The feud between the Chens and the Seven Invincible Sect had persisted well over a hundred years. Some said that their vengeance ran ocean-deep. If the leader from the central government had not regulated their relationship, they might have smashed each other’s brains from their skulls.
However, even with the central leader’s buffering, there had been countless smaller outbursts of conflicts between the two parties. Otherwise, this martial arts competition wouldn’t have existed in the first place.
“I heard that Lin Sheng was a tough nut to crack. Not yet 30, but he’s already at the peak of HuaJin. Based on the private information I received this time, Lin Sheng has already reached the cultivation level of a Baodan Grandmaster!” said a long-faced middle-aged man.
He was the leader of this operation, and also the younger brother of the Chen family Clan Leader—Chen Chang.
Upon hearing Chen Chang’s words, those young men chattering away halted almost instantly. Some of them even showed fear in their faces.
They belonged to the same generation as Lin Sheng, and they weren’t that far off in age as well, where most were in their twenties. Only a few of them had managed to make it to HuaJin, not to mention a Baodan Grandmaster.
The most likely scenario was that they would never become a Baodan Grandmaster in their lifetime.
As someone who had not yet reached the age of 30, Lin Sheng could already measure up to Grandmasters of the previous generation. That was undoubtedly a massive blow to them all.
They were all young men, but why was the difference between them insurmountable?
It made them remember that one time when they fought Lin Sheng. Lin Sheng ended up beating them up good, and they were sent scampering while hugging their heads.
As the top liners of the Chens and the Seven Invincible Sect, respectively, there were, of course, chances where they would face-off with Lin Sheng. However, it would almost end with a crushing defeat on their side.
Even they must admit that Lin Sheng was indeed a genius of the Seven Invincible Sect unseen in decades. He was like a mountain that was suffocating them.
That was especially the case for those young men from the Chen family, who had already achieved HuaJin. The gloom was real; they had, after all, gave their everything in cultivation and finally managed to break into HuaJin. When they thought that they were finally catching up to Lin Sheng, they heard that he was becoming a Baodan Grandmaster.
Such an existence could already set up a sect on his own and become a grandmaster.
At the same time, everyone turned their gaze to the young man sitting in the middle, resting with his eyes closed. He was also the crucial trump card the Chens had up their sleeve and the reason why they were confident they could destroy the Seven Invincible Sect this time.
Those youths felt even more defeated. They recalled the time where the young man first appeared. Unknowing of his strength, they overestimated themselves and challenged him. In the end, they were taught a painful lesson instead.
If Lin Sheng at least left a rear light that they could still see, this man was much more clear-cut in the sense that he didn’t leave even a flicker. He was like a creature living in another dimension.
“It doesn’t matter!” The young man seemed to sense the gazes of everyone on him and said this mildly.
“That Lin Sheng has only completed what he’s learned this year. He is nothing but a flower nurtured in a greenhouse. One strike is enough to take him down. I can kill him with three moves!”
There was nothing but sheer confidence on the young man’s face. Although the people within the country could be considered painstakingly hardworking in their cultivation, it was nothing when compared to what he had been through overseas ever since he was young.
He had become a mercenary when he was a teen and was active on battlefield after battlefield. Not only did the battlefield not claim his life, but it had made him stronger as time went by.
“My Master did not send me here for a mere Lin Sheng, nor was it for the Seven Invincible Sect, even!” The young man spoke slowly, “The Seven Invincible Sect is just a stumbling block. We’ll first take over the Min Province as our springboard, and then we, the Flying Dragon Sect, will overwhelm the mainland. The glorious era of the cultivators is imminent, and all of you have much to gain!”
That was the first time that the Chens heard about the young man’s goal and plans.
It far surpassed their imagination, and they could feel the disparity in the scale of their thinking.
When they were still trying to fight it out with the Seven Invincible Sect, this young man had set his eyes on the entire nation and the golden age of cultivating.
However, when they thought about the strength of the young man, it became easier to swallow. He had the qualifications and the prowess to say such things.
“When night falls, we shall dominate the martial world of Min Province!” the young man said powerfully.
The other side.
Lu Xuan wandered around the village. Atop the battle rings, there were people sparring from time to time. Underneath, many of the tourists cheered loudly as they watched the fight.
Lu Xuan came to a corner and said, “Come on out. You’ve followed me long enough. It’s getting a little boring, don’t you think?”
Just as Lu Xuan finished saying that, a muscular youth emerged from the shadows as he looked sinisterly at Lu Xuan.
“Quite alert, aren’t you? There’s no use, though. There’s no escape!” The youth let out a cruel laugh. In his hands, there was a metal rod.
“Blame it on yourself for offending someone you shouldn’t have. Brother Li instructed me to break one of your arms and make you stay in the hospital for a few days!” the muscular man taunted Lu Xuan coldly.
Lu Xuan immediately remembered that Senior Li, whom he just met once earlier that day.
However, he sure didn’t expect him to be that petty. Anyone who embarrassed him would be subjected to his revenge.
Such a man was prideful to the extreme, so much so that it was a little psychotic. He would not tolerate any defiance.
Lu Xuan’s eyes quickly turned cold. “Just with a loser like you?”
That muscular man took full strides as he quickly caught up, then raised the metal rod in his hands. He swung it down at Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan stood still and took the blow fully. However, the smile of that muscular man froze when he realized what happened. The metal rod that he swung down on Lu Xuan could not hurt him at all!
It was bent!
“Monster, what kind of a monster are you?” That muscular man paled as if he had just seen a ghost. He was no more than a sports school student. How could he have ever seen a real master?
Lu Xuan shook his head. With a back-handed slap, he sent the muscular man flying through the air and even knocked out a couple of his front teeth.
That muscular man fainted on the spot.
Lu Xuan picked up the metal rod on the floor, and with a strike each, broke both of that man’s arms.
He tried to break his arms, and so he crippled both of his arms. That would be a small punishment just so that he would know better in the future.
Time quickly passed, and very soon, the sun went down, and the moon took its place. The night had blanketed the entire village.
The lights and bonfires all around the village were lit, illuminating all corners of the town, making it as bright as day.
Lu Yuling and Guo Yuanyuan had been walking around for a good part of the day and were feeling a little tired. They had wanted to leave, but Li Xun’s invitation, they decided to stay.
The three of them arrived at the battle ring right in the middle of the village.
“Juniors, here comes the main show! You will now witness the showdown between real masters. Most excitingly, you will get to see my Eldest Senior—Lin Sheng. He’s the real deal. Even the wealthy would treat him as their esteemed guest!” Li Xun pointed at the large battle ring as he reveled in pride.
