Heaven rewards diligence, but there are always fairies plotting against me.

Lin Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering in the wind, releasing his powerful aura as a mid-stage second level Qi Refining Realm cultivator without reservation.

A faint wisp of cyan true energy swirled around him, emanating a chilling spiritual energy fluctuation.

"Chu Chang, without your hidden weapon, what will you use to fight me?" Lin Yuan looked down at Chu Chang, his eyes filled with a mocking, cat-and-mouse gaze. "Your palm strike just now did have some power; you must have had some fortuitous encounter. But in the face of an absolute difference in cultivation, any fancy martial arts technique is nothing but a paper trick!"

Chu Chang stood opposite him, his expression as calm as a stagnant pool.

He tilted his long neck to the side, and his bones made a crisp popping sound.

"Lin Yuan, have you finished your nonsense?"

"court death!"

Lin Yuan was thoroughly enraged by Chu Chang's disdain.

He snorted coldly, his feet shook, and his whole body transformed into a streak of azure wind.

"Whirlwind Shadow Step!"

His figure instantly transformed into three blurry afterimages on the arena, moving at a speed too fast for the naked eye to discern, simultaneously attacking Chu Chang from three different directions.

"Whirlwind Rock-Shattering Palm!"

The three afterimages merged into one the instant they approached Chu Chang. Lin Yuan's right palm, enveloped in raging azure true energy, transformed into a several-foot-wide azure palm print, tearing through the air with a sharp whistling sound, heading straight for Chu Chang's chest. This strike contained the full power of his second-level Qi Refining Realm cultivation, aiming to kill Chu Chang in one blow!

"Die, you piece of trash!" Lin Yuan seemed to already see Chu Chang's ribs shattered and him dying while coughing up blood, and a cruel smile appeared on his face.

Offstage, Gu Ling Shuang clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her flesh.

However, facing Lin Yuan's sure-kill palm strike, Chu Chang merely shook his head slightly.

"Second level of Qi Refining Realm, that's all?"

Under Lin Yuan's furious gaze, Chu Chang suddenly let out a slow breath.

The next moment, a terrifying aura, like a volcanic eruption, burst forth from Chu Chang's seemingly frail body without warning!

boom!

A dazzling dark golden aura emanated from Chu Chang, sweeping wildly outwards in a ring shape, and actually plowed away a layer of the hard bluestone floor of the Life and Death Arena!

That aura was scorching, domineering, and powerful, filled with boundless destructive force!

This is definitely not some kind of Body Tempering Realm!

This is true qi! This is pure true qi that has reached its extreme, and even faintly carries the pressure of heaven and earth!

"Qi Refining Realm?! You're also at the Qi Refining Realm! This is impossible!!"

Lin Yuan, who was right next to him, was the first to feel the terrifying fluctuation of the supreme yang true energy. Caught off guard, he was instantly dumbfounded. The savage smile on his face froze in an instant, replaced by endless horror and disbelief!

How could someone who was a useless servant in the Body Tempering Realm just a few days ago, and even needed to rely on strange artifacts to cheat, possibly break through to the Qi Tempering Realm in such a short time?!

Moreover, the sheer power of this true energy actually slowed down the circulation of the cyan true energy within his body!

Is this the strength someone who just broke through to the first level of the Qi Refining Realm should have?!

However, Chu Chang gave him no time to think or be shocked.

"Burning waves upon burning shadows, nine layers of waves!"

A cold glint flashed in Chu Chang's eyes. He pointed his right hand like a knife, and his extreme Yang True Essence condensed at his fingertips, transforming into an incomparably blazing dark golden blade.

Tear!

The void itself seemed to have been scorched black by the intense heat.

Lin Yuan's seemingly powerful "Raging Wind Shattering Rock Palm" melted and tore apart instantly upon touching Chu Chang's dark golden light blade, just like snow under the scorching sun. It didn't even provide the slightest resistance!

"No!!"

Lin Yuan's pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints, and an unprecedented shadow of death instantly enveloped him.

He frantically tried to back away, attempting to gather all his inner energy to create a protective barrier in front of him.

But it was too late.

The two were too close, and Lin Yuan had been too careless and launched a fierce attack, leaving him no room to maneuver.

laugh! ! !

The dark golden blade of light sliced ​​through Lin Yuan's panicked protective aura as easily as cutting tofu, and then precisely slashed across Lin Yuan's throat.

puff.

The two figures passed each other.

With his back to Lin Yuan, Chu Chang slowly withdrew his clasped fingers. A drop of hot blood slid from his fingertip, but before it hit the ground, it was evaporated by the residual heat of his true energy.

Behind him, Lin Yuan clutched his throat tightly with both hands, his eyes filled with terror, despair, and resentment.

Warm blood gushed wildly from between his fingers. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but only a series of gasping sounds came out.

He simply couldn't understand how he, a genius of the outer sect, could be instantly killed by a mere servant...

boom.

Lin Yuan's body fell heavily to his knees, then collapsed limply, lifeless.

On the stage of life and death, the raging wind gradually subsided.

Only the boy with his hands tucked into his sleeves and an honest expression remained, sighing softly amidst the blood-soaked ground.

Everyone was stunned.

The vast arena of life and death fell into a deathly silence the moment Lin Yuan collapsed.

The wind howled as it blew across the loose rocks on the cliff, but it couldn't drown out the heavy breathing of the crowd.

"Chu Chang... has actually reached the Qi Refining Realm."

"Senior Brother Lin Yuan has been killed... with just one move!"

"How is this possible? Didn't he just pass his internship assessment a few days ago? How could he have made such a breakthrough so quickly?!"

