I’ll Take That Opportunity Chapter 25 - Defeating Lin Ziyou And Becoming An Inner Disciple

The outer disciples were abuzz with excitement, their chatter filling the square with noise.

“Look! It’s Ye Lin! He’s here!”

A sudden shout cut through the crowd. Heads turned as a path opened up, and all eyes fell on Ye Lin.

In just half a year, he had risen from a mere handyman disciple to an outer disciple. Both outer disciples and handyman disciples regarded him with deep admiration.

When someone climbed high enough, those left behind could only look up, no longer daring to envy.

With the crowd parting for him, Ye Lin stepped onto the stage.

It was empty. Lin Ziyou hadn’t arrived yet.

Ye Lin stood tall, scanning the surroundings. Everything below seemed small, insignificant. The last time he stood on this stage, he’d competed to become the handyman overseer.

Now, he was fighting for a place among the inner disciples. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.

“Damn… just standing there, he radiates power. That’s the presence of a king.”

“Stop sucking up already.”

Ye Lin remained on stage for a full half-hour. Murmurs of impatience began to ripple through the crowd.

“I’m sick of those arrogant inner disciples. They strut around like they own the place. One month’s worth of their resources equals ten years for us.”

“Yeah, but what can we do? They’re strong.”

Resentment simmered beneath the surface. In the Azure Cloud Sect, outer disciples toiled endlessly, risking their lives to complete missions and meet performance quotas.

Meanwhile, the inner disciples sat on piles of resources, free from any performance quotas. It was a stark, infuriating contrast. No wonder the outer disciples had no goodwill toward them.

After a while, a young man in black finally arrived, his sharp eyes like twin blades and his eyebrows strikingly defined.

“Sorry, something came up. Hurry up and make your move. After I deal with you, I still need to prepare for the Inner Sect Secret Realm.”

Lin Ziyou’s tone was dismissive as he swept a cold glance over the outer disciples, then turned to face Ye Lin. From beginning to end, he treated Ye Lin with complete indifference.

Previous inner disciples who had been challenged were all at the 8th layer Qi Refinement stage, which was how the outer disciple challengers had managed to claw their way into the Inner Sect.

But Lin Ziyou? He was at the 9th layer Qi Refinement realm. Even within the Inner Sect, that placed him solidly in the middle tier.

“You sure about this, Senior Disciple Brother?” Ye Lin asked with a faint smile, clenching his fist, “This punch of mine might just cost you your life.”

Normally mild-tempered, Ye Lin was clearly irritated after waiting half an hour on the stage. Even the calmest person had their limits.

“An outer disciple… just an ant.” Lin Ziyou sneered, his face twisted with contempt.

To him, Ye Lin was no different from any other outer disciple, someone who might have reached the 8th layer Qi Refinement realm at best. As a 9th layer cultivator, Lin Ziyou didn’t even feel the need to take the fight seriously. He believed he could give Ye Lin three free shots and still win easily.

“Bastard’s full of himself!”

The crowd below seethed at his arrogance. Outer disciples clenched their fists and glared, but no one dared step forward.

They knew better. In the Azure Cloud Sect, strength was everything. Without it, indignation was just air.

“This guy’s so arrogant and full of himself. Fine then, I'll test his strength first.” Ye Lin thought to himself, “I’ll make him think I’m no threat. Then, when he drops his guard, I’ll strike decisively.”

This wasn’t a fight he could afford to take lightly. Lin Ziyou was a full layer stronger. Even if Ye Lin could win, it would require a lot of effort.

“Senior Disciple Brother, since you’re so confident, watch closely.”

As Ye Lin spoke, spirit qi surged through his body. In a flash, he stepped forward and launched a punch aimed straight at Lin Ziyou’s face.

“Oh? A pretty savage move, huh?” Lin Ziyou sneered.

He didn’t dodge. Instead, he met Ye Lin’s fist with his own.

The clash of fists rang out like a muffled explosion.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Ye Lin staggered back three steps, while Lin Ziyou retreated only half a step. The gap between them was made crystal clear in that single exchange.

“Still too hard to fight someone a layer above me without using Spirit Fire…” Ye Lin thought grimly, rubbing his numbed arm.

