Chapter 302: Courting Death

The three figures consisted of two men and one woman.

They were the backbone of the Golden Claw Sect, older than Duan Fei and the younger disciples by about ten years, making them the fastest to react.

Although Lin Xiao had suddenly struck, effortlessly defeating an elite disciple and greatly shocking the ordinary members, it only ignited the fighting spirit and killing intent of these three.

The two male disciples flanked Lin Xiao from the left and right. Their strong, knuckle-jointed hands curled into claws, striking toward Lin Xiao’s chest and abdomen.

The female disciple was even more ruthless, surpassing the two men in ferocity. There was nothing delicate about her. Her hands moved in a vicious pincer motion. Sharp nails flashed with a cold glint as they stabbed toward Lin Xiao’s eyes and heart.

All three were at the mid-to-late Bright Force stage, just one step away from Dark Force.

Although their cultivation was only slightly higher than Duan Fei’s, their combat strength far exceeded his.

Cultivation level did not equate to strength. A higher stage did not necessarily mean greater power, and a strong fighter was not always at a high stage.

Cultivation was only one aspect of a person’s overall strength. True combat ability depended on psychological resilience, real battle experience, and other factors.

Duan Fei had cultivation and raw power but lacked battle experience and mental fortitude. In contrast, these three Golden Claw Sect disciples were the opposite. Though their cultivation was not much higher than Duan Fei’s, their combat experience was extensive, and their minds were firm and ruthless.

The difference in strength was clear.

If Duan Fei was glass, these three were stone. Glass gleamed but shattered easily, while stone was plain but unyielding.

Of course, when the gap was too vast, it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—utterly foolish.

However, these three did not know Lin Xiao’s exact level. They were not from the Golden Claw Sect’s headquarters but from branch halls, having only vaguely heard that someone was causing trouble today.

Seeing how Lin Xiao had effortlessly struck down an elite disciple, they took him seriously. They knew they couldn’t fight him one-on-one.

Reaching an unspoken agreement, they chose to attack together, striking with full force without hesitation or reservation.

Their attacks targeted Lin Xiao’s most difficult-to-defend areas. Even if he managed to block or evade, his back would be exposed, creating an opening for others to exploit.

Their ferocity and cunning were displayed to the fullest in this moment.

Yet, Lin Xiao saw through them completely.

No matter how sharp their tactics or how rich their battle experience, against an overwhelming power gap, all calculations were meaningless.

As the three launched their ruthless assault, Lin Xiao remained expressionless. He raised his left hand, fingers together, and swung it downward like a blade.

The strike was as fast as lightning. It sliced through the air with a deep whooshing sound, as if a massive, hundred-pound blade was cutting everything in its path in two.

The sheer force behind it was like a collapsing mountain or a tidal wave—unstoppable.

The three disciples’ expressions changed instantly.

To them, Lin Xiao’s strike seemed as though it could descend upon them at any moment. Though it had yet to land, the chilling killing intent had already made their hearts tremble and their backs turn cold.

The more experienced a fighter, the keener their sense of danger.

At the moment Lin Xiao’s strike fell, they knew—no matter what they did, they could not block it.

“Retreat!”

One of the male disciples let out a loud shout, forcefully halting his attack. He stomped hard on the ground. The solid bluestone shattered beneath his feet as he used the momentum to retreat explosively.

The other male disciple also retreated at the same time. His eyes flickered with fear. His retreat was even a few beats faster than the first.

A true expert’s skill was evident the moment they made a move.

Lin Xiao’s terrifying strike instantly forced three battle-hardened elite disciples to retreat.

The female disciple closest to Lin Xiao also tried to withdraw, but she had barely moved a few inches when Lin Xiao’s blade hand was already at the top of her head.

The fierce wind pressure made her scalp tingle with pain. Her face turned pale, and she abandoned all resistance, closing her eyes in acceptance.

A gust of wind swept past, sending her hair fluttering backward, but the expected heavy blow never landed.

Lin Xiao’s blade-like hand halted three inches above her head. A cold light flickered in his eyes as he shifted his palm into a claw, grabbed her by the shoulder, and flung her aside.

The female disciple, narrowly escaping death, flipped in midair before landing. She staggered backward seven or eight steps before regaining her balance. Looking at Lin Xiao, her eyes no longer held a trace of fighting spirit.

If Lin Xiao had not held back, she would already be dead.

Though Lin Xiao was ruthless and had killed many, he was not a mindless butcher. Every kill had a reason.

This female disciple had attacked him, but her crime did not warrant death, so Lin Xiao did not take her life.

Lin Xiao withdrew his left hand, his gaze sweeping over the disciples.

Everyone he looked at lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.

“Step aside. With just you all, no matter how many of you there are, you are not my match.”

Lin Xiao’s hands hung loosely at his sides as his calm voice echoed through the martial hall.

“That strike was just a warning. If you still refuse to back down, don’t blame me for being merciless.”

Lin Xiao had no interest in wasting time on these disciples.

His true opponents were the core leadership of the Golden Claw Sect, as well as its sect master.

They were the ones who truly controlled the sect.

Lin Xiao could sense that the moment he struck just now, several sharp gazes had locked onto him from within the great hall behind the disciples.

“What are you all standing around for?”

A cold, indifferent voice suddenly rang out from within the hall.

“He is just one man. He doesn’t have three heads and six arms. Are you really so scared of him? If you refuse to fight, then you are no longer worthy of being Golden Claw Sect disciples.”

The voice made the hesitant disciples’ expressions shift.

“Senior Uncle Duan is right!” someone shouted. “No matter how strong he is, he’s still just one man. There are so many of us. Why should we fear him?”

“He dared to shatter our martial hall’s plaque! If we don’t kill him, how will we ever hold our heads high? How will other martial halls ever fear us again?”

Spurred on by a few elite disciples, the wavering morale surged once more.

But this time, they did not charge recklessly. Instead, they steadily tightened their encirclement.

Layer after layer, they closed in, sealing off all exits. Every pair of eyes radiated killing intent as they locked onto Lin Xiao.

“You really won’t give up until you reach the Yellow River, and you won’t shed tears until you see the coffin.” Lin Xiao said and let out a cold laugh.

His gaze suddenly turned as cold as ice. “Since you are so ignorant of life and death, I will grant your wish.