Chapter 8 - 5: Graduation

The next day found me rushing down the hallway of the dorm. Something wild had happened to me overnight and I needed some help to sort things out and what better source than a certain someone with centuries of rare knowledge. After knocking on the door twice I was greeted by a familiar mop of orange hair

"Long Wan?" Nie Li greeted with a smile but his expression changed to a surprised one when he saw the urgency in my posture "What's wrong?"

Looking around to make sure nobody was watching I whispered "Hello. May I come in?"

Nie Li nodded and stepped aside to let me in. His room was boyishly tidy, as in there were a few things on the floor and a couple of books scattered around but overall clean. "Sorry for the mess. Have a seat wherever you like. I'm out of tea though..."

Flashing my ring I took out a bottle of baiju and some cups before pouring both of us some. Underage drinking was dangerous as it could affect your growth... that is on Earth. In our case our powerful cultivation techniques and body enhancing elixirs removed most impurities and toxins from our internals meaning yay! no hangove... I mean, meaning that we could grow up unhindered.

Anyways, we both took a sip and I moved my ringed hand once again to summon from it a jet black demon spirit with an orange eye circle in the center close to my palm which seemed to watch both of us. The spirit acted like a burning flame, rising upwards and wispy but flowed as if it was a viscous liquid.

My friend's eyes shot open as he came to take a closer look "This spirit..." he mumbled "It's definitely God-level growth rate, and has a stronger dark alignment than the Shadow Devil demon spirit." When he tried to probe it with his soul force it sent an arc of spiritual black lightning back at his hand and shocked him. "This powerful intent that radiates even while dead means it's of at least an ancient bloodline." He squinted his eyes as he looked deep into it "It's also kept a bit of it's consciousness. As for what kind of spirit it is, well… it's a wolf type demon spirit but I don't recognize it." He turned to me "Where did you find it?"

I put the spirit back in the ring as I began recanting what had happened the night before...

After leaving the Winged Dragon residence I needed to blow some steam. Not punching Yunfeng yesterday left me itching to kill something which is why I was in the Holy Orchid Institute hunting ground. My plan was to find a horned sheep that dared to charge at me and mince it into a bloody pulp. Thinking back now I really have some issues...

Regardless, I sped through the forest searching for a victi... target and did manage to find three of them but they ran away as soon as I got close. Thinking about it calmly I was probably leaking a lot of intent to kill and considering that they were all 1-star Bronze rank beasts I can suspect that their instincts told them to f.u.c.k off fast.

By the time the fourth one ran away I had calmed down enough to just enjoy a stroll in the middle of the night. The moon shone brightly so it was easy to see where I was going. As I was jumping from tree to tree I heard a crash from nearby to my right followed by the sounds of beasts fighting. Foolishly I thought that there shouldn't be any beasts higher than Bronze rank in this place since it was an academy training ground so I considered myself safe enough to investigate.

Moving faster and stealthily I reached the canopy of a tall tree as thick as ten men and peeked through the bushes. Surprisingly I was able to see what was making the racket: A lion demon beast... a motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g LION demon beast the size of rhino had cornered a pair of bear-sized wolves. The lion was surrounded by a golden hued aura and it's eyes had no pupils but looked like a starry night, with two sharp silver slits running down their middle while the wolves had fur so dark it looked like black smoke every time the hairs on their backs bristled. Their eyes were also a fascinatingly dark, with orange pupils and dark irises. It reminded me of the first picture the scientists back on Earth managed to take of a black hole.

Judging by the aura they emitted the Lion was 1-star Gold rank while the wolves were 2, maybe 3-star Silver at best. One of the wolves was lying on the ground with a large gash on the side of it's head and the other one was facing off the lion trying to protect it. This wasn't a battle I should be involved in. That is what I thought until I heard a whimper and saw a small pup hiding behind the fallen wolf. Now one thing should be known about me is that I am a dog person. I love all kinds of pets but dogs are my favorites and seeing that pup, even a wolf pup in danger awoke something in me.

My vision became tunnelled as I merged with the shadow devil and snuck up in range. The lion was getting ready to pounce on the wolf standing guard when I appeared above it, the sting of my tail sinking deeply into it's shoulder blades. I aimed for the head but it moved just in time to avoid a fatal strike.

The lion gave a pained howl and swiped it's tail at me. Not this time! Yun Hua may have managed to strike this inexperienced me but this time I went in fully expecting a counterstrike. Placing a hand on it's back and twisting my legs I managed to corkscrew above the tail of death before summoning the scythe from my right forearm and aiming for the lion's spine.

However before I could make contact a golden disk appeared underneath the lion swallowing it whole and closing, my scythe arm getting buried up to the middle in the ground. The lion had disappeared without a trace...

Hearing a miserable whimper from my side I turned towards it to see the wolf pup snuggling to the fallen one's snout while the guardian wolf was l.i.c.k.i.n.g the large gash. Taking a step in their direction the guardian turned and growled menacingly at me. Standing my ground I summoned some dried meat from my ring and threw it to them. The wolf guardian bristled at my actions but the pup smelled the meat and started eating with gusto, an action that was soon mirrored by it's elder.

The guardian wolf finished eating and took some of it to bring it to the fallen one but it wouldn't eat it, only making soft sound as if it was talking to the one who brought it the jerky, and doing it quite painfully so. It's eye also rotated to catch a glimpse of me and something weird happened. The injured wolf let out a soft, barely audible howl and a bit of my soul energy flew off and merged with it. The next second the painful rasps of the wolf became less pronounced and it looked content to die. Seeing the wolf in this state wet my eyes a little as I tried to think of some way to save it. The only answer that came to me was to take out a fistful of Nine Transformation Pills and gently rolled them in their direction.

Hearing this the guardian wolf turned towards me and looked surprised but not alarmed. It then noticed the pills on the ground and gave one a sniff. In an instant it's eyes went wide and it gently picked up the pill and took it to it's companion's maw.

It was too late...

The companion drew it's last breath before the wolf could set the pill down and the guardian just stood there in shock while the little pup was pawing at the fallen wolf's head. The pill hit the floor as whimpers came from both survivors followed by a pained howl that shook the night awake. The guardian then curled up protectively around the other wolf's body with the pup sandwiched in between their necks.

Sighing I took so sitting on a nearby rock, not wanting to let any nearby beasts ruin their moment. Unlike most of them, these wolves showed so much emotion it was hard to leave them alone. Inclining I supported my upper body on my hands and looked up to see a surreal starry sky. Even with the moon out there were so many stars visible and it was something I could never get used to, nor did I want to for it was just so beautiful. My thoughts flashed to my life back on Earth. Have I really died there? Or was my soul cloned here? If I died, did anyone weep for me like the guardian wolf did for it's pack member?

I don't know how long I had been standing there stargazing when I felt something tickle my arm. Looking down I saw the little wolf, who was the size of a black bear cub l.i.c.k.i.n.g my hand softly. Flexing my other arm I summoned a bit more of jerky and handed it to the poor thing. It ate happily and then hopped in my l.a.p, tail wagging energetically. The corner of my eye picked up the curious and protective stare of the guardian wolf but it didn't look too concerned as it had not yet risen from next to it's fallen friend.

By reflex I started petting the pup and it yipped happily before curling up into a fluffy disk in my l.a.p. The jet black fur was so mesmerizing. When you looked at the curled up ball of warmth in my l.a.p you could swear it was two dimensional. The fur seemed to trap all light going into it leaving no reflections nor outline. It was then that I felt a tap from my back and I froze before turning around slowly to see the guardian wolf using it's nose to lift my arm and then sneak in underneath it before resting next to me. It was now that I saw exactly how huge this canine was as even laying down next to me it's shoulders could still reach my stomach. Mind you I was on a pretty high rock, easily one, maybe one and a half meters tall.

Gently moving my hand back and forth I did my best to console this mountain of dark fur that kept sniffling and whimpering softly. Soon enough I lifted the little fur ball out off my legs and set her down besides me using the opportunity to discover that it was a little she-wolf. She noticed me looking and growled a little before turning away from me, tail between it's legs.

