Nie Li sensed Shen Xiu’s gaze on him and couldn’t help but smirk slightly.
Dismissing Shen Xiu was merely a whim of his; in reality, he had no intentions of viewing her as a rival.
His true target was the entire Divine Sacred Family!
Although Nie Li had provoked the Divine Sacred Family, they likely wouldn’t focus too much energy on him for now.
After all, they must have thought that this little brat could hardly pose a threat to them! However, soon enough, they would realize that the very threat they underestimated would be the one to unravel them.
After some time of diligent practice, Nie Li’s soul force had reached 589. With just a little more to break the 600 mark, he would elevate to Silver rank.
Once he reached Silver, he could merge with a demon spirit! Nie Li had already chosen his first demon spirit.
Additionally, he planned to visit the auction house to purchase suitable demon spirits for Ziyun, Ning’er, Du Ze, Lu Piao, and others, allowing their strengths to rise to a new level.
However, for now, Nie Li intended to disguise himself as a Bronze One Star demon spirit master!
Before long, the initial test for the beginner martial artist apprentices concluded, and everyone knew their futures.
Quickly, news spread among the students that Instructor Shen Xiu had resigned her position and left the Saint Spirit Academy.
The gazes turned towards Nie Li, filled with curiosity and surprise.
After all, witnessing a student dismissing their instructor was a first for them.
Some students sought ways to approach Nie Li, eager to follow him.
Although he was merely a Bronze One Star demon spirit master, his extensive knowledge of demon spirits surpassed that of many instructors.
Those who stayed by his side experienced rapid cultivation increases, which caused envy among many.
Nie Li had Du Ze and Lu Piao handle the influx of new followers.
He was cautious in selecting those he would take in; he preferred individuals who were loyal and trustworthy, even if their talents were lacking.
Even so, the number of people following Nie Li reached up to twenty-six!
With the year-end assessments completed, notification letters for the genius class arrived.
Nie Li took a deep breath; it was time to return to his family.
Thoughts of the past flooded his mind, reminding him of how his kin had fallen before him when they had to flee.
A pang of longing filled his heart as he felt homesick.
Finally, the holiday from the Saint Spirit Academy arrived!
Nie Li gazed far away, memories from his previous life rushing over him like waves.
After a brief moment, he burst into hearty laughter.
He would return, and his kin would no longer live in fear as they once had.
Those former enemies of his would now await their end with trembling knees!
With the holiday at Saint Spirit Academy, it was also a significant event for Glory City, as many students from there attended the academy.
During this break, many students would reunite with their families.
Groups of students began to leave the academy one after another.
“Nie Li, this is for you. I hope when you see it, you’ll remember me! See you next semester!” Xiao Ning’er handed Nie Li a piece of red jade, intricately carved.
When he looked up, he noticed that Xiao Ning’er had blushed and dashed away.
In the Saint Spirit Continent, red jade represented a girl’s affection.
Watching Xiao Ning’er's graceful figure leave, Nie Li couldn’t help but smile wryly.
He had long realized that she had deep feelings for him.
Who would've thought that the icy beauty from his previous life could be so sweet?
Looking up, he caught Ye Ziyun smiling at him and then glancing at Xiao Ning’er in the distance. “Ning’er likes you so much. Why don’t you accept her?”
Nie Li pocketed the red jade and replied to Ye Ziyun, “It’s a pity, but my heart belongs to you!” His affections had remained unchanged across two lifetimes.
He had already expressed his feelings to Ning’er, but she had yet to relent.
Ye Ziyun’s face turned red, and she pouted, “Nie Li, if you keep speaking like that, I… don’t think I’m easy to bully!” Memories of their time in the secret passage of Ancient Orchid City flooded her mind, leaving her annoyed as she clenched her fists.
“I’m completely serious!” Nie Li smiled calmly, his deep gaze holding hers.
“You, I won’t talk to you!” Ye Ziyun stomped her foot, about to turn away, when she paused and smiled mischievously, “Then tell me, what do I have that Ning’er doesn’t?”
Nie Li shrugged, “That’s hard to compare. Some people are simply irreplaceable in one’s life!”
Meeting Nie Li’s profound gaze, Ye Ziyun was momentarily stunned, sensing there were many things he had yet to reveal to her.
It was as if his eyes held countless untold stories.
After a brief pause, Ye Ziyun looked up at the clear sky, “I hope my husband is a great hero, like my grandfather, possessing the strength to protect Glory City with his life!” She glanced at Nie Li, smiling as she said, “If you reach the realm of a legendary demon spirit master, maybe I’ll consider it!”
“Hey, what happened to your previous promise to agree if I reach Gold rank?” Nie Li lamented, feeling somewhat dejected.
“That was just a joke; it doesn’t count! Don’t you know girls are never reliable?” The girl’s laughter rang out like silver bells, and she dashed away with the lightness of a swallow.
