Chapter 134: How Can You Defeat Me?

Chapter 134: Chapter 134: How Can You Defeat Me?

But Chen Yue’s expression didn’t change at all, not even a flicker in his eyes.

Lin Junshi’s eyes narrowed, his gaze becoming sharper.

"I hear you’re quite the fighter,"

Lin Junshi’s voice wasn’t loud, but he bit out every word. "Want to fight me?"

The quiet air of the Hidden Skills Pavilion seemed to stir at his words. Several disciples browsing nearby Secret Manuals stopped in unison, their eyes darting furtively in their direction.

Chen Yue looked straight into those sinister eyes and asked in a neutral tone, "Senior Brother Lin, you’re in the Refining Organ Realm?"

Without waiting for Lin Junshi’s reply, he added, "And you’re challenging me, a Bone Forging Realm disciple?"

He spoke casually, but if word spread through the Sect that a Refining Organ Realm disciple had challenged someone in the Bone Forging Realm, the challenger would be the one to lose face, not the challenged.

The corner of Lin Junshi’s mouth twitched. He took half a step forward, leaning in to close the distance until his face was nearly touching Chen Yue’s.

He lowered his voice until only the two of them could hear.

"You’re not even afraid of the Law Enforcement Hall," Lin Junshi said, each word spoken with deliberate weight, his gaze locked firmly on Chen Yue’s pupils. "What’s one Refining Organ Realm disciple to you?"

As he spoke, the smirk on Lin Junshi’s lips widened.

"If you defeat me, no one in the entire Sect will ever threaten you again. Do you dare?"

At that, Chen Yue suddenly let out a soft laugh.

He didn’t immediately answer Lin Junshi’s question. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and said in an almost conversational tone, "Senior Brother Lin, have you ever fought someone in the Innate Acupoint Refining Realm?"

The abrupt question made the smile on Lin Junshi’s face freeze for an instant.

Chen Yue didn’t give him time to react. "If you could defeat someone in the Innate Acupoint Refining Realm, Senior Brother Lin, then you could do whatever you please in the entire Sect."

At his words, the few disciples who had been eavesdropping nearly burst out laughing.

The smile vanished from Lin Junshi’s face. He pressed his lips into a thin line, the muscles in his jaw tightening as a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Chen Yue’s comeback was too deft, too elegant; it left him with no room for a rebuttal.

Lin Junshi took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and shifted slightly to the side, revealing the person standing behind him.

It was a tall, slender youth, half a head taller than Lin Junshi. He wore a gray and white martial uniform, his features stark and impassive.

He lacked Lin Junshi’s aggressive aura, but standing there, he was like a sharp blade concealed in its sheath—unassuming until it strikes, and then, it will surely draw blood.

One glance was all it took for Chen Yue to judge this person as far stronger than Jiang Linkuo. His aura was so dense, he must have been on the verge of breaking through to the Refining Organ Realm.

Lin Junshi extended a hand, casually gesturing toward the youth in gray behind him.

"I understand if you don’t dare to take a punch from me. But this is Junior Brother Cheng. He’s only in the Marrow Refining Realm. Do you dare to face him?"

Cheng Fengjun hadn’t said a single word the entire time.

He simply stood there quietly behind Lin Junshi, arms crossed, his indifferent gaze resting on Chen Yue with cold detachment.

His eyes swept over Chen Yue from head to toe and back again before flicking away.

’Just a Bone Forging Realm disciple.’

Even a Bone Forging Realm disciple who could fight above his station and defeat someone in the Marrow Refining Realm wasn’t worthy of a second glance in Cheng Fengjun’s eyes.

After all, Cheng Fengjun himself could contend with a Refining Organ Realm Martial Artist while only being in the Marrow Refining Realm. This was no secret within the Mutual Aid Association.

’In his eyes, anything Chen Yue could do, he could do better.’

Therefore, he had no interest in Chen Yue.

However, the Mutual Aid Association was offering a very handsome sum of Contribution Points. The condition was simple: kill Chen Yue on the Life and Death Platform, and the points were his.

