After the shock that swept through the entire classroom, Teacher Shen Xiu's expression darkened once more. Her brows twitched faintly, irritation simmering beneath her composed exterior.
Lu Piao, however, was no longer paying attention to her.
His eyes were locked onto the figure now standing beside Nie Li and Du Zhe.
Karma Uzumaki.
Standing right there.
So close.
Lu Piao swallowed hard.
"M–m-my lord… Prince… Y-Your Majesty…?" he stammered, his voice cracking halfway through the sentence.
Karma glanced down at him, crimson eyes full of amusement, then waved a hand lazily.
"Relax, relax," he said lightly. "At this rate, you'll give yourself a heart attack before class even ends."
Lu Piao froze.
"…He talked to me," he whispered hoarsely.
Du Zhe nudged him with his elbow. "Focus. Breathe."
Nie Li, meanwhile, turned his head and looked at Karma. For a brief moment, his stern expression softened into a genuinely warm smile.
"Didn't expect you to come over here," Nie Li said calmly. "Why stand with us?"
Karma leaned back slightly, hands slipping into his pockets, eyes drifting across the classroom with blatant ease.
"Simple," he replied. "From this angle, I get a perfect view of every girl in the class."
Nie Li blinked.
Then laughed.
A short, helpless laugh that escaped before he could stop it.
"…Yeah," Nie Li thought to himself. That's Karma for you.
Du Zhe stared at Karma in disbelief. "Y-you joined us… for that reason?"
Karma nodded seriously. "Prime matters. Very important."
Lu Piao's mouth hung open.
"That's… that's it?!"
Karma glanced at him. "What, were you expecting some dramatic destiny speech?"
Nie Li shook his head, still smiling faintly. "Ignore him."
Then he turned slightly and gestured toward the two boys beside him.
"Karma, this is Du Zhe," Nie Li said. "Sharp mind. Reliable. Quiet, but very talented."
Du Zhe straightened immediately. "I-it's an honor to meet you," he said, bowing slightly.
Karma gave him an easy nod. "Nice to meet you."
Nie Li then pointed at the still-half-dazed Lu Piao.
"And this is Lu Piao," Nie Li continued. "Loud, reckless, and somehow still alive."
"HEY!" Lu Piao protested. Then he stiffened again. "I mean—yes! That's me!"
Karma laughed. "I like him already."
Lu Piao looked like he might cry.
From nearby, three figures leaned in eagerly.
Wei Nan cleared his throat first, eyes shining. "I'm Wei Nan!"
Zhang Ming followed immediately. "Zhang Ming! It's really you, right? Not a disguise?"
Zhu Yu Jun nodded furiously. "Zhu Yu Jun! I heard you once scared off an entire merchant guild just by smiling!"
Karma blinked.
"…Wow," he said slowly. "The rumors are getting creative."
The three boys grinned anyway, clearly thrilled just to be acknowledged.
"Nice to meet you all," Karma added casually.
The atmosphere around the group subtly changed.
Excitement. Awe. Energy.
And from the podium—
Teacher Shen Xiu's gaze sharpened.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
The classroom, once under her absolute control, was no longer moving entirely according to her expectations.
Shen Xiu snorted coldly.
"Silence!! Uzumaki, since you also wish to stand at the back, then stand."
Hmph. Fool, she thought.
"Now continue with the lesson."
She unfurled another scroll.
"The results of everyone's soul test are out," Shen Xiu announced.
"Among the students, Ye Ziyun possesses a Cyan Soul Realm with a Soul Force of 86. Shen Yue and Xiao Ning'er have Green Soul Realms with Soul Force of 78."
Shen Xiu paused—then her expression darkened further, as if the next name irritated her.
"Karma Uzumaki possesses an Indigo Soul Realm, with a Soul Force of 96."
The classroom erupted instantly.
Murmurs filled the air.
"Did you hear that? Indigo Soul Realm!"
"That's impossibly rare!"
