Inside the Bathhouse.
Steam still rose from the hot water in the bathing tubs.
Du Ze was still a little embarrassed. All three of them were bare-chested.
"Nie Li, do we really have to do this?"
"Of course. A strong body has to be cultivated both inside and out."
Lu Piao jumped straight behind Du Ze. "Come on, open wide-"
He stuffed a pill into Du Ze's mouth.
Looking at the steaming tub, Lu Piao was positively delighted.
After all, who wouldn't love a cultivation method that let him cultivate while enjoying a comfortable bath?
"Hehe, I absolutely love cultivating this way!"
He leaped into the tub, only to discover that the water was scalding hot. With a howl, he jumped right back out.
"Uh, I forgot to mention that the medicine only works well at high temperatures, so you have to circulate your soul force to resist the heat while soaking."
Lu Piao said, "This is just inhumane!"
The three of them cultivated in their tubs.
Nie Li took a Soul Crystal from his Space Ring and tested his soul force.
Seventy-six. That should be enough for the trip to Gulan City.
Beneath the Sky Screen.
His progress had been much faster.
His soul force on the Sky Screen was only seventy-six, but the current Nie Li bathed in high-grade medicinal herbs every day and ate Soul-Tempering Pills like candy. His progress had been far faster, and he was already at four-star Bronze rank.
Behind him, the Golden Feather Eagle watched the Sky Screen while munching on a Soul-Tempering Pill by his beak.
Time to chow down!
Chen Linjian's group had gathered on the street.
He was counting heads.
Seven from the Sacred Family, one from the Wind Snow Family, ten from the seven noble families, and ten from the Sacred Nether Family. Plus Nie Li.
Shen Yue hadn't expected Nie Li to be part of this expedition, but that was just as well. Once they left Glory City, whether Nie Li lived or died would no longer be up to him.
With everyone present, Chen Linjian gave the order, and the group set out.
"Oh, right. As far as outsiders know, we're only going to train in the Dark Mountain Gorge. Keep a low profile, everyone."
"Yes!!!"
They shouted as loudly as they could.
"I just told you to keep a low profile!"
Ye Ziyun smiled at the back of the group, then looked at Nie Li, who was walking beside her.
"Nie Li, do you know Chen Linjian?"
"I wouldn't say I know him. We just chatted once in the library a few days ago."
"Yet he was willing to let you join?"
"Maybe he thought I was handsome. Hehe."
Behind them, Shen Yue's face twisted even further as he watched Nie Li and Ye Ziyun chatting and laughing together.
They walked until sunset, when Chen Linjian and the others reached a dense forest.
"It's almost dark. We'll camp here."
The tents were soon pitched, and the campsite quickly took shape.
Shen Yue still wanted to approach Ye Ziyun and cozy up to her. "Zi Yun, let me pitch your tent next to mine. That way, I can protect you tonight."
Ye Ziyun's impression of Shen Yue had already sunk to rock bottom, so naturally, there was no way she would agree.
"No, thank you. I'll camp with the older girls."
Nie Li overheard from nearby and covered his mouth to hide his laughter.
After night had fully fallen, Nie Li lay on the grass, surrounded by glowing fireflies.
With his arms behind his head, he gazed at the bright moon overhead.
"Two more months. I can only go home once the test is over. I wonder how things are at home."
He recalled the scene when the Wind Snow Demon Beasts had stormed Glory City. His father, Nie Ming, had urged him to take his little sister away and hurry to warn Glory City.
"I have to work hard to reach Black Gold or even Legendary rank. Only then will I have a chance of protecting Glory City. This time, I have to get what I came for!"
He immediately sat cross-legged and began cultivating.
"After I began cultivating the Heavenly Dao Divine Art, my once nebulous soul sea actually started forming into a sphere. And there seems to be something else in there. What could it be? Unfortunately, with my current cultivation, I still can't see it clearly through inner vision."
Beneath the Sky Screen.
At the City Lord's Mansion.
Nie Li had seen the Taiji Pattern appear in his soul sea, but to get a clearer look at his soul sea, he still had to wait until he grew stronger and reached the stage where he could use inner vision.
As for his father and the others, he would wait another month. Once he reached Silver rank and merged with a demon spirit, he could go home.
On the Sky Screen.
The view shifted, suddenly arriving at the Winged Dragon Family's estate in Glory City.
Xiao Ning'er already knew that Nie Li had gone exploring, but she still felt a little down. He had gone on an expedition without inviting her. Was he afraid she would hold him back?
Just then, a servant came to tell her that the family head wanted her to go to the Council Hall.
When she arrived at the Council Hall, it wasn't just her and her father, Xiao Yunfeng. The Winged Dragon Family's six elders were also there, seated in chairs along both sides.
"Father, did you want to see me?"
"Ning'er, the elders have something they want to ask you."
Naturally, Great Elder Xiao Yi was the first to speak.
"Ah, my dear niece Ning'er, I heard you spent a considerable sum buying Purple Mist Grass some time ago. Now that its price has soared a hundredfold, the Purple Mist Grass in your possession must be worth several hundred million Demon Spirit Coins, correct?"
Xiao Ning'er's expression changed. With him putting it so plainly, how could she fail to understand? They were after the Purple Mist Grass.
But she had already given all the Purple Mist Grass to Nie Li. Besides, even if she still had it, she had no intention of handing it over to Xiao Yi.
"With that much money, the Winged Dragon Family's return to prosperity would be just around the corner."
He took a sip of tea, his tone utterly certain.
Xiao Ning'er looked at her father, Xiao Yunfeng, the head of the Winged Dragon Family. Xiao Yunfeng closed his eyes as well.
Asking his own daughter for money was simply too shameful to put into words.
He really was an incompetent family head. More than eighty percent of the Winged Dragon Family's businesses were controlled by the Sacred Family, and they were on the verge of falling out of the ranks of the seven noble families. It was indeed as Xiao Yi had said: with those several hundred million Demon Spirit Coins, the Winged Dragon Family's return to prosperity would be just around the corner.
Xiao Ning'er knitted her brows. They wanted the Purple Mist Grass? She had only one thing to say to that: dream on.
"Uncle Xiao Yi, I bought this Purple Mist Grass with my own money. It has nothing to do with the family."
"Didn't the family give you that spending money? There's nothing wrong with handing it over. That much Purple Mist Grass could sell for hundreds of millions of Demon Spirit Coins. With that money, we could ease our family's crisis and even free ourselves from the Sacred Family's control in the future. When that happens, you might no longer have to marry Shen Fei."
He was simply lying.
All he was thinking about was tricking her into handing over the Purple Mist Grass first. As for the marriage agreement, they could discuss that later.
He was constantly thinking about marrying Xiao Ning'er off to Shen Fei, then using that marriage agreement to secure the help of this young master from the Sacred Family's direct line and rise from great elder to family head.
As for what would happen to Xiao Ning'er after she married Shen Fei?
That wasn't even remotely among his concerns.
Beneath the Sky Screen.
At the City Lord's Mansion.
Xiao Ning'er's face was pale. She had never imagined that Xiao Yi, her own uncle, would harbor thoughts that left her no path to survival.
Before you continue