I paid little attention to that as I got up and moved a little bit away before using my soul force to blow a perfectly rectangular hole in the ground. Moving softly as not to alarm my new canine companions I approached the fallen wolf and gave it a few respectful pets before I gently picked it up, using void tendrils to make sure that the body five times my size didn't slip out. It was this time I also noticed it was male. The other wolf joined my side together with the pup who looked a bit sad but also pouty.

It was a few steps later that I reached the edge of the hole, no… the edge of the grave I had dug as I let the wolf down using void tendrils, setting him up with his head on his front paws as if he was sleeping. Taking a glance at it's comrade it nudged my back softly as if wanting to reassure me it understood. Nobody wanted their bodies to become demon beast stool. My tendrils then moved to a nearby rock and carved it up into a rectangular lid. It took a bit of energy to do so but since I was Silver rank now I still had enough to spare. I then wanted to will the tendrils to drag the lid closed.

At that moment both wolves were surrounded by jet black smoke before it dispersed away leaving behind something that unhinged my jaw. In the place of the guardian wolf was now an incredibly beautiful dark skinned woman with the same jet-black hair. The only differences between her and a regular human, besides the beauty, were the wolf ears on her head, sharp claw-like nails and more animalistic features like sharp protruding incisors and heavier bangs framing the sides of her face. Her attire was something that could be described as being worn by someone from the Jade Palace, the mythical realm of Chinese deities. Her eyes however were still the same as when she was in wolf form. Near her leg was also a little girl that could be mistaken for a younger clone, except that if you looked closer you would see that the smaller one had a more pronounced jaw. Seemed she was a bit more inexperienced at transforming than her elder as her face was still stuck between a pup's and a girl's.

The woman smiled at me warmly before ungracefully jumping in the grave and put a hand on the fallen wolf's head. Out of the wound a strange jet black flame flowed out like liquid and gathered in her palm. She gave the fallen a light brush with her other hand as a few teardrops fell from her eyes before she wiped them away and jumped back up. Moving gently at me she took one of my arms in her hands and placed the black flame-liquid in my hand and I finally understood it was the fallen's demon spirit.

"I can't take this…" I hummed and moved to give it back. The cogs in my mind rotated at a thousand rpm. By all accounts that should be her mate and she was just handing me a portion of him even though we just met.

"Rrruuu…" she let out a kind high-pitch growl or gurgle and pushed my hand back towards me. Her expression told me she understood what I wanted but she couldn't or wouldn't speak human language. Well I'm not one to insist. If you want to refuse a gift once but the other still says it's ok then you should respect their d.e.s.i.r.es.

I took the spirit in my ringless palm and nodded to her "Thank you. I will never part with him." Demon spirits were the condensed intent and soul force of the demon beasts. It wasn't their souls but a part of it, kind of like a will of sorts.

The guardian then moved closer and smiled even warmer as she c.a.r.e.s.sed my cheek before stepping back and looked at the little one who pouted and looked away angrily. I knelt down on one knee and caught her eyes in my own "Sorry for peeking without permission." I apologized while stretching forward a big piece of dried meat.

Her ears picked up instantly and a little drool came from the side of her mouth. Faster than my teleportation she had the piece of meat in her hands and was nibbling on it peacefully. This insane amount of cuteness meant that I couldn't contain my laughter so I closed my eyes and let out a small laugh. That is, until I felt something soft and wet graze my cheek. I opened my eyes seeing the little pup l.i.c.k.i.n.g my cheek… in human form. Guess she didn't know about the taboos of human society.

I rose to my feet after petting her head and she returned to her elder's side. Both of them smiled at me before returning to wolf form and summoning a portal. After one last glance and tail wag at me they jumped in and I also sprinted away, not before covering the grave and using my tendrils to carve the three wolves' images on the rock.

…

Back in the present day Nie Li blinked twice in surprise "You say that they took on human forms?" he asked with half-shock.

Seeing me nod he then took another glance at the demon spirit in my hand and cupped his chin "Yes, it makes sense now." he hummed. Tilting my head I motioned for him to explain. He pointed to the spirit "Going by all of this, not only were those wolf demons of ancient bloodline but they were also Emperor-grade demon beasts."

I frowned and raked my memories from the novel. Initially, I thought he was referring to the Emperor level, as in the Sage Emperor but the wolves were definitely only Silver rank. But if I remember correctly there were three grades of demon beasts: ordinary, which didn't form demon spirits. Spiritual, which were in the process of forming the demon spirit or had one already formed. Then there was Emperor grade… "The stronger version of the Spiritual grade demon beast. They are able to take on human form." I said out loud.

"Precisely." he smiled.

"But many demon beasts are able to take on human form, are they not?" I remembered particularly two Legend rank demon beasts that had no spirit but were able to humanize.

His head swayed from side to side "Only when they reach Legend rank are beast able to take the form. By your recounts the wolves were Silver rank. While there are humanification techniques, they are not available in the Tiny World. This leaves only the possibility of them being Emperor grade. Besides…" he paused and pointed at the spirit again "Emperor demon beasts have a liquid-like demon spirit…"

The spirit in my palm was definitely like that as it seemed to flow upwards and ripple. It wad definitely a lot denser than the Blue Armed ape and the Horned Sheep spirits.

Nie Li released a long sigh "Looking at your luck up to now must mean that you have the heavens on your side. That demon spirit is unimaginably rare. Only something like a primordial origin or one of a incredibly pure draconic bloodline could possibly overtake it. You would have better chance of turning the Sacred Family into honest people than to get something like that..."

Humming I started merging with it. I promised the female wolf that it would be with me all my life and I will keep my word. This spirit did not fight my attempts and let itself be guided to the tendril opposite to the Shadow Devil. The said tendril also invaded this one but it was a much gentler process as it simply melded with the dark fur of the wolf.

Something even more fantastic happened next as I swayed in my place. Seeing this Nie Li moved forward to support me "What happened?" asked the geriatric ginger.

"Memories…" I hissed out, rubbing the headache away. Consciousness merging was never easy… "I got part of the demon wolf's last thoughts. Seems he was extremely grateful that I saved his mate and pup, and that I also tried to prevent his death. He also used my soul force and his own to imprint his demon spirit onto me." I said and Nie Li froze in his place.

The time traveler picked up his jaw off the ground and coughed "Its normal that spiritual beasts of ancient bloodlines imprint their spirits on the ones that hatches them after many years but for a fully grown one to do so is unheard of… I feel like my heart is going to burst if I get anymore surprises from you." he chuckled awkwardly.

Smiling I got up and stretched a bit "There is a saying where I come from: don't look a gift horse in the teeth. The wolf's selflessness will be in our advantage." I said and Nie Li nodded at my words. "Now… I think I should take this new spirit for a test run..."

Nie Li moved to my side "I'll join you." he said cheerfully.

We went to the hunting grounds again and jumped from tree to tree until we were at a clearing. There I summoned the spirit of the wolf and merged with it. My body grew to over three meters in height, with my overall appearance converting into that of a werewolf as my upper body became very muscular while my feet became clawed paws. My arms became equally muscular to my torso and were also covered in jet black fur with my hands now sporting large claws. The head of the wolf replaced my own as my clothes turned into a male version of the guardian wolf's.

A few steps behind me Nie Li whistled "That is really a powerful spirit." He chimed.

I stared at my right hand and flexed it a few times. There were no mutations from my Black Dragons Maw this time which would mean either one of two things: that it didn't work for all spirits or it was already mutated from the start. Regardless of that I threw a casual punch at a nearby tree and blew the bark off of it as well leaving a deep indent. It was certainly physically strong but I could feel that it wasn't specialized in brute strength. Tightening the muscles in my legs, I burst forward with a speed that nearly tunneled my vision. However, a step later I shifted my center of mass and did a sharp turn left, my body effectively moving as if inertia had absolutely no effect on me. Newton would be rolling in his grave if he knew of this, and I would be shitting myself from laughing. Serves the f.u.c.ker right for making my physics classes in school harder than morning wood.

This was repeated a few more times until I got the hang of this body. As you might have figured it out it was an agility specialized spirit, meaning that although strong in other aspects it was nigh-unbeatable when it comes to speed and three dimensional movement. However, it seemed that the apple-headed asshole cursed me since, as I stepped sideways on a thinner branch, it gave out and it sent me crashing into a tree as thick as me. It didn't hurt though as the thick hide and fur absorbed most of the impact acting like a natural armor. It was definitely combat orientated...

