Holy Orchid Institute, martial field.
The sounds of drums rumbled throughout the academy, setting up an electrifying atmosphere as students from different classes flooded the academy grounds for the yearly examination.
Today, the students from the Fighter Apprentice class would go through various tests. Students whose strength and soul force had both stepped into Bronze Rank would qualify to enter the Demon Spiritualist class.
This test would further widen the gap between students. While some would advance to become Demon Spiritualists, others would remain in the Fighter Apprentice class and continue training as fighters.
In Nie Li's previous life, because his talent was poor, he was unable to enter the Demon Spiritualist class and could only watch Ye Ziyun from afar.
Today, however, the excitement was ten times greater than last year's test.
This was because many students had experienced a massive increase in their soul force thanks to the elixirs sold by the Divine Medicine Pavilion.
Unlike the Alchemist Association, which hoarded many of their new elixirs so they could sell them at auctions and control the market, resulting in sky-high prices, the Divine Medicine Pavilion did the opposite and instead came up with a unique method to distribute their new elixirs.
In order to help the younger generation increase their chances of becoming Demon Spiritualists, the Divine Medicine Pavilion introduced a unique distribution system where the younger generation could earn merit points by taking on various jobs offered by the pavilion.
These jobs ranged from easy to dangerous depending on the type of work. Herb gathering, hunting, and even manual labor were all available for those willing to participate.
By doing so, students would be able to earn merit points, which they could use to purchase various medicines, weapons, armor, and even cultivation techniques, all rumored to be extremely powerful.
This unique and unprecedented business approach by the Divine Medicine Pavilion caused a frenzy, especially among the commoner students. Ordinary students were all busy taking jobs in order to earn merit points in exchange for elixirs and other rewards.
It was worth noting that compared to the elixirs sold by the Alchemist Association, the elixirs from the Divine Medicine Pavilion were far more effective for those who were only beginning to build their foundations.
While this resulted in the Divine Medicine Pavilion earning far fewer demon spirit coins compared to the astronomical profits of the Alchemist Association, Chen Wenrou, the president of the Divine Medicine Pavilion, explained that their organization's goal was to encourage the younger generation to work hard in their cultivation, knowing that all their efforts would be rewarded.
What many people failed to realize, however, was that despite earning less money, the Divine Medicine Pavilion had successfully gained the approval of countless commoner families.
So much so that if Chen Zhenlong wished to become the next City Lord, no one would consider it inappropriate.
Another source of excitement was the highly anticipated result of the bet between Teacher Shen Xiu and Nie Li.
In the past, everyone was certain that with Nie Li's poor talent, reaching Bronze Rank Demon Spiritualist within two months was nothing more than a pipe dream.
But with the elixirs sold by the Divine Medicine Pavilion, the outcome of the bet became far more unpredictable. Everyone was eager to find out who would stay and who would leave, which thrilled the crowd even more.
Right on cue, Nie Li and his group walked into the academy grounds, attracting everyone's attention. With his friends by his side, Nie Li strolled through the grounds without the slightest trace of anxiety. The sight made everyone ponder his current strength.
"Is Nie Li not worried about the results of his test, or is he simply unaware of the seriousness of the situation? If he fails the exam, that would be his downfall. Is Nie Li dumb or something?" many silently pondered.
Ignoring all the whispers around him, Nie Li's eyes wandered everywhere as he searched for Ye Ziyun. His eyes lit up and his lips stretched into a smile the moment he saw Ye Ziyun walking toward him.
"Nie Li, how are you? Don't mess around today. Take the exam seriously or you'll get expelled from the academy," Ye Ziyun reminded him. She already knew that Nie Li's strength had long since stepped into Bronze Rank, so she wasn't too worried that he would fail the test.
Hearing the concern in Ye Ziyun's voice, Nie Li's lips curved into a smile before a teasing grin appeared on his face.
"Oh, you don't have to worry about me, Ziyun. How can I call myself your lover if I fail this kind of test?"
