After a fleeting moment, as he reached the foot of the steps, Nie Kong abruptly halted, a flicker of hesitation in his heart. The vortex that had suddenly materialized ahead was clearly an entrance to some unknown space.

Judging by the density of the aura, it must contain a vast amount of "Chaos Immortal Qi." Stepping inside, Nie Kong might reap immense rewards, or he might face eternal damnation. If he were alone, he would undoubtedly plunge in without a second thought, but Tai Yan and Hulu were beside him, and furthermore, Tai Yan carried his child within her.

This rendered Nie Kong unable to make a swift decision. "Nie Kong, let's go in and take a look.

There must be an enormous amount of 'Chaos Immortal Qi' inside," Hulu exclaimed, climbing out from Nie Kong's chest as Nie Kong paused. He seemed frantic, as if he himself stood to advance to the Grand Venerable realm.

Tai Yan discerned Nie Kong's worry and quickly interjected, "Brother, don't fret about me and Hulu. The 'Seven-Colored Spirit Leaf' can be used again.

If we prepare properly, nothing bad will happen." "Let me consider it a moment longer." Nie Kong waved his hand, sinking into contemplation. As the vortex spun, the rich essence of the "Chaos Immortal Qi" continuously permeated outward, exerting an irresistible pull on Nie Kong.

"Whoosh!" Suddenly, the vortex momentarily froze. In that flash of lightning, a streak of crimson light darted out from its depths, hurtling directly toward Nie Kong.

Nie Kong snapped back to attention, his eyes sharpening. With a light wave of his right hand, he caught the red streak, which turned out to be a crystal-clear, ruby-red jade pendant.

"How could something like this come out from inside?" Examining the pendant, Tai Yan and Hulu regarded it with suspicion. The jade pendant appeared utterly mundane; it was neither an artifact nor imbued with any discernible power.

One side was simply engraved with the character "Líng" (), suggesting it was likely just an ornament. Nie Kong gazed intently at the inscription.

A delicate, charming figure instantly flashed across his mind, causing his expression to change drastically. Two words escaped his lips: "Hong Ling?" "Brother, what Hong Ling?" Tai Yan and Hulu were even more bewildered.

"Mu Hong Ling, an old friend of mine." Nie Kong took a deep breath, looking at the now-restarting vortex. Profound confusion shadowed his pupils.

This jade pendant was Mu Hong Ling's. When they were in the "Prison Fire Nether Spring," she wore an identical pendant around her neck, and more importantly, Nie Kong sensed her faint aura emanating from this very object.

Since their parting in the "Prison Fire Nether Spring" space years ago, Nie Kong hadn't seen her; he only knew she had gone off to train alone. Because the spiritual imprint she left at the Mu family in Luo City showed no abnormalities, Mu Zhonglou and the others rarely worried about her safety.

Nie Kong had assumed she was still on the Tian Ling Continent, but to find her jade pendant here in the "Grand Beginning Grotto-Heaven" was unexpected. No matter how he tried to rationalize it, Mu Hong Ling shouldn't be, nor could she possibly have entered this place.

So, where did this pendant originate from? Bizarre!

At this moment, "bizarre" was the only thought occupying Nie Kong's mind; the situation was utterly incredible. Yet, following the brief shock, an undeniable worry began to gnaw at him.

"Brother, I remember her now," Tai Yan suddenly cried out joyfully, before faltering, "This pendant belongs to her? Wasn't she on the Tian Ling Continent?

How could her pendant emerge from there?" Nie Kong's brow furrowed: "That's precisely what I cannot fathom." "Hey, hey, Hulu, Tai Yan, what exactly are you two talking about?" Hulu looked from Nie Kong to Tai Yan's blushing, confused face, looking utterly lost. However, his question was ignored by Nie Kong and Tai Yan.

Tai Yan swayed her petals, speculating, "Brother, could there be a passage inside that connects to the Tian Ling Continent?" "Hmm?" Nie Kong's eyes brightened, and clarity instantly dawned: "Yes, such a passage must exist." If Mu Hong Ling were truly inside the "Grand Beginning Grotto-Heaven," she absolutely could not have entered via the path of the Grand Venerable Spirit Realm, the Outer Heavens, and the Grand Beginning Palace. If that was the case, only one explanation remained.

