As Nie Li was intensely cultivating, preparing to further explore the battle techniques of the Tiger Tooth Panda, two figures flew into view from the distant jungle.
"Hmm?" Nie Li frowned slightly and stopped to gaze into the distance.
Swish! Swish!
Two figures landed before him—Nie Xiaofeng and Nie Xiaori.
"Who dares to be so arrogant within the territory of the Heavenly Mark Family?" The eyes of Nie Xiaofeng and Nie Xiaori were fixed on Nie Li, who had undergone a transformation after merging with the Tiger Tooth Panda demon spirit.
His form had enlarged significantly, and his appearance had greatly changed, with black and white fur covering his exposed skin.
It was no surprise that they did not recognize him.
It's them! Nie Li stood in place, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Although there were grievances between him and the two brothers, they were still matters within the family.
In his previous life, the two of them fought valiantly against demon spirits and ultimately died heroically in battle, so Nie Li had no intention of harming them.
Moreover, Nie Xiaofeng and Nie Xiaori's status within the family was now far beneath Nie Li's.
He regarded them with indifference.
Nie Li quickly shrank back, returning to his original appearance.
"It's me!" Nie Li said calmly.
"You?" Nie Xiaofeng and Nie Xiaori looked at Nie Li in astonishment, the shock they felt difficult to put into words.
Was that form the state Nie Li reached after merging with a demon spirit? They glanced at the fallen tree nearby and the terrifying deep pit on the ground, their eyes betraying deep respect.
In their previous impressions, Nie Li was just a little brat who hadn't even reached Bronze One Star.
They never expected him to become a Silver-level demon spirit master in such a short time.
When they looked at Nie Li, a trace of reverence naturally flickered in their eyes.
During this time, Nie Wei had already lost his position as the Grand Elder, causing their status in the family to plummet.
The frustration they felt was beyond words.
Though they were dissatisfied with their current situation, they had no intention of retaliating against Nie Li.
While there were always some conflicts between branches of the family, infighting had been strictly forbidden since the founding of the Heavenly Mark Family, and the punishments for such actions were severe.
They were merely feeling a bit resentful and regretful.
Furthermore, Nie Li’s current standing in the family was something they could never shake.
Previously, they thought the family head was blinded to protect Nie Li, but as soon as Nie Hai publicly announced that the recent pills distributed by the family were all given by Nie Li, they started to accept it.
No matter who it is, someone who made such a significant contribution to the family deserves respect! With that, they now looked up to Nie Li even more, realizing he was a Silver-level cultivator.
After being interrupted by Nie Xiaofeng and Nie Xiaori, Nie Li lost his motivation to continue cultivating.
He adjusted his clothing and turned to leave.
Seeing Nie Li walk away, Nie Xiaofeng and Nie Xiaori understood that Nie Li held no goodwill towards them.
They were fortunate that Nie Li didn't take the opportunity to deal with them after his status had changed.
As they watched Nie Li's back, Nie Xiaori quickly stepped forward, anxious to say, "Nie Li, please wait!"
"What is it?" Nie Li turned to look at Nie Xiaofeng and Nie Xiaori.
Nie Xiaori's face flushed, and after a long pause, he stammered, "Nie Li, I'm sorry. We were wrong about everything that happened in the family. We apologize to you!"
Nie Xiaofeng also bowed his head, saying, "No matter how you retaliate against us, we accept it!" Although Nie Xiaori and Nie Xiaofeng were somewhat overbearing in their previous lives, they had good hearts and were always willing to help when the Heavenly Mark Family faced danger.
Because of this, Nie Li had never made things difficult for them.
However, hearing their apology surprised him.
He smiled and waved his hand, saying, "I forgive you!"
Nie Xiaofeng and Nie Xiaori were momentarily stunned when they heard Nie Li's words.
They hadn't expected him to forgive them so easily, and their minds couldn't wrap around it.
Nie Li smiled lightly, saying, "I'm not that small-minded. I heard that the family head didn't distribute the pills to you because he worried about my opinion of you!" Opening his spatial ring, he took out some pills, and with a flick of his wrist, he tossed them to Nie Xiaofeng and Nie Xiaori.
"These are your shares. Consider them a gift from me!"
After saying this, Nie Li turned and walked away at a leisurely pace.
Nie Xiaofeng and Nie Xiaori exchanged glances, looking at the pills in their hands and then at Nie Li's departing figure, their noses slightly tinged with emotion.
"In the past, we always caused trouble for Nie Li, but we never expected him to be so magnanimous. We really shouldn't have done that!" Nie Xiaofeng lamented, looking at Nie Li's back, filled with guilt.
"Yeah, compared to Nie Li, we really feel ashamed!" Nie Xiaori lowered his head as well, saying, "Brother, Nie Li is so generous, not holding grudges against us, and even giving us pills. Yet we still feel uneasy about it."
Both Nie Xiaofeng and Nie Xiaori were still quite young, with a bit of pride in their hearts, but their natures were not bad.
This time, they had resolutely decided to apologize to Nie Li, not expecting him to be so forgiving.
They felt a surge of guilt and decided that if Nie Li needed their help in the future, they would definitely do whatever he asked.
As night fell, Nie Li was practicing in his courtyard.
The Nightmare Demon Pot emitted waves of pure soul force, and Nie Li absorbed the soul force, transforming it for his own use.
He could feel his soul force growing significantly stronger.
Just as Nie Li immersed himself in cultivation, a series of loud knocks echoed from the courtyard door.
"Come in!" Nie Li called out without standing up.
A moment later, the door swung open, and several people hurried in.
Leading them was Nie Hai, followed by Elders such as Nie En, and Nie Li's father Nie Ming, as well as his uncle Nie Kai.
Nie Li cast a slightly surprised glance at the group and curiously asked, "What happened? Why are so many people here?"
Upon seeing the family head arrive, Nie Li didn’t even rise to greet him, instead casually inquiring.
Nie Ming and Nie Kai felt a bit anxious, casting a worried glance at Nie Hai.
Finding him without a hint of anger, they finally relaxed but secretly thought to themselves that they would have to educate Nie Li when they returned.
Although Nie Li's status in the Heavenly Mark Family had risen, he shouldn't let it get to his head.
He needed to remain humble.
If he were still that little child from before, Nie Li would certainly have shown Nie Hai utmost respect.
However, the current Nie Li felt little respect, even if a legendary demon spirit master stood before him.
In this life, he aimed to become a human race saint emperor, competing against the Saint Emperor, and helping Glory City out of its plight; this was merely the first step he had taken.
Nie Li’s insights were enough to look down upon anyone in Glory City!
(End of Chapter)