Fists and Feet Have No Eyes

The air fell silent at once.

Among the elders and disciples of every peak lineage, no one mocked Chen Yan for overestimating himself.

Of course, no one took Chen Yan's words seriously either.

Because they all simply thought there was something wrong with Chen Yan's head.

Qi Yadong was Song Wencheng's Personal Disciple from the Law Enforcement Hall of Kongyuan Mountain.

He was a true Inner Sect Elder's Personal Disciple. From the day he entered the Empty Mountain Sect, he had been watched by the sect and groomed as a priority.

As for Chen Yan, before Lin Qifeng took him as a disciple, he had wasted ten years in the outer court.

Although Chen Yan's performance in this Outer Court Grand Competition had been remarkably dazzling, even surpassing the performance of most Inner Sect Disciples at the Body Tempering Realm,

one had to remember that, under normal circumstances, Inner Sect Core Disciples such as Elder's Personal Disciples broke through to the Qi Condensation Realm at an average age before fourteen.

Both might be at the Body Tempering Realm Peak, but a seventeen-year-old Body Tempering Realm cultivator would crush a fourteen-year-old one.

Age and physical development had an enormous impact on the combat strength of Body Tempering Realm cultivators.

Qi Yadong believed that his performance at the Body Tempering Realm Peak had definitely been inferior to Chen Yan's.

But at seventeen, he had already been at the Qi Condensation Realm Mid-stage. Back then, defeating the present Chen Yan would certainly have taken him no more than one move.

Qi Yadong was nineteen this year and had already reached the Qi Condensation Realm Peak. He was confident he could break through to the Martial Spring Realm before turning twenty.

Looking across the Empty Mountain Sect, if one considered only the current generation of disciples, there were absolutely no more than thirty who could break through to the Martial Spring Realm before twenty.

In other words, Qi Yadong was unquestionably one of those standing at the very tip of the pyramid among the Empty Mountain Sect's current disciples.

And yet Chen Yan dared to declare that, without relying on any magical treasure, he would settle him in a single move?

Qi Yadong found it nothing but astonishing.

How did he dare?

One had to know that even if a Qi Condensation Realm cultivator used pills to suppress his cultivation down to the level of the Body Tempering Realm, the strength of a body whose flesh, blood, and meridians had long been tempered by true qi was beyond comparison with any Body Tempering Realm cultivator.

It would have been more reasonable to say Qi Yadong could deal with Chen Yan in three moves.

But...

Faced with Chen Yan's wild boasting, Song Wencheng merely shook his head without saying a word, then signaled Qi Yadong to step onto the arena.

"Senior Brother Chen, go!"

"Show those Inner Sect people that our outer court isn't without geniuses!"

The Outer Court Disciples below the arena had faith in Chen Yan and were brimming with enthusiasm.

If Chen Yan had acted arrogantly when facing Outer Court Disciples, it would have been understandable.

But for him to remain so wildly arrogant while facing Qi Yadong was rather baffling.

Yet Chen Yan had his reasons.

He suspected that Reincarnation's rating might be connected to his reputation and renown.

The louder his name rang out, the higher Reincarnation's rating would be, and the better the rewards.

With Lin Qifeng behind him, and with the fact that he had indeed received Inner Sect cultivation resources, he should not be casually branded with the label of Calamity Cause.

Even if he was branded a Calamity Cause, at worst he would simply enter Reincarnation again and start over.

And if he was purged as a Calamity Cause, that would be the perfect chance to verify his guess.

Of course, this was merely one of Chen Yan's conjectures.

Chen Yan knew exactly how great his cultivation talent was. Reincarnation's reward and inheritance mechanisms were the best means for him to advance upon the Immortal Path.

Thus, an appropriate sacrifice was necessary.

"Junior Brother Chen, please."

Qi Yadong stood proudly atop the arena, his hands clasped behind his back.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds and fell upon the gilded Cloud Crane patterns on his daoist robe sleeves, lending him several more measures of splendor.

Chen Yan said nothing, merely allowing true qi to surge through his body.

With the Hidden Immortal Art's enhancement, no one could see through Chen Yan's true cultivation beneath the surface. Even though his Martial Spring was operating at full speed and his true qi surged with lofty force, it remained hidden.

He would defeat Qi Yadong in a manner that shook the world and defied convention.

In the most dazzling fashion, he would stun the entire inner and outer courts of the Empty Mountain Sect.

This was an experiment that spared no cost.

The next instant, Chen Yan's left foot slammed heavily into the ground. The bluestone bricks immediately shattered, and the spot beneath his toes was ground into powder in an instant.

The distance of more than ten meters between them vanished in a flash.

Chen Yan drew back his right fist, and at the instant he struck, the true qi rushing through his meridians like crashing waves abruptly froze.

Bang!

A plain and unadorned punch, relying solely on physical strength—the full-force blow of a Martial Spring Realm cultivator—smashed heavily into Qi Yadong's chest.

This favored son of heaven from Kongyuan Mountain was sent flying sideways, crashing heavily onto the arena.

He struggled to raise his head. His face first turned pale, then rapidly flushed purple-red.

"You... can't possibly be at the Body Tempering... Puh!"

A mouthful of foul blood sprayed from Qi Yadong's mouth, mixed with fragments of his internal organs.

A large portion of his chest had completely caved in, and broad stains of dark red began spreading across his daoist robe.

The Medical Hall disciples who had been standing by below the stage swiftly climbed onto the arena. They first stuffed life-preserving pills into Qi Yadong's mouth, then immediately began emergency treatment.

It was merely symbolic treatment.

After roughly a dozen seconds, the leading outer court Medical Hall steward turned toward Elder Song Wencheng on the viewing platform, whose face was filled with anxious distress, and slowly shook his head.

He could no longer be saved.

"Bastard!"

Song Wencheng rose to his feet and slapped the tea table beside him, grinding it into dust as he shouted.

The might of a Spirit 통 Realm cultivator rose up, and the atmosphere of the martial arts field instantly became stifling.

Even Chen Yan, who still stood upon the arena, felt a tightness in his chest at that moment.

Not to mention those Outer Court Disciples at the Body Tempering Realm or Qi Condensation Realm.

Qi Yadong was Song Wencheng's proudest disciple, and also his only Personal Disciple.

Song Wencheng had paved Qi Yadong's path to success, and everything had been proceeding step by step.

For this Outer Court Grand Competition, Kongyuan Mountain had originally chosen someone else to serve as gatekeeper.

But Song Wencheng had brushed aside all objections and had his disciple Qi Yadong act as the gatekeeper. It would polish Qi Yadong's record while also letting him show his face before the elders and seniors of the other peak lineages.

Who could have expected it to end like this?

"Someone, seize that bastard and lock him in the Detention Center! I will personally interrogate him later!"

Song Wencheng pointed at Chen Yan on the arena and roared.

"I'd like to see who dares!"

Lin Qifeng also abruptly rose to his feet, his eyes wide with fury as he glared at Song Wencheng.

"Fists and feet have no eyes; life and death are one's own responsibility. Song, do you not even understand such a simple principle?"

"Lin Qifeng, stop farting there. Seize him and escort him back to the Kongyuan Mountain Detention Center!"

"Today, whoever dares touch so much as one finger of Chen Yan, I, Lin Qifeng, will never forgive him!"

The situation in the martial arts field began to turn into a clash of needle against wheat.

Chen Yan merely stood atop the arena without uttering a word.

He was already prepared to start over.