The air felt heavy.
No one moved.
Xu Tian stood facing the three cultivators, the two children held securely in his arms.
The man in front watched him with a faint smile.
"You're calm," he said. "That's rare."
Xu Tian didn't answer.
His attention stayed on them.
Their stance.
Their breathing.
They weren't like the beasts.
They were controlled.
The other two stepped to the side, spreading out without a word.
They were surrounding him.
Xu Tian noticed immediately.
"…So this is how you fight," he said quietly.
The man's smile grew slightly.
"You understand quickly."
His expression changed.
Then he moved.
Fast.
Much faster than the beasts.
Xu Tian's eyes sharpened.
Everything slowed again.
The movement became clear.
Direct.
Precise.
Xu Tian shifted his body.
The attack missed.
The man's eyes flickered for a moment.
But he didn't stop.
He turned and struck again.
Xu Tian stepped back.
The attack passed close to his chest.
Too close.
"…Stronger," Xu Tian murmured.
The other two moved.
Now all three attacked.
No hesitation.
No wasted motion.
Xu Tian's body reacted on its own.
Step.
Turn.
Shift.
Each movement felt natural.
But he couldn't counter easily.
Not while holding the children.
One of them lunged from the side.
Xu Tian twisted his body and kicked.
The impact pushed the man back several steps.
Not down.
But not unharmed either.
The first man stopped.
His expression changed.
"…Interesting," he said quietly.
Xu Tian stayed still.
His breathing was steady.
"They're stronger than the beasts," he thought.
"And they know what they're doing."
The three adjusted again.
More careful this time.
They had realized it.
Xu Tian wasn't normal.
"…Who are you?" one of them asked.
Xu Tian didn't answer.
He took a step forward instead.
That feeling inside him stirred again.
Stronger.
Clearer.
Xu Tian narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…I was wondering the same thing."
The first man's gaze darkened.
"Then let's find out."
He raised his hand.
The air around him shifted.
A faint energy gathered.
Xu Tian felt it immediately.
Different.
More focused.
More dangerous.
"…So this is cultivation," Xu Tian said quietly.
The attack came.
Faster than before.
Xu Tian moved.
But this time, he didn't just dodge.
He stepped forward.
His arm moved.
A single strike.
The moment their attacks met, a sharp sound echoed.
The man was pushed back.
His feet slid across the snow before he stopped.
Silence followed.
The other two froze.
They looked at him.
Then at Xu Tian.
Something had changed.
The first man straightened slowly.
The smile was gone.
"…You're not just surviving," he said.
Xu Tian stood still.
The wind moved between them.
"…Neither are you."
For a moment, no one moved.
Then the man raised his hand again.
But he didn't attack.
"…We'll meet again," he said.
The three stepped back.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Then they turned and left.
Xu Tian didn't follow.
He watched them disappear.
Only then did he relax slightly.
"…That was different," he murmured.
He looked at his hand.
That feeling inside him was still there.
Stronger than before.
And this time, he was starting to understand it.