Chapter 158: A Single Strike

The crowd’s gaze naturally shifted to Elder Chen. While the first defeat could be overlooked, a second humiliating loss—especially at the hands of such an arrogant opponent—was a heavy blow to the reputation of Chen’s Martial Arts Hall.

Yet, to everyone’s surprise, Elder Chen, who had initially looked unsettled, quickly regained his composure. He calmly resumed his seat, making no move to confront the brazen student.

This unexpected calmness from Elder Chen left the onlookers even more baffled.

Xu Huiba, meanwhile, wasn’t burdened by such thoughts. Lin Xiao’s disdainful demeanor had enraged him, filling his mind with a singular desire to teach Lin Xiao a severe lesson.

“Boy, if you’re trying to provoke me, congratulations, you’ve succeeded. But understand this, provoking me comes with a price. I’ve made up my mind to break every limb of yours. Are you ready?”

Lin Xiao maintained a stoic face, his lips curving into a faint, cold smile. He gestured contemptuously to Xu Huiba with a finger.

“Seeking death!”

Unable to contain his fury any longer, Xu Huiba let out a roar and launched himself forward like a rampaging gorilla.

Blinded by rage, he abandoned all technique, relying solely on raw power to crush Lin Xiao. His body—honed through relentless external training—seemed as unstoppable as a juggernaut. In that moment, he believed even a steel plate would buckle beneath him, let alone a human.

In his mind, Lin Xiao was already airborne, broken and defeated.

“He’s done for!”

“Yeah, say what you will about Xu Huiba’s personality, but his strength places him among the top fighters in Jiangnan’s ancient martial arts circles. That kid from Chen’s Hall is just being absurdly arrogant.”

“Exactly. If he relied on speed and evasion, maybe he could’ve dragged the fight out a bit longer. But claiming he’ll take on Xu Huiba without moving and with one hand? That’s just asking for death!”

The onlookers—veterans of the ancient martial arts world—could clearly sense the sheer ferocity of Xu Huiba’s charge. As they watched Lin Xiao seemingly preparing to take the hit head-on, they all shook their heads in disapproval.

Their judgment wasn’t unfounded. For most practitioners, withstanding such an onslaught from Xu Huiba would be nearly impossible. Even someone like Chen Lingxin would’ve been hard-pressed to stand their ground. But Lin Xiao wasn’t like the rest.

To him, the moment Xu Huiba stepped onto the stage, the outcome was already sealed.

A faint glint flickered in Lin Xiao’s eyes. He stood still, unmoved, slipping his right hand behind his back—as if to say, go ahead.

Then came the impact.

Bang!

Xu Huiba’s gorilla-like frame slammed into Lin Xiao with a heavy thud, the sound echoing loud and clear across the arena.

“Die! Die! You dared to underestimate me, I’ll make sure you have no grave to lie in!”

Xu Huiba’s face, a mask of muscle and fury, bore down on Lin Xiao.

He had anticipated sending Lin Xiao flying with a single blow, but soon realized something was amiss. The impact felt nothing like hitting a person. It was more akin to colliding with an unyielding mountain or an unbreakable, rock-solid wall.

Hard. Stable. Heavy. Deeply rooted.

Gazing at the unflinching Lin Xiao, a sudden wave of fear swept over Xu Huiba, though he couldn’t pinpoint the source of his dread.

At that moment, a searing pain surged through his brain, eliciting an involuntary groan of agony.

Then, a massive, overwhelming force surged from Lin Xiao—vastly greater than Xu Huiba’s own momentum. It didn’t just absorb the impact—it reversed it, folding it back with crushing intensity.

Like being struck by a high-speed truck, Xu Huiba found himself launched into the air, crashing down several meters back, landing squarely on his backside.

“What… what… what just happened?”

Xu Huiba’s mind was a whirl of confusion. His vision blurred, his body wracked with pain, half of it numb, unable to muster any strength. He cried out in a mix of shock and terror.

However, no one responded to his outburst.

At this moment, everyone except Elder Chen and those from the Chen family who were aware of Lin Xiao’s true strength stood dumbfounded by Lin Xiao’s feat.

They had always thought that an obscure student from Chen’s Martial Arts Hall, so brazen and arrogant, couldn’t possibly defeat Xu Huiba. Yet, he did exactly that without shifting an inch, overpowering him with just one hand.

In such a blunt, violent, powerful, and explosive manner, Lin Xiao had completely overwhelmed Xu Huiba.

There were no intricate techniques or elaborate moves, only pure, overwhelmingly dominant strength.

The guests at the Chen’s Martial Arts Hall exchange meeting, all figures from the ancient martial arts world, had varying degrees of skill, but their insight was no match for the average person.

Yet, they couldn’t fathom how Lin Xiao had absorbed Xu Huiba’s fierce charge and then turned it around to send Xu Huiba flying.

All they knew was that Lin Xiao had displayed a terrifying power that utterly overpowered Xu Huiba.

Throughout the entire encounter, Lin Xiao hadn’t moved an inch, his feet firmly planted in the ground, though they had sunk slightly.

In contrast, Xu Huiba was left dazed and confused by the force of the recoil, sitting on the ground in shock and terror, stripped of his earlier arrogance and bluster.

This single action was enough to determine the victor, clearly distinguishing the superior from the inferior.

The sight of Lin Xiao sending Xu Huiba flying was so astonishing that even the Chen’s Martial Arts Hall students who had witnessed Lin Xiao’s previous defeat of Chen Lingxin forgot to cheer, staring at Lin Xiao as if he were an otherworldly being.

“Excellent skill!”

The arena remained silent for a long while until Zhou Chenguang, the head of Wuxu Martial Arts Hall, finally spoke. His voice, heavy with gravity, broke the silence and jolted everyone out of their shock. Shaking his head, he admitted, “I misjudged. I didn’t realize you are a master.”

Zhou Chenguang had encountered Lin Xiao at the entrance, but at that time, he had assumed Lin Xiao was just another ordinary student, focusing his attention on Chen Lingxin who was beside Lin Xiao. Hence his admission of oversight.

“What incredible strength! Such profound cultivation!”

In the crowd, a tall and burly man expressed his astonishment, still somewhat in disbelief. “With Xu Huiba’s extensive external training, to be sent flying so effortlessly… Could this young man’s cultivation have reached the Dark Force stage?”