In the other corner of the backyard, Yu and Buddy were a spectacle in themselves. Buddy's form shimmered, shifting subtly with every movement, like liquid shadow and light fused together.
Buddy shot into the sky like a streak of light, gaining distance to evade Yu's attack. With a graceful sweep of his aura, he lifted a massive boulder, holding it effortlessly as he hovered higher.
Yu's eyes widened, a mix of shock and focus. There was no time to be awed—every second counted. His instincts screamed at him to act, to anticipate Buddy's next move.
Before Yu could react further, the boulder transformed. Magma coursed over its surface, molten lava dripping violently onto the ground below, sizzling and steaming as it met the earth. The heat was intense, but Yu knew he couldn't hesitate. This delay, however, gave him a brief window to strategize.
"He's planning to cook something even bigger," Yu muttered through gritted teeth, eyes tracking Buddy's movements.
Leaping into the air, Yu thought he had gained momentum, but a sudden, oppressive force slammed down on him. The world tilted violently as his body was driven to the ground with bone-jarring impact. He spat out blood and grit, chest heaving, pain radiating through every fiber of his being.
Looking up through a haze of smoke and dust, Yu saw Buddy climbing higher, a fierce determination in his posture despite the obvious exhaustion. The pressure dissipated as quickly as it came, but Yu's body still burned from the impact. Survival demanded immediate action.
He crawled briefly, gathering his strength, and then launched himself back onto his feet. His eyes widened, scanning the sky for any sign of Buddy's next move. Energy crackled in the air, the heat of the magma and the tension of the standoff blending into a tangible, dangerous aura.
Yu clenched his fists, feeling the Qi coursing through his body, now sharpened by the sixth stage of Foundation Establishment. He knew that one mistake here could cost him dearly—but he also knew that to survive, he had to embrace the danger, not shy away from it.
The intense battle was far from over.
Buddy, exhausted yet relentless, poured every last ounce of energy into his attack. His breathing grew ragged, but his eyes still burned with determination. The magma swirling above him pulsed violently, threatening to collapse under its own power.
To keep it stable—and to keep himself conscious—Buddy reached deeper within, tapping into a sliver of his race's innate power. A faint crimson glow ignited across his body, his aura surging like a volcano on the brink of eruption.
Buddy's body, once a perfect balance of light and darkness, now leaned toward shadow. The darkness crept over the light—a mark that he had tapped into the unlawful aspect of his race, one that defied the very laws he was born to uphold.
The air shimmered around him, trembling beneath the weight of his unleashed energy. Even from afar, Yu could feel the pressure intensifying—a sign that Buddy had crossed the threshold of his limits.
Buddy's aura surged again, unstable yet focused. The air around him shimmered, distorting like heat waves. Then, with a low growl, he clenched his claws—gravity itself bent to his will.
The ground behind Yu cracked as an invisible force pressed down,buddy missed, heavier and heavier with each heartbeat. Dust and pebbles floated for a brief instant before slamming into the earth as if the world itself had grown denser.
Yu dashed forward, weaving through the crushing waves of gravity that still lingered in the air. Each step cracked the ground behind him, the pressure biting at his skin, but his focus didn't waver. Behind him, the earth caved and shattered—proof of Buddy's overwhelming power.
Both of them knew it—time was running out. Their bodies screamed, their energy nearly spent. It was now or never.
Then, suddenly, the air grew still. The suffocating weight vanished. Yu's eyes widened as he saw Buddy rising higher, wings spread wide, gathering his energy into one final strike. The air rippled around him like a storm ready to burst.
Yu looked up his eyes widened.A small, fierce grin formed on Yu's lips. "So you're betting it all on this" he whispered.
This was the opening he had been waiting for—the moment he'd been preparing for all along.
Buddy extended his wings wide, his form half-shrouded in shadow. The molten boulder above him pulsed with violent energy, a miniature sun dripping with rivers of lava.
Then, the air around it bent.
