Winged Dragon Family

The group walked down the main street, with Ye Ziyun and Nie Li walking side by side at the back of the team.

"When did you get to know Chen Linjian?" Ye Ziyun asked, eyeing Nie Li as if she were trying to see right through him.

"I'm not that familiar with him. We just chatted once in the library." Nie Li shrugged.

"Then why was he willing to let you join?" Ye Ziyun asked in surprise. She and Chen Linjian had known each other since they were very young. They weren't close, but they got along well enough. Chen Linjian was arrogant and conceited, and rarely gave his peers the time of day. Of course, he wasn't the sort of person who got on everyone's nerves; otherwise, Ye Ziyun wouldn't have bothered interacting with him.

Thinking of all the amazing things Nie Li had done, Ye Ziyun understood. She didn't know how Nie Li had convinced Chen Linjian, but Nie Li was resourceful. No difficulty could stump him.

Seeing Ye Ziyun chatting and laughing with Nie Li, every frown and smile of hers so adorable and captivating, Shen Yue was consumed with jealousy.

In his eyes, Ye Ziyun should only smile at him!

Nie Li had stolen the place that should have belonged to him!

Nie Li had to die! Shen Yue's expression turned vicious. Once they were out in the wild, Nie Li could forget about ever returning to the City of Brilliance. But no outsider could learn of this, especially not Ye Ziyun. Shen Yue had already begun plotting in his mind how to deal with Nie Li.

The group left the City of Brilliance and made their way along the rugged mountain paths of the Sacred Ancestor Mountain Range.

It would take five or six days just to reach the Ancient Orchid City Ruins. They would have to sleep rough along the way, and might even be attacked by demon beasts.

But Nie Li had an innate sensitivity to danger and a keen instinct. Combined with the experience of his previous life, even though he hadn't reached Bronze Rank yet, ordinary demon beasts still couldn't hurt him. Besides, the routes they were taking were relatively safe.

The thirty-seven members of the group were quite capable. Six had reached Silver Rank, and most of the rest were at least Bronze 3-star.

Even Ye Ziyun had reached Bronze 1-star. Only Nie Li and Shen Yue had the weakest cultivation among them.

However, the news that Ye Ziyun had reached Bronze 1-star had not been made public, so the others still didn't know.

After walking for more than ten hours and crossing a stretch of rugged mountain paths, the group reached a flat, open area near dusk. Chen Linjian surveyed the surroundings. The towering trees offered a good amount of cover, so he said, "Let's camp here for tonight!"

Shen Yue walked over from the side and said to Ye Ziyun, "Ziyun, let's set up camp together. That way, I can protect you."

"No need." A trace of displeasure showed on Ye Ziyun's fair face. She had no intention of camping with Shen Yue. Ever since the last incident, he had fallen to the very bottom of her estimation.

Ye Ziyun chose a spot and set up camp with several other women. Nie Li wanted to camp with her too, but he didn't go pestering her like Shen Yue and make a fool of himself. He found a secluded spot beneath the shade of a tree and set up camp there.

Night deepened, and waves of insect chirps rang through the forest.

Nie Li's thoughts drifted far away as memories of his previous life came to mind. He wondered how his family was doing. Though he longed to see his father, mother, uncles, aunts, and cousins, he held himself back. Sacred Lan Academy was a boarding school. Apart from privileged students from Peak Families and Magnate Families, ordinary students would be punished if they sneaked home. And if his family found out he had skipped school, they would punish him severely too.

Once the tests were over in two months, he would have about a month to return home and reunite with his family.

Before the City of Brilliance fell, Nie Li's family had been short on money and somewhat down on their luck, but at least they had managed to get by.

Thinking of the scenes from when the City of Brilliance was destroyed, Nie Li clenched his fists. In a few years, the City of Brilliance would face the demon beasts' frenzied assault. He had to become a supreme powerhouse—at least reach Black Gold or even Legendary Rank—before he could hope to help the City of Brilliance survive the disaster.

Time was pressing. He had to follow his plan and improve as quickly as possible, step by step.

The next thing he needed to do was get that spirit lamp! It was crucial to his future cultivation!

Nie Li sat cross-legged beneath the tree and circulated his Soul Sea. It seemed as if something was hidden within it, which made Nie Li deeply curious. He had never felt anything like this while cultivating in his previous life, but with his current cultivation, he still couldn't explore the depths of his Soul Sea.

The Soul Sea had originally been formless and intangible. As Nie Li's Soul Power grew stronger, a faint blue light shimmered within it, and it gradually formed into a sphere.

As his cultivation deepened and his Soul Power grew stronger, the shape of his Soul Sea would change. The Heavenly Dao Divine Art was slowly beginning to take effect.

The night was deep and still.

Meanwhile, at the Winged Dragon Family in the City of Brilliance, Xiao Ninger stood quietly, gazing out the window. That afternoon, she had received a letter from Nie Li. He had told her he would be away for a while, advised her to rest and recover at home, and given her a prescription. After Nie Li had massaged her twice and she had practiced the profound Wind Thunder Winged Dragon Art, her illness had improved considerably. For now, she was in no danger.

