The news that Chen Fan had trashed outer sect genius Wang Tao with a single casual move spread through Azure Cloud Sect in mere hours.
No one mocked him as mortal trash anymore.
Outer disciples bowed their heads when he passed, handymen scrambled to greet him respectfully, and whispers of "hidden prodigy" followed him everywhere. But Chen Fan ignored it all.
His life stayed as quiet as ever.
He swept the square at first light, tended to the outer sect's spirit herbs, cleaned the empty practice halls, and spent his afternoons browsing ancient manuals in the Scripture Pavilion.
Ever since breaking through to Foundation Establishment, his Eternal Supreme Insight had grown even more terrifying.
A single glance at a tattered basic sword manual unlocked imperial-level sword intent. A quick flip through a beginner body art tome turned it into the untraceable Eternal Shadow Steps. His hidden Chaos Root absorbed heaven and earth's spiritual energy nonstop, pushing his cultivation steadily toward mid-Foundation Establishment—without a single minute of forced meditation.
Peace was all he craved.
No fights, no glory, no endless competition. Just simple handyman work and effortless, silent growth.
But trouble always hunts the low-key.
Three days after the outer sect assessment, a suffocating pressure descended on the handyman quarters.
Elder Lei, inner sect law enforcement elder, stood at the gate with four arrogant inner disciples. Clad in a black robe, his face was twisted with rage, and a brutal late-stage Golden Core aura crushed every handyman to their knees.
Elder Lei was infamous for his cruelty and obsession with status. He loathed mortals and handymen more than anything, and he'd flown into a fit of fury the second he heard a lowly servant had dared to injure a sect genius.
He'd come to crush Chen Fan completely.
"Where is Chen Fan?!" His roar echoed through the shabby yard.
A trembling handyman pointed a shaky finger at Chen Fan's small wooden hut.
Elder Lei stormed over, reared back his leg, and kicked the door with full Golden Core force.
Crack!
The wooden door exploded into splinters, flying across the room.
Chen Fan looked up from the array manual in his hand, his face completely calm. He didn't panic, didn't beg for mercy, didn't even stand up in a hurry. He just closed the book and rose slowly, his eyes clear and unafraid.
"Who are you?" His tone was flat, devoid of fear.
Elder Lei's eyes blazed with contempt and malice.
"You're the insolent mortal who injured Wang Tao and disrupted the sect assessment?"
Chen Fan frowned slightly, speaking plainly. "He provoked me first. I only defended myself."
He had no interest in arguing. He just wanted the truth to be heard.
But Elder Lei didn't care about truth—only power and status.
He sneered viciously. "Nonsense! A worthless handyman dares to lay hands on a talented disciple? You've defied sect rules, and now you'll pay the ultimate price."
His voice turned icy, dripping with killing intent.
"Today, I will abolish your cultivation and expel you from the sect. You'll spend the rest of your life as a crippled mortal, never to touch cultivation again!"
The inner disciples behind him snickered, watching with cruel glee. They were already waiting to see Chen Fan beg for forgiveness.
The kneeling handymen bowed lower, their faces filled with pity and fear.
Chen Fan's expression turned cold.
He'd been reasonable. He'd explained the facts. But Elder Lei refused to listen, judging him solely by his lowly status.
He would not be bullied for no reason.
"I've done nothing wrong. I will not accept your punishment."
His voice was soft, but every word carried unshakable resolve.
Elder Lei froze, then exploded with unbridled rage. No one—not even inner sect elders—dared to defy him openly, let alone a mere handyman.
"How dare you resist!" he roared.
He raised his palm without hesitation, channeling all his Golden Core spiritual energy into a devastating strike. The air crackled with violent power, aimed straight at Chen Fan's dantian—intent on crippling him in one blow.
A late-stage Golden Core elder's full attack was enough to kill most Foundation Establishment cultivators, let alone cripple them.
The inner disciples grinned, waiting for Chen Fan to collapse to the ground.
But Chen Fan didn't flinch.
In the blink of an eye, he activated Eternal Shadow Steps.
