At the summit of Tian Kui Peak, thick smoke still lingered, but the entire scene had fallen eerily silent. It was as if it had been plunged into the deepest hush, with even the wind seeming to freeze in that moment.

Nearly everyone stood frozen in place, their faces filled with horror and their blank stares fixed on the center of the peak. The sight on the dueling stage, which had been completely cleaved in two, evoked an indescribable sensation in their chests, rendering them utterly incapable of remaining calm.

This scene was truly, truly astounding.

Is Yuann Liegang really dead!?

The delicate-faced Ruan Qingxiu, an Innate Early Stage Expert from Qingqiu, stood agape, her rosy lips parted slightly before she involuntarily covered them with a small hand. By her side, Shadow Immortal Dance, a peerless beauty with skin as white as snow, wore the same expression. The emotions on her pretty face clearly showed she was shaken to her very core.

After all, that was Elder Yuann Liegang! The powerhouse at the Early Stage Peak of the Innate Realm from Huadao Fort.

For such a prominent figure to die here, at the hands of a man in his twenties... If word of this were to spread, it would undoubtedly stir up an incredible storm, a tremendous uproar.

As for Du Xincheng, Zhan Hu, and the others from Huadao Fort who had fled to the entrance of the peak, their legs had grown weak. A chilling dread and numbness filled their hearts. After this battle, their fort had lost two Innate Experts, one of whom was at the Early Stage Peak of the Innate Realm. The loss was colossal. So when their dazed eyes once again swept over the young figure in the black robe at the center of the summit, an irrepressible fear surged forth.

What kind of monster is this kid? Why is he so terrifying? That was Elder Yuann!

"Ugh."

At that moment on the stage, Chen Fei's expression turned pale. His throat moved, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood-stained phlegm. Then, as if all his strength had vanished, his feet slipped, and he nearly collapsed.

"Chief Instructor!"

Seeing this, Captain Pei, the only one from Flying Leopard still standing, dashed onto the stage and steadied Chen Fei, his face etched with concern.

"Take me back," Chen Fei mumbled hazily. His head then tilted to the side, and he fainted.

Clearly, this perilous battle had exhausted him, especially that final, all-out attack. If not for a stroke of luck—the masculine nature of his Sanyang True Fire perfectly countering that type of evil energy—he would have lost long ago. This suggested that his current strength was likely just above the Innate Early Stage but had not yet reached the Innate Middle Stage. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up in such a sorry state.

Upon seeing Chen Fei unconscious, a flicker of an unusual light passed through the eyes of everyone present, whether it was Zhan Hu and Du Xincheng from Huadao Fort, the representatives from the other sects, or even Innate Experts like Patriarch Bai.

This was an opportunity. A single strike now could very well be fatal.

Yet, for some unknown reason, no one made a move, not even the slightest suspicious gesture. They just watched as Captain Pei took Chen Fei away, descending from the summit. A long while later, a sigh escaped from the direction of the Huadao Fort group.

We missed the best opportunity. After this… there might never be another.

Under a moonlit, starry sky one night later, a young man was lying on a hospital bed in a pitch-dark room inside a modern military base nestled deep in the mountains. His eyelids suddenly twitched, and he opened them with some difficulty.

Ugh... where is this?

Chen Fei felt as if he had just woken from a long dream, yet he couldn't recall what it was about. Awakening in a daze, his eyelids felt heavier than ever, and his body was completely devoid of strength.

I remember passing out, right? But where am I now? It took him a long while to piece together the day's events. He managed to lift a hand to rub his head, muttering to himself. Just then, his nose twitched slightly. Is that... the smell of Chinese medicinal herbs?

He realized the dark room was filled with the strong aroma. He tried to identify the specific herbs, hoping to find some clues, but quickly gave up. He was simply too weak. This weakness manifested in two ways: first, he was famished, as if he had slept for ages; second, he felt completely hollowed out inside. The depletion of his Spiritual Energy was frightening. If not for the 'remaining embers' that still existed within him, he might have suspected he was crippled.

This just went to show what a monumental price he had paid for that hard-won victory. After all, a life-draining strike from a ruthless character like Yuann Liegang was no trivial matter.

