When they heard Nie Li's words, the commoner students in the class couldn't help but light up. Their spirits revived. They all knew Lord Ye Mo's deeds very well, and had always regarded him as a role model, hoping to become truly powerful themselves. Shen Xiu's words just now had been so discouraging that they had fallen into despair for a time.
"You... In the several hundred years since the founding of the City of Brilliance, Lord Ye Mo is the only person who reached the pinnacle through his own efforts!" Shen Xiu faltered, then stubbornly argued her point.
"Didn't Teacher Shen Xiu say it was impossible? Why are you contradicting yourself now?" Nie Li said with a smile. "Lord Ye Mo is a clear example. Whether someone comes from a great family or is a commoner, their potential is limitless. Nothing in this world is impossible, as long as you're willing to climb!"
Shen Xiu was nearly beside herself with rage. Nie Li was simply too hateful, seizing on her words and attacking her relentlessly. He had no respect for his elders! She glared coldly at Nie Li. Since he dared to defy her in front of everyone, she would make sure he suffered for it in the days to come!
Not far from Nie Li, Du Ze looked at him gratefully. Although Nie Li was a scion of a great family, he had risked offending Teacher Shen Xiu to speak up for commoner students like them. Du Ze was deeply moved. The hearts of young people were simple and sincere; from that moment on, he considered Nie Li his friend.
Shen Xiu sneered. "You have a sharp tongue. Do you think saying that can change the cruel reality? You only saw Lord Ye Mo's glory, not the countless people who spent their entire lives as nobodies. Forget becoming a Demon Spirit Master—even becoming a Martial Artist is as hard as climbing to the heavens. You're Nie Li, right? You're a scion of a great family, yet you don't know when to back down. Let's see what kind of talent you have!"
Shen Xiu lowered her head and flipped through the pages of parchment in her hands. After looking them over, she laughed mockingly. "Nie Li, a Red Soul Sea, current Soul Power 5, strength 21. With talent like yours, the most you'll ever achieve in this life is the Bronze Martial Artist Realm. Becoming a Demon Spirit Master is utterly impossible—you have even less potential than some of the commoner students. No wonder you spoke up like that. You were just trying to hide your inferiority complex!"
The Soul Sea was ranked by color into seven levels: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet. Red was the worst—truly terrible. Ordinary people usually had orange or yellow Soul Seas. Anyone who reached green or cyan was already considered a genius, while blue and violet existed only in legends.
Hearing Shen Xiu's words, the commoner students all looked at Nie Li regretfully. As a scion of a great family, his talent truly was the worst. He would probably never accomplish anything of note in his life.
Ye Ziyun glanced at Nie Li and sighed softly. Although she didn't have a very good impression of him, she still felt sorry for him when she learned how poor his talent was.
Shen Yue, beside Ye Ziyun, curled his lip disdainfully. If he'd known Nie Li's talent was so poor, he would never have considered him a threat. Nie Li wasn't even qualified! With talent that bad, he belonged at the very bottom of the City of Brilliance, while Shen Yue was a direct descendant of the Sacred Family, one of the three Peak Families. How could Nie Li possibly compare to him?
If it weren't for Ye Ziyun, he wouldn't have come to this garbage class to associate with the likes of Nie Li!
Shen Xiu pressed on relentlessly. "With talent that poor, even your own family probably doesn't value you at all. And you still dare to act so arrogantly and show no respect for your elders?"
Shen Xiu's words brought Nie Li's past rushing back to him. Before leaving the City of Brilliance, he really had been weak, just as Shen Xiu had said. He had been stuck at the Bronze 3-star level, unable to advance. Neither the school nor his family had valued him. He had been as low as dust.
If he hadn't later risked his life to save Ye Ziyun, he never would have won the goddess's heart. Back then, Ye Ziyun had been a Gold 1-star Demon Spirit Master. The gap between them had been like a chasm. Nie Li hadn't even been qualified to fight alongside her. All he could do was watch helplessly as she died beneath the claws of the demon beasts, swallowed by the boundless yellow sands.
That was the eternal agony in Nie Li's heart!
