Chapter Twenty-Four: The Cause

Moreover, Shen An noticed that the soldiers and special forces, who usually would intervene, were merely watching the fight, with no one making a move. It was as if this scene had been arranged in advance.

"Kid, don't meddle. This isn't something a nameless youngster like you can interfere with. Your family will suffer catastrophic consequences because of your actions." The man was clearly caught off guard by Shen An's sudden intervention, and the power contained in Shen An's palm startled him.

"A newly awakened ability user... He looks so young, yet his strength is formidable. Which family's junior could he be?" Names flashed through his mind, but none matched Shen An. He determined Shen An was definitely not from one of the major families, otherwise he would have recognized him immediately. The only explanation now was that this youth was a recent awakened one.

This was the new term established by those in power. Some called them 'ability users,' others 'extraordinaries.' In any case, all referred to those who benefited from the upheaval of heaven and earth. Their bodies had mutated, granting them special abilities—some could wield immense strength, others could breathe fire, freeze objects, move with incredible speed, or grow physically tougher.

Those who gained abilities could naturally absorb primordial oxygen, growing stronger without end. However, after the appearance of ability users, another discovery was made: the spiritual fruit. It was found by chance after the upheaval. Although some tried to keep it secret, news of the spiritual fruit eventually leaked through special channels. Some had already consumed it, thereby gaining powers.

This discovery ignited a fierce internal struggle among the major families, hidden beneath the surface of normal life. The spiritual fruit had now fallen into the hands of the Chu family—one of Silver City's four great families. The Chu family had ties with the military, and recently, a strange new force had emerged, seizing many spiritual fruits from the Chu family. Despite its power, the Chu family had no idea who their adversary was.

So, on this day, they offered the spiritual fruit as a reward, hoping to lure out the mastermind behind the scenes. Everything was ready. Yet, at the crucial moment, such a powerful individual appeared—someone strong enough to contend with an awakened one. The forces behind him made the relationship between the Chu family and the military even more delicate; the military, allied with the Chu family, now chose merely to observe.

All signs indicated that the opposing force was not weaker than the Chu family. Such power, apart from the four great families, could not be guessed at. Shen An, however, cared nothing for family politics. His only goal now was to drive the opponent away.

"You're awake?" Bai Weiwei's face was pale. Seeing that Shen An had saved her and feeling the warmth of his palm, her cheeks flushed slightly. It was her own people who had knocked Shen An unconscious earlier, and now she was too shy to look him in the eye.

"Heh, I was never really unconscious," Shen An chuckled lightly.

At his words, Bai Weiwei's eyes widened in surprise. Lying down, she began to cough violently.

"You mean... you were pretending to be unconscious all along?" Not just Bai Weiwei, but even Chu Yuxi stared wide-eyed. If so, then he had heard all their conversations earlier. She suddenly lowered her gaze, not daring to look at Shen An.

The two women were like children caught doing something wrong, too embarrassed to meet his eyes.

Suddenly, Bai Weiwei looked up and said, "You should leave. You're no match for him; you haven't awakened any abilities."

At this point, Bai Weiwei couldn't worry about keeping secrets, only hoping Shen An would escape. Her earlier actions had already caused him to misunderstand; she didn't want to add to his trouble. She hoped the opponent might let him go, since Shen An was not part of the Chu family, and there was no need to offend other families.

Just then, the man opposite spoke again.

"Heh, so you're just a nobody?"

Having guessed a few things, he grew even more arrogant, his earlier caution replaced by insolence.

"Indeed, I am a nobody," Shen An sent a thread of primordial oxygen energy into Bai Weiwei, stabilizing her wounds, and stepped forward.

"And you don’t need to threaten me. I’m alone, barefoot, so you can kill me without anyone coming after you."

His words made the man laugh and caused Bai Weiwei and Chu Yuxi’s faces to tense instantly. Fool, telling him this is just inviting him to kill you! Why be so reckless?

However, Shen An continued, "But are you qualified to kill me?"

His voice was not loud, yet it brimmed with confidence. "Perhaps it should be said that you simply lack the qualifications to kill me."

The small room grew silent, so quiet one could hear a pin drop. The air steadily warmed.

The middle-aged man's expression darkened. He shouted, "Kid, you’re courting death!"

With that, a formidable force erupted from his body. This time, Shen An sensed it clearly: a fluctuation of primordial oxygen. This man had absorbed primordial oxygen and kept its power entirely hidden, with no leakage. That explained why Shen An hadn’t detected his aura before. The breathing technique this man practiced was certainly extraordinary, Shen An immediately deduced.

At the same time, Shen An moved. He used no fancy techniques, only straightforward physical attacks—fists, feet, elbows, knees. Every part of his body became a weapon as he fought fiercely with the opponent.

The other's attacks looked soft and gentle, reminiscent of Tai Chi, seemingly weak, but when they landed, they carried an overwhelming force, like mountains crashing down. Unfortunately, he didn't realize that during their exchange, Shen An was continually absorbing his power.

Shen An discovered that as long as he kept absorbing, he could render the opponent’s power null. Furthermore, he found another secret: during the process, he seemed able to store the opponent’s power within himself, keeping it ready for use at any time, its applications boundless.

As the middle-aged man struggled, unable to defeat Shen An, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. The walls around them had already been wrecked by their battle. Outside, many had reached the end of their fights; both sides seemed to be faking, going through the motions, pretending to battle, but none struck to kill.

Now, seeing Shen An locked in combat with their leader, their movements slowed even further.