Chapter 173: Could it be that all of this was just overthinking?

Xinfeng’s aloof, cold expression had not yet recovered from the shock.

His sword was gone just like that?

This was the sword he had painstakingly infused with infinite sword intent. How could it… how could this happen?

Internally furious, Xinfeng knew he had to suppress his anger. If he lost his temper, the dignity of Jiuxiao Sect would vanish completely.

Though his heart was in turmoil, he forced himself to calm down.

Don’t get angry. Absolutely don’t get angry.

No matter how painful it was, he couldn’t show it. He had to appear indifferent, as if this sword meant nothing to him at all.

But even as Xinfeng forced a smile, his heart was breaking inside.

With the disappearance of the sword intent domain, the Holy Sect disciples regained their senses, only to fall into shock again at the scene before them.

Soon, they began excitedly discussing:

“Master Lin is truly incredible.”

“Just looking at that sword gave me chills. Who could imagine Master Lin shattered it with his bare body alone? It’s absolutely terrifying.”

“Haha, this is Jiuxiao Sect’s outstanding disciple? Our Master broke his weapon with such ease. It’s truly satisfying.”

“When he summoned that terrifying sword, I thought no one from our Sect could match him. But when Master Lin casually struck with such calmness, I realized I was just overthinking.”

“Look at those Jiuxiao Sect disciples. Their faces have turned pale.”

…

“Will you dare to withstand a single brick strike from me?” This was already Lin Fan’s third challenge.

In his right hand, the red brick appeared even redder and brighter under the blazing sun.

The sky changed, the wind stopped.

Time itself seemed to freeze. Lin Fan stood there calmly, his expressionless eyes fixed on Xinfeng.

This kid was showing off so much; Lin Fan could no longer tolerate it.

You can be cowardly, you can be sneaky. Lin Fan could accept all that and treat it like dust to be brushed away with a flick of his sleeve. But why must he act so arrogant?

Didn’t he know Lin Fan hated show-offs the most?

Xinfeng looked at Lin Fan, his heart slightly trembling. He felt a sense of suffocation, but he hated that feeling.

This person before him was the Holy Sect’s outstanding disciple. How could he possibly lose to him?

Looking at the red brick in Lin Fan’s right hand, he noticed it was an ordinary brick with no trace of spiritual energy.

It wasn’t a mystical weapon, nor any divine treasure.

Could it be…

At this moment, a thought suddenly struck Xinfeng: Perhaps this person didn’t intend to harm him, but instead had specially prepared an ordinary brick to give Jiuxiao Sect a way to save face.

What would happen if this brick struck him? Xinfeng could easily imagine it—it would shatter instantly, just like his sword, breaking into pieces.

This way, everything would be evened out, no blame on either side. The matter could end here, and they could focus on preparing for the upcoming strongest genius battle.

“Haha…” Suddenly bursting into laughter, Xinfeng believed he had seen through everything. This was just a way to provide a face-saving exit.

To preserve Jiuxiao Sect’s dignity, what did it matter if he took a hit from this brick?

Wuya and Liang Yichu exchanged glances, both reaching the same conclusion as Xinfeng.

This brick was ordinary, with no trace of spiritual energy. A single strike would do nothing to Xinfeng given his physical strength.

Though they often bickered, Wuya and Liang Yichu had deep mutual respect. Now that things had reached this point, with both sides having suffered some loss, it seemed fair.

Wuya looked at Lin Fan and couldn’t help but nod approvingly. This young man understood the importance of maintaining relations between allied sects.

A disciple who knew how to preserve an allied sect’s dignity was highly valued by Wuya. Although this young man was the sixth-generation disciple of the Wuming Peak Saint-Demon Sect,

the Saint-Demon Sect was a branch of the Holy Sect, sharing the same origin. With proper cultivation, this disciple could even inherit the Sect Leader position in the future.

Wuya remained silent, deciding to wait until after this brick incident before taking further action. He would pay special attention to this disciple and even recommend him to the Sect Leader.

An outstanding disciple was important to a sect, but one who was both outstanding and understanding was even rarer.

To become a Sect Leader, one needed not only formidable strength but, more importantly, a versatile and tactful mind.

“Brother Yichu, since my disciple has already accepted a sword strike, let’s consider it even, and then we can have a meal together,” Wuya said.

Liang Yichu looked at Wuya’s expression, smiled slightly, and gave him a thumbs-up, indicating how fortunate the Holy Sect was to have such an understanding disciple.

“Disciple, since that’s the case, take this brick strike,” Liang Yichu said with a smile.

“Yes.” At this moment, Xinfeng felt no fear at all. Taking a brick strike was no big deal, especially since it was just an ordinary brick.

At this moment, Xinfeng felt a sense of mutual admiration.

They shared similar personalities and were in the same situation, so naturally, they felt a connection.

After this incident, Xinfeng wouldn’t mind having his first friend in life.

Focusing intently on Lin Fan, Xinfeng etched Lin Fan’s face into his heart with his proud gaze.

You, I’ve decided—you’re going to be my friend.

“Go ahead.” With pride, Xinfeng lifted his head high and slightly leaned his body forward, as if wanting to make it easier for Lin Fan to strike.

At this moment, Lin Fan inwardly sneered, looking at the magnificent “Nine-Five Red Brick” in his hand. Finally, this divine treasure had found its moment to shine.

“Alright… Don’t worry, you won’t get hurt at all,” Lin Fan said.

Xinfeng lowered his head, a slight smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. Naturally, there would be no injury. He was a top disciple of Jiuxiao Sect—how could he not withstand a simple brick strike?

Friend, rest assured, I now understand your intentions.

At this moment, Lin Fan slightly moved his right hand, as if it had no strength at all.

The disciples around watched the scene in confusion. What was happening?

But in the next second, everyone instantly understood.

“Bang…”

A gentle touch.

Lin Fan turned around without even looking, putting the red brick back into his backpack.

“Extremely disappointing… Pathetic,” Lin Fan sighed dramatically, lightly tapping Xinfeng’s forehead with a finger.

“Boom…”

Something unbelievable happened—the figure of Xinfeng collapsed to the ground.

At this moment, silence fell over the surroundings. Everyone opened their eyes wide, unable to comprehend what had just occurred.

Lin Fan slightly nodded toward Elder Wuya, then turned and walked away. Soon, a voice drifted from the distance.

“Even the most outstanding disciple of Jiuxiao Sect is nothing special…”

His figure vanished, but his words echoed like thunder among the disciples of both sects, reverberating for a long time.

Elder Wuya looked at Lin Fan’s disappearing figure, then at the fallen Xinfeng, feeling completely stunned.

Could it be… that they had all misunderstood everything?