After concluding his discussion with Vice Principal Ye Sheng, Nie Li stepped outside the academy to meet his waiting friends. Du Ze and Lu Piao stood by with curious expressions, while Xiao Ning'er quietly stood beside Nie Li, her presence radiating warmth.
Nie Li glanced at his two friends and said, "Du Ze, Lu Piao, you two should head to the Nie Mansion. I have some business to attend to at the Winged Dragon Family."
Lu Piao grinned mischievously and looked between Nie Li and Xiao Ning'er. "Oh? And here I thought you two would go off somewhere together. Maybe a romantic stroll under the moonlight?" He giggled, nudging Du Ze with his elbow.
Xiao Ning'er's cheeks turned crimson, and she took a small step away from Nie Li in embarrassment.
Nie Li, however, remained calm, simply raising an eyebrow at Lu Piao's antics. "It's been a while since we practiced our fighting drills together, don't you think?"
The moment those words left Nie Li's lips, Lu Piao's grin froze. His mind instantly recalled the brutal sparring sessions in the training hall, where Nie Li had mercilessly beaten him over and over.
"Y-you know what? We'll be going now!" Lu Piao yelped, grabbing Du Ze's arm and dashing away.
Du Ze sighed but followed along, shaking his head at Lu Piao's antics.
Nie Li smirked before turning to Xiao Ning'er. "Shall we go?"
Xiao Ning'er, still blushing slightly, nodded, and together, they made their way toward the Winged Dragon Family.
---
Winged Dragon Family
Upon reaching the Winged Dragon Family estate, Nie Li was greeted warmly by several elders and the family head, Xiao Yunfeng. The moment Xiao Yunfeng saw his daughter standing beside Nie Li, his expression softened.
"Nie Li, welcome," Xiao Yunfeng said, his deep voice carrying a note of satisfaction. "I've heard many good things about you, but seeing you here with Ning'er only reassures me further."
Nie Li, for once, acted respectfully, offering a formal bow. "Family Head Xiao, I appreciate your warm welcome. I'm here to begin setting up the array as promised."
Xiao Yunfeng chuckled. "Straight to business, I see. Very well. Let us proceed."
The elders murmured among themselves, impressed by the young man's confidence.
Nie Li wasted no time. He immediately began his work, carefully setting up the foundation for the array. Using his A.I. Chip's precision, he began calculating the placement of the pillars necessary to contain the powerful Black Gold Rank beasts within the Ten Thousand Beast Array.
As he worked, elders and guards of the Winged Dragon Family observed in awe. The speed at which Nie Li set the intricate array formation was beyond what even their most experienced experts could comprehend. Xiao Yunfeng himself was astonished.
"This boy…" he muttered under his breath, "just how vast is his knowledge?"
---
Halfway through the process, just as Nie Li was establishing the main pillars, a sudden wave of killing intent surged through the air.
Two Black Gold Rank Demon Spiritualists burst out from the shadows, their figures moving like phantoms toward Nie Li with deadly speed.
"Kill him!" one of them growled.
The guards stationed around Nie Li reacted instantly, their eyes widening in shock.
"Protect Young Master Nie Li!"
The Winged Dragon Family's experts, including Xiao Yunfeng, surged forward in a panic, but they were still a few meters away. The assassins were too fast!
A sharp blade coated in sinister energy slashed toward Nie Li's neck—
BOOM!
A shimmering golden force field suddenly flared around Nie Li's body, completely negating the incoming attack. The powerful strike, which should have cut through steel like paper, was utterly ineffective against Nie Li's defensive barrier.
The two Black Gold Rank assassins were stunned. "What?!"
Nie Li's eyes turned cold, a menacing glint flashing in his fiendish yellow irises. Slowly, he lifted his gaze, sweeping it across the battlefield.
The Winged Dragon Family's guards were still closing in, their expressions a mix of fury and urgency. The experts from Alchemy Association, City Lord mansion were paniced and attempted to intercept the assistant immediately. The assassins, realizing their failure, hesitated for a brief moment.
But what caught Nie Li's attention was not the attackers themselves—
It was one of the Winged Dragon Family elders standing to the side.
Unlike the others, who were either panicked or rushing forward to defend him, this elder stood frozen in place. His face was pale, his expression filled with shock and… fear.
Nie Li narrowed his eyes, 'Suspicious.'
The battle around him faded into the background as his mind locked onto the trembling elder.
Had he expected the attack to succeed? Had he been involved? Or was it something else?
