The next day, after a full day at the academy, I decided not to go home directly but instead headed to the academy’s library.
As I entered, my eyes immediately fell on Shen Yue and his group. They clearly weren’t here for the books. There was a purpose in their presence, and it had little to do with study.
Shen Yue quickly honed in on his target. Nie Li and his friends were gathered for their usual training, speaking casually before being interrupted by Shen Yue's arrival.
Nie Li had publicly humiliated his family, tarnishing its reputation by exposing their secrets, something Shen Yue couldn’t forgive. Without hesitation, Shen Yue strode up to Nie Li, hostility radiating from him.
Nie Li spotted him and responded coldly, "Shen Yue, back away, or I won’t be polite."
A sneer curled across Shen Yue’s lips. "Heh, polite? To me? Nie Li, you overestimate yourself. Who do you think you are? Just because you’ve read a few books and gotten that lowly clerk position, you think you can challenge me? You’re nothing! Stay away from Ye Ziyun, or I’ll show you what it means to go against the Sacred Family!"
Nie Li’s companions, Du Ze, Li Piao, and the rest, rushed to his side the moment Shen Yue raised his voice. Six or seven of Shen Yue’s lackeys flanked him. Those in the library quickly distanced themselves, fearful of getting caught in the impending confrontation.
I stood to the side, observing silently. Based on the numbers and strength on each side, Shen Yue’s group should win if things escalated into a fight.
In fact, Shen Yue’s presence here was no coincidence. Days earlier, during a casual visit to borrow some texts, I had subtly planted the seed of his anger.
"Shen Yue, you might not know," I had told him, "but Nie Li has been getting quite close to Ye Ziyun recently. From what I’ve heard, he’s trying to gain her favor."
Shen Yue’s reaction was immediate. "What? Is this true? That brat, Nie Li..." His fists clenched as his mind raced with suspicion and jealousy. He and Ye Ziyun were childhood friends.
"If you don’t stop him, he’ll keep approaching her. Who knows what he said to Ye Ziyun?"
Shen Yue’s face darkened further. "Damn, I need to put him in his place. It's bad enough he slandered our Sacred Family, but now he dares to go after Ye Ziyun? I won’t allow it."
I left him stewing in his rage that day, knowing it was only a matter of time before Shen Yue acted. And if he didn't act, the more enemies Nie Li had the better. Today, in the library, I saw the fruits of my labor as the confrontation unfolded.
The commotion in the library quickly spread, with whispers rising among the students as they watched the escalating tension.
“What’s going on?”
“I heard Shen Yue and Nie Li have some kind of conflict over Ye Ziyun. Looks like they’re about to fight.”
“Who does Nie Li think he is? Offending Shen Yue? He’s part of the Sacred Family!”
“Shen Yue’s close to reaching 1-star Bronze rank. How’s Nie Li gonna deal with that?”
In Shen Yue’s mind, subduing Nie Li was a simple task. With his superior strength and background, he believed he could crush Nie Li with just a fraction of his power. But Nie Li didn’t see Shen Yue as a threat at all. ‘Even your entire Sacred Family couldn’t stop me. What makes you think you can?’
On paper, Nie Li was at a disadvantage—his soul force and strength were far below Shen Yue's, having only started cultivating the Heavenly God Cultivation Technique a week ago.
“You think just because you’re from the Sacred Family, you can act arrogant and do whatever you want?” Nie Li said coldly. “Even if you have the Sacred Family’s backing, you’re still an academy student here. Break the rules, and you’ll be expelled.”
Shen Yue hesitated for a brief second. The reality of expulsion flashed in his mind, but pride quickly overpowered reason. “So what, Nie Li? This is your fault for provoking me!” he shouted, lunging forward with a fist aimed at Nie Li.
Nie Li swiftly sidestepped Shen Yue’s first strike and blocked his follow-up punch. In one fluid motion, he applied pressure to Shen Yue’s wrist, causing his arm to buckle under the sudden force. Shen Yue’s body faltered, and he stumbled, crashing to the floor.
