The training ground was where the Xiao family's disciples trained and sparred. It was crowded almost every day, which made Xiao Tian's workload especially heavy.
Worse still, with Xiao Shi deliberately making things difficult for him, Xiao Tian often worked from morning till night without even eating his fill.
Even before he reached the training ground, Xiao Tian could already hear the lively noise—shouts, footsteps, and the clanging of weapons echoing through the air.
"According to my memories, Xiao Yan comes here every day around noon," Xiao Tian thought to himself.
"In the past, I was nothing more than a nameless servant. But now… I want to meet him."
With that thought, Xiao Tian quickened his pace and arrived at the entrance of the training ground in less than fifteen minutes.
Two Xiao family disciples stood guard at the entrance, both at the fifth level of Dou qi. On the surface, they were there to prevent private fights. In truth, they were little more than gatekeepers.
Xiao Tian walked up confidently.
Under normal circumstances, he would have been allowed in without question.
But today, he was stopped.
"Hey, who's this?" one of them sneered. "Isn't this Xiao Tian, the servant who sweeps the floor? What, here to scavenge for food again?"
Xiao Tian immediately recognized him.
Bai Yu.
One of Xiao Shi's lackeys.
The fact that Bai Yu was blocking him made the situation obvious—this was Xiao Shi's doing.
"What right does a watchdog have to bark at me?" Xiao Tian muttered quietly.
Unfortunately for him, a fighter's hearing was sharp.
Bai Yu's expression instantly twisted with rage. He grabbed Xiao Tian by the collar and lifted him straight off the ground.
"You little bastard! What did you just say? Say it again if you dare!"
Xiao Tian clenched his fists, trying to pry Bai Yu's hand away, but he couldn't move it at all.
Still, there was no fear in his eyes.
Although he was a servant, he was still a member of the Xiao family. One of the clan's strictest rules was the prohibition of private fighting. Anyone who broke it would be punished severely.
"I'm here to clean the training ground," Xiao Tian said slowly, forcing his breathing to steady.
"You're deliberately making things difficult for me. Let me guess—Xiao Shi ordered. The same Xiao Shi I beat half to death."
Bai Yu snorted coldly and flung Xiao Tian to the ground.
"If you offended the wrong person, you should accept your fate. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let you off easy. You're not allowed inside. If you know what's good for you, get lost."
Instead of getting angry, Xiao Tian stood up slowly, dusted himself off, and looked Bai Yu up and down before sighing.
"The training ground is my workplace. You don't have the right to stop me."
"Also, I never thought someone at the fifth level of Dou qi would willingly follow orders from Xiao Shi, who's only at the second level of Dou Qi. If it were me, I'd have smashed my head on a rock already. Unlike you, who actually seems proud of it."
Xiao Tian rarely provoked others—but once provoked, he never held back.
Bai Yu exploded in fury.
Without warning, he rushed forward, his fist carrying a trace of battle qi as it slammed into Xiao Tian's shoulder.
Bang!
Xiao Tian was sent crashing to the ground, a mouthful of acidic liquid spilling from his lips.
"You brat! If I don't teach you a lesson today, you won't know your place!" Bai Yu shouted angrily.
"And Xiao Shi? How could a mere Dou Qi cultivator compare to me?"
Xiao Tian lay on the ground, struggling to breathe.
That punch had nearly taken his life.
If his body hadn't already been tempered earlier, he might have gone straight back to the Underworld.
He couldn't help but wonder—would King Yama get angry if he showed up again so soon?
"With your scrawny body," Bai Yu sneered, kicking him again, "you might as well buy a coffin and crawl into it yourself."
Enduring the pain, Xiao Tian slowly forced himself upright. He stared at Bai Yu, his breathing heavy but his eyes calm.
"What? Not convinced?" Bai Yu scoffed. "Then I'll hit you again."
Just as he was about to strike—
A sharp sword flew from the distance and slammed into the ground between them.
Bai Yu froze.
"A fighter should know restraint," a calm voice rang out.
"Chasing after a servant and beating him like this—do you really think that makes you look strong?"
Xiao Tian turned his head.
A young man in white robes was walking toward them, his expression composed and his steps unhurried.
The moment Bai Yu saw him, his face turned pale. He and the other guard hurriedly retreated a few steps.
"Y-Yes, young master is right! I was wrong. I apologize!"
The white-robed youth ignored him and instead came to Xiao Tian's side. He placed a hand on Xiao Tian's back.
A wisp of white mist rose, gently enveloping Xiao Tian's body.
Warmth spread through his injured meridians.
After a quarter of an hour, the mist dissipated.
The youth withdrew his hand, pulled his sword from the ground, and looked at Xiao Tian.
"I am Xiao Yan," he said gently.
"How are you? Are you alright?"
Xiao Tian froze for a moment.
So this was Xiao Yan.
The protagonist of Battle Through the Heavens—and the one who had just saved him.
"I'm fine," Xiao Tian said quickly. "Thank you."
Xiao Yan nodded, then turned his gaze toward Bai Yu.
"Do your job properly. You're a fighter, yet you listen to petty people. I wonder what benefits you've been promised."
Bai Yu's body trembled. He immediately dropped to his knees and kowtowed.
"Spare me, young master! I didn't receive any benefits! It was all a misunderstanding!"
Xiao Yan looked back at Xiao Tian.
Understanding the meaning behind the glance, Xiao Tian stepped forward and spoke slowly:
"I, Xiao Tian, will remember today. When I gain strength in the future, I will not let those who insulted me go unpunished."
Bai Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as Xiao Tian didn't pursue the matter now, Xiao Yan wouldn't punish him too harshly.
As for Xiao Tian's words?
He didn't take them seriously at all.
After all, cultivation wasn't decided by words—it depended on talent.
What Bai Yu didn't know was that even if Xiao Tian lacked talent…
He had a system.
And strength, for him, was only a matter of time.