After he had eventually and miraculously made it out of the endless desert, Nie Li had stumbled upon one incredible encounter after another. Only then had he discovered that the world held all manner of wonders—even the so-called talent of one's Soul Power could be improved!
If the Nie Li from his previous life had been scolded by a teacher like this, he wouldn't even have had the courage to argue back. But he was different now. He was filled with powerful confidence. One day, he would make these people understand that he could reach a realm beyond anything they could imagine!
Since he had been reborn, he would charge straight ahead, killing gods who stood in his way and Buddhas who tried to stop him!
To everyone's surprise, Nie Li showed no shame at being mocked by Shen Xiu. Instead, he looked at her with resolute eyes and spoke with force. "Teacher Shen Xiu, do you think a person's Soul Sea determines their future? With your despicable character, you must go out of your way to protect students with high talent while sparing no effort to mock those with low talent! You even spout a pile of seemingly correct principles just to conceal your own vile character!"
Hearing Nie Li's words, Shen Xiu trembled with rage. She had never encountered a student like this, someone who dared to defy her so viciously. Worse, Nie Li had hit upon the dark thoughts in her heart, making her so angry and embarrassed that she couldn't help shouting, "Shut up! Who do you think you are, daring to slander your teacher like this!"
Nie Li curled his lip disdainfully. "I'm ashamed to have a teacher like you. I dare say that many of the commoner students in this class will surpass your expectations and achieve things beyond your imagination! Instead of patiently teaching them, you use cruel words to destroy their confidence. You're unworthy of being a teacher! My talent may be poor, but so what? One day, I'll become a legendary Demon Spirit Master like Lord Ye Mo, and I'll marry the most beautiful woman in the City of Brilliance!"
As he spoke, Nie Li's eyes fell on Ye Ziyun in the distance, shining with determination.
When she noticed Nie Li looking at her, Ye Ziyun's heart suddenly began to race, and her cheeks grew hot. She had never expected him to say something so bold in class. The meaning in his gaze was obvious. But she didn't feel the slightest affection for Nie Li, and his words left her with a feeling she couldn't quite describe.
Seeing Ye Ziyun's expression, Shen Yue's face darkened. Although Nie Li and he weren't even on the same level, he still sensed a trace of threat.
"Hahahaha! That's the funniest joke I've ever heard! Someone with only a Red Soul Sea claims he's going to become a legendary Demon Spirit Master like Lord Ye Mo? Even Lord Ye Mo, when he was young, was found to have astonishing talent and a Cyan Soul Sea! Do you think success comes from sheer luck? How ridiculous!" Shen Xiu attacked him without mercy. "Instead of making wild boasts here, you'd be better off studying hard!"
Nie Li spoke with conviction. "I know you must think nothing of me, but one day I'll make you shut up with the facts! A person's talent doesn't determine what they can achieve. Overcoming the strong despite being weak, conquering fate itself—that's what cultivators do. We challenge the impossible and defy the heavens!"
Nie Li's words stirred the students' blood. Cultivation was an act of defying the heavens. Without the heart to defy heaven, what was the point of cultivating?
Nie Li spoke clearly and powerfully. "Without a heart that strives endlessly, without the courage to turn the impossible into the possible, even the highest talent is nothing but useless trash. Since I, Nie Li, was born into this world, I will do everything impossible and defy the heavens! Teacher Shen Xiu, why don't we make a bet?"
Though he had endured countless setbacks in his previous life, Nie Li had never given up. Now that the heavens had given him a chance to be reborn, in this life he would climb to the very peak at a speed no one could imagine!
"What are you betting?" Shen Xiu snorted.
"I bet that at the test two months from now, I'll reach the Bronze level. If I don't, I'll withdraw from school on my own. If I do, Teacher Shen Xiu will resign. How about it?" Nie Li said proudly, looking straight at Shen Xiu.
Everyone was shocked by Nie Li's words. The students couldn't believe he would make such a bet with Teacher Shen Xiu. Although most of the commoner students hated Shen Xiu for her favoritism and hoped Nie Li would win, they also felt he had no chance at all.
