TDG : rise of shadow army

Ye Ziyun was overjoyed to have finally reunited with her friend Ning'er. She took out the [Nine Revolving Ice Phoenix Technique] given to her by Nie Li. The value of this technique was absolutely unimaginable—was Nie Li really willing to give her such a precious cultivation technique?

After a long moment, Ye Ziyun finally managed to suppress the excitement in her heart and focused on practicing the [Nine Revolving Ice Phoenix Technique]. Her inner mind gradually calmed, and her soul realm became as firm as frozen ice. A crystalline energy began circulating throughout her body.

Ye Ziyun's skin became translucent, glowing with a jade-like luster, making her even more beautiful than before. She looked like a celestial fairy descending from the heavens.

As her soul force continued to improve, the impurities were expelled from Ye Ziyun's body. Her skin was covered in sweat, and suddenly, a cyan light blossomed around her, forming a massive cyan lotus.

Ye Ziyun suddenly opened her eyes, her beautiful pupils as clear as gemstones. The power of the [Nine Revolving Ice Phoenix Technique] had far exceeded her expectations. She had already been close to the threshold of a 1-star Bronze rank, but after cultivating with this technique, she directly broke through and became a 1-star Bronze rank.

Feeling the stickiness on her body, she felt extremely uncomfortable and immediately asked the maid to prepare bathwater.

The fragrance of flower petals filled the bath barrel. Ye Ziyun slowly removed her clothes, revealing her graceful curves. Her fair and delicate skin looked as if it were sculpted from jade. After practicing the technique, Ye Ziyun had become even more beautiful and alluring. Although she had not yet fully matured, her development was already considered remarkable.

Her exquisite ankle slowly entered the petal-filled water. Feeling the warm water wash away the stains on her body and the fragrance of the flowers, Ye Ziyun's mood couldn't help but lighten. Her slender fingers slowly caressed her smooth skin. Seeing the butterfly-shaped birthmark on her left chest, her heart involuntarily skipped a beat.

This butterfly-shaped birthmark had accompanied her since birth. Lightly touching it, she realized that although she had not yet reached full maturity, the slightly raised peaks were already quite captivating.

Just at that moment, she suddenly sensed a rustling sound from outside.

"Who?! Who's watching?!" Ye Ziyun immediately covered her chest with her hands, a flash of indignation appearing on her face.

"Mistress, it's me!" A gentle voice came from behind the curtains as a charming maid stepped out.

It turned out to be the maid, Xiao Die. Ye Ziyun let out a sigh of relief, her face warming slightly. Suddenly, Nie Li's face appeared in her thoughts. Do I have feelings for Nie Li?

—

A silent night passed.

—

The Next Day – Secret Treasure Pavilion

This was a large shop specializing in various armors, weapons, and inscription scrolls. The shop was located just a few hundred meters from the Holy Orchid Institute.

"Boss, I'll take this set of Enraged Flame Bronze Armor and this Blazing Wrath Sword!" Nie Li said, pointing at the bronze-grade armor and weapon.

"This Enraged Flame Set consists of four pieces: the chest armor, gauntlets, leggings, and boots. As for the weapon, the Blazing Wrath Sword is among the finest at the bronze level. The total price would be 500,000 demon spirit coins. It is crafted from the scales of a Flame Demon Beast. A bronze-ranked demon beast wouldn't be able to break through the armor, and even a silver-ranked one would struggle. Young master, are you certain you want to buy this?" the shopkeeper asked, glancing at Nie Li in surprise.

"Of course! Do you think I'm joking with you?" Nie Li waved his hand and threw a bag filled with crystal cards worth 10,000 demon spirit coins each. "There are 70 crystal spirit cards in here."

"Alright! I'll process the transaction for the young master immediately!" The shopkeeper's eyes gleamed with joy.

"I also want this set of armor and these inscription scrolls. I want everything—total it up for me. And this, this, this..." After selling a massive quantity of Purple Haze Grass, the amount of money Nie Li had at his disposal was simply terrifying. Buying these items wasn't an issue at all.

Not knowing which powerful family this young man belonged to, the shopkeeper could barely contain his excitement. The generosity of Nie Li's spending spree had brought in more revenue in one day than the shop had seen in several months.

