Chapter 15: Clash of Father and Son

A suffocating silence filled the ruined courtyard.

Xiao Ming, the Patriarch of the Xiao Clan, stood firm like an immovable mountain. His golden eyes studied Xiao Lan with a mix of calculation and curiosity.

Xiao Lan, battered but standing tall, glared back at him. His body still burned with the remnants of the strange, unknown energy that had awakened inside him.

For the first time since his rebirth, he felt something unusual.

Not fear.

Not hesitation.

But excitement.

His father had always been an untouchable figure, a force of absolute strength and authority.

Yet now—

Xiao Lan could feel it.

He could feel the possibility of challenging that power.

And that thought thrilled him.

His fists clenched.

Xiao Ming raised an eyebrow.

"You can still stand after that attack?" His voice was neither mocking nor condescending. It was merely a statement of fact.

Xiao Lan smirked, wiping a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. "It'll take more than that to break me."

Xiao Ming sighed. "Foolish boy. Your body is not yet ready to wield that power."

Xiao Lan's eyes narrowed. "So you do know what this is?"

Xiao Ming didn't answer immediately. Instead, his aura surged. The very air shimmered and distorted under the weight of his power. The ground beneath his feet cracked.

"This is not the time for explanations," he said. "If you wish to leave, you must prove yourself worthy."

Then, without warning—

Xiao Ming vanished.

And a split second later—

BOOM!

Xiao Lan's world exploded in pain.

Xiao Ming's attack was too fast for Xiao Lan to react.

His father's palm struck his ribs, sending him soaring through the air, crashing into a stone pillar with bone-crushing force.

The impact sent shockwaves rippling across the courtyard.

Xiao Lan coughed violently. Blood splattered onto the cracked ground beneath him.

Damn…

Even after his power awakened, the difference between him and his father was still overwhelming.

Xiao Ming didn't even move from his spot. He simply watched, his expression unreadable.

"This is the power of a Peak Gold Rank cultivator," he said calmly. "You are still only Silver Rank, no matter what kind of trick you awakened."

Xiao Qing, standing at a distance, clenched her fists.

"Xiao Lan…!"

Xiao Lan groaned, pulling himself up. His whole body ached, but his spirit blazed stronger than ever.

"...Not bad."

Xiao Ming's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Not bad?"

Xiao Lan smirked, cracking his neck.

"Yeah. If you're trying to scare me, you'll have to try harder."

Xiao Ming sighed. "Stubborn fool."

Then, he attacked again.

This time, Xiao Lan was ready.

As Xiao Ming flashed forward, Xiao Lan's instincts screamed at him.

Instead of blocking—

He shifted his weight and dodged.

BOOM!

Xiao Ming's strike obliterated the stone pillar behind him.

The sheer force of it sent debris flying everywhere.

But Xiao Lan was already moving.

He counterattacked.

His palm shot forward, a pulse of his new energy surging outward.

Xiao Ming barely raised a finger—

And SNAP!

Xiao Lan's attack dispersed instantly.

It was as if his energy had been snuffed out of existence.

Xiao Lan's eyes widened.

What…?

Before he could react—

Xiao Ming's hand clamped onto his wrist.

And with a single twist—

Xiao Lan was sent crashing into the ground.

BOOM!

The earth cracked beneath him.

Pain flared through his body.

But—

Xiao Lan grinned.

"Hah… that actually hurt."

Xiao Ming's eyebrows lifted slightly.

"You still dare to smile?"

Xiao Lan staggered back up, his breathing heavy.

His body was bruised. His ribs ached.

But his blood was boiling.

This…

This was what he had been missing since coming to this world.

A real challenge.

A real fight.

Xiao Ming studied him for a moment.

Then, for the first time—

The faintest hint of approval flickered across his face.

"You're not completely hopeless after all," he murmured.

Xiao Ming finally lowered his hands.

He no longer looked hostile, only calculating.

"You have awakened something… ancient," he said. "Something that even I do not fully understand."

Xiao Lan's fists clenched. "Then tell me."

Xiao Ming sighed. "I cannot. Not yet."

Xiao Lan scowled. "Why not?"

"Because you are not strong enough," Xiao Ming said bluntly.

Xiao Lan gritted his teeth.

Even now, he was still too weak.

Xiao Ming continued, "Leave now if you must. But know this—your power will attract attention. And not all of it will be friendly."

Xiao Lan took a deep breath.

He hated it, but his father was right.

He needed to grow stronger.

Much stronger.

Xiao Ming turned away. "I will not stop you from leaving. But if you return… be prepared to prove yourself again."

Xiao Lan nodded slowly.

Then, without another word, he turned to Xiao Qing.

"Let's go."

Xiao Qing gave Xiao Ming one last wary glance before following after Xiao Lan.

The path ahead was unknown.

But one thing was certain.

Xiao Lan was no longer the same person he had been.

And the world…

Would soon come to know his true power.