Tian Jun barreled through the air faster than a flying arrow. Within a blink of an eye, he threw a clawed fist toward Tian Shi's neck, who promptly swatted it away with the palm of his hand. Unperturbed by the failure, the young boy flung a fist from seemingly nowhere, slamming it into Tian Shi's cheek. The Junior Patriarch simply pivoted his feet, avoiding the blow by a hair's breadth.
A well-placed fist from Tian Shi hurled Tian Jun all the way to the edge of the stage.
"Not bad in hand-to-hand combat, at least far better than the rest," Tian Shi commented. "What's next on your agenda? Your opponent has shown great skill in hand-to-hand combat and far more experience. What will you do?"
Some of the trainees might have felt humiliated by the ease with which Tian Jun lost the exchange and would have further buckled in embarrassment from the lecture. Not Tian Jun. He wiped away the spittle that clung to the side of his cheeks, narrowed his eyes, and changed tactics.
With a wave of his hand, Tian Jun summoned a large dragon construct made of ice. As he did so, he waved his other hand, creating a series of sharp crystal daggers made from highly condensed Yin qi. Showing great skill in qi control, he snapped his fingers. The ice daggers hurtled forth at speeds only those in the Nascent Soul realm could keep up with.
Tian Shi nodded, sensing the first wave of frigid daggers. With a light tap of his foot, his figure lurched backward, avoiding the blow altogether. Tian Jun, not to be outdone, did the impossible. Just as the daggers crashed into the stage, he snapped his fingers again. The daggers turned toward Tian Shi and attacked him ferociously, spewing Yin qi everywhere.
While the daggers preoccupied Tian Shi, Tian Jun seized the opportunity to maneuver the dragon construct. Large amounts of Yin qi from the environment flooded toward the beast's glistening maw. Moment by moment, a large black sphere formed.
Tian Shi whirled through the daggers, yet Tian Jun managed to keep up at every turn, either summoning more daggers or expertly controlling each of them to bait and entrap him. Shortly after clearing the daggers, a savage blast of condensed Yin qi tore through the air, aimed at him. He felt the cold, sharp tendrils of qi before the full fury of the technique blasted him.
"Great Gasp of the Heavenly Dragon Usurps Yin," Tian Shi's words reverberated through the surroundings. "But you are still far from mastery."
Tian Shi dashed forward and reached out with his hand. The black sphere of freezing cold Yin qi came to a sudden halt. With a thought, Tian Shi yanked Tian Jun's control over the sphere and tossed it back. It tore right through the air, creating fissures in the fabric of space. Just as it reached Tian Jun, the black sphere morphed into the claw of a dragon, black lightning-like bolts of Yin rupturing with world-breaking might. Fortunately, Tian Shi didn't intend to end the boy's life. All the intent behind the technique evaporated.
"The technique's essence lies in the tenfold revolution of the Yin qi usurped from the environment," Tian Shi said, returning to his spot.
Tian Jun remained frozen in place. Aside from the heartbreaking fear clenching his nerves, he felt immense awe. He never thought that the move could be utilized in such a manner. At first, he assumed he had mastered it, but the Young Patriarch showed him a path forward.
"If you've made the cut, I'll let you know," Tian Wushuang said to the trainees. He then turned to Tian Shi and said, "Young Master, follow me."
Tian Wushuang never ceased to be amazed by the Young Patriarch's exploits. Compared to him, the young master truly lived up to the once-in-a-lifetime genius they had called him. Finding the core of a technique and then adding another layer to it on the spot was something he couldn't achieve at the same cultivation level. He would need more than a day to improve most techniques.
Their short journey led them to Tian Wushuang's office.
It never got old.
Dark brown hues formed the central theme of the large space. Not a single window existed—his preference. A large fur mat from a beast that once ruled the land in ancient times spread to all four corners of the floor. On the walls hung various stuffed heads of beasts and aged dragons that, as one could see, never survived a confrontation with him. If it weren't for the light brown shelves that had a milky caramel finish, Tian Shi would have been sick of the browns. Scrolls of all types lined the shelves, and a few were neatly placed on the bone desk at the center.
The sensation he felt every time he walked into the office was the unbridled resentment and anguish of all the foes the old man had slain back in his heyday, parsed under a layer of thinly veiled fear. Even in death, the beasts still feared him. To think Tian Wushuang spent most of his days analyzing and grafting new techniques in this environment spoke of the ruthlessness ingrained in his blood and bones.
Now that he thought of it, the sheer disregard for resentment and blood reminded him of himself—at least the version he hoped wasn't him. How hypocritical.
"I've already noticed that you've spent more time on that Tian Jun kid. A good kid, in all honesty. But his life has been rather remorseful," Tian Wushuang spoke, reaching for one of the scrolls on the shelf.
Tian Shi walked toward the desk, pressing his palm atop it. Tian Wushuang laid the scroll on it. With a thought and a burst of golden light, it unfurled.
"Born in the Blue-Volt Plane to a young lady of the Mortal Tian Clan of the plane. The young lady was an outcast through and through. She was related to one of the rebels who tried to usurp the Patriarch's seat in the clan. Fortunately, the plan failed, and most of the rebels were executed on the spot—except for her and a few who were still kids at the time," Tian Wushuang explained. "Eventually, she was used as a political tool to appease the young master of the Mortal Feng Clan of the plane. Tian Jun was born during that time. Somehow, the True Feng Clan got wind of his talents faster than we could blink. His mother was killed to ensure that none of the news leaked. The rest of it is in this report. We found him last year encased in a golden protective shield, floating through the Void Expanse near our territories."
"Truly tragic," Tian Shi stated.
Suddenly, the boy's weak Dao Heart relative to his talents made sense.
"Prior to the Feng Clan tampering with his talents, it is believed that his potential rivaled yours, Young Patriarch."
"I guess I know what I should do."