The Grand Martial Arena was still shaking from the echoes of Qin Chen's devastating victory.
Thousands of disciples stared at the Challenge Platform, their faces filled with shock, fear, and awe.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Because what they had just witnessed wasn't just a victory.
It was a declaration.
Qin Chen was not their equal.
He wasn't an outer disciple.
He wasn't an inner disciple.
He was beyond them.
A single figure floated down from the sky, his robes fluttering with authority.
He was an elder.
But not just any elder.
A Core Sect Elder.
His aura was vast and suffocating, carrying an unseen pressure that made even inner sect disciples bow their heads.
The moment he arrived, the sect's other elders stepped back, deferring to his authority.
He landed lightly on the platform, his sharp gaze locking onto Qin Chen.
The elder's voice was calm, yet absolute.
"Qin Chen."
The entire sect held its breath.
The elder narrowed his eyes slightly, as if analyzing him.
"You do not belong here."
The crowd froze.
Was this… a rejection?
But the next words shattered all doubt.
"You have already surpassed the qualifications for the Inner Sect."
"Effective immediately—you are being promoted."
The tension in the air intensified.
Every disciple's mind raced.
Promoted?
Would he be entering as a top Inner Disciple?
Or…
Then the elder's next words sent the entire sect into chaos.
"You will skip the Inner Sect entirely and enter the Core Sect directly."
A wave of gasps, exclamations, and murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Straight… to the Core Sect?"
"That's impossible! No outer disciple has ever skipped the inner sect before!"
"He's going to be standing alongside the true monsters of the sect?"
Qin Chen remained silent, his expression unreadable.
But internally?
He was amused.
So they finally acknowledged it.
He had never cared about the Inner Sect to begin with.
His goal had always been beyond that.
Xu Ming, still collapsed outside the ring, barely lifted his head.
His face was pale, his body trembling from pain—but it wasn't just physical.
It was the pain of irrelevance.
He had thought he was the strongest of the outer sect.
He had threatened Qin Chen.
But now?
Qin Chen was leaving him so far behind that he couldn't even be considered an insect in comparison.
This was true despair.
The elder turned toward Qin Chen.
"Come with me."
With a single step, he soared into the sky.
Qin Chen followed effortlessly, his golden flames flickering around his body as he propelled himself forward.
Together, they left the Outer Sect behind.
They passed over massive courtyards, towering pagodas, and sprawling mountain peaks.
Below them, the Inner Sect disciples were training, dueling, and refining their techniques.
Compared to the Outer Sect, everything was more refined, more powerful.
The weakest disciples here were at least in Foundation Establishment, and the elites were already half a step into the Core Formation Realm.
But Qin Chen?
He wasn't here to stay.
He was just passing through.
The elder spoke without turning his head.
"The Azure Sky Sect is divided into three tiers of disciples."
"Outer Disciples—tens of thousands of them. The majority will never advance."
"Inner Disciples—several hundred. These are the ones with true talent."
"And finally—"
As they flew over a massive stone gate, the elder gestured forward.
"The Core Sect."
The atmosphere shifted the moment they entered.
The air was denser, heavier, filled with powerful cultivation energy.
This was the place where monsters were made.
Unlike the Outer and Inner Sects, where there were thousands of disciples, the Core Sect had only ten.
The elite.
The chosen few.
Qin Chen's eyes swept across the area.
There were no crowds.
No bustling activity.
Just pure, suffocating stillness.
Because every single person here was a true powerhouse.
They approached a massive stone tablet, towering over the main entrance to the Core Sect.
It was carved with a hundred names.
The elder gestured toward it.
"This is the Heaven's Ranking Tablet."
"The names on this stone represent the 100 strongest disciples in the sect."
Qin Chen's eyes flickered over the list.
The top names were all Core Disciples.
The bottom half of the list contained high-ranking Inner Disciples, struggling to break into the top tier.
Only one thing mattered here.
Your ranking.
The elder pointed at the highest name on the tablet.
"That is the strongest disciple of our sect—Tian Yang."
Qin Chen raised an eyebrow.
So there was already a top dog.
The elder continued.
"The rankings shift constantly. Only strength determines your position."
He turned to Qin Chen.
"And now—you will have your chance to carve your name into this list."
A slow smirk formed on Qin Chen's lips.
"Interesting."
The elder led Qin Chen toward a large courtyard, where the Core Disciples resided.
"You will be given a place to stay," the elder said.
"You will have access to resources beyond what any Inner Disciple could dream of."
"But know this—"
His gaze darkened.
"The Core Sect is not like the Outer or Inner Sects."
"If you are weak, you will be eliminated. If you cannot prove yourself, you will be replaced."
Qin Chen nodded.
That was exactly how he wanted it.
A slow grin spread across his face.
"That's fine," he said.
"Because I don't plan on being second to anyone."
The elder paused, studying Qin Chen's confidence.
Then, he let out a rare chuckle.
"Good."
Qin Chen knew this direct promotion to Core disciple was as much of a test as it was a gift.
There was no way that inner disciples with half a foot into the core formation realm who had spent years trying to make it into the core of the sect would accept a newbie barely in foundation establishment being promoted directly to Core disciple.
But Qin Chen wasn't worried.
He had the system.
They passed through the final gate, stepping fully into the realm of the Core Disciples.
And as Qin Chen looked ahead, feeling the raw, condensed Qi of the strongest disciples in the sect, he had only one thought.
This is where my journey truly begins.