The first time Lin Ye managed to stand without help, no one applauded.
There was no sense of achievement or sudden enlightenment. Just a mild dizziness, an uncomfortable pressure behind his eyes, and the clear message that if he pushed too far, his body would violently remind him of its limits.
—Five breaths —Su Yanlin said, watching closely—. No more.
Lin Ye braced one hand against the wall and nodded.
—Five is fine —he replied—. Six has always been arrogance.
Yan Mo, leaning against the table, looked up from his tablets.
—You're getting used to measuring everything —he commented—. That's new.
—It's survival —Lin Ye replied—. I used to improvise. Now I improvise carefully.
Su Yanlin finished adjusting the sealing strips and stepped back.
—That's enough for today —she said—. If you push further, you won't be the only one paying. The environment will too.
Lin Ye frowned.
—The environment?
She hesitated.
—Your transitions are no longer local —she explained—. They leave small tensions behind. Nothing serious… yet. But if they accumulate, they attract the wrong attention.
Yan Mo nodded.
—That matches the records —he said—. Persistent anomalies rarely stay small.
Lin Ye sank back into his seat, breathing deeply.
—Perfect —he muttered—. So now even walking badly can cause political trouble.
As if the world wanted to confirm his words, a sharp noise echoed from outside the building. Voices. Quick footsteps. Contained argument.
Yan Mo frowned.
—That wasn't scheduled.
Before he could move, the door burst open.
—There you are! —an irritating voice said, far too loud for the space—. I thought the rumors were exaggerated, but look at you… you can't even stand.
A young man entered confidently, followed by two companions who were clearly more cautious. He wore ornate robes, far too flashy for his level of cultivation. The emblem of a sub-branch of the Shen House gleamed on his chest, larger than necessary.
—And you are…? —Lin Ye asked with genuine fatigue.
—Shen Kuang —the young man replied with an arrogant smile—. Shen Rui's cousin. And unlike him, I don't waste time with polite offers.
Yan Mo stepped forward.
—This place is not—
—Oh, I know —Shen Kuang interrupted—. But I also know you can't afford to make noise right now.
His eyes settled on Lin Ye with barely concealed disdain.
—I heard you did something interesting —he continued—. Something that made space hesitate. But looking at you now… it seems the rumors grew on their own.
Lin Ye studied him silently for a few seconds.
—Let me guess —he said—. You're here to provoke me. Win or lose, you get to say you "tried."
Shen Kuang raised an eyebrow.
—You're not as stupid as you look.
—Thanks —Lin Ye replied—. You look exactly like what I expected.
Shen Kuang's companions tensed.
—Watch your tongue —one warned—. Injured or not, you're speaking to a member of the Shen House.
—And I'm still breathing —Lin Ye replied—. So I guess we're even.
Su Yanlin watched silently, evaluating.
Shen Kuang stepped closer.
—I'll make you a simple offer —he said—. A public exchange. A gesture. You kneel, acknowledge that your value was exaggerated… and I make sure no one bothers you during your recovery.
The air grew heavy.
Yan Mo pressed his lips together.Su Yanlin narrowed her eyes.
Lin Ye slowly lifted his head.
—I can't kneel —he said calmly.
Shen Kuang smiled.
—Pride?
—No —Lin Ye replied—. Balance.
He activated the Eye of the Threshold just enough to measure. Not to move. Not to attack. To read.
Shen Kuang was weak. An unstable Spirit Core, overly reliant on his status. His companions were more dangerous… but bound by his arrogance.
—If I kneel —Lin Ye continued—, I stop being a variable. I become an excuse. And then someone else will come to try something worse.
Shen Kuang frowned.
—You talk too much for someone broken.
—And you talk too much for someone disposable —Lin Ye shot back.
Shen Kuang's face twisted with rage.
—Enough! —he snapped—. Show this cripple what happens when he forgets his place!
One companion stepped forward, activating his qi. It wasn't lethal. It was a display. Enough to make Lin Ye collapse… in public.
Su Yanlin moved.
Not fast.Not aggressive.
She simply stepped between them.
—That wouldn't be prudent —she said calmly.
The cultivator hesitated.
—Move aside —Shen Kuang ordered—. This doesn't concern you.
Su Yanlin smiled faintly.
—It does —she replied—. Because if you touch him… someone will have to explain why an injured man under observation died "accidentally."
Yan Mo stepped forward, his aura expanding slightly.
—And the archives won't be kind to that explanation.
Shen Kuang looked from one to the other, reassessing. His arrogance collided, for the first time, with something uncomfortable: real limits.
—This isn't over —he said finally, pointing at Lin Ye—. Enjoy your margin while you can.
He turned sharply and left, followed by his companions.
Silence returned.
Lin Ye let out a slow breath.
—Thank you —he said sincerely—. Both of you.
Su Yanlin shrugged.
—It wouldn't have been convenient for you to break today —she replied—. I'm not done observing.
Yan Mo shook his head.
—You've just gained a persistent enemy —he warned.
—I know —Lin Ye said—. But a weak one.
Yan Mo looked at him carefully.
—The weak with status are the loudest —he said—. And they drag in people far more dangerous.
Lin Ye closed his eyes briefly.
—Then I'll have to learn how to move… even when I can't fight.
Somewhere in Huo'an, Shen Kuang clenched his fists, humiliated.
And elsewhere, someone was noting that Lin Ye wasn't just surviving…
He was starting to gather people around him.