Chapter 742: Setting Out

At some point, all the murmuring had ceased.

The atmosphere on the field grew increasingly heavy, filled with oppressive killing intent. Everyone’s gaze was locked onto Lin Xiao and Chunyu Yan. One tense breath after another rose and fell, thick with unease.

The disciples of the Scarlet City Sect didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly.

They couldn’t imagine what they would do if Chunyu Yan lost this fight.

Chunyu Yan’s back arched slightly as he slowly circled Lin Xiao. His narrow eyes had narrowed to slits, pupils reduced to pinpricks. The killing intent radiating from his body grew thicker, more suffocating.

At that moment, he looked like a beast ready to strike—coiled for a fatal pounce.

In contrast, Lin Xiao stood still, legs slightly apart, his posture solid and unshakable like a mountain.

His expression was calm and relaxed, a stark contrast to Chunyu Yan’s tensed, razor-sharp aura.

Time ticked by.

Finally, Chunyu Yan could wait no longer. The longer the standoff continued, the more the momentum leaned against him. A vicious glint flashed in his eyes as inner force exploded through his body. He stomped hard on the ground—boom!—shattering the stone beneath him as his body launched forward with a burst of speed!

The few meters between them vanished in an instant.

Chunyu Yan’s arms lashed out like whips, palms shaped into blades. Infused with inner force, they took on a dark bluish-black sheen, gleaming like forged steel as he slashed straight for Lin Xiao’s neck.

This was Scarlet City Sect’s ultimate technique: One-Heart Fist.

Chunyu Yan’s true power exploded with this strike. Its speed and force were far beyond anything he’d used before, showcasing the depth of his cultivation and why he had ruled the southern martial world for so long.

But just as the deadly strike was about to land, Lin Xiao’s eyes lit up. Twin flames ignited in his pupils, fierce and unblinking.

“So it’s finally getting interesting.”

Rather than retreat, his body leaned forward. Both arms shot up at once. Under a surge of inner force, his palms expanded and hardened like iron. His fingers curled like hooks, and his nails glinted with a cold, metallic sheen as he met Chunyu Yan’s palms head-on.

Shrrk!

A sharp tearing sound split the air, laced faintly with the roar of thunder.

In a burst of light, Lin Xiao’s claw-like hands collided with Chunyu Yan’s blade-like palms. Sparks erupted, and the resounding clash echoed like metal striking metal. A shockwave of force rippled outward from the impact.

“This guy reacts so fast!”

Chunyu Yan felt a jolt of numbness shoot up his arms, and his circulation faltered. His expression shifted slightly, and he immediately retreated, trying to switch stances.

But he’d only taken two steps when Lin Xiao was already there, close behind like a shadow.

Lin Xiao’s hands clenched, seizing Chunyu Yan’s wrists with vice-like strength.

“Crap!”

Chunyu Yan’s heart pounded. A surge of danger filled every nerve. His body tensed like a drawn bow. Bones cracked as he channeled power through his limbs and roared—

“Let go of me!”

But Lin Xiao’s expression didn’t change. Inner force surged from his arms, locking Chunyu Yan’s wrists in an unbreakable grip—solid and unyielding, like the Five-Finger Mountain pressing down on the Monkey King.

The more Chunyu Yan struggled, the more hopeless it felt. A chill spread down his spine. In that life-or-death moment, the primal savagery buried deep in his heart exploded.

His left foot suddenly lifted—aiming a vicious kick straight for Lin Xiao’s groin.

Around them, the silence broke.

“A martial grandmaster using such a dirty trick? Shameless!” a Four Poles Sect disciple scoffed in disgust.

Another disciple’s expression darkened.

“Still, I understand. In martial arts, nothing is off-limits. Chunyu Yan can’t afford to lose—his life’s on the line. Of course he’ll fight dirty to survive.”

“But in the end, it’s just a matter of being weaker. He came for revenge and now he’s the one getting a lesson. Talk about bitter irony.”

“Who would’ve guessed Lin Xiao was this strong?”

“Truly unexpected.”

Lin Xiao ignored the voices. His eyes were locked solely on Chunyu Yan.

The instant Chunyu Yan lifted his leg, Lin Xiao reacted. A cold light flashed in his eyes. He abruptly let go of Chunyu Yan’s wrists, sidestepped forward, and drove his shoulder into Chunyu Yan’s chest with devastating force.

Boom!

Chunyu Yan was launched into the air as if struck by a freight train. His body flipped midair several times before crashing heavily into the ground.

Even after landing, he couldn’t stay upright. He stumbled backward, face ashen. Blood surged violently in his organs, and he was on the verge of vomiting.

If he hadn’t reached half-step Flowing Force and possessed inner energy to buffer the blow, he might have died on the spot.

‘It’s over. Completely over.’

Chunyu Yan forced himself to stand, jaw clenched so tightly it creaked. His eyes burned with hatred. Regret churned in his chest like boiling oil.

If he’d known Lin Xiao was this strong, he’d never have come alone. He would’ve joined the Celestial Star Pavilion’s party and brought backup. Now, he was in too deep—trapped and powerless.

Lin Xiao didn’t need to guess. Just looking at Chunyu Yan’s expression, he could already tell what he was thinking.

He sneered.

“Sect Master Chunyu, what now? Run for your life? Or fight me to the death?”

Step by steady step, Lin Xiao advanced.

Chunyu Yan’s eyes flickered. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the pain in his chest. Gritting his teeth, he barked a cold laugh.

“Don’t get too cocky, boy. Even if you kill me today, others will come. You won’t escape forever. You’d better conserve your strength… for what’s coming.”

“No need to trouble yourself, Sect Master Chunyu. I’ll take care of them too. But you…”

Lin Xiao’s tone cooled.

“…you won’t live to see it.”

The moment the word “live” left his lips, killing intent surged from Lin Xiao’s body like a wave. A faint red glow flickered in his eyes.

He stomped his foot.

The stone bricks beneath him caved in with a crunch, leaving a deep footprint. Then—boom!—Lin Xiao shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

The force of his movement resembled a cannonball tearing through air. He closed the distance in a blink. Chunyu Yan barely had time to react.

This was the first time Lin Xiao had truly attacked at full power. Everything before had just been warm-up.

Channeling all his momentum, Lin Xiao’s fist launched forward.

Thunder roared.

The iron-forged fist, wreathed in white energy, loomed larger and larger in Chunyu Yan’s eyes. Even at a distance, the force it carried was suffocating.

For the first time, Chunyu Yan’s expression turned to fear.

His body instinctively recoiled. He crossed both arms to block—his last-ditch defense.