SUPRISE

The crisp sound of a slap echoed through the courtyard, leaving everyone in stunned silence. Li Feng… had been hit?! How was this possible? Wasn't Xiao Chen supposed to be a cripple, born unable to cultivate? How could a so-called waste send a Qi Refining fourth-layer cultivator flying with just a slap?

The two lackeys standing nearby had their eyes widened in disbelief, as if they had just witnessed the most impossible event in the world. They even suspected that they were hallucinating.

"You… you dare hit me?!" Li Feng clutched his face, one side swollen and red, his eyes filled with shock and rage. He was considered a young genius among the outer disciples, having spent four whole years to barely reach the fourth layer of Qi Refining. Yet Xiao Chen, the universally recognized waste, a joke born with blocked meridians, had just slapped him flying?!

This had to be a joke! It was impossible!

Xiao Chen remained indifferent as he slowly approached, looking down at Li Feng. "I hit you. So what?"

His tone was casual, yet carried an invisible pressure that made Li Feng's heart tremble inexplicably.

But the fear quickly turned into rage. Climbing to his feet with a twisted expression, he roared, "You little bastard! You dare lay a hand on me?!"

His eyes flickered with killing intent. He was at the fourth layer of Qi Refining. Even if he had been caught off guard earlier, there was no way he could lose to a waste!

"Die!" With a furious roar, his spiritual energy surged, and his five fingers curled into claws as he swiped at Xiao Chen's face. His attack tore through the air with a sharp whistle, carrying a deadly force. He had no intention of holding back!

Xiao Chen's gaze turned cold. "A Qi Refining fourth-layer cultivator dares act arrogantly before me?"

With a single step, he vanished like a ghost, effortlessly dodging Li Feng's attack. The next moment, an overwhelming power exploded from his fist.

Boom!

Xiao Chen's punch struck with the force of a thunderclap.

Li Feng felt an unimaginable force crash into his chest. His entire body was flung backward like a ragdoll, slamming into the courtyard wall with a sickening crunch. Blood spurted from his mouth as his face turned deathly pale.

Silence.

A deathly silence.

Everyone stood frozen, their jaws slack with disbelief. They had just witnessed with their own eyes— a so-called waste at the third layer of Qi Refining had crushed a fourth-layer cultivator with a single punch!

How could this be possible?

The gap between the third and fourth layers of Qi Refining wasn't just about spiritual energy. Battles between cultivators factored in physical strength, combat techniques, battle experience, and even mental fortitude. Even the most monstrous genius would struggle to defeat someone a layer above them.

But Xiao Chen had not only won—he had completely overpowered his opponent!

"This… this is impossible…" Li Feng lay on the ground, coughing up blood, his face pale as a sheet, his eyes filled with terror. He could clearly feel that Xiao Chen's strength far exceeded the Qi Refining third layer. It was even stronger than the fourth layer!

How did he do it?!

Li Feng's two lackeys were already scared out of their wits, their legs trembling uncontrollably.

Xiao Chen turned his gaze toward them.

Just that one glance made them feel as if death itself was staring at them. They shrieked in terror and scrambled away, falling over themselves as they fled the courtyard.

"Spare us!"

"Don't kill us!"

Their panicked screams echoed through the outer sect.

The outer sect was in an uproar!

In the training grounds where hundreds of outer disciples were practicing, the atmosphere was lively as usual. Suddenly, a disciple burst in, his face pale, his voice trembling.

"Something big has happened! Something huge!"

Everyone stopped training, turning to look at him with furrowed brows.

"What are you panicking about? What happened?" A fifth-layer Qi Refining disciple asked impatiently.

The newcomer gasped for breath, his face still filled with horror. "Li Feng… Li Feng was crippled by Xiao Chen!"

Boom!

His words exploded like a thunderclap across the training grounds!

"What? Who did you say got crippled?!"

"Li Feng?! He's at the fourth layer! How could he lose?!"

"And you said… Xiao Chen beat him? That waste?!"

Everyone thought they had misheard.

Xiao Chen?

The undisputed number one waste of Qingyun Sect's outer sect? The joke with blocked meridians, who hadn't broken through in three years? Even the sect's menial workers could bully him!

And now, someone was telling them that he had just crippled Li Feng?

What kind of nonsense was this?!

"Impossible! You must be mistaken!" One disciple roared in denial, unable to accept the news.

The messenger swallowed hard, his face still pale. "I saw it with my own eyes! Xiao Chen slapped Li Feng flying, then… punched him until he spat blood and passed out! He even smashed through the courtyard wall!"

The crowd trembled again, their expressions shifting from disbelief to pure shock.

This wasn't just an upset— it was a complete one-sided massacre!

If this news was true, then that meant… Xiao Chen was no longer a waste. He was terrifyingly strong!

"Hurry! Let's go see for ourselves!" Someone shouted, and instantly, the crowd surged toward Xiao Chen's courtyard.

Meanwhile, within the Qingyun Sect's outer sect affairs hall, a young man in a blue robe stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze was deep and unreadable, and an aura of power radiated from his body.

This was Chu Feng, the number one genius of the outer sect. He had already reached the eighth layer of Qi Refining, surpassing even some core disciples!

At this moment, he frowned slightly as he looked down at the two kneeling lackeys of Li Feng.

"You just said… Xiao Chen slapped Li Feng flying?" His voice was calm, but his eyes flickered with a dangerous glint.

The two lackeys trembled uncontrollably, cold sweat dripping down their faces as they nodded.

"Y-Yes! We saw it with our own eyes!"

"Senior Brother Li… he was sent flying and seriously injured by a single punch from Xiao Chen. He still hasn't woken up!"

Hearing this, Chu Feng narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. He knew exactly who Xiao Chen was. The outer sect's most notorious waste.

And now, this so-called waste had suddenly awakened and crushed a Qi Refining fourth-layer cultivator with one strike?

No matter how he looked at it, something felt off.

"It seems… this Xiao Chen is not as simple as he used to be," Chu Feng murmured, a meaningful smile curling at the corners of his lips.

"Send word. Tell him to come see me." His voice was calm but carried an undeniable authority.

The disciple beside him immediately cupped his fists. "Yes, Senior Brother!"

Meanwhile, back at the courtyard, Xiao Chen sat cross-legged, gazing at his fist with a cold glint in his eyes. A faint smirk played on his lips.

He knew that today's events had already shaken the entire outer sect.

But this… was just the beginning!