Before the expedition, I made my final preparations, taking a moment to assess my current growth. My cultivation had progressed steadily, and I could feel the power of my soul force flowing more smoothly than ever before. Training diligently had not only increased my strength but also sharpened my senses.
My cultivation art provides me 5 soul points per day when using the Purple Hazegrass liquid. A single Soul Assembling Pill or other elixirs can equal on average to 20 points per week. Altogether, this totals to 230 soul points per month or over 2,800 points per year. This large increase is made possible because I can absorb all the spiritual energy from consumable medicine and enhance the efficiency of each one beyond 100%.
The ranks of demon spiritualists are categorized into Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Black Gold, with Legend being the exception at the highest tier. Each rank contains five stages, and I have estimated the soul force required to advance through each. For Bronze rank, each stage requires 100 soul points; for Silver, it’s 150; Gold demands 250; and Black Gold, being twice the challenge, needs 500 soul points per stage. In total, over 5,000 soul force points are required to reach the peak of Black Gold.
As for the elusive Legend rank, an additional 10,000 points is the bare minimum to advance, but progression isn't simply about amassing more soul force. The breakthrough involves more complex factors, including comprehension, state of mind, and external opportunities.
This means that to advance beyond Black Gold's peak, it would take me around two years and likely another five to reach and stabilize in the Legend rank. My accumulated karma would further accelerate the amount of soul force I gain and assist in breaking through any bottlenecks. Currently, I have close to 100 karma, which will come in handy during critical moments of cultivation. Patience and diligence are key, but the results will be well worth it.
At this time, I was at home, soaking in a tempering bath after my morning training. The hot water mingled with the alchemical liquids I'd prepared, and my muscles relaxed as the energy from the mixture began to seep into my body.
Once I had completed the bath, I focused my mind on the Purple Hazegrass. Just yesterday, I had managed to create a stable recipe after refining the traditional method. This was no ordinary body-tempering mixture—it was an improvement I made using newly acquired knowledge.
Normally, Purple Hazegrass was sold as-is, requiring a cultivator to mix it with other herbs to prepare a bath. The common recipe called for one pound of Purple Hazegrass per bath, which made it incredibly inefficient, as most of the medicinal essence was wasted in the process of boiling it. Though one pound only cost 100 demon spirit coins, the additional herbs required to follow the recipe made it tedious and far from cost-effective.
However, I had devised a new alchemical powder formula that could revolutionize the process. By using one pound of Purple Hazegrass, I could produce a dozen portions of the powder, each far more potent than before.
In its powdered state, the absorption rate was greatly enhanced. Each portion, though small, was brimming with condensed energy. The secret lay in the infusion of my soul force, which significantly increased it's potency. The Dark Wood attribute enhanced the spiritual properties of the mixture, turning it into a substance as potent as poison—but highly nourishing to for those capable of withstanding it.
A small portion of this powder mixed with water could nourish the soul for hours, under the precise control of soul force. With this new method, I was set to accelerate my cultivation speed by leaps and bounds, with far less waste than the traditional methods allowed.
The Purple Hazegrass, with its unassuming appearance, resembles a simple perennial grass, but it conceals an extraordinary potential. It blooms with vibrant purple-pink clusters from late summer into fall, a sight that barely hints at its alchemical value. Yet, its true power lies not in its appearance but in its utility when properly refined.
On the other hand, the Holy Dark Grass I received from Chen Linjian is much more striking. Its dark purple flowers gradually deepen into a rich reddish-purple as they mature, creating a dramatic visual contrast. The velvety texture of its blooms and the intensity of its color give it a bold, almost regal presence—its spiritual potency is much more impressive.
Once refined, the final product of the Purple Hazegrass looks like ordinary purple power. When made into an alchemical liquid, the mixture glistens with a light blue-purple hue, like a shimmering pool of water, and radiates spiritual energy due to the careful alchemical process that transformed the mundane grass into a powerful elixir.
Given its potency, I planned to sell each portion for a premium price of 1,000 demon spirit coins.
