Once Zixuan had moved behind him, he suddenly stopped walking.
Ling Ao noticed immediately.
His expression twisted with irritation as he turned his head slightly.
"You damn brat!" Ling Ao snapped, his voice sharp with anger.
Without even looking properly, he swung his leg backward, aiming a kick toward Zixuan's side.
But the kick never landed.
Zixuan had already moved.
His body shifted slightly to the side, the motion smooth and effortless. Ling Ao's foot cut through empty air before slamming against the ground.
Ling Ao's irritation quickly turned into anger.
He spun around fully now, his eyes burning with frustration.
"You think you're funny today, huh?"
Without waiting for a response, he lunged forward and threw a punch straight at Zixuan's face.
Zixuan leaned his head slightly to the side.
The fist passed inches away from his cheek.
Another punch came.
Then a kick.
Then another punch.
Ling Ao's attacks became faster and more aggressive, his frustration boiling over into wild strikes.
But every single attempt failed.
Zixuan moved like flowing water.
A slight shift of his shoulders.
A small step back.
A subtle turn of his waist.
Every strike Ling Ao threw was dodged with minimal movement, as if Zixuan could already see where the attacks would land before they were thrown.
Dust rose beneath their feet as Ling Ao continued his relentless assault.
Soon, the sounds of training around the yard began to fade.
People had started noticing.
One by one, the sparring pairs stopped.
The clashing of wooden sticks grew quieter.
Heads turned.
Conversations died down.
Everyone's attention slowly shifted toward the strange fight unfolding near the training ground entrance.
Some of the younger trainees whispered to each other.
"Is that… Chin Xian?"
"He's actually dodging Ling Ao's attacks…"
"I thought Ling Ao sprained his ankles yesterday."
Others simply watched with growing curiosity.
Meanwhile, Ling Ao's anger continued to grow.
His breathing became heavier with every missed strike.
"Stand still!" he shouted angrily, throwing another wild punch.
But Zixuan simply stepped aside again.
The fist cut through the air.
Nothing more.
From the side, someone laughed nervously.
"Ling Ao! Finish him already!"
Another voice joined in.
"Yeah! Stop playing around!"
Those words only made Ling Ao more furious.
"I am trying!" he snapped, his voice cracking with embarrassment.
He rushed forward again, swinging his arm with even more force.
But Zixuan had already had enough.
The constant dodging had served its purpose.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
This is pointless.
Ling Ao's next punch came flying toward him.
This time, Zixuan didn't just dodge.
He moved inside the attack.
His body slipped past Ling Ao's arm, and before anyone could react—
His fist shot forward.
The punch landed squarely against Ling Ao's chest.
The force behind it was immense.
Ling Ao's eyes widened as the air exploded out of his lungs.
His body lifted off the ground and flew backward.
He slammed violently against the nearby wall.
A loud crack echoed through the yard as dust fell from the bricks.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
But Zixuan wasn't finished.
In the very next instant, he moved again.
His feet kicked up a cloud of dust as he dashed forward with explosive speed.
The distance between them vanished in a heartbeat.
Ling Ao barely had time to react before Zixuan's fist came crashing down toward him.
The punches that followed were precise.
Controlled.
Every strike landed exactly where it needed to.
Ling Ao coughed violently as the blows struck his body.
Spit flew from his mouth as he struggled to breathe.
The wall behind him began to crack under the pressure of the impacts.
Small fractures spread across the bricks.
Dust rained down around them.
The people watching could hardly believe what they were seeing.
Chin Xian…
The weakest brother…
Was beating Ling Ao.
But suddenly—
Ling Ao twisted his body desperately and managed to dodge one of the incoming punches.
Zixuan's fist missed its target.
Instead—
It struck the wall behind Ling Ao.
For a brief moment, everything went silent.
Then—
BOOM.
The wall exploded inward.
Not a crack.
Not a dent.
A hole.
A massive hole large enough for a person to walk through had been punched straight into the solid brick wall.
Fragments of stone scattered across the ground.
Dust filled the air.
Ling Ao stared at it.
His mouth hung slightly open.
His eyes trembled with disbelief.
He slowly turned his head toward his younger brother.
"…What…?"
Around them, the entire training yard had fallen silent.
