Chapter 475: Spreading Impact (Part 2)

The young disciples exchanged glances. Each of them wore a complicated expression, tangled thoughts making it hard to speak. In the end, all their gazes turned toward Lei Wen, seated in the front.

As the senior disciple of the younger generation in the West Sea Sect and the top ranker on the southern rising star rankings, Lei Wen held great prestige among the West Sea Sect disciples. Most of them looked to him for guidance.

In response to Tian Junliang’s question, Lei Wen raised his eyes and said seriously, “Master, the fact that Lin Xiao was able to defeat Zhang Li without a scratch means his strength far surpasses Zhang Li’s. My strength might be above Zhang Li’s, but not by much. Therefore, Lin Xiao’s strength must exceed mine as well. Though I don’t want to admit it, if I were to face him, the odds of me losing are high.”

The moment Lei Wen said this, the disciples were stunned.

“Senior Brother, you don’t have to sell yourself short. That Lin Xiao guy is indeed formidable, but you’re not inferior to him in the least,” a sharp-eyed young man with a lean face said urgently. 

“You’re already in the late stage of Dark Force, and you possess innate divine strength. Normal Dark Force late-stage practitioners are no match for you. Could Lin Xiao have already reached peak Dark Force?”

“Exactly! Peak Dark Force isn’t something you just break into so easily. There’s no way that Lin Xiao is already at that level.”

The other disciples all nodded in agreement, echoing the sentiment.

It was known that, although late-stage Dark Force and peak Dark Force seemed only a step apart, the gap was enormous. A peak Dark Force could completely overwhelm a late-stage one.

On the flip side, reaching peak Dark Force was extremely difficult. Many martial artists would spend their entire lives unable to break through.

“You all saw what happened to Zhang Li. Though his strength is slightly lower than mine, I don’t believe I could’ve beaten him into that state. At most, I would’ve had a slight edge.” Lei Wen’s calm gaze swept across every disciple. “Brothers and sisters, belittling your opponent won’t make you stronger. Only by recognizing your limitations can you go further on the martial path. I hope you understand this. Weak is weak. Strong is strong! Words cannot change that.”

Hearing Lei Wen’s words, the other disciples were sincerely convinced. 

“Senior Brother is right. We’ve learned something today.”

Tian Junliang looked at Lei Wen with satisfaction. Although in terms of talent alone, his disciple was slightly inferior to Zhang Li, his temperament was far stronger.

The path of martial cultivation did not rely solely on talent. What mattered more was having an unyielding will. Never giving up, no matter the odds.

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Tian Junliang’s face. “Lei Wen, the fact that you can say such words means my teaching has not been in vain. That’s right; never underestimate your opponents. Zhang Li is a lesson. He was once the most promising talent in the South, and now look at him. A genius who hasn’t fully grown is fragile. A dead genius or a crippled one is no longer a genius. Look at Zhang Li, is he still a genius now?”

Tian Junliang’s tone was heavy with meaning. 

“So never get complacent. We may be strong in the South, but compared to the entire country, we’re nothing. I hope you all can broaden your horizons and not be frogs at the bottom of the well.”

Including Lei Wen, all the disciples stood up in unison and bowed deeply toward Tian Junliang. 

“Yes, Master!”

***

Blazing Sun Martial Hall Headquarters.

An Chaoyang wore a grave expression as he carefully recounted every detail of what had happened at today’s martial arts exchange meet to his son, An Baichen, who lay in bed.

An Baichen was dumbstruck, silent for a long time.

“Father, is that Lin Xiao person really that strong?” His expression was full of disbelief.

An Chaoyang didn’t answer directly. Instead, he asked, “How do you compare to Zhang Li?”

An Baichen fell silent. The question didn’t need answering.

Zhang Li was a peerless talent in the late stage of Dark Force, the final disciple of Chunyu Yan of the Scarlet City Sect. Although An Baichen prided himself on his own abilities, he wouldn’t dare compare himself to Zhang Li.

“The conflict between you and Lin Xiao… was just a conflict.” An Chaoyang’s tone became heavier. “Since it was a conflict, it can be resolved. Do you understand? That’s also the stance of the sect. They don’t want to form enmity with a prodigy like him over a dismissed disciple.”

“I’ll do whatever the sect wants me to do,” An Baichen said after a long pause, his eyes flickering.

An Chaoyang gently patted his son’s shoulder. “Chen’er, it’s not that I don’t want to fight for you, but some things aren’t up to us. Anyway, your injuries aren’t too serious. Compared to Zhang Li, you’re already much luckier.”

At the mention of Zhang Li, An Baichen’s eyes lit up, and he said eagerly, “Father, is it true that bastard got crippled?”

“His spine was crushed. He may be paralyzed for life. Even if he recovers through surgery, his martial abilities will suffer greatly. He’ll never be that terrifying Zhang Li again.”

An Chaoyang sneered. “Scarlet City Sect has always been arrogant, looking down on everyone. I’d love to see the look on their faces right now. It must be priceless.”

***

Dongzhou City, Central District. A high-end private hospital.

“Doctor, how is my junior brother’s condition?” asked a well-dressed middle-aged man with slicked-back hair. 

His tone grave as he addressed the physician opposite him—an older man in a white coat and black-rimmed glasses.

Behind the man stood a group of young martial artists in training uniforms, completely blocking the corridor.

The doctor shook his head slowly. “It’s not looking good.”

The middle-aged man grabbed the doctor’s shoulder with one hand. 

“What do you mean by ‘not looking good’? Don’t give me nonsense.”

The man’s grip was powerful. The doctor, being an ordinary person, immediately grimaced in pain and began slapping at the man’s hand. 

“Let go of me, talk properly.”

The man loosened his grip slightly but didn’t let go. “Say it!”

“The patient’s injuries are severe. He’s very likely to be permanently disabled and may never walk again.” The doctor clenched his teeth against the pain, sweat beading on his forehead. “Even with a spinal implant, his bodily functions will be affected. He won’t be able to engage in intense physical activity.”

“Are you certain?” The man stared hard into the doctor’s eyes.

“If you don’t believe our diagnosis, then why bring him to our hospital?” the doctor retorted, his temper rising.

The man gave the doctor a long look, then finally released him and turned away. Outside the hospital entrance, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. 

“Master, the doctor just told me Junior Brother may be permanently disabled. He might never walk again.”

On the other end of the line, Chunyu Yan held his phone, silent for a long time.

He sat at the head of a long table in a grand hall, beneath a chandelier that cast a white glow throughout the room. The hall was brightly illuminated, yet his heart remained shrouded in darkness.

Below him sat two rows of Scarlet City Sect’s core members—middle-aged men and women—all of them silent, not daring to breathe too loudly.

After several minutes, Chunyu Yan finally suppressed the fury boiling in his chest.

“Understood,” he said coldly.

As soon as he said those four words, he hung up the call. With a sudden motion, his palm clenched tightly.

The phone was crushed into powder.

“Master, about Zhang Li…” The elder seated first to his left tried to probe gently.

“If he’s crippled, then he no longer has any use to Scarlet City Sect.” Chunyu Yan’s chest heaved as deep killing intent and ruthless coldness filled his eyes. “Now, what we need to consider is how to deal with that Lin Xiao bastard and make him pay the price for what he’s done.