By now, curious students had begun to gather, eager to watch the drama unfold. Some whispered excitedly, others simply looked on with amused interest.
Ye Xian stood calmly, completely unfazed. Not a flicker of fear touched his face. He looked at Steve and smiled.
But this smile wasn't warm or friendly. It was filled with quiet mockery—like a predator amused by prey that thought it was dangerous.
Ye Xian had expected that the person Fatty brought might at least be a decent challenge. But now that he was standing in front of him, Ye Xian could see the truth clearly.
This so-called "Brother Steve" wasn't even in the Ki Warrior Realm. He was only at the ninth stage of the Ki Refining Realm.
'So this is the reinforcement you brought?' Ye Xian thought to himself. 'What a joke.'
Reiner was shocked when he heard everything. He leaned closer to Ye Xian and quietly asked.
"Wait… is it true? Did you really beat that fatty and take Steve Ki Stones?"
But when Reiner looked at Ye Xian's calm, steady face, he understood something important. It didn't matter whether Ye Xian actually did it or not. What mattered was why Ye Xian might have done it.
Reiner started to feel confused and a bit nervous. He had always thought Ye Xian was smart and careful. So why would he do something so risky?
Sure, that fat guy—Fatty—was a known troublemaker. He bullied weaker students and stole their resources all the time.
But still… Ye Xian didn't need to get involved. Fatty wasn't even bothering them.
Why step into trouble?
Reiner sighed, trying to calm things down. He didn't want to get his friend into trouble. He looked at Steve and said politely.
"Brother Steve, I think this might be a misunderstanding."
But before he could finish, Steve cut him off with a loud voice.
"Oh? You're from the Lament family, right?"
Steve gave a cold smirk. He already knew that a student from the Lament branch was studying here. If that branch still had ties to the main family, he wouldn't have dared to cause trouble with Reiner.
But since he knew they had been cut off from the main Lament Family, he had no reason to be afraid.
"From what I've heard, your branch got kicked out of the main Lament family because of your older sister. You've got no real ties to the clan anymore—so shut up!"
That comment hit deep.
The Lament family was known for their red hair—and Reiner's bright red hair made his identity obvious. When Steve said that, Reiner's jaw clenched. His hands balled into fists. Anger burned inside him.
Ye Xian saw it.
He had hoped things wouldn't escalate this far—but he had already taken action, fully aware of the consequences it might bring. He never wanted anyone to know just how strong he truly was. But then Steve demanded that Ye Xian kneel and hand over both his and Reiner's Ki Stones—and even went so far as to humiliate the friend who had tried to calm the situation.
That was too much.
That crossed the line.
Ye Xian's eyes narrowed slightly. He was practically bankrupt, having used up all his Ki Stones during yesterday's cultivation. The memory of burning through the 20,000 Ki Stones he'd received as a gift from Meng Pan—all in one go—left a trace of irritation in his chest as he recalled the emptiness of his spatial ring.
'So this is how it's going to be, huh?'
Looks like Steve wasn't going to back down.
Which meant… Ye Xian would have to teach him a lesson.
He still didn't want to show his full strength.
There were dangers in revealing too much—others might see him as a threat, or even try to eliminate him in secret.
But at the same time…
That kind of pressure could be useful. It would force Ye Xian to grow faster, become stronger, and push his cultivation even further.
He didn't fear the pressure. He welcomed it. After all… he never planned to stay ordinary.
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."
"Enough with the games," Steve said, his voice low and laced with threat. "Hand over the ki stones—and everything else you have on you."
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. These ki stones never belonged to him in the first place, he thought. If the rightful owner had shown up, I would've handed them over without a word. But this guy? Not a chance.
He sneered and raised his hand—flipping his middle finger in Steve's direction.
"Well, here's the only thing you're getting from me," Ye Xian said coldly. "If you want something, you'll get a beating. Now scram before I 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 beat me? Dream on."
Some students behind the chubby disciple laughed. They had witnessed firsthand how fatty 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?"
He had given the fatty some lessons before, but it looks like he didn't learn. Fighting is prohibited, and if they're caught, they could be expelled—unless it's an official challenge."
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 replied with a smirk. "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 at the 9th stage of Ki Refining, while Ye Xian appeared to be only at the 2nd. But Ye Xian had already stepped into the Ki Warrior realm, his foundation far more profound. In terms of raw power alone, he could rival a 6th-stage Ki Warrior with ease.
Steve lunged forward, his punch howling through the air like a cannonball, backed by explosive force and arrogance.
Just as the strike was about to land—
Ye Xian raised one hand.
The impact connected. A dull thud echoed across the courtyard.
But Steve's expression shifted from confidence to sheer disbelief.
It felt like he had slammed his fist into a slab of steel. A jolt of agony shot up his arm—his knuckles turned numb, and the bones in his wrist trembled. He staggered back a step, clutching his hand, confusion etched into his face.
"You just broke the academy rules by throwing the first punch," Ye Xian said, his voice calm, composed.
"Now it's my turn. And this is called self-defense."
He smiled chillingly.
That smile pierced straight into Steve's spine, making his hair stand on end. For the first time, fear crept into his heart.
Before Steve could react, Ye Xian took a single step forward.In the next instant, his knee smashed into Steve's stomach with terrifying speed.
The blow slammed into Steve's gut with bone-crushing force.All the air was knocked out of Steve's lungs. His body folded over Ye Xian's knee like a bent branch.
Spit flew from his mouth.The impact detonated the air—a ripple of compressed wind explodes outward, sending dust and leaves spiraling outward.
Steve would've flown—but Ye Xian's left hand shot out, snatching a fistful of silky blond hair. Steve jerked to a stop midair, suspended like a puppet.
Then came the fist.
Ye Xian's right hand crashed into Steve's face with the weight of a falling mountain.
BOOM.
Steve couldn't even draw breath. When Ye Xian punch arrived. Steve's head snapped back. His face twisted and flesh warped from the blow—his nose shattered, his jaw dislocated, and several teeth were sent flying through the air like bloody projectiles.
One of those teeth, carried by the wind, shot straight into the open mouth of the fatty student beside him—who swallowed instinctively, then gagged in horror.