After saying goodbye to Nie Li and Duan Jian, Shen Fei headed back alone along the road he had taken there.
The wind across the wilderness had eased somewhat since his arrival. The gray-brown gravel road stretched beneath his feet, flanked by low shrubs and wild grass.
Light still filtered down from the Radiant Ore embedded in the rock overhead. Its brightness remained constant, giving no hint of the passage of time.
As Shen Fei walked, he used the time to go over the day's events in his mind.
Nie Li had taken Duan Jian toward the town. The Cloud Clay patches on Duan Jian's face would not last long, but Nie Li had said they would last long enough.
The town was under the Divine Flame Family's jurisdiction. As long as Duan Jian's identity remained hidden, the Silver Wing Family would not find them for the time being.
The prescription and map in Nie Li's hands were a mixture of truth and falsehood, bait to lure Sikong Yi onto the hook.
It would take Sikong Yi at least a few days to discover the problem with the prescription. Those few days would be enough for Nie Li and Duan Jian to familiarize themselves with the routes on the surface.
Shen Fei touched the piece of black crystal marrow tucked against his chest again. The stone felt faintly cool, and he could sense an extremely faint fluctuation of Spiritual Power within it through his clothes.
Nie Li had said it would help with cultivating Dark Attribute arts. He would give it a try when he got back.
He walked for roughly another hour, and the road through the wilderness gradually narrowed.
A little farther ahead, he would pass through a stretch of low earthen hills. Beyond them lay a dry