The entire Azure Cloud Sect square fell into a deathly silence.
All eyes were glued to the stone stage, every breath held tight.
On one side stood Zhao Long, the inner sect's elite disciple, exuding a sharp peak Foundation Establishment aura. His fists were wrapped in surging spiritual energy, and his face twisted with cruel arrogance.
On the other side stood Chen Fan, the lowly handyman in plain linen clothes, with no weapon, no fierce aura, nothing but calm indifference.
No one in the crowd thought Chen Fan could win.
Not a single person.
They all waited for Zhao Long to crush him, to cripple him on the stage, to put an end to this "mortal prodigy" farce.
Elder Lei sat in the elder's seat, a cold, triumphant smile on his face. He stroked his beard, already imagining Chen Fan kneeling on the stage, begging for mercy.
Elder Mu tensed his whole body, his eyes fixed on the stage, ready to jump in and stop the fight at any moment to protect Chen Fan.
Zhao Long stared at Chen Fan, his voice cold and mocking, loud enough for the entire square to hear.
"Mortal trash, since you're brave enough to step on the stage, don't blame me for being ruthless."
"I'll give you a chance: kneel down and admit you're a worthless handyman, and I'll spare your dantian—only break your legs."
The crowd erupted in whispers, most agreeing with Zhao Long's words.
They thought Chen Fan should kneel and beg to save himself.
But Chen Fan just stood there, his expression unchanged.
He looked at Zhao Long calmly, without a trace of fear or anger.
"There's no need for that," Chen Fan said softly.
His voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the noise of the crowd clearly.
"I only came to end this farce quickly."
Zhao Long's face turned red with rage.
He'd never been so disrespected in his life, especially not by a handyman.
"How dare you be arrogant!" Zhao Long roared.
He didn't hold back at all.
He unleashed all his peak Foundation Establishment spiritual energy, charging straight at Chen Fan with his strongest fist technique—Thunder Fist.
A fierce wind howled across the stage, and the fist light glowed with a faint blue light, carrying the power to shatter stone.
Everyone in the crowd widened their eyes, thinking this was the end for Chen Fan.
"This punch is enough to kill a mid Foundation Establishment cultivator!"
"The handyman is done for! He can't block this!"
"Elder Lei's plan is going to work perfectly!"
Elder Mu's face changed drastically, and he was about to stand up and intervene.
But before he could move, something unbelievable happened on the stage.
Chen Fan didn't panic.
He didn't even use any powerful moves.
He just took a small step to the side, casually activating the Eternal Shadow Steps.
His body blurred like a wisp of smoke, moving so fast that no one could see his trajectory clearly.
In the blink of an eye, he dodged Zhao Long's full-power Thunder Fist effortlessly.
Zhao Long's fist hit nothing but empty air.
His attack missed completely, and his momentum carried him forward, making him stumble forward on the stage.
He looked shocked, unable to believe Chen Fan had dodged his attack so easily.
Before Zhao Long could regain his balance, Chen Fan raised his hand gently.
He didn't use a sword, didn't channel a huge amount of spiritual energy.
He just flicked his finger lightly, sending out a wisp of invisible, sharp sword intent.
This sword intent was hidden so well that no one in the square could detect it—not even Elder Lei, who was in the Golden Core realm.
It looked like a casual, meaningless flick.
But in reality, it was the evolved supreme sword intent from the Falling Dust Sword, condensed to its most lethal form.
The next second—
Ping!
A soft, crisp sound rang out.
The invisible sword intent hit Zhao Long's shoulder directly.
Zhao Long's face changed drastically, and he let out a painful scream.
His entire arm went limp, hanging uselessly at his side. The spiritual energy in his body was instantly disrupted, and his cultivation base was temporarily sealed.
He couldn't move at all.
Thud!
Zhao Long collapsed to his knees on the stone stage, his face pale as paper, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.
He stared at Chen Fan in absolute terror, his eyes filled with disbelief and fear.
He couldn't understand.
He was a peak Foundation Establishment inner sect elite, and he'd been defeated with a single casual flick from a handyman?
It was impossible!
