Chapter 465: The Target Is You

The burly man stood there arrogantly. He didn’t put Chen Lingxin in his eyes at all.

In his opinion, how strong could such a delicate little beauty be, even if she knew some martial arts?

Therefore, he never expected Chen Lingxin to launch an attack, much less that she would be so fast. Before his body could even react, her fist had already landed on his chest.

The strength of this punch wasn’t great. It didn’t even budge his body.

The burly man let out a breath of relief and was just about to mock her with a few words. But before he could open his mouth, a sharp and penetrating burst of inner strength suddenly erupted from Chen Lingxin’s fist, piercing into his body.

“Hiss!”

The burly man sucked in a breath of cold air. An indescribable pain flooded his internal organs as if ten thousand steel needles were stabbing him relentlessly. His face turned pale, and he stumbled several steps backward.

Chen Lingxin pressed the attack, unrelenting. She followed up immediately with a second punch to his stomach.

This punch used Bright Force. It was faster than the last and far more powerful. It struck the burly man so hard that his eyes rolled back, almost popping out of their sockets.

He could no longer stand. His knees buckled, and he collapsed in front of Chen Lingxin.

Chen Lingxin swept her leg across and kicked the burly man’s head, sending his large frame flying off the stage.

In just one brief exchange, Chen Lingxin defeated the burly man, who thought he’d scored an easy win.

From the moment he charged onto the stage to the moment he was kicked off, the entire fight hadn’t even lasted thirty seconds.

“What?!”

“That pretty girl is actually that strong?”

“She’s gotta be cheating!”

The people who had rushed to the stage were all dumbfounded.

They had seen that the Chen Martial Arts Hall only sent two young people and figured they were easy targets. Some even beat their chests in regret, upset they hadn’t rushed up in time before the burly man.

But the outcome was completely different from what they expected.

The one defeated in seconds wasn’t Chen Lingxin; it was the burly man.

“I know that guy! He’s the head instructor of a Class C martial school in Wuzhou. His cultivation’s not bad, yet he couldn’t take a single move from that girl?”

“Incredible! Everyone attending this exchange conference is not to be underestimated.”

“Yeah, and to think I was going to try my luck. Thank god I didn’t challenge her. It would’ve been over for me.”

They looked at each other with bitter smiles, retreating to the spectator stands with expressions of relief and lingering fear.

Chen Lingxin stood proudly on stage, high-spirited. The nervousness she had at the beginning was already gone. She looked down and beamed at Lin Xiao.

“Master, how was that? I’ve gotten stronger, right?”

Lin Xiao had to admit that compared to before, Chen Lingxin had indeed improved quite a bit.

“You’ve improved a little, but don’t get arrogant. Stay alert, the assessment isn’t over yet.”

As soon as Lin Xiao finished speaking, a figure suddenly darted out from the seating area of the Seven Great Powers. With a graceful posture and agile steps, he leapt onto the stage where Chen Lingxin stood.

Chen Lingxin reacted quickly. Just as the figure landed, she jumped back three meters like a startled wildcat, instantly creating distance.

From the moment he arrived, Chen Lingxin sensed a strong threat from him.

It was a young man in his twenties, tall and handsome, with sword-like brows, starry eyes, and a faint smile on his lips—enough to make countless girls swoon.

As he appeared on the stage, the spectators’ stands erupted with noise.

“Wait… isn’t that Zhang Li?!”

“Zhang Li? Which Zhang Li?”

“Which one do you think? The last disciple of Scarlet City Sect Master Chunyu Yan. That Zhang Li!”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Scarlet City Sect is one of the Seven Great Powers, and Master Chun is a top expert in the South. His personal disciple is challenging a B-Class martial school?”

“You don’t know Zhang Li’s personality. He’s a notorious lady-killer. Who knows how many girls he’s toyed with and then cast aside? I bet he’s taken a liking to that little beauty. The girl’s just unlucky.”

Front row of the spectator stand.

Tian Junliang looked coldly toward Chunyu Yan across the aisle. “Master Chun, what’s your prized disciple doing? Didn’t we agree the Seven Great Powers wouldn’t interfere with the martial school assessments?”

Chunyu Yan had a delicate and pale face, no beard, and narrow eyes gleaming with a chilling light. He raised an eyebrow at the words.

“Master Tian, you know how spirited my young disciple is. Probably just wants to play a little with that girl. Don’t worry, he won’t go overboard.”

“So in your eyes, the rules of the Southern Martial Alliance are just child’s play?” Tian Junliang’s expression didn’t change, but invisible energy stirred around him.

“You exaggerate, Master Tian. It’s just a kid fooling around. Tell you what, after he’s back, I’ll have him apologize, and we’ll have the Chen Martial Hall redo the assessment. How’s that?”

Chunyu Yan didn’t want to provoke a conflict with Tian Junliang and quickly gave ground.

“The reason the Seven Great Powers have remained at the top of the Southern Martial Alliance is because we follow the rules, be they national laws or alliance regulations.” Tian Junliang closed his eyes. “As stakeholders in this order, I hope Master Chun will uphold our shared interests. Don’t you agree?”

“Master Tian is absolutely right.” Chunyu Yan agreed readily, but a cold smile flickered briefly across his lips.

‘Rules? Your West Sea Sect’s rules, maybe,’ he sneered inwardly.

Below the stage, Lin Xiao stood with his hands behind his back, listening clearly to the discussions in the stands. His eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint flashing within.

But he remained still, wanting to see just what this Zhang Li fellow was up to.

***

On the stage.

Facing the young man, Chen Lingxin tensed her entire body like a startled cat, ready to spring at any moment.

From this person, she sensed a tidal wave of pressure. His aura was vast and surging, like an endless river.

Zhang Li didn’t attack immediately. Instead, he looked Chen Lingxin up and down, like a beast sizing up its prey. His smile grew gentler:

“Miss, may I ask for the honor of a friendly exchange?”

Chen Lingxin’s lips remained tightly shut. She said nothing, her expression as cold as ice.

Zhang Li’s gaze made her extremely uncomfortable. She also knew, instinctively, that she was no match for him.

Naturally, Chen Lingxin turned toward the edge of the stage and called out in a crisp voice, “Master, I can’t beat this guy; he’s yours.”

Before Lin Xiao could speak, Zhang Li laughed loudly. His laughter was boisterous, bending him over, but his eyes were cold as ice, “Miss, I came for you. What fun is there in switching opponents? Besides, do you really think that guy can deal with me?”