From Death To Dominion

"Good morning, bro!" Riener greeted me with a grin.

"Morning," Ye Xian replied, settling into the seat beside him.

Not long after, the class bell rang, signaling the start of the first lecture of the day—Cultivation Theory.

Unlike other subjects, cultivation lectures were held only three times a week, making them highly anticipated by students eager to deepen their knowledge.

Today's topic: Ki Refining and Circulation Techniques.

As the instructor took center stage, students sat attentively, listening to his confident explanation about the refining process and how to cycle ki effectively through their meridians.

However, for Ye Xian, this knowledge was unnecessary.

Due to his Heaven-Defying Reverse Taiji, he didn't need to refine ki manually. Instead, ki integrated into his cultivation automatically, allowing him to bypass the usual obstacles faced by other cultivators.

While the rest of the class focused intently, Ye Xian simply leaned back, half-listening while contemplating his newly acquired Ki Disrupting Palm technique.

Three more lectures passed, and soon, the break-time bell rang. Students stretched and got up to leave, heading toward the cafeteria.

---

As Ye Xian and Riener made their way to lunch, two figures suddenly blocked their path.

One of them was a familiar face—a chubby student whom Ye Xian had beaten up previously. Beside him stood a taller youth with blonde hair, a well-built physique, and a sharp, arrogant gaze.

The chubby disciple pointed at Ye Xian with a resentful expression.

"Brother Steve, that's him! He's the one who took all my ki stones!"

Ye Xian's gaze flickered. So, this was "Brother Steve"—the chubby student's backup?

The blonde-haired youth—Steve—crossed his arms, his eyes cold and assessing as he looked Ye Xian up and down.

"So, you're Ye Xian?" he said in a slow, deliberate voice. "I've heard quite a bit about you."

A slight smirk played on Ye Xian lips.

"Oh? And what have you heard?" he asked casually.

Steve's expression darkened slightly. "That you're arrogant. That you don't know your place. That you humiliated my junior brother and took all of his ki stones."

His tone turned sharp. "And that means… I'll have to teach you a lesson unless you hand over all the ki stones you took and apologize."

The atmosphere grew tense, and disciples passing by began to slow down, sensing the brewing conflict.

Ye Xian arched an eyebrow and scoffed. "Apologize for what, idiot?"

Steve's expression twisted in irritation. "You really want to get beaten, huh?"

Riener, watching the situation unfold, frowned and muttered, "Wait a minute... there's a mistake here. Why would Ye Xian take his ki stones?"

'I recognize that fatty—he's from the Earth Class. His group picks on weaker students and robs their cultivation resources. And Steve—he's from the Sky Class. He's already in the Ki Warrior Realm… Ye Xian wouldn't go looking for trouble with someone like that. Not to mention, the Sky Class is filled with disciples from prestigious clans...'

Before Riener could finish, Ye Xian waved him off. "Riener, you go. This is my business."

"What? How can I just leave—"

Ye Xian slapped Riener on the back and blinked subtly, signaling him.

Understanding the message, Riener nodded hesitantly before dashing off, shouting over his shoulder, "Don't blame me for leaving! You're the one who told me to!"

The chubby disciple laughed mockingly. "Hah! Look at that! Your friend abandoned you. How does it feel to be left behind?"

Ye Xian yawned lazily, picking at his fingernails before flicking a speck of dirt in the fatty's direction.

"Sorry, did you say something? I thought I heard some loser mutt barking."

The chubby disciple's face turned red with rage. "Brother Steve! He has a sharp tongue—we need to rip it out!"

Steve, however, remained calm, his voice carrying an unmistakable threat. "Enough with the games. Hand over the ki stones. This is your last chance."

Ye Xian's expression remained indifferent. "Those ki stones were never yours to begin with."

Steve smirked coldly. "You don't get to decide that. I do. And I say they belong to me."

Ye Xian sighed, fumbling in his robe before retrieving two ki stones and tossing them to Steve.

Steve caught them but frowned. "Where's the rest?"

"That's all I have."

Steve's eyes narrowed. "Don't play with me. Hand over the rest. Last warning."

By now, a small crowd of students had gathered, whispering among themselves.

"What's going on? Did someone anger Steve?"

"Looks like Ye Xian's in trouble."

