Chapter 209: I Challenge You

Looking back, everything that happened today stemmed from Xu Zuonan’s misjudgment of the situation, which led to Tianxin Pavilion being dragged into this mess.

He totally deserved it!

“Who are you?” Xu Tianqin looked Chen Fei up and down. He seemed unfamiliar, and for a moment, she couldn’t figure out his identity.

Chen Fei glanced at her briefly, then shifted his gaze to the person behind her.

“Since Senior Brother Liu is already here, why bother hiding?” Chen Fei called out in a loud voice.

Xu Tianqin’s expression turned ugly. Since joining the Sacred Land of Tianqing, when had she ever been so blatantly ignored?

“You arrogant bastard, you must have a death wish!” Xu Tianqin raised her hand and swung it at Chen Fei.

But Xu Zuonan quickly grabbed her arm. That sudden move nearly flung him away entirely.

“Miss, let me explain everything to you,” he said anxiously.

Xu Tianqin was visibly irritated, but by this time, Liu Shan had already stepped out of the crowd.

The first thing he noticed were the remains of Xu Zhen and the bearded man—both had been reduced to mangled flesh. His brows furrowed.

When he saw the Patrol Institute present, his eyes turned cold. “Junior Brother Wang, someone committed murder in the Outer Sect. Is the Patrol Institute just going to ignore it?”

Wang Feng shrugged. “Core disciples have the authority to enforce discipline, Senior Brother Liu. Or have you forgotten? Oh, my bad—guess you’re still just a formal disciple.”

Wang Feng’s words turned Liu Shan’s face darker than the bottom of a pot.

It was like shooting himself in the foot. Wang Feng wasn’t just a manager of the Patrol Institute—he was a full-fledged core disciple. Even if he blatantly took sides, there was nothing Liu Shan could do about it.

Chen Fei watched Liu Shan with a smirk.

No wonder this guy was Liu Yue’s big brother—they both had a taste for playing dirty.

And Wang Feng’s crisp rejection even carried a sarcastic jab. Clearly, Liu Shan wasn’t popular in the Inner Sect either.

Liu Shan turned to Chen Fei.

He knew very well what Xu Zhen and the bearded man were capable of, but he hadn’t expected Chen Fei to kill them so easily—utterly crushed them, in fact!

Now he had no choice but to treat Chen Fei with caution.

“Junior Brother Chen, this might all be a misunderstanding,” Liu Shan said carefully, trying to defuse the situation.

Chen Fei raised his hand. “Senior Brother Liu, you know very well whether it’s a misunderstanding or not. Back in the Xianle Secret Realm, Liu Yue abandoned us to steal the Illusive Flame for his own selfish gain. He ran off, leaving us to face the Yuan-realm apes on our own. That was bad enough.”

“He even went into hiding to absorb the Illusive Flame, which attracted the apes to him and got himself killed. And now he dares blame it on me for failing to stop the apes? What kind of logic is that?” Chen Fei shouted coldly.

As they say: slander spreads fast, but the truth struggles to catch up.

Chen Fei explained so much because his strength wasn’t yet enough to shut others up with sheer force. If he were strong enough—even if he had killed Liu Yue—so what?

Would Liu Shan dare to take revenge?

Liu Shan’s expression darkened. He knew he was in the wrong—after all, plenty of survivors from the secret realm had resentment toward Liu Yue.

But blinded by hatred and favoritism, especially given Liu Yue’s pampered status at home, he had sent Xu Zhen and his brother to avenge him.

He’d thought Chen Fei was weak and could be dealt with quietly.

But things had spiraled out of control—and now it might even drag him down.

Chen Fei seized the moment and pressed further.

“Just now, Senior Brother Liu spoke of the rules of the Sacred Land. So let me ask: what’s the punishment for sending people to assassinate a core disciple?”

Liu Shan’s expression shifted. “Chen Fei, don’t you dare slander me!”

“I think you know whether I’m slandering you,” Chen Fei sneered. “If a family dares to act like this today, then tomorrow they’ll target other registered disciples. Who can guarantee they haven’t offended anyone?”

That line made Liu Shan suck in a sharp breath.

Damn, that’s one hell of an accusation!

The crowd’s expressions flickered.

While Chen Fei might’ve been exaggerating, there was truth to his words. Two Yuan-realm disciples had publicly subdued a registered disciple—wasn’t that plain enough?

And that last sentence hit home.

In this cultivation world, who hadn’t made enemies? If things were always handled Liu Shan’s way, then the next time someone stumbled upon a treasure, they’d have to surrender it or risk death?

Wang Feng stepped in again and gave Liu Shan another metaphorical stab.

“Junior Brother Chen is absolutely right! This was our Patrol Institute’s oversight. I’ll personally report to the Director and make sure this matter is thoroughly investigated. You will have a proper explanation!”

Liu Shan was done for.

He’d spent a fortune to get Xu Zhen and his brother into the Sacred Land as registered disciples—a common loophole Inner Sect members used.

But now that it was out in the open and the Patrol Institute was taking it seriously, many others would get caught in the fallout.

This wasn’t just a simple grudge anymore—it was going to offend a whole group of people.

Liu Shan panicked. “Xu Zhen and his brother were sent in according to the sect’s orders. You two better watch what you say!”

“Whether that’s true isn’t up to you, Senior Brother Liu. The Patrol Institute will get to the bottom of it!” Wang Feng said coldly, folding his arms and stepping aside to watch.

Seeing Liu Shan flustered, Chen Fei smiled and slowly gripped the hilt of his massive, bladeless sword.

“Senior Brother Liu, today I’m demanding justice for myself—I challenge you!”

“You’re challenging me?” Liu Shan was stunned but quickly felt a surge of delight.

If this was for real, it was perfect!

The Sacred Land of Tianqing was a brutally realistic place.

If he could crush Chen Fei—even without killing him—just damaging his foundation would be enough.

Give it a year or two, and who would even remember this so-called core disciple?

People would only mock him as a cripple!

The others were also stunned.

Sure, Chen Fei had just crushed Xu Zhen and the bearded guy—but they had just stepped into the Yuan realm.

Liu Shan, on the other hand?

Not only was he a full Inner Sect disciple, but he had cultivated for years in the Sacred Land and mastered several Earth-grade martial techniques.

He was already a top-tier figure among his peers.

And Chen Fei dared to challenge him?

A peak sixth-rank Dao realm vs. a high-tier Yuan realm powerhouse?

It sounded absolutely insane.

“Did Senior Brother Liu forget the rules?” Chen Fei chuckled lightly.

Liu Shan narrowed his eyes, then sneered, “Fists don’t have eyes. If you get hurt, don’t come crying to me!”

Wang Feng looked at Chen Fei with concern.

Even though he couldn’t read Chen Fei’s true strength, this wasn’t a game.

If Chen Fei really got injured, Liu Shan might cripple his cultivation foundation.

But before he could speak, Chen Fei pulled out his token and tossed it to Wang Feng.

“Then I ask Senior Brother Wang to serve as a witness! If I win, I want all of Senior Brother Liu’s merit points. How about it?”

Liu Shan didn’t hesitate for even a second.

“Deal!”

A peak sixth-rank Dao realm against a high-tier Yuan realm?

If he didn’t accept that, he’d probably have nightmares and want to slap himself for the rest of the year!