Meanwhile, at the Yi Family residence…
"What did you just say?"
Elder Yi stopped stroking his beard and stared at the servant kneeling before him.
The servant swallowed nervously.
"Elder, Young Master Su Yang struck Young Master Fu Yancheng at an inn earlier today."
Elder Yi's brows rose.
For several breaths, he said nothing.
Then he leaned forward.
"Repeat that."
The servant became even more nervous.
"Young Master Su Yang fought back against Young Master Fu Yancheng. According to the witnesses, Young Master Fu attempted to grab him several times, but Young Master Su avoided him. When Young Master Fu attacked, Young Master Su caught his fist and…"
The servant hesitated.
"And?"
"He punched him in the face."
Elder Yi stared blankly.
"The face?"
"Yes, Elder."
"And?"
The servant lowered his head.
"They heard bones breaking."
Silence.
Elder Yi's expression became strange.
As far back as he could remember, Su Yang had always been bullied by the younger generation.
The boy rarely retaliated.
It was not necessarily because he lacked courage, but because his cultivation had remained stagnant at the Second Level of the Spirit Realm for years.
Against most talented youngsters his age, fighting back would only result in a worse beating.
That was why Su Lan and Yi Luwei had always protected him.
But today…
Su Yang had fought back.
And not against some ordinary youngster.
Against Fu Yancheng.
An Inner Sect disciple of the Heavenly Lightning Saber Sect.
Elder Yi narrowed his eyes.
Why now?
Something did not add up.
Even if Fu Yancheng had been careless, Su Yang should not have been able to catch his fist so easily.
Unless…
Elder Yi's fingers slowly stroked his beard.
Was that boy hiding his strength this entire time?
His eyes flickered.
Then he suddenly remembered the mysterious barrier surrounding Su Yang's dantian.
Many years ago, both Su Mei and Senior Yu Ze had attempted to examine it.
Both had suffered backlash.
Even now, Elder Yi did not completely understand what was hidden inside the boy.
A slow smile appeared on his face.
"Interesting."
He leaned back.
Then another thought occurred to him.
His smile widened.
"Oh, Yi Tong…"
Elder Yi glanced toward his son, who was sitting nearby with an increasingly unpleasant expression.
"Your precious future son-in-law has become a laughingstock."
Yi Tong's face twitched.
Elder Yi was clearly enjoying himself.
"And the person who humiliated him…"
The old man's smile became almost unbearable.
"…was the very boy you dislike."
"Father."
Yi Tong's expression darkened.
"There's nothing amusing about this."
"Oh?"
Elder Yi raised an eyebrow.
"I find it quite amusing."
Yi Tong's face became increasingly ugly.
The engagement between Yi Luwei and Fu Yancheng had only recently been settled.
He had praised Fu Yancheng's cultivation, background, and future prospects.
Now that same future son-in-law had been punched in the face by someone the entire town regarded as trash.
The news had already begun spreading.
How could Yi Tong not feel embarrassed?
Worse still—
The culprit was Su Yang.
The same boy his daughter refused to distance herself from.
Yi Tong's dislike for Su Yang immediately deepened.
That boy again.
Ever since Su Yang appeared around his daughter, Yi Tong felt as though trouble constantly followed.
He stood.
"I have other matters to attend to."
Elder Yi glanced at him.
"Leaving already?"
Yi Tong ignored him.
He had absolutely no intention of remaining there while his father continued smirking at him.
With a flick of his sleeves, he left the hall.
Elder Yi watched him disappear.
Then he chuckled.
"Still can't take a joke."
However, once Yi Tong was gone, Elder Yi's smile gradually faded.
His expression became thoughtful.
"Su Yang…"
Something had changed about that boy.
And Elder Yi intended to find out what.
Elsewhere within the Yi residence, Yi Luwei was also receiving the news.
"What?"
She stared at her maid.
"Brother Su Yang punched Fu Yancheng?"
The maid nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes, Young Miss!"
Yi Luwei's eyes widened.
"Are you certain?"
"Absolutely! Everyone is talking about it."
The maid quickly recounted everything she had heard.
How Fu Yancheng mocked Su Yang.
How Su Yang attempted to leave.
How Fu Yancheng tried to grab him.
How Su Yang repeatedly dodged.
