「Early morning.」
Chen Han once again arrived at the Martial Arts Arena.
Things were different from before.
Previously, whenever he arrived, most of the Chen Family disciples on the Martial Arts Arena would greet him with mockery and contempt. But this time, all the disdainful gazes had turned to awe.
"Chen Han!"
He had just finished practicing a set of Basic Fist Technique when someone called out to him from a distance.
Looking up, he was surprised to see it was Chen Yuxin.
"It's you?" Chen Han asked with a frown. "What is it?"
When it came to this genius girl, Chen Han couldn't help but feel a mix of complex emotions.
Once, she had been just an ordinary little girl who followed him around.
But who could have known that the incident three years ago would completely reverse their positions? Chen Han, the genius, became a good-for-nothing, while Chen Yuxin shot to prominence and became a talented prodigy. The distance between them grew ever wider.
And in the past, unable to continue his Cultivation, Chen Han had always felt a sense of inferiority, subconsciously avoiding Chen Yuxin.
"You need to get out of here, quickly! Chen Yu is planning to deal with you today," Chen Yuxin said anxiously.
"Is that so? Then let him come!"
Chen Han said with a smile, as if responding to some trivial matter.
The slight curve of his lips seemed to hold a unique charm.
A strange feeling suddenly welled up in Chen Yuxin's heart… The young man before her seemed to have truly changed. Unlike three years ago, it was as if his confidence had returned.
'Why am I feeling this way?' Chen Yuxin quickly averted her gaze from Chen Han, her heart pounding in her chest.
Soon, a commotion erupted at the other end of the Martial Arts Arena.
A large group of youths was striding quickly toward the center, led by none other than Chen Yu.
"Leave it to me."
Just as Chen Yuxin was about to step forward, Chen Han spoke softly and walked ahead alone.
Chen Yu glared at him.
The crowd behind him also began to curse loudly at Chen Han.
"Chen Han, you good-for-nothing, get your ass out here! Today, we'll make you pay in blood!"
"You'll always be a good-for-nothing! Stop dreaming of making a comeback."
"Today's the day you die! Better have your last words ready…"
Chen Han slowly raised his head, looking at the people insulting him.
These were the ones who refused to believe he had recovered his strength, still clinging to a sliver of wishful thinking.
In their hearts, they believed that a good-for-nothing would always be a good-for-nothing.
Anticipating this, Chen Han slowly curved his lips into a smile and stopped in front of Chen Yu.
"Chen Han, are you ready to die?" Chen Yu said through gritted teeth.
"My defeated foe," Chen Han said indifferently.
Chen Yu exploded with rage.
Losing to Chen Han last time had become the most humiliating event of his life. Now that his opponent had brought up the past, Chen Yu was naturally consumed by fury.
"I swear, you won't get another chance!" Chen Yu roared.
"Are you going to fight me with numbers again?" Chen Han asked, glancing at the dozens of people standing behind Chen Yu.
"To deal with you, I don't need them. I'm more than enough," Chen Yu sneered. "All of you, back off! Watch me take care of this good-for-nothing."
The crowd retreated in unison, leaving an open space for Chen Han and Chen Yu.
In an instant, this area became the center of attention, with more and more people rushing over.
...
"Sister Yuxin, aren't you going to stop them?" a young girl from the Clan asked Chen Yuxin.
"Why should I stop them?" Chen Yuxin replied, puzzled.
"But…" The girl frowned curiously. "This isn't a fair duel to begin with. Chen Yu has the strength of a Martial Disciple Fourth Layer. I heard he's been dedicating himself to his Cultivation lately and has even mastered both the Flame Fist Technique and the Celestial Wolf Transformation to the Great Achievement Realm. And Chen Han… he's just a good-for-nothing…"
"Good-for-nothing?"
Chen Yuxin slowly repeated the word, her gaze fixed on the young man in the Martial Arts Arena.
She took a deep breath.
Chen Yuxin shook her head and said, "No, he's not a good-for-nothing anymore. He already proved that to us. The genius from the past has returned."
The young girl standing beside her was stunned speechless by Chen Yuxin's words.
'What kind of logic is that?'
Everyone knew that Chen Han's victory over Chen Yu last time was just a fluke.
Now that Chen Yu was challenging him again, he was surely well-prepared. Relying on luck again would probably be impossible.
But no matter what the girl said, Chen Yuxin wasn't listening.
Her gaze remained fixed on Chen Han, unwavering.
...
「In the Martial Arts Arena.」
The atmosphere grew tense. Chen Yu glared at Chen Han, unleashing the full, undisguised aura of a Martial Disciple Fourth Layer.
The weaker Chen Family disciples nearby couldn't help but be forced back several steps by this pressure.
"What a terrifying aura."
"Is this the power of a Martial Disciple Fourth Layer expert?"
"Last time, Chen Yu didn't get a chance to use his full strength before Chen Han took advantage of him. That probably won't happen this time."
The crowd chuckled amongst themselves. In their eyes, Chen Han was as good as dead.
This was normal.
If Chen Yu's aura was a monstrous tidal wave, then Chen Han's was like a lone boat in its path, in danger of being capsized at any moment.
