The silence in the courtyard was suffocating. The powerful, unexpected burst of fire from Luo's hand had left everyone speechless. His cousins, once the source of his torment, stared at him in stunned disbelief. They had never seen anything like it—Luo, the boy who hadn't been able to cultivate properly for years, suddenly releasing power like a wild flame.
Luo stood still, his breath heavy from the exertion. His heart pounded in his chest as the last embers of his fire flickered out, leaving behind only a faint warmth that quickly vanished into the air. The shock of what had just happened still gripped him, his mind struggling to understand the source of that surge of power. He had been stuck at **Body Tempering** Level 2 for years. His cultivation was supposed to be nothing more than a distant dream. How had this happened?
"Did you see that?" **Sun Jian** was the first to speak, his voice shaky as his gaze flickered to his brother, **Sun Hao**, standing beside him.
"Impossible," Hao whispered, his eyes wide. "He... he hasn't been able to cultivate in years! How did he—"
Before Luo could process his thoughts, **Sun Mei**, his older sister, rushed toward him, her face filled with concern. "Luo, are you alright? That burst of power—"
But Luo didn't respond. He couldn't. His mind was spinning. *What was that? Was that... real?*
He could still feel the heat from the flames in his veins, but it was different now. It wasn't the fire he was used to. It wasn't the gentle warmth he had been cultivating for years; it was something else—raw, untamed, and powerful. But it wasn't his body that was responding; it felt like his very soul was burning with it.
"Enough of this nonsense!" A cold voice broke the silence, and **Sun Suo**, the patriarch of the family, appeared, flanked by a few of the elders. His sharp eyes swept over the scene, his expression unreadable.
"What is this?" Suo's gaze settled on Luo, his tone dripping with disdain. "You think you can show off for a moment, Luo? One burst of flame and you think you've earned something? The family's *forgotten genius* shows a flicker of power and you all fall to your knees?"
Luo gritted his teeth. The familiar sting of his father's words cut deeper than any wound. *Forgotten genius.* That was what they all thought of him now. A boy who once had promise, only to falter in his youth. A disappointment.
Mei stepped forward, her voice strong, but still filled with worry. "Father, Luo—he has shown a sign of his old strength. This could mean he's—"
"*A sign of strength?*" Suo's voice was a cutting sneer. "Luo is nothing more than a shadow. He was nothing, is nothing, and will be nothing. Do you really think he can break out of his stagnation? After years of failure, you expect me to believe this one moment of flame means something?"
Luo's fists clenched. He felt something stirring inside him, a fire he hadn't felt in years. It wasn't just the heat from his failed cultivation—it was rage. But unlike before, this time he would not remain silent.
"You're wrong." The words slipped from his lips before he could stop them. He didn't care anymore. "I haven't forgotten. You may have given up on me, but I haven't given up on myself."
The words felt like a declaration, a promise to himself that things would change. He didn't need their approval. He didn't need their belief. He would rise again, even if they all refused to see it.
Without another word, Luo turned his back to the elders and walked away, his steps firm. A new energy was swelling inside him, and he wasn't about to waste it on meaningless words.
The sudden flare of power had surprised him, but something told him that it was only the beginning. He could feel it deep within his core—a presence, a force waiting to reveal itself. And this time, he would be ready.
---
**Ending Hook**:
As Luo walked away from the courtyard, something strange happened. His body seemed to pulse with energy, and the air around him hummed, as if responding to an unseen force. *This isn't over,* he thought. *This is only the beginning.*