The Hot-Tempered Han Fei

Han Fei cupped his hands and acknowledged the order, then led Dong Jie to a relatively open spot and sat down.

The people around them no longer paid attention to him, instead turning their eyes toward the battle on the other side.

On the fighting platform, two figures darted back and forth without pause, their spiritual energy collisions erupting with terrifying force.

Before long, one of them accidentally revealed an opening and was struck off the platform by his opponent's palm. The two top Outer Disciples had decided the victor.

Daoist Sanyuan nodded in satisfaction and told the two to step down and rest. Naturally, the winner also became a candidate.

Quite a few Outer Disciples had displayed exceptionally dazzling performances in this Thirty-Three Peaks Martial Arts Tournament. Even if they failed to enter the Divine Sect's Inner Sect, they would still become pillars of support for their respective peaks in the future.

However, judging by everyone's eager expressions, they were clearly not satisfied with that. Cultivators fought for that sliver of heavenly opportunity!

Moreover, the top-ranked participants of each tournament had a chance to become Core Disciples of the Divine Sect. This was the highest status within the Tianyuan Divine Sect. Once one became a Core Disciple, they could practically act without restraint throughout the territory controlled by the Tianyuan Divine Sect.

Daoist Sanyuan glanced over the crowd and said in a deep voice, "Are there any other Outer Disciples who wish to fight for a spot? If not, these five Outer Disciples and eight Head Disciples will compete for the available places."

Wang Rui cupped his hands. "Master, shouldn't there be nine Head Disciples? Ninth Junior Brother Han Fei is here as well. He should also have the right and duty to compete for a spot, shouldn't he?"

Discussion immediately broke out around them. "That's right. He occupies such a good resource area every day, yet his cultivation is still so poor. He should hurry up and give up those resources."

Daoist Sanyuan frowned. Although he did not particularly like Wang Rui, Wang Rui had handled Taihe Peak's affairs for him. Though Wang Rui had already exceeded the age limit for the Thirty-Three Peaks Martial Arts Tournament, he had still worked hard managing all of Taihe Peak. Daoist Sanyuan could not criticize him too harshly.

"You know Han Fei's situation as well. There is no need to count him in. You should simply do your best this time."

Just as Lu Zhong was about to mock him, Han Fei calmly stepped forward to the very front of the group. Facing Daoist Sanyuan without arrogance or humility, he said, "Senior Brother is right. I am also a member of Taihe Peak, so naturally I should contribute."

Daoist Sanyuan did not understand why Han Fei had said that, but he still nodded with gratification. "Although your cultivation has progressed slowly, I am already very pleased that you possess such courage."

Han Fei's lips curled slightly. "Competing for a spot is not impossible, but I have a question for you, Master. Someone actually entered one of the nine Side Halls belonging to the Head Disciples without any warning. If I had been making a breakthrough and was disturbed into suffering qi deviation, who would bear the responsibility?"

Liu Cheng, standing amid the crowd, shuddered all over. He had not expected Han Fei to refrain from fighting him in the Side Hall and instead wait until now to lodge a complaint.

Daoist Sanyuan frowned. "Such a thing happened? Tell me who it was. I issued a notice long ago forbidding anyone from privately entering another person's secluded cultivation grounds."

Before Daoist Sanyuan had even finished speaking, Liu Cheng stepped forward on his own.

"Headmaster, the person Ninth Senior Brother spoke of is this disciple. I had merely kindly reminded Senior Brother Han not to miss the competition for the spots, yet Ninth Senior Brother has twisted my good intentions this way."

Disdainful murmurs immediately rose from the crowd. In their eyes, would Han Fei ever have a critical moment of breakthrough? At most, Liu Cheng had disturbed him. There was no way he could have caused Han Fei any real harm.

They all thought Han Fei was making a mountain out of a molehill.

Wang Rui shouted, "Since you have a problem with Liu Cheng, why not have the two of you fight? If you win, I'll have him apologize to you."

Han Fei snorted coldly. "What is he? And what are you? Apologize to me? You've bullied me for years. Do you really think I won't get angry?"

"If Senior Brother wishes to slander my name for no reason, then let us fight!" Liu Cheng, acting as a lackey, was not careless. Seeing Wang Rui insulted, he knew his chance to earn merit had come. He immediately pretended to fly into a rage from humiliation and launched an attack at Han Fei. This was the martial arts arena. Even if he crippled Han Fei, at worst he would only be confined for a period as punishment. Wang Rui was likely to enter the Inner Sect, and if he held tightly to this thigh, he would have no worries about his future.

He immediately used his full strength, throwing a punch straight at Han Fei!

