Win！

Xiao Chen sat quietly in his courtyard, his expression cold and unwavering. The spiritual energy within him continued to circulate, growing denser with every breath. He could feel his strength still increasing, the devouring power of the Invincible Dao Physique showing no signs of stopping. With each inhalation, his body and spiritual energy became purer, more refined. His body had undergone a complete transformation.

Meanwhile, the outside world had erupted into chaos.

The entire outer sect was shaken.

In the Qingyun Sect's outer sect training grounds, a large crowd of disciples had gathered, all discussing one topic—Xiao Chen.

"Did you hear? That waste… no, Xiao Chen, he actually crippled Li Feng with a single punch!"

"That has to be fake! Wasn't Xiao Chen born unable to cultivate?"

"Who knows? But some people saw it with their own eyes. Even the Discipline Hall has sent people to investigate!"

Shock and disbelief filled every face. A waste turning the tables wasn't unheard of, but to go from being unable to cultivate to slapping a fourth-layer Qi Refining cultivator flying in just one day? That wasn't just a comeback—it was like he had ascended from hell straight to the heavens.

Some were in awe, some wary, some skeptical. But most were simply curious. They wanted to see for themselves just what kind of transformation Xiao Chen had undergone.

It wasn't long before Qingyun Sect's higher-ups took notice.

Soon, a middle-aged man clad in an official Qingyun Sect robe arrived outside Xiao Chen's courtyard, accompanied by several elite outer disciples.

"Xiao Chen! Come out!" His voice was loud and commanding, carrying an undeniable authority.

Hearing this, Xiao Chen slowly opened his eyes, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He knew this was inevitable.

Rising to his feet, he strode toward the entrance, his gaze sweeping over the group before him.

The middle-aged man was Zhao Shanhe, one of the outer sect stewards, a formidable Qi Refining seventh-layer cultivator. Among the outer sect, he was considered extremely strong.

Behind him stood several elite disciples, one of whom was Chu Feng.

The moment Xiao Chen saw Chu Feng, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Qi Refining eighth layer. The number one genius of the outer sect.

This man was no ordinary figure. In fact, within the outer sect, he was practically invincible, even commanding the respect of some core disciples.

Chu Feng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze calm as it landed on Xiao Chen. His expression was neutral, but deep within his eyes, a faint battle intent flickered.

Zhao Shanhe's cold gaze locked onto Xiao Chen as he spoke.

"Xiao Chen, you attacked a fellow disciple in public and severely injured Li Feng. This has caused a great disturbance in the sect. Do you realize your crime?"

At these words, the surrounding disciples exchanged complicated looks.

Fighting was prohibited in Qingyun Sect, but minor injuries were often overlooked. However, Li Feng had been beaten so badly that it would take him at least half a month to recover. If Xiao Chen didn't handle this situation well, he might be expelled from the sect.

Yet, rather than showing fear, Xiao Chen remained indifferent, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

"Steward Zhao, you say I attacked a fellow disciple in public? Then let me ask you this—when I was being humiliated and attacked, was I supposed to endure it without fighting back?"

Zhao Shanhe hesitated slightly.

Xiao Chen continued, "Li Feng has repeatedly targeted me, insulting me as a waste and even trying to attack me first. I simply defended myself. Is that a crime?"

At these words, several outer disciples subtly nodded.

The sect prohibited personal disputes, but self-defense was not against the rules.

Zhao Shanhe's expression darkened. "Then how do you explain severely injuring him with just one punch?"

Xiao Chen's smirk deepened as he replied, "I defended myself. If he couldn't handle it, that's because he was too weak."

"In this sect, strength is everything. If he was strong enough, I wouldn't have been able to hurt him, would I?"

"If he had won, would I be the one standing here instead?"

Zhao Shanhe was momentarily speechless.

In Qingyun Sect, strength was law. If Li Feng had won, no one would have cared. If anything, they would have dismissed it as a lesson for a weaker disciple.

A murmur spread through the crowd.

"He's not wrong…"

"Yeah, if Li Feng had won, the sect wouldn't have even cared. They would've just assumed Xiao Chen deserved it."

"Does the sect's rules only exist to suppress the weak?"

The discussion made Zhao Shanhe's expression even more unsightly.

He finally realized that Xiao Chen wasn't just stronger—his mentality and confidence had undergone a complete transformation. He was no longer the bullied "waste" of the past. He had become someone who could stand before an outer sect steward without backing down.

Chu Feng had remained silent the entire time, but now, he suddenly chuckled.

"Xiao Chen, you're right. Strength is everything in Qingyun Sect."

"If you could defeat Li Feng, it proves your abilities… but I am curious. Just how strong have you become?"

Taking a step forward, his eyes locked onto Xiao Chen, and a faint pressure emanated from his body.

The air grew tense.

Chu Feng… was challenging Xiao Chen?!

Xiao Chen met his gaze, his smirk growing sharper.

"You want to test me?"

Chu Feng's lips curled into a slight smile. "Do you dare accept?"

Boom!

A sudden explosion of spiritual energy erupted from Chu Feng's body as his Qi Refining eighth-layer aura surged forth like a violent storm.

The surrounding disciples instinctively retreated, their faces filled with shock.

"What a powerful aura… as expected of the number one outer disciple!"

"He's already close to the level of a core disciple! There's no way Xiao Chen can win!"

But Xiao Chen simply chuckled.

Raising his hand, he clenched his fist.

In that instant, the spiritual energy around him surged wildly, his aura skyrocketing!

The training grounds fell into absolute silence.

Disbelief was etched onto every face.

Zhao Shanhe's eyes widened in shock. "This energy… impossible!"

Even Chu Feng's smile faltered, a flicker of astonishment flashing through his eyes.

Because he could feel it.

Xiao Chen's spiritual energy… was no weaker than a Qi Refining eighth-layer cultivator!

No— it was even stronger!

The entire crowd stood frozen in utter disbelief.

How had he cultivated to this level?!

Xiao Chen chuckled softly, stepping forward. Spiritual energy condensed around his fist, and faint sparks of lightning flickered around it.

"Chu Feng… do you think you can withstand my punch?"