Chapter 90: Reducing Her to Tears

Chen Lingxin no longer dared to make any reckless moves. She watched Lin Xiao warily and started to circle him, searching for any possible vulnerabilities.

Lin Xiao’s body didn’t move and was seemingly full of flaws, but the more flaws she saw, the less Chen Lingxin dared to attack. She was aware that what appeared to be weaknesses were likely deliberately set traps.

As time ticked away, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. The previously relaxed onlookers were slowly drawn into this tense atmosphere until all conversation ceased.

The growing tension—and the weight of passing seconds—only added to Chen Lingxin’s pressure. Stealing a glance at Lin Xiao, who remained calm and composed, she clenched her jaw, pushed aside any lingering hesitation, and launched forward again.

This time, her attacks came like a violent storm.

She flowed seamlessly between techniques—chopping, smashing, charging, grabbing, stabbing—each strike blending into the next until her movements became a blur. The air whistled with every motion, her strikes sharp and forceful.

But even faced with such a relentless assault, Lin Xiao remained unfazed.

He deflected each attack with effortless precision.

Chen Tianxing let out a soft sigh. From his perspective, it was clear that Chen Lingxin was showing signs of impending defeat. She never stood a chance of victory in the first place. The only question was how long she could hold out.

After maintaining high-speed attacks for a prolonged period, Chen Lingxin’s strength started to wane. Her attack speed slowed. Lin Xiao grabbed her arm.

“This is bad!”

Panic washed over Chen Lingxin. She tried to shake off Lin Xiao’s grip, but it was already too late.

Lin Xiao’s hand was like an iron vise, gripping Chen Lingxin’s wrist so tightly she couldn’t break free, no matter how much she strained.

With a simple pull and push of Chen Lingxin’s arm, Lin Xiao redirected her effortlessly. She had no way to resist—her body moved as if she were weightless in his grip.

As he let go, she staggered backward five or six steps, barely keeping her footing. Just as she was about to fall, Chen Tianxing stepped in quickly and caught her.

A heavy silence fell over the courtyard. The students stared, wide-eyed and speechless.

There was no doubt—Chen Lingxin had lost. And the loss was a hard one.

She hadn’t suffered any visible injuries, but it was clear to everyone that Lin Xiao had held back. From start to finish, the rhythm of the fight had remained entirely under his control.

Even now, Lin Xiao stood exactly where he had at the beginning. He hadn’t moved an inch.

“I lost,” Chen Lingxin said, her voice low, her chest rising and falling with each breath.

She lowered her head, then turned and walked away without another word.

However, as she turned, her eyes reddened. Tears began to spill down her cheeks. She had always carried herself with pride. And yet, Lin Xiao had defeated her with ease.

“I’m sorry, Uncle Chen. I might’ve gone a bit too hard,” Lin Xiao said, stepping back from his stance, a hint of embarrassment on his face.

He hadn’t expected Chen Lingxin to cry after the match.

But Chen Tianxing waved it off. “No. If anything, I should thank you. That loss was a lesson Lingxin needed. Once she works through it, she’ll come out stronger.” He gave Lin Xiao a hearty slap on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s get something to eat.”

During the meal, Lin Xiao saw Chen Lingxin again. Her face was calm, composed, as if nothing had happened earlier.

But her attitude told a different story. She sat across from him, her expression icy, and ate in silence without even glancing his way.

Lin Xiao sighed inwardly.

Given Chen Lingxin’s fiercely competitive spirit, it would have been surprising if she were jovial with him after being so swiftly and utterly defeated.

“By the way, where’s Old Master Chen?” Lin Xiao scanned the room, noting Chen Jinsong’s absence, and asked.

“My father wasn’t feeling well, so he retired early.” Chen Tianxing shook his head and sighed.

Lin Xiao refrained from asking further. It was evident that Chen Jinsong’s health was more serious than it appeared.

Chen Tianxing gestured toward the two middle-aged men seated at the table, introducing them to Lin Xiao, “Allow me to introduce you to Instructor Wang Jinxin and Instructor Fan Xucui. Both are highly skilled practitioners, sought after and handsomely paid by the Chen’s Martial Arts School.”

“Instructor Wang, Instructor Fan.” Lin Xiao nodded respectfully at each in turn.

He could discern that although both men practiced ancient martial arts, their level of cultivation was rather insignificant. Of course, in the eyes of ordinary people, they were considered top-notch experts.

“Master Lin, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

They were not the least bit arrogant and didn’t underestimate Lin Xiao due to his youth; they responded with a polite nod.

After witnessing Lin Xiao’s spar with Chen Lingxin, both were fully aware that they were no match for him.

Within Chen’s Martial Arts Hall, if discussing who possesses the highest martial arts skills, Old Master Chen Jinsong would be at the pinnacle, followed by the current school leader, Chen Tianxing.

Although Old Master Chen had once reached the edge of the Dark Force stage, a level that would have marked him as a master in the underground world. His peak had long since passed. His current cultivation, while still formidable, no longer matched what it had been in his prime.

However, due to hidden injuries and the consequences of a cultivation mishap, his health seriously declined. He was fortunate to be alive, never mind being able to fight.

Chen Tianxing, though still far behind Old Master Chen in terms of cultivation, had stepped into the Bright Force stage years ago. Now, he was firmly in its intermediate phase.

If it hadn’t been for the need to uphold the reputation of Chen’s Martial Arts Hall, this level of cultivation would have been considered pretty good.

The third-best after Chen Tianxing was not Wang Jinxin, nor Fan Xucui, but Chen Lingxin.

Despite her young age, Chen Lingxin had an outstanding talent and a great aptitude for martial arts.

Chen Tianxing had high hopes for her and had been nurturing her from a young age.

Chen Lingxin was already in the Bright Force stage. Although she had only just entered this stage, her attainment was undoubtedly that of a genius, given her age.

Compared to Chen Lingxin, Chen Tianli lagged significantly behind. Even with the full support and resources of the Chen family, he had only just reached the threshold of the Bright Force stage—and was still far from making a true breakthrough.

And yet, even the powerful Chen Lingxin had been easily defeated by Lin Xiao. Which begged the question—just how formidable was he?

“Master Lin, your martial arts skills are impressive. May I ask as to which school you studied under?” Wang Jinxin asked casually.

Everyone at the table immediately pricked up their ears, finding this question intriguing.

Given Lin Xiao’s young age and his astonishing level of cultivation, they had never heard of such a feat, which made them extremely curious about Lin Xiao’s background.

“I don’t belong to any school or sect. I just chanced upon a secret manual of ancient martial arts and started practicing,” Lin Xiao said.

Lin Xiao could be considered independent of any school or sect. While serving in the military, he had access to formal methods for practicing ancient martial arts. But because he followed the Thunderbolt Decree, he never trained in those techniques.

This was why no one could identify the origin of his martial arts. Had he practiced the military’s techniques, his background would’ve been far easier to trace.

In the world of ancient martial arts, those trained through military channels formed a powerful faction known as the Martial Alliance.

Naturally, Lin Xiao, who had little contact with that world, knew nothing about it.