Crispy Chicken and Stupid Rabbit

Tang San tracked Nan Li's figure while analyzing her movement patterns. Some of the hidden weapons he flung flew toward Nan Li, while the rest targeted the space around her.

Most of the hidden weapons aimed at Nan Li carried little offensive power and were merely meant to obstruct her vision. The real threat was the hidden weapons fired around her!

However, since his rebirth, Tang San had not had time to make many hidden weapons. The reserves in his Soul Tool were quickly running low. He pulled open his sleeve and raised his wrist toward the sky.

The hidden weapon on his wrist was Tang San's first creation in this life: the Silent Sleeve Arrow.

Nan Li beat her Wings and swept out a broad wave of flames. Using the heatwave's recoil to retreat through the air, she brought her Wings together before her.

First Soul Skill, Crimson Feather Slash.

"Clang, clang, clang."

The flames partially melted the surfaces of the hidden weapons. The Cross Light Blade that erupted afterward collided with them, severing some of the steel needles and iron blades.

The hidden weapons that passed beside the light blades also failed to approach Nan Li. Countless flying needles and blades met an invisible barrier just as they were about to cross the light blades, producing crisp chimes like metal striking jade.

The light blades landed three feet from Tang San, but he had already abandoned his attack when they came and rolled across the ground, breaking through the ring of fire.

His clothes pressed against fresh grass with a hiss, crushing out the flames.

Damn it, shouldn't the flames near the Flame Core be cooler? Why are they even hotter than the outer flames?! Tang San rolled through the ring of fire, then rolled across the ground several more times before rising only after extinguishing every flame.

Nan Li had just released her First Soul Skill and was adjusting herself in midair. Tang San looked up and thought, What a chance!

A purple gleam flashed through Tang San's eyes. His right hand suddenly lifted, and several faint shadows slipped silently through the air.

Nan Li sensed them and swiftly flipped aside. At the same time, she reached to the side of her calf, drew Golden Feather, and slashed at the steel needles. After cutting apart or knocking aside several needles in succession, Nan Li's gaze at Tang San grew much more serious.

The steel needles in Tang San's right-hand Silent Sleeve Arrow had been exhausted, so he raised his left hand instead.

Seeing this, Nan Li hurled Golden Feather with all her strength, using it as a flying blade to intercept the hidden weapons Tang San fired again. She raised a hand to extinguish the flames, then could not be bothered to use another Soul Skill as she charged Tang San barehanded.

Nan Li was getting irritated. Right now, she only wanted to beat him senseless!

For a moment, Nan Li's attacks were both fast and heavy. It was plain to see that Tang San was being forced into an increasingly passive position.

Sweat dripped down his cheeks, and his back was nearly soaked through. Tang San only saw a blur before his eyes. He instinctively raised an arm to block, but was kicked away by his opponent.

Nan Li kicked Tang San without hesitation, sending him sprawling to the ground. She looked down at him from above, thinking, What is wrong with this brat? Did a Crispy Chicken get his First Soul Ring and suddenly think he could fly?

Nan Li took several steps forward when a fierce gust suddenly rushed at her.

First Soul Skill, Waist Bow!

Xiao San was practically being beaten to death, and Xiao Wu could no longer care about the One-on-One rules. She hurried forward to stop it.

Even though Nan Li's Soul Power was slightly higher, the surprise attack left her with no choice but to shield herself with her Wings. But she reacted quickly, and the flames on her wings suddenly surged higher.

Whoosh—

A broad wall of flames stretched between the two sides. Surrounded by fire, Nan Li slowly rose into the air and watched the heartfelt drama on the other side with cold eyes.

"Xiao San!"

Seeing that she could not hurt Nan Li, Xiao Wu hurried back to help Tang San up. Seeing him bend over in pain, Xiao Wu shouted angrily, "Nan Li, you! We're all classmates. How could you be so heavy-handed?"

Nan Li's eyelid twitched. She took a deep breath before steadying her emotions. Are you blind, you little rabbit? Who was the one trying to kill someone first?

Nan Li folded her arms and looked at Xiao Wu. "What, do you want to fight me?"

"Then let's fight!" Xiao Wu replied stubbornly.

"Hmm?" Nan Li tilted her head and curled her lips into a cold smile as a wisp of flame danced at her fingertips.

"W-We surrender..." Seeing that eerie flame, Xiao Wu reluctantly admitted defeat.

What a Stupid Rabbit.

"Behave yourself at the academy from now on. Not everyone has to indulge you." Leaving those words behind, Nan Li turned and pulled Golden Feather from the ground before returning to Nuoding Academy with Xiao Chen Yu and the others.

Having learned her lesson, Xiao Wu finally settled down somewhat, and Nan Li enjoyed a few peaceful days.

In the time that followed, Nan Li was either attending class, cultivating, or on her way to cultivate.

She could not help it. She was too weak.

Although that earlier fight had allowed her to vent her anger, if she wanted to join forces against Spirit Hall in the future, the proud young master Tang San would not be easy to talk to.

That aside, Spirit Hall had originally been destined to fall in the Original Work. But with the variable that was Qian Renxue, Nan Li had to consider what strategy Spirit Hall would adopt if they also knew everything that would happen in the future.

Still thinking of lying down and winning? If she lay down, she would probably never get back up again.

For now, the only option was to grow stronger—strong enough to face the consequences of any change—so she could protect the countless living beings of Sun Island.

Time flew by amid day after day of cultivation. In the blink of an eye, the first school year had ended.

Through her daily cultivation, Nan Li's cultivation had reached level twenty. However, she did not rush to obtain a Soul Ring. Instead, she left the academy to seek out the Third Elder.

"The most urgent matter now is resolving the damage to your soul. Though you haven't said it outright, the Chief and the elders all know your temperament. An eight-hundred-year First Soul Ring... It's terrifying just to think about."

"You have the exact same temperament as your parents. Neither of them was easy to deal with." As the Third Elder spoke, he casually brought up Nan Li's parents. But he did not dare say more and quickly fell silent.

Even before Spirit Hall attacked Sun Island, after the chiefs of the Flame Feather Sparrow Clan and the Xumi Raven Clan entered their periods of weakness one after another, Sun Island endured dozens of attacks of varying scale. Moreover, Sun Island sheltered several clans with unusual abilities but little ability to protect themselves. During those years, countless Clan Members of the two clans were killed or injured.

During the great battle against the Overlord Pangolin Tiger Shark Clan, the Young Chief of the Xumi Raven Clan and the Fifth Elder of the Flame Feather Sparrow Clan perished. Chong Yang, the partner of Nan Yin, the Young Chief of the Flame Feather Sparrow Clan—and Nan Li's father—used his own life to break the Overlord Pangolin Tiger Shark Clan's offensive line.

Later, when Spirit Hall invaded, the Second Elder of the Xumi Clan self-destructed in order to break the Martial Soul Fusion Skill of Spirit Hall's two Titled Douluo.

The Young Chief and Second Elder of the Xumi Raven Clan were Dong Yun's father and mother respectively. They were also Nan Yin's closest friends.

After losing her partner and closest friends one after another, Nan Yin disappeared.

Neither Nan Li nor Dong Yun ever saw their parents again.

Nan Li's foundation had been damaged in the battle against Spirit Hall, and an accident had occurred when she took Humanoid Form. For years, the entire clan had been searching for a way to heal her soul, but they had found nothing so far.

Under normal circumstances, a flame's outer flame was hotter than its inner flame. But Nan Li's flames were different.