Chen Linjian and his group arrived at the training field, a flat piece of land usually ignored by others.
"Dig three feet down!"
Chen Linjian's men pulled out their tools and started digging.
Meanwhile, inside the underground palace.
"Nie Li, where is the exit?" Ye Ziyun asked.
They had been searching for days and still hadn't found a way out.
"There isn't one," Nie Li shook his head.
"If there was an exit, those people wouldn't have died trapped in that hall."
"No exit?" Ye Ziyun paused, asking sorrowfully, "Does that mean we can't get out either?"
"Not necessarily. The people in that hall were brought in from outside. This means that someone from the outside can dig us out. We just have to hope that Chen Linjian can find the exit. I believe it might be in that training field!" Nie Li smiled slightly.
"They'll definitely find it!"
"How can you be so sure they will find it?" Ye Ziyun retorted.
Nie Li always seemed so sure of everything, as if everything was in his grasp.
He even stubbornly believed that she would eventually grow fond of him.
If everything in the world went as Nie Li expected, he might as well be a god of omnipotence!
Just as Ye Ziyun finished speaking, the stone wall began to tremble slightly.
"It has started!" Nie Li smiled.
From the direction of the tremor, he could determine where the exit was.
He turned to Ye Ziyun.
"Let's go!"
Nie Li began walking confidently.
Ye Ziyun opened her mouth, unsure of how to respond.
Nie Li was truly an enigma—how did he know everything? Could she really end up as Nie Li's girlfriend one day? Her emotions were mixed, her cheeks slightly flushed as she lowered her head, remaining silent.
The noise of digging came through loudly!
"The exit is over here!" Nie Li, following the sounds, brought Ye Ziyun to a stone wall.
Upon closer inspection, Nie Li realized there was a mechanism he hadn't noticed before.
He placed his hand on the stone wall, slowly pushing it inward.
With a rumbling sound, the wall turned to reveal a massive stone chamber.
Inside were stairs leading upward, but the entrance was blocked by large rocks and the sound of chiseling could be heard from behind.
The scene inside the stone room left both Nie Li and Ye Ziyun astonished.
Piles of bronze and silver armor and weapons filled the chamber, along with many scrolls inscribed with runes, demon beast cores, furs, and horns, alongside various rare metals and a mountain of gold coins, the currency of the Divine Empire.
Countless items, likely treasures from the Divine Empire era, laid around.
If someone took these treasures back to Glory City and sold them at an auction house, they would become unbelievably wealthy!
"Ziyun, pick a few things," Nie Li said, looking at Ye Ziyun.
There were too many treasures here, and their Spatial Rings couldn't contain so much.
Taking everything would only invite trouble from Chen Linjian and his men.
Nie Li wasn't greedy; he only needed the item he desired.
His gaze fell on a distant stone platform.
Atop it was a lamp emitting a faint, flickering glow that held a mysterious aura.
Seeing the lamp, Nie Li's eyes lit up with joy—it was indeed a Shadow Demon Spirit Lamp!
Shadow Demons were mysterious and rare demon beasts, rumored extinct during the Snowstorm Empire.
Only seven Shadow Demon spirits had been made into lamps and scattered around the Saint Spirit Continent after being stolen from a temple.
Nie Li desired the Shadow Demon Spirit within the lamp above all else!
After reaching the Silver level, Nie Li's Soul Realm could merge with a demon spirit.
The Heavenly Dao Divine Technique he practiced could merge with seven demon spirits; for the first, he refused to settle for a common spirit! The Shadow Demon Spirit was exactly what he needed, neither overwhelming nor weak, yet full of unique powers.
Even when Nie Li reached peak cultivation, the Shadow Demon Spirit's abilities would still be invaluable.
With the Shadow Demon Spirit, Nie Li could learn many special martial skills!
In his past life, the Shadow Demon Spirit Lamp had ended up in Shen Yue's possession, but in this lifetime, Nie Li had found it.
Nie Li picked up the lamp, placed it into his Spatial Ring, and looked back to see Ye Ziyun had also chosen a few things.
She passed on ordinary gem necklaces for a few demon spirit crystals and a Bone Tooth Ankle Bracelet.
Ye Ziyun had good taste.
The crystals were from rare Black Gold demon beasts and could create rare Black Gold weapons and armor.
The Bone Tooth Necklace came from a legendary Snowstorm Beast and greatly enhanced demon spirit power despite being mere bone shards.
As they finished, with a loud bang, an opening was broken in the rock blockage, letting a harsh beam of light in.
Chen Linjian and his men entered.
"It's you?" Chen Linjian was surprised to see Ye Ziyun and Nie Li, not expecting to find them here after breaking through.
Seeing Ye Ziyun, Chen Linjian relaxed.
Had anything happened to her, even with some loot, he'd face the City Lord and Ye Mo’s wrath.
But as she was unharmed, things were much easier.
"Boss, we're rich! So much treasure!" his men exclaimed, overwhelmed by the sight.
Chu Yuan and others who followed were astounded, encountering piles of treasures potentially worth millions or billions of demon spirit coins.
"Nie Li, as per our agreement, you may pick one item first," Chen Linjian said, honoring his word and value in friendship with Nie Li.
"I've already chosen. The rest are yours!" Nie Li replied with a casual smile, appearing uninterested in the amassed wealth.
"I also picked a few items," Ye Ziyun added.
"The rest I don't need."
Chen Linjian nodded, directing his men to collect the items with Spatial Rings.
Chu Yuan approached Chen Linjian, murmuring, "Aren't you upset? They must've taken a lot while inside. The best item is surely with them, which is why they're indifferent!"
"What do you mean?" Chen Linjian glared at Chu Yuan.
Chu Yuan replied coldly, "We must have them relinquish what they've taken or they can’t leave. The finest treasures are surely with them!"
"Get lost. Don't think I don't know your intentions. You're trying to use me as a tool against Nie Li. It won't work!" Chen Linjian kicked Chu Yuan hard, sending him flying.
Chu Yuan hit the ground face first, losing a tooth and bleeding heavily.
Looking at Chen Linjian with resentment, Chu Yuan quickly hid his anger.
As an heir to the Sacred Nether Family, Chen Linjian couldn’t be challenged by him.
"Nie Li, this is all your fault. We aren’t finished yet!"
Chen Linjian gathered his treasures, despite Nie Li having the Shadow Demon Spirit Lamp and Ye Ziyun taking a few items.
The remaining treasures still promised a handsome profit.
Patting Nie Li’s shoulder, Chen Linjian said, "Brother, if it weren't for your guidance, I couldn’t have found this treasure. I owe you. If there’s anything you need, come to me!"
Grateful and without conflict over the lamp, Chen Linjian won Nie Li’s favor, explaining his stature among the Three Peaks Families.
"Alright!" Nie Li agreed cheerfully.
"Once you've gathered the items, we need to leave quickly!"
"Why?" Chen Linjian asked, puzzled.
"I spotted members of the Dark Guild searching for us!" Nie Li explained.
"Thankfully, a Soul-level Azure Arm Giant Ape slowed them down, or I couldn’t have escaped!"
Chen Linjian was taken aback, knowing the Dark Guild's fearsome reputation.
Capture by them was dangerous.
"No wonder we saw an injured Giant Ape. Now it makes sense!" one of Chen Linjian's men remarked.
Luckily, the ruins of Ancient Orchid City were vast, leaving the Dark Guild unaware of their exact location.
It was time to move.
Chen Linjian cast one last glance at the deep underground palace.
"I've already scouted; there’s nothing here now," Nie Li reassured.
Chen Linjian nodded and, without hesitation, ordered his group, "Let’s go!"
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