Chapter 134: Waiting

After the cultivators of the three major sects finished clearing the battlefield, they returned to the small hill. At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on Zhang Nuo.

This young cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage had given everyone too many surprises; no one would have expected that he could actually destroy a Corpse Refining at the Golden Core stage!

"Fellow Daoist Zhang! You truly hide your true capabilities!"

Nangong Ao walked slowly to Zhang Nuo's side and spoke very politely. Zhang Nuo only gave a bitter smile and did not speak; at this moment, he felt his body was so depleted of Spirit Power that even walking was a struggle.

At this time, Zhuge Qing walked to his side and handed a Pill to him.

"Hurry and take it! Then get some good rest!"

As if not wanting Nangong Ao to get too close to Zhang Nuo, the young girl came over to relieve him. Nodding slightly, Zhang Nuo again did not speak, but after taking the Pill, he walked to a corner to meditate and regulate his breathing.

A strange light flashed in his eyes, which were like bright lamps, as Nangong Ao looked at Zhuge Qing.

"Fellow Daoist Zhuge! I truly didn't realize that such an expert existed within the Nanxuan Sect!"

In Nangong Ao's impression, Zhang Nuo was a member of the Nanxuan Sect; otherwise, how could he have entered the Trial Land of the Four Sects? At this moment, he could never have dreamed that Zhang Nuo had been hunted and entered by accident.

"Once we leave the Trial Ground, Fellow Daoist will naturally understand!"

With a mysterious smile, Zhuge Qing turned and walked toward the people of the Nanxuan Sect! Watching the young girl's graceful figure, Nangong Ao remained puzzled for a long time as to the meaning of her words.

When the three major sects finished counting their numbers, the expressions on the faces of Han Liang and the others all changed. In this battle, the original force of over two hundred cultivators was now reduced to only over one hundred and twenty.

Among them, the Nanxuan Sect had the most people remaining, totaling over eighty, while the Beixuan Sect and the Wuji Sect each had only over twenty left! Calculating this way, there wouldn't be many cultivators left on the side of the Corpse Refining Sect either. Thus, the final winner of the Four Sects Trial was the Nanxuan Sect.

However, according to the prior agreement of alliance, even if the Nanxuan Sect won, they would not demand rewards from these two sects, and would even share the rewards handed over by the Corpse Refining Sect with these two sects.

When the cultivators of the three major sects were each resting, Zhuge Qing, Nangong Ao, and Han Liang gathered together. The three looked at each other, and after a moment, Han Liang spoke:

"Do you think the people from the Corpse Refining Sect will come back?"

He had also seen with his own eyes Tie Lin being carried away by the Blood Corpse; although he hadn't understood it at the time, thinking back on it now, it was indeed somewhat strange.

"I don't know what kind of tricks they are playing!"

Nangong Ao shook his head thoughtfully, and his gaze immediately fell upon Zhuge Qing. Now, even he had to admire the young girl's extraordinary intelligence.

"The two Fellow Daoists think too highly of this young woman! I don't understand their intentions either!"

Shaking her head with a bitter smile, the young girl was telling the truth; she hadn't figured out this strange move by the Corpse Refining Sect either.

"I think everyone should make preparations first, just in case the Corpse Refining Sect returns, so we won't be caught off guard!"

The young girl added immediately.

"That is only natural, but if we face Tie Lin again, I fear that we..."

"What is there to fear? He has already had two of his three Corpse Refinings destroyed; with only one left, could he really wipe us all out?"

Before Nangong Ao could finish his sentence, Han Liang suddenly said with an angry expression. Glancing at Han Liang, Nangong Ao remained calm, but cursed inwardly: "Brute courage!"

"Actually, Fellow Daoist Nangong is not wrong! After today's battle, we have already suffered heavy losses. Furthermore, the Spiritual Qi here is thin; if we want to recover to how we were before today, it will take at least a month or two!"

Just as the young girl finished speaking, Han Liang's expression changed slightly; upon careful reflection, it was indeed so. With over a hundred cultivators resting and regulating their breathing in one place, the speed of Spirit Power recovery would naturally be much slower.

"Then what should we do?"

Facing Han Liang's question, the young girl had no solution either and could only sigh:

"Let nature take its course, and meet all changes with constancy! First, tell the cultivators of your sects to rest well and conserve their strength!"

The two had no choice but to nod at Zhuge Qing's opinion. After discussing some details, Han Liang suddenly said with a look of joy:

"Fellow Daoist Zhuge, that cultivator from your Nanxuan Sect named Zhang Nuo truly has immense divine abilities. Even though he only has the strength of the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, if I were to fight him one-on-one, I might not necessarily win!"

Having witnessed Zhang Nuo's divine abilities, Han Liang's opinion of him changed instantly. Every time Zhang Nuo was mentioned, the young girl would always smile without speaking; this time was no exception. After a faint, charming smile, she fell silent again.

Nangong Ao observed the young girl's expression, and he was also somewhat puzzled. Why did the Nanxuan Sect want to keep Zhang Nuo's background a secret? If they had hidden his background initially to kill more cultivators from other sects during the trial, that would be understandable, but now that Zhang Nuo's divine abilities were exposed, there was no need to hide it at all.