Although the price may seem high, the benefits justify the cost. Each portion could increase a cultivator's soul force by 2 points per use, depending on their natural aptitude.
For most families, nurturing their demon spiritualists is a massive financial burden, often requiring tens of millions of demon spirit coins spent on elixirs and pills just to advance a single practitioner.
However, with my refined Purple Hazegrass powder, a noble family could achieve the same result for just 2.5 million demon spirit coins—a fraction of the usual cost. With consistent use, these portions could potentially push a demon spiritualist to the threshold of Black Gold rank.
Though the price of Purple Hazegrass has inflated tenfold, my elixir remains an incredibly efficient and cost-effective alternative to standard spirit-nourishing elixirs, which typically cost 10,000 demon spirit coins per dose.
With the Purple Hazegrass powder, any practitioner could reach Black Gold warrior rank with enough time and effort. As for ascending to Black Gold demon spiritist, it was a more complex and arduous path, but Gold rank was all but guaranteed.
This new development would not only set me up financially but also position me as a critical figure in the cultivation market. It was an opportunity I could not pass up.
After spending an additional 500,000 demon spirit coins, I secured the remaining portions of Purple Hazegrass from the black market. At 100 demon spirit coins per pound, I managed to acquire another 5,000 pounds, bringing my total stock to a massive 10 tons. This enormous supply would allow me to produce 100,000 portions of alchemical powder, enough to meet the growing demand from noble families.
Noble families would undoubtedly clamor for a consistent supply of the elixir, especially with its proven efficiency in tempering the flesh and nourishing the soul force.
No longer would they be reliant on unpredictable supplies of highly priced elixirs and pills.
While each portion was priced at 1,000 demon spirit coins, by offering preferential rates, on bulk orders, noble families would likely rely on me for their future cultivation needs. I could secure long-term contracts, ensuring a steady stream of revenue while positioning myself as a necessary asset to their cultivation endeavors.
With the Purple Hazegrass stockpile ready, the only thing left was to refine it into its alchemical form.
---
It was the second day. At the Secret Treasure Pavilion.
This was one of the largest shops in Glory City, specializing in high-quality armor, weapons, and inscription scrolls. Located just a few hundred meters from the Holy Orchid Institute, the shop attracted cultivators and adventurers alike. Today, it had drawn the attention of Nie Li.
Striding into the shop with confidence, Nie Li pointed at a gleaming set of bronze armor displayed near the entrance. "Boss, I’ll take that bronze Ragefire armor set and this Wrath of Inflammation sword!" he announced.
A worker quickly approached him, eager to explain the details of the items. "Young Master, this Ragefire armor set consists of four parts: the armor, gauntlets, leggings, and boots. Crafted from the scales of a Ragefire demon beast, this set is the pinnacle of the bronze level. A bronze-ranked demon beast wouldn’t be able to scratch it, and it can even resist silver-ranked demon beast attacks. The price is set at 250,000 demon spirit coins. Are you sure you want to purchase it?"
Nie Li waved his hand dismissively and tossed a bulging bag toward the worker. "Do I look like I’m joking? There are 35 ten-thousand demon spirit cards here."
The worker’s eyes lit up with joy as he caught the bag. "Of course, Young Master! I’ll wrap everything up immediately!"
But Nie Li wasn’t done. "I also want this set of armor, these inscription scrolls, and... this, this, and that!" he declared, pointing at various other high-end items. With his recent sale of just 10% of the Purple Hazegrass he owned, Nie Li had amassed nearly a million demon spirit coins, so spending half of that on these items wasn’t even a concern.
The shop owner couldn’t help but smile broadly. He didn’t know which super family this young man hailed from, but his spending spree was sure to make this month's sales the highest in a long time.
After making his selections, Nie Li purchased a 5-6 cubic meter interspatial ring, storing all of his new acquisitions within it. As for the Ragefire armor set, he immediately donned it. The suit was so light that he could easily wear it under his clothes without it being noticeable.
"I’ll head to the classroom now and return the money I borrowed from Xiao Ning’er," Nie Li muttered to himself as he left the shop, walking towards the school.
