Chapter 159: The Black Hand’s Arrival

“How is that possible!”

At this moment, another man, in his thirties with an ordinary appearance but sharp eyes, immediately objected.

“There are hardly a few in our entire Jiangnan province who have mastered the Dark Force. Even the heads of the four major schools have only just grazed the surface of it. If reaching the Dark Force were that easy, wouldn’t it cease to be considered a top-tier stage in the ancient martial arts world?”

“Indeed, it’s unlikely to be the Dark Force. But even if it’s not, it must be close to the late stage of the Bright Force. Xu Huiba is nearly at the middle stage of Bright Force, and with his training skills, defeating him so effortlessly shows that a mid-stage Bright Force level would not be enough.”

“Xu Huiba really had bad luck this time. After this fight, his reputation will suffer greatly.”

“True, but this student from Chen’s Martial Arts Hall, with such cultivation at such a young age, in the future…”

The crowd hesitated to continue. In the current scenario, although they were somewhat renowned in Jiangnan province’s ancient martial arts community, most of them only had mid-stage Bright Force cultivation.

Compared to Lin Xiao’s achievements at such a young age, they felt a complex mix of shame and envy.

Wei Chengxue, overhearing the crowd’s comments, grew increasingly angry. He shouted at his fellow disciples from Wei Martial Arts Hall, “What are you fools doing just standing there? Hurry up and help your senior brother.”

Several disciples from Wei Martial Arts Hall, as though jolted awake, rushed to Xu Huiba’s side. Avoiding Lin Xiao’s gaze, they helped Xu Huiba up and quickly returned to stand behind Wei Chengxue.

Wei Chengxue’s actions were effectively an admission of defeat. Old Master Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief, his mood significantly lifted.

Had Lin Xiao not intervened, the situation could have been difficult to resolve.

Lin Xiao gave a nod to Old Master Chen, then returned to Chen Lingxin’s side.

Chen Lingxin, brimming with excitement, was more animated than Lin Xiao himself. She grabbed his arm and shook it enthusiastically.

“Master, you were incredible! To defeat Xu Huiba so easily, I really made the right choice in picking you!”

“Be quiet, and stop shaking me,” Lin Xiao said, feeling dizzy from Chen Lingxin’s enthusiastic shaking, his brow furrowed in slight annoyance.

“Master, you’re incredibly powerful! This time, you’re bound to make a name for yourself in Jiangnan Province’s ancient martial arts world. But with your level of cultivation, it was only a matter of time.” Chen Lingxin obediently released his arm, showing utmost compliance.

Then, bursting with excitement, she said, “Oh, Master, you should have seen Wei Chengxue’s face. He was so green with envy, it was truly satisfying to watch, haha.”

“Don’t call me Master.”

“Okay, Master.”

“Fine, do whatever you want. Just remember, I’m not taking you as a disciple,” Lin Xiao resignedly shook his head, deciding not to argue further with Chen Lingxin.

Despite his low-key demeanor, Lin Xiao was no longer overlooked by anyone. No longer seen as just an ordinary student, curious glances were continually cast his way.

The tumult seemed to have subsided for the moment, but the situation was far from being resolved.

The guests of Chen’s Martial Arts Hall resumed their seats, the atmosphere once again becoming congenial. Everyone engaged in lively conversations, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Only the Wei Martial Arts Hall table, including Wei Chengxue himself, wore sullen expressions. They stubbornly remained seated, their intentions unclear.

“Uncle Chen, where did you find such a master? To have him pretend to be a student isn’t very decent, is it?” Yang Yuanji, the head of Xuantian Martial Arts Hall, asked with curiosity.

“Haha, his name is Lin Xiao, the honorary headmaster of Chen’s Martial Arts Hall. I was planning to introduce him to all of you but just haven’t had the opportunity,” Old Master Chen responded with a chuckle. “I didn’t ask him to pose as a student. That must have been Lingxin’s idea.”

“An honorary headmaster?” Yang Yuanji expressed in astonishment.

He was well aware of Chen’s Martial Arts Hall’s history. The position of an honorary master had never existed before. The fact that Lin Xiao now held this title indicated that Chen’s Martial Arts Hall had created a new role specifically for him.

Chen’s Martial Arts Hall, as one of the four major martial arts schools, had specially established a position for a single individual. Considering the high regard for martial skills in the ancient martial arts world, just how profound must Lin Xiao’s cultivation be?

“Brother Chen, where did you find this Lin Xiao? He’s so young, yet his abilities are quite remarkable,” Zhou Chenguang said leisurely. “If I had come across such a young prodigy, I too would have appointed him as an honorary master.”

Hearing Zhou Chenguang’s words, Yang Yuanji could no longer suppress his curiosity. “Uncle Zhou, what exactly is the young man’s level of cultivation?”

Although his own cultivation was roughly on par with Zhou Chenguang and other heads of the four martial arts schools, he was much younger, belonging to Chen Tianxing’s generation, and lacked the discerning insight of these seasoned veterans.

“If my eyes aren’t deceiving me, he must have entered the realm of the Dark Force, right?” Zhou Chenguang spoke with a calm demeanor, but the subtle turbulence in his eyes betrayed his inner lack of composure.

“What?” Yang Yuanji exclaimed in disbelief, inadvertently turning his gaze towards Old Master Chen.

Faced with Yang Yuanji’s gaze, Old Master Chen, who had no intention of concealing the truth, nodded affirmatively, “Brother Zhou is correct. Lin Xiao has indeed attained the cultivation level of the Dark Force.”

Confronted with Old Master Chen’s confirmation, a look of sheer astonishment crossed Yang Yuanji’s face. He had always considered his own talent to be noteworthy and believed he had the potential to break through to the Dark Force Stage.

After all, he was young, a generation younger than Old Master Chen and his peers, yet his cultivation level was not inferior to theirs.

But now, he had to confront the harsh reality of a severe blow to his pride.

Dark Force masters in their twenties were probably only seen among the three major forces of the ancient martial arts world, Penglai, the Ling family, and military families — the hidden powerhouses and millennia-old clans.

As he was about to ask more about Lin Xiao, a thunderous noise erupted from outside Chen’s Martial Arts Hall.

Boom!

A tremendous sound echoed as the firmly closed door was violently kicked open. The thick door, reinforced with iron, shattered into pieces, sending debris flying in all directions.

The guests seated near the entrance couldn’t dodge in time. Several were struck by the flying fragments, blood streaming down their faces.

The room erupted with angry shouts, screams, and the noise of tables and chairs being overturned in panic.

Also seated near the entrance, Lin Xiao swiftly pulled Chen Lingxin aside right before the door was kicked open, evading any harm from the door fragments. Despite this, Lin Xiao remained on high alert, his eyes slightly narrowed, looking towards the door.

Six figures, stepping through the debris, entered Chen’s Martial Arts Hall.

The leader, a man in his forties with a tall, sturdy build and a square face, had a domineering and sharp gaze. His brow was etched with a strong sense of murderous intent.

Following him, the other five, varying in body types and attire, all exuded an air of firmness and profound energy. It was evident at a glance that they were not to be underestimated.

These six men were unmistakably masters, evident even without further explanation.

The leader scanned the room, and everyone caught in his gaze felt a palpable sense of intimidation.