The Grand Martial Arena was buzzing with excitement and tension.
Only four competitors remained.
The entire ranking structure of the outer sect had been decided.
But now, there was only one thing left.
The championship.
Who would be the Outer Sect Champion?
Everyone knew the answer.
It was Qin Chen.
The only question was how he would win.
And how badly his opponent would lose.
The sect elder overseeing the tournament raised his hand.
"We have reached the final matches of this trial."
"These last four competitors will battle in a semi-final, with the winners proceeding to the championship match."
The crowd erupted into cheers.
The last four standing were:
Xu Ming – The so-called number one outer sect genius, known for his violent, aggressive fighting style.
Lin Xue – A prodigy of speed and precision, calculated and ruthless.
Qin Chen – The walking disaster, who had yet to even be seriously challenged.
Zhao Feng – A lesser-known disciple, but one who had climbed the ranks through consistent, intelligent victories.
The elder's voice echoed across the arena.
"The matchups are as follows!"
First Match: Qin Chen vs. Zhao Feng.
Second Match: Xu Ming vs. Lin Xue.
The crowd murmured.
Qin Chen vs. Zhao Feng?
Zhao Feng had made it this far, but… against Qin Chen?
It wasn't a question of if he would lose.
It was a question of how fast.
Qin Chen stepped onto the Challenge Platform, standing calmly as Zhao Feng approached.
Zhao Feng took a deep breath, his grip tightening on his sword.
"I know I can't win," he admitted. "But I won't go down without a fight."
Qin Chen tilted his head slightly.
"...Good mindset."
Then—
BOOM!
Before Zhao Feng could even react—
Hell Flame Fist.
BOOOOOOOOOM!
A single punch of blazing fire exploded forward, engulfing Zhao Feng before he even had time to draw his sword.
BANG!
His body was sent flying off the platform, crashing into the reinforced stone barrier.
Silence.
Ding!
Winner: Qin Chen.
The sect elder barely had time to process what had happened before he declared the result.
The match had lasted a single second.
Qin Chen simply didn't need to exert himself at all. A single hell flame fist was enough.
The spectators were too stunned to speak.
No one. Could stop. Qin Chen.
The next battle was far more competitive.
Xu Ming and Lin Xue clashed fiercely, their movements swift and explosive.
Lin Xue's footwork was impeccable, dodging Xu Ming's attacks with razor-thin margins.
But Xu Ming was relentless.
His Qi surged like a raging storm, his brute force slowly overpowering Lin Xue's agility.
Eventually—
BOOM!
Lin Xue collapsed to one knee, exhausted.
Xu Ming stood victorious.
Ding!
Winner: Xu Ming.
The final battle was decided.
Qin Chen vs. Xu Ming.
As Qin Chen and Xu Ming stood face to face on the Challenge Platform, the entire sect held its breath.
Everyone knew the outcome.
But there was one person who refused to accept it.
Xu Ming leaned forward, his voice low so only Qin Chen could hear.
"You think you can win?" he whispered. "Fine."
"But understand something, Qin Chen—you'll regret it."
Qin Chen raised an eyebrow.
"My grandfather is an elder of the Azure Sky Sect," Xu Ming continued. "Do you think they'll just let an unknown nobody like you rise without consequences?"
"If you beat me… you better be prepared to watch your back."
Qin Chen stared at him.
Then—
He laughed.
Xu Ming's face twitched.
"What's so funny?"
Qin Chen's golden eyes locked onto him, a smirk forming.
"You think I'm aiming for the inner sect?" he scoffed.
Xu Ming frowned. "What?"
Qin Chen stepped forward.
"The outer sect had tens of thousands of disciples," he said. "The inner sect? Hundreds."
Xu Ming's fists clenched.
"But the core disciples?"
Qin Chen smiled.
"There's only ten."
The realization hit Xu Ming like a hammer.
Qin Chen wasn't fighting to enter the inner sect.
He was going straight to the core.
Xu Ming's confidence wavered.
Then—
The match began.
Xu Ming roared, launching forward with his full power.
His Qi exploded outward, forming a blazing storm of raw energy.
He threw a full-force punch, his strongest attack.
Qin Chen…
Didn't even move.
He simply watched.
As if Xu Ming wasn't even worth his time.
Xu Ming's attack was inches away—
And then—
"Phoenix Flame Armor."
BOOOOOOM!
The moment Xu Ming's fist connected—
A golden phoenix of flames erupted around Qin Chen's body.
At this time, Qin Chen fully released his aura that he had been keeping at bay the whole trial.
A gushing, fiery energy was radiating off of Qin Chen.
"Impossible! How could you be at Foundation Establishment!?"
Xu Ming's attack shattered instantly.
His face twisted in horror.
Qin Chen hadn't even blocked.
He had just stood there.
The entire arena was silent enough to hear a pin drop.
Even the elders watching were shocked.
Qin Chen exhaled.
"You're too weak."
Then—
Hell Flame Fist.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
A single punch.
A single violent explosion of fire.
Xu Ming was obliterated.
His body was blasted off the Challenge Platform, landing in a crumpled heap outside the ring.
He didn't move.
The battle was over.
Ding!
Winner: Qin Chen.
Silence.
Then—
The sect exploded into cheers.
Qin Chen stood at the center of the platform, victorious.
The champion of the Outer Sect Trial.
As the sect elder prepared to officially declare the results, another voice interrupted.
A new figure descended from the sky, their robes shimmering with authority.
An elder—but not just any elder.
A core sect elder.
The entire arena fell silent.
Qin Chen glanced up, his smirk widening.
Looks like they'd finally noticed.
He was far beyond the inner sect.
And now?
It was time for the sect to acknowledge it.