The entire square fell silent.
Dead silence.
Every single person stood there, frozen, their eyes wide and mouths open, staring at the stage in complete shock.
No one made a sound.
No one could believe what they'd just seen.
The inner sect's top elite Zhao Long, peak Foundation Establishment, was defeated by a handyman with just one flick of the finger?
The handyman didn't even break a sweat.
This was beyond their wildest imagination.
It shattered all their common sense about cultivation and status.
Outer disciples, handymen, inner disciples—everyone was stunned.
They looked at Chen Fan, no longer with disdain or pity, but with pure terror and awe.
This handyman was not a lucky mortal.
He was a hidden monster!
Elder Lei, who'd been sitting triumphantly, shot up from his seat instantly.
His face turned purple with rage, and he let out a furious roar.
"You dare to hurt my disciple?!"
He released his Golden Core aura, pressing down fiercely on the stage, trying to suppress Chen Fan and attack him directly.
"Insolent mortal! I'll kill you here today!"
The crowd panicked at the sudden Golden Core pressure, scrambling back to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
Elder Mu immediately stood in front of the stage, blocking Elder Lei's aura, his face stern.
"Elder Lei! Stop!"
"This is a competition stage! Victory and defeat are part of the fight! You have no right to attack a participant after the match!"
Elder Lei glared at Elder Mu, his eyes bloodshot.
"He crippled my disciple! This is a violation of the rules! I must punish him!"
"The rules state no intentional maiming!" Elder Mu retorted loudly, making sure the entire crowd heard.
"Zhao Long attacked first with a killing move! Chen Fan was only defending himself! You can't blame him for your disciple's weakness!"
The crowd murmured in agreement, realizing Elder Lei was just being unreasonable.
He'd set a trap for Chen Fan, and now he was throwing a tantrum because his plan failed.
Elder Lei was furious but had no way to refute Elder Mu in front of everyone.
He could only stare at Chen Fan, his eyes filled with murderous hatred.
Chen Fan stood calmly on the stage, completely unfazed by Elder Lei's threat.
He looked at Elder Lei and spoke in a clear, loud voice.
"I followed the competition rules. He attacked first, I defended myself."
"If you have a problem with the result, you can question the fairness of the competition—but you can't attack me for no reason."
His words were calm but firm, leaving Elder Lei speechless.
Everyone in the square looked at Elder Lei with subtle disdain, seeing his petty and vengeful nature clearly.
Elder Lei's chest heaved with rage, but he could do nothing in public.
He could only snort coldly, glaring at Chen Fan.
"This matter is not over!"
He turned around and helped the injured Zhao Long up, storming off the square with a dark face.
The pressure in the square finally lifted.
Elder Mu looked at Chen Fan with relief and amazement, walking to the stage.
"Well done, Chen Fan. You didn't overdo it, and you followed the rules."
Chen Fan nodded slightly. "Thank you for protecting me, Elder."
The crowd finally snapped out of their shock, erupting into loud whispers and exclamations.
They all stared at Chen Fan, the handyman who'd won with one move, as a legendary figure.
Chen Fan didn't stay to enjoy the attention.
He turned and walked off the stage quietly, heading back to his secluded bamboo hut.
He just wanted to return to his peaceful life.
But he knew this victory would only make Elder Lei hate him more.
And as Chen Fan left the square, a pair of deep, wise eyes from the highest peak of Azure Cloud Sect watched his back quietly.
An elder who'd never appeared in public, the sect's Supreme Elder, had noticed the hidden sword intent in Chen Fan's casual flick.
A faint smile appeared on the Supreme Elder's face.
"This child… is far more extraordinary than I thought."
And deep in the inner sect, Elder Lei locked himself in his room, his face twisted with rage.
He slammed his fist on the table, shattering it completely.
"Chen Fan! Elder Mu! You humiliated me!"
"I will not let you get away with this!"
He took out a black communication jade slip, his eyes filled with sinister malice.
He was going to contact someone outside the sect—someone who could get rid of Chen Fan forever, without leaving a single trace.
A deadlier, more secret trap was already being planned.