Chi looked at his technique.
The book felt ancient — untouched for centuries, its cover worn yet dignified.
He slowly opened it.
On the very first page, in elegant ink:
A supreme wind-attribute divine movement art derived from the legendary Roc —
the sovereign of the skies whose wings split clouds and whose speed defies heaven.
Under it, a single line was written like a warning:
> "Only those with a calm heart may control the wind.
The Roc does not follow the reckless — it follows the free."
Chi stared at the words, almost unable to believe they were meant for him.
A system window chimed beside him:
> Type: Wind Attribute • Movement + Qi Technique
Grade: Heaven (bottom tier)
"This one's for you, Chi," his system said softly, its voice warm and proud — like a parent praising a child.
"It's a reward for all your hard work."
Chi carefully flipped to the next page.
FIRST STAGE: Featherstep Pulse
The title took up the entire page, bold and powerful.
Chi hesitated.
Then, just like Yu did earlier, he suddenly stood up and walked toward his system — copying Yu's movements almost exactly, only… hugging a little less tightly.
His system laughed softly and wrapped him in a graceful, gentle hug.
A few steps away, Yu was still clinging to his own system like he was trying to squeeze the life out of it.
Moments passed in quiet warmth.
Two boys.
Two divine techniques.
Two systems smiling like proud parents.
And a new chapter of their journey had just begun.
While both Chi and Yu were completely absorbed in learning the first steps of their new techniques, they didn't even notice their bonds rushing toward them.
Liora and Buddy hovered behind them, faces full of pure betrayal.
How dare they ignore us?
That was the expression.
They exchanged a silent nod.
Liora formed a floating human hand out of her ribbons, holding up three fingers.
Buddy watched carefully, wings tensed.
Three.
Two.
One…
When the last ribbon-finger folded down to zero—
"WAAAAAAAH!!"
Both screamed into Chi's and Yu's ears at full volume.
Chi and Yu, experiencing that, were in pure agony.
"Wh–what are you two doing?!" Yu yelled, clutching his ears, his face twisted in pain.
Chi lay sprawled on the ground, still recovering from the hellish assault of sound.
"So… you two broke through, huh?" Liora asked, her ribbons twitching like tiny, smug fingers.
"Just… a sec! We'll break through too, just hold on a sec!" Buddy shouted, puffing up proudly.
"What?!" Chi and Yu exclaimed, eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
In the next instant, a brilliant light erupted from Buddy and Liora, radiating with raw energy. The air around them crackled, and Chi and Yu felt the overwhelming power surging from their bonds.
"Oh… wow," Chi muttered, eyes wide.
"My god…" Yu whispered, staring at the glowing forms before them.
"Well, we've been waiting for you two to break through for quite a while now!" Buddy boomed, feathers ruffling as he radiated newfound strength.
"It comes naturally to us, actually," Liora added with a confident smirk, her ribbons swirling like liquid silver around her.
Chi and Yu exchanged a glance, pride and amazement written across their faces. Their bonds had grown even stronger.
Over at home, they celebrated the breakthrough with food, noise, and endless teasing—
but celebration could wait.
Now it was time to see what Golden Core truly meant for their strength.
Haoran cracked his knuckles, standing in the middle of the courtyard with a grin that was far too confident for someone about to fight two Golden Core kids.
"Alright, kids," Haoran said, planting his foot firmly into the ground.
He stretched his shoulders, aura slowly rising.
"Come at me. Don't hold back."
Their core qi had become denser, steadier, and far more refined after stepping into the Golden Core realm.
The change showed instantly.
Yu flicked his hand casually, firing a basic fireball—really just something meant to distract Haoran.
But the moment it left his palm, it shot forward with a speed he hadn't expected.
The fireball was hotter, faster, and far more explosive than anything he could create before—
and the terrifying part?
He hadn't even infused core qi into it.
"W-What—?" Yu muttered, eyes wide as the unexpected explosion lit up the ground around Haoran.
On Chi's side, his wind bullets sliced through the air with vicious sharpness—
blindingly fast, impossible to track, carrying enough force to crack armor.
Yu's fireball hit at the same moment—
faster, hotter, and far more explosive than anything he'd ever produced before.
The combined blast roared across the field.
And Haoran?
When the dust finally settled…
He was still standing in the same spot.
Completely unharmed.
But his clothes?
Gone. Absolutely vaporized.
Not even a sleeve survived.
And yet—
the same old pair of cheap, everyday slippers were still perfectly intact on his feet.
Not a scratch on them.
The kids stared.
Haoran sighed.
But in that awkward silence…
someone had already hidden themselves deep behind the bushes.
No sound.
No killing intent.
Nothing.
Just a faint shimmer—
as two nearly invisible wind bullets formed at the stranger's fingertips.
They spiraled quietly, unnervingly smooth…
and then—
fwip
They were fired.
The bullets cut through the air without a whisper, slicing straight toward Chi and Yu.
The boys didn't even sense danger.
Not until the hairs on the back of their necks stood up.
Not until the whistle of death grazed their ears.
Both gasped—
instinct taking over before thought—
and hurled themselves to the side.
crack! crack!
The bullets drilled into the rocks behind them, leaving two perfect, clean holes.
If they hadn't moved in that exact moment…
Their skulls would've looked the same.
Chi and Yu whipped around, breath stuck in their throats—
Eyes scanning the silent bushes…
From the bushes, a figure slowly rose.
Chi and Yu tensed—
their hearts still pounding from the near-death strike—
until the leaves parted and Yuanhai casually stepped out, brushing dirt off his robe.
He smiled like he hadn't just tried to murder them.
"Doing okay, kids?" he asked lightly.
Then, as if offering snacks instead of trauma:
"Want to learn how to fly?"