The dead silence in the outer sect square lingered for a full minute.
Every pair of eyes remained fixed on Chen Fan's back, as if they were seeing a ghost. No one dared to make a sound, no one dared to move, and no one could wrap their heads around what had just happened.
Wang Tao, the outer sect's undisputed top genius, had been defeated with a single, casual flick of the wrist.
And his opponent was nothing more than a handyman with no spiritual roots, a mortal who had been labeled trash just a few days prior.
It was a scene that shattered all their common sense of cultivation.
Slowly, gasps and whispered exclamations finally broke the silence.
"Did you see that? Senior Brother Wang didn't even land a single punch!"
"That was… sword qi? But he didn't even hold a sword!"
"How is this possible? A mortal can't possibly have such terrifying power!"
"I thought the previous incident was an accident, but this is no accident at all!"
"He's been hiding his strength this entire time! What a monster!"
The disciples' earlier disdain and mockery were completely gone, replaced by pure awe and fear.
They no longer dared to look at Chen Fan as a useless handyman. To them now, he was an unfathomable existence, a hidden prodigy pretending to be ordinary to keep a low profile.
Some even regretted their previous rude remarks, fearing that Chen Fan would hold a grudge and seek revenge.
But Chen Fan paid no attention to any of it.
He continued sweeping the stone slabs slowly and steadily, his movements as calm and unhurried as ever. The noise and commotion behind him felt like it was happening in a completely different world.
He had no intention of showing off, nor did he want to be the center of attention. He had only acted because Wang Tao had pushed him too far, and he just wanted to end the farce quickly and return to his quiet life.
A few disciples carefully stepped forward to help the injured Wang Tao up from the platform.
Wang Tao's face was as pale as paper, his arm hanging limply at his side, and there was still a deep look of shock and disbelief in his eyes.
He couldn't accept that he had lost to a mortal handyman.
He had practiced diligently for years, possessed a mid-grade fire spiritual root, and had reached Qi Refining Level 8, a talent that most people could only dream of. Yet he was defeated so easily, so humiliatingly, without even putting up a fight.
The pride that had filled him just moments ago was completely crushed.
He stared at Chen Fan's back, his eyes filled with a mix of anger, shame, and fear. He wanted to say something, to refute it, but he couldn't utter a single word. The gap in strength was simply too vast.
Chen Fan finished sweeping the last corner of the square, picked up his broom, and turned to leave.
He didn't glance at Wang Tao or the surrounding disciples. He just walked toward the handyman quarters, his figure ordinary and unremarkable, yet it left an indelible impression on everyone present.
As he walked, a warm, surging energy suddenly erupted from deep within his body.
It was the Chaos Root, which had been quietly awakening, finally reaching its limit.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth around him rushed toward him like a tidal wave, pouring into his meridians and gathering in his dantian. His cultivation base, which had been at the peak of Qi Refining, began to break through rapidly.
The barriers between realms that stopped countless cultivators shattered like thin ice for Chen Fan.
Boom!
In an instant, he stepped into the Foundation Establishment realm.
A faint, imperceptible aura spread from his body, but it was quickly suppressed and hidden by him. He didn't want anyone to sense his breakthrough, so he kept all his energy fluctuations tightly contained, looking no different from an ordinary person.
Chen Fan paused for a moment, feeling the surging power in his body.
His meridians were wider, his physical strength was stronger, and his perception of the surrounding world became even sharper. He could clearly sense the flow of spiritual energy in the air, the rustle of leaves in the mountains, and even the faint breathing of the disciples in the distance.
Cultivation really was this easy for him.
He didn't need to meditate for hours, didn't need to compete for rare resources, didn't need to endure bitter training. A casual fight, a moment of calm, and he broke through to a new realm effortlessly.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and he continued walking toward the handyman quarters.
He planned to rest for a while, and then go to the Scripture Pavilion to browse some Foundation Establishment realm manuals. He wasn't eager to become stronger; he was just curious about the knowledge contained in those books.
Meanwhile, in a quiet bamboo hut deep in the outer sect, Elder Mu was sitting cross-legged, cultivating.
Suddenly, his eyes opened sharply, and a look of extreme shock appeared on his face.
He had just sensed a faint but extremely pure energy fluctuation coming from the direction of the outer square. It was the unique aura of a cultivator who had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment realm.
But what shocked him most was not the breakthrough itself, but the source of the aura.
He could clearly tell that the aura belonged to Chen Fan.
