Ye Ziyun winced slightly from the pain.
Her exquisite face, delicate features, and smooth hair cascading over her shoulders all accentuated her elegant aura.
Even with a furrowed brow, she exuded an indescribable charm.
At this moment, Ye Ziyun was only wearing a silk ribbon around her chest, and her long dress was tattered, revealing her slender, fair legs, adding to her allure.
Ever since he was reborn, Nie Li could ignore the temptations of others, but Ye Ziyun's beauty always made his breath quicken.
Each time he saw her, he remembered the brief yet deeply cherished moments they shared in his past life—priceless memories.
Only Nie Li knew how enchanting Ye Ziyun would become a few years later, like a snow lotus in full bloom, beautiful and graceful, akin to a divine goddess.
Back then, many admired Ye Ziyun, and innumerable people went mad for her, including Shen Yue.
Shen Yue tried countless times to take her away from the precarious Glory City, only to be angrily rejected by Ye Ziyun, eventually giving up.
But Ye Ziyun chose the ordinary Nie Li, and that was the proudest moment of Nie Li's life!
After tending to Ye Ziyun's wounds, Nie Li, feeling a bit melancholic, placed his own clothes over her since her dress was beyond repair.
He had enough patience to wait for Ye Ziyun to accept him, just as she did in his past life.
Nie Li sat beside Ye Ziyun, closing his eyes and entering meditation, feeling the mysterious power contained in the fragmented page of the Temporal Demon Spirit Book.
His soul realm surged with intensity.
If possible, he needed to find the Desert Divine Palace and obtain the complete Temporal Demon Spirit Book! Absorbing the white light, Nie Li felt his soul force strengthen significantly, reaching at least a hundred and fifty.
He realized there was more power hidden deep in his soul realm, untapped and waiting to be utilized someday.
Nie Li was lost in cultivation, layers of soul force flowing around him like something tangible.
As Nie Li was immersed in his training, Ye Ziyun slowly awoke from her fainting spell.
She touched her body and found herself without clothes, her face turning pale with disbelief.
"Darn Nie Li, this is too much!" Yet seeing she still wore her skirt, Ye Ziyun felt a small relief, even though the shame and anger bubbled within her.
From childhood, no boy had ever seen her body like this, and Nie Li undressed her while she was unconscious! Ye Ziyun's emotions were complex, understanding Nie Li was helping treat her wounds, but she was unable to fully let go of her anger.
She suspected something more happened during her unconscious state since she didn’t fully grasp Nie Li’s character yet.
Sitting beside her, Nie Li opened his eyes and smiled, "You’re awake?"
Seeing Nie Li’s eyes, Ye Ziyun suddenly became conscious of her state of undress and quickly tightened the clothes covering her.
"Turn around! I need to change!"
With a chuckle, Nie Li turned away, "It's not like I haven’t seen it before!"
Hearing Nie Li’s words, Ye Ziyun's face flushed.
She felt an overwhelming urge to thrash him regardless of her ladylike demeanor.
While she was filled with embarrassment and anger, Nie Li seemed lighthearted.
Earlier, Nie Li had commented on her butterfly-shaped birthmark, making her suspect he had spied on her bathing!
Quickly donning her clothes, Ye Ziyun mumbled, "Okay, I’m done."
When Nie Li turned back, his eyes couldn’t help but light up at the sight of Ye Ziyun in a purple silk dress that complimented her youthful glow perfectly.
Anything Ye Ziyun wore looked stunning.
Ye Ziyun glared at Nie Li, feeling helpless against his shameless demeanor.
"Nie Li, do you like me?" Ye Ziyun asked after some thought, lifting her gaze to meet his eyes.
"Yes."
Nie Li admitted with a calm smile.
Though she knew it in her heart, hearing him say it still made Ye Ziyun’s heart quiver.
Taking a deep breath, she seriously said, "Nie Li, we’re still young. Who knows what’ll happen in the future? Maybe you’ll like someone else a few years down the line. Right now, we should focus on our studies. Only through diligent cultivation can we walk further on the martial path."
She continued, "You should aim to reach the Gold demon spirit master level first. If you still like me then, I’ll agree to be your girlfriend."
Blushing, Ye Ziyun felt her heart racing without reason.
Listening to Ye Ziyun speak seriously, Nie Li found it amusing but tried to hide it, adopting a playful demeanor, "Really? That’s great! Cultivating is easy. If I strive hard, I can reach Gold level by next year. Then you can’t go back on your word!" Inside, he chuckled at his own little act.
"Next year?" Ye Ziyun was taken aback, stunned.
That was too fast.
