The training ground remained silent as Lin Xuan stepped off the platform. Though the duel had ended, the lingering shock in the disciples' eyes told him all he needed to know.

He had just upset the balance of power in the Inner Sect.

Wei Sheng was no ordinary disciple. His defeat wasn’t just his own—it was a challenge to the status quo.

Lin Xuan exhaled. He didn't come here to prove himself to others. He came to grow stronger.

But strength always attracted attention. Not all of it would be friendly.

HIDDEN EYES, HIDDEN MOVES

From the far end of the training ground, Fang Chen watched Lin Xuan’s retreating figure, his fingers tapping against his arm.

“He’s stronger than expected,” Fang Chen muttered. A nearby disciple, dressed in the robes of an elite inner disciple, scoffed.

“He’s just a new recruit. He got lucky.”

Fang Chen shook his head. “No. That wasn’t luck.”

His eyes flickered with something dark. Lin Xuan’s rise needed to be crushed before it became a real threat.

“I’ll inform Senior Brother Lei.”

The moment those words left his lips, the air around them grew colder. Lei Qian.

A name that carried weight.

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A name that meant trouble.

A WARNING FROM ZHAO FENG

Lin Xuan returned to his residence, feeling the day’s battles settle into his bones. As he opened the door, a familiar voice greeted him.

“You really don’t know how to lay low, do you?”

Zhao Feng sat on the edge of a wooden table, arms crossed. His usual grin was gone, replaced by a frown.

Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow. “You were the one who told me to challenge Inner Sect disciples.”

Zhao Feng sighed. “Yeah, but I didn’t think you’d win that convincingly.” He leaned forward. “Do you even realize what you’ve done?”

Lin Xuan poured himself a cup of tea and sat down. “Enlighten me.”

Zhao Feng clicked his tongue. “Wei Sheng wasn’t just a random disciple. He was connected to Lei Qian.”

Lin Xuan’s fingers paused on the cup. “Lei Qian?”

“You haven’t heard?” Zhao Feng gave him a pitying look. “Senior Brother Lei Qian is in the top ten of the Inner Sect. His cultivation is in the Ninth Stage of Qi Condensation, just a step away from Foundation Establishment.”

Lin Xuan remained silent.

Zhao Feng continued, “And here’s the problem—he doesn’t like disturbances. He likes order. And you? You just broke the order by defeating one of his people.”

Lin Xuan sipped his tea. “So what?”

Zhao Feng groaned. “So what? So now he’s going to come after you.”

Lin Xuan placed the cup down, his gaze steady. “If he does, I’ll face him.”

Zhao Feng stared at him, then sighed. “You really don’t fear anything, do you?”

A STORM ON THE HORIZON

Elsewhere, in a secluded courtyard within the Inner Sect, Lei Qian sat in meditation. His eyes remained closed, but his presence alone carried immense pressure.

A disciple kneeled before him, voice trembling. “Senior Brother, Lin Xuan has defeated Wei Sheng.”

Lei Qian slowly opened his eyes. Cold. Sharp. Merciless.

“So,” he said softly, “a new troublemaker has appeared.”

He stood, his long robes flowing like a shadow. “Tell Fang Chen.”

The kneeling disciple flinched. “Tell him… what, Senior Brother?”

Lei Qian’s lips curved into a chilling smile.

“Tell him it’s time to remind Lin Xuan… who truly rules the Inner Sect.”