Chapter 446: Greatly Shaken

“Master Chen, there’s no need to say more. Since I’ve already agreed to stand in for the Chen Martial Arts School, I will never go back on my word.” Lin Xiao said, “From the moment I took on the title of Honorary Head of the Chen Martial Arts School, I already prepared myself mentally. Besides, you’ve never treated me unfairly. You even passed down the Chen family’s ancestral Chen-style Fist to me. To abandon you now—I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”

Hearing Lin Xiao’s firm and resolute words, Master Chen couldn’t help but reveal a look of gratification on his face. Stroking his long beard, he looked at Lin Xiao with eyes full of gratitude and closeness.

Standing nearby, Chen Tianxing and Chen Tianli both looked a little ashamed. They glanced at Lin Xiao, then lowered their heads in silence.

But Chen Tianxing, being older and more experienced, quickly regained his composure. There was a hint of joy in his heart.

The stronger Lin Xiao was, the better it was for the Chen Martial Arts School.

Chen Tianli, however, was a hot-blooded youth. In this critical time for the school, he felt deeply inferior. He was two years older than Lin Xiao, yet when the school was in crisis, he was powerless, completely unable to help—just a bystander.

Over this period, Chen Tianli had come to a deep realization. He trained desperately, trying to catch up. But his talent was lacking, and he had already neglected his training for too long. No matter how hard he worked, his progress was minimal.

Martial arts couldn’t rely solely on effort. Talent, opportunity, and persistence were all essential.

Master Chen grasped Lin Xiao’s hand and shook it firmly, eyes filled with emotion. “Lin Xiao, meeting you is the greatest fortune for our Chen family. If it weren’t for you, the Chen Martial Arts School might have ceased to exist long ago. This kindness, I will never forget.”

“Master Chen, you’re too kind. Meeting all of you has been my good fortune as well.” Lin Xiao smiled, changing the subject. “By the way, where’s Lingxin?”

“That girl’s packing her luggage in her room. We came out to wait for you first.” Master Chen patted Lin Xiao lightly on the shoulder. “Lin Xiao, how’s your practice of the Chen-style Fist coming along?”

“Master, the Chen-style Fist is profound and extensive. Though I’ve practiced it for some time, I’d say I’ve just barely scratched the surface.” Lin Xiao said calmly. “Perhaps you and Uncle Chen could give me some pointers?”

“I’m not in any position to critique you. Lin Xiao, you don’t even know how famous you are in the martial arts world of Jiangnan Province now. Some even call you the number one expert in the province. You single-handedly defeated both a master from the Imperial Capital and the Golden Claw Sect.”

Master Chen waved his hand. “Now I’m even more convinced that passing down the Chen-style Fist to you was the right decision. Only in your hands can it truly flourish.”

“Number one expert in Jiangnan Province?” Lin Xiao let out a wry chuckle. “Master, please don’t tease me. I can’t wear a hat that tall.”

“Lin Xiao, don’t belittle yourself. That title suits you well.” Master Chen said gravely. “In fact, your recent feats have caused quite a stir, even if you’re unaware of it.”

“You flatter me, Master. Such empty reputation is meaningless. To me, real strength is what truly matters.”

“I’m glad you think that way.” A smile appeared on Master Chen’s aged face. “I myself was once led astray by the pursuit of fame and ended up in my current state. Don’t follow the same path.”

At that, a trace of bitterness crossed Master Chen’s face. Given his talent back then, he had a real chance to break through to the Dark Force level. Unfortunately, in his youth, he was too competitive and obsessed with fame, which led to internal injuries. Eventually, he suffered qi deviation and lost his cultivation.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao didn’t know how to comfort him. He could only nod silently.

“Lin Xiao, while there’s still time, let this old man take a look at your Chen-style Fist?”

Fortunately, Master Chen quickly recovered, coughing a few times before speaking in a hoarse voice.

As soon as he said that, Chen Tianxing, Chen Tianli, and a few students nearby all looked expectantly at Lin Xiao.

“No problem,” Lin Xiao readily agreed, looking around. “Master, Uncle Chen, shall we go inside?”

