Chen Ping stood where he was, feeling as if his brain couldn’t quite process the information in front of him.
Chen Chuan?
His eldest brother, the one the Family had deemed a waste?
How could he appear in the Primordial Holy Land?
And wearing the robes of an Outer Sect Disciple?
What kind of place was the Primordial Holy Land?
It was a Holy Land for Cultivation that countless geniuses fought tooth and nail to enter; the requirements for recruiting Disciples were outrageously strict.
One’s Spiritual Root had to be at least Earth Grade to even start.
Yet Chen Chuan had become a Disciple of the Primordial Holy Land.
Just as Chen Ping’s mind was in a mess of confusion...
Certain fragments of information that had been circulating in the Outer Sect over the past few days were suddenly strung together like a thread.
An Alchemy Genius!
The Alchemy Genius who had recently become famous in the Outer Sect was named Chen Chuan.
There were also rumors that this Chen Chuan’s cultivation had already reached the Seventh Level of the Burning Lamp Realm.
Previously, Chen Ping had just assumed it was someone with the same name.
After all, the name "Chen Chuan" wasn’t exactly unique.
But now, the man himself was standing right before his eyes, leaving him no choice but to believe.
It turned out his eldest brother wasn’t a waste at all.
Not only could he Cultivate, but the quality of his Spiritual Root was likely extremely high, and he was even an Alchemy Genius.
His cultivation had even reached the Seventh Level of the Burning Lamp Realm, a height he couldn’t even hope to reach.
Despite his own desperate Cultivation, relying on a Heaven Grade Spiritual Root and Family resources, he was currently only at the Ninth Level of Martial Dao, still one step away from the Burning Lamp Realm.
And this eldest brother, who had always been looked down upon by the Family, had quietly reached such a height.
Chen Ping felt a mixture of emotions, along with an indescribable sense of wonder.
This eldest brother of his had hidden himself so deeply!
He truly was an outlier among outliers!
Compared to Chen Ping’s complex emotions, Feng Tianming and Feng Tianxiang on the other side of the Duel Platform were in pure shock and disbelief.
"Chen—Chen Chuan? How can you be here?"
Feng Tianxiang pointed at the slowly approaching Chen Chuan, his voice cracking.
The smugness and arrogance on his face froze instantly, replaced by an expression as if he had seen a ghost.
Feng Tianming also clutched his chest, his eyes wide:
"Impossible! You’re clearly a waste who can’t Cultivate. How could you be a Disciple of the Primordial Holy Land?"
They naturally understood the situation of the Chen Family.
The reputation of Chen Chuan as a famous waste was something they knew all too well.
A person who should have been left to fend for himself outside had suddenly appeared before them as a Disciple of the Primordial Holy Land.
He was even the Alchemy Genius who had been making waves recently, and his cultivation completely crushed theirs.
This massive contrast caused their brains to nearly shut down.
Chen Chuan ignored his younger brother’s complex gaze and paid no mind to the horror of the Feng brothers.
He stepped onto the Duel Platform with steady strides, his gaze like ten-thousand-year-old ice, locked onto Feng Tianxiang.
Chen Chuan’s voice was flat, yet it carried an unquestionable pressure: "Since you’re itching for a beating and used your cultivation to bully my younger brother, then as his elder brother, I’ll come and play with you."
He paused, and under Feng Tianxiang’s nervous gaze, he spoke slowly: "Seeing as you are several minor Realms lower than me, I’ll give you a three-move head start."
"Whoa!"
The crowd below the stage instantly erupted.
"Burning Lamp Seventh Level against Burning Lamp Third Level, and he’s giving him three moves? Senior Brother Chen Chuan is so domineering!"
"Hahaha, how the tables have turned! Feng Tianxiang was so arrogant when he was bullying Senior Brother Chen Ping just now; now he’s dumbfounded!"
"Three moves? I bet Feng Tianxiang can’t even take one. No, even if Senior Brother Chen Chuan just stood there and let him hit him, he wouldn’t be able to break his defense!"
Feng Tianxiang’s face flushed red and white. Feeling the Spiritual Pressure from Chen Chuan that far exceeded his own, his heart was filled with both shock and rage.
Give him three moves?
This was clearly a blatant humiliation!
But did he dare to accept?
He didn’t dare!
The gap between each level of the Burning Lamp Realm was immense, let alone a difference of four levels.
"Chen Chuan! You—you’re shameless!" Feng Tianxiang shouted in exasperation. "You’re at the Seventh Level of the Burning Lamp Realm challenging me at the Third Level. What kind of skill is that?"
"Boo—"
As soon as he said this, a deafening wave of boos erupted from all around, mixed with various hilarious taunts.
"Oh my, who was it that bullied Chen Ping at the Ninth Level of Martial Dao just now?"
"Exactly, exactly. Even a double-standard dog doesn’t play it like you do."
"Feng Tianxiang, is your face made of city walls? It’s thicker than the bluestone of the Duel Platform!"
"Look, look, his face is changing color. He clearly knows what shame is."
"I declare that this year’s ’Outer Sect Thickest Face Award’ belongs to none other than Feng Tianxiang."
"Does he have some misunderstanding of the word ’shameless’? Does Senior Brother Chen Chuan need to use a Pill Furnace to refine his brain for him?"
Listening to the merciless mockery around him, Feng Tianxiang wished he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.
A cold, sharp curve formed at the corner of Chen Chuan’s mouth:
"I’m shameless?"
