The classroom was unusually quiet.
Xiao Ning'er sat upright at her desk, hands folded neatly, her gaze drifting toward the back seats more often than she realized. Several days had passed, yet the seats she had unconsciously grown used to seeing occupied remained empty.
'They've been absent for a few days now…' she thought.
'It's almost time for the treatment. Did he forget about it…?'
Her fingers tightened slightly.
She didn't say it aloud, but another thought surfaced—one she tried, and failed, to push away.
Karma…
Her mind betrayed her, replaying that familiar, effortless smile of his. The way he always looked relaxed, like nothing in the world could truly trouble him. Before she realized it, warmth crept up her cheeks.
She quickly looked down.
From the desk beside ninger, Ye Ziyun had been quietly reading, but she glanced up at that moment, her attention caught by Xiao Ning'er's unusual stillness.
'Ning'er has been daydreaming a lot lately,' Ye Ziyun thought, flipping a page in her book.
'That's strange.'
Xiao Ning'er stiffened slightly.
Ye Ziyun studied her profile—the distant look in her eyes, the faint blush she hadn't fully hidden. A thought crossed her mind, unexpected yet oddly natural.
Don't tell me…Is she secretly in love with… her childhood friend, karma?
The idea lingered longer than Ye Ziyun expected.
At the front of the room, Shen Xiu turned from the blackboard, lips curling faintly.
Her red eyes flicked across the seats with visible displeasure. She let out a cold snort.
'Hmph.,Practicing hard somewhere…' she thought mockingly.
'Does Nie Li really think that by training alone, he can raise his soul power from five to one hundred in just two months?'
She turned back to the lectern, her voice sharp and cutting as it echoed through the room.
'Too bad you're a trash-tier disciple with a red soul realm,' Shen Xiu thought coldly. 'Prepare to watch your own schooling end in two months. This is the price you pay for talking back to me.'
She straightened, voice cold and disdainful.
"Among the seven soul realm colors," Shen Xiu said, "red is the lowest grade. Only a handful of people in Glory City's centuries-long history have ever reached Silver rank with a red soul sea."
She paused deliberately.
"Unless a miracle occurs, a red soul realm's soul power capacity caps at around six hundred—and grows increasingly difficult the further one advances."
A few students exchanged glances.
Some scoffed.
Some clenched their fists.
A low murmur rippled through the classroom as Shen Xiu's words settled in.
"Six hundred at most?" one student muttered under his breath.
"Then the highest I can ever reach is Green-Bronze rank?"
"Cheh!" another scoffed, frustration clear on his face.
At the lectern, Shen Xiu lifted her chin slightly, her crimson eyes cold and unwavering.
"Some things are naturally destined," she said, her voice slow and deliberate, each word dripping with certainty.
"But humans must overcome fate. For example—"
Her lips curved into a faint, disdainful smile.
"Some people are born with a silver spoon," she continued.
"And some are nothing more than second-rate commoners."
The classroom fell silent.
Ye Ziyun lowered her gaze slightly.
'Glory City is constantly under threat from demon beasts…' she thought.
'Yet Instructor Shen Xiu keeps stirring conflict between nobles and commoners, as if none of that matters.'
Nearby, a student slammed his hand against the desk.
'Just despicable, If only Nie Li were here,' he thought angrily. 'He'd definitely stand up for us.'
After class.
A group of students lay sprawled across a grassy slope outside the academy, staring up at the sky.
"Nie Li said he could raise his soul force from five to one hundred in two months," one of them said doubtfully.
"That's way too much," another replied. "Even a genius with a green soul sea couldn't do that."
A short silence followed.
"…But I hope he succeeds," one of them said quietly. "I hate that hypocritical woman."
"Same," another sighed. "Even if hope isn't exactly in sight."
Not far away, two nobles walked along the stone path.
"Hmph. Nie Li talking back to elders, offending superior families—he really is the black sheep of the nobles," one scoffed.
The other shrugged indifferently.
"Some people just like hanging around commoners. What can we do?"
Evening.
The sky burned orange as the sun dipped toward the horizon.
"I'm full," Lu Piao said, patting his stomach.
"Most people have already left for dinner," Du Zhe replied. "That's why there's barely anyone here."
They walked together through the library, the warm glow of spirit lamps illuminating the shelves.
Du Zhe lowered his voice.
"Nie Li, my soul power has reached eighty-nine points. I should break through to Bronze One-Star in about a week."
Nie Li smiled.
"Not bad. At this rate, all of you should reach Bronze One-Star within two weeks." Nie li added while thinking "We need to get some elixirs with them our training speed will increase rapidly"
Lu Piao's eyes lit up.
"We're improving this fast without elixirs! If we had them, our progress would be insane!"
"But where would we get elixirs?" Zhang Ming asked. "Even the cheapest ones cost thousands of demon spirit coins."
Du Zhe let out a sigh.
"Yeah. Even after killing Horned Sheep and selling the demon spirit coins, then purchasing soul crystals… we're left with barely ten thousand demon spirit coins."
