Nie Li glanced toward Xiao Ninger. She was slender, dressed in a fitted goose-yellow short skirt and a pair of black knee-high boots. Her glossy black hair fell softly over her shoulders. Her clear, bright eyes, gently arched brows, and long, faintly quivering lashes framed fair, flawless skin touched with a soft blush. Her full lips were as tender and dewy as rose petals.
Beyond her feminine allure, she possessed an indescribable wild beauty. Her face was cool as frost, which lent her an added touch of distinctive charm.
Nie Li's gaze grew distant as he recalled the past. Xiao Ninger was the legitimate daughter of the Xiao Family, one of the seven Magnate Families. Her talent in Soul Power was second only to Ye Ziyun's. Before the City of Brilliance fell, she had become a Silver 5-star Demon Spirit Master. Together with Ye Ziyun, she was known as one of the Twin Stars, the most dazzling Demon Spirit Masters of the younger generation.
However, in an attempt to curry favor with the three Peak Families, the Xiao Family had forced Xiao Ninger to marry into the Sacred Family—to Shen Yue's older brother. Xiao Ninger had sworn she would rather die than comply. In the end, she broke with her family and went alone into the Black Demon Forest in the Sacred Ancestor Mountain Range. She never returned.
She was a woman of fierce resolve!
Nie Li felt a pang of regret for Xiao Ninger. If he got the chance, he would definitely help her in this life. But if anyone thought he had feelings for her, they were wrong. Ye Ziyun was the only one in Nie Li's heart.
"In two months, we'll be holding the martial artist and Demon Spirit Master level tests. I hope a few of you will have reached the Bronze 1-star Realm by then, whether as martial artists or Demon Spirit Masters. Both I and Sacred Lan Academy will be proud of you!" Shen Xiu said with a smile. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Black Gold, and Legend—the five levels were each divided into one to five stars. Bronze 1-star was the entry level.
A martial artist needed to reach a strength of 100, or a Demon Spirit Master needed Soul Power of 100, to qualify as a Bronze 1-star expert.
Getting started was very difficult. Many people never managed it in their entire lives, never becoming true martial artists or Demon Spirit Masters.
At Shen Xiu's words, the students began murmuring among themselves. To become a Bronze 1-star martial artist, one had to be strong enough to lift a hundred-jin boulder and shatter a thick tree trunk with a single palm strike. For children like them, that was incredibly difficult. Only those who had taken all kinds of spirit medicines from a young age, strengthening their bones and bodies, could manage it. Becoming a Demon Spirit Master was even harder, since it required cultivating powerful Soul Power within the body.
The Soul Sea came in seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet. Ordinary people usually had only a Red Soul Sea, making cultivation as a Demon Spirit Master extremely difficult. Most chose to become martial artists instead. Those with an Orange Soul Sea or Yellow Soul Sea were suited to cultivating Soul Power, while those with a Green Soul Sea or Cyan Soul Sea were considered extraordinary geniuses.
The students looked enviously at Ye Ziyun, Shen Yue, and Xiao Ninger. They were probably the only ones who would reach the Bronze 1-star Realm within the next six months.
After reaching Bronze 1-star, they could enter the formal martial artist or Demon Spirit Master classes. Then they wouldn't be in the same class anymore!
Feeling the students' gazes, Shen Yue thrust out his chest proudly. As a member of the Sacred Family, he had enjoyed all kinds of spirit medicines since childhood. His cultivation had long surpassed that of his peers. Raising his Spirit Energy to 100 in two months should be easy. He was just waiting for the test.
Shen Yue looked at the graceful, captivating Ye Ziyun beside him. Only he was worthy of her. What was Nie Li, anyway? How dare he bet with Auntie that he could reach Bronze 1-star in two months? What arrogance and ignorance! Did Nie Li think reaching Bronze 1-star was that easy? A piece of trash with a Red Soul Sea dared to boast like that!
Ye Ziyun and Xiao Ninger exchanged glances. They both came from excellent families, so neither would fall behind. Ye Ziyun had always wanted to be friends with Xiao Ninger, but Xiao Ninger seemed to regard her as a rival, silently striving toward Ye Ziyun as her goal.
"As for the one who claims he'll reach the Bronze 1-star Realm in two months, I'll be watching to see just how far he gets!" Shen Xiu said, casting Nie Li a contemptuous glance.
A person's cultivation speed was directly determined by the strength of their Soul Sea and the condition of their body. Under normal circumstances, given Nie Li's current state, it would take him at least three to five years to get started and become a Bronze 1-star martial artist. As for becoming a Demon Spirit Master, someone with only a Red Soul Sea shouldn't even dream of it.
Nie Li paid Shen Xiu's words no mind.
"Two months? That's quite a lot of time." Nie Li's lips curled into a faint, confident smile. Just watch me reach Bronze 1-star in two months!
Off to the side, Nie Li, Lu Piao, and Du Ze quietly chatted among themselves.
"Nie Li, do you like Ye Ziyun?" Lu Piao asked, looking at him.
"I do!" Nie Li replied seriously.
Lu Piao stared into Nie Li's eyes. After a moment, he sighed. "Ye Ziyun really is beautiful. Since you're my brother, I won't compete with you for her. But as your brother, I have to warn you: Ye Ziyun's status is far too noble. She's way beyond our reach." Although their families were among the twenty Noble Families, there was still an enormous gap between them and Ye Ziyun.
"Could you two be a little more realistic? Ye Ziyun has a Cyan Soul Sea—she's a super genius! She'll soon become a Bronze 1-star Demon Spirit Master. In two months, she'll probably be entering the formal Demon Spirit Master class. Her cultivation will surely advance by leaps and bounds after that. By then, she might not even remember you two. I hate you family brats who spend all day thinking about how to chase girls instead of working hard at cultivation!" Du Ze snorted, mercilessly tearing into them.
