The Post Sky Tipping Era
Chapter 162 - 132: Jin Family Martial Arts Hall (Alliance Leader Bonus: Dark Moon Funeral Night)

Chapter 162: Chapter 132: Jin Family Martial Arts Hall (Alliance Leader Bonus: Dark Moon Funeral Night)

"Master, master, it’s terrible; a man suspected to be a Qi Cultivation Expert from Zhao’s Martial Arts Hall has attacked us, seeking to take over our hall... Elder brother Jin Dadao has already been killed by the intruder."

A Bone Training expert, now panicked and in disarray, sprinted towards the hall’s grand hall, shouting the alarming news at the top of his lungs, in an effort to spread the crucial message and prepare the hall for the imminent crisis.

As the Bone Training disciple shouted.

The previously calm Jin Family Martial Arts Hall was suddenly abuzz with commotion as many people from various parts of the hall rushed out. Among these were newly inducted disciples, instructors, and odd-job government officials, not to mention the core disciples of the Jin Family Martial Arts Hall, all of whom revealed a look of panic in their eyes upon hearing the news.

Take over the hall?

This was a seriously grave matter.

One of the biggest fears when running a martial arts hall in the Four Seas and Eight Continents is the threat of someone coming to take it over.

The so-called takeover means that a high-ranking martial artist wants to open a hall and doesn’t want to go through the effort and time to start from scratch, so they go directly to a well-established hall in the city, kill the master, eliminate the core disciples, drive the rest away, and forcefully occupy the hall.

Essentially, a takeover means "I’m stronger, so I’ll take it by force."

As the disturbance inside the Jin Family Martial Arts Hall grew, so did the number of people gathering, and with Jin Dadao and a few other Blood Refining Warriors who were usually in residence not around, the situation suddenly became chaotic.

"Wasn’t the Zhao Family Martial Arts Hall already destroyed? Where did a Qi Cultivation Expert come from all of a sudden? Are you sure you didn’t see wrong?"

One of the Blood Martial Artists, newly initiated, scolded the messenger loudly, eyes fixed on him.

The disciple hurriedly replied, "No, I didn’t see wrong. The man outside is very young, around his early twenties, claiming to be the senior brother from Zhao’s Martial Arts Hall. Elder brother Jin Dadao couldn’t last even one round against that person and was killed right there. His body is lying at the entrance. How could he defeat elder brother Jin Dadao if he wasn’t a Qi Cultivation Expert?"

"A Qi Cultivation Expert in his early twenties, and you’re telling me you didn’t see wrong?" The newly initiated Blood Martial Artist continued to scold, hoping to stabilize everyone’s emotions.

But it seemed to be of little use. The other disciples grew increasingly panicked because Jin Dadao was indeed actually killed by the adversary, and within a single round at that. What did this mean? It meant that regardless of who the enemy was or how old they were, they definitely possessed Qi Cultivation strength.

And within the entire Jin Family Martial Arts Hall, only the master Jin Zhihuan had Qi Cultivation strength.

If the adversary really did come to take over the hall, they might actually succeed.

Thinking this, some had already begun contemplating a temporary departure from the hall, unwilling to get mixed up in this mess. Should the master lose, they would have to face the consequences alongside him. After all, most disciples here had paid to learn martial arts and were not core members of the Jin Family; they didn’t want to risk their lives.

Although a few Blood Refining Warriors tried to control the situation, this matter involved a struggle between Qi Cultivation Experts, and was not something they could simply command.

As the situation worsened and the scene grew more chaotic, many disciples could hardly bear the pressure any longer and prepared to flee the hall.

In the grand hall of the Jin Family Martial Arts Hall, a short and unassuming man, dressed like a simple farmer, now walked out carrying a Treasure Saber. Though he remained silent, his mere presence exuded an air of dignity that was enough to instill awe and stabilize the situation.

"Master."

"Master."

A chorus of replies rose, and the once chaotic scene suddenly quieted down.

This man, around sixty with a face full of wrinkles and an unremarkable appearance, was Jin Zhihuan, master of the Jin Family Martial Arts Hall.

