"Xiao Li, you’re back!" Nie Ming said with a smile, his eyes warm yet tinged with the weariness of age.
"Yes, Father, I’m back!" Nie Li replied, his heart tightening at the sight of his father’s slightly gray hair and tired face.
Memories from his past life surged back like a wave.
"It seems Xiao Li has grown taller and more handsome! After spending a year in Saint Spirit Academy, his aura has truly changed!" Next to him, Nie Kai laughed heartily.
He was Nie Ming’s younger brother, three years his junior, and like Nie Ming, he lacked the talent for cultivation, living a simple farmer’s life instead.
At their age, it was too late for them to cultivate; their sea of consciousness had already solidified.
However, being an ordinary person wasn't too bad.
In his past life, he had been unable to protect them.
In this life, he would safeguard them!
Upon returning home, Nie Li greeted his mother and aunt, and the family enjoyed a joyful reunion.
His heart swelled with excitement and joy; it felt good to be together once more.
"Nie Li, how powerful have you become?" During the meal, Nie Ming could no longer hold his curiosity.
All eyes turned to Nie Li, especially Nie Yu, who blinked her big, sparkling eyes at him.
"Let’s eat first!" Nie Li’s mother, Xiao Yun, quickly interjected.
In his previous life, regardless of Nie Ming or Xiao Yun’s disappointment when Nie Li’s cultivation didn’t progress, they had constantly comforted him and asked for nothing in return.
Still, Nie Li felt their eager expectations.
Each time he felt like a knife in his heart, berating himself for being useless.
But in this life, he wouldn’t let his parents down again.
"In this year’s end-of-year assessment, my soul force just broke through to one hundred. I’m now a Bronze One-Star Demon Spirit Master," Nie Li calmly stated while eating.
He hesitated to share his true circumstances, fearing it would shock his father, mother, and uncle and aunt.
Nie Ming and the others had never imagined Nie Li could become a demon spirit master.
They believed achieving Bronze Warrior status was impressive enough.
When they heard him say he was now a Bronze One-Star Demon Spirit Master, they froze, their chopsticks pausing mid-air.
A Bronze One-Star... demon spirit master?
Nie Ming thought he had misheard.
"Are you saying you’re a Bronze One-Star demon spirit master?" Nie Kai asked, looking at Nie Li in disbelief.
"That’s right!" Nie Li nodded, glancing at his loving parents with a bittersweet feeling.
He swore to repay their regrets from his past life!
"A Bronze One-Star demon spirit master!" they murmured, "Is it true that our family finally has a demon spirit master?"
After a moment of shock, their faces lit up with joy.
A demon spirit master!
In the Heavenly Mark Family, any demon spirit master held an exalted status.
Besides being exempt from paying clan taxes, they received plenty of rewards from the clan every month.
"In addition to becoming a Bronze One-Star demon spirit master, I’ve also been selected by Saint Spirit Academy to join the genius class!" Nie Li continued after a moment's thought.
"Genius class? Isn’t that only for those with extraordinary talent? Nie Long from the Nie Chong family is also a Bronze One-Star demon spirit master, yet he doesn’t qualify for the genius class!" Nie Kai voiced his skepticism, as he knew quite a bit about the Saint Spirit Academy.
Meanwhile, Nie Yu blinked her eyes, gazing at Nie Li with admiration, "Brother Nie Li is amazing!" She had always looked up to him.
"Hehe!" Nie Li chuckled, ruffling Nie Yu’s hair.
In his past life, he could only admire her from afar.
This time, he would protect her.
"Perhaps Xiao Li has some unique talent that earned him a spot in the genius class. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made it to Bronze One-Star demon spirit master in such a short time! Our family finally has a demon spirit master!" Nie Ming exclaimed, his excitement palpable.
Everyone—Nie Ming, Nie Kai, Aunt Miao Ling, and Nie Yu—was overjoyed.
Xiao Yun was so moved, tears streamed down her face.
"Xiao Li has achieved something great!" Nie Kai patted Nie Li on the shoulder.
"Xiao Li, come on! We need to see the clan leader!" Nie Ming suddenly stood, a look of pride filling his face.
Now, he could finally hold his head high among the clan members.
He had often faced scorn, especially from Nie Chong, who liked to flaunt his achievements.
Now, Nie Li had given him a chance to regain his dignity.
"Is it necessary to rush? The child has just returned. Let him finish his meal first!" Xiao Yun glared at Nie Ming.
"Right, right!" Nie Ming chuckled awkwardly.
His heart swelled with pride, and he was eager to share it.
Seeing his family be proud of him filled Nie Li with joy.
"What’s the situation in the clan lately?" Nie Li asked as he continued to eat.
"It’s strange," Nie Ming said, his brow furrowing.
"Strange?" Nie Li was puzzled.
"Yes," Nie Ming nodded.
