Chapter 110: The Next Generation Is Formidable

After Xiao Nan finished his questioning, a profound silence descended upon the surroundings.

Chen Chusheng suddenly snapped out of his daze, realizing what he had just confessed. His face turned deathly pale, and his body slumped to the ground. His lips trembled, and his entire frame shook uncontrollably. He could only point a finger at Xiao Nan, unable to utter a single word.

Retreating while the veins in his neck bulged, Lin Anguo shrieked in fury, "No... that’s not it! It’s you! You were the one manipulating everything from the shadows, using some forbidden mental technique!"

Seemingly finding a justification, Lin Anguo’s eyes turned blood-red. With a sudden burst of violent momentum, he lunged straight at Xiao Nan. The skin on his arms turned ink-black, and his fingers swelled like carrots, striking the air with a thunderous roar. This was the "Great Tablet-Shattering Hand" he had painstakingly practiced for over twenty years.

This attack was markedly different from the one he had displayed during the martial arts examination. Looking at his frantic, grief-stricken appearance, it was clear that the man was on the verge of a total breakdown. He had realized that his path was at an end and had succumbed to madness.

"Preposterous."

Amidst the hushed murmurs of the crowd, a cold snort echoed. Suddenly, the sound of crashing waves filled everyone’s ears, and they watched as a shimmering blue aura of water appeared on the dais. As soon as the water manifested, it transformed with lightning speed into a whip-like strike that slammed viciously into Lin Anguo’s midsection.

A series of sharp, crunching cracks followed. Lin Anguo let out a wretched scream as his body was sent flying, crashing down more than ten meters away. By the time he hit the ground, blood was pouring from his seven orifices, and his body lay limp and broken.

"Hiss..." The crowd gasped in collective dread.

It was evident that his bones had been shattered into powder; his lifelong cultivation had been washed away like water. At this moment, apart from clinging to a final, ragged breath, there was no point in even attempting to save him. Even if he survived, he would be nothing more than a cripple.

Xiao Nan turned his head toward the dais in shock, seeing that Su Yuqing, who usually wore a gentle smile, now stood tall with an expression as cold as frost. In his memory, this aunt had always been jovial, often teasing him and Qin Shuang without a shred of elder dignity. She would frequently say, "Xiao Nan, fight back! You can't even beat a girl; I’m embarrassed for you. Shuang’er, your strikes are too soft—you hit him seven times and couldn't even make him cry, how useless."

In those memories, the young Xiao Nan had always been embarrassed, fleeing in a panic with a bruised and battered head. Later on, he had even grown reluctant to see her. Beneath that warm smile, he felt she was a demon. Her daughter’s ferocity was clearly inherited from her; the family character and lineage were consistent and unmistakable.

Of course, the "Blue Wave Palm" she had just executed was truly awe-inspiring. Striking from over ten meters away, the palm’s force had been as solid and heavy as a tidal wave. She had skillfully shattered every vital bone in Lin Anguo’s body without damaging his internal organs, sparing him from instant death. The raw power and range were impressive enough, but the pinpoint control of her force was the true highlight. Whether she was a fifth-rank or sixth-rank martial artist, Xiao Nan could not tell, but he knew one thing: this unpredictable Aunt Su was even more powerful than Tang Zhixuan.

Of course, there was another person nearby who posed a significant threat—Li Yuanchen, who sat there as still as a wooden statue. The head of the Li family remained silent, as if the matter had nothing to do with him and he was merely a detached observer.

...

"Principal Sun, as a member of the school board, I simply couldn't stand to watch such a black sheep acting out, so I took the liberty of intervening. You don't mind, do you?" Su Yuqing regained her composure and sat back down, her tone carrying a hint of feigned apology.

In truth, everyone knew she had done it on purpose. There was a clear intent to put Principal Sun in his place as well.

"How could it come to this... how could it come to this," Sun Zhongli sighed, waving his hand coldly. "Even if you hadn't stepped in, Ms. Su, I would not have tolerated him... Take him away, lock him up, and report this to the Ministry of Education to request an imperial arbitration. Punish him according to the law."

