The Deep Gem

Ye Ziyun's brows furrowed slightly, as if she were in pain.

Her breathtaking face and delicate features, with her silky hair spilling over her shoulders, only made her elegant bearing stand out all the more.

Even with her brows furrowed, there was something indescribably alluring about her.

At that moment, Ye Ziyun wore only a bandeau, and her long skirt was torn in several places, revealing her long, fair thighs and adding to her allure.

Having been reborn, Nie Li could ignore the advances of others, but Ye Ziyun's beauty still made his breathing grow heavy. Whenever he saw her, he remembered the time he had spent with her in his previous life. Though brief, it had held a deep affection and had been the most precious time of his life.

Only Nie Li knew how captivating Ye Ziyun would become in a few years: like a blooming snow lotus, beautiful and elegant, like a celestial maiden from the highest heavens, pure and noble.

Back then, countless people had liked Ye Ziyun, and countless more had gone mad for her. Shen Yue was among them. He had tried time and again to take Ye Ziyun away from the crumbling City of Brilliance, but she had rebuked him, and in the end he had no choice but to give up. Ultimately, Ye Ziyun chose the ordinary Nie Li. That was the most glorious thing that had ever happened to him!

After treating the wounds on Ye Ziyun's body, Nie Li felt a little reluctant to part from the moment, but he still picked up one of his own clothes and draped it over her. Her clothes were too badly torn to wear.

He had all the patience in the world to wait for Ye Ziyun to accept him, to wait for her to slowly grow up, just as she had in his previous life.

Nie Li sat cross-legged beside Ye Ziyun, keeping watch over her. As he sensed the mysterious power within that page fragment of the Book of the Temporal Demonic Spirit, the Soul Power in his Soul Sea surged and churned.

If he got the chance, he had to go to the Desert Divine Palace as soon as possible and get the Book of the Temporal Demonic Spirit!

After absorbing those white lights, Nie Li felt that his Soul Power had grown considerably. It was already at least one hundred and fifty. He sensed that the power contained in the white lights was far greater than that; more of it remained hidden deep within his Soul Sea, and he didn't know when he would be able to make that power his own.

Nie Li gradually entered a self-forgetful state. Streams of Soul Power flowed around him, almost tangible.

Just as Nie Li was immersed in cultivation, Ye Ziyun slowly awoke from her faint.

She felt herself and realized she wasn't wearing any clothes. Her face immediately paled.

Nie Li, you bastard! That was too much!

When she realized that her skirt was still on, Ye Ziyun finally relaxed a little. But shame and anger still filled her heart. She had never let a boy see her body before, and Nie Li had actually taken off her clothes while she was unconscious!

Ye Ziyun's expression was complicated. She knew Nie Li had undressed her to treat her wounds, but she still couldn't put it behind her. Nie Li must have done it on purpose. Who knew what had happened while she was unconscious!

After all, she didn't know Nie Li very well and remained wary of him.

Nie Li, sitting beside Ye Ziyun, slowly opened his eyes and smiled. "You're awake?"

Meeting Nie Li's eyes, Ye Ziyun suddenly remembered she was still undressed. She hurriedly pulled his clothes tighter around herself and said anxiously, "Turn around. I need to get dressed!"

Nie Li turned his head, smiling as he said, "It's not like I haven't seen you before!"

At Nie Li's words, Ye Ziyun's face flushed bright red. She almost felt like throwing all ladylike decorum to the wind and beating him to a pulp. Shame and anger filled her, yet Nie Li spoke so casually. Earlier, when Nie Li had mentioned the butterfly-shaped birthmark on her body, she had already suspected he'd secretly watched her bathe!

Ye Ziyun quickly got dressed and said quietly, "All right!"

Nie Li turned back and couldn't help but brighten at the sight. Ye Ziyun wore a purple dress that made her look even more youthful and beautiful. She looked lovely in anything.

Ye Ziyun glared at Nie Li. She was so frustrated; his shamelessness left her at a loss.

"Nie Li, do you like me?" Ye Ziyun lowered her head to think for a moment, then looked up at him and asked.

"I do!" Nie Li smiled and admitted it frankly.

Although she already knew, hearing Nie Li say it still made Ye Ziyun's heart quiver. She took a deep breath and said seriously, "Nie Li, we're still young. Who knows what the future will bring? Maybe in a few years you'll like someone else. Right now, we should focus on our studies. Only by devoting ourselves to cultivation can we go further along the path of martial arts. First, become a Gold Demon Spirit Master. If you still like me then, I'll agree to be your girlfriend!"

Ye Ziyun blushed, her heart inexplicably beating faster.

Watching Ye Ziyun's bashful expression and hearing her speak so solemnly, Nie Li couldn't help finding it a little amusing. He looked at her with a hint of teasing. Was Ye Ziyun trying to fob him off like a child? He blinked and pretended to be excited. "Really? That's wonderful! Cultivation is actually very easy. If I work hard, I can reach Gold Rank next year. You can't go back on your word then!" After saying this, Nie Li secretly chuckled to himself.

If you think this book is good, add it to your bookshelf so you can find it again next time.

