The Sect in Turmoil, Murderous Intent in the Shadows!
Su Changqing—defeated in a single punch.
This news swept through Qingyun Sect like a hurricane.
A Foundation Establishment core disciple, the number one prodigy of the sect, had been instantly crushed?
This was no longer something that could be called "genius."
This was monstrous.
This was a legend in the making.
The Birth of Fear
Within the outer sect, no one dared to breathe loudly.
All eyes were fixed on the lone figure standing in the middle of the battlefield—Xiao Chen.
He stood motionless, his aura calm, as if the earth-shattering battle just now had been nothing more than a casual warm-up.
But just as the shock reached its peak—
A chilling, murderous intent swept across the training grounds.
From the distance, a figure in a purple robe emerged.
His gaze was cold, and an overwhelming pressure spread from his body—a powerful Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivator!
"It's Elder Shen Qianyu of the Law Enforcement Hall!"
The crowd exploded into panic.
Every disciple present dropped to their knees, not daring to lift their heads.
The Law Enforcement Elder.
His duty? To uphold the sect's laws.
His authority? Absolute.
Even core disciples trembled in his presence.
Shen Qianyu's gaze swept across the battlefield, his voice cold and authoritative.
"Xiao Chen, you severely injured a core disciple in public and defied sect law. Do you admit your guilt?"
His tone left no room for argument—it was a direct sentence.
The Sect's True Intention
Silence.
Many disciples turned pale, hearts pounding wildly.
They immediately understood—the sect's higher-ups wanted to eliminate Xiao Chen.
He was too strong.
Too strong to be controlled.
So strong that he threatened the balance of power within the sect.
And that meant he had to be erased.
Xiao Chen, however, merely smirked.
Of course, he understood Shen Qianyu's intent.
A public execution.
A warning to all future talents—anyone who disrupts the status quo… dies.
Perhaps the old Xiao Chen would have been concerned.
But now?
He feared nothing.
"Guilt?" Xiao Chen raised his head, his voice calm.
"Tell me—what exactly is my crime?"
"You attacked and crippled a core disciple," Shen Qianyu replied coldly.
Xiao Chen chuckled, his tone indifferent.
"If I had lost, would I be standing here now, or would I be the one punished?"
"This sect claims to respect the strong, yet now that I have proven myself, you demand punishment?"
His words struck at the very hypocrisy of the sect.
The crowd shuddered.
Indeed, Qingyun Sect preached 'strength above all'.
Had Su Changqing won today, the sect would have glorified his victory.
But because Xiao Chen won, they now sought to silence him.
This was not justice.
This was fear.
The Law Enforcement Elder Attacks
Shen Qianyu's face darkened, killing intent surging in his eyes.
"You talk too much," he sneered.
"No matter what, you must answer for this."
A mere glance from him sent waves of pressure crashing down on the training grounds.
"Since you refuse to kneel…"
"Then you will die."
BOOM!
Shen Qianyu struck.
With a flick of his wrist, a colossal wave of spiritual energy formed, descending like a mountain upon Xiao Chen!
The entire battlefield trembled under its sheer force.
This was the power of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator!
Many disciples collapsed to the ground, unable to withstand the pressure.
But…
Xiao Chen stood unmoved.
His smirk deepened.
"You think you can kill me?"
BOOM!
He raised his hand and countered the attack head-on.
A thunderous explosion erupted between them!
The ground split apart, sending shockwaves in all directions.
CRACK!
Shen Qianyu staggered back three steps!
His eyes widened in shock.
"Impossible… You… blocked my attack?"
Every single onlooker was frozen in disbelief.
A Qi Refining cultivator had just blocked the full force of a Foundation Establishment late-stage elder?!
A Sudden Shift
Shen Qianyu's face twisted in fury.
This was no longer just punishment.
Now, it was a threat to his authority.
Xiao Chen had to die.
Just as he prepared to launch another strike—
"Enough."
A booming voice echoed across the sky, carrying an indomitable presence.
BOOM!
An elderly figure descended, his black-gold robes fluttering in the wind.
His long white hair gave him a wise, untouchable aura, yet his eyes were sharp as blades.
"That's Elder Mu Xuan!"
"He's a Half-Step Golden Core cultivator! One of the strongest figures in the sect!"
The entire battlefield erupted in shock.
Mu Xuan's gaze was calm, but when it landed on Shen Qianyu, it was like a blade piercing through deception.
"Shen Qianyu, who were you about to kill?"
Shen Qianyu's expression tightened, his voice respectful.
"Elder Mu Xuan, this boy has disrespected the sect, I was merely—"
"Silence."
Mu Xuan's voice carried absolute authority.
"If Su Changqing lost, then he lost."
"If this sect truly values strength, then it must stand by it."
His words shattered the hypocrisy in an instant.
Shen Qianyu's face was ashen, but he could not refute it.
Finally, Mu Xuan turned his attention to Xiao Chen.
His eyes studied him carefully before he spoke:
"Your name?"
Xiao Chen met his gaze, his voice steady.
"Xiao Chen."
Mu Xuan nodded, then suddenly smiled.
"Good. From today onward, you are no longer an outer sect disciple."
"I am promoting you directly to a Core True Disciple."
"And as for the Law Enforcement Hall—" His eyes glinted with warning.
"Anyone who dares to target him… answers to me."
BOOM!
The entire sect exploded in shock.
Xiao Chen—A True Core Disciple
A Core True Disciple?!
This was an unprecedented leap!
Xiao Chen, once an outer sect nobody, had in one battle, risen to the very top!
A single step had taken him from the bottom of the sect to standing among its strongest disciples.
This… was beyond monstrous.
But as the sect celebrated his promotion, far away, a dark figure watched silently from the shadows.
A chilling smirk curled on his lips.
"Core disciple?" he whispered.
"It doesn't matter."
"Xiao Chen… should not be alive."