Humiliation

The entire inn fell into an eerie silence at this moment. The arrogant cultivator's eyes darkened with contempt as he glared at Victor.

"How dare you lay your hand on this young master?!" Qin Fei snapped.

Victor blinked in mock confusion before bursting into laughter. "Hold on, did you just refer to yourself as 'this young master'? Wow, I didn't realize we were in a play. Should I be bowing now?"

A ripple of suppressed laughter went through the crowd, but they quickly fell silent, realizing the danger Victor was putting himself in.

Qin Fei's four lackeys immediately surrounded Victor with looks of hostility.

One of them who was a lanky cultivator with slicked-back hair, pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Do you have any idea who Young Master Qin is? Even breathing the same air as him is an offense beyond measure!"

Victor's grin widened. "Breathing the same air, huh? Should I stop breathing entirely, or just take smaller sips?" He waved his hand in the air while dramatically sniffing. "Wow, the air around him does smell a little more arrogant than usual."

The four cultivators bristled with anger. Another of the lackeys who was a short, stocky youth named Zhao Feng, clenched his fists. "You're playing with fire, idiot! Do you have the strength to bear the consequences of your words?"

Victor stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… consequences. You mean like having to listen to your whiny voices for the next ten minutes? I think I can handle it."

Their faces twisted in rage. Qin Fei stood back with an amused smirk, clearly enjoying his followers' anger.

Chen Wen, still rubbing his bruised cheek, hurried to Victor's side and grabbed his arm. "Fang Chen, please," he whispered urgently. "It's not worth it. Just let it go."

Victor patted Chen Wen's shoulder. "Relax, Wen. I got this." He then turned to Qin Fei and grinned. "Now, why don't you and your circus act here fuck off?"

A collective gasp rippled through the inn. Patrons began scurrying away, some leaving their meals unfinished as they sought the safety of distance. The look on Qin Fei's face darkened into something dangerous.

"So you're seeking death," Qin Fei said coldly. He gestured to his lackeys. "Teach this pig a lesson. I won't sully my hands dealing with trash."

The four cultivators—Zhao Feng, Yan Hao, Liu Ming, and Bai Qiang—cracked their knuckles and grinned menacingly.

Victor rolled his shoulders. "Alright, let's see what you got."

Without warning, Yan Hao lunged forward as his palm glowed with qi. "Crushing Wave Palm!"

Victor stepped towards the side with ease while spinning gracefully and landing a quick jab to Yan Hao's gut, sending him flying backwards.

Ming came next, slashing through the air with a blade of qi. Victor ducked to evade the strike and kicked Liu Ming's knees causing him to buckle.

As Liu Ming fell, Victor swept his palm forward, landing a crisp slap on his face.

"Take that, bitch!"

Zhao Feng and Bai Qiang attacked in unison, showcasing their synergy. They were all at the fourth stage of the Qi Refining Realm, and despite Victor's confidence, he knew he was still at a disadvantage at his current second-stage level.

Victor activated his Wind Dash technique, weaving through their attacks like a leaf in a storm. "Is this all you got?" he taunted while slicing through their martial techniques with his Wind Blade.

Bai Qiang tried to retaliate with a fierce kick, but Victor parried with his forearm and countered with a burst of wind energy, sending Bai Qiang crashing into a nearby table. One by one, Victor knocked them down.

The inn patrons watched in stunned silence. The so-called geniuses were being humiliated.

Qin Fei's eyes burned with fury as he stepped forward. "Pathetic. If you want something done right…" He lifted his palm, and an intense surge of qi erupted from his body.

Victor's smirk faltered slightly. "Uh-oh."

Qin Fei struck with a high-grade martial technique—Fiery Dragon Claw. His hands turned crimson as blazing qi claws shot toward Victor.

Reacting quickly, Victor activated Wind Barrier, forming a protective shield around himself. The impact sent him skidding across the floor as his health bar dropped dangerously.

-20HP

-20HP

-20HP

-25HP

"Damn, that actually hurts!" Victor winced in pain.

His Wind Barrier barely held up as Qin Fei relentlessly assaulted him.

He dodged and countered with everything he had, but Qin Fei's skill and power were quite difficult to tackle.

He soon realised that this was because Qin Fen was a cultivation level higher.

Just as Victor was about to buckle, something inside him clicked. The Enlightenment he had gained from watching the cultivators in the Hidden Valley surged to the forefront of his mind.

