That blazing fire serpent, carrying a terrifying might capable of incinerating everything, struck with pinpoint precision at the exact spot where Chen Yang stood!
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out.
A scorching shockwave expanded outward in a ring, whipping the robes of the surrounding disciples with a sharp crack, searing the skin on their faces. They cried out in alarm and stumbled back once more.
Flames surged toward the sky.
The fire writhed and devoured like a living monster, reducing that entire area to a blazing inferno — the situation within was completely impossible to see.
The rampaging flames scorched the stone-paved ground to a charred black, even showing signs of melting. The air was thick with the acrid stench of sulfur and burning.
It was over.
That was the thought in nearly everyone's mind.
"Heh, I thought he actually had some skill. Turns out he's all flash and no substance — looks impressive but completely useless."
An outer sect disciple participating in the inner disciple trials crossed his arms and sneered, his tone dripping with contempt:
"All that big talk earlier, thundering on about defeating someone above his level, about a fight to the death — and what came of it? He couldn't even survive a single move from Senior Brother Li. Got blown to dust."
"Exactly. What a waste of emotion. I thought we'd get to watch a real fight, but it ended this fast."
Someone nearby chimed in, their face written with disappointment, as though they hadn't gotten the fierce clash they'd anticipated.
"A fifth level of the Qi Refinement Realm challenging the seventh — that's just asking to die. But come to think of it, how does a medicine garden laborer even reach the fifth level of the Qi Refinement Realm?"
Another disciple rubbed his chin, a flash of suspicion and greed crossing his eyes.
"I'd bet he was stealing from the garden — sneaking precious spirit medicines for himself. Otherwise, with the resources and cultivation techniques available to a laborer, how could he possibly reach that level? Pfft! A thief. He deserved to die!"
This speculation quickly gained agreement from many around them. They nodded along, and whatever faint sympathy had lingered in their eyes as they watched the still-burning flames turned to contempt.
As if pinning the label of "thief" on Chen Yang made his death perfectly justified — even satisfying.
Up on the high platform.
The sinister smile on Lin Yang's face faded. He shook his head with mild boredom, his folding fan swaying gently in his hand:
"Tsk, Junior Brother Li, your fire serpent seems to have grown even more powerful. But… this is far too dull. I thought we'd get to play a while longer. Turns out he was just a piece of trash that shattered in one hit."
His tone carried a hint of reproach, as though blaming Li Yan for ending things too quickly and ruining his entertainment.
Meanwhile, at the far end of the plaza, among the crowd of laborer disciples, the atmosphere was suffocatingly heavy.
Many stared at the towering flames, their eyes reddening involuntarily. They clenched their fists so tightly that their nails dug into their palms, yet they felt no pain.
Their hearts felt as though a massive stone had been lodged inside — heavy, crushing, making it hard to breathe.
People come and go, all driven by gain.
Cultivators, even more so, fight against heaven for their fate. A chance to advance to the outer sect and change one's destiny was enough to temporarily blind them, to make them forget the kindness they'd been shown, and to drive them to desperate choices.
But when the madness faded — when the person who had once helped them, who had even shown them mercy just moments ago, might now be reduced to ash — a fierce remorse and shame gnawed at their hearts like venomous ants.
They lowered their heads, unable to look at the flames that symbolized destruction, their hearts desolate.
Yet, amid this atmosphere of desolation, mockery, and contempt, the white-bearded Foundation Establishment Elder who had been watching the battlefield intently suddenly let a sharp gleam flash through his clouded old eyes!
His cultivation was profound, his divine sense powerful. He had vaguely sensed that the situation at the heart of those raging flames was not what the crowd believed!
"Hmm? He…"
The Elder murmured instinctively under his breath.
Almost the very instant his words trailed off!
That towering inferno, raging as though it would burn everything to nothing, suddenly split apart from the middle!
As if a pair of invisible hands had violently torn open the curtain of fire!
