Soon, the Alchemist Association dispatched some golden demon spirit masters and golden martial artists to the Heavenly Mark Family, strengthening their defenses in one fell swoop.
The surrounding families looked on in confusion; how could a family as lowly as the Heavenly Mark Family attract such attention from the Alchemist Association?
They felt a mix of envy and jealousy.
With the support of the Alchemist Association, the status of the Heavenly Mark Family had drastically changed.
Families that had previously held an adversarial stance towards them grew anxious, fearing retaliation, while those that had kept their distance hurried to form alliances.
The influence of the Alchemist Association was immense, especially now that they had powerful pills like the Soul Refining Pill and Soul Coalescence Pill, boosting their importance multiple times over.
Even the Snow Wind Family was looking to the Alchemist Association for medicinal support!
However, the Heavenly Mark Family could not rest easy.
In addition to the Divine Sacred Family, there was still the lurking threat of the Dark Guild.
Nie Li remained vigilant, focusing on training after settling some family matters.
Although he had reached the silver rank and merged with the Shadow Demon Spirit, Nie Li felt a strong sense of urgency.
Besides practicing, he tirelessly trained various combat skills of the Shadow Demon Spirit: Void Technique, Divine Movement Technique, Backstab Technique, Throat Slashing Technique, and Shadow Kill Technique, honing each one to perfection.
If he encountered Deacon Yunhua again, that person would not find it so easy to escape.
While Nie Li sat in meditation, Yang Xin walked in.
For the past few days, every time she saw Nie Li, she couldn't help but recall that day, and her cheeks would flush slightly.
“Nie Li, did your master mention any other pill formulas? Like the Spirit Cleansing Pill to combat illusion-type demon beasts or the Detoxification Pill for poisonous demon beasts…” Yang Xin sat beside him for a moment before finally asking the question that had been on her mind.
For days, Yang Xin had hinted and hesitated before finally bringing it up. “If we have new pill formulas, we can expand our business!” she added.
Those few types of pills held significant importance for the entire Glory City.
Initially, she had come to see Nie Li’s master on Gu Yan’s behalf, but after waiting for days with no sign of the master, she felt too timid to ask anything more.
A person as elusive as Nie Li's master was hard for outsiders to meet.
“Is this your idea or President Gu Yan's?” Nie Li asked with a teasing tone, wanting to provoke her a bit.
“It’s President Gu Yan’s idea.”
“Then forget it. President Gu Yan lacks sincerity. If he wants pill formulas, he should have come personally,” Nie Li replied with a half-closed eye and a smile.
“President Gu Yan has been busy concocting pills lately, so…” Yang Xin felt a bit awkward.
Then she suddenly wore a captivating smile, leaning closer to Nie Li and whispering, “Good little brother, you must have other pill formulas, right? Tell me, and I’ll promise you anything!”
Nie Li couldn’t help but smile wryly.
The enchantress was clearly trying to entice him.
Looking at the alluring Yang Xin, even an ordinary man might struggle to resist.
If he didn’t acquiesce, she might do something unpredictable, so he quickly waved his hand. “Alright, since you’re asking so earnestly, I’ll share a few pill formulas with you!”
Nie Li took out formulas for three types of pills: the Serenity Pill, the Spirit Detoxification Pill, and the Alcohol Fire Cold Resistance Pill, which was particularly useful against the snowstorm demon beasts that roamed the Saint Ancestor Mountain Range.
“Wait, you have the Alcohol Fire Cold Resistance Pill?!” Yang Xin’s eyes lit up.
This kind of pill had been lost for over a thousand years, and it could greatly strengthen their ability to combat snowstorm demon beasts!
“There are only these three for now. They’re all quite useful, especially the Cold Resistance Pill, which I’m sure you know the value of!” Nie Li said, as he had over thirty formulas for Cold Resistance Pills.
He had carefully picked this one because all its ingredients could be found in Glory City.
The others, while stronger, required herbs that simply didn’t grow there.
“Thank you, Nie Li. You’re a great contributor to Glory City! If the City Lord finds out, he’ll certainly grant you a title!” Yang Xin exclaimed excitedly.
“A title is unnecessary; I’m not interested. I just hope you’ll keep this secret!” Nie Li waved dismissively.
Yang Xin looked at him with surprise.
She couldn’t comprehend how this young prodigy had been brought up; at just thirteen, he was so remarkably composed, even dismissing titles without a care.
She felt at a loss. “Since you want it kept secret, we won’t spill the beans. Of course, the profits from these will be shared with you!”
Nie Li nodded slightly.
Recently, he had collected tens of billions of demon spirit coins, all stored as demon spirit cards, each worth ten thousand coins.
It greatly saved storage space, but even then, his spatial ring was feeling a bit full.