There was still something else that I could feel...

Focusing void energy to my hand I clawed the air in front of me leaving four pure black lines that whipped forward before dissipating about a soccer field's length away. The most astonishing thing was that the air rippled as the claw marks passed it and whatever was in their paths was cut cleanly without even a crumble.

"What was that?" Nie Li asked with both amus.e.m.e.nt and curiosity.

Once again flexing my hand but mixing pure soul force directly from my soul ocean I cut the space in front of me. However, this time the cut didn't fly away but remained stationary in front of me before shimmering out of existence as space repaired itself. Humming deeply in an animalistic tone I answered "Mixing void force with the spiritual wolf's own abilities granted the claws the power to cut through space itself. All that was in the path of these claw mark just followed the said space and was also cut apart. However, if I use pure soul force from my soul ocean rather than my Black Dragon's Maw soul form the cut remains locked in place until the cut space heals." Once merged, demon spirit moves became almost second nature, like walking. You don't know how to do it, you just do it. Due to this I knew that had I not used void element in that attack then it wouldn't have turned into a ranged attack. In short, if I don't use void energies then it becomes just a regular claw attack, albeit one that is able to cut the fabric of space-time. "I'll call it Dark Claw." I had no intention of yelling out my attacks like some kind of shonen anime knucklehead main character but having a name made it easier to both explain and remember.

"A ranged attack of that caliber will be useful but be careful with it. The claw marks move pretty slow so any combatant worth their rice will be able to avoid." He said sagely and I nodded.

I wasn't done with that as there was still more in this spirit. Drawing upon our merged soul force and channeling it into my c.h.e.s.t I inhaled strongly until I looked like a pigeon in mating season. The air then exploded out of my mouth as I let out a piercing howl. At the same time out of my mouth launched a barely perceptible grey mist that enveloped the area in front of me in a cone. The devastation it left out in its wake was something to behold. Everything that touched the mist remained in position but rotted away. Trees, grass, rocks, even the ground looked aged by at least a thousand years. "Time forwarding..." I hummed "Forward Howl..." Simple name, yet it did the job.

The last ability itched at the back of my head and without sparing a glance at Nie Li I activated it. First, it seemed as if someone hit the slowmo play button on the world but eventually stopped everything within my sight in it's tracks. Finally the leaves started falling upwards and the birds flew backwards. I had lost all control of my body and was reliving the last few seconds in reverse, even my Forward Howl reappeared and was forcefully s.u.c.k.e.d back into my mouth with the landscape returning to what it had been before my howl.

Eventually the technique wore off and I received control of my body again.

"A ranged attack of that caliber will be useful but be careful with it. The claw marks move pretty slow so any combatant worth their rice will be able to avoid." I heard Nie Li say again in perfect replay.

Frowning I turned to him "You already said that before."

"Umm... No, I didn't." Nie Li answered with a confused expression. Well, he was both right and wrong.

I chuckled, which sounded more like a growl due to my new beastly vocal cords "I have found out that this spirit has two more abilities. One is the ability to howl out a grey mist that ages everything it touches, which I call 'Forward Howl'. The second one is much more frightening: the ability to turn back time."

My friend's jaw hit the ground. It seems that there can be events that are shocking even for a centuries old teenager "Such a terrifying power. To rewrite history as you see fit is something that many would kill their families to possess." Nie Li spoke, his voice shaking with either excitement or fear, or perhaps a little of both.

Turning fully towards him I shook my head "It's not so limitless. Currently, the maximum I can return time seems to be around a tanzhi. After that it won't work regardless of how hard I force it. Even now I've activated the technique but it simply just drains my soul force without doing anything. It's like the world itself is resisting the recall..." Recall, hmm... Reminds me of an ability belonging to a certain online game character who's a.s.s sparked an online controversy. Well, they do say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery...

The ginger nodded "These things usually come with inherent limitations. Still, a tanzhi is usually well over nineteen nian more than you would get in a true life and death struggle." Tanzhi and nian were equivalent to almost seven seconds and a little over a third of a second respectively, give or take. In a battle between high level cultivators, having 'a split second' to react was to be taken quite literally.

I nodded in agreement having nothing else to add "Let's call this move 'Recall'." I said to him and he nodded back with a 'not bad' expression on his face.

The next second Nie Li's expression hardened "Long Wan..." he began while pausing making me 'hmm?' at him "I think I know what kind of spirit this is."

"I know." I answered back. Realization hit me by the time I let out the Forward Howl "The demon spirit of a space-time spiritual beast." I said in a low growling voice. One of the most rare if not THE rarest creature types in the known worlds. It existed not only in multiple locations but in multiple times as well. "Then the lion I fought to save the wolves must've also been a space-time beast." There were few other reasons why it could escape my strike

My friend nodded "It would explain why it was able to corner the wolves. They must've either had a territory or pray dispute. I also believe that the dead wolf wanted to protect you out of gratitude for saving it's family. Without this demon spirit the space-time lion would've gone to an earlier time to end you out of spite. Now, with the wolf's spirit your time is locked, meaning that it can't be altered against your will." he explained with wisdom beyond his outward appearance.

To explain it in short, I am no longer at risk of paradoxes so the lion can't go back in time BEFORE it met me to kill me "I think I'll call this spirit 'Nighttime Direwolf'"

"A space-time wolf with fur as dark as a moonless night. I like it!" Nie Li smiled while crossing his arms and giving me a once over.

Finally, it seemed that Nie Li got bored and got up from the rock he was perched on walking to me without saying a word. When he got two steps in front of me I saw his soul force aura spike as his eyes darkened completely. He grew half a body taller and his arms got a sickle and claws respectively. Finally a bone-like black scorpion tail grew from above his a.s.s. "So this is how the mutated form of the Shadow Devil feels like..." he hummed while inspecting himself "Not bad. Though, since I don't have a dark alignment attribute I can only bring out four fifths of it's true strength, it should be more than enough for it's uses."

I raised my eyebrow at his antics. He wasn't thinking what I thought he was thinking was he?

He flashed a toothy grin at me "Let's spar a bit." and with that he vanished without a trace.

Well... Shit...

Teleporting to a nearby treetop I reigned in my void sense as much as I could. Reducing the radius of detection meant increasing its sensitivity. Even so, the cloaking ability of the Shadow Devil was one where it became intangible, meaning even soul force could pass through it up to a certain density. Think of it like a mesh screen: little water could easily pass through it but a sudden gush could tear it open. However, to gush out soul force like that would be a waste when you consider Nie Li's prowess. The only thing I could count on was the split-second delay when transitioning between intangible and physical.

I stood as still as possible. Moving would distract me too much and thus open me up. The Shadow Devil was slow but Nie Li was too experienced. Running away would also serve no purpose in this spar. Regardless that I will be the one most hurt this time as well, it was still a good learning opportunity. Better suffer some cuts and bruises now than death later.

My mind and body tensed as I was expecting the attack to come at any moment. Suddenly I felt a disturbance behind me and threw a claw it. The poor squirrel became minced meat before it could even realize it was dead. Wait! Considering how tensed I was even the bugs feared to approach me. So why was there a squ... FUUUUUUCCCCKKKKKK!!!

Dodging at the last moment I felt a few of the hairs on the top of my head being trimmed off by the Shadow Barber from hell. Rolling away I used the insane agility of the Nighttime Direwolf to spring back and deliver another slash attack using both hands, this time with void energy. The resulting attack went out in a wide net formation.

Nie Li suddenly appeared and jumped away to avoid the attack. The Shadow Devil was normally intangible but this attack cut through space itself. Even if something was made of diamond, it would be cut just as easily as if it was made out of smoke. It was the ultimate 'sword'. At the same time the Shadow Devil was slow and Nie Li couldn't use my abilities without my consent and there is no way I would give that cheating f.u.c.ker access to my teleportation so he could use it against me.