A figure slowly walked out from between the parted flames, step by step.
His pace was steady, each footfall landing on the scorched, searing ground with a faint sizzle.
It was Chen Yang!
His entire body seemed to be enveloped in an extremely faint, nearly invisible shimmer of light. The flames that could melt gold and shatter stone had not harmed him in the slightest!
Even his faded, well-worn laborer's robe — aside from some dust and bloodstains — showed not a single sign of having caught fire!
He raised a hand and casually patted his shoulder, brushing away dust that wasn't even there.
He lifted his head, his gaze calm as he looked across at Li Yan, whose expression had shifted dramatically. The corner of his mouth even curled into a faint, barely-there arc — heavy with mockery.
"So this is the power of the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm?"
Chen Yang's voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly into the ears of every person present, carrying an ease that was almost impossible to believe.
"You made such a grand spectacle of it. I thought I was in real danger. Turns out… it's all bark and no bite. It wasn't even hot enough to warm me up."
"Wh… what?!"
"How is that possible?!"
"He's unharmed?! He's completely unharmed?!"
"Impossible! I saw with my own eyes that the fire serpent swallowed him!"
"An illusion! It must be an illusion!"
In a fleeting moment, the entire plaza erupted like a pot boiling over!
Every disciple — outer sect or laborer alike — stared wide-eyed, their faces etched with utter shock and disbelief. What had just unfolded before them completely overturned everything they thought they knew!
Someone at the fifth level of the Qi Refinement Realm had taken a full-force strike from an inner disciple elite at the seventh level — and a fire-attributed spell technique at that, renowned for its savage destructive power — and emerged… completely unscathed?!
Not even a tear in his clothes?!
This was more absurd than the sun rising in the west!
The arrogance and cruelty on Li Yan's face froze in an instant, as though he'd been slapped hard across the face. His pupils contracted to the size of pinpoints, filled with incomprehension and terror!
"Im… impossible!" he cried out involuntarily, his voice carrying an almost imperceptible tremor.
"My Blazing Flame Serpent Devour… I held nothing back! How could you… how could you be completely unharmed?!"
He had taken enormous risks to master the Blazing Flame Serpent Devour — consuming and refining no fewer than three demon cores from Blazing Flame Tigers!
He had cultivated it for a hundred days before he could condense the fire serpent to such a dense and ferocious state, its power far surpassing spell techniques of the same level!
This was one of his trump cards, his ultimate ace!
How could it fail to even scratch a fifth level of the Qi Refinement Realm laborer?!
When Chen Yang heard the words "Blazing Flame Tiger," his eyes shifted ever so slightly, and a strange feeling welled up in his heart.
No wonder… that fire serpent had looked terrifyingly imposing, yet when it crashed into him, all he felt was a familiar warmth spreading through him.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Not only had he felt no burning pain whatsoever, but the fire-attributed Demon Energy that had accumulated within him from the Nine Revolutions Body Tempering Art and consuming large quantities of demon cores had actually stirred with a kind of restless eagerness.
It even felt… oddly familiar?
Back in the depths of the back mountains, the Blazing Flame Tiger he had hunted — its demon core had been duplicated a full eleven times using the clay bowl!
Every single one had been absorbed and refined by him!
It was safe to say that the primordial Demon Energy of the Blazing Flame Tiger accumulated within his body was several times more abundant and pure than what those mere three demon cores had given Li Yan!
When it came to fire resistance — especially against this kind of power derived from the Blazing Flame Tiger — Li Yan, the one casting the spell, was likely far inferior to Chen Yang, the supposed "victim."
It was like trying to wash away the ocean with a stream, and expecting the ocean to evaporate. Laughable.
Having worked this out, Chen Yang felt completely at ease.
He looked at Li Yan, who was on the verge of madness and unable to accept reality, and decided to add fuel to the fire.
