"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "..." Outside the Grand Beginning Palace, figures shot out one after another, landing softly on the ground. Pangu, Panling, and the Thunder Dragon, the three Grand Supremes, maintained serene expressions, but the face of the Seven-Colored Grand Supreme grew increasingly grim.

"Boom!" The instant the figure of Ziwei Divine Venerable flashed into view, the great doors of the Grand Beginning Palace slammed shut completely. "Nie Kong?" The Seven-Colored Grand Supreme uttered these words softly, but anyone could discern the fury he was desperately trying to suppress.

"..." Ziwei Divine Venerable and Pan Lie exchanged glances. They had assumed Nie Kong had long since departed the "Grand Beginning Grotto-Heaven," but now they realized he had remained inside. Was he still within the Grotto-Heaven? That seemed unlikely. The moment the Grand Beginning Palace gates closed, anyone remaining inside would be forcibly ejected, potentially suffering severe damage to their soul. Could it be that he truly perished? The group found the notion inconceivable, yet it was the only explanation for Nie Kong’s absence. Perhaps the guess made by Leshan Divine Venerable earlier was correct: Nie Kong had indeed entered the spatial barrier of the "Divine Heaven Abyss Domain" and was now lost within the spatial rift, his soul utterly dispersed.

In that moment of thought, Leshan Divine Venerable and Pan Lie felt a profound sense of regret. However, the Sea Dragon Divine Venerable, who had exited much earlier, felt an overwhelming surge of elation upon grasping this possibility, an undisguised smile breaking across his face.

Pangu Grand Supreme frowned slightly. "Nie Kong didn't come out?" "Ziwei, what is happening?" Thunder Dragon Grand Supreme raised his brow slightly, his gaze snapping sharply toward Ziwei Divine Venerable, his expression intensely grave. Ziwei Divine Venerable showed no panic, replying with calm composure, "Reporting to the Grand Supreme, Brother Nie Kong accidentally strayed into the 'Divine Heaven Abyss Domain' and is likely lost within the spatial barrier, consumed by the spatial rift."

"This Nie Kong, how could he be so careless? The spatial barrier inside the 'Divine Heaven Abyss Domain' is lethally dangerous; one cannot simply wander in!" Thunder Dragon Grand Supreme exclaimed with painful sorrow. "Barring accidents, he was destined to achieve the rank of Grand Supreme. What a waste of such fine potential. Junior Brother Seven-Colored, you must not grieve too deeply." "Did Nie Kong truly wander into the 'Divine Heaven Abyss Domain' by mistake?" The Seven-Colored Grand Supreme turned his hollow eye sockets toward Ziwei Divine Venerable, two orbs of seven-colored brilliance flickering faintly within. "Precisely," Ziwei Divine Venerable replied, his expression unchanged.

"Oh?" The Seven-Colored Grand Supreme’s cheeks slightly tightened, and the two orbs of seven-colored aura in his eye sockets seemed ready to erupt at any moment, a terrifying pressure bearing down upon Ziwei Divine Venerable opposite him. "Junior Brother Seven-Colored, there is no need for anger." Thunder Dragon stepped forward, deliberately positioning his body between the Seven-Colored Grand Supreme and Ziwei Divine Venerable.

"..." The Seven-Colored Grand Supreme remained silent. After a moment of subtle twitching in his brow, the seven-colored glow in his eye sockets finally extinguished. Leshan Divine Venerable and Pan Lie and the others inhaled sharply. The importance the Seven-Colored Grand Supreme placed on Nie Kong far exceeded their estimations. Had it not been for the presence of the three Grand Supremes—Thunder Dragon, Pangu, and Panling—their own fates might have been grim indeed. However, precisely because they understood the Seven-Colored Grand Supreme's restraint, they dared to act so brazenly. Still, even though the Seven-Colored Grand Supreme managed to suppress his fury, the atmosphere outside the Grand Beginning Palace remained incredibly tense.

