The Inner Sect Hall was so silent that the sound of Yan Kuang coughing blood echoed like a drumbeat.
Dust drifted down from the cracked pillar behind him.
His right arm hung at a sickening angle.
Lin Feng stood three meters away, fist still extended slightly, golden ripples fading from the air.
He blinked.
"…I didn't even use full strength."
The hall collectively inhaled.
Yan Kuang's face twisted—not from pain.
From humiliation.
Rage Ignites
He forced himself up, spiritual Qi exploding outward in violent waves.
"You… outer trash!"
His aura surged beyond normal Body Tempering Stage 9.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the floor.
Lin Feng narrowed his eyes.
SYSTEM ALERT
Enemy entering Forced Meridian Burn.
Temporary Power Spike: +60%
Risk: Internal damage to opponent
Threat Level: Moderate (Within Impact Domain range)
Lin Feng tilted his head.
"Why do people in this era love self-destruction?"
Yan Kuang roared and charged again.
This time faster.
Desperate.
Spiritual Qi coated his entire body like blazing armor.
Second Clash — Controlled Impact
Lin Feng didn't grin this time.
He stepped forward calmly.
Impact Domain activated.
Three meters.
The air thickened instantly.
Yan Kuang entered the field—
And stumbled.
His expression changed from rage…
To fear.
"What is this pressure?!"
Lin Feng moved.
A simple pivot.
A clean, horizontal punch.
Inside the domain—
Force multiplied.
The sound wasn't explosive.
It was dense.
Like a mountain being compressed into a fist-sized stone.
BOOM.
Yan Kuang was launched across the hall again—this time embedding halfway into the far wall.
Complete defeat.
Elder Intervention
"Enough."
The word was soft.
But it carried Core Formation Realm authority.
A new figure stepped forward.
Inner Sect Elder Sun.
Thin.
Sharp-eyed.
Dangerous.
He examined the cracked hall.
Then Lin Feng.
"Explain your technique."
Lin Feng scratched his cheek.
"…I punch?"
Several disciples nearly choked.
Elder Sun's eyes narrowed.
"The pressure field. That is not ordinary Qi control."
Lin Feng paused.
Internally—
"System."
Disclosure risk: Moderate.
Suggest partial concealment.
Lin Feng nodded slightly.
"I refined my body differently. Instead of circulating Qi outward, I compress force inward and release it within a limited radius."
Technically not a lie.
Just… simplified.
Elder Sun studied him for a long moment.
Then—
"Hmph."
"To create a force domain without Core Formation…"
He turned to Elder Zhao.
"He must enter Inner Sect officially."
Whispers erupted.
Yan Kuang, half-embedded in the wall, nearly fainted again from shock.
Promotion
Elder Zhao nodded slowly.
"Lin Feng. From today onward, you are Inner Disciple."
Lin Feng blinked.
"Does that come with better food?"
Several disciples stared at him like he was insane.
Elder Sun ignored the comment.
"You will be evaluated for Core Resonance breakthrough within seven days."
Seven days.
Lin Feng's Titan Core pulsed slightly.
Core Resonance Threshold: Approaching.
Recommended Preparation: High-impact training, extreme pressure simulation.
He smiled faintly.
"Seven days is fine."
Inside—
He was excited.
Outside the Sect — The Spy Arrives
At the edge of Iron Spine Sect territory—
A young man in white robes stood quietly beneath a pine tree.
His sword hummed faintly at his waist.
Eyes calm.
Cold.
Disciple of Heavenly Sword Pavilion.
Name: Jian Luo.
Objective: Observe Titan Fluctuation Source.
He looked toward Iron Spine Peak.
"I felt it clearly."
"Something ancient awakened."
He began walking forward.
Crimson Interest
Elsewhere—
Within Crimson Demonic Valley—
The crimson-eyed woman from before leaned lazily against a throne of bone.
A disciple knelt before her.
"Lady Xue Mei, confirmation received. The fluctuation came from Iron Spine Sect."
She smiled slowly.
"Send someone playful."
"And tell them…"
"If the Titan seed is male…"
Her smile widened.
"Bring him to me alive."
Back at Iron Spine — Night Training
Lin Feng stood alone in a secluded training yard.
Moonlight bathed the stone floor.
He inhaled deeply.
"System. Status."
FIST GOD SYSTEM — HOST STATUS
Name: Lin Feng
Realm: Body Tempering Stage 9 (Peak)
Titan Legacy: 19%
Impact Domain: 32% Stabilized
Fist Points: 2,260
Core Resonance Readiness: 74%
Warning: Breakthrough will attract external detection.
Lin Feng rolled his shoulders.
"Let them detect."
He activated Impact Domain.
Three meters expanded around him.
Then—
He punched downward.
The ground didn't explode.
It compressed.
Stone within the domain dented inward like soft clay.
Shockwaves remained contained.
Lin Feng's eyes lit up.
"Controlled destruction."
Domain mastery increasing.
Force efficiency +8%
He laughed.
"This is addictive."
Internal Realization
He closed his eyes.
Focused inward.
The Titan Core rotated steadily.
But he could feel something else now—
A faint rhythm beyond it.
Like another heartbeat.
Distant.
Deep.
Ancient.
He whispered softly,
"You're not fully gone… are you?"
The dream Titan's voice echoed faintly in memory.
"The true catastrophe sleeps."
Lin Feng exhaled.
"So this is just the prologue…"
He smiled.
Good.
He hated boring lives.
Cliffhanger — Assassination Attempt
Suddenly—
A faint killing intent pierced the night.
Not from within the sect.
From above.
Lin Feng's eyes snapped open.
Chaos Instinct triggered instantly.
A thin black needle shot toward his throat at impossible speed.
He tilted his head a fraction.
The needle sliced past, embedding silently into a stone pillar.
Poison hissed where it struck.
Lin Feng turned slowly.
On a distant rooftop—
A shadow figure stood silently.
Aura restrained.
Professional.
SYSTEM ALERT
Assassin Identified: Crimson Demonic Valley Outer Agent
Realm: Early Foundation Establishment
Survival Probability (Direct Confrontation): 38%
Lin Feng smiled.
"Well."
"That escalated quickly."
The assassin moved.
Disappearing.
Then reappearing behind him.
Blade aimed at his spine.
Lin Feng activated Impact Domain instantly—
Golden ripple exploded outward.
The assassin froze mid-step as crushing pressure distorted his balance.
"What—?!"
Lin Feng turned calmly.
"You picked the wrong training yard."
And punched.