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Xiao Ning’er had once been in a dire situation, plagued by a cultivation problem that nearly killed her. When Nie Li intervened with his Talk No Jutsu and helped her overcome the issue, it had led to her feeling indebted to him. Grateful for his assistance, she had also lent him money when he needed it to buy up all the Purple Hazegrass in Glory City. Today, Nie Li would make good on his promise to repay her, having secured enough funds to do so comfortably.
As Nie Li strolled down the street toward Holy Orchid Institute, a group of figures suddenly emerged at the corner ahead. Shen Yue stood at the front, his lips curling into a cold sneer. "Brat, we’ve finally caught you!" Behind him, six of his lackeys, their eyes gleaming with ridicule, flanked him like predators circling prey.
Nie Li had anticipated this. Shen Yue and his group had been trailing him for some time, but Nie Li deliberately led them to a secluded area, far from the main streets. An imperceptible smile crept onto his face. 'Perfect. Let’s see how I can play with them this time.'
Feigning fear, Nie Li widened his eyes and took a step back. "What do you guys want?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly for effect.
Shen Yue’s sneer deepened, his finger jabbing at Nie Li as he barked, "You’ll know fear soon enough, brat! I've had enough of you these past few days. Today, you’re going to regret crossing me. Get him!"
At Shen Yue’s command, the six lackeys lunged at Nie Li like wolves going after their prey. Their eyes were filled with cruelty as they aimed to teach him a lesson.
"Beat him! Beat him until he can’t crawl back up!" Shen Yue barked, his tone cruel, clearly enjoying the idea of Nie Li being pummeled.
But as the lackeys advanced, Nie Li quickly sidestepped their initial blows, shouting loudly, "Don’t come any closer, or I’ll retaliate! Murder! Murder! The Sacred Family is trying to murder me!" His voice, amplified by a secret soul technique, reverberated across the courtyard, ringing in the ears of everyone nearby.
The sheer volume of his shout made Shen Yue’s face twist in frustration.
'Damn it! His voice is louder than a pig being slaughtered!' he thought. "Shut him up! Hurry!" Shen Yue yelled, clearly panicking.
The lackeys swung at Nie Li, their fists landing with loud thuds against his body. Bang! Bang! Bang! However, Nie Li didn’t seem fazed. In fact, despite receiving several blows, he continued to yell even louder, his voice echoing through the buildings. "Murder! The Sacred Family is trying to kill me! Help!"
The commotion caught the attention of the entire Holy Orchid Institute. Students and teachers alike leaned out of windows, their eyes wide with shock as they saw six people surrounding a lone boy with orange hair.
"Isn’t that Nie Li?" one student asked, leaning closer to get a better view.
"I heard Nie Li’s been stirring up trouble with the Sacred Family again!" another replied.
"Didn’t Nie Li expose the Sacred Family’s plagiarism of the <
"The Sacred Family's gone too far! Are they really trying to kill a student within the institute’s grounds?"
The crowd’s murmurings grew louder as more people gathered, and even those who had disliked Nie Li before began to feel some sympathy for him. This was the Holy Orchid Institute—a place of learning—and yet the Sacred Family dared to try and murder a student in broad daylight?
As Shen Yue’s lackeys pounded away, Nie Li skillfully adjusted his movements so that their blows only landed on his Ragefire armor. Each strike was absorbed by the armor’s tough scales, leaving Nie Li unharmed. In fact, the impact of their own attacks rebounded on the lackeys, causing them to wince in pain.
While evading their clumsy assaults, Nie Li managed to slip in a few quick strikes of his own, targeting sensitive spots on their bodies. His punches, though appearing light, were precise and packed an internal force that caused the lackeys to grimace in pain—his seemingly casual blows left them aching as though they’d been struck by iron rods.
"Damn it! Can’t you idiots do anything right?" Despite having six fighters on his side, they hadn’t managed to bring Nie Li down. Worse, Nie Li’s shouting had only gotten louder, and now half the Institute was watching.
