The atmosphere of the Golden Phoenix Race palace was calm again after the tense meeting between Queen Jinyan Tianfei and her son, Jin Yunzhao. However, the calm wasn't entirely real. Whispers continued to roll through the hallways of the palace, the courtyard of the training grounds, and even the rooms of the disciples. Yunzhao's name wasn't spoken with admiration, but with low tones, contempt, and sarcasm.
"There's that Yunzhao," a student said in a mocking tone as he glanced at the young man walking lazily, arms crossed behind his head, his pace relaxed as if the world was just a giant bed. "The disgrace of the Phoenix Race."
The soft voice seemed to travel fast. In an instant, several other students turned their heads. Their gazes were the same, condescending gazes, mixed with disgust, as if just looking at Yunzhao's face tarnished their pride.
"Look, while we spend hours practicing controlling cosmic flames, he spends his time sleeping under the sacred tree."
"That's right. Our golden flame is a symbol of greatness. But that young man never expelled a single flame from his body."
"He truly disgraced the name of the Golden Phoenix Race. Had he not been the Queen's son, he would have been expelled long ago."
The words were piercing, but Yunzhao didn't seem to care in the slightest. He strode along, yawning deeply, even stopping to pat the shoulder of a student who was practicing so hard that sweat streamed down his face.
"Good job," he said with a lopsided smile. "But don't forget, training too seriously can make your face wrinkle quickly. I just keep my face handsome by sleeping a lot."
That remark made the student blush with both embarrassment and anger. Loud laughter rang out around them, not because it was funny, but because it was mocking Yunzhao, who seemed shameless. One louder voice then rang out.
"Yunzhao, you lazy bastard! If you really are the son of the Phoenix Race, then prove yourself right now! Don't just hide behind your mother's name!" A disciple with long golden hair, his eyes burning like fire, stepped forward. His name was Jin Qianxu, one of the most outstanding disciples in the younger generation.
A roar of voices echoed. Some students cheered in agreement. "That's right! Let's show who is actually worthy of being called a Phoenix, and who is just a disgrace!"
Yunzhao only turned his head with a sleepy face. He scratched his head, then let out a long sigh. "Hmm... I just had lunch. My stomach is still full, and I want to sleep. Don't you guys have a better time than fussing about me?"
That remark only provoked anger. Jin Qianxu stepped forward, his hand raised, and instantly a holy fire whip appeared in his grasp. Golden flames blazed, licking the air with searing heat. Several disciples stepped back, making room. They knew that weapon, the fire whip that could only be used by disciples with high-level fire control.
"No more excuses," Qianxu said coldly. "Today I'm going to make you realize, Yunzhao, that being the Queen's son doesn't mean you can insult the Phoenix blood on your body."
Yunzhao snorted softly. "Hmm, nice whip. I'm sure it's more suitable for driving cows away than fighting me. But fine, I'll just stand here. You can try."
BRAAKK!
A whip of fire slammed into the air, speeding towards Yunzhao. Golden flames blazed, creating a heat wave that made the surrounding disciples cover their faces. Explosive sounds rang out, and the ground trembled violently.
But when the dust cleared, Yunzhao was still standing where he was. There were no wounds. There were no scratches. Not even his white robe was torn in the slightest.
All the students were stunned. Their eyes widened in disbelief.
"A... what happened?"
"He didn't get burned? It was a holy fire whip!"
"How could his body not be injured in the slightest?"
Jin Qianxu growled. "No way! I must have made a wrong move!"
The fire whip swung again, this time harder, faster. WHUUSSHH! BRAAKK! BUGH! Boom after boom shook the ground. Flames flashed, golden light dazzled. But the result was the same. Yunzhao stood upright, his face calm, even his eyes began to half close.
When the third whip landed on his arm, Yunzhao raised his hand softly, stroking his own arm as if he had just gotten a massage. Then he said in a relaxed tone.
"Hmm, not bad. Not bad at all. You can use it for a free massage. Come on, don't stop. I'm getting sleepy."
The words exploded in everyone's ears. The students who had been mocking suddenly fell silent. Some gawked, some almost laughed, but held back because of the tense atmosphere. Jin Qianxu gritted his teeth, his face bright red, not only from anger, but also embarrassment.
"Stop joking, Yunzhao!" she shouted. "Do you think your abnormal body is a power? You don't have the slightest Phoenix talent! You just happened to be born with thick skin like steel!"
Yunzhao let out a long yawn, then sat down on a boulder near the arena. "Abnormal, huh? If that's the case, doesn't that mean I'm unique? You're all busy being geniuses, vying to spew fire, while I just sleep and let my body work on its own. Isn't that more efficient?"
There was a long silence. Some disciples gulped. What Yunzhao said did sound rancid, but there was a strange truth in it. Even so, the envy and hatred remained stronger. The voices started again.
"She doesn't deserve to be called Phoenix."
"Abnormal body, not true power."
"She should be ashamed, not arrogant!"
Yunzhao turned his head, his eyes sharp even though his face was still lazy. "You guys really love to talk. Then, let's all attack me together. Think of me as a practice dummy to vent your frustrations."
The atmosphere was boiling. Some disciples hesitated, but some rushed forward, flames blazing from their hands. But before they could attack, a heavy voice echoed from the distance.
"Enough!"
The palace elder stepped in, his eyes sharp. "Jin Yunzhao! You've embarrassed yourself and your mother enough. Go back to your private room, before you create a bigger mess!"