He deliberately mimicked the way Li Yan had cast his spell earlier, clumsily forming the simplest of fire-attributed hand seals — the Fire Serpent Art.
Whoosh!
A tiny fire snake, no thicker than an arm, its light dim and its shape wobbly and crooked, coalesced at his fingertips and drifted lazily toward Li Yan.
This crude spell technique, compared to the ferocious blazing serpent from moments ago, was worlds apart — so pitiful it was almost funny.
"Pfft… what is he doing? Playing with children?"
"That Fire Serpent Art… even I could form a more solid one when I was at the second level of the Qi Refinement Realm!"
This immediately drew a wave of laughter and scorn.
Li Yan's face turned iron-grey with fury, feeling an insult unlike anything he had ever experienced!
"Worm! How dare you mock me?!"
He roared in rage, not even bothering to defend himself. He planned to simply use his Protective Spirit Radiance to disperse this laughable little fire snake, then use far crueler methods to torment and kill Chen Yang!
However, the moment that seemingly feeble little fire snake lazily made contact with the crimson Protective Spirit Radiance rising from his body's surface —
Something unexpected happened!
Tsss——!
Like a red-hot brand plunged into ice water!
Li Yan's seemingly robust fire-attributed Protective Spirit Radiance crumbled like paper, effortlessly pierced through by the tiny fire snake!
Immediately after, the little fire snake coiled itself around Li Yan's arm!
"AHHH——!!!"
A shrill, pitch-breaking scream erupted from Li Yan's mouth!
That flame was no ordinary fire. The instant it touched his skin, an indescribable, bone-deep, soul-searing agony came crashing over him in waves!
It felt as though what was being ignited was not his clothes and flesh, but the very foundation of the fire-attributed spiritual energy he had cultivated over years!
His entire arm turned charred black in an instant. His sleeve disintegrated to ash. His skin blistered, cracked, and carbonized!
The excruciating pain sent convulsions through his entire body, and cold sweat instantly soaked him through!
"How is this possible?! My Fire Spirit Physique… how can it be afraid of fire?!"
Li Yan's heart was seized with absolute terror. He frantically channeled his spiritual energy to extinguish the flames on his arm, only to find that the fire-attributed spiritual energy that normally obeyed his every command had met its bane — not only could it not smother the fire, it acted like fuel, making the flames burn even more fiercely!
Terrified out of his wits, he abandoned all dignity and composure. With frantic, trembling hands, he rummaged through the Storage Bag at his waist and pulled out an exquisite Frost Jade Vial. Shaking, he tipped out an ice-blue pill, and without even looking at it, shoved it into his mouth and swallowed it whole!
The pill entered his stomach, and an intensely cold medicinal energy instantly dissolved and surged toward his burning arm.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle…
A strange sound of ice and fire intertwining rang out.
The eerie flames were finally forcibly suppressed and extinguished by the extreme cold of the medicine.
But Li Yan's entire right arm was now a charred, gruesome ruin — effectively crippled for the foreseeable future.
"That's… that's a Fireward Pill!"
A knowledgeable outer sect disciple cried out in recognition:
"And a high-grade one at that! I've heard it can temporarily grant immunity to the damage of nearly all fire-attributed spell techniques below the Foundation Establishment Stage! It's worth a fortune!"
"Senior Brother Li truly has deep pockets! He even has a life-saving pill like that!"
"That kid's got nothing now, right? His strongest fire spell technique has been countered!"
The crowd buzzed with discussion, and the gazes they turned on Chen Yang once again carried gleeful schadenfreude.
After all, a single basic Fire Serpent Art severely injuring Li Yan was far too bizarre — most likely some kind of one-time special trick. Now that Li Yan had taken the Fireward Pill, it would naturally be useless.
Chen Yang's expression grew somewhat grave. He hadn't expected his opponent to have such a precious pill specifically designed to counter fire-type attacks.
