Chapter 21 – Beneath the Surface

Night lay heavy over the academy, quiet save for the soft whisper of leaves stirred by the breeze. Li Tian sat cross-legged in the Earth Division's training hall, his hands resting lightly on his knees. The expansive silence of the hall mirrored the void within his mind as the system interface flickered into focus, translucent against the dark of the room.

System Notification:

Potential Threat Detected

Assessment: Political sabotage likely

Reward: Insight technique unlocked - "Thread Perception"

The notification faded as a faint pulse of warmth spread through Li Tian's core. The system's influence was never loud or obvious; it moved like a quiet stream, shaping his path in subtle ripples. Ever since it had appeared in his life, it had been both a source of strength and a riddle he had yet to fully decode. But its timing, as always, was uncanny.

Thread Perception. The name alone hinted at its utility. Closing his eyes, Li Tian murmured the mental command, and the world around him seemed to shift. Lines of faint, ephemeral light flickered into his awareness, threading through the physical space of the hall. They were like veins of energy, mapping intentions—a byproduct of recent actions, subtle manipulations left imprinted on the environment.

Adjusting his breath, Li Tian steadied his focus and studied the new technique's effects. Within moments, his sharpened awareness drew his attention to a faint tangle of threads in the training floor—a disturbance hidden beneath layers of wards. His gaze darkened slightly.

"Sabotage," he murmured to himself, the word carrying neither anger nor alarm but a restrained clarity. Whoever had tampered with the hall had been meticulous. Without the system's gift, it might have gone unnoticed until it was too late.

Rising to his feet, Li Tian dismissed the interface with a quiet thought. The insights the system provided were invaluable, but they demanded cautious use. The strength it gave him was not to be flaunted—it was a tool to guard and guide, not to reveal.

By morning, the tense atmosphere within the academy was impossible to ignore. Whispers of the Earth Division's victories had swelled into a storm of both admiration and resentment. Students from rival divisions cast sidelong glances as Li Tian's group prepared in the damp quiet of their training hall. Yet the hall didn't feel quite the same as it had before.

Li Tian moved among his students as they practiced, his sharp eyes attentive. Cao Ren's controlled strikes, Jie Ming's balanced footwork, Yin Yue's lightning-fast riposte—all of it was progressing. But under the calm poise of training, Li Tian could still sense the heavy undertone of unease.

The system flared lightly as he approached Feng Shan, revealing small adjustments to the heavy cultivator's stance. A subtle list of recommendations appeared in the corner of his vision—shifts in foot placement, a change in rhythm to better harmonize his breathing with his inner energy.

"Drop your shoulders, Feng Shan," Li Tian advised, his tone quiet but firm. "Strength flows more freely when it's not clenched."

Feng Shan blinked, following the instruction, and drove his palm into the air with a resounding crack. The impact left trace vibrations hovering against the wards—they lingered longer, sharper, than before. Feng Shan grinned, finding the improvement himself.

Li Tian allowed himself a faint smile. Even here, the system's ability to analyze subtle flaws and redirect potential bore fruit.

Toward the midday lull, Yin Yue approached him, her unease clear in the tension of her expression. "Teacher Li… I've overheard something." She relayed the hushed plans she'd caught, her voice low and urgent. "I couldn't be sure if I should act on it, but it sounds like sabotage."

Li Tian studied her for a moment, his gaze calm but unreadable. He didn't need the system to sense her hesitation—it was written in the slight curve of her guarded stance, the restraint in her delivery.

"You did the right thing," he said at last, placing a hand lightly on her shoulder. "We'll address it together."

As he turned toward the training hall's new anomalies, the system's notifications surfaced again, overlaying potential points of interference. There—energy signatures too faint to be noticed unless one was deeply attuned. The technique "Thread Perception" flickered lightly in his thoughts, illuminating the exact nature of the traps set below.

Around them, the rest of the students gathered, their sharp eyes betraying their mixture of concern and anger. Yin Yue knelt beside Li Tian, her brow furrowing as she helped uncover the hidden spiritual artifact embedded beneath the rune formations. Its delicate array of weaving lines pulsed faintly with destabilizing intent—just subtle enough to escape detection by normal means.

"These traps aren't designed for outright harm," Li Tian explained as they diffused the artifact's energy, "but for chaos. They would have weakened your focus, disrupted your control during the match."

"Cowards," Feng Shan growled, his fist tightening.

"Or desperate," Li Tian corrected, his tone placid but sharp. "This means only one thing—their fear of us outweighs their sense of honor. That is a strength in itself."

With carefully measured movements, the Earth Division dismantled the artifact, their teamwork precise. Li Tian observed in silence, letting them take the lead as he folded his hands behind his back. Beneath his composed expression, the system crackled quietly with more information—not just traps, but a looming intent tied to the match ahead.

When the Earth Division stepped into the arena, the atmosphere was electric with tension. Li Tian could feel it through the soles of his feet, the massive structure vibrating faintly with the cheers and murmurs of the gathered crowd.

The announcements rose above the din, introducing the Martial Division's fearsome team—a pair who exuded confidence and precision. Yet as the match was about to begin, something shifted.

A last-minute substitution was declared, and the reaction from the arena was immediate—audible gasps rippling through the audience.

Li Tian and his students turned their attention toward the new arrival, a figure stepping onto the platform with deliberate calm. The individual radiated strength, their robes bearing the unmistakable insignia of the Heaven Division.

From the crowd, whispers began to rise. "Why is he here?" "A Heaven Division disciple against the Earth Division? This isn't fair…"

Li Tian's students exchanged uneasy looks, a wave of tension rippling through their ranks. But Li Tian himself remained completely still, his gaze fixed on the new opponent. The system stirred faintly in his awareness, providing layered insights—a breakdown of the enemy's likely strategies, a warning of their overwhelming aura but also a faint hint of exploitable patterns.

"Do not be distracted," he said quietly to his students. His voice cut through their nervousness like a steadying anchor. "They are relying on your fear to weaken you. Trust your training. Trust each other. The rest is noise."

The gong sounded, reverberating through the arena. Li Tian's eyes narrowed slightly, his calm veneer unshaken. Whatever twists lay ahead, he would meet them head-on. For his students. For their bond. And for the path they were forging together against the tide.