The doors of the Hall of Judgment slammed shut behind Su Chen.
A chill wind swept through the stone corridors, yet it was not the cold that raised the hairs on the backs of those who watched him pass.
It was the look in his eyes—calm, cold, unshakable.
Word spread like wildfire.
"He defied the Tribunal Envoy."
"They demanded the fragments—he refused."
"No outer disciple has ever—"
But Su Chen had no patience for their chatter.
He returned to his courtyard beneath the pale moonlight, where Lin Xuehai and Qin Yulan awaited.
"They will move against you now," Lin Xuehai said quietly. "You left them no choice."
Su Chen poured himself a cup of tea, movements unhurried.
"Good. It will flush out the weak-hearted and the ambitious alike."
Qin Yulan crossed her arms.
"You made a bold stand. But they'll try to break your momentum—publicly."
Su Chen raised an eyebrow.
"Tomorrow," Lin Xuehai added, her voice grim, "the Elders will announce a duel. You will face one of their chosen."
"Who?"
"They'll choose Zhao Yan's elder brother—Zhao Wushen. Peak Nascent Soul, a prodigy with a brutal reputation."
Su Chen sipped his tea, unconcerned.
Lin Xuehai frowned.
"Don't underestimate him. They won't allow another embarrassment."
"I never underestimate my enemies," Su Chen replied softly.
"But they underestimate me."
Qin Yulan's gaze sharpened.
"If you fall in this duel, they'll strip you of your status. And if you win…" she smiled faintly, "they'll fear you more than ever."
Su Chen rose, eyes gleaming.
"Then let them fear."
At dawn, the sect square was already packed.
Disciples gathered in dense crowds, their faces alight with curiosity and hunger for spectacle. Even outer sect servants crept in to watch from the shadows.
The raised dueling platform stood at the square's heart, surrounded by a circle of jade stones to amplify Qi resonance.
On a grand balcony above, the Elders sat in judgment, Envoy Xu among them, his crimson robes gleaming in the morning light.
Su Chen stood alone at the platform's edge.
Across from him towered Zhao Wushen—broad-shouldered, clad in black armor inscribed with blood-red runes. His aura was suffocating, the ground beneath his feet already cracked from his oppressive Qi.
"So," Zhao Wushen sneered. "You dared humiliate my brother."
Su Chen's voice was quiet but clear.
"Your brother humiliated himself."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
Above, Elder Yan, chief enforcer of the sect, raised his voice.
"This duel is sanctioned by Heaven's Gate Sect. No life is guaranteed. No interference permitted."
Envoy Xu smiled thinly.
"Begin."
Zhao Wushen wasted no time.
With a roar, he launched forward, fists wrapped in blazing crimson Qi. Each punch carried the weight of mountains, the force of a collapsing star.
But Su Chen was already moving.
Void Qi shimmered around him, rendering his body a flickering blur.
Zhao Wushen's first blow shattered empty air.
Su Chen struck from behind, palm slicing through space itself—Spatial Rend.
A deep gash opened along Zhao Wushen's side, blood spraying across the platform.
The crowd gasped.
Zhao Wushen spun, fury blazing.
"You dare—!"
He unleashed a forbidden technique—Bloodfire Howl. Crimson flames erupted around him, scorching the very air.
But Su Chen was ready.
Activating Temporal Anchor, he froze the flow of time in a thin radius around himself, stepping through the flames untouched.
The onlookers could barely follow.
In a blink, Su Chen was inside Zhao Wushen's guard.
Void Qi coiled around his fist—Void Collapse.
He struck Zhao Wushen's chest.
The elder disciple's armor cracked with a deafening boom, Qi dispersing chaotically. Zhao Wushen staggered, eyes wide with disbelief.
Su Chen's voice cut through the stunned silence.
"Is this the best they could send?"
Rage overtook Zhao Wushen. Blood streaming down his chin, he raised both hands to summon his ultimate attack—Blood Titan Manifestation.
A colossal phantom of crimson iron formed around him, arms raised to crush everything below.
The crowd held its breath.
Su Chen's eyes narrowed.
This was not a battle he could drag out. The longer the fight, the greater the risk of interference.
Reset System—Activate Minor Flux.
A pulse of unseen force disrupted the Blood Titan's formation mid-channeling. The phantom wavered, flickered—then collapsed.
Zhao Wushen gasped, his defenses shattered.
Su Chen advanced.
With a final strike—calm, precise—he drove a palm into Zhao Wushen's chest. The elder disciple flew across the platform, slamming into the jade stones.
Silence.
Then, a single voice:
"Victory—Su Chen."
The square erupted.
Some cheered wildly. Others watched in frozen horror. On the balcony, several Elders rose in alarm.
Envoy Xu alone remained seated, expression unreadable.
Su Chen stood calmly on the platform, unmarked, gaze sweeping across the sea of faces.
Let them see. Let them know.
He would not be broken.
Later, in the privacy of his courtyard, Lin Xuehai met him with a small smile.
"You forced their hand."
Qin Yulan added, "Now they can't hide their fear."
Su Chen looked to the night sky
.
"Fear alone is not enough. Soon, they'll send more than duelists."
His gaze hardened.
The war for the fragments—and for the fate of the heavens—had truly begun.