Slowly, Lin Feng turned to Wei Tong, his fists tightening. "Why?"

  Wei Tong smirked. "She was useful. We needed a furnace. She lasted longer than most, actually."

  He chuckled, as if recalling an amusing memory. "Who knew someone that fragile could endure so much?"

  His eyes gleamed with cruel amusement. "And the best part?

  This was always going to happen.

  Your little business was doomed the moment your father died, Lin Feng.

  Those 'bandits' you kept paying tolls to? That was us. The Black Viper Gang was bleeding you dry from both ends.

  But even before that, we had our eyes on your sister. We saw it—the Yin Qi radiating from her. The debt was just an excuse." "Who knew someone that fragile could endure so much?"

  Juwon exhaled through his nose. "You used her to extract Qi."

  "Smart boy." Wei Tong clapped mockingly. "Qi extraction is an art, you know. The strong devour the weak. Isn't that the natural order?"

  Lin Feng felt despair, eyes wide open, his forehead pressed against his sister's frail body. His whole body trembled, his voice raw.

  He gasped, shaking his head violently. "No... no, no, no! This can't be happening!"

  His fingers dug into the ground as the realization hit. "Everything... all of it... they planned this from the start?" His breath came in ragged gasps.

  "All this time, I thought I could fix things, that I could pay them back... but it was never about the money! They were always going to take her!"

  His voice cracked as he looked up at Wei Tong, eyes hollow with despair.

  "You destroyed my family! You ruined us, took everything, and now... Xiulan..." His voice dropped to a whisper, "And I just let it happen..."

  A broken laugh escaped his lips before it turned into another sob.

  "I was nothing but a fool... If I had just been able to pay off the debt on time... if I had worked harder, done more... my sister wouldn't have had to suffer like this!"

  She was still breathing, but barely—her lifeforce drained to the brink of death. His whole body trembled, his voice raw.

  "You…It was you. You destroyed my family, took everything—and for what?!"

  Wei Tong continued, voice dripping with cruelty. "You should be proud, Lin Feng. Your sister may not be dead yet, but she was a perfect furnace, she held on for so long. In the end it's thanks to her I have grown stronger"

  Juwon stepped forward, his breath slow and controlled. "I see. So you're not just some thug."

  Wei Tong grinned. "A Qi Awakening brat thinks he can take me on? Fifth-layer Foundation Establishment? Kid, You don't stand a chance."

  The moment their eyes locked, the fight erupted into motion.

  Juwon dashed forward, his muscles coiled with his new found strength, feet gliding with practiced ease.

  Wei Tong sneered, dark Qi flaring around him as he readied his counterattack.

  Juwon struck first—a sharp jab aimed at Wei Tong's jaw, a test of his opponent's reflexes.

  Wei Tong twisted away, countering with a vicious knee strike aimed at Juwon's ribs.

  Juwon dropped his elbow to block, feeling the shock rattle his forearm before stepping inward to retaliate with a short but powerful elbow strike of his own.

  Juwon didn't remember much from his childhood, but one thing he did recall was the countless hours was forced into training in various martial arts by his father.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Back then, his frail body had made the techniques feel pointless. But now, with his enhanced physique, every technique flowed with effortless precision.

  His expression shifted—excitement flickered in his eyes as he felt the rush of combat.

  The fluidity, the precision, the sheer thrill of movement—it was exhilarating, unlike anything he'd ever experienced before.

  Wei Tong snarled, his hands snapping forward. Dark tendrils of Qi coiled around his fingers as he lashed out.

  Soul-Scorching Claw.

  Juwon twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike, but the sheer force ripped through the stone floor behind him.

  He didn't have time to marvel—Wei Tong was already moving again, following up with a brutal Qi-imbued palm strike.

  Juwon parried with his own key imbued palm, shifting his weight fluidly as he countered with a quick succession of low kicks and short-range strikes, keeping Wei Tong off balance.

  He had to keep up the pressure—relying solely on Qi techniques would drain him too quickly.

  But Wei Tong wasn't just some brute.

  He read Juwon's rhythm, stepping back just enough to avoid another strike before slamming his foot down, sending a shockwave of dark Qi erupting beneath Juwon's feet.

  Void Tremor Wave.

