"What is your proposal? Speak!" Yan He was surprised that Nie Kong could remain so calm under these circumstances and felt a flicker of interest in his suggestion.

"You must have Seventh-Rank Spirit Gods here?"

Nie Kong’s eyes swiftly scanned the crowd around him, a slight smile playing on his lips. "How about this: you pick out a Seventh-Rank Spirit God to spar with me. If he wins, I will willingly become a Retainer God for your Pill Immortal Sect; if I win, you can immediately find another Seventh-Rank Spirit God."

Yan He was slightly taken aback. "You want to spar with a Seventh-Rank Spirit God?"

Nie Kong sighed with a hint of resignation. "Against an Eighth-Rank Spirit God, I certainly wouldn't stand a chance; there's no point in sparring. A Fifth-Rank Spirit God is too weak; I’d hardly stoop to bullying them. As for a Sixth-Rank Spirit God, I suspect none of them would have the nerve to spar with me. After thinking it over, a Seventh-Rank Spirit God seems the only viable option."

Before Yan He could respond, an uproar erupted among the onlookers.

Nie Kong’s words clearly implied he held the Fifth-Rank and Sixth-Rank Spirit Gods present in contempt. Yet, regardless of what they said aloud, they had to admit Nie Kong was not speaking idly.

Nie Kong was already a Sixth-Rank Spirit God; a Fifth-Rank Spirit God engaging him stood no chance of winning.

Even a Sixth-Rank Spirit God would have a slim chance of victory. Back when they were in the Divine Void Realm, Nie Kong, then a Fifth-Rank Spirit God, had managed to capture several Sixth-Rank Spirit God avatars. Although the main body of a Spirit God at an equal rank is stronger than an avatar, fighting Nie Kong—that monstrous anomaly—offered no advantage whatsoever.

"Brother, if you lose, are you really planning to become their Retainer God?" Yan Hong, vibrant as fire, swayed gently against Nie Kong’s chest, and Tai Yan’s voice resonated in his mind.

"How is that possible?" Nie Kong chuckled dismissively.

Tai Yan sounded suspicious. "Then why did you say that to him..."

Nie Kong smiled. "Just testing the waters, to see if my current strength can contend with a Seventh-Rank Spirit God. If the chance arises, perhaps I can even refine a Seventh-Rank Spirit God."

"Do you think he’ll agree?"

"He definitely will. If I willingly implant the 'Spirit Servant Divine Inscription' into my soul, the Pill Immortal Sect gains a potential Grand Sovereign in the future. If they force me, they’ll get at most a Ninth-Rank Spirit God. The disparity is vast. As long as there's a sliver of hope, Yan He will certainly attempt it. Furthermore, in his view, there’s no way I can escape now. Agreeing to a spar only wastes a little time, at most."

"..."

In an instant, Nie Kong ignored the clamor of the dozen or so surrounding Spirit Gods and looked at Yan He opposite him, smiling broadly. "Third Elder, what do you think of my proposal?"

Yan He stared intently at Nie Kong for a moment, then suddenly burst into loud laughter. "Nie Kong, you certainly possess courage. Very well, this old man shall grant your wish."

"Junior Brother Yi Xing!"

Saying this, Yan He’s gaze shifted toward the middle-aged man standing a dozen meters away. "You shall be the one to spar with Nie Kong. Do not take his life."

Yi Xing smiled and nodded. "Senior Brother, rest assured, I will exercise restraint."

"It’s you!"

Nie Kong recognized the middle-aged man, clapping his hands in sudden delight. "So your name is Yi Xing. If I recall correctly, at the edge of the Divine Void Realm, you gifted me a Sixth-Rank Spirit God avatar. That was the last grand gift I received before entering the Continental Shard Belt—truly, thank you so much."

Yi Xing’s smile froze, and his face instantly darkened. Nie Kong’s words struck him like a sharp sword piercing his heart. Not only had he lost a Sixth-Rank Spirit God avatar in the Divine Void Realm, but the soul of his main body now carried a flaw that would take at least several decades to recover.

