novelraw Chapter 444: Do You Still Not Understand My Feelings?
Chapter 444: Do You Still Not Understand My Feelings?
“We were incredibly lucky. If not for that senior, we might have truly been lost within the Death Rift.”
Though they had already escaped from the Death Rift, Dong Fang Yue was still shaken, her delicate face drained of all color.
Ximen Wu Ji, though equally affected, was too proud to show it. Instead, he seized the opportunity to mock Dong Fang Yue. “Dong Fang, your courage is truly lacking. How do you expect to manage a family in the future if you get scared at the slightest disturbance?”
Bei Ming Yan frowned, her elegant brows knitting together.
She patted Dong Fang Yue’s small hand reassuringly before turning a sharp gaze upon Ximen Wu Ji. “Ximen, if you hadn’t assured us that you could lead the way out of the Death Rift, we never would have recklessly entered. And yet, we nearly lost our lives. Don’t you think you owe us an explanation?”
The four of them had never entered the God-Abandoned Land before, so they had acted cautiously, fearing they might break some taboo.
If not for Ximen Wu Ji’s insistence, they never would have ventured into the Death Rift—a decision that had almost cost them their lives.
Ximen Wu Ji’s arrogance faltered. “I… I thought the Ximen Family’s artifact would help us find the exit…”
“Ximen had good intentions. Bei Ming, let’s not dwell on this,” Nan Gong Jie interjected, trying to ease the tension.
To divert their attention, he suddenly changed the topic. “Did you all notice the young woman beside that senior just now? Her gaze was rather unusual.”As the son of the Nan Gong Family’s patriarch, Nan Gong Jie possessed considerable talent. However, both his father and the family elders favored Nan Gong Yin, whose abilities and personality were even more formidable. This left Nan Gong Jie in a precarious position within the family, prompting him to sharpen his skills in observation and reading people.
When that young woman looked at him, her eyes didn’t focus on his face first, but rather on his hair—clearly recognizing the Nan Gong Family’s traits.
Yet, there was something else in her gaze—an inexplicable intent that made Nan Gong Jie uneasy.
“That woman was rather plain-looking, her attire unremarkable, without any notable features,” Bei Ming Yan commented thoughtfully.
Ximen Wu Ji nodded in agreement.
Just as Nan Gong Jie began to doubt whether he was overthinking, Dong Fang Yue suddenly spoke. “She was wearing a concealing artifact, hiding her true appearance.”
Nan Gong Jie’s eyes lit up in realization. “No wonder! I knew something about her presence felt mismatched with her appearance.”
“Why would she conceal her face? Was she trying to hide her true identity?”
“Then, was her Divine Soul Transformation cultivation also fake?”
Dong Fang Yue shook her head. “No, her cultivation was real. Her face was fake.”
“That makes it even stranger. Why would she hide her face but not her power?”
No one doubted Dong Fang Yue’s words. Instead, they continued to speculate.
The Dong Fang Family was known for their unparalleled sensitivity to spiritual energy. Even a surge of power from a thousand miles away would not escape their notice.
They could even sense the number and function of magical artifacts carried by an individual simply by detecting their aura.
Having grown up together, the four of them had often played guessing games revolving around Dong Fang Yue’s abilities, and she had never been wrong.
Naturally, they trusted her judgment without question.
“Forget it. She did help us, after all. Besides, we only met her in passing and might never encounter her again,” Bei Ming Yan said after a long pause, her lips curving into a charming smile.
The others agreed, setting the matter aside and shifting their discussion to exotic beasts.
“The God-Abandoned Land contains three types of exotic beasts—Fierce Beasts that devour Nascent Souls, Auspicious Beasts known for their blessings, and Green Beasts that dwell in lands of extreme yin. Which type of beast core do we need to pass the trial?”
Faced with their expectant gazes, Ximen Wu Ji averted his eyes, his response vague.
Finally, under Bei Ming Yan’s pressing interrogation, he reluctantly admitted, “I only found out that we need an exotic beast core… But learning the exact type required additional payment.”
“So you decided to save money and didn’t ask?” Bei Ming Yan was incredulous.
“No! I meant to ask… But when I heard Nan Gong Yin was also coming to the God-Abandoned Land, I had to abandon my inquiry to avoid falling behind.”
The three of them nearly fainted in frustration.
No wonder Ximen Wu Ji had been so evasive on the journey here. They had assumed he was keeping something to himself. Instead, he genuinely had no idea.
“Don’t worry! We only have three possibilities to check, and it won’t take too much time,” Ximen Wu Ji said, attempting to redeem himself.
At this point, they had no choice but to accept the situation.
“Fierce Beasts are rare and notoriously vicious. Let’s start by searching for Green Beasts in lands of extreme yin,” he suggested.
The others found his logic sound and agreed to the plan.
A cramped earth cave.
Feng Jiu Si and Tu Xiao sat facing each other.
“Jiu Si~” Tu Xiao called out, his voice strangely clingy.
Feng Jiu Si’s brows furrowed tightly, forming deep creases.
“Tu Xiao, stop entertaining thoughts you shouldn’t have!”
Tu Xiao looked at him with wounded eyes. “I used all the protective treasures my family gave me to save you. Do you still not understand my feelings?”
Feng Jiu Si inhaled sharply.
“I appreciate your help, but our bond is only that of brothers. Nothing more.”
“Jiu Si~”
Abruptly, Feng Jiu Si stood up. His movements were too sudden, tearing at his wounds, and he stifled a ragged, pained cough.
“Fine, fine! I won’t say anything more. Sit down, quickly!”
Seeing Feng Jiu Si in pain, Tu Xiao abandoned his attempt to take advantage of the moment and reverted to his usual tone.
After a brief hesitation, Feng Jiu Si finally sat down again.
A day ago, they had clashed with another group of cultivators. The smell of blood had attracted a Fierce Beast.
They scattered in all directions, but Feng Jiu Si had the worst luck—he was targeted by the beast and nearly lost his Nascent Soul.
In a critical moment, Tu Xiao had saved him.
Now, under the protection of magical artifacts, they had retreated into this earth cave, separated from the others.
The chilling sensation of the Fierce Beast’s claws piercing his dantian still haunted Feng Jiu Si.
Thus, unless absolutely necessary, he didn’t want to outright sever ties with Tu Xiao.
“Had I known things would turn out this way, I never would have listened to Jin Yuan and come to this cursed place.”
Tu Xiao, with nothing else to do, began grumbling again, his resentment toward Jin Yuan deep-seated.
Feng Jiu Si was equally frustrated.
He had already suspected Jin Yuan’s motives.
She had planned to use Yu Zhao to deal with them in the God-Abandoned Land.
Thinking he could turn the situation to his advantage, he had decided to play along.
But he had never expected that the moment they entered, everything would spiral out of control.
And at the root of it all—Yu Zhao’s sudden disappearance.