TDG : rise of shadow army

At the City Lord's Manor, inside Ye Ziyun's room, the decor was exquisite and refined.

Seated at her desk, Ye Ziyun was poring over several books, occasionally pausing to frown in thought. She had tried to find the Frosty Wind, Sudden Snow inscription pattern drawn by Nie Li in ancient texts, but she hadn't found a single mention of it. As for the pattern created by Chan Wei, nothing even came close.

Where did Nie Li discover this inscription pattern? And how could Chan Wei have created an entirely new one?

At that moment, a graceful woman dressed in a flowing blue veil entered the room.

"Miss, why did you call for me?" the beautiful woman asked with a humble smile.

"Aunt Xue, you're a master inscriptionist. Do you recognize the origins of these inscription patterns?" Ye Ziyun asked, looking up at the woman.

Xue Yin's gaze fell upon the papers on the desk, her eyes filling with astonishment. "Miss, where did you obtain these inscription patterns? I have never seen them before. The second one appears even more intricate, though I can detect some similarities," she said in surprise.

"Even Aunt Xue has never seen these patterns before?" Ye Ziyun was taken aback. Xue Yin was a master inscriptionist! If even she hadn't seen them before, could Nie Li have simply made them up?

"This looks like Frosty Wind, Sudden Snow, but at the same time, it isn't. It seems much more powerful than the original," Xue Yin said as she traced the lines of the inscription with her fingers. "These lines are so precisely proportioned. I don't know which master crafted this, but I must admit defeat. Could it be that the young lady has encountered an inscription master? Strangely enough, the second one seems rougher and more complex."

"Nie Li, a master inscriptionist? How could that be possible?!" Ye Ziyun thought to herself. "Nie Li can't be an inscription master at his age! But then again, when he picked up the brush so naturally and, with just a few strokes, drew this inscription pattern" Ye Ziyun's heart was even more confused.

"Aunt Xue, you work at the Inscriptionist Association, don't you? Could you have these two scrolls tested? If the second one proves to be valid, credit it under Chan Wei's name. All the details are written on this sheet. Chan Wei has a master who supposedly doesn't want to be known, but I'm not sure if that's true," Ye Ziyun said, handing Xue Yin a piece of paper. The woman seemed startled by this information.

—

The next morning, in front of the Holy Orchid Institute, Nie Li met up with Du Ze, Lu Piao, and Xiao Ning'er, but Chan Wei was nowhere to be seen. Remembering that he had just returned from a hunting trip, Nie Li decided not to disturb him.

"Today, we're going to make some purchases using the funds provided by Brother Chan Wei," Nie Li announced. Then, turning to Xiao Ning'er, he said, "Could you have these inscription scrolls authenticated at the Inscriptionist Association? Keep them registered under Chan Wei's name, saying that his master wishes to remain anonymous. Ye Ziyun should have already submitted one under his name."

Then he turned to Du Ze and Lu Piao. "We're going to buy Purple Haze Grass in large quantities."

"Purple Haze Grass? But it's completely useless, isn't it?" Lu Piao asked, puzzled.

"I have my reasons. But we're going to use intermediaries and take turns buying from different shops. With the funds Chan Wei provided us, we should have more than enough," Nie Li said confidently.

"How much Purple Haze Grass do you need?"

"We're going to completely empty Glory City's stock," Nie Li said.

They parted ways with Xiao Ning'er, who quickly made her way to the Inscriptionist Association. In no time, she arrived in front of an impressive yet slightly worn-down building.

Entering, she saw a receptionist in high spirits—it was none other than Xue Yin. She had just tested the inscription scroll that her niece had given her the day before, and the association had gained a new, easily producible rank-gold attack scroll, thanks to its power diagrams using common blizzard-type beasts. Her niece had told her that the creator was one of her classmates who had obtained a master. However, based on her description, the scroll had been composed on the spot by her classmate, meaning he must be incredibly talented in this field.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Xue Yin noticed Xiao Ning'er approaching.

