If Chen Linjian had been greedy for treasures and continued exploring deeper into the labyrinth, their situation would have become extremely dangerous.
Fortunately, Chen Linjian was a man who could make decisive decisions.
The group returned to that giant stone fortress. When Huyan Lanruo saw Nie Li come back, she was overcome with joy, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Nie Li, you're back! Thank heavens!" Huyan Lanruo threw herself forward, hugging Nie Li tightly, her ample chest pressing firmly against his.
"Thank you for risking your life to save me! Otherwise, I probably would have ended up in the belly of that Giant-Armed Ape!" Huyan Lanruo's cheeks flushed red as she gazed at Nie Li with tender eyes.
"You're strangling me! Let go of me!"
Nie Li slapped his forehead. Huyan Lanruo was way too full of herself. He had volunteered to cover the rear so that Ye Ziyun could escape safely — it had nothing to do with her!
Seeing Nie Li's exasperated expression, Ye Ziyun couldn't help but crack a smile. A beauty like Huyan Lanruo was throwing herself at him and he still didn't want her — Nie Li must have had his brain squeezed by a door. But watching Huyan Lanruo cling to him so tightly, a faint sourness crept into her heart, and she gave a soft hmph.
"It's the Dark Guild!" One of Chen Linjian's men sucked in a sharp breath and cried out.
Chen Linjian looked toward the dense forest outside the stone fortress. Several figures in black robes had appeared in their line of sight. His expression shifted slightly, and he said in a low voice, "Follow me! Go this way!"
Chen Linjian led the group as they plunged into the thick forest behind the stone fortress.
"Be careful! Don't leave any traces!"
Under the threat of the Dark Guild, the group fled at full speed, darting through the terrain. They knew all too well what miserable fate awaited them if the Dark Guild caught them.
Nie Li glanced back, his mind racing. Though it had only been a brief encounter, he had already memorized the aura of that leader. That person had certainly seen his face too. Even once he returned to the City of Radiance, he would need to be extremely careful — if he was recognized, he could easily be targeted.
Apart from the Sacred Family, there was the Dark Guild, which constantly threatened the City of Radiance. A powerful sense of urgency surged through Nie Li. He needed to grow stronger quickly, or when the crisis arrived, he wouldn't even have the strength to protect himself.
With the Shadow Demon Spirit Lamp in hand, he needed to cultivate to the Silver level as soon as possible. Once he fused with the Shadow Demon Spirit Lamp, he would have the means to survive in a short time!
For ordinary people, reaching the Silver level might be extremely difficult, but for Nie Li, it wasn't particularly hard.
By the time Nie Li and the others made it back to the City of Radiance, the Dark Guild members still hadn't caught them. Only then did the hearts gripping their throats finally loosen.
The news of Chen Linjian's group returning spread rapidly throughout the City of Radiance. What surprised people even more were the spoils they had brought back — many of the treasures were truly astonishing. A grand auction was held, and numerous items from Chen Linjian's haul sold for sky-high prices.
The entire City of Radiance buzzed with excitement. Many people began forming teams to head toward the Ancient Lan City ruins, hoping to score something for themselves.
None of these developments had anything to do with Nie Li. He had obtained the Shadow Demon Spirit Lamp he had dreamed of, and he had also unexpectedly recovered fragment pages of the Book of Time-Space Demon Spirit. This trip's harvest had far exceeded his expectations.
At the same time, one piece of news plunged Nie Li into deep contemplation. It was said that before Chen Linjian's group returned to the City of Radiance, Shen Yue had already come back — and he had not been accompanied by anyone else!
That was far too strange!
With Shen Yue's strength alone, it would be impossible for him to pass through so many dangerous zones to reach the City of Radiance!
Thinking back to the group of Dark Guild members they had discovered in the Ancient Lan City ruins, Nie Li's heart grew cold. A possibility suddenly struck him — perhaps the Sacred Family and the Dark Guild shared some unspeakable secret. He should have realized this sooner!
The Sacred Family's behavior in his past life, their betrayal of the City of Radiance — it all showed that they had long since abandoned their duty to protect the city. It was entirely possible they had already allied themselves with the Dark Guild.
In his previous life, Nie Li hadn't known much about the Dark Guild. It was said that they had established a base deep within the Holy Ancestor Mountain Range — a place that was extremely hidden and secure!
Perhaps in his past life, when the Sacred Family defected from the City of Radiance, they had gone to join the Dark Guild. Where else could they have gone?
Damn it! Why was he only thinking of this now?
Nie Li clenched his fists tightly, veins bulging along his arms. It was from that day onward that he had been forced to watch his clansmen die under the claws of demon beasts, to follow the refugees of the City of Radiance into the endless desert, to watch helplessly as Ye Ziyun died before his eyes — drifting across the Sacred Spirit Continent like a rootless weed.
A sharp, fierce light flashed through Nie Li's eyes. Whether it was the Sacred Family or the Dark Guild, all of them had to be destroyed!