TDG : rise of shadow army

Shen Xiu clenched her fists tightly, her fingers turning white. As Shen Yue, who was among the crowd of students, looked toward Nie Li and Chan Wei, his eyes filled with hatred. Nie Li was discrediting their Sacred Family, and that lawless commoner was backing him up.

Nie Li, of course, noticed the hostile gazes of Shen Xiu and Shen Yue and laughed coldly in his heart. The Sacred Family was exactly like this. When they couldn't find fault in themselves, they placed the blame on others. If it wasn't their own shortcomings, why would they fear being exposed?

"So what if the first-generation head of my Sacred Family took it from the Divine Lightning Fire Book?" Shen Xiu responded coldly, but once again, she felt a chilling intent coming from Chan Wei, making her subconsciously take a small step back.

Nie Li chuckled, "Teacher Shen Xiu, it seems you're not very familiar with the code of conduct of Demon Spiritualists. Would you like me to explain it to you? The Demon Spiritualist Code of Conduct has existed for three thousand years. Nearly every Demon Spiritualist follows it. Article 161 of the Demon Spiritualist Code: When taking or copying inscription patterns from other Demon Spiritualists, the source must be credited, and one cannot claim them as their own creation. That is the ethics of a Demon Spiritualist!"

"You... You…" Shen Xiu trembled with rage. Nie Li's words directly struck at her weak point. He was openly stating that the Sacred Family did not follow the ethics of Demon Spiritualists. Even so, she could not refute Nie Li's claim.

"If they studied the Lightning Flame inscription patterns in order to create their own, that would be fine. However, the first-generation head of the Sacred Family directly took half of it and claimed it as his own. Isn't that a bit… absurd? Could the first-generation head of the Sacred Family have had some unspeakable difficulties?" Nie Li blinked innocently as he spoke.

"Pfft." Despite his usual restraint, Chan Wei almost burst into laughter at those words, while others in the class laughed briefly before stopping under the oppressive atmosphere of Shen Xiu's anger.

Nie Li's sharp words aimed directly at the Sacred Family's weakness while still pretending to sound innocent. This made both Shen Xiu and Shen Yue want to kill someone. The students began whispering among themselves.

"So the first-generation head of the Sacred Family was that kind of person?"

"They say that while the first head of the Sacred Family was only a Gold-rank Demon Spiritualist, in the study of inscription patterns, he was a grandmaster who created several Sacred Flame inscription patterns. Wasn't the Sacred Family always considered the torchbearers of Sacred Flame inscriptions?"

"I never thought Scarlet Sunburst was actually copied from an ancient book."

"I've looked at the records of Snow Wind inscription patterns. The inscriptions in there were either replicated or derived from ancient books, but they always cited their sources. They never claimed to have created them themselves."

"That's the ethics of Demon Spiritualists. Every noble Demon Spiritualist would do the same!"

A group of students began to wonder whether the grandmaster of inscription patterns they had always admired was nothing more than someone seeking unearned praise.

Hearing the students' discussions, Shen Yue's expression turned even darker. He now saw Nie Li as an enemy.

His face ashen, he stood up from his seat and said, "Nie Li, my Sacred Family has been passed down for three hundred years. We are one of the three major families of Glory City. We are not something that someone like you, from an ordinary noble family, can criticize! This Scarlet Sunburst was written in the early notes of our family head. Originally, it was not publicly announced. We, the younger generations, found it when organizing the early records of our ancestor. So we assumed it was his original creation. That is perfectly reasonable."

"Ridiculous. Even if that were the case, it wouldn't have been difficult for the Sacred Family to discover the origin of the patterns based on your ancestor's notes. It seems that it was the descendants who tarnished the honor of their ancestor, which is even more disgraceful, don't you think?" Chan Wei countered, having had the time to think of a rebuttal that would inflict even more damage.

Nie Li looked at Chan Wei with admiration. Not only had he countered Shen Yue's excuse, but he had also twisted the knife even deeper.

Shen Yue had deliberately emphasized the great family status and singled out Nie Li as coming from an ordinary noble background, making his message very clear. If Nie Li pushed any further, then, as one of the three major families, the Sacred Family would certainly not let him off.

