Yan He waved his hand, halting the impending assault from the crowd, and said in a deep voice, "Nie Kong, you are now trapped with no escape, and boasting verbally will do you no good."

"When you were in the Divine Sky Realm, you served as an Elder of the Pill Immortal Sect, and only by absorbing the Pill Immortal Sect’s 'Chaos Heavenly Fire' were you able to cultivate Chaos Divine Power and achieve the rank of Spirit God. Counting matters, you are one of us. Nie Kong, for the sake of our shared sect origin, this old man can show you leniency."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Nie Kong was genuinely taken aback for a moment, but quickly he laughed, "What terms must I meet to earn your 'leniency'?"

Among the memories Nie Kong had absorbed, this "Third Elder" of the Supreme Spirit Realm's Pill Immortal Sect, Yan He, was an Eighth-Rank Spirit God. He was indeed impossibly powerful.

The entire process, from Nie Kong’s successful sneak attack on that Fifth-Rank Spirit God to his subsequent re-concealment, had taken an extremely brief moment. Yet, in that fleeting instant, he discovered that a wisp of Yan He’s condensed, materialized spiritual thought was clinging to his body, something even his Chaos Divine Power struggled to refine immediately.

With that thread of spiritual thought attached, even if Nie Kong could perfectly integrate with heaven and earth, escaping Yan He’s perception was nearly impossible. Later, when Yan He made his move, Nie Kong’s guess was confirmed.

In such a situation, had he continued to hide, he would soon have been torn apart by the spatial fissures Yan He ripped open. Thus, Nie Kong made a swift decision to reveal himself. Although he hadn't truly clashed with Yan He yet, seeing through the tube, Nie Kong had already formed a preliminary understanding of this Eighth-Rank Spirit God’s methods.

He was acutely aware that even without the sneak attack, even without being locked onto by Yan He’s spiritual thought, he probably couldn't have concealed himself in the void for much longer. Between a Sixth-Rank Spirit God and an Eighth-Rank Spirit God, though separated by only two ranks, the actual gulf was immensely vast, incalculable by ordinary standards.

Nie Kong even had the feeling that even if he unleashed his strongest offensive techniques—the 'War God Star Seal' or the 'Blood Prison Sword King Tree' Dharma Manifestation—they would likely be shattered with ease. As for the 'Crimson Star Battle Form,' it would probably collapse after enduring one or two of Yan He’s attacks.

In the Divine Sky Realm, Nie Kong had refined a large number of Spirit God avatars, forming an irreconcilable, mortal enmity with the Spirit Gods of the Supreme Spirit Realm's Pill Immortal Sect. Now, however, Yan He was talking about leniency. Anyone in his position would not take this matter lightly.

"You see things quite clearly."

Yan He gazed at Nie Kong and smiled faintly, "Nie Kong, you refined many Spirit God avatars in the Divine Sky Realm and incurred deep hatred from the three major powers. The Pill Immortal Sect is manageable, but resolving your feud with the Primordial Heaven Mansion and the Sea Clan is extremely difficult. For us to show you leniency, the Pill Immortal Sect must pay a significant price."

Pausing there, Yan He’s tone suddenly intensified, "Therefore, if you wish to gain a chance to continue living, you must agree to one condition: become a Guardian God of the Pill Immortal Sect!"

"Guardian God?"

As these two words entered his ears, memories concerning Guardian Gods immediately surfaced in Nie Kong’s mind.

To be a Guardian God, frankly speaking, was similar to being a "servant."

Becoming a Pill Immortal Sect Guardian God was simple: one only needed to integrate an artifact known as the "Divine Servant Talisman Slip" into their soul. However, this "Spirit Servant Talisman Slip" was tempered by the divine mind of the Heaven Pill Divine Venerable. Once it merged with the soul, one could never escape the control of the Heaven Pill Divine Venerable for life, forced to obey his every command. If the slightest thought of resistance arose, the Heavenly Ancestor could obliterate one into ashes with a mere thought.

