The man's presence was as imposing as a mountain.
The many experts of the Xu family showed looks of admiration.
This top expert of the Xu family held a reputation within the family no less than that of the current family head.
"Uncle Lou!"
Xu Donglai bowed respectfully.
Xu Xilou nodded in acknowledgment, but his gaze remained fixed on Chen Fan.
Standing on a few steps leading from the corridor outwards, Xu Xilou positioned himself on the elevated ground, his sharp eyes piercing, carrying a killing intent as fierce as a raging tide.
"Is it you who severely injured Xu Xicheng, crippling his martial arts?"
Xu Xilou spoke coldly, his deep voice imbued with a pressure that made one's scalp tingle.
Chen Xing'er's face completely changed, and she sprang to her feet, her expression full of worry.
Under Xu Xilou's oppressive aura, Shi Wenyan felt her legs go weak, and she dared not make a sound.
As Chen Xing'er's assistant, she was sharp and capable, but she had never witnessed a person's aura reach such a level.
It was as if the air had been sucked dry, making breathing extremely difficult.
"It was me!"
Chen Fan was the focal point of all the pressure, as if at the center of a storm, yet his expression remained calm.
Only a hint of surprise flickered in his narrowed eyes.
"Now I feel it would have been much simpler if I had killed him and Xu Donglai together back then!" Chen Fan added with extreme nonchalance.
"Bold!"
Xu Xilou's killing intent intensified. "Those who oppose the Xu family die!"
As he spoke, he suddenly stomped his foot.
Boom!
With a muffled sound, the entire Yishui Manor seemed to tremble.
Xu Xilou, like an eagle spreading its wings, lunged from the covered corridor towards Chen Fan.
Rumble!
Sounds of surging wind and thunder erupted within his body. As he stomped and sprang up, a terrifying aura surged and radiated from him.
On his palm, an invisible force, about a foot long, churned, shattering the air and causing it to distort.
His palm also turned jade green, no longer resembling a human hand at all.
Jade Palm!
A supreme martial art inherited by the Xu family.
The Xu family did not start their lineage with martial arts, but over two to three hundred years, through various means, they had preserved this inheritance.
One palm strike, like a thunderbolt, descended with an invincible force, leaving Chen Fan no room to evade.
"Brother..."
Chen Xing'er's face grew anxious, and she rushed forward, but was blocked by Xu Donglai's men.
Shi Wenyan was also filled with extreme dread under the terrifying aura.
As the force descended, it intensified by another third, becoming indestructible, as if nothing could stop it.
Chen Fan raised his hand and met the strike with a palm.
Boom!
After the fierce collision, Chen Fan's body shook, and the bluestone beneath his feet began to crack.
However, a surging malevolent energy churned like a storm.
A force vibrated, his sleeve exploded, yet he remained unmoving.
On the other hand, Xu Xilou, after being repelled, suddenly retreated several steps.
Step by step, he retreated, leaving several cracked footprints on the bluestone ground in the courtyard.
Regaining his balance, Xu Xilou's expression changed.
His full-force attack had been blocked by Chen Fan.
And judging by Chen Fan's expression and demeanor, he still had some strength left, not appearing overly strained?
He had overestimated Chen Fan, and upon arriving in Hangzhou, he had not immediately sought out Chen Fan, but instead spent a day to recuperate and restore his strength.
Yet, he still couldn't subdue Chen Fan?
He had meticulously studied the details of Chen Fan severely injuring Xu Xicheng and had made an assessment of Chen Fan's strength.
That is, Chen Fan's strength should be at the Dark Force level.
Martial arts cultivation had three levels: Ming Force, Dark Force, and Hua Force. These were not absolute indicators of combat power, but they served as a reference standard.
Chen Fan had crippled Xu Xicheng with a single palm strike, and no sound of wind or thunder could be heard within his body, which was a sign of Dark Force circulation.
The so-called "dark" referred to its unseen, silent nature, its power becoming soft and insidious, making it difficult to defend against.