"Feng Tianxiang, you, a Third Level of the Burning Lamp Realm, challenged my younger brother who had just gone through a hard battle in front of everyone. You call that having shame?"
"After saying such words, don’t you feel ashamed?"
He took a step forward, his Aura overwhelming:
"What? Don’t dare to make a move?"
"Where’s the courage you had just now when you were insulting my Chen Family and my mother? Did a dog eat it?"
"Or is it that the people of your Feng Family only know how to bully the weak and fear the strong, showing off only with your mouths?"
Chen Chuan’s words were like needles pricking Feng Tianxiang’s heart. He trembled with rage, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms.
But his remaining rationality told him that going up would just be offering himself up on a platter; it would only be more embarrassing.
Under the disdainful gazes and clamorous mockery of the crowd, Feng Tianxiang finally gritted his teeth and made a decision that caused everyone to boo once again.
He turned directly and jumped off the Duel Platform.
Chen Chuan watched his retreating back and shook his head, his voice clearly reaching every corner of the arena:
"As expected, a spineless waste who doesn’t even have the courage to strike."
"What else can the men of your Feng Family do besides hide behind a woman and bark?"
Feng Tianming could no longer endure it and shouted sternly:
"Chen Chuan, how dare you!"
"Don’t be too arrogant! My sister, Feng Zhixian, is also in the Primordial Holy Land. If you have the guts, go duel my sister!"
Feng Tianxiang, who had jumped off the stage, also seemed to have found his backbone and quickly chimed in:
"Right! Chen Chuan, what kind of thing are you to dare slander my Feng Family?"
"If you have the guts, go duel Zhixian. If not, then stop barking like a dog here!"
As soon as this was said, although the onlookers were still laughing, the direction of the discussion shifted slightly.
"Senior Sister Feng Zhixian? That Genius with the Ultimate Grade Spiritual Root?"
"I heard she’s already at the First Level of the Furnace Realm! My god, that’s two major Realms higher than Senior Brother Chen Chuan!"
"The gap is too large. How could Senior Brother Chen Chuan possibly agree?"
"Exactly. Burning Lamp against Furnace isn’t a duel; it’s looking for a beating!"
"These two from the Feng Family are too shameless, bringing up their sister when they can’t win."
Hearing this, Chen Chuan showed no sign of fear. He only looked at the Feng brothers as if they were idiots:
"Provocation? It’s useless against me. Do I, Chen Chuan, need you to teach me how to act?"
He admitted frankly:
"I am indeed no match for Feng Zhixian right now. I am well aware of the gap of two major Realms."
"Why would I accept a duel that is clearly a death sentence?"
"Do you take me for brainless fools like yourselves?"
After saying that, he ignored the ashen-faced Feng brothers, turned, and walked off the Duel Platform, coming before Chen Ping, who was still in shock.
"Let’s go. What are you still standing there for?" Chen Chuan patted his brother’s shoulder, his tone returning to normal.
Chen Ping finally snapped out of it. Looking at the familiar yet strange eldest brother before him, he nodded heavily. "Yeah!"
The two brothers ignored the various complex gazes behind them and left the noisy dueling grounds.
...
On the other side, watching Chen Chuan and Chen Ping leave, Feng Tianming and Feng Tianxiang looked at each other, both seeing the frustration and anger in the other’s eyes.
"Go! Let’s find Sister!" Feng Tianming said through gritted teeth. "We must let Sister know that bastard Chen Chuan is here! And about how he injured me!"
The two didn’t dare delay and immediately headed to the Inner Sect area, finding Feng Zhixian, who was currently in quiet Cultivation.
When Feng Zhixian heard the name Chen Chuan, her first reaction was that it was absurd.
"What did you say? Chen Chuan? That waste of the Chen Family? He’s in the Primordial Holy Land?"
Feng Zhixian’s brow furrowed, her beautiful face filled with impossibility. "You must have seen wrong. He can’t Cultivate at all!"
"Sister! It’s absolutely true!" Feng Tianming said urgently:
"It’s him! We saw him with our own eyes! He’s an Outer Sect Disciple now, and some kind of Alchemy Genius. His cultivation is said to be at the Seventh Level of the Burning Lamp Realm."
Feng Tianxiang also quickly added:
"Yes, Sister Zhixian, and he’s extremely arrogant."
"Tianming dueled his brother Chen Ping and clearly won, but that Chen Chuan suddenly jumped out. Relying on his higher cultivation, he humiliated our Feng Family and even injured Tianming! He even made wild boasts!"
He recounted the events of the duel with much exaggeration, highlighting Chen Chuan’s "arrogance" and his "slander" against his sister.
Hearing that the man who had defiled her purity had actually appeared in the Primordial Holy Land...
And that he even dared to injure her younger brother, the fire of rage in Feng Zhixian’s heart flared up instantly.
Her originally cold Aura became incredibly icy, and the surrounding temperature seemed to drop several degrees.
"Good! Very good!" Feng Zhixian’s beautiful eyes were filled with Killing Intent, her jade-like hands clenched tight. "Chen Chuan, you actually dare to appear before me, and you even dare to harm my brother!"
She took a deep breath, suppressing her churning rage, and said coldly:
"Take me to find Chen Ping! I want to see just how long that ’good’ elder brother of his can protect him!"
"And while I’m at it, I should personally see just how much ability this Chen Family Genius has now!"
She decided that new and old grudges would all be settled together!