The hall grew tense.
Hmph. We can trick her into handing over the Purple Mist Herb first.
Elder Xiao Yi thought coldly.
As for the marriage agreement… that depends on the Sacred Family.
"I agree with Elder Xiao Yi," another added. "This Purple Mist Herb can benefit the whole family."
"Elder Xiao Yi's words make sense."
"I think so as well."
"That's right."
"I also agree."
The murmurs overlapped, one after another.
At the center of the hall, Ning'er stood motionless.
Her father looked at her, conflicted. "Ning'er…"
He sighed heavily, as though the weight of the entire clan pressed upon his shoulders.
The room felt suffocating.
Ning'er lowered her gaze slightly.
Why…
Why is it always like this?
Every time the family faces trouble… why am I the one who has to be sacrificed?
Her fingers tightened at her sides.
And then—
A memory surfaced.
A quiet library bathed in afternoon light.
Karma standing beside her, hands in his pockets, tone casual but eyes steady.
"If anyone troubles you… say my name."
"Tell them they're messing with the heir of the Uzumaki family."
Her heart steadied.
The fear that had been creeping up her spine slowly dissolved.
When she lifted her head again, her golden eyes were clear.
"That Purple Mist Herb," she said calmly, "was bought on behalf of a friend."
The elders froze.
"What?" Xiao Yi snapped.
Ning'er met his gaze directly.
"I already gave it all to him before the price increased."
Silence exploded across the hall.
"Ning'er—is that true?" her father asked urgently.
She nodded.
"It's true, Father. I no longer possess even a single catty of Purple Mist Herb."
The elders' expressions twisted in disbelief.
"Impossible!"
"You gave away something worth hundreds of millions?"
"To who?!"
Ning'er did not hesitate.
"To someone you cannot pressure," she said evenly.
Her voice was calm—but carried weight.
"And even if you try," she added quietly, "you'll only offend someone you cannot afford to offend."
The hall fell silent once more.
For the first time that night—
Ning'er was no longer standing alone.
The hall remained heavy with tension.
Xiao Yi narrowed his eyes.
"Ning'er, what is the name of that friend of yours? What is his background?"
All eyes fell on her.
Ning'er folded her hands calmly in front of her.
"Forgive me, Uncle Xiao Yi… but I cannot reveal anything about this friend."
A vein throbbed at Xiao Yi's temple.
"Is that so? I hope this isn't an excuse made up by you and your father."
Before her father could respond, another elder spoke coldly.
"If that person truly is your friend, why not ask him to return it?"
Ning'er's gaze sharpened.
"What does Uncle mean by this?" she asked steadily. "If I were to ask back something bought on behalf of someone else, wouldn't that make me untrustworthy?"
"This concerns the family's interests!" Xiao Yi snapped.
Her father finally intervened. "Xiao Yi, let this matter be. Even if we asked him, would he give it to us?"
Xiao Yi's expression darkened.
"It depends on the other party's background. If he doesn't have much backing… we might still be able to retrieve the Purple Mist Herb."
The moment those words left his mouth—
Ning'er's golden eyes flashed.
"What did you say?"
A surge of soul energy erupted from her body.
RUMBLE—
Wind spiraled around her as luminous blue wings burst into existence behind her back. Curtains fluttered violently, papers scattered, and the elders staggered in shock.
"Why does she have such powerful soul energy?!" one exclaimed.
"Ning'er?!"
The massive wings spread wide, feathers glowing with radiant light.
"This… is actually soul forming!" someone gasped.
"Her soul power is manifesting into wings… It truly is soul forming!"
Ning'er's voice was steady, but the air trembled around her.
"That friend is like a benefactor to me. If Uncle Xiao Yi dares to do anything to him… I will put my life on the line to stop you."
Silence crushed the hall.
"Sit down!" Xiao Yi barked, though his voice lacked its earlier certainty. "Hmph. I didn't expect Ning'er to achieve Soul Form. The matter of the Purple Mist Herb can wait."
The wings slowly dissolved into motes of light.
The room felt different now.
"For a genius like our niece Ning'er who can achieve Soul Form, our family will nurture her at any cost!" an elder declared.
"Ning'er, perhaps you've never heard of this before," her father said. "Soul Form indicates your soul power has reached its purest spiritual state. Those who can Soul Form at Bronze Rank will at least reach Black-Gold Rank in the future!"
"She can Soul Form at Bronze Rank!"
"That means she'll be exceptional!"
"Congratulations to the family head!"
"Congratulations to Ning'er!"
Laughter echoed.
"So the marriage engagement with the Sacred Family…" Xiao Yi began.
"I say we must give our one and only genius descendant priority," another elder said firmly.
"How can the Purple Mist Grass and a mere engagement compare?" someone added sharply.
Xiao Yi fell silent.
"We cannot afford to offend the Sacred Family right now," the family head finally said. "But there are still two years until the engagement. We can delay it."
The Patriarch slowly rose, his gaze complicated.
"Ning'er… can you tell your father who this friend is?"
The hall quieted again.
Ning'er hesitated only briefly.
She trusted her father.
"…It was Karma."
The name fell like a stone into still water.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Xiao Yi's face turned grim.
Just moments ago, he had spoken of "other means."
He had not expected that name.
Whispers broke out among the elders.
"Karma Uzumaki…?"
"The young master of the Uzumaki Family?"
"That family is not one we can provoke."
