Xiao Yunfeng asked about Xiao Ning'er's soul force. He knew his daughter had only broken through to Bronze a few days earlier, but once she achieved soul force transformation, her soul force could rise further.
After the Soul Crystal test, all the elders, along with the family head, wore expressions of disbelief.
Although her soul force had not been displayed, it had clearly exceeded their expectations.
The view returned to the woods.
Nie Li had been cultivating, but he stopped when he caught a pungent smell.
Following the scent, he found a few strands of fur.
While he was examining them, Chen Linjian arrived with his men.
His subordinates had discovered what appeared to be a demon beast's den.
He had not expected to find Nie Li there too.
Nie Li explained that he had smelled something strange and come to investigate.
Shen Yue, who was following behind Chen Linjian, was now willing to do anything to sling mud at Nie Li.
"Hmph, sneaking around here alone in the dead of night. Who knows what you're plotting? I don't smell anything strange."
Nie Li, however, never indulged anyone from the Sacred Family.
"Come on, Young Master Shen. Just because Zi Yun rejected you doesn't mean you can vent your anger everywhere."
That single sentence shattered Shen Yue's composure.
Chen Linjian had no intention of getting involved in their quarrel. Instead, he asked Nie Li what he had found.
Nie Li explained that if the den were abandoned, there would not be any stench of demon beast urine.
Judging by the fur left behind and the way the branches were piled, Nie Li deduced that Fox Bears lived in the area.
Shen Yue immediately objected. With so many demon beasts in the Sacred Ancestor Mountain Range, how could Nie Li be certain they were Fox Bears?
Chen Linjian raised a hand to stop Shen Yue and motioned for Nie Li to continue.
Adult Fox Bears were about four feet long and were Silver Rank demon beasts. They spent most of each year dormant in caves. In early summer, they awoke and moved into the forest to hunt, marking their territory with urine to warn other creatures away.
Nie Li deduced that what they had found had been left by a Fox Bear scouting ahead.
Chen Linjian could no longer remain calm. Early summer-wasn't it early summer right now?
Nie Li nodded and said they should leave immediately. Fox Bears were fiercely territorial and would attack any intruders they discovered.
Their destination was Gulan City, so it was best to avoid unnecessary battles.
Shen Yue would not have it. In particular, he had to oppose anything Nie Li said.
"Hmph, alarmist nonsense. This place is deserted. Where are these Fox Bears? Traveling at night might be even more dangerous. I think-"
Chen Linjian raised his hand and cut Shen Yue off.
Shen Yue was merely a spoiled young master. Chen Linjian could tell he was opposing Nie Li for no other reason than to oppose him.
He had already witnessed some of Nie Li's abilities. Besides, Nie Li's explanation was well founded, and almost everything he said sounded correct.
Better to endure some trouble than abandon caution.
Chen Linjian therefore made a swift decision, waking everyone and ordering them to pack up camp and leave that very night.
No one understood why they had been woken in the middle of the night to resume their journey.
Chen Linjian offered no explanation.
Only when the bewildered group heard demon beasts behind them did they finally understand. Had they remained at their original campsite, they would certainly have been attacked.
Everyone admired Chen Linjian's foresight.
Only Chen Linjian knew the credit belonged to Nie Li.
Behind them, three people stood beside the corpse of a Fox Bear.
All three were Silver Rank.
"Avoid the bears and catch up at once!"
Beneath the Sky Screen.
At the City Lord's Mansion.
Nie Li clicked his tongue. "Shen Yue really dared to dream. He thought three Silvers could kill me?"
Three Silvers would barely have been enough to kill him as he had been back then.
On the Sky Screen.
Day had already broken, and Nie Li's soul force had detected three Silver Rank experts following them.
With a quick glance back, he noticed Shen Yue's uneasy expression. His eyes shifted, and he immediately worked out what was happening.
The Sacred Family's thieving heart still refused to die.
Up ahead, Chen Linjian was waiting for Nie Li.
"Brother Nie Li, we owe you for spotting the danger in advance. Otherwise, we would definitely have been attacked by Fox Bears. I, Chen Linjian, owe you a favor."
A favor from the eldest legitimate son of the Sacred Nether Family.
"Young Master Chen, it seems we're being followed."
Hearing this, Chen Linjian started to look back.
"Don't turn around. They're three Silver Rank Demon Spirit Masters. In my opinion, they're very likely from the Dark Guild. They must have heard about Gulan City and followed us here, hoping to play the oriole waiting behind the mantis."
Chen Linjian patted Nie Li's shoulder. "The Dark Guild? Leave them to me."
If Nie Li had said they were from the Sacred Family, things would indeed have been difficult. After all, it was another of the three leading families, and Chen Linjian might have shown Shen Yue some consideration.
But if they were from the Dark Guild, there was nothing more to discuss. Everyone in Glory City knew that members of the Dark Guild were enemies anyone had the right to kill.
After traveling some distance, the group began looking for somewhere to rest. It was summer, after all, and the weather was sweltering.
As Ye Ziyun fanned herself with her hand, Nie Li approached, keeping one hand behind his back with a flower in it.
"Hehe, Zi Yun, I've got something nice to show you. Close your eyes."
Ye Ziyun decided to trust him this once and closed her eyes.
Nie Li had just brought out the flower.
Whoosh!
A blast of air swept past, and the flower in Nie Li's hand was gone.
Ye Ziyun immediately opened her eyes. "That's a fluctuation in soul force! Someone's fighting!"
She was about to stand up and investigate when Nie Li pressed her back down.
"Stay here. I'll go take a look."
Only after Nie Li had run off did Ye Ziyun remember to wonder what he had wanted to show her.
In the distance, Chen Linjian and several Silver Rank experts had surrounded three people wearing close-fitting clothes, bamboo hats, and masks.
"Speak! Who are you? Why are you following us?"
Naturally, the three could not answer. If they were identified as members of the Sacred Family, they would be in serious trouble.
They could only retreat for now.
An Inscription Scroll was activated.
Several fireballs shot out.
Chen Linjian tilted his head to dodge. "Attacking at the slightest disagreement. That's certainly the Dark Guild's style."
He was already convinced that the three belonged to the Dark Guild.
As the three vanished from sight, Chen Linjian waved his hand and ordered his subordinates to pursue them.
Nie Li and the others came running over.
"Young Master Chen, was it a demon beast?"
"No. Three Silver Demon Spirit Masters from the Dark Guild were following us."
Chen Linjian's subordinates soon returned as well. They had killed one of the pursuers, while the other two had escaped with severe injuries.
They pulled the corpse out of a sack.
It was a mass of charred remains.
Chen Linjian knew the corpse had been destroyed with a Secret Technique to conceal its identity.
But this attempt to hide the truth only exposed it further, convincing everyone all the more that the three belonged to the Dark Guild.
Beneath the Sky Screen.
At the Sacred Family.
Shen Yue nearly spat blood. One of the three Silver Demon Spirit Masters had been killed. Nie Li truly was vicious! He had actually slandered their Sacred Family members as people from the Dark Guild!
Shen Hong's heart gave a sudden thump.
Nie Li's words had indeed made his heart skip a beat.
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