Nie Li's cries for help alone were bad enough, but accusing the Sacred Family of attempted murder? That was slanderous—and it would tarnish their reputation beyond repair if left unchecked.
Shen Yue was nearing his breaking point. Retreating now would be humiliating, but pressing forward wasn’t working either.
Meanwhile, Shen Yue’s lackeys, already bruised and tired, exchanged nervous glances. No matter how hard they hit, Nie Li seemed unscathed. Worse yet, Nie Li’s counterattacks were slowly wearing them down. It was only a matter of time before their strength gave out entirely.
"What are you guys doing?" Xiao Ning'er rushed forward, standing protectively in front of Nie Li, her expression fierce as she glared at Shen Yue and his lackeys. A faint cyan glow enveloped her body, a sign of her being a 1-star Bronze rank. Clutching her Blue Moon Dagger, she was poised to act at any moment.
"Nie Li, are you alright?" Xiao Ning'er’s voice was steady, though a hint of concern broke through as she glanced back at him.
Nie Li gave a small nod, but before he could respond, Ye Ziyun arrived; her expression conflicted as her gaze shifted to Shen Yue.
"Ziyun, you've got it all wrong! This isn’t what it looks like!" Shen Yue hurriedly tried to explain, but as his eyes flicked back to Nie Li, he caught the faint smirk playing on his lips. His heart sank. He had been played—again. With sudden fury, he pointed at Nie Li. "It’s him! He lured us here! He set this all up!"
Xiao Ning'er’s glare sharpened. "Shen Yue, do you think we're stupid? That excuse is pathetic."
Nie Li, putting on a face of innocence, stepped forward. "I admit I’ve offended your Sacred Family, but aren’t you going too far? Attacking someone in school? Do you think Holy Orchid Institute is your personal playground? Let everyone see just how overbearing your Sacred Family is. As for me, I, Nie Li, will never yield to the likes of you. Unless you kill me, I will stand proud and never bow to villains!"
His defiant speech made Shen Yue tremble with rage, nearly choking on his own indignation. But Nie Li’s words had a different effect on the crowd, especially Xiao Ning'er and the other students nearby. Their expressions softened, admiration evident in their eyes.
"I won’t yield to the Sacred Family either," Xiao Ning'er thought to herself. The memory of them forcing her into a marriage with Shen Fei still burned vividly in her mind. It was a symbol of everything she despised about them.
At that moment, Lu Piao and Wei Wan arrived, pushing through the crowd. "Shen Yue, you're disgraceful! Surrounding Nie Li with six people? Are you not ashamed?" Wei Wan huffed, though he seemed relieved to see Nie Li unharmed.
The students who had been watching from afar began murmuring, their eyes filled with judgment as they looked at Shen Yue.
"I didn’t even touch him! Look, he's fine! He's lying!" Shen Yue's voice cracked as he desperately tried to defend himself. But no one was buying it.
Nie Li exchanged a glance with Lu Piao, and in an instant, Lu Piao understood. He stepped forward, eyes gleaming with mock outrage. "You really think Nie Li’s fine after getting ganged up on? Do you want me to try the same on you, Shen Yue? And don't pretend you didn’t order your lackeys to beat him to death the other day! You said it yourself, and the whole school heard!"
Shen Yue paled, his desperation rising. "I-I did say that, but I didn’t mean it!" His voice was frantic. He knew the consequences of taking such actions within the school’s walls. Even his family’s influence couldn’t shield him from expulsion or worse. But to everyone else, his words now seemed like a flimsy excuse for his attempted violence.
A sudden voice called out from the crowd. "The Vice-Principal, Ye Sheng, is here!"
Shen Yue's expression twisted with fury and frustration. "Nie Li, I admit defeat for today. But watch your back!" With those parting words, he signaled his lackeys, and they scurried away like beaten dogs.
As the tension began to fade, Xiao Ning'er finally turned back to Nie Li, her voice softer this time. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Nie Li smiled at her, the same confidence gleaming in his eyes. "It’s nothing serious, just a small injury. Thanks to you all for coming in time."
