Chapter 4: The Confusion of Liu Yan

If I can stay one more day, I will stay one more day; I must seek justice for you and Jin'er!" Nie Donghai's expression was resolute, and after leaving this statement, he departed from this place.

Liu Yan's hand gently pressed against Nie Tian's lower abdomen, his eyes narrowed and his expression focused. The spiritual energy in the palm of his hand, like strands of hair, slowly permeated from Nie Tian's lower abdomen to his limbs and bones.

After a while, Liu Yan gently withdrew her hand and turned to shake her head at Nie Donghai

Nie Qian was momentarily taken aback and said somewhat bewilderedly: "But after I pleaded, did you not still..."

All of this, whether it is Liu Yan, or Nie Donghai and Nie Qian, are completely unaware.

"What a fool, having snatched so many high-level spiritual artifacts, yet he doesn't even know how to choose a good one in the end..." Nie Qian murmured softly

Let me take a closer look. As Liu Yan spoke, he had already walked to the windowsill and reached out his hand towards the soundly sleeping Nie Tian

In his slumber, Nie Tian appeared quite comfortable, his chubby little face displaying a smile of enjoyment, and he even let out a snore, as if he were having a beautiful dream

Nie Tian always held the piece of beast bone he brought back from the drawing lots meeting in the palm of his hand, yet Nie Qian did not notice any signs of spiritual resonance between Nie Tian and the beast bone

The two originally intended to see him off, but upon reaching the door, they realized that Liu Yan was walking faster and faster, and in the blink of an eye, he had disappeared from sight

Nie Donghai smiled wryly, "Deep down, I still feel a bit unwilling and still hope that a miracle might happen. Looking back now, I realize I was overthinking it."

Liu Yan's words reminded Nie Donghai of his deceased daughter, Nie Jin, causing him a pang of pain in his heart, leaving him speechless at that moment

Nie Donghai looked affectionately at Nie Tian, who was lying on the bed with his four limbs in the air, soundly asleep in the afternoon. He sighed softly, his expression dim, and said: "A few days ago, I quietly tried to determine the spiritual energy attribute within this child, but..."

With each subtle tremor of his flesh, those flashes of brilliance would dim slightly, as if being greedily absorbed and refined by his own blood and flesh

Living a life as peaceful and safe as Nie Tian's is not without its merits

Mr. Liu has treated us well. Nie Donghai pondered for a moment, then furrowed his brow and said: "If it weren't for Mr. Liu today, those clansmen... would probably not let Nie Tianshan off easily."

This matter is settled, and I will return to Lingyun Sect now. When my junior sister was on the mountain, I was the one guiding her on behalf of the master, and I hold her in high regard and affection. Older brother, you can rest assured, I will also keep in mind the person who harmed her, and I will search for them. I will inform you as soon as I have any news

Afternoon

A soft, milky white light, akin to a warm jade egg, gradually emerged from within Nie Tian's flesh, making him appear like a porcelain doll illuminated by light

"It is a pity that Mr. Liu has left and will not come often in the future," Nie Qian sighed

They are very clear; the luster resembling jade originates from the spiritual power of the willow inkstone

But today, he unusually slept for a full two hours, and only when there was no trace of spiritual energy or fluctuation left in his body did he wake up feeling completely relaxed.

"What use is that?" Nie Qian said with a bitter expression, "Those children are still young. When they grow a little older and can understand the words of adults, they will begin to cultivate their spiritual power. Spiritual power is the fundamental measure of a Qi Refiner's strength and the true source of power. How far can one go relying solely on brute force?"

Liu Yan also wore a puzzled expression, "But I examined it carefully, and indeed did not sense any special fluctuations of spiritual energy within Nie Tian's body."