But after personally clashing, he realized that Chen Fan's power was not Dark Force at all, but a type of strength that appeared peaceful yet was extremely overbearing.
He was unable to determine Chen Fan's level of strength!
While he was still in shock and disbelief, Chen Fan took a step forward and said indifferently, "It's my turn!"
As soon as the words fell, a sky-high malevolent energy erupted, as if emanating from hell.
A terrifying aura churned and spread like a tempest.
Everyone present felt their hearts pounding.
The man before them seemed to have transformed into a demon god from hell. His appearance and form had not changed, but the malevolent energy, like a sea of corpses and blood, made them involuntarily tremble and quake, giving them the urge to kneel and worship.
Xu Donglai's expression changed drastically. He reached behind his waist, and a gun appeared in his hand.
He roared, "Fire, open fire!"
The helplessness and weakness he felt facing Chen Fan at the martial arts hall that day returned to him.
He had almost wet himself then, and the lingering terror and fear were unforgettable for his entire life.
Therefore, he learned his lesson and would not place all his hopes on Xu Xilou.
Only by having faced Chen Fan's attacks would one know how terrifying and despair-inducing this man truly was.
He had summoned nearly a hundred experts from within the clan precisely to have a backup plan.
If Xu Xilou couldn't defeat Chen Fan, then they would use modern firearms to kill Chen Fan.
No matter how high one's martial arts, how could it contend with firearms?
As his roar subsided, Chen Fan had already raised his hand, bringing his palm down on Xu Xilou.
Xu Xilou's expression also changed drastically, his pupils constricting.
"Kill!"
The pride of a martial arts master made him stand his ground and refuse to turn and flee.
He brought out both hands, the sound of wind and thunder in his body becoming incredibly dense. His entire body seemed to swell, growing significantly.
Both his arms turned jade green, shattering his sleeves, his arms appearing like refined iron.
Energy surged from his palms, extending over three feet, as if capable of supporting the heavens.
However, Chen Fan's palm strike descended, the malevolent energy soaring, and a white ribbon-like force was brought down with the strike.
It was like a waterfall slicing through the void.
Rumble.
The force dispersed, Xu Xilou's energy shattered and scattered like a gale.
He stumbled backward, falling onto the steps with a plop.
Only then did Xu Xilou's shouts finally cease.
The various disciples of the Xu family reacted differently. Some immediately aimed their guns at Chen Fan, while others were slower to react, as if waking from a dream.
After all, the invincible Xu Xilou in their hearts was battling Chen Fan, and they didn't believe Xu Xilou would be defeated so quickly, hence some hesitation and delay.
The sounds of gunfire erupted.
The malevolent energy surged, yet Chen Fan's figure rose like a phantom, leaving afterimages in the air.
Swish!
A force descended upon several Xu family disciples who had gathered together.
Suddenly, they felt as if their hearts were being violently grasped by an invisible hand.
Intense pain struck them. Amidst the boundless malevolent energy, blood poured from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, and they collapsed.
Bang bang bang...
Xu Donglai emptied his clip in one breath, yet he knew he hadn't hit Chen Fan at all.
His face turned ashen. He dropped the gun in his hand, snatched another from a bodyguard beside him, and turned to look at Chen Xing'er.
Chen Xing'er had pulled Shi Wenyan back seven or eight meters and was still quietly retreating.
"Grab them!"
Xu Donglai no longer cared about Chen Xing'er's identity. He only wanted to survive, to live.
Bang bang!
But at that moment, the guards beside him hadn't even moved when several bloody holes appeared on their foreheads, and they fell backward.
Xu Donglai turned his head and saw a Caucasian man wearing a gentleman's hat, with a handsome face but a slightly pale complexion, standing beside a pillar, holding a gun in each hand, both barrels pointed at him.
Without thinking, Xu Donglai lunged towards the house on one side.
Bang bang, the bullets seemed to graze past him. He felt a pain in his leg and rushed into the house.
Looking back, the many experts of the Xu family were falling like leeks, with no room for resistance!
A complete and utter defeat!