Cheng Fengjun felt nothing for Chen Yue personally—no dislike, no fondness. But when it came to Contribution Points, no one ever felt they had too many.

Especially now, at the Peak of the Marrow Refining Realm, he needed a massive amount of Contribution Points to exchange for the resources required to break through to the Refining Organ Realm.

’A handsome sum of Contribution Points plus an unchallenging opponent—it was a foolproof deal.’

"Not interested." Chen Yue looked at Lin Junshi, a smile touching his lips.

As he spoke those two words, his gaze didn’t linger on Cheng Fengjun for even a second.

Lin Junshi’s expression froze for an instant.

Right at that moment, the On-Duty Disciple who had gone to fetch the Pill Formula returned.

He placed the Pill Formula on the counter and pushed Chen Yue’s Waist Token toward him. "Junior Brother Chen, here is the Pill Formula for the Nourishing Spirit Pill. Please keep it safe. This copy is not to be circulated. After you’ve read it, please store it properly."

Chen Yue accepted the Pill Formula and Waist Token. He stored the formula in the ring on his finger and fastened the token back to his waist.

By now, the small commotion in this corner of the Hidden Skills Pavilion had spread like ripples, drawing the gazes of many other disciples.

Lin Junshi and Cheng Fengjun. Both were well-known names in the Panshi Sect.

Lin Junshi was an expert in the Refining Organ Realm and a core member of the Mutual Aid Association.

Cheng Fengjun was even more renowned as a genius who could, while in the Marrow Refining Realm, defeat someone in the Refining Organ Realm. The two of them appearing together was more than enough to draw a crowd.

And when people recognized the young man standing opposite them, the whispers grew more intense.

Chen Yue.

In recent days, that name had practically become a symbol.

Fighting on the Life and Death Platform, taking a master, advancing through Alchemy... this string of events was like a strand of pearls, all connected by an invisible thread. And the other end of that thread led straight to the Mutual Aid Association.

It now seemed that even with Chen Yue becoming Meng Yu Jin’s disciple and an Inner Sect Disciple himself, the Mutual Aid Association was not about to let the grudge go.

In the crowd, a few older disciples exchanged a knowing glance.

They’d seen this sort of thing plenty of times; the Mutual Aid Association was an organization composed of disciples from the Refining Organ and Marrow Refining Realms.

An organization like that ran on benefits, but it wasn’t just about benefits. There was something more subtle at play: morale.

If the Mutual Aid Association let themselves be suppressed by a mere Bone Forging Realm disciple, afraid to even show their faces, that morale would shatter.

An organization that couldn’t even deal with a Bone Forging disciple? What right would they have to act with impunity in the Panshi Sect?

Therefore, the Mutual Aid Association had to make a move.

Sometimes, face was more important than substance. If an opponent was overwhelmingly powerful, there was nothing to be said. But "Bone Forging Realm" and "overwhelmingly powerful" had absolutely nothing to do with each other.

The whispering in the Hidden Skills Pavilion gradually died down, but the gazes fixed on them did not waver. Everyone was waiting to see what would happen next.

After storing the Pill Formula, Chen Yue looked up. His calm gaze swept past Lin Junshi and Cheng Fengjun, and then he started walking toward the entrance of the Hidden Skills Pavilion.

"This must be Junior Brother Chen Yue, then? They say a reputation is no substitute for a meeting, and it’s true. You have a very impressive air about you, Junior Brother Chen!"

A voice came from the side—clear, with a deliberately crafted warmth, like an old friend catching up after a long separation.

Chen Yue stopped and turned to look.

Several figures were approaching from the direction of the second-floor staircase. The man in the lead was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, tall and slender with a fair complexion. His features were handsome, and he carried himself with an innate scholarly grace.

Lin Junshi, who had been staring at Chen Yue’s back, frowned sharply upon hearing this voice and turned to look at the newcomer.

His eyes narrowed, a flicker of displeasure and wariness in his gaze.