"Next year?" Ye Ziyun stared at him, dumbfounded. That was way too soon. Nie Li could reach Gold Rank next year? She immediately panicked. "I mean, we both need to think it over carefully!"

Nie Li suddenly turned serious. "What, Miss Ziyun, are you going to go back on your word?" He shrugged, looking unconcerned. "I knew it. You Peak Family people never keep your promises. Forget it, it doesn't matter!"

Seeing the disappointment and slight contempt in Nie Li's expression, Ye Ziyun bit down hard on her lower lip. Gritting her teeth, she said, "A word once spoken cannot be taken back! If you can reach Gold Rank, then it's settled."

Seeing Ye Ziyun's serious expression, Nie Li's lips curled up slightly. He knew Ye Ziyun usually never went back on her word. Had he gone too far by setting this trap for her? Well, he didn't care. Given how well he knew Ye Ziyun, one day he would win the heart of this beautiful girl before him.

Was she really going to be Nie Li's girlfriend? What did she have to do as his girlfriend? Ye Ziyun felt a little dazed. She did have some fondness for Nie Li, but it was only the kind of affection friends shared. The thought of becoming boyfriend and girlfriend suddenly left her in a complete muddle.

Ye Ziyun had devoted herself to cultivation, and Nie Li's appearance had completely shattered the peace of her heart.

"What is this?" Ye Ziyun looked at the deep blue gem hanging around her neck. Its color was dazzling, and within it, star clouds seemed to swirl. She could feel the immense power it contained.

"The Deep Gem. It's a gift for you. Wear it, and your cultivation speed will increase at least threefold. It'll constantly nourish your Soul Power; you'll even be cultivating while you walk!" Nie Li smiled. With his help, even if Ye Ziyun didn't cultivate very hard, reaching Gold Rank would be a piece of cake. Reaching an even higher level wasn't impossible, either.

"This is too precious. I can't accept it!" Ye Ziyun hurriedly said, trying to take off the Deep Gem.

Nie Li caught her hand and smiled. "I already have something better. You can keep this."

Ye Ziyun quickly pulled her hand away. Her cheeks grew slightly warm, and after a moment of silence, she said, "Then I'll hold on to it for you for now. You can take it back whenever you want."

"All right!" Nie Li smiled and stood up. "Let's look for a way out."

Ye Ziyun was about to stand when Nie Li smiled and held out his hand. After hesitating, she placed her slender, jade-white hand in his palm.

Nie Li gave a gentle tug and pulled Ye Ziyun to her feet. He was happy inside; the beautiful girl before him was no longer so resistant to him.

They had collected everything in the hall. Nie Li and Ye Ziyun searched for an exit together through the deep passageways. The place had been built like a maze, and anyone who hadn't been there before would have no idea where the exit was.

For two days straight, Nie Li and Ye Ziyun wandered through the complex underground maze, unable to find a way out.

As time passed, however, Nie Li relied on his keen sense of direction to slowly map the underground maze.

At that moment, inside a stone fortress in one part of Ancient Orchid City,

Chen Linjian, Hu Yan Lanruo, and the others had all gathered inside the stone fortress.

"Twenty-nine people!" Chen Linjian said, somewhat vexed. They had come to Ancient Orchid City to explore, and before they had gotten anything, they had already lost eight people. If it had been anyone else who went missing, it wouldn't have been such a problem, but they still hadn't found Ye Ziyun.

Ye Ziyun was the City Lord's daughter and the granddaughter of Ye Mo, a Legendary Demon Spirit Master. If anything happened to her, he couldn't bear the responsibility.

Hu Yan Lanruo gazed into the distant woods, hoping to find Nie Li's figure.

"Don't bother looking. That short-lived wretch is probably dead already!" Chu Yuan walked up beside Hu Yan Lanruo and spoke scornfully.

"Shut up!" Hu Yan Lanruo rebuked Chu Yuan. Her instincts told her that someone as capable as Nie Li would be fine.

"It's a fact by now! His corpse has probably already been swallowed by that Spirit Level Green Arm Giant Ape!" Chu Yuan said with a laugh. Thinking of the Soul Power Nie Li had absorbed, he felt an indescribable satisfaction. Nie Li had cost him years of cultivation, and this grudge was irreconcilable.

"Get lost!" Hu Yan Lanruo glared at Chu Yuan. "If you don't leave, don't blame me for being rude!"

Chu Yuan opened his mouth as if to say more, but when he saw Hu Yan Lanruo's expression, he smiled faintly, shrugged, and walked off to the side.

Chen Linjian furrowed his brows. He shouldn't have let Ye Ziyun go with Nie Li in the first place. If several Silver Rank experts had protected her, she wouldn't have gone missing like this.

"Leave two people here to wait for them. The rest of you, come with me to the training grounds!" Chen Linjian said sternly. He was decisive and knew that waiting here was useless. They would excavate the training grounds nearby first, then go look for Ye Ziyun and Nie Li. He could only hope that good fortune would smile on Ye Ziyun!

"I'll stay here and wait for them," Hu Yan Lanruo said after a moment's thought. Her eyes were full of sadness. She absolutely wouldn't go anywhere else until Nie Li returned.