"Hahahaha, ridiculous! You're saying you'll reach the Bronze Martial Artist Realm in two months? Do you think you can raise your Soul Power from 5 to 100 in two months?" Shen Xiu sneered. Had Nie Li lost his mind?
"I'll ask you one thing: Teacher Shen Xiu, do you dare?" Nie Li said in a deep voice, still refusing to back down.
"If that's the case, what do I have to fear? I refuse to believe an arrogant fool can accomplish anything! Who do you think you are, making such grand claims!" Shen Xiu huffed angrily. "Since you show no respect for your elders, you'll stand in the back for the next two months of class!"
Shen Xiu was famous for being unreasonable. Nie Li shot her a contemptuous glance. So what if he had to stand in the back? It made no difference to him.
"Since Teacher Shen Xiu has agreed to the bet, don't regret it later!" Nie Li strode toward the back of the classroom.
"Regret it? That's ridiculous! Just don't come crying and begging me later!" Shen Xiu sneered.
When they saw Nie Li go stand in the back, several scions of great families snickered under their breath.
"The future legendary Demon Spirit Master has been punished with standing!"
"Tsk, tsk. So he is afraid of being expelled after all!"
"Wasn't he acting so bold just a moment ago?"
"Raising your Soul Power from 5 to 100 in two months? Who does he think he is? Even Lord Ye Mo couldn't have improved that fast when he was young!"
Shen Xiu gave a cold laugh. So what if Nie Li was arrogant? She still called the shots in this classroom. She hadn't taken a single word he said seriously. Raising Soul Power from 5 to 100 in two months? Shen Xiu thought it was utterly ridiculous. It would never happen! Nie Li could just wait to be expelled!
After seeing Nie Li punished with standing in the back, Du Ze fell silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth, stood up, and walked over to stand beside him. Nie Li had been punished for speaking up for commoner students like them. Of course Du Ze had to stand with him.
When Shen Xiu saw Du Ze standing beside Nie Li, her expression darkened. She snorted, "If you like standing so much, then stand with him!"
Nie Li and Du Ze looked at each other, a mutual understanding passing between them. Both smiled faintly.
At that moment, Nie Li felt as if he had gone back to when he first met Du Ze in his previous life. Du Ze was still Du Ze.
After Du Ze took his place beside him, Lu Piao thought it over and joined Nie Li too.
"Why'd you come over too?" Nie Li asked Lu Piao with a smile.
Lu Piao shrugged. "Sitting's boring. I thought I'd stand up and cool off. What's wrong with that?"
"Haha, suit yourself!" Nie Li laughed. Lu Piao was just like he had been in his previous life. He talked a lot of nonsense, but he was also loyal. This had nothing to do with Lu Piao, but he considered Nie Li a friend. Friends shared each other's hardships.
Three more commoner students gradually stood up and joined Nie Li. Nie Li was a scion of a great family, yet he had put his own expulsion on the line to stand up for commoner students like them. They felt deeply grateful and knew they had to support him.
Having these brothers with him felt pretty good. Nie Li was in especially high spirits.
Shen Xiu's expression grew even uglier, her face icy as she continued teaching.
"According to the test, among all the students in the class, Ye Ziyun has a Cyan Soul Sea and Soul Power of 86. Shen Yue and Xiao Ninger have Green Soul Seas and Soul Power of 78. They'll soon reach the Bronze 1-star Realm. Congratulations!" Shen Xiu said coolly, shooting Nie Li a contemptuous glance. Now those were real geniuses. What was Nie Li compared to them?
Hearing Shen Xiu's words, the students couldn't help exclaiming. A Cyan Soul Sea and Soul Power of 86! Their class actually had someone that impressive. With such powerful talent, she might become a legendary Demon Spirit Master in her lifetime!
Shen Yue and Xiao Ninger also had exceptional talent, and their futures were boundless.
No one knew what sort of background Ye Ziyun had. Her fresh, beautiful looks, exceptional talent, and mysterious origins made her the most dazzling person in the class. Xiao Ninger was also a beauty, her looks on par with Ye Ziyun's, though her talent was slightly inferior.
No matter what, they were beyond the reach of ordinary people!
Before you continue