Yunzhao stood up slowly, raising his hands as if giving up. "Alright, alright. I'm back. But don't blame me if my sleep is disturbed again. You're all too noisy."
With a leisurely pace, he walked away, leaving the students still stunned. But the whispers kept coming, piercing her heart from behind.
"Disgrace of the Phoenix Race..."
"Useless child of the Queen..."
"Lazy, no future..."
But Yunzhao only smiled wryly, looking up at the vast sky above him. Inwardly, something was different. Those insulting words didn't destroy him; instead, they ignited a tiny spark in the deepest corner of his heart. A spark that would one day set the world on fire.
The atmosphere in the practice arena was getting noisier. The students who had just been standing around watching now began to crowd around, some laughing mockingly, some making doubtful faces. They couldn't believe that the holy fire whip that was supposed to be able to burn steel skin actually didn't leave the slightest mark on Jin Yunzhao's body.
"Impossible... even the elders said the whip was inherited directly from our ancestors. How can that brat not be scratched at all?" whispered a wide-eyed disciple.
"Fool! It's not because of his strength. It must be a strange body, maybe cursed. Otherwise, how could this idiot survive?" another disciple said in a dismissive tone.
"That's right, abnormal body! That's not true talent!" shouted a silver-haired youth who wanted to embarrass Yunzhao further.
The cheers grew louder, turning into mass boos. But Yunzhao stood relaxed in the center of the arena, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his robe. His face didn't show the slightest nervousness. Instead, he looked sleepy.
"Hey, hey, you guys are making so much noise," he said with a long yawn. "If you want to accuse my body of being abnormal, go ahead. If you want to shout that I am a disgrace to the Phoenix race, then go ahead. But if you want to see me fall, then... sorry, you'll have to stand in line a little longer."
Those words poured gasoline on the fire. The disciple who challenged him earlier, his face red with humiliation, immediately raised the holy fire whip higher. The golden flames blazed, licking the air with a sizzling sound.
"You mocker! Don't think I'll stop here!"
SWINGING!
The whip was whipped again, this time with an advanced technique. The holy fire transformed into a golden dragon's tongue, barked and roared in the air, then slapped Yunzhao's body from the side.
DUARRR!
The ground of the arena shook, and dust billowed. The students closed their eyes because the light was too blinding. Some even cheered happily, confident that this time Yunzhao would be knocked down.
But when the smoke cleared, the young man was still standing upright. His clothes were a little dirty, but his body was completely unharmed. He even patted his arms as if he was shaking off dust.
"Hmm..." Yunzhao muttered under his breath as he nodded. "It's quite hard. It feels like being hit by a big pillow. If you can add a little shoulder massage, maybe I can sleep better here."
Laughter broke out among the few disciples who couldn't help themselves, but it soon turned into whispers of fear. It wasn't that they were rooting for Yunzhao, but rather that he dared to mock his opponent in front of the crowd.
The disciple using the whip trembled with anger. Veins stood out on his neck. "You... you're really looking to die, Yunzhao!"
He chanted another move, this time looping the whip in the air to form a circle of fire that grew smaller and smaller. The circle was like a dragon's cage, ready to burn anyone inside it to nothing.
"Behold, holy fire knows no mercy!" he shouted proudly.
WUSHHH!
The circle of flames closed tightly, forming a ball of flame that enveloped Yunzhao's body. The arena was filled with cheers. Some disciples exclaimed that this was the end of the Phoenix Race's disgrace.
However...
BRAKKK!
With a loud noise, the ring of fire broke apart. The holy fire that should have been burning Yunzhao's body was instead extinguished as soon as it touched his skin. The young man's figure casually walked out of the flames, his face remaining flat.
"I told you, I'm getting sleepy." She stretched and yawned once more. "If the show is just like this, I'd better go back to sleep in the pavilion."
The crowd was suddenly quiet.
Not because they started to admire Yunzhao, but because of a fear that they themselves couldn't explain. How could there be a lazy young man who didn't even look like he was practicing, who could stay upright after being hit by holy fire so many times?
The elders watching from afar fell silent. They looked at each other, then shook their heads. "That child's body is indeed abnormal. There is no Phoenix energy flow in it. All of our race's techniques are unable to penetrate him. He is... indeed different."
The words spread like wildfire. The whispers returned, this time more fearful than dismissive.
"In that case, he's not really a genius. He's just... weird."
"That's right, the body is immune without talent. It's tantamount to a burden."
Yunzhao heard everything. His lips wore a faint smile, but his eyes reflected a dim, almost invisible light. In his heart, he murmured, a sound he never said to anyone.
"You only see what's on the surface. You don't know what sleeps inside me. Even I myself don't fully know..."
For a moment, the golden flames in the sky seemed to flicker. Some of the disciples thought it was just an illusion. But an elder with sharp eyes stared at Yunzhao longer than the others. His gaze was suspicious, as if he sensed something unusual about the young man's body.
The practice arena finally broke up, but news of the duel spread throughout the Golden Phoenix palace. Jin Yunzhao's name was again the subject of ridicule, but this time it was flavored with curiosity and fear.
And Yunzhao? He just casually walked out of the arena, yawned, then lay down under the Old Phoenix tree in the palace grounds. There, he closed his eyes, as if everything that had just happened was just a little dream. But deep inside his body, something trembled softly, like the sound of another heartbeat that wasn't his own.
A voice that will one day shake the Primordial Realm.