Chapter 85 Exchange of Moves

“Excellent!” Chen Tianxing gave Lin Xiao’s shoulder a firm pat. “Lin Xiao, there’s no rush to leave today. Stick around for lunch and I’ll have Chen Tianli show you our martial arts school.”

“Brother Lin, how about we have a friendly spar?” Chen Tianli suddenly stood up, rubbing his palms together and looking at Lin Xiao, his face full of eagerness for battle.

Lin Xiao seemed skilled in martial arts. His grandfather had often mentioned Lin Xiao, so he was quite curious about him.

Before Lin Xiao could answer, Chen Tianxing glared. “Stop it! Lin Xiao is our guest. There’s no need for this.”

Old Master Chen also shook his head slightly, though for reasons different from Chen Tianxing’s.

While Tianxing was indeed an ancient martial artist, his cultivation level was modest. Even after hearing his father mention that Lin Xiao practiced ancient martial arts, he had his doubts. He couldn’t sense anything particularly extraordinary about the man.

But what eluded the son had not escaped the father. With decades of experience and a cultivation level far surpassing his son’s, Old Master Chen had sensed it the moment they met. Lin Xiao’s cultivation ran deep. That was why Master Chen had extended the invitation so eagerly. He wasn’t about to let someone like Lin Xiao slip through his fingers.

“Dad, I just want to spar with Brother Lin,” Chen Tianli said with a dismissive wave. “We won’t go overboard. Aren’t martial artists supposed to forge friendships through sparring?”

Lin Xiao, for his part, was genuinely curious. Though he sensed that Chen Tianli’s cultivation wasn’t especially advanced, he still saw value in exchanging moves—an opportunity to better understand the world of ancient martial arts.

“Uncle Chen, no need to worry. I’d be glad to spar with Brother Chen. It’s a good way to build camaraderie. Just don’t be too hard on me.” Lin Xiao stood and chuckled lightly.

Chen Tianli was thrilled. He rolled up his sleeves with a grin and moved to the center of the room.

“Relax, Brother Lin. It’s just a friendly match, not a life-or-death duel. We’ll stop as soon as one of us yields.”

Lin Xiao then walked with a steady gait to a spot two meters away from Chen Tianli. He stood opposite him, hands hanging naturally by his sides, without taking any stance.

However, despite casually standing there, there was something about him. It was like that of a tiger—it may seem languid, but once it starts hunting, it’s as swift as the wind and as formidable as a mountain.

Chen Tianli, who had been relaxed just moments earlier, felt a shift. His expression grew more serious as he began to reassess the person standing across from him.

From the side, Chen Tianxing’s eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

“Hehe, didn’t see that coming, did you?” Old Master Chen quipped from his armchair, eyes slightly narrowed and voice laced with deeper implications, “This young lad named Lin Xiao isn’t as simple as he appears. Tianli is no match for him.”

“Dad, you were indeed right.” Chen Tianxing, staring at Lin Xiao’s figure, gave a wry smile.

He also admitted to himself that he had indeed underestimated Lin Xiao. He felt an unexpected pressure from Lin Xiao, almost feeling that if he were to duel with Lin Xiao, he might lose.

Before, Lin Xiao seemed no different from any ordinary person. Given Lin Xiao’s young age, Chen Tianxing had assumed that while Lin Xiao might be a prodigy, his cultivation level could not be that high.

Even though his father had previously suggested that Lin Xiao’s cultivation might be on par with his own, Chen Tianxing had refused to believe it. He’d assumed his father had simply misjudged.

After all, his own cultivation wasn’t even equal to his father’s. If not for the old man’s hidden injury, he wouldn’t stand a chance against him. So how could Lin Xiao—young and unfamiliar—possibly be anywhere close?

But now, watching Lin Xiao in person, he found himself unable to deny what he saw. Reluctant as he was to admit it, the reality was hard to ignore: even if Lin Xiao’s cultivation wasn’t quite at his father’s level, the difference wasn’t far off.

“Then why didn’t you stop them?”

“Why should I?” Old Master Chen replied calmly. “Losing might be good for Tianli. It’ll remind him there’s always someone stronger, always a higher mountain to climb.”

Chen Tianli couldn’t hear the conversation between Old Master Chen and Chen Tianxing.

