The satisfaction of acquiring the precious pills warmed Bai Yu as he navigated the bustling streets back towards the Bai Clan estate. He mentally calculated how best to utilize them, planning his training schedule. Lost in thought, he was abruptly snapped back to reality by a commotion just ahead in a slightly less crowded side street. His eyes narrowed as he recognized one of the figures involved, and a familiar sense of distaste welled up within him.
It was someone he definitely didn't want to meet: Zhao Wei, the notorious Young Master of the Zhao Family. He was the same age as Bai Yu, sixteen, but unlike Bai Yu's previous self, Zhao Wei possessed considerable talent, having already reached the Late Stage of the Qi Refining Realm. He had short, messy black hair and a face that could charitably be described as plain, but was often perceived as ugly due to the sneer perpetually plastered across it. Zhao Wei had been one of Bai Yu's chief tormentors in the past, relentlessly mocking his lack of cultivation progress whenever their paths crossed.
Currently, Zhao Wei was living up to his reputation. He was in the middle of viciously trashing someone – and at a closer look, Bai Yu saw it was just a young kid, probably no older than ten, dressed in rags and huddled defensively on the ground.
"How dare you, vermin! Asking me for money?!" Zhao Wei spat, punctuating his words with a brutal punch to the child's already bruised side. The kid cried out weakly.
The surrounding people watched with undisguised looks of disgust, but kept their distance. Muttered condemnations were swallowed before they could be fully voiced. No one dared to say anything against a Young Master of one of the three biggest Clans in Water Court City, regardless of how reprehensible his actions were. Fear of reprisal from the powerful Zhao Clan kept them silent.
Bai Yu saw this, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.
Just as Zhao Wei drew back his fist for another punch, Bai Yu moved. Faster than anyone expected, utilizing a burst of speed from his newfound Qi, he appeared directly beside Zhao Wei. Before the bully could react, Bai Yu's hand shot out, gripping Zhao Wei's descending wrist in a surprisingly strong grip. The force of the impact was abruptly halted.
"Zhao Wei," Bai Yu's voice was low and cold, cutting through the tense silence. "I always knew your personality was shit, but stooping to publicly beating up defenseless children?" He looked Zhao Wei directly in the eye, a look of utter scorn on his face.
"Who dares?!" Zhao Wei roared, enraged at being interrupted and grabbed. Without even looking properly at who had intervened, he reflexively lashed out with his other hand, aiming a Qi-infused punch straight at Bai Yu's face.
But the Bai Yu standing before him was not the helpless trash he remembered. With a subtle shift of weight and a near-instantaneous burst of movement, Bai Yu quickly evaded the punch, his feet blurring slightly as he employed the Azure Cloud Steps. The blow whisked past harmlessly, striking empty air.
Zhao Wei stumbled slightly from the missed punch, his eyes finally focusing on his interceptor. He blinked, momentarily stunned by the effortless evasion. Then, recognition dawned, mixed with utter disbelief. "Wait... are you...? That trash, Bai Yu?!" His eyes widened, taking in the flowing white hair, the golden eyes, the handsome face, the confident stance. "It can't be! You look completely different! And... how could you evade my punch?!"
The questions tumbled out, fueled by shock. But beneath the shock, anger began to build rapidly in Zhao Wei. It wasn't just that Bai Yu had dared to interfere and had somehow dodged his attack. It was the transformation. This useless waste he used to mock was now infuriatingly handsome, a stark contrast to Zhao Wei's own ugly face. And he had shown unexpected speed. Jealousy, sharp and bitter, twisted Zhao Wei's features into an even uglier mask of fury.
Without waiting for an answer, consumed by rage and wounded pride, Zhao Wei rushed towards Bai Yu again, channeling the Qi of his Late Qi Refining Realm into his fists, aiming for a flurry of powerful blows. But he greatly underestimated the figure before him, still operating under the assumption that Bai Yu was, at best, barely clinging to the Body Refining realm. He didn't know Bai Yu had not only broken through but possessed power far exceeding a normal early-stage Qi Refiner.
Seeing the reckless charge, Bai Yu didn't retreat. His eyes remained cold and focused. As Zhao Wei closed the distance, Bai Yu planted his back foot, rotated his hips explosively, and channeled his own nascent Qi into the technique he'd been arduously practicing.
Bai Yu immediately performed the Crescent Moon Kick.
His leg whipped out in a sweeping, powerful arc, faster than Zhao Wei anticipated, faster even than Bai Yu had managed in practice just hours before. Fueled by adrenaline and the refined Qi from his all-night cultivation, the kick connected solidly.
THWACK!
The leading edge of Bai Yu's foot collided brutally with Zhao Wei's exposed ribs. A sickening cracking sound echoed clearly in the stunned silence of the side street, sharp and distinct. The force of the blow lifted Zhao Wei momentarily off his feet, sending him stumbling back several steps, clutching his side with a choked gasp of agony. The sound alone sent shivers down the spines of the surrounding onlookers, hinting at the severity of the injury just inflicted.