Three days had passed since Lin Chen crippled Wang Teng with a single flick of his finger, and the shockwaves of that duel still rippled through every corner of Green Sun City. The once-mighty Wang Family had fallen into disgrace overnight, their reputation in tatters, while the Lin Family had risen to become the most talked-about and respected clan in the city.
Every morning, the entrance to the Lin Family compound was packed with leaders from smaller clans and wealthy merchants, all bearing expensive gifts, begging for an audience with Lin Chen. They all wanted to curry favor with the undisputed number one genius of Green Sun City, the young man who had defied all odds to rise from trash to a powerhouse in just a few weeks.
But Lin Chen never met any of them. He stayed in his private courtyard day and night, focusing solely on his cultivation and preparing for the Qingyun Sect entrance selection in less than a month. He knew that Green Sun City was just a tiny pond, and the Qingyun Sect was his first step into the vast, dangerous cultivation world beyond. The fame and respect of the city meant nothing to him compared to the power he needed to rewrite his fate.
Early that morning, as the first rays of dawn spilled over the courtyard walls, the familiar cold mechanical voice rang in Lin Chen's mind.
[Ding! Daily sign-in refresh completed! Do you want to sign in now?]
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Lin Chen's mouth. He had been waiting for this.
"Sign in."
[Ding! Sign-in successful! Congratulations to host for obtaining:
1. Cultivation Base Upgrade: 8th Level of Qi Refining!
2. High-Grade Heaven-Rank Defensive Skill: Chaos Golden Body!
3. Special Item: Array Breaking Talisman x3!
4. Spirit Stones: 60,000!]
Boom!
A violent surge of pure, boundless spiritual energy exploded inside Lin Chen's body, rushing through his meridians like a raging river. His cultivation rose without a single obstacle, breaking through the peak of the 7th level and stepping straight into the 8th level of Qi Refining. In an instant, his aura doubled, the air around him rippling with suppressed power, the stone ground under his feet cracking slightly under the weight of his new realm.
At the same time, a complete set of profound defensive skill memories flooded into his mind. Chaos Golden Body, an upgraded version of his previous Vajra Unbreakable Body, a top-tier heaven-rank technique. Once fully activated, his body would become immune to all attacks below the 9th level of Qi Refining, and even Foundation Establishment experts would struggle to hurt him. This was the perfect defense for the upcoming Qingyun Sect selection, where he would face countless geniuses from all over the region.
Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing through them. Now, at the 8th level of Qi Refining, with his upgraded Primordial Chaos Divine Body and a full set of heaven-rank skills, he was already the strongest person in Green Sun City, bar none. Even the Clan Leaders of the major families and the strongest elders were no longer his match.
But just as he was about to stabilize his new cultivation base, his Primordial Chaos Divine Sense picked up a group of hidden figures sneaking into the Lin Family compound. They were moving fast, their auras masked, their killing intent clear, heading straight for his courtyard.
Lin Chen's eyes turned cold. He had expected this. The Wang Family would never swallow the humiliation of having their heir crippled and their reputation destroyed. They would definitely come for revenge, and they would come in the dark.
He closed his eyes again, pretending to be deep in cultivation, waiting for them to arrive.
Less than ten minutes later, the courtyard wall was silently scaled by six figures dressed in black. The leader was a tall, gaunt man with a scar across his face, his eyes cold and cruel, his aura at the peak of the 8th level of Qi Refining. Behind him were five other men, all at the 7th level of Qi Refining, their hands on poisoned blades, their killing intent locked onto Lin Chen.
This was Black Wind Ghost, the leader of the Black Wind Bandits, a notorious group of outlaws that had terrorized the outskirts of Green Sun City for years. The Wang Family had spent all their remaining wealth to hire him, offering him half of the Wang Family's fortune if he killed Lin Chen and destroyed the Lin Family.
Black Wind Ghost raised his hand, signaling his men to spread out. He stared at Lin Chen, who was sitting cross-legged on the stone bed with his eyes closed, a mocking sneer on his face. He couldn't believe the Wang Family had spent so much money to kill a sixteen-year-old boy, even if he was a so-called genius. This would be the easiest job he had ever taken.
"Kill him. Make it quick," he whispered, his voice cold and sharp.
The five bandits rushed forward at the same time, their poisoned blades stabbing straight at Lin Chen's heart and dantian, aiming to kill him with a single strike.
But just as their blades were about to land, Lin Chen's eyes snapped open.
A bright golden glow exploded from his body, wrapping him in an impenetrable armor. The Chaos Golden Body was activated.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The blades slammed into Lin Chen's body, shattering into pieces on impact. The bandits stared in shock, their mouths hanging open, unable to believe their strongest attacks had done nothing.