Later, Xiao Ninger learned that Nie Li had gone on an adventure with Chen Linjian's team, and Ye Ziyun was with them too. She couldn't help feeling a little resentful. Why hadn't Nie Li brought her along?

"Miss, the patriarch asks you to come to the assembly hall!" a servant hurried in and said urgently.

Xiao Ninger furrowed her brows, unsure what had happened. She stood up and headed outside.

The Winged Dragon Family's assembly hall.

The Winged Dragon Family patriarch, Xiao Yunfeng, sat at the front of the hall. Six middle-aged men occupied two rows of seats beside him. They were all Xiao Yunfeng's cousins and elders of the family.

"Father, may I ask why you called for me?" Xiao Ninger bowed slightly to Xiao Yunfeng, glanced at the six elders beside him, and asked.

"I called you here because there are some things I'd like to ask you about." Xiao Yunfeng still looked somewhat displeased. Xiao Ninger understood that this must have something to do with those uncles again. Ever since he had become patriarch of the Winged Dragon Family, three of them had been at odds with Xiao Yunfeng.

The elder seated nearby, Xiao Yi, smiled faintly. "Ninger, my niece, I heard that some time ago you spent a great deal of money to buy up a lot of Purple Mist Grass. Its price has now risen hundreds of times, and that grass must be worth hundreds of millions of Spirit Coins. With so many Spirit Coins, the day our Winged Dragon Family rises again is just around the corner. You've made such a huge contribution to the family, Ninger. You truly are the Winged Dragon Family's lucky star!"

Hearing Xiao Yi's words, Xiao Ninger understood at once. Somehow, Xiao Yi had learned that she had bought a great deal of Purple Mist Grass. He had come to pressure her father and take some of it!

Xiao Yunfeng, of course, was unwilling to agree. However much Purple Mist Grass Xiao Ninger had bought, what did it have to do with the family? It had been her personal decision! How she chose to handle the Purple Mist Grass was none of the family's business!

But Xiao Yi refused to let it go, insisting that Xiao Ninger give them an explanation.

Xiao Ninger stood proudly, her delicate face set with determination. "Elder Xiao Yi, I used my own money to buy the Purple Mist Grass. This has nothing to do with the family, does it? If you spend your own money on medicinal herbs or armor, do you have to hand those over to the family too?"

"You..." Xiao Yi hadn't expected the usually gentle Xiao Ninger to rebuke him so fiercely.

What Xiao Yi didn't know was that Xiao Ninger had always been rather meek and compliant within the family. But ever since she had met Nie Li, something subtle had changed in her heart. Nie Li had taught her that when faced with injustice, she had to stand up and fight back!

Hearing Xiao Ninger's words, Xiao Yunfeng felt somewhat relieved. He looked at Xiao Yi and said, "Xiao Yi, Ninger is right. I don't believe this is an obligation any family member should have!"

Xiao Yi still refused to back down. "This is no ordinary matter. That Purple Mist Grass is worth hundreds of millions, perhaps even billions, of Spirit Coins. It could greatly ease the crisis facing our family, and free us from being controlled by the Sacred Family." Xiao Yi glanced at Xiao Ninger and added persuasively, "If you contribute the Purple Mist Grass to the family, you won't have to marry Shen Fei!"

In truth, Xiao Yi didn't mean a word of it. First, he would trick Xiao Ninger into handing over the Purple Mist Grass. Whether she married Shen Fei wasn't up to them; that depended on the Sacred Family.

The other five elders nodded in agreement with Xiao Yi. If Xiao Ninger kept the Purple Mist Grass for herself, they would have nothing to do with it. But if she contributed it to the family, the whole family would benefit. Even the two elders who usually sided with Xiao Yunfeng took this position.

Seeing this, Xiao Yunfeng looked at Xiao Ninger guiltily and sighed.

Xiao Ninger felt deeply wronged. Why was it that whenever the family ran into trouble, she was the one who had to sacrifice? What was everyone else doing? Fortunately, Nie Li had already taken all the Purple Mist Grass. She answered confidently, "I bought that Purple Mist Grass on behalf of a friend. I transferred all of it to him before the price went up, and he has already paid me back for it. So the Purple Mist Grass has nothing to do with me anymore!"

"What?" Xiao Yi's expression immediately darkened.

Xiao Yunfeng looked at Xiao Ninger and asked, "Is that true?"

"Mm." Xiao Ninger nodded and replied firmly, "The Purple Mist Grass really isn't in my hands anymore!"

Xiao Yi's expression turned gloomy. "What's your friend's name? What's his background?"

"I promised him I'd keep his identity secret!" Xiao Ninger said solemnly. She would never tell anyone Nie Li's name. She had made up her mind: no matter how much pressure she faced, she would keep Nie Li's secret.