Thank you very much for your kindness, Mr. Liu. I express my gratitude to you, Nie Donghai

However, Liu Yan changed the subject and frowned, saying: "Nie Tian's vitality is exceptionally strong. I noticed this during the drawing lots event; he is stronger and more powerful than all his peers. His flesh and bones possess great resilience. If we disregard the factor of spiritual power and purely compare strength and brute force, he is likely unmatched among his generation in the Nie family"

A pale halo emanated from the palm of Liu Yan's left hand, its warm luster making that hand appear like white jade

At this moment, she finally realized that Nie Donghai loved Nie Tian just as deeply as she did, and she understood that Nie Donghai was willing to clash with the Nie family once again in order to secure even the slightest opportunity for Nie Tian

Thank you, Mr. Liu" Nie Qian also said busily

Nie Donghai nodded slowly, "Naturally, there was quite a commotion. Each of them clung to the excuse that Nie Tian is not a direct descendant of the Nie family, claiming he caused a ruckus at the drawing lots event and insisting that I punish him. Fortunately, Mr. Liu spoke on my behalf, which prevented them from daring to pursue accountability any further; otherwise, even I would not have been able to handle it."

Liu Yan approached Nie Donghai, comfortingly patting his shoulder, and said earnestly: "Not joining the Lingyun Sect may not necessarily be a bad thing. Among the talented individuals of our Lingyun Sect, many have met with untimely ends along the way. To aspire to reach the pinnacle, every step is fraught with peril; only those with great fortune can overcome each challenge."

Someone like Nie Tian, who does not exhibit obvious cultivation attributes, will naturally have a much slower cultivation speed. This means that by the age of fifteen, it would be nearly impossible for him to reach the ninth level of Qi Refinement. As a result, the gates of Lingyun Sect will be permanently closed to him, preventing him from cultivating in your Lingyun Sect, and his life will be limited to our Nie family

I am also concerned about this point," Nie Donghai added, "Those children who possess special spiritual power attributes within them can cultivate the spiritual power techniques that align with their attributes. Each of them will progress rapidly and establish a solid foundation early on. Only such children have the hope of reaching the ninth level of Qi Refinement by the age of fifteen, thereby gaining the favor of your Lingyun Sect

Inside the room, Nie Tian, who is still in deep slumber, is enveloped by a few strands of spiritual energy left behind by Liu Yan's probing, lingering for a long time

The spiritual energy wandered around within Nie Tian's body, and since it did not trigger any other changes, it indicates that there is no other type of spiritual energy fluctuation hidden within Nie Tian's body

Having spoken, Liu Yan gently patted Nie Donghai's shoulder before stepping away

It is precisely because I understand this that I did not strive to have him participate in the drawing lots conference

"It should not be like this. I am aware of my junior sister's qualifications; not only in Black Cloud City, but even in our Lingyun Sect, her talent is exceptional. Even if she were to marry an ordinary person with no talent, her child would still inherit some of her abilities. It should not be this way"

I am just afraid, I am just afraid that you won't be able to sit in that position for too long, Father." Nie Qian said with a bitter smile

Sigh... Nie Donghai let out a long sigh, his expression one of despondency

"After Xiao Tian and I left, were those guys...?" Nie Qian said resentfully

Nie Tian's flesh, under the luster of those spiritual lights, trembled slightly like ripples on water

As long as I am still the head of the Nie family, I will not allow them to act recklessly!" Nie Donghai snorted

In the past, Nie Tian would only take a nap for half an hour.

"Father, Mr. Liu." When Nie Qian turned to look back, she discovered that Nie Donghai and Liu Yan from the Lingyun Sect were approaching together

Useless, even if he took the highest quality pearl, it would be of no use to him. None of those seven spiritual artifacts are suitable for him. I already knew that participating in the lottery would yield no results. At that moment, Nie Donghai's voice sounded from outside the door

Gazing at his fading heroic figure, Nie Qian's expression turned sorrowful as she sat down in a daze at the door.

After a pause, he continued, "Perhaps it is due to my insufficient realm; I did not sense any of the expected aura fluctuations from him. At that moment, I knew that even if he participated in the drawing lots competition, he would likely gain nothing.

After venting her frustrations, Nie Qian saw Nie Tian fully satisfied and soundly asleep, leaving her with no choice but to stop reluctantly

However, Nie Donghai and Nie Qian looked at Nie Tian at this moment, their brows furrowed in worry

"It is all my fault," Nie Qian said with self-reproach

Nie Donghai and Nie Qian both had a pale complexion

Even if he knows that his efforts may yield nothing.