The courtyard was silent—eerily so.
Dust still danced in the air, and shattered stone littered the ground. Disciples whispered. Elders frowned. The once-crippled boy now stood in the very center of the wreckage, his presence heavier than a mountain.
Jiang Chen—no longer the useless trash they once kicked aside.
"His spirit aura… it's dense… ancient…"
"Am I hallucinating? Is he… cultivating?!"
"That's impossible! His meridians were shattered at birth!"
---
From the crowd, a scoffing laugh rang out.
"Enough with this farce."
The crowd parted as a tall, arrogant youth stepped forward. He wore dark crimson inner sect robes, embroidered with the Jiang Clan's dragon insignia. A jade token of status hung from his hip.
Jiang Yue, ranked #1 among the inner disciples.
Son of an elder.
Talent only second to the Clan Heir.
And the one who had personally crippled Jiang Chen last month.
He approached, his gaze filled with disbelief—but quickly twisted into a sneer.
"You think blowing up a shack with a cheap trick makes you a cultivator?"
Jiang Chen's eyes lifted, calm.
"You're right," he said, voice like frost.
"This isn't cultivation."
He took a step forward.
> "It's cleansing."
---
The moment was electric.
Jiang Yue's face twitched. "Cleansing? Of what, exactly?"
> "Weakness," Jiang Chen said.
"And the filth that poisoned this clan from within."
A wave of invisible pressure exploded from Jiang Chen's body, shaking nearby disciples to their knees.
Even the elders gasped. One of them—Elder Huang, the outer sect trainer—stepped forward nervously.
"J-Jiang Chen, you're not authorized to—"
> "Elder Huang," Jiang Chen said softly, "tell me. What is the penalty for crippling a fellow disciple in a private duel?"
The elder froze. His lips parted—but no sound came.
Jiang Yue growled. "You dare challenge me?"
The courtyard hushed. A duel?
This… was madness.
Jiang Chen was barely a mortal days ago. Even now, his cultivation level was uncertain. Jiang Yue was late Qi Condensation Realm, with three years of internal martial foundation.
No one in their right mind would challenge him.
And yet—
Jiang Chen raised one hand. Calm. Open-palmed.
> "You crippled me once. Now…"
"Let's see if you can still stand when I strike back."
---
⚔️ Sect Duel Circle — Fifteen Minutes Later
A ring of outer and inner disciples formed the crowd, buzzing with disbelief.
The Clan Elders did not intervene. If Jiang Chen died… well, no one would miss him. If by some miracle he survived… it might be interesting.
Jiang Yue stepped into the circle, smirking.
"Try not to bleed too much, worm. I've a banquet to attend after this."
Jiang Chen said nothing.
---
The gong rang.
Jiang Yue moved first, fast and practiced. His palm struck out in a flurry of martial energy—a flame-cloaked technique called Blazing Talon Palm, hot enough to melt iron.
Jiang Chen didn't dodge.
The palm connected—BOOM!
Smoke billowed.
The crowd gasped. "Did he just—?!"
But then…
From the dust, a low voice echoed.
> "Too slow."
Jiang Chen emerged—untouched.
Not a burn. Not a scratch.
His clothes fluttered, but his skin didn't even redden.
Jiang Yue's eyes widened.
"You—what kind of body technique—"
> "None," Jiang Chen said, stepping forward.
> "You simply aren't strong enough to harm me anymore."
With a flick of his hand, the air cracked.
Jiang Chen's palm shimmered with violet light—dense and controlled. He struck forward, a single, effortless motion.
BOOM!
Jiang Yue flew across the stage like a ragdoll, crashing into the barrier stones with a sickening crunch.
Blood sprayed from his mouth. Bones shattered audibly.
The crowd stood frozen.
> One hit.
> Just one.
---
"W-What… what realm is he in?!"
"His spiritual pressure… it's not Qi Condensation… it's… beyond it!"
"That technique—what was that?!"
The elders stared with wide eyes, unable to identify the cultivation art.
And Jiang Chen?
He turned his back on the twitching Jiang Yue and stepped down from the dueling stage as if nothing had happened.
---
🧠 Inside the Elders' Hall — Moments Later
Elder Mo, one of the inner sect's enforcers, slammed his palm on the table.
"This cannot go uninvestigated! That boy—he hides some forbidden art!"
The Clan Head, Jiang Zhen, stroked his beard.
"No… he's dangerous. But also… intriguing."
---
🌙 That Night
In his room—no longer a hut, but a restored courtyard—Jiang Chen sat alone.
He pulled out a piece of parchment and began to draw.
A symbol—a complex one—made of intersecting runes and ancient glyphs from the celestial realm.
> A formation array.
One that would suppress spiritual senses in a wide area.
He whispered to himself:
> "The path begins. Tomorrow, I'll visit the ancestral library."
> "It's time to reclaim what's mine."