“Seventy meters!”

There was a strange glow in Nie Tian’s eyes, as his upright body trembled slightly. 

Not long ago, when he was searching for the Black Ice Python in that glacier region, he had been able to reach fifty meters. Which was something he had only been able to attain after exhausting his mental strength countless of times, substantially upgrading it.

He didn’t antic.i.p.ate, that after eating the Earth Lizard’s meat and going through the process of strengthening his fleshy body, the scouting limit of his mental strength would have actually been upgraded to such an extent!

“Good stuff! This is seriously some good stuff!”

Once he thought of An Ying and the other two, who all had had diarrhea after eating the Earth Lizard’s meat, he couldn’t help but to cheer in his heart.

The Grade Two spirit beast’s meat couldn’t only quicken the cultivation of his Lianqi realm, but it could also temper and sharpen his flesh!

Moreover, the strength of his flesh could also benefit his mental strength, causing him to wholistically increase his strength!

At that point, he had even more expectations for the Green Illusion trial and he suddenly felt that the Ghost Sect and the Blood Sect seemed as though they were not that scary anymore.

He also completely lacked any interest towards the discussion being held by Jiang Lingzhu, An Ying and the others. He only wanted to swallow all of the Earth Lizard’s meat into his abdomen as soon as possible. 

“This barren land…”

Looking at the Earth Lizard’s beastly body from afar, Nie Tian secretly furrowed his brows, as he suddenly thought of a problem. 

The barren land and the glacier region were different. The spirit beast meat that he had obtained through hunting in the glacier region could be carried directly on his back without undergoing any means of processing. 

The weather in the glacier region was cold. All kinds of spirit beast meat could maintain their freshness, which meant that it wasn’t hard to keep it from rotting.

However, the barren land was blistering hot, like fire. If the spirit beast meat didn’t go through any means of processing, any spirit beast meat would smell very quickly and it would be completely impossible to continue consuming it.

“It seems like I need to turn that meat into dried meat. Only then will I be able to take them with me and consume them over a long period of time.”

With this thought, he suddenly stood up and walked towards the Earth Lizard’s corpse. 

Once Jiang Miao, who sat not far away from him, saw that he had gotten up, she also subconsciously followed him and asked him in a surprised tone, “Nie Tian, what are you doing?”

“I want to turn the Earth Lizard’s meat into dried meat.” Nie Tian answered. 

“I’ll help you.” Jiang Miao said.

Nie Tian hesitated for a moment. “Do you know how to do it?”

“I don’t.” Jiang Miao honestly replied, “You can teach me how to do it.”

“I also don’t know.” Nie Tian forced a smile. 

“Ah!” Jiang Miao softly cried out. Soon after, she looked towards Guo Qi who was not far off. “Big Brother Guo, do you know how to turn spirit beast meat into dried meat?”

“Sure.” Guo Qi answered. 

“We might not necessarily encounter spirit beasts in the barren land in the future, but we still need to eat. Elder Sister An Ying and the others are currently discussing the important matters at hand. In any case, we’re unoccupied. Why don’t we turn the meat of those spirit beasts into dried meat, which we’ll be able to bring along then?” Jiang Miao said. 

“Oh, then I’ll help you guys.” Guo Qi nodded his head. 

When they were in the glacier region, the Ghost Sect disciple, who had suddenly emerged wearing the Grey Valley’s clothes, had almost mounted a sneak attack on Guo Qi that would’ve killed him. 

It was Nie Tian who had detected it in the first possible moment and immediately attacked that Ghost Sect disciple, which had enabled Guo Qi to escape from a calamity. 

Regardless of how he regarded Nie Tian in the past, it was a fact that Nie Tian had saved his life. So, although he was a little reluctant, he still nodded his head and agreed to help Nie Tian. 

“I’ll also come and help you guys out.” The Lingyun Sect’s Ye Gumo chuckled and said. 

He didn’t partic.i.p.ate in the discussion that Jiang Lingzhu, An Ying, and the others were having. After he had recovered his strength, through the use of spirit stones, he had sat down at a place not far away from Nie Tian, secretly observing him. 

He had clearly heard Nie Tian and Jiang Miao’s conversation and knew that turning the spirit beast meat from this place into dried meat would be sufficient for everyone’s consumption for a very long period of time. 

Now that both parties had merged, they wouldn’t separate in the future. They naturally needed to work together as one and as such, he took the initiative and stepped forward. 

“Many thanks.” Nie Tian smiled and said. 

Ye Gumo laughed heartily and successively said, “Don’t mention it. You guys also did it for everyone.”

With both parties being courteous to one another, Nie Tian and Jiang Miao started cutting the spirit beast meat with Ye Gumo and Guo Qi’s help. They then made dried meat that could be consumed at a later time. 

An Ying and the others had discussed for only a moment, but already seemed to have reached a unified opinion. 

When they found out that Nie Tian and the others were making dried meat, all of them set about helping them, knowing that this matter could solve the food rationing problem that everyone would face in the future. 

