Another long stretch of time passed. The Chaos Divine Power within Nie Kong's [body] had thinned slightly further, and at this moment, the Void Force in this expanse of nothingness seemed to have receded to only about forty percent of its original volume.

"Hmm?"

Nie Kong's heart suddenly leaped. That faint, elusive trace of "Chaos Immortal Qi" had given him a precise feeling—it seemed to be located slightly to his front left.

The Chaos Immortal Spirit is there!

Nie Kong was delighted and about to shoot in that direction, but he felt the relentless influx of Void Force into his [body] and couldn't help but hesitate. If he absorbed all this "Void Force," he could take several more steps along the path of evolution and metamorphosis; it was truly difficult to abandon the absorption now.

"Never mind. As long as the Chaos Immortal Spirit doesn't fall into the hands of Chongxu and Pangu, this Void Force will eventually be mine."

Nie Kong's thoughts raced. After a few seconds, he abruptly ceased circulating the "Chaos Divine Art." His body transformed into a streak of white lightning, rocketing toward the front left...

"Huh?"

At the edge of the Void Force, Supreme Venerable Pangu's long eyebrows twitched slightly. The sudden vanishing ripple in the void caught him by surprise. "Nie Kong actually stopped absorbing?"

"The Void Force has decreased significantly; he must have discovered the precise location of the Chaos Immortal Spirit," Supreme Venerable Chongxu stated calmly, without a hint of worry on his face. "In this regard, Nie Kong's Chaos Divine Power is indeed superior to ours..." Pangu's gaze became even more fervent as he stared into the void ahead.

"Mmm..."

Just then, a faint murmur suddenly echoed throughout the entire "Void Secret Realm," as if someone had abruptly awakened from a deep slumber.

"He's awake!"

Supreme Venerable Chongxu's eyes snapped open. His gaze seemed to penetrate endless shrouds of mist, reaching the deepest part of the mass of Void Force before him. At this moment, a slight expression of joy finally surfaced on his usually impassive face. The instant the words left his lips, he vanished.

Supreme Venerable Pangu was overjoyed, and his figure followed almost simultaneously into the Void Force...

"Awake?"

Hearing that murmur, the hurtling Nie Kong couldn't help but pause in astonishment. Within the "Chaos Immortal Qi" directly ahead, the fluctuations of a soul were clearly evident.

The 'Chaos Immortal Spirit' has actually awakened!

The instant that sound resonated, Nie Kong sensed two immensely powerful auras surging from behind him—those of Chongxu and Pangu, who had been waiting outside.

Nie Kong's expression changed drastically. He couldn't help but curse vehemently in his heart: Damn it, why wake up now and not earlier? Why at this precise moment!

While cursing internally, Nie Kong dared not hesitate in the slightest.

He knew he couldn't blame anyone for the Chaos Immortal Spirit's awakening. If blame was due, it fell more on his own shoulders. When the Chaos Immortal Spirit was severely wounded and fell into deep slumber back then, its consciousness had dissolved entirely. What had emerged now was a new soul and new consciousness. The derivation and growth of a new soul were beyond anyone's control; once the time was right, consciousness would automatically awaken. However, Nie Kong's advancement to Supreme Venerable—he who cultivated the Chaos Divine Power—had created a faint resonance within the mystic aether, which conversely accelerated the Spirit's awakening.

"Whoosh!"

At this critical juncture, Nie Kong ceased any pretense of concealment. His speed reached an unprecedented peak, ensuring the distance between him and the two Supreme Venerables, Chongxu and Pangu, would not shrink.

A dozen seconds later, Nie Kong seemed to tear through an invisible barrier formed by condensed Void Force. What enveloped him was no longer the power of the void, but Chaos Immortal Qi.

Within this misty expanse of immortal energy, a small, plump figure came into Nie Kong's sight.

It was an infant, exquisitely carved like jade, sitting quietly above the immortal energy, his large black eyes staring blankly into the void, his chubby little face filled with confusion.

This is the 'Chaos Immortal Spirit'!

Nie Kong instantly determined his identity. No one else could appear in this location, certainly not without being the Chaos Immortal Spirit. Furthermore, the appearance of this infant was identical to the infant-shaped Chaos Shell he had encountered in the sixth layer of the 'Primal Heaven Grotto'—as if stamped from the same mold.

"Hoo!"

Nie Kong flashed forward, landing in front of the infant. The little fellow seemed to stir from a dream, looking at Nie Kong with bewilderment. In an instant, his vacant eyes filled with radiance, crystal clear as two living, spiritual black gems. Then, his body sprang up, and his chubby little hands clamped onto Nie Kong's neck: "Mother!"

"Uh?"

Nie Kong froze instantly, the corners of his mouth twitching violently. "You... what did you call me?"

"Mother!" The little fellow beamed, hanging onto Nie Kong like a koala, and cried out again in a childish voice.

"..."

Nie Kong nearly spat blood. He understood why the little one called him that.

This child was incomparable to the 'Chaos Immortal Spirit' that Xian Zhuyin had met in the Primal Heaven Grotto years ago. Although he had generated a new soul and reawakened, he had not yet integrated the memory information from the 'Void Secret Realm' spatial barrier. His current soul was like a blank slate. However, Nie Kong's "Chaos Body," coupled with the Chaos Divine Power that had absorbed both "Chaos Immortal Qi" and Void Force, made the child feel an innate closeness...

Thus, the little one naturally regarded Nie Kong as the closest being and instinctively used that address.

Calling me 'Father' would have been better, why 'Mother'?

Nie Kong smiled bitterly in his heart but had no time to dwell on the little fellow. He raised his right arm and encircled the child's fleshy little torso. Yet, before Nie Kong could move, nine massive, glittering golden "Celestial Stars" materialized high in the sky, crisscrossed by countless streaks of firelight within their domain.

In just that momentary delay, Supreme Venerable Pangu and Supreme Venerable Chongxu had arrived.

With their first move, the void spanning dozens of miles was sealed by the two of them. Beneath the nine Celestial Stars and the semicircular net of fire, space itself seemed to be isolated.

"Hoo!"

Countless crimson shadows suddenly flashed out from Nie Kong's [body], instantly tearing through thousands of meters of void and slamming violently into the net of fire ahead. The moment he manifested the form of the "Blood Prison Sword King Tree," Nie Kong followed closely behind the storm of scarlet sword light, rapidly reaching the edge of the fire net.

Sword-shaped branches and layered leaves burst forth.

"Bang!"

The manifestation of the Blood Prison Sword King Tree proved utterly indestructible. That thick net of fire was immediately ripped open, creating a massive hole several hundred meters wide. Nie Kong, clutching the little one, shot through.

"Nie Kong, you cannot escape!"

Supreme Venerable Pangu's aged voice echoed through the void. The nine Celestial Stars flickered faintly, and dense golden light spilled down, instantly sealing the opening of that hole. Simultaneously, a giant golden palm shimmered forth from within the golden light. With fingers like hooks, it lunged lightning-fast toward the small figure held against Nie Kong's chest.

"Chhh!"

Nie Kong's gaze sharpened. He pointed his left index finger, and a massive, nearly transparent white shadow of a finger shot out, meeting the attack and pressing against the palm of the giant golden hand.