With the Inscriptionist Association behind them, Chan Wei and Xiao Ning'er strolled leisurely through the business district, hoping to find something useful.
Chan Wei brought Xiao Ning'er to the blacksmith to whom he had sold the carcass of the giant beetle, seeking to commission custom armor for the both of them.
The results of the beetle shell treatment were impressive. For the male version, the armor was a deep navy blue, giving the impression of heaviness and robustness. It was composed of layered cryogenic metals, offering optimal protection.
As for the female version, the armor was more flexible and elegant. The beetle shell had been interwoven with threads from a hunting spider to ensure maximum agility. Thunderous metals were also added to match Xiao Ning'er's elemental affinity, giving the ensemble both grace and power.
Both sets of armor were not only functional but also aesthetically striking, reflecting the personality and style of each wearer. Chan Wei and Xiao Ning'er were thrilled with the outcome and warmly thanked the blacksmith for his excellent work.
The armors came free of charge thanks to Chan Wei's sponsorship and all the materials obtained during their journey to the ruins. Instead of wasting time chasing more money, Chan Wei had secured the services of the best blacksmith in the city.
Of course, the armor was just the beginning. After browsing through several shops selling demon spirits—where he found only generic ones like Mad Yetis and Ice Monkeys—he finally came across three demon spirits with the lightning attribute that were strong enough to be of use.
Chan Wei quickly modified Xiao Ning'er's armor by adding a lightning-attribute enhancement pattern instead of focusing solely on defense. This pattern would allow the young woman to wield her lightning abilities more easily and with less energy consumption.
As for his own, he simply optimized the layered ice defense, adding a freezing effect to the armor. He also integrated the creation of three Gold-rank ice barriers for protection. Chan Wei would have preferred using higher-grade inscriptions, but Xiao Ning'er's strength was still limited, and the materials available weren't sturdy enough to handle more powerful arrays.
Saint Orchid Institute — Dormitory RoomAfter absorbing the various demon spirits he had purchased from the shops, Chan Wei finally completed his breakthrough to Gold Rank, 5-star. This pivotal moment was the result of days of hard work and dedication. But rather than feeling light and relieved, a heavy sensation surrounded him—as if the energy required for this breakthrough was denser than usual for someone at the same level.
He had consumed the cultivation of 600 Silver Rank, 3-star Yetis and 96 Gold Rank, 1-star Ice Monkeys, converting all of them into Bronze Rank, 5-star Shadows. Even so, he had to spend two more days bitterly cultivating to finally reach this crucial milestone.
When the breakthrough finally happened, the fluctuations of his energy were completely concealed by the spirit within him. Wasting no time, he upgraded 10 more Ice Monkeys to Gold Rank and equipped them with the special armor sets he had prepared.
Including Simia, Chan Wei had now outfitted 20 Blue-Armed Battle Monkeys and 10 Gray Monkeys of Gold Rank with armor and spears equivalent to Gold Rank, each set embedded with standardized attack and defense inscriptions. The monkey army was now ready to march. The next major target: the Black Gold-ranked monkey, expected to appear during the upcoming demon beast tide.
Meanwhile, Nie Li didn't remain idle. He had acquired exactly what he wanted from the Alchemist Association. Thanks to the contributions of two individuals, the two great institutions of Glory City had not only returned to their former glory—but surpassed it.
Chan Wei continued refining Gold- and Silver-rank matrices with his Shadows, using the demon spirit crystals provided by the Inscriptionist Association.
The wealth of the Alchemist Association had reached staggering levels. It issued a city-wide notice across Glory City: it was recruiting new disciples en masse. All training fees would be covered, and once disciples reached the level of intermediate alchemy apprentices, they could refine pills and earn income.
Thanks to this initiative from the alchemists, along with the one from the inscriptionists, many commoners now had a purpose—they no longer had to be expendable sacrifices when the next inevitable demon beast wave struck. It was a crucial step forward for the safety and prosperity of Glory City.
Saint Orchid Institute Library
Nie Li, Chan Wei, Du Ze, Lu Piao, Xiao Ning'er, Ye Ziyun, and Huyan Lanruo gathered to discuss their cultivation progress.
Nie Li spoke first. "I'm glad to see our training is paying off. Thanks to the Spirit-Soothing Pills and Crimson Body Temperance Pills, our cultivation has advanced significantly. But we can't grow complacent. We must keep improving."
Du Ze nodded. "Yes, the Purple Mist Herbs have been a great boost too. But we need to stay sharp and keep training hard."
Lu Piao, still as lazy as ever, added with a mischievous smile, "I agree, but that doesn't mean we can't have a bit of fun too, right?"He winced slightly as he felt Nyx's mandibles brush his neck. Under her silent threat, he changed his tone. "But I'll definitely work harder to grow stronger," he added quickly.
"Actually, I've got a surprise for you," said Chan Wei, pulling out a different kind of Body Temperance Pill. It was a deep blue color with crimson patterns. "I finally finished enhancing the effect of the Body Temperance Pill. It can only be taken once per month, but it's 100 times stronger than a standard enhancement pill. It directly adds the physical strength of a Bronze 5-star demon beast to your body over a month of refinement."
"That's incredible!" exclaimed Ye Ziyun and Xiao Ning'er in unison, while Huyan Lanruo looked at her little brother with admiration.
"Bronze?" asked Nie Li, though Chan Wei understood what he meant right away.
"The pill's structure is stable but not strong enough to withstand a higher-level Shadow. I lost twelve Silver-rank Shadows with no results, so I'm focusing on quantity and frequency for now. Even at the Legend rank, a physical boost like this can't be completely ignored."
"Wow, that's really impressive!" said Du Ze. "You've done a great job, Chan Wei."
