Ancient Sealing Gate!

Kacha—

"What?" Wei Jun muttered in confusion, his sword slicing through the air only to find empty space.

He looked around frantically, but Su Xiaobai was already gone, having disappeared in the blink of an eye.

BAM!

A sharp kick landed squarely on Wei Jun's back, sending him flying forward, crashing into the dirt.

THUD!

"Argh..." He groaned, coughing as he tried to push himself up, but Su Xiaobai was already behind him again, his presence undetectable in the void, his Invincible Domain quietly working to parry the attacks.

Wei Jun barely had time to react before another kick came out of nowhere, sending him tumbling like a ragdoll across the ground.

"Ahh, sorry!" Su Xiaobai called out with mock innocence, his voice laced with false concern. "I didn't mean to kick you that hard... I was just trying to learn that move you showed me earlier!"

He smiled down at Wei Jun, who groaned in pain, clutching his side.

Su Xiaobai's tone was light, almost playful, but there was a darkness in his eyes—a cold glint that said otherwise.

"I don't think I would need Xiao Hei to even out the fight anymore..." Su Xiaobai chuckled, his facade slipping just slightly.

He couldn't help it—this was too easy.

"Fuck you, brother Su..."

Wei Jun, still on the ground, was struggling to catch his breath.

After getting his cultivation unsealed, he had confidently challenged Su Xiaobai to a duel, thinking it would be an even match.

Su Xiaobai was at peak of Meridian expansion relam while Wei Jun at the initial stage of Core Strengthening Realm, both of similar age.

Wei Jun had earlier estimated it should be an easy victory for him.

But now, after being tossed around like a broken puppet, he could only groan in humiliation.

Grandpa Wei, who was sitting nearby, watching the entire thing unfold, burst into laughter. "Hahahaha—eat dust! That's what you get for thinking you could take on him!" The old man slapped his thigh, tears of laughter streaming down his face.

Su Xiaobai cast a glance at Grandpa Wei, smiling sheepishly. "Grandpa Wei, I was just practicing! I didn't mean to—" He gestured to Wei Jun, who was still sprawled out on the ground, looking more like a beaten dog than a cultivator. "Maybe I went too hard?"

Grandpa Wei, still laughing, waved him off. "Too hard? Shit, kid, you're doing great! Kick his ass harder, will ya?"

Wei Jun finally managed to get to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth as he glared at Su Xiaobai. "I... I was holding back," he spat, trying to regain some of his lost pride.

"Oh? Holding back?" Su Xiaobai raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Then you should've told me earlier! I would've held back too, you know... To make it fair..." His tone was polite, his face sincere, but the smirk tugging at his lips betrayed his act.

Before Wei Jun could retort, Su Xiaobai struck again.

BAM!

This time, Su Xiaobai's foot connected with Wei Jun's chest, sending him flying backward.

Wei Jun's body skidded across the ground, his breath knocked out of him as he gasped for air, the pain shooting through his entire body.

"Oops!" Su Xiaobai called out, his expression innocent. "Did I hit too hard again? I was just trying to practice that technique!" He scratched the back of his head, as though he were genuinely embarrassed by his own strength.

Grandpa Wei, still cackling from the sidelines, slapped his knee and wheezed. "Haha! You hear that, boy? This kid's just practicing, and you're eating dirt! Pathetic! Hahahaha!"

Wei Jun groaned, struggling to stand, but the pain was too much.

His pride was in shambles, his body aching from the beating, but Su Xiaobai's feigned innocence was what truly grated at him.

"Brother Wei, I thought you were going to teach me some techniques!" Su Xiaobai said, his tone suddenly filled with mock disappointment. "But how can I learn when you're already lying on the ground?"

"!"

Wei Jun's eyes widened in disbelief. He could feel the humiliation searing through him, but there was nothing he could say.

Su Xiaobai had been ruthlessly toying with him the entire time, pretending to be the innocent one while delivering the most savage of blows.

"Next time," Su Xiaobai said with a soft smile, his voice taking on a colder edge, "let's 'both' hold back, okay?"