Before they could even react, Lin Chen moved. He waved his hand casually, and five thin beams of blue thunder shot out from his fingertips, piercing straight through the bandits' dantians. They let out soft gurgles and fell to the ground, dead before they hit the stone floor.
In the blink of an eye, five peak 7th level experts were dead.
Black Wind Ghost's face turned pale with terror. He finally realized he had walked into a trap, that this sixteen-year-old boy was far more terrifying than the Wang Family had told him. He turned to run, to escape this death trap.
"Where do you think you're going?" Lin Chen said coldly, his voice calm but filled with irresistible power.
He activated the Thunder Dragon Steps, and his figure turned into a flash of blue thunder, appearing in front of Black Wind Ghost before he could even take a step. He raised his hand and grabbed the bandit leader by the throat, lifting him off the ground with ease.
Black Wind Ghost struggled desperately, but he couldn't break free from Lin Chen's grip. He felt a terrifying power locking down his meridians, making it impossible for him to use any spiritual power.
"Who sent you?" Lin Chen asked, his eyes sharp as a blade.
"I… I won't tell you!" Black Wind Ghost snarled, trying to put on a brave face.
Lin Chen's fingers tightened slightly. A sharp pain shot through Black Wind Ghost's throat, and he felt his windpipe about to be crushed. Fear flooded his heart, and he finally broke.
"It's Wang Xiaotian! The Wang Family's Clan Leader! He paid me to kill you! He said he'd give me half the Wang Family's fortune if I destroyed the Lin Family!" He screamed, his voice trembling with terror.
Lin Chen's eyes turned cold. He had expected it, but hearing it confirmed made his killing intent rise. The Wang Family had not learned their lesson. They had tried to kill him in the dark, and they would pay the price.
He threw Black Wind Ghost to the ground, knocking him unconscious with a flick of his finger. Then he picked up the bandit leader by the collar, and walked out of his courtyard toward the Wang Family compound.
By the time he arrived at the Wang Family's main gate, the sun had fully risen, and the street was packed with people from all over the city. They had heard the commotion, and they all followed Lin Chen, curious to see what he would do.
Lin Chen threw the unconscious Black Wind Ghost onto the ground in front of the Wang Family gate, and roared in a voice that echoed through the entire compound.
"Wang Xiaotian! Get out here right now! You hired bandits to kill me in the night? Come face the consequences!"
The Wang Family's gate flew open a second later, and Wang Xiaotian walked out with a group of elders, his face pale with fear and rage. When he saw the unconscious Black Wind Ghost on the ground, he knew his plan had failed.
Before he could say a word, Lin Chen stepped forward. He activated his Primordial Chaos Divine Sense, and a powerful spiritual attack slammed into Wang Xiaotian's mind. The Wang Family Clan Leader screamed and fell to his knees, clutching his head in agony.
Lin Chen looked down at him coldly. "You tried to kill me in the dark. You brought this on yourself."
He raised his hand, and a beam of thunder shot out, piercing straight through Wang Xiaotian's dantian. The Clan Leader let out a shrill scream, his cultivation completely crippled.
The Wang Family's elders stared in terror, but none of them dared to move. They knew that with Lin Chen's strength, none of them could stand against him.
Lin Chen looked at them, his voice cold and clear. "From today onward, the Wang Family will hand over half of all their properties and assets to the Lin Family. If any of you dare to cause trouble again, I will wipe the Wang Family from Green Sun City entirely."
The elders nodded frantically, not daring to argue.
The crowd around them erupted into cheers. The Wang Family had been tyrannizing Green Sun City for years, and now they had finally been brought down by Lin Chen.
[Ding! Host has defeated the Wang Family's assassination attempt and completed the hidden mission!]
[Reward issued: 70,000 Spirit Stones, Complete Guide to the Qingyun Sect Selection Trials, and a special upgrade to your Primordial Chaos Divine Sense!]
Lin Chen smiled faintly. The reward was perfect, exactly what he needed for the upcoming selection.
Just as he was about to turn back to the Lin Family compound, a loud, clear voice rang out from the sky.
"Interesting. Very interesting. To think there's such a talented young man in this tiny Green Sun City."
Everyone looked up, and their eyes widened in shock. Two men in blue robes were floating in the air, their auras powerful and dignified, the symbol of the Qingyun Sect embroidered on their chests.
The Qingyun Sect's examiners had arrived.
The two men landed gently on the street, their eyes locked onto Lin Chen, filled with curiosity and admiration.
"You must be Lin Chen, right?" The leading man said with a smile. "We've heard a lot about you. We're the examiners from the Qingyun Sect. We're very interested to see what you can do in the selection."
Lin Chen bowed slightly, his expression calm. But his heart was steady.
The first step into the wider cultivation world was finally here.
His journey from trash to Immortal Emperor was about to enter a whole new stage.