“Junior Chen Xiao, on what grounds do you think you can speak to me like this?”
Chu He said with a smile, but his tone had changed.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the entire hall became tense.
“Father…”
Chu Qingluan called out softly.
But before she could speak, Chu He slammed the table and roared, “You shut up!”
He seemed to be scolding his daughter, but in reality, he was showing Chen Xiao his attitude.
At this point, everyone was on edge, waiting for Chu He’s command to attack Chen Xiao.
Of course, the martial artists from the secular world, led by Xiao Tiance, were definitely on Chen Xiao’s side.
They quietly moved to Chen Xiao’s side, waiting for the battle to erupt.
“Heh, everyone, no need to be so tense.”
When Chu He got angry, Chen Xiao actually started to smile.
However, that smile carried an extreme chill.
“Chu He, are you blaming me for my bad attitude towards you? But haven’t you considered why I have a bad attitude towards you?”
Chen Xiao said calmly, “You are the leader of the Martial Alliance in the ancient martial arts world, yet now the ancient martial arts world is in disarray. Are you not ashamed but proud? What kind of good face do you expect me to give you?”
Hearing this, Chu He’s old face immediately turned red.
However, he still argued, “You admit that what you said has some truth, but what can I do? The ancient martial arts world has always been fighting amongst themselves. The so-called leader of the Martial Alliance is merely a nominal title. I can’t control those people at all. Moreover, the ancestors of various sects have all come out of seclusion. Even if someone were to manage them, it wouldn’t be my place as a junior to do so!”
“Useless!”
As soon as Chu He finished speaking, Chen Xiao reprimanded him without mercy, “That’s why I told you to summon them. Those you can’t control, I will!”
Hearing this, Chu He became furious: “Chen Xiao, I warn you to be respectful. You must know that the Kyushu Great Tribulation is imminent, and everyone must unite. No matter how strong you are, how many nails can you drive alone?”
“So you know about unity too.”
Chen Xiao said sarcastically, “Unity is not just shouting slogans; it is achieved through action. I’ll give you one last chance. Summon all those disobedient old fellows to come here, now, immediately!”
“You’re dreaming. You have no right to give me orders, and it’s not your place to dictate matters of the ancient martial arts world!”
Chu He retorted, his words sharp and confrontational.
“So, there’s no room for negotiation.”
Chen Xiao suddenly flickered, lightly touched Chu He, and then returned to his original position.
All of this happened clearly and distinctly… but to everyone present, it felt as if it had occurred in an extremely short period of time.
Buddhism says that one thought contains dozens of moments, and Chen Xiao, as the cause of all this, did not even use half a moment.
This meant that Chu He had no chance to react at all.
He only knew that Chen Xiao had done something to him, but he didn’t know what exactly Chen Xiao had done.
“What did you do to me?”
Chu He asked, his voice trembling with fear.
“Can’t you see for yourself?”
Chen Xiao raised his eyebrows and said.
Chu He’s heart sank. As he carefully sensed himself, his scalp tingled, and his face turned ashen.
“You, you, you actually crippled my cultivation?”
Chu He gritted his teeth and said with hatred.
His cultivation of hundreds of years was crippled by Chen Xiao with a single word, and he couldn’t even resist, let alone react.
“Heh, you should be grateful to your daughter Chu Qingluan. She is my good friend, so I spared your life. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been as simple as crippling your cultivation!”
After saying this, Chen Xiao ignored Chu He and looked at the crowd, asking loudly, “Now, I want to establish Xiao Tiance as the leader of the ancient martial arts world. Who agrees, and who opposes?”
“I object!”
A bearded man stepped forward and said in a deep voice, “You, surnamed Chen, don’t push your luck too far…”
*Pfft*—
The bearded man had only spoken one sentence before his entire body disintegrated, turning into a mist of blood, utterly dead.
Seeing this, the expressions on everyone’s faces became even more terrified; they didn’t even dare to look at Chen Xiao.
This kid was too overbearing!
And Chen Xiao was precisely that overbearing!
After killing the first person who dared to object, he loudly asked again, “Now, regarding my proposal, who agrees and who opposes?”
This time, scattered voices of agreement echoed from below.
Seeing this, Chen Xiao snapped his fingers with satisfaction: “Okay, then it’s settled. Xiao Tiance, you are now the new leader of the Martial Alliance.”
“Chen Xiao, this, this isn’t quite right, is it?”
Xiao Tiance hesitated, unsure whether to accept, “What virtue and ability do I have to be the leader of the Martial Alliance?”
Chen Xiao walked up to him and said softly, “In times of chaos, strong measures are needed. Brother Xiao, I’m not just making you the leader to be an official, but to make you take responsibility for the ancient martial sects.”