“Don’t forget to tell me if you have new pill formulas!” Yang Xin smiled sweetly, then teased, “Do you really not want me to do anything for you? Whatever you desire, I can fulfill it!”
As she leaned forward, her curves became more pronounced, emanating an indescribable allure.
“Recently, I’ve been following your advice and taking the Violet Orchid Grass along with Tiger Eye Grass! Don’t you think I look a bit more mature?” Yang Xin flirted, her eyes shimmering.
One couldn’t deny that Yang Xin was a mesmerizing woman.
Although Nie Li occasionally teased her, he remained calm deep down.
His heart was still steady despite not having the same strength as in his previous life.
He blinked innocently, looking at her, “What do you want, Sister Yang? I’m merely a thirteen-year-old kid who knows nothing!”
Yang Xin’s face instantly flushed at his youthful innocence.
Despite her playful intentions, she found herself retreating in the face of his genuine demeanor, laughing awkwardly, “Nothing, I’ll head back to the Alchemist Association now!” Even though she felt an unexplainable stir at the thought of his age, she was overwhelmed with guilt, wondering, what am I even thinking? He’s just a child!
Watching Yang Xin leave in a fluster, Nie Li couldn’t help but chuckle but quickly calmed back down to continue his training.
A few hours later, Nie Hai and Nie En stepped inside.
Seeing Nie Li deep in meditation, they waited outside for a moment.
Although it seemed beneath their statuses as the family head and elder, they didn’t dare disturb him.
Nie Li was now a crucial figure in the Heavenly Mark Family; his standing wasn't that far below theirs.
Nie Li opened his eyes but didn’t get up, glancing at Nie Hai and Nie En in the distance, “Family Head, Elder, what brings you here?”
“Nie Li!” Nie Hai smiled cheerfully, showing none of the usual authority, “I’m here to ask if you’re interested in attending a rare item auction!”
Nie Hai had received an invitation from the Red Moon Family, a prestigious family.
Receiving such an invitation filled him with honor.
Though the Heavenly Mark Family’s finances were somewhat strained, with the invitation from the Red Moon Family, he felt compelled to attend.
The reason he brought Nie Li along was to strengthen their bond.
With the Alchemist Association backing him, Nie Li’s status in the family had skyrocketed.
To keep things from turning awkward, he purposely brought Nie En along, as he and Nie Li shared a decent relationship.
“A rare item auction?” Nie Li raised an eyebrow, “Sure, I’ll go too!”
Hearing this, Nie Hai exhaled in relief, worried that Nie Li might refuse. “In that case, let’s take my carriage together!” Nie Hai said with a smile. “The carriage is all set!”
Nie Li stood up, not needing to gather anything since the auction wasn't far.
He followed Nie Hai and Nie En onto the carriage.
The carriage moved slowly, with several golden demon spirit masters and martial artists from the Alchemist Association following behind to protect Nie Li.
Nie Hai pondered the relationship between Nie Li and the Alchemist Association, intrigued by why they valued him so highly.
“Deacon Yang has returned to the Alchemist Association. Before leaving, she instructed me to take good care of you. Seems you have quite a good relationship with Deacon Yang!” Nie Hai smiled slightly.
Nie Li glanced at him indifferently, saying nothing.
Nie Hai felt a bit awkward, forcing a smile as Nie Li offered him no respect.
Meanwhile, Nie En felt helpless too.
As a member of the same branch, he had once reprimanded Nie Li freely.
Now, he was on uncertain ground; Nie Li had changed and grown slightly distant, so he no longer felt comfortable speaking freely.
The atmosphere in the carriage turned a bit tense.
“Nii Li, if you see anything you like at the auction, just tell me, and I’ll buy it for you!” Nie Hai said.
The items at the rare item auction were nothing ordinary.
He had prepared to spend significantly; even if it cost more, he wanted to buy a piece to gift to Nie Li, believing a young child could easily be pleased.
“There’s no need. If I like something, I’ll buy it myself; I have my own money!” Nie Li shook his head.
When it came to wealth, even the entire Heavenly Mark Family might not compare to him.
Nie En chuckled, “The items at the rare item auction aren’t simple. Even the cheapest ones cost at least several thousand demon spirit coins, some even tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands!”
“Cheap stuff doesn’t interest me,” Nie Li replied lightly.
Hearing these words, Nie Hai and Nie En exchanged surprised glances, sharing a bittersweet smile.
They still seemed unaware of the situation; it looked like Yang Xin had given Nie Li quite a bit of money.
It was understandable—after all, Yang Xin had sent golden-ranked experts to protect him, so naturally, she would also give him some pocket money.
They believed Nie Li merely had a good relationship with Yang Xin, under her protection, unaware that the bond between them was one of equal cooperation.
The contents of his spatial ring went far beyond mere pocket money!
~~ Two more chapters by midnight.
Everyone throw in those recommendation votes...
(End of Chapter)