At the same time, on Sky Harmony Immortal Star, in the quiet little town, Qin Ran—who had just stepped into the Original Movement realm—was in high spirits.

But when he tried to return to his own cultivation, he quickly ran into a wall. No matter what he did, he couldn't advance on his own.

In the end, he had no choice but to rely on disciples—letting their progress feed back into his own cultivation.

So Qin Ran threw himself fully into training Pan Li. Almost all his time and energy went into guiding her.

The Pan Clan's higher-ups, the ones who understood what was really going on, were thrilled. Seeing how dedicated Qin Ran was, their respect for him only grew.

But to the Gong Clan's spies, the whole thing looked ridiculous.

They spread the news everywhere, turning the Pan Clan into a laughingstock across the city.

Before long, everyone was talking about it.

The Pan Clan's top genius had taken an ordinary man as her master—and that same ordinary man was seriously teaching her how to cultivate.

To most people, it sounded completely absurd.

When the Gong Clan heard about it, they looked down on the Pan Clan even more. In their eyes, the Pan Clan was making one foolish decision after another—there was nothing to worry about.

Not long after, the Gong Clan's higher-ups gathered and quickly settled on a plan to deal with them once and for all.

Time passed.

Before anyone noticed, the next day had already arrived.

Gong Xiuqi, the head of the Gong Clan, showed up with a large group and surrounded the Pan Clan's residence.

The moment they appeared, the entire town fell into chaos.

"The Gong Clan is making their move!"

"They're really going after the Pan Clan. The balance in this city is about to change!"

"The Pan Clan used to have allies, but who's actually going to help them now?"

"Help them? Those so-called allies already switched sides. If they show up, it'll only be to kick the Pan Clan while they're down."

"It's already decided. The Pan Clan is finished. No one wants to go down with them—they'll all side with the Gong Clan."

"So how long do you think the Pan Clan can last?"

"Not long. Gong Xiuqi is in the Inquiring Journey realm. He could wipe them out by himself."

As the crowd kept talking, some bolder cultivators even moved closer to the Pan Clan's residence, wanting to watch everything unfold up close.

The Gong Clan didn't bother driving the onlookers away. If anything, they welcomed it.

This was the perfect chance to show their strength—make an example of the Pan Clan and let everyone in the city see who was in charge.

At that moment, one of the Gong Clan cultivators stepped forward. He stood tall, full of confidence, his Heavenly Origin realm aura spreading out as he looked straight at the Pan Clan.

"Pan Zhen, your clan has gone against us again and again. This is your last chance."

He paused, letting the words hang in the air. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Think it through. You have fifteen minutes. After that, we attack—and we won't leave anyone alive."

With that, he turned and walked back, taking his place just behind Gong Xiuqi.

Inside the Pan Clan, fear spread quickly.

Most of them had no idea how strong Qin Ran really was. In their eyes, this was the end.

Anxiety filled the entire clan. Some couldn't hold back anymore and urged Pan Zhen to surrender to the Gong Clan.

A few elders who knew more suggested revealing Qin Ran's strength to steady everyone.

But Pan Zhen didn't decide on his own. He went straight to Qin Ran.

Qin Ran was still guiding Pan Li and didn't even look up.

"I'm busy teaching her. Don't reveal anything about me yet. Use this to see who's loyal—and who isn't."

He paused for a moment, then added,

"Fifteen minutes is enough. I'll handle it when the time comes."

With that, he went back to instructing Pan Li, calm as ever.

Pan Zhen felt his nerves settle.

"Yes, thank you, senior."

Following Qin Ran's instructions, Pan Zhen kept everything hidden. He said nothing about Qin Ran's true strength and simply watched as the weak-willed and the opportunists showed their true colors.

He had already made up his mind. Those who went too far wouldn't be spared—some might even have to die. The rest would still face heavy punishment.

Soon, the fifteen minutes were up.