However, with Chan Wei's addition, even though the threat remained, the burden now shifted to the younger generations of the Sacred Family rather than their ancestor, implicating a much larger group of people.

"The student Shen Yue is an arrogant bully. Ah, fortunately, Glory City has strict laws. Otherwise, I would really be worried about the Sacred Family."

Nie Li, like a pig unafraid of boiling water, blinked and said, "I believe that a great family like the Sacred Family would ensure my safety. If anything were to happen to me or my brother, I fear that the Sacred Family wouldn't be able to bear the consequences."

By putting it this way, if the Sacred Family were to target Nie Li, wouldn't that confirm that they were a malevolent group? Whether it was Shen Xiu or Shen Yue, both were now so furious they could almost vomit blood.

Ye Ziyun couldn't help but glance at Nie Li again. She had never thought he would be bold enough to offend the Sacred Family, one of the three major families of Glory City. Lately, Nie Li's actions had made it impossible for her to ignore his existence. Curiosity began to stir in Ye Ziyun's heart—what kind of person was Nie Li really?

As for Xiao Ning'er, hearing how Chan Wei used his sharp words to strike at the Sacred Family's weak points, she couldn't help but feel delighted. Her family had always wanted her to marry into the Sacred Family, but deep down, she was conflicted. From the beginning, she never had a good impression of the Sacred Family. Listening to how the boy she loved and the one she admired had utterly crushed Shen Xiu and Shen Yue with their words, leaving them speechless while acting mischievous, she couldn't help but smile.

At the same time, she was filled with admiration for Nie Li. What kind of depth of knowledge would it take to identify the origin of the Scarlet Sunburst inscription pattern with just a single glance? While these people wasted their time, Nie Li had been reading books from the very start.

At that moment, outside the classroom, Lu Ye hurried over to the elder in the gray robe and the vice principal, handing over the Divine Lightning Fire Book to the elder. Vice Principal Ye Sheng repeatedly glanced at the expression of the elder in the gray robe.

The elder flipped through the Divine Lightning Fire Book to page 30, diagram six. Seeing the Lightning Fire inscription pattern in the book and then comparing it to the Scarlet Sunburst pattern, his face darkened, and he remained silent.

Ye Sheng did not dare to speak. This was truly a scandal for the Sacred Family. This matter involved the upper echelons of Glory City, so he did not dare comment on it. The elder in the gray robe examined the Divine Lightning Fire Book closely.

The words in the book were extremely complex—he could only recognize a small portion of them. Yet Nie Li had demonstrated such profound knowledge, which astonished him. He remained silent for a moment before asking:

"These students, what are Nie Li and Chan Wei's innate talents like?"

Ye Sheng looked at Lu Ye. Regarding these unknown students, the vice principal wouldn't know much. Lu Ye quickly responded, "I just checked—Nie Li only has a red soul realm, and the other student is the one who hasn't been tested yet."

The elder in the gray robe nodded. "That's unfortunate. This child is so well-educated, but his innate talent is so poor. Otherwise, his future would be bright. Ye Sheng, arrange a position for him as a library clerk! I also want to meet the other student to test him personally and discreetly. If he is talented, you will also arrange a position for him as a library clerk, as the two seem to get along well."

"Yes!" Ye Sheng hurriedly nodded. He knew the elder's love for talented individuals. Although Nie Li's innate talent was mediocre, he was extremely knowledgeable and could even read the Divine Lightning Fire Book. By becoming a library clerk, he could continue researching and studying similar books.

In Glory City, cultivation training was always the top priority. Few people dedicated themselves to studying ancient books. This arrangement by the elder in the gray robe was meant to protect Nie Li as well as the other student, who, according to the elder, was already at Bronze rank.

After all, a library clerk worked within the academy, meaning the Sacred Family wouldn't be able to suppress them. But was Nie Li really afraid of the Sacred Family's oppression? If this were his past life, Nie Li would have surely cowered in fear of the Sacred Family.

However, in this life, Nie Li had no intention of swallowing his grievances. As for Chan Wei, he strongly believed that his demonstration today would earn him support. As long as he stood by Nie Li, he wouldn't have to worry about his survival.

Normally, his family would be protected because the Huyan Family was in the good graces of the City Lord and wouldn't discard their servants just because of another family.

