Mo Bai hurried back to his home with quick steps. He opened the door and was about to head straight to his room when he noticed a man who looked very much like him sitting on the couch.
"Father... I'm back from the mission." Mo Bai said, stopping in place for a moment. His face showed no surprise because he had already expected his father's return today.
"Let's go to my study." Mo Shin said in a commanding tone as he rose from the couch and headed straight to his office.
"Alright." Mo Bai replied briefly, glancing half-heartedly at the maid standing nearby before following his father to the office.
The study was a slightly spacious room, clean and orderly, but nothing special about it—just like any ordinary office. Yet, somehow, the air inside felt heavy, as if an invisible weight was pressing down on your shoulders the moment you stepped inside. It was a strange and unfathomable feeling.
Mo Bai and Mo Shin sat facing each other before Mo Shin spoke first. "Give me the report. What happened? How is the plan progressing?"
Mo Bai answered calmly, "I obtained a level two lightning seal as expected. I successfully completed the first step. I got closer to Mo Fan and have become one of his closest friends this week. It was easier than I thought—he's a fool and kind, unlike the usual young masters, which made things simple."
"Good. But don't get carried away or lower your guard. This is only the first step; there's still a long way to go. No matter what kind of person Mo Fan is, never let your guard down. He has a level three seal anyway, and he's stronger than you… for now." Mo Shin replied sternly, his face unchanged and showing no joy at the success.
"Understood, Father. Can I go now? I need to start training." Mo Bai nodded before speaking.
"Alright. Make sure to secure one of the top ten positions. No matter how kind Mo Fan is, he won't befriend someone much weaker than him, and that would go against our plan. Give it your best." Mo Shin gave a final piece of advice, then allowed Mo Bai to leave.
'Of course, I know that. This world only cares about the strong, so I won't be weak. I won't let anyone surpass me, not even you, Father.' Mo Bai's eyes shone with ambition and determination as he left the office, heading straight to his room.
Meanwhile, as Mo Bai exited, Mo Shin finally relaxed fully in his chair, exhaling deeply while murmuring, "Well done, my son. I'm harsh on you only for your own good. This cruel world never accepts kindness or weakness. I don't want you to be like me—trapped by the constraints of fate called innate talent. I want you to break free, son. Break those imaginary chains."
...
In his room, Mo Bai sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes closed, breathing steadily. He held a piece of Nia stone in his hand as he began focusing his awareness on the Nia energy inside it, directing it quickly toward his seal.
'Progress will be very slow if I only absorb energy from the air. I must use as many Nia stones as possible. Mo Fan, Bai Qin, and the others won't have any trouble using many Nia stones either,' Mo Bai thought quickly, before fully concentrating on opening his seal.
That small seal, which looked like a simple tattoo on the back of his hand, was actually the foundation and essence for using any ability. It had to be opened slowly, using wave after wave of continuous Nia energy.
After half an hour, Mo Bai drained his first Nia stone completely, grabbed another quickly from the dozens laid before him, and began absorbing it too. 'The speed of absorbing Nia with stones is four times faster than normal. This will give me an advantage over the others.'
Mo Bai kept training, absorbing energy, and attempting to open his seal. After absorbing the sixth Nia stone, he finally felt a breakthrough in his seal. A quarter of it glowed with a dark blue light, and faint sparks of lightning wrapped around his fist.
'Seal Master at the initial stage of rank one—I've succeeded in breaking through!' Mo Bai thought, clenching his fist covered in lightning. Sweat drenched his body. Although his Nia was being replenished continuously by the stones, the exhaustion from training non-stop for three hours did not simply vanish.
'I must hurry to the academy now,' Mo Bai thought, rising from his bed. He put on a blue robe and left his room with quick steps.
"Young Master, the food has been ready for a while, but…" The maid bowed respectfully and started to speak, but she didn't finish her sentence because Mo Bai paid her no attention and had already left the house in the middle of her words.
'The advancement speed of someone with higher talent is twice that of someone with lower talent. I should be able to close the gap with Mo Fan, Bai Qin, and Yi Kang, but they will of course use Nia stones too, so I don't stand a chance. Still, I have to secure fourth place.' Mo Bai thought, quickening his pace even more than usual. Despite his early maturity, there was one thing everyone had, no matter who they were: competitiveness.
After about ten minutes, Mo Bai finally arrived at the gates of the academy. But they were already open, and a kid had rushed inside a few seconds earlier. That kid went to a desk where a middle-aged man sat, excitedly showing his glowing seal.
"Bai Shuo, you came in fourth place. Congratulations," the man said with a kind smile. Then he took a bag from several bags on his table and handed it to Bai Shuo. "Here, this is your prize."
"Yeaaah!" Bai Shuo shouted a bit too loudly, barely holding back his excitement, then grabbed the bag and said, "Thank you."
He turned to leave, passing by Mo Bai who was only a few meters behind. He sneered, "You were close, but unfortunately for you, I'm more talented. Enjoy fifth place."
'That... bastard!' Veins bulged on Mo Bai's face as he fumed with rage, his fist clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
'Damn it, what is this feeling? Calm down, Mo Bai. Fourth and fifth place have the same benefits, so why am I angry? But being surpassed by a bastard like him who has the same talent level as me—that's… unacceptable!'
Mo Bai exhaled deeply to calm himself. Bai Shuo had already left by then. Mo Bai finally stepped forward with a forced calm and showed his breakthrough proof to the man at the desk.
"Mo Bai, right? You're in fifth place. Congratulations. Here's your prize." The man handed Mo Bai a bag filled with Nia stones with a kind smile. Mo Bai took it and turned to leave without a word.
'Bai Shuo… it's fine. He's just a nobody. Soon, I'll show him his place anyway, as part of the plan. No need to be angry now.'