Ye Ziyun felt a deep sense of frustration in her heart.
She was the little princess of the City Lord's Mansion and the granddaughter of the legendary demon spirit master Ye Mo.
Since she was young, she had read countless ancient books and possessed a deeper understanding than her peers.
She always held a tiny bit of pride, but compared to Nie Li, this monster, she felt utterly ignorant.
It's no wonder Ye Ziyun had such thoughts; Nie Li couldn't be judged by average standards.
Through cracks in the stone wall and the way the floor tiles were laid out, Nie Li easily distinguished where traps were hidden.
"This level of mechanism is just too simple!" Nie Li said, walking forward a little.
Then, he picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it five or six meters ahead, hitting one of the tiles with a loud smack.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Dense arrows flew wildly in the passage ahead, like a torrential rain.
The arrowheads glinted with a deadly green light.
All were poisonous arrows.
Ye Ziyun's face turned slightly pale at the thought of what would happen if they had accidentally triggered the mechanism.
They would end up with arrows all over their bodies.
How did Nie Li discover the placement of the mechanism from such a distance?
"Alright, we can go now!" Nie Li said with a slight smile, looking at Ye Ziyun.
Though they were in a trap-filled dark passage, Ye Ziyun felt that as long as she followed Nie Li, she was safe, and any problem was not a problem at all.
Watching Nie Li's back, even though he seemed a bit thin and frail, he exuded a sense of reliability and steadiness.
Ye Ziyun lowered her head, wondering what she was thinking.
Perhaps being with Nie Li wouldn’t be so bad.
But then, she quickly shook her head, chasing those thoughts away.
What was she thinking? Ning'er was clearly fond of Nie Li, and now Hu Yanruolan also expressed interest in pursuing him.
How many girls had Nie Li attracted with that flirtatious nature?
She wasn't going to believe that Nie Li only liked her!
Ye Ziyun proudly lifted her head, refusing to be as shallow as those other girls.
The two silhouettes moved forward, plunging deeper into the passage.
While Nie Li and Ye Ziyun were exploring the passage, outside in the forest...
"Useless bunch, letting that Azure Arm Giant Ape escape injured!" Deacon Yunhua cursed bitterly.
A spirit-level demon beast always had a demon spirit, and even a silver-level one could sell for hundreds of thousands of demon spirit coins!
Yet, after injuring six people, they lost the Azure Arm Giant Ape, truly vexing!
They were most annoyed with Nie Li.
If it weren't for Nie Li luring the spirit-level Azure Arm Giant Ape their way, they wouldn't have faced such a mess.
"Forget it, just an Azure Arm Giant Ape. Those noble kids are worth more! Search thoroughly for me. Don't come back empty-handed!" Deacon Yunhua shouted angrily.
The team spread out, combing the forest.
In the distance, flickering flames caught their attention.
Flames could deter demon beasts at night but also made them highly visible targets.
"Why are you capturing me? Who are you people?"
Quickly, several men in black brought a person before Deacon Yunhua.
With a laugh, Deacon Yunhua mocked, "This young master must've heard of our Dark Guild. We target noble young masters like you. Should I ransom you or just dispose of you?"
The captive was Shen Yue!
Hearing the words "Dark Guild," Shen Yue's face turned deathly pale.
Stammering, he said, "Don't kill me. I'm from the Divine Sacred Family. My family can offer you a lot of money!"
"The Divine Sacred Family?" Deacon Yunhua was momentarily stunned, a hidden gleam in his eyes.
Muttering in frustration, "Just when I thought I could make a fortune, it turns out to be someone from the Vice President's family. What bad luck!"
Ordering his men, Deacon Yunhua barked, "Keep searching!"
Shen Yue had thought the Dark Guild people would trouble him, but to his surprise, they ignored him, leaving just one person to guard him.
Shen Yue sighed in relief, it seemed the Dark Guild feared the Divine Sacred Family a bit.
Thinking it was his family name that frightened the Dark Guild, Shen Yue regained his arrogant demeanor, starkly different from the scared boy moments ago.
Nie Li guided Ye Ziyun forward for about five to six hours when they finally saw a grand hall in the distance.
