Martial Arts Master: The Lin Family Sword God, who swept through the Five Mountains and Four Sects

Daoist Tiansong's face instantly turned ashen, then deathly pale. It was true that Linghu Chong had saved him. But he had been so aggressive just moments before, and now he seemed to be repaying kindness with enmity—a truly despicable act.

Enraged, he shouted, "Who are you? Who gives you the right to be so insolent here!"

Before Lin Tian could speak, Liu Zhengfeng calmly replied:

"Junior Brother Tiansong, this young hero is none other than Lin Tian, ​​the Deadly Sword who has recently shaken the martial world. Within a year, he has almost wiped out the bandit forests of the south. Even the Mad Wind Stronghold, which our Hengshan Sect has besieged several times without success, was destroyed by him alone. This man is a peerless hero of our time and should not be underestimated."

While eliminating half of the bandit forces in the martial arts world certainly made Lin Tian famous, earning him widespread praise from the people who lauded his youthful chivalry and acted as a righteous hero, it was far from enough to intimidate the entire martial arts community.

After all, most of the outlaws are scattered and disorganized, with even the best only reaching the first-rate level. Any newly acquired master could easily dominate them. Moreover, these people are like weeds; they're burned down, only to reappear a few years later, their resurrection a common occurrence. As long as they don't cause too much trouble, the prestigious sects won't bother with them—it's a thankless task, who would do it?

What truly brought Lin Tian into the sights of the major sects was the massacre of the Fuwei Escort Agency and his personal killing of Yu Canghai.

Keep in mind that Yu Canghai has been at the Acquired Realm for nearly ten years, having opened two meridians, making him a peak early-stage Acquired Realm cultivator. Anyone capable of killing him would at least be a peak early-stage Acquired Realm cultivator with four meridians open! But how old is Lin Tian?

It seems... he's not even twenty yet?

A child under twenty years old achieving peak success through early childhood education?!

This isn't just genius, this is monster! A prodigy!

Give him another ten years, and it's not a dream that someone on par with Dongfang Bubai will emerge in the martial arts world!

Of course, there are also rumors that Lin Tian tricked Yu Canghai, and that his own strength was only at the peak of the first-class level, at most just stepping into the initial stage of the acquired realm.

But no matter what, no one dares to question his title as the number one among the younger generation.

"Suppressing half the bandits and ridding the people of this scourge, Young Hero Lin is truly a paragon of righteousness!"

Master Dingyi's tone softened slightly. She was indeed hot-tempered, but her heart was pure and kind, and she possessed an unyielding righteousness. When Liu Zhengfeng retired from his criminal life, besides Linghu Chong, Yilin, and Mo Da, only she stepped forward to help.

She clasped her hands together and bowed slightly to Lin Tian: "Please tell me the truth about yesterday's events, young hero. I thank you in advance."

"You're too kind, nun." Lin Tian smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Yesterday, Brother Linghu did indeed drink with Tian Boguang at Huiyan Tower, and he did say, 'Upon seeing a nun, one is bound to lose at gambling.'"

Upon hearing this, Linghu Chong immediately became anxious and began to give him meaningful glances, while Ding Yi's face visibly darkened.

Lin Tian's tone shifted, becoming more serious: "But if the nun had witnessed the situation firsthand, she probably wouldn't blame him. Tian Boguang is a womanizer, an even bigger gambler, and highly skilled in martial arts; Brother Linghu was no match for him. In order to protect Master Yilin's innocence, he blurted out those words in desperation. Anyone else might not have done any better."

"As for drinking together... firstly, Brother Linghu might be trying to lull Tian Boguang into a false sense of security; secondly—" He paused, then chuckled, "he does indeed enjoy drinking."

"I later rushed to Huiyan Tower, killed Tian Boguang with a single sword stroke, drank a cup of wine, and left. When I left, Master Yilin was still with Brother Linghu. So I don't understand why only Master Yilin returned in the end. By the way, Brother Linghu was slashed several times by Tian Boguang while trying to save Yilin. If you don't believe me, you can check it yourself. To say that he colluded with Tian Boguang? Absolutely impossible."

