Nie Li bid farewell to his friends and returned to his family after many days. He had already reached the second level of Gold Rank with 100 dragon marks. Before going back to the academy, he aimed to break through to Black Gold Rank to better execute his plans. He knew that the Heavenly Dragon God Transformation technique would only truly show its advantages at the Black Gold level, so he intended to use every measure possible.
This time, he returned in honor and praise from the older generation, and admiration from the younger generation. He sought to make the entire Heavenly Marks Family more united.
He first paid filial piety to his parents and then revealed his true cultivation level. He told them that he had stumbled upon secret techniques in some ruins, including the modified Heavenly Marks Technique. He also explained how to test for soul form and aptitude. Using some unused crystal, he checked his parents. His father had the Heavenly Marks Family physique with a red soul realm, so Nie Li gave him the modified Heavenly Marks Technique, similar to what he had done with his friends. His mother, on the other hand, had a green soul realm with no attributes, just like him, so he gave her the Void God Realm technique to better protect herself.
That night, he met with the patriarch in secret. "Hello, Patriarch," he said, without a hint of respect.
Nie Hai raised an eyebrow, slightly displeased with Nie Li's lack of respect. "Well, if it isn't our family's young genius."
Nie Li, intending to provoke him further, replied, "A patriarch as weak as you can't lead the family. Perhaps you should pass the mantle to someone more capable."
Fuming with anger, Nie Hai warned, "I advise you to speak properly. If you weren't a genius, I would have already ordered you to be thrown into the labyrinth."
Nie Li smiled. "Since you disagree, why don't you let me show you my strength?" he suggested, signaling for the patriarch to follow him deep into the forest where they wouldn't be disturbed.
Nie Li had immense respect for the old patriarch, considering him like a grandfather. However, to achieve his plans, he needed to display his strength. In a blink of an eye, they exchanged a hundred blows. To Nie Hai's surprise, Nie Li had the upper hand in every move. Initially, the patriarch was holding back his strength, but as they continued, he unleashed his full power—yet he still lost. He realized Nie Li had been holding back, not wanting to hurt him.
With a sigh, Nie Hai said, "That's enough. You're clearly stronger than me, perhaps even the strongest in our family. It's true, in this world, the strong rule. You can take over my position whenever you want."
Nie Li kneeled and responded, "I wouldn't dare, Grandpa Patriarch. All I wanted was to show my strength and gain your support for my plans."
He then revealed his cultivation level—second rank Gold. The patriarch's jaw dropped. Next, Nie Li revealed his demon spirit, the Shadow Devil, further shocking the patriarch. Nie Li continued, explaining that he had developed numerous elixirs with the help of the Alchemist Guild, which would soon be delivered to help the family. Again, the patriarch was overwhelmed but recovered quickly.
Nie Li then shared his plan to raise everyone's strength. He gave the patriarch the Heavenly Marks Technique and some lower-grade techniques. Since the patriarch had the Heavenly Marks physique, Nie Li encouraged him to practice it as well. Only the direct family members would practice the main technique, while others could use the lower-level techniques. Even with these, Nie Li explained, they could reach higher than Legend Rank. The patriarch, confused, asked, "What do you mean, higher than Legend Rank?"
With a mischievous look, Nie Li replied, "Compared to true powerhouses, Legend Ranks are just ants. If not, how could we be confined to such a small city when the world is so vast?"
"One day, I will free all of humankind," Nie Li declared heroically. "Sooner or later, you'll reach that level yourself and understand that beyond the peak, there is always another peak. The martial path is endless."
Nie Li then handed over hundreds of pills he had developed, telling the patriarch to distribute them to the younger generation according to their contributions. He also described a mission system where family members could earn points by fighting beasts or helping people, with rewards distributed based on their achievements. For more dangerous missions, elders would secretly protect the younger ones. This system was designed to strengthen their combat experience and cultivate their mental fortitude.
The patriarch thought about it and found the plan feasible. It could elevate the family to new heights. Looking at the young man with satisfaction, he silently thanked his lucky stars that such a genius was born into their family, while also cursing the Grand Elder for suppressing him in the past.
"Of course, this system will take time to implement," the patriarch said. "In the meantime, you can distribute the techniques and let them begin their practice." Nie Li nodded in agreement. "Also," he added, "please keep my identity secret for now. There may be spies within the family working for the Dark Guild. They are my enemies, and I won't stop until I eliminate them."
The patriarch nodded again in agreement.
After dealing with assassins from the Dark Guild and a visit from Yang Xin, Nie Li spent his days peacefully. He cultivated with his family and helped them with their own cultivation, providing countless elixirs. His mother and cousin were nearing Silver Rank, and his father, despite being physically strong like a peak Silver Rank expert, was still only at 3-star Bronze Rank. However, he was progressing quickly, and Nie Li believed that within a year, they would all reach Black Gold Rank. His cousin, the most gifted in the family, could achieve it even sooner, within six months.
One noteworthy event was when Nie Li bought the Demon Spirit Pot at auction. It was essential for his plans and carried an even greater secret than he had initially thought, something he had discovered by accident in his past life. If he could unlock its potential, it would provide immense help.
He also retrieved the lost page of the Demon Spirit Temporal Book from the patriarch. As the second term of the academy approached, Nie Li focused on developing demon spirits for his friends and . With the help of the Alchemist Guild and his family, he acquired many demon spirits, and through the constant use of soul force and the purifying effect the demon spirit pot had his level grew even faster , and he finally broke through the final barrier and reached black gold with an astouding 2000 dragon marks . With that, his vacation came to an end.