And finally—
How Su Yang punched him.
By the time the maid finished, Yi Luwei's lips had already curved into a bright smile.
"He really fought back…"
For years, she and Su Lan had worried about Su Yang.
Whenever someone bullied him, one of them would inevitably appear to defend him.
But now…
Perhaps something had finally changed.
Yi Luwei's smile became softer.
Brother Su Yang…
Although her father had ordered her to stop interacting with him, at least she now knew that Su Yang was beginning to protect himself.
That knowledge eased some of the heaviness in her heart.
Besides, she would soon be returning to the Heavenly Immortal Sword Sect.
Once she returned, she would not be able to remain beside him even if her father had not forbidden their interactions.
"Alright. You can go."
"Yes, Young Miss."
The maid bowed and left.
Once the door closed, Yi Luwei returned to what she had been doing.
However, the faint smile on her lips remained.
She imagined Fu Yancheng's expression after being punched.
Her smile widened.
"Serves you right."
Unknown to everyone within the Yi residence, however—
Someone else was watching.
High above one of the courtyards, hidden within the shadow cast by an ancient pavilion, stood a dark figure.
His presence was almost nonexistent.
His breathing was suppressed.
His aura blended seamlessly with the surrounding darkness.
From his position, he quietly observed the movements of the Yi Family.
Elder Yi.
Yi Tong.
Yi Luwei.
Servants.
Guests.
Nothing escaped his attention.
The shadowy figure had originally intended to leave and report what he had learned.
However, he hesitated.
His master was not known for patience.
And incomplete information had a habit of provoking his anger.
The figure's eyes narrowed.
Not yet.
He would continue observing.
He needed something more substantial before making his report.
Something worth his master's attention.
The shadow silently disappeared deeper into the darkness.
Meanwhile, the person responsible for causing all these ripples knew nothing about them.
Su Yang remained inside his room.
He sat cross-legged, completely immersed in stabilizing his newly advanced cultivation.
Warm spiritual Qi repeatedly circulated through his meridians.
Fourth Level Spirit Realm.
His breakthrough had been rapid.
Too rapid for him to become careless.
Bao Xin's warning remained fresh in his mind.
A cultivator who blindly pursued cultivation levels without stabilizing their foundation would eventually pay the price.
So rather than immediately consuming more resources and attempting another breakthrough, Su Yang repeatedly compressed and purified his spiritual Qi.
Cycle after cycle.
His aura gradually became more stable.
The slight restlessness caused by breaking through two levels in succession slowly disappeared.
Only then did Su Yang open his eyes.
He exhaled.
A faint stream of turbid air escaped his mouth.
"Much better."
His gaze moved toward the ancient movement manual beside him.
Azure Dragon and Tiger Chasing the Heavens.
Su Yang picked it up.
He had already studied the principles.
But he had yet to truly practice them.
Just thinking about the three forms made his blood boil with excitement.
Azure Dragon Chasing the Waters.
Fluid and unpredictable.
Tiger Chasing the Wind.
Explosive and ferocious.
And finally—
Azure Dragon and Tiger Chasing the Heavens.
The fusion of both.
Su Yang's fingers tightened around the manual.
He desperately wanted to find somewhere secluded and test it.
But then he remembered something far more important.
His expression softened.
"Sister Su Lan returns tomorrow."
He had almost forgotten.
His sister had been away at the Heavenly Immortal Sword Sect, and tomorrow she would finally return home.
A smile appeared on Su Yang's face.
He had changed tremendously since she last saw him.
He wondered how she would react.
Then another thought entered his mind.
He had originally gone to the market to buy her a gift.
Instead, he had been attacked, recovered his memories, met Bao Xin, refined a thousand-year spiritual treasure, fought spirit beasts, broken through two cultivation levels, and punched Fu Yancheng in the face.
Yet—
He still had not bought Su Lan anything.
Su Yang stared blankly ahead.
"…"
His expression suddenly changed.
"I forgot her gift."
Of all the dangerous situations he had faced recently, Su Yang somehow felt that returning empty-handed when Su Lan came home might be one of the most dangerous.
He immediately stood.
"Cultivation can wait."
The movement technique could wait as well.
Before Su Lan returned tomorrow—
He needed to find his sister a gift.