The news spread faster than anyone expected.
By noon, almost everyone in the outer yard had heard about it.
"The five-element trash… fought back against Ye Lin."
"He dodged three attacks in a row!"
"And even forced Ye Lin back!"
"No way… is that real?"
Voices filled the courtyard, mixing disbelief with curiosity.
At first, many didn't believe it.
But as more witnesses spoke up, the truth became harder to deny.
Something had changed.
And that "something" was Ye Feng.
At the edge of the yard, a few disciples whispered among themselves, occasionally glancing toward a certain corner.
There, Ye Feng was quietly chopping wood as usual.
Crack!
The axe fell cleanly.
As if nothing had happened.
As if the earlier fight had meant nothing.
But the way people looked at him had completely changed.
No one mocked him anymore.
No one dared to.
Instead—
There was caution.
And curiosity.
Even a hint of respect.
"Strange…"
One disciple muttered.
"He feels different now."
Another nodded slowly.
"Yeah… like he's not the same person."
Not far away, under the shade of a large tree, a young man stood silently.
Unlike the others, his gaze was calm and observant.
He had been watching Ye Feng for quite some time.
"This is interesting…"
He murmured.
"Three clean dodges… and precise counters."
"That's not luck."
"Not something a beginner could do."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"There must be something behind this."
Meanwhile—
Ye Feng continued his work.
Crack!
Another piece of wood split.
His movements were steady.
But his mind was elsewhere.
The fight with Ye Lin had proven something important.
He was no longer powerless.
But at the same time—
He knew it wasn't enough.
"Ye Lin won't let this go…"
He thought quietly.
"And next time… he'll be stronger."
Just as this thought crossed his mind—
A familiar interface appeared before his eyes.
[System Notification]
Hidden Condition Achieved
Reward Unlocked
Ye Feng's heart skipped a beat.
"Hidden… reward?"
The interface flickered slightly, then new information appeared.
[Reward: Basic Combat Enhancement]
Effect: Improves reaction speed and attack precision
At the same time—
A warm current surged through his body.
Stronger than before.
Sharper.
His muscles tightened slightly.
His senses became clearer.
Even the sound of the wind seemed more distinct.
"This feeling…"
Ye Feng clenched his fist.
He could tell immediately.
He had improved again.
And this time—
It was more than just cultivation.
It was control.
Real combat ability.
"Good."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
But he quickly suppressed it.
He didn't want to attract attention.
Unfortunately—
It was already too late.
"Ye Feng."
A voice suddenly called out.
He looked up.
The young man from under the tree had approached.
His expression was calm, but his eyes were sharp.
"You've been quite… impressive today."
Ye Feng didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he studied the other person.
"Who are you?"
The young man smiled faintly.
"My name is Zhao Chen."
"I'm also from the outer yard."
He paused slightly before continuing.
"I just wanted to ask—"
"How did you do it?"
The question was direct.
The surrounding disciples immediately fell silent again.
Everyone was listening.
Ye Feng's expression didn't change.
"Nothing special."
He said simply.
"Just practiced."
Zhao Chen raised an eyebrow.
"Practiced?"
He clearly didn't believe it.
But he didn't press further.
Instead, he nodded slowly.
"Fair enough."
Then, after a brief pause, he added:
"If you're interested… you can come train with us."
"There are a few people who might suit you better."
This time—
The surrounding disciples were truly shocked.
"Train with them?"
"Isn't Zhao Chen's group one of the stronger ones in the outer yard?"
"He's actually inviting Ye Feng?"
Whispers spread quickly.
Ye Feng was silent for a moment.
Then he shook his head.
"Not now."
"I still have things to do."
Zhao Chen didn't seem surprised.
Instead, he smiled.
"I thought so."
"Still… the offer stands."
With that, he turned and left.
The crowd slowly dispersed.
But the impact of what had just happened—
Did not fade.
Ye Feng lowered his gaze slightly.
"Zhao Chen…"
He repeated the name in his mind.
Someone like that wouldn't approach him without reason.
"That means…"
"I've already been noticed."
He took a slow breath.
The path ahead was becoming clearer.
But also more dangerous.
Just then—
The system interface flickered again.
[New Daily Mission]
Defeat an opponent in a fair fight
Reward: Unknown
Ye Feng's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Defeat an opponent…"
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Looks like…"
"Things are about to get interesting."
He raised the axe once more.
Crack!
The wood split cleanly.
But this time—
There was a quiet determination in his eyes.
Because he knew—
This was only the beginning.