Chapter 463: Peak Expert

The corridor leading to the conference hall was nearly ten meters wide—wide enough for several sedans to drive side by side. Even with so many people walking through, it didn’t feel crowded in the slightest.

Lin Xiao and Chen Lingxin walked side by side into the venue, where a grand and luxurious conference hall unfolded before their eyes.

“Wow!”

Chen Lingxin’s rosy lips parted slightly in awe, unable to hold back a gasp of amazement.

Lin Xiao’s expression was unchanged. He calmly surveyed the surroundings, his gaze sweeping across every corner of the hall.

This was a professional habit of Lin Xiao’s. Whenever he entered an unfamiliar place, the first thing he did was assess the environment to avoid being caught off guard in an emergency. His eyes were sharp, his memory exceptional. In just a few seconds, he had the layout of the entire hall committed to memory.

The hall was a perfect blend of classical and modern styles. It combined the grandeur and weight of ancient architecture with the elegance and fashion of modern design.

A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, encircled by rows of soft purple downlights that illuminated every inch of the hall with vivid clarity.

The floor was made of polished wood that gave off a calming fragrance. As one walked across it, it emitted crisp pa-ta sounds. I was clearly made from top-grade camphorwood.

At the very center of the hall, in the most eye-catching spot, stood a massive square platform.

The platform was approximately ten meters in length and width, and two meters high. It had no stairs. Martial artists had to rely solely on their own strength to ascend it.

Surrounding the square platform were eight circular platforms, each about half its size and height. Like stars encircling the moon, they framed the central platform.

Both the square and circular platforms were built from premium marble. After all, martial artists were capable of immense destruction. If these had been made of wood, they wouldn’t last more than a few matches.

Aside from the platforms, the hall had hundreds of neatly arranged seats in clear tiers, obviously set up for spectators.

Near the platforms and at key positions throughout the hall, young men and women dressed in purple training uniforms stood with arms behind their backs—sharp-eyed, upright, and full of spirit.

These young martial artists were all elite disciples of the seven major factions. As the true ruling powers of the Southern Martial Alliance, they were responsible for maintaining order during the event.

After entering the hall, Chen Lingxin gripped Lin Xiao’s hand and looked around excitedly. Her behavior was no different from a country bumpkin entering a grand palace for the first time.

“Master, just thinking about fighting in such a grand place gets me so excited!”

Chen Lingxin’s eyes lit up when she saw the central platforms. She shook Lin Xiao’s arm energetically.

“With a major battle ahead, the last thing you should be is impatient. You know this principle well enough,” Lin Xiao said calmly, glancing at her.

His words poured over her like a bucket of cold water. In an instant, Chen Lingxin composed herself, her excitement receding like a tide.

She slowly let go of Lin Xiao’s arm, lowered her head, and said, “Sorry, Master. I guess I got a little carried away.”

Lin Xiao patted her shoulder and smiled slightly.

“I know you’re not being reckless, just nervous. It’s your first time participating in the Ancient Martial Exchange Conference; nervousness is natural. But no matter what happens or who you face, remember, I’ll be standing by your side. Understand?”

Chen Lingxin took a deep breath, rubbed her face with both hands, then raised her head to beam at Lin Xiao.

“Got it, Master. It’s because you’re with me that I even dared to come. If I had to do this alone, I wouldn’t come even if you killed me.”

Lin Xiao ruffled her hair. “Alright, let’s find our seats.”

Using the numbers on their participation passes, they quickly found the seats assigned to the Chen Martial Hall.

Chen Martial Hall was a Class B martial hall. In the four-tiered ranking system of A, B, C, and D, it ranked near the top, just beneath the Class A halls of the seven major powers, so their seats were relatively close to the front.

Other martial halls were led by their hall masters, with teams ranging from a few people to dozens, arriving in large groups.

Only the Chen Martial Hall had just two people—Lin Xiao and Chen Lingxin. And they were both so young. As they entered the hall, many people turned to look at them, eyes filled with skepticism and disdain.

“Those two kids… did they come to the wrong place?”

“Look at the writing on their backs… Chen Martial Hall? Ever heard of it?”

“Nope. Sending two youngsters to this event? That hall’s definitely going to lose its ranking today, might even drop to Class C,” someone chuckled maliciously.

“Every year, there’s a few unlucky ones. I’m used to it. These two poor kids are just sacrificial lambs sent to take the fall for their hall.”

The murmurs reached their ears. Chen Lingxin pressed her cherry lips together, said nothing, and closed her eyes as she sat down, eliminating all distractions and focusing on adjusting her state to its peak.

If even Chen Lingxin was this calm, Lin Xiao naturally wouldn’t care about what others thought. The murmurs passed by like wind to his ears, leaving not a trace in his heart.

He sat still, eyes slightly lowered, his pupils subtly shifting left and right as he opened his full awareness, searching for the true experts hidden among the crowd.

There were hundreds of martial artists here, but those who could catch Lin Xiao’s attention numbered less than five, and all of them sat in the front rows.

At the very front of the hall, five grand armchairs were set out.

During the past few days, Chen Lingxin had helped Lin Xiao cram some knowledge about the southern ancient martial world, so he knew those chairs were reserved for the absolute top powerhouses of the Southern Martial Alliance.

Four of them were already occupied.

These four were Tian Junliang of the West Sea Sect, Wang Zhaotian of the Broken Dragon Sect, Chunyu Yan of the Scarlet City Sect, and Xue Fanjia, the nominal leader of the Southern Martial Alliance.

The empty chair was reserved for Jiang Yuyue of the Ten Absolute Sect.

The four who had arrived were, without exception, peak-stage Dark Force experts. Not just any peak-stage Dark Force, but the strongest among them.

Though not yet at the level of Flowing Force transformation, at this stage, they had already begun to exhibit characteristics unique to the Flowing Force stage, such as eternal youth.

Though the youngest of the four was over fifty, they all appeared to be in their thirties or forties.

Tian Junliang looked like an ordinary middle-aged man, dressed in a purple Tang suit. He sat on the grand chair with calm composure, hair immaculately combed, hands long and spotless—no calluses, no trace of the fighter he truly was.

But in Lin Xiao’s perception, this Tian Junliang was the most dangerous. The aura around him was as deep and unfathomable as the ocean. He had already reached a state of returning to simplicity and authenticity.