News of Ling Tian's "monstrous" breakthrough spread faster than wildfire throughout the Sky Cloud Sect. It wasn't just the fact that he broke through, but that he had nearly drained the Tier-8 Spirit Vein Branch. Everyone knew his Spirit Foundation must be of extraordinary quality.
Two days after his breakthrough, Ling Tian decided to test the physical limits of his Golden Chaos Foundation. He visited the Core Combat Training Hall, a vast facility filled with various combat formations and gravity chambers.
As Ling Tian entered the hall, silence greeted him. Practicing Core Disciples immediately stopped, staring at the arrogant youth who seemed to hold no respect for the sect's hierarchy.
Among the disciples, a muscular man named Lei Fan—the Third Ranked Core Disciple, at the Fifth Layer of the Spirit Foundation Realm—stared at Ling Tian with open hostility. Lei Fan was a proud genius and viewed Ling Tian as a nuisance to be eliminated.
Ling Tian ignored the stares and headed straight for the Heavenly Ranking Grade Gravity Chamber, a room typically reserved for the First and Second Ranked Core Disciples, or those in the Golden Core Realm. The room featured a formation that could multiply gravity up to a hundredfold.
"Just a warm-up," Ling Tian murmured, stepping inside.
Lei Fan, who was nearby, scoffed. "A new dog gets a bone, and he thinks he's a dragon. The Heavenly Ranking Gravity Chamber is set at 30 times gravity for Spirit Foundation warm-ups. He'll be instantly trampled by the pressure!"
Ling Tian entered the room and activated the formation on the crystal wall.
WHUMM!
The gravity instantly surged to 50 times!
The faces of the Core Disciples changed. Fifty times gravity! That was the maximum limit for most Fifth Layer Spirit Foundation cultivators.
Ling Tian's body momentarily trembled, and the marble floor beneath him cracked slightly. However, within a second, the Golden Chaos Foundation in his Dantian emitted a powerful pulse. The Primordial Chaos energy in his Foundation neutralized the pressure with ease.
Ling Tian didn't just stand; he began to walk, his steps calm and measured, as if he only felt three times gravity, not fifty.
Lei Fan couldn't contain his rage. "Utter arrogance! Let me see how far you can go!"
Lei Fan rushed into the room, activating the formation from within. The gravity surged to 70 times!
Now, even Lei Fan had to activate all his Fifth Layer Spirit Foundation Qi just to remain upright. He was gasping for air.
He looked over at Ling Tian, who was now slightly crouched. Ling Tian lifted his head, a cold sneer on his face.
"Seventy times? I almost feel a small challenge," Ling Tian mocked.
Ling Tian didn't use a technique. He simply forced pure Primordial Chaos energy through his meridians. His muscles groaned, but his body immediately adapted. He started moving, even faster than the struggling Lei Fan.
Lei Fan was completely humiliated. He was the Third Ranked Core Disciple! How could a new First Layer Spirit Foundation disciple withstand 70 times gravity better than him?
"You cheat! I will teach you some respect!" Lei Fan roared.
Ignoring the formation, Lei Fan unleashed his signature technique—the Thunderstorm Fist—and charged at Ling Tian. Lei Fan figured, under such immense gravity pressure, Ling Tian would have no time to react.
Ling Tian, who was already prepared for such provocation, reacted with alarming speed.
"Only minor thunder," Ling Tian scoffed.
He didn't bother dodging. He rotated his body, and instead of Lei Fan's Thunderstorm Fist hitting him, Ling Tian released his nameless, simple, yet earth-shattering Primordial Chaos Fist.
CRASH!
Their fists met mid-air. The Primordial Chaos power crushed Lei Fan's Fifth Layer Spirit Foundation Qi. Lei Fan let out a stifled groan, and the bones in his arm shattered instantly.
Lei Fan was thrown out of the room, crashing onto the Training Hall floor, paralyzed in agony.
The gravity returned to normal. An absolute silence enveloped the Combat Training Hall.
Ling Tian stepped out of the room, looking down at the trembling Lei Fan with cold eyes.
"I told you on the first day: Kneel, or be destroyed. You chose the latter," Ling Tian said, his tone full of disdain. "Third Ranked Core Disciple. Truly disappointing."
Ling Tian then turned and walked toward another section of the Training Hall, leaving behind the terrified crowd of Core Disciples and the wailing Lei Fan, who now understood how profoundly he had misjudged their new King.