The arena fell into utter silence. Not a whisper, not a breath—only the faint crackle of fading lightning echoed across the shattered platform.
No one expected it. Lin Chen's final strike was so fierce that even the Chief Elder was forced to intervene.
That alone spoke volumes—his blow hadn't just been powerful; it had been lethal. If not for the Chief Elder's timely action, Xu Feng's life might have ended right there on the stage.
The realization struck like thunder through the watching crowd.
A mere outer disciple… barely at the first stage of Essence Forging… had unleashed a strike capable of killing someone and an entire realm above him.
"Th-that move… even the Chief Elder had to act…" one disciple stammered, his face pale as chalk.
Another swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "Is that… is that even something a first-stage Essence Forging cultivator can do?"
Shock turned to disbelief. Disbelief turned to despair.
Moments ago, the crowd had been filled with cheers and confident laughter — all in favor of Xu Feng, the outer court's unrivalled prodigy. Now their faces had turned pale as ashes.
All those bets… all those spirit stones, talismans, and treasured pills wagered without hesitation — gone in an instant.
"Damn it!" someone cried out, clutching his head in agony. "I bet a hundred mid-grade spirit stones on Xu Feng!"
"You think you're miserable? I bet my entire savings!" another wailed, tears welling in his eyes. "Who would've thought a dark horse like Lin Chen would actually win?"
All around the stands, the disciples looked as though they had just witnessed their ancestors rise from the grave and scold them personally.
"Gone… all gone…" a trembling voice murmured, as one young man opened his empty pouch with shaking hands. "Even the spirit pills I borrowed from Senior Brother Li…"
Another disciple slumped to his knees. "I shouldn't have followed the crowd… Curse Xu Feng and his fake confidence!"
Some disciples sat frozen, staring blankly at the ruined arena. Others fell into arguments, pointing fingers at whoever had encouraged the Bets in the first place.
And yet, amidst the gloom, a few eyes shone with awe and excitement.
***
On the elders' platform, the three old men leaned forward, their gazes fixed on Lin Chen as if they were beholding a divine treasure unearthed from the depths of heaven itself.
Even the outer disciples could sense that Lin Chen's last move was extraordinary—but to the elders, whose cultivation eyes pierced through layers of Qi, the truth was far clearer.
"That strike…" the First Elder murmured, his eyes narrowing. "Its power... was no less than that of a sixth-stage Essence Forging cultivator."
The Second Elder's brows furrowed deeply. "Impossible. His Qi fluctuations are unmistakably at the first stage. I've lived two centuries—my senses do not deceive me."
"Then there can only be one explanation," the Third Elder said slowly, disbelief mixing with reluctant admiration. "That boy's battle strength transcended five entire stages."
The three exchanged silent looks, their aged faces flickering between awe… and disbelief.
Among ordinary disciples, even challenging an opponent half a realm higher was a rare genius. To cross a full realm required a monstrous talent. But to suppress someone five stages above—
That was no longer a mere genius. He was a genius among geniuses
Unlike the old men, Lan Yaoye remained silent. Her arms were crossed beneath her chest, her eyes gleaming with a faint, playful light as she studied Lin Chen.
Such a little monster… she mused, the corners of her lips curling into a subtle smile. If I can take him as my disciple, those old fossils will choke on their own pride. Let's see if they still dare call me an idiot then.
Just the thought of their wrinkled faces twisting in regret made her heart flutter with wicked satisfaction.
'Hehe… snatching a treasure right under their noses—now that would be truly delightful.'
Then, without hesitation, all four leapt from their seats, landing around Lin Chen in perfect unison—three old men and one fiery woman—forming a loose circle.
Lin Chen blinked, glancing around in bewilderment. What in the heavens is happening?
Why were the elders surrounding him like this—and staring at him as though he were some rare spirit beast that had accidentally wandered into the mortal realm?
This doesn't feel good at all… Lin Chen thought grimly, his lips twitching. Especially being stared at like that by old men… that's just wrong.
His gaze finally shifted to the lone woman among them.
Beautiful? Absolutely. Even the term peerless beauty might not do her justice. Her rose-gold hair shimmered like flowing sunlight, and her bearing was like a phoenix descending from the heavens—radiant, proud, and dangerously alluring.
But Lin Chen wasn't fooled.
That smile of hers… it wasn't gentle. It was the kind of smile a cunning fox wears right before it steals your chickens—and then sells them back to you at twice the price.
It was written all over her face; she wasn't even trying to hide it. Her eyes practically screamed, I'm trouble. The kind that'll ruin your peaceful life and make you thank me for it.
'Yeah… she looks the most troublesome of the lot,' Lin Chen sighed inwardly.
Before Lin Chen could even open his mouth to ask what was going on, Lan Yaoye's voice erupted like a thunderclap that shattered silence.
"Damn you old fogies! Don't you already have a bunch of direct disciples? Let me have this one! I don't even have a single disciple under me!"
The First Elder coughed dryly, stroking his long beard with an air of seniority. "That's because you're lazy, girl. You spend half your time wandering the continent, stirring up trouble wherever you go. No disciple in their right mind could survive your so-called 'guidance.'"
The Second Elder nodded solemnly, voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Indeed. We're merely saving this poor child from a lifetime of trauma."
"Right," the Third Elder added. "If you took him in, he'd probably flee the sect within three days—if he's lucky enough to survive that long."
The three old men nodded together in perfect harmony, united only when it came to bullying their fiery junior sister.
Lan Yaoye's smile froze. A single vein twitched on her temple, and the surrounding temperature seemed to plummet.
"Oh? So that's how it is?" she asked softly—far too softly.
Every elder's expression changed instantly.
"Oh no…"
Before they could react, Lan Yaoye stomped her foot. A booming shockwave erupted as Essence Qi surged from her body in a crimson blaze.
Her rose-gold hair fluttered like flames, and her aura flared with the wrath of a Phoenix descending upon the world.
"You three decrepit fossils dare look down on me again?!"
Lin Chen stood in the middle of the chaos, blinking blankly.
...Yep, he thought grimly, watching the air twist and distort around her fury. Definitely a troublesome woman.
BOOOOOOM!
The air detonated. Essence Qi exploded outward in a tidal wave of raw power. The three elders reacted on instinct, their auras flaring to shield themselves—
—but Lin Chen, standing dead center, wasn't so fortunate.
"Wha—!?"
Before he could finish, the shockwave slammed into him like a divine hammer. His body shot upward, spinning helplessly as fragments of shattered tiles followed him into the sky.
The world was blurred-sky, clouds, and thousands of stunned faces blended together. For a fleeting second, Lin Chen thought he had seen Lan Yaoye smirking below, utterly unapologetic.
*****
A/N: If you enjoy my novel and want faster releases, please consider supporting with Power Stones!
Also, if you have any ideas or suggestions for the story, feel free to share them in the comments — I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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