Tai Yan said with a beaming smile, "If they don't come to us, we can always go back to the Shenkong Realm to find them." Not only Nie Kong and Yu Longyue enjoyed this feeling of surging power, but Tai Yan was equally fascinated, wishing she could capture a few more Sixth-Grade Dark Spirit Gods to absorb and refine.

Nie Kong let out a dry laugh: "We've likely been in the Continental Fragment Belt for quite some time now. If they haven't found us, most of them will surely have returned to the Tai Zun Spirit Realm. Even if some Spirit Gods remained, their numbers wouldn't be large. Rushing back to search won't yield much."

Yu Longyue nodded in agreement: "Nie Kong is right."

Tai Yan puffed out her cheeks, clearly a bit frustrated.

Just then, Nie Kong seemed to recall something: "Auntie Yue, can you still locate that passage between the Shenkong Realm and the Tianling Continent?"

"You're thinking of going back that way?"

Yu Longyue was caught off guard by Nie Kong's sudden question, pausing for a long moment before recovering, her voice edged with anxiety: "Nie Kong, don't joke about things like that. You are already a Sixth-Grade Spirit God; entering that passage now would surely mean certain death."

"Brother…" Tai Yan also hesitated, unable to finish her thought.

"Auntie Yue, Tai Yan, don't worry. I just want to go over there and take a look. If I can't see the situation of that passage with my own eyes, I'll always feel unsettled."

"Truly?"

"Of course."

Nie Kong nodded. "I don't know exactly how many days have passed. Perhaps before we even reach the passage, the Gate of the Shenkong Realm will have already opened."

"That would be for the best."

Yu Longyue watched Nie Kong for a moment, and seeing his earnest expression, she finally relaxed, smiling: "I've been paying attention. This gravitational field seems to be close to the edge of the Fragment Belt. Why don't we just press forward to the end, and then navigate from there? We should be able to find that passage."

"If that's the case, then let's set off now…"

Seeing Nie Kong speak, Xiang Xiang and Hulu, who had been playing nearby, immediately hopped onto him.

Lan Ling also opened her eyes, ceasing her cultivation. During this period, she had absorbed a vast amount of Chaos Divine Power provided by Nie Kong, and the Second-Level Spirit Tribulation could descend at any moment.

Nie Kong's gaze shifted to Qing You, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes. The mass of 'Tai Xu Divine Water' inside his body was now just a tiny speck, ready to be fully refined soon.

"It seems we can't leave just yet."

Nie Kong sat down cross-legged, his expression solemn.

Hiss! Hiss! Ah…

With light flicks of his fingers, streams of Chaos Divine Power shot out continuously, sinking into Qing You’s body.

With Nie Kong's assistance, Qing You’s speed in refining the 'Tai Xu Divine Water' doubled. That fingernail-sized patch of cyan aura began to shrink visibly before their eyes.

"Qing You is about to become a Spirit God?"

Tai Yan was startled for a moment, then broke into a broad grin.

From the day he obtained the 'Tai Xu Divine Water,' Qing You had begun refining it. However, after refining the divine water, he hadn't immediately absorbed it, choosing instead to accumulate it all. Once all the 'Tai Xu Divine Water' was refined, Qing You could strike directly to challenge the Spirit God realm in one go.

"This fellow’s heart is so pure, like a blank sheet of paper, untainted by even a speck of dust. Only someone like him can escape the affliction of Inner Demons and be unhindered by the Three-Level Spirit Tribulation to achieve Spirit God status in a single leap."

Lan Ling felt a touch of envy. The so-called Three-Level Spirit Tribulation was, at its core, various forms of Inner Demons. The purer one's heart, the weaker the Inner Demons, and the greater the chance of surviving the Spirit Tribulation. However, someone like Qing You was extremely rare. Even Tai Yan had Inner Demons when achieving Spirit God status, though for her, those demons were negligible and couldn't affect her state of mind.

