Heaven’s Forsaken System

**Chapter 5: Echoes of Defiance**

Shen Liang stood amidst the stunned silence of the sect's disciples. His breath was steady, his stance unwavering. The sensation of his first true battle still burned in his veins—he had struck Bai Cheng, the young master, and lived to tell the tale.

Bai Cheng staggered backward, a hand clutching his abdomen where Shen Liang's fist had landed. His eyes, once filled with arrogance, were now alight with fury and disbelief.

"Y-You dare?!" Bai Cheng's voice cracked as his aura surged. "I'll kill you!"

Shen Liang saw the attack coming before it even launched. Bai Cheng's technique was refined, powerful—but predictable. A prodigy born into privilege never had to fight for his survival the way Shen Liang had.

Bai Cheng lunged, his palm alight with golden Qi. The force of the attack sent dust spiraling into the air, a move meant to overwhelm Shen Liang.

But Shen Liang had already moved.

With a calculated sidestep, he let the strike pass him by. As Bai Cheng stumbled forward in overextension, Shen Liang retaliated. He channeled his newly acquired Qi into his limbs, striking at Bai Cheng's exposed shoulder.

Crack!

Bai Cheng cried out as he crashed onto the ground. His face twisted in agony, his right arm hanging limply at his side. The disciples around them gasped in horror. No one had ever humiliated Bai Cheng like this before.

Shen Liang lowered his stance. "You underestimated me," he said simply.

A tense silence filled the air. The sect elders who had gathered to witness the match exchanged uneasy glances. Shen Liang had done the impossible—he had defied fate and won.

The elder overseeing the duel finally spoke. "The match is over. Shen Liang is the victor."

Bai Cheng's face darkened. "You think this is over? You—"

But Shen Liang turned away, uninterested in his threats. He had proved his point. He had shattered the expectations placed upon him.

And now, he had something greater to pursue—power beyond even the sect's imagination.

As he walked away, the whispers around him grew louder. He had gone from a forsaken nobody to someone impossible to ignore.

For the first time in his life, Shen Liang had a taste of victory.

And he was hungry for more.

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