Everyone was utterly astonished, staring at the calm-faced young man on the stage, their eyes filled with uncontrollable fear and awe.

If killing Huang Shiren could be explained by "strong explosive power and Huang Shiren's carelessness", then killing Lin Yuan, who was at the mid-stage of the second level of the Qi Refining Realm, in one move was a real and absolute crushing of his realm and strength!

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Chu Chang slowly and deliberately pulled the storage bag off Lin Yuan's waist.

It has to be said that Lin Yuan, as an elite of the outer sect, had a storage bag that was much heavier than Huang Shiren's. Chu Chang was overjoyed, but his face remained calm and composed.

He turned around and walked down the platform of life and death step by step.

Gu Ling Shuang stood below the stage, watching Chu Chang walk towards her. She couldn't help but swallow hard. Her usually cold eyes were now filled with awe, and even a hint of restraint that she herself didn't realize.

"Ah Chang..." she called softly.

"Miss, let's go." Chu Chang grinned, instantly concealing his domineering aura, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed back into the seemingly honest and harmless servant of the Gu family.

Seeing that Chu Chang still addressed her as before, Gu Ling Shuang's tense body relaxed slightly, and a complex and inexplicable emotion, yet with a hint of warmth, welled up in her heart. She nodded and said, "Yes, it's almost noon, let's go to the cafeteria."

"Alright! I'm really hungry, I've burned a lot of energy today." Chu Chang laughed heartily.

He turned around and waved to Zhang Erniu and Yu Xiaoxiao, who were staring in disbelief in the crowd: "Erniu, Xiaoxiao, let's go eat together!"

Today was a great day! I unexpectedly found two storage bags, which might contain a lot of spirit stones and pills. I'll definitely have to have a good meal at the sect's canteen!

"Brother Chu...you, you're amazing! Thank you, Brother Chu!" Zhang Erniu came to his senses, his face flushed with excitement.

He used to call him Brother Chu, but now he calls him Brother Chu with genuine respect.

Despite the fearful yet curious stares of passersby, the four of them made their way to the sect's dining hall, where they ordered a large table of spirit birds and meats that they would normally be reluctant to eat.

A short while later, the four of them had eaten and drunk their fill.

Zhang Erniu and Yu Xiaoxiao wisely didn't disturb them further and took their leave first.

On the way back, only Chu Chang and Gu Ling Shuang walked side by side.

A gentle breeze rustled through the bamboo grove.

Gu Ling Shuang turned her head to look at Chu Chang's clean profile and finally couldn't help but sigh, "Chu Chang, I never expected your talent for cultivation to be so good. You've already reached the Qi Refining Realm without me even realizing it. Back in the Gu family... it was truly a waste of your potential."

Chu Chang touched his nose and smiled憨厚ly: "Miss is joking. Actually, I don't have much talent. It's mainly because I'm good at understanding. I can read the techniques quickly and figure them out without even realizing it."

Gu Ling Shuang rolled her eyes at him, amused by his words.

Did you figure it out without even realizing it?

Wouldn't all those outer sect disciples who have been stuck at the Great Perfection of Body Tempering Realm for several years just end up banging their heads against the wall and dying?

However, she wisely refrained from asking further questions, as everyone has their own secrets.

As they were talking, the two had reached the exit of the dining hall area when suddenly a loud argument between a man and a woman came from ahead, attracting many passing disciples to stop and watch.

"Zhou Linzi! I just treated you to dinner, which cost me over ten spirit stones! I even scrimped and saved to buy you the storage bag you'd always wanted! And now you're turning around and saying we're not a good match? Are you trying to take advantage of me?!"

The speaker was a young man dressed in the robes of an outer disciple, named Xu Zhong.

At this moment, his face was flushed, veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes were filled with anger and grievance as he stared intently at the woman in front of him.

The woman he was questioning was wearing a slightly revealing, flamboyant long dress. She did have a rather attractive figure, but her face was full of speechlessness.

Upon hearing Xu Zhong's accusations, the woman named Zhou Linzi rolled her eyes, patted her sleeves, and shrieked, "Xu Zhong, how dare you say that? It's just some snacks! You did it voluntarily, I didn't force you!"

"I don't care, you won't even let me touch your hand now, give me back what I bought."

"How could you do this? You were the one who begged me to accept it while you were crying, and now you want me to return it to you?"

"If you don't pay, this won't end well!"

Seeing Xu Zhong's somewhat hysterical state, Zhou Linzi panicked for a moment.

After all, she knew she was in the wrong.

Chu Chang and Gu Ling Shuang were somewhat surprised to see this.

"Are there still women like this these days?" Chu Chang said.

Gu Ling Shuang was unsurprised: "What's so strange about that? I've seen plenty of people like this. Very few are as independent as me."

She held it upright and winked at Chu Chang, seemingly implying her excellence.

Chu Changquan pretended not to see it!

The moment he took his first step, the voice of the Ghost Mirror suddenly rang in his mind: "Chu Chang, don't go yet. That woman named Zhou Linzi has a very unusual constitution."

Chu Chang raised an eyebrow slightly and communicated with the Ghost Mirror in his mind: "Oh? What's different? I think she's at most at the late stage of Body Tempering Realm, and her appearance is only average."

The Mirror of Ghosts chuckled, "What do you know? She has the Extreme Yin Jade Marrow Body! This is a rare and exceptional dual cultivation physique, even in ancient times. Women with this physique possess incredibly pure Yin energy within them, and can even automatically absorb and exhale the extreme Yin energy of heaven and earth."