However, before he set about making the dried meat, Pan Tao released a signal stick towards the sky.

A streak of pitch-black smoke shuddered up into the sky, distinctively obvious in the barren land’s sky. 

“Now, everyone’s spiritual energy has already recovered. Even if the witch of the Blood Sect was to come and find us, we still wouldn’t be afraid.” Pan Tao went to Nie Tian’s side and explained, “Although the Grey Valley’s Yuan Fang is hateful, he isn’t stupid. Since he has been attacked by the Ghost Sect in the glacier region, he wouldn’t dare to continue to stay there.”

“As long as Yuan Feng is still alive, he would definitely be like us and choose to go to the barren land.”

“Perhaps, Yuan Feng is already leading the Grey Valley survivors to the barren land at this very moment. I cannot say for sure.”

“This signal is specifically released for Yuan Feng and the others. Hopefully they can be like us, who have found the Lingyun Sect and also find us through the use of this signal.” 

Pan Tao set about helping Nie Tian cut the Earth Lizard’s meat, while explaining the situation to him.

“It has been decided that we aren’t going to go back to the glacier region to kill them?” Nie Tian asked. 

“Yes, and that is because the people from the Blood Sect have also entered the Green Illusion Realm. Moreover, now that the people from the Blood Sect are in the barren land, if we were to head over to the glacier region, the Blood Sect and the Ghost Sect would also very quickly merge together.” Pan Tao was very frank, “Just now we discussed for a moment and decided to only wait for a short period of time, giving the Grey Valley a chance to find us.”

“The signal has been released. If they aren’t able to hurry over after a long period of time, I’m afraid that it indicates that everything most likely bodes ill for them.”

“If that’s the case and if we somehow decided to go to the glacier region to find them, we would be forced to fight with the Ghost Sect and the Blood Sect with just our parties here.”

“Which isn’t too wise.” Pan Tao explained.

Nie Tian was astounded. “You guys are planning to remain in the barren land then?”

“No.” Pan Tao shook his head, “Irrespective of whether we’re able to wait for the Grey Valley’s Yuan Fang and the others, we’ll still leave the barren land and head to the volcanic region to search for the Black Mist Palace’s Zheng Bin and the others. When Jiang Lingzhu and Zheng Bin entered the Green Illusion Realm, they already had a tacit understanding that Jiang Lingzhu would bring people to the barren land whereas Zheng Bin and the others would head to the volcanic region.”

“There are already disastrous casualties on the Grey Valley’s end. Even if Yuan Fang survived, there should not be many people left by his side.”

“The Grey Valley is already incapable of providing us with too much help. Moreover, we already know that the Ghost Sect is still pursuing them.”

“Therefore, in consideration of everyone, we’ve decided to go to the volcanic region to search for the Black Mist Palace’s Zheng Bin.”

“Now that I think about it, they shouldn’t be more tragic than the Grey Valley. If they didn’t encounter people of the Prison Government, then with the number of people of the Black Mist Palace, they should be able to remain intact.”

“Only the Black Mist Palace is able to substantially increase our strength.”

Pan Tao explained their conclusions, one after the other, that they had come to after discussing with Jiang Lingzhu to Nie Tian in great detail.

Nie Tian pondered over the situation. He knew that because too many people had died on the Grey Valley’s end, added on to the fact that there were still an unknown number of Ghost Sect disciples hovering about in the glacier region, they had already viewed the Black Mist Palace as an even better choice. 

The signal that Pan Tao released was to give Yuan Fang a last chance. Once that smoke dissipated, if Yuan Fang hadn’t yet appeared, they would completely give up on him.

This was a cold, yet extremely wise decision. He had actually been inclined to this decision in his heart. 

While the pitch-black smoke was floating high in the barren land’s sky, the party was working as one and under the experienced guidance of Pan Tao and Ye Gumo, turning pieces of the spirit beast meat into dried meat. 

On the Lingyun Sect’s end, once they knew that An Ying and the others had all nearly collapsed from having diarrhea after eating the Earth Lizard’s meat, all of them kept a respectful distance from the Earth Lizard’s meat. 

Seeing the miserable appearance of the three trial takers of the Ling Bao Court, they didn’t even dare to touch the Earth Lizard’s meat, as they were afraid of following down their path of diarrhea. 

Hence, after the Grade Two Earth Lizard’s meat had been turned into dried meat, it had all been very naturally expropriated by Nie Tian. 

The thick, pitch-black smoke that was drifting high in the sky persisted for a very long period of time. In the end, it still gradually dissipated. 

“Yuan Fang needs an hour to be able to hurry over if he was able to see it. So after the signal disappears, we’ll wait for another hour. If they still haven’t arrived after an hour, then there is no need for us to continue to wait.” An Ying said, with an apathetic look on her face. 

“Yes, then we’ll wait for one hour.” Jiang Lingzhu also expressed her agreement. 

