Do Not Underestimate the Young

Soon after, Leah returned to Ryan's room. Upon seeing the deformed badge and the broken chair, it was clear that Ryan had truly lost his temper this time.

It was the first time in all these years that she had seen Ryan so angry. Just as she was about to figure out how to comfort her brother, Ryan greeted her with a cheerful smile, as if nothing had happened, his face full of joy, without a trace of anger.

The more he acted like this, the more Leah couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She insisted on taking Ryan for a walk, hoping it would help him clear his mind and relax. She was afraid he might do something foolish in his moment of frustration.

Facing Leah's persistence, Ryan had no choice but to agree.

As they walked, they chatted, and Leah told him, "Father said your teacher insisted on expelling you because this 'Delinquent Class' was difficult to manage. You were just a sacrificial pawn for the academy to set an example. As for the tuition, most of it was used to compensate Alan and the others. The ironic part is, without realizing it, Alan and his group ended up as the disadvantaged ones."

Throughout this, Ryan remained silent. Only after Leah finished speaking did he ask, "What's the name of that teacher?"

Leah looked at him, concerned. "You're not... planning to do something reckless, are you?" She was worried that in his anger, Ryan might impulsively go after the teacher, which would only make matters worse. After all, Alan and the teacher's strength was far beyond Ryan's.

"Heh... don't worry, I'm not foolish enough to cause unnecessary trouble. I'm just curious about this teacher I've never met," Ryan explained.

Leah breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. The teacher who insisted on expelling you is an older woman, nearly fifty, named Gu Wen Zhu."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to get justice for you. I swear I won't let her get away with this," Leah said firmly.

Her words warmed Ryan's heart. He silently promised himself, "If one day I become strong enough, I'll protect this sister of mine."

After spending some time out eating together, the two siblings returned home as the sun was setting. Before letting Ryan return to his room, Leah insisted on getting him to promise that he wouldn't do anything rash.

As soon as Ryan stepped into the room, a familiar figure emerged from his pendant, flashing in front of him—it was Silver Moon.

"Your sister is really annoying. Why is she so worried? If you were so easy to kill, you'd have died long ago," Silver Moon remarked with disdain.

With a wave of her sleeve, she sealed off the room, isolating it from the outside world.

Ryan, seeing her, quickly approached and asked, "Are you going to teach me now?"

Silver Moon waved her hand dismissively. "Not yet. First, I want to know how much you know about cultivation."

"I..." Ryan was caught off guard. Aside from what Leah had told him about elemental testing, he didn't really know much about cultivation.

The books the servants had brought only overlapped with what Leah had already explained and didn't provide much new information.

Seeing Ryan at a loss for words, Silver Moon understood and didn't mock him. Instead, she said calmly, "Then just tell me what you do know. To teach you, I first need you to understand what cultivation really is. Don't worry about making mistakes."

Ryan nodded and began recounting what Leah had taught him and what he had read about elemental arrays in the books.

"Mm... most of what you said is correct. However, there are more elemental attributes than the ones you mentioned—like life, time, space, and others. Of course, those are rare, and in time, you'll understand. What I'm going to teach you is not something you can learn in any academy."

"How much do you know about the classification of power in this world?" Silver Moon asked next.

"Elementalist, Spirit Master, Grand Master, Sovereign, Domain Lord, King Level, Emperor Level," Ryan responded without hesitation, all of which were things Leah had told him.

Silver Moon raised an eyebrow. "What you said isn't wrong, but it's too general. In other words, these titles are simply terms used to describe power levels."

Seeing Ryan looking confused, she continued, "Elementalist, Spirit Master, and such are just the entry points into cultivation. It's only when you reach the Master level that you truly step into the world of cultivation, entering the 'Enlightenment Realm.' Sovereigns and Domain Lords correspond to the 'Unshaken Realm.' When you reach the level of a King, that's when you enter the 'Destiny Realm.' Beyond that, it's the Exalted Realm, and so on..."

Ryan thought for a moment and asked, "Then why not just classify strength by realms?"

"That's the issue with elemental attributes and understanding. At the beginning of cultivation, everyone has different elemental affinities and abilities. This leads to significant disparities in combat power, even between two people at the same level. So, these titles are used to distinguish combat power, to prevent weaker individuals from picking fights with stronger ones. When you leave this remote place, you'll understand the real meaning of classifying strength," Silver Moon explained.

"Then how can one tell what realm a person is in?" Ryan asked.

"That's what I'm about to explain. The 'Enlightenment Realm' is the hardest to reach, the dividing line in cultivation. Once you enter this realm, the most obvious sign is that you'll awaken a talent. After that, the insights into future realms won't be as obvious. That's why the realm a person is in is considered a secret, and most people don't reveal it. Only those truly powerful enough will let their realm show. I'm telling you this just to give you a basic understanding," Silver Moon answered.

