Core Disciples Strike Back
Jin Yang fled in disgrace, leaving behind shattered fragments of his sword scattered across the training grounds.
A deathly silence enveloped the field.
No one dared to speak. No one dared to even breathe too loudly.
"A core disciple… lost?"
"And he was completely crushed…"
Many outer sect disciples stood frozen, their faces pale and bodies trembling.
For the first time, they had witnessed a core disciple being utterly powerless in front of Xiao Chen.
Just as everyone thought the matter had ended—
"Xiao Chen! I will return this humiliation a hundredfold!"
A voice filled with venom and malice roared from above, accompanied by an overwhelming killing intent.
Jin Yang had returned, but this time, he was not alone.
Standing beside him were two young men clad in black-gold Daoist robes, their expressions cold and disdainful.
Compared to Jin Yang, the aura radiating from these two was far more terrifying.
"That's Zhao Kun and Lei Cang!" someone in the crowd gasped, their face filled with fear.
Zhao Kun, ranked tenth among the core disciples.
Lei Cang, ranked seventh among the core disciples.
Both were at the peak of Qi Refining, standing just one step away from the Foundation Establishment Realm. Their strength had already far surpassed the limits of the outer sect.
"This is bad…" Many disciples turned pale, their hearts filled with unease.
Jin Yang had already been defeated. But now, he had returned with reinforcements far stronger than himself.
Could Xiao Chen still win?
Core Disciples Strike Back
Zhao Kun glanced at Xiao Chen, his voice cold and indifferent.
"Jin Yang said you were arrogant and disrespectful of the sect's hierarchy. I didn't believe it at first, but now…" He shook his head, eyes narrowing. "It seems he was right."
Lei Cang smirked, his gaze sharp as a blade. "An outer sect rat dares to provoke the core disciples?" His voice was filled with killing intent. "Since you don't know your place, allow me to teach you what true strength means."
The arrogance in their voices was absolute. They didn't even regard Xiao Chen as a threat.
But Xiao Chen only chuckled, his tone calm.
"Two Qi Refining peak cultivators, and you call yourselves 'true experts'?"
"In my eyes, weaklings remain weaklings, no matter how many there are."
His words sent shockwaves through the crowd.
He was mocking the core disciples?!
Zhao Kun and Lei Cang's expressions turned ice-cold, their killing intent rising to the sky.
"You're courting death!" Lei Cang roared as he vanished from his spot, his palm surging with thunderous energy as he struck toward Xiao Chen.
"Thunderclap Palm!"
Lightning crackled in the air. His attack was fierce enough to shatter mountains.
At the same time, Zhao Kun unsheathed his blade, a blood-red sword aura slashing through the air with terrifying speed.
"Blood Shadow Slash!"
Two Qi Refining peak experts, attacking at full force.
Boom!
A devastating explosion shook the training grounds. The sheer force of the combined attacks tore the ground apart, sending debris flying everywhere.
Many outer sect disciples were blown back by the impact, coughing up blood from just the shockwave.
"He's done for…" Some disciples shut their eyes, certain that Xiao Chen had been obliterated.
But then—
From within the swirling dust, a calm, mocking voice echoed.
"Is that all?"
Boom!
A surge of unimaginable power erupted from within the smoke, dispersing the dust in an instant.
Xiao Chen stood untouched, completely unharmed, his robe as pristine as before.
On the other hand, Zhao Kun and Lei Cang had been forced back, their faces twisting in disbelief.
"What… What the hell?!"
"He took that attack… without even defending?!"
Their full-powered attacks, enough to crush any outer sect disciple, had done nothing to Xiao Chen.
The Counterattack
Xiao Chen shook his head, a trace of disappointment in his eyes.
"If that was your best…"
"Then it's my turn."
Boom!
A terrifying aura erupted from Xiao Chen, shaking the entire training ground.
A pressure like a collapsing sky pressed down on Zhao Kun and Lei Cang.
"What is this… pressure?!"
Fear crept into their hearts, a fear they had never felt before.
But Xiao Chen gave them no chance to react.
He vanished.
"Impossible! Where did he—"
Boom!
Before Lei Cang could finish, Xiao Chen's fist slammed into his chest.
A deafening crack echoed.
Lei Cang coughed up blood, his body sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing into the earth with a thunderous impact.
"You—!" Lei Cang struggled to rise, but Xiao Chen would not let him.
With a flick of his wrist—
Boom!
Lei Cang was lifted into the air by an invisible force.
Then—
Slam!
Xiao Chen hurled him into the ground.
Again.
And again.
The ground cracked and shattered under the repeated impacts.
"AHHHHHH!" Lei Cang's screams filled the air.
The spectators felt their blood run cold.
Zhao Kun, now trembling, took a step back.
"You… You're a monster!"
But Xiao Chen only smiled coldly. "Weren't you just acting arrogant?"
Boom!
Before Zhao Kun could react, Xiao Chen was already in front of him.
Crack!
A single palm strike shattered Zhao Kun's chest, sending him flying through three stone walls.
He hit the ground, motionless.
Silence.
Deathly silence.
Every disciple in the training grounds stood frozen, their minds unable to process what had just happened.
Two core disciples, both instantly crushed.
At that moment, they understood—
Xiao Chen was no longer just the strongest in the outer sect.
He had reached the point where even core disciples could no longer threaten him.
Some even dared to wonder—
Could he… even challenge Foundation Establishment experts?!
This battle had established his legend.
The Core Disciples' Reaction
Far away, in the grand hall of the Qingyun Sect's core disciples, a figure sat in silence.
His presence was overwhelming, like a sleeping dragon.
Slowly, Su Changqing, the strongest core disciple, opened his eyes.
His gaze was calm, deep, unfathomable.
"Interesting," he murmured, a smirk forming at his lips.
"The core disciples have been humiliated beyond measure."
He stood up.
"It seems… I will have to personally take action."