The moment Lin Chen stepped out of the Lin Family's main gate, the noisy crowd fell dead silent. Thousands of people had gathered outside, from every small and large family in Green Sun City, all here to watch the showdown between the two so-called number one geniuses of the city.
On the opposite side of the street, the Wang Family's group stood tall and arrogant. At their front was Wang Teng, dressed in a flamboyant red robe, his face sharp and domineering, his eyes blazing with disdain. He was at the peak of the 7th level of Qi Refining, the undisputed top young genius of Green Sun City for the past two years, and the favorite to pass the Qingyun Sect selection.
When Wang Teng saw Lin Chen walk out, he let out a loud, mocking laugh.
"So you're Lin Chen? The trash who was stuck at the 1st level of Qi Refining for ten years?" He sneered, his voice loud enough for everyone in the crowd to hear. "I heard you beat a useless waste like Lin Xiaotian, and now you're calling yourself the number one genius of Green Sun City? You make me sick."
The crowd around them whispered among themselves. Most of them still didn't believe Lin Chen stood a chance. Wang Teng had been famous for years, a genuine peak 7th level expert who had defeated countless opponents. Lin Chen, on the other hand, had only risen to fame a few days ago, and no one really knew just how strong he was.
"Who I am doesn't matter," Lin Chen said calmly, his voice cold and steady. "If you're here to bark, do it somewhere else. If you want to fight, then fight."
Wang Teng's face twisted with rage. He had expected Lin Chen to be scared, to beg for mercy, not to talk back to him like this.
"Bold words for a little trash!" He roared, taking a step forward, the violent aura of a peak 7th level expert pressing down on Lin Chen like a mountain. "I'll make you a deal, Lin Chen. We'll have a life-or-death duel right here, right now. If you win, I'll give up my spot in the Qingyun Sect selection and kneel to apologize to the Lin Family. If you lose, you give up your spot and get out of Green Sun City forever. Do you dare?"
The crowd erupted into gasps. The Qingyun Sect selection spot was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the dream of every young cultivator in the region. Wang Teng was betting everything on this duel, and everyone thought Lin Chen was crazy if he accepted.
But Lin Chen didn't even hesitate. A faint, cold smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Fine. I accept. But I'll add one more rule: life or death, no regrets. Whoever falls, stays down."
Wang Teng was stunned for a moment, then burst into furious laughter. "Hahaha! You really are tired of living! Fine! Today, I'll crush you with my own hands, and show everyone in Green Sun City who the real number one genius is!"
He jumped onto the open ground in the middle of the street, cracking the stone under his feet with his aura. The crowd backed up quickly, forming a wide circle around the two of them, their hearts racing with excitement.
Just as Lin Chen was about to step into the circle, the familiar cold mechanical voice rang in his mind.
[Ding! Special location sign-in triggered!]
[Location: Lin Family Main Gate, facing hostile clan provocation]
[Do you want to complete the special sign-in now?]
Lin Chen's eyes lit up. He had no idea the system had special sign-ins beyond the daily ones. This was perfect.
"Sign in."
[Ding! Special sign-in successful! Congratulations to host for obtaining:
1. Cultivation Base Upgrade: Peak 7th Level of Qi Refining!
2. High-Grade Heaven-Rank Offensive Skill: Chaos Divine Thunder Finger!
3. Special Item: Spiritual Attack Talisman x1!
4. Spirit Stones: 50,000!]
Boom!
A violent surge of pure spiritual energy exploded inside Lin Chen's body, pushing his cultivation smoothly from the early stage to the peak of the 7th level of Qi Refining in an instant. His aura skyrocketed, the air around him rippling with suppressed, explosive power, matching and even surpassing Wang Teng's.
The entire crowd fell dead silent. Everyone stared at Lin Chen in shock, their mouths hanging open. He had just broken through to the 7th level of Qi Refining the day before, and now he was already at the peak? This kind of speed was unheard of!
Wang Teng's smile faded instantly, his face turning pale with shock and disbelief. He couldn't understand how Lin Chen could grow so strong so quickly. But he quickly shook off his fear, his arrogance returning. So what if he was at the peak of the 7th level? He had been at this realm for two years, and his skills were far beyond a lucky upstart.
