The sea and tall mountains glowed with a warm tinge as the sun set in the afternoon sky. The location of Tai Hua, a small city, could be seen far away buzzing with the sounds of people gathering in the market. Whereby, the Xu Clan’s residence was settled in the city. Inside the clan, there was a lake where fish swam gracefully. The wooden beams and the tiled rooftops were decorated with a body of water.

  Then a 9-year-old with a small purple streak of his hair, named Xu Hanyu, was standing near the edge of the lake. He was wearing a blue cord bracelet that adorned his right wrist, given as a gift by his father since birth.

  On the other hand, there was a mark that looked very strange and even a person could not directly look at it. He was also a child with an innocent face, possessing a small mole under his right eye, dressed in the signature purple and black clothing of Xu Clan.

  At his age, he cared little for cultivation as he simply enjoyed things around him more freely than most children his age who’ve been focusing on cultivating.

  Then as his hand touched the placid water, ripples began to form causing the fish to dart away with speed. While relishing, he noticed a young man in the side of his eyes, three years older than him, who was also dressed in the same attire.

  "Brother Xu Rong!" Xu Hanyu called out, hoping to get his attention.

  With a faint smile, Xu Rong looked in his direction. But behind that facade, his younger brother’s enthusiasm grated on him.

  Irritating…

  The truth is, Xu Rong, has been harboring a profound hatred towards him for unknown reasons, like an itch he can’t scratch. His fingers slowly curled into a fist.

  "Come here..!!" said Xu Hanyu, chuckling. Beckoning for Xu Rong to get closer.

  With a gentle call, "Little brother.." Xu Rong walked towards him. "What are you doing out here?"

  "Brother Xu Rong! Just look, there’s a fish!" Xu Hanyu beamed while pointing at the water.

  "Oh? Do you like them that much?”

  Xu Hanyu nodded eagerly, humming, “Hm!”

  Observing the young child in front of Xu Rong. Carefree. Defenseless. Weak. Then a thought slithered into his mind. This is your chance, Xu Rong!

  Suddenly, Xu Rong’s expression darkened.

  With a swift kick. “Then stay with them forever!”

  “Aah–!”

  Xu Hanyu tumbled into the lake, the cold water swallowing his cry and water splashing as he struggled.

  Albeit Xu Rong's grin morphed into something cruel that revealed his madness as if celebrating a small victory.

  But then—panic.

  That smile quickly faded to terror and stepped back, doing nothing as he watched his little brother helplessly struggle in the water. What if he goes under?

  He knew it was an impulsive action. He felt a cold knot twisting in his stomach.

  No. It’s his fault for being weak. So incapable. I shouldn’t show weakness now!

  “Brother Xu Rong! H-help–cough–!”

  Xu Rong’s body remained motionless on the spot, looking regretful while thinking about what he had just done. If someone finds out… Father will—

  All of a sudden, panic erupted from a distance.

  "Oh my–?! Young Master Xu Hanyu has fallen into the lake!"

  His eyes widened in fright, darting back to Xu Hanyu and the clan members, who were approaching the lake in panic.

  It wasn’t my fault…I didn’t do that…!

  Footsteps. A frantic rush.

  "Call Lord Xu and the three elders!"

  With a shaky step back, he covered his ears with his eyes and remained locked on the boy in the water who was slowly slipping below the surface while the others were trying to reach for him.

  Still, Xu Rong did nothing.

  …

  "Kneel!"

  Now standing in front of Lord Xu, he was mad like a tiger that just lost its cubs. The moment Xu Rong heard his father’s voice, sharp like a blade hitting a metal, he dropped to his knees right away. And the hall reverberated with the sound of his knees hitting the floor.

  The three elders of the clan, wearing the signature purple robes as an elder, sat quietly on the side, looking very attentive. Their expressions were hard to read, adding to the tension in the air.

  "Xu Rong, what have you done to your brother? He could’ve drowned!” Lord Xu yelled.

  "I haven't done anything wrong! He deserves it!" Xu Rong shot back, surprising Lord Xu.

  “You–!” Before Lord Xu could utter another word, Elder Xu Ting intervened.

  "Lord Xu, please take a moment to calm down, you shouldn’t get worked out. You don’t want your health to get affected. So please, allow me to handle this matter for a moment," he urged, then looking back at Xu Rong.