He took a deep breath and declared solemnly, “Watch out, Brother Lin, I’m making my move.”

No sooner had he finished his sentence than Chen Tianli lunged forward, his arms darting out like long spears aimed directly at Lin Xiao’s chest. His muscular arms were tensed like steel, veins writhing beneath his skin like tiny serpents.

This single move alone made Chen Tianli’s exceptional skills evident.

It was a simple technique, yet it was imbued with incredible force and raw fierceness. It was nothing like what Lin Xiao had previously encountered.

A glint of light flashed in Lin Xiao’s eyes. Faced with Chen Tianli’s intense attack, he took a step back, raised his leg, and swiftly whipped it towards Chen Tianli’s waist.

Given the friendly nature of the match, Lin Xiao held back, using only a third of his strength for this kick. Yet even so, it was as quick as lightning.

“Good!” Chen Tianli exclaimed, reaching down to deflect Lin Xiao’s leg. Seizing the moment when Lin Xiao was unable to retract his leg, he closed in, throwing three consecutive punches.

He thought his punches were fast—but to Lin Xiao, they were perfectly visible.

Feeling a touch of disappointment, Lin Xiao quickly gauged that while Chen Tianli had some cultivation, it wasn’t enough. He had only just stepped into the outer edge of the Bright Force stage.

By comparison, Lin Xiao’s own cultivation—firmly rooted in the Dark Force stage and edging toward the Flowing Force stage—was far beyond his.

Not wanting to embarrass Chen Tianli, Lin Xiao had planned to hold back and steer the match toward a draw. But before he could act on that thought, Old Master Chen’s voice rang out from the side.

“Lin Xiao, don’t hold back. Holding back would be an insult to Tianli.”

Influenced by the old master’s words, Lin Xiao adjusted his stance.

With a slight shift of his body, he crossed one leg behind the other and twisted, effortlessly avoiding Chen Tianli’s strike. In the next instant, he lunged forward, closing the distance in a flash until he was face-to-face with him.

To Chen Tianli, it was a blur. One moment Lin Xiao had been meters away, and the next, he was right in front of him. A cold shiver ran down his spine, his scalp tingling. He couldn’t react—Lin Xiao was simply too fast.

A sharp pain bloomed in his chest. He staggered back, pushed by an invisible force, and after a few stumbling steps, he dropped to the ground.

Stunned, Chen Tianli stared up at Lin Xiao, unable to process what had just happened.

Lin Xiao walked over calmly and extended a hand.

Chen Tianli’s face shifted between green and white. He let out a wry smile, grabbed Lin Xiao’s hand to pull himself up.

“I didn’t expect Brother Lin to be this powerful. I’ve really brought this on myself,” he said self-deprecatingly.

“There’s always someone better, there’s always a sky beyond the sky,” Chen Jinsong said in a heartfelt manner, “You believe yourself to be powerful, but that’s only because you’ve yet to face a true master. Once you do, your shortcomings become evident. Do you understand why you lost?”

Chen Tianli ran his fingers through his hair, his face a picture of bewilderment. “All I saw was a blur before my eyes, then I felt a palm strike my chest. I couldn’t even see how I was attacked.”

Chen Tianxing and Old Master Chen shared a glance, both thinking the same thing.

There was no need to mention Chen Tianxing. He was already astounded by Lin Xiao’s martial prowess and cultivation. His own martial cultivation was significantly inferior to Lin Xiao’s and thus couldn’t make much sense of it. But he did feel that his father’s judgment was spot on. Lin Xiao’s martial arts cultivation was impressive.

As for Old Master Chen Jinsong, it was a different matter entirely. With a cultivation level far above Chen Tianxing’s and already on the verge of entering the Flowing Force stage himself, he was even more shocked by what he had just witnessed. Lin Xiao’s abilities had exceeded his expectations by a wide margin.

Lin Xiao had demonstrated strength far beyond Old Master Chen Jinsong’s expectations.

He had hoped to glean some insight into Lin Xiao’s cultivation from this fight. After all, although Chen Tianli’s cultivation was modest, he had made it to the edge of the Bright Force stage, which was considered quite good amongst his peers.

However, Lin Xiao’s display of cultivation had left him thoroughly astounded.

He had anticipated that Chen Tianli would lose, but he hadn’t expected him to lose so quickly, so effortlessly.