  Juwon rolled mid-air, using the momentum to push off a broken column, into a flying knee kick.

  Wei Tong defended and got pushed back.

  Wei Tong used another Soul-scorching Claw

  Draconic Mirage Step.

  Juwon's form flickered, vanishing into the air as Wei Tong's next attack struck nothing but an afterimage.

  Juwon reappeared behind the mirage missing Wei Tong's attack by an inch drove his Qi-enhanced palm into Wei Tong's face.

  The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the ruined hall, forcing Wei Tong to stumbled backwards.

  Wei Tong coughed, wiping blood from his lips, his smirk vanishing. "You..."Before Juwon could capitalize, another voice cut through the chaos.

  "Stop right there."

  A new figure stood at the entrance, clad in elegant blue and white robes, a jade talisman hanging from his sword hilt. His eyes were sharp, unreadable.

  Zhang Yuxian.

  His presence was imposing. He had a sharp, angular face, with piercing dark eyes that seemed to read through people instantly.

  His long black hair was tied back into a simple yet refined ponytail, and a faint scar traced the edge of his jaw, a subtle reminder that he was no stranger to battle.

  He swept his gaze across the scene before landing on Wei Tong. "Do not sully the holy mountains with your disgraceful acts."

  Then his eyes found Juwon. "And you—your Qi carries killing intent. Do not kill without reason."

  Wei Tong growled. "Enough! I'm taking this pipsqueak's life!"

  He unleashed another demonic technique, stronger than before.

  Zhang Yuxian's eyes flashed. "A demonic disciple?! How did you ge—"

  Before Wei Tong could finish his attack—

  BOOM.

  Half his face was gone.

  A golden-white dragon passed through the space where he stood, the force shaking the ground.

  "Dragon Fang Void Break."

  Silence.

  Wei Tong's body crumpled, lifeless with half a face perplexed.

  Juwon turned, his stance still low, muscles coiled as if ready to strike again.

  His breath came slow but heavy, the lingering embers of battle flickering in his gaze.

  As he turned towards Yuxian, he wasn't thinking about friend or foe—rather acting on instinct. Onto the next fight.

  A silent force weighed down the air. Juwon didn't intend it, but his presence alone made the space feel smaller.

  The stones beneath him had cracked from the force of his last attack, dust still swirling in the aftermath.

  Zhang Yuxian always thought he was above his peers of his age, an undisputed prodigy.

  But now, under Juwon's presence, he was filled with awe and a hint of unease.

  His gaze flickered to the remnants of the golden-white dragon that had torn through Wei Tong.

  It hadn't been an illusion nor mere projection—the purest form of Qi he had ever seen, a brilliant white Qi, lined with threads of gold, still lingered in the air like embers refusing to die.

  It was different from anything Zhang Yuxian had ever seen. Refined. Primal. Divine. The sheer majesty of it sent a shiver down his spine. How could someone so young manifest such raw, divine power?

  For the first time, Zhang Yuxian wondered if he was truly standing in the presence of something beyond his understanding.

  Thud!

  Lin Feng fell to his knees and let out a choked sob, his body trembling. "I failed her... I should have protected her... If only I was a better brother! I'am sorry"

  Zhang Yuxian narrowed his eyes, his previous thoughts momentarily pushed aside. "Crying won't change anything," he said, his voice sharp but not unkind. "If you want to help her, we have to move now. Wu Dang sect can still save her"

  Lin Feng was still sobbing. Grieving.

  Juwon stepped forward and crouched beside Lin Feng, gripping his shoulder with quiet strength.

  "Lin Feng, this isn't the time for regret. She's still breathing—still fighting. We have a chance to save her, but we have to move now."

  Zhang Yuxian exhaled, his composure returning. But when his eyes landed on Lin Xiulan, his expression darkened.

  Her breathing was uneven, her lips pale. Each exhale came slower than the last, her body trembling as if desperately holding onto something just out of reach.

  A faint flicker of Qi barely clung to her form—a dying ember struggling against the wind.

  His jaw tightened. A day. That's all they had.

  "Enough grieving," he snapped

  . "She's slipping away. If we don't move now, she won't last." His rare urgency struck harder than any order.

  The three prepared to move.

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