All in all, it meant that Nie Li had only one option remaining: release the intangibility and jump away. What that meant though was that I teleported next to him and threw a strong kick at his c.h.e.s.t. Since he was in mid-air he could only brace for impact. A resounding gong broke the silence and I felt my foot protesting in pain. Seems Nie Li didn't neglect to wear his armor today. It didn't save him from being buried in a crater two meters wide and half a meter deep. He wasn't out for the count though as he quickly whipped his legs and got up Bruce Lee style, before wiping off a little blood that trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"First blood!" I called out with a smirk, my canine-ish voice sounding like the narrator from a certain video game series back on Earth.

Nie Li frowned before smirking darkly. His bloody teeth were the last remaining body parts showing before he completely dissolved into thin air.

Oh~. Shit. Was all I could think of before a world of hurt welcomed me...

An hour later both Nie Li and I were limping to the dorm supporting ourselves on each other's shoulder. Though if you looked closely, you could see that it was I who was covered in more blood and bruising while he had maybe three or four good ones. Still I couldn't help but smile. The fact that I was able to land some solid hits meant that my training and all the pain that came with it paid off. I was no longer a rank amateur that Nie Li could manhandle without breaking a sweat. Still though, I realized that if Nie Li was at any point serious he could've killed me with less effort than it would take him to clear constipation. That was the difference of over two hundred years of experience in combat.

We reached the dorm where we each took a Nine Transformation Pill, instantly healing our wounds. You may ask why we didn't do that at the Hunting Grounds and instead chose to limp in pain. Beats me! Perhaps we took one too many to the good ol' noggin'. Anyways, I moved a bit to release the workout soreness in my joints.

"Ah, Long Wan I have what you requested. I had free time yesterday so I chose to do it early." he said while producing two armguards. They were made of some extremely strong material, most likely some type of Gold or Black Gold beast ivory. However, what interested me was underneath the cloth that rested between the guards and the forearm. Pulling the cloth to the side revealed an inscription pattern that, from what I could see was a mixture of War Prime and some other unknown inscription pattern type.

I put them on after thanking Nie Li. From my humble studies as well as my memories as Long Wan I could discern that they would function automatically as soon as they are activated until they receive the stop command. The signal for either start of stop was quite simple, just send a pulse of soul force to them. Pulsing my soul force once I instantly felt the slight drain of soul force which was more than counterbalanced by my Void Sense's autonomous energy intake. Not feeling any different I tried to move my arm but struggled quite a bit as it felt as if I was moving through molten tar. It took quite a bit of effort to move normally. At first I thought about asking for some modifiable weights for physical strength training but I thought those would be detrimental for joint development. This was the most optimal solution: a motion restricting field, one that made you feel as if you were constantly moving against the current.

Nie Li chuckled "As you requested, this produces a force field that bends just slightly above your physical capabilities." I could guess that my awkward movements were producing quite a show for him. "I made one for myself as well and will eventually give the rest of our friends one. Though I'm still surprised that you could imagine something like this." I read enough fanfics and have many ideas. In fact, what is limiting me is knowing how far I can abuse your knowledge.

I ordered my jaw to open as I wanted to respond but my words came out muffled. Even breathing was a tiring task. The field acted like a rubber suit constricting from all possible angles. Thankfully it seemed that he avoided setting the field in any s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e spots though.

"It does take a little getting used to…" Nie Li said, his goofy smile getting wider.

With this, my physical body should be able to keep up with my cultivation. I thanked Nie Li once more and waddled to my room. There I formed a training plan which was something like the following. During school days I would wake up early morning, have breakfast, work out physically, skip class to cultivate in the library, have lunch, spend two incense sticks reading to improve my dead language skills and my inscription pattern knowledge, work out or study martial arts with Nie Li, have dinner, cultivate some more, take a bath, sleep. Rinse and repeat. On days when school was off, so was I and I would either spend time with Ning'er and/or Lanruo or work on other projects.

Speaking of projects, I had decided on my next one. Target: the demon beast invasion. And thanks to a certain white mineral that looked very similar to salt I would be sure to make a killing, literally. I had discovered by chance that it (along with several other highly useful elements) existed in this world on my last visit to the alchemist guild and I made sure to set up a new deal with Alchemist Association for a steady supply of it in a mixture with some other pieces. Who knew my passion for chemistry in high school would be this useful in a fantasy-esque land.

However, before this there was one more thing I had to do...

I went to the institute during a period of time when I knew that Shen Xiu would not be there and waited in the hallways. The wait wasn't long though as I soon met with today's first target. "Chao Xing." I called out and the girl turned towards me and caught the card I threw at her "As promised: Payment and a little interest." Looking at her hand her eyes nearly exploded when she saw the fifty thousand coin card in her hand.

"Long Wan." she said seriously while pushing the card back to me "I know I don't have the best reputation but this is too much. I can't take this." Her hands shook while her angel and demon portions of her conscious fought for either keeping the cash or returning it. At this point however, the angel was winning by a wide margin.

Chuckling I flashed my ring and a handful of bills of equal value appeared in it "Keep it! Like I said, it's interest. Plus, not to brag or anything but I've got a lot more where that came from." Her hands dropped and so did her jaw when she saw the big fan made of pure money. "Please follow me." I said and started walking to one of the study rooms that I knew would be empty during this period. Most students would be having physical practice during this time or inscription pattern classes. Thus the study area was pretty much deserted. I did have to have her skip class but I guess she considered it worthwhile, about forty thousand coins' worth to be exact. Finally leaning against the wall opposite to her I opened my mouth. "I actually have another proposition for you." I said switching to serious mode.

She frowned a bit in contemplation after hearing my word "Well, it's my dream to marry a rich man..." she threw out and caught me by surprise. Unluckily for her I had plenty of surprises in both my lives so I could recover control of my emotions quite quickly.

Shaking my head I responded "I wish you all the luck in finding one." I laughed "Alas, that wasn't what I was thinking about." Sorry Xing but I already have a sister figure as a girlfriend.

"Then?" came her sole worded response.

I closed the gap between us until we were arms length apart "How would you like to become stronger than lord Ye Mo?"

Once again her mouth hit the floor. Shaking her head to clear her surprise she put her hands on her h.i.p.s and leaned towards me "Listen you! I may be a sucker for money but that doesn't mean I'm a sucker in life. Take your jokes elsewhere!" she hmph'ed at me and was getting ready to leave when I flashed my Silver rank aura at her stopping her dead in her tracks.

"You're a yellow soul realm right?" I smirked as I let the aura die down and saw her nod "And you know that I'm an orange one, am I correct?" Shen Xiu made sure to let the entire class know what were what color soul realm I was. This was once again made evident by her nod "Well, if I can go from 11 soul force to 1-star Silver in a few weeks, what makes you think I can't bring you to the level beyond Legend?" I said looking her dead in the eyes.

Realization struck her as her eyes widened in shock. Soon enough though she recovered and seemed to be seriously contemplating my offer "What's the catch?" she asked directly. "Nothing is free in the world." the view of a true materialist. I knew I chose correctly.

Leaving her side I went to a nearby window "Me and my friends will soon leave Glory City on a training trip and won't be back for many years. Meanwhile, I'm assembling a force of people I can trust to protect the city until we return. And I want you to lead them." I said while gazing at the distant mountain ranges "The 'catch' is that you would put your life on the line for the city. No inscription patterns specialization for you and no husband to take care of you. You fight on the frontlines and win or you fight and you die."

She didn't respond and I didn't bother turning to her as I wanted to give her some modic.u.m of privacy to contemplate my words. "Why me?" she finally asked.

I spun around on the window frame and leaned my a.s.s on it "Because, you're the most down to earth person I can trust. Everyone else... Well their hearts are in the right place but I can't say the same about their heads. I need someone who will fight tooth and nail to secure a better life from the shit one they've always known…"

Her face visibly filled with surprise but you can tell she was seriously considering my words. Just like in Long Wan's memories she was the big sister of the orphanage, even though she was younger than some of them. When the little ones didn't have enough food, she would go through thick and thin to get it. When they were wearing rags she would get them new clothes. When asked how she would always give cryptic answers. Over time, jealous mouths started farting out unflattering rumors and even young Long Wan believed it.