Li Yan breathed in ragged gasps. The agony of his ruined arm and the terrifying burning sensation from moments ago still haunted him. The gaze he fixed on Chen Yang was filled with venomous hatred and a barely concealed trace of fear.
He flipped his left hand, and another sword gleaming with spiritual light appeared in his grip. Through gritted teeth, he snarled: "Bastard! I underestimated you! But this ends here! Let's see what else you can—"
Whoosh!
Before he could finish his threat, his vision suddenly blurred!
Chen Yang's figure appeared before him like a phantom, without any warning!
His speed far exceeded what someone at the fifth level of the Qi Refinement Realm should have been capable of!
"Perfect — close combat, I can still—"
Li Yan was startled at first, then a vicious grin spread across his face. He was confident that with two full cultivation levels above Chen Yang, his body tempered by spiritual energy was no weakling either. This was a perfect chance to reclaim his dignity!
But the very next second!
A fist, wrapped in a faint surge of qi and blood, rapidly expanding in his field of vision, slammed squarely into his face!
Thud!
A dull impact, like a heavy hammer smashing into a ripe watermelon!
Li Yan felt his vision go black in an instant, stars exploding across his sight. His nose bridge let out a teeth-grinding crack as blood, tears, and snot sprayed out uncontrollably!
The terrifying force packed into that single punch sent his entire body flying backward off the ground!
"Urgh!"
He let out a pained grunt.
But this was only the beginning!
Before his body could even hit the ground, Chen Yang was already on him like a shadow!
He gave Li Yan no chance to catch his breath or form hand seals!
Fist!
Kick!
Elbow!
Knee!
A storm of blows instantly engulfed Li Yan!
Chen Yang's attacks had no discernible technique — no martial art, no style. It was the most primal, most savage application of raw physical force!
But every strike landed with crushing weight and blinding speed!
The terrifying physique forged by the Nine Revolutions Body Tempering Art was on full display!
Thud! Thud! Thud! Crack! Snap!
The dull sounds of impact, the crack of breaking bones, and Li Yan's agonized screams and pleas for mercy rang out without end!
He tried to block — a punch smashed his arm aside, the crack of fracturing bone clearly audible!
He tried to retreat — a kick caught him on the side of the knee, the joint twisting with a sickening sound!
He tried to activate a defensive magical weapon — a flicker of spiritual light barely appeared before a vicious elbow strike slammed into his chest, scattering the light instantly, an unknown number of ribs snapping!
He was like a battered old sandbag, beaten by Chen Yang without any ability to fight back, flailing uselessly in the air as blood sprayed in all directions. His screams, fierce at first, rapidly devolved into pitiful wailing.
The entire plaza fell deathly silent!
Everyone stared, slack-jawed, at this scene that completely shattered their imagination!
An inner disciple elite at the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm, being beaten like a dead dog by a former laborer disciple at the fifth level, using nothing but bare fists and feet, with absolutely no ability to resist?!
What in the hell was going on?!
The white-bearded Foundation Establishment Elder's eyes snapped wide open. He stared fixedly at Chen Yang's movements, sensing the unique fluctuations of qi and blood within those strikes, and a hidden quality — a tenacious spirit forged through countless cycles of breaking and rebuilding. An expression of extreme shock spread across his aged face!
"This circulation of qi and blood… this physical density… this… this is the Nine Revolutions Body Tempering Art?!"
He cried out involuntarily, his voice cracking slightly from sheer astonishment.
"This is clearly Elder Shen's exclusive Body Tempering cultivation technique from Spirit Sword Peak! She guards it with her life and never passes it on! How does this boy… how does this boy know this technique…"
The Elder's heart was instantly thrown into turmoil. The gaze he turned on Chen Yang changed completely — filled with uncertainty, deep wariness, and shock!
If this boy truly had a connection with that hot-tempered, fiercely protective Elder Shen Hongmei… then today's matter…
The other disciples didn't know about the Nine Revolutions Body Tempering Art, but they were equally stunned into silence by this display of pure, overwhelming violence.
