Chapter 33: Boiling Streets, Scheming Shadows
While the Wu Clan wrestled with internal storms and rising doubt, the streets of Wu City had already transformed into a boiling cauldron of noise, excitement, and disbelief.
News of the duel ring chaos had spread like wildfire. No. Faster. It was as if the very ground of Wu City hummed with the name that now seemed to be on every tongue.
Wu Yuan.
That name—yesterday, little more than a forgotten footnote in the annals of a declining clan—was now etched onto the lips of every cultivator, merchant, and rogue cultivator passing through town. It wasn't just gossip anymore.
It was legend in the making.
Four Jiang Clan juniors—elites, no less—had been defeated in a single day. And not in simple, closely fought contests, but in one-sided demolitions that had made the crowd gasp and whisper in equal parts awe and dread.
Even the street children reenacted Wu Yuan's victories with wooden sticks in alleyways. Tavern-goers clinked cups while speculating wildly about his age, technique, and bloodline.
"He's eight, I swear it—barely taller than my nephew!"
"I heard he used a body-refining secret art from the imperial capital!"
"No way. He must be a hidden descendant of some ancient sect... that Wu Clan was just hiding him until now!"
Whatever the truth was, anticipation for tomorrow's matches had reached a fever pitch. It felt less like a local dispute and more like the semifinals of a mountain martial tournament.
And yet, while the masses roared, the major powers remained silent.
The Jiang Clan issued no rebuttals, no explanations, not even a casual sneer. As though today's disgrace had never happened.
But the silence was not ignorance.
It was calculation.
Because the ones who had lost today… were not truly Jiang Clan disciples at all.
Beneath a rented courtyard of many properties secretly owned by Jiang Clan merchants—tension gripped the disguised Lei Clan members like a vice.
They had shed their outer robes now, no longer needing to maintain the farce behind closed doors
but no one had the pride to stand tall.
Three defeats. In a single day.
And not just defeats—humiliations.
"Stormrise cultivators don't get tossed aside like leaves in the wind," one junior hissed, smashing his fist into the stone flooring, his knuckles bleeding. "What the hell is he?!"
Another growled, "It's not just the loss. It's the way we lost. That crowd was laughing. LAUGHING. At us!"
Lei Yuhan sat silent in the corner, one side of his face bruised and swelling. He didn't speak. He didn't move. His eyes stared ahead, unfocused—still watching the phantom of a child's fist fly toward him with unreal speed.
No wasted movements.
No hesitation.
Just a strike like a falling mountain.
Standing by the window with hands clasped behind his back, Fifth Elder Lei Jinghong said nothing for a long while.
But everyone felt it.
The cold fury. The tightening leash.
The simmering shame.
"We cannot afford to lose again," Lei Jinghong finally spoke, his voice heavy, low, and thunderous. "Another defeat… and the Lei name will be mocked across the region. Whether we wear Jiang colors or not."
His eyes narrowed.
"We must win at least one match. No matter what it takes."
One of the older juniors hesitated, then stepped forward. "Elder, are you suggesting...?"
"Yes," Lei Jinghong said without blinking. "Send a Level 6 Body Tempering cultivator."
The reaction was instant.
Gasps. Murmurs. Uneasy glances.
"That's—" one junior began.
"—not a fair fight," another finished. "He's only Level 4 Body Tempering Realm Cultivator. Won't this break our cover?"
A heavy step broke the exchange as Lei Fengzhan, the Second Elder, stepped forward, arms folded, voice like cold iron.
"No. A Level 6 is still acceptable under the guise of a Jiang prodigy. And if we lose again... what face will we have left? The Clan Leader's plans require a foundation of fear and respect. Not laughter."
He turned to the others, eyes narrowing with meaning.
"Don't forget—sooner or later, people will uncover the truth. They'll know we're Lei. And when they do, our strength must speak louder than our lies."
The juniors said nothing. But their silence was different now—no longer anger, but understanding.
And fear.
Because everyone here felt it:
Wu Yuan's strength was unnatural.
If they let this go on unchecked, he might not just be a prodigy… he might become a force even the Lei Clan would one day fear.
That was unacceptable.
Lei Fengzhan's gaze shifted toward a tall, broad-shouldered youth in the back.
Lei Tian.
A favored genius of the outer branch. Cold. Ruthless. Known for winning battles through brute force and instinct.
"Tian," Lei Fengzhan said, his voice absolute. "You will face him tomorrow. Defeat him—no matter the cost. Do so, and I will personally request a reward from the Clan Leader for you."
Lei Tian's eyes lit up. He stepped forward, fists clenching with renewed vigor.
"Understood, Elder," he said. "I won't fail. I'll crush that brat—and remind Wu City what real power looks like."
The others nodded silently, but tension still lingered in the air.
"Good," Lei Fengzhan said with finality. "But if you fail…"
He let the words hang like a sword over Lei Tian's head.
"…prepare yourself for punishment."
The room went quiet.
Lei Tian did not flinch—but his jaw clenched harder. He was used to pressure. But this—this felt heavier. Like the weight of the entire Lei Clan's shadow pressing against his chest.
A calm but sharp voice echoed through the courtyard.
"Just don't underestimate him."
Everyone turned. It was Lei Xueyin, the Third Elder's daughter. She leaned against a pillar, arms crossed, her gaze distant and thoughtful.
"There's something wrong about that boy's movements," she continued. "They're too clean. Too fast. That's not something a newly awakened talent should possess. It's like… he's trained for years in secret."
Several others nodded grimly. Even if their pride resisted, the truth was undeniable.
He wasn't normal.
Not even close.
Fifth Elder Lei Jinghong finally lifted his eyes to the sky, voice low and lost in thought.
"We came to scout a seedling," he said. "Instead, we found a storm."
