Everyone fell silent as they witnessed how the fight they had expected to be intense turned out to be surprisingly easy. This had been a recurring theme for a while now. Every time they anticipated a fierce battle, it would unfold in a completely different manner than their expectations. However, this didn't dampen the crowd's enthusiasm.

"Wow! That guy actually did it. He defeated Wei Fa!"

"I believe his name is Ji Ning?"

"This outer sect competition has been full of surprises. We'll either have an inner disciple or a new fifth seat in the outer sect."

Not everyone aspired to join the inner sect, as there was an option to remain in the outer sect. Although not many people chose that path, a few were intoxicated by their authority in the outer sect and preferred to stay rather than become just another disciple in the inner sect.

It was akin to purposefully repeating grades to maintain one's outstanding status and be the smartest in the class. However, Ning had no intention of doing so.

"The winner is Ji Ning!" The supervising elder announced, slightly surprised but not too much.

Even the crowd gradually became calm. They didn't react as intensely as they did with Xiao Fan and only showed slight interest since Ning became the fifth-rank disciple.

For some reason, the crowd paid too much attention to Xiao Fan.

Ning returned to his original place, only to be met by a very excited Fatty Li.

"You won so easily against Wei Fa. You... You were hiding your strength, weren't you?"

Ning simply smiled in response.

"The only reason it seemed so easy was that everything went according to plan, even slightly exceeding it thanks to Xiao Fan."

Ning didn't feel much pride in defeating such an opponent.

From his perspective, Xiao Fan's fight against Wei Fa had greatly unsettled him and led to some very questionable decisions. If Wei Fa had remained calm throughout the fight, it would have become a battle of attrition.

Ning couldn't defeat him in a single move, while Wei Fa couldn't land a hit on Ning due to his speed. Without Xiao Fan, Ning would have still emerged victorious, but it wouldn't have been as easy as it appeared.

Ning was talented, but he had only been training for a few months, and his fighting prowess was still not on par with the protagonist. Wei Fa had stayed in the outer sect for over a year, and his proficiency in martial arts was not low. The ease of Ning's victory was due to his careful preparation rather than diving headfirst into the battle.

Compared to when Ning was just another passerby, he now attracted a lot of attention, but he wasn't bothered by it.

The fights continued, with everyone mainly challenging low-level rankers. The thirteen to seventh rankers were flooded with challenges as disciples aimed to secure a seat in the inner sect.

Similarly, the disciples above the sixth rank were veterans of the outer sect, and their strength was known to all, except for the two new disciples, Xiao Fan and Ning.

Xiao Fan held the second rank, so even those who considered him trash refrained from challenging him recklessly. As for Ning, people simply steered clear of him.

Everyone witnessed how easily Wei Fa was defeated. He was like a puppet being played with, toyed around, and then discarded out of boredom. Not only that, this didn't exactly match the gentle and pure temperament that Ning exuded, making the victory even more impactful.

"Now there's nothing to do but relax," Ning said, enjoying his free time. His sights were clearly set on the fifth seat. Few people dared to challenge the sixth seat, let alone him. Similarly, those who were audacious enough would aim for ranks third and above.

Now Ning could indulge in some snacks with Fatty Li while waiting for the show to begin.

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Just as Ning suspected, Xiao Fan once again walked toward the arena, eliciting various murmurs from the audience.

The situation was obvious... It was a fight for the throne.

"Qi Tian, I challenge you! Come and fight me!" Xiao Fan shouted.

And the crowd exploded in noise.

"The trash has lost his mind! He wants to challenge Senior Brother Qin!"

And they started calling him trash again...

"He thinks he can defeat the first seat just because he beat the second? He's too arrogant!" Ning didn't understand how that could be perceived as cockiness.

"He has eyes but can't see Mt. Tai." A classic.

Soon, a person appeared on the stage. He looked ordinary with long black hair and eyes, but his gaze was cold. He stared at Xiao Fan, not showing any signs of rage.

"Do you know what you're doing right now?" Qi Tian suddenly asked.

"It was indeed surprising that you defeated Hu Duyi, but winning against me is something you can't possibly hope to accomplish. I will give you a chance to step down," Qi Tian said in a natural tone as if it was a predetermined outcome. This way of speaking gave Ning a sense of déjà vu...

Hearing that, Xiao Fan shook his head and grinned. He stared at Qi Tian with determination in his eyes, seemingly eager to fight.

