Chapter 21: "Domination Over Core Disciples."

The arena descended into a tense silence, broken only by the faint rustle of the wind as Ye Xiaotian's words hung in the air like a challenge carved in stone. The disciples, spectators, and elders alike were momentarily stunned, their disbelief palpable.

Then, a wave of murmurs and exclamations erupted, cascading through the crowd like wildfire.

"Did he really say that?"

"Is he trying to provoke all of them at once?"

"Arrogant or just plain crazy?"

The reaction on the platform was no less volatile. Liu Feng, standing tall amidst the core disciples, threw his head back with a sharp, mocking laugh. His expression twisted into one of disdain as he pointed a finger at Ye Xiaotian.

"You've got some nerve," Liu Feng sneered. "You think you're untouchable just because the Sect Master has taken you under her wing? Let me make something clear you're nothing without her protection."

Other core disciples exchanged knowing smirks and skeptical glances. For them, Ye Xiaotian's audacity wasn't bravery; it was an insult.

A disciple beside Liu Feng muttered, "He's digging his own grave."

Another snorted. "Let him. It'll be fun to watch him squirm."

In the stands, the disciples buzzed with incredulity.

"This is madness," one whispered.

"Does he think he's invincible just because he beat Zhou Liang?" another asked.

High above the arena, in the prime viewing area, Qin Lian sat with a poised demeanor that belied her inner amusement. She leaned forward slightly, her crimson robes shimmering in the sunlight.

"Little Sister Mei," she said, her tone light but carrying a note of intrigue.

"Yes?" Qin Mei turned toward her sister, her brows furrowed.

"Do you think they realize what they've just invited?" Qin Lian asked, her gaze fixed on Ye Xiaotian.

Qin Mei hesitated, unsure of how to interpret the question. "Are you saying he can actually fight all of them at once?"

Qin Lian's lips curved into a smirk, a glint of amusement dancing in her eyes. "Just wait and watch."

Beside them, the Grand Elder sat in silence, stroking his long white beard. His expression remained neutral, but his narrowed eyes betrayed his curiosity. He had a feeling this was going to be far more interesting than anyone anticipated.

Liu Feng, his face contorted with a mixture of amusement and contempt, took a step forward. "Since you're so eager to make a fool of yourself," he declared, his voice booming across the arena, "let me show you why I'm the third-ranked core disciple. We don't all need to come together; I'm enough for you."

He raised his sword, a masterpiece of craftsmanship that shimmered with an inner light. Spiritual energy surged around him, swirling like a tempest. Liu Feng was a whirlwind of motion, a blur of steel and power. With a roar, he launched himself at Ye Xiaotian, his sword a streak of silver light.The attack was a breathtaking display of speed and power. The air itself seemed to crackle with the force of his assault.

Ye Xiaotian remained motionless, his gaze unwavering as he watched Liu Feng's attack unfold. At the last moment, he moved.It wasn't a dodge, not in the traditional sense. He didn't sidestep or leap back. Instead, he vanished.One moment, he was standing there, the next, he was gone.

Liu Feng's attack, a torrent of deadly force, slammed into the empty space where Ye Xiaotian had been standing. The impact sent a tremor through the platform, shattering a portion of the stone beneath his feet.

Dust and debris swirled around the arena, obscuring the view. When it cleared, Liu Feng stood alone, his sword poised, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Ye Xiaotian reappeared behind him, his voice a low whisper, "Too slow."The crowd erupted in a collective gasp. Liu Feng, the third-ranked core disciple, had been completely outmaneuvered.

"He dodged that?"

"How is that possible? Liu Feng's speed is unmatched!"

One disciple in the spectators gasped upon hearing Ye Xiaotian say, "Too slow." "That's exactly what he said to Zhou Liang," the disciple whispered.

On the platform, Liu Feng, his pride severely wounded, roared, gathering his spiritual energy. This time, he wouldn't be caught off guard. He unleashed a whirlwind of attacks, a relentless barrage of sword strikes, each imbued with a fury born of humiliation.

But Ye Xiaotian, as if anticipating his opponent's rage, moved with an effortless grace. He danced around Liu Feng's attacks, his movements fluid and unpredictable. He deflected blows with a flick of his wrist, sidestepped with uncanny precision, and even countered with swift, unexpected strikes that left Liu Feng reeling.