Movements that had once seemed complex now felt natural and somehow, he could see the flaws in Qin Fei's attacks.

With newfound clarity, Victor shifted his stance, perfectly timing his next maneuver.

Qin Fei used Fiery Dragon Claw again, perching his fingers forward in a bid to strike.

Victor dodged Qin Fei's attack by a hair's breadth and unleashed a Gale strike that connected with Qin Fei's exposed shoulder.

The force sent the young master flying backwards as a pop sound rang out.

His confident smirk finally vanished as he noticed his shoulder had been dislocated which prevented him from reactivating Fiery Dragon Claw.

Victor didn't give him a second to breathe.

He pressed the advantage, landing blow after blow, until Qin Fei collapsed onto one knee, breathing heavily.

"You… you'll regret this!" Qin Fei spat while glaring up at him. "This isn't over!"

Victor grinned. "Yeah, yeah be cliché like every random bad guy. Now run along."

Zhao Feng and the others scrambled to their feet, dragging Qin Fei with them as they fled the inn like startled chickens.

Victor couldn't resist throwing one last insult their way. "Tell your fashion designer to rethink the matching robes!"

The inn erupted into cheers and applause. Chen Wen held his bruised face and approached Victor while shaking his head in disbelief. "Fang Chen… you're insane. You just made enemies with the Qin family. Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Victor shrugged. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Chen Wen sighed, but a grateful smile crossed his face. "Thanks, anyway. But still… you should be careful."

Victor waved him off. "Nah, I'll be fine. Now, how about another drink?"

Chen Wen chuckled. "Actually, to thank you, I think you should visit the statue at the center of Lingyun Town later."

Victor raised an eyebrow. "The statue? What about it?"

Chen Wen's eyes twinkled mysteriously. "Just go. You might find something interesting."

Victor scratched his head, intrigued. "Alright, sounds like a plan. But first, I need to find a place to crash for the night."

Chen Wen grinned. "You can stay here. Consider it my thanks for saving my ass."

Victor beamed. "Now you're talking. More drinks, please!"

As the night continued, Victor basked in his small victory, completely unaware of the storm that was brewing because of his actions.

...

...

Hours later, Victor sat cross-legged on the wooden floor of the inn room with eyes closed and hands resting on his knees.

He could feel the steady flow of qi moving through his meridians as he slowed his breathing. Cultivation was a slow, arduous process—one that required patience, focus, and a whole lot of sitting still.

After hours of cultivating through the night, his efforts finally bore fruit.

---

System Notification:

Congratulations! You have advanced to Qi Refining Realm – Stage 3!

- Qi Reserves Increased.

- Minor Enhancement to Physical Strength and Reaction Speed.

---

Victor let out a deep breath while stretching his arms. "Finally, Stage 3! But man... cultivating in town is way slower than back in the valley."

He had noticed that the spiritual energy in Lingyun Town was much thinner compared to the dense atmosphere of the Hidden Valley. It was no wonder cultivators preferred to train in secluded mountains and caves rather than populated areas.

Still, progress was progress.

As the first rays of sunlight peeked through the wooden window, Victor stood up and stretched. "Alright, time to see what that statue is all about."

---

The town square was already quite bustling by the time Victor arrived at the towering statue of Lingyun. The late sword cultivation master was immortalized in a striking pose—

His left hand was stretched forward in a commanding stance, while his right hand wielded a magnificent sword pointing downward in an elegant arc.

The statue's robes flowed as if caught in an eternal breeze, and his expression was one of absolute focus.

Victor circled the statue while rubbing his chin. "So… Chen Wen sent me here, but what exactly am I supposed to be looking for?"

He walked around it once.

Twice.

A third time.

Nothing. No hidden inscriptions, no secret compartments, and no glowing treasure chests waiting to be discovered.

Victor scratched his head while exhaling in frustration. "Maybe Chen Wen just wanted me to take in the sights?"

Feeling silly, he leaned back against the pedestal and stared up at the massive figure.

Then, an idea struck him. With a smirk, Victor straightened his posture and mimicked the statue's stance—spreading his left arm forward and curling his right hand into a fist, imagining a sword in his grip.

"Behold!" Victor declared in a dramatic tone. "I am Lingyun the Mighty!"

The moment the words left his lips, the statue's eyes emitted a brilliant flash of silver light. Victor stumbled back in surprise as his system interface lit up with an unexpected notification.

---

System Notification:

Congratulations! You have unlocked the legacy of Lingyun's Martial Sword Techniques!

-----