“That Yuan Fang is the most hateful. It would also be good if he died.” Zheng Rui harrumphed and said in a strange voice, “Motherf.u.c.ker! He even wanted us to hand Nie Tian over to them in the glacier region and almost started a battle with us. That fellow, even if he survived, I’m afraid that he would also be just a scourge.”

“What did he want from Nie Tian, when he looked for you guys?” Jiang Lingzhu puzzledly asked. 

“You go and ask him.” Zheng Rui pointed towards Nie Tian. 

Jiang Lingzhu seized the opportunity and looked over. 

Nie Tian, who was currently busy preparing the Earth Lizard’s meat, faced her gaze and said, “Do you still remember the battle between Yun Song and I that day in front of the Ling Bao Court’s gate?”

“Of course I remember.”

“Yun Song is Yuan Feng’s younger cousin brother.”

“So it’s like that.”

“The Yuan Family…” Nie Xian furrowed his brows and his expression froze, “The Yuan Family lives in Cold Stone City, yet they continuously use underhanded ways to cause trouble for our Nie Family. It is best if that Yuan Feng is to die in the glacier region so as to avoid being an eyesore over here!” 

Similarly another Nie Family’s clansman, Nie Xian, naturally knew that the Nie Family had been suppressed by the Yuan Family for many years because of Yuan Qiuying’s existence. 

Nie Donghai’s heavy injury was also because the Yuan Family and the Yun Family had formed an alliance and attacked him. As such, Nie Xian didn’t have a favourable impression of Yuan Feng in the slightest. 

“There is a sound!” Jiang Lingzhu’s expression changed and she immediately looked in the direction of the glacier region. “Everyone, be careful. If the ones that are arriving are the Ghost Sect disciples, immediately attack and kill them all!”

“Yes!” Everyone responded simultaneously. 

“It is Yuan Feng!”

Very quickly, Yuan Feng from the Grey Valley appeared in everyone’s line of sight, along with Yun Song. 

Yuan Feng and Yun Song had clearly thinned a lot, while their tattered clothes were completely stained with bloodstains. 

It wasn’t known whether those bloodstains were their own or not. 

The duo’s complexion was ash-grey. There was a dull look in their eyes and no light in them at all. The impressive aura that they had previously possessed was no longer there. 

When they walked over and saw the people of the Lingyun Sect and the Ling Bao Court, Yuan Feng’s eyes suddenly blossomed with l.u.s.ter once more. 

“Finally, we’ve found you guys!” Yun Song loudly cried out in an agonised manner, “We encountered disciples of the Ghost Sect in the glacier region! Other than Elder Cousin and I, the others have already been killed in a very tragic manner!” 

“It’s good that you guys are here! Quickly, let’s head back to the glacier region and annihilate the Ghost Sect disciples!”

He was like a person who had drowned and suddenly saw a boat, as he was excited to the point where his whole body was trembling. 

“We’ve already waited for you for a very long time.” An Ying coldly looked at Yuan Feng and didn’t give him any face, “Let’s go. Do not waste everyone’s time. We’re heading to the volcanic region to find the Black Mist Palace’s Zheng Bin now.”

“Why do we have to look for the trial takers of the Black Mist Palace? We must first return to the glacier region and kill the Ghost Sect disciples. Afterwards, we can continue with the Green Illusion Realm trial!” Yun Song shrieked. 

“Stop being troublesome!” Zheng Rui didn’t have a pleasant expression on his face, “In order to wait for you people, we’ve already braved a very large risk. I don’t care how many of you have died! Since you two have already arrived, then you should obediently heed our commands. It isn’t your turn to give orders to us!” 

“Elder Cousin.” Yun Song pitifully looked at Yuan Feng. 

Yuan Feng’s icy-cold gaze swept past each and every single person’s body. After keeping quiet for a moment, he only unenthusiastically said, “Listen to them.”

When they were at their peak phase, he, Yuan Feng, wasn’t afraid of the Ling Bao Court and the Lingyun Sect. However, times had changed. There was only Yun Song and him left of their team. They could only obediently listen to the other two sects. 

“There is too much spirit beast meat and someone definitely needs to carry it on their back. I think that I need to let them help everyone out by carrying some spirit beast meat on their backs. What do you guys think?” Nie Tian suddenly suggested. 

“I agree!” An Ying nodded her head. 

“It ought to be so!” Zheng Rui parroted. 

“They have to do something too.” Jiang Lingzhu agreed.

“We haven’t even recovered yet!” Yun Song furiously said.

Nie Tian grinned, “We don’t need people who don’t do anything.”

“I’ll carry it!” Yuan Feng said in a cold tone. 

“T-then I’ll also carry it.” Yun Song could only obediently do as he was told. 

“Right, this way you’re obedient.” Nie Tian smirked and said. 

……

Translator: Awesome Nata!
Editors: Awesome Zach! and Sietse
From XianXiaWorld