"Excuse me, I'd like to have some engraving inscription models tested and registered. Is that possible?"

"Of course, dear," Xue Yin replied kindly. "Can you tell me the name of the master who wrote these? Also, you must either pay for the testing materials or provide them yourself. If the scroll is successfully created, the creator will receive a portion of the sales profits. Is that acceptable?"

Xiao Ning'er hadn't expected there to be a fee for testing, but thinking about Chan Wei, she realized it wouldn't be an issue. "I have the money for the test. The person who wrote these is named Chan Wei, but his master does not wish to be publicly recognized, so he will receive the payments on his behalf."

"Excuse me, may I see these scrolls?" Xue Yin asked with a slight eagerness.

Xiao Ning'er retrieved the scrolls from her storage ring. Xue Yin immediately noticed the similarity in handwriting.

"There's no need to pay," Xue Yin said. "Your classmate has already provided a rank-gold scroll, so all his future creations will be tested at the association's expense. Do you think he would be willing to join our association?" she asked, scrutinizing Xiao Ning'er carefully.

"I think so, but I can't speak on his behalf. I'll ask him about it today. Would that be alright?" Xiao Ning'er responded.

"Yes, that's fine. You may go. I'll have these scrolls tested in the meantime. Also, let him know that he has already earned contribution points with just one scroll, so any additional ones will only increase his advantages, as well as his recognition from the City Lord," Xue Yin said.

She thought it best to do everything possible to win over Chan Wei so that his master would continue aiding Glory City by improving their inscription scrolls. It was clear that Chan Wei's teacher was highly skilled, and in time, they might even provide legend-ranked scrolls. She resolved to fully support Chan Wei in whatever way necessary. With his help, the Inscriptionist Association could once again become a formidable power within Glory City.

—

Back in the city

Purple Haze Grass, aside from its use as an insect-repelling smoke when burned, had no other known applications.

All the Purple Haze Grass in Glory City was purchased. Some shops even pulled up their stock from their own herb gardens just to sell it all. For the next three years, Glory City would likely suffer from a shortage of Purple Haze Grass—but since no one cared about such a useless plant, it didn't matter to them.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds of Purple Haze Grass—Nie Li, Du Ze, and Lu Piao had practically raided every major shop in the city, using servants or commoners to purchase all the available Purple Haze Grass. Apart from a slightly lower quantity than he had estimated, the plan went off without a hitch. After making some inquiries, he learned that someone else had also bought at least a hundred thousand pounds of Purple Haze Grass, but he wasn't too concerned about it.

—

Elder's Hall of the Main Business Affairs

The elder in charge of the Sacred Family's main business affairs, Shen Ming, was a rank-silver demon spiritualist. Although his cultivation wasn't particularly strong, he held a key position within the Sacred Family due to his ability to manage the family's affairs.

After hearing the latest report, Shen Ming's face twisted in anger.

"A student from the Apprentice Fighter class dares to challenge my Sacred Family?" Shen Ming's expression turned vicious. Nie Li's exposure of the Scarlet Sunburst inscription pattern had caused various families to form a poor impression of them. To mitigate this damage, Shen Ming had used multiple means to send people to these families to explain their side of the story.

This incident affected the fundamental interests of the Sacred Family, but they couldn't take action against Nie Li because they had heard that a powerful figure had taken an interest in him.

A few days later, another piece of news arrived—Nie Li had defeated Shen Yue, a direct descendant of the Sacred Family.

"Didn't Young Master Shen Yue reach the rank of Bronze 1-Star recently? How could he lose to Nie Li?" Shen Ming looked at the subordinate in front of him, perplexed.

The subordinate felt a chill from Shen Ming's gaze, making his back break out in a cold sweat before replying, "I'm not entirely sure, Elder. Young Master Shen Yue said that his strength and soul force were clearly superior to Nie Li's, but a commoner interfered during his soul attack, injuring him."

Hearing this, Shen Ming furrowed his brows.

"Elder, should we report this matter to the Family Head?"