‘What... just happened?’ Shen Yue’s mind raced in disbelief. ‘I’m clearly stronger than Nie Li, yet I couldn’t even resist? How?’ For as long as Shen Yue had known Nie Li, he had regarded him as inferior—a weakling with poor soul realm talent, a fragile physique, and no combat ability to speak of.
By contrast, Shen Yue had always been hailed as a genius, blessed with a strong soul realm and trained with the finest elixirs since childhood. His physique was far superior to his peers. Yet, in this brief clash, Nie Li had effortlessly turned the tables. ‘What kind of demonic technique did Nie Li use?’
Nie Li looked down at Shen Yue with a faint sneer. Though his strength hadn’t reached its peak yet, his mastery over his own soul force and physical abilities was something Shen Yue couldn’t hope to match. By targeting an acupuncture point in Shen Yue’s wrist with precision, Nie Li had rendered his opponent’s arm useless in an instant.
Seeing Shen Yue's collapse, I stepped forward. "Classmate Shen Yue, are you hurt?" My face showed a hint of concern, though I remained distant from the conflict. Shen Yue weakly nodded as he stood, but I made no move to intervene, merely observing from the sidelines.
Shen Yue’s lackeys were left in shock, their faces full of disbelief. 'What just happened? How did boss Shen Yue lose?'
"This is impossible! How can I lose?" Shen Yue muttered, unwilling to accept defeat, especially to someone like Nie Li. His pride flared. "You’ve forced my hand!" With a shout, Shen Yue unleashed his soul force in a surge toward Nie Li. His soul force had already reached an impressive 82, while Nie Li’s, in contrast, barely touched 15.
"Haha! Such weak, pitiful soul force, and yet you dared to act arrogant in front of me?" Shen Yue sneered, fully confident that his superior strength would overwhelm Nie Li.
But as his soul force collided with Nie Li’s, something unexpected happened. Nie Li concentrated his soul force to a single point, and it cut through Shen Yue’s like a blade, piercing his defenses.
Nie Li's counterattack struck Shen Yue hard. "Urghh!" Shen Yue gasped, a sharp pain radiating through his soul realm. Sweat poured down his face as he struggled to breathe, his body trembling under the force of Nie Li’s retaliation.
'How is this possible?' I mused silently, watching the clash with interest. With my Byakugan, I could see the flow of energy clearly. Despite possessing a fraction of Shen Yue’s soul force, Nie Li not only matched him but overpowered him.
Nie Li’s voice was cold and mocking as he stepped forward. "Look at you—trembling in fear. A nobody like you dared to threaten me? You’re not even worth my time." With a casual grip, Nie Li lifted Shen Yue with one hand. Then, with a sharp thrust, he flung Shen Yue through the air.
Stolen story; please report.
Boom! Shen Yue crashed through the library window, landing heavily on the ground outside. Dust rose in thick clouds around him.
“Boss!” his lackeys shouted, rushing to his side. They hurriedly lifted Shen Yue, who clutched his body in pain. "Get me out of here," he groaned, his pride shattered along with his body as they carried him away.
In the Fighter Apprentice class, it was common knowledge that Nie Li’s innate talent couldn’t compare to Shen Yue’s, and everyone had expected Nie Li to be thoroughly beaten.
"Nie Li only has a red soul realm. How did he win?" The gossip spread quickly through the library, yet in the grand scheme of things at Holy Orchid Institute, a scuffle like this barely left a ripple in the daily life of the academy.
In Shen Xiu’s office, the atmosphere was tense. "What did you just say? You were thrown out of the library by Nie Li?" Shen Xiu’s voice dripped with disbelief as her sharp eyes locked onto her nephew. "Your soul force has reached 80; how could Nie Li possibly be stronger than you?"
