In Martial Universe, Signed in at the Start with Yao Lao's Ring

"Brother Lin Yan… is actually this strong?"

"He never showed his strength before, so no one could tell. But now, even Lin Hong isn't his match. Brother Lin Yan might actually be the number one among the Lin family's younger generation!"

At this moment, after seeing Lin Yan overpower Lin Hong with a single punch, the crowd was utterly shocked.

Especially Qing Tan—her eyes sparkled with admiration as she gazed at Lin Yan.

After all, he had stepped in to help her at her most vulnerable moment. That alone made her favorability toward him skyrocket.

Now that she had witnessed his overwhelming strength, she was practically his biggest fan.

"This is impossible…"

"Lin Hong is one of the top three strongest among the younger generation of the Lin family!"

"How could this useless nobody possibly defeat him?! This is outrageous!"

In stark contrast to Qing Tan's excitement, Lin Shan looked absolutely miserable.

Just moments ago, when he saw Lin Hong arrive, he had been ecstatic, thinking that his older brother would teach Lin Yan a lesson and restore his dignity.

But instead, his greatest hope, Lin Hong, had also suffered defeat—and not just any defeat, but a crushing one.

And the worst part?

Lin Hong was at the sixth layer of the Tempered Body stage!

This fact alone made it even harder for Lin Shan to accept.

"Damn it…"

"This bastard… he's also at the sixth layer of the Tempered Body stage?"

"I completely underestimated him…"

Lin Hong slowly got up from the ground, his expression dark and furious.

Being humiliated like this in front of so many people made his anger boil over.

However, he didn't believe that he was truly weaker than Lin Yan.

Lin Yan was indeed strong, but Lin Hong was confident in his own strength.

Besides, he hadn't used his full power in the previous exchange.

If he had known about Lin Yan's strength from the beginning, he would have gone all out. And if that had happened, there was no way Lin Yan would have won!

"Again!"

"This time, I'll make you pay!"

With that thought, Lin Hong let out a cold snort and prepared to attack once more.

"How boring."

Lin Yan remained calm, but his interest had already faded.

With his last attack, he had already figured out Lin Hong's full potential.

And now that he knew?

Lin Hong wasn't worth his time anymore.

"What's with that attitude?!"

"You arrogant bastard!"

Lin Hong immediately noticed Lin Yan's lack of interest, and his anger exploded.

With a furious roar, he charged forward at full power.

However, just as he was about to strike—

"Enough! Stop right now!"

A furious voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone froze in place.

The next moment, a young girl in red stepped between Lin Hong and Lin Yan.

She looked to be seventeen or eighteen years old, slightly older than Lin Hong and Lin Yan.

Her features were sharp and striking, and her slightly raised eyebrows gave off a strong, confident aura.

"It's Sister Lin Xia!"

Behind Lin Yan, Qing Tan instantly lit up with excitement.

Unlike Lin Hong and Lin Shan, Lin Xia was known for being fair and just.

More importantly—

Qing Tan knew Lin Xia personally.

And since Lin Xia always stood up for what was right, Qing Tan was certain she would take their side.

And sure enough—

After scanning the scene, Lin Xia immediately turned toward Lin Hong and Lin Shan, her expression sharp and unyielding.

Lin Hong and Lin Shan were infamous troublemakers.

They relied on their father's position as the Lin family's financial manager to bully others.

And whenever a conflict involved them, it was almost always their fault.

With that in mind, Lin Xia frowned and snapped at Lin Hong.

"Lin Hong, we're all members of the Lin family. If you want to spar, fine. But there's no need to use Yuan Power, is there?"

"And there's a limit to how much you can bully others. A whole group of you against one boy and a little girl? And you're already at the sixth layer of the Tempered Body stage—did you really need to go this far against Brother Lin Yan and Qing Tan?"

Hearing this, Lin Hong and Lin Shan almost coughed up blood.

Because this time…

They were the ones who got beaten up!

Yet Lin Xia's words made it sound like they were the bullies!

Lin Hong's face twisted in frustration.

Meanwhile, Lin Shan couldn't hold back his anger any longer.

"Sister Lin Xia, are you blind?!"

"Who's bullying who here?!"

"Just look at me!"

"Look at our brothers! We're all beaten black and blue!"

"And my brother wasn't the one bullying anyone!"

"You think that guy standing next to you—who looks all harmless and innocent—is a weak little rabbit? Let me tell you—he's anything but!"

"He's been hiding his strength all along! He's actually at the sixth layer of the Tempered Body stage! My brother fought him and got seriously hurt! And you're saying we are the ones bullying him?!"

Lin Xia hesitated for a moment.

She turned toward Lin Shan's group—

And sure enough, they were all covered in bruises.

Even Lin Hong looked dusty and disheveled, completely lacking his usual smug demeanor.

Then, she looked over at Lin Yan.

His expression was calm and composed, and he didn't have a single injury on his body.

Seeing this, Lin Xia's eyes widened in shock.

After all, she knew who Lin Yan was.

She was one of the most socially active members of the Lin family, so she recognized almost everyone.

But she had never realized that Lin Yan was this powerful.

"Qing Tan, is this true?"

Still unsure, she turned to Qing Tan for confirmation.

"Sister Lin Xia, it's true! Brother Lin Yan is amazing!"

Qing Tan nodded enthusiastically, full of admiration for Lin Yan.

Lin Xia's expression grew even more complicated.

"That said, Sister Lin Xia, Brother Lin Yan wasn't the one who started the fight."

"He was just passing by and saw me getting bullied, so he stepped in to help. Please don't blame him."

Qing Tan hurriedly explained, afraid that Lin Xia might misunderstand.

Lin Xia finally understood.

In short—

Lin Shan was up to his usual bullying, but this time, he messed with the wrong person and ended up getting beaten instead.

Honestly?

She found it pretty satisfying. After all, Lin Shan and his gang had bullied plenty of people before, now, they had finally gotten what they deserved.

"Regardless, if you want to settle this, do it at the family competition."

"Besides, winning against your own clan members doesn't mean much. If you really want to prove yourself, wait for the Qingyang Town Hunting Tournament. That's where true skill is tested."

Lin Xia's voice was calm but firm.

Lin Hong and Lin Shan's faces darkened.

They knew they wouldn't get revenge today.

Lin Hong stepped forward, his expression cold.

"Lin Yan, today, you got lucky because Sister Lin Xia was here."

"But don't think this is over."

"I will challenge you at the clan competition."

"And when that day comes, I'll show you just how vast the gap between us truly is!"