Chapter 3: The Unforeseen Ascent
The next morning, Duan Liyang was more alert and aware than ever. His senses were no longer a fleeting experience; they were now a part of his new reality. He went about his courtyard cleaning duties, and this time, he paid even more subtle attention to his new abilities.
His broom moved in such harmony with the wind, as if he were making the air dance to his commands.
Dust clouds seemed to avoid his broom, and even the tiniest specks of dirt miraculously gathered near it.
The whispers of the Xiao family servants and guards weren't as clear as they had been yesterday. He had consciously tried to dampen his heightened hearing, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention.
This was an instinctive need to conceal his new capabilities. But the clarity of his vision remained, and he perceived the world with a newfound definition.
When his work was done, Duan Liyang didn't go straight back to his hut. Instead, he made his way to the outer, less-used areas of the vast Xiao family compound. These areas housed old warehouses and dilapidated huts where hardly anyone ever ventured. He was looking for a place where he could explore his new abilities more intimately, away from prying eyes.
He hid behind an old, crumbling warehouse with collapsing walls. Here, the air was still, and there was no one to see him. He closed his eyes and focused on the faint hum within him. He imagined the air entering his lungs was not just oxygen, but pure energy. He slowly inhaled, and he felt as if a subtle, invisible thread of air was drawn into his body, towards that inner core where he had felt the warmth.
As he exhaled, he felt as if that thread of energy was flowing back out. He repeated the process many times, trying to draw in a little more energy each time. He felt as if nothing was happening. The leaf still wasn't moving, and there was no glow or intense sensation. He felt a wave of disappointment.
Perhaps he was just imagining things, or his new senses were playing tricks on him. He took a deep breath and exhaled, giving up.
Unknown to him, a profound transformation had already occurred within him. The moment he felt that inner energy and attempted to draw air into himself, the "All-Wind Fusion Sutra," dormant within his body, had activated. It had awakened to save his life after that agonizing night, and now, his conscious efforts had pushed him to the next stage. He was no longer at Level 0. Unwittingly, Duan Liyang had broken through a barrier he couldn't previously breach – he had now become a Level 1 cultivator.
Today was also his eighth birthday. On this very day, typically, children were deemed ready to begin cultivation. He had shown his initial aptitude at five years old, but had been stuck ever since. Now, on the day others started their journey, he had already taken an invisible, yet significant, leap forward in his own. He had no idea.
He emerged from the warehouse, still slightly disheartened that his efforts seemed futile. The sun was climbing higher in the sky.
He was heading back towards his hut when, in the middle of the courtyard, his eyes met Ren Hao's. Ren Hao smiled, a cruel smirk. "So, the trash bin man is here. Looks like you've done some cleaning. Are you now thinking you're useful for something?"
Duan Liyang quietly swallowed the insult. He was used to such attacks. "I was just doing my work, Ren Hao."
Ren Hao stepped forward, blocking his path. "It's a mercy from our Xiao family that even a cursed piece of garbage like you gets work. Your unfortunate mother only gave birth to you to be a burden on this family, didn't she?"
Ren Hao's words struck Duan Liyang, and something snapped inside him.
His mother. He remembered nothing of his mother, but that name, spoken in such a degrading way, was an unfamiliar, deep wound. Duan Liyang's face flushed with rage. A fire ignited in his eyes that Ren Hao had never seen before.
Ren Hao was momentarily taken aback. A Level 0 piece of trash, looking at him like that? It was unforgivable. Ren Hao's own anger flared. He was a Level 1 cultivator, and a lowly Level 0 child was daring to defy him! "How dare you! Today, I'll teach you a lesson!"
He lunged forward to beat Duan Liyang, his fist swinging through the air.
Ren Hao's punch came swiftly towards Duan Liyang. But for Duan Liyang, it wasn't fast at all. His heightened vision clearly showed every subtle movement of Ren Hao's body – the strain of his muscles, the tilt of his shoulder, the trajectory of his fist. Duan Liyang used no cultivation technique or martial art. He simply took a step back, dodging Ren Hao's punch, then capitalizing on Ren Hao's loss of balance, he swung his own fist through the air and delivered a direct, unexpected blow to Ren Hao's stomach.
Ren Hao's eyes widened. He fell to the ground, gasping for breath. A Level 0 child had defeated him, a Level 1 cultivator, in a single blow, without any technique. Duan Liyang's fist was still in the air, a strange energy coursing through his body. He himself was stunned.
The entire scene had been witnessed by the outer disciples. They were scattered throughout the Xiao family compound, engaged in their daily tasks, but Ren Hao's loud voice and the ensuing fight had drawn their attention. They watched as Ren Hao, a Level 1 cultivator, was defeated in a single blow by Duan Liyang, whom they had always considered Level 0 trash.
"What? Ren Hao lost?" a disciple whispered in disbelief.
"To a Level 0 boy? How is that possible?" another said, shock in his eyes.
Within moments, the news of Ren Hao lying on the ground and Duan Liyang standing calmly spread throughout the outer disciple ranks. Ren Hao became the subject of ridicule. His reputation, maintained by his cultivation, was shattered.
Duan Liyang felt the whispers and the staring eyes. He glanced at Ren Hao, who was still groaning in pain, and then, without a word, he turned and headed towards his hut. His steps were swift, countless thoughts swirling in his mind.
Reaching his hut, he closed the door. His heart pounded. What had he just done? He had defeated a Level 1 cultivator, without any technique, just with his new senses and an instinctive reaction. This was because of the energy within him, because of the "All-Wind Fusion Sutra."
He sat on his cot, and this time, he consciously focused on the energy within him. He now felt that warmth and hum more clearly than before. He closed his eyes and sat in a cultivation posture, as he had seen in old, discarded manuals he sometimes found in the Xiao family library's refuse.
He tried to draw the air into himself, this time with more resolve. He felt as if the air was truly entering his body, flowing through his veins, and nourishing his inner core. It was an amazing sensation, one he had never felt before. He didn't know he had reached Level 1, but he felt he was now more powerful than ever.
As he cultivated, Duan Liyang's eyes grew heavy. The day's events and the flow of this new energy had exhausted him. Soon, he fell into a deep sleep, the "All-Wind Fusion Sutra" silently working within him, making him stronger.