"No, this issue must not be brought to the Family Head. The Patriarch is in the process of breaking through to the Legend rank. Unless it's a matter of life or death for the family, there is no need to disturb him," Shen Ming said. To him, Nie Li posed no real threat to the Sacred Family.

"Have you found out which family Nie Li belongs to?"

"Yes, Elder. We've already investigated—he's from the Heavenly Mark Family."

"The Heavenly Mark Family? Hehe, how could a mere noble household possibly challenge a great family like ours? That ignorant brat must have stumbled upon the Scarlet Sunburst inscription pattern and was eager to show it off."

Shen Ming believed that there was no need for the Sacred Family to even concern themselves with such a minor noble family.

If they sent someone to deal with the Heavenly Mark Family, other families would undoubtedly find out. At that point, the Sacred Family would certainly be seen as petty.

"Let Young Master Shen Fei take note of this Nie Li. If a few teenagers were to have some conflicts and get into fights at school, it would be understandable, wouldn't it?"

It seemed that no mention of anyone else had reached the Sacred Family, as if Nie Li alone had caused them trouble.

Hearing this, Shen Ming's subordinate immediately understood his implication. Shen Fei was already a Silver 1-Star Demon Spiritualist, and his strength was more than sufficient to handle Nie Li. Shen Ming's plan was to have Shen Fei deal with Nie Li at school.

Thinking it over, Shen Ming added, "The uproar caused by this matter hasn't settled yet. Wait a while before informing him. Let the storm die down a bit, then let Young Master Shen Fei take action!"

As the elder managing the Sacred Family's business affairs, he had to handle this matter flawlessly. He couldn't let anyone spread rumors.

"Yes, Elder!"

—

That afternoon, the library was bustling with people coming and going. Du Ze and Lu Piao were reading books on inscription patterns and combat techniques under Nie Li's guidance. To cultivate at a high level, one first had to become a knowledgeable master.

Chan Wei joined them and continued writing various inscription patterns, ranging from weapon and armor enhancement to offensive and defensive patterns. Even Nie Li was surprised when Chan Wei began writing different cultivation methods, which, after verification, were relatively decent compared to the techniques available at the Holy Orchid Institute.

"Brother, how do you come up with these patterns?" Nie Li asked Chan Wei.

"I don't know. The more I study patterns, the more I notice their flaws or get insights into creating new ones. But this is nothing compared to Brother Nie Li's knowledge," Chan Wei replied, resuming his writing.

After practicing their cultivation techniques, their brains had undergone a certain level of development. They wouldn't forget general knowledge, and their learning ability had also accelerated significantly.

—

A short distance away from Nie Li and the others, a group of students had gathered, engaged in an animated discussion.

"This piece of armor in my hands is called the Flaming Black Armor. It's a Bronze-ranked item, and unless you have a hundred thousand demon spirit coins, you wouldn't be able to get one!"

A student proudly displayed his red-colored armor. His large frame, combined with the armor, gave him a martial aura.

This was Chen Linjian, a direct descendant of the Divine Family, one of the Great Families. At only 15 years old, he had already reached Bronze 5-Star rank and was on the verge of breaking through to Silver 1-Star. Among the Great Families, the Divine Family was the wealthiest. Chen Linjian held high prestige among the students, always surrounded by a group of followers.

"Wearing this Flaming Black Armor, I am invincible below the Silver rank!"

"Cool!"

Upon seeing this, several girls nearby revealed envious expressions. Among them, quite a few cast flirtatious glances toward Chen Linjian.

"I'm giving this away!" Chen Linjian waved his hand and tossed the Flaming Black Armor to one of his men.

A combat armor worth 100,000 demon spirit coins, given away just like that? Everyone was a little stunned.

However, for Chen Linjian, 100,000 demon spirit coins wasn't a significant amount. Laughing faintly, he said, "I have six five-year-old Holy Dark Herbs here. They were taken from my home. As long as you follow me and work hard, you won't lack benefits!"

