…...

“Wait… He didn’t die?”

The Black Mist Palace’s Zheng Bin blankly looked at Nie Tian, and was suddenly stupefied.

An Ying and Jiang Lingzhu also had an expression as though they had just seen a ghost, and it seemed as if they were unsure if they could believe their own eyes. 

After Yu Tong, who was at the Houtian Realm, had used the Blood Sect’s Forbidden Earth Web Technique to trap Nie Tian, she had clearly immediately started to refine his fresh blood. 

When they had left, Nie Tian was at his last grasp and was only left with a faint heartbeat to the point where he didn’t even breath anymore. 

How was it possible that Nie Tian, who had been in such a state, was still alive?

They found this hard to believe. 

Not long after, Pan Tao was the first to rush to Nie Tian’s side. He circled around Nie Tian a few rounds and looked attentively at Nie Tian a few times over. After realising that there really was nothing wrong with Nie Tian, he heavily punched him with his fist. He finally couldn’t help but to shout out: “You little brat, how did you survive?”

He asked the question that everyone wanted to ask.

At this moment, everyone who had been pursuing the Ghost Sect and Blood Sect had also rushed back to Nie Tian’s side. They were all staring at him with wide open eyes, waiting for his explanation. 

Nie Tian forced a laugh and said: “It was that witch who personally had a problem.”

“What do you mean?” Pan Tao questioned further. 

“That witch’s Blood Refinement Technique seemed to have encountered a backlash halfway through.” Nie Tian’s complexion was as usual, as he used a very calm and collected tone to speak: “If she could persevere onwards, my whole body of fresh blood would have been completely drawn out and refined. Unfortunately, using the Earth Web with her Houtian Realm cultivation seems to have been too difficult for her.”

“I could sense, that when she was refining my fresh blood, something went wrong and quickly after, she had no more strength all of a sudden.”

“She couldn’t sustain the technique. The fresh blood, that had been removed from my body, gradually returned to my body. The strands of scarlet blood threads also gradually exploded into pieces, turning into a b.l.o.o.d.y mist as they slowly dissipated.”

When Nie Tian spoke these words, Jiang Miao, who was standing to the side, had a slightly strange look in her eyes. 

This explanation of his was clearly not too much alike to the words of persuasion that he had previously given her. 

He said that those strands of scarlet blood threads had exploded into pieces, but Jiang Miao had previously clearly seen that those strands of blood threads, that contained rich valor, had completely disappeared into Nie Tian’s body and seemed to have been refined by Nie Tian.

The good thing was that Jiang Miao, who harboured gratefulness towards him, didn’t expose him. 

After his explanation, everyone else revealed thoughtful expressions on their faces. There were some people that believed him, and there were also some people that… secretly doubted the authenticity of the words that he had spoken.

For example, An Ying, Jiang Lingzhu as well as Pan Tao and Zheng Bin.

People who truly understood the profound mysteries of the Blood Sect’s Blood Refinement Technique all knew that even if Yu Tong experienced a backlash, once the Blood Refinement Technique began, it definitely wouldn’t stop.

Even if Yu Tong had died, the Blood Refinement Technique, that she had released, would be sufficient to make Nie Tian die tragically due to excessive blood loss. 

Retreating ten thousand steps back, it would also be impossible for the fresh blood that had been extracted from Nie Tian’s body to surge back into Nie Tian’s body on its own.

In short, it was definitely impossible for him to come out unscathed. Even if he could somehow just barely survive, he shouldn’t be as healthy as he currently was.

Seeing as everyone remained silent, while they were all looking at him with a puzzled and doubtful look, Nie Tian hurriedly changed the subject: “How about you guys? Were you guys able to chase up to them and kill them?”

“No.” Pan Tao smiled bitterly, “Mo Xi and that witch succeeded in escaping along with two Ghost Sect and Blood Sect disciples. We pursued them for a while, but we were only able to kill three trial takers that were lagging behind.”

“The strange thing is, Mo Xi and the other people suddenly disappeared mysteriously. The reason to that is unknown.”

“Sigh, if we could kill Mo Xi and that witch, we could also justify ourselves to our elders after we leave the Green Illusion Realm.”

Everyone could hear that these words were filled with regret.

Yu Tong had been inflicted with serious damage. Only Mo Xi alone was left. They weren’t able to completely annihilate the other party and as such, this left a very distasteful feeling in his heart.

The others also felt that they were very useless and no one spoke to justify themselves.

“The time is almost near. It is best that everyone heads to the Green Illusion Realm’s exit. The Green Illusion Realm’s trial is going to end as we count the days. Everyone, slightly persevere for a while longer, as we’ll be somewhat hungry. When we leave the Green Illusion Realm, we will have a huge feast.” An Ying suggested. 

Everyone profusely nodded their heads.

At this moment, the Black Mist Palace’s Zheng Bin looked at Nie Tian and suddenly said: “At that time, we… felt that you must have undoubtedly died and so only then did we leave you. We didn’t know at all that you actually survived. If not, we would have definitely stayed behind to help you out.”

An Ying and Jiang Lingzhu as well as Nie Xian all looked at him with apologetic looks on their faces.

Nie Tian was nonchalant about it. In fact he knew that the decision made by Zheng Bin and the others was a wise one. If not for the fact that he was special, it was absolutely impossible for him to survive.

No one could know of his body’s abnormalities. They had abandoned a person, who was definitely going to die, and wanted to turn the situation around through killing Yu Tong. That reasonable decision was made based on the circ.u.mstances and wasn’t wrong in the slightest. 