This "Grand Beginning Grotto-Heaven" must have another entrance, and this entrance likely connects directly or indirectly to the Tian Ling Continent; otherwise, this pendant would never have appeared. It seemed he absolutely had to go to that place!

Nie Kong finally made up his mind. Whether for the sake of returning to the Tian Ling Continent or to ascertain Mu Hong Ling's safety, he had to enter the unknown space behind the vortex and investigate.

With that resolve, Nie Kong stated in a deep voice, "Tai Yan, Hulu, prepare yourselves." "Mhm." Tai Yan obediently responded, her flower petals completely retracting into the 'Lingxi Battle Robe,' and she pulled the still-dazed Hulu in with her. "Crimson Star Battle Form!" Nie Kong willed it, and his body immediately swelled to a hundred meters tall.

He then stepped onto the cloud-stepped staircase, reaching the vortex entrance in just a few strides. "Xiang Xiang, be ready!

Deploy 'Life Barrier' at any moment!" Nie Kong transmitted another message to the little fellow. With the lives of several people depending on him, he needed to ensure he possessed absolute protection the instant he entered the vortex.

"Ya ya ya!" The little fellow shook its leaves and roots, acknowledging the command. Taking a deep breath, pushing his doubts and worries deep down, Nie Kong moved.

His form entered the vortex. Just as he was about to vanish into its depths, a brilliant burst of seven-colored radiance erupted from within his body, completely enveloping his massive form in a halo of light.

"Whoosh!" With a slight sound of tearing air, Nie Kong's feet landed on solid ground. Beyond the vortex lay a space of infinite breadth, yet as far as the eye could see, it was nothing but desert, exactly like the five levels of the "Grand Beginning Grotto-Heaven." "...Grand Beginning Grotto-Heaven.

Could there be a sixth level?" Tai Yan and Hulu emerged again. A thought stirred in Nie Kong's mind.

He expanded his spiritual sense to its limit. He detected no danger; instead, he noticed an anomaly: this entire realm lacked any spatial restraint forces.

Moreover, the aura of the "Chaos Immortal Qi" here was nearly double the concentration it had been outside the vortex. "Whether there is a sixth layer, we will know once we go and see." Nie Kong exited his Battle Form and shot forward.

His speed was significantly faster than when he was on the first layer of the Grotto-Heaven. In an instant, he was thousands of meters away.

Yellow sand swept beneath his feet... As Nie Kong continued his advance, the concentration of the "Chaos Immortal Qi" steadily increased.

After about fifteen minutes, a mass of white mist appeared on the horizon, growing larger in Nie Kong's pupils. "That is..." Nie Kong stopped abruptly in shock.

If his senses were correct, that entire mass of white mist was composed of "Chaos Immortal Qi." If it were divided into strands, there would be tens of millions of them. How was this possible?

Nie Kong found it almost unbelievable—the "Chaos Immortal Qi" here was this abundant? He swept his spiritual sense over the clouds dozens of miles away again and again, trying to confirm if it was an illusion.

But soon, all of Nie Kong's doubts vanished; the immense concentration of immortal qi was undeniably real. However, within the range shrouded by that massive quantity of immortal qi, there seemed to be an invisible barrier preventing his spiritual sense from probing further, suggesting some secret was hidden there.

Nie Kong gasped, taking a cool breath. After a long moment, the shock in his chest finally subsided, and he continued to fly forward.

Not long after, Nie Kong discovered that beneath the colossal mass of "Chaos Immortal Qi," there was not a desert, but a vibrant, flourishing oasis—complete with a lake, grassland, and trees. Stopping his advance outside the oasis, Nie Kong's confusion deepened.

"Whoosh!" Suddenly, the void rippled like water. A figure blazing red stepped out of the emptiness, standing tall and graceful, looking at him with a slight, charming smile: "Nie Kong, long time no see.

Welcome to the Sixth Layer Secret Realm of the 'Grand Beginning Grotto-Heaven.'"