The path did not stay empty for long.
Xu Tian had only walked a short distance-
Before he felt it.
Eyes.
Not hidden.
Not subtle.
Watching.
"…So fast," he thought.
Word had already spread.
The arena.
The fight.
The ambush.
All of it.
Xu Tian didn't stop.
His steps remained steady.
Unhurried.
But his awareness expanded.
The town around him felt different now.
Not quiet.
Not peaceful.
But alert.
Doors slightly open.
Figures standing in shadows.
Observing.
Measuring.
Xu Tian ignored them.
Because none of them moved.
Not yet.
"…Waiting."
The children rested in his arms.
The boy still slept.
The girl's eyes moved again.
Then-
Stopped.
Xu Tian followed her gaze.
Ahead.
At the end of the path.
A figure stood there.
Alone.
Blocking the way.
Xu Tian slowed.
Then stopped.
The distance between them remained.
But the pressure-
Clear.
Different from before.
Not aggressive.
Not hostile.
But heavy.
Controlled.
Xu Tian met his gaze.
"…You came."
The man didn't smile.
"I said I would be interested."
Xu Tian wasn't surprised.
"…So this is the next step."
The man tilted his head slightly.
"Call it… confirmation."
Silence followed.
But this silence was deeper.
Not like the others.
This one carried weight.
The man stepped forward.
One step.
Nothing cracked.
Nothing shook.
But the pressure increased.
Subtly.
Xu Tian felt it immediately.
"…Stronger than the others."
Not by a small margin.
By a clear one.
The man stopped again.
Closer now.
"Four of them," he said.
"And you walked away."
Xu Tian didn't answer.
The man nodded slightly.
"…As expected."
Xu Tian's eyes narrowed.
"…You arranged it."
The man didn't deny it.
"I allowed it."
The difference was small.
But important.
Xu Tian understood.
"…So this place really does run on control."
The man's faint smile returned.
"Now you're starting to understand."
Silence followed.
Xu Tian didn't move.
Neither did the man.
The air between them remained still.
But heavy.
The man's gaze shifted briefly.
To the children.
Then back.
"…You continue to carry them."
Xu Tian's voice remained calm.
"They're not a burden."
The man watched him carefully.
Then nodded.
"…Interesting."
Another pause.
Then-
"You've passed the first layer."
Xu Tian didn't react.
"…And the next?"
The man's expression sharpened slightly.
"Not here."
Xu Tian understood immediately.
"…Outside the town."
The man didn't confirm it directly.
But his silence was enough.
He turned slightly.
As if preparing to leave.
Then stopped.
"One more thing," he said.
Xu Tian waited.
The man glanced back.
"There are people here who won't wait for permission next time."
Xu Tian's eyes remained steady.
"…I expected that."
The man nodded.
"…Good."
He stepped forward again.
Passing Xu Tian.
Without stopping.
Without looking back.
But his presence lingered.
For a moment longer.
Then-
It faded.
The path grew quiet again.
But it wasn't the same quiet.
Because now-
The rules were clear.
Tests.
Layers.
Control.
Xu Tian stood there briefly.
Thinking.
The energy inside him remained stable.
But his awareness had changed.
Because this place-
Was not random.
Everything had a purpose.
Even the fights.
Even the ambush.
Xu Tian adjusted the children in his arms.
The girl looked at him again.
Then relaxed.
Xu Tian looked ahead.
The path forward remained.
Uncertain.
But now-
He understood it better.
And that meant-
He was ready for what came next.