The first rays of dawn pierced through the worn wooden shutters, casting streaks of golden light across the cramped, dimly lit chamber. The air was still thick with lingering spiritual energy, the remnants of Xiao Lin’s night-long cultivation session swirling faintly around him like invisible threads of power.
He sat motionless on the straw cot, his eyes closed, his breathing calm, yet every fiber of his being pulsed with restrained strength. The transformation from a crippled waste to a reborn cultivator was no longer just internal—
his body had adapted, his senses sharpened, his control over Qi flawless.
If someone from the Xiao Family or the academy were to see him now, they wouldn’t recognize him.
The frail, broken youth they had mocked and abandoned
no longer existed.
Slowly, Xiao Lin opened his eyes.
Golden light flickered deep within his irises, the glow momentary yet profound, as if the very essence of the heavens resided within them. He stretched out a hand, flexing his fingers. A mere thought sent a ripple of Qi through his veins, his body responding with a swiftness that felt both natural and foreign.
The
Primal Codex Physique
had fully merged with him, refining his muscles, bones, and meridians to a level beyond what most could achieve in decades. Each movement now carried an
unshakable sense of precision and power
—effortless yet overwhelming.
He clenched his fist, feeling the
Prime Golden Dragon Bloodline
surging within him. His heart beat like a war drum, steady and powerful, each pulse sending waves of raw vitality through his body. It was no longer the fragile organ of a crippled boy but a
core of divine energy
, refined beyond mortal comprehension.
His Supreme Divine Dantian remained vast, boundless, and untainted by impurities—an endless reservoir that made his
Qi recovery instantaneous
, his cultivation path clear of bottlenecks.
But for now, there was no need to rush.
He had already
reached the Third Level of Qi Gathering Realm
in a single night—something that would take even elite geniuses months to achieve. His foundation was stable, his Qi flow uninterrupted.
The only thing left was to
test his newfound strength.
Xiao Lin exhaled and stood up.
The wooden floor beneath his feet creaked slightly, but this time, it wasn’t from weakness—it was from the sheer weight of his reformed physique. His every movement felt…
effortless
, as if the world itself had become lighter in his presence.
But the time for silent observation was over.
He had spent far too long in the shadows, enduring scorn and ridicule. It was time to
step forward
, to reclaim what was once his—and
to show those who had abandoned him exactly who they had forsaken.
A slow, dangerous smile curved his lips.
By the end of today,
the entire Azure Dragon Academy would know that Xiao Lin had returned.
The
Outer Court Training Grounds
of Azure Dragon Academy were already bustling with activity by the time Xiao Lin arrived.
Hundreds of disciples, dressed in varying shades of blue and white robes, were scattered across the vast open space, engaged in their daily cultivation exercises, sparring matches, and martial technique drills. The air was thick with the mingling scents of sweat, earth, and faint traces of spiritual energy, the rhythmic sounds of fists striking wooden dummies and blades clashing in controlled duels filling the courtyard.
No one noticed Xiao Lin at first.
To them, he was nothing but a crippled failure, a
disgrace of the Xiao Family
who had long since been cast aside. A weakling with no future, someone unworthy of their attention.
But that perception wouldn’t last for long.
He walked with steady, unhurried steps toward the training grounds, his posture relaxed yet exuding a quiet confidence that was neither arrogant nor forced.
And then—
Someone
blocked his path.
"Well, well. Look what we have here."
A sneering voice cut through the air, loud enough to draw the attention of several nearby disciples. A tall figure stepped forward, arms crossed, eyes gleaming with condescension.
Zhao Yan.
A mid-ranked disciple of the Outer Court,
Fourth Level of Qi Gathering Realm
, and one of Zhan Kanzi’s lackeys.
The very same Zhao Yan who had mocked him after his crippling injury, laughing alongside the others as he struggled to even walk after losing his dantian.
"Did you take a wrong turn, cripple?" Zhao Yan smirked, tilting his head slightly. "This place is for cultivators, not… well, whatever you are now."
A few nearby disciples chuckled, some turning to watch, sensing an easy opportunity to humiliate someone already at the bottom of the academy’s hierarchy.
Xiao Lin’s expression didn’t change.
He simply looked at Zhao Yan, his golden-flecked eyes calm, unreadable.
Then he spoke, his voice quiet yet laced with an unmistakable weight.
"Move."
Zhao Yan blinked, caught off guard for a split second before scoffing.
"Move?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, that’s cute. You actually think—"
He didn’t get to finish.
Xiao Lin
moved.
A single step, and he was already in front of Zhao Yan.
Before the latter could even react, Xiao Lin’s hand shot forward, fingers tightening around Zhao Yan’s throat in a grip
like iron.
The surrounding disciples gasped.
Zhao Yan’s eyes widened in pure shock, his breath cut off instantly as he struggled to pry Xiao Lin’s hand away. But it was
futile
.
He had
no chance.
Xiao Lin's grip wasn’t just strong—it was absolute. It was the strength of someone whose body had been
reborn through divine refinement
, whose blood carried the legacy of a dragon, whose physique was beyond mortal limitations.
Zhao Yan's face turned red, then pale. He thrashed, trying to gather Qi, but—
Xiao Lin
tightened his grip.
"You talk too much," Xiao Lin murmured, voice devoid of emotion.
And then, with a flick of his wrist, he
threw Zhao Yan like discarded trash.
The larger disciple crashed to the ground several meters away, rolling twice before coming to a stop. He coughed violently, gasping for air, eyes
wide with horror
as he clutched his throat.
A stunned silence fell over the training grounds.
No one spoke.
No one even moved.
They had all just
witnessed the impossible.
The crippled, weak, forsaken Xiao Lin had
effortlessly overpowered a Fourth Level Qi Gathering Realm cultivator.
In a single move.
And he wasn’t even
trying.
Xiao Lin exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders,
as if even that brief exchange hadn’t been worth his effort.
Then, he turned away, walking calmly toward the training grounds, leaving behind the shocked whispers and fearful gazes.
This was only the beginning.
By the time he was finished,
Azure Dragon Academy would never look at him the same way again.