"They won't be back tonight," Headmaster Lin said, his voice calm again. "But they will return. This is only the beginning."
Xiaoping nodded. He felt tired, but also strangely alive. The fight had been scary, but he had faced it. He had used his power, and it had worked.
The next few days at the Azure Academy were busy. The students were fixing the damage. The air felt heavy with new worry, but also a new sense of strength. Xiaoping felt like he had changed. He wasn't just learning anymore; he was a guardian.
He spent even more time with Headmaster Lin. They often sat in the Headmaster's study, the old scroll spread out between them. Headmaster Lin told him stories about his parents. He learned that his mother, the shadow assassin with fire, had been known for her quick, silent moves. His father, the wind master, was famous for his smart battle plans. But both of them had also used a hidden type of magic, a kind of lightning. It was a secret they had kept hidden, even from many of their friends.
"They were very careful," Headmaster Lin explained one afternoon. "They knew that this kind of power was feared by some. They wanted to protect you from that fear."
Xiaoping listened, a strange mix of sadness and pride filling him. His parents had been amazing. And their secret power was now his.
He also kept training with Master Jian and Elara. Master Jian still helped him make his lightning shield, the Thunderous Aegis, stronger. Elara taught him how to hear the subtle changes in the air, allowing him to guide his lightning with even more precision.
One day, while practicing in a hidden courtyard, Xiaoping tried something new. He thought about how his mother moved like a shadow, and how his father moved like the wind. He tried to combine the speed of wind with the silent quickness of shadows, and then add his lightning. He felt a hum in his body, different from before. Suddenly, he moved incredibly fast, leaving a faint, crackling blue afterimage.
"Whoa!" Kai yelled, who had just come to watch with Li Wei. "You're like a blur, Xiaoping!"
Li Wei, ever thoughtful, nodded. "You're finding your own way to use your power. It's not just about offense or defense. It's about movement too."
Xiaoping smiled. He was beginning to see that his lightning wasn't just a force of destruction. It could be speed, defense, and even a way to disappear. He was learning to listen to the storm within him, and it was telling him new things.
But even with his new strength, the whispers of danger were still there. The shadowy figures had left, but the academy knew they would come back. Xiaoping understood that his unique power made him a target, but also a key to winning. He was no longer just the "lightning child." He was a part of something bigger, a legacy waiting to be fully understood.