"What do you mean, family brats spend all day chasing girls? That's slander! I work hard at cultivation, okay? I spend at most half my day thinking about girls!" Lu Piao shrugged, his playboy nature plain for all to see.
"Good heavens! What kind of people do I know?" Du Ze rolled his eyes.
Du Ze had good talent and a Yellow Soul Sea. He cultivated diligently, and after some fortuitous encounters, he eventually made it all the way to the Gold One Star Demon Spirit Master level and led his family to become one of the Noble Families. That was an extraordinary achievement.
Du Ze was loyal to his friends, but a little old-fashioned. He took everything extremely seriously. In sharp contrast, Lu Piao was a carefree young master who spent every day loafing around. Although he had only a Red Soul Sea, he had exceptional talent as a martial artist. Even a little effort would have sent his cultivation soaring, but he was far too lazy. In his previous life, he reached only the Silver Level, falling far behind Du Ze.
And yet, fate was a wondrous thing. These two people, so utterly different, had become the closest of brothers in their previous lives!
Listening to Du Ze and Lu Piao bicker, Nie Li was overcome with emotion. In the past, he had thought their arguments were pointless. Now, his heart was full. It's so good to have brothers like you!
"Nie Li, I think you should forget it and focus on cultivation," Du Ze advised him earnestly. If Nie Li really fell for her, it would be truly tragic.
In his previous life, Nie Li had indeed been unable to extricate himself. When he learned that Shen Yue and Ye Ziyun were about to get engaged, he had been in agony for a long time.
But in this life, if he was still such a good-for-nothing, he might as well bash his head in and die.
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. Whatever I set out to do, I can do!" Nie Li declared confidently.
Du Ze and Lu Piao both froze at Nie Li's words. They couldn't imagine why he had such overwhelming confidence. But as they looked at his resolute gaze, they even began to feel that Nie Li really could do it. They couldn't help being swept up in his conviction.
"All right. Whatever you do from now on, we'll support you!" Du Ze said after a moment's thought.
Being made to stand in punishment together had forged a deep bond of brotherhood between them.
"Du Ze, Lu Piao, I'll make you the most powerful Demon Spirit Masters in the City of Brilliance!" Nie Li said solemnly. In his previous life, Du Ze and Lu Piao had shared countless life-and-death battles with him, fighting side by side and saving him again and again. Now that he had returned, he would help them fulfill their dreams.
"I'll pass. I only have a Red Soul Sea. With my family's pills, becoming a martial artist shouldn't be a problem, but becoming a Demon Spirit Master is just too difficult!" Lu Piao was the first to back down.
"What's the point of becoming a martial artist? The higher you go, the harder it gets to cultivate, and martial artists of the same rank are no match for Demon Spirit Masters. On the battlefield, a Legend martial artist isn't even as useful as a Black Gold Demon Spirit Master. Demon Spirit Masters are powerful war machines!" Du Ze, on the other hand, looked forward to becoming a Demon Spirit Master. If he was going to do something, he would do it best. That was his principle.
"I don't need to become a Legend martial artist. I'd be perfectly happy with Gold," Lu Piao said candidly, completely unmoved.
Du Ze was speechless. There was no point talking to someone with no ambition.
"What's wrong with having only a Red Soul Sea? I have one too," Nie Li said, looking at Lu Piao.
Lu Piao and Du Ze couldn't make heads or tails of it. Nie Li had only a Red Soul Sea, yet he was confident he could reach Bronze 1-star in two months. Could he have some special method?
"Nie Li, how can we cultivate Soul Power and raise our Demon Spirit Master level?" Du Ze asked. He was curious; as far as he knew, there were no shortcuts to cultivating Soul Power.
"Just do as I say. As long as you don't back down, you can become powerful Demon Spirit Masters!"
"Back down? Of course I won't!" Du Ze said firmly. He wanted to become stronger and change his family's fate. On that point, he would never back down.
If he could become a Demon Spirit Master, Lu Piao would gladly do it too. Then he wouldn't keep getting beaten up by his dad for being lazy. Lu Piao was the sort who wouldn't move when coaxed, but would drag his feet when pushed. Give him even the tiniest chance to slack off, and he wouldn't let it pass.
"Will it be a lot of trouble?" Lu Piao muttered.
Du Ze glared at him. This guy was hopeless. He wanted to become a Demon Spirit Master but was afraid of a little trouble. Of course becoming a Demon Spirit Master would be difficult! If he could become one, Du Ze would be willing to do anything, no matter how troublesome or difficult!
"It won't be troublesome!" Nie Li said with a smile, shaking his head. Then his expression turned serious. "But it will take a lot of money!"
"As long as it only takes money, that's easy!" Lu Piao said with a sigh of relief. "How much do you need? I've got plenty. I've been saving for more than three years. I've got two thousand Spirit Coins. If that's enough to buy me a Demon Spirit Master title, I'll spend it all."
If two thousand Spirit Coins could buy him a spot as a Demon Spirit Master, wouldn't that be great?
Nie Li looked at Lu Piao. He really was clueless. Did he think two thousand Spirit Coins was a lot? Nie Li said helplessly, "What can two thousand Spirit Coins even buy? Of course it's not enough. You'd need at least a million Spirit Coins, maybe even ten million!"
A million Spirit Coins! Lu Piao and Du Ze both sucked in a sharp breath. A million Spirit Coins was equivalent to a typical Noble Family's income for an entire year! Where were they supposed to get that much money?
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