Looking back, it was my own stubbornness. I was too persistent, insisting on taking that terrifying blow head-on. If I had chosen to retreat even a little, I wouldn't be in such a wretched state... But, I did win in the end, so I guess it doesn't really matter, does it? Hahaha…

He let out a carefree laugh, feeling a bit proud. After all, to achieve such a feat—utterly defeating a ruthless opponent comparable to someone in the Innate Middle Stage—how many in the younger generation could do the same?

SQUEAK.

Suddenly, a faint sliver of light pierced the darkness as the door beside his bed slowly opened. A figure appeared, and an elderly voice followed. "Awake, Doctor Chen?"

Upon hearing the title "Doctor Chen" and that slightly strange yet somewhat familiar elderly voice, Chen Fei was startled. His gaze then fell upon the visitor's face, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Dr. Xunn, what are you doing here?" He hadn't expected the figure to be Xunn Lun, Elder Xunn.

"Of course, I came to treat you. How are you feeling, any better?"

Elder Xunn looked at Chen Fei with a kindly smile, slowly walked to his side, and sat down. He extended a hand to hover over Chen Fei's wrist, taking his pulse while chuckling, "It seems you've really put yourself through the wringer this time. For your True Qi to be depleted to this extent is quite rare."

"I had no choice. If I hadn't pushed myself that hard, I probably would have been the one to lose," Chen Fei replied with a helpless smile.

"Is that so? I heard it was one at the Innate Early Stage and another at the Early Stage Peak of the Innate Realm. I don't know how you managed it, Doctor Chen. Truly remarkable for one so young," Elder Xunn said, shaking his head with a smile.

"Not at all. I'm still far behind you, Elder Xunn."

Chen Fei chuckled. "If it had been you back then, Elder Xunn, I probably wouldn't have lasted three moves, right?" he said, studying the old man with a cheeky grin.

Ever since they had met, the man had always worn a harmless, kind smile. But Chen Fei could sense that this old man, this Elder Xunn, was strong—genuinely formidable. At his current level, he was nowhere near a match for him.

"You little rascal… When I was your age, I don't even know what I was up to," Elder Xunn retorted irritably.

He released Chen Fei's wrist and asked with a smile, "It seems like there are no serious issues. You know your own body best, right? You're not in any real danger?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll just have to avoid fighting for a while after this. By the way, where is this place?" Chen Fei nodded slightly and then asked curiously.

"This is the Main Base of Flying Leopard. After your people brought you back, Luo Yuanzhi called the chief, and then I came over," Elder Xunn explained.

"Is that so? Thank you for taking the trouble to come all this way, Dr. Xunn. I appreciate it," Chen Fei said gratefully.

"It's no problem. I wasn't much help on your end. But fortunately, the trip wasn't a waste."

Elder Xunn waved his hand with a smile and continued, "That young man... Wang Dashan, that's his name, right? Fortunately, someone gave his injuries emergency treatment beforehand. If he had to wait for me to arrive, it might have been too late, and he would have been left with serious complications. It's a good thing that didn't happen."

"It's good that he's fine." Hearing this, Chen Fei finally remembered Wang Dashan's injuries and let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, right."

Just then, Elder Xunn seemed to recall something. He picked up a mobile phone from the bedside and said, "Someone called you while you were unconscious. It seemed to be someone you're quite close with. I didn't answer it. By the way, is your master Ming Daochuan?"

"Someone called me, someone I'm close with?"

Chen Fei was a bit taken aback at first. He immediately took the phone, wanting to see who had called. But when he heard Elder Xunn's last question, he was even more stunned. He then nodded and said, "Yes, my master is Ming Daochuan. Do you know him?" Since the question was asked, there was no reason to hide it.

"Yes, I know him. We're old friends, I suppose. I never expected that old fellow to have such good luck, finding a disciple as talented as you," Elder Xunn said, shaking his head with a sigh.

Hearing such praise, Chen Fei scratched his head in embarrassment and chuckled. He took the phone and checked the call log, discovering that his mother had called several times and his master had called once.

No wonder Elder Xunn asked that question.

It's my mom. But it's so late... I wonder if she's asleep? Looking at the time on the phone—it was already past eleven—he hesitated for a moment before dialing her number anyway. She should still be awake at this hour, right?

Sure enough, the call connected quickly, and the familiar, heartwarming sound of her nagging came through. "You rascal, why didn't you answer the phone during the day…"

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.