Seeing Shen Xiu in a rage, Nie Li gave her an innocent smile that made her lose all sense of reason."I was just born with divine innate strength," he said mischievously.
Suddenly, Shen Xiu's face and hands underwent drastic changes. Her facial features hardened, her teeth and nails grew sharper. Finally, a crimson tail appeared on her back.
She used her demon spirit to transform into her combat form before leaping toward Nie Li.
Cries and shouts filled the examination hall."What's going on?!""Shen Xiu's lost her mind!""Shen Xiu!! Stop immediately!" roared the vice-principal, fusing with his Bloodthirsty Bear demon spirit as he rushed forward, though he was still far from the enraged woman."Look! The vice-principal! He's fused with his demon spirit!""Can anyone stop this?!"
Shen Xiu charged in rapidly, aiming to kill the annoying boy, her emotions completely out of control.She didn't realize Chan Wei had already acted, using a smoke scroll. The smoke was thick enough to conceal everything, though it had no other real function. Shen Xiu attacked the space where Nie Li had been—only to be completely stopped by Simia.
The great black-furred ape grabbed her in his massive hands and roared, releasing the pressure of a Gold-ranked demon, a force so overwhelming it caused several students to faint.
Under the beast's thunderous roar, Shen Xiu finally regained her senses and realized too late what she had done. She had violated two of Glory City's taboos in a single act: attacking a student of the Holy Orchid Institute and attempting to kill a city resident for personal reasons.
Not only was her future uncertain, but the crushing pressure of the ape's fingers gripping her body made her doubt she'd even survive the next few minutes.
The principal, now fully fused, stopped two meters from the ape before looking at Chan Wei, who gave a nod.
"Simia, hand over the woman," ordered Chan Wei, as Shen Xiu was tossed to the ground in front of the bear-man."Simia, return," he added, masking Simia's retreat into his shadow with a second cloud of smoke.
The vice-principal picked up Shen Xiu and left with her."Do you understand your crimes?" he asked the disgraced woman, who nodded silently."I'll place you in Obsidian Prison until the Sacred Family patriarch finishes his cultivation and you can stand trial."
Back in the examination hall, Nie Li's group felt both relieved and impressed by Simia's reaction and Chan Wei's calm handling of the situation.
"Wow, Simia is seriously impressive," commented Xiao Ning'er."Yeah, and Chan Wei really managed that well," added Du Ze, clearly admiring him."Looks like Shen Xiu won't be bothering us anymore," said Nie Li with a relieved sigh.
It was finally time for the Holy Orchid Institute's holiday break!
These holidays were a major event in Glory City since a large portion of its youth attended the institute, meaning many students would finally be returning home to see their families.
Groups of students left the institute one after another.
"Du Ze, this is for you. I hope you'll think of me when you see it! See you after the break!" said Huyan Lanruo, handing Du Ze a ruby etched with an intricate design.
When Du Ze looked up, Huyan Lanruo was smiling at him adorably—giving him the courage to pull her into a gentle hug and whisper a heartfelt "I love you," causing Chan Wei's big sister to blush fiercely and grab her little brother to flee the scene, hiding her embarrassment.
"I'll come over to your place, Ning'er," Chan Wei said quickly, letting himself be dragged off by his sister so he wouldn't worsen her embarrassment.
Nie Li and the others laughed at the scene.
"Well done, Du Ze! That took guts," exclaimed Nie Li, clapping his friend on the back."Yeah, Huyan Lanruo really looked touched," added Xiao Ning'er with a smile."Not bad, bro! I'm jealous!" said Lu Piao, giving Du Ze a playful punch on the shoulder.
Meanwhile, Du Ze tried his best to hide his embarrassment, making the whole group laugh.
"Ah, love always keeps things interesting," Ye Ziyun commented with a soft smile—before turning bright red under Nie Li's gaze and hurrying away before the little devil could say something embarrassing.
The group shared a warm moment of camaraderie after such a chaotic day.
After putting some distance between them and the others, Huyan Lanruo stopped and apologized to Chan Wei for interfering in her brother's relationship with Xiao Ning'er.
"It's fine, big sis. I have to visit her family to propose anyway, so I'll see her again tomorrow," said Chan Wei with a smile. Then, mischievously, he added, "Besides, it looks like Du Ze isn't exactly indifferent to you."
"Oh? Teasing your big sister now, are you? You little rascal!" she laughed, locking Chan Wei's head under her arm and ruffling his hair so hard he ended up looking like a black-haired Super Saiyan.
They continued laughing as they walked toward the Huyan residence. By late morning, they arrived. Waiting at the door was Huyan Lanruo's father, Huyan Xiong, a man with a warm smile. Beside him stood Chan Kang and Chan Wen, Chan Wei's grandparents.
Chan Liang and Chan Zhang, Chan Wei's younger siblings, rushed toward their elders, grinning from ear to ear.
At 8 years old, Chan Liang was a lively, energetic boy. His eyes sparkled with mischief, and his cheeky grin made it clear he was always ready for the next adventure. With his messy black hair and cheeks flushed pink from the sun, he radiated vitality and joy.
Only 6 years old, Chan Zhang was an adorable little girl with an angelic smile. Her wide, sparkling eyes were full of curiosity and innocence, and her soft brown curls framed her round face sweetly. Always cheerful and playful, she was as gentle as she was impish, eager to follow her big brother into any escapade.
