On the bustling streets of Yuncheng, a pale-skinned teenager walked swiftly through the crowd.
The boy's eyes were sharp, his demeanor calm, and his body appeared frail and delicate, yet he moved with a surprising agility.
"Did you hear? Xu Chen, the eldest son of the Xu family, awakened his second Heavenly Soul yesterday and officially became a Twin Heavenly Soul!"
"I heard it too! There was such a huge spectacle last night, the sky lit up with visions. Everyone in Yuncheng's talking about it!"
The voices of several passersby drifted by.
Xu Chen? The famous genius from Yuncheng?
The boy's pace slowed slightly.
Hearing the murmurs, the crowd whispered: "Isn't that Li Yun, the one they call 'White Night'?"
"Li Yun's 18 and still hasn't awakened his Soul Mansion… Tsk tsk, how different he is from Xu Chen, who's the same age!"
"Li Yun was once a candidate for the next head of the Li family, but now he's a complete failure. His chances at the position have faded, and his status has plummeted."
"After all, a mother's worth is measured by the achievements of her children. The young generation's success affects the family's standing."
The crowd kept gossiping, and Li Yun shook his head, pretending not to hear, quickening his pace towards the Xu estate.
He had heard such things countless times over the years. It had become routine for him, being born into a prestigious family like the Lis and not even awakening a Heavenly Soul.
"Get out of the way! Filthy commoners!"
The loud voice of a man echoed from the front. Several burly guards shoved through the crowd aggressively, their Spirit Power pushing people aside, causing chaos in their wake.
Before Li Yun could move out of the way, the guards knocked into him, and the herbs he was holding scattered onto the ground. Just as he bent down to pick them up, one of the guards carelessly crushed them underfoot.
Li Yun, annoyed, stood up and confronted the guard.
"Who's the brat? Do you have a death wish?" the guard growled.
"You just ruined my things. Are you going to explain yourself?" Li Yun asked, his voice steady.
The guard, massive with bulging muscles, towered over Li Yun, blocking the light.
"You want an explanation? Fine!" The guard sneered and threw a punch.
His fist, as big as his head, was powerful enough to deal severe damage.
Li Yun's eyes flashed. He wasn't scared. The guard was a Soul Cultivator, but that didn't make him invincible.
With quick reflexes, Li Yun sidestepped the punch and kicked the guard's ankle in one smooth motion.
The blow was clean and precise.
Boom!
The guard lost his balance, crashing to the ground with a loud thud, a few of his teeth flying out.
The crowd fell silent for a moment.
Finally, someone spoke.
"You… you took down a Tier-2 Soul Realm guard?"
The fallen guard hastily stood up, wiping the blood from his mouth and charging at Li Yun with fury in his eyes. "I'll tear you apart!"
The surrounding people, startled by the guard's crazed behavior, quickly stepped back.
"Run, boy! You can't beat him!"
But Li Yun remained calm. He didn't back away; instead, he squared his stance.
Was a non-Soul cultivator really going to take on a Soul cultivator?
The enraged guard barreled through the crowd, his fists flying, the wind from his punch enough to break steel.
But as the guard's fist neared, Li Yun shifted with ease, his body swaying as he avoided the strike effortlessly.
Empty air!
"Argh!" The guard's veins bulged as he missed yet another punch.
Li Yun smirked, watching for the perfect moment. His arms moved like lightning, landing several quick, forceful punches to the guard's chest.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The guard stiffened before crumpling to the ground.
The crowd watched in awe.
Is this really the same Li Yun from the Li family?
"Who dares block the way of my uncle!"
A voice rang out, full of authority. A well-dressed man on a towering horse emerged from the crowd.
Li Yun glanced up. The man was dressed in opulent clothes, with large, drooping ears and beady eyes, glaring down at him.
The wealthy man scowled. "And who are you to act so recklessly in front of me?"
Li Yun raised an eyebrow. "Who are you? Acting like you own the streets of Yuncheng?"
"Do you know who I am?" The rich man sneered. "I'm a guest of the Xu family! If you offend me, you offend them, and the whole of Yuncheng will know about it!"
The Xu family? Have they really grown this arrogant?
