Everyone chatted for a while before the sky gradually darkened. Then, everyone went back to their respective rooms.
The Treasure Convention would officially start the next day. Shi Yi, Luo Xin, and Jiang Lingzhu had already gone to rest in their rooms on the higher floors of the stone pavilion.
Only Nie Tian was asked by Liu Yan to stay.
“Nie Tian, since you’re here, did martial granduncle tell you to choose some spiritual tool?”
Nie Tian took out the command medallion that had the character ‘Ji’ on it, and showed it to Liu Yan. “He told me that I can choose up to three items that I like, and just by showing off this thing they’ll let me have them.”
With a brief glance at it, Liu Yan indicated for him to put it away.
Liu Yan frowned. “Years ago, your grandfather was seriously wounded in a fight with Yun Meng and Yuan Fengchun, and his spiritual sea was destroyed. Ever since, your grandfather hasn’t been able to gather the spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth to continue his cultivation. Not only that, but because his spiritual sea was shattered, the spirit energy that he had gathered over the years faded away as time passed.
“Therefore, not only was your grandfather unable to achieve a breakthrough, but his cultivation has been on the decline.
“To a cultivator, the destruction of the spiritual sea means the end of the cultivation path. From then on, your grandfather has been living in depression. His status in the Nie clan also gradually lowered, and he was eventually replaced by Nie Beichuan.
“Of course, now that you’ve become the disciple of martial granduncle, your grandfather’s position in the Nie clan is once again stable.
“However, it’s hard to say if the situation will last for long. Also, this is not the way to fundamentally restore your grandfather’s confidence.”
Having laid the groundwork to make his point, Liu Yan continued, “I heard that the Spiritual Treasure sect will be putting up a very valuable Spiritfount Pill for sale, which is a seventh level Medium grade medicinal pill. It can help a cultivator rebuild their spirit sea. Your grandfather’s injury can be completely healed by it.”
Nie Tian’s mind shook. “Spiritfount Pill!”
He had always desired to help his grandfather recover from his injury one day.
Nie Donghai’s health and longevity had always been his sore point.
After hearing that there would be a pill that could cure his grandfather’s injuries for sale at this Treasure Convention, he immediately grew excited.
“A seventh level Medium grade Spiritfount Pill is definitely a rare treasure,” Liu Yan said with a brief smile. “If you were still the Nie Tian from the Nie clan, or an ordinary disciple of the Cloudsoaring sect, there would be no way for you to obtain such a valuable item. However, now that you’ve become the disciple of my martial granduncle, and are in possession of his command medallion, you can go demand that Spiritfount Pill from the Spiritual Treasure sect.”
“When and where will it be sold?” Nie Tian asked hastily.
“Tomorrow, in the Pill Pavilion,” answered Liu Yan.
“Thank you for telling me this, Uncle Liu. I’ll go to the Pill Pavilion first thing in the morning to get that Spiritfount Pill!”
“Okay, I’ll go with you.”
As the two of them talked, the sky completely darkened. Many bright lights could be seen along the streets outside.
At that moment, a female voice echoed from the door. “Excuse me… is Nie Tian here?”
Liu Yan was surprised. He looked at Nie Tian curiously, and said, “Someone’s looking for you?”
Nie Tian instantly realized that voice belonged to An Shiyi’s younger cousin, An Ying.
“An Ying…”
“Yes,” Nie Tian replied, going on to explain, “she’s a friend I made in the Green Illusion dimension.”
Liu Yan nodded his head and said, “I’ll go back to my room. You can go to the third floor later on. There are a few vacant rooms there. You can find one to rest.”
With these words, he walked up the stairs, leaving the ground floor to Nie Tian and his visitor.
The door to the stone tower had been half-opened. After Liu Yan went upstairs, An Ying quietly stuck her head in through the gap.
“I’m here,” Nie Tian said.
It was also at that moment that An Ying saw him. Then, she cut the pleasantries and walked in.
When she looked around and realized that Nie Tian was the only one there, she asked, “Where are the others?”
Nie Tian pointed to the ceiling.
He didn’t have a favorable impression of An Ying. Before they had entered the Green Illusion dimension, she had seemed to be rather resentful towards him, and when they were in the Green Illusion dimension, she had also targeted him.
It was only later, due to his decisiveness and fierceness in the fight with the Lurker Lizard, that he had gained her trust to some extent.
However, when the witch Yu Tong had wrapped him up in her scarlet blood strings, An Ying didn’t choose to stay and help him. Instead, she believed that he would be killed beyond a shadow of a doubt, and thus abandoned him.
Therefore, he only felt that he owed An Shiyi, but not An Ying.
Now, half a year later, An Ying had become even more elegant and beautiful, however, her beauty was still dwarfed by An Shiyi.
An Ying was always straightforward, but now she seemed to have a faint sadness hidden in between her furrowed eyebrows. Something seemed to be weighing her down.
She blurted, “Do you still remember that you once said that you would spare no effort to help my sister if she got into trouble… assuming you had the strength to do so?”
