"Brother Fei, they've left," Dong Jianhui couldn't help but whisper after Xiao Qianrang had truly taken his people and gone.

"Hmm."

Chen Fei nodded slightly again. "Well, they've left. It's just as well that we also..." He was about to say they should leave when Zhou Shang, who was inside the room, suddenly spoke up.

"Now that the eyesores are gone, why don't you stay and have some more fun, Brother Chen? It just so happens that Jianhui and I haven't seen each other in years, and I'd like to catch up." His chiseled face showed a look of warmth as he smiled.

He paused briefly, then squinted at Chen Fei and added, "Besides, Brother Chen, this is our first time meeting. Why not take this opportunity to get to know each other better?"

"Brother Fei, why don't we stay? I was close with Brother Shang when I was a kid, and both my grandpa and my dad like him a lot," Dong Jianhui said without hesitation, clearly speaking on Zhou Shang's behalf.

"Then by all means..." Chen Fei wouldn't refuse such an offer, nodding with a smile.

After all, he was quite interested in this Brother Shang. A Half-Step Innate Powerhouse in his early thirties was, at least in his eyes, among the absolute top of the younger generation. His future potential was boundless.

"Thank you for the honor, Brother Chen. Let's go. We can head upstairs to rest and chat," Brother Zhou Shang said, gesturing with an outstretched hand.

Seeing this, both Chen Fei and Dong Jianhui smiled and nodded, following him deeper into the club.

About ten minutes later, by a private pool deep inside the Dongyun Club, Dong Jianhui said with a look of indignation, "Brother Shang, are you leaving again this time? You have no idea—ever since you left all those years ago, the Inner Circle of Jiangnan Province has been thrown into chaos. All sorts of demons and ghosts have crawled out of the woodwork overnight. It's infuriating."

He knew that when Brother Shang was around, their Inner Circle was never so 'chaotic.' Everyone was obedient and well-behaved. It was nothing like now, where all sorts of unsavory characters had appeared, causing endless trouble.

"I'm not sure yet. We'll see when the time comes..." Zhou Shang's expression darkened, and he shook his head slightly.

"Don't tell me they're still holding that incident from back then against you? That's going too far! Brother Shang, you were framed. It was just an accident," Dong Jianhui couldn't help but say.

"SHH!"

Zhou Shang immediately put a finger to his lips, signaling for him to stop. He then said softly, "Even though it wasn't my intention, I was the one who did it. There's no erasing that. Nothing can be done..."

"You were framed by Xiao Qianrang?" a voice suddenly cut in from beside them. It was Chen Fei.

"Xiao Qianrang."

At the mention of the name, Brother Zhou Shang's chiseled features turned icy cold, as if a murderous intent was brewing, barely contained. After a long moment, he shook his head and said faintly, "It was my fault for being naive and falling for his trick. Otherwise, I wouldn't have ended up in this situation."

"Brother Shang, don't be discouraged. The higher-ups aren't blind. They can't possibly let a talent like you wander abroad forever. Besides, you're back now, aren't you? Someone in charge must have given the word," Dong Jianhui quickly comforted him.

"I'm back on a mission. It's not convenient to discuss the details."

Brother Zhou Shang answered vaguely, then suddenly turned his gaze to Chen Fei, his eyes narrowing. "These past few years in America, I've only fought against Americans. I've almost forgotten what it feels like to spar with one of our own. Brother Chen, how about we have some fun? We can have a friendly match to warm up."

"You want to spar with me?" Chen Fei was slightly taken aback, but not entirely surprised.

It was clear to him that when the other man had asked him to stay, his intentions weren't entirely simple. He just hadn't expected that what he wanted was a sparring match.

"Brother Fei, Brother Shang is incredibly strong! Back in the day, he was the invincible champion in our circles in Jiangnan Province, truly the number one of the younger generation. Even my grandfather, admiring his talent, taught him some of the essence of our family's Eight Trigrams Palm..." Dong Jianhui's voice filled with excitement.

He knew just how formidable Brother Shang was. He had been called the number one of the younger generation in Jiangnan Province, an invincible fighter! For him to now take the initiative to spar with Brother Fei was enough to make one's blood boil with anticipation.

Because in his mind, Brother Fei was also a monstrously powerful figure, perhaps even stronger than his own grandfather. If these two fought, it would truly be a clash of titans!

"You little brat... Spilling all of your Brother Shang's secrets right away," Zhou Shang responded with a wry smile. "Brother Chen is no ordinary person. You should be worried about me, not him."

