As Shen Yuan strolled away from the Hellfire Temple, the evening sky stretched out above him, soft hues of dusk casting a hauntingly serene glow. He felt the powerful hum of the Void Fire within him, a reminder of the mastery of the first step he had achieved. His mind turned to thinking, his ambitions crystalizing further, but his train of thought was interrupted when he spotted a group of disciples standing together, their sneering glances directed his way. Among them, he recognized the very seniors who had so eagerly whispered of his death.

A familiar face caught his eye. Feng Yanqing stood among them, looking uncomfortable but listening to their murmurs. She looked up, meeting Shen Yuan's gaze as he called out.

"Yanqing!" he greeted, his voice carrying a confident, almost careless edge. "Come here. I have something interesting to show you."

She walked over, looking intrigued. "What is it?"

"It's more of a lesson." His smile turned sharp, cold. "One I think our esteemed seniors here might need to learn."

The seniors stiffened at his words, glaring at him. One of them, visibly offended, crossed his arms and sneered. "Oh? Is the mighty Shen Yuan here to flaunt his luck again? A so-called mastery that's probably just a fluke?"

Shen Yuan laughed, a low, dark sound that sent a chill through the watching disciples. "A fluke? That's an interesting thought coming from someone who can't even get past the basics of their cultivation technique." He looked at the senior up and down with a disgusted sneer. "Tell me, do you spend all your time whining, or is there any actual skill buried somewhere under that pride?"

The senior's face darkened, his fists clenching as his companions looked on in silent fury. "You're nothing special, Shen Yuan. The Void Fire might be impressive to others, but to us, you're just another arrogant disciple."

"Then prove it." Shen Yuan's smirk widened, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "A death duel. Or do you all want to hide behind your cowardice?"

The seniors hesitated, glancing at each other with a mix of dread and pride. They couldn't refuse without appearing weak, especially not with so many eyes on them. One by one, they nodded, their pride overriding their fear.

"Fine," one of them spat, forcing confidence into his voice. "We'll take you on, Shen Yuan. Let's see if your first-step Void Fire is all that you claim it to be."

They positioned themselves, tension crackling in the air as they readied their qi. A hushed silence settled over the courtyard, and the gathered disciples looked on in a mix of anticipation and apprehension. Feng Yanqing stayed close, her eyes focused on Shen Yuan, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

The seniors launched into their attacks, their qis converging into streams of blazing power, each attack more ferocious than the last. Fire, earth, and lightning-based techniques merged, a dazzling display of power that illuminated the courtyard and dispersed a 700 km cloud above. But Shen Yuan remained motionless, his face barely registering their combined assault as his body absorbed the impact effortlessly, a dark, ghostly shimmer surrounding him.

"Is that all?" Shen Yuan asked, his voice a bored drawl. "I thought I was fighting seniors, not disciples still wet behind the ears."

The seniors faltered, their attacks having done nothing. Their faces contorted in disbelief and frustration. They pooled their energies for another round, desperation now seeping into their expressions.

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"Pathetic," Shen Yuan muttered, crossing his arms. "I've seen ants put up a better fight. Did you think a few flashy lights would scare me?" He scoffed, his gaze piercing each one of them. "You're nothing but useless trash hiding behind your pathetic pride."

His words pushed them over the edge. With a collective roar, they launched another wave of attacks, but Shen Yuan merely yawned, flicking his fingers dismissively as Void Fire flared around him. He disappeared in a blur of speed, reappearing before one of the seniors. The disciple barely had time to react before Shen Yuan's hand shot out, Void Fire coating his fingers as he gripped the senior's shoulder.

The Void Fire seeped into the disciple's skin, spreading rapidly as he screamed, writhing in agony. The flames ate away at his flesh, blackening and disintegrating his skin, then muscle, then bone, until there was nothing left, not even ashes. The other seniors watched, in horror as they saw the body of their friend seizing to exist in front of them.

Shen Yuan turned to the next senior, his expression a mask of cold satisfaction. The disciple staggered back, terror flooding his face, but Shen Yuan caught his wrist, and then cold energy started to spread and started to freeze the veins in this senior's body, as his face became that of a zombie, screaming in agony until he broke as blood spilled everywhere.

"You're… a monster…, a monster!" one of the seniors whispered, backing away.

"A monster?" Shen Yuan's smile was chilling. "I'm only showing you the consequences of your arrogance."

He moved toward the remaining disciples, who were now desperate to escape, but Shen Yuan raised a single finger, as Yin Qi shot towards them and entered their body. They scratched their bodies like mad men before exploding as blood splattered everywhere.

The courtyard was silent, the fresh scent of blood heavy in the air. The once proud seniors had been reduced to nothing, their arrogant sneers turned into faint echoes of suffering.

Even with this no elder or masters came to stop him, as it was the norm in Gui clan to kill those who are weaker, since Gui clan only cared for the strong.

Shen Yuan dusted his hands off as if clearing away a minor inconvenience. He turned to Feng Yanqing, who stared at him, eyes wide with shock and a strange fascination. Her cheeks flushed as she looked at him, the ruthless gleam in his eyes somehow adding to his allure.

"Impressive, Shen Yuan," she murmured, her voice laced with admiration. "You… you're really something else."

Shen Yuan arched an eyebrow, his gaze shifting from her blush to the remains of his opponents. "Did you find it amusing?"

She nodded, unable to hide her smile. "I suppose I did."

He gave a rare smile, a slight curve of his lips that made her heart race. For a fleeting moment, their eyes met, and she felt the power he exuded, a magnetic pull that made her feel both wary and drawn to him.

But their moment was interrupted by an uneasy shift in the atmosphere. Unseen by either of them, the masters of the other three main factions had been watching the scene unfold through their divine senses. They had felt the terrifying power of Shen Yuan's Void Fire, its intensity seeping into their awareness even from afar.

One of the masters, an elder with a stern, calculating gaze, clenched his jaw as he observed. "This Shen Yuan… his power is far beyond what we anticipated."

The second master, his face shadowed by worry, nodded. "He has mastered Void Fire, something no yin cultivator should be capable of. He's becoming a threat."

The third master, a cold glint in his eye, narrowed his gaze. "He's reckless… but powerful. If he continues on this path, he may surpass even us."

An unspoken resolve passed between them, a silent agreement to keep a close watch on Shen Yuan. His rise within the sect was no longer simply impressive—it was dangerous.

Back in the courtyard, Shen Yuan cast one last look at the ashes on the ground. His smirk returned as he spoke, his words low enough for only Feng Yanqing to hear.

"They thought they could crush me with their pitiful pride," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "But this is only the beginning. Soon, they'll all see just how far I'm willing to go."

Feng Yang laughed at his confidence and spoke, "you might wanna first catch up to me since I am after all at the second step of the void fire, the soul erasure and my cultivation is also the 1st layer of heaven path realm, way higher than you."

Shen Yuan was shocked but not about her cultivation but about her stage in the void fire, a surge of new found determination aroused in him, "You bet!"

Both chucked as both returned to their respective adobe.