Lu Piao had every reason to be afraid of the instructor that was in their classroom, for she was a piece of work and then some. She stood tall before the class, wearing an outfit that didn't leave many curves to her student's imagination. She didn't care anyway, because any had that tired to touch her would be broken before they came within two feet of her, and they all knew it. With long flowing red hair, a tight purple dress, knee high black boots, and a yellow fur sash at the very top, their instructor looked as majestic as many of the students thought she would be.
"I heard she's from a sacred family," one of the students whispered to another beside him, "and that she's also a silver ranked demon spirit."
"One of the three sacred families?" the other student asked, "Wow."
"Enough talk!" the instructor finally called out. "Silence!"
The mumbling that were going on soon faded off as she finally had the class' undivided attention. She strolled to the front of the stage and looked at the class sternly as if they were all in trouble just to make them a little nervous. She was clearly the kind of person who preferred to use fear to get her points across.
"A demon spiritist and fighter have five levels," She started to inform the class, "Those are the bronze, silver, gold, black gold, and Legend ranks. As opposed to a fighter that uses their own strength, a demon spiritist can integrate their demon spirit into the soul realm, and can merge with them during battle. This allows the spiritist to gain far more power than any fighter could."
There was some mumbling from the class again.
"Just like me," she then informed them, raising her hands up and preparing to do something. "My demon spirit is a scarlet flaming fox."
Without warning, the instructor's entire body was engulfed in flames. At first many of the students were petrified from what they thought they were observing, which was the sight of their teacher being set on fire. She was not in any pain however as she slowly transformed into a large fox that was still on fire. The animal she changed into was majestic and a sight to see. The students changed from scared to being fascinated at the sight of their teacher's power. They all watched in amazement as she then transformed back to her human form and was seemingly unharmed by the flames that had surrounded her. Once the flame was put out and gone, she continued to lecture the students.
"After merging with my demon spirit, I can control its strength and gain fire abilities that I did not possess before." She said, showing her arms to reveal they were unharmed. "The Scarlet Flaming Fox is a beast that belongs to the gold ranks. This also means that the highest level I can reach is gold rank demon spiritist. When I move up to a higher ranking, I am able to replace my fox with a more power demon spirit."
As she looked out at the class, most of the students were captivated by her lecture thus far, all except one. Not only wasn't he surprised or amazed by her demon spirit, he almost looked to be bored with the class in general and was distracted by something. She disregarded the kid and proceeded to address the rest of the class.
"Over the next two years, you are going to be my students!" she called out, "Even though the school likes to promote a sense of equality, I am however more inclined to inform you of a harsher truth that resides outside this institution. Equality does not exist! After you are all grown up, you will agree with my words or continue to live the fairy tale you were raised on by your parents and previous instructors!"
Many students shifted in their seats, uneasy to hear the truth that was being dropped onto them. Nie Li was not one of them, as he didn't believe a single word that came out of that woman's mouth. He had heard this sermon before and after the long he had lived, he was fully aware of how full of it she really was.
"Glory City is the only urban area that managed to endure the age of darkness," the instructor continued, "That makes us the final hope for humanity. There are two types of powerful existence in Glory City; the fighter and the demon spiritist. For every several thousand fighters, there are only a small handful of demon spiritists. Everyone knows that the live of a demon spiritist is a noble existence, for we are the guardians of the city! As of now there are over a thousand demon spiritists in the city, and that can keep us safe from whatever lies outside our walls. Both fighters and demon spiritists are differentiated into bronze, silver, gold, black gold and legend rankings. The higher their strength, the more powerful they can become. If a gold rank demon spiritist appears in to be in your family, only then can your family rise to the higher levels of the aristocracy. If a black gold rank appears, the family can become noble. If they want to become a major family, your family must have three black gold and one legend rank amongst their numbers."
The tall, lanky instructor paused for a moment to let that all sink in. She was basically telling most of the class their odds of rising much to any noble ranking was pretty much non-existent. It was a shock that was hitting some students pretty hard.
"Among the thirty-six of you," she then resumed, "There are some commoner families, although you are all starting in the same class, your status test will not be the same! I hope that everyone has a certain awareness concerning this. A commoner will always be a commoner, waiting for something that is impossible to happen. They will never become nobility. So if there is anyone where with dreams or any aspirations of rising up like a phoenix to join the elite, leave them here today. There are strict levels that many of you will never exceed!"
Nie Li looked to the student beside him, and could tell that his friend as frustrated and angered by what he had just been told. Nie Li also knew through experience in his future life that any ranking was possible without the support of the family and that great talent was what allowed someone to rise in rank. His friend would one day become a gold rank demon spiritist based on his own strength, a complete contradiction of what the instructor was telling then. He also remembered how brave and honorable Lu Piao was during the fall of Glory City. While many people turned and fled the city to save their own hides, he stood tall during the destruction and fought till his dying breath. It was actually the commoners of Glory City who fought valiantly, the true heroes who stood their grounds allowing the ones they loved to escape. In his previous life, the first one to actually flee the city was the sacred family. It was the very same family that his instructor happened to be a part of; a family of cowards. There was only one thing you do with a coward, Nie Li thought to himself, you challenge them and watch as they cower away in fear.
"Teacher Chen Xiu!" Nie Li called out as he stood up and raised his hand. "I have a question for you!"
Their instructor, Chen Xiu, stopped her lecture and looked over at Nie Li, the same student who wasn't impressed nor scared when she transformed into the Scarlet Fox earlier in the lesson. Now he was interrupting her class, which gave the instructor the feeling that she wasn't going to like this brat. Not one bit.
"Alright," she said, turning to face him. "What is the question?"
"Teacher," Nie Li started, "You mentioned that Glory City was the only city to survive the age of Darkness."
"That is correct," Chen Xiu confirmed, "I did say that."
"You also said that we're the only living humans." Nie Li continued.
"Yes, we are." Chen Xiu again confirmed. "These are not questions. What did you want to know?"
Nie Li smiled, "Do you have any evidence to support that?"
The instructor's face was one of shock. "Excuse me? Evidence?"
"Yes," Nie Li replied, "Have you or anyone else for that matter gone out or beyond the St. Ancestral Mountains to visit the endless desert for themselves? Have they wandered out to the toxic forest, blood moon marsh, spirit gulf heavenly luster mountain or even the northern snow?"
"No," Chen Xiu replied, "I've always been in Glory City since I was born. I have not gone to any of those places!"
"Ha!" Nie Li called out, "Since you have never visited those places, how can you be so sure that we are the only surviving humans?"
The class was quiet right at that moment. Nie Li was still standing, openly defying his professor in front of everyone. She had to be quick and think of something before she lost the respect of some of her students.
"Tell me student," She started, "What evidence do you have to prove that we are not the only surviving humans?"
"Ha!" Nie Li said again, laughing at his teacher. "A wise man once told me that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. You are like frog that is living in a well. Just because he can only see a certain part of the sky through his hole in above doesn't mean that he can see everything outside the well."
All the students in the class laughed as his statement, something that angered the teacher even more. Her face was starting to turn read but she didn't have a chance to speak before Nie Li started up again.
"Teacher," Nie Li started, "I have another question."
"Fine," Chen Xiu said, eager to move on from the frog comparison. "What question do you have this time?"
"You stated earlier that a commoner will always remain a commoner," Nie Li started, "but wasn't Lord Ye Mo a commoner when he was younger? Are you unaware of this contradiction, teacher?"