The entire outer disciple arena had fallen into complete silence.
Dust slowly settled across the shattered arena floor, where cracks spread like spider webs in every direction.
At the center of that destruction—
Fang Lin stood calmly.
His breathing was slightly heavy, but his eyes were steady, sharp, and filled with unwavering confidence.
Before him—
Lin Tao lay on the ground, his body trembling violently.
His Yellow Earth Barrier had completely shattered.
His defensive shield was broken into pieces scattered across the arena.
His arms were numb.
His chest burned.
His entire body felt as if it had been struck by a mountain repeatedly.
Lin Tao struggled to lift his head.
His eyes were filled with disbelief.
"How… how is this possible…" Lin Tao said weakly.
Just moments ago—
He had been confident.
Confident that his defense was unbreakable.
Confident that Fang Lin's attacks would eventually exhaust.
But instead—
Fang Lin had turned into a storm.
No—
Something far worse than a storm.
A relentless, crushing force that never stopped.
Attack after attack.
Strike after strike.
No pause.
No hesitation.
No mercy.
-----
On the viewing platform, the ranked disciples were completely silent.
Murong Yue's eyes were wide open.
Murong Yue said, "This… this is not normal…"
Han Zhi narrowed his eyes slightly.
Han Zhi said, "That body technique… it is not simple."
Zhao Feng quietly observed without speaking, but his gaze had already turned serious.
Bai Qing crossed her arms calmly, but even she could not hide the faint change in her expression.
Luo Chen, who usually smiled arrogantly, had now completely stopped smiling.
Luo Chen said, "If that continues… even I would struggle."
The atmosphere among the top-ranked disciples had completely changed.
Fang Lin—
Was no longer someone they could ignore.
-----
On the elder platform, several elders exchanged glances silently.
One elder frowned slightly.
"He is too aggressive… this kind of explosive power is not normal."
Another elder said calmly, "Body refinement technique."
A third elder narrowed his eyes.
"And not a low-level one."
Meanwhile, Elder Feng quietly stood at the side.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Elder Feng said nothing.
But his eyes—
Were filled with interest.
On the opposite side, the faction elders had already begun to feel uneasy.
One of them said coldly, "This boy is dangerous."
Another responded, "We should have dealt with him earlier."
A third elder spoke in a low voice, "Not now… too many eyes are watching."
Their gazes slowly darkened.
----
Among the crowd—
Cheers suddenly erupted.
"Fang Lin!"
"Fang Lin!"
"That was incredible!"
Xuo Mu jumped excitedly.
Xuo Mu shouted, "Brother Fang Lin! You are amazing!"
Beside him, Xue Ji smiled brightly.
Xue Ji said, "He did it…"
Her eyes were filled with admiration.
Around them, more and more outer disciples began looking at Fang Lin differently.
Respect.
Excitement.
Even awe.
A new presence had been born among the outer disciples.
Hidden among the crowd—
Feng Jiu'er stood quietly.
Her beautiful eyes sparkled brightly.
Her lips curved slightly upward.
Feng Jiu'er softly said, "Not bad…"
For a brief moment—
Her usual cold expression disappeared completely.
Instead—
She looked genuinely happy.
Back on the arena—
Fang Lin slowly stepped forward.
Each step was calm.
Heavy.
Controlled.
Lin Tao instinctively tried to crawl backward.
Fear had finally appeared in his eyes.
"I… I admit defeat…" Lin Tao said with difficulty.
Fang Lin stopped.
He looked down at Lin Tao silently.
Then Fang Lin spoke calmly.
"You relied too much on defense."
"Without it… you are weak."
Lin Tao clenched his teeth, but he could not refute those words.
Because they were true.
The referee elder stepped forward.
"Fang Lin wins."
The moment those words were announced—
The crowd erupted once again.
However—
Not everyone was celebrating.
At the edge of the arena—
A cold gaze silently stared at Fang Lin.
Chen Hao.
His expression remained calm.
But his eyes—
Had turned sharp.
Chen Hao said softly, "Interesting…"
Farther away—
Another figure watched silently.
Zhou Yan.
His fists were clenched tightly.
His nails dug into his palms, drawing blood.
Zhou Yan said in a low voice, "Fang Lin…"
The hatred in his voice had deepened even further.
-------
Meanwhile—
High above the arena, hidden from everyone—
A figure stood silently.
The Sect Master.
And Elder Feng suddenly appeared mid air.
The Sect Master calmly watched the arena below.
Then he spoke slowly.
"This boy… is accelerating too quickly."
Elder Feng nodded slightly.
Elder Feng said, "He is not ordinary."
The Sect Master's gaze deepened.
"And neither are the forces watching him."
A brief silence followed.
Then the Sect Master said calmly,
"The Zhou Clan is becoming restless."
"And the Chen Clan…"
"…is already moving."
Elder Feng's expression turned slightly serious.
The Sect Master continued,
"Let them act."
"Only when they reveal themselves completely…"
"…can we remove them."
His voice was calm.
But filled with absolute authority.
---
Back in the arena—
Fang Lin slowly turned around and walked away.
The cheers followed him like waves.
But his expression remained calm.
Inside—
He knew.
This was only the beginning.
The real battles—
Had not even started yet.
But, little did he knew that he was already attracting attention.