Chapter 31
Wei Zhi's body went limp instantly as she collapsed onto the ground.
Yinghua froze, panic flooding her face. "Shi fu—?"
Lin Yi simply smiled.
"It's not your fault."
Because he already knew.
Wuming had the strongest body among them.
Wei Zhi—
Had the strongest soul.
Lin Yi let the moment settle after Wei Zhi collapsed, his silver eyes calmly observing the reactions unfolding before him, as if this outcome had been expected from the very beginning. The morning light filtered softly through the branches above, but the atmosphere around them had shifted—tightened—especially with Yinghua still staring at Wei Zhi in shock and Weiyang rubbing his neck, half-annoyed and half-relieved to still be breathing properly. Wuming stood a little apart, his expression unreadable, his gaze flickering once toward Wei Zhi before returning to Lin Yi, waiting.
Lin Yi finally spoke, his tone smooth, almost instructive, as though this were nothing more than a simple demonstration. "Now look carefully," he said, folding his arms loosely as his long black hair moved slightly with the wind. "Wei Zhi, Weiyang, Yinghua, Wuming… what do you all see?"
Yinghua hesitated for a moment before answering, still unsettled. Her eyes remained fixed on Wei Zhi's body lying on the ground. "She's just… laying there," she said slowly, trying to make sense of it. "Her eyes are open, but she can't move. She can hear us, right?" There was uncertainty in her voice now, mixed with a faint worry she didn't quite hide.
Wei Zhi indeed lay motionless, her body completely still against the soft ground beneath the Yinghua tree, her eyes open but unresponsive, as if trapped inside her own body. The paralysis was precise—clean—no wasted movement, no chaos. Just control.
Weiyang frowned, stepping a little closer, curiosity overtaking his earlier irritation. "Wait… can't she even move her eyes?" he asked, crouching slightly to get a better look. There was a pause before he added, almost defensively, "I mean… I could move mine when she hit me. Not fully, but… a little."
Lin Yi's gaze shifted to him, a faint smile tugging at his lips—not mocking, but knowing. "Were you able to?" he repeated, almost casually.
Weiyang scratched the back of his head, nodding. "Yeah… kind of. Not properly, but I could still look around."
Lin Yi hummed softly at that, his eyes narrowing just slightly—not in judgment, but in quiet calculation. Inside, his thoughts moved far quicker than his expression ever showed.
Abnormal.
That was the only word that fit.
His gaze swept across all four of them again, slower this time, more deliberate.
First—Wuming. A boy from one of the strongest clans, carrying himself with unnatural control and a body that had already surpassed what most could achieve at his level. Lin Yi could tell without even testing it properly—ordinary techniques wouldn't affect him the same way. Even that pulse strike earlier… it had done nothing.
Second—Weiyang. The last descendant of the Yaksha bloodline. Carefree on the surface, loud, energetic—but underneath, his control over wind and his physical adaptability were far beyond what he himself probably realized.
Third—Yinghua. A quiet presence, soft, observant… but her lineage spoke louder than she ever would. A descendant of Lan Shen, one of the former Seven Sovereigns. Her clan may have faded into something ordinary now, serving the throne instead of ruling beside it—but blood didn't forget so easily.
And then—
His eyes rested on Wei Zhi.
Still lying there.
Still silent.
An enigma.
"…and lastly," Lin Yi thought quietly to himself, his gaze sharpening just a fraction, "Wei Zhi."
No clear origin.
No obvious limit.
Only results.
Strong… but in a way that didn't follow normal patterns.
He exhaled softly, almost amused under his breath.
"What a troublesome group…" he murmured internally, though his outward expression remained composed.
Then, aloud, he said calmly, "What you're seeing is controlled paralysis. Not damage. Not injury. Her body is intact—her senses are active—but her motor functions have been sealed through precise interference with her pulse point and qi flow."
His eyes shifted briefly toward Weiyang. "The reason you could still move your eyes… is because the pressure wasn't perfectly balanced. Slight deviation. Enough to leave a gap. And also because your pulse points are stronger than others."
Then back to Wei Zhi.
"But this—" he gestured lightly toward her still form, "—this is precision."
There was no praise in his tone.
Just acknowledgement.
And beneath that calm explanation, one quiet realization lingered in his mind—
This wasn't going to be a normal team.
Not even close.
Lin Yi stood there with his arms loosely folded, his long black hair falling over his shoulders in smooth strands, silver eyes observing everything with a quiet sharpness that didn't match his relaxed posture. For a moment, he said nothing, simply watching the three of them—Wuming standing still with that unreadable calm, Yinghua catching her breath after the strain, and Weiyang still rubbing his neck with a faint grimace. But behind that composed exterior, his thoughts were anything but calm.
What a torture this is going to be…
The realization settled in slowly, heavily, not as complaint—but as truth.
His gaze shifted first to Yinghua. She stood there, slightly shaken but attentive, her posture already adjusting, her mind clearly processing what had just happened. There was a natural sharpness in her eyes, a kind of quiet intelligence that didn't need to announce itself loudly. She learned fast—too fast, perhaps. The kind of student who observed once, failed once, and adjusted immediately. That kind of growth was dangerous… but useful.
Then his eyes moved.
Wei Zhi.
She was different.
Completely.
Lin Yi's gaze lingered on her a second longer, his expression almost unreadable now. She understood the technique—that much was obvious. She didn't hesitate when she struck, didn't question the method, didn't doubt the execution.
But—
Her control.
That was the problem.
"She knows how to do it…" he thought quietly, watching her, "…but not how much to do."
Her strength wasn't lacking.
If anything—
It was excessive.
Unrefined.
Unmeasured.