Gravity itself obeyed his will — no, his decree. The space around the boulder folded inward, creating a dense, invisible sphere of force. The magma compressed, its glow deepening from orange to searing white, as if ready to collapse into itself.
With a final roar, Buddy released it — not thrown, but commanded to fall. The moment it entered the gravity field, it accelerated beyond natural law, crashing toward Yu like the judgment of a falling star.
Yu froze for a split second, his breath catching as the looming boulder above seemed to swallow the sky. To his eyes, it looked less like a rock and more like a mountain ready to crush him whole.
Then instinct took over.
He knew he wouldn't outrun it at this rate. With a desperate breath, Yu slammed his palms into the ground, channeling his earth attribute and the dense qi of the sixth stage.
The earth trembled, rising to form a massive wall of stone and iron-like soil, layer upon layer reinforcing itself.
But the magma boulder that descended from above wasn't just fire — it was pure devastation, infused with Buddy's gravity field. The moment it hit, the barrier shattered like glass, molten rock flooding over the ground.
Yu was thrown back, the shockwave tearing at his arms and legs, his qi flaring wildly to keep his body intact. The air around him burned, his lungs screaming for breath — yet through the pain, a flicker of determination still blazed in his eyes.
Yu coughed, smoke and dust swirling around him. His arms trembled, his qi felt like it was tearing his veins apart — but he refused to back down.
He raised his head, eyes locking on the crimson glow above.
"Buddy… you're really trying to kill me, huh?"
He laughed weakly — not out of mockery, but sheer thrill.
Then, with a deep breath, Yu pressed his hand to the ground again, this time not to defend — but to strike back. His qi roared like an awakened beast, earth essence gathering beneath his feet, wrapping around his body.
In that instant, his movements became fluid yet fierce — like molten stone.
He launched forward, straight into the inferno.
The moment the boulder descended, Yu's qi erupted from below — the ground cracked open, pillars of earth surged upward, colliding with the flaming mass. The explosion illuminated the entire backyard in red and gold.
When the dust settled, the boulder was gone.
Only two figures remained — Yu, panting, covered in ash, and Buddy, floating weakly with a faint glow of both light and darkness flickering on his wings.
They locked eyes.
And then — both burst out laughing.
The formation faded, the fight's intensity melting into silence.
Their parents, who had been watching from the terrace, exchanged relieved smiles.
The day passed, and night quietly settled over the house. Of course, all four of them had received a heavy punishment for taking the spar too far.
Now, the once lively dinner table — usually filled with laughter and chatter — was wrapped in an uncomfortable silence. The clinking of chopsticks against bowls was the only sound in the room.
Liora and Buddy sat with their heads lowered, clearly guilty. Chi and Yu, though trying to act casual, couldn't help sneaking glances at the adults, waiting for someone to speak first.
Then suddenly—
Lianhua set her chopsticks down with a sharp clack. "So," she began, her voice calm but dangerously sweet, "who's going to explain why the backyard looks like a battlefield?"
Chi froze mid-bite. Yu looked down at his bowl as if it suddenly became the most interesting thing in the world. Liora quietly hid behind Haoran, and Buddy pretended to fall asleep right at the table.
Haoran sighed, rubbing his temples. "You four are unbelievable. I said spar, not 'recreate the end of the world.'"
Yuanhai, standing beside him, shook his head. "Yes, you two should reflect on your behavior."
A vein popped on Lianhua's forehead. Slowly, she turned toward them with a dangerously calm smile. "What did you two just say?"
Both men froze.
"You two were supposed to supervise them," she continued, voice dripping with restrained fury. "What were you doing? Unbelievable! I go outside for one errand—one!—and when I come back, I find my children bruised, the backyard shattered, and two primordial beasts casually napping in the debris like nothing happened!"
Haoran coughed lightly, trying to salvage the situation. "Well… you see… that's how training works, dear."
Lianhua slowly turned her glare on him. "Oh really? Should I 'train' you the same way, then?"
