The Outer Sect Arena had never been this crowded.
From dawn, disciples flooded in from every direction—outer disciples, inner candidates, even a few full inner disciples watching from elevated platforms. Whispers buzzed like a swarm of insects.
"Did you hear? The newcomer accepted Qin Hao's challenge."
"He's insane. Qin Hao is already half a step into Qi Condensation."
"Outer disciple versus Inner Sect Candidate… this hasn't happened in years."
At the center of it all, Lin Tian stood quietly.
He wore the same plain outer disciple robe. No ornaments. No arrogance on his face. Only calm.
Across the arena stood Qin Hao.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. His robe bore silver embroidery that shimmered faintly under the sun—proof of sect resources backing him. His arms were crossed, posture relaxed, but his eyes were sharp, predatory.
"This isn't a formal arena match," the referee announced, his voice slightly tense. "This is a ranking challenge. Injuries are allowed. Killing—"
His gaze lingered on Lin Tian.
"—is forbidden."
Qin Hao chuckled softly.
"That won't be a problem," he said. "I'm very precise."
Lin Tian said nothing.
From the stands, Su Yan's fingers tightened around the railing.
"This is dangerous," she muttered. "Qin Hao doesn't fight like Wu Fan."
Beside her, Mo Xue watched silently, eyes unblinking.
"He won't lose," she said calmly.
Su Yan glanced at her in surprise.
"You're confident."
Mo Xue nodded once.
"I'm curious," she replied. "There's a difference."
The referee raised his hand.
"Begin!"
The moment his hand fell—
Boom!
Qin Hao moved.
Unlike the clumsy rushes of outer disciples, his movement was smooth and explosive, his feet barely touching the ground as he closed the distance in a blink.
"Iron Ridge Step!"
The stone beneath his feet cracked.
Lin Tian's eyes sharpened.
So fast.
Qin Hao's fist shot forward, qi swirling tightly around his knuckles. The pressure alone forced nearby disciples to retreat instinctively.
This was not simple Body Refinement.
It was refined killing power.
Lin Tian met it head-on.
He stepped forward.
Their fists collided.
Boom!
A shockwave erupted, rippling across the arena. Dust and碎石 blasted outward as both men slid backward several steps.
Gasps filled the stands.
"He blocked it!"
"No—he matched it!"
Qin Hao's smile faded slightly.
"Interesting," he murmured. "Your body is reinforced far beyond your realm."
Lin Tian flexed his fingers once.
The impact had been heavy—but manageable.
The Heaven-Defying Body Art pulsed quietly beneath his skin, absorbing and redistributing the force.
"Are you done testing?" Lin Tian asked calmly.
Qin Hao laughed.
"Good," he said. "Then I won't hold back."
Qi surged violently from his body.
His aura expanded, pressing down like a storm. Several outer disciples turned pale, forced to circulate their own qi just to breathe.
"Eighth Layer Body Refinement," someone whispered.
"No—this pressure… he's about to break through!"
Qin Hao's eyes gleamed.
"Mountain-Shattering Fist!"
He charged again, this time with killing intent fully unleashed.
Lin Tian didn't retreat.
He lowered his stance.
His blood roared.
The Heaven-Defying Body Art activated fully.
Boom!
Their fists met again.
This time, the arena floor cracked.
Cracks spiderwebbed outward from the impact point, the stone groaning under the pressure.
Qin Hao's expression finally changed.
His arm trembled.
"What—"
Lin Tian stepped in.
Elbow.
Crack!
Qin Hao grunted as the blow slammed into his ribs, forcing the air from his lungs. He twisted mid-air, barely managing to land on his feet.
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
The arena fell silent.
An outer disciple had injured Qin Hao.
"Impossible…"
Qin Hao wiped the blood away, his eyes darkening.
"You're not using qi," he said slowly. "This isn't a technique."
Lin Tian's gaze was cold.
"I don't need one."
Qin Hao laughed again—but this time, there was no amusement in it.
"Good," he said. "Then let's see how long your body lasts."
He formed a hand seal.