Nie Li fell silent for a moment, his gaze thoughtful.
Then he spoke calmly,
"In that case, you guys focus on cultivating. I have something to take care of tonight, so I won't be joining you."
Lu Piao blinked.
"Huh? Will you be okay on your own? Do you need us to come with you?"
Nie Li shook his head.
"No need."
He paused, then added lightly,
"I'll think of a way to make that ten thousand multiply."
Du Zhe stared.
"…Multiply?"
Nie Li had already turned away.
As they reached the stairs, Lu Piao laughed loudly.
"Oh, come on! Don't complain when you're behind us in cultivation!"
Nie li smirked.
"Ah ha, good luck to you."
As they reached the stairs, Lu Piao suddenly frowned.
"Wait," he said. "Where did Karma disappear to after class?"
Du Zhe glanced around, then shook his head.
"No idea."
Nie Li paused.
"…I don't know either," he answered honestly.
At that moment, Lu Piao's eyes widened.
"Hey—look over there."
Between the shelves, two figures stood quietly.
Karma.
And Ye Ziyun.
The air seemed to still.
Nie Li froze.
In that instant, scenes flooded his mind—
collapsed walls,
burning streets,
His breath caught.
…Ye Ziyun.
The soft rustle of pages echoed faintly between the shelves.
Ye Ziyun looked up from the book in her hands when she heard footsteps approach. Her eyes widened slightly when she recognized who it was.
"Karma," she said, a hint of relief slipping into her voice. "Where were you the past few days? You just disappeared."
Karma shrugged easily, hands slipping into his sleeves.
"Some business," he replied. "And training."
Ziyun studied him for a moment, clearly unconvinced, but she didn't press further. Instead, she lowered her voice.
"How are uncle and aunt?" she asked. "Are they doing well?"
Karma nodded without hesitation.
"They're fine. Same as always."
Then, almost casually, he tilted his head and looked at her.
"What about you?" he asked. "Is your old man actually looking after you properly this time?"
Ziyun's fingers tightened around the book.
For just a split second, something flickered in her eyes—something quiet and heavy—but she lowered her gaze before it could surface.
"…Of course," she said lightly. "I'm fine."
Karma noticed.
He always did.
Without saying anything about it, he shifted closer to the shelf beside her, peering at the books stacked there.
"So," he said, deliberately changing the subject, "what are you doing buried in the library this late? Planning to turn into a scholar?"
Ziyun glanced at him, then lifted the book slightly.
"I'm looking for texts written in ancient script," she replied. "Some of them mention old cultivation records."
Karma raised an eyebrow.
"Ancient script?" he repeated. "That stuff gives me a headache just looking at it."
She shot him a glare.
"Then don't look."
He grinned.
"See? Still scary."
Ziyun huffed, turning away with exaggerated annoyance.
"You're impossible."
But the corners of her lips betrayed her.
Karma leaned back against the shelf, arms crossed, watching her with a lazy smile.
"Hey," he said, "you're the one who asked where I'd been."
She paused, then muttered,
"…Idiot."
Nie Li stopped a short distance away, scratching the back of his head with an awkward laugh.
'Ha ha,' he thought. 'The way she holds that book… she looks like she's comparing our knowledge.'
Karma snorted beside Ye Ziyun, arms still crossed.
Ye Ziyun looked up from the book, slightly surprised.
"What's wrong?"
Nie Li straightened and gestured toward the tome in her hands.
"Are you also interested in the Book of Divine Lightning Fire?"
Ye Ziyun looked at Nie li and nodded honestly, lowering her gaze back to the pages.
"Yes. This book is quite intriguing. But after skimming through it…"
She paused, then shook her head faintly.
"I realized that I can't comprehend most parts."
As she spoke, she unconsciously took a small step back—not in rejection, but out of habit—leaving a polite, comfortable distance between them.
From behind the shelves, four heads immediately popped out.
"What power!"
"Did you see that?"
"She stepped back!"
Karma glanced over his shoulder, unimpressed.
"…fools."
Nie Li inwardly sighed.
He raised a hand and gestured toward the shelves above.
"This scripture uses the ancient language of the Snow Wind Empire," he explained calmly.
"As the empire dates back thousands of years, the wording is naturally much harder to understand."
Ye Ziyun listened attentively.
Nie Li reached up and pulled out another book, turning its cover so she could see it.
"Black Gold Empire's Language."
"If you study the Black Gold Empire's script first," Nie Li continued, smiling faintly,
"this will become much simpler."
Karma nodded in agreement, glancing at Ye Ziyun.
"He's right," he added casually. "Nie Li's always been a bookworm. When it comes to books, he's ridiculously sharp."
Ye Ziyun blinked, a little surprised, then looked at Nie Li again—this time with clear interest.
Nie Li froze for half a second.
'…Thanks.'
Then—
'Wait.
Did he just call me a bookworm?'
Nie Li's smile stiffened almost imperceptibly.
'You're really impossible, Karma.'
Karma, sensing absolutely nothing wrong, smirked faintly.