Li Yun smirked and raised his voice, "So you're the Xu family's lapdog? You think you can dominate Yuncheng in broad daylight? Let me remind you, Yuncheng isn't ruled by the Xu family yet."
The crowd, especially those who had been pushed around by the rich man's guards, began murmuring. The rich man quickly became the target of their scorn.
The rich man's face turned red with anger. He turned to the crowd, snapping, "Shut your mouths! This isn't your business! Get out of here!"
Li Yun's eyes flicked to the ground. He grabbed a stone, focusing his energy before launching it at the horse's rear.
The horse neighed loudly, rearing up and throwing the rich man off its back. He landed with a thud, rolling across the street and crashing into a nearby stall.
The crowd erupted into laughter.
"My lord!" The guards rushed to assist him.
Embarrassed, the rich man scrambled to his feet, glaring at Li Yun. "Destroy him! Make him pay!"
The guards charged forward.
Li Yun took a step back, observing the three guards, each at Tier-2 of the Soul Realm. Their attacks were reckless but powerful.
Li Yun smirked. No tricks—just raw power.
He twisted his body and swung his fist.
Boom!
One guard fell to the ground, stunned.
Perfect.
The remaining two guards hesitated, shocked by the outcome.
Li Yun raised his fist, moving with precision, landing two solid punches.
Boom! Boom!
Both guards were knocked out cold.
The crowd was speechless.
A non-Soul cultivator had just defeated multiple Tier-2 Soul Realm fighters.
Li Yun clapped his hands and walked toward the rich man, now trembling on the ground.
"What do you think you're going to do?" the rich man stammered, realizing he'd bitten off more than he could chew.
"I'm a guest of the Xu family!" the rich man said desperately. "You can't do this to me!"
Li Yun turned a deaf ear and raised his hand.
Smack!
The resounding slap left a bright red mark across the rich man's face, sending him to the ground, dizzy.
"Guest of the Xu family?" Li Yun scoffed, kicking the man lightly in the ribs. "You really think that makes you untouchable?"
The rich man groaned, crawling to his feet.
"Please, spare me...!" he begged.
"Spare you?" Li Yun sneered. "Did you spare me earlier?" He pressed his foot harder, the rich man's face turning purple.
The crowd cheered, clearly supportive of Li Yun's actions.
But before Li Yun could take further action, a new voice rang out from the crowd.
"Master Xu Hao! You're a guest of the Xu family, no one dares challenge you in Yuncheng!" The voice was sweet yet commanding.
The crowd parted, and a group of Xu family members appeared.
A young woman in a flowing purple gown rode a majestic white horse through the crowd. Her skin gleamed like snow, and her eyes sparkled like stars. She had an air of grace and power that caught everyone's attention.
"Miss Xu Xian!" someone whispered.
"She's so beautiful! No wonder they call her the pride of Yuncheng!"
"Is this Xu Chen's sister, the one everyone talks about?"
Li Yun couldn't help but glance at her. "She's stunning."
"Help me, Miss Xu Xian!" The rich man cried out, grabbing at her for help.
Miss Xu Xian glanced at Li Yun, her eyes narrowing. "Are you Li Yun, the one they call 'White Night'?" she asked coldly.
"Yes, I am Li Yun, but not a waste!" he replied, shrugging casually.
"You think you're so brave for beating a few useless guards? You're not even a Heavenly Soul cultivator. What gives you the audacity to challenge my family's guests?" She sneered, her eyes cold. "Pick him up."
Li Yun raised an eyebrow. "Pick him up?"
"Yes," she said, her voice icy. "Then kneel and beg for forgiveness. Maybe then I won't hold you accountable."
"Interesting," Li Yun mused, slowly lifting his foot.
The rich man smirked. "You heard her! Help me up, and maybe I won't destroy you!"
But before he could finish, Li Yun's foot shot out and kicked him in the head.
Boom!
The rich man flew across the street, crashing into a stall, his head splitting open from the impact.
The crowd gasped.
Miss Xu Xian's face turned cold, her eyes filled with fury. "You… you're brave!" she hissed. "Daring to disobey my order?"
"Disobey? I didn't disobey," Li Yun replied coolly. "I just slipped. After all, your guest was on his own feet, right?"
The silence stretched between them.