Haoran immediately straightened up. "No need! They've learned enough today!"
Yuanhai, meanwhile, was quietly trying to inch toward the door. "Well, it's getting late—"
"Sit. Down." Lianhua's voice cracked like a whip.
Both fathers dropped back into their seats instantly.
At the other end of the table, Chi and Yu were frozen stiff, eating as silently as possible, eyes glued to their plates. Liora and Buddy had turned completely invisible—whether from instinct or fear, no one could tell.
The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a sword.
"Huh…" Lianhua sighed, massaging her temples, clearly exhausted. "What do I even do with the four of you…"
Her gaze lingered on Haoran and Yuanhai for a long moment before she finally shook her head. "Enough. I'll deal with both of you later."
Both men stiffened immediately, looking anywhere but at her.
Then, turning her attention to the boys, she softened—though only slightly. "Now, Chi, Yu…"
The two straightened instinctively, sitting like soldiers awaiting judgment.
"You two have a lot of explaining to do. The backyard looks like a battlefield. The training grounds are supposed to help you grow, not turn into a warzone."
Chi scratched his cheek awkwardly. "In our defense… it was training."
Yu quickly added, "Yeah, and technically no one died."
Lianhua blinked slowly, her eyebrow twitching. "Technically?"
Both boys immediately went silent, looking down at their food like it was suddenly fascinating.
Suddenly, Lian burst into tears. Both men instantly stood up in unison.
"We'll go check on her," they said hurriedly.
But before they could take a single step, Lianhua's voice cut through the room like a whip.
"Now, Liora, Buddy—come out here right now!"
The air tensed instantly. A soft shimmer appeared in the corner of the room as Liora materialized, ribbons drooping low like a scolded child. Buddy followed soon after, floating hesitantly, his once-bright form dimmed.
Neither dared to meet Lianhua's eyes.
"I told you both," she said, her voice calm but heavy, "no using your powers indoors—or in a way that could hurt anyone."
Buddy scratched the back of his head, mumbling, "It wasn't that bad…"
A sharp glare from Lianhua silenced him immediately.
Liora fidgeted with the ends of her ribbons, whispering, "We just wanted to help them train…"
Lianhua exhaled slowly, the tension in her shoulders easing just a little. "Next time, helping means stopping them before they destroy half the backyard."
Both Liora and Buddy lowered their heads. The room was quiet except for the faint clatter of chopsticks.
Haoran tried to ease the tension with a nervous chuckle. "Well… at least the backyard still exists."
Lianhua gave him a sharp side-eye. "Barely."
Yuanhai cleared his throat, glancing at the four guilty faces around the table. "I think they've learned their lesson for now."
Lianhua crossed her arms. "They'd better have. Tomorrow morning, you're all fixing that backyard—no training until it's back to normal."
"Ehh?!" Yu and Chi groaned in unison, while Buddy let out a faint "Can't we just… float it back together?"
"No."
Haoran and Yuanhai both nodded quickly, trying not to laugh.
Liora and Buddy appeared instantly, their heads hanging low.
Lianhua's calm voice was far more terrifying than her anger. "You two… do you realize what could've happened if Haoran and Yuanhai hadn't stepped in?"
Neither beast dared to speak.
Then her gaze shifted—slowly—to Chi and Yu. Both froze, sweat forming at their temples.
"Now you two…" she said, her tone dangerously gentle. "Do you have anything to say for yourselves?"
Yu tried a nervous laugh. "Uh… we learned a lot?"
Chi nodded quickly. "Yes! Extremely educational experience—"
"Educational?" Lianhua's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Then tomorrow, you'll educate yourselves by fixing the backyard you destroyed. Every stone, every blade of grass. Understood?"
Both of them slumped in defeat. "Yes…"
Haoran coughed lightly to hide his amusement. "At least they're improving fast."
Lianhua shot him a glare. "Do you want to help them tomorrow too?"
"...No, ma'am."