After Zhao Feng's victory, the atmosphere in the arena became even more heated.
The spectators that originally thought the inner courtyard trainees were untouchable had finally started realizing something.
The outer courtyard was filled with hidden talents.
Some lacked resources.
Some lacked status.
But talent alone could still allow people to rise.
Especially now that the ranked competition gave them a chance to change their fate.
On the stage, the referee swept his gaze over the remaining finalists before speaking loudly.
"Next challenger."
The crowd slowly quieted down.
Among the remaining four, a tall youth calmly stood up.
It was Lou Han.
Unlike before, his expression looked extremely calm, almost frighteningly calm. There was no nervousness on his face at all.
It was as if he had already decided who he would challenge long ago.
His gaze slowly swept toward the inner courtyard seats before stopping on a youth wearing blue robes.
Gu Fei.
The moment Lou Han looked at him, many trainees immediately understood what was happening.
A strange atmosphere spread through the audience.
"So he really chose him…"
"He's brave."
"No… this is personal."
Lin Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly.
During the past two weeks, he had also heard rumors about Gu Fei.
Unlike most inner courtyard members who focused on cultivation, Gu Fei enjoyed bullying weaker trainees from the outer courtyard.
Of course, he was careful.
Very careful.
He only targeted those without backing or talent. Even when he took spirit stones or resources from them, he always made it seem voluntary.
Those who reported him lacked evidence.
And those with evidence lacked courage.
After all, offending an inner courtyard trainee was not something ordinary people could afford.
Especially in Cloud Mist Market.
Strength determined status here.
The weak endured humiliation.
The strong enjoyed privileges.
Lou Han slowly pointed toward Gu Fei.
"I choose him."
The moment those words fell, Gu Fei's expression darkened instantly.
The surrounding spectators immediately became excited.
Even Zhao Feng leaned forward slightly while grinning.
"Interesting…"
Meanwhile, Gu Fei slowly stood up from his seat.
His eyes were cold as he stared at Lou Han.
"So it's you."
Lou Han did not reply.
Gu Fei suddenly laughed mockingly.
"You think beating a few outer courtyard trash makes you qualified to challenge me?"
Still no response.
Seeing this, Gu Fei's smile gradually disappeared.
A cold look appeared in his eyes.
"Fine."
"Since you want to climb upward so badly…"
"I'll personally teach you what desperation feels like."
The referee soon called both participants onto the stage.
The moment the two stepped onto the arena platform, the surroundings immediately became silent.
Even the other inner courtyard trainees became attentive.
This fight was different from the previous ones.
There was genuine hostility here.
The referee glanced at both sides before speaking calmly.
"No killing intentionally."
"Violators will be punished."
Both nodded.
Then—
The bell rang.
Almost immediately, Gu Fei sneered.
"You really should've stayed obedient in the outer courtyard."
Lou Han's expression remained calm.
Gu Fei continued speaking while slowly circling him.
"You know… if you lose today…"
"I heard your little sister still lives in Ding district."
The moment those words entered Lou Han's ears—
His expression changed.
A terrifying coldness appeared in his eyes.
Even Lin Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly.
Killing intent.
Real killing intent.
Zhao Feng clicked his tongue beside him.
"That idiot really knows how to provoke people."
Lou Han's fists slowly tightened.
One of the reasons he joined the training center and desperately fought for advancement was because of his little sister.
The Ding district of Cloud Mist Market was practically a slum.
Gangs.
Thefts.
Disappearances.
Unrecorded killings.
Weak mortals died there every day without anyone caring.
Only by entering the inner courtyard could he obtain enough status and resources to move his sister somewhere safer.
That was his goal from the beginning.
And now…
Gu Fei was threatening her directly.
At this moment, Lou Han no longer cared about consequences.
Whether he won or lost today—
Gu Fei had to pay the price.
The next instant—
Bang!
Lou Han exploded forward.
His movement technique activated immediately.
A wave of internal energy burst beneath his feet as his figure rushed toward Gu Fei at astonishing speed.
"So fast!"
Someone in the audience exclaimed.
Even the referee's eyes flickered slightly.
Lou Han's movement technique had clearly reached the Proficient stage.
Not only that, he combined it perfectly with his palm art.
His palms sliced through the air sharply while carrying dense internal energy.
Gu Fei's expression changed slightly but quickly returned to calmness.
"Hmph."
He dodged sideways effortlessly.
Lou Han's palm narrowly missed his chest.
But before Lou Han could continue attacking, Gu Fei immediately retreated again.
Another palm strike.
Another dodge.
Another retreat.
Soon, many people began noticing Gu Fei's plan.
"He's stalling."
"He wants Lou Han to waste internal energy."
"That's smart."
Movement techniques and palm arts both consumed large amounts of internal energy during combat.
Especially for someone who had just entered Second Rate.
Continuous explosive attacks could not last long.
The crowd gradually started shaking their heads.
"It's over."
"He got provoked too easily."
"What a pity…"
Even some outer courtyard trainees sighed in disappointment.
