Chapter 4: One Punch is Enough

Disputes are inevitable where people gather, and even more so among Martial Cultivators. Thus, the Heavenly Ultimate Hall established the Yin Yang Platform for Outer Sect disciples to resolve their conflicts. Every day, disciples would settle their feuds on the Yin Yang Platform, some even signing life-and-death contracts to battle to the end. To create a spectacle, Adam arrived early at the Yin Yang Platform, calling friends to gather a crowd of over a hundred people. “Senior Adam is on the Yin Yang Platform? Who’s he going to duel?” asked a passing Outer Sect disciple curiously. “He’s facing a well-known figure of our Heavenly Ultimate Hall,” replied a friend of Adam, shrouded in mystery. “A well-known figure?” “Who is it? Tell us.” The curiosity of the Outer Sect disciples who had come to watch was piqued, and they kept asking questions, but Adam’s friends remained tight-lipped, adamantly refusing to reveal any details. The more they were questioned, the more they simply responded with phrases like “You’ll know soon enough.” The refusal to divulge any information only heightened the curiosity of the Outer Sect disciples. Those who were initially planning to leave stayed back, eager to discover the identity of this notable individual. Adam, standing on the platform, noticed the growing anticipation among the crowd. The corners of his mouth curled up in a smug smile, as this was exactly the scenario he had orchestrated to boost his own stature. Amidst the buzzing speculation and guesses, the Yin Yang Platform suddenly fell silent as all eyes turned to Titus, who had just arrived. “Xenos?” “Why is Xenos here? Is he just visiting friends in the Heavenly Ultimate Hall and stopped by to watch?” Many Outer Sect disciples were surprised. “He’s not a ‘senior’ anymore. He’s been reduced to nothing. He’s not here to visit friends in the Outer Sect; he’s been demoted back to the Heavenly Ultimate Hall,” “You might not know, but he was originally to be sent back to his homeland. Only after the Xenos Family of Sparrow Kingdom paid a hefty price was he barely able to secure a position as an Outer Sect disciple in the Heavenly Ultimate Hall.” “Let me tell you the truth. Titus challenged senior Adam and even audaciously declared that he wanted to duel him on the Yin Yang Platform,” Adam’s friends began to spread the word. Hearing these revelations, the Outer Sect disciples were shocked. The once-fifth-ranking head disciple of the Heavenly Ultimate Hall’s Outer Sect, Titus, had been reduced to such a state in the Inner Sect? And he was nearly sent back to his homeland? Was this real or just a rumor? When the Outer Sect disciples saw Titus wearing the robe of an Outer Sect disciple of the Heavenly Ultimate Hall, their doubts turned to belief. Just a few days earlier, Titus had been selected as an Inner Sect disciple. Why would an Inner Sect disciple still wear the robe of an Outer Sect disciple? Listening to the surrounding discussions, Adam couldn’t help but smile. The effect he desired had been achieved. Now, all he had to do was to crush Titus completely and make him understand that his era was over. Unperturbed by the surrounding chatter, Titus remained unfazed. “Titus, come up here and meet your death!” Adam pointed at Titus, taunting loudly. “A deathmatch?” Titus looked towards Adam. “Once you step onto the Yin Yang Platform, it’s a matter of life and death. Did you think it was just a friendly spar?” Adam sneered. “Even though you were once the fifth-ranking head disciple of the Heavenly Ultimate Hall, it’s naive to think that stepping onto the Yin Yang Platform would lead to anything but a deathmatch. No wonder you were reduced to nothing in the Inner Sect. With such a mind, even if you were given another chance to return to the Inner Sect, you would be destroyed all the same.” Adam’s friends laughed mockingly, pointing at Titus. The rest of the Outer Sect disciples shook their heads in disappointment. The image they once held of Xenos had completely shattered. Titus remained unfazed, slowly stepping onto the Yin Yang Platform. This action only deepened the disappointment among the onlookers. In the past, Titus's moves were characterized by high jumps, graceful agility, and a charismatic posture. Titus had truly fallen from grace! The Outer Sect disciples who had harbored a glimmer of hope sighed in resignation. “Once you’re on the Yin Yang Platform, your fate is no longer in your hands,” Adam said coldly. “Do you hate me that much?” Titus asked Adam. The two had shared a camaraderie in the past. “I wish you were dead. I thought I lost my chance when you entered the Inner Sect, but