Chapter 4: A Million Demon Spirit Coins?

Nie Li glanced in the direction where Xiao Ning'er was standing. Xiao Ning'er had a slender figure and wore a form-fitting gooseling-yellow short dress, paired with a pair of tall black boots. Her lustrous raven-black hair draped softly over her shoulders. Her clear, bright eyes were framed by delicate, arched willow brows, and her long eyelashes trembled ever so slightly. Her fair, flawless skin glowed with a faint rosy tint, and her full lips were as tender and dewy as rose petals.

Beyond her feminine charm, there was also a kind of indescribable wild beauty about her. The frost-like expression on her face only added a touch of a different sort of allure.

Nie Li's gaze grew deep as memories flooded back. Xiao Ning'er was the legitimate daughter of the Xiao family, one of the seven great noble families. In terms of Soul Power talent, she was second only to Ye Ziyun. Before the fall of the City of Radiance, she had become a Silver Five-Star Demon Spirit Master. Together with Ye Ziyun, the two were known as the most dazzling twin stars among the younger generation of Demon Spirit Masters.

However, the Xiao family, in order to curry favor with the three peak families, had tried to force Xiao Ning'er into marriage with the Sacred Family — specifically to marry Shen Yue's older brother. Xiao Ning'er refused to submit even at the cost of her life. In the end, she broke ties with her family and ventured alone into the Black Fiend Forest within the Holy Ancestor Mountain Range. She never returned.

What a fierce-spirited woman!

Nie Li's heart was filled with regret for Xiao Ning'er. If given the chance, he would definitely help her in this life. But as for having any special feelings toward her — he did not. In Nie Li's heart, there was only Ye Ziyun.

"In two months, it'll be the Warrior and Demon Spirit Master grade assessment. I hope that by then, a few of you will have reached Bronze One-Star Warrior or Demon Spirit Master rank. Whether it's me or Sheng Lan Academy, we'll be proud of you!" Shen Xiu said with a smile. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Black Gold, and Legendary — these five grades were further divided into one to five stars, with Bronze One-Star being the entry level.

A Warrior needed a strength of 100, or a Demon Spirit Master needed a Soul Power of 100, to qualify as a Bronze One-Star powerhouse.

Breaking through to entry level was extremely difficult. Many people could never reach it in their entire lives, unable to become a true Warrior or Demon Spirit Master.

Hearing Shen Xiu's words, the students in the class began whispering among themselves. To become a Bronze One-Star Warrior, one needed the strength to lift a hundred-jin boulder and shatter a tree trunk as thick as an arm with a single palm strike. For children like them, this was far too difficult — unless they had been consuming various spirit medicines since childhood, making their bodies and bones extraordinarily robust. As for becoming a Demon Spirit Master, one needed to cultivate powerful Soul Power within the body, which was even harder than becoming a Warrior.

The Soul Sea was divided into seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple. Ordinary people usually only had a red Soul Sea, making it extremely difficult to cultivate as a Demon Spirit Master. They would typically choose to become Warriors instead. Only those with an orange or yellow Soul Sea were suited for cultivating Soul Power. Those with a green or cyan Soul Sea were considered extraordinary geniuses.

The students cast envious glances at Ye Ziyun, Shen Yue, and Xiao Ning'er. Within the next half year, the only ones likely to reach Bronze One-Star rank would probably be just those three.

Once they reached Bronze One-Star rank, they could enter the official Warrior class or the official Demon Spirit Master class! At that point, they wouldn't be classmates anymore!

Sensing the gazes of the other students, Shen Yue puffed out his chest with pride. As a disciple of the Sacred Family, he had enjoyed all sorts of spirit medicines since childhood, and his cultivation had long surpassed that of ordinary peers. Raising his Demon Spirit Power to 100 within two months should be a simple matter. All he had to do was wait for the assessment!

Shen Yue glanced at the elegant and lovely Ye Ziyun beside him. Only he was worthy of Ye Ziyun. Who did Nie Li think he was! He had even dared to bet with his aunt that he would reach Bronze One-Star rank within two months — the height of arrogance and ignorance! Did Nie Li think reaching Bronze One-Star was that easy? A piece of trash with only a red Soul Sea had the audacity to make such bold claims!

Ye Ziyun and Xiao Ning'er exchanged a glance. Both of them came from exceptionally privileged backgrounds, so naturally they wouldn't fall behind. Ye Ziyun had always wanted to be friends with Xiao Ning'er, but Xiao Ning'er seemed to regard her as a rival, silently striving toward Ye Ziyun as her goal.

"As for those who claim they'll reach Bronze One-Star rank within two months, I'd very much like to see what they can accomplish!" Shen Xiu said with contempt, casting a dismissive glance at Nie Li.

A person's Soul Sea strength and physical condition directly determined their cultivation speed. Under normal circumstances, given Nie Li's current state, it would take at least three to five years before he could formally break through and become a Bronze One-Star Warrior. As for becoming a Demon Spirit Master — someone with only a red Soul Sea shouldn't even dream of it.

Nie Li didn't take Shen Xiu's words to heart at all.

"Two months? That's actually a bit more time than I need," Nie Li said, the corner of his mouth curving slightly upward into a faint, confident smile. Watch me reach Bronze One-Star rank within two months!

Privately, Nie Li, Lu Piao, and Du Ze were quietly chatting among themselves.

"Nie Li, do you like Ye Ziyun?" Lu Piao asked, looking at Nie Li.

"Of course!" Nie Li replied earnestly.

Lu Piao stared into Nie Li's eyes for a moment, then sighed. "Ye Ziyun really is beautiful. For your sake, as my brother, I won't compete with you. But as your brother, I have to warn you — Ye Ziyun's status is far too noble. She's simply beyond our reach." Although the family they belonged to was one of the twenty noble families, the gap between their status and Ye Ziyun's was still immense.

"You two, can you be a bit more realistic? Ye Ziyun is a super genius with a cyan Soul Sea! She'll become a Bronze One-Star Demon Spirit Master soon, and after the assessment in two months, she'll probably enter the official Demon Spirit Master class. Once she's in there, her cultivation will take off even further. Whether she'll even remember you two by then is questionable. I can't stand you noble family heirs — always thinking about how to flirt with women and never putting effort into your cultivation!" Du Ze snorted, delivering a merciless verbal blow.

"What do you mean noble family heirs only think about flirting with women? That's slander! I've always worked hard at my cultivation, you know. I only spend at most half the day thinking about women!" Lu Piao shrugged, his playboy tendencies on full display.

"Oh my god! What kind of people do I even know?!" Du Ze rolled his eyes.

Du Ze had decent talent, possessing a yellow Soul Sea, and he cultivated very hard. Combined with certain fortuitous encounters he later had, he fought his way all the way to Gold One-Star Demon Spirit Master rank, leading his family to become one of the noble families. It was a truly remarkable achievement.