Shen Xiu glared at Nie Li with hostility. Her hatred for him had reached its limit, and she coldly said, "I will remember what happened today!"

Shen Xiu was a vindictive person. As Nie Li's and Chan Wei's teacher, she naturally had many ways to make trouble for them.

"Hehehe," Nie Li chuckled endlessly. As a teacher, she was actually threatening a student in her class—how shameless! Even if the Sacred Family didn't come after him, he would take the initiative to trouble them first!

"It seems that I have made a terrible mistake in returning because, in addition to being biased and not properly knowing the subjects you teach, you also threaten your students? I think I will stay far away from you because I'm afraid something bad might happen to me otherwise," Chan Wei said, putting on a very fearful expression and pointing at Shen Xiu to emphasize the gravity of his remark.

Even though Nie Li wasn't playing dirty just yet, Chan Wei had no such reservations. He already knew that the City Lord's family had taken precautions for Nie Li at the very least. As for himself, he planned to venture into higher-level hunting grounds to improve his cultivation and finances.

After that, Shen Xiu had no desire to continue the lecture and hastily ended the lesson. The events that took place in class quickly spread among the students, passing from one person to another.

The usually esteemed Sacred Family, no matter how much they tried to cover it up, had undeniably violated the Demon Spiritualist Code of Conduct and would thus be scorned by all Demon Spiritualists. The Sacred Family could only see Nie Li and Chan Wei as thorns in their side, but they could do nothing about it.

On the contrary, if anything were to happen to these boys, everyone would immediately suspect the Sacred Family. Such blatant actions were something even the Sacred Family wouldn't dare attempt—after all, they couldn't hide the truth from the masses. Following this incident, the prestige of the Sacred Family was significantly damaged.

It was rumored that the head of the Sacred Family tried to visit Ye Zong, the City Lord of Glory City, but was refused an audience. For Nie Li, this was something worth celebrating.

Although he still wasn't sure how to get close to Ye Ziyun, if he could destroy the engagement between Shen Yue and Ye Ziyun, that alone was a victory. After today's events, Ye Ziyun's opinion of Shen Yue had surely dropped considerably.

Inside the Genius Class Evaluation Hall.

The elder in the gray robe had taken Chan Wei aside to conduct his evaluation.

"Greetings, young friend. First, let me reassure you—I am from the City Lord's household, and I would like to ask you a few questions as well as conduct your test, as there is no mention of one in your records."

"Understood, elder. However, there should at least be a record of my soul force test since I took it on the first day of class. It was actually Lady Shen Xiu who gave me the crystal," Chan Wei responded gently, subtly adding fuel to the fire by refusing to address her as 'teacher.'

"I see. That already answers my first question. The second is—why has a Bronze-ranked individual remained in the Apprentice Fighter Class?" the elder inquired.

Chan Wei hadn't expected to be discovered so soon and was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered. "I owe my cultivation to my brother, who found me a suitable technique in an old book he read. I also prefer to stay with him and my friends Xiao Ning'er, Du Ze, and Lu Piao."

"I understand. You will be admitted alongside him as a library clerk and will no longer be required to attend classes. Now, let's begin your test," the elder concluded as he led Chan Wei to a stone slab engraved with inscriptions.

Chan Wei stepped forward and struck the slab with all his strength. A deep thud echoed, and numbers lit up on the slab—457.

"Excellent! You have the strength of a Bronze 4-star Fighter at just thirteen years old. That is truly remarkable. Do you have a soul crystal with you, or would you like me to lend you one?" the elder asked.

"I already have my own, elder. Thank you," Chan Wei replied before pulling out his crystal and injecting his soul force into it. Inside, a brilliant cyan glow revealed 352 soul force points.

"A 3-star Demon Spiritualist with a cyan soul realm!!! You must immediately be transferred to the Genius Class!" The elder nearly trembled with excitement, barely containing his anger toward Shen Xiu for failing to report such a talent.

"Please, elder, I have only reached this level thanks to Nie Li, and I would like this information to remain confidential for my own safety. I have no worries about the Huyan Family, which raised me as repayment for my parents' service, but I am not yet strong enough to bear the weight of this talent. You noticed it—aside from you, no one else detected my true level, meaning it takes at least a Black Gold rank to perceive it," Chan Wei calmly requested, which helped soothe the elder's excitement.