  "Xu Rong, you know your actions are too concerning. You should never have put your younger brother’s life in danger. Our clan does not hurt others, and you must know the difference between right and wrong. Do you understand?" He spoke calmly, just like he always does since he is often seen as the type of person who keeps his cool and composed demeanor, especially in this kind of situation.

  Yet, Xu Rong appeared to become even more emotional after listening to the reprimands, barely able to mask how worked up he had become.

  Once Lord Xu calmed himself down, he took a deep breath and began, “I know how you feel about Han’er, but this behavior can’t be tolerated.”

  “...” Xu Rong remained silent and thought: Father, you never cared about me. Your attention has always been on Xu Hanyu, even though I am your son as well. His jealousy was obvious. But was this the reason for his deep hatred?

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Just a moment later, a clan member gradually made his way toward Lord Xu, holding a brown letter in his hand. Then leaned in closer to whisper something to Lord Xu before passing it over.

  Taking the envelope, Lord Xu replied, "You may go now," dismissing the clan member with a wave.

  "Understood."

  As the clan member left the hall, Lord Xu opened the letter and began to read.

  "Who sent the letter, Lord Xu?" One of the elders, Xu Jia, leaned in his chair, desiring to know the contents of the letter.

  "Hm, it's from Chen Shun."

  "Oh? Your father-in-law?"

  "Yes."

  "What did he say?"

  ”He mentioned, he wanted to take Xu Rong for a few years at Lharong Empire..”

  “!!!” Hearing this, Xu Rong was completely shocked when he heard the news in the letter.

  "What?! No, we can't do that! They took your other son away, and now they want to take Xu Rong as well!?" Another elder, Xu Bai, blurted out with a lot of aggression.

  "Why is it so sudden?" Elder Xu Ting added.

  “I’m not sure why,” said Lord Xu.

  "..."

  Lord Xu glanced at Xu Rong, and with a deep inhale thought about what decision to make. In truth, Lord Xu did not fully understand why Xu Rong was asked to go, but he thought that this might be the best option for him to grow.

  “Rong'er... I think it is best, that you go with your grandfather to Lharong Empire and come back when you turn nineteen,” said Lord Xu steadily, and Xu Rong was as well in disbelief hearing his father’s sudden approval.

  "What?!" Elder Xu Jia and Xu Bai’s voices rang out. The three elders were also taken aback by his decision.

  Elder Xu Bai, in particular, looked very disapproving. Considering his bond with Xu Rong, he developed a fondness for the young man over time as he had been under Elder Xu Bai's training all along.

  With empathetic sways towards Xu Rong, Elder Xu Bai surged up and scowling, "Xu Dan, what are you talking about?! Xu Rong is one of our clan's finest fighters and our future! How can you agree to send him away just because of that unworthy son of yours?! This is unacceptable!"

  “He speaks the truth, Xu Dan. You can’t decide to dismiss him like this! You’ve invested all your time into Xu Hanyu, and now you’re willing to return Xu Rong to his grandfather?! Xu Hanyu hasn’t even shown the ability to cultivate, yet he’s your chosen one over Xu Rong!” Elder Xu Jia chimed in.

  Meanwhile, Elder Xu Ting sighed, resigned to the escalating argument.

  "He needs to stay there and reflect on his actions! That’s my final word, and don’t you dare refer to Han'er as an unworthy kid, Elder Xu Bai!" Lord Xu declared with conviction.

  "You—!" With that, Elder Xu Bai pointed an accusatory finger at Lord Xu but found himself at a loss for words. Feeling agitated he flicked his robes and sank back into his seat.

  Xu Rong, who was still kneeling, bit his lips as he listened to their argument. He thought: Why does my father always prefer Xu Hanyu and pay so much attention to that useless kid when I deserve it more? How could he favor the child of the one who caused the death of the most important person in my life…

  It was clear that Xu Rong was dejectedly hesitating at his father's choice. But in the end, he resigned himself to the decision as he couldn’t do anything about it.

  All the elders, except Elder Xu Ting, left the hall upset together with Xu Rong, preparing to depart. Leaving only Lord Xu and Elder Xu Ting in the hall.