"Tricks won't save you!" Wang Teng roared, and he exploded into action. He circulated all his spiritual power, and a huge flaming lion formed behind him, the heat so intense it made the air warp. This was his strongest skill, the Flaming Lion Fist, a top-grade earth-rank technique that had won him countless duels.
"Die, Lin Chen!"
He threw a heavy punch straight at Lin Chen, the flaming lion roaring as it charged forward, the force of the attack shaking the entire street.
The crowd screamed in shock. They knew this was the end for Lin Chen. No one could survive Wang Teng's full-power attack.
But at that moment, Lin Chen moved.
He didn't dodge. Instead, he raised his right hand, his index finger pointing forward. A violent, bright blue thunder glow wrapped around his finger, accompanied by the low, deafening roar of a dragon. This was his new skill, the Chaos Divine Thunder Finger, a heaven-rank technique far more powerful than any skill Wang Teng could ever dream of.
"Is that all you've got?" Lin Chen said coldly.
He flicked his finger.
Boom!
A thin, unstoppable beam of thunder shot forward, piercing straight through the flaming lion like it was made of paper. The lion exploded into nothingness, and the thunder beam continued forward, slamming straight into Wang Teng's dantian before he could even react.
"AHHH—!"
Wang Teng let out a shrill, blood-curdling scream. He felt a terrifying thunder force tear through his body, shattering his dantian and destroying all his meridians in an instant. His body was sent flying more than twenty meters away, slamming into the Wang Family's group, knocking over several of their elders.
He fell to the ground, spitting out large mouthfuls of blood, his face pale as paper, his breath weak. His peak 7th level cultivation, which he had spent years building, was gone forever. He was now a useless cripple.
The entire street was dead silent. Not a single breath could be heard.
Every single person in the crowd stared at the scene in shock, unable to believe what they had just seen. Lin Chen, the former trash of the Lin Family, had just defeated and crippled Wang Teng, the peak 7th level number one genius of Green Sun City, with a single flick of his finger.
This was a miracle that had never happened in the entire history of Green Sun City.
[Ding! Host has defeated Wang Teng and completed the hidden mission!]
[Reward issued: 60,000 Spirit Stones, Full Map of the Qingyun Sect Selection Trials, and a special upgrade to the Primordial Chaos Divine Body!]
A powerful surge of energy flooded Lin Chen's body, strengthening his physique even further. He could feel his strength rising once again, even without breaking through to a new level.
Lin Chen slowly lowered his hand, and looked at the Wang Family's group, his eyes cold and sharp.
"From today onward, anyone from the Wang Family who dares to cause trouble for the Lin Family will end up just like Wang Teng."
The Wang Family's elders stared at him, their faces pale with fear and rage, but none of them dared to say a single word. They knew that with Lin Chen's strength, none of them could stand against him. They quickly picked up the crippled Wang Teng and fled the scene with their tails between their legs, not daring to look back.
The crowd erupted into a deafening cheer. Everyone chanted Lin Chen's name, their eyes filled with awe and admiration. From this day forward, Lin Chen was the undisputed number one genius of Green Sun City.
The Lin Family's Clan Leader and Grand Elder walked up to Lin Chen, their faces red with excitement and pride. They had never thought that the former trash of the clan would one day bring such glory to the Lin Family.
"Lin Chen! You've made the Lin Family proud!" The Clan Leader said, bowing deeply. "With you here, our Lin Family will finally rise to the top of Green Sun City!"
Lin Chen nodded slightly, his expression calm. This was just another small step on his path. Defeating Wang Teng was nothing compared to what lay ahead. The Qingyun Sect selection was in one month, and that was where the real challenge would begin.
He turned and walked back into the Lin Family compound, ignoring the cheers of the crowd behind him.
He knew that the Wang Family would not let this go easily. They would definitely seek revenge, and they might even hire powerful experts to kill him. But Lin Chen was not afraid.
Every enemy that appeared was just another stepping stone for him to grow stronger, another chance to gain more rewards from the Supreme Sign-In System.
Every day, he would grow stronger.
Every sign-in would push him closer to the peak.
Before long, the entire cultivation world would tremble at the name of Lin Chen.
His journey from trash to Immortal Emperor had only just begun.