"You... you dare call me a clown?"

The vigorous Elder Zhong's expression instantly darkened. His lips trembled and his face turned ashen with fury. It was unimaginable! Given his status, he was not only the Elder of Law Enforcement of the Holy Fire Sect—above ten thousand and below only one—but also an undisputed Strongest Peak of First-Class Ancient Warrior! Even within the country's Ancient Martial Artist circles, his name was renowned, commanding great respect and awe.

But now, what kind of humiliation was this? A young whippersnapper like Chen Fei was actually pointing at his nose—at Zhong Can's nose—and mocking him. How could he possibly accept it?

"You're courting death! Courting death! I'm going to kill you! Kill you!"

A dark, murderous intent flickered in the robust Elder Zhong's eyes. A terrifying aura burst forth from his aged body as his momentum soared to the heavens, seething with killing intent. He looked like a vicious predator about to choose its prey. Not far away, Instructor Lei Long's face changed color, and he instinctively blurted out, "This is bad, the old geezer's gone mad! Get out of the way!"

Clearly, even though he was aware of Chen Fei's terrifying strength, the situation felt so incredibly dangerous that he couldn't help but panic, shouting in the hope that Chen Fei could dodge.

"Dodge? Where can you dodge? Since you're so unappreciative today, don't blame me, Zhong Can, for being ruthless! Today, you both will die!" A chilling murderous aura, accompanied by the old geezer's grim words, suddenly filled the entire basement.

BOOM!

Immediately after, a trembling aura erupted from the ground, wrapping around the old man. The air around him vibrated violently, giving rise to waves of scorching heat and fire!

"Die!" Elder Zhong bellowed, his murky, cold eyes bursting with intense killing intent. He waved his left hand powerfully, and a Qimen Weapon, the Holy Fire Token, unexpectedly appeared in his right palm. With terrifying momentum, it bore down on Chen Fei as waves of flame surged toward the sky.

The scene was incredibly shocking. It was as if flames were enveloping him, aiming straight for Chen Fei's head. Wherever the scorching heat passed, the very air seemed to ignite, drenching one's back in sweat and turning the skin hot and red!

HISS!

Seeing this, both Instructor Lei Long and the Old Man with Brown Spots, Elder Xue Hongxin of the Holy Fire Sect, who had already dodged aside, couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. Their faces were masks of utter shock and terror.

The latter's expression changed drastically. A mix of envy and awe was in his voice as he cried out, "The Divine Skill of the Holy Fire Token, Eleventh Layer?"

That's right, in his perception, the cultivation of the spirited Elder Zhong had actually broken through to the Eleventh Layer of the Divine Skill of the Holy Fire Token—the Half-Step Innate Realm! How could this not be astonishing? How could it not evoke envy and jealousy?

After all, even in their Holy Fire Sect, the only other existence at the Half-Step Innate Realm was Elder Jun Duanshan. As for Senior Brother Ma Dong, he had left the Holy Fire Sect years ago to join the national agency Flying Leopard, so he didn't count.

"Heh, hahaha..." A crazed laugh rang out. The energetic Elder Zhong boomed, his ego swelling, "Boy, I really should thank you. If it weren't for you, I couldn't have broken through so smoothly."

Half-Step Innate! This is Half-Step Innate! I've finally done it! I, Zhong Can, have finally reached it! Hahaha!

"Shut up," a cold voice suddenly interrupted his self-congratulatory high. It was Chen Fei. "It's only Half-Step Innate; I don't see what there is to be proud of. Weren't you going to kill me just now? Why haven't you made your move? I'd like to see what abilities you have left to kill me."

He hadn't expected such a coincidence, that his opponent would break through at this very moment. But it was only Half-Step Innate. In his eyes, the man had merely gone from an infant to a seven-year-old child. He could still be easily beaten. There was no difference.

"Wh-what? He actually..." The Old Man with Brown Spots, Xue Hongxin, shuddered at those words, looking at Chen Fei with astonishment.

He really hadn't thought that Chen Fei would still dare to be so arrogant, even in this situation. It was as if he held no regard for their Holy Fire Sect's Elder Zhong at all. But how was that possible? This was Elder Zhong Can, second to only one in the entire Holy Fire Sect, and he had just broken through to the Half-Step Innate Realm! Chen Fei was just a young man in his twenties. On what basis was he not afraid? On what basis?

"Good, good, good." The vigorous Elder Zhong, shaking with rage, repeated the word "good" three times, his expression uglier than ever. "Since you're not afraid of death and still dare to talk back and provoke this old man, fine! Today, I will grant your wish and teach you what it means to court disaster with your mouth and overestimate yourself!"

CLANG!

