I haven't even exerted myself, how can you be done already?

Dai Mubai and the other two timed it perfectly, calling for Tang San and Xiao Wu before knocking on Lin Chen's door.

"Lin Chen, it's time for lunch. Do you want to join us?"

Dai Mubai asked loudly while knocking.

Lin Chen, who was just about to head out, couldn't help but freeze.

Dai Mubai was actually coming to invite him to eat? Had the sun risen in the west?

When things are abnormal, there must be a demon at play.

His intuition told Lin Chen that Dai Mubai was up to no good today.

Let's see what kind of trick he's trying to pull.

Lin Chen didn't choose to avoid it; instead, he walked to the door and opened it.

The Shrek group stood neatly outside.

"Let's go."

As he spoke, Lin Chen calmly scrutinized the expressions of the group.

The others seemed fine, with nothing particularly unusual.

However, the playful look on Ma Hongjun's face was practically overflowing.

That expression.

It was as if he were practically telling Lin Chen, "We're going to mess with you."

Heh!

Lin Chen sneered inwardly and headed toward the stairs.

Xiao Wu skipped along behind him.

"Lin Chen, we found a treasure of a restaurant in town yesterday. The food there is delicious. Do you want to go try it this afternoon?"

Seeing this, Tang San's face darkened instantly, and his fists clenched involuntarily, though he said nothing and just followed silently.

Dai Mubai and the others exchanged glances before hurrying to catch up.

"Not interested."

Lin Chen spat out the three words coldly, his pace not affected in the slightest.

Xiao Wu couldn't help but pout at the response.

She just didn't understand why this guy was so cold toward her.

She wasn't exactly unattractive, after all.

"Lin Chen!"

After descending from the dormitory building, Dai Mubai quickened his pace to reach Lin Chen's side.

Lin Chen glanced sideways.

Dai Mubai got straight to the point: "How about a Spirit Fight this afternoon?"

Hearing this, Lin Chen cast a glance at Tang San.

The latter's eyes lit up; it was clear he was eager to spar with Lin Chen as well.

However, his reaction didn't look like he was the one secretly instigating Dai Mubai.

If it wasn't Tang San...

Then it had to be Yu Xiaogang, or perhaps Flender and Zhao Wuji.

Lin Chen shook his head: "No thanks, I'm afraid of pain."

Dai Mubai: "???"

He had considered that Lin Chen might refuse, but he never expected him to use such a reason.

Afraid of pain?

What a pathetic excuse.

If you're afraid of pain, why even bother cultivating?

"Lin Chen, for a Spirit Master, cultivation isn't just about Spirit Power levels."

"Practical combat experience is also essential."

"Without enough combat experience, no matter how high your level is, you won't be able to unleash your true strength."

"Working behind closed doors is not the way to go."

Dai Mubai said patiently, trying to persuade him with earnest words.

Tang San hurriedly chimed in at this point.

"That's right. If your combat experience is insufficient, you might not even be able to beat someone of a lower level than you. You'll be the laughingstock of the entire Spirit Master world."

Ma Hongjun also joined in the persuasion.

"Rest assured, we're all classmates here. We'll be careful and won't hurt you; hiding in the dorm all day isn't a solution, you know."

Oscar nodded repeatedly, "Yeah, yeah, exactly."

Xiao Wu frowned slightly, her gaze sweeping across their faces.

Why did she feel like something was off?

Still, their reasoning didn't seem to have any major flaws.

Practical combat experience was indeed very important.

Lin Chen swept his gaze over the group, observing their ugly expressions.

His eyes finally landed on Dai Mubai.

"Are you very good at fighting?"

Dai Mubai glanced at Xiao Wu, a confident smile appearing on his face.

"I won't hide it from you; I come from the Star Luo Royal Family, and my Spirit is the White Tiger. While I wouldn't dare claim to be invincible at my level, there are few among my peers who can be my match."

Xiao Wu and Tang San were both stunned upon hearing this.

They already knew about Dai Mubai's Spirit, but they had no idea about his background.

He was actually from the Star Luo Royal Family.

How could a descendant of the Star Luo Royal Family end up in a backwater place like Nuoding City?

Lin Chen feigned surprise.

"A White Tiger Spirit?"

"I read in books that Spirit Masters with tiger-type Spirits are never weak in terms of strength."

"Your strength must be quite formidable, right?"

Dai Mubai acted uncharacteristically humble, saying, "It's passable, I suppose."

Lin Chen asked, "Could I get a feel for it?"

Dai Mubai replied generously, "Of course, how would you like to feel it?"

Lin Chen stopped in his tracks and extended his right hand.

Without needing an explanation, Dai Mubai instantly understood his intent.

He immediately extended his own right hand to clasp it.

Dai Mubai said, "I'll count to three, and then we'll both apply force."

Lin Chen nodded, "Fine!"

Tang San and the others watched the two of them intently, eyes unblinking.

"One, two, three, start!"

Lin Chen didn't play any games; he exerted force the very instant the word "start" fell.

In that split second, Dai Mubai's expression changed drastically.

He felt as if his right hand had been clamped by a pair of iron pliers, and a terrifying force began to crush his palm frantically.

"Crack, crack, crack..."

The crisp sound of bones grinding echoed, causing Tang San and the others to look at Lin Chen's face in unison.

However, the other party's expression remained completely unchanged.

"Ow, ow, ow, let go, damn it, let go!"

Dai Mubai's face twisted in agony as he tried to shake off the right hand that Lin Chen was gripping with a death lock.

Only then did Tang San and the others realize what was happening.

So, the sound of bones grinding wasn't coming from Lin Chen, but from Dai Mubai.

Lin Chen let go smoothly, his face full of innocence.

"Wait, I hadn't even started using my strength yet; how are you already failing?"

Dai Mubai's right hand trembled uncontrollably, a piercing pain sweeping through his entire body.

He knew his finger bones, and even his metacarpals, had fractured.

Lin Chen's words were even more devastating, twisting the knife in the wound.

Having suffered a secret loss and already feeling displeased, he instantly began to flush with rage.

"Damn you..."

As Dai Mubai cursed in anger, he launched a fierce straight kick, aiming directly for Lin Chen's chest.

Lin Chen's eyes sharpened; he dodged to the side and simultaneously brought his elbow down.

His elbow joint struck Dai Mubai's knee perfectly.

"Snap!"

The sound of cracking bones rang out once again.

Before Dai Mubai could even let out a scream, Lin Chen's side kick had already struck.

This kick was fast, accurate, and ruthless.

Unable to react in time, Dai Mubai felt a massive force slam into his chest.

"Bang!"

Dai Mubai's body was launched into the air, arching into a U-shape.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Dai Mubai flew over a dozen meters before landing in a heap.

He rolled several times on the ground before the remaining momentum finally dissipated.

"Boss Dai!"

Ma Hongjun and Oscar's expressions shifted drastically as they rushed toward Dai Mubai.

"Cough, cough..."

As Ma Hongjun helped him up, Dai Mubai coughed lightly, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Oscar was incensed.

"Are you sick in the head? This was just a spar, was it necessary to hit so hard?"

Tang San and Xiao Wu watched Lin Chen with faces full of shock.

They truly had not expected Lin Chen's strength to be this formidable.

His power was immense, and his speed was astonishingly fast.

In that split second just now, even they would not have been able to react in time.

The shock in Tang San's heart was the most intense.

When Lin Chen had gone to complain to Xiao Wu earlier, he had assumed Lin Chen was afraid of him.

Looking at it now, that did not seem to be the case at all.

With strength like this, why would he ever fear a peer?

He had no idea that he was hiding the secret arts of the Tang Sect.