Chapter 10

Seeing one exquisite pastry after another being devoured by Nie Li, Du Ze, and Lu Piao, the young nobles in the class felt extremely depressed. Why didn't they have such treatment?

Xiao Ning'er also ate a few pieces, and her graceful demeanor while eating was a pleasure to watch.

After chatting with Nie Li for a while, Xiao Ning'er returned to her seat.

Lu Piao patted Nie Li's shoulder and winked, "When did you hook up with our Goddess Ning'er? Come clean."

Nie Li shrugged and said, "We're just ordinary friends!"

"Tsk, who believes that!" Both Du Ze and Lu Piao shot Nie Li a disdainful look.

"If you were just ordinary friends, would Goddess Ning'er bring you breakfast?"

No matter how Nie Li tried to explain, Du Ze and Lu Piao refused to believe him. Many of the young nobles in the class looked at Nie Li with intense hostility. Nie Li had silently taken one of the two major goddesses in the class, how could they treat him nicely?

"Maybe she needs my help with something," Nie Li said calmly.

This kid Nie Li was so tight-lipped. No matter how Du Ze and Lu Piao tried to pry, they couldn't get a word out of him. They could only give up reluctantly. They decided to dig deeper to find out the true relationship between Nie Li and Goddess Ning'er.

The bell for class rang, and Shen Xiu walked in, swaying her hips, her face full of spring. She wasn't as cold and proud as usual, and her smile was like a chrysanthemum.

"Go back to your seats!" Shen Xiu glanced at Nie Li and the others. An important figure was coming to observe the class, so she didn't dare to be too casual.

"Today, I will be talking about runes. Runes are very important for both warriors and spirit mages. Runes are divided into two major categories: equipment runes and battle runes! Equipment runes are inscribed on armor and weapons, significantly enhancing their power, especially for spirit mages, who can use weapons and armor with high-level runes to far exceed their own strength. Battle runes, on the other hand, are used on rune scrolls, inscribed on the scrolls, and can unleash powerful combat abilities when used!" Surprisingly, Shen Xiu actually started to teach some substantive content today.

"Runes are very profound and mysterious, originating from the late Snowfall Empire and continuously refined over thousands of years. However, during the Dark Age, the continent was ravaged by beast attacks, and our Radiant City only inherited a small part of the runes, which are divided into three categories: Snowfall Runes, Sacred Fire Runes, and Battle Edge Runes. They are of the Snowfall, Fire, and Non-elemental attributes, respectively."

"Today, we will be discussing equipment runes." Shen Xiu spoke in a much gentler tone than usual.

Outside the classroom, three elders sat together, listening intently.

"The students from the Sacred Family are quite knowledgeable; they are certainly qualified to teach this batch of students!" One of the elders stroked his beard and smiled. He was called Ye Sheng, the vice-principal of Saint Orchid Academy.

"There are a few good students in this class, like Ye Ziyun, Shen Yue, and Xiao Ning'er!" Another elder flattered, he was a professor at Saint Orchid Academy named Lü Ye.

Besides Ye Sheng, there was another gray-robed elder sitting beside him, whose identity even Lü Ye did not know. This gray-robed elder exuded a strong, authoritative aura, making Lü Ye speak cautiously, not daring to be the slightest bit careless.

"What do you think?" Ye Sheng looked at the gray-robed elder.

"Hmm." The gray-robed elder responded noncommittally.

Lü Ye was inwardly puzzled, not knowing the identity of this gray-robed elder, who seemed to treat Vice-Principal Ye Sheng with indifference. His status must be significant, possibly even above the principal of Saint Orchid Academy. Lü Ye didn't dare to speak more.

The students in the classroom didn't know that someone was observing the class. It was rare for Shen Xiu to teach something substantial today, so they all listened attentively.

Shen Xiu slightly puffed out her chest, a proud look on her face, and said, "Today, I will be talking about Sacred Fire Runes! In the research of Sacred Fire Runes, the Sacred Family is the undisputed leader!"

"Sacred Fire Runes have sixty-six basic runes, for example, this rune..." Shen Xiu drew a totem on the blackboard composed of many shapes, "This is a Crimson Flame Burst Rune, created by the first patriarch of the Sacred Family, and it is the most powerful Bronze Rune! This rune is composed of thirty-six basic runes and is the most complex Bronze Rune. Next, we will discuss these thirty-six basic runes."

Shen Xiu spoke fluently.

The other students in the class listened with great interest, but Nie Li was somewhat distracted. He had no interest in these basic runes, and he knew that the basic runes of Sacred Fire Runes numbered over six hundred, not sixty-six.

If it weren't for Ye Ziyun and the treasures of Saint Orchid Academy, Nie Li wouldn't stay here to listen to Shen Xiu's boring lectures. In his view, Shen Xiu's class was full of errors and not worth listening to. To claim that the Crimson Flame Burst Rune was the most powerful Bronze Rune was simply ignorant.

