A fierce whistling swept past Nie Kong’s ears as he pierced through the palace gate, landing softly on the ground. There wasn't a single shadow of a building around him, only endless yellow sand stretching as far as the eye could see.

This sight was exactly the same as what he had encountered upon first entering the Outer Heaven.

The five Great Divine Venerables and six Great Star Gods who had passed through the palace gate ahead of him had vanished without a trace. Nie Kong understood the reason perfectly: unlike the Boundary Gate, the entrance to the 'Primordial Grotto-Heaven' lacked a fixed passage; upon entry, one was randomly transported to different zones.

"Finally, I can breathe some fresh air."

Hengye's sweet, delicate cheer sounded from Nie Kong’s chest.

Tai Yan burrowed out from his collar. The originally crimson 'Glancing Back Flower' was now entirely emerald green after being coated in Xiangxiang's vital essence. The petals fluttered gently as Tai Yan's voice, tinged with delight and curiosity, asked, "Brother, is this the 'Primordial Grotto-Heaven'? Why is it all desert?"

"So desolate, not a single tree in sight," Hulu chirped, popping out too. The little thing's plump, pale body was also tinted a ghostly green by Xiangxiang’s vital essence.

"It’s good that you’re used to it. The 'Primordial Grotto-Heaven' has five layers; this is just the first. There are four more below."

Nie Kong flicked his finger lightly against Hulu's bare forehead.

Originally, Nie Kong had only intended to bring Tai Yan into the 'Primordial Grotto-Heaven,' leaving everyone else to cultivate in the 'Seven-Colored Divine Realm.' Lan Ling, after advancing to Ninth Grade Spirit God, was no longer bound by the Beast Token of the Beast Taming Sect.

But when it was time to leave, Hulu had insisted on tagging along, leaving Nie Kong no choice but to allow it.

Hulu let out a little yelp, puffing out his chest indignantly, "Nie Kong, you’re too mean! When we get back to the Heavenly Spirit Continent, I’m going to tell Sister Hua Mei that you’re always bullying me!" As he spoke, the little fellow winked and made faces at Nie Kong, practically begging for a bribe with the unspoken words plastered across his forehead.

"You little rascal!"

Nie Kong chuckled wryly, flicking a wisp of misty white energy from his fingertip and sending it straight into Hulu's open mouth.

The real reason this little one had insisted on following was the irresistible temptation of having constant access to Chaos Divine Power. Indeed, as soon as Hulu swallowed the divine power, a look of pure ecstasy washed over his face.

Tai Yan giggled sweetly, but then a hint of worry touched her voice. "Brother, where are we going now? Those people might really try to corner and kill us, just as Emperor Cai Supreme Venerable predicted."

"What’s there to fear? If one comes, we’ll refine one!"

Hulu puffed out his fleshy chest and shouted boastfully, but his bravado quickly evaporated as he looked pleadingly at Nie Kong with wide eyes. "Nie Kong, just a little bit more, please."

"Don't be greedy."

Nie Kong shot him a look, unable to hide his exasperation. "We head west; the entrance to the second layer is there." As he spoke, Nie Kong had already turned and shot forward. Not only was his aura retracted to the absolute minimum, but his 'Spiritual Rhyme Battle Robe' had transformed into a shade of yellow, blending almost seamlessly with the desert surroundings.

The conditions within this 'Primordial Grotto-Heaven' were exceptionally unique.

Although there were no discernible landmarks in the world to establish direction, upon entering, Nie Kong felt an insistent, guiding voice subtly directing him toward the route to the second layer.

Nie Kong wasn't the only one sensing this; every Ninth Grade Spirit God and Ninth Grade Star God who entered felt it too.

Nie Kong was acutely aware of his predicament. The best way for the five Great Divine Venerables and six Great Star Gods to intercept him was to block the entrance to the second layer. That was the only path downwards, layer by layer, eventually reaching the fifth layer, which held the exit of the 'Primordial Grotto-Heaven.'

What Nie Kong needed most right now was a race of luck and speed against them—whoever was closer to the entrance, and whoever was faster!