Nie Li also purchased a spatial ring with a capacity of five to six cubic meters, storing all the items inside. As for the Enraged Flame Armor Set, he wore it directly. The armor was extremely lightweight, and wearing a shirt over it would completely conceal it.

"I'll also take this Dark Frost Dagger and this Glacial Phantom Armor," Nie Li said, recalling his brother's request. The dagger wasn't worth much since it lacked engravings, nor was the armor, but they were still made of resilient materials.

"These items cost 400,000 demon spirit coins," the vendor said, thrilled to finally sell them. Due to their cold nature, these materials were difficult to engrave, making them hard to sell.

"I'll take a trip to see if I can go hunting with Chan Wei!" Nie Li thought to himself as he headed back to school.

Just as he turned into a secluded corner, several people suddenly appeared before him.

"Brat, we finally caught you!" Shen Yue sneered coldly as he stared at Nie Li. The six lackeys behind him also looked at Nie Li with mockery in their eyes.

Nie Li had already been aware that Shen Yue and his group were following him. He had deliberately walked toward a remote area, waiting for them to block his path. A faint, unreadable smile appeared on Nie Li's lips. Let's see how I'll play with you guys next!

—

At the same time, 200 meters away

Chan Wei was in a classroom, discussing with Vice Principal Ye Sheng. He had made a deal with Ye Shuo through Ye Sheng by offering cultivation scrolls that he had created, claiming that they were made by his master.

He made it clear that these scrolls were only to be used by individuals with clear backgrounds, with a specific condition that the Sacred Family would not benefit from them due to the threats against his disciple.

After the discussion, Chan Wei received permission to enter higher-level hunting grounds. He thanked the Vice Principal before they left the classroom together.

—

Back to Nie Li

"What do you guys want?" Nie Li pretended to look frightened.

"So you finally know fear. Damn, I've been annoyed with you for days. Today, you're asking for your own death! Beat him without mercy!" Shen Yue roared.

The six lackeys behind Shen Yue charged at Nie Li like starving tigers pouncing on their prey.

"Beat him! Beat him until he can't crawl anymore!" Shen Yue revealed a cruel and satisfied grin.

"Don't come near me, I'll fight back!" Nie Li dodged while yelling at the top of his lungs, channeling his soul force: "Murder! The Sacred Family is trying to assassinate me!"

Nie Li wouldn't waste such a golden opportunity to smear the Sacred Family's reputation.

He used a secret soul technique, amplifying his voice so that it boomed like thunder, piercing the eardrums of those around him.

Chan Wei, who had just left the Vice Principal's office, heard Nie Li's voice and immediately rushed toward his direction.

"Damn it, shut this brat up! Hurry and shut him up!" Upon hearing Nie Li's howl, Shen Yue's face nearly twisted in rage. Damn it, Nie Li's scream can be heard throughout the entire Holy Orchid Institute! Even more miserable than pigs being slaughtered!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Shen Yue's lackeys rained down punches and kicks on Nie Li. Among the six, three were Bronze 1-star and the other three were Bronze 2-star. A few blows from them should have been enough to beat Nie Li to a pulp. But after taking several hits, Nie Li remained unfazed. His cries were still as loud as ever, echoing between multiple school buildings.

"Murder! The Sacred Family is trying to assassinate me!"

The penetrating power of his voice shook the entire school building. In no time, the entire Holy Orchid Institute was alarmed, and countless students leaned against the windows, eager to see what was happening.

At that moment, Chan Wei arrived, dashing forward to shield his brother. He deliberately took a few punches to the face, intentionally getting injured.

With just one glance, the students saw six people surrounding Nie Li, beating him mercilessly, while Chan Wei was also being injured by them. Standing behind them was Shen Yue of the Sacred Family.

"Isn't that Nie Li? And Chan Wei?"

"I heard Nie Li and Chan Wei offended the Sacred Family!"

"I also heard that because Nie Li exposed the plagiarism behind their inscription pattern, the Sacred Family is planning to secretly get rid of him and Chan Wei!"

"The Sacred Family is too ruthless! They're actually trying to kill a student inside Holy Orchid Institute?!"