With this sudden upheaval, Daoist Sanyuan abruptly rose to his feet. Even though Han Fei's cultivation had progressed slowly, he still rather liked this disciple and could not simply watch Han Fei suffer serious injuries before his eyes. Furthermore, Han Fei's family background was far from simple. That was also the main reason Daoist Sanyuan had turned a blind eye to Han Fei for all these years.

However, just as Daoist Sanyuan rose, Liu Cheng's body froze in midair, about a meter above the ground.

He spat out a mouthful of blood and was immediately sent flying backward.

Only then did the crowd see that Han Fei was no longer where he had been. As though he had used Teleportation, he had crossed nearly ten meters and directly shattered Liu Cheng's attack before it could land.

However, Han Fei had no intention of letting Liu Cheng off so easily. In his memories, Liu Cheng had bullied both him and Dong Jie plenty over the years.

Han Fei reached out with his left hand, grabbed Liu Cheng's right ankle, and forcibly dragged him back.

Bang! Liu Cheng slammed heavily onto the bluestone floor of Taihe Hall, producing a dull thud.

Under everyone's disbelieving gazes, Han Fei clenched his right fist, lowered his body, and punched Liu Cheng directly in the chest.

Bang! Force swept outward along the floor of Taihe Hall. Liu Cheng's eyes widened, and the life gradually faded from them.

Everyone was dumbfounded, staring blankly at what had happened before them. Some even rubbed their eyes hard.

Because it had all happened so suddenly, even Daoist Sanyuan had not expected Han Fei to strike so ruthlessly.

"You..." Daoist Sanyuan was momentarily speechless, but in that instant, he saw Han Fei's cultivation: the peak of the tenth level of the Body Refining Realm. His physical body was nearly perfect and close to saturation; only his spiritual energy had not yet reached level ten.

But that was only a matter of time. If the physical body was a vessel, then once the vessel's advancement was complete, would it still lack spiritual energy?

Han Fei had directly beaten Liu Cheng to death, frightening everyone in the hall. After a brief dead silence, Wang Rui suddenly cried out, "Han Fei, you actually murdered a fellow disciple! Let's see how you die this time."

Han Fei said with disdain, "I murdered a fellow disciple? There are hundreds of eyes watching here. Liu Cheng was the one who attacked me first. I was merely defending myself. What, others are allowed to attack me, but I'm not allowed to defend myself? Was I supposed to stand here and let him beat me?"

Wang Rui snorted. "Stop trying to argue. During the selection for the Thirty-Three Peaks Martial Arts Tournament, fellow disciples are forbidden from killing one another. You broke the rules. Blocking Liu Cheng's attack would have been enough, yet you still killed him."

As he spoke, Wang Rui looked toward Daoist Sanyuan, intending for the Peak Master of Taihe Peak to determine Han Fei's crime.

Daoist Sanyuan raised a hand to interrupt Wang Rui. A terrifying pressure instantly filled the entire hall.

Taihe Hall, which could accommodate over a thousand people, immediately fell silent.

Daoist Sanyuan was immensely shocked. Han Fei had been in the sect for six years, and his personality had always been extremely gentle. Had Han Fei finally erupted today? And this cultivation had actually reached the tenth level of the Body Refining Realm.

He vaguely remembered that half a month ago, Han Fei had still been at the sixth level of the Body Refining Realm. In less than half a month, he had actually reached the tenth level.

Daoist Sanyuan's expression darkened. "Wang Rui, have I given you too much authority in ordinary times? Shall I give you the position of Peak Master of Taihe Peak as well?"

Wang Rui's heart trembled, and he immediately fell to his knees. "This disciple would not dare. This disciple knows his mistake. But hundreds of people are watching. Ninth Junior Brother truly did kill a fellow disciple."

Han Fei walked expressionlessly to the center of Taihe Hall. He first bowed to Daoist Sanyuan, then swept his gaze around the hall, facing hundreds of fellow disciples without the slightest fear.

"I did indeed kill Liu Cheng. Under normal circumstances, it would certainly have been wrong for me to kill him. But all of you, think carefully: was today a normal circumstance? Were Liu Cheng and I sparring? Was I the one who attacked him first? Can all the blame be dumped onto my head alone?"

"How should one define murdering a fellow disciple? I believe every senior and junior brother here has their own judgment. As far as today is concerned, even if I was at fault, it does not amount to murdering a fellow disciple, does it? If others have no intention of harming me, I certainly will not lay a finger on them. But if they make things difficult for me at every turn, can they still blame me for striking to kill? If I had not fought back and had stood here until Liu Cheng beat me to death, who would have spoken up for me?"

Han Fei's string of questions left the entire Taihe Hall silent. Even Daoist Sanyuan said nothing.

It was not that he believed Han Fei's words were absolutely reasonable. He had merely confirmed his own thought: Han Fei today was no longer quite the same as before.