“Of course I do,” Nie Tian said.
“My sister… is in trouble now.” An Ying glanced up at the ceiling, lowered her voice, and said, “My sister was the person in charge of the Green Illusion dimension trial, and also a representative of the Spiritual Treasure sect. However, because the appearance of the Blood sect and the Ghost sect, Yuan Feng from the Grayvale sect was killed. There were also heavy casualties among the other three sects, including ours. Therefore, my sister’s status as a deacon has been removed.”
“She got demoted?” Nie Tian was taken aback.
Within the Spiritual Treasure sect, the most powerful person was undoubtedly the sectmaster. Below him, there were elders. Below them were the deacons. Finally, it was the ordinary disciples.
Deacons were mostly responsible for the affairs of the Spiritual Treasure sect in the seven cities, selling spiritual tools for the Spiritual Treasure sect and collecting spiritual materials that could be used to refine various types of spiritual tools.
During the years she had been a deacon, An Shiyi straightened out many issues for the sect. Because of that, she was highly regarded by the sectmaster, and became quite reputable within the sect.
However, because of the incident that had occurred in the Green Illusion dimension, she was unexpectedly stripped of her status as a deacon, and now had no choice but to greet the guests at the sect gate.
An Ying’s expression turned grimmer. “In the past, thanks to my sister’s status as a deacon, coupled with the sectmaster’s trust in her, those old guys in the sect didn’t dare to act imprudently, although they secretly desired her.
“Now that my sister has lost everything, those old bastards who have been drooling over my sister’s beauty saw the opportunity, and want to take her as their wife or concubine.
“One of them was especially disgusting. Just now, he sent his disciple to try to force my sister’s hand yet again.” An Ying couldn’t help but gnash her teeth.
Nie Tian replied calmly, “Where is that guy?”
“Probably still at my sister’s place!” An Ying’s words were filled with hatred.
Nie Tian rose to his feet. “Take me there.”
“Alright!” An Ying immediately found new courage.
Were it half a year ago, she wouldn’t even have come to Nie Tian.
However, the current Nie Tian had the glorious position of being the disciple of Wu Ji, and Wu Ji was one of the most formidable existences within the entire Realm of Flame Heaven.
Actually, the reason why she came over this time was that she hoped to scare that person off with Nie Tian’s status.
In a distant, quiet courtyard within the Spiritual Treasure sect…
An Shiyi, who had run back and forth for a whole day, had changed out of her red garments into a white silk skirt, which didn’t make her look as appealing as she was during the daytime, but instead, gave her an elegant and refreshing look.
At that moment, her ripe, round buttocks were sitting on the swing in the courtyard. Her body followed the lifeless swaying of the swing and stress filled her delicate face.
Beside the ornamental rocks, Fei Li wore a grim expression as he toyed with a golden ball that had sparks of flames splashing out of it. He took his time saying, “You are probably aware of my master’s status in the sect. You’re merely a girl from a subordinate clan. It’s your fortune that my master sees things in you. What intention do you have by avoiding my master in every possible way?
“In the past, with the sectmaster protecting you, you could do as you wanted.
“Now that you’ve lost both his trust and your status as a deacon, do you think that you can still act the same way as before?
“The truth is that Yuan Xian from the Grayvale sect wants to target you with all means possible. Without my master to stop her, don’t even dream of passing through the next few months smoothly!
“You’ve also seen Yuan Xian today. She just talked to my master, and has made it perfectly clear that If you still don’t submit to him, then she will make a move.
“You’d better think carefully. Once Yuan Xian makes a move, what kind of damage will your clan, your younger sister, and yourself suffer?
“For that Yuan Feng, she already killed many people from the Ghost sect and the Blood sect.
“Our sect holds part of the responsibility for Yuan Feng’s death. The sectmaster also agreed to that. During such a sensitive period, the sectmaster won’t make enemies with the Grayvale sect just for you. Therefore, if Yuan Xian makes a move, he might not interfere!
“My master has spoken. He wants an answer tonight!”
With a cold face and an aggressive tone, Fei Li attempted to force An Shiyi to make a decision immediately.
KREEEN!
The swing suddenly stopped swaying. A sorrowful and helpless expression gradually appeared in An Shiyi’s blank eyes.
“Alright… For my sister and the An clan…” She was prepared to sacrifice herself.
BANG!
At that moment, An Ying shoved the door open and led Nie Tian directly to the courtyard.
“An Ying?” Fei Li snorted. Completely ignoring An Ying, he continued to threaten An Shiyi, “Your sister is still young. If you lose your power in the sect, she will have no one to back her in the future. Well, you should know that if a little girl wants to establish a foothold in the sect, she needs to either have an unparalleled talent or a someone to rely on.
“You are her backer within the sect. However, if you lose everything you have, do you think that she still can cultivate in the sect without any trouble?”
“Sister An, who is this shit-talker?” Nie Tian asked, even though he already knew the answer.