Could Nie Li really reach Gold level by next year? She panicked, "I mean, we should both think it over seriously!"
All of a sudden, Nie Li put on a serious expression, "Is Miss Zi Yun going to renege on her word?" He shrugged indifferently, "I should have guessed. People from the Three Peaks Families never keep their promises. No matter, it's fine."
Seeing disappointment mixed with disdain on Nie Li’s face, Ye Ziyun bit her lower lip.
With a resolute look, she said earnestly, "What’s said is said. If you can reach Gold level, then it’s a deal."
Watching Ye Ziyun’s earnest look, Nie Li couldn’t help but smirk.
Knowing Ye Ziyun’s nature, she wouldn’t back down from her word.
Was it wrong to set her up like this? But why bother? Given his understanding of her, someday, he'd win this beautiful girl’s heart.
To truly be Nie Li’s girlfriend? What would it mean to be Nie Li’s girlfriend? Ye Ziyun felt a bit lost.
She did have fond feelings towards Nie Li, but they were only feelings between friends, not lovers.
Pondering it, her heart was in turmoil.
Ye Ziyun dedicated her focus solely to cultivation, but Nie Li’s presence entirely disrupted her peaceful heart.
"What’s this?" Ye Ziyun asked, touching the brilliant blue gem hanging around her neck.
The stone shone, its interior swirling with nebula-like patterns.
She could sense the immense power within.
"That’s the Deep Gem, a gift for you," Nie Li explained with a smile.
"Wearing it will triple your cultivation speed. It continuously nurtures your soul force, allowing you to cultivate even while walking."
"This precious gift, I can’t accept it!" Ye Ziyun exclaimed, attempting to remove the gem.
Nie Li gently stopped her hand, "I have something even better. Keep it."
Ye Ziyun quickly pulled her hand back, her cheeks reddening.
After a moment of silence, she muttered, "Then I’ll hold onto it for now. You can ask for it back anytime."
"Alright!" Nie Li laughed, standing up, "Let’s find a way out first!"
Ye Ziyun was about to get up when Nie Li offered his hand with a smile.
She hesitated but then placed her delicate hand into his.
With a slight pull, Nie Li helped her up, feeling delighted that she was no longer so dismissive of him.
Inside the hall, they gathered all they could and began exploring the maze-like tunnels for an exit.
The place was constructed like a labyrinth, and without prior experience, finding a way out was a daunting task.
For two days, Nie Li and Ye Ziyun roamed the intricate underground maze, failing to spot an exit.
However, trusting his strong sense of direction, Nie Li slowly mapped out the labyrinth.
Meanwhile, in a stone fortress within Ancient Orchid City, Chen Linjian and Hu Yilianruo gathered with others.
"Twenty-nine people," Chen Linjian murmured, frustrated.
Out on this adventure to Ancient Orchid City, they hadn’t acquired anything yet, and already eight people were missing.
If it were others missing, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but Ye Ziyun—the City Lord’s daughter and the granddaughter of the legendary demon spirit master Ye Mo—was a different matter entirely.
If anything happened to her, he couldn’t bear the responsibility.
Hu Yilianruo scanned the distant forest, hoping to catch a glimpse of Nie Li.
"No use looking. That short-lived kid's probably already dead," Chu Yuan sneered as he approached Hu Yilianruo.
"Shut up!" Hu Yilianruo retorted angrily.
She had a feeling that Nie Li, with all his skills, would be alright.
"It's the truth! His corpse is probably already swallowed by the Azure Arm Giant Ape!" Chu Yuan laughed cruelly, savoring the thought of Nie Li’s soul force taken by the beast.
That same Nie Li who had caused him years of cultivation loss; he felt a sense of unjust joy over the other’s supposed demise.
"Scram!" Hu Yilianruo glared at Chu Yuan, "Keep it up, and I won’t be polite."
Chu Yuan opened his mouth to retort but seeing Hu Yilianruo’s demeanor, he merely shrugged with a smile and strolled away.
Chen Linjian knitted his brows.
In hindsight, allowing Ye Ziyun to venture with Nie Li was error-prone.
If she had gone with several Silver experts, she wouldn’t be so elusive now.
"Leave two people here to wait for them. The rest of you, come with me to the training grounds!" Chen Linjian ordered decisively.
He knew waiting there was useless, opting instead to excavate nearby while later returning to search for Ye Ziyun and Nie Li.
Surely, Ye Ziyun’s fortune would favor her survival!
"I'll stay here to wait for them," Hu Yilianruo suggested after a moment, her eyes filled with sorrow.
She refused to leave until she found Nie Li.
(Chapter End)