Word spreads faster than Lu Fan expected. His quiet rise in strength—though hidden from most—didn't go unnoticed by everyone.
One afternoon after school, as Lu Fan packed his books by his locker, a voice cut through the bustling hallway.
"Well, well… if it isn't the 'fairy boy' who thinks he's something special now," sneered a tall, lean student with sharp eyes and a smirk that never left his face. His name was Xie Ren — notorious for his quick temper and his own cultivation rumors.
Lu Fan glanced up calmly. "What do you want, Xie Ren?"
Xie stepped closer, eyes narrowing. "I've heard you're pushing past the Mortal Vein. Don't get cocky. This world isn't kind to people like you."
Lu Fan's hand brushed instinctively against his pendant, feeling the steady warmth. "I don't want trouble. But if it comes, I'm ready."
Xie's grin twisted. "Good. Because you'll need it."
---
That night, a shadow moved outside Lu Fan's window.
A strange, unseen threat was stalking him—something connected to cultivation, but darker and more dangerous.
The city, with all its bright lights and noisy crowds, hid a secret war—a war Lu Fan was only beginning to understand.
As Lu Fan trained with renewed focus, mastering lower-level techniques like Qi Circulation and Breath Refinement, he knew one thing for certain:
The path ahead would test not just his strength, but his heart.