Ye Xian glanced at Steve, unimpressed. He had already absorbed all the ki stones yesterday. Even if he told Steve the truth, no one would believe that he had used them up so quickly.

"Well, that's all I've got. Now scram before I get angry and beat you black and blue."

Steve's face darkened. He was being publicly scolded by someone weaker than him, and in front of an audience no less. If he let Ye Xian go now, people would think he had backed down out of fear.

His knuckles cracked as he took a threatening step forward. "Looks like you're leaving here on a stretcher today."

Ye Xian chuckled. "A crippled dog wants to fight me? Dream on."

Some students behind the chubby disciple laughed. They had witnessed firsthand how his group robbed weaker students. Now, Ye Xian was exposing Steve for taking ki stones from others to nurture himself.

Steve's face darkened as murmurs spread through the crowd.

"Wait... doesn't that mean Steve has been stealing too?"

"So, he's nothing but a bully who steals from his own classmates?"

Steve gritted his teeth and lunged forward.

Ye Xian, however, raised a hand sharply. "Fighting is prohibited in the academy. You don't want to get expelled, do you?"

Steve halted mid-step, fists clenched. He had nearly forgotten about that rule.

The chubby disciple hurriedly whispered, "Brother Steve! Challenge him to a duel! Duels are allowed! You can break his bones without consequences!"

Steve's eyes gleamed as his frustration eased. "Ye Xian, do you dare accept my challenge?"

Ye Xian snorted. "You're not qualified."

The crowd burst into laughter.

"Did you hear that? Ye Xian just said Steve isn't qualified!"

"Hahaha! That's going to bruise his ego!"

Steve's face twisted in fury. "You—!"

The chubby disciple quickly tried to console him. "Brother, he's just trying to provoke you on purpose—"

Steve took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "You're a scheming bastard, Ye Xian."

Ye Xian smirked. "And here I thought your body was full of fat, but it turns out you actually have a bit of a brain."

The chubby disciple's face turned red with humiliation. "Ye Xian, you bastard! I'll kill you!"

Ye Xian glanced at Steve. "And you… are truly an idiot."

Steve finally snapped.

With a furious roar, he rushed forward, fists raised.

The chubby disciple didn't stop him—he wanted to see Ye Xian get beaten senseless.

Steve was an entire realm above Ye Xian. Even if Ye Xian used Limit Release, it would be difficult to defeat him.

But Ye Xian wasn't planning on fighting head-on.

Ye Xian steadied himself as Steve lunged forward, his powerful fist tearing through the air like a cannonball. The moment Steve's punch was about to land, Ye Xian activated Limit Release, his body bursting with explosive speed. He twisted to the side, narrowly dodging the attack.

Steve's fist struck nothing but air.

The crowd gasped.

Steve narrowed his eyes. "Hah. So you can do more than just run your mouth."

Without waiting, he launched another punch, this time faster. But Ye Xian, now prepared, met his strike head-on. His own fist shot out, enhanced by Limit Release, colliding against Steve's with a metallic clang.

A shockwave rippled through the air.

Ye Xian stumbled back, his arm trembling from the impact, while Steve remained standing in his original stance, his fist still raised. A faint silver glow flickered around it—a layer of Ki Armor.

Pain surged through Ye Xian's hand, making his fingers twitch. It felt like he had just punched a steel wall. He glanced at Steve's hand again and muttered under his breath,

"Damn, that hurt…"

Steve smirked. "What's wrong? Finally realizing the difference between us?" He flexed his fingers. "A Ki Warrior can coat their body with ki, amplifying both offense and defense. You? You're just a bug throwing pebbles at a boulder."

Ye Xian exhaled slowly, his mind racing.

Fighting him head-on will be a problem. Where the hell is Riener? That idiot better not have actually run away...

Steve stepped forward and unleashed another punch. Ye Xian, instead of blocking, jumped back, raising his arms to absorb the impact while still using Limit Release. Even then, he felt his arms go numb as the force sent him skidding several meters backward.

The watching disciples were stunned.

"Did you see that? Steve's just toying with him!"

"No way Ye Xian can win… Ki Warriors are on a different level."

"Yeah, but—didn't he just take that hit and stay standing?"

Ye Xian flicked his aching wrist, shaking off the pain.

Steve's lips curled. "Still standing? I'll give you that. But let's see how long you can"