"Qin Mingqian! The Mutual Aid Association is handling its own business. What are you sticking your nose in for?"

Qin Mingqian didn’t break his stride. He walked right up, gave Chen Yue a slight nod of acknowledgement, and only then did he slowly turn to face Lin Junshi.

His gaze rested on Lin Junshi’s face for a moment. The smile on his lips remained, but now it held a faint, mocking edge.

"Since when does the Mutual Aid Association own the Hidden Skills Pavilion?"

The words were spoken casually, but they hit hard. The Hidden Skills Pavilion was a key location within the Panshi Sect; there was no way it could belong to the Mutual Aid Association.

Many disciples inside the Hidden Skills Pavilion were watching the scene unfold. A few of the older ones had already set aside their Secret Manuals and crossed their arms, ready to enjoy the show.

The Mutual Aid Association and the Water Moon Pavilion were two of the most prominent disciple factions in the Panshi Sect. A direct confrontation between core members of each group, right here in the Hidden Skills Pavilion, was a rare spectacle.

Lin Junshi snorted, a muscle in his cheek twitching. "Seems I didn’t beat you hard enough last time at Stone Forest Pool!"

At those words, Qin Mingqian’s expression turned cold.

"If you hadn’t launched a sneak attack,"

Qin Mingqian’s voice was low, each word seemingly forced through clenched teeth, "how could you have possibly beaten me?"

At that, Lin Junshi threw his head back and roared with laughter. The sound echoed through the hall of the Hidden Skills Pavilion, drawing even more attention.

"You lost because you weren’t good enough. Stop making excuses."

Qin Mingqian’s chest heaved violently a couple of times as he clearly struggled to control his anger.

Their gazes clashed in midair, but ultimately, Qin Mingqian took a deep breath and swallowed his anger.

’This is the Hidden Skills Pavilion, not a place to fight.’

He snorted, then ignored Lin Junshi and turned back to Chen Yue, a warm and friendly smile quickly replacing his cold expression.

"Junior Brother Chen,"

Qin Mingqian’s voice regained its gentle tone. "My name is Qin Mingqian, of the Water Moon Pavilion. I’ve heard about your recent accomplishments, Junior Brother Chen, and I must say, I’m deeply impressed."

He said it with such sincerity, one could almost believe he meant it.

"The Water Moon Pavilion is full of people just like you, Junior Brother Chen—people who aren’t afraid to stand up to power. We’re all like-minded, and we support one another. I was wondering if you might be interested in stopping by for a visit?"

Hearing this, Lin Junshi’s brow furrowed. He knew exactly what Qin Mingqian was up to.

Within the Panshi Sect, there were numerous small factions formed by the disciples.

The origins of these factions were mostly the same. They began with a few disciples who knew each other, banding together for mutual support—doing missions, resisting bullies, and competing for resources.

Over time, these small factions grew, absorbing new members and developing more formal structures.

This was true for the Mutual Aid Association, and it was true for the Water Moon Pavilion.

And as it happened, the Mutual Aid Association and the Water Moon Pavilion were rivals.

If Chen Yue were just an ordinary outer sect disciple, the Mutual Aid Association wouldn’t care at all where he went.

But Chen Yue was no ordinary disciple. If someone like him were to join the Water Moon Pavilion, it would be like them gaining a sharp new weapon out of thin air.

And that would make it much more troublesome for the Mutual Aid Association to deal with him.

Chen Yue looked at Qin Mingqian and gave a slight bow with his hands clasped.

"Thank you for the kind offer, Senior Brother,"

Chen Yue’s voice was calm and composed. "I’ve been busy researching the Alchemy of the Nourishing Spirit Pill lately, so my schedule is rather tight. Once I have some free time, I will be sure to pay you a visit and thank you properly for your kind invitation."

’Chen Yue had already seen these disciple factions for what they were: parasites that fed on the common disciples.’

’Chen Yue had no desire to be exploited, nor did he wish to exploit others. He had the ability and the strength to get what he wanted on his own.’