The quiet inside the old hall pressed down like it could break you.
Hundreds of eyes stayed locked on Kaelen. A few showed fear, believing he'd come back as a spirit seeking payback. Others looked lost. Yet the figure perched on the tallest seat - Lord Magnus Vance, head of the family and Kaelen's dad - just stared with quiet, sharp focus.
You're breathing," Lord Magnus said. Not with joy - just dull, like someone announcing a score. No dash forward to grab his boy. Didn't wonder if he was bruised or broken. Just laid it out plain.
"Let down, Dad?" Kaelen said - voice thick with mockery.
Lord Magnus narrowed his eyes. "Watch your tone. You have interrupted a sacred ceremony. If you are alive, you should have sent word, not barged in here like a bandit."
"I was a bit busy," Kaelen replied, stepping over the shattered remains of his portrait. "Climbing out of a grave takes time."
Darius, now back on his feet after being stunned, moved ahead. Yet his good looks turned hard with fury. Still, he aimed a trembling hand toward Kaelen.
"Uncle! Look at him!" Darius shouted, appealing to the Patriarch. "Look at his eyes! Look at the dark energy around him! That isn't Kaelen. Kaelen was a cripple with blocked meridians. This... this thing radiates killing intent!"
The crowd began to murmur. "He's right. The Third Young Master couldn't kill a chicken, let alone knock out a guard." "Maybe he's possessed by a demon beast from the forest?" "An impostor! Seize him!"
Darius smirked, seeing the crowd turn against Kaelen. "Guards! Capture this impostor! He is defiling our Ancestral Hall!"
Four top fighters - each hitting the 4th stage of body training - yanked out their blades, charging at Kaelen from opposite ends of the room.
Kneel!" the main guard yelled, slashing the side of his sword at Kaelen's legs - meant to shatter them.
Kaelen stayed still - his eyes never flicked toward the guards.
[Warning: Danger ahead.] [Threat level: Tough opponent, advanced strength.] [Chances to win: Less than half. Better to run.]
"Evasion?" Kaelen thought. "No. I need to make a statement."
Right when the sword neared his knee, Kaelen triggered the old dragon training method. Instead of moving smooth, energy inside him exploded - wild, loud, unstoppable.
Bang!
Kaelen slammed his foot down hard on the rocky ground.
The power from the dragon's blood surged through him. Under his foot, the floor cracked apart completely. Then came a wave - so strong it flung the soldiers off their feet, way before blades got close.
They tripped, gasping while the dirt cleared.
The whole room sucked in a breath. Lord Magnus even rose from his seat, staring hard.
"Qi..." Magnus whispered. "His meridians are open? And this density... it's heavy."
Kaelen stood amidst the dust, looking like a war god. He stared directly at Darius. "Impostor? You know exactly who I am, Darius. You're just terrified because the 'trash' you tried to murder has returned to take his place."
Darius's face went purple. Things weren't going his way anymore. With Kaelen returning - assuming he could still train - being named heir suddenly seemed shaky. This had to stop right here.
You've got no right blaming me for that hit job?" Darius barked, energy surging around him like a storm kicking up.
Darius stood out in the group, sharp and skilled. Hitting the fifth level of body training made him tough - really tough. A soft bronze shine covered his arms and chest, proof he'd mastered that 'Bronze Skin' move. The weight of his presence hit hard, so heavy some folks nearby could barely suck in air.
"You are just a bug who got lucky and found some demonic herb to fix your body!" Darius shouted, walking down the steps toward Kaelen. "But trash is still trash. Even if you can cultivate, you are years behind me!"
Darius halted a few steps away from Kaelen - his higher level obvious. He stood at Stage 5, while Kaelen hadn't even reached Stage 3 yet. That gap pressed down on Kaelen, almost like a sack of stones on his chest.
Yet Kaelen held firm. His back stayed rigid, like iron. The power built into his body shrugged off weaker bloodlines without effort. For someone born of dragon line, a regular person's presence meant zip.
"You think you are strong?" Kaelen laughed softly. "You've lived in this mansion your whole life, eating pills bought with my father's money. You're a greenhouse flower, Darius. I've seen hell. We are not the same."
"Shut up!" Darius screamed. He raised his hand, gathering Qi for a lethal strike. "I challenge you! Right here, right now! I will break every bone in your body and prove to the clan that you are unworthy!"
"Stop!"
Lord Magnus spoke loud - walls trembled at once.
Darius stiffened, arm hanging in space. His gaze snapped toward the old man. "Hey - did you hear that slap? My pride's on fire; gotta fight him."
Magnus studied Kaelen, sizing him up with fresh curiosity. Once seen as weak, his son came back stronger - tougher than before. Not bad, he mused.
"A duel is appropriate," Magnus said coldly. "But not tonight. The Ancestral Hall is for prayer, not bloodshed."
Magnus looked at Kaelen. "Kaelen, since you have returned and your meridians are healed, you have the right to challenge for the position of Clan Heir. But Darius is currently the top candidate. Do you accept his challenge?"
Kaelen grinned - this is just what he'd been after.
"I accept," Kaelen said clearly. "But a simple spar is boring. I want to raise the stakes."
He looked at Darius with dead eyes. "A Life and Death Duel."
The crowd sucked in their breath. A fight like this was deadly serious - one without limits, oversight, or mercy, stopping only when someone stopped breathing.
"Three days from now," Kaelen continued. "In the public arena. If I win, I take the position of Heir, and Darius pays for his crimes with his life. If I lose... well, I'll be dead anyway."
Darius chuckled - this guy must've lost his mind. One second, Kaelen seemed bold; next minute, flat-out crazy. Challenging someone two stages higher? Total disaster waiting to happen. No way anyone climbs that far that fast. Three levels in just seventy-two hours? Forget it.
"You have a death wish," Darius sneered. "Fine! I accept! In three days, I will humiliate you in front of the entire city before I snap your neck."
[Ding!]
[Hidden Quest Triggered: The Duel of Fate.] [Objective: Defeat Darius Vance in the Life and Death Arena.] [Time Limit: 3 Days.] [Reward: Level Up + Mystery Weapon Box.]
Kaelen walked away from Darius, paying no mind to the whispers around him. Yet his eyes found his dad right away.
"I will be staying in my old quarters. Try to make sure no assassins visit me tonight, Father. It would look bad for the family reputation."
Kaelen stepped away from the room, while quiet shock settled behind him.
When he walked outside into the chilly evening breeze, the rush wore off - suddenly, things felt real.
"System," Kaelen whispered.
[Yes, Host?]
"Darius is Stage 5. I am Stage 2. If I fought him tonight, I would have lost, right?"
Right. Stats say you had a 12% shot at winning. Darius knows Splitting Palm - it cuts through your current guard like nothing
Kaelen tightened his hand into a ball. Though he'd faked his escape from the building, time wasn't on his side. Just seventy-two hours stood between him and a leap most martial artists needed decades to make.
I gotta get stronger," Kaelen muttered, glancing at the shadowy shape of the woods far off. "Killing's what I need right now
Try the Shadow Forest's inner part - it's got level 2 plus level 3 creatures. Risk is steep, though rewards can pay off big time
"Perfect," Kaelen smirked, eagerness for fight bubbling back. Time to track something down