The crowd was stunned for quite a while before they began to discuss.

"That was a sandalwood chair, shattered like this... Lin Feng's Inner Strength radiating outside is incredibly formidable!"

"That's not right... The chair wasn't shattered by Lin Feng's Inner Strength; it was shattered by Fan Xiaodong's Inner Strength. Just now, when Lin Feng and Fan Xiaodong clashed with the final move, all of Lin Feng's strength was on the chair, so it's no wonder the chair was smashed like this..."

"Such powerful Inner Strength passed through Lin Feng's body, and he's unharmed?"

"That's where Lin Feng's prowess lies; he probably completely suppresses Fan Xiaodong in terms of cultivation. His meridians are strong enough not to fear Fan Xiaodong's Inner Strength passing through..."

"No wonder Lin Feng could be named the youngest leader of the Hong Sect; he's truly impressive..."

These were bystanders' analysis and admiration for Lin Feng, which bore no practical effect, other than confirming Lin Feng's strength surpassing Fan Xiaodong's...

But, Fan Xiaodong, who had just misunderstood Lin Feng's request for an extra chair as giving himself an out, now looked even more disheartened...

"Heh... Reputation isn't just given by others; you have to earn it for yourself! Some people, why can't they understand..." Xu Yishan chuckled and said lightly. Although he didn't clearly indicate who he was talking about, the audience obviously saw Fan Xiaodong's face turn different shades of green, and they naturally knew Xu Yishan was referring to him.

Lin Feng didn't continue to press Fan Xiaodong; after all, they were brothers of the Hong Sect, and he had to save Fan Xiaodong a little face. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Alright, everyone, let's return to our seats..." Bai Yuanshan, seeing the atmosphere getting increasingly tense, couldn't help but speak up.

Bai Yuanshan was the head of the Hong Sect, so his words naturally had weight. The spectators, seeing nothing more exciting to watch, each dispersed and returned to their seats.

As for Lin Feng, of course, he sat steadily next to Xu Yishan. Although many of the Hong Sect brothers still looked displeased, after witnessing Lin Feng's battle with Fan Xiaodong, none dared to provoke Lin Feng anymore.

"Indeed, heroes emerge at a young age. Lin Feng's kungfu has already surpassed mine! Little Lin, you have a good eye..." Ye Zhong said to Ye Lin, with a bit of admiration, as they headed towards the Ye Family's direction.

"Dad, what are you talking about... I've already said, Lin Feng and I are just ordinary friends!" Ye Lin, seeing Lin Feng's kungfu reach such heights, naturally felt happy for him, but Ye Zhong's joke was a bit hard for her to accept.

"Hahaha... Whether ordinary friends or close friends, at least I won't have to worry about your marriage in the future..." Ye Zhong laughed heartily, speaking in a relaxed tone, as if he had resolved a major issue.

Ye Lin blushed, couldn't help but sneak a glance at Lin Feng. This guy seemed to have really changed a lot recently, much steadier than before, and more formidable!

...

By nine in the evening, almost all the martial artists had arrived. Dressed in a black martial outfit, Xu Yishan, under Zhu Xiuyue's reminder, stepped boldly onto the stage at the center of the hall, clasped his hands in greetings in all directions, and then began the opening remarks, "Fellow martial artists, I am Xu Yishan of the Hong Sect. Tonight, I invite you to this meeting for two primary purposes! The first is, of course, to invite everyone to celebrate the establishment of the Hong Sect's thirteenth branch, Longfeng Martial Hall, and to acknowledge the Hong Sect's thirteenth leader, Lin Feng!"

At this point, Xu Yishan gestured slightly to the audience, and Lin Feng clasped his hands back in salute, striding onto the stage.

As Lin Feng appeared, the audience instantly quieted down; many of them were eager to see what the youngest leader of the Hong Sect looked like.

Lin Feng stood on the stage, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. The so-called prestigious martial artists of Huaxia were mostly here, monks, Taoists, laymen, all sorts of attire, looking quite unusual.

"You've all met the thirteenth leader of the Hong Sect. From now on, consider yourselves acquainted. Should any unpleasantness arise, don't claim you didn't know..." Xu Yishan's face remained calm, his eyes scanning the surroundings, his words carrying a faint hint of threat.

Xu Yishan's words were practically a warning to these experts present: Lin Feng is now the Hong Sect's thirteenth leader; if you intend to bully him, you'd better measure your abilities carefully. Don't pretend not to know Lin Feng, bully him, and then claim ignorance of his identity. I won't accept that...

The spectators exchanged puzzled looks at Xu Yishan's words. They sensed the protective intent regarding Lin Feng, which Xu Yishan had never shown at other Hong Sect leader inauguration ceremonies. Could Lin Feng have some secret relationship with Xu Yishan?!

Xu Yishan knew many would wonder why he was protecting Lin Feng, but he had no interest in explaining to these people. "As for the second purpose, I know many of you who participated in the Tianshan Martial Arts Conference have been questioned about your genuine skills by ordinary people. Today, I've specially invited you to play a game!"

When Xu Yishan said this, he snapped his fingers with a crisp sound. Then, a young man dressed in a Longfeng Martial Hall security uniform, holding a roughly two-meter-long, six or seven centimeters thick, trimmed square wooden stake, walked onto the stage and stood it up before Xu Yishan...

"Everyone can see this; it's the most common fir timber from construction sites..." Xu Yishan smiled, pressing a hand on the timber as he spoke. "The game I want to play with you is called Inner Strength Wood-Cutting, like this..."

As he spoke, Xu Yishan stepped back half a step, retracted his right hand slightly, curled his middle finger, and flicked it toward the fir timber in front of him...

Everyone heard only a whooshing sound, then the timber before Xu Yishan instantly split into a long and a short piece...

Amid many shocked gazes, Xu Yishan added, "The rules of this game are simple. Everyone here can participate in this wood-cutting game. I'll arrange ten pieces of timber, giving everyone one minute, all at a distance of one meter; whoever can break the most pieces of timber will win and receive the grand prize of two million cash provided by Longfeng Martial Hall!"