  Once the hall was empty, Elder Xu Ting began with a steady yet worrying voice, "Xu Dan, did you truly intend to send Xu Rong away?"

  With a deep inhale, Lord Xu shook his head. "It's not what I want, but Rong'er has been increasingly aggressive lately. If I keep him here, he could end up hurting Han'er..."

  "I fear Xu Rong will only resent you for this. And you’ve made the two elders angry as well."

  "I know," Lord Xu rubbed his forehead. "But I have my reasons."

  With that, Elder Xu Ting shook his face, looking disappointed as well, saying, "I just hope your decision today is worth it. Your actions may cost you your son." Then lifting himself up and quietly left the hall.

  Now, Lord Xu sat alone with his eyes closed, resting his arms on his knees. Did he make the wrong decision? It was a question that was stuck in his mind.

  Just as silence wrapped him, hurried footsteps approached.

  "Father! Father!"

  When he turned to the direction of the voice, he saw his only daughter, Xu Lian. Rushing toward him with a frantic expression, her long brown hair bouncing with each step and the familiar purple of the Xu Clan wrapped around her frame.

  "What’s wrong?" His brows furrowed.

  "Father! Something happened to Hanyu’er!"

  Hearing Xu Hanyu’s name, his expression quickly shifted as he stood up sharply from his seat.

  "What?!"

  …

  When Lord Xu and Xu Lian entered the room, he was taken aback to find Xu Hanyu's unconscious body floating mid-air, emitting a soft warm ivory with a bold red energy.

  "The Regal Spirit…!" Lord Xu gasped in fright. Seeing the Regal Spirit to get triggered, it was something that he was not ready for. A symbol of a significance that is needed to be kept in secrecy because it could potentially start trouble for their clan but also for the boy.

  "Father, what is happening?" Xu Lian said nervously, hiding at his back.

  Lord Xu then calmly instructed her, "Lian’er, leave the room for now,” he said, caressing her hair, “And… don’t tell anybody about this. Alright?”

  Without hesitation, Xu Lian nodded saying, “Yes, father…” and dashed out.

  Once Xu Lian was gone, Lord Xu muttered, "Not even someone at my Da Zhong level can deal with a force this strong!" It was threatening to him. Watching the escalating energy surrounding Xu Hanyu, Lord Xu felt an urgent need to act.

  Realizing that sooner if he doesn't stop this, the others will figure this out, as this may lead to something he doesn't want to attract. Plus, the energy will only get stronger and stronger from his current realm, which is a 1-star Da Zhong, the sixth stage of the wuqi realm.

  So he quickly concentrated his wuqi, channeling his internal energy to create protective barriers around him in order to resist the force.

  "I have to stop this before the aura radiates out…!” he whispered.

  As the seconds passed by, the strong force intensified, as well as the pain Xu Hanyu was feeling causing him to grunt with his unconscious body. Even the protective barrier of Lord Xu struggled against the overwhelming force, barely managing to hold it at bay.

  “Aahhhh—!”

  It seems like I have no choice but to use the technique ‘he’ taught me…!

  With that, Lord Xu quickly drew his wuqi into two tightly clenched fists, initiating his technique “Aura Dampeniingg!”

  With a deliberate grace, he pulled his right fist back, supported by his left arm, his stance steady with slightly bent legs. Then, with a powerful thrust, Lord Xu shot his right fist forward, opening his palm to release three small flat circular discs. They spun in the air, glowing with rich and warm energy, their pulsing light connecting them with radiant lines.

  As the discs hovered around Xu Hanyu, their energy flowed gently into his body, soothing the chaotic aura. Lord Xu grunted in the effort, controlling it to ease Xu Hanyu’s pain, the light swirling around him, calming the flames sparked by the release.

  More.

  Almost there!

  And finally!

  “!!!”

  Finally, after a tense moment, the aura calmed down. Lord Xu breathes out in relief, catching Xu Hanyu just as he starts to fall from the ground.

  He was holding Xu Hanyu in his arms, then gently brushed the young man's hair from his forehead. Whispering, “That was a close call…”

  With a gentle lift of the unconscious young man, he settled him down on the bed and tucked him in with a blanket. Then thought: It’s strange for the Regal Spirit to awaken this early. Something’s wrong. If this aura spreads just now, not only will you be doomed, but the entire clan will be as well.