Ling stood before his brother, Sky Chu, the sixth prince who was two years younger than him but already at the peak of the late Earth stage. When they were younger, they had some common ground despite not being too close. But ever since Chu started awakening his inner chi, he grew more confident and began to look down on Ling, despite Ling being the elder.
Ling didn't want to fight Chu and expose his newfound strength, but he resented Chu for being the only one who casually sought him out. No one in the clan would put an end to it, since it wasn't against clan law for princes to spar with each other. Besides Ling was always seen as a joke, no one would take him serious.
Chu was one of the few people Ling wished he could avoid attacking. The real reason he felt threatened by him was his mother—Queen Tasha, the second wife to the clan prince. The clan leader had married four wives. The first was Queen Jezbul, the most powerful of them all. She held the highest privileges and commanded the most respect in the noble household, she was also known as the real voice of authority in the clan since the clan leader himself was rarely seen. She had never once set her sights on Ling, even when his mother was alive, which Ling considered a blessing. He feared her the most and did not want to anger her. She bore the first and third princes, who were regarded as the most powerful martial cultivators in the Sky clan.
The second queen—Queen Tasha—was the one Ling hated most. She had been the fiercest challenger to his mother while she lived, she was also the only one who openly mocked Ling and had once tried to kill him. She despised Ling's mother more than anyone, seeing her as a threat to her power for reasons Ling could never fully understand. Queen Tasha bore three children for the clan leader—the second, fourth, and sixth princes.
The third queen, Queen Elise, was Ling's mother. She was the kindest and gentlest among the clan leader's wives. Until Ling was born, she lived in peace, but after his disgraceful birth, her status in the clan plummeted. Everyone gradually turned their backs on her, a thing Ling blamed his incomoetence for. She died of a strange illness Ling believed had been caused by the second queen, though he had little proof. What made it certain in his mind was that Queen Tasha was the only one who showed up to Elise's burial—just to mock him.
The fourth queen, Belle, was the youngest and the only one who didn't look down on Ling. While his mother was alive, Belle was friendly to him. But after her death, she distanced herself like the others. She didn't mock him, but she didn't defend him either. And for that he had an agenda against her. She had the seventh prince, an infant named Red.
Chu's proud snort annoyed Ling more than any of his other siblings. He wished he could avoid the fight this time more than many but Chu was always the one to jump in blind into a fight.
"Come on, trash brother," Chu said, grinning. "I heard you wanted to train, so fight me like always. I've been waiting outside this room to pummel your face for a day now. Don't be shy. I'll even fight you with one hand behind my back if that helps."
Ling hissed as the blood from his nose dripped onto his shirt. "Damn it. You got blood on my shirt."
The illusionary dragon appeared next to him and said, "He's stronger than you. I advise you not to fight him."
Ling already knew that much, but he wasn't given much of a choice. He darted forward without delay. His footwork was lighter than usual. Chu seemed a bit surprised at first, but the arrogant brat quickly adjusted.
Though he had handicapped himself, Chu's sharp eyes followed Ling's movement. As Ling closed the gap, Chu launched a strong kick toward his face. Ling blocked it with his arm. The impact made his body tremble, and he lost balance for a moment. That was all the time Chu needed to send him flying backward with a heavy blow to the face.
"For a minute there, I thought you were actually trying," Chu said cheerfully, his voice like a serpent burrowing into Ling's conscience.
Ling grunted as he climbed back to his feet, his mouth coated with the metallic taste of blood. The red fluid began to drip down his chin. The pain was a bitter reminder of the weakness he used to live with. Even if it took a miracle, he wanted to smash Chu's smug face into a wall.
The illusionary dragon, still hovering lazily nearby, looked at him with hollow eyes and said, "I'm disappointed. Why not try channeling chi into your attacks?"
Ling had unknowingly started throwing wild punches, as always. He tried to block out Chu's mocking tone and focus on his internal energy. He turned his mind inward, envisioning his core. He closed his eyes and saw a small, pulsing blue orb. He could feel the energy flowing through the pathways of his body. With enough focus, he could guide it.
The difference between an Earth-rank and a Sky-rank martial cultivator was how they used chi. An Earth-rank cultivator could use chi in a limited, inefficient way because of their weak core. A Sky-rank cultivator could circulate chi throughout their body effortlessly. One of the biggest hurdles in advancing to the Sky rank was mastering chi control.
Despite it being his first time consciously circulating chi, Ling adapted quickly. But Chu's endless taunting made it hard to concentrate.
"Come on, Ling," Chu called with mock cheer. "As a senior, you've got to teach your junior a lesson."
At that moment, Ling opened his eyes and exhaled slowly. "Don't worry. This senior will teach you a lesson you'll never forget."by