Storm Within the Sect: Chapter 10 - A Sudden Turn Stuns the Crowd

The alleyway erupted in instant chaos. Behind the cracks in the doors, eyes that had previously been filled with schadenfreude were now wide with shock.

How could a piece of trash, mocked for three years, force back a Body Tempering eighth-stage expert like Zhao Hu with a single move?

Zhao Hu steadied himself, the look in his eyes as he stared at Chu Xing finally shifting. Gone was the disdain; in its place was a mixture of shock and suspicion.

"Body Tempering sixth stage... You actually broke through to the sixth stage!" Zhao Hu gritted his teeth.

"Not a bad eye you've got there." Chu Xing shook his shoulders and flashed a grin. "Now, do you still think five contribution points are enough?"

Suppressing the shock in his heart, a savage sneer spread across Zhao Hu’s face. "So what if you're sixth stage? I’ll still cripple you!"

With a low roar, Zhao Hu stopped holding back. Unleashing his martial arts, he lunged at Chu Xing like a ferocious tiger once more.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The dull thuds of fists and feet colliding echoed incessantly through the alley.

The two traded blows, surprisingly evenly matched!

The longer they fought, the more alarmed Zhao Hu became. How could his eighth-stage strength fail to suppress a mere sixth-stage nobody?

Chu Xing, on the other hand, displayed techniques that, while not flashy, were seasoned and precise. He always managed to exploit the gaps in Zhao Hu’s momentum, forcing him into a frantic scramble.

"This is impossible!" Zhao Hu roared internally, his face burning with humiliation.

During another clash, Zhao Hu threw a heavy punch, hoping to force Chu Xing back. The wind whistled with explosive force, shattering the loose gravel on the ground. Chu Xing shifted his stance, his arm sweeping out like an iron rod to meet Zhao Hu’s wrist head-on.

Seizing the momentum, he slammed his shoulder into Zhao Hu’s chest with a thunderous thud that reverberated through the alley!

Before he could regain his footing, Chu Xing slipped into Zhao Hu’s guard at an impossible angle.

Zhao Hu’s heart sank—a bad omen!

A clean and ruthless "Mountain-Leaning Strike" slammed squarely into Zhao Hu’s chest!

"Thump!"

Zhao Hu felt his chest cave in as he was sent flying uncontrollably, slamming heavily into the dirt wall of the alley.

To be beaten so wretchedly by a piece of trash in front of so many people!

Seeing defeat imminent, a flash of madness crossed Zhao Hu’s face. He whirled around and roared at his two henchmen, who were already frozen in fear:

"Get him! Beat him to death!"

The two henchmen trembled. One of them, a seventh-stage cultivator, hesitated: "Brother Hu, this isn't according to the rules. Three against one..."

"To hell with the rules! I'll take the blame! If we don't finish him off today, how will we ever show our faces in the Outer Sect again? Attack!"

The two exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and let their expressions harden with malice.

One at the seventh stage and one at the sixth, along with the newly risen Zhao Hu, the three of them closed in on Chu Xing from three directions at once!

The atmosphere in the alley grew tense to the point of snapping!

Chu Xing’s eyes turned cold; the pressure surged.

With fists whistling and attacks coming from both sides, he was instantly plunged into a desperate struggle. He could no longer remain as composed as before, narrowly evading lethal blows by the skin of his teeth.

"Bang!"

Unable to dodge in time, Chu Xing caught a graze from the seventh-stage henchman’s punch, sending a wave of numbness through his entire arm.

"Kid, you're dead!" The henchman crowed, his arrogance soaring after landing a hit.

Just as the pressure peaked, the black stone bead in Chu Xing’s dantian seemed stirred by the intense circulation of his blood and energy, growing slightly warm.

A pure, warm current surged into his limbs, instantly dispelling the numbness in his arms and sharpening his senses to an incredible degree!

Chu Xing’s eyes grew brighter and brighter!

His gaze locked instantly onto the henchman at the sixth stage!