"You seem quite self-assured. In that case, is there anything you would like? You may ask me for anything," the elder offered, slightly disappointed but still willing to provide assistance.

"If the elder has a low-grade interspatial ring, I could use it. I need more space for the spoils of my hunting sessions, and going back and forth takes too much time. If the elder has one to spare, I promise to return another ring soon. Also, if the elder could grant me authorization to access higher-level hunting zones in the academy, that would help a lot," Chan Wei requested.

"HAHAHA! That's right—given your talent, I momentarily forgot your origins. Don't worry; here's a ring and two demon crystal cards with 20,000 demon spirit coins. With these resources, your cultivation will become even easier. If you ever need assistance, ask Vice Principal Ye Sheng to relay your message. Don't worry—I won't reveal anything other than the fact that I'm keeping an eye on you. He only knows that you've reached the Bronze rank, but not your exact level," the elder said, tossing a ring toward Chan Wei.

Chan Wei checked the ring and found that it had over 10 cubic meters of storage space, along with two demon crystal cards. The two then went their separate ways.

Vice Principal's Office

Shen Xiu's sharp voice echoed through the room.

"Vice Principal Ye Sheng, this student Nie Li has no respect for his elders! He openly contradicts his teacher in class. He is simply outrageous beyond measure! I request the Vice Principal's approval to have him expelled from the academy!" Shen Xiu demanded emotionally.

Even without the elder's words, given Nie Li's profound knowledge, even if he couldn't become a powerful Demon Spiritualist in the future, he could still become an important figure among them. How could Ye Sheng possibly expel such a student? Furthermore, Nie Li had gained the appreciation of a highly ranked elder.

However, since Shen Xiu was a member of the Sacred Family, he still needed to show her some courtesy. Smiling, he replied,

"I will consider the matter. Expelling a student from the academy is a serious decision with far-reaching consequences."

"Vice Principal Ye Sheng, there is nothing to consider! I demand the immediate expulsion of both Nie Li and Chan Wei, or I will refuse to continue teaching this class!!" Shen Xiu shouted angrily.

At that moment, the elder in the gray robe stormed into the office, cutting Shen Xiu off mid-sentence. Ye Sheng immediately stood up and greeted the mysterious elder with formal respect.

"Shen Xiu, do you recognize me?" the elder asked coldly.

Shen Xiu paled in fear as she trembled. "Of course, you are from the City Lord's Manor… Lord Ye Shuo, head of intelligence."

"Good. Then you should know that I am questioning your qualifications to educate the youth of Glory City. However, the main issue I wish to address is something else. When were you planning to report that Chan Wei has a Cyan Soul Realm? I spoke with some of your students, and all of them confirmed that you knew on the first day of class!" Ye Shuo declared in anger.

"I… I am sorry! I made a mistake! I will make amends!" Shen Xiu stammered, her fear worsening as she paled further.

"A Cyan Soul Realm… and already at the Bronze rank," Ye Sheng muttered under his breath, though no one else heard him.

"Since you acknowledge your mistakes, the following students will be removed from your class:

Chan Wei, Nie Li, Lu Piao, Du Ze, Xiao Ning'er, and Ye Ziyun. You may keep your nephew, Shen Yue, but the rest will be placed under exceptional tutelage by an instructor from the City Lord's Manor," Ye Shuo stated firmly before turning on his heels and leaving the room.

Shen Xiu cursed her misfortune—not only had the Flame Sacred Pattern scandal ruined her, but now Shen Yue would no longer be in the same class as Ye Ziyun. She rushed out of the office in a panic.

As she left, Ye Sheng's eyes glinted coldly.

Shen Xiu had always relied on her Sacred Family background, becoming arrogant and overbearing in the process. Ye Sheng pondered again—though Nie Li's cultivation talent was mediocre, with his vast knowledge, there was no way he would end up in the bottom three ranks of the class. Even if he somehow was, that mysterious elder would surely recruit him.

A few minutes later, Ye Shuo returned and informed Ye Sheng that he should provide assistance to Chan Wei if requested and report back with the details.