Breaking through to Legendary Rank

Ye Xiu brought Nie Li back to the City Lord's Mansion from the Alchemist Association once again.

Ye Zong had already entered seclusion to begin his breakthrough to Legendary rank.

As for Chen Zhenglong, Head of the Sacred Nether Family, Chen Linjian had personally escorted three Nine Profound Pills home for him to use in his breakthrough to Legendary rank.

The final three pills would be reserved for the next person to become a Black Gold Five-Star Demon Spirit Master.

The two most likely candidates were Ye Xiu and the head of the Huyan Family, Huyan Xiong.

Both were four-star Black Gold Demon Spirit Masters. Whoever broke through first would receive priority for those three Nine Profound Pills.

Meanwhile, Nie Li and the others continued cultivating.

During the two days Nie Li spent at the Alchemist Association, however, Du Ze, Xiao Ning'er, and Ye Ziyun had all reached Bronze Five-Star, one after another.

Their next step was to break through to Silver rank.

Nie Li suddenly snapped his fingers. He had thought of a way to take them straight from Bronze Five-Star to Silver rank in one swift leap.

The Meridian-Sealing Hand would seal the blood vessels in their arms and other areas, blocking thirty-six acupoints to trap their soul force inside their Soul Seas, then force a breakthrough to Silver rank.

When they heard that such a method existed, they were dumbfounded.

Du Ze hesitated. "Nie Li, won't doing this damage our meridians?"

"It will cause some damage, yes, but we have piles of recovery pills here. Once you reach Silver rank, you can take those pills to repair the damage."

Since Nie Li said so, it had to be fine.

The three immediately sat cross-legged and, following Nie Li's instructions, began sealing the thirty-six acupoints in their arms.

A sudden surge of excruciating pain made all three cry out.

All three had iron wills, so they had to endure it no matter how much it hurt. After all, breaking straight through from Bronze Five-Star to Silver rank would save them a considerable stretch of cultivation.

As the pain grew increasingly intense, they frantically swallowed pills, feeling their soul force surge higher and higher.

"Guide that soul force and break through the crucial points!"

Nie Li's voice forced them to pull themselves together.

Bang!

Even more intense agony made them scream at the top of their lungs.

Even Nie Li, who had endured so much, would have been unable to keep from crying out under such pain, let alone them.

That surge of soul force burst through their Soul Seas, forcing open their sealed meridians one by one.

The three collapsed helplessly to the ground, gasping for breath.

The pain had yet to fade, but they could not help smiling.

Although their meridians were badly damaged and their soul force severely depleted, they could sense that they had truly reached Silver rank. Once their soul force recovered, they would be Silver Rank Demon Spirit Masters.

Nie Li smiled. He had not neglected his cultivation during those two days at the Alchemist Association, either, and he was already on the verge of reaching Bronze Five-Star.

He was confident he could do it tonight.

The three poured large quantities of pills out of their Space Rings, replenishing their depleted soul force and repairing their damaged meridians.

After a period of cultivation.

The three opened their eyes, one after another.

Du Ze stared at his hands. "I... I've reached Silver rank!"

"Me too."

"Me too!"

All three had broken through to Silver rank.

Nie Li clapped his hands. "Congratulations on reaching Silver rank. You can choose your demon spirits next."

Boom!

A powerful aura erupted from the City Lord's Mansion, only to dissipate moments later.

Shen Hong of the Sacred Family seemed to sense something and glanced toward the City Lord's Mansion.

That aura... had someone else broken through from four-star Black Gold to Black Gold Five-Star?

Ye Xiu?

He did not even consider Legendary rank.

After all, he had met Ye Zong more than once or twice. He was absolutely confident that Ye Zong could not possibly reach Legendary rank within the next year or two.

Suddenly, another powerful aura emanated from the Sacred Nether Family, leaving Shen Hong irritated. What was going on with the Wind Snow Family and the Sacred Nether Family today? Had people from both families broken through from Black Gold Four-Star to Black Gold Five-Star one after another?

Why did he not suspect that Chen Zhenglong had reached Legendary rank?

Chen Zhenglong was roughly on par with Shen Hong himself. In his eyes, even Ye Zong had not reached Legendary rank, so Chen Zhenglong had even less chance.

At the City Lord's Mansion.

Ye Zong appeared in the courtyard, striding with the majesty of a dragon and the vigor of a tiger.

His aura was now as vast and unfathomable as an abyss, nothing like it had been before.

Nie Li was the first to cup his hands with a cheerful smile. "Congratulations on reaching Legendary rank, Father-in-law."

"Congratulations on reaching Legendary rank, Father."

"Congratulations on reaching Legendary rank, City Lord!"

Having broken through to Legendary rank, Ye Zong was in exceptionally high spirits.

Ye Xiu arrived just then with good news: Chen Zhenglong, Head of the Sacred Nether Family—the Wind Snow Family's trusted right hand—had also reached the Legendary Realm.

Ye Zong was even more elated. Glory City now had three Legendary Demon Spirit Masters protecting it.

"Father-in-law, to keep prying eyes in the dark, please conceal your cultivation for now, and ask the head of the Sacred Nether Family to do the same. Keep posing as Black Gold Five-Star Demon Spirit Masters. Otherwise, those who ought to come crawling out might retreat into their shells again."

Ye Zong agreed with Nie Li's advice. After sealing off part of his Soul Sea, Ye Zong's aura dropped back to Black Gold Five-Star.

"Zi Yun, have the three of you already reached Silver rank? Then come choose your demon spirits. The City Lord's Mansion has plenty of them. There are bound to be some that suit you."

Nie Li said, "Let me choose their demon spirits. The ones I pick for them will definitely be different."

After some thought, Ye Zong agreed. With Nie Li's ability and knowledge, he could always come up with something unlike anything they knew. After all, before Nie Li appeared, who had known that Soul Seas had different forms and attributes?

"By the way, Han'er will be coming back soon. Since I've also just reached Legendary rank, we'll hold a banquet once he returns and invite the major families to discuss our future plans. We can sound out the Sacred Family while we're at it. You're the geniuses of Glory City's new generation, so make sure none of you misses it."

Ye Zong had been riding high on the spring breeze these past few days, and how could he not? Glory City had always lived under the threat of demon beasts, but now Nie Li and a whole group of rising geniuses had appeared. Even Ye Zong himself had reached Legendary rank. No matter how he looked at it, the future held great promise.

"Han'er? Who's that?"

Nie Li scratched his head. He had no idea who this Han'er Ye Zong mentioned was.

Beside him, however, Ye Ziyun pressed her lips together slightly.

Ye Han was her father Ye Zong's adopted son and, in name, her elder brother.

Ye Zong gave Nie Li a brief explanation.

Nie Li frowned. "Ye Han? Your adopted son, Father-in-law? That's strange. Zi Yun never told me he existed in my previous life."

Ye Zong froze as well. "Zi Yun never mentioned him to you?"

Nie Li searched his memories again, then shook his head. She had definitely never mentioned him.