A burst of roaring laughter erupted, tearing apart the lingering shadow of Qi Xian in the space. Nie Kong’s figure, which had just materialized, vanished again within a flash of lightning.

"Nie Kong, stop running!"

At that moment, Mo Tianxing, Yan Luo, and Du Su arrived, having encircled the area from three different directions. Unfortunately, Nie Kong was already gone without a trace, leaving them only with the thunderous roar of lightning surrounding them.

A flicker of shock crossed the eyes of the three.

They could not sense the slightest trace of Nie Kong’s aura. Was the Chaos Divine Power truly this miraculous in concealment? After a moment’s thought, the three exchanged glances and simultaneously melted into the void...

Outside the Central Realm.

Through Yi Yang’s vague narration, Ziwei Divine Venerable had roughly understood the reason for his defeat. Though a serene smile played on her lips, a subtle, almost imperceptible shadow of displeasure crossed her brow.

The gazes of Dark Night, Dan Tian, Hailong, and Leshan, the four Divine Venerables, were now all fixed upon the main doors of the "Great Thunder Sound Palace." In contrast, Thunder Dragon Grand Venerable and Seven-Colored Grand Venerable sat quietly at the edge of the realm, seemingly unconcerned with the outcome of the sparring match inside the "Great Thunder Sound Palace."

"Whoosh!"

Another figure shot out from the palace doors like an arrow.

Qi Xian!

He, too, was a Ninth-Rank Spirit God from the Primordial Heaven Mansion.

At this moment, Qi Xian appeared even more battered than Yi Yang. Although he had managed to crush the lightning jade token bestowed by Thunder Dragon Grand Venerable, quite a few streaks of sword light from the "Blood Prison Sword King Tree" had still grazed his body, not only piercing his robes but also leaving nearly a hundred tiny holes on his skin.

Blood welled up and trickled from these punctures, drenching him in crimson. Of course, Qi Xian only looked terrifying; the injuries he sustained were significantly lighter than Yi Yang's.

"Qi Xian, what is the situation inside?"

Ziwei Divine Venerable’s brow furrowed even tighter. While she didn't place great importance on the victory or defeat of these sparring matches, the fact that the first two to be defeated hailed from the Primordial Heaven Mansion—the largest external force among the Spirit Gods in the Grand Venerable Spirit Realm—made her lose some face.

Qi Xian spat out indignantly, "Divine Venerable, that Nie Kong is utterly shameless! It was another sneak attack!"

He had already been a Ninth-Rank Spirit God two thousand years ago, yet today he was defeated by a Ninth-Rank Spirit God who had entered the Grand Venerable Spirit Realm for less than two years. This sense of humiliation was harder for him to endure than his physical wounds. Under the scrutiny of so many eyes, his heart felt as if it had been sliced open repeatedly, dripping blood.

Suddenly, Seven-Colored Grand Venerable let out a soft snort: "The sparring in the 'Great Thunder Sound Palace' is a free-for-all melee; any tactic is permissible. If one can join forces to besiege, why is a sneak attack forbidden?"

It was evident that Seven-Colored Grand Venerable was fully aware of the events unfolding inside the "Great Thunder Sound Palace."

"The Grand Venerable teaches a lesson,"

Qi Xian opened his mouth, but ultimately managed to force out only that single phrase.

In terms of cultivation years, Qi Xian far surpassed Seven-Colored, but the vast gulf in power and status between a Ninth-Rank Spirit God and a Grand Venerable was too significant. Even though the Primordial Heaven Mansion had the backing of Void-Piercing Grand Venerable, Qi Xian lacked the slightest courage to argue against a supreme expert like Seven-Colored Grand Venerable.

Thunder Dragon Grand Venerable laughed heartily, "Junior Brother, no need for anger. Let us observe further. Your disciple is indeed extraordinary, and his Chaos Divine Power is inexhaustibly marvelous. At this point, he is likely unmatched below the Grand Venerables. Had I known this earlier, I would have done anything to snatch this disciple away from you."

