The air changed.
Subtle.
But clear.
Xu Tian stood still, his gaze fixed ahead.
That presence was no longer distant.
It was close.
Inside the settlement.
He turned slightly.
Across the open area, a figure stood.
Young.
Clean robes.
Calm posture.
But different from the others.
The people nearby had already stepped back.
Creating space.
Avoiding attention.
Xu Tian's eyes narrowed.
"…So this is one of them."
The figure began walking toward him.
Unhurried.
Confident.
Each step carried weight.
Not physical.
But something else.
Xu Tian felt it immediately.
Stronger than the three before.
More controlled.
The man stopped a short distance away.
His gaze moved to Xu Tian.
Then to the children.
Then back.
"You came from the mountain," he said.
Xu Tian didn't answer right away.
Then nodded once.
"Yes."
The man studied him for a moment.
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"…You went inside."
Not a question.
Xu Tian remained calm.
"Yes."
Silence followed.
The people around them kept their distance.
No one spoke.
No one interfered.
The man took a small step forward.
"You shouldn't have," he said.
Xu Tian met his gaze.
"And yet I did."
A faint smile appeared.
Not friendly.
"…You don't seem afraid."
Xu Tian's expression didn't change.
"Should I be?"
The man's smile faded.
The air grew heavier.
"You took something that doesn't belong to you," he said.
Xu Tian's grip on the children remained steady.
"…If it was meant to be taken, then it belongs to whoever can take it."
The silence deepened.
The man's eyes hardened.
"…So that's your answer."
Xu Tian didn't move.
"Yes."
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the man stepped forward.
The pressure in the air increased instantly.
Not wild.
Controlled.
Focused entirely on Xu Tian.
The ground beneath them felt heavier.
The people around them moved further away.
No one wanted to be near.
Xu Tian felt it.
Stronger than before.
More refined.
He adjusted his stance slightly.
"…Better than the others," he thought.
The man raised his hand.
Energy gathered.
Clear.
Visible this time.
Xu Tian's eyes sharpened.
"…So this is the difference."
The man's voice was calm.
"Give it back."
Xu Tian didn't move.
"No."
The answer was simple.
Final.
The air froze.
Then the man moved.
And this time-
There was no holding back.