But Chen Yu didn't feel that way.
He was preparing to use Celestial Wolf Transformation. The essence of this move was to lock onto the enemy's aura and then finish them with a single, ferocious claw strike.
But Chen Han had no discernible aura whatsoever.
Although there was no oppressive pressure from his energy, an indescribable presence seemed to congeal in the air, causing Chen Yu's palms to break out in a cold sweat.
'What's going on?' Chen Yu thought in alarm.
Of course, he had no idea this was the effect of the Qi Concealment Technique.
A sense of dread suddenly began to spread through the shocked Chen Yu's heart. Mustering his courage, he let out a roar, locked both his claws on Chen Han's throat, and charged without another word.
The inexplicable feeling of fear made Chen Yu even more agitated and uneasy.
He was afraid that if he didn't act decisively now, he might lose without even fighting!
"Hmph!"
Facing Chen Yu's attack, Chen Han remained remarkably calm. With just a light tap of his toes, he instantly used the Vast Sea Step to exquisitely dodge his opponent's strike.
Against a Martial Disciple Fourth Layer using the Celestial Wolf Transformation at the Great Achievement Realm, Chen Han wasn't arrogant enough to take the blow head-on.
"ROAR!"
Seeing his attack miss, Chen Yu was both shocked and enraged, lashing out continuously with his claws.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH…
The swinging claws stirred up a shriek in the air, like the roar of a Wolf King.
Everyone watched this scene, dumbfounded.
A Martial Disciple Fourth Layer was truly this powerful.
A single casual swipe of a claw could shatter the green bricks of the Martial Arts Arena into dust. And Chen Han was utterly powerless to parry, without even a chance to fight back.
"Kill him! Kill that good-for-nothing!"
"Make sure that good-for-nothing never gets a chance to make a comeback…"
In their eyes, Chen Han's death was only a matter of time.
The difference in their strength was clear at a glance.
"Chen Yu will be defeated within three moves!"
Just then, a calm voice drifted from a corner of the Martial Arts Arena.
The crowd glared angrily in the direction of the voice.
They were surprised to find that the one who had spoken was actually Chen Yuxin.
"How is that possible?"
"Chen Yu clearly has the upper hand! I wouldn't believe he'll lose in three moves even if you beat me to death!"
Even though she was their goddess, her words still provoked the crowd's anger.
Just as the crowd was about to argue with Chen Yuxin, a furious shout suddenly rang out.
"GET LOST!"
The crowd quickly looked over.
They saw Chen Han let out a great shout. In that instant, the Ruo Shui Golden Saber in his hand seemed to transform into a furious dragon as he slashed out viciously.
"BOOM!"
Under the force of the slash, Chen Yu's body shuddered, his qi and blood in turmoil. He spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot and was sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground.
"You lose!"
Chen Han slowly sheathed his Ruo Shui Golden Saber and stepped out of the combat circle.
During the fight, Chen Han had used the Vast Sea Step. Although Chen Yu's strength was greater than his, his speed was not. His opponent had been too focused on attacking and had neglected his defense, which was how Chen Han found his opportunity. But what surprised Chen Han the most was that the power of the Overlord Saber Technique was just as he had imagined—it could truly allow him to challenge opponents of a higher Realm!
"How is this possible… I'm a proud Inner Sect Disciple! How could I lose to a good-for-nothing like you twice in a row?"
Chen Yu climbed to his feet, roaring in disbelief.
From having the upper hand to being defeated, the entire process took place in the blink of an eye.
One move!
Chen Yu was defeated.
On the Martial Arts Arena, the disciples of the Chen Family were dumbstruck.
They watched Chen Han leave.
It took a long time for the crowd's hearts to calm down.
And the young girl who had just been so certain of Chen Han's defeat couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Sister Yuxin, Chen Yu's strength is higher than Chen Han's, and he even cultivates Middle Level Martial Arts. How could he lose?" the girl asked.
"It was inevitable." Chen Yuxin murmured as she watched Chen Han's departing figure. "Chen Han cultivates a Superior Qinggong, so his speed was already faster than his opponent's. And Chen Yu fell into a blind offense from the very beginning… So what if his strength reached the Martial Disciple Fourth Layer? In terms of actual combat experience, the gap between them is just too vast."
Chen Yuxin's beautiful eyes shifted, glittering with light. "Techniques are rigid, but people are adaptable…"
Hearing this, the girl pouted and said disdainfully, "So the people who join the Inner Sect aren't even that strong. And to think we're all fighting desperately to get in."
"That's not it." Chen Yuxin slowly shook her head. "Even after joining the Inner Sect, people like Chen Yu are only among the weakest of the Main Lineage Clan. The true elites are nothing like you imagine!"
The girl gasped.
Her eyes instantly began to sparkle.
'Just how powerful is the Inner Sect that even Chen Yuxin praises it so highly?'
"So much trouble."
Chen Han shook his head, left the Martial Arts Arena, and once again made his way to the Cloud Heaven Forest.
His battle with Chen Yu had once again shown him the importance of real combat experience.
And this time.
His target wasn't just the ordinary wild beasts. It was the Spirit Beasts deep within the Cloud Heaven Forest…