"I heard him… but I think Elder Yie has lost his ability to think clearly. This whole mess is his own fault for getting mixed up with the Chen Family, and now he expects us to clean up after him and bear the burden together. Isn't that a bit too naive?" Yan Zhen said as he approached, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint, cold smile.

"That doesn't matter. We're not idiots, so how could we let his naive ideas come to fruition? By the way, Yan Zhen, did you see what happened at the training ground earlier? That kid has a very strange stone mirror…" Kou Bin said nonchalantly, then suddenly frowned.

"That stone mirror is a Low Grade Magic Artifact."

As soon as he heard this, Yan Zhen, who was dressed in a black robe, nodded with a smile, his eyes deep with meaning. "I happened to pass by there earlier, so I felt the unique aura of a Magic Artifact emanating from the mirror. It's indeed a Low Grade Magic Artifact. I didn't expect to encounter a fellow practitioner here upon my return; it's quite a surprise."

He paused slightly before continuing, "But I guess the kid just got lucky. He probably inherited the legacy of some long-dead Qi Practitioner, otherwise why wouldn't he have left this place?"

Clearly, in his eyes, this place was no longer worth staying in. This was especially true given his current status.

"A Low Grade Magic Artifact? A fellow practitioner?"

Hearing Yan Zhen's words, Kou Bin's expression changed slightly. He hesitated, "Yan Zhen, what if even Yii Xiao is no match for that kid later…"

"Group Leader Kou, rest assured. If even Elder Yie is no match for him, then that kid is worthy of facing me, Yan Zhen, personally. When the time comes, I will step in. As long as he's a fellow Qi Practitioner, I'm not bound by so many rules and restrictions here, so I can act freely," Yan Zhen said with a smile.

"That puts my mind at ease," Kou Bin said, breathing a long sigh of relief. As long as Yan Zhen was willing to take action, the Celestial Group had nothing to fear.

「...」

As the sun gradually climbed higher in the sky, the tense atmosphere within the Base of the Celestial Group finally reached its peak.

The vast training ground was now decorated everywhere with a cold, metallic sheen, and members of the Four Departments of Capital City had surrounded the place so tightly it was impenetrable, filling one's vision like a tide.

In the center of the training ground, a lift had already hoisted a massive platform into position. This was undoubtedly the main stage for the upcoming matches. Looking toward the northeast side of the main stage, Kou Bin and the Bald Second Elder of the Celestial Group were seated in the highest and the next-highest seats, respectively.

Seated alongside them were all the high-ranking officials from the Four Departments of Capital City who had come to spectate. After all, given the Celestial Group's rank and prestige among the Four Departments of Capital City, it naturally attracted many spectators now that they'd been challenged by the last-ranked Central Guard Bureau.

And considering the scale of this battle, it was the grandest event Chen Fei, Young Master Chen, had ever witnessed since he first made a name for himself, even more magnificent than his previous experience at the Summit of Tian Kui Peak in the Lingnan Mountains.

Back then, any Innate Expert, even those in the Innate Early Stage, could have dominated the scene. But here, they seemed rather ordinary. This was especially true for the people now sitting in the high seats; aside from some high-ranking leaders, the rest appeared to be Mid Innate Ancient Martial Artists or above.

And that, I suppose, is what they call a gap!

"Buddy, it's starting."

Just then, a male voice came from behind. Chen Fei glanced to his side and saw Liu Chudong approaching. He smiled and nodded in acknowledgment before turning his gaze back to the iron-built platform in the center of the training ground. Within his eyes, black as polished glaze, a faint glint pulsed. "Yes, it's about to begin."

"I asked a friend to do some digging. It seems Yan Zhen has been accepted into the War Halberd Sect and is considered one of the top members of their younger generation. He's extremely strong. So if he really does take action later, you'll have to be careful," Liu Chudong said, his brow slightly furrowed.

"The War Halberd Sect?" Chen Fei's words carried a tone of confusion, revealing he had no idea what the War Halberd Sect signified.

"You haven't heard of the War Halberd Sect?" Now it was Liu Chudong's turn to be surprised, his face showing an incredulous look. The War Halberd Sect had quite a reputation. Since Chen Fei was a Qi Practitioner like him, how could he possibly not have heard of it?

"No, I haven't." Chen Fei chose not to hide his ignorance and replied straightforwardly, "I haven't been over there yet, so I'm not very familiar with things. Is the War Halberd Sect that formidable?"