They finally understood why Li Baode had been beaten so helplessly before… This was no fluke. This was absolute, crushing dominance in raw power!
Li Yan had been beaten dizzy, his entire body wracked with pain, his consciousness beginning to blur. His heart was consumed by humiliation and a maddening disbelief!
He finally understood, in his very bones, the despair his cousin Li Baode had felt!
This wasn't a battle. This was a one-sided beating!
"AHHH——!!"
The extreme humiliation and fury finally shattered his reason. He let out a roar like a wild beast, a streak of manic crimson flashing through his eyes!
He bit down hard on the tip of his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of essence blood. With both hands, he began forming a strange and sinister set of hand seals, heedless of the consequences!
A violent, chaotic force, reeking of demonic energy, was forcibly awakened from deep within him!
This was the residual demonic nature and Baleful Ferocity Aura left behind from when he had absorbed those three Blazing Flame Tiger demon cores — energy he had failed to fully refine!
Normally suppressed with iron will, it was now being recklessly detonated without regard for the consequences!
He was going to undergo Demonization!
He was going to seize greater power!
He was going to tear this bastard to pieces!
His skin began to turn crimson, his veins bulging like coiling serpents. A wild, bestial aura mingling fire and savagery began to radiate from him. His eyes turned chaotic and bloodthirsty!
Chen Yang had just launched a punch when he sensed that familiar yet alien surge of chaotic energy suddenly erupting from within his opponent. His movement paused for just an instant, his brow furrowing sharply.
This feeling… wasn't it somewhat like his own state of losing control and undergoing Demonization back in the back mountains after consuming too many demon cores?
Only… far weaker, and far more impure.
Watching Li Yan's aura grow increasingly wild, his eyes becoming less and less human, a cold light flashed in Chen Yang's gaze.
You want to Demonize?
Did you ask me first?
He drew a deep breath, his chest expanding slightly. The primordial Demon Energy accumulated from those eleven Blazing Flame Tiger demon cores within him was instantly roused. From deep in his throat came a low, resonant sound — carrying the sovereign authority of the king of all beasts —
"ROAR!!!"
A true, genuine roar, saturated with the pure killing aura of the Blazing Flame Tiger, burst forth from Chen Yang's throat like a thunderclap, driving straight into the depths of Li Yan's mind as he was mid-Demonization!
Li Yan's body went rigid!
The scant, forcibly awakened, impure remnant demonic nature of the Blazing Flame Tiger within him — upon sensing this utterly pure roar of a Tiger King whose rank far surpassed its own — reacted as though it had encountered its natural predator. It let out a whimper in an instant, shrank back trembling, and in doing so caused a violent backlash within him!
Spit——!
Li Yan's technique was forcibly interrupted. Suffering a severe backlash, he spat out another great mouthful of blood. The Baleful Ferocity Aura he had barely managed to gather instantly collapsed and scattered completely. His eyes cleared, but in their place was extreme weakness and terror!
"You… how do you…"
He stared at Chen Yang in disbelief, as though looking at some kind of monster.
Chen Yang didn't bother to answer. Seizing upon this moment of Li Yan's paralysis and weakness, he delivered one final, unadorned, devastating punch — straight into the qi sea at his abdomen!
Dong!
Like the toll of a defeat drum.
Li Yan's eyes bulged outward, bloodshot, his body folding into a grotesque angle. All movement ceased in an instant, his gathered spiritual energy completely scattered.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out — only a faint, rattling wheeze.
Then, like a mangy dog with its spine ripped out, he crumpled limply to the ground and lost consciousness entirely.
Only his body continued to twitch faintly, involuntarily.
Over the plaza, only a deathly silence remained.
And the slightly ragged sound of Chen Yang's breathing.
He stood there, Li Yan a broken heap at his feet.