who would have thought you’d be reduced to nothing. Did you ever imagine this day would come, Titus?” After speaking, Adam leaped forward, his leg whipping down like a lash. Titus retreated quickly. Bang! The whip-kick hit the platform, causing it to tremble slightly. “You run quite fast. Let’s see how long you can last, especially since I know your Sea of Qi is only at thirty percent,” Adam aggressively pursued Titus, his sweeping kicks like lethal whips, forcing Titus to keep retreating. The more Titus retreated, the more excited Adam became, increasing the force of his attacks. The Outer Sect disciples could see Titus’s true cultivation level. He indeed was reduced to nothing. Not only was he at the Sixth Level of the Qi Refining Stage, but his true Qi was also weak, confirming Adam’s claim about the state of his Sea of Qi. As Titus continued to evade, the question arose: how long could he avoid attack before his true Qi was depleted? “The once-fifth-ranking head disciple of the Outer Sect, now reduced to this...” “How unpredictable life can be, even if one was once mighty, now they’re just a cripple,” “Titus is doomed,” the Outer Sect disciples murmured, shaking their heads. At that moment, Titus was cornered at the edge of the Yin Yang Platform, with a deep abyss behind him. “Let’s see where you can still hide! Titus?” Adam taunted, his whip-kick sweeping towards Titus. "Sigh..." Titus sighed deeply, then suddenly unleashed a punch. Thousand Jins Fist! A deafening blast of air resounded. The Outer Sect disciples surrounding the Yin Yang Platform were momentarily deafened by the shockwave. Titus’s fist penetrated Adam’s kick, striking him squarely in the chest. Adam felt as if he had been hit by a rampaging demonic beast, his chest caving in and his ribs shattering. Splatter! Adam flew backward, hitting the ground hard and spitting blood continuously. The watching Outer Sect disciples were stunned. “What was that technique?” “It looked like the Thousand Jins Fist...” “Nonsense my foot! The Thousand Jins Fist isn’t that powerful.” “That punch was comparable to a lower-rank Yellow-grade Martial Technique. It can’t be the Thousand Jins Fist; it just looks similar. Maybe it’s some other lower-rank Yellow-grade Martial Technique,” said a more experienced Outer Sect disciple. Titus walked over to the severely injured Adam. Adam, pale and in shock, instinctively scooted back. “To defeat you, one punch was enough. I refrained from acting initially, out of respect for our past relationship, to see if you would show any mercy. If you hadn’t driven me to the edge of the cliff, I might have spared your life. But since you did, I had no choice but to end yours,” Titus spoke slowly. “Don’t kill me...” Adam pleaded in panic. With a single foot on Adam’s neck, accompanied by the sound of cracking bones, Adam’s life was extinguished. Titus felt no discomfort in killing Adam. If he had let Adam go, given his character, he would undoubtedly have continued to cause trouble, possibly even seeking revenge with increased ferocity. It was better to eliminate such a future threat. Titus searched Adam’s body, finding a money pouch and a martial arts technique. He briefly glanced at the martial arts technique, putting it aside for a closer look later in a less crowded place, and paid no mind to the contents of the money pouch. As Titus was about to step down from the Yin Yang Platform, a loud explosion resounded from above. Brilliant fireworks lit up the sky over the Heavenly Ultimate Hall. Their dazzling display lingered in the sky, capturing everyone’s attention. Then, the authoritative voice of the Heavenly Ultimate Hall’s leader echoed from above, “Congratulations to our core disciple, Chloe, on becoming a personal disciple of the Sect Master.” What? Chloe became a personal disciple of the Sect Master? This news sent shockwaves through the Heavenly Ultimate Hall, leaving everyone astounded. The position of a Sect Master’s personal disciple was not an ordinary one; it held the potential of being groomed as a successor to the Sect Master. Chloe had ascended to the heavens in one step... The disciples of the Heavenly Ultimate Hall envied her, though they had no grounds for jealousy. After all, they were just Outer Sect disciples, struggling even to become Inner Sect members, let alone core disciples or the personal disciples of the Sect Master, which seemed an unattainable dream. Titus, clenching his fists as he watched the fireworks, resolved, “No matter if you’re a personal disciple of the Sect Master or something else, within three months, I must retrieve the Martial Spirit Seed and make you pay dearly for your past actions!”