"Quick, report this to the Principal!"

The students began murmuring among themselves. Even those who weren't fond of Nie Li before started feeling sympathy for him. Many of the noble students also felt dissatisfied with Shen Yue's actions. This is Holy Orchid Institute—does the Sacred Family really dare to kill someone here? Isn't that too lawless?

Nie Li glanced at Shen Yue, the corner of his mouth curling up in amusement. Shen Yue is still too inexperienced to play mind games with me!

While being surrounded by the six attackers, Nie Li used his agile movements to ensure that all of their attacks landed on his armor instead of his body. Not only were they unable to harm him, but the impact of their own attacks left their hands numb, their bones seemingly on the verge of breaking.

Meanwhile, Chan Wei was being targeted more frequently, as the attackers found it difficult to hit Nie Li effectively. However, Chan Wei didn't actually feel any of the blows, but pretended to be grievously injured so he could execute his next move. Despite faking his suffering, the lackeys were the ones in real pain, as each punch and kick against Chan Wei's body caused them more damage than him due to his incredibly strong physique. To make it more convincing, Chan Wei secretly scratched himself, leaving visible injury marks on his body.

As he dodged, Nie Li secretly delivered subtle punches to the lackeys' bodies, making them grimace in pain. Strictly speaking, Nie Li's current strength shouldn't have been enough to harm even Bronze 1-star and 2-star fighters. However, his punches carried a mysterious force, making them feel far more painful than being hit on the head with a metal rod.

"Damn it, you bunch of idiots! Finish them off already!" Shen Yue roared furiously. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Shen Yue felt like he had completely lost face. After all this time, not only had his six lackeys failed to defeat Nie Li, but Nie Li's cries had only grown louder! His only solace was that Chan Wei, who had also humiliated him before, was seemingly suffering under their blows.

If Nie Li had simply cried for help, it wouldn't have been a big deal. But instead, he screamed that the Sacred Family was committing murder. He was intentionally throwing dirt on the Sacred Family's name, branding them as criminals!

Shen Yue was on the verge of losing his mind. At this point, he couldn't back down.

"Beat them! Beat them mercilessly!" Shen Yue roared.

Shen Yue's lackeys were filled with grievances. They had already done their best, but no matter how they attacked Nie Li, he remained unscathed. Instead, they were the ones getting beaten up, their bones feeling as though they were about to crack. The other one had been left on the ground and was only being kicked from time to time while the entire group focused their attacks on Nie Li.

"What are you guys doing?"

A gentle yet firm voice rang out suddenly. A slender figure appeared, soaring through the air—it was Xiao Ning'er.

Xiao Ning'er landed in front of Chan Wei, standing guard while glaring furiously at Shen Yue and his group. A cyan glow radiated from her body—she had already reached Bronze 3-star rank as a Demon Spiritualist. Holding a Blue Moon Dagger in her hands, she was ready to strike at any moment.

"Shen Yue, you've gone too far."

Another melodious yet sharp voice rang out. A beautiful and graceful figure approached—it was Ye Ziyun.

She furiously glared at Shen Yue and said, "Shen Yue, I never thought you were this kind of person!"

"Chan Wei/Nie Li, are you okay?"

Both Xiao Ning'er and Ye Ziyun turned to look at one of the boys.

Xiao Ning'er focused most of her attention on Chan Wei, and when he gave her a subtle wink that only she could see, she felt a wave of relief wash over her heart.

Ye Ziyun, on the other hand, felt a little awkward, shifting her gaze back to Shen Yue.

"Ziyun, you've misunderstood! It's not like that!" Shen Yue hurriedly tried to explain. But when he saw the slight mockery on Nie Li's face, he suddenly realized what had happened. He had been completely tricked by Nie Li!

Shen Yue pointed angrily at Nie Li and shouted, "This brat lured us here on purpose! He set us up!"

"Shen Yue, who are you trying to fool?" Xiao Ning'er's anger flared even more. "Look at what you've done to Chan Wei! Are you saying he did this to himself?"