"What’s the panic? I’m not dead yet," Jin Zhihuan said, sweeping his gaze over everyone before shouting sternly.

The sound carried Jin Qi, buzzing in everyone’s ears.

"Master, a man claiming to be Zhao Family Martial Arts Hall’s senior brother has arrived with a woman named Rong Niang, seeking to take over our hall. He is suspected to have Qi Cultivation strength. Elder brother Jin Dadao, who was in residence, couldn’t stop him and has... been killed. We need you to take charge now," several Blood Martial Artists stepped forward from the crowd and knelt on one knee before Jin Zhihuan.

Jin Zhihuan’s face darkened. "Five days ago, Jin Bufen and Han Sui, a Blood Refining Warrior from the Han Family, each led a team to pursue that old bastard Zhao Ge and then suddenly disappeared. I knew something had changed with the Zhao Family Martial Arts Hall, but I didn’t expect it to be this. Zhao Ge is a cunning old bastard, hiding his senior student outside. If the Zhao Family Martial Arts Hall hadn’t been destroyed, I’m afraid his student would have never revealed himself."

As he spoke, he walked out of the grand hall with the saber in hand, and all the disciples respectfully cleared a path for him.

"Enough, it’s just a fight. I want to see what kind of disciple that old bastard Zhao Ge has secretly trained over the years. Dismiss all disciples below the Lower Three Ranks; the rest, follow me," he declared.

At his command,

a large number of disciples obediently left, but there were still many who remained. Add up the Marrow Training and Blood Martial Artists, and there were more than forty. However, this was not the full strength of the Jin Family Martial Arts Hall – many other disciples had been dispatched elsewhere, and if they were all called back, there would be at least thirty to forty more.

Carrying his saber, Jin Zhihuan walked towards the entrance of the martial arts hall. Although he appeared confident and prepared, he couldn’t help feeling uneasy inside.

Becuase he had already heard the sound of Jin Dadao and others leaving to confront the enemy.

He just hadn’t expected them to be defeated so quickly.

After all, Jin Dadao was at the peak of Blood Refining, just a breath away from Blood Refining and Spleen Opening, becoming a Qi Cultivation Expert. For such a gatekeeper to be killed in a single round was utterly inconceivable.

"The opponent definitely has the strength of a Qi Cultivation Expert, and moreover, he is very young, with vigorous Qi-Blood. Just listening to the sound of his Fist Power, it was like thunder exploding, showing that this person has extraordinary tendons and bones, his punch is powerful and heavy, deadly in one strike..." Jin Zhihuan felt immense pressure at this moment.

He had already passed sixty last year, and his Qi-Blood had started to become less stable, with his strength no longer at its peak.

Therefore, these past years he dared not spar with Qi Cultivation Experts any more, for fear of ending up injured like Zhao Ge, being exploited for his weaknesses, and then facing the fate of Zhao’s Martial Arts Hall, which was swallowed up by several other halls.

He had thought that after Zhao’s Martial Arts Hall declined, he could breathe a sigh of relief. At least, Jin Family Martial Arts Hall wouldn’t have any problems for the next ten years, and during these ten years, he planned to train Jin Dadao into the next Qi Cultivation Expert, then have him take over as the next hall master. He never expected that what seemed like a favorable situation would be overturned in an instant today.

"No matter if I can kill Zhao’s Martial Arts Hall’s eldest disciple today, the decline of Jin Family Martial Arts Hall is inevitable. Could it really end up that the Han Family reaps the benefits? If only the opponent had sought revenge on the Han Family first, I wouldn’t be in such a passive position," Jin Zhihuan felt a bitter taste welling up in his heart.

Although that was what he thought, since the enemy had come knocking on his door, as the hall master, there was no way to avoid it. If he didn’t show up today, Jin Family Martial Arts Hall would be finished just the same.

With all these complex thoughts, Jin Zhihuan had already stepped out to the front courtyard amidst the crowding of his disciples.

"Bang!"

He had barely arrived at the entrance.