But I realized the truth. She hadn't become a p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e. She didn't have that overall feel… of cynical indifference. I've visited my share of working women back on Earth and, even though most of them seemed used to it, you could tell that it wasn't the life they wanted. It was all: let's get this over with.

Finally, she looked at me with a calculating gaze "And what if I take your offer but go back on my word and dissert Glory City?" She wanted to cover her bases. Never taking a step forward without knowing the bridge won't crumble under her feet. Heavens knows what she had to go through to be so suspicious of any olive branch, but that was also what made me choose her.

A grin replaced my mouth and excitement filled me as I was now sure I made the right choice "You wont." I answered simply and she tilted her head with a smile, curious as to why I chose those words "I figured you out. The reason you won't say how you get funds for your little brothers and sisters, it's not because you do shameful things but because you've become disgusted at how avaricious you've become. You want the little ones to grow up unstained by the world." I said tilting my head back through the window and gazing at the sky.

Soft sobs and hicks filled the area. Turning back to her I saw her stiff as a board, her head sunk low in her shirt as tears fell down her cheeks. Her fist were also clenched so hard they were trembling "I…I… don't want them to… grow up like me." Xing let out between her cries. "They shouldn't admire me…. To live only for riches… is not living at all!" She all but yelled out that last part "Long Wan! I agree! I will do it! Please… let me become a hero!" she called out while bowing low.

My heart shook as I saw the poor girl but for her future and the future of the entire city I steeled myself and became stone cold "Before I accept your pledge though know this. When I return from my trip I will have a power that makes Legend ranks seem like new born worms, so mark my words." I teleported next to her, grabbed her throat and slammed her against the wall, not hard mind you but with enough force to make a very good point and snap her out of her wailing. Since I was Silver rank and she wasn't even Bronze yet there was no chance of her resisting. Before she could even scream I let the Shadow Devil take over me, catching the darkening of the whites of my eyes in a nearby polished metal ornament.

Xing went from crying to terrified in an instant, trembling like a leaf in the wind within my grasp "If you even dream of betraying me or Glory City, whether you go to the highest heavens or lowest hells, I will find you and I will kill you!" To make my point I pinned her head between two claws while slowly extending the middle one until it almost touched her nose.

Letting her go, I saw her crumple to the floor in fright. Releasing the transformation and squatting down I looked at her after letting her catch her breath "On the other hand you will be free to do as you please, just so long as you protect the City, it's freedom and it's people. If you do I will have no complaints. Do you still want to."

All the time I was speaking Xing held a hand on her neck, as if not believing my hand was on there a few moments ago. Fear had passed from her look. Right now there was only a mesmerized shocked expression on it "Such strength…" she mumbled out before looking at me "Will I become as strong as you are?" she asked in a whispered tone.

"As I am?" I tilted my head in amus.e.m.e.nt "If it's the me now, then no…" I chuckled seeing her wet puppy response "You will become much stronger. You will become an existence that even Ye Mo will bow down to."

Her eyes once again widened before she frowned in resolve "Then I still accept!" she said, her full confidence showing.

Laughing fully I took her hands and raised her to the ground. It was the first time we held hands since the orphanage. Letting her dust herself off I fished out a ring from my own "Sorry about being so rough earlier. Let me make it up to you. In here there is about five million demon spirit coins as well as quite a few high level pills, including Soul Temper Pills and Scarlet Body Enhancing Pill, don't use them all at once."

The ring was on her hand with much more speed than even my Nighttime Direwolf could muster "Apology accepted!" She chimed while admiring her new accessory.

Shaking my head and sighing I moved a bit closer to her "I will also pass on a cultivation technique, so pay attention." Seeing her attentive look I began reciting the Yin-Yang Revolving technique I got weeks ago from Nie Li during class. It was a universal one that worked with nearly all attributes but the downside to that was the cultivation limit, specifically the highest one could cultivate with this technique would be 5-Heavenly Axis. Pretty pathetic when you think about the levels in the Draconic Ruins Realm but unfathomable in the Tiny World.

I felt her power surge as she quietly recited the technique. She opened her eyes wide in surprise "This technique... Is incredible!" Xing said as she looked at her own hands with disbelief.

Moving towards the door I replied back to her "When you reach Silver rank come find me and I will teach you a trick to speed up your cultivation." It was too soon for her to learn about the Power of Law. Right now she needed to build her own foundation slowly. Unlike with my brothers, lovers and Ziyun, I had no intention of bringing her to the disciple selection tournament in the Nether realm so she had no need to rush. The fate she agreed to was to become a protector of Glory City or die by my hands. At least, that's what I hope she understood. I had absolutely no intention to dirty my hands with her blood if she ever defected. As much as I enjoyed hunting, killing humans was something I would do only if strictly necessary.

As for the rest of the protectors, I had three more people in mind but they would have to wait, first for me to increase my prestige, and second for their leader to grow stronger. It wouldn't do if Xing didn't have the power to back up her authority.

The days passed quickly as I kept to my schedule. There was no TV or internet in this world which meant that all distractions that kept me so unproductive in my old world didn't play interference here. This resulted in me having no other things to do all day than train, study or cultivate. I had also moved forward with my project, commissioning several iron workshops to produce some specific items that were part of the overall master plan. Meanwhile, my cultivation grew to 3 star Silver thanks to a combination my own talents, the Power of Law and an overall limitless quantity of high end pills.

My physical strength however took a big leap as Nie Li told me I was easily 5-star Silver and would take a little more to reach Gold. In fact, he was 'only' 4-star Silver as he at first used the breathing method of the Heavenly God technique and actual physical training separately. When I told him I got used to using them together he nearly broke a tree in half hitting his head on it repeatedly, every hit being accentuated with a 'Stupid, stupid, stupid…'. Since then he used them together as well. He also told me that he's jealous on how easily I adapt what's available to me to make it more useful. But to me it sounded a little like he was farting out of his mouth since it took me nearly a week to be able to use the breathing technique while training and he just started doing it immediately after learning about it.

The free days were spent with either one or both girls. Visiting shops and restaurants with Lanruo, small spars in the Hunting Grounds with Ning'er. All three of us even held a picnic in the same area. During this time Lanruo reached 5 star Silver rank and Ning'er kept up with me, being 3-star Silver as well. Also, the girls grew closer, becoming sisters in all but blood. Still, Ning'er couldn't come to terms with sharing me. Since she was still bound to Shen Fei and the fate of her family, her heart just wouldn't accept me having some other girl officially before her. Thankfully Lanruo understood and accepted waiting for her. This was her lil' sis Ning'er and whatever made her happy was worth it in Lanruo's eyes, or so I've been told by her. However Lanruo's competitive nature wouldn't let that slide and so she said she wanted to be the first to give me an heir, and nearly killed me when she declared it as at that moment I was enjoying some of Ning'er's delicious home made picnic food. It took Lanruo doing a Hindlick maneuver to save me. Did I say it right?

Finally I woke up one day and stretched. I used a bowl made from demon beast ivory and inscribed with the Scarlet Sunburst pattern to heat some water and washed my face with it. Nie Li wasn't kidding when he said this 'creation' of the Sacred family could be used to boil water. It was simple to learn yet it provided such convenience in life. If the Sacred family had been decent people they could've had so many opportunities for fortune. Shame…

Taking out some breakfast I had bought the night before I sat down and ate it, always rejoicing that time in the ring moved so much slower. Boiling food left in the ring in the night was still very hot when taking it out the next morning. Due to my schedule I resorted to paying the institute eating hall head to prepare separate meals for me for pick-up after my last physical training which they thankfully agreed to. The fact that I offered them their five times their yearly salary up front might have tipped their disposition in my favor. I loved being stinking rich.

Speaking about richness, I had to buy more rings as I received a large part of my dues from the Alchemy Association. Looking at my funds I now had well over one billion four hundred million demon spirit coins in my ring right now, not counting the virtually limitless quantity of expensive pills. Technically, I was richer than most noble houses but still beneath the major families. Well, for one person's fortune I can't complain. During the free days I also asked Yang Xin to build a relationship with the Heavenly Marks family. The Sacred Family had started making moves towards suppression and already managed to attract an important ally of the Heavenly Marks family away from them. However, as soon as the Association appeared and offered a trade deal all others who were swaying away quickly turned chicken and ignored the Sacred Family. Well, it was in Yang Xin's plan to secure a good standing with Nie Li's family anyway. Me asking her served more of a reminder.

