Youth is Not Limited by Age

Shen Fei's words made Ye Hong raise an eyebrow, a flash of suppressed anger in his eyes. Shen Fei was being too overbearing! This was going too far!

If Shen Fei intended to make a move against Xiao Ninger, Ye Hong would definitely intervene!

Ye Hong let out a cold snort and walked away directly.

Shen Fei watched Ye Hong's retreating back, a sinister smile playing on his lips. Don't think the Sacred Family is afraid of your Wind Snow Family just because you have a Legendary Demon Spirit Master. One day, the Sacred Family will replace the Wind Snow Family!

On the street.

"Nie Li!" a clear voice rang out.

Nie Li looked towards the sound and saw Xiao Ninger, dressed in an elegant silk outfit, standing gracefully in the distance. Her starry eyes held a hint of playful annoyance, her delicate makeup accentuating her peerless beauty!

"Haha, Ninger, you've gotten even prettier in just a few days!" Nie Li smiled slightly, feeling a bit awkward as he thought about the matter with Hu Yan Lanruo.

Hearing Nie Li's words, a flicker of joy crossed Xiao Ninger's eyes, her cheeks flushing slightly. She took out a Spatial Ring and handed it to Nie Li. "I've sold all the Purple Mist Grass you asked me to, this is the money from the sale!"

Upon hearing Xiao Ninger's words, Lu Piao and Du Ze exchanged bewildered glances. They had no idea what spell Nie Li had cast on Xiao Ninger; she seemed utterly devoted to him. After just having a fight with Hu Yan Lanruo, she hadn't come to question Nie Li but instead eagerly brought him the money from selling the Purple Mist Grass.

This... this... Lu Piao and Du Ze truly didn't know what to say. Was this still the Goddess Ninger they knew? Even so, Goddess Ninger remained as aloof and noble as ever to others, seemingly unapproachable, with only Nie Li being the exception.

"Thank you." Nie Li accepted it without hesitation. It seemed there was no need to be polite with Ninger.

"Goddess Ninger, did you really fight with Hu Yan Lanruo?" Lu Piao blinked, looking at Xiao Ninger with a gossipy expression.

Xiao Ninger glanced up at Nie Li, a hint of shyness in her voice. "It wasn't a fight, I just argued with her a few words. Nie Li, do you really like that woman?"

"Not at all, that woman is too annoying. Just ignore her from now on!" Nie Li waved his hand dismissively.

"Oh!" Xiao Ninger replied, feeling a slight sense of relief in her heart. After all, Hu Yan Lanruo was so alluring, which made her feel a sense of crisis.

"I've been cultivating these past few days and I'm all sweaty and stinky. We're going to the bathhouse to clean up. Goddess Ninger, are you coming with us?" Lu Piao asked with a grin.

"I, I'm not going!" Xiao Ninger glared at Lu Piao.

"You can go with Nie Li, we won't intrude!" Lu Piao chuckled.

Hearing Lu Piao's words, Xiao Ninger's face instantly turned bright red with embarrassment.

"Lu Piao, that kid's mouth is full of garbage, don't mind him!" Nie Li lightly hit Lu Piao on the head and said to Xiao Ninger.

"Mhm." Xiao Ninger nodded, her shy demeanor possessing an indescribable charm.

"Nie Li, you're so disloyal! You called me garbage-mouthed in front of Goddess Ninger! You value women over friends! I wouldn't even compete with you!"

Watching Nie Li and Lu Piao bicker and joke around, Xiao Ninger couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. She hadn't had friends like this around her for a long time. A figure suddenly flashed through her mind: Ye Ziyun. When they were children, she and Ye Ziyun were very close friends, but unfortunately, the distance between them grew larger and larger.

Moreover, Nie Li liked Ye Ziyun!

Xiao Ninger thought to herself, I definitely won't lose to Ye Ziyun!

In the distance, a group of over a dozen people slowly walked by. They were dressed in fine clothes, and the leader was a young man around thirty years old. He was tall, with slightly yellowish hair covering most of his face. His sharp eyes, like those of a falcon, held a hint of sinister intent.

The young man's gaze swept over Nie Li, a flicker of surprise in his eyes before returning to calm. He spoke to a few people and brushed past Nie Li and his group.

Nie Li's eyebrows twitched slightly. He had caught the unusual glint in that person's eyes. Nie Li wondered if he had met this person before.

As the young man passed by, Nie Li suddenly caught a familiar scent. This group was the same people from the Dark Guild they had encountered at the Ancient Orchid City Ruins.

Nie Li maintained a calm expression as he walked past, not showing any reaction. If he had shown any surprise, the young man might have silenced him permanently.

In the distance, the young man glanced back at Nie Li.

"Boss, this kid probably didn't recognize us!" one of his subordinates said.

"Mhm." The young man nodded slightly. He was Deacon Yun Hua. Their identities were sensitive, and they had to be extremely cautious within Ancient Orchid City.

"Should we take care of him?" another subordinate asked.

"No need!" Deacon Yun Hua shook his head. Killing someone within the City of Brilliance would cause trouble if the City Lord's Mansion investigated.

Nie Li, Xiao Ninger, Du Ze, Lu Piao, and the others walked through two streets until they could no longer see the group. Only then did Nie Li let out a sigh of relief.