"Aunt, I don't understand it either. Nie Li must know some kind of demonic magic," Shen Yue stammered, his frustration clear. "His strength is obviously much weaker than mine, but when he grabbed my hand, my entire arm felt powerless. Even though my soul force is leagues ahead of his, as soon as our forces clashed, I was overwhelmed. It was like his soul force passed straight through mine!" He recounted the event with lingering confusion.
Shen Xiu's face darkened with shame. Her nephew’s defeat at the hands of someone so inferior was a humiliation she wasn’t prepared for. "And how much was his strength? His soul force?" Her brows furrowed in irritation.
"It couldn’t have been more than 15," Shen Yue admitted, his voice low with embarrassment.
Shen Xiu’s patience snapped. "And you still lost to him?" she scolded, her voice rising in frustration. Shen Yue opened his mouth to protest but, seeing no way to justify his failure, he clamped it shut.
Shen Xiu exhaled sharply, trying to maintain her composure. "Perhaps the brat has good control over his strength and soul force," she said aloud, her sharp mind working through the possibilities. "Some people, even with weaker soul force, have extraordinary control. They're able to channel their force so precisely that they can defeat stronger opponents. But, for him to reach the 1-star bronze rank? That will be far from easy."
Shen Yue nodded in agreement, though the anxiety in his heart remained. The thought of Nie Li getting close to Ye Ziyun gnawed at him. He has to be expelled, he thought bitterly. Otherwise, he’ll continue to be a threat.
Meanwhile, after the incident, I lingered in the library for a while longer before finally heading home. The earlier conflict between Nie Li and Shen Yue played back in my mind. I had carefully observed every detail, recording Nie Li’s technique with my template.
What stood out most was the importance of control. It wasn’t just about how much soul force you had; mastery over its control could completely change the outcome of a fight. Nie Li had demonstrated that effortlessly, and I now had a valuable insight.
Back in my room, I sat cross-legged and closed my eyes, visualizing the flow I had witnessed. My mind sharpened, focusing on how Nie Li had condensed his soul force with pinpoint precision. Slowly, I replicated the technique, letting my own soul force respond to my will. It moved tentatively at first, circulating and spreading across my body, tracing the pathways I had envisioned.
Control, not just raw power, I reminded myself. My soul force enveloped me like a second skin, gradually becoming more responsive, bending to my thoughts. So this is the key...
Meanwhile in the Sacred Family's Elder Hall of Main Affairs, Shen Ming, the Main Affair Elder, sat in deep thought. A silver rank demon spiritist, his cultivation wasn't particularly powerful, but his competence in managing the Sacred Family's affairs kept him in his influential position. Today, however, his usual calm demeanor was cracked as he read the latest report in front of him, his expression darkening with anger.
"A student from the fighter apprentice class dares to slander my Sacred Family!" he shouted, his tone sharp.
The source of his fury: Nie Li. The boy’s exposure of the <
In response, Shen Ming had dispatched envoys to mend relations and explain the situation. Yet even with these efforts, there was a limit to how much the Sacred Family could do. They couldn't touch Nie Li directly—not when powerful figures were rumored to have taken an interest in him, and the academy itself had provided him with a position of authority.
And now this—another report had arrived just days later. This time, Nie Li had physically bested Shen Yue, a direct descendant of the Sacred Family. Shen Ming's irritation was further stoked by a letter he'd recently received—my letter—detailing how Nie Li had the audacity to challenge me as well, all while acting arrogantly toward the Sacred Family.
"How could Young Master Shen Yue, at the peak of 1-star bronze rank, be defeated by Nie Li?" Shen Ming muttered, disbelief clouding his eyes. "And why did Nie Li also challenge Young Master Naraku?"
Puzzled, he glanced at his underling standing by. The man nervously cleared his throat before answering. "I’m not certain, Main Affair Elder. Young Master Shen Yue insists that his strength and soul force are both superior to Nie Li’s. He mentioned something about Nie Li using 'demonic magic,' but he seemed unsure of how Nie Li overpowered him."