The people watching stood frozen in shock.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Then hurried footsteps suddenly approached from the distance.
Two figures ran into the training yard.
Jingyi and Lui Xian.
Both of them looked alarmed.
"What's happening!?" Jingyi called out.
"What are they doing!?" Lui Xian demanded as they rushed forward.
But the moment they saw the scene before them…
They stopped.
Completely frozen.
The shattered wall.
Ling Ao slumped against it.
And Chin Xian standing nearby with his arm still buried inside the massive hole he had punched through solid brick.
For a moment, neither parent said a word.
Then they rushed toward Ling Ao.
"Ling Ao!" Jingyi cried as she knelt beside him.
"Are you alright?"
Lui Xian quickly checked his son's condition, his face tense with worry.
Meanwhile, Zixuan calmly pulled his arm free from the wall.
Small fragments of stone fell from his sleeve as he stepped back.
His breathing remained steady.
Unbothered by the chaos around him.
Ling Ao slowly lifted his trembling hand.
His finger pointed weakly toward Zixuan.
"H-he…" he stammered.
"H-he d-did it…"
His voice shook with fear.
Zixuan began walking toward him.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
His eyes were cold.
Focused.
Jingyi and Lui Xian both turned around when they noticed his approach.
For a brief moment, the two parents froze.
The boy standing before them…
Didn't feel like the same child they had known.
His posture.
His gaze.
The quiet intensity surrounding him.
It felt completely different.
Zixuan said nothing.
Not a single word.
He simply stood there, looking down at his older brother.
The silence between them felt heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Around the yard, the onlookers whispered among themselves.
Shock quickly turned into rumors.
Before long, the story had already begun spreading beyond the training ground.
The weakest brother of the Xian family…
Had just beaten his older brother.
And punched a hole straight through a solid wall.
Back in the same room where Zixuan had first awakened, the air felt heavier than before.
The warmth of the sunlight streaming through the window did little to ease the tension.
Jingyi paced back and forth across the room, her steps quick and uneven. One hand pressed against her forehead while her fingers fidgeted anxiously, as if trying to physically push away the thoughts crowding her mind.
She stopped suddenly and turned toward him.
"H-how did you beat up your older brother!?" she shouted, her voice trembling.
Her face was a mix of everything at once—confusion, shock, fear… and something deeper.
Disbelief.
On the other side, Lui Xian sat quietly beside the bed. His posture was straight, his expression calm, but his silence carried weight. His eyes remained fixed on Zixuan, studying him carefully, as if trying to see through him.
"You hit your head on a rock!" Jingyi continued, her voice rising again. "You could barely stand when you woke up!"
She took a step closer, her breathing uneven.
"And then the moment you recover, you beat your older brother like that!?"
Zixuan said nothing.
Not because he didn't want to answer.
But because he couldn't.
What could he say?
That he wasn't their son?
That the person standing in front of them was someone who had fought wars, crushed armies, and died on a mountain?
That the techniques he used were refined through decades of life and death battles?
There was no way to explain it.
No way they would understand.
Jingyi searched his face, hoping—expecting—an answer.
But none came.
The silence only made everything worse.
Eventually, her shoulders trembled as she exhaled sharply, turning away in frustration.
"I don't understand…" she muttered under her breath.
Lui Xian finally stood up.
He placed a hand gently on Jingyi's shoulder, steadying her.
"Let him rest," he said calmly.
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried authority.
Jingyi hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded. She gave Zixuan one last worried look before turning and walking toward the door.
Lui Xian lingered for a second longer.
His eyes met Zixuan's.
There was no anger in them.
Only quiet observation.
As if he knew… something wasn't quite right.
But he said nothing.
Then he turned and followed Jingyi out, the door closing softly behind them.
The room fell silent.
Zixuan leaned back against the chair with a tired groan.
"Ugh…"
For the first time since waking up, he allowed himself to relax.
But even then, his mind wouldn't settle.
Everything felt wrong.
This body.
This life.
These people.
He raised his hand slightly, staring at it.
Smaller.
Weaker.
Unfamiliar.
"…What the hell is going on…" he muttered under his breath.
Then—
A voice.
Soft.
Clear.
And completely out of place.
"Thank you for protecting me from my older brother.."
Zixuan froze.
His eyes widened slightly.