Chapter Five: Resonance

Jiang Xiaotian was feeling a surge of excitement; he could sense the presence of spiritual energy, though he could not grasp it yet. Unbeknownst to him, Ling’er had lent him a hand from the shadows, granting him a trace of spiritual energy, which allowed him to discern it so quickly. For most people, even if they were fortunate enough to practice the Dragon Breath Technique, they would barely glimpse its threshold after three or five years.

But Jiang Xiaotian could only sense it, nothing more. The spiritual energy in the mundane world was far too sparse, and he was just beginning to touch upon it—he had not truly mastered the Dragon Breath Technique yet.

When he opened his eyes, he found Ling’er sitting beside him. He scratched his head, a little embarrassed. “I still don’t quite understand.”

“No matter, take it slow. After all, you’re not very bright,” Ling’er replied with a smile.

Do all dragons speak so bluntly? Jiang Xiaotian decided not to argue with her. He stretched lazily, intent on going to sleep.

“Hm? Going to sleep? You should go for a run,” Ling’er stopped him.

Jiang Xiaotian was confused. “Running at night? Didn’t you say to run in the morning? If I don’t sleep now, I definitely won’t get up tomorrow.”

Ling’er did not argue. She turned and drew back the curtains.

Immediately, a shaft of light flooded the room. If the lamp hadn’t been on, Jiang Xiaotian would have been blinded.

“Daylight already? What’s going on? How long have I been sitting here?”

“More than ten hours. For your first time, it’s not bad.”

Jiang Xiaotian nearly spat blood. He had spent over ten hours just sitting and breathing, doing nothing at all!

No, he thought, I have to sleep, or I’ll drop dead from exhaustion!

“Do you really feel tired?” Ling’er asked, as if she’d read his mind.

Jiang Xiaotian paused, realizing that he did not feel tired—in fact, he felt refreshed, almost invigorated. He wondered if it was just psychological.

Ling’er observed his reaction and nodded with satisfaction. “Your physical condition is poor. With more practice, you’ll improve a lot. After that, I can teach you martial arts. For us dragons, we’ve already transcended the need for food; it doesn’t matter if we don’t eat.”

“Oh, didn’t you say you eat tigers and lions raw?” Jiang Xiaotian joked.

Ling’er narrowed her eyes. “I haven’t tried human flesh yet, you know?”

Jiang Xiaotian shivered and hurried out. “I’m off for a run!”

“And be careful,” Ling’er called after him. “Someone might be looking to cause trouble.”

Jiang Xiaotian understood. Chen Kai would surely seek revenge; it was just a matter of time.

Ling’er sighed softly. She had not expected the mundane world to be so complicated.

Dragons have especially keen senses; last night, she had noticed someone lurking nearby, radiating malice, though they were just ordinary humans. She knew then it must be Chen Kai stirring up trouble.

But she chose not to intervene, wanting Jiang Xiaotian to handle it himself.

The Dragon Breath Technique was a secret art of the dragon clan; even a superficial grasp made one far superior to ordinary people. If not for the fact that he had saved her, she would never have passed it on.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xiaotian was filled with uncertainty.

He had always been weak in sports; running a hundred meters left him breathless, let alone distance running. Yet today, he had run nearly three laps around the residential compound and wasn’t tired at all—even after a sleepless night.

Of course, without the thread of spiritual energy Ling’er had given him, his improvement would not have been so dramatic.

After ten laps, Jiang Xiaotian was drenched in sweat, but not especially fatigued.

He felt almost invincible and set his sights on a faux boulder by the roadside.

When he was young, he’d often scraped himself climbing it; it was truly solid.

What level had he reached now?

With anticipation, Jiang Xiaotian walked over and threw a punch without hesitation.

The stone remained untouched. Jiang Xiaotian snorted, withdrawing his hand.

So much for that. He’d only scraped off some skin—a little blood, nothing more.

No good, he thought. I’d better go home and apply some ointment; it really hurts.

He realized he’d been too optimistic. How could one become a god overnight?

He did not notice two men had been watching him for some time.