"Formidable? Hmm… well, yes, they're definitely considered formidable. In any case, if you two really do face off, it would be wise to be cautious." Liu Chudong clearly hadn't expected Chen Fei to have never been there. Could it be that he wasn't a disciple from one of that side's Sects, but a Loose Cultivator? His gaze shifted slightly at the thought. After all, there was a bit of a difference between Sect disciples and Loose Cultivators over there.

"Is that so? I understand. Thanks for the heads-up…" Chen Fei didn't notice the strange look in Liu Chudong's eyes; his own gaze had sharpened.

"Oh, it's starting?"

Just then, a mechanical announcement boomed from the direction of the main battle platform, causing everyone's gaze to sharpen.

Without much fanfare or idle talk, the matches and exchanges began.

Of course, masters like Cao Qiguo and Chen Fei couldn't take the stage right away, so the sparring in the first few hours was relatively harmonious. Both sides sent out their elites, and they were fiercely but evenly matched. Although the members from the Celestial Group seemed to win a bit more often, the situation was acceptable overall.

Under normal circumstances, those temporarily victorious members from the Celestial Group would have been unable to contain their pride and would have shouted arrogant, provocative words. Now, however, they were in no such mood.

After all, the memory of Luo Qinghai's dreadful defeat from just a few hours ago was still vivid in their minds. How could they forget that there was still a monster from the Central Guard Bureau who hadn't made a move yet? In this situation, forget feeling triumphant; they were finding it difficult just to quell the panic in their own hearts.

Luo Qinghai had already stepped into the ranks of Mid Innate Ancient Martial Artists and had even achieved True Qi Condensation, yet he still suffered such a crushing defeat. How could they not be nervous and flustered?

So, amidst this complex and uneasy mood, the Celestial Group finally couldn't hold back any longer and sent their first heavyweight to the stage.

It was Zhou Xuan, who, along with the former Luo Qinghai and Sui Mingqi, was considered one of the top young elites in the Celestial Group.

This man's status in the Celestial Group was equivalent to Cao Qiguo's in the Central Guard Bureau, and his strength was extraordinary, rated as S+ Rank. As soon as he took the stage, he swept through three or four members of the Central Guard Bureau. Moreover, he fought ruthlessly. Almost every defeated member from the Central Guard Bureau was left with severe injuries, which immediately provoked the fury of their comrades.

"I'll go."

Cao Qiguo walked onto the platform with a grim face and stared at his opponent, his gaze chilling. "Zhou Xuan, I, Cao Qiguo, would like to test your skills."

"Nothing would please me more."

Zhou Xuan was an extremely tall and thin man with particularly narrow eyes. His gaze alone was unsettling. Hearing Cao Qiguo's words, he responded with a cold, unfriendly smile. "I've long heard that within the Central Guard Bureau, only you, Cao Qiguo, have any real skill. But I wonder, how many moves can you last against me? I'm looking forward to finding out."

The crowd roared.

"Brother Zhou is mighty! Show them what you've got!"

"It's time to give these Central Guard Bureau people a harsh lesson! Let them learn the difference between heaven and earth!"

"Hmph! Exactly! Daring to act so arrogant on our Celestial Group's turf is just absurd! Go, Brother Zhou! Make them scurry back home with their tails between their legs instead of shaming themselves here!"

"Haha!"

The venue erupted into an uproar. Those members of the Celestial Group who had been suppressing their anger and anxiety finally found an outlet. Their mocking laughter rang out unabashedly, immediately drawing furious stares from the members of the Central Guard Bureau. But they couldn't unleash their anger, because for the moment, no one could defeat Zhou Xuan. They could only glare, their eyes burning with fury.

On the main battle platform, upon seeing this scene and hearing those words, the coldness in Cao Qiguo's eyes intensified. At the same time, a high-tech, high-hardness aluminum alloy Black Blade materialized in his hand.

SWISH!

Cao Qiguo pointed the tip of his blade directly at his opponent.

"Zhou Xuan, as for how many moves I can last, why don't we find out? But won't it be embarrassing if you lose too badly after boasting so much?" His expression had already turned cold, and a demonic, fierce glint filled his eyes, making his voice sound slightly taunting and frightening.

The area around the main battle platform, once raucous, now seemed to fall silent.

Whether it was the leaders and high-ranking figures of the Four Departments of Capital City or their members, everyone's eyes flickered, intensely focused and filled with excitement.

"Heh, quite confident, are you?" At that moment, Zhou Xuan suddenly let out a very eerie laugh. He then slowly drew a blade from the small of his back. It was long and thin, shrouded in a sinister, dark gleam. As its light reflected on the faces in the crowd, many pupils contracted, their expressions revealing involuntary hints of surprise.

"Isn't that… the Star Chopping Blade!?"

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