Holy Dark Grass was unique to the Divine Family. It had the effect of strengthening the soul force, increasing in potency with age. A single five-year-old Holy Dark Grass was worth 50,000 demon spirit coins, while ten-year and twenty-year-old variants were exponentially more expensive, costing several or even dozens of times more.

"We'll follow Young Master Chen!"

"Yeah, we'll follow you!"

Chen Linjian scanned the crowd and counted the people present before saying, "A total of 20 people, but we still need to find more!"

Recently, some ancient city ruins had been discovered, most likely remnants from the Age of Darkness. Many people had already gone there to explore, and now Chen Linjian was looking for additional team members to join the expedition.

—

Du Ze, Lu Piao, and the others looked toward the distant crowd.

"If we had Holy Dark Grass, Du Ze would definitely break through to Bronze 1-Star rank!" Lu Piao murmured. But such treasures were beyond their reach.

If they had enough money, they could purchase a large quantity of herbs and elixirs to aid in their training.

However, what mattered to Nie Li wasn't money—it was something else entirely.

In his past life, many experts had explored the ancient ruins outside Glory City, but they found nothing. Who would have thought that Chen Linjian and his group would discover a hidden passage, ultimately leading to a vast trove of treasures?

Nie Li had learned all the details about this exploration, as even Ye Ziyun had participated in it.

Additionally, Shen Yue had discovered a Spirit Lamp during the expedition, which he later auctioned for 1 million demon spirit coins.

If it were only about money, this wouldn't have caught Nie Li's attention. But Nie Li knew the true purpose of the Spirit Lamp. If he could obtain it, it would be invaluable for his future.

That Spirit Lamp… he had to get it!

Nie Li stood up and walked toward Chen Linjian.

"I wish to join your team. I wonder if Young Master Chen would be willing?"

When Nie Li looked at Chen Linjian, a wave of memories surfaced in his mind. Chen Linjian had been quite remarkable among the nobles, having come close to reaching Black Gold Rank in Nie Li's past life.

He wasn't someone Nie Li could classify as purely good or bad, as he hadn't known him well. However, during the final battle of Glory City, after discovering that the Sacred Family had fled, leaving the West Gate vulnerable to attack, Chen Linjian, in a fit of rage, decapitated six members of the Sacred Family.

"He can be considered someone who knows his grudges well!"

Chen Linjian lifted his head, looking at Nie Li for a moment before responding noncommittally, "Who are you? Do you even know what we're about to do?"

The people beside Chen Linjian looked at Nie Li, showing a hint of ridicule.

"Kid, have you even reached Bronze rank? If not, don't come here just to play around."

Just then, Chan Wei arrived right behind Nie Li, revealing a Bronze 3-star level of strength. "My brother doesn't need to be Bronze rank if I'm here," he declared, addressing the one who had just spoken—a mere Bronze 2-star fighter, as analyzed by Chan Wei.

Nie Li, ignoring Chan Wei's intervention aside from a slight smile, turned to those who had mocked him and said, "Of course, I know what you're planning. You're preparing to explore the ruins of the Ancient Orchid City, aren't you?"

Chen Linjian first showed a hint of surprise at the display of strength from this newcomer, but he was even more shocked by Nie Li's response. "How does this guy know that we're going to explore the ruins of the Ancient Orchid City? This whole matter has been kept secret. If our families knew about it, they'd definitely stop us from going."

"Who are you?" Chen Linjian narrowed his eyes slightly, a dangerous glint flashing within them.

"Nie Li.""Chan Wei."

"Nie Li? Chan Wei?"

Chen Linjian suddenly remembered—Nie Li had recently become famous. It was said that he had even tarnished the Sacred Family's reputation over a fraudulent inscription case. Even Chen Linjian himself had felt embarrassed on their behalf.

As for the other one, Chan Wei, he shouldn't even be at Bronze rank yet, so how had he advanced so quickly? I need to recruit him, Chen Linjian thought.

"They say you've read all sorts of ancient books? And what about you, are you interested in joining me?"

