"A Spirit God who can cultivate to at least the Ninth Grade, I certainly hesitate to kill him, Old Man Yan He, yet I absolutely won't let you off lightly."

"Whoosh!"

Before the words had fully landed, a crimson silhouette burst forth from Yan He’s body—it was the fiery-red Medicine Cauldron Dharma Image, identical to Marquis Wu’s.

The instant the cauldron materialized in the void, it began to swell rapidly, instantly consuming a space spanning a hundred meters. Then, its mouth inverted, roaring down upon Nie Kong with crushing force.

"Crimson Star Battle Form!"

Nie Kong’s physique exploded in size, his massive palms slamming against the cauldron’s base.

Bang!

A deep, muffled thud vibrated outward, forcing even the surrounding Fifth and Sixth Grade Spirit Gods to retreat repeatedly.

Nie Kong’s arms propped up the descending colossus, but the oppressive force emanating from the cauldron body was terrifyingly extreme. In a flash, his legs were driven more than ten meters deep into the earth, and his face bloated crimson.

However, Nie Kong showed no slackening in his refinement of Yi Xing; the Heavenly Fire continued to burn ferociously.

At this juncture, if Yan He were intent on killing Nie Kong, he could have rescued Yi Xing instantly. But Nie Kong felt no worry about such an outcome; if Yan He truly intended murder, the Medicine Cauldron Dharma Image would have descended with the weight of Mount Tai. Even in his "Crimson Star Battle Form," Nie Kong couldn't withstand that.

Yan He’s objective was to capture Nie Kong, forcing his submission.

This intention provided Nie Kong with the perfect window of time and opportunity to completely refine Yi Xing. Nie Kong's maneuver was a gamble, but one with overwhelmingly high odds.

"Ah—"

Yi Xing's desperate cries had grown faint.

The next moment, Yi Xing ceased struggling, his body transforming into pure Earth Element Divine Power, enveloped by the "Chaotic Heavenly Fire," and surging into Nie Kong’s body.

A Seventh Grade Spirit God, simply extinguished like that!

"He actually refined Yi Xing!"

Witnessing this, the hearts of all onlookers shuddered, chilling their spines.

Success!

A flicker of elation crossed Nie Kong’s eyes. The "Chaotic Divine Art" spun wildly, absorbing that vast mass of Earth Divine Power at an astonishing rate. Having expended most of his Chaotic Divine Power from three consecutive uses of the "Ninefold Imprint" during his fight with Yi Xing, he was finally replenished.

"Swish!"

Yan He’s figure was now only about ten meters from Nie Kong.

From activating the Medicine Cauldron Dharma Image to applying pressure to crossing the hundred-meter gap, only the blink of an eye had passed, yet it was still not enough to save Yi Xing.

For a moment, Yan He’s face darkened to the extreme.

In Yan He’s view, Nie Kong was merely a plump fish on his chopping block. He had only agreed to the sparring suggestion so that Nie Kong would willingly submit to slaughter. Yan He never imagined Nie Kong could stir up any significant trouble under his very nose.

Yet, what followed entirely defied Yan He’s expectations.

Nie Kong had used the "War God Star Seal" in conjunction with the "Chaotic Heavenly Fire" to defeat Yi Xing. If that were all, it would be shameful for a Seventh Grade Spirit God to be beaten by a Sixth Grade Spirit God—though such incidents had occurred in the history of the Grand Sovereign Spirit Realm. What Yan He hadn't anticipated was that Nie Kong would refine Yi Xing right in front of him, and that his own rescue attempt would fail.

Yan He felt as if Nie Kong had delivered a stinging slap across his face in full view of the crowd.

That searing sensation ignited a raging inferno in Yan He’s chest. "Nie Kong, you suggested sparring with a Seventh Grade Spirit God with this very scheme in mind?"

"You finally figured it out?"

Nie Kong let out a booming laugh, gazing at Yan He with pity. "It seems one really shouldn't live for too long, or the mind grows progressively dull."

"Good! Good!"

Yan He laughed in his fury. A dignified Eighth Grade Spirit God, ranking among the elite in the entire Grand Sovereign Spirit Realm, had just been toyed with by a mere Sixth Grade Spirit God—the very prey in his sight!

In the Grand Sovereign Spirit Realm, this was perhaps the first time in ten millennia.

"Let's see how long you can last!"

A few syllabic tones roared from Yan He’s mouth. The pressure radiating from the fiery-red giant cauldron suddenly multiplied several times over. Nie Kong could no longer hold the weight; his raised arms suddenly collapsed downward, and the enormous Medicine Cauldron rapidly descended to envelop his body, thundering like lightning, its roar shaking heaven and earth.

"..."

"Good! This Nie Kong truly deserves death!"

"The Third Elder has acted; Nie Kong definitely won't hold on!"

"Once the Third Elder captures him, we must torment him thoroughly. Since this person refuses to voluntarily integrate the 'Servant Spirit Talisman,' there’s no need for restraint..."

"..."

Seeing this spectacle, the surrounding crowd felt immensely satisfied.

Nie Kong's legs continued to sink, but he suddenly roared out, "Yan He, since I dared to refine Yi Xing right in front of you, do you truly believe I have no contingency plan?"

Yan He sneered, "Why don't you show this Old Man what your contingency is? I'd like to see what makes you so brazen!"

As he spoke, Yan He flicked his hands lightly, and two balls of firelight merged into the Medicine Cauldron. Instantly, with a colossal boom, the cauldron erupted with blazing flames. Flames dozens of meters high billowed and curled, their heat surging like a tide. Illuminated by the firelight, Nie Kong's back could faintly be seen beginning to bend.

"Hahahaha, keep your eyes wide open!"

Nie Kong roared with laughter. With a mere thought, a green silhouette leaped out of his pet storage pack, floating lightly before him—it looked like a green scroll.

"Open!"

The scroll unfurled rapidly, revealing itself to be a single leaf.

The leaf was elliptical, over ten meters long, shimmering emerald green and crystal clear as jade. The dense network of veins within the leaf was mapped out with extreme clarity.

"A leaf?"

Yan He paused, then mocked, "Nie Kong, I thought you had something truly formidable, but your great contingency is just this leaf? How laughable!"

The dozen or so Spirit Gods surrounding them couldn't help but burst into unrestrained ridicule.

However, the smiles had barely formed on their faces before the leaf exploded with a dazzling rainbow of seven-colored light, engulfing Nie Kong’s massive form within it.

"Huh?"

Yan He stiffened. Upon the appearance of this seven-colored glow, he suddenly felt his Medicine Cauldron Dharma Image encounter a monumental resistance, unable to descend even a fraction further.

"Get down, damn it!"

Yan He’s pale eyebrows furrowed, and he roared, pouring dense, fiery-red aura from his body, layer upon layer merging into the Medicine Cauldron.

But the cauldron remained utterly motionless.

Witnessing this bizarre scene, not only was Yan He stunned, but the surrounding Spirit Gods exchanged shocked glances, their faces etched with disbelief.

What kind of artifact was this leaf, that even an Eighth Grade Spirit God couldn't move it?

Nie Kong’s face broke into a broad grin. As his body was enveloped by the seven-colored light, he felt an indescribable sense of ease; the massive leaf was completely blocking Yan He’s assault.

No wonder the Wood Ancestor had told him when handing over the leaf, that if he encountered unavoidable danger in the Grand Sovereign Spirit Realm, producing this leaf could save his life...

As long as the danger threatening Nie Kong was not posed by a Grand Sovereign expert!

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