Dawn broke.
It was Shen Xiu's class again. Neither Nie Li, Du Ze, nor Lu Piao found her lessons the least bit interesting. Every day, she stood at the front of the room, droning on and on. Shen Xiu was clearly just filling in temporarily, and all she ever talked about in class were the dull affairs of the nobility. They learned nothing useful.
And whenever Shen Xiu taught, Nie Li, Du Ze, Lu Piao, and the others had to stand at the back.
Class was about to begin, and the students were chatting in little groups.
Ye Ziyun hadn't kept much distance from the other students in her class. She had quickly become friendly with many of the girls. Shen Yue, on the other hand, sat off to the side with an air of superiority. Given his status, he couldn't be bothered to associate with his classmates. If Ye Ziyun weren't here, he wouldn't have stayed in this class at all.
There would be a test in two months. Both he and Ye Ziyun would surely make it into the junior Demon Spirit Master class.
Shen Yue glanced at Nie Li, who was standing at the back, and gave a mocking smile. "Reach the Bronze 1-star Realm in two months? If a good-for-nothing like you could pull that off, the sun would have to rise in the west!"
Nie Li, Du Ze, and Lu Piao were chatting at the back. A few commoner students who got along well with the three of them were there, too. Nie Li had plenty of ideas and often offered the others pointers on their cultivation, so he had gradually become the leader of their little group. Even Du Ze, who had considerable standing among the commoner students, was perfectly happy to listen to him.
In just a few short days, Nie Li had already helped the two of them earn more than sixteen thousand Spirit Coins. It was more than Du Ze could have imagined. He trusted and admired Nie Li, and thought him very capable.
"Nie Li, what should we do next?" Du Ze asked. Nie Li had said they wouldn't hunt Horned Sheep anymore, so what were they supposed to do instead?
"You'll find out after class!" Nie Li said with a mysterious smile. He already had a whole series of plans in mind. First, they needed to buy some Soul Crystals, test their innate attributes, and get started on cultivation right away.
Nie Li still had his bet with Shen Xiu to fulfill: he had to reach the Bronze 1-star level within two months!
Aside from his own cultivation, Nie Li's gaze drifted into the distance. Ye Ziyun stood among a group of girls like a crane among chickens. How could he get close to her—and make her fall for him?
Just as Nie Li's mind began to wander, Xiao Ninger suddenly stood up from the front row and walked toward him.
Xiao Ninger was the only girl in the class whose beauty and talent rivaled Ye Ziyun's. Everything she did drew the attention of the whole class. Ye Ziyun was gentle and mild-mannered, never condescending or overbearing, so many of the commoner and noble girls in the class were happy to be her friends. Xiao Ninger, by contrast, was aloof and proud, an icy beauty who seemed to warn everyone to keep their distance.
Even the girls couldn't get close to her, let alone the boys.
Could Nie Li have offended Xiao Ninger?
"Nie Li's in for it!" A few of the noble scions watched Xiao Ninger approach and grinned as they talked. In their eyes, Xiao Ninger coming over to find Nie Li could only mean trouble. She was probably going to teach him a lesson. What else could an icy beauty like Xiao Ninger possibly want with a little nobody like Nie Li?
If something like that could happen, the sun really would have to rise in the west.
Xiao Ninger was already close to reaching the Bronze 1-star Realm. If there was a fight, Nie Li would definitely be the one getting beaten!
The noble scions waited eagerly for the show. Quite a few of them liked Xiao Ninger, after all. She was a super beauty every bit as stunning as Ye Ziyun!
Xiao Ninger had made a point of wearing a plaid lace dress today. Her glossy black hair fell down her back, and a beautiful pair of bracelets adorned her fair wrists. She looked especially lovely. She usually wore a tight-fitting jacket because it was convenient for cultivation, but she was so beautiful that even that simple jacket took on a unique charm. Today, however, she seemed to have gone to special effort with her appearance. She was even more beautiful than usual; once you looked at her, it was hard to tear your eyes away.