"I have indeed read everything in the library," Nie Li nodded slightly, exuding an overwhelming sense of confidence. "I stay with my brother, no matter what."

"Haha, such big talk!"

"You haven't even hit puberty yet, and you dare to claim you've read every ancient book in the library? That's laughable! Even if you started reading while in the womb, you still wouldn't have finished that many books!"

A few people beside them mocked him.

Chan Wei released a slight yin intent, instantly stopping the laughter. The people who had been ridiculing just moments ago became serious, staring at him warily. "Do not mock my brother in front of me," he said in a cold voice.

"Nie Li and Chan Wei… these two are indeed interesting."

Chen Linjian did not doubt Nie Li's words. He lightly tapped his finger on the table before saying, "Since you claim to have read so many books, do you know which era the ruins of the Ancient Orchid City belong to?"

"Based on the current evidence found, the buildings in the Ancient Orchid City ruins are round, yet the entire city is square. There are only two historical periods that match this type of construction. One would be the era of the Snow Wind Empire, and the other would be the era of the Sacred Empire. However, taking into account the murals, I've heard that some people found a large lotus mural.

Lotus murals were popular during the late period of the Sacred Empire. So, I can confidently say that the ruins of the Ancient Orchid City date back to somewhere between the late Sacred Empire period and the beginning of the Age of Darkness..."

Nie Li's tone was neither rushed nor slow, as he methodically analyzed the origins of the Ancient Orchid City ruins.

Hearing Nie Li's explanation, Chen Linjian's subordinates were stunned—they only understood half of what Nie Li was saying.

"Excellent!" Chen Linjian suddenly stood up. He had never expected Nie Li to determine the origins of the Ancient Orchid City ruins so effortlessly. While some of this knowledge might seem simple, even some historians in Glory City wouldn't be able to conduct such an in-depth analysis.

He looked at Nie Li, admiration evident in his eyes, "Follow me from now on, and I'll provide you with training resources and learning materials. What do you say?"

Chen Linjian's subordinates were a little surprised—they hadn't expected him to value Nie Li so highly.

Becoming Chen Linjian's subordinate? Nie Li chuckled slightly and replied, "This time, it's a collaboration—everyone takes what they need. I believe no one understands the structure of the Ancient Orchid City ruins better than I do. If there's treasure, I get to pick one item first; the rest will be yours. If that's not acceptable, I'll go by myself."

"Pick an item first? Who do you think you are?"

"You haven't even reached Bronze rank, and you dare negotiate with our Young Master Chen?"

The person who said this suddenly stumbled backward, his face pale after being hit by Chan Wei's targeted cold intent.

Chen Linjian stared at Nie Li, perplexed. This young man exuded an unshakable confidence—where did it come from? Was it because of his brother, Chan Wei?

"I guarantee that if you bring us along, there will definitely be great rewards!" Nie Li declared proudly. He knew the exact location of the treasure in the Ancient Orchid City ruins, which was why he was so confident.

Chen Linjian had a partial map of the Ancient Orchid City ruins, but it was incomplete. He remained silent for a moment. Could it be that Nie Li had a more complete treasure map?

"Alright, deal!" Chen Linjian said after some thought. "I'll say this again—if you follow me, there will be no shortage of benefits. But if you refuse, I believe we'll still have chances to cooperate in the future." Chen Linjian laughed boldly.

His subordinates were shocked—he actually agreed?

"I hope we can cooperate happily," Nie Li said calmly before turning to leave.

"Three days from now, at six in the morning, we'll meet here!" Chen Linjian called after him. Watching Nie Li's departing figure, an intrigued smile appeared on his face. "Nie Li, this guy is quite interesting."

Somehow, Chan Wei's presence faded from his thoughts, as if he hadn't even been there.

"Exploring the Ancient Orchid City ruins?" Nie Li murmured. "It looks like I still have some preparations to make."

He needed to prepare as if he were going alone, because heading to the ruins without reaching Bronze rank was still quite dangerous.

Time passed slowly, and soon, the afternoon arrived.