But no one, not even him, could yet tell what kind of storm it was.
As the moon rose and the city quieted, the Lei juniors dispersed to their rooms.
But no one slept.
Each lay awake with visions of the duel ring in their mind. Images of Wu Yuan's calm expression. The precision of his strikes. The weight of the crowd's cheers.
Tomorrow would be more than a duel.
It would be a reckoning.
And none of them knew who would emerge unscathed from the storm.
The sun had barely crested over the eastern ridge of Verdant Mountain when the duel ring plaza was already filled to the brim. Elders in flowing robes hovered near the ring's edge, their auras faint but unmistakable—refined, ancient, and deadly.
These were not mere spectators. They were leaders of Wu City's clans, Foundation Establishment cultivators who rarely descended to public venues, much less for a duel among juniors. Yet today, they stood shoulder to shoulder with merchants, cultivators, and street urchins alike.
For the first time in decades, a Body Tempering Realm duel had drawn out titans.
Because today, the name Wu Yuan would either ascend into legend… or be stamped out forever.
Whispers ran like currents through the sea of onlookers.
"Is that Elder Shan Hu? He came out of seclusion for this?""The Jiang Clan hasn't shown their face since yesterday. Are they afraid?"
"That child… they say he's just eight years old. What kind of monster is born like that?"
A burly cultivator with scars across his face scoffed, arms folded. "Who would've thought we'd see Foundation Establishment cultivators watching a Body Tempering duel? Is this Wu City or the imperial capital?"
"It's not about the realm," an old merchant beside him said gravely. "It's about what it represents. If Wu Yuan wins again today, it means the Wu Clan isn't finished. And more than that—it means an eight-year-old might one day threaten everyone here."
A hush swept the crowd as figures began appearing at the ring's edge.
From one side, Wu Yuan stepped onto the dueling platform.
He wore no armor, no extravagant robes—just a plain training uniform of the Wu Clan. But his calm expression, his measured footsteps, and the faint glimmer of focus in his young eyes caused even the elders to lean forward.
"There he is…""So young…""That's Wu Yuan?"
The child that had bested four 'Jiang' elites. The child who walked like someone used to pressure far beyond his years.
Behind him stood members of the Wu Clan, tense but proud. Wu Lingtian's expression was unreadable, arms folded. Wu Cheng's knuckles were white from how tightly he clenched the hilt of his sword. Even Su Qing, standing silently behind a veil in the distance, had come.
Across from him, the disguised Lei Clan stood gathered under the identity of the Jiang juniors.
And then—Lei Tian stepped forward.
He was older, taller, and his aura was like a rising mountain—crushing, aggressive, and untamed. His hair was tied in a sharp topknot, and he carried himself with the swagger of someone who had defeated dozens in life-or-death battles.
As soon as he took his place opposite Wu Yuan, the crowd stirred.
"That's no ordinary Jiang junior.""His aura… is that Level 6 Body Tempering?!""So does that mean no one with Level 5 Body Tempering cultivation can defeat Wu Yuan?"
Even the city elders narrowed their eyes, glancing sideways at each other.
Wu Lingtian's expression darkened. "So they don't care about face anymore."
Wu Cheng's brows furrowed. "Level 6… That's two whole levels above. They're planning to end this in one blow."
On the dueling platform, Wu Yuan raised his head. His gaze didn't waver.
He simply asked, voice crisp, clear enough for everyone to hear:
"Tell me your name—before I defeat you."
A ripple passed through the watching crowd.
"Arrogant…""No, confident. That's the difference.""He's talking like he's already won!"
Lei Tian's lips curled into a sneer. His arms flexed, veins bulging with raw force.
"You don't deserve to know who I am."
He spoke coldly, disdain leaking from every syllable.
Thrum.
The tension between them snapped taut like a drawn bowstring. For a moment, the entire duel ring fell silent.
Even the wind held its breath.
Then, murmurs surged like a tide from all sides of the ring.
"Is he taunting him?""This child dares mock a Level 6?""What kind of confidence is that?"
"Still… he's Level 6. Does that boy actually think he can win?"
In the Lei Clan corner, the Fifth Elder watched closely. Lei Fengzhan stood with arms crossed, unreadable.
Lei Xueyin whispered under her breath, "He's calm. Too calm. As if… even Level 6 doesn't scare him."
Lei Jinghong's brow twitched. "He's baiting. Testing mental strength. This brat is more dangerous than we thought."
A few Wu Clan juniors in the crowd burst into hushed laughter, barely able to contain their excitement.
"Young Master is savage today.""He's always calm, but this is next level.""His opponent won't know what hit him."
Wu Lingtian gave a single approving nod. Wu Cheng allowed himself a rare smile.
But only Wu Lin, watching silently from the back of the crowd, noticed the faintest change in Wu Yuan.
Not pride.Not arrogance.
A test.
He was measuring something.
A bead of sweat rolled down Wu Lin's temple—not from fear, but from realization.
"He's not looking at Lei Tian… He's looking through him.""He's testing the limits of what he can do without revealing what he really is."
Wu Lin's fists clenched at his sides beneath his sleeves.
This isn't just a duel anymore, he thought. He's experimenting. Calculating risk. Gauging the world's reaction. My son… is already thinking like a strategist.
Suddenly, he felt a shift beside him.
Su Qing had turned her gaze as well, a quiet sharpness in her narrowed eyes. Her earlier fury was long gone—replaced by something colder, quieter, more dangerous.
"He's baiting him," she said softly, almost more to herself. "He wants to know how far they're willing to go… before he decides how far he needs to go."
Wu Lin didn't respond. He couldn't.
Because deep down, a thought he dared not say aloud had taken root:
"At this pace… if the clan can't keep up with him—he won't need it at all."