Upon hearing Shen Fei's words, a flash of hidden anger appeared in Ye Hong's eyes, and his eyebrows rose slightly.
Shen Fei was too domineering! This was going too far! If Shen Fei were to make a move against Xiao Ning'er, Ye Hong would definitely intervene.
Ye Hong snorted coldly and walked away.
Shen Fei watched Ye Hong's back, a sinister smile playing on his lips.
Don't think that just because your Snow Wind Family has a legendary demon spirit master, your family will always be on top.
One day, the Divine Sacred Family will replace you!
On the street.
"Nie Li!" A clear voice sounded.
Nie Li looked in the direction of the voice and saw Xiao Ning'er standing elegantly in a distant spot, dressed in a simple silken outfit.
Her starry eyes flashed with a hint of reproach, and she wore a delicate blush, stunningly beautiful.
"Ha, Ning'er, you've become even more beautiful after just a few days away!" Nie Li smiled gently.
Remembering the incident with Hu Yanruo, he felt a bit awkward.
Upon hearing Nie Li's compliment, Xiao Ning'er's eyes sparkled with a trace of joy, and her cheeks turned a light shade of red.
She handed Nie Li a Spatial Ring, "Here's the money from selling the Violet Orchid Grass you asked me to sell!"
When they heard this, Lu Piao and Du Ze exchanged glances, puzzled.
What kind of charm had Nie Li used on Xiao Ning'er? She seemed completely submissive to him.
After arguing with Hu Yanruo, she didn't come to interrogate Nie Li.
Instead, she eagerly came to deliver the money from the sale.
Lu Piao and Du Ze were at a loss for words.
Was this really the same Goddess Ning'er? However, in front of others, Goddess Ning'er remained aloof and refined, keeping her distance.
Yet, Nie Li was the exception.
"Thank you."
Nie Li accepted the ring without reservation; after all, with Ning'er, there was no need for formalities.
"Did you really fight with Hu Yanruo, Goddess Ning'er?" Lu Piao asked with a gossipy expression, blinking at Xiao Ning'er.
Xiao Ning'er glanced at Nie Li, a bit embarrassed, and replied, "No, I just had a few words with her. Nie Li, do you really like that woman?"
"No, that woman is too annoying. Just ignore her from now on!" Nie Li waved his hand dismissively.
"Oh," Xiao Ning'er responded, feeling a little relieved.
After all, Hu Yanruo's boldness gave her a sense of threat.
"I'm all sweaty from training these past few days, and I smell horrible. We're heading to the bathhouse. Do you want to join us, Goddess Ning'er?" Lu Piao suggested with a grin.
"I—I won't go!" Xiao Ning'er glared at Lu Piao.
"You could go with Nie Li. We won't intrude!" Lu Piao laughed mischievously.
Hearing Lu Piao's words, Xiao Ning'er's face flushed red with embarrassment.
"Lu Piao, you rascal! You never have anything good to say, do you?" Nie Li smacked Lu Piao on the head, then turned to Xiao Ning'er, "Don't mind him."
"Hmm."
Xiao Ning'er nodded, her shy demeanor inexplicably charming.
"Nie Li, that's not fair. You called me a rascal in front of Goddess Ning'er. You're choosing love over friendship! I won't compete with you for her!"
Watching Nie Li and Lu Piao teasing each other, Xiao Ning'er felt a bit envious.
It had been so long since she had friends like this.
Her mind wandered to Ye Ziyun.
When they were children, she and Ye Ziyun were close friends.
Unfortunately, they had grown apart.
Moreover, Nie Li liked Ye Ziyun!
Xiao Ning'er resolved inwardly that she wouldn't lose to Ye Ziyun!
From a distance, a group of ten or so people appeared, moving slowly.
They were dressed in fine clothes.
Leading them was a man around thirty years old, tall and with light brown hair covering most of his face.
His sharp eyes, like those of a hawk, carried a hint of malice.
As the man's gaze passed over Nie Li, a flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes, quickly replaced by calm.
He continued speaking with his companions as they passed Nie Li and the others.
Nie Li raised an eyebrow, catching that slight change in the man's gaze.
He wondered if they had met before.
As they passed each other, Nie Li furtively sensed a familiar presence.
These people were from the Dark Guild they had encountered at the Ancient Orchid City Ruins.
Nie Li maintained a calm façade as they walked by.
Showing any sign of recognition could lead to a dangerous situation if the young man noticed and decided to silence him.
In the distance, the man glanced back at Nie Li.
"Boss, I don't think that kid recognized us," said one of his subordinates.
"Hmm," the man nodded slightly.
He was Deacon Yunhua.
Due to their special status, they had to be exceedingly careful within Glory City.