"Then... is your true form very powerful?" Ryan asked, gazing at Silver Moon with admiration.

"Ha... Me? If one day you become powerful enough, I'll tell you what kind of being I am," Silver Moon replied proudly.

Though Ryan was curious, Silver Moon wouldn't give him a chance to pry further.

Since she wasn't saying anything, Ryan dared not press further. Her sudden mood shifts made him cautious. He quickly changed the subject, asking, "Then how do I start cultivating?"

Ryan still couldn't understand how someone who couldn't even sense the elements could cultivate.

"Hmph! You don't know as much as you think. Just because you can't sense the elements now doesn't mean you won't be able to in the future. Plus, there's another form of cultivation—body tempering."

"Body tempering?" Ryan asked, intrigued.

"Of course..." Silver Moon said confidently.

"Body tempering is a method few people know, and even fewer are willing to try. There are no shortcuts; you can only take one step at a time. The difficulties are beyond what you can imagine. So if you're having second thoughts, now is the time to back out."

"I won't regret it. As long as I can get stronger, I'm not afraid of anything," Ryan said resolutely.

"Ha ha, good..." Silver Moon responded, clearly satisfied with Ryan's attitude.

Before Ryan could react, everything in front of him blurred. He was suddenly transported to another place—an empty room, several times the size of a normal room, surrounded by walls. There was no one else in sight.

A voice echoed in his mind—Silver Moon's. "Your task is to walk to the wall on the other side."

"That simple?" Ryan asked in surprise.

"You'll understand once you reach it," Silver Moon's voice replied.

Ryan, unconcerned, began to walk forward. However, just as he tried to take a step, it felt like his foot had sunk into the ground, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move it.

As he exerted all his strength to move, his body suddenly felt weightless, lifting several meters off the ground. Just as he marveled at the situation, an immense force pressed down on him, sending him crashing to the floor with a loud thud, causing him to howl in pain.

Silver Moon couldn't help but laugh. "Ha ha ha... take your time, kid."

Ryan, however, was too distracted by the bizarre environment to respond. "What kind of place is this? One moment I feel light enough to fly, the next, I can't even lift my head. There's no pattern to it."

Throughout the night, Ryan was tossed around repeatedly. He hadn't even managed to get a single step closer to the wall, let alone reach it. Although he was thrown countless times, he never once considered giving up.

It wasn't until he was knocked unconscious that it finally stopped. When he woke up the next morning, the warm sunlight illuminated his face. As he opened his eyes, he realized he was lying in a bed. He tried to move but found himself too sore to muster any strength.

"You're awake? Pathetic, you passed out after just a few attempts?" Silver Moon's voice echoed in his mind.

Ryan was so angry that he wanted to curse, but he managed to hold it in.

"Alright, there's a small bottle by the bed. Drink it, and you'll be fine," Silver Moon said, seeing Ryan's silence and deciding to stop teasing him.

Ryan grabbed the small ceramic bottle with effort, uncorked it, and drank it without even looking at it. He wasn't worried—if Silver Moon wanted to harm him, she wouldn't have gone through all the trouble to bring him here.

As the liquid entered his body, Ryan felt a sharp taste, followed by a burning sensation in his chest. Soon, a warm current spread throughout his body. The pain subsided, and his whole body felt lighter and more at ease.

Just as Ryan was relishing the sensation, there was a knock at the door. He hurriedly got out of bed and opened the door to find Leah standing outside.

"Sis, so early? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Why, can't I come check on you?" Leah replied, still not fully trusting him, which was why she had come so early.

"Alright, alright," Ryan said with a smile.

Ryan understood that Leah was worried about him.

"Since you're up, let's clean up and have breakfast together," Leah said, relieved that he was fine, before turning to leave.

After breakfast, as Leah was about to leave the courtyard and head to Norton Academy, Ryan's voice came from behind. "Sis, wait a moment, could you take this to the academy for me?"

Leah turned to see Ryan holding an envelope. "What's this...?"

"Heh, it's nothing. Didn't the letter say I had to return the badge? Since I'm not going to the academy, I'll leave it to you to take it there."

Leah took the envelope from Ryan, feeling its shape, and smiled slightly. "You really want to return it, even after smashing it up like this?"

"What else can I do? If they want it, fine, I have no use for it anyway," Ryan replied indifferently.

"Heh, you really are something. I'll take care of it," Leah said with a smile before turning and heading toward the academy.

As Leah thought about it, she couldn't help but laugh. If the academy's old-timers saw the badge in such a condition, they'd probably be furious. But then again, it was probably for the best—this would let them vent some frustration for Ryan.

What Leah didn't know was that inside the envelope was a handwritten note from Ryan, with only a few words: "Don't bully the young."