Zhao Junhao's Provocation!

"Is this guy sick in the head? Why did he come to the cafeteria's back courtyard to pick a fight with Chen Huai'an at a time like this?" A servant disciple carrying water frowned.

Judging by his bearing, he had come to cause trouble for Chen Huai'an, and he was doing so right in front of Steward Wu. This was probably a personal grudge.

"I know him. His name is Zhao Junhao, a member of the Zhao Family, a cultivation clan. He's at the seventh level of the Body Tempering Realm's late stage. What does he want with Chen Huai'an?" Someone recognized the young man and frowned.

As they carried water together, they had heard that Chen Huai'an was only at the third level of the Body Tempering Realm. Having offended Zhao Junhao now, even if he did not die today, he would lose a layer of skin.

Several people looked at old Li Fugui with strange expressions.

The servant disciples drawing water in the cafeteria's back courtyard all knew that Chen Huai'an and Old Li had a grudge. It was very possible that Zhao Junhao had been invited by Li Fugui to deal with Chen Huai'an.

Seeing the suspicious looks on those servant disciples' faces, Li Fugui's heart skipped a beat, and a bad feeling rose within him.

This man was at the same realm as him and even stronger. He could not possibly have hired him.

He knew Chen Huai'an's strength. Ordinary late-stage Body Tempering Realm cultivators were no match for him. If he wanted to find someone, he would have sought an eighth- or ninth-level Body Tempering Realm expert to deal with him.

More importantly, he might have had the desire, but he did not have the guts. And even more importantly, he did not have spirit stones. If he had spirit stones, would it not be better to use them for his own cultivation?

At that moment, Li Fugui truly wanted to go up to Chen Huai'an and tell him that this man had been sent by Zhang Biao. The Zhang Family and the Zhao Family were both cultivation clans and had dealings with one another. Zhang Biao was among the top hundred on the Spirit Elegance Ranking, so he could easily order Zhao Junhao to help him.

Any faction with even a little sense would find ways to curry favor with a genius on the Spirit Elegance Ranking like Zhang Biao.

"Chen Huai'an, you even dared to lay hands on someone from the Zhang Family. You truly don't know when to stop courting death." Before Li Fugui could explain anything to Chen Huai'an, Zhao Junhao revealed why he had come.

He had come to trouble Chen Huai'an at the Zhang Family's command.

As soon as Zhao Junhao finished speaking, the servant disciples carrying water around them were utterly shocked. This man had actually been sent by the Zhang Family to make trouble. What unforgivable thing had Chen Huai'an done to offend both the Zhao Family and the Zhang Family, two cultivation clans?

These two cultivation clans held considerable status within the Qingyun Sect. Having offended these two major powers, he would have no place to stand on Servant Peak.

"What are you talking about? I don't know." How could Chen Huai'an admit that he had a grudge with the Zhang Family? He simply played dumb.

"I don't care whether you truly don't know or are pretending. I came here today to teach you a lesson. If you know what's good for you, kneel before me and cripple your own cultivation. I might consider sparing your life." Zhao Junhao looked utterly arrogant.

"This is the Qingyun Sect, not a place for you to run wild," Chen Huai'an said calmly.

Zhao Junhao was a late-stage Body Tempering Realm cultivator. On Servant Peak, he could strut around as he pleased. Dealing with a low-level servant disciple was merely a matter of saying the word.

But now, Chen Huai'an wanted to test whether the Qingyun Sect's rules truly protected him during the period after he entered the challenge tournament.

Zhao Junhao wore a mocking expression.

"You're just a low-level servant disciple. Trash like you could die, and no one would seek justice for you."

In his eyes, these people were no more than ants. Had Chen Huai'an not noticed that he had come to cause trouble? Steward Wu had not even dared to utter a peep before him. Clearly, he had tacitly approved of it.

Behind him stood the Zhao Family and the Zhang Family. Anyone who wanted to oppose him had better weigh the consequences carefully.

"I registered for the Servant Disciple Challenge Tournament. Are you sure you want to make a move against me today?" Chen Huai'an asked calmly.

"What did you say? You registered for the Servant Disciple Challenge Tournament?" Zhao Junhao frowned. If Chen Huai'an had truly registered for the Servant Disciple Challenge Tournament, then he would indeed be under the sect's protection during this period. So long as Chen Huai'an was unwilling, Zhao Junhao could not attack him. If he made a move and was caught by disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall, even if he did not die, he would lose a layer of skin. Not even the Zhao Family behind him could protect him.

But if Chen Huai'an was willing to accept his challenge, then he could attack Chen Huai'an.

Still, unless Chen Huai'an was brain-dead, he would never accept such an unequal challenge.

"What? Why haven't I heard that Chen Huai'an registered for the Servant Disciple Challenge Tournament?" The nearby servant disciples carrying water all widened their eyes in disbelief at Chen Huai'an's words.

"Could he have broken through to the middle stage of the Body Tempering Realm?"

They had only been on the Qingyun Sect's Servant Peak for a little over a month, yet Chen Huai'an had actually broken through to the middle stage of the Body Tempering Realm and even dared to enter the challenge tournament.

What these people did not know was that Chen Huai'an had just broken through to the seventh level of the Body Tempering Realm's late stage. He had merely concealed his cultivation, making it appear as though he was at the fourth level of the middle stage.

Even so, it caused quite a stir among the servant disciples.

If Chen Huai'an had not registered for the challenge tournament, dealing with him would have been incredibly easy. They had a hundred methods and excuses at their disposal.

But now they could not. Before the challenge tournament began, high-level servant disciples were not allowed to trouble low-level servant disciples who had registered.

This was a protective mechanism, meant to protect servant disciples from being targeted by people with backing before they had grown strong enough, thus limiting their growth.

Newly registered disciples had a novice protection period. The sect would assign them an initial ranking based on their cultivation. Without this protection mechanism, malicious people could exploit it by sending high-level disciples to trouble them, which would be unfair and cause some geniuses to be buried.

Of course, that was not all. If a high-level servant disciple challenged a low-level servant disciple, their ranking would remain unchanged if they won. But if they lost, their ranking would be replaced by the other party's. That was not even the most frightening part. The truly frightening thing was that once your ranking was replaced, your treatment would be replaced as well.

That was the true meaning of the challenge tournament. If you wanted better cultivation resources, you could only fight your way upstream.

However, low-level servant disciples challenging high-level servant disciples was something for the later stages. In the early stages, many people would restrain themselves. Even if they were certain of victory, they would not make a move lightly.

Once they stepped onto the stage, regardless of victory or defeat, any injury they suffered could allow other disciples to exploit the opening in the later stages of the challenge tournament. If they were unlucky, they would merely be making a wedding dress for someone else.

"Chen Huai'an, since you've entered the challenge tournament, then one month from now, I'll cripple you with my own hands in the tournament." Zhao Junhao considered his words, then glared viciously at Chen Huai'an.

"One month from now, you want to cripple me with your own hands?" Chen Huai'an spoke calmly.

"Fine. I'll be waiting for you."

Chen Huai'an would not let his emotions get the better of him and fight the other man. The longer he could lie low, the longer he would lie low.

He was testing the Qingyun Sect's rules, and this was also a means of protecting himself.

During this period, what Chen Huai'an needed most was time.