The Golden Palace fell into a dead silence.
Date Xingyun's challenge hung in the air like a guillotine blade.
The guests exchanged glances, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"Did he really just challenge the Divine Son?" "On his tenth birthday? That's taboo!" "He's crazy. It must be over the Minamoto Princess."
The old servant beside Xingyun, Uncle Fu, looked like he was about to have a heart attack.
"Young Master!" Uncle Fu hissed. "Sit down! You are courting death!"
"Enough!" Xingyun snapped, cutting off his protector. "I am not causing trouble. I just want to exchange pointers."
He turned back to Ryuzaki Haruto, suppressing the burning jealousy in his chest.
"Well, Divine Son? Do I, Date Xingyun, have the honor?"
He tried to sound polite, but his eyes were filled with competitive fire. He wasn't stupid; he wouldn't insult the Ryuzaki Clan directly. But a "friendly spar" was a common tradition at banquets. If he could defeat Haruto here, he would prove his superiority to Minamoto Ruri.
At the head table, Ryuzaki Kenshin frowned. He looked at Lady Shizuka, who seemed unbothered. They decided not to intervene. They were also curious: just how strong had Haruto become after a year of seclusion?
Haruto looked at the challenger calmly.
"You are..."
"Date Xingyun of the Ancient Date Clan," Xingyun stood tall, his starlight Mana shimmering.
"Ah, the Star King Physique," Haruto nodded, realizing who he was.
He knew of the Date Clan. Their true monster was Date Masamune , the Reincarnation of the Sword Demon. Masamune wielded an Emperor-Slaying Sword and had never needed a second strike to defeat an opponent.
If that guy was here, Haruto might be interested.
But Date Xingyun? He was just... okay. A side character.
"No need," Haruto shook his head, looking bored. "My strength is mediocre. There is no point in us sparring."
Puff.
The guests nearly choked on their wine.
Mediocre?
The boy who walked on air? The boy whose birth made Saints bow? He called himself mediocre?
"Is he... afraid?" "Maybe he's just a flower vase? Good looking but useless?" "It's possible. He is only ten, after all."
Whispers of doubt began to spread.
At the Ryuzaki table, Ryuzaki Kenji (Sequence 10) covered his face.
'Mediocre?' Kenji thought, remembering how Haruto had beaten him at age three. 'If he is mediocre, then I should just go smash my head against a block of tofu and die.'
Xingyun, however, took Haruto's refusal as a sign of weakness.
"Divine Son," Xingyun smirked, his confidence returning. "There is no need to be modest. If you are worried about the cultivation gap, I can suppress my level."
He puffed out his chest.
"I am currently at the True Spirit Realm: Fifth Stage. I will suppress myself to the Divine Palace Realm: Peak Stage. That should be fair, right?"
In Xingyun's mind, a ten-year-old—even a genius—could only be at the Divine Palace Realm at best.
The hall turned to Haruto again. If he refused now, it would look like cowardice.
Haruto sighed internally. 'I really am too lazy to slap faces today. Why do people insist on offering their cheeks?'
He glanced at Ruri. The little girl was glaring at Xingyun.
"Hey! You Star-Guy!" Ruri shouted, puffing her cheeks. " aren't you annoying? Why do you keep bothering Brother Haruto?"
"Ruri..." Xingyun's face paled. 'Brother Haruto? She's already calling him Brother?!'
"What are you thinking?" Ruri scolded him. "Brother Haruto is so handsome! If you accidentally punch him in the face and ruin his looks, can you afford to pay for it?!"
CRACK.
Xingyun felt his heart shatter.
'She's not worried about him losing... she's worried about his face?!'
"I..." Xingyun choked, his face flushing red with humiliation. "Does being handsome allow you to do whatever you want?!"
Haruto rubbed his temples. Ruri was truly the President of the "Looks Matter Most" Association.
"Fine," Haruto stood up slowly. One hand remained behind his back.
"Since you insist on seeking a beating... I mean, sparring... then come."
"Brother Haruto..." Ruri bit her lip, suddenly worried. "Are you sure?"
"Tsk tsk," Minamoto Sayaka teased. "Already worrying about your future husband?"
"N-No!" Ruri squeaked.
Xingyun saw this exchange and his eyes turned bloodshot. He couldn't wait another second.
"I will suppress my cultivation now!" Xingyun declared, sealing his meridians.
"No need," Haruto said calmly. "Use your full strength. And you can make the first move."
"You look down on me?!" Xingyun roared. "I said I would suppress it, so I will! Take this!"
Xingyun didn't want Haruto to have excuses later. He wanted a clean victory.
"Haaah!"
Xingyun charged. Starlight gathered in his fist, forming a dazzling meteor.
[Meteor Fist]!
Haruto sighed again.
"Sad."
BOOM!
Inside Haruto's body, the Divine Elephant Force awakened.
During his seclusion, he had awakened another 10,000 Particles.
Total: 40,000 Giant Elephant Particles. Force: 400 Million Kin.
Golden blood surged through his veins like a roaring river. A terrifying aura erupted from his slender frame, manifesting as a phantom of a Golden Divine Elephant that trampled the heavens.
Haruto didn't use a technique. He didn't use Mana.
He just pushed his palm forward.
RUMBLE!
The air exploded.
It was as if an ancient god had slammed a continent into the room. The void cracked. The floor tiles disintegrated.
"What the...?!"
The guests jumped out of their seats, their wine cups falling to the floor. The Elders' eyes bulged.
The pressure was suffocating. It wasn't the power of a child. It was the power of a natural disaster.
"Wait... NO!"
Date Xingyun's expression changed from anger to pure, unadulterated horror.
Facing that palm, he felt like an ant trying to stop a falling moon.