At that moment, Nie Li put on an innocent expression and righteously rebuked Shen Yue, saying,

"I admit that I offended your Sacred Family, but aren't you guys going too far? Do you really think you can get away with murdering someone at school? Look at what you did to my brother, who was just trying to protect me! Do you think you can do whatever you want in Holy Orchid Institute?

Even though my family can't compare to yours, I will not be at your mercy! I'd love to see just how domineering your Sacred Family thinks they can be! I, Nie Li, am proud. Unless you kill me, I will never yield to despicable people like you!"

Nie Li's righteous words nearly made Shen Yue vomit blood in rage.

Hearing Nie Li's speech, both Xiao Ning'er and Ye Ziyun couldn't help but look at him with admiration.

Deep inside, Xiao Ning'er's heart burned with admiration for Nie Li.

"I won't yield to the Sacred Family either!" Xiao Ning'er thought to herself, her heart filled with hatred toward them.

At that moment, Du Ze, Lu Piao, and the others also rushed to the scene.

"Shen Yue, you're utterly despicable! There were six of you surrounding Nie Li and Chan Wei!" Du Ze shouted in outrage. Seeing that Nie Li was unscathed, he calmed down slightly, but the moment he saw the state Chan Wei was in, his rage nearly erupted—if not for Chan Wei grabbing onto him for support, pretending to lean on him.

"Don't worry, I have a plan," Chan Wei whispered to Du Ze.

A crowd of students watching from afar also began criticizing Shen Yue's actions.

"I didn't even do anything to him!" Shen Yue said in frustration, trying to defend himself. But his excuse was immediately met with the scorn and ridicule of the students.

When Nie Li exchanged glances with Lu Piao and the others, Lu Piao suddenly understood.

"With so many of you ganging up on our brothers, how could they be fine? Want me to beat you up and see how you like it?" Lu Piao shouted boldly. "Shen Yue, do you dare swear that you didn't tell your lackeys to beat them to death earlier? Even if you try to deny it, the whole school heard what you said!"

"I did say that, but I didn't actually mean it..." Shen Yue anxiously tried to explain.

Both Xiao Ning'er and Ye Ziyun looked at Shen Yue with disgust. He actually tried to kill someone at school? This was simply too outrageous!

Ye Ziyun's impression of Shen Yue had completely shattered.

He had told the truth—although he had indeed ordered his lackeys to beat Nie Li to death, he had only said it casually. Killing someone at school was something he absolutely didn't dare to do. If he really did it, not even the Sacred Family would be able to cover for him!

But to everyone else who heard those merciless words, they obviously understood it differently!

"Vice Principal Ye Sheng has arrived!"

Ye Sheng rushed to the scene and his blood ran cold the moment he saw Chan Wei's condition. Then, his heart burned with fury.

If Chan Wei's master found out about this, Glory City would lose a future prodigy in inscriptions—not to mention the wrath of the gray-robed elder, who had specifically asked him to keep an eye on Chan Wei.

"Nie Li, I admit defeat today, but you'd better watch yourself!" Shen Yue spat bitterly before trying to flee with his lackeys.

"Come back here immediately!"

Vice Principal Ye Sheng's furious roar froze Shen Yue and his group in their tracks. The intense killing intent radiating from Ye Sheng made them tremble uncontrollably, unable to move a single muscle.

"Lu Xie, go and fetch Xue Yin immediately. Tell her this concerns Chan Wei," Ye Sheng ordered a teacher, who quickly left in haste.

"Chan Wei, are you okay?" Xiao Ning'er held onto his arm nervously, her face full of concern.

Chan Wei smiled faintly at her.

"I've suffered some injuries, but it's nothing serious. Luckily, you all arrived in time."

After practicing the new cultivation technique, Xiao Ning'er's complexion had improved greatly, her skin becoming even more flawless and radiant than before. She had grown even more beautiful than in the past, exuding an indescribable charm.

As for Ye Ziyun, she too had become even more elegant and attractive, her slender figure exuding a noble and graceful aura.

Vice Principal Ye Sheng kept his sharp gaze locked onto Shen Yue's group. Shen Yue and his lackeys were trembling violently, unable to move a single muscle.

"Why is the Vice Principal so angry about Chan Wei?" Some students murmured among themselves in confusion.