Feeling the piercing gaze, even Qi Tian was startled, then he became a bit more serious.

"I won't give up," Xiao Fan spoke seriously and assumed a stance. It was the first time Ning saw Xiao Fan getting serious in this competition.

"I hope you won't regret it." Qi Tian, on the other hand, didn't assume any stance, but pressure suddenly descended upon the arena.

"The Fourth Stage of Qi Condensation. He is at least in the small circle of the fourth stage!"

"The trash is finished. I bet he won't last more than three moves before losing!"

"Three moves? You're overestimating him. He won't even last a single move."

Everyone either admired Qi Tian or mocked Xiao Fan. Ning was only surprised by the aura, but he knew the way the fight would end. The question was how Xiao Fan was gonna do it.

The supervising elder raised his hand and signaled to start. For some reason, even this single action had a dramatic effect.

"FIGHT!"

"Heaven Shattering Fist, Second Form, Sky Shatter!"

Xiao Fan rushed toward Qi Tian like a leopard, preparing to punch him. It was the same attack that had taken down Hu Duyi. Qi Tian remained calm in the face of the assault. He didn't move an inch and blocked the fist.

Xiao Fan moved back but was immediately chased by Qi Tian. He seemed to leave afterimages as he appeared in front of Xiao Fan, delivering a punch to his chest. The punch seemed ordinary, yet it caused Xiao Fan to cough up blood.

"It seems Qi Tian isn't giving his all..." Ning thought, watching the fight below. The gap between the two of them was so significant that Qi Tian could have ended the fight with a single move.

Qi Tian stood head and shoulders above the other outer sect disciples, raising the question of why he was still in the outer sect. It was as if he conveniently decided to stay in order to have an epic fight with the protagonist.

"HA!" Xiao Fan didn't give up and attempted to punch Qi Tian again. But this time, his fist was easily caught.

"Give up your futile persistence. Beating someone of a higher level requires talent, and with your talent, it is impossible for you to match me," Qi Tian spoke as if he had already predicted the outcome.

Ning almost face-palmed at that. This guy was just raising a flag...

Xiao Fan backed off once more, and with his keen vision, Ning noticed the old ring in his hand faintly glowing. Then, Xiao Fan started grinning like crazy.

"So only those with talent can do that, huh?" Suddenly, spiritual qi began gathering toward Xiao Fan as he broke through, advancing in the midst of the fight.

"IMPOSSIBLE!"

"How can he advance to the fourth stage just like that? The gap between the third and fourth stages can't be overcome so easily!" Everyone was dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events.

Breaking through in the middle of a fight wasn't unheard of but was exceedingly rare. Especially in Xiao Fan's case, his talent couldn't possibly allow such a feat. Moreover, such breakthroughs typically occurred in intense life-and-death battles, where the body's potential was stimulated and utilized for advancement. Whether it was due to his talent or the total amount of time he had cultivated, both factors seemed insufficient for such a phenomenon.

The most surprised among them was obviously Qi Tian, his dumbfounded expression directed at Xiao Fan.

"Y-You... This is impossible..."

"Nothing is impossible. If I can't defeat someone at a higher stage, then all I need to do is reach the same stage, right, Senior Brother Qi?" Xiao Fan smiled triumphantly. It was ridiculously simple logic, devoid of flaws no matter how absurd it sounded.

"YOU..." Qi Tian took the initiative to attack for the first time. Xiao Fan looked smug, incredibly so. He truly had a punchable face.

Once again, Xiao Fan raised his fist, and an illusory weight seemed to bear down on the arena.

"Heaven Shattering Fist, Second Form, Sky Shatter." It was the same move, but powered by stronger Qi, it had an entirely different impact. As Qi Tian also raised his fist to counter, the two punches collided.

The collision unleashed a tremendous wave of spiritual qi.

*Boom*

Like a broken puppet, Qi Tian was thrown out of the arena and crashed into the wall.

Silence...

No one could comprehend the situation that had transpired. Qi Tian lay on the ground, his arm bent at an odd angle. Foam escaped from his mouth and the walls he crashed into displayed visible cracks.

Qi Tian was unconscious, while Xiao Fan stood motionless in the middle of the arena, not budging an inch.

"WINNER XIAO FAN!" After a long period of silence, the elder announced the victor.

*Thud*

As if waiting for the announcement, Xiao Fan collapsed onto the ground.