Chapter 29: Stirring the Waters

  The entire quarter fell into heavy silence. The spectating disciples stared at Su Tianhao in disbelief—everything had happened too fast. Before they could even process what they had witnessed, a loud scream had already torn through the air. At first they assumed it was Su Tianhao, but the reality left them speechless for several long seconds before the crowd erupted.

  "Impossible! That trash defeated Yu Chen?"

  "How can this be?"

  "Does that mean Su Tianhao is actually at the 4th level Martial Apprentice Realm or above?"

  "But how? Without family resources, even three-star talents wouldn't cultivate so fast!"

  Even Su Tianhao couldn't help but stare at his own fist in amazement. He had launched a deliberate strike, knowing full well what his strength should be. With his base strength of 200 pounds coupled with last night's breakthrough, his total strength should have amounted to 300 pounds at most. After all, it was common knowledge that every breakthrough in the Martial Apprentice Realm granted a 100-pound increase in strength.

  He clenched his fist as the realization settled in. 'That punch wasn't 300 pounds... it was at least 400.'

  "My strength doubled?" he murmured. His brows furrowed. "But that still shouldn't be enough for such an absolute win."

  Yu Chen was at the 3rd level of Martial Apprentice Realm—his full strength was also equivalent to 400 pounds. Even caught off guard, he shouldn't have lost so brutally.

  'Could it be...' Su Tianhao's thoughts churned. 'My bloodline awakening!'

  His eyes lit up. 'My strength must have doubled as a result of the crystallized potential from my awakened bloodline and physical transformation—granting me a 200-pound increase instead of the usual 100. And my attack hit harder because my body is no longer purely human. It's the Heavenly Devouring Dragon Physique. My bones, muscles, and flesh density far surpass Yu Chen's, even at similar strength levels.'

  "That must be it," he murmured quietly. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

  That surprise quickly shifted into a cold smile as he turned to Yu Chen, who was writhing on the ground clutching his mangled hand. "Tell me... who's trash now?"

  "You—" Yu Chen glared up at him with bloodshot eyes. The rage overwhelmed him so completely that he vomited a mouthful of blood and lost consciousness on the spot.

  The spectating disciples looked down at Yu Chen with varied expressions—pity, mockery, disdain, and quiet disappointment.

  "Yu Chen never imagined things would end like this."

  "His hand is completely crippled!"

  "With that kind of damage, it'll be very difficult for him to continue practicing martial arts."

  "What? Doesn't he have another hand?"

  "Hmph! You think you can just switch from your dominant hand to your off-hand on a whim?"

  Even unconscious, Yu Chen had only himself to blame. With his hand destroyed, healing would take a few months at least—and by then, others' mastery of their techniques would have left him far behind. But there was no medicine for regret in this world.

  "Hmph. Good for you," Su Tianhao snorted, feeling refreshed as he walked away from the scene with long, unhurried strides.

  Even as he departed, the strangeness of what had just happened lingered at the back of his mind. Such strength progression was simply too unusual. He was fairly certain that even against a 4th level Martial Apprentice, he wouldn't necessarily lose.

  He paused, tapping his chin.

  After a moment, his expression brightened. "Why am I even overthinking this? It's a good thing. I'll figure it out later." He patted his stomach. "Right now, the real emergency is finding something to eat."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  He made his way to the main gate at a quick pace, waving casually to the guards as he stepped out of the family estate.

  What Su Tianhao didn't know was that by the standards of the Heavenly Devouring Dragon Clan, a mere 200-pound increase was laughable—trash-tier progress. In the Immortal Realm, a bloodline awakening was treated as a sacred event. Clan elders would arrange rare resources and powerful formations specifically to ensure young elites extracted every drop of potential from the moment. The result was a direct leap across several major realms in strength.

  Of course, such conditions existed only in the Immortal Realm, far beyond Su Tianhao's reach. Completely ignorant of his own identity, he had essentially stumbled through the most important awakening of his life without a shred of guidance.

  But as the saying goes, "ignorance is bliss." He had no idea what he had missed, and so he felt nothing but satisfaction.

  ---

  After stepping out of the estate, Su Tianhao made his way to the Jade Phoenix Restaurant, one of the more affordable establishments in Oakwood City's commercial district. What followed left the entire staff quietly stunned.

  Plate after plate of food disappeared before his relentless appetite. Roasted duck, steamed fish, braised pork, vegetable dishes—everything vanished at an alarming rate. The restaurant staff watched in open amazement as the young man demolished enough food for ten people without breaking a sweat.

  "Young master, are you... feeling alright?" the nervous waiter asked after Su Tianhao finished his fifteenth plate.

  "Bring five more plates," Su Tianhao replied calmly, not even pausing to look up. "And make them larger portions."

  By the time he finished, twenty plates lay empty before him, yet his stomach showed no signs of bloating. It was as if he contained a bottomless void within him.

  ---

  Meanwhile, somewhere deep within the Su family estate, a peaceful courtyard sat wrapped in the quiet of mid-morning. Lush flowers lined the paths and flourishing gardens surrounded a lone peach tree, beneath which a sixteen-year-old young man in luxurious silk robes lounged at ease, turning a jade cup of wine lazily in his fingers.

  Su Jian had grown considerably over the past year. Nurtured with the finest resources the family could offer, his six-star talent had carried him to the 4th level Martial Disciple Realm. His bearing had sharpened into something more refined, his arrogance less raw and more settled—the confidence of someone who had never been made to doubt himself.

