The Wrath of a Fire God

Qin Chen stood in the center of the stone dueling platform, his golden eyes burning like molten fire.

The arena had fallen into silence.

Every disciple present had just witnessed three brutal fights, each ending in a decisive victory for Qin Chen.

But now—

A true test stood before him.

The new challenger stepped onto the arena platform, his gaze sharp and unyielding.

His name was Wei Tao, a seasoned outer disciple at Qi Refinement Stage 9.

Unlike the others, he wasn't here to mock Qin Chen.

"You've impressed me," Wei Tao said, rolling his shoulders. "But this is where your winning streak ends."

The watching disciples whispered anxiously.

"That's Wei Tao… he's one of the strongest outer disciples!"

"He's one step away from entering the inner sect. Can Qin Chen really match him?"

Qin Chen smirked.

"I was hoping for a real fight."

Boom!

Wei Tao launched forward, his Qi flaring like a violent storm.

His technique was different from the others—his movement was controlled, efficient, refined.

Unlike Luo Jian's erratic speed, Wei Tao moved with calculated precision.Unlike Xu Yang's brute force, Wei Tao's attacks were layered and deceptive.

This was a real fight.

Qin Chen's eyes sharpened.

As Wei Tao's palm strike tore through the air, Qin Chen dodged, shifting to the side.

But—

Wei Tao anticipated the dodge, twisting mid-attack and sending a spinning kick toward Qin Chen's ribs.

Qin Chen barely blocked in time.

The impact shook his arms, forcing him to skid backward across the stone platform.

The watching disciples gasped.

"He blocked it, but… he was forced back?"

For the first time tonight—Qin Chen felt resistance.

His smirk widened.

Good.

Wei Tao's stance shifted slightly, his energy pulsing like a storm ready to explode.

"I'll admit it," Wei Tao said. "You're better than I expected. But this ends now."

He raised his hands—Qi surging violently.

"Mountain Collapse Palm!"

The entire arena shook as Wei Tao's palm strike expanded, creating an image of a massive descending mountain.

"This is his strongest move!" a disciple shouted.

But Qin Chen…

Didn't move.

Instead—

BOOM!

Flames erupted from his fists.

The air around him warped, golden fire coiling around his arms like twin dragons.

Qin Chen stepped forward.

One step.

Two steps.

Wei Tao's Mountain Collapse Palm roared downward—

And Qin Chen punched upward.

"Hell Flame Fist!"

BOOOOM!

The moment their attacks collided—

A violent shockwave tore through the arena.

The ground cracked beneath them, and fire exploded into the night sky, illuminating the sect like a second sun.

Wei Tao gritted his teeth, pushing forward—but then, his expression changed.

His earth Qi… was burning.

"What?!"

Qin Chen's Hell Flame Fist didn't just block his attack—it was melting through it.

With a final burst of strength, Qin Chen's fist broke through Wei Tao's collapsing palm and struck him directly in the chest.

Wei Tao's body flew backward, smashing into the stone wall of the arena.

A deep silence fell over the crowd.

Wei Tao struggled to rise, his body shaking from the impact.

But as he lifted his head—he met Qin Chen's calm, unwavering gaze.

And in that moment—he knew.

He had lost.

The whispers started immediately.

"Wei Tao… lost?"

"To a Stage 6?"

"Impossible…"

Wei Tao clenched his fists… then let out a breath and nodded.

"I concede."

Ding!

Combat Mission Completed!

Defeated a Qi Refinement Stage 9 opponent – Earned 500 SP!

Current SP: 500 → 1,000 SP!

Qin Chen's heart pounded as he saw his SP total rise.

Finally…

He was one step closer to buying what he needed.

But he wasn't done yet.

His golden eyes scanned the crowd.

"Who's next?"

The battle arena was silent.

The dust from Qin Chen's last fight still lingered in the air, and Wei Tao lay in the wreckage of what had once been an indomitable presence in the outer sect.

The spectating disciples had thought this was the peak of tonight's events.

Then—

A slow, deliberate clap echoed through the cold night air.

"Hah… impressive. Very impressive."

Qin Chen's gaze snapped toward the sound.

A figure strode toward the arena, his robes embroidered with silver cloud patterns—the mark of the inner sect.

His Qi was strong. Controlled. Overwhelming.

The surrounding disciples stepped back instinctively, feeling an invisible pressure settle over the battlefield.

This was no outer disciple.

This was an inner disciple, someone who stood far above the rest of them.

The man's sharp gaze settled on Qin Chen, a smirk curling his lips.

"You might have beaten them…" His eyes glinted with amusement. "But can you beat me?"

The murmurs from the crowd began immediately.

"That's Zhang He! He's a Stage 10 Qi Refinement cultivator from the inner sect!"

