All eyes turned to Atlas, who stood slightly apart from the group. His aura was so menacing, for a person with no Qi, his body look like his was harbouring red glow all over. His usual smirk replaced by an intense, calculating gaze. While everyone else focused on the boy's injuries or the sheer scale of the destruction, Atlas's mind raced through entirely different thoughts.
Boy made explosion = I need trade route = Mountain in way = Boy make explosion = Solution.
A slow, wicked grin spread across his face—a grin so mischievous, so devilishly clever that it could only belong to someone planning something utterly insane. It was the kind of grin that said,
Oh, this is going to be fun.
"Trade routes" he murmured under his breath, almost to himself.
"Mountains won't be a problem anymore—not if we've got our own walking demolition crew."
Meyu blinked, staring at him in disbelief. "Wait… are you seriously suggesting we use him to blow up mountains?"
Atlas straightened, turning to face the group with that same devilish smirk. "Why not? Think about it. We've got a kid here who can level entire forests with a flick of his wrist—or whatever he did. If we play our cards right, he could solve half our problems before breakfast."
Lin Wuye looked horrified. "Atlas, this isn't some game! This boy clearly has no control over his powers. Using him like this—it's reckless!"
"Reckless?" Atlas tilted his head, feigning innocence.
"I prefer to call it innovative. Besides, think of the possibilities. No more worrying about carving paths through treacherous terrain. No more relying on unreliable labor forces. Just one little boom—" he gestured dramatically toward the crater, "—and voilà! Instant roadways."
Layla, ever the pragmatist, stepped forward, eyeing the boy thoughtfully.
"As much as I hate to admit it… Atlas might be right. If we can train him—and ensure he doesn't accidentally destroy the entire sect in the process—he could be invaluable."
Zhao Lihua frowned, clearly uneasy. "But at what cost? Look at him. He's just a child. Do we really want to exploit him like this?"
Atlas raised a finger, wagging it playfully. "Ah-ah-ah, let's not frame it as exploitation. Let's call it… mutual benefit. We help him gain control over his abilities, and in return, he helps us build a future worth fighting for. Win-win."
As the group continued debating, Meyu leaned in closer to Atlas, lowering her voice.
"You realize this is probably going to bite us in the ass later, right?"
Atlas chuckled, his grin never wavering. "Probably. But hey, that's half the fun."
With that, he clapped his hands together, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "Alright, team! First order of business is to get sleeping beauty bomb here patched up. Secondly, figure out exactly how he pulled this off. Third…"
He grinned, his tone dripping with mischief. "I will start drafting plans for our shiny new mountain-free trade route."
And with that, Atlas strode off, already mentally mapping out strategies and contingencies, leaving the rest of the group to exchange wary glances. Whatever trouble they were about to dive into, one thing was certain—it was going to be unforgettable.
The boy stirred, his mind clawing its way back to consciousness like a drowning man gasping for air. The world around him was hazy at first—shapes blurred together, colors bleeding into one another. But as his senses sharpened, memories flooded in, unbidden and relentless.
He remembered running.
Running through the dense forest, branches whipping at his face, feet sinking into the mud as he tried desperately to escape the slavers who had slaughtered his family right before his eyes. He could still hear their laughter echoing in his ears, cruel and guttural, as if mocking him for surviving when everyone else had fallen.
And then—the explosion.
It wasn't something he could control. It never was. Whenever fear or anger overwhelmed him, the power inside would surge forth uncontrollably, tearing apart everything within reach. That day, it had saved him—but only barely. The blast had scattered the slavers, buying him precious minutes to flee deeper into the wilderness.
But the forest hadn't been kind either.
As exhaustion set in, his legs gave out beneath him. He collapsed onto the damp earth, chest heaving, vision swimming. And just as he thought he might finally rest, movement caught his eye—a shadow darting between the trees. Panic seized him once more, and without thinking, he thrust his hand outward.
Another explosion.
This time, it consumed nearly all of his remaining strength. The force of it sent him sprawling backward, his head cracking against a tree. Darkness claimed him almost instantly.
Now, waking up here, in this strange place, surrounded by unfamiliar faces...
Kai blinked, trying to adjust to the brightness of the sunlight filtering through the tall stone walls of what appeared to be a courtyard. His body felt heavy, weighed down by bandages wrapped tightly around his head and torso. A dull ache throbbed in his skull, and every breath seemed to pull at sore muscles he didn't even know he had.
His heart raced as he took in the scene before him. A group of people stood nearby, watching him intently. One of them—a tall man with golden eyes and an unnerving grin—was leaning casually hover over him, studying him like some sort of specimen.
Fear surged through the boy's veins. His instincts screamed at him to defend himself, to protect what little life he had left. Without hesitation, he raised his trembling hand toward the grinning man and unleashed another burst of energy.
Atlas didn't even have time to react.
One moment, he was crouching beside the boy, smirking devilishly as he imagined all the ways he could exploit the kid's explosive tendencies. The next, a wave of raw, chaotic energy slammed into him with the force of a cannonball.
For a split second, Atlas felt weightless—as though he'd been launched straight into the sky. Then gravity reasserted itself, and he crashed back down to the ground in a heap, covered head-to-toe in soot and ash. A few strands of his hair were still smouldering, tiny wisps of smoke curling upward.
Meyu, who had been standing nearby, rolled her eyes and stepped forward. With a flick of her wrist, she extinguished the small flames licking at Atlas's singed locks.
"You really know how to make an entrance," she muttered dryly, crossing her arms.
Meanwhile, Layla facepalming, clearly exasperated. "Atlas, I swear."
Atlas sat up slowly, brushing ash off his clothes with exaggerated care.
Despite looking like he'd just crawled out of a chimney, his trademark smirk remained firmly in place.
"Well, at least we know the demo works" he quipped, glancing at the boy.
"Kid's got range."
The boy, however, wasn't amused. Wide-eyed and visibly shaken, he scrambled backward until his back hit a tree trunk. His breathing came in ragged gasps, and his hands trembled as he clutched at the bark for support.
"W-who are you?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "What do you want from me?"
Atlas tilted his head, his expression softening ever so slightly. "Relax, kid. We're not here to hurt you." He gestured lazily to the group behind him.
"See? No weapons. Just a bunch of friendly faces trying to figure out why you blew up half the forest."
"Half the forest?" the boy echoed, his eyes widening further. "I… I didn't mean to…"
"We know" Meyu interjected, her tone surprisingly gentle. She knelt down a safe distance away, holding her hands up to show she meant no harm.
"You're scared. That's okay. But you're safe now. We're not going to hurt you."
The boy hesitated, searching her face for any sign of deception. After a long moment, he nodded shakily, though his grip on the tree bark didn't loosen.
Lin Wuye stepped forward cautiously, his usual stern demeanour softened by concern.
"What's your name, young man?"
The boy swallowed hard, his gaze darting between the faces surrounding him. Finally, he whispered, "Kai."
"Well, Kai" Atlas said, rising to his feet and brushing off the last bits of ash from his sleeves, "Welcome to the Silver Lotus Sect. Home of martial artists, strategists, and apparently, walking demolition crews."
Kai blinked, confusion replacing some of the fear in his eyes. "Silver Lotus Sect?"
"That's right" Layla chimed in, offering him a reassuring smile.
"And don't worry—we'll help you learn to control your powers. You won't have to run anymore."