Strictly speaking, the Association was now the most powerful political entity, since Linjian managed to ally his house with the Association due to both Nie Li's support as well as my own. The City Lord and the Snow Wind family was still in control but only because of that legendary old fart Ye Mo. Speaking of that walking fossil, Ziyun never brought up my distaste for him as she told me she would in Kong Ming's tomb. Girls really are fickle creatures… She did reach 2-star Silver after Nie Li taught her about the Law of Snow-Wind. Her cheeks puffed out and were cute like a chipmunk's when she learned that Ning'er was 3-star.

After eating I went to the Hunting Grounds to do my rounds. At this point I had gotten used to the forcefield so much I didn't even feel it anymore. In fact it felt funny each time I had to take it off in one of the rare all-out spars with Nie Li, evident by the many imprints my face left on the ground and tree bark as my mind readjusted to my body's speed.

That wouldn't do for tomorrow's test. I had no intention of making an a.s.s of myself so I deactivated the field intending to keep it off until after graduation. The feeling was funny but not unwelcome as I did my rounds, and a short while later my body once again moved as my mind wanted it to.

Finishing my routine earlier due to the increased abilities I had once the field was off I went to a nearby rock intending to test myself. The rock was as big as a regular sedan and I threw a casual punch. The rock shattered at the point of contact and it split in two down the middle. Well, f.u.c.k. Not that I'm unhappy with this but the test tomorrow implied hitting a big rock and leaving a dent. The teachers then measure the dent and determine the physical strength. If a casual punch exploded it, then I'll need to hold back even more otherwise there will be shrapnel flying everywhere.

Such is the life of the superhumans...

The next day found me at the Holy Orchid institute testing grounds together with the gang. Since we were all staying at the dorms we got up at the same time and decided to walk together there.

"Nervous?" I asked Du Ze with a smirk.

He shook his head "Thanks to you and Nie Li I've reached Silver rank a week ago and your help lessened most of the burden on my family. Which reminds me, my sisters returned with their husbands and children to the family lands and asked me to invite you over as soon as I see you." he smiled at me.

"It's an honor. I'm mostly free during this vacation period so how about I join you when you return home?" I replied.

He lightly cupped his hands at me in acceptance "Certainly!"

Maybe I'll visit all of them this summer. Since everyone is returning home it would be much too lonely otherwise.

"Long Wan, you should come visit my home as well! Mother makes the best kung-pao chicken in the City." Wei Nan extended his invitation and I nodded both to accept and thank him.

The rest of the gang were chatting between themselves so they weren't paying attention. Knowing them, had they heard our conversation they would be offering their own invitations as well. Good brothers!

Suddenly two heavenly voices called out to us "Long Wan!/Nie Li!" and we both turned to see Ning'er and Ziyun walking briskly towards us.

"And how are the lovely ladies today?" I asked as I stared in Ning'er's eyes. Damn do those lips look extra tasty today.

Ning'er smiled affectionately and brushed a hair over her ear "The day is much better now that I see you." she whispered in a hushed tone.

Nodding, I smiled wider as I replied "Truly the same."

My little storm dove turned a bit to my right "Nie Li, I heard from my father that the Sacred Family has been putting pressure on the Heavenly Marks family's finances." she said with worry.

This got me chuckling "It's been taken care of." I said and she turned to me with surprise which greatly softened once she remembered just who she was dealing with "I had a chat with big sis Yang Xin and had her secure relations with the family."

Even Nie Li was surprised as he whipped his head at me "When did you manage to do that?"

I shrugged "Around the time you were teaching Ziyun the Law of Blizzard. It's not hard to anticipate the Sacred Family. They can't go directly at us so they try to starve us indirectly. Honestly, they're pathetic." I replied chuckling.

"There are only two people crazy enough call a major family 'pathetic' and they're currently standing next to me." Zhang Ming said to no-one in particular causing Lu Piao and the girls to chuckle.

Ziyun was then called over by some girls. Seeing this, Ning'er took a step in her direction wanting to join her when suddenly the hair on the back of my neck stood up and a disgusting feeling came to me from my void sense. If I were to compare it I would say it was about ten times worse than someone wiping u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r that hasn't been washed in over a month on your face, and I knew exactly who this was...

Reaching out with lightning fast speed I grabbed Ning'er's hand "Please don't leave yet. I haven't spoken to uncle Yunfeng in a while. How is he doing?" I said with a mischievous smile.

Ning'er looked at me with curiosity. That curiosity soon turned to terror as blood drained from her face when she heard that satanic voice...

"Long Wan, let go!" mister unwashed u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r Shen Fei called out from a few paces away before he launched himself intending to bury his fist in my face, soul force radiating outward.

To me however, he might as well be standing still. By my estimates he was currently 3-star Silver rank, which was the same as me. However the density of our soul force was vastly different. As my technique had some roots in the Heavenly God technique, it meant that I could pack much more power in the same amount of space in my soul ocean, which in turn resulted in my 3-star Silver to be equivalent to at least 1-star Gold. This was in the spiritual side.

In the physical side however, I doubt that this candytuft was even 1-star Silver while I was bordering Gold rank. As a result I just slapped his right handed punch towards his left as I sidestepped to the other side. This ended up being something as unexpected as it was funny. His punch was sent rotating in the air until it landed on his own cheek and that sent him tumbling on the ground.

Shen Fei then landed face up spread eagle on the ground. He stood there surrounded by complete silence as nobody understood what was going on. When he went rolling you could hear everyone's collective assholes being s.u.c.k.e.d in due to shock. Even I blinked in stunned wonder at the incredibly stupid situation he managed to get himself into. My mouth fell open but I could feel my cheeks straining from the shit eating smile that forced itself on me. I have been waiting for this moment for weeks.

Well to be honest, I had indeed planned to sidestep and trip him, giving his face a grade one encounter with the dirt. Unfortunately I underestimated my strength (or overestimated his) and ended up causing him to punch himself with his own hand. Though I couldn't argue that this result was so. much. more. satisfying!

The first student began giggling, a girl by the sound of it, immediately followed by the next. Another one after that and so on. In no more than three seconds nearly the entire schoolyard was laughing in one way or another. Shen Fei must've finally realized that he was the clown and I guess he got upset. I could swear I saw the dirt smoking next to him. If I'm not mistaken, his demon spirit is a 1 star Black Gold flame type tiger. Though considering his level and overall lackadaisical attitude I doubt he could bring out more than a quarter of it's power.

Still, transforming and attacking someone outside of a duel or self defense was a serious crime in Glory City and I could see him struggling between his emotions and his logic. His cronies however helped calm him down. Raising a finger at me he yelled out "You! Long Wan! You dare attack me, Shen Fei?!"

I really, really, REALLY wanted to rip that finger from his hand and shove it where the sun don't shine but I calmed down. Not yet…When we fight I will shove my shoe so far up your a.s.s you'll have toes for teeth "HAAA?!" I grunted out, like some kind of Japanese biker gang banchó "Did that fall hit you so hard that you're having hallucinations?

Whispers started filling the air.

"Long Wan is correct."

"Yeah, he only sidestepped. Shen Fei hit himself then tripped."

"Accusing others of your own doing… Despicable!"

"First Shen Yue now Shen Fei, does the Sacred family know no shame?"

"How does he still have face?" (dignity)

The murmurs continued with Shen Fei becoming redder and redder, his mouth wide open from the turn of events.

Nie Li began talking while transmitting his voice so that only I could hear him "You were too fast for most students here. Other than our group, nobody could see you slap his hand into his face." he chuckled.

So that was it! I only wanted to piss him off but this was a most fortunate happening.

"Shen Fei!" Ning'er called out "You attacked Long Wan first so how dare you point fingers!?" Even her boiling point must've hit critical values. No doubt she wanted to put him in his place a long time ago.

He grit his teeth so hard they made an audible screeching sound "Ning'er you've grown bold to speak to me, your fiancé like that. Don't forget that my Sacred family still holds the fate of the Winged Dragon family in their hands." he growled out, a smirk showing just how much pride he had in his clan name.