"Are you kidding me?! A Soul Force of 96?!"
"With a Soul Force of 96, he'll become a Bronze Rank Demon Spiritualist any day now!"
"With talent like that… Legend Rank isn't impossible!"
"And Ye Ziyun's Cyan Soul Realm with 86 is incredible too!"
"With talents like these, they might even reach Legend Rank in their lifetime!"
At the back of the room, Lu Piao's jaw dropped so hard it nearly hit the desk.
"Ninety-six?!" he hissed, grabbing Du Zhe's sleeve. "DU ZHE, DID YOU HEAR THAT? THAT'S NOT A NUMBER, THAT'S AN INSULT TO NORMAL PEOPLE!"
Du Zhe swallowed, pushing his glasses up with trembling fingers. "An Indigo Soul Realm… I've only read about those in books. That's the kind of talent entire families would fight wars over."
Girls across the classroom stared dreamily in Karma's direction, eyes sparkling.
"He's strong and handsome…" "I heard he's from a major family too…" "I want to sit closer…"
Karma, naturally, enjoyed every second of it. He brushed his hair back lightly and leaned against the wall.
"Ah… fame really is a troublesome thing," he sighed, clearly not troubled at all.
At the back, Ye Ziyun noticed him getting far too full of himself. She clenched her fist.
I'll smack him later, she decided silently.
Shen Yue's face darkened with jealousy.
Nearby, Xiao Ning'er cast a brief glance toward Karma. Her eyes lingered for just a fraction of a second longer than necessary—before she quickly looked away, her ears faintly red.
Nie Li chuckled softly.
"That's Karma for you—never missing a chance to stand out."
Nie Li then turned his attention to the orange-haired girl.
Xiao Ning'er…
She was the first daughter of the Xiao Family, one of the Seven Noble Families. Her talent was second only to Ye Ziyun. Before Glory City was destroyed, she had already become a Silver Rank Demon Spiritualist.
Yet fate had been cruel.
To curry favor with the Four Major Families, the Xiao Family had tried to force her into marriage with Shen Yue's elder brother. Unwilling to submit, she fled into the Black Devil Forest within the Saint Ancestral Mountains… and never returned.
Nie Li noticed her quick glance toward the laughing Karma.
There were rumors that she secretly liked Karma, Nie Li thought. I wasn't sure before… but now it seems those rumors were true.
Nie Li smiled faintly.
I'll help her this time.
Shen Xiu's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"In the fighter and demon spiritualist test two months from now," she said sharply, "I hope a few of you will reach the One-Star Bronze Rank. Both the Holy Orchid Institute and I will be proud."
Du Zhe leaned toward Nie Li and whispered,
"Once a fighter's strength or a demon spiritualist's Soul Force reaches 100, they can be considered One-Star Bronze Rank. Entry-level is extremely difficult—many people never reach it in their entire lives."
"To be a One-Star Bronze fighter, one must lift a hundred-pound stone or shatter a tree as thick as an arm with a punch. As for demon spiritualists, it's even harder."
"Soul Force is divided into seven colors—Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Azure, and Indigo. Normal people have Red Soul Force. Becoming a demon spiritualist is nearly impossible for them."
"Orange and Yellow are more suitable for cultivation. Green and Cyan are extraordinary talents."
Du Zhe glanced at Karma.
"And then there's an anomaly like him—Indigo Soul Force. He'll become a Bronze Rank Demon Spiritualist in just a few days."
Du Zhe looked at Karma with envy.
Karma noticed and flashed him a grin, raising two fingers in a victory sign.
"Born talented. What can I say?"
The students continued whispering about the geniuses in their class.
Shen Yue clenched his fists.
Only I am worthy of Ye Ziyun. Nie Li is nothing, and Karma doesn't even bother pursuing her. And that Nie Li—he actually dared to bet with my aunt. Ignorant fool.
Shen Xiu spoke coldly,
"As for those who claim they can reach One-Star Bronze Rank Demon Spiritualist in two months, I look forward to seeing just how far they can go."
