Chapter 265: Struck from the Shadows Again

Duan Changhan’s tone dripped with cold, unveiled killing intent.

“And after you’re dead, we’ll make sure those close to you suffer too,” Jiang Linfeng sneered from the side. “You have only yourself to blame.”

Lin Xiao’s fists clenched tightly.

Their threats were laced with so much malice it made his blood boil. Anger stirred within him, fierce as a storm, a surge of unrestrained fury that wanted to tear everything down in its path. This anger wasn’t just the heat of the moment, it was a blaze that wanted to burn away every injustice standing in front of him.

Outwardly, Lin Xiao was calm.

But inside? He was like a volcano masked by ice—cold on the surface, blazing hot at the core.

He was sick of these people, these self-proclaimed masters who thought they could toy with him by threatening those he cared about.

He glanced at Chen Tianxing, barely breathing, and at the fallen students of Chen’s martial school lying across the ground.

Why?

Why did those who sought power get to act without consequence, while good people were the ones who suffered?

Why was the world filled with people who thought they could toy with the lives of others?

Lin Xiao took a long, deep breath, letting out all the frustration trapped inside. His anger was now a sharp, focused blade, crystal-clear in its intent. He would break these people’s spirits, destroy them so thoroughly that they’d regret ever crossing him.

He was ready.

“You shouldn’t have threatened me,” he said.

His black eyes were blazing with an intense, unyielding fire. His voice, though, was icy.

“Oh yeah?” Jiang Linfeng sneered behind his bandages, his eyes glinting with malice. “And what are you gonna do, all alone?”

“If you surrender now, maybe I’ll consider sparing your family,” Duan Changhan said, mistaking the fire in Lin Xiao’s eyes for hesitation.

He was trying to rattle Lin Xiao, to throw him off-balance. He knew Lin Xiao was no ordinary fighter—anyone who could cripple Jiang Linfeng’s skills had to be powerful. But Duan wasn’t above trying to chip away at that resolve.

“Even if we can’t stop you right now, do you really think you can take on the whole Golden Claw Sect? We’ve got four Dark Force experts. If you want to protect innocent lives, don’t fight us.”

Duan’s words were more subtle than Jiang Linfeng’s outright taunts, but the threat was even nastier: telling Lin Xiao not to resist, to just lie down and accept his fate.

“I already told you,” Lin Xiao said, “you shouldn’t have threatened me.”

His voice sounded the same, but there was an edge that cut even sharper.

As he spoke, the fire in his eyes burned hotter. Wisps of steam rose from his body, and an intense, dangerous energy spread around him.

“Master Duan, is this guy just frozen in fear, or what?” Jiang Linfeng muttered, glancing at Duan Changhan.

“Just watch out. This guy’s tougher than he looks.”

Despite all his bluster, Jiang Linfeng was nervous. He couldn’t forget how brutally he’d lost to Lin Xiao, or the day his skills had been stripped away.

Lin Xiao’s iron-hard fists, his inhuman strength—it all still haunted Jiang Linfeng. Deep down, he wasn’t even sure Duan Changhan could beat him, which was why he’d urged Duan to bring in another Dark Force expert. But Duan hadn’t listened.

But it didn’t matter.

If Lin Xiao dared to make a move, the Golden Claw Sect would never let him off, even if he somehow defeated Duan Changhan. Jiang Linfeng knew that much. No one, not even someone as strong as Lin Xiao, could take on the entire sect.

Duan Changhan wasn’t aware of Jiang Linfeng’s thoughts. He simply stared at Lin Xiao, his expression dark.

“I see,” he said flatly.

He had thought he’d been taking Lin Xiao seriously before, but now he realized he’d underestimated him. Lin Xiao’s fury radiated such intense pressure that it seemed to crash over him like a tidal wave.

The sheer intensity of it was overwhelming. Duan felt a chill run down his spine. His muscles tensed instinctively, as though he were standing on the edge of a cliff, one misstep away from disaster.

What kind of person carried that kind of bloodthirst?

How many had Lin Xiao killed to gain such a terrifying aura?

Duan suddenly understood why Jiang Linfeng had lost so badly. Lin Xiao was more than just some young upstart—he was a cold-blooded killer. That calm exterior was just a mask. Anger him, and he’d show his true, ruthless nature.

Duan knew he had to be cautious. The next moment, his eyes narrowed. Without warning, his hands shot forward. He released dozens of nearly invisible steel needles flying straight at Lin Xiao.

Just like Jiang Linfeng before, Duan Changhan had no problem fighting dirty.

Duan Changhan’s attack was on a whole different level from Jiang Linfeng’s. He was much closer to Lin Xiao, and with his higher level of skill, the speed and power behind his concealed weapons were far more dangerous.

“Coward!” Chen Lingxin shouted angrily.

Duan completely ignored her. He wasn’t one to care about honor or playing fair, as long as it got the job done. With him, once an attack was launched, there was no turning back.

The air filled with a faint, cutting sound, almost like a soft breeze rustling through the treetops. Oddly soothing, if it didn’t hide deadly intent.

With only a few meters between them, the needles filled with Duan’s energy shot forward like bullets. They reached Lin Xiao in the blink of an eye. Each one aimed straight at his torso.

These weren’t ordinary needles. They were tiny, barely a few inches long and as thin as a hair, but when launched by a skilled martial artist like Duan, they became deadly weapons. Many had fallen to his poisoned needles before.

Duan’s eyes were locked on Lin Xiao, waiting for any reaction—a dodge, a flinch, anything. His whole body was tense. His fingers turned an iron-gray, poised to strike the moment Lin Xiao showed an opening.

But the next moment, Duan’s expression froze.

“What!?”