Ning'er's eyes went wide and her body posture became slightly defensive. Oh no you f.u.c.k.i.n.g don't! Stepping in-between them I stared him down "You attack me, throw false accusations and now you chose to threaten a girl? Is this the true face of the Sacred family?!" my voice was neither gentle nor soft. I boomed out word after word, daring him to attack.

Unfortunately for me it looked like he still hadn't brothel'd his last neuron. He flashed that annoying smirk of his and my foot itched for me to kick his teeth "Long Wan, how about this? My family is organizing this year's young talent tournament. Do you dare face me there?"

Hell yea motherf.u.c.ker! I felt like I got old while waiting for you to invite me "Yes. I will be there." I answered, voice so flat you could use it as an airstrip. The reason why I spoke so monotone was because I couldn't trust myself not to jump out in excitement. Nie Li was too soft on you in the novel. I will bait that family of yours and leave you poorer than you've been in a very long time. "Though I do have a condition." I said as I pointed at Nie Li "He gets invited as well."

Shen Fei frowned and looked at Nie Li before he once again smirked and nodded "That's fine. I heard how the both of you had damaged my Sacred family's reputation recently. Let's settle all grudges there." he spoke and then did the air a favor and f.u.c.k.e.d off.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Nervous?" smirked Lu Piao while tapping me in the c.h.e.s.t.

I shook my head "Neah, it's just that I can finally breathe through my nose again now that the stinking corpse is gone." Came my reply while waving my hand in front of my nose.

Du Ze sighed "Though I agree with you that the air is now better, I need to point out that Shen Fei didn't smell like a corpse."

The idea of what I would do to him in the tournament made my mouth once again strain my cheeks "He doesn't. Not yet at least…" I hummed darkly.

I felt everyone except Nie Li shiver at my words with the said ginger only mimicking my smile. "Why did you insist he invite me as well?" he asked, though you can tell he did it just to avoid the silence. You could tell from his eyes that he already had a good idea why I did so.

I nodded and smiled at him "Reasons." I answered cheerily and cryptically. "One of which being that if you show some of what you can do in the tournament you will receive protection from the City Lord. This also means getting closer to Ziyun." I saw his eyes metaphorically sparkle. Kind of cute and gross at the same time.

Ning'er chuckled a bit at his antics before she too was called over by some girls so I reluctantly waved her off.

The rest of our conversations were then cut short as the teachers arrived and we moved closer to the testing area. Vice principal Ye Sheng and his lackey Lu Ye took their seats on the balcony overlooking the testing grounds. Meanwhile, from a nearby entrance came the queen bitch Shen Xiu herself with little Shit Yue at her side. Seeing us, or better said seeing me she came forward until her t.i.t.s were shading me.

"Are you ready you little brat?" she provoked me, her t.i.t.s bouncing up and down as she puffed her c.h.e.s.t out proudly.

A devious smirk overtook me "Do you remember our bet?" I'm not particularly interested in you quitting teaching but that uncontestable favor would be critical to my plans to get a piece of that a.s.s.

She lifted a hand to her face and pretended to laugh daintily but only managed to bark out a gargle "Of course. If you fail to reach Silver rank, you become my slave." she snarled with a smile.

Raising an eyebrow I looked at her in silence for a second "And the second part?"

Shen Xiu hmphed and waved her hand "And if the impossible happens and you managed to reach Silver rank then I will leave the institute and owe you a favor that I can't deny regardless of what is asked...". Her tone was bored, treating it as a waste of her precious breath. Too bad she viewed it as such since she should treasure what time she has speaking like that. Soon enough that mouth will only be used to scream, m.o.a.n and suck my d.i.c.k. And maybe a few other creative ideas I would have, hehe.

Nodding I smiled at her "I, Long Wan, will always do everything I can to keep my word and hope that teacher Shen Xiu honors her side of the deal."

"Yes, yes…" she waved me off and then moved away.

Du Ze looked at me curiously. He knew I was already 3-star Silver so he had no reason to worry Shen Xiu will win "What do you want her to do after you win?" he asked.

Putting a finger on my chin and summoning the most innocent expression I could muster I turned to him "I just want to know if she has a real stick up her ass…" I said and Du Ze turned three shades of red at my words. The rest of the gang of brothers just laughed. What I said was true though as a stick would hurt my peepee.

"Alright! Who's first?" the boulder supervising teacher called out. However, nobody felt the need to break the ice.

That is until little Shit Yue stepped forward and rolled his shoulders "I'll do it!" he said proudly before stepping forward at the rock and taking a stance. "HA!" he yelled out and punched the stone, a resounding bang flowing through the courtyard.

The teacher bent forward to examine the dent. From my position I could tell that it was pathetic. I could leave a bigger dent by farting, true story. Only the last week I went through two beds and four straw mattresses. To pass a.s.s gas was a morning p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e I would never give up on. Never! "Shen Yue, strength 182. 1-star Bronze!" the teacher called out.

Whispers starting forming already calling Shit Yue a genius. Pfff….

The little bastard took aim again and punched the obelisk in a lower spot. "Second attempt, strength 202. 2-star Bronze!"

Well that was unexpected. In my memories he never went past 1-star Bronze. Did he see me manhandle his men and pushed himself more than in the novel? How adorable! It's still pathetic though…

Finally he dug his heels in the ground and launched himself forward entirely "Final attempt, strength 208. 2-star Bronze!"

Impressive. Even though I hated the little f.u.c.ker I had to admit that he was tenacious. He had a proud smirk on his face as he moved to the soul force testing area. I don't know what he was proud about though. That was my level when I made him piss his pants and it took him so long to get to it. Even Lu Piao could do better in his sleep. Shit Yue finally reached the large primary crystal and put his hand on it.

The supervising teacher number two straightened his glasses as he read the glow "194… 199… 217. Shen Yue, soul force 217. 2-star Bronze rank!" And with that the whispered praises got louder and more numerous. Even I threw a thumbs up at him with a 'not bad' expression, though I did so mockingly. He glared at me before doing a Shen Xiu and hmph-ing away.

"Who's next?" the strength teacher called out. Lu Piao wanted to go first but the Zhang Ming and Zhu Xiangjun also wanted a piece so they started arguing.

Sighing I turned to them "Wei Nan should go first." My voice came out in a grumble. I really had forgotten how annoying kids could be, though I was one now too so I shouldn't diss myself…

"Why?" complained all three troublemakers.

Summoning my inner a.d.u.l.t I looked at them with a look that promised pure pain "Because I said so. Do you three disagree?" my smile was sickeningly sweet, so much so that they gulped and shook their heads at the same time. "Good. Wei Nan, you're up!"

He followed my instructions and went up to the rock and threw a half-hearted punch. BOOM! "Wei Nan, strength 321. 3-star B-Bronze!" the teacher stuttered out.

"And he looked like he wasn't even trying…" one whisper came from the crowd followed by more comments of surprise.

Meanwhile, my brother aimed another punch this time dropping into a horse stance "S-second attempt, strength 4-409. 4-star Bronze!". As the teacher called out I saw Ye Sheng and Lu Ye jump out of their seats. Unfortunately their whispers got muffled by the crowd going wild with discussions.

Finally, Wei Nan tensed his back and threw his last punch "Final a-attempt, strength 467. 4-star Bronze!"

Everyone gave him plenty of space as he moved to the crystal and placed his hand on it "397…445… 466. Wei Nan, soul force 466. 4-star Bronze rank!"

By the time he took his hand off the whispers had all but died down and everyone moved away in silent shock as he made to return to us. Seems that the addition of training weights and Power of Law pushed passed his record in the novel.

"W-who's next?" the teacher once again called.

This time it was Lu Piao who went forward and flicked his wrist at the stone. KA-BOOM! "Lu Piao, s-s-strength 521. 5-star Bronze!"

I heard a loud 'WHAT?!" in Shen Xiu's voice and my smile went through the roof.

A second explosion filled the area "Second attempt, strength 590. 5-Star Bronze!" Hopefully that teacher didn't faint before I got my chance.