Hearing Nie Li's words, Ye Ziyun's face turned red. She angrily stomped her foot on the ground, puffing her cheeks in frustration.
"Who's your lover!? Stop spouting nonsense, Nie Li, or I'll beat you up! I'm not that easy to bully!"
Instead of taking her threat seriously, Nie Li burst into laughter, which further annoyed Ye Ziyun and prompted her to kick his foot, making him yell in pain.
Moments later, another group of people made their way onto the academy grounds.
Leading the group was Chen Linlin, whose confident stride attracted everyone's attention. Behind her were her friends Jing Ya, Mei Lin, and Yue Ling, all of whom carried an air of grace around them.
Over the past few months, it became widely known that the trio had become good friends with Chen Linlin and had received support from her faction.
As a result, their demeanors had changed drastically.
They became more self-assured, graceful, and beautiful. Many boys started noticing them, and some even tried to make advances on them, only to receive beatings in return.
Some noble youths even attempted to use their family influence to pressure the families of Jing Ya, Mei Lin, and Yue Ling into marriage arrangements.
Only for the Divine Family to intervene, resulting in those noble families receiving a one-hundred-year ban from doing business with the Divine Family, including purchasing elixirs from the Divine Medicine Pavilion.
The excessive punishment struck fear into the hearts of the other noble families, to the point that they strictly warned their children not to provoke Jing Ya, Mei Lin, or Yue Ling.
As for the families of the three girls, Chen Linlin led them to believe that the trio were candidates to become Xue Hui's concubines.
The news greatly delighted their families since it meant their daughters might become the lovers of a Legend Rank expert's disciple.
Soon, everyone's attention shifted from Chen Linlin and her friends to the two people walking behind them.
Oblivious to the gazes around them, Xue Hui and Xiao Ning'er happily chatted as they walked side by side, their shoulders nearly touching.
Their arrival caused the students to start whispering among themselves. Rumors had spread for weeks that Xiao Ning'er had eloped with the guy from the Fighter Apprentice class, which supposedly explained her long disappearance.
These rumors became even more outrageous after Xue Hui and Xiao Ning'er returned from their journey and were seen together acting like a couple deeply in love.
Naturally, people's opinions regarding the rumors were mixed. Some insulted Xiao Ning'er, while others cursed Xue Hui for stealing their goddess.
However, everyone agreed on one thing: Shen Fei had been forced to wear a green hat by both Xiao Ning'er and Xue Hui, and they had no problem laughing at his misery.
Shen Fei was notorious for his domineering attitude and vile acts against the maidens of many families.
As such, many people despised him and even felt sorry for Xiao Ning'er for being engaged to such a person.
Ignoring the murmurs around them, Xiao Ning'er's eyes never left Xue Hui. She listened to him speak as though his voice was the only sound in the world.
She didn't care about the rumors or the judgment of others around her. For Xiao Ning'er, she had already obtained what she wanted: Xue Hui's affection and Chen Linlin's approval. Everything else was trivial.
Out of nowhere, while Xiao Ning'er was laughing at something Xue Hui said, she suddenly felt his hand snake around her waist and pull her closer as they both twirled to dodge a palm strike.
With a swift movement, Xue Hui used his free arm to grab the attacker's elbow before using the man's own momentum to throw him into the air.
THUD!
Shen Fei's back slammed against the ground, completely caught off guard by Xue Hui's smooth counterattack.
Xue Hui, whose hand still rested on Xiao Ning'er's waist, let out an amused laugh, not noticing that Xiao Ning'er's face had turned red from their sudden closeness.
"Oh? Isn't it Young Master Shen Fei? It took you quite a while before finally showing yourself to me. I almost thought you were a kind and understanding person willing to let my Ning'er go without causing any trouble, you know, as an apology for making her life miserable these past few years."
Shen Fei's face, already twisted into an ugly scowl, became even more ferocious when Xue Hui referred to Xiao Ning'er as his.