“Don’t worry. I don’t blame you guys. You guys didn’t do anything wrong.” Nie Tian said with a smile.

“It’s good that you survived.” Pan Tao friendly patted him on his shoulder and suddenly said, “This youngster… you have yet to become a Lingyun Sect disciple?”

“My cultivation isn’t sufficient. I haven’t yet been admitted to the Lingyun Sect for the time being.” Nie Tian told the truth as it was.

Pan Tao nodded his head and chuckled to himself with much profound intentions in his eyes.

Jiang Lingzhu glanced towards him and after hearing Nie Tian and Pan Tao’s conversation, her attention shifted as though she had understood some meaning behind his words. She suddenly shouted out: “Don’t think of changing Nie Tian’s intentions! Pan Tao, I honestly tell you, Nie Tian is sooner or later a person, who belongs to our Lingyun Sect. You should give up as soon as possible!”

Pan Tao touched his nose, “Your Lingyun Sect sets the rules and insists that the disciples from the subordinate families breakthrough to the ninth Lianqi level before willing to admit them up the mountain. Our Ling Bao Court on the other hand, are not that rigid. Nie Tian is my brother. We have both experienced countless adversities together. I must give a referral for him to enter the Ling Bao Court after leaving the Green Illusion Realm.”

“No way!” Jiang Lingzhu unyieldingly said.

“Heh, we’ll wait and see.” Pan Tao laughed out loud.

There were only a few days left until the Green Illusion Realm’s gate was going to open. Today, Yu Tong had sustained heavy injuries. There were only three remaining disciples from the Ghost Sect and Blood Sect, who were able to fight in battle.

Based on the current situation, the Ghost Sect and Blood Sect shouldn’t const.i.tute as a threat towards them anymore.

Pan Tao, who knew that they could definitely walk out of the Green Illusion Realm, naturally relaxed. He was already thinking over matters after leaving the Green Illusion Realm.

“So be it! We’ll wait and see!” Jiang Lingzhu didn’t back down in the slightest.

In the next few days, Nie Tian and the trial takers from the three sects had a.s.sembled at the Green Illusion Realm’s gate, as they quietly waited for the exit to open.

Due to the fact that the exit would soon open, and the fact that there were no more spirit beasts in the vicinity, they could only restrain their hunger.

Five days later.

Each and every single person was out of ammunition and had no food left. They appeared to be malnourished and sickly. Everyone was famished to the point where they had a dizzy spell and it was in this moment that they could suddenly feel the fluctuations of intense spiritual energy coming from the stone wall where the Green Illusion Realm’s gate was at.

“The gate is open!” Everyone had excited expression on their faces.

Very quickly, that smooth stone wall gradually changed irregularly as though it was turning into a bright mirror.

“Everyone, leave in an orderly manner!”

Under An Ying’s shout, everyone who was famished to the point where they were unable to hold on any longer, made their way out through the gate, one after the other.

…...

Beside the lake in the marsh.

Ling Bao Court’s An Shiyue, Lingyun Sect’s Li Fan, Grey Valley’s Sang Bing as well as the Black Mist Palace’s Grandmother Weng were gossiping idly, as they looked towards the whirlpool within the lake.

“If there are no accidents, that Black Ice Python ought to have been killed by Yuan Feng.” The Grey Valley’s Sang Bing slightly raised his head and said to An Shiyue, “Little girl An, when the time comes, your Ling Bao Court should not be petty. That Heaven Comprehending Pill must be sent over according to the rules.”

“How do you know that the Black Ice Python is killed by Yuan Feng?” An Shiyue giggled and said. 

Sang Bing drew back the corners of his lips and chuckled cunningly, “Regardless as to whether it is your younger sister, An Ying, Zheng Bin or Jiang Lingzhu, they have never really experienced extremely difficult trials or hardships. Yuan Feng on the other hand, has been ruthlessly trained and grinded by us. When we battle with the Ghost Sect, we always bring him along with us. He has been baptised by fresh blood before and to him, the Green Illusion Realm’s trial is only a small spectacle.”

“Oh, I really do want to see whether that Yuan Feng is able to bring the Black Ice Python’s head back.” Li Fan said in a neither hostile nor friendly manner.

“Then you should wait and see.” Sang Bing was completely confident with himself.

“They’ve arrived.” The Black Mist Palace’s Grandmother Weng lightly called out.

Once her words had fallen, Zheng Bin could be seen leading the trial takers from the Black Mist Palace, as they emerged from the whirlpool within the lake, one after the other. 

After them, it was Jiang Lingzhu and Nie Xian. The final ones to emerge were An Ying, Pan Tao, Nie Tian and Zheng Rui.

“The one that lags furthest behind is often the one that brings back the largest harvest.” The Grey Valley’s Sang Bing laughed out loud with a delighted expression on his face, seeming as though he felt that Yuan Feng would rush out from that whirlpool in the next moment, while carrying the Black Ice Python’s head along with him.

Unfortunately, he laughed for a moment, before he realised that after everyone had disembarked from within the lake, he didn’t see Yuan Feng showing a sign of his presence at all.

Shortly after, he stopped his laughter and slightly furrowed his brows, saying: “Could it be that Yuan Feng and the others didn’t rush to the place where that stone wall is at before the Green Illusion Realm’s gate opened?”

“Yuan Feng is not going to return.” Jiang Lingzhu arrived at Li Fan’s side and said: “Not only Yuan Feng, but all of the trial takers from the Grey Valley are unable to return.”

“What?!” Sang Bing’s complexion instantly changed.

……

Translator: Nanannananaataa
Editor: Sietse
From XianXiaWorld