Lu Piao meanwhile cracked his neck and threw his strike "Lu Piao final attempt, strength 602. 1-star Silver Rank!"

It wasn't the teacher but some nobles did faint seeing this. Lu Piao set the bar way too high for them but the lovable knucklehead ignored all of it and went to place his hand on the crystal. A purple blobby mass with red outlines filled the crystal as the teacher started reading "400, 500, 600…" finally 'BOOM!!!'

Though I diss him often, I don't mean it and he knows it. Truthfully, since revealing that the Sacred Family has been collaborating with the Dark Guild he has been working relatively hard, by his standards anyway. But that can only go so far with his goldfish attention span. However, his shortcomings are more than covered by his big heart as well as his cultivation talent. Frankly speaking regarding the later, he was the most gifted between us when it came to cultivation speed. Du Ze probably put at least twice more effort than him but they were pretty much evenly matched.

Still though, the lazy bastard actually did it. He exploded the crystal. He just stood there looking proud as he can be and blowing kisses to some girls. He was soon forced to leave the stage however, with the promise that some elders would test his force later. They also brought in a spare crystal. It was smaller, about the size of a cheap microwave oven but still bigger than the portable ones.

Soon enough the rest of the inseparable trio went forward with Zhang Ming scoring 429 physically and 457 spiritually, and Zhu Xiangjun getting a 452 strength and 417 soul force.

They both rejoiced until Du Ze stepped forward "I'll be next." he said calmly and Lu Piao g.r.o.a.n.e.d. Can't see the reason why he did so but I guess there is that playful rivalry they have. Anyways, Du Ze stepped forward until he reached the testing stone. He took a low stance and launched his knuckle tipped missile at the rock face...

Even I was slightly stunned as he not only managed to lodge his hand up to his wrist but actually managed to split the five meter thick, three ton slab of what looked like granite it in half.

"Du Ze, strength indeterminable, at least 1-star Silver..." the teacher mumbled out, not really managing to speak as if all water had evaporated from his throat. Once again, the testing was deferred to the seniors of the institute.

"Could the rock have been faulty?" asked one student in a whisper.

"Nonsense! My uncle told me that all testing equipment is checked by at least three teachers in advance. They don't toy with the students' futures."

I ignored the rest as Du Ze went on to explode the crystal, though he had the decency to use his own and leave the academy one intact.

Turning to Nie Li I asked "Can you go first?"

"Hmm?" he responded, his expression telling me he was wondering why he should.

Grinning murderously I replied "Let Shen Xiu boil a little more on the inside."

He laughed and stepped forward to test himself. They decided that, even though the stone was split almost cleanly in the middle, the two sides were still eligible for strikes. Nie Li just stood there without taking a stance and threw what looked like a lackl.u.s.ter punch. That was what I suspect the crowd would think anyway. For me, the one who sparred with him regularly I knew the sheer force that simple strike could carry. The way his back muscles moved and tensed channeled immense power to the arm.

The next moment Nie Li's arm was buried up to his elbow in the stone and when he removed it you could see light from the other side. Unlike Du Ze who's strike split the rock, Nie Li's pierced it, a perfect penetrating strike that didn't waste any energy.

"Nie Li, strength indeterminable. At least 1-star Silver..." the teacher tiredly g.r.o.a.n.e.d out. And just like that Nie Li moved to the soul force testing area and fished out his own crystal. "100... 200... 387. Nie Li, soul force 387. 3-star Bronze rank!"

The crowd let out a disappointed holler. Compared the rest of the gang he hanged out with this was quite weak. Even I was surprised. Was he still hiding his power? Straining my eyes at him I nearly burst out laughing when I realize what had happened.

"Eh? What's going on? Nie Li was Silver rank weeks ago. Why is he now Bronze?" Lu Piao asked in shock.

My laugh escaped the confines of my lungs "Because that teacher is either blind or a dumbass..." I hummed.

In the testing area Nie Li brought his crystal forward and said "Teacher, that's wrong, please look again!"

The bespectacled teacher fixed his glasses and looked at the shining center again "Hmmm... No, it's 387."

"Look closer." Nie Li said as he pushed even more towards the teacher's face.

The teacher squinted his eyes before they went up in shock "It's... It's an Intermediary Soul Crystal!" he shouted out before looking at Nie Li who flashed his million watt grin "You're 3-star Silver!" Intermediary soul crystals worked just like primary ones only the points represented the equivalent of six points in a primary one. That means that Nie Li's actual soul force was 2322. It was a stupid mistake but an understandable one.

Up on the balcony Ye Sheng began coughing up a storm. I can't blame him. From what I understood this was both record breaking and record setting. According to the history books even Ye Mo was only 3-star bronze when he was a student. 3-star Silver was unheard of ever since Glory City was founded.

Finally it was my turn to go and give them subjects to write legends of, not before throwing one eye to Shen Xiu who was sweating up bullets but still putting on a brave front. I lifted my hand and flicked my pinkie at the rock half that was still intact. The shockwave reverberated in the stone and left a ten centimeter dent at the point of impact.

"Long Wan, s-strength 378. 3-star Bronze!" the teacher called out before turning to me "Y-you have two more attempts. Please take this seriously." he admonished but you could see him struggling for words.

I took aim again, this time using my index finger. Another resounding explosion filled the area as I left an even bigger indent "Second attempt, strength 431. 4-Star Bronze!"

For my last and final attempt I simply put the back of my fist next to the stone and flipped it the bird. "Third attempt, strength 605. 1-star Silver!" the supervisor called out before frowning at me and whispering "Why didn't you show your true strength?"

My grin widened "I didn't feel like damaging the institute property…" Had I punched the thing to smithereens, there would be pieces of rock embedded in the walls behind it.

With that done and over I moved to the testing crystal, taking my sweet time debating if I should use my own or just do it with theirs.

"Long Wan, stop stalling and get to it!" Shen Xiu called out impatiently in a way that just ticked me off immensely. Fine, if that's how you want to play it…

Reaching the spare crystal I put my hand on it and it began to glow softly orange. During the training period I had figured out how to limit my soul force as Nie Li did in the novel. It was the same process that was used to merge with demon spirits, specifically locking your soul realm. Normally you would either have to be Silver rank in order to have the necessary soul realm stability or have a very m.a.t.u.r.e soul. Thankfully I had both.

"200…274…287. Long Wan! Soul force 287. 2-star Bronze!" the supervisor called out, a little disappointment in his voice. He had taken cover seeing me come in, perhaps due to the recent experience of high level fighters also shattering crystals.

Shen Xiu started laughing loudly, accompanied by that little hell spawn of a nephew of hers "Long Wan, with this you are not only to leave the institute but become the Sacred family's property!"

My hand stayed glued to the crystal though and it continued to emit the dull shine "Student, the test is over. You can leave!" the supervisor called out in mild annoyance but I ignored him and turned to the laughing redhead, teeth showing in a murderous grin.

"Don't count your chickens before their hatched 'bitch'!" I called out halting her annoying barks, though that last word was only in my mind, releasing the floodgates on my soul realm just as she took a step forward and was about to come over to try and punish me for talking back to my new 'master'.

The crystal began shining brighter and brighter as the supervisor clutched his glasses "400…500…600" he called out before the mass of formless blobs that lit the inside of the crystal condensed into one tentacled abomination of pure darkness that reformed then into a black dragons head. With a soul shattering roar the crystal became nothing in a violent explosion of void energy. Immediately after exploding the void mist consumed every little piece of demon quartz so not even scraps remained.

Shen Xiu stood there petrified as I walked closer and closer, tendrils wiggling on my back like the dark archangel. Throwing a glance at Ning'er I saw that she had a look on her face that reminded me of that one nympho that I dated for a while and eventually cheated on me because she wanted to sample more d.i.c.ks. Not saying that Ning'er would do that though. What I'm calling out is that 'come over my parents aren't home' look. The look that girls give you when they would rather burn your clothes off and ride you from dusk to dawn. Even girls get horny, they're just better at hiding their boners.

The tendrils retracted as I walled past the stunned Shen Xiu, smirking all the way. "I'll call that favor later. Meanwhile, you have a resignation to discuss with the principal." I hummed out as I passed her, not bothering with her reactions.