"That boy… he just broke through to Foundation Establishment?" Elder Mu stood up abruptly, his voice trembling with disbelief.
Just a few days ago, Chen Fan was a mortal with no cultivation at all. In just a few short days, he had gone from nothing to Qi Refining Peak, and now he had broken through to Foundation Establishment in the blink of an eye.
This speed was unheard of in the entire history of the Azure Cloud Sect, even in the entire cultivation world.
Geniuses with heavenly spiritual roots couldn't match this speed. Even those with ancient sacred bloodlines couldn't compare.
This was no longer a genius; this was a heaven-defying monster.
Elder Mu didn't dare to hesitate for a moment. He quickly walked out of the bamboo hut and headed straight for the outer square, then toward the handyman quarters.
He needed to confirm this himself, and he also needed to warn Chen Fan again.
Breaking through to Foundation Establishment at such a young age, with such terrifying speed, would definitely attract the attention of more powerful elders in the sect, and even the sect leader himself.
If Chen Fan's secret was exposed, he would either be heavily cultivated and restricted, or be targeted by those with malicious intentions who feared his future growth.
Keeping a low profile was no longer just a choice, but a necessity for survival.
It didn't take long for Elder Mu to arrive at the handyman quarters.
The other handymen saw Elder Mu and quickly bowed their heads in respect, not daring to make a sound. They all knew that Elder Mu had come for Chen Fan.
Chen Fan was sitting under a big tree, resting with his eyes closed. When he saw Elder Mu approaching, he stood up politely.
"Greetings, Elder Mu."
Elder Mu looked Chen Fan up and down carefully, his eyes filled with complex emotions—shock, amazement, and a hint of worry.
He stretched out his hand and gently placed it on Chen Fan's wrist, sending a wisp of spiritual energy into Chen Fan's body to check.
The next moment, his eyes widened even further.
Foundation Establishment Level 1!
It was real! Chen Fan had really broken through to Foundation Establishment!
Elder Mu took a deep breath, trying to calm his surging emotions.
"Chen Fan, you…" He paused, not knowing how to phrase his words. After a long while, he finally spoke, "Did you just break through to Foundation Establishment?"
Chen Fan nodded honestly, not hiding anything from Elder Mu, who had been kind to him.
"Yes, Elder. It happened just now, after I left the square."
Elder Mu stared at him, speechless for a long time.
He had imagined many possibilities, but he never thought that Chen Fan would admit it so calmly, as if breaking through to Foundation Establishment was as simple as eating a meal.
"Your speed of cultivation… is beyond my understanding," Elder Mu said with a sigh. "In all my years of cultivation, I have never seen anyone like you."
He then looked at Chen Fan seriously, his tone full of gravity.
"Chen Fan, you must remember this: from today on, never expose your cultivation base or your abilities in front of others again. Do you understand?"
"The news of you defeating Wang Tao has already spread. If others find out that you've broken through to Foundation Establishment in just a few days, you will face endless trouble."
Chen Fan understood Elder Mu's good intentions. He nodded earnestly.
"I understand, Elder. I will be more careful and not reveal my strength casually."
He had no intention of showing off. He just wanted to live a quiet life, so he would definitely keep his word.
Elder Mu saw the sincerity in Chen Fan's eyes and felt a little relieved.
"Good. The outer sect assessment is over, and Wang Tao will not dare to trouble you again. If anyone else bullies you or forces you to take action, you can come to me directly."
"Also, the Scripture Pavilion is always open to you. You can go there to read any books you want, but remember to keep a low profile when you go."
After giving a few more warnings, Elder Mu left the handyman quarters with a complex heart.
He knew that Chen Fan was like a hidden dragon, and one day, he would soar into the sky and shake the entire cultivation world.
But before that day came, he had to protect this young man as much as possible.
After Elder Mu left, Chen Fan sat back under the tree, closing his eyes to sort out the power in his body.
The Foundation Establishment realm brought him a huge improvement in strength, and he could feel that his Eternal Supreme Insight had become even more powerful.
He was looking forward to going to the Scripture Pavilion again, to see what new knowledge and techniques he could comprehend.
Unbeknownst to Chen Fan, while he was quietly cultivating, the news of him defeating Wang Tao had already spread beyond the outer sect, reaching the ears of several inner sect elders.
And one inner sect elder, who had always been overbearing and valued talent and status above all else, had already set his sights on Chen Fan, planning to teach this "arrogant" handyman a lesson.
A new storm was quietly brewing, and Chen Fan's peaceful handyman life was about to be disrupted again.