"If Senior Brother Thunder Dragon is interested, you may still take Nie Kong as a disciple now," Seven-Colored Divine Venerable replied with a slight smile. "With multiple Grand Venerable masters, he surely would not refuse."

"Hahahaha..."

Thunder Dragon Grand Venerable was momentarily speechless before letting out a hearty laugh, saying no more.

Ziwei Divine Venerable and the others nearby, overhearing the words of the two Grand Venerables, displayed varied expressions, most of them tinged with a degree of dissatisfaction. The Five Great Divine Venerables represented the pinnacle among Ninth-Rank Spirit Gods. Nie Kong couldn't have been a Ninth-Rank Spirit God for more than three months; on what grounds was he considered unmatched below the Grand Venerables?

"Whoosh!" Just as their minds raced, a third figure bolted out of the "Great Thunder Sound Palace."

Du Su!

The third Ninth-Rank Spirit God from the Primordial Heaven Mansion.

Upon seeing him, the delicate, almost girlish complexion of Ziwei Divine Venerable instantly turned ashen, and a faint, cold snort escaped her nostrils. Dan Tian Divine Venerable, however, managed a smile, the corner of his lips pulling at that dark red scar, making his expression appear even more menacing.

Yet, just a few seconds later, Dan Tian Divine Venerable’s smile vanished. With a quick whoosh, a fourth figure rushed out of the "Great Thunder Sound Palace."

Yan Luo!

He was the Ninth-Rank Spirit God from the Pill Immortal Sect. His appearance was also quite tragic; his back was charred black, flesh mangled to the bone, clearly having been struck directly by the lightning within.

Six Ninth-Rank Spirit Gods—three from the Primordial Heaven Mansion and one from the Pill Immortal Sect—had been eliminated in succession. Only Nie Kong and Mo Tianxing remained to contest the final spot.

Mo Tianxing hailed from the Sea Clan.

Ziwei Divine Venerable and the others looked intentionally or unintentionally toward Hailong Divine Venerable, who stood several meters tall. They noticed that his brow was tightly knitted, suggesting he held little confidence in Mo Tianxing...

Inside the Great Thunder Sound Palace, the Lightning Space.

"Nie Kong, come out!"

Amidst the snapping and cracking of electricity, Mo Tianxing's hoarse roar echoed ceaselessly.

At this moment, this Ninth-Rank Spirit God of the Sea Clan was practically driven mad. His wide, bulging eyes rapidly scanned their surroundings, and he would occasionally whip around abruptly.

He, Du Su, and Yan Luo had initially hidden in the void, intending to use the ferocious lightning aura there as cover to counter-attack Nie Kong in the same manner.

After all, Nie Kong's concealment methods were too formidable. If they remained exposed, they could only wait passively for Nie Kong to launch a sneak attack and subsequently be—forced out of the "Great Thunder Sound Palace." But if both sides were hidden, the battle would hinge on patience, seeing who would break first and reveal themselves.

If the fight dragged on for half an hour without a victor, the sixth spot would be automatically cancelled. They had all entered the "Primal Beginning Grotto-Heaven" multiple times—some dozens or even hundreds of times—so missing this opportunity was inconsequential to them. However, Nie Kong was different; he had arrived in the Grand Venerable Spirit Realm less than two years ago, likely only just learning of the "Primal Beginning Grotto-Heaven's" existence. How could he possibly suppress his curiosity?

This was precisely the weakness they were targeting.

However, it didn't take long for them to realize they had miscalculated. Nie Kong was actually able to keenly detect their hidden tracks within the void, even through the raging lightning storm.

With just one strike, Du Su was forced to crush his lightning jade token before he could even fully materialize.

The next target for Nie Kong's assault was Yan Luo.

Having witnessed Du Su's failure, Yan Luo was prepared and managed to evade Nie Kong's first sneak attack. But as soon as he appeared, Nie Kong's offensive followed immediately. Although Yan Luo successfully dodged this second strike as well, the lightning that erupted from directly above him struck him squarely afterward.

With Du Su and Yan Luo both failing in succession, fear gripped Mo Tianxing, and he dared not remain concealed any longer.