Chapter 4 — Truth Beyond the Sky and the fox charm
Months passed after Tian'er and his mother moved into the new yard.
Life there was quieter. Safer. The days no longer carried the constant tension of survival. Yet Luo Xiao Tian noticed something unsettling—his mother had changed.
At times, she would sit alone in the courtyard, holding a thin sheet of paper. On it were always the same two figures: an old man and an old woman, standing close, their postures intimate, gentle. She would stare at the drawing for long periods, unmoving, as if time itself had frozen.
Those moments carried a heaviness Xiao Tian could not understand.
One afternoon, he finally approached her.
He reached out and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.
"Mother… who are they?"
The question he had buried for months finally surfaced.
Luo Xin'er's fingers trembled. Her gaze did not leave the drawing.
"Your real grandparents," she said quietly.
The words struck him harder than expected.
"Then why didn't they come for us?" Xiao Tian asked, his voice shaking. "Why didn't they save us these past eighteen years? Did they abandon us too?"
His chest tightened. Long-suppressed emotions surged forward.
"I've always wanted family," he continued, his eyes reddening. "But everyone despised me. Just because one doctor said I was a waste. Just because I couldn't stand beside those so-called geniuses… they all refused to acknowledge me."
Silence stretched.
Then Luo Xin'er finally looked at him.
"They never abandoned us, Tian'er."
He froze.
"The Luo family you know in this world… they are not your real family," she said slowly. "That is why they never came. That is why no one searched for us."
Xiao Tian clenched his fists.
"What do you mean, Mother?"
She took a long breath.
"The truth is… I am not from the Great Thousand World."
His pupils contracted.
"I come from a blue planet called Earth," she continued. "A world without cultivation. There, people fight for money, cars, houses. They rely on science and knowledge, not immortality."
Xiao Tian stared at her in disbelief.
A world without qi?
"A place like that exists?" he murmured.
"I want to see it one day," he said after a moment, lifting the wine gourd to his lips.
She smiled faintly, then sadness returned to her eyes.
"I came here out of curiosity. I wanted to know what lay beyond the portal I found that day. Once I crossed, I could never return."
She paused.
"Granny Luo took me in. I stayed because my surname is Luo here… and it is also Luo on Earth."
Xiao Tian hesitated, then asked softly, "Did they… dislike me?"
"They love you, Tian'er," she said without hesitation. "More than you know."
She looked toward the sky.
"Only by reaching the Peak of Cultivation can one tear open the heavens and cross all realms and planets."
Then she changed the subject.
"The Gold Coast Academy will begin admissions in one month," she said. "Apply. It is not the strongest academy in Qing City, but it has history. That alone is valuable."
"The selection will take place at the City Tower," she added. "Young talents will compete for a single chance."
With that, she left him alone.
That night, Luo Xiao Tian sat on the rooftop, drinking quietly.
Thoughts of Earth churned endlessly in his mind.
A world without cultivation… yet still fighting.
In the end, he set those thoughts aside.
He crossed his legs and entered meditation.
The cold night wind brushed past him, carrying faint traces of qi. He remained unmoving until dawn.
At first light, he rushed to the City Tower to apply.
The place was crowded with youths brimming with confidence.
The requirement was clear: Renegade Lord Realm or above.
Xiao Tian knew he fell short—but his mother had already begged the examiner for a chance.
"If I enter Gold Coast Academy," he thought, "I can find the answer to my bottleneck… and learn the laws of time and space."
"Only then can I truly control the Yin–Yang Twin Souls."
On his way back, he sensed a disturbance ahead.
A man cloaked in ragged black clothing blocked a woman's path. His movements were crooked, his aura foul.
The woman wore a flowing blue-red dress, her face pale as she retreated step by step.
Dark qi surged from the man's body—coiling, twisted.
Dark Dragon Qi.
The man lunged.
Xiao Tian stepped forward.
The moment he moved, black-and-white qi erupted from his dantian, spiraling into a rotating Yin–Yang pattern.
The thief sneered and struck first.
A shadowy dragon-shaped qi claw shot forward, tearing through the air.
Xiao Tian raised his palm.
Black met white.
Yin suppressed. Yang annihilated.
The two forces collided violently. The dragon qi shattered, scattering like smoke.
Xiao Tian advanced, each step heavy with pressure. His Yin–Yang qi rotated faster, crushing the opponent's meridians.
The man screamed as he was blasted backward, blood spilling from his mouth before he fled in panic.
Silence returned.
Luo Xiao Tian steadied the young woman and helped her back to her feet.
She adjusted her sleeves, still shaken, then bowed slightly.
"I'm Lin Mei," she said softly. "Second daughter of the Lin Clan."
"Luo Xiao Tian," he replied. "Nice to meet you."
He lifted his wine gourd and took a casual sip, eyes lingering for half a breath too long.
"You're beautiful," he said plainly. "Would you mind being my girlfriend?"
The words left his mouth too smoothly.
Lin Mei's cheeks flushed crimson.
"I… I…" she stammered, retreating a step.
Xiao Tian followed without thinking, closing the distance between them. His hand rested on her waist, gentle yet firm, his gaze locking onto her clear, startled eyes.
Something felt wrong.
Why am I acting like this? he thought dimly.
Before reason could regain control, he leaned forward and kissed her.
Lin Mei's body stiffened, then softened. Her thoughts spiraled in confusion.
I can't believe this… why can't I resist?
Hidden atop a nearby roof beam, a fox-eared lounged lazily, legs swinging in the air.
Shu Xia.
A mischievous smile curved her lips as she watched the scene below.
"So it's working," she murmured, tossing a piece of fruit into her mouth.
She was the one who had arranged the earlier ambush. Romance amused her. Manipulation delighted her even more.
With a casual wave of her hand, waves of invisible charm rippled outward like drifting petals.
Fox Clan Qi Art — Violent Color.
Fast-spreading. Subtle. Dangerous.
Xiao Tian's vision blurred.
Then—
No.
A sharp clarity surged from deep within his consciousness.
The Dao Seed trembled.
Golden light erupted, washing through his sea of awareness, tearing apart the invading charm as if it were mist before the sun.
His body stiffened. His eyes cleared.
This isn't my will.
He stepped back at once, releasing Lin Mei.
She gasped, her face burning, then turned and fled without looking back.
I can't believe I did that… she thought, heart racing.
From the shadows, Shu Xia straightened, fox eyes narrowing.
"He broke free?" she muttered, disbelief flickering across her face.
A slow grin followed.
"Interesting, Luo Xiao Tian," she said lightly. "Don't worry… I'll come for you."
With a flick of her sleeve, her figure dissolved into mist.
Xiao Tian stood alone on the street.
He raised the wine gourd and drank deeply, brow furrowed.
"A fox charm…" he muttered. "Troublesome."