The memory alone felt like his heart was bleeding.

If it weren’t for Yan He’s command, and the fact that the Pill Immortal Sect still needed him to willingly integrate the 'Spirit Servant Divine Inscription' into his soul, Yi Xing would have dearly loved to cleave the smiling face before him in two with his sword right now...

Just you wait, once you become a Retainer God, I’ll show you what I can do!

Yi Xing took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the resentment churning in his chest, and barked out sternly, "Nie Kong, enough idle chatter. You can strike first! Rest assured, I will go easy on you this time. But if you lose and still refuse to voluntarily merge with the 'Spirit Servant Divine Inscription,' then I’ll have to take action myself..."

"Hoo!"

Before Yi Xing could finish speaking, a massive shadow of a sword roared toward him—it was Nie Kong's Dharmic Manifestation, the "Blood Prison Sword King Tree," its sharpness fully exposed.

"You talk too much!"

Laughing mockingly, Nie Kong shook his right arm, and Primordial Chaos Divine Power surged from his palm into the roots of the Manifestation. In the next instant, the condensed "Blood Prison Sword King Tree" erupted like a peacock spreading its tail; countless minute crimson sword projections burst forth, filling the surrounding tens of meters with an overwhelmingly sharp aura.

The surrounding dozen or so Spirit Gods swiftly retreated to a hundred meters away, though their gazes remained alert, wary that Nie Kong might attempt to flee or launch a sneak attack during the spar.

Yan He remained rooted to the spot, observing with narrowed, expressionless eyes.

"The same old trick again."

Yi Xing sneered, and a massive, brown-hued greatsword, dozens of meters wide, shot out from his body, standing upright before him like a shield. Back in the Divine Void Realm, his sword shield had been destroyed by Nie Kong's "Blood Prison Sword King Tree," his body pierced, and the entire Sixth-Rank Spirit God avatar had fallen into Nie Kong’s hands.

Now, facing the identical offensive from Nie Kong, Yi Xing employed the very same defensive measure. He was inherently an Earth-Attributed Spirit God, and the sword-type Manifestation he cultivated was primarily focused on defense. He refused to believe that this sword shield, wielded by the main body of a Seventh-Rank Spirit God, could still be destroyed by Nie Kong.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."

The dense swarm of crimson sword projections slammed fiercely against the exceptionally broad sword shield, resembling a swarm of locusts. Intense explosions erupted in succession, deafeningly loud. A large number of the exploding projections dissolved into crimson mist that billowed upward, instantly engulfing the area spanning tens of meters.

Within the blood mist, the massive sword shield appeared indistinct and wavering, yet under the relentless barrage of the "Blood Prison Sword King Tree," it remained completely unmoving.

"Just as expected. When power levels are comparable, this 'Blood Prison Sword King Tree' Manifestation is indeed indestructible and unstoppable. But once the gap in strength becomes significant, its attack struggles to achieve its effect." Seeing the incoming assault slow, a mocking grin touched Yi Xing's lips.

"Hoo!"

Yi Xing plunged his right palm into the sword shield before him, and immense power surged into it. Immediately after, an abnormally large, spectral sword shield rushed forth. In a mere moment, this detached shield pulverized Nie Kong's "Blood Prison Sword King Tree" into fragments and then slammed down viciously.

"Boom!"

As the sword shield struck the ground, a towering earth wave surged out dozens of meters high. Where Nie Kong stood, a deep pit materialized, vicious currents of energy raging wildly within it, carving long, narrow ravines into the ground. This powerful sense of pressure forced the surrounding dozen or so Fifth and Sixth-Rank Spirit Gods to retreat further.

However, Yi Xing realized that his attack had not yet landed solidly—Nie Kong’s figure had already vanished abruptly, fully merging with the surrounding heaven and earth.