"Ninger, who were those people just now?" Nie Li asked with a faint smile.

"Those people?" Xiao Ninger recalled, then smiled brightly. "They were from the Star Picking Restaurant. The Star Picking Restaurant seems to be an industry under the Sacred Family!" Xiao Ninger didn't know why Nie Li was asking.

The Star Picking Restaurant? An industry of the Sacred Family? Nie Li nodded slightly, taking note of this information.

This City of Brilliance was truly fraught with danger. It seemed he had to display some abilities and acquire more means of self-preservation.

"Let's go to the Alchemist Association first!" Nie Li said after some thought. The situation in the City of Brilliance was far more complex than he had imagined. He didn't know how many Dark Guild members were lurking around, so he had to be extremely careful. Nie Li carefully recalled those who fought to the death against the Demon Beasts in the final battle of the City of Brilliance in his previous life; they were relatively trustworthy.

Nie Li wanted to obtain as many resources as possible!

In the City of Brilliance, although the Alchemist Association was in decline, it was still a colossal entity, only slightly inferior to the three major Peak Families.

Nie Li possessed knowledge of various alchemy techniques. If used properly, he might be able to help the Alchemist Association revitalize. A stronger Alchemist Association would enhance the City of Brilliance's strength, which could be considered Nie Li's contribution to the city.

The Alchemist Association was a sprawling complex of buildings, with courtyards and pavilions in the back, occupying a vast area. In the front stood a grand hall, with alchemists in robes of various colors entering and exiting.

Although the Alchemist Association was somewhat in decline now, the magnificent architecture hinted at the guild's former glory.

Alchemists were divided into apprentices, masters, and grandmasters, with each rank further divided into junior, intermediate, and senior levels. Apprentices wore grey robes, masters wore white robes, and grandmasters wore silver robes. Generally, those entering and exiting the Alchemist Association were apprentices; masters were rarely seen, perhaps one or two individuals occasionally.

The path of alchemy had somewhat declined, so talented individuals were unwilling to spend their time on alchemy, preferring to focus on cultivation. This resulted in a shortage of alchemists, with fewer young alchemists in the association.

Upon entering the Alchemist Association, Xiao Ninger, Du Ze, Lu Piao, and the others looked around, somewhat puzzled as to why Nie Li had brought them here.

Nie Li recalled carefully. At this time, the Alchemist Association was governed by a six-member Elder Council, all old fellows. The lowest among them was a Junior Alchemy Master, and there were two Senior Alchemy Masters. As for Grandmasters, it seemed the Alchemist Association didn't have any at the moment. Besides this Elder Council of six, there was also Director Yang, who was responsible for managing the various affairs of the Alchemist Association.

In the last battle of the City of Brilliance in his previous life, the Alchemist Association had contributed greatly. In the end, everyone had heroically died in that battle. It could be at least confirmed that they were not allied with the Sacred Family.

"Hello, may I ask what you need?" a young girl in a grey robe walked over and inquired. She was the one responsible for reception in the main hall of the Alchemist Association.

"I want to take the alchemist exam!" Nie Li said with a faint smile, looking at the tall, slender girl before him. "May I ask your name, miss?"

Xiao Ninger, Du Ze, Lu Piao, and the others looked at Nie Li in surprise. They had thought Nie Li was here to find someone, but they hadn't expected him to be here to take the alchemist exam. Could it be that Nie Li was also very proficient in alchemy?

Having been with Nie Li for so long, Du Ze, Lu Piao, and the others wouldn't find it strange anymore when any monstrous thing happened to him.

The young girl looked at Nie Li with a bit of surprise. Very few young people came to take the alchemist exam nowadays. With new blood joining, the Alchemist Association was naturally very welcoming.

"You can call me Xiao Lan. You're here to take the Junior Apprentice exam, right? Have you prepared yourself before coming? The Junior Apprentice exam requires memorizing over ten books on alchemy basics!" Xiao Lan said with a slight smile. Those more than ten thick books, totaling hundreds of thousands of words on alchemy basics, had already made countless people give up. But there was no other way. If one wanted to become an alchemist, and didn't even know the basic pill configurations and principles, it could cost lives.

"Miss Xiao Lan, can I take the Junior Alchemy Master exam?" Nie Li asked Xiao Lan.

Xiao Lan was stunned upon hearing Nie Li's words, then chuckled in amusement. "Although it's not impossible, do you know what preparations are needed to reach the Junior Alchemy Master level? Besides those ten-plus books on alchemy basics, you also need to read hundreds of reference books on various medicinal herbs!" Xiao Lan glanced at Nie Li, thinking that Nie Li was so young. Even if Nie Li had started reading from the womb, he probably couldn't finish those reference books, let alone master them. Moreover, typical Junior Alchemy Masters have decades of apprentice experience. Nie Li probably hasn't even touched an alchemy furnace. Even if he passed the first stage, the second stage of alchemy, it's impossible for him to pass, right?

Nie Li was too ambitious and unrealistic, wanting to reach the sky in a single step without studying diligently!

Nie Li blinked at Xiao Lan and said, "Ambition isn't limited by age, is it? Miss Xiao Lan, please take me to the Junior Alchemy Master exam venue!"