Qi surged wildly.
"Iron Ridge Body!"
His muscles swelled slightly, veins standing out as his skin took on a faint metallic sheen. His aura doubled instantly.
The pressure slammed into Lin Tian like a hammer.
Some outer disciples collapsed to their knees.
"This is an inner sect-level body art!"
Su Yan's heart sank.
"Lin Tian—!"
Lin Tian exhaled slowly.
Pain bloomed across his skin as Qin Hao's aura pressed down on him.
Good.
Pain meant resistance.
Resistance meant growth.
He stepped forward.
The ground cracked.
Gasps erupted.
"He's moving under that pressure?!"
Qin Hao roared and charged, his fists turning into blurs of steel and qi.
Punch after punch rained down.
Lin Tian blocked.
Dodged.
Countered.
Their clash became a storm—shockwaves rippling, dust filling the air, the sound of bone and stone colliding echoing endlessly.
Every exchange pushed Lin Tian's body harder.
His skin split.
Blood flowed.
But with every injury—
His body adapted.
Strength condensed.
The Heaven-Defying Body Art devoured pain and turned it into fuel.
Qin Hao noticed.
His eyes widened slightly.
"You're getting stronger," he growled.
Lin Tian smiled faintly.
"Now you see it."
He stepped in.
Palm strike.
Boom!
The compressed power detonated against Qin Hao's chest, bypassing his surface defenses and slamming directly into his organs.
Qin Hao flew backward, crashing into the arena barrier.
The barrier flickered violently.
He coughed blood.
Silence.
Everyone stared.
Qin Hao struggled to stand, his legs trembling.
Never—
Never had an outer disciple pushed him this far.
Rage flooded his eyes.
"You think you've won?" he snarled.
He reached into his robe.
Su Yan's eyes widened.
"A pill!"
Before anyone could stop him, Qin Hao swallowed it.
Boom!
His aura exploded.
Qi surged uncontrollably, ripping apart the stone beneath his feet.
The pressure skyrocketed.
Several elders stood up instantly.
"He's forcefully breaking through!"
Qin Hao threw his head back and roared as his qi crossed the boundary.
Qi Condensation—First Layer.
The arena shook.
"This is madness!"
"He broke through mid-fight!"
Qin Hao's eyes locked onto Lin Tian.
"Now," he said hoarsely, "kneel."
Qi Condensation pressure crashed down like a mountain.
Lin Tian's knees bent slightly.
Blood seeped from his pores.
His vision darkened for a split second.
Then—
His blood burned.
The Heaven-Defying Body Art screamed.
Lin Tian straightened.
Slowly.
Defiantly.
Gasps turned into shouts.
"He's resisting Qi Condensation?!"
Lin Tian took a step forward.
The ground exploded.
Another step.
Pain tore through his body—but his strength surged in response.
Crack.
Something inside him broke open.
A barrier.
His cultivation surged.
Body Refinement—Fifth Layer.
The pressure lessened.
Lin Tian smiled.
Qin Hao's pupils shrank.
"You—!"
Lin Tian vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared before Qin Hao.
Palm out.
All his strength—compressed, refined, perfected.
Boom!!!
The impact was deafening.
Qin Hao was launched out of the arena like a meteor, crashing into a distant stone wall.
The wall collapsed.
Dust billowed.
Silence fell so deep it felt unreal.
Moments later, Qin Hao lay unconscious amid the rubble, his cultivation unstable, qi in chaos.
Elders rushed forward.
The referee swallowed hard.
"Winner," he announced shakily, "Lin Tian."
The arena erupted.
Shock.
Fear.
Awe.
An outer disciple had defeated an inner sect candidate—
even after a breakthrough.
Lin Tian stood quietly, bloodied but upright.
From the stands, Mo Xue's lips curved slightly.
"So this is you," she murmured.
Su Yan exhaled slowly, her heart pounding.
"…You really are trouble."
From that moment on, Lin Tian's name was no longer confined to the outer sect.
It had entered the ears of the inner sect.
And higher.