"Even the Sacred Family has been suppressed by them in recent times…"
Realization spread quickly.
If it was the Uzumaki heir—
Forcing anything would be courting disaster.
Then, gradually, their fear shifted into something else.
Opportunity.
"If Ning'er is close to the Uzumaki young master…"
"If she gains his favor…"
"Why would she need to marry Shen Fei at all?"
"The Sacred Family would not dare pressure us!"
Ning'er stared at them, stunned.
Moments ago they had spoken of seizing by force.
Now they were speaking of alliances.
Of favor.
Of advantage.
The Patriarch's voice cut through the noise.
"That is enough."
The hall fell quiet once more.
"My daughter is not a bargaining chip to be pushed from one family to another," he said firmly. "Ning'er will make her own decision."
The elders lowered their gazes.
He looked at Ning'er again.
"You broke through to Bronze Level a few days ago and now you've triggered Soul Form. Your soul power should have improved. Use a soul crystal. Test it."
Ning'er nodded. "Okay."
The crystal was brought forth.
Moments later—
"…3… 365?! Already 3-Star Bronze Rank?!"
Shock rippled across every face in the hall.
The soul crystal continued to glow faintly in Ning'er's hand.
For a heartbeat—
No one spoke.
Then the hall erupted.
"Three hundred sixty-five?!"
"She only broke through a few days ago!"
"This kind of growth speed—!"
"Incredible!"
The elders who had been pressuring her moments ago now stood up one by one, expressions filled with astonishment.
"Congratulations, Ning'er!"
"Congratulations, Patriarch!"
"Our Winged Dragon Family has produced a true genius!"
"Her future is limitless!"
Even Xiao Yi, whose face had darkened at the mention of Karma earlier, forced a stiff smile.
"Niece Ning'er… truly remarkable."
The Patriarch, Xiao Yunfeng, slowly exhaled. The tension that had weighed on him all evening finally eased.
He looked at his daughter—not as a bargaining piece, not as a pawn—
But as pride.
"Well done, Ning'er," he said quietly.
Around them, the elders were already recalculating.
A thirteen-year-old at 3-Star Bronze.
Soul Form manifested.
Backed—directly or indirectly—by the Uzumaki heir.
The balance of power had shifted completely.
The murmurs turned respectful.
"With Ning'er's talent, our family will surely rise."
"We must nurture her properly."
"She is the hope of the Winged Dragon Family."
Ning'er stood there calmly, wings of soul power slowly dissipating into faint particles of light.
Their praise sounded distant.
Only one thought remained steady in her heart—
If anyone troubles you… say my name.
For the first time in that hall—
No one dared to look down on her.
In a single night—
The balance of the Winged Dragon Family had changed.
The night deepened.
Inside the forest clearing, the campfires had dimmed to glowing embers. Tents stood in neat rows beneath towering trees, their shadows stretching long under the moonlight.
Not far from the camp, Nie Li finished circulating his soul force.
"Eighty-two…" he murmured under his breath. "The results of my training these past days aren't bad. But before breaking through to a hundred points, progress will be relatively slow."
He exhaled slowly and leaned back against a tree.
"My soul force is still a little weak… I should stop training for tonight."
A short distance away, Karma lay on the grass outside his tent, hands folded behind his head, staring lazily at the gaps between the leaves where starlight slipped through.
Nie Li glanced sideways at him. "…So that's my current plan."
Karma hummed. "You really treat cultivation like it's a military campaign."
"It is," Nie Li replied flatly.
Before Karma could add another joke—
Soft footsteps approached.
Neither of them reacted outwardly.
Shisui stopped a few paces away, posture relaxed, eyes quietly scanning the treeline even as he spoke.
"It's about time you rested," he said gently. "You've been awake long enough."
Karma didn't even look at him. "Wow," he drawled. "You sound like my mom."
Nie Li chuckled.
Shisui replied calmly. "The perimeter is secure. Rotations are set. There's no need for you to stay personally alert."
That tone—soft, but firm.
Karma held his gaze for a moment, then sighed dramatically and rolled onto his side.
"Fine. I'll sleep," he muttered. "If I start snoring, call it demon beast intimidation."
"That's not how that works," Nie Li said dryly.
Shisui's eyes softened briefly before he turned and melted back into the shadows, resuming his silent watch.
The forest breathed quietly.
Time passed.
Nie Li eventually closed his eyes, allowing his breathing to slow.
Then—
Nie Li's eyes shot open instantly.
A faint scent drifted through the air.
"…This smell…" he whispered.
It was subtle.
Metallic.
Faintly rotten.
Not natural.
He stood in one smooth motion.
Across the clearing, Karma's eyes opened at the same time.
Nie Li was already moving—running toward the darker part of the forest without a word.
"Oi—" Karma pushed himself up, all laziness gone. "Nie Li?"
No response.
Nie Li vanished between the trees.
Karma's expression shifted—calm, sharp.
He pushed off the ground and followed, movements light but controlled.
From the shadows near the perimeter, Shisui's gaze snapped toward the disturbance. He had seen Nie Li move. He had seen Karma react.
That was enough.
Two fingers lifted briefly—silent signal.
High above in the canopy, two hidden figures adjusted positions without a sound.
Shisui stepped forward and disappeared into the forest after them.
Behind them, the camp still slept.
The crickets continued their steady rhythm.
But deeper within the woods—
The night was no longer peaceful.