These words were effectively a death sentence for Lin Anguo. Security guards stepped forward to drag the broken man away. After giving the order, Sun Zhongli turned to look deeply at Xiao Nan, thinking to himself that the boy was formidable.

From the moment the puppet entered the ring, to defeating it, counter-attacking, and using mental influence to force a confession from Chen Chusheng—all while driving Lin Anguo to madness—he had also managed to leverage public opinion to force the school to handle the matter strictly. The young man stood there, his expression indifferent and calm, even when Lin Anguo had been inches away from him. His ruthlessness and composure were truly worthy of respect. He had backed the principal into a corner.

"The youth are truly to be feared," he thought. The fact that his mental talent had awakened a unique attribute was also incredibly rare. Sun Zhongli sighed inwardly, though a strange emotion stirred within him. Compared to that person from years ago, this kid seemed even more difficult to handle. He was a talent, so perhaps he would let things take their natural course; whether he succeeded would depend on if he could seize the opportunity.

"Dad..."

As these thoughts raced through Sun Zhongli's mind, a heart-rending cry reached his ears. He frowned and looked toward the arena, seeing Lin Hao rushing forward, sobbing. Meanwhile, Lin Anguo’s eyes were wide open, and blood was gushing from his mouth like a fountain. Within a few breaths, the ground was stained crimson.

"He actually forced his blood energy to rupture his internal organs? Is this a suicide to escape judgment?"

Xiao Nan sneered. *Lin Anguo is choosing to die with his eyes wide open, acting as if he’s suffered some great grievance... What is the point of staring at me like that?*

Though he thought this, Xiao Nan understood that the man’s actions were not entirely futile. By dying on the spot while backed into a corner, he was effectively shielding Lin Hao, hoping to allow him to continue his martial arts path—the love of a father was laid bare. As the saying goes, when a person dies, the debt is settled; few people would hold a grudge against the descendants, especially in a nation governed by law, where there is often a measure of leniency.

If he had remained alive, the subsequent interrogations and public sentencing would have caused his reputation to fester and rot, which would have made it impossible for Lin Hao—no matter how talented he was—to remain at Yuanjiang No. 1 High School. He would have been pointed at wherever he went, and his opportunities for resources would have been severely diminished. It might even have affected his martial arts entrance exam.

But by choosing to die right there, he ensured that some would inevitably feel a flicker of pity. No matter how heartless one might be, it is hard to harbor hatred for a dead man, and even harder to vent that anger onto Lin Hao. It was highly likely that his attack on Xiao Nan was a deliberate attempt to seek death, hoping to garner the greatest amount of sympathy.

Mad as he was, Lin Anguo had shown the kind of cunning expected of someone in his position until the very end. Unfortunately, whether by design or accident, his plan had been dismantled by Su Yuqing’s strike. She had crippled his cultivation and broken his bones, leaving him powerless to resist, yet she had carefully avoided killing him outright. And so, he had taken his own life.

Watching Lin Hao’s grief-stricken wails, Xiao Nan felt nothing. Everything was self-inflicted; there had been no grievances between them, yet Lin Anguo had insisted on stirring up trouble. When martial artists clash, there are no soft hands—did they expect him to show mercy?

His mind was clear and transparent, his heart unstained. After driving Lin Anguo to his death, he felt as if nothing had happened at all. He simply looked up and asked, "Principal Sun, have I passed this blood energy examination?"

"Passed. We will credit you with 5.0 blood energy and a strength of one thousand catties—an excellent result."

No one raised any objections. After all, he had dismantled a fully powered violent ape puppet; how could they deny him a high score? If it weren't for the fact that internal high school tests capped the maximum score at the limit, it wouldn't have been a stretch to classify him as an official martial artist. Even if his realm hadn't yet reached that level, his strength certainly had.

Xiao Nan said "thank you" without much sincerity and, amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, returned to his class.