Chapter 324: The Bladesman

After the feast, Chen Fei personally saw Wang Feng off.

Only then did Gong Tianshou finally have a chance to speak to Chen Fei alone. With a smile and a cupped fist, he said:

“Congratulations, Senior Brother Chen! Your cultivation has improved at lightning speed!”

Chen Fei gave him a look and replied,

“You’re not far behind either. Judging by your progress, you should be ready to join the inner sect soon. Have you decided which division to enter?”

Gong Tianshou thought for a moment before shaking his head.

“I’m not planning to enter the inner sect—for now.”

“Not planning to enter?” Chen Fei raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

Gong Tianshou’s expression turned serious. He bowed slightly and said,

“Yes. With the resources you’re providing and what I have here at Tianxin Pavilion, it’s not inferior to the inner sect in any aspect.”

“The only thing missing,” he added with a grin, “is a dedicated master to pass on techniques.”

Chen Fei nodded in agreement.

“I understand your reasoning, and I support your choice. As for the master… I might know someone suitable.”

“Many thanks, Senior Brother Chen!”

Gong Tianshou was no fool. Once he realized his bet on Chen Fei had been right, he didn’t hesitate to go all in.

He understood his own limits—his talent was solid, but he was no monstrous genius. If he joined the inner sect, he’d have freedom to choose among the six divisions, but that didn’t guarantee success.

No, meeting figures like Wang Feng and the brutish Mofu had made one thing clear—inner sect disciple status meant little when compared to truly elite forces.

Following Chen Fei, however, could change his future entirely.

Chen Fei appreciated capable people who could recognize and act on opportunities. He liked having sharp minds under his command.

Suddenly, Chen Fei stopped mid-step after leaving Tianxin Pavilion.

“Senior Sister Leng Yue, how’s your injury?”

From the shadows, the cool and elegant figure of Leng Yue emerged. She regarded him silently before replying,

“It’s fine now.”

She hesitated for a moment before furrowing her brows and saying,

“You’re moving too fast. Jumping out like this will only make you a target. Some people might even try to kill you.”

Chen Fei smiled faintly.

“There are some things you just can’t retreat from.”

He raised a hand to his chest.

“When Xuanming’s palm hit me, I thought I was done for. But I lived.”

“And since I survived, I might as well go all in.”

His tone was calm, but his eyes glinted with an icy determination.

Leng Yue looked at him and sighed softly.

Perhaps everyone had misjudged Chen Fei.

When he first entered the Heaven’s Apex Holy Land, he had been weak and tactful—so much so that people overlooked the ruthless drive inside him.

Now, he no longer concealed it.

“Be careful,” she said, turning to leave.

“Senior Sister!” Chen Fei called out.

Leng Yue paused. “What is it?”

He didn’t say anything—just tossed her a storage ring.

“The wine’s good.”

She nodded, didn’t speak, and disappeared into the night.

Chen Fei, feeling pleased, walked toward the plaza with his hands behind his head.

The delay caused by Mofu had interrupted his original plan to accept challenges on the public stage, but it had also helped spread the word.

As for who’d challenge him next—he didn’t care.

Heaven’s Apex Plaza

Though night had fallen and shrouded the square in darkness, the crowd had not thinned at all.

Earlier that afternoon, Mofu’s sword had ascended skyward before vanishing.

That gesture had clearly withdrawn his protection from Chen Fei, and those waiting to act were now ready.

The most eye-catching of them was a bladesman sitting cross-legged across from the challenge banner.

A personal disciple of Willow Mist, one of the Six Gates of the inner sect, he was widely known across the Xuanhuang Continent as the wandering swordsman—Li Tianya.

His appearance here surprised many.

After all, as a direct disciple of Willow Mist, Li Tianya was considered a likely future successor. He had publicly withdrawn from the Saint Son competition, claiming he had no interest.

And yet, here he was.

It was hard not to suspect someone had sent him to test Chen Fei’s strength.

Li Tianya had a formidable reputation, but also a fatal flaw: his cultivation had been stuck in the Mystic Realm for years.

Some said the Water-Heaven Art passed to him by his master was too powerful, unsuited for male cultivation and had caused his bottleneck.

Others believed that while breaking through to the Mystic Realm, he had been ambushed by enemies and had damaged his foundation.

But none of those explanations accounted for one key fact—Li Tianya was capable of killing Human Dao Realm cultivators.

He ignored all the rumors and arrived at the square in silence. His presence alone hushed the crowd.

But the silence broke as soon as Chen Fei arrived.

“Chen Fei, this is Li Tianya, personal disciple of Willow Mist and known as the ‘Wandering Swordsman.’ Still confident?”

“Junior Brother Chen, you’ve only just joined the sect, and you’re already drawing so much attention. That’s not necessarily a good thing.”

Voices from the crowd swirled with subtle mockery and probing tones.

Chen Fei didn’t react. He simply walked up to Li Tianya.

“Greetings, Senior Brother Li.”

Li Tianya opened his eyes. His gaze was sharp, and a powerful sword aura surged straight at Chen Fei—a clear warning.

But Chen Fei only smiled.

When that aura reached him, it dispersed like smoke, failing to shake him in the slightest.

“No wonder you’re so arrogant. You really do have some skill,” Li Tianya said, standing up and inspecting Chen Fei.

Chen Fei didn’t waste time.

He pulled out his contribution badge.

“Senior Brother Li, shall we follow tradition? Thirty thousand contribution points? Or would you like to raise the stakes?”

Li Tianya’s eyes narrowed, intrigued.

“Junior Brother, this love for gambling of yours isn’t exactly a virtue.”

Chen Fei sighed dramatically.

“People need hobbies. I’m sure you’ve heard about my… debts. If I don’t bet big, how can I hope to repay them?”

Li Tianya smiled faintly.

“Fine. I’ve got a hundred thousand points. Let’s see if you can match them.”

“Then I’ll thank you in advance, Senior Brother,” Chen Fei replied, eyes sparkling like a gambler in a casino.

Li Tianya’s expression darkened. He had already disliked Chen Fei, and now he didn’t even want to speak anymore.

He tossed out his badge and gripped the hilt of his sword.

The moment he touched it, everything changed.

Though he hadn’t moved a step, every spectator could feel it—when Li Tianya struck, it would be earth-shattering.