Hearing the maid's sarcastic tone, Lin Xuan's face turned cold: "Who gave you the nerve? A maid, daring to be so arrogant?"
As Lin Xuan's words fell, Xiao Lü's expression froze. She hadn't expected Lin Xuan to dare to scold her back. As a maid of the Alchemist Guild, she was considered a staff member of the guild. Though she was only at the Qi Gathering stage, even many at the Whirlwind stage treated her with courtesy. Lin Xuan's attitude was extremely rare.
Then, Xiao Lü snapped back to reality, fury surging within her as she prepared to retort and hurl more insults. But the moment she met Lin Xuan's gaze, she couldn't help but shudder. A chill spread through her entire body. In her eyes, he wasn't even human—far more terrifying than a ferocious beast. Instantly, most of her resentment dissipated.
At that moment, several cold laughs came from the surrounding crowd. "This kid dares to block Miss Mo's path, he deserves Xiao Lü's scolding!" "Yeah, and he talks back! Xiao Lü is Miss Mo's friend—this kid's in for it!" "Mm, Miss Mo isn't just a alchemy prodigy; she's also the granddaughter of Master Mo, an Earth-rank alchemist! Offending Miss Mo, think he can escape?" "This guy's too infuriating, acting so cocky. If Miss Mo gives the word, I'll step in right now and beat him until he can't get up!" "..."
The surrounding martial artists kept sneering, and many even shifted their gazes, eager to rush forward and teach Lin Xuan a lesson. Lin Xuan's face was icy. A few ungrateful fools—did they really think he was easy to bully?
Across from him, Mo Ruyan also looked over, standing beside Xiao Lü, and snorted coldly: "Who told you to block the way there? Xiao Lü just scolded you a bit—do you have any manliness? Can't even take that?"
Originally, the way this guy kept staring at her chest had already annoyed her. But she let it slide because he was handsome. She hadn't expected him to make a fuss over such a trivial matter. That instantly irritated Mo Ruyan as well.
Lin Xuan's expression was cold as his gaze swept over Mo Ruyan, unyielding, and he said icily: "Whether I have manliness or not is none of your concern. But this road is wide enough, and the door is big enough—how can you claim I'm blocking your way?! And this maid insults a guest for no reason—is this the Alchemist Guild's way of treating customers? Impressive!"
He had also seen Mo Ruyan's attribute panel; it was indeed impressive, placing her among the top geniuses in Flowing Cloud Sect. She had a beautiful face and a curvaceous figure. But so what? He wasn't a creature driven by his lower half. As for her background, he cared even less. An Earth-rank alchemist—he could easily replicate a few alchemy talents and reach that level effortlessly. So, for someone so arrogant, Lin Xuan wouldn't show any politeness.
Mo Ruyan was stunned by his words, momentarily at a loss. As a rare alchemy prodigy, with her grandfather being an Earth-rank alchemist and an elder of the guild, and with her own decent looks, everyone treated her with utmost courtesy and respect. She had never encountered someone like Lin Xuan. Furious, Mo Ruyan's chest heaved up and down, drawing attention.
"Miss Mo, let me teach him a lesson!" A handsome young man from the crowd couldn't hold back any longer, shouting as he charged at Lin Xuan, throwing a punch. "I'll join too!" "This guy's too hateful—can't let him off, count me in!" "..."
Several others rushed forward, surrounding Lin Xuan. Each was at least at the late Whirlwind stage, unleashing fists, palm strikes, and finger beams with fierce energy, all aimed at Lin Xuan.
"A bunch of worthless scum, daring to speak up!" Lin Xuan's expression didn't change as he sneered. He pushed out a palm, not even using any martial art—just an ordinary strike.
Whoosh! Instantly, a gale howled, and countless cracking sounds echoed, as if space itself was being crushed, terrifyingly powerful. The charging youths' faces changed drastically as they felt an overwhelming force like a tidal wave crashing toward them. They couldn't withstand it.
Ugh! They spat out blood, flying backward and crashing into the crowd, triggering a series of screams. The scene fell silent for a moment. Then it grew even louder.
"This guy is so strong!" "With just one palm, he took out Chen He, Liu Huawen, Zhang Heyu, and the others instantly!" "Such strength—far beyond a peak Whirlwind stage, right?" "And he's so young—another top genius!" "..."
The crowd buzzed with discussion, deeply shaken. This was the entrance of the Alchemist Guild, where passersby were at least at the late Qi Transformation stage, with far sharper insight than ordinary martial artists. They could tell that Lin Xuan's palm was effortless, without even using martial arts or true energy. Yet it instantly defeated several late Whirlwind stage fighters. Such power was truly frightening. And this was just a casual strike. If he went all out, how terrifying would it be?!
Looking at Lin Xuan's face, so young it seemed barely under twenty, everyone realized he was no ordinary person but a top genius. Even across the entire Cangyuan Kingdom, he would be among the best. The crowd was astonished, their attitudes shifting. They no longer dared to sneer, their gazes turning to awe.
Across from him, Mo Ruyan was also stunned. She hadn't expected this outcome. She hadn't stopped them, hoping Chen He, Liu Huawen, and the others would teach him a lesson for her. But she never imagined they'd be no match, effortlessly defeated. That made Mo Ruyan even more shocked.
After all, Chen He, Liu Huawen, and the others were among the top geniuses in Windcloud City. She had no confidence in defeating any of them. Yet under this guy's hand, they were utterly crushed, taken out with one palm. It was as if they weren't even on the same level. Wasn't this too excessive? Could he be some old-timer in disguise?
Mo Ruyan muttered inwardly, deeply shaken. The anger in her heart had mostly dissipated from the shock.
"With such little skill, you dare to cause me trouble? A bunch of useless trash!" Lin Xuan sneered, scanning the crowd. Wherever his gaze fell, people lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes. Even those still resentful, feeling his icy stare and recalling the terrifying power of his earlier palm, trembled and abandoned any further thoughts.
Mo Ruyan, seeing this, snorted coldly: "You're strong this time. I have things to do, so I won't bother with you!" Having witnessed his palm strike, she knew she couldn't gain any advantage. Without another word, she turned to head inside the Alchemist Guild.