The moment the tournament began, the arena erupted into a brutal bloodbath.
Gasps and shouts rippled across the stands.
"He stepped into the Divine Ability Realm? Another three from the Fang family?!"
"How is that even possible?"
"That makes five contestants who ascended in one leap today…"
"Last year there was only Fang Han. This year it's like they're spawning out of thin air!"
Fang Man, Fang Rui, and Fang Lie—three servants who had stumbled into extraordinary encounters—were now rampaging across the platform like violent beasts. Their ferocity shocked everyone present.
A deafening boom.
An inner disciple was punched clean off the stage, blood spraying midair. His arm detonated in a burst of flesh and bone—the result of Fang Man flooding explosive force directly into the man's limb. His mastery didn't resemble someone who had just entered the Divine Ability Realm, but a veteran who'd long perfected his control.
Fang Man threw his head back and laughed.
"Brothers and sisters, I've already stepped into the Divine Ability Realm. Whoever tries to steal first place from me will end up just like that!"
Across another platform, Fang Lie sneered, "Some of these disciples aren't completely useless, but anyone who stands in the way of us taking the top spot—and the treasure and pills that come with it—shouldn't blame me for breaking them."
Fang Rui grabbed an inner disciple by the throat like he was lifting a chicken, legs kicking wildly as he tossed him off the stage.
The three of them radiated a murderous aura that swept across the arena. Many inner disciples paled and forfeited on the spot rather than face them.
On the sidelines, several female disciples of the Jialan Association watched in distress—among them were Xu Yue'er and Night Rain, both of whom Fang Han had met on the Celestial Demon battlefield. They owed many of their recent gains to the Nascent Soul Pills Fang Han had provided, but breaking into the Divine Ability Realm still required years of cultivation. This tournament had been their chance to shine—until these three monsters appeared.
"What do we do? Night Rain, you're up against Fang Man next… and I'm matched with Fang Rui. Are we supposed to just give up?"
"We can't rely on Fang Han," another whispered anxiously. "True disciples are forbidden from interfering."
"Maybe… but Fang Han wouldn't let outsiders take all five Yin–Yang Longevity Pills and the treasure rewards. He must have prepared something. I don't believe he'll just sit and watch."
Before they could argue further, the elder on the platform called out,
"Night Rain! Fang Man! Xu Yue'er! Fang Lie! He Xian'er! Fang Rui—step forward!"
Fang Man's eyes gleamed with lecherous delight when Night Rain landed lightly on the stage.
"Well now… a junior sister from Jialan. Do yourself a favor and forfeit. I'd hate to bruise such delicate skin—but if you block my path to the Yin–Yang Longevity Pill, don't blame me when things get ugly."
Night Rain's expression chilled, though disgust twisted beneath the surface.
"Oh? I suppose you don't realize," she replied evenly, "that Fang Han has an agreement with the Jialan Association. All top ten spots belong to us. If you want to keep your life, forfeit now. Otherwise, Fang Han won't let you live or die as you please."
"Fang Han?!" Fang Man's face instantly twisted. "He dares?! True disciples are forbidden from interfering—does he think he already rules this sect?"
Night Rain didn't bother answering. Her figure flickered and vanished as her flying sword shot toward him like a streak of cold lightning.
"Little bitch," Fang Man snarled, "I'll strip every inch of you and let you learn what true power is!"
He blew out a breath. A violent wind exploded across the platform, shredding her concealment talisman, revealing her form. With a wave of his hands, an invisible force crushed down, seizing her sword midair. Then he lunged, fingers spreading toward her chest. Her defensive robes trembled violently, ready to burst apart.
Night Rain blanched.
Five… six hundred war-horses worth of force?
This wasn't a Divine Ability novice—this was a monster.
His breath burned her ear.
"Your figure's not bad at all. Did you think that flimsy little spirit garment could stop my hand?"
And then—
A crisp crack.
The pressure around her vanished. Night Rain's eyes widened when she saw a familiar figure standing before her—his hand casually dissolving the force that had restrained her.
Fang Han.
His face was calm. Almost bored.
His slap was not.
The sound echoed like thunder. Fang Man spun through the air as several of his teeth flew out with his blood. He hit the ground face-first and slid.
"You—you dare break sect rules?!" Fang Man shrieked.
"An ant dares lecture me on rules?" Fang Han said coldly, planting his foot on Fang Man's face and grinding it into the platform.
Fang Rui and Fang Lie roared and charged, spitting out several gleaming flying swords—treasure-grade weapons.
"Firefly light," Fang Han murmured. "Daring to shine."
His left hand swept. The colossal phantom of a demonic hand seized the flying swords in one effortless motion. A flare of demonic flame surged—burning the mana out of the swords entirely. Fang Rui and Fang Lie coughed blood as their link to the weapons snapped.
"You two can join him."
Two flicks of his fingers.
Bang. Bang.
They hit the ground like dead dogs, collapsing next to Fang Man.
"Elders! Elders, he's disrupting the tournament! He broke the sect rules!" the three howled.
Fang Han's gaze turned lethal.
"Rules?"
His hand curved into a claw, lightning fast, descending toward their skulls—ready to cripple their Divine Abilities.
"Stop!"
Several elders shot forward in streaks of light, attempting to block him—though even they looked uneasy. Fang Han defeating Meng Shaobai had made him a rising legend, a possible future sect master contender. But even he had no right to openly interfere.
Fang Han only sneered.
"Stop? Why? These three are demonic infiltrators. I've merely subdued them for the sect's safety."
His fingers snapped, and the demonic hand swatted away the incoming lights as if they were flies. The elders staggered back in shock—one of them a Heaven–Human Realm master.
A thunderous voice exploded overhead.
"Fang Han! Release them at once! Do you think you are the heir apparent to the sect master? Even Hua Tiandu obeys the rules! We have already sounded the alarm; the Heavenly Punishment Elder is on his way!"
Fang Han's eyes narrowed.
So it was Elder Jin Rilie—chief elder, Heaven–Human level, and diehard supporter of Hua Tiandu.
A slow smile curled on Fang Han's lips.
"So you're protecting demonic infiltrators too? Then you can be arrested with them."
The demonic hand swirled again—five-colored radiance, thunder arcs, and infernal flame merging into an overwhelming force as it grasped toward Jin Rilie.
The arena erupted in uproar.
"Fang Han has gone mad!"
"He dares attack the chief elder?!"
Jin Rilie stiffened in shock.
"You dare!!"
He spat out a blazing golden sphere—his Solar Divine Flame—but Fang Han snatched it cleanly, absorbing the flame as if it were nothing but a trinket.
"Solar Goldfire?" Fang Han snorted. "A child's toy. Jin Rilie, you dare shield demonic remnants? I'll drag you to the Heavenly Execution Platform myself."
Today, Fang Han was no longer acting meek or restrained.
Today he was establishing absolute dominance.
And no one—not disciples, not elders, not even a chief elder—could stand in his way.