“Alright.”

The group entered the martial arts hall. Lin Xiao removed his coat and stood at the center of the courtyard. He closed his eyes for a moment, then suddenly opened them. A sharp light flashed in his gaze.

Whoosh!

He raised his hand and threw a punch. Though it was only a demonstration and he didn’t use much force, the punch still stirred a fierce gust of wind, producing a sharp whistling sound as it cut through the air.

A glimmer flashed in Master Chen’s cloudy eyes. Though his strength had waned, his eyesight remained keen.

He had practiced Chen-style Fist his entire life. Just from Lin Xiao’s first move, he could see that Lin Xiao had already reached an extremely advanced level, not inferior to his own peak years.

“As expected, the new generation surpasses the old…”

Though Master Chen had long known of Lin Xiao’s talent, he hadn’t expected that in such a short time, Lin Xiao would master the Chen-style Fist to the point of surpassing him. It filled him with both bitterness and joy.

“Chen-style Fist finally has a worthy successor.”

Unlike Master Chen, Chen Tianxing had little desire to compete. But as the current head of the martial arts school and still relatively young, he couldn’t help feeling eager to compare. Even if he couldn’t match Lin Xiao’s cultivation, he had practiced the Chen-style Fist for most of his life. He should at least be better than someone who’d only learned it for less than a month.

Though he knew it was an unfair comparison, in other areas, he had already been thoroughly outclassed by Lin Xiao. He refused to believe he would lose in this as well.

Chen Tianxing stared intently at Lin Xiao’s movements, completely focused. His hands even subconsciously mimicked Lin Xiao’s actions.

“Shock form… Force form… Wave form…” Chen Tianxing muttered under his breath as he watched. “To think he’s already reached this level in such a short time… this is…”

The more he watched, the more his confidence crumbled. He looked at Lin Xiao with complex emotions. Though he knew his mindset was wrong, he simply couldn’t help it. The blow was too much.

It hadn’t even been that long, and Lin Xiao had completely mastered the Chen-style Fist. Meanwhile, he had trained for half a lifetime and only barely achieved proficiency. The gap was so huge it made one want to die from shame.

Leaving aside Chen Tianxing’s inner turmoil, Lin Xiao stood firm in the courtyard’s center. His strikes were fast as lightning, each move sharp and powerful, filled with dominance. Soon, he completed the entire set and slowly withdrew his stance, a faint white mist rising from the top of his head.

“Master, Uncle Chen, how was my Chen-style Fist?” Lin Xiao asked casually.

Chen Tianxing said nothing. He simply gave a thumbs-up, his eyes filled with a mixture of joy and frustration.

Master Chen stroked his beard, his expression meaningful. “Lin Xiao, there’s no need to ask us. Ask yourself. Because this is your fist.”

Hearing those words, a thoughtful light flickered in Lin Xiao’s eyes.

At that moment, a crisp voice suddenly rang out, “Master, you’re here this early?”

Lin Xiao turned toward the voice, and his eyes immediately lit up.

Chen Lingxin was standing on the steps outside the living room, smiling brightly as she waved at him. Her figure was graceful, her posture elegant.

She wore a light purple blouse on top and tight jeans below. The jeans hugged her long, straight legs tightly together without a gap in between.

At this moment, there was no trace of the tomboyish girl. She was a stunning, beautiful young woman.

It was the first time Lin Xiao had seen this side of Chen Lingxin. He couldn’t help but take a few more glances.

In the past, she always wore loose training clothes, hiding her figure. Now, in jeans, her curvy and graceful body was fully revealed.

Lin Xiao’s reaction was still composed, but the nearby students had their eyes wide open, jaws practically on the floor.

“That… that beauty is our senior sister?”

“Senior sister has such a good figure?”

“She’s so beautiful! I never imagined she could look like this when dressed up!”

“Did the sun rise from the west today? That tomboy is actually wearing clothes like this?” Chen Tianli muttered in disbelief. “Did she take the wrong medicine?”

As her younger brother, he had never seen his sister dressed like this in his entire life.