Nie Kong could easily pass the Spirit Tribulation because of the Chaos Divine Power. Before his tribulation arrived, the power within his body had completely transformed into divine power—the most fundamental divine power in the universe. Inner Demons were essentially a form of energy; this type of energy naturally found it difficult to interfere with the origin of heaven and earth. As for Yu Longyue, she had Inner Demons during her Spirit Tribulation, but by absorbing the insights of numerous Spirit Gods, she completely offset the erosion of the demons, allowing her to pass the Triple Spirit Tribulation consecutively and advance to Spirit God.

"In the future, I can also become a Spirit God directly, just like Qing You." Hulu stared longingly at Qing You, his two eyes shining brightly.

"Hulu, you can't. Your thoughts are far more complicated than Qing You's. Don't forget what you did back in the Forbidden Spirit Swamp. If it were Xiang Xiang, she surely wouldn't be hindered by the Spirit Tribulation; she is even more simple-minded than Qing You." Tai Yan chuckled, dousing Hulu with a splash of cold water.

"I don't believe that…"

"…"

While Tai Yan and Hulu bickered, the last trace of divine water vanished within Qing You’s body.

Rumble!

A clear, resonant sound arose, and Qing You’s body rapidly swelled.

When Yu Longyue and Tai Yan and the others stepped back, Qing You had already filled the entire concave valley on this land fragment. His body undulated violently, resembling a vast, surging lake. At this moment, Nie Kong remained seated at the bottom of the valley, his boundless Chaos Divine Power pouring ceaselessly into the surroundings.

Rumble!

Rumble!

…

As time passed, the sound of water grew more intense. Cyan auras materialized within Qing You’s body and then exploded outward violently, merging with his form. Translucent pillars of water shot skyward like fountains, and from these dense columns emanated an increasingly massive aura.

Tai Yan and the others flickered rapidly, stopping on a small fragment several hundred meters away to observe. The myriad water pillars shooting from Qing You’s surface had intertwined into a water curtain of extraordinary splendor.

"Indeed, there is no Spirit Tribulation."

Sensing the fluctuating aura coming from that area, Yu Longyue sighed inwardly. Qing You’s aura had already surpassed that of a First-Level Spirit Tribulation expert, yet throughout the entire process, Qing You showed no sign of being harassed by Inner Demons. As long as sufficient power sustained him, Qing You could fully achieve Spirit God status.

Tai Yan and the others fell silent, watching the developments closely.

Qing You’s aura continued to climb rapidly…

Rumble! Rumble…

It was as if a colossal waterfall plummeted from ten thousand feet high, the explosive sound vibrating in Tai Yan and the others’ ears until they buzzed. These tangible sound waves rippled outward in waves, causing the smaller continental fragments to continuously crack and crumble into fine dust.

The erupting water pillars grew thicker and thicker; within minutes, they had reached a height of several hundred meters, and dark, gaping spatial rifts began to tear open in the void.

Such might caused Yu Longyue and the others to secretly marvel.

"Qing You will likely be a Second-Grade Spirit God right upon promotion," Tai Yan said happily, her eyes narrowing into crescents.

"Mm, it’s a slight pity. If he had advanced sooner, perhaps after absorbing some more Water God Power, he might already be a Third-Grade Spirit God, or even a Fourth-Grade Pseudo-God," Yu Longyue nodded reflexively.

"…"

Rumble!

The sound of water was like thunder, shattering the fragment beneath Tai Yan and the others into dust. But following this immense noise, the world suddenly fell silent. The water pillars instantly retracted, and Qing You’s body began to shrink. Tai Yan and Yu Longyue exchanged a look, and in a flash, they arrived at the edge of the valley.

At that moment, Nie Kong stood at the bottom of the valley, a faint smile on his face.

Qing You floated before Nie Kong. His height had reached about two feet, his entire body crystalline and translucent, like precious jade. His smooth surface shimmered with alternating blue and red luminescence, dazzling the eye. Yet, within this beautiful form pulsed a powerful and strange aura—sometimes cold, sometimes hot, sometimes gentle, yet sometimes utterly violent.

Qing You was now a Spirit God!