The crowd, initially stunned into silence, erupted in a wave of gasps and murmurs. They watched in awe as Ye Xiaotian, with a calm that bordered on indifference, toyed with the third-ranked core disciple.

On the platform, Liu Feng's frustration boiled over. "Stop running!" he roared, gathering his energy for a finishing blow. His spiritual aura flared violently, the golden light enveloping him as he prepared to unleash a devastating attack.

Ye Xiaotian didn't flinch. His eyes remained fixed on Liu Feng, their calm depths betraying no emotion.

Liu Feng, despite giving his best effort, was no match for Ye Xiaotian. With a sudden burst of speed, Ye Xiaotian closed the gap between them. In a blur of motion, his hand struck Liu Feng square in the chest.

The impact was like a thunderclap. Liu Feng's body was sent flying backward, crashing hard into the stone wall at the edge of the platform. He collapsed to the ground, pale-faced and gasping for air.

The crowd fell silent, the only sound being Liu Feng's labored breathing. Then, the silence broke into murmurs of shock and disbelief.

"He defeated Liu Feng... with one hit?"

"Just like how he took down Zhou Liang in one punch!"

"Unbelievable!"

"What kind of monster is he?"

The remaining core disciples, who had watched the strongest among them fall so quickly, exchanged uneasy glances. The smug confidence they had earlier was gone, replaced by the stark realization that their opponent was far stronger than they had thought.

Ye Xiaotian stood calmly, his expression unchanged. He looked at the remaining core disciples and asked again, "Are you coming one by one, or will you all come at me together?"

His question hung in the air, a bold challenge that left the core disciples shaken. The confidence they had earlier had vanished, replaced by hesitation as they realized how difficult the battle ahead would be.

Liu Feng, sprawled on the ground, coughed violently, his face contorted in a mask of pain and fury. He glared at Ye Xiaotian, his eyes burning with a hatred that threatened to consume him.

"You… you bastard!" he roared, his voice hoarse. "You think you can just walk in here and humiliate us?" He struggled to his feet, clutching his chest, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

He looked at his fellow disciples, his eyes blazing with a chilling intensity. "What are you all standing there for? Attack! Together! Kill him!"

Liu Feng's words ignited a spark of fury in the other core disciples. Their initial shock and disbelief were replaced by a burning desire for revenge. This was an insult, an affront to their pride, and they would not stand for it.

The remaining core disciples, their faces contorted with rage, surged forward. The air crackled with unleashed spiritual energy, the arena transforming into a maelstrom of raw power.

Ye Xiaotian remained unfazed, his expression calm and collected. He watched as the core disciples unleashed their fury, a silent predator surveying the storm before it struck.

This was no longer a series of individual duels; it was an all-out assault, a desperate attempt to reclaim their lost pride and crush the arrogant newcomer who had dared to defy them.

The core disciples, now fully aware of Ye Xiaotian's strength, abandoned any notion of taking him on one by one. They surrounded him from all sides, their weapons gleaming under the sunlight. Swords, spears, and arrows pointed at him, their tips shimmering with spiritual energy as killing intent radiated from each of them.

"Attack!" one of the disciples shouted, and the arena erupted into chaos.

The arena was filled with a tense, suffocating silence, the kind that precedes a storm. Then, all at once, the core disciples launched their assault, their weapons gleaming with spiritual energy and their killing intent palpable.

Arrows tore through the air, their tips glowing with power. Spears, wreathed in flames or shrouded in ice, hurtled toward Ye Xiaotian. Swords sliced in deadly arcs, their strikes aimed to overwhelm and destroy. It was a coordinated attack, every strike honed to perfection, each one capable of shattering the defenses of an ordinary cultivator.

The platform trembled under the sheer weight of the combined assault. The sky above seemed to darken, the spiritual energy surging like a violent tide.

But Ye Xiaotian stood still, unflinching.

He made no move to dodge, no effort to counterattack. His white robes fluttered lightly in the wind generated by the oncoming strikes, but his serene expression betrayed no hint of fear or urgency. His arms hung loosely at his sides, his body relaxed, as though the chaos around him was of no consequence.

