Above the Nether Sea, black energy churned like a tidal surge. Nie Kong and Chi Lian sped along just above the water's surface.

At this point, Chi Lian was close to a Fifth-Rank Star God, now capable of leaving the War Clan’s Nether Source and acting independently. “When you took Pan Hu’s heart in the Ghost Domain back then, he certainly suffered a massive setback initially, but before long, his power began to recover rapidly.

I only found out later that besides controlling me, he had actually controlled two newly awakened Immortal Star Clan Star Gods and devoured them both.” Chi Lian said in a deep voice, “Pan Hu now is even stronger than before. In another year or two at most, he will reach the peak he held ten thousand years ago.

Fortunately, that woman, Da Yan, has been preoccupied with breaking the seal, leaving her no energy to attend to him; otherwise, he would have already been devoured by Da Yan.” Nie Kong naturally knew why the Spirit Venerable Da Yan hadn't dealt with Pan Hu immediately. His earlier seizure of the "Remembrance Grass"—Da Yan's original form she intended to use for transformation—had essentially done Pan Hu a great service.

To the Spirit Venerable Da Yan, the importance of the "Remembrance Grass" far surpassed that of Pan Hu. Thus, as soon as the Nether Earth Seal shattered, she impatiently attacked the Spirit Manor.

“Da Yan letting him go only ended up benefiting you, Big Brother,” Nie Kong joked. “Well said.

Pan Hu, this old wretch, is just like his grandfather Pangu—both are cunning and treacherous. Today is the perfect occasion to sacrifice this half of the ‘Fire Feather Celestial Bamboo’ to refine Zhu Yin,” Chi Lian roared with laughter.

The favor he asked of Nie Kong was simple: shatter the Nether Sea’s Fire Source and capture Pan Hu. “…” As they spoke, the two entered the depths of the fire-red Nether Source.

A massive, fiercely burning flame immediately entered Nie Kong’s sight. Back then, this flame was only a few hundred meters tall, but now it towered at a thousand meters, engulfing a space spanning two to three thousand meters—it had nearly doubled in size.

However, the “Heart of Flame,” which symbolized Pan Hu’s heart, had not appeared. “Just as I thought.” Nie Kong chuckled, “This Pan Hu is indeed incomparably cunning.

He lodged his heart inside me then, entering the Ghost Domain intending to eliminate the Spirit Venerable Da Yan, but he didn't place all his hope in that single venture. Those two Immortal Star Clan Star Gods were likely his backup plan.” Almost the instant Nie Kong finished speaking, the flame suddenly fluctuated violently and swept toward Nie Kong and Chi Lian, the intense heat seeming capable of melting heaven and earth.

“It seems Pan Hu has found us.” Nie Kong smiled faintly, and the Chaos Divine Power roared out of his body, evolving into the “Chaos Heavenly Fire” in the air, radiating an even more ferocious heat. “Boom!” In an instant, the two flames collided.

The flame originating from the Nether Sea Fire Source scattered rapidly, as if ice melting in snow, while the “Chaos Heavenly Fire” attacked with lightning speed, **. “Whoosh!” A sharp whistle erupted, and the massive flame vanished without a trace.

“Nie Kong?” Beneath the Nether Sea, in a dark expanse, a blood-red heart pulsed. Pan Hu’s figure suddenly materialized from it, his expression volatile, “What was that flame that could even suppress my ‘Heart Fire’?

If I hadn't reacted quickly, all my ‘Heart Fire’ might have been melted away.” “And his strength—I can’t discern it. In just a few years, how did he become so powerful?” Pan Hu’s eyes flickered, filled with disbelief, and a bad premonition surfaced in his mind, “With Chi Lian accompanying him today, things might not end well for this old man…” “The old bastard is quick to flee!” On the sea surface, Chi Lian sneered as he looked at where the flame had vanished.

“He won't get away.” Nie Kong smiled. The moment he struck, he had thoroughly surveyed the situation within several hundred li of this area, even sensing Pan Hu’s strong heartbeat.

Currently, Pan Hu was concealed within the chest cavity of his own body-space. That space was formed from Pan Hu’s original body and was incredibly secure; even a Ninth-Rank Spirit God like the Dark Night Spirit Venerable or the Sea Dragon Spirit Venerable would likely struggle to break through his hiding place quickly.

This explained why the Spirit Venerable Da Yan hadn't wasted energy on him while breaking the seal. Unfortunately for Pan Hu, he had run into Nie Kong, who was now only half a step away from the Grand Venerable Realm.

With a mere thought, the blood-red sword silhouette materialized. “Blood Prison Sword King Tree?” Chi Lian gasped, then burst into delighted laughter, “Nie Kong, Big Brother now admires you even more!

I never expected you to cultivate such a Dharma Manifestation. The offense of this ‘Blood Prison Sword King Tree’ is unparalleled in its sharpness and invincibility.

Unleashed with your current strength, shattering Pan Hu’s shell will be effortless.” Chiii... As Chi Lian spoke, Nie Kong’s ‘Blood Prison Sword King Tree’ Dharma Manifestation shot out, countless sharp sword shadows tearing through the void and plunging into the fiery red seawater.

These dense sword shadows carried scorching heat, instantly evaporating the seawater within a radius of several thousand meters. A blurred physical silhouette was revealed on the seabed hundreds of meters below.

“Boom!” Before the surrounding seawater could rush in, the ‘Blood Prison Sword King Tree’ struck the abdomen of that silhouette. It was like a needle piercing tofu; the blood-red sword shadow plunged in with devastating force.

The next moment, a pit spanning a hundred meters burst open on the silhouette’s belly. A thick, potent column of black energy shot skyward, shielding the rushing seawater around the edges of the crater.

“Whoosh! Whoosh!” Almost simultaneously, Nie Kong and Chi Lian followed the ascending black energy and dove into the pit.

In a flash, Nie Kong arrived at the left chest area of the body-space. His speed was lightning fast.

When Nie Kong saw the fiery red heart, Pan Hu was seated upon it, the shock on his face still lingering, clearly immersed in the aftermath of that earth-shattering explosion. However, Pan Hu was, after all, a former peak Star God powerhouse.

He quickly recovered, and the huge heart contracted rapidly, integrating back into his body. Instantly, a formidable aura erupted from Pan Hu, sweeping across the entire body-space.

“Nie Kong, you actually dare return to my domain!” Pan Hu suppressed the surprise on his face, fixing Nie Kong with a cold, viper-like gaze, roaring fiercely, yet hesitating to act rashly. Nie Kong had easily breached his body-space, instilling a deep wariness in his heart.

“Eighth-Rank Spirit God?” Nie Kong seemed not to hear Pan Hu’s outwardly fierce but inwardly timid roar. He sized him up with a smile, then turned back to Chi Lian, “Big Brother Chi Lian, with the strength he has recovered, it’s just barely enough…” He had only just said this when Chi Lian, dozens of meters away, suddenly changed expression drastically.

“Be careful!” The instant Chi Lian’s cry of alarm sounded, an incomparably violent force surged from behind Nie Kong, striking his back like lightning. Accompanying this force came Pan Hu’s triumphant and vicious laughter: “Dare to underestimate this old man?

Nie Kong, die for me—” …… ……RO