Seeing Xiao Ning'er's concern for Chan Wei, Ye Ziyun glanced at Nie Li, standing close to him as if making sure he was alright.

"It's good that you're okay," Ye Ziyun said with a slightly awkward smile.

Upon witnessing this scene, the surrounding boys couldn't remain calm. How great would it be if they were the ones who got beaten up and then found themselves in the middle of these two goddesses?

The nearby girls also took a second look at Nie Li for the first time, realizing that he was actually quite handsome—though in their eyes, he still couldn't compare to Chan Wei.

Some of the male students began to despise Nie Li and Chan Wei even more. Stealing one goddess was already unforgivable, but now they had taken both?! It was too much to bear!

Seeing the beautiful Ye Ziyun standing beside Nie Li, Xiao Ning'er couldn't help but feel a sense of joy. It seemed that Chan Wei was right about Nie Li's abilities.

She knew that Nie Li only had eyes for Ye Ziyun, but she still couldn't hide her surprise.

She watched quietly as Nie Li gazed at Ye Ziyun with an intensity that made her blush slightly.

Nie Li, feeling a little awkward, finally spoke:"Ziyun, I..."

"I'll be going now," Ye Ziyun said abruptly, turning to leave.

Before she could take another step, Chan Wei spoke up smoothly:"Classmate Ye Ziyun, shouldn't you stay and join us at the library? We could study together."

Ye Ziyun froze on the spot, hesitated for a moment, then returned—but this time, she stood closer to Xiao Ning'er, who smiled at her.

Nearby, Du Ze and Lu Piao exchanged amused smiles, giving Nie Li a thumbs-up.

Nie Li really was something else, managing to get closer to the goddess Ye Ziyun.

Although Ye Ziyun didn't show much emotion outwardly, the concern she displayed earlier when Nie Li was attacked—that wasn't something that could be faked.

From a distance, Shen Fei watched with a dark expression.

Seeing Xiao Ning'er supporting a commoner, he slowly turned to leave, not even bothering to check on Shen Yue.

"He dares to go against my Sacred Family and has even gotten close to my woman? You're simply tired of living!"

The sound of bones cracking came from Shen Fei's clenched fist.

As Shen Yue's older brother, Shen Fei had already reached the Silver rank.

He had a respectable status even among the elite students of the Genius Demon Spiritist Class, so he didn't even consider Chan Wei to be worth his attention.

Shortly after, Xue Yin hurriedly arrived at the scene.

When she saw Chan Wei's condition, her expression darkened—she almost lost her temper right there.

Before she could say anything, Chan Wei spoke up calmly:"Could we handle this matter in private?"

"Of course," Vice Principal Ye Sheng agreed without hesitation.

He turned to Shen Yue and his group and ordered, "You seven, report to detention. I will deal with your punishment in an hour."

As the Vice Principal guided Xue Yin and Nie Li's group into an empty classroom, the crowd slowly dispersed.

Inside the classroom.

"Hello, Aunt Xue," Ye Ziyun greeted cheerfully.

Xue Yin smiled at her niece, but then turned toward Chan Wei, her gaze serious.

"Greetings, Chan Wei," she said, a polite yet apologetic expression on her face. "I'm pleased to finally meet you in person, though I regret that it had to be under such circumstances."

After a brief pause, she continued, her voice carrying a hint of unease:"I hope this incident won't bring an end to the partnership between us... and your master?"

Chan Wei smiled reassuringly."Don't worry, Madam. These are just minor injuries."

Then, he turned to Ye Sheng and added in a firm tone:"I trust that you now understand why the Sacred Family should never be allowed access to the inscription scrolls I mentioned earlier."

"I understand. I will contact the City Lord's Mansion to set up a special committee in partnership with the Inscriptionist Association," Ye Sheng said with conviction.

"You can call me Xue Yin, or Aunt, just like Ziyun does, if that's alright with you," Xue Yin said with a smile.

The others, except for Nie Li and Xiao Ning'er, seemed surprised by this conversation—Chan Wei was speaking as an equal with two major figures of Glory City!

"Now that I think about it, Ning'er, do you have the inscription scrolls with you?" Chan Wei asked, turning toward her.