Just as the three closed their circle, Chu Xing intentionally exposed a flaw, baiting the seventh-stage henchman into throwing his full force behind a punch.

The moment the lethal blow arrived, Chu Xing twisted his body, evading the vital strike, and launched himself like an arrow from a bowstring straight at the sixth-stage henchman!

The man was startled by the charge and raised his hands in a frantic attempt to block.

"Get lost!"

With a low shout, Chu Xing delivered a punch infused with his full strength, landing solidly on the man's abdomen!

"Ugh!"

The henchman let out a pained cry, collapsing to the ground, unable to rise again.

In the blink of an eye, one was down!

The remaining Zhao Hu and the seventh-stage henchman were stunned.

It was this moment of hesitation!

Chu Xing tapped his toes against the wall, using the leverage to turn and instantly close the distance to the seventh-stage henchman!

The man’s soul withered in terror; he only had time to raise his arms to shield his chest.

Chu Xing’s eyes were cold as he delivered a hand-blade strike, precisely chopping at the joint of his opponent's wrist!

"Crack!"

With a crisp snap followed by a shrill scream, the seventh-stage henchman collapsed in agony, clutching his deformed wrist.

In the blink of an eye, only Zhao Hu—who had just climbed back up and was still confused—remained.

Chu Xing turned slowly, his gaze landing calmly upon him.

Zhao Hu looked at his two fallen henchmen, then at the unscathed Chu Xing, and a chill surged from the soles of his feet to his scalp.

He finally realized what kind of monster he had provoked!

Chu Xing watched him quietly, a smile slowly returning to his face.

That smile looked even more terrifying to Zhao Hu than a devil’s grin! But the intersection of fear and humiliation caused him to completely lose his reason.

"I'll kill you!"

Zhao Hu roared. He poured every ounce of his strength into his right fist, delivering his most powerful "Black Tiger Steals the Heart" strike aimed at Chu Xing’s face.

However, facing this final blow, there was not a flicker of emotion in Chu Xing’s eyes. Just as the fist was about to make contact, he slowly raised his hand.

There was no thunderous collision. His palm nimbly bypassed Zhao Hu’s fist and, with lightning speed, pressed against his chest.

"Bang!"

A dull thud.

Zhao Hu’s forward momentum came to an abrupt halt, the madness in his eyes instantly replaced by shock and agony. He felt a hidden force penetrate his body, shattering the strength in his limbs.

It was as if his bones had been pulled out; his knees buckled, and he knelt before Chu Xing.

He struggled to rise, but a foot slammed down on his chest, pinning him firmly to the ground.

Chu Xing applied slight pressure, making Zhao Hu’s breastbone creak.

Zhao Hu’s legs went limp, the color draining from his face, replaced entirely by fear.

"You... you..." He squeezed the words through his teeth, but could say no more.

Chu Xing leaned over, watching him quietly. "Don't look at me with those eyes."

He reached out and tapped Zhao Hu’s dust-covered face lightly. "I am a fair man. You’ve robbed me for three whole years. Don't you think it's time we settled that debt?"

Zhao Hu’s pupils contracted sharply.

"According to sect rules, in a challenge, the winner only takes five contribution points."

"However, we did have a wager, didn't we?"

As he spoke, he reached out without ceremony, unhooking the exquisite little porcelain bottle from Zhao Hu’s waist, and weighed it in his hand.

"Mm, not bad, it’s the real deal." Chu Xing nodded in satisfaction and tucked the bottle into his robe.

After finishing, he reached into Zhao Hu’s pocket and retrieved his own identity token.

"According to the wager, these five contribution points are also mine."

Chu Xing flicked the token before Zhao Hu’s eyes and tossed it to a nearby disciple, who was already pale with terror and trying to sneak away while leaning against the wall.

"Go to the Contribution Hall and transfer five points. Be quick."

The disciple took the token as if granted an amnesty, scrambled to his feet, and bolted toward the Contribution Hall.