Just as Chen Sheng and Sun Yuzhi reached their agreement, news of the battle before the Iron Sword Sect’s mountain crashed into the Jianghu of Ning’an Prefecture like a boulder dropped into a placid lake, instantly sending ripples far and wide.

The Jianghu was in an uproar. In an instant, Chen Sheng’s name swept through the region like a raging storm.

The reasons for this uproar were numerous. It wasn’t just about who won or lost, but the sheer drama of the confrontation’s twists and turns.

A month prior, Xiong Lie of the Iron Sword Sect had been in high spirits, defeating three of the Jingwu Bureau’s skilled fighters in a row and forcing the Vice Governor to personally step in and agree to a duel one month later.

After a month of brewing, the news had spread far and wide, drawing attention from all sides.

That was why, on the day of the duel, so many Jianghu Martial Artists had gathered to watch the battle unfold.

More importantly, this duel concealed a subtle power struggle between the Government Office and the various Jianghu influences.

While the Government Office and the Jianghu weren’t mortal enemies, their relationship was far from harmonious. More often than not, they were subtly vying for power in the shadows.

This time, each side had sent forth their most brilliant young talent for a direct confrontation, a fact that naturally captivated everyone’s attention.

The final result, however, was something no one could have predicted.

Xiong Lie, on whom so many hopes had been pinned, was soundly defeated by Chen Sheng in less than a hundred breaths.

Even more shocking, Chen Sheng had pressed his advantage, leading the men of the Jingwu Bureau straight to the Iron Sword Sect’s main gate. With lightning-fast momentum, he defeated six of the Iron Sword Sect’s masters in a row, ultimately forcing Sect Leader Lu Qingsong to personally appear and admit defeat.

How could such a shocking turn of events not become the hottest topic of gossip on every street and in every alley?

In the ensuing storm of public opinion, the Iron Sword Sect was undoubtedly the primary object of ridicule.

They had hoped to use the opportunity to restore their prestige, but instead, they lost all face and became a laughingstock. Chen Sheng, meanwhile, reaped almost unanimous praise.

The most resounding of which was a new title bestowed upon him by the people of the Jianghu—

"The number one person in Ning’an beneath the rank of Earth Fiend!"

It was a title that even Xiong Lie at his peak had failed to reach, yet Chen Sheng had now firmly claimed it for himself.

Most interestingly, the rapid spread of this title was also subtly fueled by the Iron Sword Sect itself.

The Iron Sword Sect’s defeat had been witnessed by all and was irrefutable, but the sect was unwilling to be seen as weak.

Thus, the only way to prove the Iron Sword Sect’s True Inheritors weren’t incompetent was to paint Chen Sheng as an even more formidable opponent.

At the same time, this was also a rather transparent scheme—

How dazzling was the title of "The number one person in Ning’an beneath the rank of Earth Fiend"?

Would the young prodigies of other sects readily accept such a claim? To accept it would be to admit they were inferior. To reject it would mean someone would inevitably have to challenge Chen Sheng, bringing him endless trouble.

This was precisely the outcome Lu Qingsong had calculated after long and careful thought.

In an instant, driven by these various forces, Chen Sheng’s name truly became known to one and all.

Inside the Jingwu Bureau, the whispers that Chen Sheng had only gotten his position through his connections had now vanished into thin air.

So what if he had connections?

Chen Sheng had now proven himself with his own strength.

He had not only saved the Jingwu Bureau’s face but had also greatly bolstered the Government Office’s prestige. And even though he was the one who had started the whole mess, no one was bothering with such trivial details now.

...

Meanwhile, detailed intelligence on Chen Sheng’s use of the Six Extremes Golden Bell Technique was swiftly brought back by the Martial Monks of Golden Spring Temple and reported to the temple’s senior members.

The Six Extremes Golden Bell Technique was no ordinary Cultivation Technique. Even within Golden Spring Temple, those qualified and capable enough to master it were few and far between.

The technique involved the Dual Cultivation of Body and Spirit. While its power was immense, it placed extremely high demands on a Cultivator’s innate aptitude and comprehension. Progress was also slow and required a massive pile of resources.

The fact that Chen Sheng had not only succeeded in cultivating it but had also reached a considerable level of mastery was, in itself, astonishing to them.

However, if it were only that, it might have been acceptable.

The crucial detail was that Chen Sheng hailed from Changshan County.

In fact, Golden Spring Temple had already heard rumors to this effect, but without confirmation, they couldn’t make a move against the Jingwu Bureau.

Now, with irrefutable proof, the temple’s leaders were almost certain: Chen Sheng must have obtained the Six Extremes Golden Bell Technique from the Traitor Monk, Shanxin. By extension, they deduced there was an extremely high probability that the incredibly precious Red Lotus Evil Qi stolen by Shanxin had also fallen into Chen Sheng’s possession.

This was what truly impinged upon the core interests of Golden Spring Temple.

The Red Lotus Evil Qi was no ordinary type of Earth Fiend’s Evil Qi.

Even among the thirty-six grades of the Earth Fiend rankings, it was listed near the top. Its quality was exceptionally high. Within Golden Spring Temple, only core True Inheritors, like the designated future First Seat, were qualified to vie for the chance to refine it.

Shanming, for instance—the very man Shanxin so intensely envied—had been qualified to refine the Red Lotus Evil Qi.

And the strand that Shanxin had stolen was a superior, top-grade specimen.

There was absolutely no way Golden Spring Temple could sit idly by and watch such a priceless Treasure fall into outside hands.

After some discussion, the temple immediately resolved to dispatch an envoy to the Jingwu Bureau to negotiate. The spread of the Six Extremes Golden Bell Technique could be tolerated; after all, the Buddhist Sect had never feared the circulation of its Cultivation Techniques.

In fact, the Buddhist Sect itself subtly encouraged it.

But the Red Lotus Evil Qi—Chen Sheng had to return it.

This was Golden Spring Temple’s bottom line. There was no room for negotiation.

...

Elsewhere, upon hearing the news, Gao Yuanzhao was burning with anxiety. He even felt a sudden urge to go find Chen Sheng and fight him to the death.

An indescribable fear was already spreading through his heart.

As a former deacon of the Iron Sword Sect, he knew all too well the extent of Xiong Lie’s strength and potential.

For Chen Sheng to have crushed Xiong Lie so completely, to have overwhelmed all the Innate Martial Masters in the Iron Sword Sect below the rank of Earth Fiend... To Gao Yuanzhao, his strength and aptitude were no longer just shocking; they were terrifying.