"Big brother! Big sister! Welcome back!" they shouted, with little Chan Liang leaping into Huyan Lanruo's arms, while Chan Zhang clung to her big brother Chan Wei.
"Chan Zhang, Chan Liang, were you two well-behaved while we were gone?" asked Chan Wei.
"Yes, big brother! We were really good! Right, Liang?" said the little sister, acting cute in her brother's arms.
"Yeah, yeah! We were super good! We even helped Grandpa and Grandma in the garden!" boasted Chan Liang enthusiastically.
"Oh really? That's a big help. I'm proud of you both!" said Huyan Lanruo with a laugh, ruffling the little boy's hair as he grinned under her attention.
"That's great, keep it up! And don't forget to listen to Grandpa and Grandma, okay?" said Chan Wei to the two little angels.
"Okay, big brother!" they both replied in unison, sharing a proud and conspiratorial glance.
After this sweet moment with the children, Huyan Lanruo and Chan Wei bowed respectfully."We've returned," they said in unison, as a wave of emotion swept over them at the warm response from the three elders.
"Welcome home, children," said the father and grandparents together, not distinguishing between the two families anymore.
"Father, Grandpa, Grandma… I have something to tell you about Chan Wei," said Huyan Lanruo with a sly smile that gave Chan Wei goosebumps.
"Chan Wei's snake almost attacked me," she added before he could stop her.
"That's not what you think at all!" Chan Wei blurted out as Huyan Xiong's murderous glare and his grandmother's disapproving frown fell on him—though his grandfather simply gave a crooked smile.
"Little Bai, get on my shoulder quickly before I get beaten," said Chan Wei to his snake, who slithered out from his collar, surprising the three adults as they turned to look at the mischievous girl who had sparked the misunderstanding.
Huyan Xiong sighed and shook his head. "My daughter, you're incorrigible."
She merely stuck her tongue out and ran inside the house, followed closely by Chan Liang and Chan Zhang, thinking she was playing a game.
Chan Wen, the grandmother, stepped up to Chan Wei and gently patted his shoulder. "My dear little Wei, you know Lanruo likes to joke around. But you really should be more careful, alright?"
"Looks like my grandson still hasn't become a man," sighed Chan Kang before quickly getting his ear tugged by his wife.
"You old pervert—so you were hoping little Wei had actually made a move on Lanruo?" snapped Chan Wen as she dragged Grandpa Kang away, under the amused gaze of Huyan Xiong.
"Ah, those two—they're like a newlywed couple," he chuckled, inviting Chan Wei inside.
"Looks like Grandpa and Grandma are still as lively as ever," laughed Chan Wei as he followed the man he considered like a father.
"Yes, and they're thrilled to see you. You know, you're becoming more and more famous in Glory City. I've heard you've made incredible progress as a martial prodigy and an inscriptionist," said Huyan Xiong, proud of the boy he had raised like his own.
Chan Wei smiled humbly. "That's kind of you. I'll keep working hard to become even stronger."
"I have no doubt, my boy. Keep this up, and one day, you'll become a true legend of Glory City," replied Huyan Xiong with a smile full of admiration.
Once inside the living room, Huyan Lanruo was sitting on the floor in the corner as a light punishment for her earlier joke—but she didn't really care, since she was chatting with little Liang and little Zhang, recounting her adventures with Chan Wei in the ruins, carefully omitting the bloodier parts to preserve her younger siblings' innocence.
"And then, Chan Wei faced a Silver-rank Demon Monkey all by himself to cover our retreat," Huyan Lanruo recounted, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she dove into the story.
Chan Liang and Chan Zhang listened with rapt attention, completely captivated by their older sister's tale. They imagined every detail, picturing the ruins, the battles, and the adventures of their big sister and big brother. It felt like listening to a fairy tale—with real-life heroes.
Meanwhile, Chan Wei was speaking with the adults about his plans involving the Inscriptionist Association, his wealth, and his legendary-rank mentor to reassure them.
"I'm about to become a recognized inscription master, and with the Inscriptionist Association, I'm confident I'll be able to make a great contribution to Glory City," he explained with a slight smile.
He continued, "Also, thanks to my encounter with a legendary master, I've progressed rapidly in my cultivation. I'm currently at Gold rank, five stars."
This revelation shocked the three adults.
"Gold rank, five stars?!" exclaimed Chan Kang, eyes wide with surprise.
"My son, you're truly a genius!" marveled Huyan Xiong, his gaze brimming with pride. He didn't even realize he had just called Chan Wei "my son," but no one pointed it out.
Chan Wen nodded in approval. "That's incredible, little Wei. You've really achieved great things. I'm so proud of you."
"What do you plan to do?" asked Huyan Xiong seriously, aware that with Chan Wei's talent and his closeness to him and his daughter, he would soon have a say in the affairs of the Huyan family.
"Tomorrow, I'll officially ask for Xiao Ning'er's hand in marriage with the support of the Inscriptionist Association. I hope I can also count on your backing," declared Chan Wei as he bowed respectfully before Huyan Xiong.
"No problem. But before that, I'd like you to accept something first. Are you willing to let me officially adopt you as my son?" asked Huyan Xiong, ready to bring Chan Wei formally into the inner circle of the Huyan family.
"Yes, father!!" answered Chan Wei firmly, his heart filled with emotion at the proposal. His face radiated happiness, and his grandparents couldn't help but smile warmly at the touching scene.