One, a skinny fellow with a cigarette dangling from his lips, had a lazy air about him. Despite his scrawny frame, everyone called him Monkey Bro.

He was known for his ruthlessness—not that he was particularly skilled at fighting, but such street thugs fought without any regard for consequences.

Yesterday, Chen Kai had given him two thousand yuan, asking him to teach someone a lesson—beat him up every day for a week, but not cripple him all at once. Ideally, he would be slowly broken.

Monkey Bro dared not refuse Chen Kai’s request. Truth be told, he had little interest in such trivial matters, especially since the target was an orphan with no real abilities.

He knew nothing of Ling’er; Chen Kai assumed she was also part of the underworld, so before figuring out her background, he wouldn’t act rashly.

But Jiang Xiaotian? He was just a punching bag; what did it matter?

“Hey, come over here,” Monkey Bro called lazily, barely lifting his eyelids.

Jiang Xiaotian turned at the sound, saw the two men, and his heart skipped a beat. Trouble had arrived.

But he realized he was not as afraid as before. This was a chance to test himself—how much had he changed?

“Are you looking for me?” Jiang Xiaotian replied, his tone calm and composed.

Monkey Bro was taken aback; he’d expected the coward to shrink away, but Jiang Xiaotian showed no fear.

Interesting, he thought. This could be fun.

He decided to be direct.

“Fatty, with him acting like this, how should we deal with it?” Monkey Bro asked.

The burly man beside him cracked his knuckles and stepped toward Jiang Xiaotian. “No need for you to get involved, Monkey Bro. I’ll handle this waste myself.”

Monkey Bro nodded. “Go ahead. Break two fingers; we’ll take it slow.”

Jiang Xiaotian frowned. Fights were common here—or rather, him being bullied was common. No one ever helped, and even witnesses would keep their distance, afraid to get involved.

If he were beaten now, no one would come to his rescue.

He was about six feet tall, but his thin build made him seem insignificant before the burly man, as if a single punch could knock him flat.

Previously, Jiang Xiaotian would have begged for mercy, but now, for reasons unknown, he felt utterly calm—not afraid at all.

He sensed that these two posed no real threat to him.

The burly man assumed Jiang Xiaotian was paralyzed by fear and strode up, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You shouldn’t have crossed the wrong people—and now you act so tough? If you kneel and kowtow to us, maybe I’ll go easy on you.”

Jiang Xiaotian looked at him with a half-smile and gently brushed away his hand.

The other’s smile grew cold—this was clear provocation.

“You’re asking for it!” He wasted no words, swinging a fist at Jiang Xiaotian’s head.

Despite his size, he was fast and powerful; even Monkey Bro wouldn’t dare take that punch head-on.

But the moment he swung, Jiang Xiaotian’s mind buzzed with that peculiar sensation.

He reacted instinctively—his fist shot out like lightning.

In the next instant, their fists collided.

A dull groan and the sharp crack of bone resounded.

Jiang Xiaotian staggered backward, shaking his hand. He nearly forgot his right hand was already injured, and now it felt like salt had been rubbed in the wound—pain exploded.

But it was only pain.

The burly man, meanwhile, stared at Jiang Xiaotian, his face contorted in disbelief.

Agonizing pain told him—his fingers were broken.

His face shifted from red to white in rage.

Monkey Bro frowned, sensing something was off. Wasn’t Jiang Xiaotian supposed to take a beating without fighting back?

“Enough playing around. There’s something strange about this kid. Today, just vent your anger—so long as he doesn’t die,” Monkey Bro said.

The burly man took a deep breath, a cruel smile returning to his face.

Seeing the blood on Jiang Xiaotian’s hand, he assumed it was from the collision.

Jiang Xiaotian, meanwhile, was exhilarated. That reflexive response—he could never have managed it before!

Just as he was getting excited, the sensation returned. He looked up sharply, seeing the burly man charging at him like a rampaging bull.

Jiang Xiaotian responded with a simple, powerful whip kick.

He felt a heavy impact through his shin and watched as the burly man flew backwards like a kite with its string cut.