Far in the distance, hidden within the thinning crowd, a pair of cold, murderous eyes observed the scene. Shen Fei, Shen Yue’s older brother, watched as Xiao Ning'er supported Nie Li, walking off together with the group. His face twisted in disdain. "He dares to oppose my Sacred Family... and even has the audacity to cozy up to my woman." His fist clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked audibly. "Nie Li, you’ve gone too far. You’re tired of living, aren't you?"
Shen Fei, already a Silver rank and a member of the Genius Demon Spiritist class, had little regard for Nie Li in the past. But now, with the repeated humiliations, Nie Li had become a thorn in the Sacred Family’s side, and Shen Fei would not rest until that thorn was removed—permanently.
Nie Li in his previous life was a nobody, invisible in the crowd, with barely anyone noticing him at school. He never imagined that in this life he would attract so much attention. Even though his heart was set on Ye Ziyun, she still kept her distance. He didn’t know how to bridge the gap between them.
As he continued practicing the Heavenly God Technique, Nie Li’s soul force steadily increased. Every night, he consumed an elixir and soaked in Purple Hazegrass medicine, allowing his soul force to be fully nourished. Beyond cultivating his soul force, Nie Li rigorously trained his physical body, gradually enhancing his strength.
Although cultivating soul force also strengthened the body, Nie Li understood that additional physical training was necessary. Upon reaching silver rank, a demon spiritualist would be able to merge with a demon spirit, and the stronger one’s physical body, the more powerful the demon spirit they could integrate into their soul realm. A weak body could easily collapse under the pressure of a powerful demon spirit.
Many demon spiritualists neglected their physical training until reaching silver rank, only to find it was too late to build a strong foundation. Nie Li wanted to avoid this mistake and started training his body early. He ran, climbed mountains, and lifted weights daily.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and Nie Li’s soul force had already reached 64 points.
---
On the third morning, Chen Linjian had already arrived at the meeting place, waiting for the others.
Besides Chen Linjian, Ye Ziyun, Shen Yue, and I were also present. I had specifically called for Shen Yue to be here for added protection.
Chen Linjian came from the Divine Family, Ye Ziyun from the Snow Wind Family, and Shen Yue and I from the Sacred Family. I didn’t know why Ye Ziyun had decided to come, but given her status, it wasn’t surprising that she would join this expedition to explore the Ancient Orchid City Ruins.
"You came too?" Ye Ziyun asked Nie Li, surprise evident in her voice. The expedition was organized by Chen Linjian, so why would Nie Li be here?
"Yep," Nie Li replied with a smile, nodding. But as soon as he saw me, his expression darkened. Shen Yue wasn’t the problem; I was.
Standing beside me was an old man who appeared unremarkable. In truth, he was a Gold-Rank warrior, but only a few people knew his true strength. Even Nie Li could only sense a silver-rank aura from him, underestimating the threat.
Shen Yue’s face was also clouded when he saw Nie Li. Earlier, when he tried to explain himself to Ye Ziyun, she had coldly ignored him and kept her distance. He blamed Nie Li for the rift between them. If Nie Li hadn’t shown up, Ye Ziyun wouldn’t be so indifferent toward him!
All of Shen Yue's anger focused on Nie Li. "Since you came on your own, it would be such a shame if something unfortunate happened to you here!" Shen Yue thought darkly while whispering to one of his lackeys. The lackey cast a glance at Nie Li. Shen Yue had already learned from his past encounters that his bronze-rank strength was no match for Nie Li, so he had recruited some stronger experts from his family—just as I had.
Chen Linjian’s gaze settled on me, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Looks like we’re all here. Let’s get moving!”
Chen Linjian had brought 26 people on this trip to the Ancient Orchid City Ruins, while Shen Yue brought 7 and I 11—10 of them are lent to Chen Linjian and will be under his command during the expedition. Adding Ye Ziyun and Nie Li, their group totaled 48.
With their supplies—food, camping gear, hunting crossbows, and other essentials—they set off, keeping their expedition quiet. To outsiders, they claimed they were heading to the mountain valley for training.