The three of them continued running—slowly, painfully—while the laughter of others faded into the background.
Just as their breathing grew heavier and their steps more laboured, a sudden disturbance arose at the entrance of the training ground.
The noisy chatter gradually quieted down.
Heads turned one after another.
A group of students walked in with confident strides, naturally drawing everyone's attention the moment they appeared.
At the very front was a tall youth dressed in neat academy robes, his posture straight and his expression calm yet proud. His eyes were sharp, carrying an air of authority that made others subconsciously give way.
Wei Tianhao!
Compared to Li Fengyuan, although both belonged to the Twelve Noble Lineages, the difference between them was like heaven and earth.
Li Fengyuan was infamous—known as a troublemaker without talent, someone who gets mocked behind his back.
Wei Tianhao, on the other hand, was seen as a rising star.
Talented, disciplined, and powerful, he was already a Two-Star Disciple and one of the strongest among his peers.
More than that, his influence within the academy was immense, almost that of a disciple from the Five Great Clan.
Wherever he went, people noticed.
Behind him followed a group of students, clearly his lackeys.
Each of them wore arrogant expressions, their chests puffed out as if borrowing Wei Tianhao's prestige made them superior to everyone else present.
"Senior Wei is here."
"Isn't that Wei Tianhao? I heard he's close to breaking through again."
"As expected of the genius from the Wei family…"
Whispers spread throughout the training ground, filled with admiration and awe.
Wei Tianhao's gaze casually swept across the area, as if everything before him was beneath his notice.
Soon, however, his eyes landed on a peculiar sight.
Three figures moving at a painfully slow pace, sweat pouring down their faces, their steps unsteady.
Especially the one in front.
Li Fengyuan!
Wei Tianhao narrowed his eyes slightly, a trace of amusement flashing through them.
One of the lackeys quickly followed his line of sight and sneered.
"Hah! Isn't that Li Fengyuan? What kind of embarrassing training is this? Running slower than old men."
Another laughed loudly.
"Maybe that's the limit of a talentless noble. Even training looks pathetic."
Their mocking voices carried far, reaching Zhao Dazhu's ears.
Zhao Dazhu clenched his teeth, his anger flaring once more, but before he could react, Li Fengyuan subtly raised a hand.
"Keep moving!"
Li Fengyuan said quietly, not even glancing in Wei Tianhao's direction.
Jia Hao also lowered his head, focusing on his steps, though his focus wasn't fully on running just like Zhao Dazhu.
Before they could take a few more slow steps forward, a shadow suddenly fell in front of them.
Wei Tianhao's lackeys stepped out, deliberately blocking their path.
His arms were crossed, a sneer plastered across his face as he looked down at them with open contempt.
"Well, well," he said mockingly. "You three are really giving it your all, huh?"
Zhao Dazhu's steps halted abruptly.
His already flushed face darkened with anger as he glared at the lackey.
"What's the big deal?!" Zhao Dazhu snapped, his voice rising. "Move out of the way!"
He was just about to step forward when a hand grabbed his arm.
"Don't!"
Jia Hao said in a low voice, shaking his head slightly.
Jia Hao wasn't scared of them or such but they were clearly deliberately provoking them. To respond to them would mean playing in their hands.
So Jia Hao held Zhao Dazhu back and waited for Li Fengyuan's command.
Zhao Dazhu struggled instinctively, fury boiling in his chest. If Jia Hao hadn't held him back, he would have already charged at them.
Li Fengyuan had already stopped as well.
He lifted his gaze calmly, his eyes passing over the lackey before shifting to the figure standing behind him.
Wei Tianhao!
At that moment, Li Fengyuan understood clearly—Wei Tianhao hadn't appeared here by coincidence.
He was here precisely for him.
Li Fengyuan let out a quiet sigh.
In his previous life, he would have already erupted in anger.
He would have confronted Wei Tianhao head-on, turning the situation into an ugly clash fueled by pride and hatred.
After all, Wei Tianhao was clearly an enemy.
But now… it felt different.
After living for thousands of years, such petty provocations no longer stirred his emotions.
If he reacted impulsively, wouldn't that just make him look like a hot-blooded youth?
That wasn't who he was anymore.
Li Fengyuan straightened slightly under the crushing weight on his body and spoke in a calm, indifferent tone.
"What do you want?"
His voice wasn't loud, nor was it aggressive.
He didn't even look at Wei Tianhao with hostility.
It was as if the so-called genius of the Wei family wasn't worth taking seriously at all.
"Oh ho!"
(Jiang Tao and Ma Wu were right! Li Fengyuan indeed feels like he has changed.)
Wei Tianhao thought.
But then he looked at how Li Fengyuan was still struggling to even run, only with a bit of weight.
Whether Li Fengyuan's changed or not, his talent was still almost nonexistent.
"I heard that Young Master Li has changed and I was curious. It looks like they were right, at least you are training."
Wei Tianhao said in a mocking tone.
Wei Tianhao took a few steps forward, stopping just short of Li Fengyuan.
His gaze lingered on the heavy weights strapped to Li Fengyuan's limbs before a faint, amused smile appeared on his lips.
"At least you're trying now," Wei Tianhao said lightly. "That's… admirable, I suppose."
Then he leaned in slightly, lowering his voice so only Li Fengyuan could hear.
"But I wonder," Wei Tianhao continued in a whisper, his tone casual yet sharp, "would this change anything? Can you even win the heart of Shen Yuyan just because of such training?"
Li Fengyuan's steps halted completely.
Wei Tianhao's smile deepened when he noticed the subtle change in Li Fengyuan's expression.
"I heard she's been spending quite a bit of time lately with people who actually have talent,"
Wei Tianhao went on softly.
"After all," he added in a low voice, leaning a little closer, "a girl like her wouldn't just sit around waiting, would she? When surrounded by capable men… it's only natural she'd grow close to a few of them."
His lips curved into a sly smile.
"Especially when they can offer things you never could."
Zhao Dazhu felt a chill run down his spine.
"Fengyuan…"
He muttered anxiously.
Although Li Fengyuan told him that he doesn't love Shen Yuyan and loves Xiao Mei now, how can that be?
Everyone knows Young Master Li's obsession with Shen Yuyan.
Jia Hao also narrowed his eyes and prepared himself. He, too, thought that Li Fengyuan would get furious and fight.
After all, anyone could tell that Wei Tianhao was tarnishing Shen Yuyan's reputation, and doing so in front of Li Fengyuan meant there was no way he would remain silent.
Wei Tianhao straightened and took a step back, satisfaction flashing through his eyes.
This was what always worked.
Shen Yuyan was Li Fengyuan's weakness.
No matter how much he pretended to be calm, no matter how much he claimed to have changed, once her name was mentioned, Li Fengyuan would lose his composure.
And once Li Fengyuan lost control…
Wei Tianhao's lips curved into a cold smile.
Then he would teach him a proper lesson.
To remind him that no matter what changed, no matter how much he struggled—
Li Fengyuan would always remain beneath him.