"Yes, I have them here," Xiao Ning'er replied, handing an interspatial ring to Xue Yin, who accepted it with a broad smile.

"One more thing, Aunt," Chan Wei continued. "Could you use the upcoming profits to train commoners in the art of inscription? I believe that with the next few scrolls, the association's finances will be more than sufficient to support the training of a few hundred people. I plan to start producing Gold-rank inscription scrolls soon, once I've fully mastered the Silver level. And my master has promised to teach me how to create Black Gold inscriptions in two months if I continue progressing."

As he spoke, Chan Wei calmly began applying medicinal balm to the bruises on his face.

"I'll discuss it with the association's director," Xue Yin nodded. "Thank you for your contributions. You may go now. See you later, Ziyun."

With that, the group left the room and headed toward the library, leaving only Ye Sheng and Xue Yin behind.

Once they were alone, Xue Yin's expression darkened slightly.

"Ye Sheng, even though Chan Wei didn't say anything, I doubt his master will be pleased to hear that his disciple was attacked. This matter needs to be handled properly. I will talk to the association about suppressing the Sacred Family a little—they're becoming far too arrogant. You also need to deal with Shen Yue."

After saying her piece, she turned to leave.

"Don't worry," Ye Sheng reassured her. "Also, please ask Ye Shuo to come see me when he has time."

Xue Yin acknowledged his request with a simple nod before disappearing down the corridor.

Once she was gone, Ye Sheng returned to his office and issued an official expulsion order for Shen Yue and his lackeys, citing assault and attempted murder within the Holy Orchid Institute. However, he did not publish the order immediately.

With a stern expression, he headed toward the detention room, but upon entering, he noticed something was off.

"Where is Shen Yue?" he demanded, his voice booming throughout the room, making the Bronze-rank students tremble in fear.

One of them quickly responded, "Professor Shen Xiu took him away, sir!"

Hearing this, Ye Sheng's face darkened with fury.

"A mere teacher dares to override my authority at the Holy Orchid Institute? Very well… Let's see how the Sacred Family reacts to this later."

His cold, piercing gaze swept over the trembling students before he stormed back to his office.

As soon as Ye Sheng arrived, he found Elder Ye Shuo, the man in the gray robe, already waiting for him.

"That was fast, Elder," Ye Sheng said, calming his anger toward the Sacred Family as he addressed the senior figure.

"I have two important matters to report regarding Chan Wei," he continued. "First, he entrusted me with several cultivation scrolls that his master personally refined by modifying ancient techniques. Based on my preliminary analysis, these techniques far surpass most of those possessed by the major families. There is even one lightning-based technique that could potentially allow someone to reach the Legend rank…."

Ye Shuo, who had been calmly listening until now, suddenly widened his eyes in shock.

"Legend rank?!" he repeated, stunned. "Are you saying that Chan Wei's master provided a cultivation technique capable of reaching the Legend realm? If that's true, then his master must also be a Legend-rank expert!"

His expression grew serious. "I hope you're handling Chan Wei's requests properly. We need to ensure his master remains on our side. Continue."

Ye Sheng nodded. "As I was saying, Chan Wei has one strict condition—the Sacred Family must never have access to these techniques. Given recent events, I believe it's best to comply with this demand."

Ye Shuo nodded in agreement. "That's a reasonable condition. But what events are you referring to?"

Ye Sheng's expression darkened once again as he replied:

"Earlier today, Shen Yue, along with a group of Bronze 1-star and 2-star warriors, ambushed and attacked Nie Li and Chan Wei. Chan Wei sustained some minor injuries. When I detained them, Shen Xiu personally came and took Shen Yue away—completely disregarding my authority."

Hearing this, Ye Shuo's gaze turned ice-cold.

"I see. I will handle this matter personally."

He then extended his hand toward Ye Sheng.

"Can you give me the cultivation scrolls? I will present them to the City Lord and make the necessary arrangements. Xue Yin has already informed me of Chan Wei's request regarding the training of commoners in inscription. I will bring it up during the meeting as well."

(Author's Note: And here's my little addition for the week—4,600 words, which is equivalent to two chapters compared to my other two fanfics! ^^)