This was a matter of life and death!

Nie Kong pushed the 'Chaos Divine Art' to its absolute limit. The mass of Chaos within his body vibrated at an unprecedented frequency. His divine power surged like a tide whipped up by a hurricane, churning violently and propelling Nie Kong’s speed to its peak. His entire form became like a streaking meteor, covering a thousand meters in the blink of an eye.

A streak of yellow merged with the yellow sands...

At this speed, even an Eighth Grade Spirit God like Yan He or Yi Ming would struggle to capture Nie Kong’s fleeting outline; his velocity was at its absolute maximum. Simultaneously, Nie Kong subtly spread his spiritual sense, instantly covering a hundred-mile radius. He would detect anyone entering this territory immediately.

"Hm?"

After traveling at extreme speed for an unknown duration, Nie Kong suddenly let out a low, surprised exclamation.

"Brother, what is it?" Tai Yan instinctively asked.

"Two figures have appeared to the left. You two hide yourselves first; don't come out."

Nie Kong commanded, and as the 'Glancing Back Flower' and Hulu retreated into the 'Spiritual Rhyme Battle Robe,' a cold smile touched his lips. "Two Ninth Grade Star Gods. Let’s see if you can keep up with me?"

Saying that, Nie Kong’s speed did not slow in the least, instantly traversing several thousand meters of void...

A hundred miles away, two figures were charging forward with great strides.

"Tump! Ka..."

With every footfall, the ground shuddered violently, sending countless grains of yellow sand surging outward. Behind them, the sand rolled in massive waves, resembling two colossal, undulating yellow dragons.

Their speed was also lightning-fast; each step carried them a thousand meters forward, leaving behind a massive crater tens of meters wide in the desert behind them.

They charged onward, shaking heaven and earth.

"Pan Lin, there’s a fellow over there—did you notice?"

The man on the left suddenly roared with laughter, his voice sharp and powerful, capable of piercing metal and stone.

This man was tall and dark-complexioned, with a long mane of hair that streamed out behind him due to his immense speed, resembling a large broom trailing in his wake.

"That person is concealed deeply. I wonder if it’s Nie Kong, or one of those five Great Divine Venerables?" This man called Pan Lin was a green-robed elder, his face long and gaunt, a slight smirk playing in his eyes. "Pan Lun, speed up! Let’s see who that fellow really is?"

"Alright!"

Pan Lun’s spirits soared. Nine shimmering gold Star Seals flew out, orbiting around his body. In an instant, his entire form was enveloped in a dense, golden luminescence.

Pan Lin, dozens of meters away, mirrored the action. The speed of both men abruptly doubled, and the trailing sand behind them agitated even more violently, sand waves soaring thousands of meters into the sky.

Ten seconds later, a flicker of surprise crossed their faces. They realized that not only had the distance between them not closed, but it was actually widening.

"Faster!"

Pan Lin’s expression darkened slightly, and he suddenly gritted his teeth and bellowed.

The moment the command was issued, the golden Star Seals circling them instantly swelled several times in size, each one as large as a grinding stone. A vast, overwhelming aura rolled out, and the speed of the two men increased again.

However, as time passed, the astonishment on Pan Lin and Pan Lun's faces did not fade; if anything, it deepened.

Ten minutes later...

The two figures abruptly halted, staring at each other with profound astonishment.

The yellow sand rushing up from behind immediately swept toward them, but before it could touch their bodies, it was repelled by the powerful vortex generated by the nine circling Star Seals.

"He vanished?"

Pan Lin muttered, his eyes filled with disbelief.

The disappearance of the pursuer meant the target had left their range of perception. After landing relatively close to each other in the 'Primordial Grotto-Heaven,' the two had used the secret technique of the Pan Star Clan to communicate and converge, intending to head toward the second layer’s entrance together. Instead, they had both suffered this sudden setback simultaneously.

"What incredible speed!"

Pan Lun exclaimed, "I know now—it must be Nie Kong. If it were one of the five Great Divine Venerables, they would have at least hailed us, even if they were rushing to the entrance of the second layer."

"It has to be him!"

"..."