Under the bright moonlight, the forest was alive with a patchwork of shadows.
An enchanting and tender atmosphere enveloped the scene.
Nie Li had just finished tending to Xiao Ning'er's bruises.
Watching her quietly put her clothes back on, both of them fell into a silent, mutual understanding.
Xiao Ning'er gazed at Nie Li, observing the calm and earnest expression on his face.
She felt a lingering warmth from where her bruises had been.
Gratefulness surged in her heart; without Nie Li, she would still be struggling in pain.
He had been the one to pull her from the endless mire.
While Xiao Ning'er looked at him, Nie Li couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.
After all, he had touched some places he probably shouldn’t have, yet he couldn't deny that it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.
"Nie Li, you've angered the Divine Sacred Family. Please be cautious," Xiao Ning'er warned.
She was all too familiar with the family's treachery.
Her Wyvern Family had fallen into decline because of their schemes, losing over eighty percent of its assets.
Now, they were forced to rely on the Divine Sacred Family.
Even now, the Wyvern Family was struggling to regain its strength.
Among the noble families, theirs was nearly the weakest and on the brink of falling into obscurity.
"I’m aware. The Divine Sacred Family is all about keeping up appearances, so they won’t make a move against me just yet. They’ll probably wait a few months until the buzz dies down before settling scores," Nie Li said with a light smile.
By then, he would have some means to counter them.
Nie Li’s confidence was infectious, and Xiao Ning'er couldn’t help but feel that in front of him, any problem seemed trivial.
Her heart was filled with admiration for Nie Li.
"When we get back, find an unused Soul Crystal. I’ll help you test your talent," Nie Li suggested, looking at Xiao Ning'er.
As he got to know her more, he realized she was quite an impressive girl.
Perhaps one day, she’d become a strong ally.
He decided to teach her some powerful techniques.
"An unused Soul Crystal? Is this what you mean?" Xiao Ning'er asked, taking out a basic Soul Crystal from her Spatial Ring.
"I have three here."
"You’ve got some already? That’s great," Nie Li said, picking one up with a smile.
"Infuse it with your soul force, let me have a look."
"Alright," Xiao Ning'er nodded, channeling her soul force into the crystal.
Immediately, it shone brilliantly, and within the crystal, dots of light coalesced into the form of a Wyvern, wings spread wide.
Nie Li glanced at Xiao Ning'er in amazement, "Soul force 83, with the wind and thunder attributes, and a Wyvern form."
No wonder Xiao Ning'er had progressed so quickly in her previous life.
Even being bedridden for two years didn’t slow her cultivation.
A soul with a Wyvern form was exceedingly rare—a once-in-a-million gift.
With such a soul form, advancement in any technique would be swift, especially with wind and thunder techniques.
"Wind and thunder attributes? Wyvern form? What are these?" Xiao Ning'er asked, her beautiful eyes full of curiosity.
"It means you’re suited for training wind and thunder techniques," Nie Li explained, thinking deeply.
"I happen to have a technique that would be perfect for you."
This wind and thunder technique was something Nie Li had found in an ancient city.
It was ideal for someone with a Wyvern soul form.
Once Xiao Ning'er trained in it, her progress would be astonishing, likely even outpacing Nie Li and others.
The Wyvern soul form was so remarkable that it even made Nie Li a bit envious!
"This technique is far superior to what you’re currently practicing!" Nie Li said, passing on the knowledge of the technique to Xiao Ning'er.
Xiao Ning'er memorized the technique, her heart filled with wonder.
It was incredibly powerful, far exceeding anything she had seen before—those seemed like mere scraps in comparison.
"This technique is called the Wind-Thunder Wyvern Technique!" Nie Li smiled. “It’s the best technique for you!”
"Thank you," Xiao Ning'er looked up at Nie Li gratefully.
She owed him so much.
He had first freed her from her suffering and now offered her such a powerful technique.
Her lips quivered, face flush with a hint of embarrassment.
"I don’t know how to repay you. Whatever you ask of me, I’ll willingly do."
At Xiao Ning'er's gentle words, Nie Li’s heart skipped a beat.
He glanced at the charming Xiao Ning'er and forced a smile, saying, "We’re friends; helping each other out is natural. When I’m in a tough spot, you’ll help me too, right?"
"Yes," Xiao Ning'er nodded, although a trace of disappointment flickered in her eyes.
If Nie Li asked her to be his girlfriend, she’d agree without a second thought.
Both spent a few hours in cultivation.
Xiao Ning'er practiced the Wind-Thunder Wyvern Technique, her power soared rapidly, shocking even herself.
With a soul form like the Wyvern, her innate talent was unmatched, and pairing it with a fitting technique, her progress was phenomenal.
Though the Heavenly Dao Divine Technique was ultimately more powerful than the Wind-Thunder Wyvern Technique, initially, the latter’s growth was much faster.