For over ten thousand years, the Heaven Pill Divine Venerable had controlled numerous Guardian Gods through the 'Spirit Servant Talisman Slips'—the 'Dream Shadow Puppets' of the Dark Night Spirit Venerable... These five great Divine Venerables of the Supreme Spirit Realm almost all possessed similar methods.

"Hahahaha..."

Suddenly, Nie Kong burst into uproarious laughter, "Yan He, your Pill Immortal Sect has calculated quite well. The Chaos Divine Power I cultivate is one of the most fundamental forces in all of existence. Given enough time, I can certainly achieve the rank of Supreme Venerable. If a 'Spirit Servant Talisman Slip' is planted in my soul, regardless of my cultivation level, I can only obey the Heaven Pill Divine Venerable. At that point, your Pill Immortal Sect would effortlessly possess a completely controlled Supreme Venerable. Am I correct?"

"..."

The surrounding crowd was struck dumbfounded.

It was only now that they realized the true intention behind Yan He’s "leniency." Perhaps this wasn't even Yan He’s idea, but that of the Heaven Pill Divine Venerable.

A Supreme Venerable completely controlled by the Pill Immortal Sect...

This notion was indeed insanely audacious!

If successful, it would be almost no different from the Heaven Pill Divine Venerable ascending to Supreme Venerable himself. In that instant, everyone sucked in a sharp breath of cold air. Killing Nie Kong would only satisfy their anger and retrieve nothing of their lost Spirit God avatars, but making him a Guardian God offered infinite benefits.

In the Divine Sky Realm, the Pill Immortal Sect was only slightly inferior to the Primordial Heaven Mansion. But in the Supreme Spirit Realm, the gap between the Pill Immortal Sect and the Primordial Heaven Mansion was massive, solely because the first Supreme Venerable among the Spirit Gods ten thousand years ago... the Void Clearing Supreme Venerable, originated from the Primordial Heaven Mansion. In the current Primordial Heaven Mansion, besides the Ziwei Divine Venerable, they also possessed three Ninth-Rank Spirit Gods.

Such a colossal force was far beyond the Pill Immortal Sect, which, including the Heaven Pill Divine Venerable, had only two Ninth-Rank Spirit Gods.

But once Nie Kong achieved the rank of Supreme Venerable, the gap between the Pill Immortal Sect and the Primordial Heaven Mansion would rapidly shrink.

Thinking of that future scenario, the crowd’s hearts swelled with excitement. Of course, the prerequisite for all these changes rested on Nie Kong successfully becoming a Guardian God.

In a flash, the way the crowd looked at Nie Kong was no longer so angry; instead, it became exceptionally eager, like a dozen misers spotting a pile of glittering gold coins.

"Nie Kong, what you said is correct."

Seeing Nie Kong expose his motive in one sentence, Yan He stopped concealing it, lightly stroking his snow-white beard beneath his chin. "However, things have come to this, and you have no room to choose. Whether you are willing or not, you must become a Guardian God of the Pill Immortal Sect. If you submit willingly, you will suffer less torment."

He paused, narrowing his eyes, "Nie Kong, don't even think about suicide. With this old man here, you won't even be able to die if you wish to."

"Suicide? Do I look like someone who enjoys suicide?"

Nie Kong let out a wry laugh, "Yan He, you can indeed forcibly implant the 'Spirit Servant Talisman Slip' into me. But doing so would leave defects in my divine mind and soul. A person whose mind and soul are incomplete might become a Nine-Rank Lesser God, but never a Supreme Venerable, correct?"

Yan He's white eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he remained silent, clearly acknowledging the truth of Nie Kong’s words.

Nie Kong spoke slowly and deliberately, "In this current situation, I truly cannot escape. Voluntarily agreeing to your terms benefits both sides, but with so many Spirit Gods surrounding just me, do you really think I would agree wholeheartedly? However, I have a proposal. I wonder if you'd care to hear it?"