It seemed to be the first time Xiao Ninger had ever dressed up so carefully.
Nie Li was still chatting with Du Ze and Lu Piao when Xiao Ninger reached his desk.
Xiao Ninger had a unique presence. The moment she approached, Du Ze and Lu Piao nervously stood up. Xiao Ninger was usually cold and indifferent, always keeping people at arm's length. They couldn't help worrying about Nie Li.
Xiao Ninger looked at Nie Li. He sat casually in his chair, his gaze drifting from time to time toward Ye Ziyun in the distance. Xiao Ninger couldn't help feeling a little disheartened. It seemed Ye Ziyun was the only one Nie Li had eyes for. He acted as if he had never even noticed her.
Ever since Nie Li had massaged her the night before, Xiao Ninger's body had felt much better, and she had slept especially soundly. After getting up that morning, she had hurried to the library to find the origins of the Guidance Technique. But the library had only a very brief record of it: it was a secret art passed down from the era of the Snowy Wind Empire!
What was more, the Soul Power cultivation method Nie Li had revised had become incredibly profound. After only half an hour of practice that morning, her Spirit Energy had increased by two points—more than she usually gained in an entire day!
In Xiao Ninger's eyes, Nie Li was mysterious and powerful.
And what made Xiao Ninger proud was that she alone in the class knew how talented Nie Li was! The people who mocked him were so ignorant!
Xiao Ninger stood beside Nie Li's desk, watching him chat and laugh with easy composure.
A few noble scions whispered among themselves.
"How do you think Xiao Ninger will teach Nie Li a lesson?"
"Nie Li's Spirit Energy is only five. She'll probably toss him right out of the classroom!"
"Haha, that brat Nie Li doesn't know his place. He offended Mentor Shen Xiu, and now he's gone and provoked Xiao Ninger, too. He's definitely in for it!"
Even Du Ze and Lu Piao were staring nervously at Xiao Ninger. They couldn't understand why the pride of the heavens had suddenly come over. They cursed Nie Li in their hearts—he really did go looking for trouble everywhere! If Xiao Ninger tried to beat him up, they would definitely step in to help. But even all three of them together couldn't take on Xiao Ninger, whose Spirit Energy had reached seventy-eight!
Xiao Ninger was on the verge of reaching the Bronze 1-star Realm and becoming a true Demon Spirit Master!
At that moment, Ye Ziyun, Shen Yue, and the others all turned to look.
Ye Ziyun was puzzled, too. She had no idea what Nie Li had done to offend Xiao Ninger. Had Nie Li been flirting with her? A lecher like Nie Li really deserved to be taught a lesson!
Every face in the room was filled with confusion.
Seeing Xiao Ninger standing so prettily beside his desk, Nie Li was a little surprised. He looked up and asked, "Is something wrong?" In a setting like this, he didn't even know what to call her. The previous night's encounter still left him feeling a little awkward.
After getting to know Xiao Ninger, Nie Li had realized she wasn't as cold and proud as she seemed. Beneath it all, she was a gentle, sweet girl!
Xiao Ninger moved her right hand and took a paper bag from her Spatial Ring. In a soft voice, she said, "I made breakfast. I didn't know what flavors you liked, so I made a few different kinds." She gently set the bag down on the desk.
What? What was going on?
The entire classroom fell silent in an instant. You could have heard a pin drop. Everyone thought they must have misheard.
Du Ze and Lu Piao stared at the scene with their mouths hanging open. They could practically fit an egg inside. They could hardly believe their eyes. Xiao Ninger was one of the two great goddesses in their class. Even across the whole Sacred Lan Academy, she would probably rank among its top ten beauties. And Xiao Ninger was usually a little cold, giving people the sense that they should keep their distance. But what were they seeing today? Xiao Ninger had made breakfast for Nie Li—and several servings at that?
