Monster

As Liu Feng's words faded, the aura around him erupted like a tidal wave!

The pressure of Foundation Establishment Layer 4 spread out, forcing the Outer Sect disciples nearby to stagger back, their faces pale.

"Foundation Establishment Layer 4! Senior Brother Liu has broken through again!"

"Such powerful pressure! This is what a true Inner Sect elite is like!"

"That Qin Yuan is finished..."

On the high platform, Liu Zhenshan of Third Peak nodded slightly, a look of satisfaction in his eyes. Elder Li of Seventh Peak narrowed his eyes, watching Qin Yuan thoughtfully.

Lin Qing'er and Liu Han sat in the Seventh Peak disciple area, their fists clenched nervously.

"Qin Yuan Ge..." Lin Qing'er's face was pale.

Liu Han remained silent. She also couldn't see through Qin Yuan's cultivation, but her intuition told her that today's Qin Yuan was completely different from three days ago.

In the arena, Qin Yuan faced Liu Feng's pressure without even a rustle of his clothes.

He slowly raised his right hand, fingers spread, and then—

Gently clenched his fist.

"BOOM—!!!"

A pressure far more powerful, solid, and terrifying than Liu Feng's surged skyward from Qin Yuan's body like a volcanic eruption!

His Foundation Establishment aura was released without reservation, climbing steadily!

Foundation Establishment Layer 1!

Foundation Establishment Layer 2!

Foundation Establishment Layer 3!

Foundation Establishment Layer 4!

Foundation Establishment Layer 5!

Foundation Establishment Layer 6!!!

When his aura settled firmly at the peak of Foundation Establishment Layer 6, the entire place fell silent.

The sneer on Liu Feng's face froze, replaced by disbelief and horror.

On the high platform, Wang Zhenshan shot to his feet, knocking over his chair.

Elder Li of Seventh Peak's pupils contracted.

All the elders and disciples stared with wide eyes and open mouths, like a flock of geese with their necks squeezed.

Lin Qing'er covered her mouth, her almond-shaped eyes filled with shock. Liu Han crushed the teacup in her hand with a "crack," tea splashing all over her without her noticing.

Foundation Establishment Layer 6?

Three days ago, Qin Yuan was only at Level 7 Qi Condensation!

Three days, from Level 7 Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment Layer 6?!

This defied everyone's understanding, shattering the most basic common sense of the cultivation world!

"No... Impossible!" Liu Feng's voice trembled, as if squeezed from between his teeth. "You must have used a forbidden technique that burns your lifespan! Yes! It must be! I can break through your flimsy realm with one move!"

He was trying to convince himself, and to bolster his own courage.

Qin Yuan looked at him and suddenly smiled.

The smile was faint, but it sent a chill down Liu Feng's spine.

"Nothing is impossible," Qin Yuan said. "Just like now, killing you is also nothing impossible."

As his words fell, he moved.

No charging up, no fancy moves, just a simple step forward.

But as he took that step, the ground of the entire training ground trembled slightly! Qin Yuan's figure blurred instantly, and when he reappeared, he was already in front of Liu Feng!

Fast! So fast Liu Feng didn't even have time to react!

He only saw a fist rapidly enlarging before his eyes, the spiritual energy attached to it so condensed it was suffocating!

"No—!!!" Liu Feng roared, pouring all his spiritual energy into his palms, stacking them in front of his chest. At the same time, he activated the full power of a protective artifact—a small bronze shield, which instantly enlarged and blocked in front of him.

Then, the fist arrived.

"CLANG—!!!"

A deafening explosion!

The bronze shield shattered into countless fragments like paper! The bones in Liu Feng's palms shattered, and his entire body was sent flying back like a tattered sack, spitting out a mouthful of blood mixed with internal organ fragments in mid-air!

"BANG—!!!"

He slammed heavily onto the bluestone ground thirty feet away, creating a deep pit, and dust billowed up.

The entire audience was silent.

Everyone stared blankly at the deep pit, then at Qin Yuan, who stood with his fist withdrawn in the center of the arena.

One move?

No, it wasn't even a move, just a casual punch.

Liu Feng, at the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment, a top talent among the younger generation of Third Peak, was sent flying by a single punch, his life or death unknown?

The deathly silence lasted for three breaths, then exploded!

"He... he really punched..."

"Foundation Establishment sixth layer! Sixth layer of Foundation Establishment in three days! Is he a monster?!"

"Is Senior Brother Liu dead?!"

On the high platform, Wang Zhenshan's eyes were about to split, and he was about to rush down, but was held back by several elders beside him.