"A Peak Qi Refinement cultivator… Does Qin Chen stand a chance?"

"He's one step away from Foundation Establishment… Qin Chen is only in Stage 6!"

Qin Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.

A Peak Qi Refinement cultivator… this would be dangerous.

But at the same time—

Ding!

Combat Mission Available!

Defeat a Peak Qi Refinement Opponent – Earn 1,000 SP!

A fight like this was exactly what he needed.

His lips curled into a smirk.

"Alright. Let's see what the inner sect has to offer."

Boom!

Zhang He moved first.

His Qi surged like a violent storm, his body disappearing in a blur of movement.

Qin Chen reacted instantly, stepping back just as a palm strike exploded against the ground where he had been standing.

The stone cracked apart.

Qin Chen's golden eyes flickered—this guy wasn't just fast, he was explosively strong.

Zhang He wasn't holding back.

His movement was precise, refined.

His attacks flowed seamlessly, each one building into the next.

His strikes weren't just strong—they were calculated.

This wasn't like fighting the outer disciples.

This was an experienced cultivator.

Zhang He grinned mid-attack.

"What's wrong? You looked stronger when you were beating down weaklings!"

Qin Chen's smirk remained, but inside, he was analyzing.

Even with his Fire Sovereign Dao Body, he was being pushed back.

This guy is strong.

But then—

Zhang He overextended.

For a brief second, his stance left an opening.

Qin Chen exploited it instantly.

Boom!

A Hell Flame Fist erupted from his right arm, slamming into Zhang He's ribs.

Zhang He's smirk vanished.

His body skidded backward, leaving deep gouges in the stone.

For the first time in the fight—he looked surprised.

Zhang He's face twisted into something else now—annoyance.

"Fine. Let's stop playing."

His Qi exploded outward, sending a gust of wind rippling through the crowd.

"Azure Tempest Palm!"

A massive phantom palm appeared above him, surging with compressed Qi—so strong that the very air trembled beneath its weight.

BOOM!

The attack descended toward Qin Chen like a collapsing mountain.

The watching disciples cried out in shock.

"That's a high-tier inner sect technique!"

"Qin Chen can't block that—!"

But Qin Chen was already moving.

He gathered flames, channeling them into his body.

His bones burned with raw power, his Qi whirling like a raging storm.

And then—he struck.

"Hell Flame Fist!"

BOOOOM!

His fist met the phantom palm head-on—and for a moment, the entire world froze.

Then, with a final detonating roar—the palm shattered.

Cracks spread across the arena floor.

Zhang He was forced backward again, his face now one of genuine disbelief.

Qin Chen stood tall, breathing heavily.

That last attack had pushed him, drained more Qi than he expected.

But he could still keep going.

Then—

His body shuddered.

Something deep within him stirred.

An invisible force, something ancient, rose from his core.

His Fire Sovereign Dao Body… reacted.

And it wasn't just reacting—

It was enraged.

It was as if his Dao Body would not tolerate a loss, no matter the odds!

BOOOOOOM!

Flames erupted around Qin Chen, soaring dozens of meters into the air.

The arena was bathed in gold, heat so intense that even the spectators had to step back.

Qin Chen's eyes blazed like miniature suns.

His body felt different.

Lighter. Stronger. Limitless.

A voice—no, an instinct—rose within him.

"You dare challenge the Fire Sovereign?"

His right fist pulled back, gathering fire hotter than the surface of a sun.

For the first time, Zhang He's confidence broke.

"What… what are you?!"

Qin Chen's voice was like an emperor issuing a decree.

"Rage of the Fire God."

He punched forward.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The impact shook the entire Azure Sky Sect.

A pillar of fire erupted into the sky, burning so bright that it illuminated the entire sect grounds.

Zhang He's barrier shattered instantly.

His body was launched like a meteor, crashing into the far end of the arena wall—and then, he didn't move.

Ding!

Combat Mission Completed!

Defeated a Peak Qi Refinement Opponent – Earned 1,000 SP!

Total SP: 1,000 → 2,000 SP

Ding!

New Ability Discovered!

Fire Sovereign Dao Body (Innate Ability Unlocked!)

[Rage of the Fire God] – A burst of unstoppable divine flames triggered by intense combat, dramatically increasing strength for a short duration.

Qin Chen exhaled sharply, his body trembling from exhaustion.

His golden flames slowly faded, and as they did, his vision blurred.

What… was that?

His Dao Body… reacted on its own?

The watching disciples were in complete silence.

For the first time in sect history—

A mere outer disciple had brought down an inner sect genius.

And in that moment—everyone knew.

Qin Chen was no longer an unknown name.

He was a force to be reckoned with.