"The Heavenly Mark Family is financially strained. Recently, we faced pressure from the Divine Sacred Family, which has greatly affected our businesses. Many partners have cut ties with our family, and the clan leader and elders are anxious. The clan leader even personally sent letters to the Divine Sacred Family, asking for reasons and seeking a truce, but they completely ignored us. It seems they want to wait until we’re in a tougher spot before negotiating. However, unexpectedly, there was a sudden turn of events..."
"A turn of events?" Nie Li asked, intrigued.
"Yes! Suddenly dozens of families and merchant associations have approached us for collaboration, and the terms they offer are quite generous. At first, the clan leader suspected a trap, but later realized they meant no harm and agreed to collaborate. It’s said that all this was arranged by the Alchemists' Guild, which has also entrusted us with many tasks, asking us to grow various herbs in exchange for generous compensation. Under the protection of the Alchemists' Guild, even the Divine Sacred Family dares not move against us!" Nie Ming explained.
Hearing Nie Ming’s words, Nie Li understood.
The enchanting woman, Yang Xin, must have orchestrated all this.
Nie Li was now a crucial partner of the Alchemists' Guild.
Yang Xin’s arrangement made perfect sense.
The power of the Alchemists' Guild was on par with the Divine Sacred Family, and in terms of connections, they were far more powerful; every family had to procure pills from them.
With the guild protecting them, the Divine Sacred Family wouldn't dare act against the Heavenly Mark Family at this time.
Moreover, with the alchemy formulas Nie Li provided, even the City Lord’s Mansion and the Three Peaks Families were begging the Alchemists' Guild for favors.
The guild had truly reached a peak of power; if the Divine Sacred Family tried to oppose them now, it would be akin to courting death!
Aside from reconnecting with his family, Nie Li had another task: to facilitate contact between the Heavenly Mark Family and the Alchemists' Guild.
He hadn’t expected Yang Xin had already handled everything.
Now, he could confidently deal with the Divine Sacred Family, keeping in mind that the Alchemists' Guild was also a vital player.
"Why bring this up with the child?" Xiao Yun glared at Nie Ming disapprovingly.
To her, Nie Li was still a child; what use was it for him to know such things?
"Such small-mindedness! Now that Xiao Li is a Bronze One-Star demon spirit master and will soon enter the core of the family, it’s time he learned about these matters!" Nie Ming rebutted, a proud and cheerful expression on his face.
"Fine, fine! You’re in the right!" Xiao Yun said, her impatience clear.
Nie Li smiled as he watched his parents bicker, just as they did in his past life.
Despite their squabbles, their bond was strong.
"Father, I’ll hold off on meeting the clan leader for now. I want to focus on my cultivation first!" Nie Li said, looking up at Nie Ming.
"That’s fine, we can talk later!" Nie Ming replied with a chuckle.
Uncle Nie Kai pat Nie Yu’s head, encouraging her, "You need to work hard too! Aim to be like Brother Nie Li!"
"Yes, I will do my best!" Nie Yu responded earnestly.
As night approached, gentle breezes rustled the leaves in the forest, producing sounds like rolling waves.
Nie Li left the house and soared into the woods on the back mountain, sitting cross-legged on a protruding stone.
He gazed into the distance, where countless flickering lights marked the settlement of the Heavenly Mark Family.
The Heavenly Mark Family had a long history, tracing back to the late period of the Snowstorm Empire.
Their ancestors had once been significant lords during that era.
However, after enduring the changes of multiple dynasties and the prolonged horrors of the Dark Era, they had shrunk to a mere dilapidated family in Glory City.
Sitting atop the stone, Nie Li quietly cultivated.
He was just a step away from reaching Silver rank.
Once he broke through to Silver, he could merge with the Shadow Demon Spirit within the Shadow Demon Spirit Lamp!
Continuously consuming pills and invoking the Heavenly Dao Divine Technique, he absorbed the medicinal power into his veins, slowly integrating it into his Soul Realm, which surged and expanded dramatically.
His Soul Realm was mighty, filled with immense soul force.
Yet, breaking through to Silver still seemed a bit challenging, and he estimated it would take another ten days of cultivation!
"I almost forgot; there's a hidden move I haven’t used yet!" Nie Li smiled slightly.
When breaking through to Silver, he could employ a technique called the Sealing of Extraordinary Meridians, which involved sealing blood vessels in places such as his arms and blocking thirty-six acupoints to trap his soul force within the Soul Realm, forcibly breaking through to Silver!
While using this method would consume a vast amount of soul force and cause some damage to the meridians, a few pills would easily remedy that, leaving his future cultivation unaffected.
"That's the plan!" Nie Li smiled, following the technique for the Sealing of Extraordinary Meridians.
He began sealing acupoints one by one, entirely locking his Soul Realm.
Such a method would be too risky for anyone lacking absolute confidence to attempt.
~~ New book period requests support!!
(End of Chapter)