The next moment, the sound of the Holy Fire Token cleaving the air resounded. Elder Zhong opened his mouth, revealing rows of ghastly white teeth. The aura around his body surged violently like hot flames, terrifying to the extreme. Guided by the flickering firelight, the bladed Holy Fire Token slashed toward Chen Fei's head!

The attack was truly terrifying, not only laced with real flames but also radiating a killing intent that could suffocate. Its speed was extreme; all that could be seen was a dazzling wave of fiery blade light, its trajectory impossible to follow.

"So strong! Is this Half-Step Innate?" Elder Xue Hongxin's expression froze, his face deathly pale, horrified by the terrifying strength Elder Zhong now exhibited.

He knew with certainty that with his own strength as a First-Class Ancient Warrior, he would stand no chance against such a terrifying, swift attack. Death would be the only outcome! So this was the Half-Step Innate Realm... Truly terrifying, so, so terrifying...

However, as this terror seized him, a hint of a relaxed, cruel sneer appeared on his face.

Until this moment, he had been worried. He had been worried that this banquet was a setup, that the young man was luring them into a trap to kill them. But now, feeling the terrifying strength and shocking power Elder Zhong displayed after breaking through to the Half-Step Innate Realm, he instantly understood that all his worries were entirely superfluous. Indeed, in the face of absolute strength, all schemes are a ridiculous joke. Hahaha, hahahaha...

"Die!"

At this thought, a brutal ferocity flashed in his murky eyes. Without hesitation, he drew his own weapon, another Holy Fire Token.

CLANG!

The sound of a weapon tearing through the air echoed in the courtyard again as the Old Man with Brown Spots, Xue Hongxin, made his move on Chen Fei, aiming for his heart.

But in the next instant, his eyes, full of confidence and brutal ferocity, suddenly trembled and then contracted in utter horror. He was witnessing the unbelievable.

"Heh."

Just a second ago, he had heard a dismissive chuckle by his ear. Then, to his horror, he saw Elder Zhong Can—who had just broken through to the Half-Step Innate Realm—sent flying by a single punch from Chen Fei. It was a true, proper punch, one that seemed to have severely injured him, causing him to cough up blood!

Before he could recover from his shock, a hand as cold and strong as steel clamped around his throat, instantly suffocating him. Coarse, choking sounds gurgled from his throat.

His feet dangled in the air. He tried to struggle, to escape the devilish grasp, but no matter how fiercely he clawed at the hand or how hard he kicked his legs, it was completely useless. He was utterly powerless.

Chen Fei's icy hand held him aloft, leaving him no room to resist. Finally, all the panic and dread in his heart erupted. Fear covered his old face, and his lips, now a bluish-purple, quivered. "N-no, please... spare me..." He was truly terrified.

"Hiding on the sidelines was fine, wasn't it? You just had to come out and court death. Well, I'm sorry, but today I won't be showing any mercy," Chen Fei said coldly, still gripping his neck. With a sudden flex of his wrist, a muffled snap echoed, and the body went limp, devoid of life.

"You, you, you..."

The temperature in the small courtyard by the pond was quite refreshing, yet Elder Zhong's back was soaked, and sweat beaded on his forehead. He couldn't believe what he was seeing was real.

Just now, what had he experienced? He, Zhong Can, had just broken through to the Eleventh Layer of the Divine Skill of the Divine Fire Token, reaching the Half-Step Innate Realm! And yet, a moment ago, he had been sent flying by a single punch from a mere young man, a whippersnapper. The boy had even broken several of his ribs! What did this mean? It meant the young man's strength was even greater than his... But how was that possible?

"This can't be... This is impossible..." Elder Zhong's heart turned to ash, his face a mask of despair. He simply couldn't believe the scene before him. It was laughable. Just moments ago, right after his breakthrough, he had been so full of himself, so confident that Chen Fei was nothing but an ant he could slaughter at will.

But now, he found that a youngster who was young enough to be his grandson possessed such terrifying power. A single punch had severely injured him, a Half-Step Innate expert. It was a complete suppression of strength, making him realize who the real ant was. He couldn't begin to fathom how the boy had done it. The despair and shock were overwhelming.

"So strong... so terrifying..." Instructor Lei Long, having witnessed everything, stood with his mouth agape, his face a mixture of shock and awe.

At last, he truly understood just how terrifying Chen Fei's strength was. To be able to severely injure a Half-Step Innate Powerhouse with a casual punch was simply unbelievable.

And at this moment, he finally understood why Ma Dong's attitude had changed so drastically, why he had betrayed the Holy Fire Sect without hesitation after sensing Chen Fei's strength. He had even cut off his own arm to atone.

Because there was simply no other choice. Faced with such a terrifyingly powerful young monster, one who could injure a Half-Step Innate Powerhouse on a whim, who would ever dare to provoke him?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.