"Ah, really?" Dong Jianhui gasped, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

Although he believed that a match between Brother Fei and Brother Shang would be a clash of titans, from his personal standpoint, he still leaned towards Brother Shang as the victor. After all, Brother Shang was already in his early thirties and had a strong foundation. Not to mention, he had been struggling abroad for several years and was surely stronger than when he left. If he recalled correctly, back when Brother Shang had no choice but to go abroad, Elder Dong himself had said that Brother Shang's strength had seemingly reached the level of a First-Class Ancient Warrior! At that level, he would be considered exceptionally brilliant not just in Jiangnan, but across the entire southern Ancient Martial Artist community, and even all of Huaxia. And that was just Brother Shang back then. Now, he was clearly even stronger. Yet, he was saying that he was the one to be worried about... Didn't that imply that he was weaker than Brother Fei? This... You... I... No way. Was that really true?

"We'll know if it's true or not after we spar. What do you say, Brother Chen? Would you do me the honor?" Zhou Shang's eyes suddenly glinted with a sharp, eager light as he stared at Chen Fei.

"Alright then. Since you've put it that way, Brother Shang, I can't very well disappoint you. Let's have a go," Chen Fei said with a small smile.

With his current power, he was at the Peak of Qi Refining Fourth Layer. He had mastered the third layer of the "Three Yang Sword Manual" and successfully condensed the Sword Qi of Sanyang True Fire. In terms of combat power, even an expert at the Early Stage Peak of the Innate Realm would have to be wary, as there was a real possibility of being slain by a single slash of his sword. Consequently, a Half-Step Innate like Zhou Shang didn't hold much appeal; his strength was merely 'commonplace' in Chen Fei's eyes. But that being said, it was just a sparring match. It would be a decent opportunity for some practice.

"You're a straightforward man, Brother Chen. I'll go make the arrangements," Zhou Shang said, a trace of delight flashing across his sculpted face as he rose to organize the match.

About ten minutes later, Chen Fei, Dong Jianhui, and Zhou Shang arrived at a training gym inside the Dongyun International Private Club. By then, the gym had been completely cleared of all staff, leaving just the three of them.

On the platform, Zhou Shang's body was radiating a terrifying aura, and his eyes swirled with a formidable sharpness that made Dong Jianhui, watching from a distance, tremble and stare in shock. "Brother Chen," he began, "I can vaguely sense a tremendous power hidden within you, far greater than my own. But... to be honest, I find it hard to believe. If you're stronger than I am, doesn't that mean you've already taken that step?"

His words, however, were not meant for Dong Jianhui. His lips barely moved as he spoke using a voice transmission technique.

Clearly, with his terrifying Half-Step Innate cultivation level, Zhou Shang's senses were extraordinarily keen. From the first moment he saw Chen Fei, he felt something was off. His subsequent observations had only deepened his shock. With his own Half-Step Innate cultivation, he could vaguely sense a potent aura of danger from Chen Fei. What did that mean? It meant that the other man's strength very likely surpassed his own! But the man before him was only in his twenties. A twenty-something Innate Ancient Martial Artist? Before meeting Chen Fei, he wouldn't have even entertained the thought. Now, it seemed he was about to verify this unbelievable reality himself. Regardless, if it was true, it was an event that could send colossal waves through the entire Martial Forest. Who knew how many people would be left completely stunned? It was simply incredible!

"If you want to know, why not find out for yourself? After all, you won't believe it just from my words, will you?" Chen Fei replied with a faint smile. He remained standing on his side of the platform, as unmovable as a mountain, as still and imposing as a deep abyss.

At that moment, although he hadn't activated his Immortal Sect Techniques like the "Three Yang Sword Manual" or the "Scripture of Meditation," the Spiritual Energy in his body began to circulate on its own. It surged through his meridians, and in an instant, he was enveloped in an indescribably powerful aura that made Zhou Shang's pupils contract.

This aura was undeniably terrifying, for it originated from a higher form of power—Spiritual Energy—and it was enough to shake one's very soul.

"Hiss... This..." Even with his strength as a Half-Step Innate Powerhouse, Zhou Shang couldn't help but tremble slightly, a flicker of subconscious fear running through him.

Innate... He's actually Innate!? A storm raged in his heart. He couldn't stop himself from sucking in a sharp breath, his cheeks twitching. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the truth was right in front of him. The man standing before him, Chen Fei, truly possessed the Innate Realm! The Innate Realm! The moment those words formed in his mind, his thoughts froze into a jumbled mess. He bit down hard on his lower lip. A young man, so much younger than him, was actually at the Innate Realm? That was not an easy truth to swallow.

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