The Outer Sect training grounds were eerily quiet.
Lin Tian walked toward the arena, calm and composed. The previous day's events—his win over Qin Hao, the assassination attempt—had only fueled whispers across the sect.
Every pair of eyes seemed to follow him. Some with curiosity, some with fear, others with jealousy.
A crowd had gathered, sensing a new spectacle was about to unfold.
Above the arena, elder disciples and even a few inner elders leaned over the railings, their gazes sharp.
"Lin Tian," a clear, commanding voice echoed across the stones.
From the opposite gate, Qin Hao stepped out. His robes tattered, his aura still radiating the first layer of Qi Condensation.
"Do you remember me?" he sneered, rubbing the blood from his lips. "You humiliated me yesterday. Today… I will show you your place."
Lin Tian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I do. And I expect it," he replied calmly.
The referee raised his hand.
"Begin!"
---
Qin Hao surged forward, qi coiling around his fists like live serpents. Every strike emitted tremors that shook the arena floor.
Lin Tian didn't move backward. Instead, he analyzed, observing the rhythm, the timing, and the subtle tells of Qin Hao's enhanced body art.
First strike—Lin Tian sidestepped. A hand flashed, grabbing Qin Hao's wrist and redirecting his momentum. The attack sent Qin Hao staggering, but he recovered mid-air, spinning into a backflip.
"Not bad," Qin Hao muttered under his breath.
The crowd gasped. Even the outer disciples whispered in awe.
Second strike—Qin Hao's foot glowed faintly as he launched a spinning kick aimed at Lin Tian's head.
Lin Tian ducked, then countered with a palm strike to the chest.
Boom!
The air exploded. The ground cracked. Stones flew in all directions.
Qin Hao grunted, his ribs rattling, but his eyes burned with fury.
"You're strong," he said. "But I won't lose!"
Qi surged violently. His aura expanded, pushing Lin Tian back several steps. The first layer of Qi Condensation made even ordinary blows deadly.
Lin Tian's body hummed. The Heaven-Defying Body Art activated fully, turning pain into energy, speed into reflex, and instinct into strategy.
He moved like water. Every step precise, every punch calculated.
Step, step, strike, step, block—Lin Tian gradually began dominating the tempo.
---
The fight escalated.
Qin Hao roared and formed a hand seal. Lightning-like qi gathered around his fists.
"Thunder Fist Technique!"
He launched a barrage of strikes faster than the eye could follow. Each blow carried enough force to fracture stone.
Lin Tian analyzed each attack with calm precision. His body moved almost autonomously, anticipating openings, exploiting weaknesses, and countering with devastating force.
Crack! Crack!
Qin Hao staggered back. Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth. His breathing grew heavy.
The crowd's astonishment grew. An outer disciple—a newcomer—was pushing an inner candidate with first-layer Qi Condensation to the brink.
---
Qin Hao's eyes widened.
"This… cannot be!" he muttered.
Lin Tian smiled faintly.
"You are strong," he said calmly. "But I am not weak."
He stepped forward. His aura surged. A single palm strike, reinforced with every ounce of refined energy from his Blood Refinement and Heaven-Defying Body Art, hit Qin Hao square in the chest.
Boom!
The arena shook violently. Stones split. Dust rose in clouds.
Qin Hao's eyes widened in shock as he was sent flying backward. He slammed into the barrier wall, leaving a dent deep enough to crack the foundation.
He coughed violently, struggling to rise.
The first layer of Qi Condensation could barely stabilize him now. The pain was overwhelming.
Lin Tian stepped closer, voice calm:
"Yield. Or push further, and this fight ends badly for you."
Qin Hao's pride burned, but his body betrayed him. He clenched his fists, then collapsed to one knee.
"I… yield…" he whispered, voice hoarse.
Lin Tian extended a hand to help him up.
"Good. Remember your limits," Lin Tian said softly.
---
The arena erupted into chaos.
Some disciples cheered wildly. Some stared in disbelief.
"He beat Qin Hao completely!"
"An outer disciple… dominating Inner Sect candidates?"
"Impossible!"
Su Yan, watching from above, exhaled slowly.
"He's not just powerful… he's precise, strategic… and fearless."
Mo Xue's lips curved slightly.
"He's going to become a problem the sect can't ignore."
---
After the fight, Lin Tian returned to his quarters.
He sat cross-legged, focusing on recovery and cultivation. Every strike, every movement from the fight was analyzed, absorbed, and refined. His fifth layer of Body Refinement solidified, and he felt the stirrings of the sixth layer awakening.
The Blood Refinement energy pulsed calmly, fully harmonized.
Lin Tian knew one thing:
The sect had noticed him.
Inner disciples would now watch his every move.
Powerful forces, even beyond the sect, were aware of his existence.
He looked toward the mountains, eyes sharp, mind clear.
"The world is wide," he said softly. "Enemies, opportunities… and power. I will take them all."
The wind whispered through the night, carrying a promise of storms to come.
Lin Tian closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, he would train.
The day after, he would fight again.
And beyond that… the cultivation world would bend to his name.