Not far away, Panling’s gaze flickered between Thunder Dragon and the Seven-Colored Grand Supreme. Pangu Grand Supreme’s frown deepened. After a long pause, he sighed with a touch of regret, "What is done is done; further words are useless. Esteemed sirs, let us depart." With a light wave of his hand, Pangu Grand Supreme led the way out. Venerable Panling and Pan Lin followed suit. Thunder Dragon Grand Supreme and Ziwei Divine Venerable’s party did not linger. In an instant, only the Seven-Colored Grand Supreme remained outside the Grand Beginning Palace. Facing the closed palace doors, a subtle, almost imperceptible smile touched the aged face of the Seven-Colored Grand Supreme. But as the Seven-Colored Grand Supreme turned to leave, that faint smile vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed...

... Three months passed before the powerful figures who had entered the "Grand Beginning Grotto-Heaven" reappeared in the Spirit God Realm of Supremacy. Soon after, news began to circulate quietly among the Spirit Gods and Star Gods. It was rumored that Nie Kong, the youngest Ninth-Rank Spirit God, had been jointly hunted by five Divine Venerables and six Ninth-Rank Spirit Gods within the "Grand Beginning Grotto-Heaven." The result: the Sea Dragon Divine Venerable’s true form, the "Viper Sea Serpent Dragon," was slain, escaping with only a wisp of its soul, which contained barely thirty percent of its original power. Dark Night Divine Venerable followed the Sea Dragon Divine Venerable’s path, but his end was even more tragic: his true form, which entered the Grand Beginning Grotto-Heaven, was completely annihilated.

This rumor left everyone stunned speechless. Yet, the rumor was quickly verified. The sealing of the "Dark Spirit Grotto-Heaven" and the seclusion of the Sea Dragon Divine Venerable—all confirmed the accuracy of the reports. The shock among the populace intensified. How could a mere Nie Kong, facing a combined assault from eleven peak Spirit Gods and Star Gods, inflict such heavy losses upon his pursuers? It was a tragedy that Nie Kong had mistakenly entered the "Divine Heaven Abyss Domain" within the Grand Beginning Grotto-Heaven and become lost in the spatial barrier, sacrificing his own life in the process. Nie Kong’s tragic end caused many powerful figures to lament, but even more rejoiced in schadenfreude. However, at this very moment, the sixth secret realm of the "Grand Beginning Grotto-Heaven" presented a vastly different scene.

Several thousand meters high in the sky, the coalesced mass of "Chaos Immortal Qi" churned violently.

"Hoo!" Nie Kong sat cross-legged upon a massive stone at the center of the oasis. The immortal qi above poured down like a roaring torrent, ceaselessly gathering around him. At this time, Nie Kong had pushed the "Great Sun Chaos True Fire" to its absolute limit. Flames of pure white occasionally surged outward, like a ravenous beast starved for eons, snatching vast swathes of immortal qi into the fire for refinement.

"Such speed." From the dense forest a hundred meters away, Xian Zhuyin drifted out of the infant's body. Even as a Grand Supreme from ten thousand years ago, witnessing the surging descent of the immortal qi, her exquisite face could not help but reveal astonishment. "It has only been twenty-odd days... At this rate, the entire mass of Chaos Immortal Qi will be completely absorbed by him in two months at most." The sixth layer of the "Grand Beginning Grotto-Heaven" differed from the five layers above it; like the outside world, it experienced a regular cycle of day and night, allowing for clear tracking of time.

"Master, does that mean Nie Kong will become a Grand Supreme in two months?" Mu Hongling asked in amazement. "That's wonderful! If Nie Kong becomes a Grand Supreme, he can surely refine the Tenth-Grade Elixir with much greater ease using the 'Viper Sea Serpent Dragon'!" Hulu grinned widely, still fixated on the Sea Dragon Divine Venerable’s true form, though he made sure to keep a distance from Mu Hongling, darting behind Tai Yan the moment she looked his way. Xian Zhuyin smiled gently. "By refining this mass of Chaos Immortal Qi, he already possesses sufficient power to advance to Grand Supreme. However, to truly become one, it depends on his own fortune." "What fortune?" "That, you will have to ask Nie Kong himself to know."

"..."