The amount of qi she had used earlier to release Weiyang's pulse point—it hadn't been precise. It had been overwhelming. Even he had noticed it immediately. For a brief second, he had even considered intervening himself.
Because that level of force—
Was unnecessary.
And dangerous.
"…even I had to use a considerable amount to undo that," he admitted inwardly, his brows lowering ever so slightly. "And she did it like it was nothing."
That wasn't normal.
That wasn't training.
That was instinct.
Raw, unfiltered, and unchecked.
It became clearer the more he thought about it.
Wei Zhi didn't regulate her qi the way others did.
She didn't measure it.
Didn't distribute it.
Didn't refine it based on need.
She simply—
Used it.
As much as required.
Or rather—
More than required.
Every time.
"…she's not lacking control over herself," Lin Yi realized, his gaze sharpening faintly. "She's lacking control over output."
There was a difference.
A massive one.
On herself—her control might be flawless. Perfect, even. That would explain how she could handle such intense techniques, such precise internal manipulation, without collapsing or damaging her own system.
But when it came to others—
She didn't adjust.
Didn't scale.
Didn't limit.
Because her body—
Wasn't like theirs.
"…her entire system is built differently," he concluded silently.
Which meant her perception of "normal" qi usage—
Was completely distorted.
To her, what she used might feel minimal.
But to others—
It was overwhelming.
Crushing.
Sometimes even harmful.
His eyes flickered briefly toward Weiyang again, then back to Wei Zhi.
"…this will be a problem," he thought.
A serious one.
Because in techniques like this—
Precision mattered more than power.
A slight excess could paralyze.
A little more—
Could stop qi flow entirely.
And beyond that—
It could destroy.
Not just temporarily.
But permanently.
"…she needs to learn restraint."
Not suppression.
Not reduction.
But control.
The ability to differentiate—
Between a fragile point and a reinforced one.
Between what requires a whisper of qi—
And what demands a surge.
Because right now—
To her—
Everything was the same.
Handled with force.
Solved with strength.
Lin Yi exhaled softly, almost inaudibly, his gaze steady as it remained on her.
"…small for weak points… large for heavy ones."
That was what she needed to understand.
Not later.
Now.
Because if she didn't—
Then one day—
That same strength she relied on so naturally…
Would become the very thing that destroyed someone she didn't intend to harm.
And that—
Was something he wouldn't allow.
After a brief pause, Lin Yi exhaled lightly and shifted his attention. "Yinghua, release Wei Zhi," he said, his tone calm but firm. Yinghua nodded at once and crouched beside Wei Zhi, her movements careful, almost hesitant at first. She slid one arm beneath Wei Zhi's head and lifted it gently—far more gently than one would expect in a training ground—resting it briefly against her lap as she focused her qi. Her fingers hovered near the precise point, her brows knitting together in concentration. This time, she didn't rush. She remembered the pressure, the flow, the balance. When she released the pulse point, it was controlled, steady—measured.
Wei Zhi inhaled softly as the stiffness left her body. She didn't react outwardly, didn't thank her, didn't even comment. She simply moved away from Yinghua's lap and rose to her feet in one smooth motion, her expression unreadable. But her eyes lingered on Yinghua for a second longer than necessary, observing, calculating. She learned fast, Wei Zhi thought quietly. She can already control her qi better than before.
Then, without a word, she looked at Lin Yi and gave a small, almost satisfied smile. Lin Yi met her gaze and nodded once, acknowledging it.
He turned toward Wuming next, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Mind bending down for a moment?"
"No."
The reply came instantly.
Wei Zhi's eyes slid toward him, unimpressed. "You were being considered out of concern," she said flatly, "but you make me look bad, Wuming."
He raised an eyebrow, unbothered. "Not my fault."
"If you do that—"
She didn't finish.
Her hand moved.
A precise strike landed against his neck.
Wuming's body went slack immediately, his balance giving out as he collapsed forward—and Wei Zhi caught him without hesitation, her arms steady as she held his weight. For a split second, silence fell over the group.
Weiyang blinked.
Yinghua froze.
Then—
Lin Yi laughed.
Not loudly, but clearly amused. "Good. Yinghua, try releasing him."
Yinghua hurried forward, this time more confident. She knelt beside Wuming, her fingers finding the exact point. She paused for a breath, then applied just the right amount of qi.
A second later—
Wuming's eyes snapped open.
He straightened, regaining control instantly, as if nothing had happened.
Lin Yi looked between them. "Do you both understand the concept of controlling qi now?"
Yinghua nodded.
Wei Zhi nodded.
Wuming frowned slightly. "What the hell was that?"
Lin Yi smiled faintly. "If your power is overwhelming… or if you accidentally concentrate too much qi… or if large output is all you can manage—" he gestured casually toward Wuming, "—use it on him. He can withstand it easily."
There was a brief pause.
Then—
Weiyang nodded.
Yinghua nodded.
Wei Zhi nodded.
Wuming's expression changed instantly, the color draining from his face. "I am also here to learn," he said slowly, his voice edged, "not to be a damn qi punching bag."
Yinghua and Wei Zhi both turned toward him.
Their eyes—
Warm.
Smiling.
Completely unbothered.
Wuming stared at them for a second, then clicked his tongue and looked away. "Get lost. Both of you."
He stepped aside, distancing himself.
The three of them exchanged glances before their attention shifted—
To Weiyang.
He was still standing there, struggling, his brows furrowed deeply as he tried to stabilize his qi. He could feel the pressure now—the expectation, the challenge. His jaw tightened.
"Fine," he muttered. "Wait. Let me try again."
He closed his eyes.
Focused.
This time—
He got it.
The flow stabilized.
The concentration sharpened.
End of 31