"Hmph. Still refusing to give in?" Gong Xiuqi narrowed his eyes, killing intent rising around him.

At that moment, the gates of the Pan Clan slowly creaked open.

"The gate's opening!"

"Looks like the Pan Clan is surrendering!"

"I heard there's been chaos inside. A lot of people were pushing Pan Zhen to give in."

The crowd buzzed with whispers, watching the entrance with a mix of pity and mockery.

Then Pan Zhen stepped out.

He stood tall, meeting Gong Xiuqi's gaze without backing down.

"Gong Xiuqi. If you leave now and come back later with proper compensation, I might let this go."

He paused, his eyes cold.

"Otherwise… you won't die clean."

The entire area fell silent.

No one spoke. Everyone just stared at him, stunned.

Gong Xiuqi froze for a brief moment, then let out a short laugh.

"What did you just say?"

He looked at Pan Zhen like he was looking at a fool.

"Everyone knows what you're capable of. Has fear driven you insane?"

He took a step forward, sneering.

"If you don't want to die, then kneel and admit your mistake."

As soon as Gong Xiuqi finished speaking, whispers spread through the crowd.

"Pan Zhen's gone crazy."

"Seriously. He's only at the Heavenly Origin realm. How could he fight someone in the Inquiring Journey realm? Gong Xiuqi is already at the Second Step!"

"The Pan Clan is finished if they keep this up."

"Yeah. After today, they won't exist in this city anymore."

The onlookers shook their heads, already treating Pan Zhen like a dead man.

"Hahaha!" Pan Zhen laughed out loud, completely unmoved. "Gong Xiuqi, the one who should be kneeling… is you."

He took a step forward, his gaze steady.

"I may not be your match right now. But Pan Li is now Senior Qin's disciple, and he values her greatly."

"With Senior Qin backing us, forget you—even Dao Comprehension realm cultivators would think twice before acting against my Pan Clan."

His words stunned everyone present.

So this confidence… came from that so-called ordinary man?

To them, it sounded ridiculous.

Gong Xiuqi's brief surprise quickly turned into open disdain.

"Pan Zhen, I didn't expect you to fall this low—relying on some mortal to support you."

He let out a cold laugh.

"You've really lost your mind."

The cultivators watching nearby shook their heads, disbelief written all over their faces. Many looked at Pan Zhen with pity, mockery, or outright disdain.

"Pan Zhen has really lost it."

"Exactly. Letting a kid take a mortal as her master, then relying on that same mortal—and even saying he can make Dao Comprehension realm experts bow? He's completely out of touch."

"It's just sad. He used to be a powerhouse, and now look at him…"

Pan Zhen ignored all of it. Facing the Gong Clan, he let out a cold snort.

"Hmph. Gong Xiuqi, I already gave you a chance."

"You refused it, so don't blame me for what happens next."

Then his expression changed. He turned and bowed deeply toward the entrance.

"Senior Qin, please."

As soon as the words fell, footsteps echoed out.

Qin Ran walked out slowly, his eyes calm as they settled on Gong Xiuqi.

His aura was no longer that of the Physical Body realm—it had already reached the Original Movement realm.

But instead of shock, laughter broke out among the onlookers.

"Hahaha!" Gong Xiuqi laughed the loudest, his face full of ridicule. "So this is the Senior Qin you were talking about?"

"Oh, he's even broken through—from the Physical Body realm to the great Original Movement realm!"

He couldn't stop laughing. "This is the funniest thing I've seen in my life."

The crowd immediately burst into chatter. Laughter spread everywhere, echoing through the entire city.

Then—

Boom!

A deafening explosion shook the ground. The whole city trembled.

Bang!

Gong Xiuqi's head burst apart like a smashed watermelon.

"Too weak."

Qin Ran flicked his hand as if brushing off dust. Under countless stunned gazes, he turned around and calmly walked back into the Pan Clan residence.

A moment later, the city erupted.

Screams, begging, shock, and wild cheers all mixed together into chaos.