  Seated beside him was a young woman who appeared to be in her early twenties, dressed in an elegant green dress. Xie Ling had also advanced considerably, now standing at the 3rd level of Martial Adept Realm—a reward, in its way, for the choice she had made a year ago.

  The two sat in casual conversation, though it was largely Su Jian who spoke while Xie Ling listened with a carefully neutral expression. The peaceful atmosphere held until it was cut short by hurried footsteps.

  "Young Master Jian!"

  A young man burst into the courtyard, face flushed with urgency.

  Su Jian's expression darkened immediately. "What is it, Su Hai?" he asked, his tone carrying a warning edge. "Haven't I told you not to disturb me when I want to be left alone?"

  Su Hai smiled bitterly. "Young Master, it's about Su Tianhao..."

  Xie Ling, who had been maintaining her indifferent expression, felt her brows furrow at the name. Ever since her betrayal a year ago, a guilt she had never fully buried surfaced whenever she heard it. She kept her face still and said nothing.

  "What about that waste? Speak quickly!" Su Jian demanded with disdain, as though the name itself was beneath him.

  Su Hai nodded hurriedly. "Yu Chen challenged Su Tianhao again this morning... and..."

  "And?" Su Jian asked with disinterest, already imagining the outcome.

  "...Yu Chen was defeated in a single punch."

  Su Jian shot to his feet. "What! Impossible!" His cup hit the table, shattering to pieces. "Yu Chen is a 3rd level Martial Apprentice! How could Su Tianhao—a cultivation cripple—defeat him in one punch?"

  "It's absolutely true, Young Master," Su Hai said gravely. "I wasn't present myself, but many disciples witnessed it. Yu Chen's hand was suffered great injury—the bones shattered beyond recognition."

  Su Jian's face turned ugly. "What?"

  "Young Master, I believe Su Tianhao has been concealing his strength all this time. He must be at the 4th level Martial Apprentice Realm or higher," Su Hai continued.

  Xie Ling remained silent throughout the exchange, but her mind was far from still. Although the others hadn't noticed, as a 3rd level Martial Adept, her senses were much sharper. She had been standing right there yesterday when Su Tianhao fought Yu Chen—and what she had felt was unmistakable. Pure physical strength. Not a single trace of spiritual energy. To go from complete inability to cultivate to the kind of force that destroyed a 3rd level Martial Apprentice in a single punch—overnight, what kind of concept was that? Even with the most heaven-defying treasure, such advancement shouldn't be possible.

  'Something about this doesn't add up,' she thought quietly.

  "Su Tianhao!" Su Jian gritted his teeth, his spiritual energy fluctuating unconsciously.

  Seeing his young master's rage, Su Hai stepped forward with a practiced smile. "There's no need to worry, Young Master. So what if he's reached the 4th level Martial Apprentice Realm? He's still nothing compared to your six-star talent and Martial Disciple cultivation!"

  Su Jian's expression gradually eased. "You're right. With my talent and strength, the gap between us will only continue to widen. By the time he struggles into the late stages of the Martial Apprentice Realm, I'll already be breaking into the Martial Adept Realm."

  "Exactly, Young Master. He exists on an entirely different level from you," Su Hai said smoothly.

  "Good!" Su Jian laughed, his mood restored. He turned to Su Hai with a generous expression. "I will reward you three Body Tempering Pills for bringing me this news."

  Su Hai's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Young Master!"

  Su Jian nodded, then let his expression turn cold. "Even though Yu Chen was useless, he was still one of my followers. Since that bastard crippled his hand, it's only right that I return the favor."

  "Well said, Young Master!" Su Hai's eyes sharpened with anticipation. "I'll have someone keep watch. If Su Tianhao dares show his face again—"

  "Perfect. I want him to understand the consequences of touching what belongs to me," Su Jian said, settling back with a satisfied laugh.

  Xie Ling said nothing. But her thoughts were quieter and heavier than anything spoken aloud.

  'Young Master,' she thought. 'What have you become over this past year?'

  ---

  Su Tianhao stepped out of the Jade Phoenix Restaurant with a satisfied expression, having consumed enough food for twenty people without his stomach showing the slightest sign of strain.

  "Even after all that, not even a hint of bloating," he chuckled to himself. "It really is like there's an endless void in there."

  He paused. "I hope this isn't going to be permanent," he added with a wry smile, thinking of his coin pouch. The cost of twenty full meals was not something he could afford daily in his current situation.

  As he walked through the familiar streets of Oakwood City, he noticed the changed reactions of those around him. Word of Yu Chen's defeat had already spread. Some passersby looked at him with wariness, others with curiosity, and a few with the same disdain as before—though even that disdain carried a new uncertainty beneath it.

  'Let them wonder,' he thought with cold satisfaction. 'Soon enough, they'll understand just how wrong they were.'

  Arriving at the estate gates, he nodded to the guards who respectfully allowed him entry. As he made his way through the paths toward Fei Wu Quarter, his mind had already moved past gossip and past Yu Chen.

  'It's time to truly begin,' he thought. 'The first layer of inherited memories, my doubled physical strength, this appetite—there's so much I still need to understand about this bloodline.'

  The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the courtyard as he approached his simple wooden building.

  "It's time to cultivate."