"Yes, it's incredibly clever," added Xiao Ning'er. "It could really help us improve our strength in a meaningful way."
"And it might be a great asset during the next demon beast wave," added Ye Ziyun with a smile.
"I don't intend to supply these to anyone else until the Dark Guild has been wiped out," declared Chan Wei.Everyone nodded in firm agreement at that statement.
"Nie Li, the annual examination is coming up. Are you planning to humiliate Shen Xiu?" asked Lu Piao, grinning, since everyone knew Nie Li had already won his bet to reach Bronze Rank, 1-star.
Nie Li simply smiled, but those who knew him well understood that he was planning something particularly wicked.
Training Grounds — One Month Later
The Saint Orchid Institute was adorned with festive decorations, preparing for the grand event.
On the institute's training grounds, flags fluttered everywhere, and the sound of drums echoed across the sky.
The long-awaited annual examination was officially about to begin. It meant a great deal to every student.
All the students from the Apprentice Warrior and Apprentice Demon Spiritualist classes had gathered on the training grounds. Nie Li, Chan Wei, Lu Piao, and Du Ze were also present, despite having skipped Shen Xiu's classes.
Xiao Ning'er, Ye Ziyun, and the others approached Nie Li, Chan Wei, Lu Piao, and Du Ze, who were already on the training field. After a month of cultivation, enhanced by various elixirs—and a few extra gifts from Chan Wei—everyone had made significant progress.
Du Ze and Lu Piao were the first to notice their arrival, lifting their heads from their exercises with wide grins.
"Hey everyone! Long time no see," said Xiao Ning'er with a bright smile.
She stepped up beside Nie Li and whispered, "Nie Li, I heard from some family members that the Sacred Family has been putting a lot of pressure on the Heavenly Marks Family's business."
"They're only targeting the business?" Nie Li asked flatly.
"Yes!" Xiao Ning'er nodded. Even though the Sacred Family was powerful, they could only suppress other families economically. Glory City prohibited internal bloodshed. If the Sacred Family ever tried to wipe out the Heavenly Marks Family, Demon Spiritualist Ye Mo and the City Lord wouldn't let them get away with it.
"Then everything's fine," Nie Li replied calmly. Ever since his pills went on the market, his daily income had reached several million. His daily profits alone equaled years of income for the Heavenly Marks Family. Even if their business was being choked, it wouldn't matter. Once the exam was over and he returned home, Nie Li could completely turn things around for his clan.
Xiao Ning'er turned toward him, a spark of excitement in her eyes. "So, what rank are you now?"
"I'm at Bronze Rank, 5-star," Nie Li whispered back, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"Wow, that's impressive," she murmured, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
She then turned to Ye Ziyun with a curious smile. "And you? What rank are you now?"
"Bronze Rank, 5-star as well," Ye Ziyun answered proudly, though with a humble smile.
"That's great!" Du Ze exclaimed, sharing in his friends' joy.
Meanwhile, Lu Piao and Chan Wei were exchanging whispers about their own progress.
"I'm at Bronze Rank, 4-star now," Lu Piao said with a mix of pride and humility.
"And I'm still at Gold Rank, 5-star," Chan Wei whispered with a modest smile, though his eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
"I've reached Silver Rank, 3-star," Xiao Ning'er added, a little shyly but with a radiant smile.
"Congratulations!" Du Ze cheered enthusiastically.
"Well done, Xiao Ning'er! That's awesome," Ye Ziyun added with a warm smile.
Chan Wei smiled too. "Yes, congratulations!"
In the distance, Shen Fei marched purposefully toward Xiao Ning'er with a determined look. However, the moment he spotted the boy who had left him unconscious in the street, he immediately turned around. Not only had he been defeated, but Shen Ming—the Sacred Family's internal affairs director—had personally warned him to stay away from Chan Wei.
The scene was almost comical. Shen Fei, who had clearly intended to appear confident and threatening, retreated in a hurry, his expression flickering between confusion and frustration. He looked like a scared cat that had just crossed paths with a guard dog. The amused glances of the bystanders added a layer of irony to the moment, and even Chan Wei couldn't help but smirk as he watched Shen Fei turn tail.
Xiao Ning'er, watching the scene with amusement, couldn't help but think about how lucky she was to have met Chan Wei. She felt relieved to have escaped the fate of being married to Shen Fei.
A moment later, Shen Xiu entered, swaying her hips as she walked. Her gaze swept across the group of students and landed on Nie Li. Her eyes sharpened as she locked onto him.
Shen Xiu spoke in a voice devoid of enthusiasm: "The annual exam for our class is about to begin. Everyone, follow me!"
"Teacher Shen Xiu, you promised that if I reached Bronze Rank, 1-star, you'd resign from the school. Does your word mean anything?" Nie Li asked suddenly, a smirk tugging at his lips. "If you apologize to me and beg me to cancel our bet right now, maybe I'll consider it."
"You really think you can trick me? I'm not that naive!" Shen Xiu thought bitterly. She snorted, then said in a firm voice, "I, Shen Xiu, stand by my word. If you've truly reached Bronze Rank, 1-star, I will resign."
Nie Li shrugged nonchalantly. "In that case, you'd better start writing your resignation letter."
"Wait until you actually pass your exam and prove you've reached Bronze Rank, 1-star, before making such bold statements," Shen Xiu retorted coldly before leading the students toward the examination hall.
There were several thousand students at the Saint Orchid Institute, and each exam took time. Emotions were high, and the atmosphere was electric.
Author's Note: This is just the transition chapter. I'm leaving it here for now, but the exam won't go exactly as expected—you'll see next week, hahahaha ^^