"So, Ancient Orchid City was built atop this underground palace. The higher-ups of the city probably knew of this palace and might have hidden all valuables here!" Nie Li guessed.
Judging by the location, they were underneath the training grounds.
Following Nie Li's reasoning, the City Lord and the elite surely hid treasures beneath the training grounds.
As they stepped into the hall, the scene shocked both Nie Li and Ye Ziyun to their cores.
The floor was littered with skeletal remains of adults and children alike.
They appeared to have died amid painful struggles.
"What happened here?" Ye Ziyun's eyes reddened, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Many children's remains were huddled in corners.
They must have been adorable in life, yet died here in silent despair.
Nie Li sighed deeply, "This was likely a temporary refuge for Ancient Orchid City. They moved the old, weak, women, and children here, hoping to release them after the war. But the city fell, leaving these people trapped and starved to death."
Ye Ziyun opened her mouth, a pained expression on her face.
Nie Li took a deep breath, his emotions stirred.
He thought of the past when Glory City faced similar devastation.
Before that war, many were sent to shelters, but when Glory City was breached, they had to flee, not knowing the fate of those left behind.
Likely, they too starved.
The memory of Glory City's fall was vivid.
Nie Li clenched his fists, vowing never to let it happen again!
"Should we leave?" Ye Ziyun suggested, unable to bear staying there.
"No, we can't leave. We must take all treasures here!" Nie Li declared firmly, "The treasures can boost our strength. With power, we can defend Glory City. Otherwise, Glory City will become another Ancient Orchid City!"
Ye Ziyun, stunned by Nie Li's words, realized that if they didn't grow stronger, Glory City could indeed fall like Ancient Orchid City.
Despite being safer, it was constantly eyed by demon beasts, sometimes even facing breaches.
Resolute, Ye Ziyun knew they had to do whatever it took to enhance their strength, to safeguard Glory City.
Being a grave robber might be shameful, but compared to protecting countless lives, it was worth it.
Nie Li and Ye Ziyun began searching the hall.
"There's a Bronze Armor here!"
"There are potions, but they're all spoiled!"
"Oh my, a spirit stone!" Ye Ziyun clasped her hands together, offered a silent prayer, then retrieved a spirit stone from around a girl's neck.
It hung on a delicate silver chain.
The child must have been of noble birth.
Yet, the dead are gone.
If the spirit stone could aid a gold-level expert, it might propel their cultivation forward.
Nie Li too amassed a small fortune, collecting dozens of bronze armors and weapons, and even a well-preserved silver dagger among other valuable demon crystals and trinkets.
However, the spirit lamp Nie Li sought remained elusive.
His gaze turned to the hall's center, where a massive stone sarcophagus lay, roughly three meters long and one meter high and wide.
Intricate, mysterious runes covered its surface.
The designs seemed familiar, yet unrecognizable.
What were these runes?
As Nie Li approached the Emperor of the Empty Realm's sarcophagus, he felt a mysterious power wash over him, like a turbulent ocean threatening to sweep him away.
No wonder the perished had avoided the sarcophagus.
"Nie Li, what's the deal with this sarcophagus?" Ye Ziyun asked, stepping closer.
At about three meters from the sarcophagus, she suddenly paled, stumbling several steps back.
"What happened?" Nie Li asked, puzzled.
"As I approached, my head felt like it was about to burst!" Ye Ziyun explained.
Hearing this, Nie Li's eyebrows perked.
The power seemed familiar, likely a restriction placed by a formidable expert.
But why was he unaffected at such proximity? Did the barrier differentiate between genders or simply have no effect on him?
Pondering, Nie Li turned to Ye Ziyun, "Check other areas; I'll handle this."
"Alright."
Ye Ziyun nodded, stepping away.
Nie Li carefully examined the enigmatic sarcophagus.
Sealed tightly, it bore intricate patterns unlike anything he had seen, despite his vast knowledge.
Was this the Emperor of the Empty Realm's sarcophagus? The runes didn't resemble those from the Divine Empire's era.
~~Demon Spirit Chronicles will surely be a thrilling novel.
Writing it has been smooth for Snail, and we hope everyone supports it with recommendation votes.
Thank you. (End of Chapter)