The forest was silent.
Too silent.
Zhao Ming lay crumpled against the tree, gasping for air like a fish thrown onto dry land. His wooden weapon had fallen somewhere into the bushes, forgotten.
The two youths beside him were frozen in place.
Their faces were pale.
They had come here expecting to humiliate trash.
Instead, they had just watched Zhao Ming—one of the strongest youths in the village—get sent flying with a single punch.
Lin Tian stood calmly where he was, his posture relaxed.
As if he hadn't just crossed a line that could never be uncrossed.
"You…" one of the youths stammered, stepping back. "You—you attacked Zhao Ming!"
Lin Tian looked at him.
His gaze was flat.
"You came to threaten me," he said. "You raised a weapon first."
The youth swallowed hard.
"But— but you're not a cultivator! Elder Huang—"
"That's your mistake," Lin Tian interrupted.
He took a step forward.
Both youths flinched instinctively.
"Whether I'm a cultivator or not," Lin Tian continued calmly, "has nothing to do with whether you can bully me."
Zhao Ming finally managed to breathe properly. He coughed violently, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"You bastard…" Zhao Ming hissed. "Do you know what you've done?"
Lin Tian looked at him.
"I hit you," he replied simply.
Zhao Ming's eyes burned with hatred.
"My cousin is an outer disciple of the Iron Ridge Sect!" he shouted. "You think you can get away with this?"
The Iron Ridge Sect.
One of the minor sects controlling this region.
The two youths straightened slightly when they heard the name, as if it gave them courage.
Lin Tian's expression didn't change.
"So?" he asked.
That single word stunned them.
"So…?" Zhao Ming repeated in disbelief. "You crippled me! If my cousin finds out—"
"You're not crippled," Lin Tian corrected. "Yet."
Zhao Ming's pupils shrank.
Lin Tian stepped closer, stopping just a few steps away.
"Listen carefully," Lin Tian said, his voice low and even. "You came here to threaten me because you thought I was weak. You chose violence first."
He leaned slightly forward.
"If you come again," he continued, "I won't stop at one punch."
The meaning was clear.
Death was not off the table.
The two youths shuddered.
Zhao Ming gritted his teeth, but fear crept into his eyes.
"You think you're strong now?" he spat. "Elder Huang will kill you when he finds out!"
Lin Tian straightened.
"Then I'll deal with him when the time comes."
That calm confidence was more terrifying than shouting.
Lin Tian turned around.
Without another glance, he walked deeper into the forest.
Only when his footsteps faded did the two youths rush to Zhao Ming's side.
"This is bad," one whispered urgently. "We have to report this to Elder Huang!"
Zhao Ming clenched his fists, his body still trembling with pain and humiliation.
"Yes," he said through gritted teeth. "We'll see how long he can act arrogant."
---
Lin Tian did not rush home.
He moved further into the back mountain, until even the sound of human footsteps disappeared.
Only then did he stop.
He exhaled slowly.
The warmth inside his body surged again—this time calmer, more obedient.
His breakthrough earlier had not been without cost.
Blood Refinement had strengthened his body dramatically, but his meridians were still adjusting. Forcing another advancement now would be reckless.
Lin Tian was not reckless.
He was ambitious—but calculated.
"Two realms in one day is already enough to shock the heavens," he muttered.
He sat down and began to regulate his breathing, stabilizing his cultivation.
Minutes passed.
Then—
A sharp pain pierced his chest.
Lin Tian's eyes snapped open.
He frowned.
Someone was approaching.
Not villagers.
The footsteps were light. Controlled.
Cultivators.
Lin Tian stood up slowly, his expression neutral.
From the shadows emerged a figure in green robes.
Elder Huang.
Behind him were Zhao Ming and the two youths, their expressions filled with resentment.
Elder Huang's gaze swept across the broken tree trunk nearby.
Then it landed on Lin Tian.
Cold.
Sharp.
"So," Elder Huang said slowly, "it seems the rumors are true."
Lin Tian met his gaze calmly.
"You attacked fellow villagers," Elder Huang continued. "After being declared talentless."
His lips curled slightly.
"Do you know what that means?"
Lin Tian nodded once.
"It means I defended myself."
Elder Huang laughed.
A short, humorless sound.
"Defended yourself?" he sneered. "In this world, weakness is a crime. And you—"
His eyes narrowed.
"You are weak."
A pressure descended instantly.
Qi Condensation.
Though not overwhelming, it was more than enough to crush an ordinary mortal.
The two youths smirked, clearly expecting Lin Tian to collapse.
Lin Tian felt the pressure press against his body.
His muscles tensed.
His bones creaked slightly.
But—
He didn't kneel.
Elder Huang's expression changed.
Lin Tian raised his head slowly.
"You're right," he said evenly. "Weakness is a crime."
Then he took a step forward.
The ground cracked beneath his foot.
Elder Huang's eyes widened.
"And that's why," Lin Tian continued calmly, "I don't intend to stay weak."
For the first time—
Doubt flickered across Elder Huang's face.