In Ye Ziyun's courtyard, Nie Li sat in quiet meditation.
Scene after scene flickered through his mind — everything that had happened after his return with Ye Ziyun, Xiao Ning'er, and the others. With the Sacred Family now destroyed, he had fulfilled his first wish. No matter what the future held, at least something had fundamentally changed.
After the Sacred Family, the next target was the Dark Guild — that mysterious organization lurking in the shadows — and the Demon Lord who constantly threatened the City of Radiance. Until the Dark Guild was wiped out and the Demon Lord was killed, Nie Li would never be able to rest easy.
However, at a normal cultivation pace, it would be impossible to reach the Legendary realm in a short time. He needed another approach!
An idea sparked in Nie Li's mind, but it meant he would have to leave the City of Radiance for a while. Beyond just improving his cultivation, Nie Li also wanted to investigate where the Dark Guild's true lair was hidden.
Nie Li raised his head and gazed at the sky. The Spirit Puppet fluttered down from above and landed on his shoulder.
"Ancestor Ye Yan, I'm planning to leave the City of Radiance and go out to train. I'll write a few letters — could I trouble you to deliver them to my friends and parents?" Nie Li said after a moment's thought.
"Where are you planning to go, boy?" Ancestor Ye Yan asked. "Do you want me to come along?"
"No need." Nie Li shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere too far. Besides, I want to check out the underground world you told me about and track down the Dark Guild's location. Right now they're in the light and I'm in the dark — if this goes on, we'll never be able to take them down."
Hearing Nie Li's words, Ancestor Ye Yan was alarmed. "You plan to go investigate the Dark Guild alone? Isn't that too dangerous?"
"No, I have my ways of staying alive," Nie Li said. As long as he didn't run into the Demon Lord in person, Nie Li should be able to protect himself.
Nie Li's thoughts drifted. Was the Book of Time-Space Demon Spirit still sitting in that distant Desert Divine Palace? He had to be back within three months — such a short window probably wouldn't allow a trip to the Desert Divine Palace. But beyond the Desert Divine Palace, there were other places from his past life where he had left footprints and memories.
Reaching the Legendary domain in an extremely short time was quite difficult, but apart from him, no one could save the City of Radiance. He had to shoulder that responsibility. So the only way was to go out and train, pushing toward the Legendary realm as fast as possible.
Nie Li finished writing his letters and handed them to Ancestor Ye Yan.
"Then be careful," Ancestor Ye Yan warned. He took the letters and soared into the sky.
Watching Ancestor Ye Yan fly further and further away, Nie Li glanced toward Ye Ziyun's room.
Inside her room, Ye Ziyun was still sulking. She had finally cultivated to the Gold tier and believed she was strong enough to help her father and support Nie Li. But when the great battle arrived, Nie Li and her father had locked her away in the secret chamber.
She knew they had done it because they cared about her, but some small sense of grievance still lingered in her heart. At the very least, she didn't want to see Nie Li for the rest of today. He had tricked her, after all. This was her punishment for him!
Ye Ziyun pouted, thinking to herself with a touch of indignation. She sat cross-legged on her bed and began cultivating her Soul Power. Behind her, the figure of the Snow Empress gradually materialized, wreathing her body in a thin layer of white frost. Moonlight poured down upon her, making her look like a beautiful immortal.
Nie Li gazed out into the quiet night, sensing the Soul Power radiating from Ye Ziyun's room. He knew she was cultivating desperately too. He understood how she felt — Ye Ziyun wanted to become stronger as well, to protect the City of Radiance.
The reason he had locked her in the secret chamber earlier was simply that he truly didn't want her to suffer even the slightest harm. Having been reborn, Nie Li refused to lose anyone again.
If he told Ye Ziyun, Xiao Ning'er, Du Ze, and the others that he was going out to train, they would insist on coming along — and more people meant more danger. Nie Li should leave quietly. But at this moment, his heart held a measure of reluctance.
Nie Li walked to Ye Ziyun's door and hesitated. Several times he raised his hand to knock, then faltered.
Ye Ziyun, sitting on her bed, sensed the presence outside the door. She opened her eyes. The person outside had to be Nie Li.
"I'm not opening the door for you! You locked me in that secret chamber today!" she thought. It was so late, and Nie Li still wanted to come in. Her heart fluttered and her cheeks flushed. Who knew what he might do — she was absolutely not letting him in! The thought of how she had somehow ended up crawling under his blanket before made Ye Ziyun wish she could dig a hole in the ground and disappear.
Nie Li stood outside Ye Ziyun's door for a long while. After thinking it over, he decided not to knock after all. Better not to say goodbye — otherwise he might not be able to leave.
To have enough strength to stand against the Demon Lord and the Dark Guild, Nie Li needed to raise his cultivation as fast as possible. And improving cultivation through closed-door meditation alone wasn't enough — he needed certain things to serve as catalysts.
Ye Ziyun watched Nie Li's shadow on the door. He had been standing there for a long time. She wavered — should she open the door for him?
"Such a dangerous battle, and he locks me in a secret chamber! If he thinks I'll forgive him that easily, he's got another thing coming!" Ye Ziyun pouted, thinking with petulant annoyance. Nie Li was so infuriating. She knew her father, the clansmen, and Nie Li had all been fighting for the City of Radiance's survival, yet she had been shut away in a secret chamber. She could barely describe how that felt. She didn't want to speak a single word to Nie Li for the rest of the day.