Turning his head to look at Zhang Nuo, who was sitting cross-legged in the corner, Nangong Ao narrowed his eyes slightly. At this time, Zhuge Qing stood up to bid the two farewell and walked to where Zhang Nuo was.

"Do you feel any better?"

Hearing the young girl's voice, Zhang Nuo slowly opened his eyes. At this moment, the Spirit Power in his body had recovered somewhat, and he felt less uncomfortable than before.

"Much better!"

The young girl's tall figure stood before him, her smiling face causing his heart to stir once more. He quickly averted his gaze.

"You should go get some rest too!"

Saying this casually, Zhang Nuo stood up. The conversation between the two was like that of a young couple, and many male cultivators looked over with envy.

"I am fine! Brother Zhang, there is something I need to tell you!"

Looking at Zhang Nuo very solemnly, the young girl suddenly lowered her voice. Nodding slightly, Zhang Nuo listened carefully.

"No matter who asks, you are not allowed to say how you entered the Trial Ground! As for what happens after we leave the Trial Ground, I will handle it for you!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Nuo's thoughts turned, and he understood the young girl's meaning. He could be considered a hot commodity right now; if the Beixuan Sect and the Wuji Sect found out about his situation, they would certainly spare no effort to recruit him.

"Young Sect Master, rest assured! I, Zhang Nuo, am a member of the Nanxuan Sect!"

With a serious expression, Zhang Nuo said each word clearly. Upon hearing this, the young girl was overjoyed; this was exactly the answer she wanted from Zhang Nuo. This way, even if other sects came to recruit him, it would be to no avail!

"Qing'er is truly happy that Brother Zhang can say this. Please rest assured, Brother Zhang, my Nanxuan Sect will definitely not treat you unfairly!"

In her great joy, the young girl even promised Zhang Nuo countless benefits. Zhang Nuo heard them, and while he appeared extremely happy on the surface, he knew exactly what was going on! If it weren't for his Double Spirit Sea, would the young girl have offered so many benefits?

In the blink of an eye, three days passed, and the Corpse Refining Sect made no moves; neither did any Corpse Refinings come to scout, nor did any cultivators come to attack. This left Zhuge Qing and the others even more confused. However, the cultivators of the three major sects still dared not lower their guard and remained on alert.

In a certain part of the Trial Ground, the Blood Corpse was holding Tie Lin in its arms, and the Corpse's large mouth was biting into his neck, with the Spirit Power in Tie Lin's body being continuously sucked away by the Corpse.

"Gu Yu! You bastard! Get out here!"

A choked sound came from Tie Lin's throat, and it took him a long time to utter these words; judging by his voice, he seemed to be in extreme pain. However, Gu Yu did not appear.

"I know you are nearby! Get out here now!"

After a moment, seeing that Gu Yu still did not show himself, Tie Lin spoke again. His voice grew lower and lower, and the final few words were almost impossible to hear.

With the Spirit Power in his body being frantically sucked away by the Blood Corpse, it wasn't long before Tie Lin slowly closed his eyes, though he was still breathing and had not died.

Only then did a figure in a black robe stand up from behind a large rock in the distance. He scanned the front with small eyes, a look of suspicion on his face. After another while, the black-robed person walked toward the Blood Corpse.

Looking down at the unconscious Tie Lin in the Corpse's arms, the black-robed person gave a cold laugh and reached out to grab the Storage Bag at his waist, but at that very moment, Tie Lin, who had appeared to be unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes.

"Gu Yu! You bastard! If Master finds out you treated me like this! He will not let you off!"

The sudden turn of events gave Gu Yu a fright; he hurriedly retreated, quickly releasing his Divine Sense to control the Blood Corpse, which took a fierce bite at Tie Lin's neck.

This bite from the Blood Corpse not only sucked out a massive amount of Spirit Power, but also drained quite a bit of fresh blood.

"You mongrel!"

Feeling the last bit of Spirit Power remaining in his body being drained away, Tie Lin cursed in a voice so low it was almost inaudible.

"Rest assured, Senior Brother! There is only you and me here! The old man, Master, will not be able to see any of this!"

Seeing that the current situation had not exceeded the scope of his control, Gu Yu finally set his mind at ease; with a cold smile hanging on the corners of his mouth, he spoke while walking up to Tie Lin.

Looking at his Senior Brother, whose eyes were wide open but who lacked the slightest strength to resist, Gu Yu narrowed his eyes slightly; he tapped a finger lightly on Tie Lin's chest, then slowly traced it downward, finally stopping at the dantian.

"The thing here is mine!"

The place where Gu Yu's finger rested was precisely where the Golden Core of a Golden Core stage cultivator resided; although Tie Lin had no strength to resist now, he could hear clearly what Gu Yu said!

His already wide-open eyes became even larger; he understood Gu Yu's meaning—what the other party wanted was the Golden Core he had just formed!

A "gurgle-gurgle" sound came from Tie Lin's throat, but he could not utter a single word; once a cultivator's Golden Core leaves the body, it will soon automatically dissolve and dissipate into the heavens and earth as Spiritual Qi; he truly could not understand why Gu Yu wanted to take his Golden Core!