Hearing Chen Xiao’s words, Xiao Tiance nodded heavily: “I understand. Brother Chen, please give me any instructions!”
“Yes, get started. Summon all those ancient martial artists who have been causing trouble outside!”
Chen Xiao said.
“Yes, I understand!”
Xiao Tiance had long been annoyed by those ancient martial artists, so he immediately went to handle the matter.
The call of the leader of the Martial Alliance still carried some weight. Within half an hour, the sect leaders of most ancient martial sects had arrived.
Including several Martial Gods from Jile Island, among them were Ye Xiaoyao and Chu Changqing, two old acquaintances.
Chen Xiao did not act too friendly towards them, merely nodding slightly as a greeting.
It wasn’t that Chen Xiao was deliberately putting on airs; he just wanted to create a tense atmosphere.
What followed was a fierce battle, not a leisurely vacation. Everyone had to be tense and alert.
However, a portion of the ancient martial artists did not arrive within the specified time.
And these people happened to be those sects that liked to cause trouble.
However, they did arrive, appearing in the hall in unison at the thirty-fifth minute.
It was as if rebellious students deliberately arrived five minutes late to prove their uniqueness.
The reason they did this was to embarrass Chen Xiao, because the leader among them was Huangfu Wanjun!
Needless to say, this was the ancestor of the Lingxiao Hall!
And Chen Xiao was the one who had disbanded the Lingxiao Hall, and all of Huangfu Wanjun’s descendants had been killed by Chen Xiao.
“Who is the current leader of the Martial Alliance?”
Huangfu Wanjun was the first to make a move. His voice boomed like a bell, his hands clasped behind his back, his head held high, looking down at people with his nostrils.
“I am!”
Xiao Tiance stepped forward and said without conceding an inch.
“It was you, kid, who summoned us?”
Huangfu Wanjun asked slowly, his eyes filled with disdain.
“I summoned you.”
Before Xiao Tiance could reply, Chen Xiao stepped forward and said.
“And who do you think you are?”
Huangfu Wanjun glanced at Chen Xiao and sneered, “Chu He, you’re getting more and more useless. You’ve even had the position of Martial Alliance leader snatched away. Tsk, tsk, tsk, your Zhushen Hall, what is it!”
Chu He stood by with his hands down, not saying a word. His cultivation had been crippled by Chen Xiao, and he was both angry and ashamed, having no mood to speak.
“Old monster Huangfu, I warn you not to spout nonsense in front of me. Others may fear you, but I don’t!”
Chu Changqing said coldly, stepping up for his descendants.
“You indeed don’t fear me, but do you think I fear you?”
Huangfu Wanjun said indignantly, “You old geezer, don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk. If you have the guts, step out and fight me!”
“Fight, then. If I don’t beat you until your teeth fall out today, then my surname isn’t Chu!”
Chu Changqing rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight Huangfu Wanjun.
The juniors beside them were all stunned.
This, this was still the venerable Martial God ancestor? What was the difference between this and a street thug?
“All of you, stop!”
However, at this moment, Chen Xiao’s sharp command halted the two who were about to fight.
“Brat, you have no say here. Get lost!”
Huangfu Wanjun said dismissively, “After I’ve dealt with this old geezer Chu Changqing, I’ll settle the score with you!”
He thought that Chen Xiao dared to be so arrogant because he had the backing of Chu Changqing, so before dealing with Chen Xiao, he had to take care of Chu Changqing first.
Chu Changqing also waved his hand and said, “Junior Chen Xiao, this is a personal grievance between me and old monster Huangfu. You’d best not interfere!”
After speaking, the two assumed their stances, ready to fight.
Chen Xiao sighed helplessly, then suddenly lunged forward and returned to his original position.
And Chu Changqing and Huangfu Wanjun, the two old men, were left stunned on the spot.
“What… what just happened?”
Chu Changqing asked in disbelief.
“My cultivation, my cultivation has been crippled…”
Huangfu Wanjun’s eyes widened as he looked at Chen Xiao, “Did you do this?”
Chu He, standing nearby, chuckled with schadenfreude. Someone else was finally experiencing his pain.
Chu Changqing sensed himself. Thankfully, his cultivation was still intact. However, for some reason, his meridians seemed to be blocked, and he wouldn’t be able to fight for a while.
“Now, can I speak?”
Chen Xiao’s slight display of skill immediately intimidated the crowd.
The sect leaders who had followed Huangfu Wanjun in became nervous.
“Kid, I’m asking you a question. Did you do this!”
Huangfu Wanjun was furious, grinding his teeth.
Chen Xiao frowned impatiently and said, “Do you just have to interrupt me? Is your business more important than the affairs of the entire world? You old geezer, you really don’t know what’s important. Xiao Tiance, slap him! Beat him until he dares not speak!”