"Elder Wang! The rules of the grand competition, life and death are irrelevant! If you interfere, the Sect Master..."

Wang Zhenshan trembled all over, staring intently at Qin Yuan, the killing intent in his eyes almost solidifying.

As the dust settled, in the deep pit, Liu Feng moved with difficulty. He wasn't dead, but his sternum was shattered, his internal organs displaced, and most of his meridians were broken. Even if he was saved, seventy percent of his cultivation would be crippled.

Qin Yuan's punch had held back power.

It wasn't mercy, but to make Liu Feng lie there like a dead dog in full view of everyone, to let everyone see—what the consequences were for offending him.

The Steward recovered and announced with a dry voice, "The challenge has ended... Qin Yuan wins."

No one cheered, only suppressed shock and fear.

Qin Yuan turned, about to step off the stage.

"Wait."

Elder Li of Seventh Peak suddenly spoke. He stood up, a kind smile squeezed onto his face, "Qin Yuan, your talent is extraordinary, and your combat power is astonishing. My Seventh Peak is willing to accept you as a personal disciple, with preferential resources and your choice of cultivation techniques. Are you willing?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue erupted in an uproar!

Personal disciple! They were the core among Inner Sect disciples, personally taught by the Peak Master or an Elder, with supreme status and resources far exceeding ordinary Inner Sect disciples!

Everyone looked at Qin Yuan, awaiting his answer.

Qin Yuan looked up at Elder Li, then swept his gaze over the ashen face of Wang Zhenshan of Third Peak on the high platform, and suddenly smiled.

"Thank you for Elder Li's kind offer," he said, "but I already have someone in mind."

"Oh? Which peak?" Elder Li pressed.

Qin Yuan said word by word, "Fifth Peak."

The entire venue fell silent again.

Fifth Peak?

Among the nine peaks of Xuan Yuan Sect, Fifth Peak had the weakest strength and the poorest resources. For nearly a hundred years, it hadn't produced any notable talents. A monstrous genius like Qin Yuan actually wanted to go to Fifth Peak?!

In the Fifth Peak area, several elders and disciples who had been dozing off were stunned, and then ecstasy surged into their hearts!

Elder Li of Seventh Peak's face darkened, "Qin Yuan, think carefully. What can Fifth Peak give you? What my Seventh Peak can give you is ten, a hundred times what Fifth Peak can!"

"I've thought it through," Qin Yuan said calmly, "I'm going to Fifth Peak."

"You!" Rage flashed in Elder Li's eyes, but under the public gaze, he couldn't lash out. He could only snort coldly, "I hope you don't regret it in the future."

Qin Yuan ignored him and turned to descend the stage.

Wherever he passed, the crowd automatically parted a path. All the Outer Sect disciples looked at him with awe, admiration, and a hint of fanaticism—Qin Yuan had shown them with his actions that Outer Sect disciples could also defy fate!

Lin Qing'er and Liu Han walked up.

"Senior Brother Qin Yuan! You're too amazing!" Lin Qing'er's small face turned red with excitement.

Liu Han looked at Qin Yuan with a complex expression. After a long while, she said softly, "Congratulations."

She remembered what she had said three days ago, "You are not people of the same world," and her face felt a little hot. Now, it seemed they were indeed not people of the same world—but it was Qin Yuan who had ascended to a higher world.

Qin Yuan nodded at the two, "Thank you."

Just as he was about to say something else, a young disciple from Fifth Peak ran over, panting, "Qin, Senior Brother Qin! Elder Xu asks you to come over!"

Qin Yuan said to Lin Qing'er and Liu Han, "I'll go over first."

"Okay, okay! Hurry and go, Senior Brother Qin Yuan!" Lin Qing'er nodded repeatedly.

Watching Qin Yuan leave with the disciple, Liu Han suddenly said softly, "Qing'er, from now on... don't call him Senior Brother Qin Yuan anymore."

"Ah? Why?"

"Because he has embarked on a path that we can only look up to." Liu Han gazed at Qin Yuan's retreating back, her eyes complicated. "From today onwards, he is the hope of Fifth Peak, the future prodigy of Xuan Yuan Sect. And we... are just his old acquaintances."

Lin Qing'er stood there blankly, watching Qin Yuan disappear into the crowd. She suddenly felt an emptiness in her heart.

She knew her senior sister was right.

The boy who used to carry her on his back to climb trees and pick locust flowers was gone forever.

In his place was Qin Yuan, at the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment, who defeated his enemies with a single punch and was sought after by various peaks—a monstrous genius.