On the sidelines, Mu Qinglan watched with a mixture of awe and dread. Her fingers gripped the armrest of her seat, her usual composure shattered. The sight of her fellow disciples ganging up on one person, no matter how powerful, left a sour taste in her mouth.

"This isn't right," she thought, her chest tightening. Yet, a strange sense of foreboding gnawed at her, a premonition she couldn't shake.

Her sharp eyes locked onto Ye Xiaotian. "Why isn't he moving? What is he planning?"

The sheer volume of attacks made it seem impossible for him to emerge unscathed. Even a Soul Awakening Realm cultivator would struggle against the combined might of so many Core Formation experts. Yet, deep down, Mu Qinglan couldn't ignore the sinking feeling in her gut that something extraordinary was about to happen.

The barrage of attacks reached Ye Xiaotian, but instead of cutting him down, something remarkable occurred.

With a faint hum, a soft green light emanated from his body, spreading outward like ripples in a pond. The arrows, swords, and spears all imbued with lethal intent halted in midair as though striking an invisible barrier. Then, one by one, they shattered into fragments, dissolving into harmless bursts of energy.

The platform beneath him, which had been cracking under the strain of the attacks, grew still. The green light shimmered and grew brighter, enveloping Ye Xiaotian in a protective cocoon of energy.

The crowd gasped in unison, disbelief etched across their faces.

"What… What is this?" a disciple whispered, his voice trembling.

"How is he doing that? No one can block so many attacks at once!" another muttered, his eyes wide with shock.

The attacks continued to rain down upon him, but they were repelled by an invisible force field, the green light shimmering and distorting the oncoming assault. Arrows were deflected, spears shattered, and fireballs extinguished before they could reach him.

The core disciples exchanged bewildered glances, their initial bravado replaced by mounting unease. Still, they pressed on, redoubling their efforts. Spiritual energy surged again as they unleashed their most powerful techniques.

Blades of fire cut through the air. Icicles rained down like shards of frozen death. The earth trembled and cracked as powerful tremors rippled across the platform. Yet, none of it could penetrate the emerald light surrounding Ye Xiaotian.

Mu Qinglan watched in astonishment as Ye Xiaotian stood calmly at the center of the maelstrom, his body surrounded by the protective green light. This was not the defense she had expected. This was something far more… profound.

The arena fell silent as the last of the attacks fizzled out. The core disciples, panting and drenched in sweat, stared at Ye Xiaotian in disbelief. He remained untouched, his posture unchanged.

Then, slowly, he raised his hand. With a simple gesture, the green light surrounding him dispersed, fading into nothingness as though it had never existed.

His gaze swept across the exhausted disciples, his expression calm and serene."Is that all you've got?" he asked, his voice a low rumble that echoed through the arena.

His words, simple and direct, cut through the silence like a blade. The core disciples froze, their faces pale as the weight of his question sank in.

The other disciples in the stands could only watch in stunned silence. Whispers began to spread, each more incredulous than the last.

"He blocked everything… without moving."

"How is that possible? Even a Soul Awakening Realm cultivator couldn't do that!"

"Who is he? What kind of monster is he?"

Ye Xiaotian took a step forward, the sound echoing across the platform. The core disciples instinctively took a step back, their confidence shattered.

"Are we done here?" he asked, his tone carrying a subtle edge of impatience. "Or do you still want to fight me one by one?"

Liu Feng stepped forward, his expression defiant but his eyes betraying his fear. "You think this is over?" he growled. "We'll"

Before he could finish, Ye Xiaotian moved. His figure blurred, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Liu Feng. A single strike a palm thrust to the chest sent Liu Feng hurtling backward. He crashed into the stone wall bordering the platform, the impact silencing the murmurs of the crowd.

Ye Xiaotian turned to face them, his voice cutting through the stunned silence. "If you're going to fight, come at me with everything you have," he said. "Otherwise, you're wasting my time."

Mu Qinglan, watching from the sidelines, felt a shiver run down her spine. This was not just a display of strength; it was a demonstration of power on a level she had never before witnessed.

End of Chapter 21