A
dead silence
engulfed the Xiao Family's Outer Courtyard.
Everyone's eyes were locked on
Xiao Feng's motionless body
, his face twisted in pain, his robes soaked in
dust and blood
. His once-proud sword lay
shattered beside him
, a clear symbol of his
defeat
.
And standing tall above him—
Xiao Li.
"This duel is over."
His voice was
calm
, almost indifferent, as though
Xiao Feng had never been a threat to begin with.
For a moment,
no one moved.
Then—
"Xiao Feng… lost?"
The
murmurs
started, spreading through the gathered crowd like wildfire.
"Impossible! He was the strongest of the younger generation!"
"Xiao Li was a cripple just a day ago! How did this happen?!"
"A single strike… Xiao Feng was defeated in a single strike!"
The Xiao Family
elders
exchanged troubled glances.
No one could understand.
Xiao Li was supposed to be useless.
A broken, abandoned young master with
no future
.
Yet, today—he had crushed
Xiao Feng with overwhelming force.
This was not the Xiao Li they had once known.
This was
someone else.
Seated at the highest platform,
Xiao Zhen
, the
Xiao Family Patriarch
, remained expressionless as he observed his two sons.
His
gaze lingered on Xiao Li
for a few moments longer than usual.
Then, he finally spoke.
"Xiao Feng has been defeated."
His voice was
calm
, but it carried a
weight of finality
.
"As per the rules of our Xiao Family—Xiao Li shall reclaim his title as the First Young Master."
The
announcement sent a ripple through the crowd.
The First Young Master.
A position
stripped away from Xiao Li
after his crippling defeat. A position
Xiao Feng had been groomed to take over.
And now, it was
returned
.
"The matter is settled,"
Xiao Zhen continued.
"Xiao Feng, you have lost. Learn from this failure."
The fallen young master
groaned
, struggling to lift his head.
His
eyes burned with hatred.
Xiao Li had
humiliated him
in front of
everyone.
He wanted to
scream in rage
, to protest, to fight back—
But when his gaze met
Xiao Li’s
, his body
froze.
Because what he saw in those cold, calm eyes…
Was absolute dominance.
Xiao Feng’s
fingers dug into the dirt
, but he forced himself to remain silent.
For now.
As the crowd began to disperse, an
elderly figure approached Xiao Li.
His robes were embroidered with the
golden insignia of the Xiao Elders
, his long beard flowing past his chest.
This was
Elder Xiao Yuan
, one of the
oldest and most respected
members of the family.
"Xiao Li."
His voice was calm, but there was
something beneath his words
—a warning.
Xiao Li turned to face him.
"Elder."
Xiao Yuan studied him for a long moment before speaking.
"Your strength has improved… remarkably."
Xiao Li said nothing.
"But be careful,"
the elder continued, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Not everyone in this family will be pleased with your return."
Xiao Li
chuckled
, shaking his head.
"I expected nothing less."
Xiao Yuan’s expression remained neutral.
"Strength alone will not secure your place, young master."
He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice so that only Xiao Li could hear.
"You have powerful enemies. And some of them… do not play fair."
With those cryptic words, the elder turned and
walked away.
Xiao Li watched him go, his
smirk fading slightly.
He understood the warning well.
His return was only the beginning.
There were
forces within the Xiao Family
that would never accept him—people who saw him as a
threat.
And those people…
would act soon.
Xiao Li exhaled slowly, his mind already calculating his next move.
"Let them come."
He had
1000x cultivation speed
. He had
knowledge of supreme techniques
.
No matter what plots they tried to weave,
he would tear through them all.
Later that evening, as Xiao Li sat
cultivating in his courtyard
, a
messenger arrived.
The servant bowed deeply, holding out a
sealed scroll.
**"Young Master, this is a personal invitation from the
Azure Kingdom Royal Academy
."
Xiao Li’s
eyes flickered with interest
as he took the scroll.
The
Azure Kingdom Royal Academy
—the most prestigious cultivation academy in the kingdom.
Every year, they selected
the most talented disciples
from noble families and sects to train under their
Grand Elders
.
Only the
best of the best
were invited.
"They must have heard about my duel."
Xiao Li’s lips curled into a smirk as he unrolled the scroll.
"Interesting."
Not only would this be an opportunity to
strengthen himself further
, but it would also place him
on a larger stage
—one where
even greater enemies and challenges awaited.
And
he wouldn’t have it any other way.
"Very well."
Xiao Li placed the scroll aside, his gaze burning with excitement.
"I will go."
Because this was
only the beginning.
And
his true rise had just begun.