Right behind him, a sound like thunder struck from nowhere, and he saw the immensely sturdy door of Jin Family Martial Arts Hall shatter in that instant. Large chunks of wood, heavy enough to kill an ordinary person, scattered all around, breaking the courtyard walls, collapsing the shadow walls, and damaging the path... The huge commotion turned many disciples’ faces pale with shock.

"Such a sturdy door, actually smashed to pieces with one punch?" A Blood Refining Warrior couldn’t help swallowing hard, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably.

"Impressive strength," Jin Zhihuan squinted his eyes, not being able to help but silently praise.

Smashing the door with a single punch was no big deal, but the scary part was that the fragments of the broken door scattered, and the residual force was even enough to bring down walls.

This indicated that the opponent hadn’t even used his full strength with that punch.

Behind the shattered door, a tall, robust figure was walking in as if leisurely strolling through a courtyard, with a woman dressed in a tight outfit closely following behind him.

The woman was not to be feared, merely a follower.

But the man in front...

Jin Zhihuan stopped in his tracks, now sizing up the newcomer.

The man was indeed young, truly appearing to be just over twenty, naturally built like a Martial Artist, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long, mantis-like legs, Dragon Veins and Tiger Bones, Qilin Strength—a rare and exceptional gem, his talents extraordinary. And despite his robust build, as he walked towards him, his footsteps were not heavy but rather nimble.

It seemed as though there was a terrifying strength within his body, a strength that could easily control such a robust build, giving a sensation of someone who was strong yet still agile.

"Are his eyes emitting light?" Jin Zhihuan then noticed Li Yi’s eyes, his heart trembling at the sight.

Indeed, the man’s eyes were glowing in the daylight.

What was the reason?

He did not understand, but having lived more than half his life, he knew that this was not normal; it was something extraordinary beyond his understanding.

Finally,

Jin Zhihuan took a moment to look at Li Yi’s attire. At first glance, it seemed casual, but when he noticed the depiction of the Five-clawed Black Dragon on Li Yi’s Flying Fish Robe, his expression subtly changed.

So young, so exceptionally talented, with such astonishing strength, and wearing such magnificent attire adorned with a Five-clawed Black Dragon, his background was most likely not simple, possibly quite extraordinary.

"Hall master, this man is Li Yi, Zhao’s Martial Arts Hall’s eldest disciple," a Blood Refining Warrior whispered.

Jin Zhihuan nodded slightly, then with one hand on the handle of the Treasure Saber at his waist, he took a few steps forward to meet him.

"Quite the spectacle, lots of people. But having numbers is useless when it comes down to it; what matters is strength. Are you the wretched old scoundrel who is the head of Jin Family Martial Arts Hall?" Li Yi opened his mouth with insolence, showing no sense of respect for his elders.

You should know, so many disciples of Zhao’s Martial Arts Hall were brutally killed, and this unattractive old wretch was one of the instigators, his methods cruel. Calling him a name was putting it lightly.

"Wretched old scoundrel? Who are you cursing? Even if you are Zhao’s Martial Arts Hall’s eldest disciple, you better watch your mouth," a Blood Martial Artist, emboldened by the presence of the hall master, shouted angrily.

Li Yi said, "The big shot hasn’t even spoken yet, and the little ones are jumping out? You wretched old scoundrel, it seems you really are getting on in years, and can’t cut it anymore. Can’t even keep your own people in line. Do you need my help to kill them all for you, clear your house? I’m here for revenge anyway; it’s of no trouble to me."

At these words,

The face of that Blood Martial Artist instantly changed.

At this moment, Jin Zhihuan’s expression was very calm, his gaze steady as he slowly said, "You don’t need to provoke me with words. I’ve seen it all at my age, these vulgar tactics of yours are still a bit childish. However, I am curious, with you being so young and strong, why bother sticking your neck out for that old fool Zhao Ge? Zhao’s Martial Arts Hall is already finished, it’s not worth your time. Why don’t you join Jin Family Martial Arts Hall? I’ll let you be the next hall master, taking over an established hall is better than rebuilding a new one."