual elements contained within grew progressively denser. In barely four or five seconds, no more spiritual energy appeared in the heavens and earth.

Gui Xian and Shui Rou exchanged glances, their eyes reflecting utter dread. They could clearly sense the astonishing destructive power that would erupt if the force condensed within that small sphere were to explode—perhaps every living creature within dozens of li would be instantly reduced to dust.

This is the power of a Ling Shen?

Gui Xian’s heart trembled, and then he secretly shook his head; an ordinary Ling Shen could never, like Nie Kong, condense the spiritual energy of dozens of li into a single mass in an instant. If Wu Hou, Zhuang Yu, and Yuan Ru were to appear now, they would likely be annihilated with a mere snap of the fingers.

"Go!"

Nie Kong smiled lightly, a fierce hurricane seeming to whip up around him as masses of spiritual energy surged out of the small sphere, spreading outward ceaselessly.

Several more seconds passed, and the heavens and earth returned to normal. Gui Xian and the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this; the existence of that small sphere had been genuinely terrifying.

"Live!"

Nie Kong’s voice did not cease there.

Almost the instant he spoke this word, pinpricks of green began to flicker across the scorched, dry, and deeply fissured floor of the valley basin.

"Look!"

Shui Rou was the first to notice the anomaly and cried out.

The others hastily surveyed their surroundings and saw green vitality continuously surging up from the earth—countless tender shoots that instantly covered everything within sight.

The shoots grew rapidly, branching out and leafing. In a matter of moments, the desolate valley was covered in dense vegetation, lush and verdant, teeming with vibrant life.

"Devour!"

Back on the Tian Ling Continent, Tai Yan and Qing You were already accustomed to Nie Kong’s endless array of techniques, but Gui Xian and his company had never witnessed such a spectacle. They couldn't help but gasp, their eyes widening until they seemed ready to pop, filled with shock and disbelief.

"Die!"

Another character echoed through the air.

The tender green vegetation withered at a speed visible to the naked eye. The world, just moments ago bursting with green, instantly turned withered and yellow, permeated by an aura of decay.

Gui Xian and the others nearly bulged their eyes out of their sockets. If Nie Kong could use this only on vegetation for an experiment now, what would happen if he unleashed it during a clash with an enemy? Wouldn't he be able to drain the enemy's very life force in one go, turning them into a complete corpse? Such a method was terrifying!

When others achieved the Ling Shen realm, they had only just transcended the boundary of life and death; yet, after ascending to Ling Shen, Nie Kong could manipulate life and death. These two realms were separated by a vast, unbridgeable gulf.

Turning the valley green once more, Nie Kong wore a smile of satisfaction. "The spiritual art should now be called the 'Chaos Divine Art'!" As he spoke, Nie Kong’s entire aura was completely withdrawn, making him appear like an ordinary person, not at all like a Ling Shen.

During the refinement of the Water Dragon Dharma Manifestation and the Medicine Cauldron Dharma Manifestation, Nie Kong had been revising and perfecting the 'Yin-Yang Spirit Devouring Art.' When Nie Kong successfully passed the Triple Spiritual Tribulation and achieved Ling Shen, the new spiritual art derived from the 'Yin-Yang Spirit Devouring Art' was simultaneously born. This was the 'Chaos Divine Art,' as named by Nie Kong, which allowed the circulation of Chaos Divine Power twice as fast as the 'Yin-Yang Spirit Devouring Art.' From the 'Spring and Autumn Life Creation Art' to the 'Yin-Yang Spirit Devouring Art,' and now to the 'Chaos Divine Art,' this spiritual art had undergone a complete metamorphosis twice. Even Nie Kong, when he first acquired the 'Spring and Autumn Life Creation Art,' had never imagined he would break through to the Ling Shen realm so swiftly.

Recalling the scene of his initial arrival in Jiyang City filled Nie Kong with deep emotion.

"Brother, you are so much more powerful than me now."

A flash of crimson shadow appeared beside Nie Kong, Tai Yan pouting charmingly, though her eyebrows were radiant with genuine joy. Seeing Nie Kong advance to Ling Shen made her happier than when she herself passed the Triple Spiritual Tribulation. Qing You, Hulu, You Hun, and Xiang Xiang all gathered around, and even Lan Ling scurried out from the beast token, looking ecstatic.

"Elder, should we approach them?" Shui Rou startled out of her trance and murmured softly.

"Let this old man..."

Gui Xian was contemplating, but before he could finish his sentence, his vision blurred as Nie Kong appeared directly before him, smiling warmly. "Esteemed friends from the Sea Clan, thank you for your timely assistance earlier. I have not yet had the pleasure of asking your names?"

When he returned earlier, they were still cleaning up the battlefield. Nie Kong sensed his two Ling Shen Dharma Manifestations were on the verge of running wild, and without taking the time to thank them, he began the refinement process. Although even without the sudden appearance of these Sea Clan powerhouses, Qing You and the others would not have faced any true danger, their aid was sincerely appreciated by Nie Kong. However, Nie Kong still hadn't figured out why they had helped. Humans and the Sea Clan on the Shen Kong Realm mainland were mortal enemies; in the eyes of these Sea Clan experts, he and Wu Hou of the Pill Immortal Sect should not have been fundamentally different.

"We are all brethren of the Sea Clan; it was our duty to assist." Gui Xian smiled, then continued, "This old man... ah, I am Gui Xian, an elder of the Sea Clan in the nearby Immortal Qin Sea Region. I greet Senior Nie Kong."

"Senior Nie Kong?" Nie Kong paused, finding the situation somewhat amusing and frustrating.

"Shui Rou greets Senior Nie Kong!" Shui Rou beside him also bowed respectfully. "..."

The others quickly followed suit, all addressing him as 'Senior.' In their view, though Nie Kong appeared young, his actual age likely far exceeded theirs, making it only proper to call him 'Senior.' However, upon hearing their address, Tai Yan covered her mouth and secretly giggled, while Qing You and the others exchanged knowing glances.

Nie Kong forced a smile, "Elder Gui Xian, please refrain from calling me Senior. I am not yet thirty... um, I am not yet fifty, less than half your age." He had intended to say under thirty but quickly changed it, realizing that number would be too astonishing.

"Not yet fifty?"

Gui Xian and Shui Rou exchanged bewildered looks. But after a moment, the reverence and admiration in their eyes for Nie Kong deepened. Gui Xian stated solemnly, "Among our Sea Clan, the capable lead the way. For you to achieve Ling Shen before the age of fifty naturally makes you our Senior."

Shui Rou and the others nodded in agreement.

Nie Kong resigned himself to the matter with a helpless smile. "Elder Gui Xian, how did you know I was also of the Sea Clan?" When asking this, Nie Kong was being deliberately subtle; he did not explain that he was not Sea Clan, but rather asked how they identified his 'Sea Clan' affiliation. This way, Nie Kong could adapt his response based on Gui Xian's answer.