After their heart-to-heart that night, Ye Ziyun had actually grown much fonder of Nie Li. With the added buff of having been husband and wife who had faced life and death together in their previous lives, she admitted that she had indeed fallen for him.
We were married in our previous lives, so being together in this life would only make sense, right?
And Xiao Ning'er was her friend, her best friend since childhood.
Yet Xiao Ning'er had also developed feelings for Nie Li.
Come to think of it, Glory City wasn't exactly a place that forbade having three wives and four concubines.
Then wouldn't the three of us being together make everything perfect?
Pretty perfect, right?
Absolutely perfect.
To broaden her knowledge, she had even gone out of her way to consult Xue Yin and received the collection Xue Yin had kept in her youth.
A pile of storybooks that she treasured.
Their contents had successfully opened the door to a whole new world for thirteen-year-old Ye Ziyun.
She had never imagined that Aunt Xue, whom she saw every day looking so dignified and elegant, would secretly read so many interesting storybooks.
There was no rush when it came to romance. They were all only thirteen, and they had plenty of time to nurture their feelings slowly.
She did not want to watch her best friend remain so awkward forever.
Otherwise, Xiao Ning'er would feel awkward, Nie Li would feel awkward, and she would feel awkward too.
Behind them.
Ye Xiu watched the group work together with great satisfaction.
Chen Fei was moved as well. His young master had truly come into his own!
Silver Rank at fifteen.
And that Black Gold Rank Shadow Netherwolf, too.
"All right, we've rested enough, and there won't be any Azure-Armed Giant Apes up ahead to bother us. Let's go."
Everyone nodded.
They set off while munching on Soul-Tempering Pills.
Say what you would, these things really were tasty, just like little sugar candies.
The Drill Ground.
"This is the place."
Looking at the utterly empty expanse, Nie Li said, "Then let's dig three feet into the ground here and have a look."
Out came the pickaxes and shovels.
Everyone immediately started digging.
Clink, clink, clink, clink...
Nie Li kept probing the ground with his soul force, even extending it underground.
He also wielded his pickaxe with considerable skill, landing every blow in the same spot.
"We've broken through!"
There was a small hole.
But through that little hole, they could all see the hollow space below.
"Keep at it, everyone! Keep digging!"
Now that they had found something, everyone was even more enthusiastic.
Nie Li even took out a Bronze Rank scroll inscribed with Sinking Earth Quicksand.
The soil softened on the spot.
Everyone struck the ground hard.
Boom!
A staircase leading downward appeared.
"We found it!"
Lu Piao ran down, and the glittering pile of treasures ahead instantly dazzled him.
So much money! So, so much money!
"My heavens..."
Du Ze could not help swallowing either. Even with the support of the City Lord's Mansion now, he had never seen so much money and treasure.
Chen Linjian laughed as well. Sure enough, this trip had yielded a truly bountiful haul!
If they took these things to the Auction House in Glory City, they would rake in an absolute fortune!
Ye Ziyun walked over to Nie Li. "Nie Li, the Sky Screen said you only came here to get one thing. Is it that lamp?"
She had been the most observant.
Atop the tallest pillar in the underground plaza sat a rather eerie Spirit Lamp.
The sight of that Spirit Lamp stirred Nie Li's excitement as well.
"That's right. That's what I came here for!"
Nie Li climbed the pillar in a few quick movements.
The Spirit Lamp suddenly began to tremble. Then a black shadow shot out of it, its eyes especially vicious and its arms resembling two enormous blades.
"Disperse!"
Nie Li attacked the Spirit Lamp directly with his soul force.
However unwilling the black shadow was, it ultimately returned to the Spirit Lamp, which rocked twice before going still.
Nie Li climbed down with the lamp, and everyone gathered around him.
"Is this a demon spirit?"
Watching the black shadow stir, eager to charge out again, Chen Linjian asked uncertainly.
"That's right. This is the Shadow Demon Spirit, the first demon spirit I've chosen to integrate with after I reach Silver Rank."
Lu Piao blinked repeatedly. "Why is it a lamp?"
"The Shadow Demon is an exceptionally outstanding assassin-type demon spirit. It was already nearly extinct during the era of the Wind Snow Empire. The last seven Shadow Demons were made into seven Spirit Lamps, which were later stolen by thieves and passed from hand to hand across the world. This is one of them."
Xiao Ning'er looked at the lamp. "Nie Li, are you planning to use the Shadow Demon inside this Spirit Lamp as your first demon spirit?"
"Yep. Although the Heavenly Dao Divine Art can accommodate seven demon spirits, I don't intend to settle for inferior ones. If I'm choosing, naturally I'll choose the best."
Putting the Spirit Lamp into his Space Ring, Nie Li grumbled, "In my previous life, Zi Yun told me Shen Yue took this thing and then sold it for a million Demon Spirit Coins."
Everyone burst out laughing.
Such an excellent demon spirit had ended up being sold for a million Demon Spirit Coins. That price really did not do it justice.
"Of all these things, I only need this Spirit Lamp. Divide the rest among yourselves."
"Woohoo!"
Lu Piao excitedly flung himself forward and rolled around in the pile of gold coins.
Everyone immediately began packing things up as well.
Ye Ziyun selected several Demon Crystals from Black Gold Rank demon beasts, along with a Bone Fang Necklace from a Legend Rank Wind Snow Giant Beast that could enhance soul force.
Xiao Ning'er selected a Silver Rank dagger, a Silver Rank longsword, and a piece of Gold Rank Inner Armor.
Chen Linjian picked out three Black Gold Rank inscription scrolls.
Du Ze, Lu Piao, and the others all finished making their selections.
Everyone divided the remaining money and valuables equally.
Nie Li looked toward the great doors at the front of the underground plaza.
"There's more to this place than these treasures. We can keep looking."
The doors were very heavy. Nie Li exerted himself and pulled the two stone doors backward with all his strength.
A broad passage lay ahead.
Lu Piao said, "It's huge."
Nie Li said, "It looks like this place is an enormous underground palace, and Gulan City was built right on top of it. Let's go see if there's anything else."
An underground palace was quite a maze. They spent an entire day wandering around it.
"Nie Li, we've been wandering around all day. Haven't we found the place yet? This is so boring."
Lu Piao yawned.
"Looks like we've found it."
Nie Li's voice immediately perked everyone up.
A wide space lay at the end of this passage.
Clearly, they had found an exit.
They went inside for a look.
"Urgh!"
"Urgh!"
Sounds of retching rang out one after another. Ye Ziyun, Xiao Ning'er, Du Ze, and the others, without exception, could not suppress their nausea and vomited in the hall.
The things inside this hall were simply too horrifying!
There were at least several hundred skeletons, both large and small.
Chen Linjian looked rather pale as well.
Nie Li speculated, "They must have been the elderly, the weak, the women, and the children sent here from Gulan City to take refuge. I imagine the plan was to bring them back out once the war ended, but Gulan City fell, so they were left trapped here and starved to death."
After Nie Li said that, they vomited even harder.
Before you continue