Shen Ming’s frown deepened. Demonic magic? To him, it sounded like a weak excuse to cover up Shen Yue’s poor control over his soul force. Shen Yue had failed, and instead of accepting it, he had latched onto superstitions.
"How strong could a fighter apprentice student truly be? In the report, it says he has a red soul realm," Shen Ming said, waving his hand dismissively.
The underling shifted uneasily. "Main Affair Elder, should we inform the House Master about this?"
Shen Ming immediately shook his head. "No. This isn't something the House Master needs to hear about. He’s focused on his breakthrough to legend rank. As long as this matter remains insignificant, we’ll keep it away from him."
In Shen Ming's mind, Nie Li was nothing more than an arrogant upstart. "Did you investigate Nie Li's family background?" Shen Ming asked.
"Yes, Elder. After receiving the first report from Young Master Naraku, we investigated. He’s from the Heavenly Marks Family."
Shen Ming scoffed. "The Heavenly Marks Family? How amusing. A small, insignificant noble family dares to challenge us, a major family? This brat must have stumbled upon the origin of the <
Despite his derision, Shen Ming knew they couldn’t act recklessly. Eliminating Nie Li’s family outright would draw too much attention from other noble families, making the Sacred Family look guilty. No, this had to be handled carefully.
"Let Young Master Shen Fei take note of Nie Li," Shen Ming instructed. "If a few teenagers fight in the academy, no one will care. Shen Fei is a 1-star silver rank demon spiritist—more than enough to handle Nie Li."
He paused, tapping his fingers on the desk. "Wait until the storm around this matter settles. When the gossip dies down, inform Shen Fei to act. We’ll teach this Nie Li a lesson—but quietly. We cannot afford any further damage to our reputation."
Shen Ming’s cold, calculating eyes gleamed. As the Main Affair Elder of the Sacred Family, it was his duty to handle such matters with precision and care. He would make sure that when they struck, no one would be the wiser.
Meanwhile at the City Lord’s Mansion, Ye Ziyun sat in her elegantly decorated study, the soft glow of the afternoon sun filtering through the curtains. In front of her lay an old book, its worn pages filled with inscription patterns. Yet her focus was not on the book itself, but on a piece of paper in her hand—an inscription pattern I had drawn earlier.
Her brows furrowed in thought as she flipped through the pages of the book, her eyes darting back and forth between the ancient patterns and the one she now held. Where did this come from? she wondered, her mind racing to uncover the origins of the mysterious inscription.
A moment later, the door creaked open, and a woman wearing a blue veil stepped in, her presence graceful yet commanding. "Miss, what matters did you call me for?" the woman asked, her voice calm and respectful.
Ye Ziyun looked up from the desk, her gaze meeting the veiled woman’s. "Aunt Xue, you are an inscription master. Do you recognize the origin of this inscription pattern?" She slid the parchment across the desk toward Xue Yin.
Xue Yin’s eyes fell onto the intricate lines of the pattern. She studied it carefully, her expression turning from curiosity to astonishment. "Miss, where did you get this inscription pattern? I’ve never seen anything like this before."
Ye Ziyun blinked, her own surprise mirroring that of Xue Yin. Even Aunt Xue doesn’t recognize it? Xue Yin was an accomplished inscription master—her knowledge of patterns and symbols was unmatched. If she hadn’t seen this before, it could only mean one thing: this inscription was something truly rare.
"It resembles the Icy Wind, Sudden Snow pattern," Xue Yin continued, her tone thoughtful as she traced the geometrical lines with her fingers. "But at the same time, it’s not. It’s stronger, more refined than the Icy Wind, Sudden Snow." Her hand hovered over the parchment as she performed a few hand gestures, analyzing the pattern further. "These lines are so well-proportioned... I can’t say for certain, but this is the work of a master. Miss, did you meet an inscription master?"
Ye Ziyun’s heart skipped a beat at Xue Yin’s words. Naraku is an inscription master? She shook her head in disbelief, her mind spinning. How could that be possible? He was around her age—far too young to possess the skill of a master inscriptionist.