Nie Li smiled calmly.
"Two months… that's plenty of time."
Later, as the boys stood at the back of the class, Lu Piao hesitated before asking, glancing at Karma.
Karma nodded casually.
"Go on."
"Nie Li," Lu Piao asked, "do you like Ye Ziyun?"
Nie Li smiled.
"Yeah."
Karma raised an eyebrow.
"Oi, you've got guts admitting that."
"I really love her," Nie Li said sincerely.
Karma watched him quietly, saying nothing.
Lu Piao scratched his head.
"But… weren't you and Ye Ziyun dating, Karma?"
Karma froze.
"Who spread that rumor?!"
He panicked inwardly. "My image as a single bachelor is in danger! Girls won't chase an engaged man!"
Nie Li sighed internally.
Ah… I almost forgot. He's a natural flirt.
Du Zhe crossed his arms.
"Be realistic. Ye Ziyun is extremely talented. She'll likely enter the official Demon Spiritualist class soon. Whether she'll even remember you is uncertain."
"What I hate most," Du Zhe continued sternly, "is nobles constantly thinking about chasing girls instead of training."
Lu Piao and Nie Li watched him rant.
Lu Piao pointed at Karma—who was casually picking his nose.
Karma nodded seriously.
"He's right, you know. You should train hard and stop chasing girls."
Lu Piao and Nie Li stared at him.
Look who's talking.
"What do you mean 'noble offspring chasing girls'?" Lu Piao protested.
"I train hard! At most, I only think about girls half the day!"
Du Zhe looked utterly defeated.
"What kind of people did I get involved with…"
Karma burst out laughing.
Nie Li smiled as he watched his friends bicker.
"Nie Li," Du Zhe said seriously, "I recommend you give up on Ye Ziyun and focus on training."
Karma nodded.
"You need strength to back your goals, man."
Nie Li looked at them calmly.
"Don't worry. I know what I want—and I'll achieve it."
Du Zhe nodded firmly.
"No matter what, we'll support you."
Nie Li smiled.
"Karma, Du Ze, Lu Piao—I'll help all of you become powerful Demon Spiritualists."
Lu Piao waved his hand.
"Forget it. I'll probably become a fighter using family elixirs. Becoming a demon spiritualist is impossible."
Karma scoffed.
"It's not that hard. Pretty easy, actually."
Lu Piao and Du Zhe stared at him.
You have an Indigo Soul Realm. You know nothing about our pain.
Du Zhe sighed and turned to Lu Piao.
"What's the point of becoming a fighter? On the battlefield, even a Legend Rank fighter isn't worth a Black Gold Demon Spiritualist."
Lu Piao rubbed his chin.
"I'll be satisfied with Gold Rank."
Du Zhe was speechless again.
"So what if you have a Red Soul Realm?" Nie Li said calmly. "I do too."
Du Zhe hesitated.
"Nie Li… do you have a way to increase Soul Force?"
"Just listen to me," Nie Li replied. "As long as you don't back down, you'll become powerful."
"Back down?" Du Zhe said firmly. "Never."
Lu Piao scratched his head.
"If I become a Demon Spiritualist, my dad won't beat me, right?"
Karma laughed loudly.
"That's your motivation? Man, your brain really works differently."
Du Zhe glared at Lu Piao.
"You want the easy way? There is no easy way!"
Nie Li smiled.
"It's not troublesome—just expensive."
Lu Piao perked up.
"If it can be solved as long as you have money? Haha, I have two thousand Demon Spirit Coins saved! If I can become a demon spiritualist, I can afford to spend it all"
Nie Li laughed awkwardly.
"Huh? Two thousand? What will two thousand do, You'll need at least millions of demon spirit coins or even tens of millions of demon spirit coins."
Lu Piao and Du Zhe were stunned. They don't know where to cry or laugh at that.
Karma's smile slowly faded as he thought.
What kind of method needs that much money…?