Shen Xiu's gaze swept over the class and landed on Nie Li. Nie Li had previously contradicted her and completely disregarded her, even making a bet with her. She had been secretly resentful. Seeing Nie Li not paying attention, she inwardly smirked, finally finding an opportunity!

Shen Xiu continued to lecture on the thirty-six basic runes, but Nie Li had no interest and simply fell asleep on the desk.

At this moment, Vice-Principal Ye Sheng was somewhat displeased. He glanced at the gray-robed elder. A significant figure was observing the class, and Nie Li was sleeping, which was embarrassing for Saint Orchid Academy. He didn't know the student's name, but if he found out, he would expel the student and never allow him to return!

The gray-robed elder showed no reaction, and Vice-Principal Ye Sheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Lü Ye said solemnly, "In the初级武者学徒班, it's inevitable to have a mix of good and bad students. I will definitely discipline this student when I return! Parents spend so much money to send their children to Saint Orchid Academy, not for them to sleep in class!"

Ye Sheng nodded, appreciating Lü Ye's perceptiveness.

Nie Li was actually sleeping, and Shen Xiu's face darkened even more. Wasn't it saying that her class was boring if a student was sleeping?

"Nie Li!" Shen Xiu walked to Nie Li's side and shouted.

Nie Li was in the middle of a good dream, having not slept well for a week. He was quite tired and reluctantly opened his eyes. "What is it?"

Seeing Nie Li being woken up by Shen Xiu, the young nobles in the class snickered secretly. They were eager to see Nie Li get a scolding, after all, he had taken their goddesses.

"Nie Li is in trouble now!"

Du Ze and Lu Piao exchanged a wry smile. No matter what, they would never dare to sleep in class.

Nie Li's attitude made Shen Xiu even angrier. She said sternly, "You actually slept in my class. Do you understand everything?"

"Yes!" Nie Li said frankly.

"You..." Shen Xiu was almost speechless. Nie Li had been sleeping the whole time and now claimed to understand everything. Who would believe that?

Shen Xiu chuckled coldly and said, "Since you understand everything, why don't you explain this rune to me?"

Nie Li glanced at the rune and said, "This is a low-level fire rune, barely a Bronze level. It is composed of thirty-eight basic runes and has very little power. It might be good for boiling water!"

Hearing Nie Li's words, the entire class burst into laughter.

"Haha, I'm dying of laughter. He didn't listen at all and said the Crimson Flame Burst Rune is composed of thirty-eight basic runes, when Teacher Shen Xiu clearly said it was thirty-six!"

"Laughing so hard, I'm crying. He said this rune is for boiling water!" A young noble laughed uncontrollably.

Ye Ziyun couldn't help but smile, while Shen Yue was a bit angry because Nie Li had said that the Sacred Family's ancestral Bronze Rune was for boiling water, which was intolerable! Among everyone, Xiao Ning'er was the calmest. She believed that Nie Li was just hiding his true abilities, and these people didn't know his true talent.

Outside the classroom, Lü Ye also laughed, "This student is ridiculous, claiming the Crimson Flame Burst Rune is composed of thirty-eight basic runes and is for boiling water!"

Lü Ye's laughter suddenly stopped when he noticed that Vice-Principal Ye Sheng and the gray-robed elder were not laughing. He forced himself to stop laughing.

"There's nothing to laugh about. The Crimson Flame Burst Rune is indeed composed of thirty-eight basic runes!" Vice-Principal Ye Sheng said calmly. At their level, after in-depth research, they found that two of the basic runes in the Crimson Flame Burst Rune were not basic runes but were composed of four other basic runes. He was a bit surprised that a student had pointed this out. Could Nie Li have just guessed?

For them, the Crimson Flame Burst Rune was indeed only good for boiling water, with little practical use in combat.

A flash of light appeared in the gray-robed elder's eyes, but he said nothing.

"Showboating!" Shen Xiu said coldly, her face dark. As a member of the Sacred Family, she couldn't tolerate anyone belittling the Crimson Flame Burst Rune in front of her.

Nie Li didn't care about the students' ridicule and continued, "This rune was first recorded in the seventh volume of the Thunderfire Holy Canon. Its original name should be the Thunderfire Burst Rune, composed of sixty runes, making it quite complex. Later, some fool removed the thunder part, made a few random changes, and turned it into this half-baked Crimson Flame Burst Rune. It has no practical use and is only suitable for Sacred Fire Rune practitioners to practice and learn."

The Thunderfire Holy Canon? The students looked at each other in confusion.

Nie Li actually called the first patriarch of the Sacred Family a fool? Shen Xiu was furious. She didn't know what the Thunderfire Holy Canon was or what was recorded in its seventh volume.

"Ridiculous! There is no such book as the Thunderfire Holy Canon in the world!" Shen Xiu thought for a moment and immediately countered. The seventh volume of the Thunderfire Holy Canon must be a fabrication by Nie Li!