On this day, the exit of the trial grounds shimmered with light, and a figure in a green robe slowly walked out.

Xiao Chen looked somewhat tired, his clothes were stained with dried blood, and the wound on his left arm had reopened. However, his eyes were sharper than when he went in, and his spear intent was contained within him. As he walked, he carried a sense of weightiness that resonated with the earth. The trials of the thirty-nine levels had completely stabilized his late-stage Void Refinement realm, and his spear intent had also advanced further.

"He's out! Xiao Chen is out!"

"Look at his aura, it's stronger than it was three days ago!"

"Didn't he continue down? The 39th floor, just one step away from the legendary 50th floor!"

The crowd stirred, all eyes turning to Xiao Chen with a mixture of curiosity, admiration, and hidden hostility.

Xiao Chen ignored the gazes around him, wanting only to find a place to meditate. He had only taken a few steps when a figure blocked his way.

The newcomer was dressed in a purple robe, with a cold and stern face. He exuded a faint but powerful aura, several times stronger than the Xuan Tian Sect's Nascent Soul elder he had encountered before—a half-step Mahayana cultivator!

"What's the matter?" Xiao Chen stopped, gripped his rusty iron gun tightly, and looked at the other party warily.

The man in purple robes looked Xiao Chen up and down, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, and slowly said, "I am Qin Yue, formerly ranked eighth in the Trial Grounds."

He paused, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable fighting spirit: "You've risen two ranks in three days, knocking me out of the top spots. I'd like to learn from you."

The crowd erupted in uproar again.

"It's Qin Yue! Didn't he join the 'Purple Extreme Pavilion' in the Central Region? What's he doing here?"

"Qin Yue is a half-step Mahayana cultivator! It is said that he was an outer disciple of the Xuantian Sect in his early years, but later, due to his outstanding talent, he was noticed by the Ziji Pavilion and taken in as a personal disciple!"

"He comes from the Xuantian Sect? Then his challenge to Xiao Chen is probably not just for the ranking, right?"

Xiao Chen understood. Even if the people of Xuantian Sect had left, their hostility towards him would not disappear.

"I'm tired, I don't want to fight." Xiao Chen said calmly. He had just gone through a fierce battle on the 39th floor, and his spiritual energy was greatly depleted. He really didn't have the energy to deal with a half-step Mahayana cultivator.

"No." Qin Yue's tone was firm. "You killed my Xuantian Sect elder, trespassed into my Central Region Trial Grounds, and stole my ranking. Today's battle is unavoidable."

Although he had left the Xuantian Sect, the words "born from the Xuantian Sect" remained a thorn in his side. Xiao Chen's existence was like a constant reminder of that past.