Inner Sect Prodigy, Fist Shatters the Wind

"Rip!"

A fierce gust swept past Xiao Yan's robes as he narrowly dodged the devious claw strike. Though he had only a rudimentary grasp of Wind Walking Step, his Sovereign-level battle instincts allowed him to place every step precisely in the gaps between his opponent's attacks.

The leading inner sect disciple was named Lin Chen. His Sixth-Stage Dou Qi cultivation already made him one of the best among his peers. Seeing Xiao Yan evade his Wind Splitting Claw, he showed a flicker of surprise, then snorted coldly. "Interesting. No wonder you dared to act so arrogantly in front of the outer sect disciples."

He turned his wrist, and his claw strikes grew swifter. Five faint azure Dou Qi blades spread out with the motion, displaying the essence of Wind Splitting Claw: using Dou Qi to mimic wind blades and tear through defenses. In the eyes of the outer sect disciples, it was a deadly move they could hardly hope to resist.

The two peak fifth-stage disciples behind Lin Chen did not join the attack. Instead, they folded their arms and sneered. In their eyes, with Senior Brother Lin taking action, dealing with a peak fourth-stage Xiao Yan would be as easy as reaching out and grabbing him.

Xiao Yan's expression remained unchanged. Pushing Wind Walking Step to its limit, he threaded through the claw shadows like a fleeting glimpse of a startled swan. He was deliberately honing this newly acquired movement technique while observing the paths of Wind Splitting Claw.

An opening... right here!

Within a few breaths, Xiao Yan had discerned the pattern in his opponent's moves. Lin Chen's claw technique was fast, but whenever he changed moves, an opening appeared at his right ribs for an instant. It vanished so quickly that an ordinary person could never catch it.

Just as Lin Chen swept a claw across and the wind blades were about to strike him, Xiao Yan advanced instead of retreating. He stomped his left foot down and abruptly lowered his body, narrowly ducking beneath the claw shadows. At the same time, he gathered all his Dou Qi in his right fist and slammed it toward Lin Chen's right ribs with the defense-breaking power of mastery-level Stone Shattering Fist!

The timing of that punch was exquisite: it came at the very instant Lin Chen's old strength had been spent and his new strength had yet to rise!

"Not good!" Lin Chen's expression changed drastically. He had not expected Xiao Yan to seize that fleeting opening. In his haste, he could only force himself to twist aside, trying to protect his vital points.

"Bam!"

The fist struck the side of his waist after all.

Though it missed his vital points, the force, concentrated like steel, still surged violently into him. A sharp pain shot through Lin Chen's waist, and the circulation of his Dou Qi instantly faltered. He staggered back three steps, his face pale.

"You..." Shocked and furious, Lin Chen stared at Xiao Yan in disbelief. He had Sixth-Stage Dou Qi, yet a peak fourth-stage fellow had injured him?

The surrounding Misty Cloud Sect disciples erupted in an uproar. Even Senior Brother Lin of the inner sect had suffered a setback? What had happened to Xiao Yan? He was like a completely different person!

[Ding! Successfully injured Lin Chen, a Misty Cloud Sect inner disciple with Sixth-Stage Dou Qi. Achievement "Higher-Stage Challenge" triggered!]

[Achievement rewards: Fifth Stage Dou Qi cultivation, 100 points (redeemable for items in the system shop).]

[System shop unlocked. View it?]

The system notification sounded, stirring Xiao Yan's interest, but he put aside the thought of checking the shop for now. With the reward's boost, the Dou Qi within him surged, easily breaking through the peak fourth-stage bottleneck and entering the fifth stage! The fullness of his strength warmed his knuckles and fueled his fighting spirit.

"Senior Brother Lin!" The two inner sect disciples behind him could no longer hold back. They rushed at Xiao Yan from either side. Both were at the peak of the fifth stage, and as their Dou Qi surged, they unleashed Stone Shattering Fist in unison. Their fist winds intertwined, sealing off all his paths of retreat.

"Coming at me together?" A sharp glint flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes. "Good. Saves me the trouble of finding you one by one."

He advanced instead of retreating, Fifth Stage Dou Qi surging through his body. His Wind Walking Step traced a strange arc, and as he dodged the fist on his left, his right fist met the man on his right head-on.

"Bang!"

The peak fifth-stage disciple felt an overwhelming force strike him. His arm went numb, and the impact sent him stumbling backward.