By dawn, Xiao Ning'er's body emitted a faint azure glow.
"The speed of the Wind-Thunder Wyvern Technique is truly frightening. In such a short time, she’s touched the edge of Bronze 1-Star," Nie Li couldn’t help but marvel.
Compared to Xiao Ning'er, the talents of himself, Du Ze, and Lu Piao seemed far more ordinary.
When Xiao Ning'er opened her eyes, Nie Li was already gone, leaving her with a sense of loss.
She rarely interacted with boys and Nie Li was the only one who caught her eye.
Just thinking of him filled her heart with warmth.
Without Nie Li, she couldn't imagine how bleak her life would be compared to the hopeful future now before her.
She was determined that no matter who Nie Li had feelings for, she would stay by his side until he noticed her.
Those boys who secretly admired Goddess Ning'er would be heartbroken if they knew of her resolve.
"Soul force 92, almost reaching Bronze 1-Star!" Xiao Ning'er was drenched in perspiration, though her skin felt more tender and lustrous than ever.
Casting a long glance in the direction Nie Li had left, Xiao Ning'er gathered her belongings and headed for the exit of the Trial Grounds.
Morning light touched Glory City.
Shops for herbs and medicines welcomed mysterious figures dressed as servants of noble families.
They bought up all the Violet Orchid Grass they could find—each bit was snatched away.
Even shops with stocks untouched for years saw them vanish overnight.
"Why are they buying so much Violet Orchid Grass?"
"I think I recognize one of them; he's a servant of Miss Xiao Ning'er from the Wyvern Family!"
"Why would Miss Xiao Ning'er want so much Violet Orchid Grass? It’s puzzling!"
Violet Orchid Grass, aside from repelling insects when burnt, had no other use.
The Wyvern Family’s estate needed at most a dozen pounds, yet these servants acquired hundreds of thousands of pounds, a number that left people astonished.
All the Violet Orchid Grass stock was snapped up.
Some herbalists even uprooted the grass from their gardens to sell.
For the next three years, Violet Orchid Grass would be scarce in Glory City.
But since it was non-essential, no one would be too concerned.
When Nie Li received the Spatial Ring filled with Violet Orchid Grass from Xiao Ning'er, he was stupefied.
Hundreds of thousands of pounds, costing hundreds of thousands of demon spirit coins.
A small fortune!
But Xiao Ning'er didn’t mind.
As long as Nie Li was happy, she would do anything for him—even if it just meant spending demon spirit coins.
In terms of value, the demon spirit coins paled compared to the Wind-Thunder Wyvern Technique.
With Xiao Ning'er's cultivation skyrocketing to over ninety soul force in a few days, almost reaching Bronze 1-Star, excitement pulsed through the Wyvern Family.
They gave Xiao Ning'er thousands of demon spirit coins and various rare cultivation materials.
She was now far from lacking funds.
Despite their decline, the Wyvern Family’s wealth still outstripped most, and they spared no effort in nurturing their descendants.
Nie Li was very pleased to get so much Violet Orchid Grass.
Although he couldn’t repay Xiao Ning'er just then, it wouldn’t be long before he could.
Du Ze and Lu Piao were puzzled, not comprehending why Nie Li wanted so much Violet Orchid Grass.
In the library, Nie Li secluded himself in a corner, scribbling mysteriously.
In the afternoon, the library was bustling.
Under Nie Li’s guidance, Du Ze and Lu Piao scoured books on runes and battle techniques.
To reach great heights in cultivation, one must first become a learned master.
Their brains were slightly unlocked after training with divine techniques, allowing them to remember things at a glance.
Their learning progress was rapid.
Not far from where Nie Li and his friends sat, a group of students gathered, chatting animatedly.
"Check out this battle armor I have, it’s called the Flameshadow Armor, a bronze level piece. On the market, it wouldn’t go for less than a hundred thousand demon spirit coins!" A tall student boasted, adorned in a striking red armor that made him seem quite valiant.
His name was Chen Linjian, a child of one of the Three Peaks Families, directly from the Sacred Nether Family.
At fifteen, he was already a Bronze 5-Star, almost advancing to Silver.
The Sacred Nether Family was the wealthiest among the Three Peaks Families.
Chen Linjian held considerable sway among the students, with a large following.
"In this Flameshadow Armor, I’m unmatched below Silver level!"
"So handsome with that armor!"
Several girls around him were visibly envious, many casting flirtatious glances at Chen Linjian.
"Here, it's yours!" Chen Linjian said, tossing the Flameshadow Armor to one of his underlings.
Giving away a hundred-thousand demon spirit coins’ worth of armor like that? Everyone was a bit stunned.
But to Chen Linjian, a hundred thousand coins was trivial.
With a casual smile, he continued, "Here are six stalks of five-year-old Sacred Nether Grass, right from my family. Stick with me, and you’ll receive your share of benefits!"
(End of Chapter)