Chapter 43: Grandmaster Tian Zhi

Chapter 43: Grandmaster Tian Zhi

"I-I am Lei... Lei Feng."

Lei Feng's voice quivered as the words stumbled past his lips. His throat was dry. Each syllable scraped like gravel against flesh. The name he had uttered so many times before now seemed foreign under this man's gaze—gaze so sharp, so profound, it felt as if it had peeled away his skin and looked directly at his soul.

The man before him gave a quiet chuckle, a ghost of amusement tracing his features. His voice, rich and oddly melodic, followed.

"Lei Feng, huh?" he mused. "Lei means lightning, and Feng… means vanguard. A powerful name."

That smile... Lei Feng had seen many smiles before—smug ones, cruel ones, even genuine ones. But this was different.

It was the kind of smile a mountain might give to a pebble—timeless, ancient, and impossibly vast.

His silver hair flowed down his back in a long ponytail, fluttering faintly though no wind blew. His white robes shimmered like mist under the fading stormlight, and his sapphire-blue eyes glowed faintly as if lit from within, swirling with endless depth.

"In front of you," the man continued, eyes narrowing slightly, "your entire self lies bare."

A shiver crawled down Lei Feng's spine.

"You possess a strong affinity for lightning. But your control over it? Your understanding?" The man scoffed, shaking his head slowly. "Laughable."

Lei Feng stiffened. "What?" he snapped, furrowing his brows. "How could you possibly know that? Were you watching my fight? Wait… were you the one who harvested the beast cores from the goblins I killed?"

Suspicion rose like heat off his skin. His hand unconsciously clenched, even as fatigue still weighed heavily on his limbs.

The man's laughter burst through the clearing like thunder.

"Hahahaha! Ungrateful brat!"

Lei Feng flinched.

"If I hadn't stepped in, you'd have died a dozen times over."

"What?!" Lei Feng's eyes widened. His heart skipped a beat. "You're joking…"

The man's expression turned solemn.

"You were unconscious for an entire day. The goblins you fought respawn every twelve hours. Had I not sealed this place within my elemental domain, you'd be nothing but scattered bones."

An entire day?!

The realization struck like lightning. His memories were still hazy from the long slumber, but it was true—the goblins in this place could respawn. If the man hadn't intervened…

Shame flushed across Lei Feng's face.

His knees hit the ground with a thud, rainwater splashing up around him.

"Senior… I was rude. Thank you for saving me."

The clearing fell into a soft hush. The rain, which had fallen gently until now, turned into a steady downpour, cascading from the heavens like a cleansing ritual. It pattered against the leaves, struck stone, and soaked through Lei Feng's ragged clothes as he remained bowed.

Then, cutting through the rain like a blade, came the man's voice.

"Rise, Lei Feng. You have a great destiny. You should not kneel before others… rather, it is others who should kneel before you."

Thunder rumbled in the distance, as if the heavens themselves acknowledged those words.

Lei Feng's heart quaked. The sheer certainty in the man's voice planted something deep inside him—admiration, reverence… and perhaps a flicker of excitement.

He looked up. Rain traced down his face, indistinguishable from tears. The man nodded, and turned his gaze to the horizon.

"You asked how I knew your affinity?" he said slowly. "Simple. I am deeply attuned to the elements. The same lightning that stirs in your blood flows through me. I am the Master of Elements."

His voice was calm… but every syllable rang with power.

Then he lifted his right arm skyward. Graceful. Effortless.

"Watch closely, boy."

His robes billowed with sudden force as an unseen energy radiated outward. The air changed. It became sharp, charged, humming with primal force. His sapphire eyes flared.

And then—

ZRRRRAAAAAAK!!!

A jagged bolt of lightning tore across the sky. The very clouds above seemed to scream as the heavens split open. Thunder followed a heartbeat later, so loud the earth shook beneath them.

The downpour stopped mid-fall, droplets freezing in air for a heartbeat before evaporating. The clouds scattered like frightened beasts.

Golden sunlight streamed through, warm and radiant. A faint mist rose from the wet earth, catching the light. And then—a rainbow bloomed across the sky, an ethereal arc that seemed to bridge heaven and earth.

Lei Feng's mouth parted in awe.

He had seen weather techniques before in movies in his past life. But this—this was not manipulation. It was domination. The world itself had bowed before this man.

He's no ordinary Elementalist… Lei Feng thought, heart pounding. This… this is something more.

The man stood still, hands behind his back, his silver hair fluttering in the aftershock.

"You must be curious about me," he said, pulling Lei Feng from his stunned silence.

"Yes!" Lei Feng exclaimed, eyes wide. "I… I want to know who you are."

The man chuckled at Lei Feng's expression. He looked like an enthusiastic child listening to an old story told under a moonlit sky.

"Very well," the man said. "I shall grace you with the privilege of knowing my name."

He turned fully now, facing Lei Feng, his aura still gently humming.

"I am Tian Zhi. You may call me Grandmaster Zhi."

The air seemed to tremble as the name was spoken. Not with fear—but reverence. The syllables echoed strangely, as if the world itself remembered the name.

Lei Feng gasped softly.

A strange feeling stirred within him. A flicker of familiarity… a memory that didn't quite exist. His chest tightened with emotion he couldn't name.

"Grandmaster Zhi…" he whispered.

"Thank you. Thank you for saving me." He bowed deeply, sincerity ringing in every word. "But… why me? Why did you help me?"

Grandmaster Zhi smiled.

"Our meeting was fate. You have a great destiny. Even if I hadn't helped you, someone else would have been drawn to you."

Lei Feng looked at the man, trying to read his thoughts—but the Grandmaster's gaze was like a still lake, hiding an ocean beneath.

Then, without warning, the Grandmaster's tone sharpened.

"You have potential. But potential alone means nothing. As I said, your control is laughable. But that can change."

Lei Feng tensed.

"You wield lightning without understanding its fury. You swing your sword on instinct, without truly knowing the path it walks." His voice dropped lower, laced with promise. "But I can show you. I too am a swordsman."

Lei Feng blinked in disbelief. "A swordsman? But you also manipulate the elements. That's two different classes! That's impossible in this world!"

"Impossible?" Grandmaster Zhi raised a brow. "In this world, there exist anomalies—beings who transcend the boundaries of talent and logic. Powerhouses so absurd they defy the laws of the world itself. I am one such anomaly."

He stepped closer, his aura pressing down like a mountain.

"And so are you."

Lei Feng felt his breath catch.

The words weren't just spoken—they rang through his bones, lit something aflame in his soul.

"Anomalies are feared. They are hunted. The world will try to either chain you… or destroy you."

Silence.

Then—Grandmaster Zhi extended his hand.

"So, Lei Feng… what will it be? Do you wish to become my disciple?"

Lei Feng's gaze locked onto the outstretched hand. His thoughts swirled like a storm. Everything he thought he knew had shattered. The world… was deeper, larger, more dangerous than he ever imagined.

And yet—

A fire had ignited within him.

He took a deep breath.

The rainbow still shone above them. The storm had passed. And in this moment, he saw a new path.