Using the momentum, Xiao Yan spun around, bent his left arm, and brought his elbow down like a hammer toward the face of the disciple attacking from the other side. By the time the disciple realized the danger, it was too late to do anything but hastily raise an arm to block.

"Crack!"

The sound of breaking bone rang out again. The disciple screamed as his arm snapped, and he flew backward, crashing into the stone wall and falling unconscious.

In the blink of an eye, another inner sect disciple had been defeated!

"You're courting death!" Seeing this, Lin Chen forced himself to endure the pain in his waist and charged again. Shadows of Wind Splitting Claw flew as every strike came vicious and merciless. He was clearly enraged.

The remaining peak fifth-stage disciple's eyes turned red as well. Howling, he attacked from the side.

Xiao Yan fought two against one without falling at a disadvantage in the slightest. His Fifth Stage Dou Qi cultivation gave him greater confidence, and his Wind Walking Step grew increasingly practiced. At times he evaded attacks like a gentle breeze brushing willow branches; at others, he struck like a sudden thunderclap.

He brought his Sovereign-level combat experience to its fullest, moving between the two and targeting the gaps in their coordination. Often, just as Lin Chen's claw wind arrived, he had already closed in on the fifth-stage disciple, forcing Lin Chen to hold back for fear of striking his companion.

This can't go on... Lin Chen grew more alarmed the longer they fought. Xiao Yan's combat awareness was terrifying, as though he could predict Lin Chen's every move. If the fight dragged on, the injury to his waist would only hinder him more.

Thoughts racing, Lin Chen's eyes flashed with ruthlessness. He suddenly shouted, "Wind Splitting: Strangulation!"

All his Dou Qi surged madly into his hands, and the azure wind blades swelled abruptly into two spinning wind wheels. With a piercing shriek that tore through the air, they ground toward Xiao Yan without regard for his own safety. He was trading injury for injury!

The fifth-stage disciple also seized the chance to strike with all his strength, driving a fist toward the center of Xiao Yan's back.

At the critical moment, Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened. "Finally showing your trump card?"

He advanced instead of retreating, unleashing his Dou Qi without reservation. The power of Fifth Stage Dou Qi gathered in his right fist as he pushed the profound essence of Stone Shattering Fist to its limit. A faint golden halo appeared around his fist!

"Break!"

With a low shout, he drove his fist into the wind wheels!

"Boom!"

A violent shockwave spread in all directions, shattering the stone slabs of the training ground.

Lin Chen felt an irresistible force surge through his hands. The wind blades he had formed instantly dispersed, and pain tore through both hands as though they were about to be shattered. He reeled as if struck by a massive blow, spewed a mouthful of blood, and flew backward. He crashed heavily to the ground, completely unable to fight.

Before the fifth-stage disciple's fist could reach Xiao Yan, the shockwave sent him flying. He struck the distant railing and fell unconscious.

When the dust settled, Xiao Yan stood quietly where he was. His robes were somewhat disheveled, but his breathing remained steady. His Fifth Stage Dou Qi cultivation had been fully consolidated by that last punch, and there were even faint signs of further progress.

The training ground fell deathly silent.

Everyone was stunned by the sight before them. Three inner sect disciples, including Lin Chen with his Sixth-Stage Dou Qi, had all been defeated by Xiao Yan alone!

How was this still the trash whose engagement had been broken off three years ago? He was clearly a fierce tiger that had hidden its claws and fangs!

[Ding! Defeated inner sect disciple Lin Chen and his companions. Hidden quest "Intimidate the Inner Sect" completed!]

[Quest rewards: Peak Fifth Stage Dou Qi cultivation, incomplete scroll of the Dou Technique "Flame Splitting Wave Ruler" (can be completed using points), 200 points.]

[Current total points: 300.]

The system notification sounded again, and Xiao Yan felt a flicker of pleasure. Flame Splitting Wave Ruler had been one of his signature Dou Techniques early in his previous life. He had not expected the system to hand him an incomplete scroll of it directly.

He looked toward the depths of the Misty Cloud Sect, where fluctuations in presence had noticeably grown more urgent. Clearly, the commotion had alerted people higher up.

"It seems the real 'welcome' is coming." Xiao Yan's lips curved into a smile full of fighting spirit.

He could sense several powerful presences rapidly approaching from deep within the Misty Cloud Sect. One of them carried a hint of familiar, icy arrogance.

The curtain had only just risen on the Three-Year Agreement. And he was ready.