Had the sun risen in the west? Could this be real? Everyone looked as if they'd been struck by lightning.
"I must be sleepwalking. I'd better go back to bed and wake up properly before I talk about this," one student muttered.
"Hiss!" Several students thought they were dreaming and pinched themselves. The sharp sting told them they weren't.
"This makes no sense!" A few noble scions wailed inwardly. They still had no idea what was going on. Xiao Ninger's outfit today and the hint of gentleness she showed were both beyond belief. They had thought the goddess Ninger had come to hassle Nie Li, but she had actually brought him breakfast!
If Xiao Ninger had brought them breakfast, they'd have gladly eaten it even if it were pig feed!
Xiao Ninger hardly had any female friends, and she couldn't be bothered with other boys. Yet she treated the good-for-nothing Nie Li differently, even lowering herself to bring him breakfast. This... this was completely absurd! Was it all because Nie Li had talked back to Mentor Shen Xiu and been made to stand at the back? If so, they'd gladly talk back to Mentor Shen Xiu even if it meant standing there for years!
Xiao Ninger hadn't given it that much thought. She only wanted to show Nie Li her gratitude. She didn't care what anyone else thought of her; she had always done as she pleased. Xiao Ninger wasn't bothered by other people's opinions. They mocked and looked down on Nie Li because they were ignorant. Sooner or later, they'd realize they couldn't tell gold from jade!
She alone in the world knew how talented Nie Li was!
Even Ye Ziyun and Shen Yue were bewildered and incredulous. This was an outcome they could never have imagined!
"What on earth is going on?" Shen Yue asked with a dark expression. How could a girl as talented as Xiao Ninger take a liking to a piece of trash like Nie Li—and even take the initiative to show him kindness?
Ye Ziyun was now deeply curious about Nie Li, too. She and Xiao Ninger had been close friends as children. Later, Xiao Ninger's family had fallen into decline, and their families' circumstances had kept the two of them apart. After that, Ye Ziyun had never made another true friend. She had come to miss the days she spent playing with Xiao Ninger more and more. When she learned Xiao Ninger had enrolled at Sacred Lan Academy, Ye Ziyun had asked her father to arrange for her to attend as well.
Because of Xiao Ninger, Ye Ziyun had started paying attention to Nie Li. What could possibly have made Xiao Ninger pursue a boy as unaccomplished as him? It was baffling. Xiao Ninger's behavior really did give that impression.
"Can I sit and eat with you?" Xiao Ninger asked, looking at Nie Li, then at Du Ze and Lu Piao.
Du Ze and Lu Piao's gazes shot to Nie Li. They didn't dare entertain any thoughts about Xiao Ninger, but having a beautiful girl like her sitting beside them would certainly be a treat for the eyes.
Nie Li was silent for a moment, then nodded. "All right!" For some reason, seeing Xiao Ninger made him think of the intimate scene from the night before. Her supple, boneless body and smooth, fair skin still made him feel a little awkward.
Xiao Ninger took out the breakfast. It held all kinds of delicate pastries that made your mouth water just to look at them. Their fresh, sweet aroma seemed to drift into every corner of the classroom.
"Du Ze, Lu Piao, you can have some, too," Xiao Ninger said, turning to them.
The goddess Ninger had actually called them by name. They couldn't help feeling flattered. The aloof goddess Ninger wasn't as hard to approach as the rumors made her out to be.
"Then I'll enjoy some of Nie Li's good fortune!" Lu Piao chuckled and picked up a pastry. He stuffed his cheeks and mumbled, "Delicious!"
Du Ze looked at Lu Piao and shook his head, speechless.
Xiao Ninger smiled, her face all the more radiant and lovely. Her classmates stared, dumbstruck. They rarely ever saw her smile, and in the face of that smile, the whole world seemed to fade.
Nie Li sighed inwardly. He and Ye Ziyun had once shared life and death and been through too much together. So Xiao Ninger and he were destined to be nothing more than friends.
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