They had hoped another dark horse would rise.
But now it seemed Gu Fei's experience was too much.
Meanwhile, Gu Fei himself smiled mockingly while continuously retreating.
"Is that all?"
"You think this level of strength can protect your sister?"
"Maybe after today, I should personally visit Ding district—"
Boom!
Before he could finish speaking, Lou Han's palm suddenly slammed heavily into the ground.
A huge wave of dust and debris exploded outward instantly.
The entire stage became covered in smoke and dirt.
The audience gasped.
"What is he doing?!"
Gu Fei's expression changed.
Without hesitation, he waved his sleeve violently to disperse the dust.
But at that exact moment—
A figure suddenly appeared behind him.
Lou Han.
His eyes were bloodshot.
His killing intent erupted completely.
Gu Fei's instincts screamed in danger.
But it was too late.
Lou Han's palm, filled with compressed internal energy, struck directly toward Gu Fei's back.
Specifically—
His spine.
Bang!!
A heavy explosive sound echoed throughout the arena.
Gu Fei released a miserable scream as his body flew through the air like a broken sack.
Crack!
He crashed heavily outside the stage.
Blood sprayed from his mouth immediately.
The entire arena became silent.
Everyone stared at the scene in shock.
Even Zhao Feng blinked twice.
"That… was ruthless."
Gu Fei twitched on the ground while screaming in pain.
His face had become completely pale.
Several medical staff members immediately rushed over.
After checking his injuries, their expressions changed slightly.
"Quickly carry him away!"
"He needs treatment immediately!"
Soon, Gu Fei was hurriedly taken away toward the medical hall.
Meanwhile, Lou Han remained standing on the stage while breathing heavily.
His chest rose and fell intensely.
But his gaze remained cold.
The audience slowly recovered from the shock.
Then—
Cheers erupted everywhere.
"He won!"
"An outer courtyard trainee beat an inner courtyard member!"
"Hahaha! Gu Fei finally got what he deserved!"
Even many inner courtyard trainees were smiling.
Truthfully, very few people liked Gu Fei.
Bullying weaker people while acting arrogantly only made others look down on him.
Seeing him carried away like a dead dog felt refreshing.
The referee also looked slightly stunned before quickly regaining composure.
He coughed lightly.
"Since the attack was not intentional and occurred during active combat…"
"Lou Han wins."
"From today onward, Lou Han will replace Gu Fei as an inner courtyard trainee."
The cheers became even louder.
Lou Han slowly cupped his fists before leaving the stage silently.
But when he passed by the inner courtyard seats, many people looked at him differently now.
Not because of his talent.
But because of his ruthlessness.
Lin Sheng quietly observed him.
That final attack had definitely not been accidental.
Lou Han intentionally aimed for the spine.
Even if Gu Fei recovered, he would likely need months before fully returning to cultivation.
Maybe longer.
But nobody exposed it.
Because Gu Fei had been too arrogant.
And because Lou Han technically did not break the rules.
At that moment, Zhao Feng suddenly laughed softly.
"Remind me never to provoke him."
Lin Sheng replied calmly.
"You won't."
Zhao Feng blinked.
"Why?"
"Because you're smart enough to know where the line is."
Zhao Feng immediately grinned.
"Hahaha, true."
Soon, the referee called for the remaining challenge matches.
But unlike before, the inner courtyard trainees no longer underestimated their opponents.
Especially after seeing what happened to Gu Fei.
The remaining Grade A members immediately fought seriously from the beginning.
No more carelessness.
No more arrogance.
One challenger used a spear technique at the Proficient stage but was overwhelmed by superior internal energy.
Another attempted using hidden weapons during combat but was instantly defeated by overwhelming speed.
The dark horse from Group C also challenged an inner courtyard trainee.
Unfortunately, despite his monstrous comprehension, the difference in cultivation was still too large.
After a fierce battle, he was eventually forced out of the stage.
Still, many elders watching from above nodded slightly in approval.
Comprehension like that was rare.
As long as he received enough resources, his future achievements would likely not be low.
Eventually, all challenge matches concluded.
Aside from Lou Han replacing Gu Fei—
None of the others succeeded.
The final inner courtyard positions remained unchanged.
As the sun slowly began setting, one of the seated elders finally stood up.
The entire arena instantly quieted.
The elder swept his gaze across everyone before speaking calmly.
"The ranked competition officially ends here."
"Those who succeeded should not grow arrogant."
"Those who failed should not become discouraged."
"Cultivation is a long path."
"Today's victory does not guarantee tomorrow's success."
"Today's defeat does not determine your future."
His voice was calm but carried across the entire arena clearly.
Many trainees revealed thoughtful expressions.
The elder then continued.
"The new resource rankings will be distributed tomorrow morning."
"Dismissed."
With that, the elder turned and left.
The trainees gradually began dispersing.
Some excited.
Some frustrated.
Some thoughtful.
Meanwhile, Lin Sheng slowly stood up from his seat.
Today's competition had shown him many things.