After he finished speaking, the hostility in everyone's eyes as they looked at Linghu Chong was gone. Linghu Chong looked at Lin Tian, ​​his eyes filled with gratitude.

"Wait a minute!"

A cold shout suddenly rang out; it was Daoist Tiansong. His gaze was like a knife as he stared at Lin Tian and questioned, "Young Hero Lin, I'm afraid I can't fully believe your words."

"Oh?" Lin Tian raised an eyebrow, his expression indifferent. "What's puzzling you?"

He has never had much patience for people who are not very capable but have a big ego and always act like they're old and powerful.

"You claim to have killed Tian Boguang with a single sword strike, but I don't believe it," Tian Song sneered. "Though Tian Boguang is of despicable character, he was still a master of the Acquired Realm, and his lightness skill was exceptional. Even Shaolin's Fang Zheng and Wudang's Chongxu wouldn't dare claim to have killed him in one move. You, a mere brat, dare to claim you could kill him with a single sword strike? Absurd! Laughable! If this claim is false, how much of your other words can be believed?"

"Junior Brother Tiansong, Young Hero Lin..."

Seeing this, Liu Zhengfeng wanted to intervene, but Lin Tian stopped him with a raised hand. A slight, lazy smile played on his lips.

"No need to trouble Master Liu, I will answer this old Taoist's question myself."

Having said that, Lin Tian didn't bother to look at Daoist Tiansong again. Instead, he turned his gaze to Linghu Chong beside him and asked in a low voice, "Brother Linghu, how many moves did Tian Boguang take down this old Daoist yesterday?"

Linghu Chong hesitated for a moment, not understanding the meaning, but did not ask further. He frowned slightly, recalled for a moment, and then said, "Tian Boguang's 'Thirteen Styles of Flying Sand and Stones' is ruthless and swift. Although he only fought with Uncle Tiansong for a dozen breaths, he actually went through twenty-seven moves."

Upon hearing this, Tian Song's face turned pale, and he glared at Linghu Chong with a look that could almost kill.

"Oh?" Lin Tian raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "I didn't expect this old geezer to last twenty-seven moves against Tian Boguang. I thought he'd be cleaved in two with a single sword strike. Tsk tsk, if I want to prove I'm stronger than Tian Boguang, I'll have to take you down in a shorter time—you tell me? So, well..."

He slowly raised his right hand, his index finger pointing straight up.

"Ten moves?!" Tian Song laughed angrily, scoffing, "You brat, you don't know your own limitations! My Mount Tai sword technique is profound and extensive; how dare you, a madman, spout such nonsense?!"

"Well……"

Lin Tian was taken aback, gave Tian Song a strange look, and then turned to Linghu Chong: "Brother Linghu, how many fingers did I just hold up?"

"One," Linghu Chong blurted out.

"Phew—" Lin Tian patted his chest, looking relieved. "Thank goodness, I almost thought my math skills were ruined by my master's teaching." Then his eyes turned cold as he stared at Tian Song and sneered, "Old man, are you seeing things? You can't even recognize one? Ten moves? Heh... I killed Tian Boguang in just one move. You think I need ten moves to beat you? You think you're worth ten Tian Boguangs?"

"How dare you, you brat!!"

Tian Song was so angry that his beard trembled wildly: "How dare you compare me to that lecherous scoundrel Tian Boguang... You... you..."

"Oh dear, sorry, sorry." Lin Tian suddenly slapped his forehead, feigning sudden realization. "I forgot, Master Tiansong, you are indeed inferior to that scoundrel Tian Boguang—hey, hey, don't get worked up, you old Taoist, I was talking about martial arts, not who has the longest beard, what are you thinking?"

Yue Lingshan, Linghu Chong, and a female nun from the Hengshan Sect who were watching all had their cheeks flushed red and were desperately pursing their lips, afraid of bursting out laughing.