"Should we take him out?" another subordinate suggested.
"No need," Yunhua shook his head.
"Killing people in Glory City would cause trouble if the City Lord’s Mansion decided to investigate."
Nie Li, along with Xiao Ning'er, Du Ze, and Lu Piao, walked past two more streets until the group was out of sight.
Only then did Nie Li release a sigh of relief.
"Ning'er, who were those people just now?" Nie Li casually inquired with a smile.
"Those people?" Xiao Ning'er recalled, then smiled, "They're from the Starlight Restaurant. It seems to be a business under the Divine Sacred Family!" Xiao Ning'er didn’t know why Nie Li was asking.
Starlight Restaurant? A business of the Divine Sacred Family? Nie Li nodded thoughtfully and filed the information away.
Glory City was truly full of hidden dangers.
It seemed he needed to display some power and gain more means of self-preservation.
"Let's head to the Alchemist Association first," Nie Li proposed.
The situation in Glory City was even more complex than he had imagined.
With many Dark Guild members lurking, he had to be incredibly cautious.
Nie Li recalled the last battle in Glory City, where those who fought against the demon beasts valiantly were trustworthy.
He would gather as many resources as possible!
In Glory City, the Alchemist Association, although on the decline, was still an enormous presence, slightly less influential than the Three Peaks Families.
Nie Li's mind was filled with alchemical knowledge from past experiences.
If used well, this knowledge might aid the Alchemist Association in its revival.
A stronger Alchemist Association would bolster Glory City's defenses, contributing to its strength.
The Alchemist Association sprawled over a vast area, with continuous buildings and gardens, occupying an expansive territory.
In front was a large hall with alchemists in various colored robes coming and going.
Even though it was in decline, the grand architecture hinted at the Alchemist Association's former glory.
Alchemists were categorized into apprentices, masters, and grandmasters, with each level further divided into junior, intermediate, and senior levels.
Apprentices wore gray robes, masters wore white, and grandmasters wore silver.
Typically, those entering or leaving the association were apprentices.
Masters were rare, and grandmasters were seen even less often.
The path of alchemy was dwindling, and talented individuals were more focused on cultivation, creating a lack of new blood in the Alchemist Association’s ranks.
Upon entering the Alchemist Association, Xiao Ning'er, Du Ze, and Lu Piao looked around curiously, unsure of Nie Li's intentions.
Nie Li recalled that the association’s council of elders was the main authority, consisting of six members, the lowest being junior alchemist masters, including two senior alchemist masters.
At that time, the association lacked any grandmasters.
Apart from the council, a Deacon Yang managed numerous affairs.
In the last battle of Glory City's past life, the Alchemist Association contributed significantly.
They all died heroically in that battle, proving they had no allegiance with the Divine Sacred Family.
"Hello, how may I assist you?" A young girl in a gray robe approached them.
She worked as the receptionist at the Alchemist Association's hall.
Nie Li smiled at the tall young girl, "I want to take the alchemist examination. May I know your name?"
Xiao Ning'er, Du Ze, and Lu Piao exchanged looks of surprise.
They assumed Nie Li had come to meet someone, not to take the alchemist test.
Did he also have profound knowledge in alchemy?
After spending so much time with Nie Li, no bizarre occurrence seemed impossible for Du Ze and Lu Piao regarding him.
The young girl, somewhat surprised, looked Nie Li over.
New candidates for alchemist tests were rare, but fresh blood was always welcome at the Alchemist Association.
"You can call me Xiao Lan. You're here for the junior apprentice test, right? Did you prepare beforehand? For a junior apprentice, you need to thoroughly read over a dozen foundational alchemy books!" Xiao Lan smiled slightly.
Those foundational books, with tens of thousands of words, deterred many.
But it was necessary.
Without knowledge of basic potion compositions and principles, the consequences could be dire.
"Xiao Lan, can I try for the junior alchemist master test instead?" Nie Li asked.
Xiao Lan was stunned for a moment, then chuckled.
"It's not impossible, but do you know what's required for a junior alchemist master level? Besides those dozen foundational books, you must also read hundreds of herb research volumes!" She scanned Nie Li, wondering how he, such a young boy, could have possibly read them all.
Not to mention becoming proficient.
Typically, a junior alchemist master had decades of apprenticeship experience.
Nie Li probably hadn’t even handled an alchemy cauldron yet.
Even if he passed the first stage, he surely wouldn’t pass the second stage of alchemy crafting.
Nie Li obviously had lofty ambitions but didn’t seem to grasp the effort needed!
Nie Li blinked at Xiao Lan and said, "Isn't determination not about age? Xiao Lan, please lead me to the junior alchemist master examination!"
(End of Chapter)