Nie Li's lips curled into a dangerous smirk. There was more to this ambush than met the eye. It's not so easy to escape the vigilant gaze of some many experts and attack Nie Li, it was probably an inside job, and the culprit was most probably him.
'No matter.'
The moment Nie Li's golden force field dissipated, his gaze turned sharp, his fiendish yellow irises gleaming with deadly intent. The air was thick with the scent of ozone, and the battlefield seemed frozen in time.
Before anyone could react, Nie Li uttered a single command in his mind.
Come forth, Abyss Demon Flaming Sword!
A crimson light flashed as a terrifyingly powerful blade materialized in his grasp. The sword, a Legend Rank weapon, pulsed with an eerie glow, radiating both majesty and menace materialized from the inventory. The assassin nearest to him barely had time to widen his eyes before—
SWOOSH!
The blade cut through the assassin's body as if slicing through paper. A clean, seamless cut.
For a brief moment, the assassin didn't realize what had happened. Then—
THUD!
His body split in two, each half collapsing lifelessly to the ground, blood pooling rapidly around him.
The second assassin, witnessing this monstrous display of power, felt sheer terror grip his soul. His legs trembled, and without a second thought, he turned to flee.
Nie Li, however, was far from done.
Retracting the Abyss Demon Flaming Sword, he exhaled, his aura shifting dangerously. A surge of soul force erupted from his core as he semi-merged with the Tempestfang Dragon.
The transformation was instantaneous.
Lightning crackled around his form, tendrils of electricity dancing along his skin. His pupils sharpened into slits, his presence becoming overwhelming.
Raising his right hand, he extended his index and middle fingers, keeping the rest flexed. The running assassin was still within sight—Big mistake.
CRACK!
A powerful bolt of lightning surged from his fingertips, moving faster than the eye could track. It struck the escaping assassin square in the back, paralyzing him mid-step. His body convulsed violently as electric arcs coursed through him, rendering him utterly helpless. (Image)
In just two moves—within the span of mere seconds—Nie Li had executed one assassin and immobilized another.
Everyone present was left utterly speechless. The Winged Dragon Family head, Xiao Yunfeng, could only stare in disbelief, his fists clenching unconsciously. The elders of the family, their expressions frozen in shock, found themselves struggling to process what had just transpired.
The experts dispatched from the Alchemy Association and the City Lord's Mansion, who had come to safeguard Nie Li, were no different.
This—this was absolute dominance.
"Impossible..." one of the City Lord Mansion's guards murmured.
"How… How can someone so young wield such strength?" another elder whispered, his throat dry.
Nie Li had not only killed a Black Gold Rank assassin as though he were nothing, but he had also displayed an overwhelming mastery of soul force and lightning manipulation, feats far beyond what even seasoned warriors could achieve.
Xiao Ning'er, who had been observing from a distance, felt her heart pounding. She had always known that Nie Li was powerful, but this level of sheer control, this terrifying lethality—
It sent a shiver down her spine.
But beneath that awe, a deep sense of pride and admiration bloomed within her.
Nie Li casually withdrew his lightning-coated fingers and turned toward the experts from the City Lord's Mansion.
"The experts from the City Lord's Mansion, please apprehend this assassin and take him in for interrogation," he commanded, his tone calm but carrying undeniable authority.
At his words, the elite guards immediately moved in, securing the paralyzed assassin. The man's eyes were filled with terror, his entire body still twitching uncontrollably from the residual electricity.
Nie Li then turned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the gathered elders of the Winged Dragon Family.
A particular elder standing on the far right—one with a short beard—had an expression that caught Nie Li's keen eye. His face was pale, beads of sweat forming along his temple. His lips trembled as though he wanted to speak but dared not.
Nie Li's eyes narrowed.
Using soul force, he communicated with Xiao Yunfeng through sound compression.
'Family Head, the elder on the far right with the short beard is suspicious. I would advise you to interrogate him internally and, if necessary, send him to the City Lord's Mansion for questioning. If the Winged Dragon Family does not take action, your family could fall under scrutiny from the other powerful families of Glory City.'
Xiao Yunfeng's expression darkened, though he did not reveal any immediate reaction. Instead, he gave Nie Li a barely perceptible nod.
The wheels of justice would turn soon enough.
Nie Li turned away, his mind shifting back to the task at hand.
'With the Ten Thousand Beast Array in place, I don't have to worry about Xiao Ning'er's safety anymore. Now, I need to complete the array linkage and activate the automated guardian program to oversee it.'
His fingers twitched as he prepared to continue his work.