The clang of steel echoed through the practice yard.
The Jiang Clan's Outer Sect was abuzz with activity. Disciples in uniform azure robes trained with wooden swords and practiced basic Qi circulation techniques under the supervision of elder instructors. It was a place where the lowest of the clan's cultivators learned discipline—or served as stepping stones for the true elites.
Jiang Chen entered the compound unannounced, wearing the discarded robe of a servant.
Heads turned. Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Isn't that... Jiang Chen? The cripple?"
"I heard he vanished after the Clan Trials."
"He dares show his face here?"
He ignored them. His gaze swept the crowd until it landed on a familiar face—Wei Tong, one of Jiang Feilong's lackeys and the very disciple who had thrown his body down the gorge after the meridian rupture.
Wei Tong sneered. "Look what the cat dragged in. Come to beg for scraps, trash?"
Jiang Chen's eyes didn't waver. "I'm here to challenge you."
Laughter erupted around the courtyard.
Wei Tong rolled his shoulders. "Still crippled and already insane. Fine, I'll humor you. Let's remind everyone what it means to challenge a true cultivator."
An elder stepped forward. "This arena is not a place for vengeance—"
Jiang Chen bowed. "As per the clan rules, every disciple is allowed one formal duel upon re-entry to the sect."
The elder narrowed his eyes. "Very well. You may proceed."
The disciples cleared a circle.
Wei Tong cracked his knuckles and unsheathed a training blade. "Don't die too quickly."
Jiang Chen didn't draw a weapon. He simply raised his right hand.
Starseed breathing activated.
A glow sparked around him—subtle, but undeniable.
"Qi Condensation, Third Layer?" Wei Tong's smirk faded.
But it was already too late.
Jiang Chen moved like a shadow.
His palm glowed with astral energy as he whispered, "Stellar Pulse Strike."
With a single blow, the blast of star-forged force collided with Wei Tong's chest. The impact sent the larger disciple flying across the yard, crashing into a rack of weapons.
Gasps filled the air.
"He... he defeated Wei Tong in one strike?"
"Since when did he regain his cultivation?"
The elder stepped forward in stunned silence. He could feel the energy lingering in the air—pure, refined, and unlike any Qi cultivation technique taught in the Jiang Clan.
Jiang Chen turned without another word and walked out of the circle. He didn't need their applause.
But he had their attention now.
Atop a terrace overlooking the courtyard, Jiang Feilong stood with arms crossed, expression hard.
"He's back," he muttered. "And stronger than before."
Beside him, a dark-robed elder narrowed his eyes.
"The Endless Sutra has awakened," the man said grimly.
Jiang Feilong's lips curled. "Then we'll crush him before it grows beyond control."
Far below, Jiang Chen disappeared into the shadows of the hall.
The first clash had ended.
But war had only begun.