No one dared to step forward.

Even Tan Xing and the others knew that they weren't the match for the barbarian before them and that they were worlds apart.

Besides, the first thing that the man had mentioned had been the Extreme Fist Technique. He clearly was a master of the powerful technique.

The man sighed when no one stepped forward and appeared slightly unhappy.

"What's going on? Are you looking down on me or something? Does no one dare to step forward? Or are you all cowards? You've got the numbers. Why don't any one of you dare to fight me?" cursed the man furiously.

"Dear sir..."

"Sir?" A grandmaster who had spoken was immediately chastised. The barbarian glared at him and yelled. "You don't look that young. Don't you know your manners? How old are you?"

The grandmaster seemed affronted as he blurted out. "I'm sixty this year!"

"Stupid kid," laughed the barbarian. "Here I was, thinking you might be older than that."

Upon hearing that, Tan Xing and the others fell silent. They exchanged looks of incredulity with one another. They couldn't believe that the barbarian before them would consider a sixty-year-old a kid.

How old was the man?

"Is there anyone else?" shouted the barbarian. "If there's nobody else who's up for the challenge, I'm going to smash the Extreme Martial Arts Academy's signboard right now."

"Please, esteemed senior, don't," said a voice that came from behind the barbarian.

The man turned around and immediately recognized the owner of that voice as the man who had tried to go after him at the ancient castle.

Jiang Ning!

His eyes were the keen edge of a blade as they stared at Jiang Ning, eying him from the top of his head to the very soles of his feet solemnly. The man nodded as he studied Jiang Ning.

"Not bad, not bad at all. Finally, someone passable." He stuck his arm out and pointed at the four big characters on the Extreme Martial Arts Academy's signboard. "Are you the one who set up this academy?" "Yes, lam."

Jiang Ning nodded and walked towards the barbarian. His eyes held no trace of wariness and he displayed nothing but respect and deference. He knew that this barbarian before him was the presence that had been hidden within the ancient castle in the primeval forest.

He had known that the man before him wasn't any ordinary man when he had called a sixty-year-old grandmaster a kid.

"I suppose you'll do," said the barbarian. He looked at Jiang Ning. "Well, why don't we have a match?"

He didn't wait for Jiang Ning's reply and moved immediately after he had said that.

His speed was astounding. The man charged towards Jiang Ning like a blurry shadow, the sight of which alarmed Tan Xing and the others. They had not expected him to launch into the fight without any warning.

BAM!

A loud sound erupted in the air before anyone realized what was going on.

The barbarian's fist had collided heavily with Jiang Ning's fist. It was as if two pieces of steel had smashed into each other.

The force of the impact sent instant

shockwaves through the air as the very air itself was compressed producing a sound that sento everyone's ears ringing.

SWOOSH!

The two men separated instantly.

The barbarian stared unblinkingly at Jiang Ning before slowly narrowing his eyes. The icy glint in them sent shivers coursing down everyone's spines.

Was he going to go on a killing spree?

"Thank you for going easy on me, senior," said Jiang Ning without any prompting.

"How modest of you," scoffed the barbarian.

He knew very well that Jiang Ning had not unleashed his full strength. In fact, the kid had kept his true abilities well-hidden. He had not been able to discern the kid's true limits. .

The barbarian's hands fell to his sides.

"I'm done fighting." He eyed Jiang Ning. "You've got an old man at your door.

Shouldn't you invite him in for tea? Kids nowadays seem to have forgotten their manners, haven't they?"

Jiang Ning smiled.

"Not at all. This way, please."

He gestured at the men at the entrance of the academy and they parted like the sea.

They had no idea what had just

happened and why Jiang Ning was inviting the terrifying barbarian into

the academy. But this was Jiang

Ning's decision. No one dared defy him. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

The barbarian stuck his nose up in the air and marched right in without looking anyone in the eye.

No one dared utter a single word.

Jiang Ning followed the man in and got someone to bring them tea and snacks. He was the perfect host. "Esteemed senior, please have some tea."