Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

’How dare he look down on me, Cui Hao!’

Seeing Yang Xiao’s scornful expression, Cui Hao, the blue-robed Inner Core Disciple, found it utterly unbearable.

’I’m a heaven-blessed prodigy,’ he thought. ’Destined to become a True Disciple one day. Besides, the First Elder of the Dharma Transmission Hall is my master. On that merit alone, I can stand on equal footing with even Ye Chengzong. How dare Yang Xiao slight me like this? I have to teach him a lesson.’

Without another word, Cui Hao leaped onto the arena stage.

He immediately threw a punch at Yang Xiao.

A trace of Red shrouded his fist, the crimson hue radiating an endless, scorching heat.

”That’s Innate True Qi! Looks like Cui Hao is furious—he’s using his Innate True Qi right from the start. Yang Xiao is a dead man now.”

”A dead man? I wouldn’t be so sure. I heard he killed two house servants who were in the Innate Realm.”

”Innate Realm house servants? What kind of skills could they possibly have? You think they can compare to an Inner Core Disciple of our Purple Sun Sect? That’s ridiculous.”

The crowd below the stage was abuzz with discussion.

Many favored Cui Hao, convinced that Yang Xiao was no match for him.

But what happened next left every one of them gaping in astonishment.

BAM!

It took only one punch.

With a single blow, Yang Xiao sent Cui Hao flying.

Right off the arena stage.

A one-punch knockout!

”That’s impossible!”

Nearly all the Inner Core Disciples stared with wide eyes.

They refused to believe the outcome.

It wasn’t just them; even the Elders in the viewing stands wore solemn expressions.

One Elder in a purple, gold-trimmed robe frowned and turned to look at Sect Leader Lin Nantian.

”He didn’t use any True Qi,” Lin Nantian said coolly.

At these words, the purple-robed, gold-trimmed Elder’s suspicion was confirmed.

Yet his eyes still held a look of astonishment.

It was simply too incredible.

”To defeat a Core Disciple who has already condensed Innate True Qi and is practically half a step into the Innate Realm, all without using any True Qi... this boy’s physical body must have already achieved the Innate level.”

Physical Innate!

The moment this term was spoken, the expression of every Elder from the Purple Sun Sect on the high platform changed.

Many of them were powerful Martial Arts Grandmasters and members of the Elder Council.

Yet those among them who had successfully cultivated a Physical Innate body were few and far between. Including Sect Leader Lin Nantian, there was only the purple-robed, gold-trimmed Elder who had just spoken.

And he was none other than Cui Hao’s master, the First Elder of the Dharma Transmission Hall, the Great Elder of the Elder Council—Ruan Tianyang.

Although Yang Xiao had defeated his Direct Disciple in a single blow, Ruan Tianyang didn’t seem particularly displeased.

As the First Elder of the Dharma Transmission Hall, he was a master to every disciple in the Purple Sun Sect.

He was a fair and impartial man at heart.

”Sect Leader, this boy’s strength is just as Nephew Chengzong described. He deserves to be ranked as one of the ten seeds among the Core Disciples,” Ruan Tianyang declared.

This time, he spoke loudly, not concealing his words from the crowd below as he had before, when his voice was only audible to the Elders on the high platform.

”Master!”

”Sect Leader Ruan actually...”

This was more than the resentful Cui Hao could bear.

’I had hoped my master would stand up for me,’ he fumed internally. ’Instead, he personally acknowledged Yang Xiao’s strength, effectively stripping me of my own status as a seeded disciple!’

A bitter feeling welled up inside him.

But he didn’t dare show the slightest dissatisfaction toward his master, Ruan Tianyang. Instead, he directed all his hatred toward Yang Xiao.

The others were equally stunned.

But they didn’t say anything more.

They merely shot Cui Hao strange looks.

This only made Cui Hao’s heart burn with more hatred.

”In that case, Yang Xiao, you will be a seed for the Core Disciple...” Lin Nantian began to declare.

But Yang Xiao cut him off.

”The ten seeded disciples... the remaining nine of you can come up here together. And while you’re at it, if anyone else thinks they’re qualified to compete for the top ten, you can come up too. I, Yang Xiao, will take on all comers!”

His words caused an immediate uproar.

’Is this Yang Xiao insane?’

Meanwhile, the faces of the Core Disciples who were either already in the top ten or had ambitions to be there turned grim.

But Yang Xiao paid them no mind.

Instead, he turned to Ye Chengzong, a smirk playing on his lips. ”Ye Chengzong, you didn’t dare fight me and insisted I join the Inner Sect competition. Fine. I’ll challenge all of them now and take first place among the Core Disciples. You won’t still be too scared to face me then, will you?”

At his words, all eyes turned to Ye Chengzong.

”So that’s why he’s putting on this act! It’s all because Ye Chengzong was too scared to fight him.”

”Still, isn’t he being too arrogant? Even if he did just defeat Cui Hao, one of the top ten Core Disciples, with a single punch, challenging the other nine plus anyone else who comes... that’s just reckless.”

”Can’t you see his real target is Ye Chengzong? You all might not know this, but I heard from my cousin that Ye Chengzong has already reached the Seventh Layer of the Innate Realm. He’s the strongest contender for the position of Junior Sect Leader. If Yang Xiao dares to challenge him, why would he care about a few Core Disciples?”

”Seventh Layer of the Innate Realm? Are you serious? This Yang Xiao must be completely out of his mind.”

Below the stage, the discussions grew more heated.

Even Lin Nantian, high on the platform, frowned slightly.

’Just now, Yang Xiao cut me off without a second thought, showing me absolutely no respect,’ he thought. This displeased him.

However, as the Sect Leader of the Purple Sun Sect, Lin Nantian had a certain level of composure.

He didn’t rebuke him outright.

But now that Yang Xiao was challenging all the Core Disciples, he didn’t intervene.

’Naturally,’ he thought, ’it’s time Yang Xiao learned a lesson about his own arrogance.’

”What’s wrong? No one’s coming up? Well then, I guess first place among the Core Disciples is mine,” Yang Xiao laughed.

A commotion immediately broke out below the stage.

”If no one steps up, Yang Xiao will indeed become the number one Core Disciple. Everyone else will be eliminated and receive no reward,” the First Elder of the Internal Affairs Hall declared at that moment.

He was seated right next to the Sect Leader.

His words, of course, came at the behest of Lin Nantian.

”What? The Sect actually condones this!”

”No way! I can’t let this happen!”

”I’ll fight him.”

The Sect’s Grand Competition—be it for the Outer Sect, the Inner Sect, or the competition for the Junior Sect Leader’s position—was always an event of great significance, with rich rewards at stake.

The rewards for the Outer Sect competition were a given, but even the most generous prizes there wouldn’t have caught Yang Xiao’s eye.

However, the first-place prize in the Inner Sect competition was ten stalks of Fourth-Grade Spirit Medicine, one Innate Breaking Aperture Pill, and a choice of one Celestial Level, Low Grade Cultivation Technique or Martial Skill.

These were items that even the Elders in the Innate Realm would covet.

Let alone mere Core Disciples like them.

A moment later, seventeen or eighteen people had appeared on the stage, surrounding Yang Xiao.

Seeing them step forward, even some of the less powerful disciples leaped onto the stage as well.

They seemed to be hoping for a lucky break.

At this, Yang Xiao simply smiled.

’With my power, what does it matter how many Core Disciples from the Purple Sun Sect show up?’

Two figures in the crowd, however, did give him a slight pause.

’Perfect. Today is a good day to settle all accounts!’