He hadn't revealed his trump card yet. Without it, beating Lin Ziyou in a direct clash was nearly impossible.

“Hmph. I expected something more. Is that it?”

After taking Ye Lin’s punch, Lin Ziyou grew even more dismissive. He had expected the guy in front of him to be something special, but it turned out he was just an ordinary 8th layer Qi Refinement cultivator.

“Hmph, what a waste of time. You’ve already cost me five minutes. Since that’s the case, I’ll cripple one of your arms to teach you a lesson.”

Then, Lin Ziyou moved.

“Rising Dragon Fist!”

An incomplete phantom of a dragon head emerged around Lin Ziyou’s right arm, and a dragon roar echoed faintly through the air.

Ye Lin’s consciousness wavered under the pressure of the spiritual technique, but in the next moment, he forced himself to stay steady.

“Holy crap! The Rising Dragon Fist?! That’s a low-grade mystic-tier fist art! One of the sect’s treasured martial arts!”

“That pressure… I’m afraid Junior Disciple Brother Ye Lin won’t be able to withstand it.”

Cries of alarm broke out among the outer disciples below the stage.

“Now!”

Yet up on the stage, Ye Lin’s eyes burned with fighting spirit.

“Seven Kill Fist!”

With a loud shout, Ye Lin’s spirit qi surged wildly throughout his body. At the same time, the Spirit Fire within his dantian stirred, setting his right arm ablaze.

After probing Lin Ziyou with his earlier punch, Ye Lin could tell that his opponent had grown overconfident.

Boom!

A thunderous impact echoed across the square, and the stage beneath them shuddered.

Crack!

A sharp sound echoed. Lin Ziyou was blasted backward like a ragdoll, slamming hard into a wooden pillar at the edge of the stage.

“How is this possible?! What… what did you do?!” He stared at Ye Lin with wide, disbelieving eyes.

His right arm hung limply, bent at an unnatural angle, clearly broken. A searing pain stabbed through the limb, like flames licking through his very bones.

Gasps erupted from the crowd.

“Holy crap! Junior Disciple Brother Ye Lin won?! Unbelievable! How did he even pull that off?”

“To be honest, I couldn’t even see it clearly… But hey, he’s an inner disciple now. Keep calling him ‘Junior Disciple Brother,’ and you might not live to regret it.”

“Apologies, Senior Disciple Brother. That punch might’ve been a little too heavy. Are you okay?” Ye Lin's voice was calm and innocent, but his expression was anything but.

Seeing that fake sincerity on Ye Lin’s face, Lin Ziyou was so furious he spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed onto the stage, unconscious.

“Senior Disciple Brother Huang, I’ve become an inner disciple now, right?” Ye Lin exercised his arm a bit, then turned and called out to Huang Xiong below the stage.

Huang Xiong trembled. To him, Ye Lin looked like a devil in human skin. He was terrified. His suspicions had now been confirmed.

“Congratulations, Senior Disciple Brother Ye Lin. I’ll take you to register as an inner disciple immediately. Please follow me!”

“Mm.” Ye Lin nodded, about to step off the stage. But just then, he turned back and glanced at Lin Ziyou.

A transparent panel suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[Name: Lin Ziyou]

[Cultivation base: 9th layer Qi Refinement]

[Fate grade: green]

[Fate trait: decent luck, heaven's chosen]

[Fate prediction: after a lifetime of cultivation, you will reach the Gold Core realm and become a grand elder of the Azure Cloud Sect. However, you will ultimately fail to reach the Nascent Soul realm and die of old age.]

[Upcoming opportunity: after being defeated by Ye Lin, your dao heart will shatter. A month from now, during a suicide attempt deep in the Hundred Thousand Li Mountain Range, you will stumble upon a high-grade mystic-tier spirit fruit—the Nirvana Fruit—hidden in the Dark Abyss. Upon consuming it, like a phoenix reborn from the ashes, your right arm will be restored, and your combat power will increase dramatically.]

[Decent luck: you will occasionally stumble upon opportunities during outings, and good fortune may sometimes save you in moments of danger.]

[Heaven’s chosen: your life has been smooth sailing and full of success. You have never considered yourself inferior to anyone, and you carry an aura of invincibility.]