Watching Ye Ziyun’s retreating figure, Nie Li smiled softly, murmuring, “If that’s the case, then why did you choose me in the past?” In his previous life, Nie Qi hadn’t even reached the Silver rank, yet he had walked alongside Ye Ziyun. “But reaching legendary demon spirit master seems surprisingly achievable!”
Wei Nan, Zhu Xiangjun, and Zhang Ming bid farewell to Nie Li before returning home.
Du Ze and Lu Piao approached him. “We should be leaving too!” Du Ze said with a smile.
“Yeah!” Nie Li nodded, “We’ll see each other in a month!”
“See you in a month!” Du Ze nodded, his excitement growing at the thought of returning home.
Along with reaching new heights in his cultivation, Nie Li had gifted him many demon spirit coins, which would help his family improve their situation.
Gratitude for Nie Li filled his heart since he had transformed his destiny!
Lu Piao laughed heartily, hands on his waist, “I’m finally going home! No more worries about getting spanked by the old man, hahaha.”
Seeing Lu Piao’s antics, Nie Li and Du Ze exchanged glances and could only smile wryly, stepping back to avoid the odd stares from nearby students.
Lu Piao hugged Nie Li tightly, leaving a wet kiss on his face. “Bro, I love you!”
With a shiver at Lu Piao’s display, Nie Li pushed him aside. “Get away, I’m not into that!”
“Neither am I! The sky is so blue, the earth so green! I’m off now, see you in a month!” Lu Piao launched into the distance with spring in his step.
Du Ze waved a final goodbye to Nie Li and strolled away leisurely.
Watching his two friends’ happy and confident figures, Nie Li smiled and headed in the direction of his family’s home.
In the northern part of Glory City, the city spanned a vast area.
Aside from the two bustling districts, it boasted six subsidiary areas.
Traveling by carriage from the Saint Spirit Academy to Nie Li’s home took a whole two days.
Nie Li belonged to the Heavenly Mark Family, positioned in a mountainous region with a large territory.
However, the resources here were quite scarce; the family survived mainly through farming and herbal collection from the mountains.
Luckily, they were near the military camp and defensive walls of Glory City, ensuring a measure of safety, with little threat of demon beasts.
Although they were deemed a noble family, only the family head held a title of earl, and it was not inherited.
This meant that if the current head of the Nie family passed away and none of the descendants received a title, the family’s status would greatly diminish.
As the most fallen among the noble families, the castle of the Heavenly Mark family was severely dilapidated.
The crumbling walls bore damage from previous demon beast attacks and had yet to be repaired due to lack of funds.
In the expansive fields outside the castle, clan members tended to various crops.
Upon spotting Nie Li approaching in the distance, they greeted him warmly.
“Nie Li, you’re back?” The farmers often held a low standing in the family; Nie Li’s father was among them.
Though the Heavenly Mark family was in decline, they still had many members.
In this region, the Nie surname boasted over a thousand households, totaling around five to six thousand people.
A total of twenty-six children from the Heavenly Mark family attended the Saint Spirit Academy, with Nie Li among them.
However, he had always been reclusive, rarely socializing with others.
The other children were all in intermediate or advanced classes, meaning they would return later than the beginner class, probably needing another day or two.
“Big brother Nie Li, you’re back!” A small girl with bare feet joyfully ran towards him.
She had braided hair and was exceptionally adorable.
Her name was Nie Yu, the daughter of his uncle.
Nie Li’s father, Nie Ming, had only one brother, placing both of them at a very low standing within the family.
They barely made ends meet through farming.
Fortunately, crops only had to yield a third to the clan, allowing the rest to be kept for themselves.
Plus, Nie Li’s expenses for attending the Saint Spirit Academy were borne by the clan, so they were not overly burdened.
In this clan of five to six thousand people, there were a total of sixty Bronze martial artists, six Bronze demon spirit masters, twenty Silver martial artists, two Silver demon spirit masters, three Gold martial artists, and one Gold One Star demon spirit master, representing the full strength of the clan.
The strongest member of the Heavenly Mark family was head Nie Hai, a Gold One Star demon spirit master whose standing in the family was unparalleled.
There were also two Gold One Star martial artists and one Gold Three Star martial artist.
It was usually quite difficult for Nie Li to see the clan leader, who typically only appeared during clan sacrifices.
He reached out and affectionately ruffled Nie Yu's hair, smiling as he asked, “Did little Yu behave at home?”
“Mm, little Yu behaved very well!” Nie Yu nodded earnestly. “I want to be like big brother Nie Li and get into the Saint Spirit Academy to become a warrior!”
Nie Yu had always looked up to Nie Li.
It made him sweat slightly, for in his previous life, before Glory City fell, Nie Yu had achieved much higher accomplishments than he had.
She had always cared for him, yet as an older brother, he had always been protected by his younger sister, leaving him feeling rather vexed.
Eventually, Nie Yu also died bravely in the battle.
Though his nose was slightly stuffy, Nie Li forced a smile; being home felt good.
He walked alongside little Yu towards the distance, where he saw Nie Ming and Nie Kai stopping their work.
They exchanged a knowing smile and walked over.
(End of Chapter)