And with that, Su Xiaobai stepped over Wei Jun's crumpled form, still smiling like the most righteous cultivator in the world.

Grandpa Wei roared with laughter again, barely able to contain himself. "Hahahaha! That's it, kid! You're too damn pure for this world! No need to hold back, plummet him!"

Su Xiaobai gave a modest bow, his expression calm and collected.

Inside, though, he reveled in the moment. 'A little acting goes a long way,' he thought, hiding his amusement behind his so-called 'innocent' facade.

Maybe it wasn't so bad to play the righteous hero, as long as he got to be the one dishing out the pain.

Despite Wei Jun lying in the dirt, face smashed and pride shattered, Su Xiaobai knew the truth—this idiot wasn't weak.

If anything, Wei Jun was pretty damn strong.

It's just that Su Xiaobai had way too many ace cards tucked up his sleeve.

His tricks—the Invincible Domain, stealth, and the precise strikes that came out of nowhere—threw Wei Jun off his game.

But Su Xiaobai knew if they had a proper rematch, Wei Jun might figure him out and wipe the floor with him.

"Not today, though," Su Xiaobai muttered to himself, watching Wei Jun's pitiful groans.

He had an even bigger ace up his sleeve—Void Dragon Breath.

A move so devastating, it would obliterate everything in its path... but it came at a cost.

One, it'd deplete him to the point where he'd be more useless than a cooked fish, and two, Wei Jun wouldn't just lose. He'd be dead.

And while Su Xiaobai enjoyed giving Wei Jun a good beating, murder wasn't really on the menu today.

"Damn family tricks," Su Xiaobai thought, as his gaze flicked back to Wei Jun.

His family wasn't ordinary either. Wei Jun had an innate ability—"Ancient Sealing Gate"—something that could lock away someone's cultivation like it was nothing.

Su Xiaobai had seen Grandpa Wei use it once, and it was damn terrifying.

Giant doors, glowing blue with this ancient energy, had opened up like gates to another realm, and boom—whoever was hit with that was reduced to a powerless mortal.

The shit made Su Xiaobai nervous, but also curious. "If that's what they've got... what else is out there in this world?" he wondered.

He had always believed his own abilities were one-of-a-kind, but now?

It seemed like everyone and their grandma had some special talent.

'Heh. Looks like 'Tianlong Spirit' isn't all that special after all,' Su Xiaobai thought.

He always believed it was some divine, otherworldly treasure, but maybe it was just another thing the heavens used to fuck around with people.

He figured there were plenty more of these so-called 'heavenly treasures' floating around, just waiting to be snatched.

And speaking of treasures, that damn Tianlong stone... Su Xiaobai still wanted to dig deeper into its secrets.

If he got the chance, he'd investigate it for sure.

"I'll go check on Xiao Hei," Su Xiaobai suddenly said, shutting off his own thoughts.

He had sent her off to hunt for food, but she hadn't returned yet.

He felt a twinge of concern.

Xiao Hei was powerful—there was no doubt about that. Hell, she was stronger than he was.

But despite all her strength, she didn't know shit about the world.

Su Xiaobai had a nagging worry that some slick-talking bastard might try to take advantage of her innocence.

She was gullible, easily lured by the wrong people, and... well, what if she got herself into trouble?

"Damn it. Knowing her, she's probably out there falling for some bullshit 'Join my sect' scam," Su Xiaobai muttered, shaking his head as he started walking.

Then again, Su Xiaobai didn't realize that Xiao Hei was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

She wasn't the helpless little girl he thought she was.

No, she was just like him—a sneaky, cunning predator.

Like father, like daughter, even though they weren't related in any way.

Xiao Hei, despite her appearance, was an ancient being—she was millions, possibly even billions of years old.

She wasn't some helpless puppy; she was a goddamn beast.

Meanwhile, Su Xiaobai?

A clever duckling in comparison.

But still, there was a strange, unspoken bond between them.

They were both predators, hiding behind cute facades, and even though Su Xiaobai had no clue about her true nature, he trusted her.

As he headed toward the forest, Su Xiaobai grumbled to himself, "Shit... I'm starting to sound like some overprotective dad."