"Honestly, I was almost moved by your selflessness. So much so that I was about to hire the best mason in Glory City to build a statue in your honor. Fortunately, you showed up before I did. I almost wasted the time of those honest working men."
Xue Hui continued speaking, completely ignoring the curious spectators gathering around them.
Veins bulged across Shen Fei's forehead. He hadn't expected Xue Hui to dodge his attack. Enraged, he pushed himself up and turned to glare at Xue Hui.
The sight of Xiao Ning'er's body pressed against Xue Hui's side only infuriated Shen Fei further. For weeks, people had been laughing behind his back. The humiliation he suffered made his heart itch for revenge.
"Get over here, Xiao Ning'er! Or I'll make sure you suffer once I'm done killing that bastard!" Shen Fei roared, drawing even more attention.
Instead of being intimidated, Xiao Ning'er's eyes narrowed as hatred flashed within them.
She was about to pull away from Xue Hui's embrace and unleash her soul force to show Shen Fei that she was no longer the same Xiao Ning'er as before, but before she could act, Xue Hui leaned close to her ear and whispered something that caused her to freeze and blush bashfully.
The sight caused everyone's eyes to widen. They didn't know whether to pity Shen Fei or laugh at him. The two simply didn't care about his existence.
"You're courting death! Let go of my fiancée at once!"
Xue Hui pulled away from Xiao Ning'er and released her before stepping forward to face Shen Fei.
"What's wrong, Young Master Shen Fei? You're acting as though you've never been in my position before. Aren't you the man notoriously known for playing with women? How many marriages have you ruined simply because you wanted to taste a woman before her partner could?"
That was a well-known fact among everyone. Shen Fei was truly rotten to the core.
"Shut the fuck up! No one steals from me without paying with their life! Since you dared to steal my woman, then you should die!"
Xue Hui's eyebrow rose as a vicious glint flashed through his eyes. The change was so subtle that only Nie Li, who was watching from nearby, noticed it.
"Kill me? Young Master Shen Fei must be joking. How could we possibly do that? Has Young Master Shen Fei forgotten that murder is forbidden in Glory City?"
Xue Hui made a thoughtful pose, knitting his brows in contemplation before snapping his fingers as though realizing something.
"Unless Young Master Shen Fei is referring to a Blood Oath Duel of Dao Judgment. If that is what you desire, then even if you kill me, neither my Divine Family nor my master would be able to interfere, since it is a rule established by our ancestors to allow people to settle their grievances on their own terms."
The more Xue Hui spoke, the more Shen Fei's blood boiled. His killing intent was now fully unleashed as he wished to tear Xue Hui apart for daring to get close to his woman.
"If that's the case, then..."
Xue Hui took out a piece of paper and wrote something on it. Biting his thumb, he smeared blood onto the document before presenting it to Shen Fei.
"This is a Blood Oath Duel of Dao Judgment. I've already signed it. You want my life, so let's see whether you're capable of taking it. Just sign it with your blood, and we'll meet in the younger generation tournament three weeks from now to settle our issues there."
Due to his overwhelming rage, Shen Fei didn't even bother reading the contents of the contract, even when Xue Hui offered to read it aloud to him.
Instead, Shen Fei shouted at him to shut up before biting his lip hard enough to draw blood and spitting it toward the contract. Some of the blood even splattered onto Xue Hui's clean clothes, but the contract was signed, and the duel was officially set.
"Enjoy your time together, you cheating bastards. You'll both be dead once the tournament arrives. And as for you..."
Shen Fei's expression turned lustful as he licked his lips while staring at Xiao Ning'er.
"Once the tournament is over, you'll be staying in the Sacred Family mansion from now on, never allowed to leave."
After delivering his threat, Shen Fei turned around and left, leaving everyone in a state of shock.
No one truly understood what a Blood Oath Duel of Dao Judgment entailed, but everyone believed one thing without question.
Xue Hui was dead.
Shen Fei was from the Genius class and had already reached Silver Rank, while no one even knew whether Xue Hui had reached Bronze Rank yet.
End of Chapter 60
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