His body blurred like a wisp of smoke, moving so fast it left no trace. He sidestepped the fatal strike with effortless grace, completely evading Elder Lei's attack.
Boom!
The palm slammed into the wooden bed behind him, reducing it to a pile of dust. The entire hut shook violently, cracks spiderwebbing across the walls.
Dead silence fell over the yard.
Everyone stared in absolute disbelief.
A Foundation Establishment handyman had dodged a full-powered strike from a Golden Core elder?
Elder Lei's eyes bulged, shock replacing his rage for a split second. He'd never imagined a lowly mortal could possess such terrifying speed.
That shock only fueled his fury to new heights.
"Clever trick, but it won't save you!" he snarled.
His Golden Core aura flared to its peak, pressing down so hard that the handymen outside struggled to breathe. He prepared to attack with all his might, determined to crush Chen Fan's defiance.
Chen Fan's gaze hardened.
He no longer held back. Faint, sharp sword intent wrapped around his fingers—silent, but overwhelmingly deadly. He didn't need a sword; his bare hand was enough to counter the blow. He was ready to fight back and teach this arrogant elder a lesson.
Just as Elder Lei lunged forward, a thunderous voice cut through the tension.
"Stop this instant!"
A calm yet powerful aura swept in, instantly suppressing Elder Lei's killing intent.
Elder Mu, clad in a white robe, stepped into the yard, his usually kind face set in a stern expression. He'd rushed over the moment he heard Elder Lei had come for Chen Fan, fearing the sect would lose an unparalleled prodigy.
Elder Lei's attack halted mid-strike. His face darkened, but he didn't dare continue. Elder Mu held a higher standing in the sect, and confronting him openly would mean severe consequences.
"Elder Mu, this is none of your business. I'm enforcing sect law," he snapped through gritted teeth.
Elder Mu stepped in front of Chen Fan, shielding him firmly. "You are in the wrong. Wang Tao provoked Chen Fan first; this was pure self-defense. And Chen Fan is under my protection—you will not lay a finger on him."
"Under your protection?" Elder Lei laughed bitterly, incredulous. "You're shielding a worthless handyman over a sect elder?"
"I uphold justice, not status," Elder Mu replied firmly. "If you insist on punishing him, go ask the sect leader for a direct order first."
Elder Lei glowered at Elder Mu, his chest heaving with rage. He knew he couldn't win this fight.
After a long, tense moment, he snorted coldly.
"Fine! I'll spare him today for your sake, Elder Mu."
He turned his venomous gaze to Chen Fan, voice dripping with threat.
"But this grudge is not over. Stay hidden if you're smart—next time, no one will save you."
With that, he stormed out, his inner disciples scrambling to follow.
The suffocating pressure lifted, and the handymen let out shaky breaths of relief.
Chen Fan bowed to Elder Mu, sincere gratitude in his voice. "Thank you for saving me, Elder."
Elder Mu shook his head, his expression heavy with worry. "You don't need to thank me. But Elder Lei is petty and vengeful—he will definitely take revenge."
He glanced at the ruined hut, frowning. "I'll arrange a secluded room for you later. Stay inside, avoid the inner sect, and come to me immediately if you sense danger."
Chen Fan nodded. "I understand, Elder."
Once Elder Mu left, Chen Fan stood alone in his broken hut, his eyes calm but resolute.
His peaceful handyman days were gone for good.
Trouble would keep coming, and hiding would no longer protect him.
From this day on, anyone who dared to provoke him would face his full wrath.
Meanwhile, deep in the inner sect, Elder Lei slammed his fist on a stone table, shattering it to pieces.
"Elder Mu humiliated me! That mortal will pay dearly!"
A cold, cruel smile spread across his face.
The sect's Outer-Inner Exchange Competition was in three days. All outer disciples and handymen were allowed to participate.
He'd already arranged for his most trusted, ruthless inner sect disciples to join.
On that stage, they would cripple Chen Fan—brutally, publicly, and under the guise of a fair match.
No one could blame him.
And this time, no one could save the insolent handyman.
The stage for revenge was set.